Vale had… Changed since he had last visited the city. Of course, this was expected, being gone for ten weeks, but not to such an extent. The city he remembered was cheerful and bustling with its almost sickly optimistic citizens. They acted as if they were invincible from the Grimm threat surrounding them- And that used to be true, until recently.
The disastrous Grimm breech has shaken the population to the core, not that it was the only problem. Apparently, blowing up a section of the city wasn't enough for the Faunus terrorists, seeing as the White Fang attacks and raids in the poorer parts of the city were a near constant. People didn't leave their houses very much anymore, and if they did, it was in a hurry to get somewhere safe.
On top of it all, Atlas' army had made itself a comfortable home in the richer regions of Vale. In the name of 'safety,' they went through the process of patrolling the streets, demanding a curfew, and investigating all suspicious individuals. Truly, it was martial law in all but name. James had really overstepped this time.
Speaking of 'safety,' he'd rarely ever seen a wanted poster before, but now he could find one on the corner of every street. Specifically, there was a frequently one of a blonde kid with a patch over his left eye, looking no older than Yang was, probably from Beacon itself. How had Ozpin let this happen? Strong words were certainly going to be exchanged.
It took a while- understandably- but eventually he found a bar brave enough to open its doors to strangers. For the bartender's service, the man was heavily rewarded by the near-constant drunkard. Unfortunately, though, all good things came to an end, as he witnessed a very specific Atlas Airship flew past the window. The patrons of the establishment were all too used to this occurrence, but he knew this was more than just the regular delivery of soldiers.
Slamming a generous amount of lien on the counter, he paid his debt as he downed the last of his drink.
It was time that Qrow to return to Beacon.
Winter's ship landed with a gentle thud on a specific landing platform near the side of Beacon, away from the lower class ships. A few of the exchange students- Aside from Atlas'- stared at the sight for a moment before continuing on with their day. They still hadn't gotten used to the amount of Atlas air traffic Beacon was now home to.
Beacon's own students had long since learned to deal with it.
No pedestrians walked the grounds, and it was easy for Weiss to her way up to airship, Blake right behind. The guards tensed at a person approaching, but almost instant relaxed when they saw Weiss- her white hair a dead give away of her intentions.
The airship's ramp descended, revealing a pristine white interior, and an equally pristine and white Atlas Specialist waiting there. The woman was the spitting image of Weiss- slightly 'bigger' with a change of hair- and walked exactly how Weiss used to. An air of superiority wafted off the ship just as she did, and Winter eventually stopped in front of the pair without a hint of emotion on her face.
"Winter! It's so good to see you!" Weiss cried in happiness, before remembering that she was in public. "I mean… It's a pleasure to see you again, Sister." The heiress curtsied and Winter rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes. It's good to see you as well, Weiss. How have you been?" Weiss' eyes lit up at her older sisters questioning. Blake hadn't seen Weiss this happen in a long time. Actually, had she ever seen Weiss this ecstatic?
"Oh! I'm doing fantastic.! I'm in the top five of all of my classes, I'm ranked in the top ten in our sparring class, and-"
Smack!
"I didn't ask how you ranked in you classes!" Winter cut off, but her voice quickly softened. "I asked how you've been. Have you been eating right? Are you settling well into Vale?"
"Right." Weiss agreed. "I'm doing fine. A little better now that you're here." Winter nodded, then glanced at Blake.
"Your friend's a little tense." She pointed towards the grip the Faunus had on her weapon- Unknowingly latching onto it the moment Weiss was hit. Recognizing the situation, Blake let go, putting up her hands in a sign of peace.
"Sorry." The faunus said simply.
"We're all a bit tense." Weiss smiled apologetically. "It's been rough recently." Winter frowned.
"Yes… Well, walk with me and tell me more about your partner here." The older Schnee ordered. She made a gesture, causing the soldiers around them to unfreeze from their position and start marching in pace with Winter's walk. The back of the little 'convoy' they had going on was made up of robots, as opposed to actual soldiers.
"She's not actually my partner." Weiss clarified as they made their way down the path towards Beacon. "Though, she might as well be. Oh! I never even introduced her. How forgetful of me! Winter, this is my good friend, Blake Belladonna." They exchanged nods of acknowledgement. Blake was a girl of few words, and that wasn't about to change because of Weiss' sister.
"She not your partner? Really? I wouldn't have guessed, considering how… 'Intimately' you wrote about her to me." Weiss blushed heavily and Blake started coughing on the air she had been breathing.
