Sorry for anyone waiting for a continuation of my other fics, but while I was trying to write the next chapter of Vengeful One, I just hit a wall. So, I went back through to old reviews and one stuck out to me. So this fic is more of a self-imposed challenge on my part while I try and figure out where my other fics are going.
Young Reaper
Prologue: Under his wing
Qrow wasn't surprised easily. Growing up a bandit had a way of desensitizing a person, and his years at Beacon had, to best of his knowledge, pounded the last nail into that coffin. The situations Taiyang and Summer could get themselves into could drive anyone to drink. At least, that's what he told himself.
But then, he wouldn't have traded those years for anything. After all, he had met her.
The woman seated across from him was looking anywhere but at Qrow as he tried to process what she had just said, brushing a blue-tipped hair behind her ear as the uncomfortable silence dragged on.
"I'm sorry, Sapphire. I must have misheard you." Qrow managed to stutter out.
"No, you didn't." Sapphire breathed, finally looking the Huntsman in the eye. "I'm pregnant."
Qrow nodded as if dazed, his racing mind brought to a grinding halt. So he said the first words that came to mind.
"Are you sure it's mine?"
Immediately, Qrow knew he'd made a mistake. Sapphire's eyes widened in shock for only a moment before narrowing in fury.
"Yes, I'm damn sure it's your kid!" She cried, slamming her palms down on the table as she stood, her chair tumbling over behind her. "How can you even ask me that, you asshole!"
"You're right. I'm sorry." Qrow raised his hands in surrender as his infuriated girlfriend stood there, panting. "I'm just… This is a bit of a shock, you know."
"Imagine how it feels to actually have a person growing inside you." Sapphire countered as her anger began to dwindle.
Qrow fought the urge to grab his flask as his thoughts slowly came into line. Interlocking his finders, he pressed the question.
"So what do you want to do?"
"I…" Sapphire sighed.
"You don't know?"
"I mean, I'm not going to 'get rid of it', if that's what you're thinking." Sapphire muttered, almost hugging herself as her anger vanished and the weight of her situation set in.
"Sapph.." Qrow placed a hand on her shoulder, urging Sapphire to continue.
"Qrow, I've known about this for over a week and you know what scares me the most right now?" Sapphire asked, looking down at the floor. "I already love this kid, Qrow. I love it so much."
Qrow smiled. "So you're going to keep it?"
Sapphire nodded. "Yes. I am."
Qrow gently pulled Sapphire closer, letting her rest her head on his shoulder, rubbing her back with gentle circles.
"Well, I'm in if you are."
"What?" Sapphire raised her head, her cerulean eyes meeting Qrow's crimson.
"We got into this together, didn't we?" Qrow asked.
"You're PREGNANT?!" Summer squealed.
Sapphire blushed and nodded.
The STRQ leader almost jumped for joy as Qrow chuckled at Sapphire's embarrassment.
"How far along are you? Is it a boy or a girl? Do have a name chosen yet?!" Summer asked question after question until she had to stop for breath.
"I'm about seven weeks along. It's too early to tell the gender and no, we haven't talked about names yet." Sapphire managed to answer though her embarrassment.
"This is so cool! First Tai and Raven had Yang and now you and Qrow?" Summer pumped her fist. "I'm going to be the best Aunt ever!"
Sapphire squirmed uncomfortably on the hospital bed as a cold gel was spread across her stomach. Qrow was standing beside her, holding her hand.
"Alright then, Ms. Gray." The Doctor smiled as he grabbed an instrument from a nearby table. "I'm told you're at eighteen weeks?'
"That's right."
"Wonderful." The doctor slowly rubbed the device across his patient's stomach, eyes locked on the nearby monitor. A soft, continuous, bumping sound filled the air.
"Is that-" Qrow began as the image on the monitor swirled.
"Yes, Mr. Branwen." The doctor confirmed. "That is your son's heartbeat."
"Son?" Sapphire gasped as she stared at the screen.
"Yes, Ms. Gray." The screen swirled once more as the doctor moved the device into place. The image was small, barely bigger than a peanut. "It's a boy."
Tears began to flow down Sapphire's face as she stared at the image.
"That's our son, Qrow."
The Huntsman squeezed her hand, smiling widely in agreement.
Qrow was wide awake, despite it being long after midnight. He couldn't believe how quickly time the time had passed.
Sapphire was asleep next to him, even in her sleep, her hands cradled her swollen stomach.
Gently, he placed his own, callused from years of handling his weapon on the large bump.
There wasn't much time left. They were approaching the end of the eighth month, and his uncertainties were only growing worse by the day.
Could he be a parent? With his semblance, he could only bring misfortune to the people he cared about. How could he raise kid with that constantly hanging over his head?
Then he felt it. A sharp strike to the palm of his hand.
Immediately, his doubts lessened. He wasn't in this alone, after all.
Slowly, he leaned over.
"Hey, kid. It's your dad. Just so you know, I will make mistakes. We will have some bad times ahead, but please, never doubt I love you."
Another sharp strike was response.
