The first chapter with an actual, bonafide plan.

Seriously. I wrote up this big 2k word document with a synopsis for each chapter. I decided this is gonna be a shorter story, only 10 chapters, and maybe 30K words at most.

I will say, having a nice big plan to work off is quite handy, since at any point I can refer back to it and decide what needs adding or changing.

Anyways, on with the story...

Chapter 1 - Grimm Reality

"No Mommy, don't go again!"

Ruby's yell was audible throughout the household, and Summer sighed at the desperate plea from her daughter. Picking her up, Summer mussed up her hair, smirking when Ruby pouted and pawed at her hands. "Ruby, you know if I don't go, people will get hurt, hmm?" Summer said, smiling at her daughter when she nodded, though there were still tears in her eyes.

"But why you Mommy? Why can't someone else's Mommy do it?" Ruby asked, tears running from her eyes, clutching tightly to Summer as if she'd disappear if she let go.

"Oh, petal." Summer said quietly, clutching the back of her daughters head and burying her face in her shoulder, holding her tightly. "How about this, when I get back, we'll make some cookies, yeah?" Summer said as she leaned back to kiss Ruby's forehead, smiling when Ruby perked up at the mention of cookies, mentally making a note to pick up plenty of chocolate chips, as fond memories of Ruby stealing them during her preparations ran across her mind.

Setting Ruby down, Summer turned to Yang, crouching down and opening her arms, watching Yang dart forward to hug her. "Look after your sister while I'm gone, we both know Tai would end up burning the house down without us keeping him in check." Summer said quietly, noting with joy that Yang, though there was still a little moistness to her eyes, wasn't quite as afraid of her leaving as Ruby was. Watching the girl nod, Summer smiled at her. "Atta girl, I'll be back before you can say cookies."

Waving to the two girls, Summer quietly shut the door to their bedroom, pressing her back against the door and sighing, happy in the knowledge that Yang would look after Ruby, and frowning at the fact that it should be Raven looking Yang and Ruby when she left for a mission, not Yang looking after both of them.

Walking down the hallway, Summer spent some time to look at the photos adorning the walls, smiling at the fond memories, like the photo she managed to take the time Ruby opened her present one early Christmas morning and saw her cape. She had to be pried away from Summers side with a crowbar, but the joy was well worth the hundreds of pinpricks sowing the cape took, and Summer smiled at the thought that one day, when Ruby was ready for it, they'd be able to sow on the hood and turn it into a true cloak.

Stepping down the staircase, Summer smiled at Taiyang, who returned it wearily. "You know, if you're that worried about me, we could always get Qrow to stay in town and watch over the girls, and you could come with me." Summer suggested, chucking when Tai snorted.

"Yeah right, like he'd listen to us. He's still convinced that even being on Patch is too dangerous for the girls, like his presence is gonna bring a Wyvern or a Leviathan or something. I just...I wish you were taking a mission closer to home. Going out to Vacuo for this...I don't like it." Taiyang finally admitted with a sigh, closing his eyes when Summer came over to wrap her arms around her husband, holding him tight and smiling sadly at him.

"I know that, but you know me, I can't help myself. Besides, they need my help, how could I turn that mission down and still face Ruby?" She asked of him, smirking when he turned away from her, though she placed a hand under his chin, drawing his eyes back to her. "If it ever gets hairy, you know I can take care of myself." Summer announced, smirking and waving a hand between them both, wiggling her fingers. "Silver-Eyed Warriors can kill with but a gaze, right Tai?" Summer chuckled, nudging her husband with an elbow and finally drawing out a laugh from him. "Seriously, I'll be fine Tai." Summer said, kissing her husband and making for the door, not missing his parting statement.

"I know you will."

Taking a deep breath, Summer stepped off the Bullhead, glancing around the village with a keen eye and frowning at just how abysmal the situation was. The inhabitants were clearly miserable, demoralized from their losses, which in turn drew more and more Grimm.

