Chapter 10: Dropping a Bomb

"Hey Qrow, can we take a break? We've been going at it for hours now, it's past noon already!" Yang pants, arms numb from the severe amount of strain they had gone through the past few days. The rest of team RWBY nods in agreement, also drained from Qrow's harsh, unorthodox regiment.

Luckily for the girls, Qrow's scroll starts ringing, and with a sigh he goes to answer it. "Why not, you girls have done an excellent job so far as a team, now if only we could find some not freaky way to make you all a nightmare should you need to be one."

The girls don't even hesitate to drop to the floor in exhaustion, too sore to even attempt getting nourishment. 'Hey Yang, last I checked, your Uncle wasn't a sadist. I feel I missed something.'

Yang turns to Ruby, having gotten used to the telepathy over their week of rigorous training. 'I still don't get how you do your background checks Rubes, but yeah, it beats me. Although it looks like he's had something on his mind lately. Maybe he wants us ready for whatever he knows is coming?'

Blake and Weiss turn to look where Qrow left. 'I'm scared to find out. I'd rather not have to deal with something that makes all this necessary.'

Ruby crawls the few feet to Weiss to pat her girlfriend's back. 'I think he is doing this to us because whatever is out there is coming, and coming fast. We'll need to be ready sooner rather than later.'

Weiss visibly flinches at Ruby's implications, recalling her nightmare from days ago. 'Have they been getting worse?'

'Has what been getting worse? What have you two been hiding this time?' Blake mentally snaps, still frustrated with Ruby and Weiss' secretive behavior, far worse than her own comparatively.

'Nightmares, Blake. Something is after me, and it wants everything I care for dead. And no they haven't returned since that one. Then again, I've been physical since then, leaving my demon half under wraps outside of communication.'

'Why do you sound so scared? Is it something we can deal with?' Ruby answers Yang's questions by replaying the nightmare to her and Blake, while sparing Weiss the memory, but she can tell that her Princess is reliving them anyway.

The two girls' faces immediately drop into looks of horror at the images of blood and nothingness. 'Oh…'

'Yeah… that's why I've been so jumpy all week.'

Qrow reenters the room with an odd look on his face, making Ruby jump a little in the process from his sudden reappearance, even though she knew he was there. "Well girls, I'd say class dismissed for the day, but this isn't an official class. Ozpin just called, and it seems we need to celebrate."

All four girls exchanged confused glances before Ruby and Weiss begin to catch on, their once depressed faces lighting up anew. "Do you mean that-"

"Yes Ruby, I do mean that you are in fact my niece and Yang's half sister-"

"YEEEESSSSSSSSSS!" Ruby, Yang, and Weiss all cheer ecstatically at the good news, even Ruby getting a surprise kiss on the cheek from Weiss.

"Easy girls." Qrow rubs his head unable to process the entire load Ozpin dropped on him. "I'm still trying to understand this all myself. I say we go bug Tai to celebrate, let him know he has another daughter." Yang turns to look at him, an odd expression on her face that Qrow can't quite place.

Qrow led team RWBY across Vale to where he knew Tai was staying. Once they reach the apartment door, it swings open to reveal an irritated blond of equal height to Qrow, and an aura of strength that could easily be missed due to his slim build, leveling a glare on Qrow. "So Qrow, any reason my daughter isn't in school right now, but is out and about with you. And then you decide to come and harass me?" Qrow maintains his straight face as Tai begins to berate him over Yang's current situation.

"To answer your first question, that's your daughter's fault. See, she got her team chased off campus, which leads to your second question. Ozpin has them mentoring under me as an excuse to keep them away until things calm down."

"What did Yang-"

"Not that daughter, your other daughter."

"WHAT!?" At Tai's roar of a question Ruby takes a nervous step forward, cloaked in a heavy glamour to hide her demonic traits lazily resting against her. When she begins to hesitate, Weiss steps behind her and pushes her the rest of the way, receiving a glare in return.

