Chapter 3 – It's Brawl in the family
Well this new parole officer thing could have started better. As soon as I stepped outside with Goodwitch keeping an eye on me I took off seeing Crook, the ink beast had decided to lose some of it to reveal parts of its skeleton. I hopped from ledge to ledge chasing the beast like a mission from Assassin's Creed.
I continued to chase Crook around we ran through the Emerald Forest it was leading me somewhere. Like nearly every quest in Skyrim we ended up in a cave where Crook finally dared to face me alone. I bared my teeth and drew my sword Crook laughed its hands catching fire.
We fought for what felt like hours, each of my slashes did nothing to my mistake, its fists never hitting my ever moving form. We both tired after a while when I came up with an idea.
"Hold on, you just want a face and a purpose don't you?" I asked Crook nodded.
"Alright get me some paper and a pen and I'll give you an identity." I bargained Crook took a step back in surprise but nodded.
"However, you need to return Yang's semblance, she's good with Aries but it's against the rules and need I remind you of the consequences if we don't follow the rules?" I hissed showing my teeth Crook shook its head and ran off.
I sat waiting in the cave when I heard the rustling of leaves, poking my head out I came face to face with a Beowolf with a broken eye socket.
Twenty minutes later Crook came back missing its glow and with a pen and paper, handing both to me I instantly got to work.
"Six foot eleven, black slick back hair bright blue eyes, stubble beard, long coat, fedora, Golden eagle named Zeus." I muttered as I continued to create an uncle for one of my most trusted shards. Once done the newly formed shard stood before me with a gentle smile.
"Okay hand over your shard I need to add the finishing touches." I sighed holding my hand out to which a see through shard of glass to which I added a golden colour to along with a bright blue lightning strike through it.
"That should do the trick. Crook is no more Vincent Stormcall has risen from its ashes." I smiled handing the shard back completing my creation at long last.
"Thank you, a thousand times thank you... The pain is finally gone." He smiled as he faded away to the realm he belonged to. He looked more like my expectation of Qrow and even sounded like the constantly drunk bird.
Walking back to Beacon I was just in time to see the end of Qrow and Winter's fight. With a sigh I hopped between the two just as Winter dashed towards Qrow I raised my hand to grab the blade but I was a second too late, the rapier's thin blade stabbed through my ribs and lung. Everyone gasped in horror.
"Silver!" Goodwitch snapped I only smiled and started laughing Winter's grip slipping from her sword as I doubled over leaning on my knees laughing and coughing up blood like the reckless idiot I was.
"Schnee!" Ironwood yelled Winter suddenly turned around Qrow and I only snickered.
"General Ironwood sir!" She quickly addressed him as Ironwood approached with Penny behind him, I leaned a bit to get a better look and smiled at her, she smiled back.
"What in the world do you think you're doing?" He snapped I hid myself within the crowd keeping the sword in me as a souvenir.
"He started the altercation, sir!" She cried trying to make an excuse.
"That's actually not true. She attacked first." Qrow sighed with his hands behind his head in a relaxed state.
"Is that right?" Ironwood asked Winter searched for words, only to realize Qrow is right. She looked down in shame I scoffed to myself. "And you." He growled Qrow pointed to himself in mock confusion. "What are you doing here?" I was almost pissing myself at this point at least the blood had dried up around my wound now.
"I could be asking you the same thing." Qrow sneered Glynda came up behind me and grabbed my torn ear dragging me over.
"I-" Ironwood began.
"Now, now, everyone. There is a sanctioned fight happening just around the corner at the Colosseum, that I can assure you has better seats... and popcorn." Ozpin smiled swirling his coffee.
"Break it up, everyone! We will take care of this mess." Goodwitch growled sending a glare at the three then me somehow no one had noticed Winter's sword in me.
"Let's go." The General growled as he and Winter walked away, Penny waved at Ruby who soon attached herself to Qrow's arm and had a cute conversation with her.
"Qrow! a word, please." Ozpin sighed as Goodwitch fixed the courtyard.
"I think I'm in trouble." He whispered to Ruby.
"You did kinda tear up our courtyard." Ruby giggled.
"Yeah I did, catch you later kid." He smiled fist bumping his niece Glynda then grabbed my ear again and dragged me along.
When we came to the office her grip did not let up.
"What were you thinking!?" Winter yelled at us I shrugged.
"If you were two of my men, I would have you both shot!" Ironwood yelled at us.
"If we were two of your men we'd shoot ourselves." I retorted.
"Took the words out of my mouth kid." Qrow laughed taking out his flask.
