A/N: So, I've had the idea for this story floating around my head for a while. I have changed a few things from canon. First, yes... this is an OC based story. I will incorporate the OC into the RWBY story line, but will obviously given them a flushed out past that starts before the canon material. I want to use the OC as a way of altering the story and diving into different themes the canon established. I plan on expanding on the existing characters in ways that I think would best fit the story and adding scenes that will have spoilers all the way up to Volume 5. RWBY is one of my favorite series, but even I can admit that there are a few things that could be flushed out a bit better, so I will be using information from the World of Remnant series and RWBY wiki to explore some parts of Remnant the canon material doesn't really get into. If anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns, please leave me a comment or send me a me know what you guys think of the story. I plan on posting the first few chapters of this story pretty quickly, so I can get to the canon timeline as quickly as possible.
Chapter 1 - The Beginning
The night was cold, unbelievably so. It was colder than Qrow or Summer had ever experienced. They were covered from head-to-toe in cloaks to keep warm, but they were still freezing in the howling winds and blankets of snow falling overhead.
"Why did Ozpin have to send us out here tonight of all nights?" Summer asked through her facemask. She was shivering as she watched the small outpost below her. A few mask men moved around crates of weapons and dust, but it was hard to get a good look at them from atop the mountain Summer and Qrow were perched on.
The snow partnered with their white gear made them undetectable. They muttered to each other, coming up with a plan of attack.
"They are getting ready to move," Summer said over the howling wind, "If we don't strike tonight, we will lose our one lead on Salem."
Qrow nodded as he saw a few guards funnel into a room that lead underground.
"What do you think we should do?" Qrow asked, "We have 24 hostiles above ground and an unknown amount underground. I think we should wait until they are-"
Qrow was interrupted by a massive pillar of fire that erupted from underneath the base like a volcano.
Summer and Qrow had to shield their eyes as the pillar of flaming gold turned snow to steam in an instant. They felt the warmth of the fire from over 200 yards away. They looked up to see the pillar of fire reach up to the heavens, unlike anything they had ever seen.
"What the hell is that?" Qrow asked angrily, but his teammate didn't respond. Her gaze was fixed on the child that crawled out of the hole created by the pillar. He had tanned skin and hair that was as white as the snow around him, but his most prominent features were his eyes. They burned gold, just like the fire that erupted moments ago.
"He's woken up!" One of the guards yelled as he aimed a dust rifle at the child. The boy's eyes shifted to the man before he vanished, only making a weird sound that cut through the air like butter.
The Huntsman and Huntress overhead watched in horror as the boy appeared in front of the guard that yelled out to the other and plunged a lightning covered palm into the man's chest.
The boy's clothes were practically rags, covered in bloodstains and mostly torn to ribbons. His body was covered in grotesque scars, and the snow would melt upon touching his skin. His body was frail, he was obviously malnourished, but they didn't have timed to worry about that now. He pulled his arm out of the gaping wound in the man's chest and with one swoop, flung off almost all the blood that previously coated his arm. The boy's face had on an emotionless mask as he turned to a nearby building and appeared in front of the door.
"What is that power?" Qrow asked in shock as he watched the boy's right hand engulf in the same golden flames they saw a moment ago. He rose his hand up to the door and blasted it off its hinges before entering the building. Screams and the crackling of lightning could be heard by the pair on the mountain above.
"I-I don't know…" Summer stuttered in horror as she watched a heavily wounded man crawl out of the burnt down doorway. He left a heavy trail of red on the white snow, until a sword shot out of the building the boy was in and buried itself to the hilt in the back of the man's head.
The sword was a thin katana-like blade, pitch-black in color. The hilt and butt of the sword were gold, as well as the fabric that wrapped around the handle.
The same boy from before walked out into the courtyard again, carrying a sword identical to the one that was thrown, to see a group of men aiming guns at him. He walked up to the body with his sword in it, like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Ace!" A guard barked, "Return to your cell immediately! This has gone far enough!"
The boy looked up revealing teary eyes to Summer and Qrow. The pair could almost feel the misery in those tortured gold eyes. It was unlike anything the pair had felt before, but just from a look, they knew this child had been through hell.
"No," The boy said softly, "I made a promise…"
With that, the boy vanished, and appeared in between two guards. With a flick of his wrists, their heads left their bodies and two geysers of red erupted from their necks. The boy did not falter. As soon as his blade removed the first two heads, he appeared in front of another guard and cut him in half at the waist.
