Guess who's back? Yeah that's right, this guy, been awhile I know. I'll get into it a little more at the bottom for those that care but for now let's all enjoy another chapter of this fair story.
Chapter 4: Home
"I'll take two please."
"Of course, sir, what flavor?"
The shopkeeper waited patiently while the roguish huntsman read through his scroll, a deep scowl etched upon the man's face. When the red eyed man continued to give no response the ice cream parlor employee coughed slightly into his fist.
"Uh wuah? Did you say something?"
"I was just asking what flavors you wanted."
Qrow's eyes widened slightly and looked at the assorted flavors. He clicked his tongue in annoyance before pointing at one of the large tubs. "Eh, let's just go with chocolate, who doesn't like chocolate?"
Qrow forked over the necessary Lien and took the frozen treats. The bell on the door jingled and a curse escaped his lips, the bright sun all but blinding him as he steeped out onto the streets of Vale. It was as busy as ever and it took a little effort to weave between the random civilians passing by. He stopped at a small table with an umbrella. A lone occupant sat at said table, their head down and oblivious to the world around them.
"Hey kid, I got ya something to tide you over till the ride to Beacon. I hope you like chocolate."
Blue eyes bore into his and the offered treat hung there. Qrow could feel his smile crack and falter before a small hand finally reached out and took it from his grasp. He let a sigh of relief leave him and he took the other open seat at the table, his tongue flicking out to try his own savory treat.
The two sat in relative silence, the ambient noise of the city filling the void. It had been a few months since Qrow had been back in Vale proper and the city seemed as lively as ever. Cars drove past in a rush of dust fueled speed, people hustled through the streets, one unfortunate soul tripped over their own feet and spilled papers across the busy sidewalk. He scowled at that and averted his gaze.
His eyes landed on his charge and he had to fight down the urge to growl at the boy. He sat there with a blank expression on his face, his ice cream melting down his hand, though you would never know it by his reaction or lack thereof.
"You know, if you don't eat it quickly it's going to melt away. Don't you want to eat it?"
Jaune's eyes went from the ever-dwindling amount of ice cream in his hand to Qrow's halfcocked smirk. For a moment it didn't seem like the eleven-year-old was going to say anything. Then his lips parted ever so slightly, his voice coming out as a quiet whisper. "I hate chocolate."
He watched as Jaune then turned and threw the treat into a nearby trash bin, the boy's eyes going back to the patio table. It took three deep breathes to stop the twitch in his eye and three more to halt the choice words that entered his mind from being uttered. It was fine, so what if the brat didn't like chocolate? He should've asked before he went in.
The thoughts did nothing to take away from the sound of his teeth cracking against one another however. It was fine, just breathe, let it go, it wasn't a big deal. He just needed to find another angle. "So, k-, Jaune, you've always lived on the frontier towns in Anima, right?"
Jaune looked up to meet his eyes before he slowly nodded. Considering that had been one of the best responses he had gotten from the kid all trip he took it as a sign to continue. "Well, have you ever gone to any of the Kingdoms before? Mistral maybe?"
"No, I've never been past Shion before now."
The answer was short and lacking any real emotion, something that had been basically the norm ever since he picked him up. Qrow would have never imagined that Summer's death would hit Jaune just as hard as it hit everyone else close to her. For all intents and purposes Summer was a stranger that Jaune had met for a few hours and that was it.
That old caretaker explained more however and her words were anything but encouraging. Jaune had apparently put all his hopes in Summer adopting him, going so far as convincing his only friends at the orphanage to leave him behind because he was going to a great home.
After those two left Jaune became disconnected and even standoffish to those around him save for Angelina herself. Every week that passed the worse his moods became and the more they feared that they were going to have to remove him from the orphanage completely.
Then he came, carrying the bad news on his wings and the kid just kind of shut down. He didn't argue when Qrow dragged him from that crumbling building, nor did he even pretend to be happy about the development, he just went through the motions. Maybe he could have salvaged the situation back then if he had tried but truth be told he wasn't doing much better than Jaune was. The only thing keeping him in the right frame of mind was his darling nieces back home.
Even now they needed him and he hated the fact that he wasn't in Patch right now. He wanted nothing more than to grab the closest bullhead and fly straight over there. But he couldn't, at least not yet. He made a promise to Summer and he would be damned if he didn't deliver on it. Now if only this blond-haired bastard would make things easier on him.
He tried to crack a smirk but it came off as weak and disingenuous. "Well, what do you think of the first capital you've ever visited? Is it everything you've ever dreamed of?"
To Jaune's credit, he did look around and probably for the first time absorb his surroundings. He let him take it all in and the atmosphere between the two of them seemed to lift slightly, at least until Jaune opened his mouth. "It's noisy, I don't like it."
Qrow's smirk died but he rebounded well enough, a small chuckle coming out. "Heh, well you're not the first person to hate the city life. Can't say I disagree either, I'm always on the road or staying with my nieces out in Patch. It's a lot quieter out there. Maybe I'll show you around sometime."
The conversation died with that and Qrow rubbed the back of his neck. Yang and Ruby were never this difficult to talk to, even after what happened to Summer. Luckily for him, his vibrating scroll gave him an excuse to look away. "Yo, this is Qrow."
Mumbled words came through the small device but he could understand the gruff voice easily enough, a small smile breaking out on his face. "Five minutes? Finally, some good news. Yeah, we'll be right there."
He stashed the scroll in his pants pocket and lifted himself from his chair, motioning for Jaune to do the same. "Come on kid, our ride's finally ready. Let's get moving."
Jaune wordlessly rose from his seat and fell in line behind him. He stayed close enough to make sure to not lose the man in the crowded walkways. He wasn't latched onto him in anyway however, nothing like how most children would act in a large unfamiliar city. It was as if the kid was following him but didn't really seem to care if they got separated.