Turning away, Summer eyed up the meeting point, where a portly man in loose-fitting clothes was stood waiting on her and the few other Hunters who were sent to help the town. Throwing a last glance around the town, Summer squared her shoulders, taking the lead of the group and walking towards the man, her example quickly being followed by the others who trailed behind her, looking around and coming to the same conclusion as her; This settlement was doomed.

"Greetings Hunters!" The man bellowed, deliberately drawing the attention of the nearby citizens, who eyed the newcomers with hope, but also resignation. "Thank you for responding to my request so expediently."

Sighing, Summer looked around, noting the growing crowd surrounding the Hunters, many of whom had their hands clasped together as if in prayer. "You're welcome, I guess." One of the others muttered.

The man frowned at him, before scratching his chin and stepping to the side, waving his arm at the entrance to the building. "Well, shall we take this inside?"

Nodding, Summer strode towards the doors, watching the man dart forwards to open the door for the group, and giving him a courteous nod in response. Entering the room, Summer smiled at the simplicity of it, a triplet of sofas were arrayed around a low coffee table, a pitcher of water and some glasses set aside, presumably for them, and not much else of note in the room. Just like Summer had come to expect from Vacuo.

Setting down comfortably on the sofa, Summer watched her fellow Hunters as they took up positions where they felt comfortable. Two of them joined her in being seated, whilst one remained standing, leaning against the wall and watching them all.

The man who greeted them settled down on the third sofa, pouring himself a glass of water before gesturing towards the glasses, though none of the Hunters took the invitation, leading him to frown.

"I'll be frank, this town is doomed, many of us can see it. A few of the people here though still cling to the belief that our walls will protect us from the Grimm, and that holds more people from leaving, as they try to convince their loved ones to leave for safety. I'm hoping that by bringing you all in, we'll have enough time to convince them to evacuate to Coquina, or perhaps even Shade Academy, before the Grimm breach the walls and wipe us out."

"Surely they could see that the walls won't hold up to repeated attacks, things are going to keep getting worse as you lose more people, and more people are in grief, leading even more Grimm, in a never-ending cycle until the assaults finally kill them all." The one leaning against the wall made his position known quickly, gesturing wildly with one hand and frowning at the poor man.

"The problem lies in the fact that certain people refuse to leave, leading their families and friends to stay as well, which ends up holding far more people here than I'd be comfortable leaving behind. If one or two stubborn old-timers refused to leave, I'd wish them well, but at least half the town would have to stay behind, and leaving that many people behind is completely out of the question." The man said, raising his arms in a helpless plea. "All I can hope is that you can hold the Grimm off when they attack so we can convince those who wish to remain that staying here isn't going to work."

During this, Summer was mentally reeling, already regretting her decision but resolved to see it through. The air outside was very depressing, many of the people who were being held here by loved ones knew how grave the situation was, and that was making their emotions flare up like dinner bells for the Grimm. If she had to, she would drag every person out of the town by the arm and kick their asses from there to Shade if she had to.

While the town representative and the Hunter behind them argued back and forth, Summer heard a gunshot, quiet but definitely there, and snapped up to her feet, a hand on her weapon. At the questioning glances sent her way, Summer frowned, ears pricked as she listened intently. After a few moments, just as she was about to settle back down and apologize, she heard a second gunshot, and a third in close succession. "Gunshots."

The one word had the Hunters ready, their weapons in hand, while the other man was sweating buckets, wiping his brow and panicking. Running out of the room, Summer ran towards the direction of the gunshots, hearing them get louder and more frequent. As they approached the wall, the gunshots were drowned out by the distant but deafening roaring of countless Grimm.

Taking the steps three at a time up to the walkway running along the inside of the wall, Summer threw herself across the wall, looking over the edge and blanching. A sea of black was converging on the town, probably thousands of Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusks and the occasional Beringel making up the attacking force.

Turning to the nearest militia guard, Summer coughed once before barking out her order.