Summer and Qrow watched in horror as the boy went from target to target, cutting down every guard in the area. Some of the guard tried to shoot at the boy, but he would just vanish, and their bullets would hit other guards or miss horribly.
Some of the guards tried to run, but the boy would just appear and kill them too.
Eventually, the initial forty guards were reduced to a group of six terrified men pissing themselves as the boy was nowhere to be seen.
Qrow and Summer looked around for the boy, until they felt a massive wave of heat above them.
"Burn…" The boy's voice was the calm before the storm. His extended hands came down, releasing a ball of fire, nearly fifty feet in diameter.
The men looked up in stunned terror as the golden fire fell on them like the wrath of an angry god.
BOOOOOM
Summer and Qrow covered their faces as the fireball met the ground and exploded in a massive wave of heat and light that turned snow to steam, and bodies to ash. The entire base was enveloped in a massive explosion that shook the very earth below them.
When the light cleared, Qrow looked up to see the boy's unconscious body falling back to the distant ground below. He flooded his muscles with Aura and jumped towards the boy, catching him before landing in the center of the burning crater the boy left behind.
"Shit!" Qrow muttered as he dropped the boy's limp body. He looked down and saw that the fabric around his arms was charred and his skin was blistering. The boy's body felt like a coal fresh put of a fire. He heard Summer land behind him and rush to make sure he was okay. As soon as Qrow's arms started to heal, she made her way towards the unconscious boy.
The temperature in the center of the crater was well over 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and a welcome alternative to the subzero weather they had been pelted with for the last few hours.
"Just what the hell is this kid?" Qrow asked bluntly, looking around at what used to be the outpost they were supposed to assault. There weren't even ruins of buildings left behind by the last attack. All trace of the base that previously occupied this area was incinerated in the golden flames the boy produced, "How can he do all of that?"
Summer looked down at the boy, before slowly trying to approach him. She saw the horrible scars on the boy's arms and exposed chest. Summer didn't understand how he could've lived through some of these injuries, but now wasn't the time to gawk at the boy's scars. She pulled down her facemask and lowered herself to a knee. She slowly offered the back of her hand and checked the boy's forehead like she did when Ruby and Yang had a fever. While he was still very warm, he was no longer scolding to the touch.
"I'm not sure," Summer said softly as she checked the boys pulse. His heart rate was well over 200, but seemed to be rapidly slowing as well, "We should take him to Oz, maybe he will have an idea who the boy is."
Qrow gave Summer a questioning look. Summer's sad silver eyes met Qrow's blood red orbs and the man sighed. He could never say no to her, even when they were at Beacon.
"Fine, but you're carrying him," Qrow looked down at his blistered skin, "The little bastard already burnt me."
Summer Rose smiled at her teammate before picking up the boy and setting him on her back. She gave Qrow a nod, and the pair left for their designated rendezvous point.
Some Time Later
Ace opened his eyes and saw nothing but white. The floors, ceiling, bed he was currently in, were all the same color as he now clean hair.
"Where am I?" Ace thought as he looked around the room. He saw that he was on a bed with a few cables and tubes attached to him. It was different than he had experienced. He felt the oxygen mask over his mouth and nose and put together one thing.
"That witch never bothered knocking me out before she experimented on me…" Ace tried to sit up, but felt an unbearable soreness in his body, "Where the hell am I?"
Ace sat in silence for a few minutes listening to the beeping of the machine that monitored his pulse and blood pressure. He stared at the door in front of him and decided to wait for someone to enter.
"I barely remember a thing," Ace thought as he moved his fingers slightly, even the slightest of movements sent pain coursing through his body, "I guess I escaped…"
Ace was pulled from his thoughts when the door in front of him opened, revealing four people he had never seen before.
The first one to enter was a tall, skinny man with white hair and brown eyes. He had on a black suit and a green scarf. In his hand was a cup, but its contents were unknown to Ace. The man eyed Ace every step of the way, and Ace immediately could tell that whoever this man was, he wasn't normal. A chill ran down Ace's spine as his heartrate quickened.
The woman to the first man's right, had short, dark-red hair, pale skin, and a white cloak that hid the rest of her features. She did have piercing silver eyes that met Ace's burning gold for a few seconds before the boy looked at the other two in the room.