"While I wouldn't condone his behavior, retaliating like you did certainly didn't help the situation." Glynda sighed.
"He was drunk."
"He's always drunk." Goodwitch and I sighed.
"By the way Winter you forgot this... In my lung!" I snapped yanking out her sword the blood ran free again but soon healed shocking her and Ironwood.
"How did you-" Ironwood began.
"Don't worry about it, this is normal for her." Goodwitch sighed interrupting him.
"Qrow, why are you here?" Ozpin sighed slumping into his chair.
"You've been out of contact for weeks! You can't just go dark like that in the field!" Ironwood snapped I just stood away listening to everything going on.
"I'm not one of your special operatives, Jimmy!" Qrow growled at James.
"General." Winter hissed through her teeth.
"Whatever. You sent me to get intel on our enemy, and I'm telling you, our enemy is here." Yeah no shit Qrow too bad I haven't spilled who it was yet. Those three own me so much and yet they don't know it.
"We know." Ironwood growled.
"Oh! Oh, you know! Well, thank goodness I'm out there risking my life to keep you all informed!" Qrow yelled at us.
"Qrow-" James started.
"Communication's a two-way street, pal. You see this?" He pulls out his Scroll and points to it, "That's the SEND button."
"They had reason to assume you'd been compromised." Winter cried hold on did she actually care about him?
"And I have reason to assume you don't need to be here." Qrow started pointing at her.
"Seriously, who invited her? And why is a kid in on this conversation?" Qrow howled.
"Goodwitch is my parole officer..." I muttered.
"That sucks." Qrow sighed I then felt something moving in my hoodie's pouch please it don't be a giant spider.
"That and she knows more of our current situation than we do." Ozpin admitted as Heathen poked his head out of my hoodie and yawned before looking over at everyone with his blue and amber eyes.
"How long have you been there?" I asked the cat.
"Since this morning." His voice rang in my head.
"I'll pretend I saw nothing." Winter said turning away from the cat who now sat by my foot.
"Schnee, we'll discuss this incident back at my ship." Ironwood growled his eyes locked on the cat who was currently cleaning its white paw.
"But sir!" Winter cried surprised.
"Winter. Leave." Ironwood growled Winter walked passed us.
I chuckled softly to myself Heathen purred and hopped onto Ozpin's desk and sprawled himself out letting Ozpin pet his belly.
"Go on." He said gesturing to Qrow.
"Your little infiltrator isn't just another pawn. They're the one responsible for Autumn's condition." He sighed taking a sip from his flask.
"What?" Goodwitch gasped Ozpin looked over at me.
"Despite what the world thinks, we're not just teachers, or generals, or headmasters. The people in this room, the leaders of the other two academies, we're the ones that keep the world safe from the evils no one even knows about!" Qrow said still with speculation of me.
"It's why we meet behind closed doors, why we work in the shadows. So you tell me, James, when you brought your army to Vale, did you think you were being discreet, or did you just not give a damn!?" Qrow snapped getting up in Ironwood's face.
"Discreet wasn't working." Ironwood growled as he placed his scroll next to Heathen's tail the centre of the room projects a hologram of Vale, Beacon Academy, the Amity Colosseum and Ironwood's fleet of Atlesian Airships, which he gestures to.
"I'm here because this is what was necessary." I unsheathed my claws and stomped up to him.
"You're here because Ozpin wanted you here!" I snarled holding the tips to his throat.
"He made you a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the real fight that's in front of us!" Qrow shouted over.
"And I am grateful." He replied trying to calm us all down.
"Oh, well, you've got a funny way of showing it." I sheathed my claws again and turned my back on them and walked over to the elevator when Ice came through handing me a drink.
"The people of Vale needed someone to protect them; someone who would act. When they look to the sky and see my fleet, they feel safe, and our enemies will feel our strength." Ironwood defended his point however Ice and I laughed.
"You... You think they're scared of your little ships? I've been out there and I've seen the things she's made, and let me tell you - they are fear." Qrow laughed with us.
"And fear will bring the Grimm. A guardian is a symbol of comfort. But an army is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now, a question in the back of everyone's minds..." Ozpin began motioning to the display.
"If this is the size of our defences, then what is it we're expecting to fight?" Ozpin finished.
"So then, what would you suggest we do?" Ironwood said picking up his scroll.
"I suggest we find our Guardian." Ozpin said holding up a box from which I can identify something very tempting to me.
"So what kind of person do you need or should I just come out with who it will be?" I smirked as Ozpin threw me the box.