It seemed even with Ozpin's assistance to clear his name, Sterling had trouble clearing his image with the other students at Beacon. Especially the interrogation at his dorm once he returned from speaking with Ironwood. If he thought the punch from Yang was rough, Amy's punch still left a Sterling-sized imprint in the wall a month later, and it took a week of convincing until they started trusting him again.

And then there was Yang.

It felt like a walk of shame, coming down the Main Avenue towards the statue, Yang waiting in front of it for him, arms crossed, still not looking too pleased, although the anger had subsided from her eyes. His hands were in his pockets, a sheepish and shy look on his face. It seemed to help, Yang's gaze softening as he approached.

"Why, Sterling?" It was a broad question, but the meaning was clear, and at least she was giving him a chance to talk first this time.

Sterling opened his mouth, and then closed it, eyes drifting down. Slowly he took a deep breath, then shifted to sit down on the cement. "It started when I was young. My father… was a cruel man, although I thought he was doing what was necessary." His hand slid up to his shoulder, feeling one of the long scars under his hoodie. "He wanted me to be strong… so I could protect my sister, no matter what.

"When I turned six, he put me in the White Fang. They didn't want to take me in at first, since I'm not a Faunus, but Father was very… persuasive. And I proved myself to them time and again. When leadership shifted over, they kept me for my abilities. I stayed to see if I could curb some of the more violent tendencies. Seems like that failed." He sighed slightly, shaking his head.

"I want peace as much as anyone else. And what happened today… I never know how bad it would get. I wasn't informed." He shook his head, eyes closing. "Ozpin gave me a chance to change things… and help find myself. My… nightmares." He lowered his head, and he heard footsteps coming towards him. A hand went into his hair, and he felt his body relax unconsciously.

"I know how it is to want to protect your family." Yang said, almost sadly. "I would do anything to keep Ruby safe. But you have to know, what your sister is doing is wrong."

His eyebrows scrunched at that, lifting his gaze up to her. "I never said my sister was a part of this."

"Someone so devoted to protecting your family, staying with a group of terrorists? I don't see how she isn't a part of it." Sterling didn't have a response for that, and Yang smirked from winning that. "Still, you must know that she's doing the wrong thing, Sterling."

"I… know, now." He sighed. "But… that is why I have to do this. Ozpin wants me on the inside. And no… I can't share anything. Everything is being done very… quiet and careful."

He felt her hand slide to his shoulder, her form shifting to sit in front of him. "Just don't hide anything from me now, alright? I'd hate to have to beat you up while on a mission."

He couldn't help the chuckle at that. "I'd hate to let you beat me up."

Over the month to Vytal, everything had gone quiet. The White Fang weren't active in Vale, no crime was happening, but Sterling knew the danger. It meant that the Army would be a little more relaxed once Cinder took action. And Ozpin didn't want him to tell who was operating. After all, if someone else took the reins up after she was captured, finding them would be harder, and stopping them worse. The speed of her capture would endanger their informant as well, and Ozpin wasn't willing to accept that, although Ironwood had his concerns.

Sterling had his own concerns, with Cinder talking about the power of Autumn. He didn't understand completely, but he didn't dig deeper in it. On top of that, his nightmares were becoming more confusing, a figure with stark black hair wielding a scythe, conversations with Ozpin and Glynda from long ago, and memories of missions, more than a few of them with Raven. He woke up more than a few times with a pounding heart and drenched in sweat. Even with his doubts, he couldn't say that Ozpin lied to him.

He was watched closely by Atlas security until the Vytal Festival started, and Sterling was getting used to having so many eyes following his movements as the first round was underway. He made a point of it when his team was up, not attacking a single time in the match. Arms crossed, he bobbed and weaved through weapon strikes, seeing the frustration in the enemy team as they couldn't land a single blow on him. He let his attention slide away from his teammates, sure of their abilities, and moved to merely be a distraction until the enemy team was eliminated. The choice for the doubles round was obvious, Terra and himself. At least they trusted him with this.

After the day was over, Sterling made his way to Ozpin's office, but not before he heard about the commotion in the courtyard from his team. Two hunters fighting in the courtyard? It was a shame that he missed it, it was entertaining from what he heard, small clips of blurs moving over cement. He would have to talk to them later about the details. As it was, he was already getting a worried look as Ozpin passed him by quickly. May as well wait for them in the office.

It was to his surprise that Ironwood and a Special Operative arrived first, and he shifted from his position of sitting on the edge of Ozpin's desk to give the two a small bow. Ironwood looked confused for a moment as he approached. "I'm sure whatever business you have with Ozpin can wait a few minutes, Mr. Moonstone. We have an important audience with him beforehand."

"Please, Sterling." He shrugged, lowering his hood and shaking out his hair to muss it up. "And that's why I am here, General. Things are coming back to me, slowly but surely. And Ozpin trusts me, whether or not you do."

"We don't have need for a whelp-"

"Quiet, Winter." Ironwood was quick to cut her off with a glance before facing Sterling directly. "If that is Ozpin's wishes, so be it. Know that you are still being watched, though."

"Oh, I understand, but you must know what happened before this..." He had trouble finding the words, which worked as the elevator dinged just then, three people coming out. Glynda and Ozpin flanked a third, but nobody had to tell him who this man was. Qrow. Even outside of the images and threats that his Sister and her cronies had about this man, here he was in the flesh, looking as though he came from a hot night.