"I-" Before Weiss could rush to clarify, the sound of robots being ripped to shreds stopped the convoy in its tracks. A mechanical head was tossed between their legs just as they all whirled around to meet this new threat.
"Hey!" A grizzled middle aged man called out. His shirt was stained, beard unkempt, and even from across the way, Winter could tell he was drunk. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, Ice Queen!"
"Halt." Winter ordered simply, causing her guards to stand down. With a glare that would send most people cowering away, the Atlas Specialist approaches the drunk old man. "You do realize that you've just destroyed Atlas property." The man squinted and looked around at the mess of machinery he caused.
"So it would seem…" He responded- Before cackling like a maniac. Winter gritted her teeth.
"I don't have time for your immature games, Qrow."
"Wait. You two know each other?" Weiss asked, but was thoroughly ignored.
"Heh. You Atlas Specialists think you're so special, don't you?" Winter stood a little taller.
"It is in the name." She pointed out mockingly. Qrow ignored her as well.
"Well I just think you're a bunch of power hungry pieces of shit who would invade an entire country in the name of peace!" He was attracting some attention now, waving his arms around to point at all the Atlesian ships.
"Hold on-" Weiss tried to interrupt.
"It's time for you to go, Weiss. I'll talk to you later." Winter insisted.
"But-"
"Yeah, Weiss. Just listen to your big sister. She'll protect you. Just like Atlas is 'protecting' Vale, huh?" The drunken man spouted.
"If you will not hold your tongue, I will gladly remove it from you!" Winter finally broke, pulling out her sword. Qrow just gave her more of his unbearable smirk and got into a lax stance.
"Then come and get it." He challenged, causing quiet throughout the small crowd that had recently gathered. The two opponents stood there for a few moments, tense. And finally, Winter broke.
"Raaaaargh!" She announced her attack with a battlecry. With a speed incomprehensible to a normal human, the Atlas Specialist made short work of the ground between them, went for a killing stab to the face.
Her efforts were for naught, as Qrow simply moved his head to dodge, and continued to do so each time she stabbed. All the while, his smug smile remained, sparking even more anger from Winter. As she whirled around to try a new tactic, he pulled out his weapon, meeting her blade just above his face.
"You'll have to do better than that." He taunted. Winter didn't respond, simply growling.
They disengaged and once more sized each other up. Qrow looked as if he hadn't a hair moved- Perfectly relaxed and calm. Winter was the exact opposite. While she tried to maintain a professional facade, her true emotions shined through clearly. A few hairs were out of place in her previously perfect bun and she found herself panting slightly after the attack.
Without any words, but in complete sync, the two charged each other once more. Just as before, Winter took the offensive. And just as before, it meant nothing to the more experienced hunter.
Qrow took her strikes with ease, sliding in and out of his practiced stances like it was his job. And it was! But… Not exactly like this. While never actually attacking, the drunk had taken to prodding Winter's defenses with every slight mistake she made. If she reached to much, he manage a small cut on the forearm. If she forgot her footwork, a cut to the legs would remind her. He was doing barely any damage at all- In fact, from an outsider's perspective, he looked to be losing- but he was very clearing taunting her on her imperfections. A move which only served to further Winter's rage.
Every second that went by only increased Winter's disdain for the man before her. While she was not unused to being outmatched in a fight- due to her frequent bouts with the general- no opponent was every so… Irreverent to her assault. General Ironwood could kick her ass, but he still treated her like a worthy opponent. Qrow, on the other hand, acted as if she was nothing more than a bratty school girl. And that really pissed her off.
Jumping back from their clash, Winter planted a glyph laiden with explosive dust on the ground around Qrow, who simply jumped away from the blast. Close combat wasn't working, so the Atlas Specialist had decided to switch things up to long range. From her rapier, she let out numerous shots of dust and glyph enhanced bullets, all of which terminated at the end of the Hunter's sword. He didn't even bother returning fire, simply blocking every bullet as he stalked ever closer with that damned grin on his face.
When he was about five meters away, she lunged, and he proceeded to jump over her, expecting the maneuver. Winter barely had time to adjust as he crashed back down into her previous position, yet another crater in his wake. Now, it was his turn to attack.
Infinitely faster than he had blocked her strikes, he started dishing them out, completely overwhelming the young specialist. Cuts littered her body- especially on her arms and legs- degrading her perfect image to a shadow of what it once was. The pain was intense. Far more so than any of her previous spars with the General. Eventually, she lost hold of her weapon, yet the onslaught still continued. She wanted to cry out. Whether in pain, distress, or anger, she wasn't aware, but before she could, it all came to a sudden stop. Qrow's sword went back into its holder and he grabbed her by the neck before she could retreat.