Qrow narrowed his eyes at the boy's action but bit his tongue. If the kid wasn't scared of being lost in a big city it wasn't any skin off his bones. If anything, it made it easier to move about without 80 pounds of dead weight shackled to his leg.
He knew the action wasn't normal though and it gnawed at the back of his mind. He remembered the first time Ruby came to Vale, it took them an hour to get her to release the death grip she had on their pant leg. Even Yang clutched onto either Tai or Summer or himself when they visited Vale together for the first couple times. There was a trepidation that accompanied the prospect of visiting such a large place with so many other people around. Even if they didn't fully understand it, there was an innate sense of fear of being alone in an unfamiliar environment and kids would act accordingly to avoid that.
Jaune didn't have that instinctual dread of being lost and alone. Honestly, Jaune hadn't reacted at all like he expected him to. Sure, he hadn't raised Ruby and Yang every step of the way but he was sure as hell around enough to pick up on how they acted given certain circumstances. The entire trip from Anima was just one surprise after another and none of them good. There should have been some kind of fear in him while they traveled through unfamiliar territory. He should have seen panic in the kid's eyes when the occasional Grimm approached them. He should have felt a wary aura as they moved through the large city of Vale.
Instead he felt nothing, nothing but a detachedness that was so out of place it was unnerving. Surmise to say, the kid was fucked up. Perhaps not a true medical evaluation but he felt it got the point across. He didn't need some fancy piece of paper to see what was in front of his eyes.
What to do about said fucked-upness was another question entirely, one he wasn't prepared or willing to tackle. It wasn't going to be his problem soon enough anyway, once he got the kid to Beacon his obligation was over. His eyes trailed the arrival of a bullhead at the docking station and couldn't help the sigh of relief that escaped him. Finally, his baby-sitting jig was coming to a close.
"Ever ridden on a bullhead before, kid?"
A shake of the head in the negative was all he got in response to which he only smirked. "Well, now's as good a time as ever. Trust me, you'll love it."
/-/
He knew to trust his gut reaction when Qrow said he'd like the stupid flying machine and as he spilled said guts into the nearest trash bin he could do little else but curse the man's name. He wiped away the last dredges of vomit from his mouth and glared at Qrow, the black-haired man snickering to himself on the edge of the ramp.
"Bet you wish you would've eaten something to settle your stomach, don't ya? Can't say I didn't try to help earlier."
The words did little to calm him but he did turn away, his eyes instead focused on his surroundings. He had never seen an academy before but Jaune somehow felt the word fitting. In front of them was a long cobblestone path that jutted out in several directions, almost creating a miniature maze of intertwining paths. Outside the paths was lush green grass and healthy green trees that seemed to thrive despite the cooler winter air. Beyond that lay several large buildings that came to a point and at the center of all of that, looming over everything else, was a large gray tower illuminated by several green glowing orbs at the top.
"Quite the sight the first time around isn't it? Don't worry though, the magic wears off pretty quick, right around your second week of classes."
"Not everyone detested classes like you and your sister, Qrow. Most students found their time at Beacon quite enjoyable, including their lessons."
The two turned to see the owner of the new voice, a rather lanky individual wearing black dress pants and a white button up dress shirt that was slightly untucked on the side. In his hand rested a steamy thermos while his other hand pushed a pair of opaque glasses on his nose. Besides the man's quick manner of speech, what really caught Jaune's attention was the strange shade of green the man had for his hair.
"Whatever you say prof, I was always more of a hands-on kind of learner, theory didn't really do it for me."
The strange man shook his head in annoyance before taking a quick sip of his drink. "First of all, it's doctor thank you very much, I do have my PhD now. Secondly, I am very much aware of your personal preference to learning. I did oversee your development for four years after all."
A soft chuckle escaped Qrow and he nodded to the point. "So you did, so you did. I take it since you're here to greet us Oz got my message?"
A quick sip of his thermos and a nod was the man's response. "Indeed, the Headmaster sent me out to collect both you and Mr. Arc and escort you to one of our staff meeting rooms." The eccentric man turned his attention away from Qrow and slightly bent over in Jaune's direction. "And I take it that you are Jaune, my deepest condolences, I can only imagine what you've been through thus far."
Jaune could only nod nervously while slowing inching towards Qrow who to his credit picked up on it and patted the boy's shoulder, albeit a fair bit rougher than he would have liked. "He's saying he's sorry about what happened to your family. The prof here's smart but can be a little intense at first, you'll get used to him soon enough. And Barty, mind toning it down a little for the kid? He's like twelve, not a freshman."
"I'm not twelve. I'm eleven."
Those were the first words he'd spoken since leaving the bullhead behind and his voice came off far raspier than he would have liked, more than likely from his vomiting from earlier. Regardless, both adults still heard him and shared a quick look before Qrow rubbed the back of his head. "Right. Eleven it is. Sorry bout that kid. I know how pouty Ruby gets when you get her age wrong, won't happen again, right Barty?"
A light blush spread across the man's face and he pushed up his glasses despite having just done so a few seconds ago. "Of course. My apologies. Now, if you'll follow me, the Headmaster is waiting for us."
Jaune fell in line behind Qrow who walked in pace with the taller man, the two exchanging remarks with one another. They passed through the courtyard and Jaune quickly found himself walking through some of the most impressive buildings he had ever seen.
While he hadn't spent much time in any building other than the orphanage while he lived in Shion, he had seen plenty of buildings in Aerilon but he had never seen anything that could compare to the halls of Beacon Academy. Everything was so big and clean. Nothing was out of order and even the occasional person that crossed their path seemed to fit in perfectly with the image.
So lost in the sights around him, Jaune didn't notice the two men's disappearance before he found himself alone among countless towers of shrubbery and flowers. He had seen gardens before of course, his mother had a small one back home but the term garden didn't quite seem to do this area justice. The soaring wall of plant life on either side of him formed a pathway to walk in. Vines were interwoven between the metal frames and allowed said plants to grow and cover an expanse greater than what he had ever seen before.
