Patch
Twelve Years Ago
"Alright, kiddo, you ready for this?"
A very determined-looking ten-year-old girl nodded, her tongue poking out from between her lips as she adjusted the red cape around her thin shoulders. Ruby brushed her bangs away from her face and picked up the training scythe with serious, steady hands.
"Good, nice grip," Qrow stated encouragingly. "Let's start slow, the blade's dull enough that you won't try to sever your leg this time."
Ruby blushed in embarrassment as she recalled the time she'd tried to pick up her uncle's weapon without permission. Fortunately, he'd been on hand, so that serious injury was prevented.
The training scythe was crafted specifically for her size, but even so it towered over her head as she eased herself into the first position of the routine Qrow had worked up for her. Silver eyes gleamed with concentration as she shifted her feet until she was satisfied.
"Right. Let's see you move into the next position."
The brunette girl swallowed but obeyed, swinging the scythe around her in a wide swath that would have caused some serious injury to anyone standing close by, dull edge or no. Eventually she ended up with the haft held vertically in front of her, small arms trembling with effort.
"Nice job, good form. You think you can get into the third?" Qrow watched with careful eyes, seemingly relaxed and at ease where he reclined against a tree, but in actuality ready to jump in at the first sign of potential injury.
Ruby nodded determinedly. She swung the scythe around again, this time to present the reinforced butt of the weapon to block an incoming strike. Unfortunately, she couldn't get quite enough lift to the blade and managed to trip over it, falling flat on her face.
Qrow lifted a hand to his mouth briefly to conceal the involuntary mirth, but soon enough he was striding over to crouch next to a rather despondent-looking preteen.
"Not bad," he rasped out gently. "I didn't think you'd even be able to get that far. You impressed the hell outta me, kiddo."
"Yeah?" Ruby asked, eyes wide and trusting as she looked up at him.
"Yeah," he smiled, offering her a hand up. "Let's stick with the first two for now, until we get your strength up."
"'Cause I'm gonna be strong like you one day, right Unca Qrow?
"You betcha, kiddo. You betcha."
They headed through the woods, training scythe clasped protectively in small hands over Ruby's shoulder. After a while, the small girl spoke up again.
"Unca Qrow?"
"Hmm?"
"When can I hold your scythe again?"
He chuckled and ruffled her hair affectionately. "You need to grow a little more, squirt."
Downtown Vale
Today
[Pick up in notes where track him down finally and confront (mention in beginning how managed to get message to meet an informant who will trade information on RWBY for the name of his Overseer)]
[confront Qrow in bar, Ruby walks to join him. He starts suddenly, tells her she can't be there, he's meeting someone.]
"Yeah," she nodded slowly without looking in his direction. "I know."
Qrow regarded her levelly for a moment before turning back to his drink. "Ah. That's how it is then, huh, kiddo?"
They shared a moment of silence before Ruby spoke up again.
"I don't want to do this," she whispered. "Please, is there any way you can just give me what we need to know?"
The raven-haired man sighed heavily. "That name you want… I can't give it up for free."
The brunette shook her head, long brown tresses swaying gently to reveal the red-dyed underlayer. "You see how many other people are in here, Qrow? You want their deaths on your conscience? And don't even think about turning into a bird to escape, Weiss has glyphs ready to activate at each window."
"Don't suppose you'd be considerate enough to take this outside," he rasped sardonically.
"Nope," she murmured, tracing aimless patterns on the bar's surface.
Qrow sighed heavily and turned towards the brunette. Before he could respond, he froze at a sudden presence at his side. Blake regarded him closely, amber eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"Um, Blake? What are you doing?" Ruby questioned mildly.
The Faunus woman didn't answer, just leaned in and inhaled deeply. When she leaned back again, her eyes were now widened in shock. "Son of a-"
Just then the front door chimed as another patron entered the bar. Exploding into motion, the veteran Hunter slammed the edge of both hands into the throats of Ruby and Blake before swiftly turning into a crow and darting out the closing door.
Ruby leaned over, coughing heavily as her aura worked to quickly mend her damaged esophagus. "Blake?" she choked out. "What…?"
"His scent," the raven-haired girl rasped, before ending in a coughing fit of her own.
"Guys, did I just see a bird fly out the fucking door?" Yang queried in their earpieces. "What the hell is goin' on?"
"Target escaped," Weiss reported briskly, striding over with cold anger marring her features. "Blake has some explaining to do."
The front door slammed open just as Ruby and Blake both finally recovered, the blonde striding in furiously. Patrons dodged to the side to avoid the heat emanating from the irate woman.
"What. Happened," she gritted out once the four were assembled in a circle.
"It's my fault," Blake admitted quietly. "I just… I caught his scent, and… Ruby…"
"What, Blake?" the brunette implored levelly. "What got you so worked up to blow this op?"
Amber eyes flickered between the blonde and brunette before finally landing on the latter. "I'm a bit more… familiar with your scent, now," she replied quietly, only the faint hint of a blush dusting her cheeks. "He has the same scent."