"Never forget your superiors, girl." The drunk whispered harshly into her ear. "I've seen things you wouldn't even believe. I-"
"Qrow! Get away from her." General Ironwood shouting, his voice a saving grace from the heavens. Qrow sneered and roughly pushed her away. She stumbled, but remained on her feet. Quickly, ignoring the pain, she gathered up her equipment as Qrow turned to face Ironwood.
"Oh, calm down, Jimmy. We were just having a friendly spar, is all." James wasn't having any of it. Ignoring the hunter, Ironwood addressed Winter.
"Are you alright, Specialist Schnee?" He inquired. Finally given a moment of reprieve, the cuts on her arms had just started to heal up. Noticeably, though, quite a few blood stains spotted her outfit, yet no damage was done beyond her appendages and face.
"I am fine, General." She managed to say without flinching, snapping into a salute. Looking her up and down, the General shook his head.
"Report a medcenter and find a change of clothes. Then, take the rest of the day off to spend with your sister."
"Really, General, I'm-"
"That's an order, Specialist Schnee." Winter flinched.
"Yes, Sir." She reluctantly accepted her duties before walking off, ignoring the eyes of the crowd. Qrow chuckled at her sudden departure.
"What a good lapdog you trained there, Jim-" Ironwood quickly turned back to him.
"Ozpin's office. Now." The anger was palpable. Qrow just rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Don't get your panties in a twist."
"How could you do something like that!" James shouted immediately upon arrival to the office. "Not only did you injury my soldier, but you disrespected her as well! I won't tolerate this kind of recklessness!"
"Recklessness?" Qrow repeated, taken aback. "Tell that to your little specialist. She's the one who attack me." Ironwood sighed.
"I'll talk to her. But you should've known better, dealt with the situation in a more mature way." Qrow acknowledged this, but didn't say anything. In this case, Jimmy was actually right for once. Qrow had let his emotions get the best of him. And after he'd seen what had happened to Vale. He was ready to beat the shit out of anyone or anything that bore the Atlas name. "But more importantly," Ironwood continued. "Where have you been these past months? Do you think you can just drop off the grid and reappear unannounced without any consequences?"
"You see this?" Qrow mocked, pulling out his scroll. "It's called a 'Scroll.' And apparently, Atlas has the best ones, so if you ever wanted to contact me, I'm sure you could've found a way." His voice dripped with disrespect, and Glynda finally stepped in.
"We had reason to believe you were compromised." She explained.
"Yeah? Well, while none of you bothered to check if I was dead or not, I was out there, with the enemy, collecting information vital to our operation. For instance, our enemies? They're here. In Vale."
"We know." James responded, making Qrow upset.
"You know?! Then why the fuck aren't you doing anything!"
"We are!" James yelled back, gesturing to the window. "What do you think my ships are here for?"
"Last time I checked, Jimmy, we did things subtly around here." Qrow pointed out, getting in Ironwood's face. "And what about your warship is fucking subtle?!"
"The time for subtly is over, Qrow." The general also pointed out, recomposing himself. "Our enemy has grown more bold, and so must we. If we are to combat this threat."
"James is right." Ozpin finally spoke up, making Ironwood smirk slightly. "As much as I hate to admit it, our 'friend' has become increasingly hostile as of late and I fear for the citizens of Vale as much as I do for the world as a whole."
"So then, what's our new tactic that I was so rudely uninformed of?" The drunk backed down.
"The Vital Festival." James explained. "An opportunity too good to pass up. They'll strike and we'll be waiting." Qrow's jaw dropped slightly, before he started rubbing his forehead, trying to ignore his urge to kill the General.
"One, how the fuck have you not canceled that thing? And two, am I really hearing you planning to use civilians as fucking bait?"
"They're not bait. My soldiers are more than able to handle the safety of every civilian who attends the festival. It's been pushed back a few days, so to wait for more reinforcements from Atlas. And besides, with the newly implemented background checks, the people are safer than ever before." Qrow raised an eyebrow.
"Explain."
"Within the first week of the background checks becoming mandatory, we busted over seven different crime rings and even more in individual arrests. As it turned out, Vale was even more of a cesspool for crime than Mistral. But that's all changed now. Every citizen, worker, and tourist is required to take one before even coming an inch into the city." At his obvious gloating, the old hunter rolled his eyes.