He followed the colorful walkway into a large circular doom that housed even more plants. Some he recognized from Anima while the vast majority were a complete unknown. What he did know however was that this was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. The array of flowers and other plants were arranged in such a way that couldn't have been natural but still amplified each individual flower's beauty.
The sight was breath taking and one that he would have loved to show his friends. Nora would have loved this place and he knew that despite any protests, Ren would be just as excited to find such a place. One of the nearby roses seemed to jut out a little farther than the rest, it's blood red petals in full bloom. Tentatively, he reached out his hand to grasp the flower and his fingers curled around the stem.
He ripped his hand free a second later, the pretty flower being torn from its home in the process.
"You shouldn't have done that. Are you hurt?"
Angry blue eyes shifted from the offending rose on the ground to the sound of an exasperated feminine voice next to him. He took in the matured face of a woman around the same age as his parents. Her eyes were a sharp emerald that despite her tone appeared soft. Her light blond hair was tied back in a bun with a single curve riding down the right side of her face. The woman didn't seem bothered by the cool winter air as she wore a black high pencil skirt and a white, long sleeved pleated top with a large opening just below the neckline. The black and purple cape she wore was an odd accessory but Jaune made no mention of it.
She took the hand that had touched the rose and an embarrassed flush washed over his face as he tried to look anywhere but at the beautiful woman in front of him. "I-I'm fine."
He heard her make a small tutting noise that he had heard plenty of times from his sisters and mother back home but the mysterious woman didn't elaborate on it, instead tracing his palm with her delicate finger. "Are you? These little cuts say otherwise. Hold still while I clean them."
The woman withdrew something from her skirt and he winced as she started wiping his hand with it. The cloth stung and the droplets of blood that had started to form were washed away. It only took a few moments but it seemed a lot longer as he began to squirm in her grasp.
"I don't understand. I have aura, why didn't it protect me?"
She gave him a puzzling look before she took out a small needle and gently tried to prick his finger. He felt a slight pain but there was no penetration, his aura flaring to life to block the offending object.
She looked at his finger curiously before stashing the needle away and giving him a small smile, her hand still holding his as she inspected it. "How surprising. Though it shouldn't come as one since you're at Beacon. Well to answer your question, aura protects you so long as you are using it. You have to be actively thinking about it or projecting it for it to work. It's not just an always on, that would be ridiculous."
Jaune didn't say anything but merely nodded in understanding. He didn't, or at least he wasn't completely sure. His dad had never mentioned that before but it wasn't like he had been able to train with him much. Maybe he would've told him that in time?
She must have read through his confusion, a sigh escaping her while she wiped away the last dredges of dirt and blood. Her voice took on a tone not unfamiliar to that of his mother when she would lecture him. It sounded natural from her, almost as if she was used to giving lectures. "For most huntsmen, activating their aura is an instinctual thing when in combat. You really don't need to think about it, your body just knows that it needs to have it on. After you train enough it'll be the same for you."
Jaune nodded along, still not one hundred percent understanding her but willing to believe her. She at least seemed to know what she was talking about.
Satisfied with her work, the unnamed woman released his hand with a smile. "There we go, all done. There's no point in wrapping it since the cuts are so small that your aura will have it fixed it no time but be sure to not grab onto any more thorns. The flowers may look pretty but even they can be dangerous if you aren't careful."
His cheeks still felt hot but now that he had his hand back he could at least look her in the face. "My dad used to say that about girls too."
She gave him a blank look before a few chuckles escaped her mouth. "Well, he's not wrong. So, for both pretty flowers and pretty girls. It's okay to look but not touch, they're both dangerous."
"Does that mean you're dangerous?"
The woman's mirth left her as she processed the words and her cheeks gained the tiniest hint of pink to them. Her green eyes softened and a small smile made its way onto her face. "Well aren't you just the little sweet talker? You best be careful with your words in the future or you may give a girl the wrong impression. My name is Glynda Goodwitch by the way, what is your name?"
He smiled at Glynda, his face lighting up.
"My name is Jaune!"
A spark of recognition flashed through those emerald orbs but it was gone in an instant, her smile however wavered and didn't recover. "Ah… it's a pleasure to meet you Jaune. Tell me, what are you doing alone in the gardens?"
He opened his mouth to talk but slowly closed it and averted his gaze. In truth, he didn't even know how he had gotten to the garden and he had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't supposed to go wandering around by himself. His parents hated it when he wandered off and they would scold him for it, he hated it when they scolded him.
The silence dragged on and he couldn't bear it any longer. He raised his eyes to meet the woman's. He expected to see annoyance etched onto her face but only found a calm patience. When it was clear that she was going to wait for as long as it took for him to respond he tentatively spoke. "I… I'm lost. I was following Qrow but I don't know where he is anymore… I'm sorry."
The annoyance that he was expecting finally came in the form of a deep sigh from the woman. She pinched the brow of her nose and closed her eyes, whispers coming from her mouth but not spoken nearly loud enough for his ears to pick up on.
She finally brought her attention back to him, her visage marred with frustration but she quickly hid it. "I see, Qrow sadly can be unreliable in certain instances… It's of no matter however, I just happen to know where he would be going, follow me Jaune and I'll take you back to him. And do please pay attention so you do not get lost again. It is quite easy to lose yourself within Beacon if you don't know your way around."
Jaune found himself stumbling over himself to try and keep up with the long-legged woman. Her strides were long and purposeful, no movement wasted as she traversed the halls of the academy with a casual ease. They rounded a few more corners before they entered the main tower. The layout of the central building didn't differ greatly from the rest of Beacon, not that he really had time to try and figure out his way around with how fast miss Goodwitch was moving. It wasn't long before he could hear voices that he recognized, the gruff voice of his current caretaker and the fast-paced words of the other man he was with.