Sterling's head reeled, and everything seemed to be tuned out from his mind as his eyes focused on the man. Flashes in his mind, a man around his age, always trying, boastful. Long days of training, drinking. It was almost surreal to him. How could he feel a kinship with a man that he never met before? And yet he knew even that was a lie, the memories were there, flooding back, as well as some of Raven. Qrow's sister.

The discussion seemed far away, but he heard every word of it. They were getting closer to their target, but it was a coin flip of whether or not they would catch her now. Sterling was hoping they would. Praying, even. He saw the virus infection, possibly the only one who did, but didn't say anything about it. He took a deep breath over that internal argument, but as it was everything was still reversible, and he didn't know which side would be right. He knew he would have to decide soon, though.

People were filing out of the office, and Sterling made his decision, strolling forward. "Qrow Branwen?"

The older male turned to him with a confused look. "Eh? Oh, it's the whelp. Ozpin told me about you." He leaned in, narrowing his eyes as he regarded Sterling's face. "I don't believe a word of it. "

"Oh, so I have to prove myself to you?" Sterling shifted, a hand coming up, chin in the crook of his thumb and index finger as he thought for a moment. "My last mission was heading to a secret facility with Raven before we both disappeared."

"You could have read that in some files." Qrow shrugged as he brought out his flask, taking a swig.

"Alright then.' Sterling was quiet for a moment before speaking again. "Your first drink of liquor was Burbon."

Qrow eyed him with the flask an inch from his mouth. "Lucky guess."

"It was in my office during your second year. You had three shots before I had to cut you off so you could start sobering up because you had an exam the next day."

An eyebrow lifted as he heard that. "Alright, Ozpin has some merit. So what? You come back from the dead to seek an audience with me?"

"Not quite." Sterling shifted, rolling his shoulders. "Actually, I would like to train and talk. There's an aged bottle of Whiskey with your name on it for the trouble."

Qrow seemed to think about it for a moment. "Alright, you convinced me. Lead the way."

This late at night, it was empty in the gym, and the training square there was more than enough for some training and a quick spar, Sterling thought. "It's like old times." He said half to himself as he looked through the empty room before stepping forward.

"It's odd hearing that from someone as young as you, but given what I've been told, it isn't surprising." Qrow shrugged it off, and Sterling turned to face him.

"Let me see what you have learned, Qrow. And teach me what you have learned. It..." He frowned, trying to put words to it. "I don't remember everything, and my body doesn't remember what my mind does."

"And yet you still speak in riddles." Qrow pulled out his sword, wielding it in front of him. "Just like old times, professor."

The boy chuckled at that, pulling out his weapons from his hoodie pockets, feeling them extend to full size before the blades splitting to two a piece. "Please, Qrow. It may have been a long time... but I would like to be friends again. So, Sterling."

A smirk crossed Qrow's friend. "It was always strange being friends with a Teacher, but hey, I suppose it's reversed now, eh?" He did a small feint that Sterling didn't fall for. "Well, Sterling, you said you wanted to talk."

"I did." As Qrow swung his sword, Sterling took a backstep and turn, his blade coming up and Qrow's sliding down the flat of it until it hit the ground. "As much as I have said, I still know little of the past. Flashes from dreams. The spontaneous and few vivid flashes when something triggers it." His other weapon shifted to be single bladed once more, swinging low at the leg, but Qrow pushed his floor-embedded weapon to the side, the hilt parrying the attack away before kicking his weapon into the air and catching it.

"So what are you asking?"

Sterling swung hard with his left weapon against Qrow's left side, but Qrow blocked it with the flat of his sword, holding it downward over his shoulder. "You seem like someone who was influential in my past. Even if you were just a student." Sterling pushed with his weapon, but Qrow pushed back with surprising energy and strength, making him slide back two feet and ready himself in a defensive stance.

"You want me to train you and see what awakens."

"Basically." Qrow jumped at him, and Sterling lifted his weapon, leaning back and to the side as his own was raised, the sparks of the weapons tapping his face as the edges rode each other to the ground. "I know you can do better than this, Qrow. Don't go easy on me."

"Why? You seem to be taking this rather rough." Qrow smirked as the tip of his blade touched the ground, using the leverage to push to the side and down with the hilt, catching Sterling in the stomach and knocking him to the ground. Sterling coughed from the impact, a hand pushing to get him up before a foot was on his chest.

"You have a lot to learn for someone that Ozpin held in high regard. Or were you just playing around? I can respect that." The foot was removed, replaced with an outstretched hand, one that Sterling took and let him help him to his feet.

"You can't see the strength of someone when you're being serious from the start." Sterling quipped, to Qrow's amusement.

"That'll get you killed."

"Possibly."

"You're gonna have to change your attitude on that. Especially if you're going to do anything with my niece."

Sterling froze, feeling the color draining from his face. "...You know about that?"

Qrow's arm went around Sterling's shoulder, leading him out of the room. "I have eyes everywhere, Sterling." The silver haired boy could feel Qrow's eyes on him as they walked, keeping his own on the ground. "And it wouldn't be the first time you hit on someone from my family."

Sterling turned his head to look at Qrow, an eyebrow quirked questioningly, but nothing came from his mouth, too startled to talk. Qrow laughed it off. "Now, how about that bottle of whiskey?"