Does anyone still make new year resolutions?

How many even keep them?

Questions I always ask every new year's day, mostly because I'm up at night waiting for the ball to drop with only writing a bit of this being what kept me awake at that point.

Please favorite, follow, share, and/or review

"Hey," Qrow said and the shop keeper looked up from sharpening his knife. "I'm looking for Shiro Wan he's a regular here."

"Yeah, he's dead."

"What?! W-When?"

"About two weeks ago, I walk by the Huntsman mission board on my way to work every morning."

"Huh... I probably should've gone there first... Actually, I could have just went to Leo, they all have licenses and Leo has does process some requests."

"Okay well sorry to bother you." Qrow sighed as he exited the shop.

Shiro and him were close... brothers he hoped the man didn't leave any family depending on him. He could fix that maybe.

"Wait." Qrow looked and patted around his belt. "Where's my bag?"

"I think taking Qrow's money without permission is called a dick move."

Ozpin ignored the little voice in his soon to be head. Qrow hadn't come back for it by now so he was free to investigate in private. Or as private as it could be with sixty armed Faunus going about the place. He would have to talk to Mrs. Arc late, they needed the spring maiden back and the vault secured. For now however.

This platinum coin was the same one he gave to Qrow. Or not this Qrow and someone who merely looked liked Qrow and his mind just made it that way.

Contrary to common belief, the human mind does not store images and information like a computer does. Memories could be altered with extreme stress, anger, or drugs. Recalling how a person looked especially since Ozpin had merged with brothers knows how many of people's worth of memories from the last two thousand years. This coin looked like the one he gave to someone who looked like Qrow and his brain was just deteriorated from all the souls he's merged with. There was probably somewhere deep in the wilderness that didn't use Lien and still had coins a currency.

Raven's semblance failure still needed explaining.

"Qrow..." Oscar said.

"Oscar?"

"Qrow was there..."

It seemed like Oscar had finally begun integrating with Ozpin's mind or maybe he was already and just now trying making sense of what he'd been seeing.

"How was he there?"

The coin went back into the pouch. "I think it's about time me and Mrs. Arc, or is it still Khan, had a proper talk."

"Salem." Oscar whispered.

"How long have you been pregnant?" Lara asked.

"Maybe seven months or more, I don't know when it happened."

Sienna felt relief at the bombardment of questions from when she first learned her pregnancy to any history of complications her family had during pregnancy. Someone had survived the loss of the warehouse and the had real medical training.

Lara never actually delivered a baby before but Sienna learned to take what she could get and don't complain.

"What have you been eating in the past seven months? Any alcohol or caffeine products?"

"I haven't eaten much and fast fruits for the past few weeks. I don't think Atlas fed me anything edible."

She nodded and took notes in her scroll. "I think you could use some vitamin supplements, make sure to get some protein in your diet and stay out of anything physically demanding. That means letting us take care of missions lady Khan."

"Excuse me?" Sienna turned to see Ozpin, walking cane and all, behind her. "I was hoping I could speak with you, preferably alone." He gestured at the dozens or so around the basement.

"Fine."

The boy, or maybe it was more accurate to say, man, led her up the stairs and into his room.

"You are aware that Faunus have enhanced hearing and can still eavesdrop on us?"

"Well yes, but I like the idea of privacy." He poured a mug from the coffee maker he stored in his room.

No one was going to happy about that later.

"You wished to speak with me about...?"

"The Mistral council sees the White Fang for the threat that it is, but they see Atlas as the more pressing matter. They've poured too many resources away from the city and have left themselves vulnerable."

That was suspicious, even if they had Atlas to contend with they would just leave the White Fang running around doing whatever the hell they wanted.

"Why isn't the council doing anything?" Sienna asked.

"The White Fang hasn't done much to credit itself as a major threat aside from the occasion dust shop attack, which I believe will have been the cause of your group, the White Fang, for the most part, looked like it was more interested in fighting itself and shooting up gang holds in the lower levels. Why invest much in a problem that's content with solving itself?"