"How did he even manage to wander off? He was right behind us for crying out loud!"
"Beacon is a marvelous establishment but its sheer size makes losing one's way very easy, more so for those that are unfamiliar with the landscape. Also, you should have been keeping a better eye on the boy."
"Don't try to pin this on me, you didn't notice he was gone at all. Come on, he couldn't have gotten too far."
"Oh, I disagree, a boy his age could have gotten very far within the academy in the amount of time he's been missing. Also, Jaune was not my charge to watch. If he was I would have paid far greater attention to him."
The few words that he could hear did not do wonders for his opinion of the man. Granted, the journey from Anima had done more of a number on that front that he really didn't think it mattered what the older huntsman did or said at this point. It all boiled down to one thing, that he was a burden.
Qrow tried to hide it, or at least he thought he tried to hide it. The man never outright said it but the entire trip from Shion had been a tense one. Qrow had been reserved, more so than the first time he had visited the orphanage. In the beginning he could only get the bare minimum out of the man. What they were eating, what they needed to do to set up camp for the night. Anything past that all he would receive were grunts.
He had asked about Summer but even before he had asked he knew the answer. Even for him it was obvious what had happened. Despite that, he needed to know. He had trusted Summer, never once had he thought she would abandon him. For better or worse he had put his faith in her.
When he had seen Qrow show up alone he knew she wasn't ever coming back for him. Still, he had asked and Qrow's response was as curt and bitter as he felt. 'She's gone.' It was all he said but all that really needed to be said. It didn't matter how or why, only that she was gone, just like his parents, just like his sisters.
Another person he trusted was gone, regardless of intent or effort, they were gone and he was left alone again. He was tired of it. He was tired of seeing the people around him abandon him. Even seeing Qrow's relieved face when he finally noticed him did nothing to bring him happiness.
He took the admonishment from his 'caretaker' with a shallow nod and couldn't help but wonder as the man turned to miss Goodwitch how long it would take Qrow to find a reason to abandon him too. It was clear to him that Qrow didn't want to look after him, the man only doing so for a reason he didn't know.
All of their conversations had been terse and felt forced. It reminded him of his parents trying to force him to make friends with strangers at school. The conversations were short and painful to work through, even when he had tried his best. Now when it was clear that neither of them really wanted to talk? It was even worse and seemed pointless even to him.
He followed along, this time taking care to not lose Qrow as they moved deeper into the building. They eventually turned into a small room outfitted with a few chairs and a table in the center of the room. Small concessions littered the shelves, appliances like microwaves and coffee machines and the like. Most telling was the bin next to the counters filled to the brim with discarded coffee containers.
"Alright kid, I know its not much but you'll be stuck in here for a bit. Not too long, I just have some business I need to take care of. I'll be back before you know it." The man finished the sentence and reached out with his hand and ruffled his hair.
He must have missed the part about staying here while Qrow left for this apparent meeting but it didn't bother him. It wasn't as if Qrow's presence was comforting in the first place. Qrow's hand still roughly meshed his hair back and forth and with a bit of a growl he shook his head violently, finally freeing his head from the man's grasp.
"Oh, and no wandering off. I don't want to have to track down your scrawny butt in some random corner of the school, got that?"
Those rubellite eyes bore into him and Jaune couldn't help but gulp before shaking his head in the positive. He had a feeling that if he didn't listen to Qrow he would receive more than a stern few words.
He watched as the three adults left the room, only miss Goodwitch turning to look at him for a moment before leaving. Their eyes met for a moment but he couldn't make out the look before she disappeared.
Without the others the room was eerily quiet and Jaune quickly made his way over to a spare couch in the corner of the room. Seconds ticked by and as more minutes passed his eyes found their way back to the only door to the room.
He knew he was being stupid. He knew that Qrow was going to come back eventually. The man wouldn't just up and leave him without saying anything, would he? No, that was stupid, but then why did his chest hurt with every moment the door remained closed?
Somewhere inside he knew the answer, he knew the truth. It had been too cruel of a reality for him to not know the answer. The truth was that eventually, everyone would leave. Regardless of their intention or how hard they tried or how much they cared, everyone leaves eventually.
/-/
It was funny how time could change one's perspective on certain things. Ten years ago, if someone had asked him what he thought of Ozpin's office he would have scoffed and listed off several less than savory descriptions of the place. Now though, he would call in familiar, comforting even.
The many cogs surrounding the room moved with a mechanized fluidity, their sound reverberating throughout the decent sized room. A small smile graced his enervated face, his eyes roving around the room. He had spent more time in here than he would admit, most of it with his team, being admonished for something completely out of their control.
The gears continued to whine but he didn't even register the sound they made. Memories flooded his mind, surrounded by friends, Tai's awful jokes, Summer's fit of giggles, Raven's annoyed grunts. They were never perfect but they made it work, better than most did even. They fought, bled and celebrated together. He wouldn't trade those times for anything in the world. They were simpler times… better times.
Qrow played with the crooked cross laying on his exposed chest, his fingers brushing over the cool metal before he let it fall back into place. Instead he grabbed the steel flask on his hip and unscrewed it. He looked at the object in his grasp but his eyes were anywhere but in the room, his vision focused on something far, far away. "To better times…"
The whisper died to the sounds of metal churning on metal. The burn from the drink felt good against his throat and only when the flask was completely empty did he remove it from his lips. He shook the container a few more times for good measure and cursed his inability to refill it before arriving at Beacon.
"Are you drinking already, Qrow? It's not even noon."
Ruby red eyes narrowed at the sound of the voice, the owner standing in the elevator to the office that had just opened. Glynda Goodwitch walked out, her black heeled boots clacking against the floor and her emerald eyes glaring at the offending object still in his grasp.
"A good a time as any to start. You'd feel the same if you were in my shoes." He challenged with more fight in his voice than he felt.