"H-hi…"

Ruby can hear the man's thoughts clear as day as his eyes glaze over and he crumples to the floor. Qrow and Yang both don't bother an attempt to catch him, instead opting to just double over laughing. "After all this time, and he still can't handle surprises. He did that the day Raven said she was pregnant, too. Man I need to memorialize this." Qrow attempts to say between laughs and gasps for breath, reaching for his scroll to snap pictures of his unconscious friend.

Yang begins to compose herself as she sees the confused look on Ruby. "What's up sis?" She goes to put a hand on Ruby's shoulder before mumbling, "man I've always wanted to say that..."

Ruby shuffles her feet trying to wrap her mind around Taiyang's mental scream that she picked up like an SOS. "He isn't aware of Summer's secret. He was certain I'm his, but he knew nothing of her not being human."

"Why's that so weird?" Yang asks, completely lost at her sister's confusion.

"Hang on there Ruby, before you answer let's get inside. I think that'd be best since we may all want to take a seat for this." Qrow says putting a reassuring hand on the demon's shoulder.

"Yeah, okay." Yang picks up her father and drags him in as Ruby begins explaining her unnerved thoughts. "So Yang, it's weird because for my mom to have been guarded from the darkness, I thought she had to be bonded to someone. If not him, then who was it?" Ruby's face scrunches up before going blank to try and search out the answers in the aether.

Weiss immediately goes over and eases Ruby's now rigid body down to lay in her lap. While rubbing the demon's hair to ease any mental strain she can, Weiss begins to explain. "Demons, according to professor Ozpin, aren't born as humans are, they're manifested. They are made up of the very essences of our world. This is why the average demon is portrayed as a being of darkness, the essence of Grimm is actually inside of them, corrupting their souls, and how Ruby seems to have some slight immunity to it. He didn't have much else to say but that on the subject, but he did bring up the bonds humans can make with them. The professor said what little he could about them, but he found very little while researching alongside Summer. But what Ruby and I suspect is that this bond helps repel the Grimm essence within the soul and holds a demon's sanity intact. What Ruby is trying to figure out is who it was that Summer was tied to during her last four years at Beacon, and then after."

"Hold up, Summer was a part of my team at Beacon, are you saying she was there before even us and that she has, or had, a currently unknown accomplice? Know what? Never mind I even asked. I've got enough current mysteries to dig into that I don't want, or need, to dwell on the better days as well. Sure, she was extremely anti-social, but I thought we knew her better." Qrow's face is deeply bothered, trying even harder than before to unravel the mystery of his old team leader.

Ruby starts to stir from her comatose state, alerting Weiss. "Hey. You discover anything Ruby?" Weiss whispers in the softest, nicest tone any of the others had ever heard from her.

"No, nothing super useful. Winter did say 'Hi' again, though." Ruby replies, hand on forehead to cradle the growing headache, "as we know, she was bound to Professor Ozpin while he was a student, and for a little while after that they worked together to understand our kind. Apparently, that ended when she discovered something big and their bond was fulfilled. She didn't tell Ozpin, whatever it was. With that she joined your team in order to get close to Tai, guess he held her answer. The best I can get is that you, Qrow, were the odd one out in whatever she was planning, but it seems Mr. Xiao Long didn't know either." Ruby says, letting out what she could find in a span of ten seconds, relaxing into Weiss as the incoming headache from her journey intensifies even more.

"Ruby, you should just rest, you need it after that." Weiss continues stroking Ruby's hair as she makes it clear she isn't worried.

"Weiss-" Ruby's counter is cut off by a harsh, yet somehow concerned glare that effectively melts her heart. "Fiiiine, but only because you're doing… that… And I know you won't leave me." Taiyang's crumpled body wakes up just in time to see his unknown daughter hug the white haired girl from earlier like a long lost lover, before dissolving into roses and smoke that encircle the other's hand, leaving a gauntlet of vibrant green vines with a myriad of roses. The white haired girl acts natural as it forms, as if it were always there.

"Okay, I know I'm not on drugs, so can somebody please explain to me what this grand hallucination is?" Tai questions as he rises to his somewhat unsteady feet.