"Well, yeah, he's our uncle-" Yang began, confusion written across her face, before Blake cut her off with a quick shake of her head.
"No, he's not. At least, not Ruby's." She sadly regarded the grey eyes that were slowly widening as the import of what she was saying dawned upon the brunette. "Ruby, he's your father."
The background noise of the boisterous bar faded to a dull roar in Ruby's ears as she stared back. Her gaze switched over to regard Yang, whose own stare was incredulous and a bit fearful.
"What-" the blonde began softly.
"I'll be back," Ruby growled before flashing away in a flurry of dark red rose petals. The door was practically torn from its hinges by the violence of her passing.
"Shit," the Cat Faunus breathed. "We should try to catch up to her…"
"Yeah," Weiss sighed. "Good luck with that."
[Ruby eventually does catch up with Qrow who's back into Human form, pulling out his scroll to make a call when it's torn from his grasp in a breeze.]
"Damn," he muttered, bringing his sword out. "Alright, kiddo, you want to do this? Let's do this."
[violent battle, Qrow ends up disarmed and back-to-back with Ruby who is crouched slightly, scythe hooked around his neck; tense silence as he hears the creak of the trigger ever so slightly tighten]
"Fuck me," he breathed out in a raspy chuckle, careful not to move a muscle. "You got good, kiddo. I suppose you want that name, then?"
"I want a lot more than that," she murmured, her voice dark and promising more violence to come if he didn't comply. "Dad," she added spitefully.
The angular man stiffened, wincing as the razor-sharp blade at his throat cut through his aura to nick his skin. "I don't know what-"
"Save it." Ruby didn't move, she was frozen save for her eyelids that closed briefly before opening again, staring ahead steadily. "I will cut your fucking head off if I don't hear the truth from you right now."
Qrow sighed, wishing desperately for a swig from his flask right about now. "Ruby…" he rasped hesitantly. "Your mom… I loved Summer very much. And she loved me as well, just… In the end, she chose Tai. I couldn't bear either of them any ill will… But then she found out she was… pregnant…" He swallowed, wincing as his skin was nicked once again. "I was happy to be even a small part of your life, and Yang's… And then when Summer…"
"When she died," Ruby completed for him flatly. "And… Tai… checked out, then you came back."
"Yeah, I did."
"But you never told me."
"No, I… thought about it, but after Yang found out about my sister…"
The brunette nodded ever so slightly, he could feel the movement of her head between his shoulder blades. "You were afraid I'd react similarly."
"Yeah, something like that."
The silence stretched out between them again, only the distant sound of traffic providing a backdrop of noise.
"I need the name, Qrow."
He laughed softly. "You sure about this, kiddo? Once I tell you…"
"The name."
Qrow sighed softly, and breathed out a single word.
"Ozpin."
The blade at his neck twitched slightly, the only sign of shock from the implacable brunette. Qrow closed his eyes, ready to accept whatever fate had in store for him that day, even if it were at the hands of his own daughter.
"So now what?" he rasped quietly.
"Now?" The blade was removed in a whirring of gears and Ruby stepped away from his back. "Now you leave."
He turned, rubbing gingerly at his throat. His hand came away red with his own blood. "I ever gonna see you again, kiddo?"
Ruby was still turned away from him as she raised her hood, her solid black form almost melding into the shadows. "We'll see."
"Look, Ruby-"
She didn't move a muscle except to extend her weapon, now in its rifle form, in his direction. It was held one-handed, unwaveringly pointed at his forehead. "I said, leave."
He nodded slightly. "Right." With a quick jump, his tattered cloak flared around him as he shrank and turned into wings that beat upon the air to drive him into the sky.
Ruby remained motionless, save for returning the collapsed Crescent Rose to its accustomed place at the small of her back. Three figures detached themselves from the darkness, one of them approaching her warily.
"Ruby," the blonde whispered almost fearfully. "Look, I… I just…"
All three of the other members of Team RWBY recoiled in shock as Ruby turned and dropped her hood to reveal tear-streaked cheeks.
"I don't care what he says," she whispered brokenly. "We are not cousins, we're sisters, you will always be my big sister."
Yang smiled gently, tears of her own trickling down her cheeks. "And you'll always be my baby sis."
They shared a tight hug while Weiss and Blake watched with matching soft smiles.
"Alright," Ruby stated briskly as she stepped back after a minute or two. She scrubbed her cheeks briskly, her grey eyes hard and flat once more. "We have a Headmaster to visit for more answers."
"Yeah," Yang nodded firmly. "Yeah, we do."
"And are we prepared to do what it takes to get those answers?" Weiss inquired, her posture radiating confidence both in herself and the answer she would receive to the query.
"Naturally," Blake replied, her grin turning feral and anticipatory.
A/N: Whelp, just when you thought all the possible shit could hit the fan, there's a whole new load of excrement on the way. Now, I know some will be rolling their eyes at the notion of Qrow as Ruby's father. This is, however, an AU, as evidenced by the numerous things I've already changed. So just roll with it, I know it's officially been revealed as not canon.