He had to fight back a shudder when her eyes narrowed on him, her face contorting into a look of contempt that he was all too familiar with. Despite the fact that she had no real power over him anymore she still scared the crap out of him, not that he would let her see it. Damn scary woman…
A long sigh escaped her lips but her eyes still held that disapproving look that was essentially her default look when it came to him. "You drink enough as it is Qrow, you don't need to get a head start. Summer wouldn't approve of it, you know that."
His teeth cracked at the comment and he had to turn away lest he say something he knew he would regret later. Still, his eyes trailed down to the flask in his hand and with a reluctant sigh he clasped it and hung it back on his hip. "Yeah, well, she's not exactly around anymore to tell me off."
He didn't need to see the look on her face to know he probably shouldn't have said that, the enveloping silence spoke volumes about how poor a choice of words that was. Normally he might have cared about such things but right now he couldn't even find the emotion. All he wanted to do was finish up here as fast as possible and find a hole in the wall to lose himself in.
"Then it's true. Despite your report, we held out hope that it wasn't fully factual. I suppose that was too much to hope for. I am sorry, Qrow."
The new voice spoke with a calm collectedness that he had come to expect from the man. Even at the news of the death of one of his own huntresses his voice never wavered. He wasn't sure if he was impressed with Ozpin's self-control or furious at the man's lack of emotional response. He decided to pick the middle ground and gave an exhausted grunt in response.
Ozpin moved past Qrow and took his place behind his desk, Glynda following behind but staying on the same side of the desk as Qrow. "I have of course gone through the report several times since we received it last month but was there anything else that you wanted to add? Something that perhaps you forgot to mention?"
"Other than adding that Hazel is a bastard a few more hundred times? No, it's all there. Even if it wasn't, now isn't the time, there's something a little more pressing that we need to deal with, the sooner the better."
His anger leaked through his words at the mention of Summer's murderer but neither Ozpin nor Glynda made a mention of it. The entire mission was a shit show from start to finish and he really didn't want to relive it right now.
It must have been obvious enough since Ozpin latched onto the change of subject without complaint. "Ah yes, your new charge. I suppose that does need to be resolved right away. We're only waiting on Oobleck and Port. They should only be a minute more or so and then we can properly address this."
Qrow raised an eyebrow in question but the elevator dinging stopped the question on the tip of his tongue. The door opened to reveal two of Beacon's more experienced professors. The two men strode out of the elevator and stopped only a few feet behind Qrow and Glynda.
"I apologize for our tardiness headmaster, Peter was deeper in the Emerald Forest than I had anticipated." Oobleck said with a slight nod towards his companion.
A hearty laughed escaped the far shorter man, his burgundy suit being stressed far more than it should have with such a simple motion. "Don't blame Barty, it was my own zealousness that led me to go that far into the Emerald Forest. You know how it is, once I feel the rage of battle I can't stop. The foul beasts were barely putting up a fight at the end!"
Ozpin waved off their concerns and gave them a soft smile. "It's not a problem, we only just arrived ourselves a few moments ago. Now that we're all here however, we can begin. Qrow has brought with him a rather unique problem and it was my hope that together we could find a suitable solution."
"Yes, I had read the memo you sent out Ozpin and it is most troubling, though I suppose it is a small miracle that the boy survived that tragedy at all." Oobleck said.
Qrow rolled his eyes at the comment and not for the first time wished his flask had more than air in it at the moment. "Yippie for miracles. That doesn't change the fact that we have nowhere for the kid to go. I promised Summer I would take the kid away from the orphanage. I didn't really have a plan for after."
Oobleck didn't seem to mind Qrow's tone or at least didn't comment on it. "Quite. But there is something that bothers me, are you sure that the boy is who you think he is? From all reports, the entire Arc family was killed during the Aerilon massacre. It would be strange if the youngest scion of the family somehow escaped by himself. Even if the White Fang failed in hunting him down, Aerilon is a frontier town in Anima. Such an attack would have drawn in Grimm from hundreds of miles away. If you truly found him in Shion he would have had to travel for over a week on foot. Something a ten-year-old should find to be impossible given the circumstances."
For once a genuine smile worked its way onto Qrow's face as he looked at Oobleck. "Oh, he's definitely Arthur's kid. He looks just like him and he has Crocea Mors, Summer confirmed it when we first met him. The kid's also a survivor, I can tell you that much. I don't know what Arthur was preparing him for but he knew his stuff when it came to roughing it through the wilderness. I barely had to tell him what to do. The kid didn't even freak out when we came across Grimm. Nervous? Sure, but not scared. It definitely wasn't the first Grimm he'd seen and if I were to guess, he's killed them before too. He's definitely Jaune Arc."
"HaHo! He sounds like a marvelous lad! I'm failing to see any problems here." Peter said with his usual boisterous attitude.
Qrow couldn't stop the growl but managed to keep his voice level. Port was a good man, sadly his personality was grating at the best of times. "The problem, Peter, is that we don't have a place for the kid to go."
The man blinked a few times, his expression unreadable behind his impressive facial hair. "Preposterous! He would stay with you of course. You're the one that got him after all."
Qrow gave the man a flat stare and with a huff shook his head in the negative. "I don't think so. Kids really aren't my thing. I can barely deal with Yang and Ruby and they're not even in my direct care." He then took the moment to look away and whisper the next part. "Besides, he wouldn't want the burden of my name."
"Then if not you, then what about Tai? He's always been good with kids and Yang and Ruby are Jaune's age. Surely he could handle one more child and it may be good for the boy to have friends his age." Oobleck suggested.
Again, Qrow shook his head and if that wasn't obvious, the scowl on his face made it clear what he thought of the suggestion. "Tai has been strange ever since he found out about Summer. Honestly, I'm worried about him and the girls. I don't know if he can even take care of Ruby and Yang right now, let alone another kid with a slew of problems. He's out of the question."