"You sure are impressed with yourself for that move, catching all those 'criminals.' I happened to see a student on quite a few of those wanted posters. Tell me, is it babies next, Jimmy?" Ironwood brustled.
"That… 'Incident' was actually the reason we started doing the background checks in the first place. After he managed to fake his transcripts into one of the most prestigious schools in the world, no student was safe and all were extensively screened." James explained, before remembering something. "Your youngest niece almost would've been kicked out and detained if it wasn't for the fact that you were related."
"Watch you threats, Jimmy." Qrow snarled. "You touch either one of those girls and I'll rip your head off." The general didn't respond, signaling the end of the conversation. "And speaking of my nieces, I think it's about time I check up on them." Looking back at the Three before getting into the elevator, he exited without a word.
A few minutes after the fight, and Winter looked and felt as if nothing had ever happened. Aura was a hell of a thing. She wanted to get right back to work, but orders were orders, and it was lunch time anyway. After a quick scroll message to Weiss, a plan was made and a lunch was scheduled.
Winter had insisted Blake come as well, wanting to get to know her sister's friends. From the little information she had been given, it sounded like Weiss hadn't been having a good time at the beginning of her year at Beacon. That all changed, though, when the younger Schnee started writing about her friend Blake. Winter already had a good idea as to why, but she wanted to interview the girl nonetheless.
Once they had all settled down somewhere nice and ordered their lunch, Winter began her questioning.
"How is Beacon?" The specialist said after a few inquiries. A bland question, but an important one.
"Beacon is… Different." Weiss responded after some thought. "It's a lot less professional and strict than Atlas."
"Yes yes, I know all that. I talking about you. How do you like Beacon?"
"I… I enjoy it. I've had a rocky relationship with this place, but I'm not sure I could just leave."
"Interesting. And how about you, Blake? Why did you decide to come here?" The Faunus in question tilted her head, as if she had been ready and waiting to answer the question as well.
"Beacon was closest." Blake affirmed. She was telling the truth, but only part of it.
"Right. Location is always a factor. But how have you enjoyed your time at Beacon?"
"About the same as Weiss, I suppose. The first semester was annoying, but following that, everything became much easier- For the most part."
"Following your friendship with Weiss." Winter pointed out, making Blake smile slightly.
"Yeah. I suppose so." Blake turned to the mentioned heiress, but Weiss was looking at Winter, a slight blush on her cheeks.
"Anyway! What have you been up to, Winter?" Weiss asked.
"Classified." The Atlas specialist responded simply.
"Right. Umm. Where have you been, recently?"
"Classified."
"Of course. Why is it that you came to Beacon?"
"Classified." Winter responded once more, causing Blake to roll her eyes. "But also to see you. I don't think you'll get very far asking me anything, so let me take the lead on this."
"As you wish." Weiss backed down, content enough with her sister just being here. Winter turned back to Blake.
"Where are you from, Blake?"
"Umm… Out of Vale." She replied, making Winter laugh.
"That much was obvious, based on the dress. You don't seem like an Atlas girl, nor Mistrali. Somewhere near Vacuo, then?" Blake hesitated, and before she could answer, Weiss stepped in.
"I'm sure Blake is exhausted about talking about her background so much. Those background checks do quite a number on a person." The younger sister noted, catching Winter's attention.
"All in the name of safety, Weiss. I trust it was no problem for you?"
"Not for her, but for the Faunus." Blake suddenly blurted out. "The number of Faunus incarcerated by the checks compared to humans was five to one."
"And?" The older huntress challenged.
"A little unfair, don't you think?" Winter shrugged.
"I wouldn't say so. The background checks didn't target Faunus, they merely shined light onto the evils in society. Whatever the form."
"And all Faunus are evil, then?"
"Not all. But if the shoe fits…" Winter paused and took another look at Blake. "You have been checked, right?" Finally, before Blake could do anything stupid, Weiss cut back in.
"By Ozpin himself, actually." Winter nodded at this information.
She disliked the Professor's style, yes. Too passive, too slow. But even she trusted him to not harbor criminals in his school. The man was crazy, but not an idiot.
"Of course. I didn't mean any offense." The elder Schnee backed up on her comment. Looking at the time, she got up from her chair and gave the two a genuine smile. "It's been fun, but I must take my leave." Turning to Blake, she continued. "It was a pleasure to meet my sister's girlfriend. With you to make her happy, I'm sure she's in the right hands. Farewell."
With that, the Atlas Specialist exited the shop, leaving two spluttering and flustered huntresses in her wake.