To the first man's left, there was a very tall woman with glasses and blonde hair. She had her hair pulled back and wore a white blouse and black pants. She had a purple cape that went a little below her waist but was split into a number of separate endings that flowed behind her as she walked.
The last man stood behind the first three and was drinking from a silver flask. He had a pretty heavy hunch but seemed like he was ready for anything. He was the only one carrying a weapon, a short sword that rested on the small of his back, and eyed Ace from the moment he stepped in the room.
Ace tried to sit up, but his body racked with pain and he collapsed back onto the bed. The woman with silver eyes immediately shot to his side as if she were worried about him.
"Please, just rest," The woman said softly, "It seems like you've been through a lot."
Ace just eyed her for a second, before laying back down.
"Hello, young man," The white-haired man said with a smile, "My name is Ozpin. I am the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. Would you mind telling me your name?"
Ace reached up to his face and slowly pulled off the oxygen mask.
"Ace," He managed weakly, before coughing a few times.
"Well, Mr. Ace," Ozpin said as he made his way to the boy's right, "I would say you are definitely fitting of the name."
Ace gave the boy a confused look before Ozpin pulled up footage of what happened a few days ago. He turned the tablet to Ace, so the boy could see what he did from Summer and Qrow's persepctive.
"I am a little surprised to say the least," Ozpin said offhandedly, "Though, you at least seem to be on our side, or at the very least, not hers."
Ace clenched his fist at the mention of Salem. His left hand crackled with a few sparks while Ace's right hand began to glow gold.
"Easy there," The woman to Ace's left said softly. She put a soft hand on Ace's left arm and for some reason, Ace felt immediately at ease. The gesture was motherly, but Ace had no memory of his life before Salem kidnapped him. He nothing to compare it to, "We are all friends here. It was actually me who carried you to our Bullhead when you passed out."
Ace gave the woman an odd look, before she realized what he was waiting for.
"Oh! I'm Summer, Summer Rose!" The woman offered, "It's nice to finally meet you Ace!"
Ace nodded before he looked at the last two in the room, obviously wanting their names as well.
"Glynda Goodwitch," The tall, blonde woman said bluntly. It was clear that the woman was skeptical of Ace, but she at least seemed to be more restrained than the last man in the room, who was rather obviously watching Ace from the background.
"Qrow," The hunched man said before taking another sip from his flask.
Ace nodded before he looked back at Ozpin.
"We brought you here for a number of reasons," Ozpin started, "First of which is information. We have no idea what Salem has planned, or why she had you. Can you fill us in at all?"
Ace looked at the man questioningly for a second.
"If this were one of Salem's tests, she wouldn't take it this far," Ace thought. He looked down at the IV in his arm, "She's never treated my wounds before. She just had Watts piece me back together, so I didn't die."
"Is it safe to assume that you guys are against her?" Ace asked as he looked up at Ozpin. The Headmaster nodded. He offered a soft smile, but Ace could see through it. He knew that the man desperately wanted answers from Ace, but he was restraining himself for some reason.
"Salem and I, aren't necessarily friends," Ozpin said vaguely, getting a chuckle from Qrow.
"I don't know much," Ace said, "I've only remember two hideouts."
Ozpin nodded as he set the tablet that had the footage of Ace's fight to record.
"The first one I went to is my first memory," Ace said softly as he remembered being taken to Salem in chains by Tyrian, a crazy man with a scorpion tail, "They did something to me when I got there that made me forget what happened before I arrived. They were trying to experiment on children for some reason. I was only one of dozens that she held captive. Most died during the first round of experiments, but she took an interest in me for my Semblance."
Ozpin gave Ace and intrigued look. He sat in silence, waiting for the boy to continue.
"When she found out what my Semblance could do, she stopped almost all of her other experiments and focused on me," Ace muttered as he clenched his fist, "I can take another's Semblance and Aura and keep it for myself… At the cost of the initial user's life."
Ozpin dropped his cup as his eyes widened. Qrow nearly choked on his drink and Glynda looked terrified of Ace. Summer felt the sadness in the boy as she held his left hand comfortingly, she could tell there was more to the Semblance.
"She said the Semblances I take are more powerful if I am close to the person I'm taking it from," Ace said as his eyes turned glassy, "She forced me to kill my friends, so she could make me into a weapon…"
Ace let out a few tears as he remembered the friends who died so he could become stronger.