"That, my friend, is a story for another time I'm afraid. I can explain some things though, but it's a mess." Tai lets out a sigh as he notices that everybody is now inside his almost Spartan apartment, the only decorations being a photo of him in a suit, and Summer in a white dress holding a one year old Yang between them with smiles spread wide across their faces, as they were descending a platform.

Qrow gestures to the picture, attempting to get off topic. "I'll never understand how you fell in love with her and Raven. I'm still convinced my sister was just messing with you but, Summer definitely seemed determined to have you from day one."

"I felt that too, always made me wonder how they stayed so close together even after Yang was born and Raven left." Tai shrugs, admitting his own thoughts on his two lovers.

'So your mom was a mystery too Yang?' Ruby asks, stunned to hear that they had a rather strong lifestyle in common.

Yang hides her discussion with Ruby behind her smile easily as she discusses her own mystery. 'Yeah. My mom, Qrow's sister, had me then disappeared almost immediately, then Summer swooped in and dad was better, then she too vanished. At least you explain her disappearance, my mom's still makes no sense.'

'I'm sorry Yang. Do you think we should let him know she died?'

'No, he assumed as much with her. From what I've heard, they loved each other that much that truly only death could have separated them that long.'

"Speaking of them vanishing, who was that Summer look-alike that just dissolver?" Tai asks Qrow, not noticing Yang briefly stiffen for a second before relaxing again.

At Tai's question, Weiss steps forward happy to explain Ruby to him, waving her tattooed hand. "She is Summer's daughter. Somehow she has been in Atlas with me for the past ten years."

Tai's mind snaps immediately on the number. 'That's about five years after Summer vanished. That doesn't make any sense.'

"Once we were accepted to Beacon, Professor Ozpin told us that you may be the father as Summer and him were good friends. So we managed to snag some of Yang's hair and the Professor just today gave us the results, that her and Yang are in fact half sisters."

"Hold up, so I had a daughter who somehow was on the other side of the world five years after her birth living with you, Ms…"

Weiss hesitates to answer, afraid that the information may not go over well. "...Schnee."

Her accidental hiss of an answer tells Tai all he needs to know about the girl's opinion of that name. "Wow, I didn't know Allistair's second daughter had any friends. Then again, I doubt he wanted word of her hatred of the company leaking. That man really did suck with children."

"How do you know my father?"

Tai laughs lightly at the heiress' reaction to his blunt statement. "In the business of hunting, Ms. Schnee, you eventually know the entire Schnee family personally. You people own too many facilities not to attract Grimm by the thousands." He then turns to Qrow. "I still don't understand why they aren't in school Qrow. It's hard to imagine kids getting chased away two days into their freshmen year."

"Well you remember how overpowered Summer was on a moody day?" At Tai's nod, and snort of laughter, Qrow continues. "Her daughter is stronger by the looks of it. Ozpin wanted them monitored and trained harder so he sent them my way before anybody could start to get jealous and form a little hate group."

"Alright, I can accept that, only because he threw us through similar stunts back in the day. He really loves his special trainings doesn't he?" Tai says recalling how team STRQ often was sent away on missions that were way above their experience level, but for some reason he can't remember how it is they ever survived a single one of them.

Qrow nods, recalling similar situations. "Yeah he really does. Anyhow, we came to celebrate the news-" Qrow's scroll alights with a message from a contact alerting him of a planned White Fang attack nearby. "Or not.." Qrow lets out a sad sight that he wouldn't be getting much to drink before things got rough. "It seems that we have a job." Qrow then grabs the girls and gestures for Tai to come if he likes.

The Blond hunter gives a wicked grin before grabbing a pair of spiked gloves similar to Ember Celica. "Just like old times, eh partner?"

The group arrived on the scene twenty minutes later, and fortunately the damage had yet to be done. "Ruby, I want you and your team in there on control duty. The White Fang has decided to use this theater as a bomb site. I'd rather that not happen. Tai, you and I are on guard duty. We will make sure none get away."

Tai nods to Qrow's orders not bothering to question the lack of Ruby, whom was directly addressed. The two teams split off, unsure what to expect.