Qrow had been in Vale's hospital more often than he'd like to admit, but he'd never been in the maternity wing before.
Sapphire had gone into labour that morning and, after a few hours of uncertainty, Qrow had brought her to the hospital.
Since then, he had been shoved out the room by an older-looking nurse with a face that seemed to be locked in a permanent glare.
Since then, he had been seated outside, waiting and hoping that his semblance wouldn't lead to any deaths today.
The door suddenly bursting open signaled Summer's arrival, rose petals trailing behind her.
"Did is miss it?! Is my Godson here?!" She panted, looking as if she had run all the way there from Beacon. Then again, knowing her, she might have.
"No, Summer. He's not." Qrow replied without looking up.
Summer sat down on his right, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
"Sapphire will be fine, Qrow. She's strong."
"What if-"
"One word about your Semblance and I'm throwing your flask down a well." His former leader cut him off.
Qrow was about to protest, but a sudden swirl of movement in the center of the room cut him off.
A sudden slash mark appeared in mid-air, quickly spreading and leaking dark red energy as it expanded.
A nearby nurse scrambled back in terror as the strange phenomenon reached it's apex. From within, a duo of strange shapes began to take form until they stepped out of the portal. One dark haired woman, and one muscular blond man. Held tightly to the man's chest was a small child with the same hair, her lilac eyes darting around the room with interest.
"Did we-"
"No Tai, you didn't miss it." Qrow cut the taller man off. "Glad you two could make it."
Taiyang clapped a hand on Qrow's shoulder, smiling widely. "Wouldn't miss it."
"How long as Sapphire been in there?" The woman asked, looking towards the hallway that led to the delivery room without emotion.
"It's been about five hours, Raven."
Qrow's twin folded her arms. "Not so long than. I was in there with Yang for over nine."
The group settled into their seats, Tai distracting himself with amusing his daughter as the time began to drag on.
After what felt like an eternity, the door opened, revealing the same nurse that had shoved Qrow out.
"Mr. Branwen?"
Qrow's head snapped up.
"Would you like to meet your son?"
It took all of Qrow's self-control to keep his hand from shaking as he pushed the door open.
Sapphire was sitting up in the hospital bed, sweat plastered to her forehead and holding a bundle of blue cloth to her chest.
"Sapph?"
The woman smiled softly, putting finger to her lips before whispering.
"Come here, Qrow. Someone wants to meet you."
The Huntsman slowly approached the bed as Sapphire shifted her grip on the bundle, bring it's content into Qrow's view.
Crimson met crimson in that moment.
The child was tiny, it's entire body barely looked bigger than his hand, but what drew Qrow's attention wasn't the thin cap of blue hair, the same shade as his mother's, but it was his eyes.
They were wide open and seemed almost enamoured in the world around them, taking everything in with glee.
Sapphire's smile grew wider as she held up her son to his father. "Hold him."
Clumsily, Qrow accepted the baby, remembering almost too late to support the child's head.
The child only continued to stare up at his father, searing the image into his short memory.
"And I thought babies were supposed to be loud and annoying." Qrow chuckled.
The child smiled, finally attaching face to the voice that he'd heard so often before.
"He's perfect."
"Oh my Oum, He's so cute!" Summer squealed to herself.
"I'll admit, you outdid yourself this time, Qrow." Taiyang added, lifting his daughter so she could see. "See him, Yang? This is your cousin."
"Have you decided on a name?" Raven asked.
"Still deciding on that, actually." Sapphire replied. "I like Cobalt."
"Cobalt Gray?" Qrow shook his head. "Doesn't sound right to me."
"Not Gray. Branwen." Sapphire corrected. "I can already tell he's going to be his father's son."
Raven nodded in approval. "It's strong name."
"Really?" Taiyang frowned. "But you were fine with Yang taking my last name."
Before Raven could reply, the infant yawned, his eyes falling shut as he curled into his mother's arms.
"Think it's time to let him sleep." Qrow smiled teasingly. "And the mother looks like she could use some rest too.
"Qrow's right. We should be getting home ourselves." Tai confirmed as he climbed to his feet. "Get some rest, Saph."
As the rest of STRQ left the room, Raven's eyes found the child once more, an unreadable gleam in the crimson irises.
"You can't be serious about this, Raven!"
The Huntress scowled in disapproval as her brother blocked her path.
"This was the plan, wasn't it Qrow?" She countered. "We were sent to Beacon on a mission. That mission is done. It's time to go home."
"We ARE home!" Qrow's voice was etched with disappointment in his twin. "Raven, the tribe might have raised us but have you thought about what they do? They kill people. Innocent people that have never done anything to them. Have you thought this through, really?"
"Yes, and my conclusions remain unchanged." Raven shook her head. "The Strong survive, the Weak die. That is the way the world works."
"So you're just going to walk out on Tai and Yang?! You're going to leave your daughter behind to go back to murder and pillaging villages?!"
Raven's disappointment only grew, as did the harsh set of her jaw. "Ozpin must be proud. He's taken a fearsome warrior and turned him into another of his mindless drones."