"That's horrifying," Glynda muttered as she saw the misery in the boy's eyes. She wanted to comfort him, but she was never really good at that kind of thing.
"My Semblance is called Legion," Ace said as he recalled the many conversations he had with Salem while she experimented on him, "She told me that I would be the end of the Maidens… What does that mean?"
Ozpin's eyes widened as he froze in place. He took a few steps back from Ace, obviously in shock.
"You're telling me that you can take a Maiden's powers?" Ozpin asked, ignoring the second part of what Ace said.
Ace just gave Ozpin a weird look.
"I-I don't know what a Maiden is," Ace said a little more forcefully, resulting in him erupting into a coughing fit. Ozpin visibly relaxed at the boy's words. He shared a look with the three others that were worried for a second.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Ozpin said, though he didn't answer Ace's question, "Can you about the Semblances you've… acquired?"
Ace looked down for a second as a few tears fell down his face. Summer put her soft hand on his face and made him look up.
"It's okay now, Ace. You are safe now," She whispered softly, "How old are you?"
Ace wiped his eyes and cleared his throat.
"Nine," Ace muttered. There was a second that Ozpin, Qrow, and Glynda looked at each other and shared a thought.
"What has kid gone through?"
Summer smiled down at Ace.
"You're the same age as my daughter, Yang," Summer gently rubbed a finger over Ace's left hand, making Ace feel a warmth in his heart that he had never experienced before, "That happened isn't your fault, Ace. We want to help you, but you have to be honest with us…"
Ace looked down for a second.
"The… The fire was Ember's," Ace said barely above a whisper, "The Lightning w-was Spark's. And… And…"
Ace clenched his fists hard enough to draw blood. Summer moved her hand to the back of Ace's hands, but it was clear from the boy's choked back sobs, that the death of his friends still weighed heavy on him.
"Jade…" Ace's voice was barely a whisper as he looked at Summer, "She could teleport."
Ozpin thought in silence.
"From what I've seen in past Huntsmen," Ozpin connected the dots, "Any of those Semblances are extremely powerful on their own. If you put them all together…"
Ozpin looked down at Ace and saw the scars on the boy's arms and peeking out of the collar of his hospital gown.
"How did you learn to use them?" Summer asked.
Ace explained that he would grow close to the children Salem brought in, then she would force him to steal their Semblance. He explained how she was able to take over Ace's mind.
"I would watch as she killed my friends with my own hands," Ace said as he looked down at his trembling hands, 'After taking each Semblance, she would teach me how to use them to an extent. She was careful not to teach me too much.
"Why were you at that outpost?" Qrow asked bluntly, "I wouldn't think that Salem would let someone like you out of arm's reach."
Ace made an effort to sit up again, and actually got to his elbows. His head spun for a second before he regathered his bearings. Summer held the boy's hand as she watched him with tears in her eyes. She could feel the misery that radiated from Ace like heat from a fire.
"I broke out," Ace muttered, "I figured out how to block her out and escaped. I tried to destroy the area where she researched on me, so she couldn't do anything with the information she gathered on my Semblance, but I had to stop before I could complete the task. Those guards found me and took me back to the base… They were taking me back to her and abandoning the base in case anyone followed me."
Qrow nodded and took another small sip from his flask. This whole situation was crazy, and he could tell that things would only get more complex from here.
"Where did you get these weapons?" Glynda said as she pulled out a tablet and show Ace a picture of his swords.
"There was a man that worked for Salem," Ace started, "She found out that his Semblance gave him solid metal bones, a hundred times harder than steel. She wanted me to take the Semblance at first, but she decided to just… kill him and make his bones into weapons."
Glynda's eyes went wide as she covered her mouth. She wanted to throw up. She had been the one to analyze the weapons when Summer and Qrow showed up. The idea of turning a man's bones into a weapon, then forcing a child to wield said weapon was demented.
Ozpin grimaced for a second before returning his gaze to Ace. The boy was shaking now, as guilt, sadness, and anger raged inside of him like a hurricane.
"I hate to keep this up," Ozpin said regretfully, "But what did she do to you?"
Ace started to shudder. Summer felt fear engulf the boy as he trembled. She pulled him into a hug, but it was like he didn't even notice.
"Sh-She would hurt me," Ace muttered, "I don't know how I survived it. She said it would make me stronger. Sh-She didn't w-want me to have emotions. She said they made me weak."