Ruby guides her team through the corridors mentally, avoiding guards the whole while, or judging by how far gone into the darkness they felt, she would try and tempt them into falling asleep. 'No wonder Qrow called us control. You are literally just a sleeping haze blanketing the halls.' Weiss mentally laughs as yet another White Fang member decides to take a nap on the job, noticing how Ruby isn't responding, putting aside her own feelings in order to help those around her efficiently and effectively.

'It's not that easy Weiss. If I were physical I'd be near motionless trying to ease all these people to sleep.'

'Still, it's nice to know you have it under control Ruby.' All three girls running think, noting how a few of the unconscious bodies had explosives in hand.

'Let's not relax just yet guys. Just because we could clear out the threat of explosion, doesn't mean we are safe. The main hall over there feels worse than what awaited at the base of the elevator back at Beacon.' Ruby warns the team as they discreetly enter the room where all the hostages were being held.

The sight before them leaves Yang and Blake immobile. Yang goes into a red haze, ready to pummel the oddly colored girl who wielded an umbrella in one hand, using it to beat on anybody who made a sound, but knowing that she'd kill some of the girl's helpless victims if she tried.

Blake was stunned because she had recognized some of the White Fang members up until now and was horrified that they were working with a human, not knowing the implications of how much further down the group's dark path they had gone.

Ruby and Weiss had braced for the darkness and were immediately assessing how to lighten the weight crashing down on them. Alongside the twisted female was a brute of a lion Faunus, wearing the Grimm mask that designated him as a member of the White Fang and wielded a giant chainsword. Ruby could tell that of the two, the White Fang member was the bigger threat in malevolent intent alone, as he had the detonator on his hip.

Reaching out and opening a mental channel with them, Ruby could tell that they were definitely more focused than the underlings they had encountered thus far. 'I don't think I can mess with their heads like the previous ones. The girl is too straightforward in her thinking to fall for it and the brute is too slow to be tricked. Weiss let's dance. Yang and Blake, get these people out of here after we start the diversion.'

With the plan set Weiss enters the duo's field of view. At first neither acknowledge her, so Ruby decides to see if she can get them to notice what she wants them to. Once inside their heads she can tell that they want to attack, but their orders are to make sure nothing happens. The man is easier to bait and so Ruby uses him as her focus, making Weiss, and more specifically the Schnee emblem, glow, highlighting her position in his eye sight, sending him into a blind fury and charging. His charge starts the chain reaction Ruby hoped for, as the girl looks up, and decides to follow, a look of glee in her pink and brown eyes.

The male gets to her first, a gleeful look of murder shining through his eye slots. Once he is within reach, Weiss begins her dance, Crescent Rose extending in her hands. The chainsaw swings overhead in a clean sweep for Weiss to crouch under and sweep out his feet, but the pink, white, and brown haired girl catches the scythe with her umbrella.

Weiss lets go of Crescent Rose, unsheathing Myrtenaster in the process. Ruby materializes with scythe in hand at Weiss' back, regaining control over the scythe. She then whirls it into the unsuspecting brute, slamming him in the arm with the pole with a loud crack, leaving it numb and definitely, probably, broken.

'Told ya Blake, your people didn't have the full story on Weiss.' Ruby projects the thought to the group, figuring that having Blake's mind open to them would get the issue resolved easier. Weiss, used to Ruby dropping bombs at seemingly poor moments, continues to duel the Umbrella wielder as best she can while diverting any incoming enemies away from the hostages.

'How did you know?' Blake went rigid, expecting a scythe at her neck. When none came and the sense of trust Ruby sent out through the open mental channel eased her enough to continue evacuating the hostages.

'Easy Blake, that first time we met I got your full story. You weren't very good at hiding your own thoughts. I decided that unless it came up I wouldn't hint at it. Well, it came up.'

'Ruby, we need to teach you timing.' Weiss mentally yells, dancing around another slash from her opponent. "Some back up please?"