"I guess." Thinking about it sort of made sense

"As much of threat the White Fang is they aren't the only one. Raven told you about the maiden's and vaults. Right now there is the spring maiden in our reach but we lack the manpower to take her back."

Sienna's eyes widened. "You want my help with the Branwen tribe?"

That tribe is the most successful group of bandits in Anima with the firepower to back it up. Raven Branwen was a seasoned huntress, they had about sixty and recovering with the Fang right on their ass and back up from Menagerie still unconfirmed.

"I have more important things to deal with than throwing people at bandits and a magical girl. This wasn't what we can here for and frankly, I don't want to piss off the lady who's keeping us safe."

Ozpin didn't immediately call her out or argue. He was silent for a good moment, easily a full minute. Sienna let him, recognizing it as a deep train of thought.

"We both need help," He stated. "Showing the real threat the White Fang pose could help, in a way, with getting the council's pardon for you. I'm certain Leo would be happy to help."

"How exactly would a pardon help me?"

"It could get you in a hospital." He offered.

"I'll think about that, right now I can't waste any more time. The longer I wait the longer time my enemy has to capitalize on my position."

"Of course don't let me take too much of your time."

He hit her right on the most sensitive spot.

Having someone with medical training was great and more than an improvement from before, but having an experienced doctor in a medical environment would be better.

The fact that he was able to figure out how much she wanted that so quickly was just astonishing.

None the less she didn't need anything else from him, Qrow saw to her finances and attacking Raven Branwen?

No way.

Not in a million years and not even with an army at her back. Sienna was not going to risk something that crazy and with literal magic supposedly involved, truely magic or not she wasn't jumping to find out, attacking that tribe looked too suicidal. Not to mention she could be watching right now. Who would truly know?

"So they're buying something from a gang later tonight?" Ruby asked and Edward sighed.

"I'd rather be discussing this with lady Khan."

"We'll tell her later," Ruby assured. "So do you know what they're getting?" She asked.

"No, we just caught word down the grapevine that they're buying something and it was from a rival gang so they would keep things straight with us. Less competition for them and we paid them for Intel."

"So people know where they buy stuff and when but not really where the White Fang is at?" Nora asked before stuffing her face with a five stack of pancakes.

"Yes, although I suspect it's less on them not knowing and more on our fight being a source of income for them. Protection fees have gone through the roof for people who were afraid of us breaking into their shop."

"Okay, so you guys just find a place they do business and kick their butts? Should you be doing more to stop them?" Ruby asked.

"I had teams out looking for any sign of their presence but it's slower going then paying off a gang for Intel. Especially when it's usually us attacking a rival gang. Suffice to say we're doing the best with what we've got."

"So where is this place again?"

"One thing at a time I need to see our dealer for more weapons and ammo... and to find a way to smuggle it up here." He groaned.

The warehouse was the best thing to ever happen. Now they had a house in the upper levels and he doubted skipping through alleyways would help them move equipment. Sure it was the last place, anyone would think to look for them but it still didn't suck to be here and casually send a team out to get the groceries.

"At least Lara can help lady Khan with her baby." Edward thought.

The whetstone slid effortlessly along the length of the blade, Salem had maintained it for years. Sharpening Jaune's blade was almost a routine at this point, always checking for any signs of damage. Two thousand years and it wouldn't fall apart now.

Qrow was sin Mistral and told Leo where the spring Maiden was, which oddly enough was with his sister. The maiden wasn't as important as getting Qrow away from Ozpin but it did offer an opportunity for knowledge.

The relic of knowledge to be specific.

With the lantern in hand finding Jaune would be a question away. Cinder almost complained but getting the actual Maiden was no longer a priority and hurting his sister would not be well for rebuilding their relationship. Qrow and the relic we're all that mattered, no matter what she was going to them back.

Damn anyone who got in the way.