Ace's trembling intensified as he remembered the things Salem did to him. She tried to break his spirit, hoping to make him into a lifeless husk that did whatever she wanted. He would be her strongest pawn.
"She would hurt me, for days at a time," Ace unconsciously covered his body like he would when Salem would come to his cell. He was too valuable to let someone work on him. She saw to Ace herself. The only time someone else was allowed to see Ace was when Watts was piecing the boy's mangled body back together, "She wanted t-to see if she could copy my Semblance. She… She…"
Ace began to hyperventilate as he remembered his most recent meetings with Salem. He began to clutch his chest as his pulse reached dangerous levels. He collapsed onto the bed and started sweating profusely. Thankfully, his fire and lightning didn't make an appearance, but it was clear that the boy was remembering some truly terrifying things.
"Ace! Ace!" Summer tried to calm the boy down but caught a glimpse of the boy's chest under the hospital gown. Her eyes widened as she saw the massive scars, ranging from six inches to a foot all over the boy's torso along with scars at his shoulders. The initial wounds must have severed the boy's arms to leave that thick of a scar behind.
"Ace!" Ozpin said as he was to Ace's right, trying to lay Ace flat on the bed. He felt his hands burn as Ace's body temperature rose.
Qrow got ready for a fight, while Glynda stood frozen. She had seen some veteran huntsmen with PTSD, but never a child. It was the most heartbreaking scene she could imagine.
In an instant, Ace's heartrate dropped, and his eyes dulled. His pulse dropped so low, it was like he was asleep.
Ace turned to face Ozpin, who recognized the look in the boy's eyes as the same one he had when he was fighting Salem's men.
Ace sat up, not even wincing from the immense pain he was experiencing. He looked Ozpin dead in the eyes and pulled down his gown, revealing his heavily scarred torso.
"She would cut me open," Ace said in a completely monotone voice, "And put Grimm inside of me. She said I could let them study me, or they would tear apart from the inside, out."
Ozpin looked at the massive incision scars on the boy's body and could tell that he was telling the truth.
"When that didn't work, she would get angry," Ace said blankly, "She would hurt me to relieve her frustration and promised it would get worse if I disobeyed her. It always did."
Ace looked over at Summer, who was a split between mortified and shocked by how calmly Ace was talking about what happened.
"She wanted me to be like this," Ace said without any hint of emotion, "Like this, I don't hurt. Like this, I don't cry. I can fight without fear, just like she wanted."
Ace collapsed into a panting fit as color returned to his eyes. He looked around and saw the terrified expressions on the adult's faces.
"It happened again," Ace muttered, "Didn't it?"
Ozpin could only nod. Ace brought his hands to his face in anger, ignoring the pain that racked his arms.
"That's why I left," Ace muttered as tears escaped again, "She was trying to break me. I won't become the tool she wants."
Ace clenched his fists and the temperature of the room rose drastically. Ozpin and Summer back away from Ace instinctually as the boy was the epicenter of the heat.
"I will avenge those that suffered at her hands," Ace growled, "I will kill her myself. That is all I have to live for now."
Ace clenched his fists harder, and the temperature began to fall in the room. His eyes were burning still, just not as bright as they were a moment ago. He looked down at his arm and pulled out the IV in his wrist. He pulled up his gown and swung his legs over the side of the bed.
Summer rushed to his side to put him back in bed, but Ace just raised a hand.
"Thank you all for helping me," Ace said softly as he rose on shaky legs. Pain coursed through him in droves, but he took a slow step towards the foot of the bed, "But this is my fight. I won't pull others into my battles anymore."
Ace took another step before his legs gave out. Summer caught him before putting him back in bed.
"No," Summer said sternly as she put Ace back on his bed, "You don't have to do this alone, Ace. We can help you."
Ace looked over at Summer who was smiling at him.
"We have been fighting Salem and her agents for years," Summer said honestly, "You're just a kid, Ace. Even if you find Salem, you're not strong enough to beat her. You would just be throwing your life away."
Ace looked down in anger at his own helplessness. He knew Summer was right, but was desperate to avoid the pain he felt when he lost Ember, or Spark, or Jade…
"Don't get sad," Summer said as she put an arm around the boy, "How about this…"
Summer pulled out a picture of her, Taiyang, Yang, and Ruby.