That brought the conversation to a halt. He knew that the obvious choice would be to saddle the kid with either him or Tai. Yang and Ruby would provide easy friends for Jaune and Tai and himself at least knew how to deal with small children, unlike everyone else in this room.
If it was that simple he would've never bothered bringing Jaune to Beacon and he would've headed straight to Patch with Jaune in tow. But that wasn't the case. When he had said he was worried about Tai, that was putting it mildly. Tai was one bad night's sleep from a complete and utter meltdown. There wasn't much he could do other than make sure the girls didn't suffer for it while Tai put himself back together. Jaune had enough problems to deal with and he wasn't going to throw him into the middle of that mess.
His eyes settled on Glynda who for the first time since he had met her looked indecisive. Whatever she was thinking clearly wasn't a pleasant idea but that hardly mattered at this point. A bad idea was still an idea and at this point they really didn't have a lot going for them in terms of solutions. "What is it, Glynda? It can't be any worse than what's been suggested so far."
Still she hesitated, almost as if she was measuring her words. Finally, she did speak, though tentatively at first. "This…this may sound callous of me but why not just send him to the orphanage here in Vale? If you had no intention of taking care of him yourself then you should have left him in Shion."
She was right, it was callous but nothing he didn't expect from her. She was right on the other bit too, he really shouldn't have taken the kid knowing that he wasn't going to bring him to Patch. But he promised Summer he would get him out of there and he would be damned if he broke that promise.
"That would end badly, for both him and everyone at the unlucky orphanage we stick him in. Like I said, the kid has issues, issues that would take a huntsman to handle. It's why I took him with me to begin with, Summer knew he needed to get out of there and I really couldn't disagree."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow at the assertion, a more interested look on his face than was there previously. "And what kind of issues would require the direct attention of a huntsman? He's merely an eleven-year-old from what you've described. Even if he's violent it would hardly require the direct attention of a trained huntsman. Unless there's something more to it?"
Qrow knew the real question the man was asking and couldn't help his scowl from deepening. He narrowed his eyes on the man and gave a very subtle shake of his head. The kid was a special case, no doubt about that but he wasn't the kind of special Ozpin was looking for. Oh gods at least he hoped not, he didn't think the kid could handle anymore crap than what he was already dealing with.
"It's complicated, at least from what we've seen. For the most part he's a normal kid but there are some underlying issues we noticed and were told about when we met him. He's fiercely defensive of his possessions and the people he likes. I mean fiercely too. The kid has his aura unlocked and knows how to swing his old man's sword. Not well mind you but enough to scare any civilian away. Can't blame them either, that blade is sharp and the kid's way stronger than someone his age has any right being."
Glynda shifted slightly on her feet but took a more contemplative look. "From what I've heard it's not unusual for orphans to lash out with violent tendencies but I will admit his background could be an issue for any civilians to deal with. Is he violent with everyone aside from those he trusts?"
"Naw, and I wouldn't exactly say he's violent, at least not yet. Hostile is more like it, and really only to a certain portion of the population, if you catch my drift."
Silence permeated the room as that little tidbit sunk in. No one wanted to jump down that rabbit hole it seemed, no one except Oobleck who had even set aside his thermos. "That… that would make sense all things considered I suppose. The Arc's were the main protectors of Aerilon for generations and while the White Fang deny specifically targeting the Arcs, claiming instead Aerilon was a bastion of oppression, many and myself included, believe the attack was to send a message of strength to the four kingdoms."
Ozpin nodded along, adding his own thoughts. "A message that was well received by all of us. Many were more than willing to turn a blind eye to the occasional protest that escalated or the few random acts of vandalism that was attributed to the White Fang. They were easily written off as fringe factions and the White Fang were mostly doing good, peaceful work. When they claimed responsibility for that atrocity, we could no longer give them the benefit of the doubt, especially given their apparent militaristic strength. I know James in particular has taken a rather hardline and aggressive stance to the organization's new philosophy."
"Indeed. As a result, anti-faunus sentiment is at an all time high. It is no surprise that someone who survived the Aerilon massacre would hold such grievances, he would be more justified in his dislike than anyone else and given how young he is, he could most certainly be forgiven for his current attitude towards faunus."
"It's more than grievances Barty, it's borderline paranoia. You must have seen how he reacted to that student back there when she showed her faunus ears, he looked wound up and ready to lash out if she did anything." Qrow waited for Oobleck's nod before continuing. "It's only a matter of time before he becomes proactive instead of reactive." Qrow explained.
Ozpin hummed to himself, his hand reaching out to his now cooled mug of coffee. He took a short sip, barely long enough to enjoy the flavor before speaking. "You're suggesting someone take the boy who could help guide him away from these tendencies before they grow into something more problematic and would be capable of suppressing them if they indeed get worse as you predict. I'm afraid the list for potential candidates that fits those requirements is rather small, Qrow, even fewer who could actually stand to take on a child at all."
"No need to be so cryptic, Ozpin! I can read between the lines when needed and you flatter me with your praise. While the task may seem daunting for most I will tackle this challenge head on. I will take on the boy! I will shape him into a splendid huntsman!" Port's booming voice echoed through the office.
"I don't believe that wise dear friend."
"Not a chance in hell I'm letting that happen."
"Over my dead body."
The responses were instantaneous and just as passionate as the declaration. Ozpin could only sigh while holding his head, the impending headache well past the point of no return now. "As generous an offer as that is Peter, I do not believe now would be a good time for you to adopt a child. Your Grimm culling activities for Beacon are too important for your attention to be divided in such a way."
Port seemed to consider the headmaster's point, his plump hand stroking his massive mustache. "I suppose you are correct. I did not think of that. A shame, I would have enjoyed creating another huntsman in my image."
A collective shudder ran through those present and Qrow caught himself reaching for the empty flask on his hip. Just another reason to find a liquor store after all of this was said and done. He didn't even want to think of what a Jaune raised by Port would end up like. And they said Grimm were the stuff of nightmares…
"This is quite the problem you've brought with you Qrow, though one that we cannot in good conscious ignore. Aside from the danger he presents if not properly raised, Arthur Arc was a huntsman worthy of respect and we would be spitting on his grave to abandon his child in such a way."