"Get the town evacuated, this wall will be no match for that horde! Drag people out of town kicking if you have to, but get them away from here and to the nearest safe town, or everyone is going to die. We'll hold them off for as long as we can, now GO!" Summer yelled, Shoving the guard away and turning back to the outside of the wall.

Nodding quickly, the Militia guard began running the length of the wall, relaying her orders and sending the inhabitants into a mild panic, though it was still admirable to watch these men and women fight their panic off whilst they clambered down the wall, shouting the order for evacuating towards the other side of the town to everybody in earshot.

Attempting to could the sheer number of Grimm involved, Summer frowned as her quick counting swiftly breached the thousands, and she gave up trying, though she just shrugged at this, drawing her weapons to lay down some fire, firing blindly into the black mass, with gunshots coming from the other Hunters as well, though it was like throwing a pebble into a river, their attacks barely affected the horde.

Sighing, Summer turned to the other 3 Hunters, holstering her weaponry. "That's having no effect on them, let's try something different." She announced, confusing the others. "I'm gonna act like bait, drawing the attention of that horde and keeping them from swarming the wall at full strength. You three stay here, and if there's still too many, whoever is the fastest out of you lot should draw more Grimm away. We need to make sure the town has as much time as possible." She all but commanded, daring the others to argue with her plan.

After getting agreements from each Hunter, Summer took a deep breath, before vaulting over the wall and charging towards the Grimm, jumping straight over the first Beowolf and landing on another, kicking off its head and bounding away perpendicular to the wall, looping around the main body of the horde and letting her emotions run wild, acting like a juicy big beacon for the Grimm, leading a large contingent of the monsters away.

Throwing a glance over her shoulder, Summer noted happily that a lot of the Grimm were now focused on her and ignoring the wall, though with the sheer size of the horde it was still a very worrying amount of Grimm which continued on towards the walls. Placing her faith in the other hunters to protect the town until it was evacuated, Summer began running into the desert, Beowolves nipping at her heels and gaining nothing but slashed faces and limbs for their troubles.

Tired out from her running, Summer grimaced when she came to a stop, her weapon covered in evaporating Grimm blood, watching the Beowolves pouring in around her and surrounding her, though Summer smirked as she felt her Trump Card out, feeding it her memories of Ruby, of Yang, Tai, Qrow, even Raven, all her happiest memories of those she loved and protected, feeling the power overflowing from her eyes, before it burst out, bathing the area in pure silver light and turning the horde to stone.

As soon as the light receded, Summer collapsed to her knees, her head throbbing in pain and her body exhausted from the strain, but a triumphant smile on her face.

A smile which was broken when the sound of growling could be heard. Turning her head slowly towards the sound, Summer could make out the black shape of a Beowolf, one evidently sheltered enough from the light by its brethren that her ability didn't reach it. Summer tried to rise to her feet, but when she tried to put any weight on her legs, they buckled, leaving her limp on the floor, a fact the Grimm enjoyed if the chuffing sound was any indication.

Punching forward, the Beowolf batted Summer with a paw, hard, sending her rolling across the ground, coming to a sudden stop against one of the stone statues of Grimm still littering the clearing. Gripping her weapon, Summer watched as the Beowolf lowered its head, before it pounced towards her, evading her frantic swipe and batting the sword away, before clawing at her body, and growling in fury when her aura, weak as it was, protected her from the strike.

Summer's respite would not last though, as the Beowolf lifted the woman up and threw her across the clearing again, breaking her aura against another statue and leaving her limp on the floor. Raising her head in defiance, Summer glared at the Beowolf as it reared its arm back, watching as the claw plunged towards her body, feeling the agony as the claw embedded itself in her body, before a white flash crossed her vision, and everything went dark...

And that's chapter 1.

To be honest with myself, I don't like ending it like that, and I'll freely admit Summer leading the Grimm away isn't the best plan, but it's what I came up with, and it's what I'll deal with.

This story is similar to and inspired by Grimm Developments, where Summer is saved by a Grimm, though it's different to what I have planned. Please, do leave some reviews, tell me if you enjoyed this.