"Ozpin had nothing to do with this." Qrow snapped. "There are people here that I care about here. They depend on me!"
"So it was Sapphire." The younger Branwen Twin spat. "She's the one that made you soft."
"Raven, please." Qrow was almost begging. "Just tell me why you're doing this? What did you see out there?"
Raven scoffed, drawing her blade in preparation. "This is getting us nowhere. Are you coming with me or not?"
"I think we both know the answer to that, Raven."
The bandit slashed open a portal and, sending one last disappointed glance at her brother, marched through.
Tai was beyond devastated by Raven's departure. Despite his teammate's best efforts, he was inconsolable, spending most of his time with Yang, just staring down at the face that so closely resembled to one he had once loved.
It was late one evening that Qrow was walking towards Sapphire's house after another futile attempt to help his friend. He'd been staying with her most nights, doing his best to care for the newborn. So far, the kid and his mother were still alive, so the Huntsman counted that as a win.
A swift gust of wind slapped him in the face, but it wasn't the cold or leafs that made Qrow halt. It was the smell it carried.
Smoke.
Qrow's head snapped up.
Far ahead, a thick cloud of burning ashes rose above the treeline.
The Huntsman broke into a run.
Sapphire pressed a hand to her side, her broken Aura doing nothing to stop the blood that flowed from the wound. Her weapon had been lost in the struggle, the fire dust it carried having set the wooden wall alight. Clenching her teeth, the wounded Huntress glared up at her attacker.
Raven regarded her with contempt as she stepped forwards once more, her bloodied katana in hand.
"I expected better from you, Sapphire." Her voice was almost disappointed. "I never knew what my brother saw in you. You're too soft for your own good."
Sapphire growled, trying to stand only to fall back onto her knees.
"But then again," Raven continued, coming to halt in front of the downed Huntress. "You were always weak."
The katana slashed once.
Swinging the blood off her sword, Raven sheathed the weapon and turned around. Standing before here were a duo of heavily built, heavily scared men, arms folded as they watched the shorter bandit dispatch the Huntress.
Gesturing them to follow, Raven led them through a door on the far side of the room, stepping over Sapphire's body as they did. Pushing the door open, the bandit found her target.
The crib was much too large, supposedly for the child to grow into, but the shape within was unmistakable.
Raven picked up her nephew, supporting him in the crook of her arm as she had once done with her own child.
"We done here, Raven?" One of her colleagues asked, watching with a disinterested eye.
"We are." Raven confirmed as the child squirmed in her grip.
"Hope the brat is-"
His words were cut off by the sudden violet squelch of metal meeting flesh.
Raven spun, her free hand reaching for her weapon.
Qrow stood in the doorway, his large blade in hand and standing over the two bandit's he had just downed.
"Put. Him. Down. Raven." He growled.
Raven studied her brother. He was between her and the door, so she wouldn't be able to escape that way. She could use a portal, but that would take her attention off her brother. She wouldn't be able to fight while holding her prize, but Qrow wouldn't be able to either without endangering his son.
Would the Huntsman be willing to take that risk?
"You know the rules of our Tribe, Qrow." Raven stated. "If you will not return," She glanced down at her nephew. "Another must take your place."
Qrow's eyes narrowed, raising his weapon. "Try and take him, and neither of us will be going back."
Raven's calculating stare hardened for only a moment before, as fast as she could, she tossed the child towards her brother. As the Huntsman dove to catch him, she swung her katana behind her, splitting the crib in half as she summoned a portal.
Qrow twisted as he stretched his arms up, praying to Remnant's long forgotten gods that he would be fast enough. Moments later, the tiny human landed safely in his arms, bursting to loud cries at the impact.
By the time Qrow looked back towards the shattered crib, his twin was gone.
Qrow was sitting in Tai's house hours after the endeavour, holding his son tightly, as if Raven might try to snatch him away at any moment.
Summer and Tai sat across from him, their horrified expressions never wavering.
"Why?" Summer whimpered, tears falling from her silver eyes. "Why would Raven do that?"
Qrow exhaled heavily. "Because of the Tribe. If I wasn't going back, she needed to bring someone to replace me."
Tai placed a tentative hand on Qrow's shoulder. "About Sapph…I'm so sorry, Qrow."
Qrow bowed his head in grief as his son stirred on his grasp.
"We can keep him safe, Qrow." Summer said with determination. "With the three of us here-"
"It's the first place she'd look, Sum." Qrow shook his head. "I'm sorry, but this is way it has to be. For now at least."
"Where will you go?" Tai asked, a heavy slump to his shoulders.
"Beacon, first. Oz will help me get set up. Then, I have a few ideas." Qrow stood, gently shifting his grip as he walked towards the door. "I've already called for a ride. We should get going."
"Good luck, Qrow." Summer called in sadness as Qrow left the house.
As the airbus began it's journey towards Beacon, Qrow smiled down at the child in his grasp.
"Cobalt Branwen. Has a nice ring to it."