Ozpin paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "With that said, asking another to take on something like this without being willing to do so myself would feel wrong. If all else fails, I will take on the boy and raise him to the best of my ability."
"Absolutely not!"
All eyes turned to the deputy headmistress and Qrow had to let out a small chuckle at her own surprised face. She quickly schooled her features however and let out a slightly embarrassed cough, her cheeks turning the slightest shade of pink.
"I do not believe that to be a good course of action Headmaster. You already have more responsibilities than is healthy and adding a child to that list I feel is beyond even you."
Oobleck gave a light cough, earning everyone's attention. "I would have to concur with Glynda in this matter. Given what Qrow has told us and what little I have witnessed myself, Jaune would require a significant amount of attention to properly rehabilitate. Not to mention he would need someone that could articulate the small intricacies and nuances that revolve around the White Fang, the Faunus Rights Movement and how racism is a parasite on our society. Forgive my frankness, but at times you are not the best communicator. Something like this would need to be taught directly, not left with subtle clues for one to discover on their own."
Instead of being offended by his colleague's words, Ozpin merely sipped on his coffee and gave a knowing smile. "Hmm, perhaps you are right. But that still leaves us a problem without a solution. Unless of course, you know of someone who would be appropriate."
It was hard to read Barty's expression with the way the glare on his glasses hid his eyes from view. Qrow could see what Ozpin was aiming at and had to admit, given their limited options, Oobleck may be the best option, for better or worse. "Ozpin's right, I mean, who could possibly be as passionate about that topic and know enough about it to get it through the kid's thick head? Not to mention being a huntsman on top of it. Not many people like that in all of Remnant."
While he couldn't see it, Qrow knew that Oobleck had his eyes narrowed on him in clear annoyance, not that his smirk was helping any on that front.
"I am not so daft as to not see what you are trying to imply. While I would be more than happy to educate the boy on the finer details involving the incident, raising a child is a completely different story and one task I don't feel I am qualified for in any capacity. I don't know the first thing about raising a child."
Qrow let out a bark of laughter and went to pat the taller huntsman on the shoulder. "And you think Tai was qualified? He couldn't even make toast right when Yang was born. No one's ready for kids, it's a learning experience, you love those don't you?"
Oobleck's glare only intensified behind his glasses but it was Ozpin's voice that drew his attention.
"No one is forcing this on you Bartholomew but I would strongly suggest you give it serious thought. The boy is clearly in need of someone that can help in more ways than one. And you never know, he may end up teaching you something in return. At least meet with the boy, you can decide what to do afterwards."
Qrow's rough voice took over for Ozpin's. "Look, from what I've seen the kid isn't even looking for a family at this point. He never seemed concerned with it around me. He just needs someone to watch over him and teach him. You can do at least that much, can't you?"
Silence reigned while Oobleck thought over the request. Qrow glanced towards Ozpin whose expression was as neutral as ever. Glynda only gave him a slight shrug in response, clearly nothing more to say on the matter.
He snapped his eyes back to Oobleck when he raised his voice, finally coming to an answer. "Very well. I will meet with the boy. I cannot say the prospect doesn't intrigue me but I cannot say for certain until I can actually speak with him alone."
Qrow gave an actual smile at the news, genuinely happy that Oobleck would take the kid. And he did mean take. There was no way that Oobleck would turn the kid away after talking with him, he just wasn't the kind of person to turn someone away that he could help. It was one of the reasons that he did so well as a professor at Beacon. He only hoped the kid would be happy with this.
/-/
Normally the organized mess that was his office brought him comfort, a domain all his own, surrounded by books and articles of a large variety but all important to his own pursuit of knowledge and understanding. Now however, they did little to quell the uneasiness he felt. The feeling in no small part due to his miniature guest sitting across from his desk.
Jaune Arc sat with his arms in his lap, fingers intertwined while his eyes stared at the desk. Those eyes were hard and unrelenting, something they've been ever since Qrow left. He knew that the boy wouldn't take kindly to Qrow leaving but his reaction wasn't exactly what he had expected.
He expected disbelief or an angry outrage but none of that came, only a cold acceptance that didn't belong on the face of a child. It was almost like Jaune had expected Qrow to leave him at some point and the action only reinforced his belief. Conversation after Qrow had left dwindled to a crawl, receiving only one-word answers to his questions, if he received an answer at all.
"So Jaune, how are you enjoying Beacon so far?"
Blue eyes raised enough to see him but his lips refused to move, the boy only glaring before going back to staring at his desk. Oobleck couldn't help the sigh that left him and pinched the bridge of his nose.
He expected having any conversation with Jaune would be difficult but he never imagined it would be this painful. He would almost rather sit in on one of Peter's sto-, erm, lectures, almost.
"You know, Beacon Academy has trained some of the most renowned huntsmen in history. There's no better place to attend if you wish to become a huntsman." Oobleck explained, hoping the different avenue would open Jaune up.
That received more than a customary glare, a spark of interest showed in those deep blue pools but it was quickly squashed. Jaune merely nodded to the comment before returning his attention to the desk.
Another topic gone and one he was sure would actually bare some fruit. Sadly, Jaune seemed determined to give him nothing and he was quite effective at it. With another sigh he reached for his thermos and took a sip before grunting and putting it down. The brew was cold and tasted foul on his tongue, something that he almost never allowed to happen.
"You know Jaune, you-"
"When are you going to take me to the orphanage?"
The words cut through his own like cold steel and gave him pause as he eyed the boy. No longer was Jaune looking at the desk, instead he had put his full attention on him, those eyes hard and angry. He swallowed the lump in his throat that he didn't know was there and responded. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
Jaune didn't seem impressed with his answer as his frown deepened. "You are going to send me away when you don't want to deal with me anymore, just like Qrow, just like everyone else. I just want to know when."