"I will take you back home with me to Patch," Summer began, getting shocked reactions from Ozpin, Qrow, and Glynda, "You can live with me and my family for a few years, and then enter Signal. Qrow and Tai teach there. When you are old enough, you can go off to Beacon with Ozpin. He can train you while you are there, and then you will hopefully be ready for Salem."
Qrow was about to object to the proposal, but Ace beat him to it.
"I can't just sit around and wait to get started," Ace shook his head, "I have to be ready for anything. She could come after me tomorrow and try to take me back."
"All the more reason for you to stay somewhere she can't find you," Summer retorted, "If you really want to train that badly, Tai and I both graduated from Beacon. We can help you out until you start at Signal."
Ace looked down, shocked that a stranger would offer him such a kindness. He wanted to say yes, but he was afraid to. Everyone that he got close to died.
"Uh, Summer," Qrow called out, "Can I have a word with you?"
The drunk didn't wait for an answer. He just walked out of the room, Glynda and Ozpin followed him out.
"I'll be right back," Summer smiled and kissed Ace on the top of his head before she walked out.
Ace sat there, dumbfounded at the display of affection. He had heard and read about families and relationships, but aside from a handful of friends, Salem, and her agents, he wasn't allowed to form any sort of relationship.
Now, the three friends Ace had were dead, and he was with this woman who offered him more than he could ever ask for. More than he deserved.
"A family…" Ace thought. He wanted a family more than anything. He knew he must have had one before Salem took him, but he didn't remember them. He wondered if they were still alive. He asked Salem about them once, but she said that they didn't care about him.
That couldn't be true right?
Summer offered Ace the world, and she doesn't even know him. Why would the people that brought him into the world not care for him, when Summer already seemed to?
Outside of Ace's room, Qrow glared at Summer while Ozpin and Glynda stayed quiet.
"What the hell are you thinking, Summer?" Qrow growled, "You saw what he was capable of. He is dangerous. You can't just take him to Patch and play family with him."
Summer scowled at her teammate. She walked right up to Qrow and pulled him down to eyelevel by his tie.
"It's the only option!" Summer yelled, "If we let him go, Salem will just find him and make him into her personal weapon. We can't leave him with you because of your Semblance, Ozpin and Glynda are busy with Beacon and keeping tabs on the Maidens. If we sent him to Raven, he will grow up not caring for others. She has changed, Qrow. Ace needs us. He needs me!"
Qrow rubbed his head in frustration. Summer made sense like always, but Ace was unstable. He didn't want to put Salem's favorite toy next to Yang and Ruby.
"He only has one thing on his mind right now, revenge," Summer said as she looked at Qrow, "He needs people to be around. Salem has kept him locked up and tortured him for four years. The damage she has done can still be reversed, but he needs all of our help."
Ozpin sighed. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes for a few seconds before looking at Summer.
"There are so many 'what-if's' though, Summer," Ozpin countered, "I understand the value the boy has, but he also comes with a lot of risks. What if Salem finds him and attacks your family to get him back?"
Summer's eyes seemed to glow for a second before going back to normal.
"She won't," Summer said dangerously, "She fears the Silver Eyes. Even if she found out, she won't touch them as long as I am alive."
Glynda jumped in.
"I agree with Summer," Goodwitch said bluntly. Qrow turned to her with a scowl, "Ace needs some sort of bond in his life. A family could help him more than any of us could individually. Right now, he is scared to get close to anyone because of what Salem did to him. He needs to know that he isn't alone."
Ozpin sighed again, knowing that he had lost this battle if both Summer and Glynda agreed.
"I assume it is better to have him on our side in the long run. If you believe this is the best way, then I will differ to your judgement." Ozpin admitted, and Qrow gaped.
"Are you guys serious?!" Qrow yelled, "You all saw him kill four dozen people without batting an eye, right? Why would you want that anywhere near Ruby and Yang?"
Summer just sighed as she released Qrow's tie.
"He's broken right now, Qrow," Summer said sadly, "I can't just sit here when I know that I can help him. He's a child. He deserves a chance at life, and I intend to give him one."
Summer opened the door to Ace's room and saw that Ace was sitting on his bed, smiling as tears went down his face. He held the picture of Summer's Family in his hands and studied it. He looked up at Summer as she walked back into the room.
"You were being serious right?" Ace asked nervously.
Summer just smiled and hugged Ace.