Qrow found his youngest niece in the middle of training. The other one was nowhere to be found. She was probably out with her friends or something. Regardless, he hid in the shadows, watching Ruby fight.
The first thing he noticed was that she wasn't using her scythe, Crescent Rose. Instead, she wielded a sword and shield, which- as the second thing he noticed- she was rather proficient with. Qrow had never really seen a sight like this before. Normally she was inseparable from her scythe, so much so that not even he could separate it from her.
Vale changed when he was gone. And so did she.
"Nice footwork." Qrow interrupted during a lapse in her spar. Both combatants stopped and turned to him. He gave them a wicked smile. "Hey, Red. Miss me?"
"Nope." Ruby replied with a small smile. Setting her weapon down, she walked over to her uncle and gave him a hug. "It's good to see you…"
For a moment, Qrow frowned. Ruby certainly had changed. Where had all her hyperactivity gone? Her spunk? The Ruby he remembered would drop everything to jump on him whenever he visited. Where was that Ruby? The Hunter didn't dwell on this thought too long, though, and plastered a smile on his face once more.
"Good to see you too." He released her and tousled her hair. Had she grown it out more? Ugh, she looked more like Summer every time he saw her. "Now. Where's your sister? We can find her and go get some lunch."
"Yang's with her friends right now. That's what she usually does on the weekends. She won't be back for a while." Qrow frowned again.
"What's wrong, Ruby?" He confronted her. The old drunk was never one for subtlety anyway, so why not?
"I'm fine." His niece responded instantly. Bullshit.
"That's a lie and you know it. What's wrong? Can't you talk to your dear uncle?"
"I… I lost Crescent Rose!" This wasn't what was bothering her, he could tell. But at the same time, the new shocked him.
"You lost it?" He repeated, unbelieving.
"I want to make a new one." She practically confirmed, quickly moving on from the subject. "I want one like yours, that also turns into a sword." She moved to grab her sword and shield and showed it to him. "We can use this. There's enough material from the shield to do so, I know it. I've already started drawing up blueprints, but I want it to be perfect. Can you help me?" Qrow stared at her and the shield with the crescent moon she held. This was a lot to process at once. Not to mention, he hadn't even gotten to what was truly bother Ruby.
"I'm not sure I'll have the time for that." Qrow responded to her diplomatically. The reaper dropped the weapons to her side and looked away. Knowing that he wasn't going to get much more out of her, Qrow turned to the other girl in the room that he hadn't yet acknowledged.
"Pyrrha Nikos." He noted, impressed. "I'm surprised Ruby managed to get such a famous friend with how awkward she is." He joked, making both girls laugh slightly. "Are you her personal trainer or something?"
"More of a bodyguard." Pyrrha amended. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Bodyguard? What does she need a bodyguard for?" The champion simply raised an eyebrow and answered before Ruby could stop her.
"In case someone tries to assassinate her again." She told him as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Again? What does she mean, again? Qrow looked back to Ruby, a pressing question in his eyes.
"I'll tell you everything if you help make my weapon." Ruby gave her ultimatum. Qrow… Qrow really didn't know how to react now.
"I'll see what I can do."
Jaune was no stranger to pain. When you lived a life like his, that was a given. Aura healed all wounds, but even it couldn't prevent the pains of a sore muscle. Unfortunately for Jaune, that's all he was. Sore muscles and aching joints. Despite having gone back in time, he couldn't help but feel like an old man.
His side had gotten better, but still hurt like a motherfucker to walk on. On top of that, there was still the issue of his eye… Or, well, the lack of it. That's another thing Aura couldn't do, replace nerves. Once his eye was damaged, there was no going back to how things once were. Looking to the bright side, though, it wasn't like he used a ranged weapon anyway, so the lack of depth perception didn't hurt him too much.
Yeah, Jaune was in a rough spot. There could be no denying it. That being said… He hadn't lost hope. The future was screwed, but he couldn't bring himself to go down that train of thought anymore. No, his journey was just getting started. Whatever his journey happened to be.
Volume Three! We're in the homestretch now, people. This time, though, I actually have a rough outline for what I want to do, so that's new. Unfortunately, it won't be speeding up my upload time. I'm sure most people know exactly what I'm talking about when I say this time of year can be a bitch.
Not much in terms of reviews this time, but that's alright. Just to clarify, Jaune is not in jail. He's on the run. I can't go into more specifics because spoilers and all that.
Regardless, it's good to be back on this story.
Reviews always welcome, until next time,
-RMV