The thought had crossed his mind but he hadn't thought it had shown. Jaune wasn't like any child he had met before and their meeting hadn't exactly been pleasant thus far. He was standoffish and angry and more so than just at his current circumstances. The chip on his shoulder seemed deeper than even Qrow realized, or perhaps it was because of Qrow it was this deep at all.
"What do you mean by that? I had no intention of just dumping you off at the earliest convenience. I'm meant to look after you, I can hardly do that if I leave you behind."
Jaune's glare intensified at his words and he could see the shaping of a snarl form on the boy's lips. "Don't lie. Everyone leaves eventually and everyone breaks their promises. My parents did, Summer did, Qrow did and you will too."
"Your parents and Summer can hardly be blamed. They tried their hardest but were taken before their time. They had no intention of breaking their promises and abandoning you."
The resolve in Jaune's eyes surprised him and he was taken aback when the child raised his voice at him and stood from his seat. "That doesn't mean they didn't break their promises!" Jaune seemed to catch himself and quickly sat back down, averting his eyes while talking in a much softer tone. "It's even worse when they die because they can't make it right, they're just gone."
The words were too mature for a child to speak but they undoubtfully came from Jaune. The words were laced with pain that could only be obtained through experience, experience that no child should have had to be a victim of. His resignation over the matter struck a cord within him, it was something that he couldn't allow to stand.
Perhaps he had been going about this the wrong way. He had assumed that despite Jaune's experiences he would still be a kid at heart. A childlike desire to want a family and to be loved normally, a hope that his life could go back to being a happy one. Perhaps he needed to give Qrow more credit for he saw the writing on the wall far before he did.
He should have seen Jaune for what he was now. A broken individual with a thorn in his heart. He couldn't treat Jaune like the child he appeared to be, that ship had sailed a long time ago.
"Then instead of a promise, how about we make a deal?" Oobleck proposed.
"A deal?"
The words seemed foreign to the boy but he was intrigued nonetheless. That was good, Oobleck could work with that. "Indeed. Instead of a promise with nothing at stake, we will both promise something and the fulfillment of those promises will be dependent on if we can keep ours. This way we can both get what we want and not fear the promise being broken, lest we no longer get what we want. That being said, what is it that you want Jaune?"
He seemed stunned by the question, clearly never expecting to be asked his opinion on things. It was understandable to a degree. His life must have been dictated for him up until this point by an assortment of individuals, all of whom would claim to know what was best for him without actually asking him what it even was that he wanted.
After a few moments of silence, Jaune looked back at him with a resolve that again, a child like him should not have possessed. "I want to be strong. Stronger than my father. I want to be a great huntsman."
Only years of thorough debate allowed him to keep his features schooled at the answer. While a normal answer for most children raised in a huntsman's home, Jaune was anything but normal. Qrow's warnings rung in his ears and he tried to his best to keep his voice even. "Why is that?"
Jaune seemed to close in on himself before returning his focus to him. They shone with a strength unbefitting of one so young. Strength forged through his many trials no doubt. "To protect myself, and my friends."
While nothing changed on the outside, internally Oobleck felt the tightness in his chest vanish. Seeing those he loved disappear had left a mark on Jaune's soul, one of abandonment and one of fear. His desire made sense, as sad as the reality was. "Then to do that you would need to learn how to be a huntsman, both physically and mentally. I am uniquely qualified to assist you in both areas. I have trained huntsman for years and will continue to do so as long as I am able."
Oobleck let the words sink in and when he felt Jaune understood fully, he proposed his deal. "My deal is as follows. I will train you, both in your body and mind on how to be a huntsman to the best of my abilities. In return, you will become my adoptive son and take in all that I can teach you. What you do with that knowledge will be up to you, but you must at least try to learn things that don't necessarily help you become a huntsman as they will help you grow as a person, do we have a deal?"
He could practically see the gears turning in Jaune's head as he thought over the deal. Perhaps he didn't fully understand it but Jaune seemed get enough to know what was at stake. All things considered, it was a fantastic deal for Jaune, the only downside was that he would have to put his trust into him, something that Oobleck honestly didn't know if Jaune could do.
More minutes drifted by but Oobleck remained silent, he wouldn't pressure Jaune to make such a decision. If he chose to decline it then he would do what he needed to do, but until then he would give him as much time as he needed.
It seemed however that he had made his choice, his eyes giving away the answer before he even spoke. Before they were nothing but cold and angry, now however, he dared say a new emotion had filled the void, one of hope. "I'm not your son, no one can replace my dad. But I'll come with you. Train me to be a huntsman!"
Oobleck smiled at Jaune's words. The small concession would mean little in the long run, what was important was that Jaune was willing to put his trust in him. He had feared that he may have been past that point but since he was not, he wasn't beyond helping heal.
He had to admit, this meeting was nothing like he had anticipated. It was more like his interview with Glynda for his position here at Beacon than an adoption meeting. Regardless, Jaune had defied all of his expectations, for better or worse and only one thing was certain in his mind. While the future may be challenging, it would most certainly not be boring.
Such thoughts were pointless now however, their paths had been laid before them and all that was left was to take the first step.
He rose from his seat and motioned for Jaune to do the same, the boy confused but complaint all the same. "Well then, shall we begin?"
And there we have it. Jaune has been officially adopted and the intro arc of this story comes to a close. Things will start picking up now as we start building to the main points of this story. It's going to be a wild ride.
Now as for my longer than anticipated absence, well you would be surprised just how much time and effort it requires to change one's profession. That being said, I still plan on working on my stories, just sometimes it'll take a little bit as real life takes over. And for those waiting on my other stories, they're definitely coming, just again be patient with me.
That's it for now, hopefully you enjoyed and have a hopefully happy new year!