Ruby encases the man in ice up to his shoulders before going to assist Weiss with a gravity glyph, throwing the girl backwards, that her girlfriend follows up with an ice glyph of her own to catch the girl, who vanished upon impact. 'Actually, now is the best time I'd think. We all have a goal in mind to keep us rational, and because it's a mental chat we can all tell that you left because you disagreed with them.'

'Still, this really isn't the time.' Weiss sighs, somewhat exhausted from her dance with the unknown girl.

'Sorry.' Ruby scans the area mentally before relaying back to Qrow that they got the situation under control, the detonator trapped in ice and the one in command with it.

The girls finish getting the last of the hostages out of the building before meeting up with Qrow and Taiyang, who look to be informing the cops of the situation. Qrow gestures towards team RWBY exiting the building, probably telling the cops who infiltrated and cleared the building of hostages.

They meet in the middle, and Tai scowls, noticing a red haired girl now leading them. "Any reason you just randomly appear and disappear Ruby?" Taiyang asks, adjusting to the sight of his new daughter.

"I don't know, something I inherited from mom, along with a lot of other things." Ruby shrugs shyly, not wanting to reveal what exactly her and Summer are.

"I can tell." Tai lets out a sigh deciding better than to delve into his missing wife's influence on the girl before him. "Guess I'll just leave it at that."

"Good man." Qrow pats Tai on the back, letting his sword dangle in his other hand, before he turns to look at Ruby. "So what did you get from them Ruby.?"

"Nothing much, one person got away so I couldn't really dig into her mind. However the other person we captured was encased in ice so I was able to dig in a bit and got a location of a hideout outside the city. We should be able to get there by foot with ease. Outside of that though all I got was that we got them completely off guard, this was meant to be in and out. We got here while they were still prepping actually, some sleeping bodies in there still have bombs."

"What are you, a spy or something?" Tai asks, unable to understand how this little girl could obtain all that information without blinking or hesitation.

The demon flashes him a broad grin back. "Or something sounds right. This is why Weiss can't date anybody else. I know all and keep them away." She exaggerates at the end, waving her hands in front of her to mock her near omniscient looking behavior.

"Okay then, note to self, don't make you an enemy."

Qrow laughs, not having even considered the age of the people before him, his mind completely in work mode. "Man, I'm better off hammered, at least then I'd have an excuse to have actually expected you to have those answers. I need a drink to let it sink in that I'm related to a demon." Everybody else joins into Qrow's laughter, with only Tai missing the blunt joke his friend made. "Well let's go then, the police have it from here, and I'm serious about that drink."

"Are you going to send us back now that we may actually get into danger?" Blake asks, almost expecting to have to go back to Beacon now that something big has come up.

Qrow waves the girl off not really taking note of how bothered she looks. "Nah, that's up to you girls. I'm not your boss and Oz didn't say anything about keeping you out of trouble, just alive." Blake lets out a small smile, glad Qrow has yet to sugar coat anything he thinks.

Notes: Sorry for the late upload, I had life then RWBY to deal with. Also some writer's block but I'd like to give shout outs to those who I pm'd early on to get the serious road block out of my head that wouldn't let this chapter or what is planned to follow happen.

So thank you NobleMETA, BlakJakXXI, Combatflaps, and ReadingReader582 for letting me know what you saw from this fic and how it felt to you. Thanks to each of your thoughts, which by the way none of you had overlapping ideas which I found comical, I was able to figure out what I'm going to go through with, and for that I apologize to everybody.

Also, a person I'd refer to as a friend by this point, PheonixCommander uploaded a message to the legion205 podcast addressing something bothersome, and I honestly can't say it better than he did so to anybody losing hope in RWBY after what happened in the finale or just can't seem to carry on with your own non-canon masterpieces, just remember this. "The night is always darkest before the dawn."

So yeah fav, follow, review. That's what has me going right now and what fuels me to keep the light of creativity burning as best I can but I can only do it with you guys helping to lift me up.

Ps. That rant last chapter was a load of hot air. I meant nothing by it but to vent and make my peace, although I will filter out hate that is rather blunt and irrational.