New chapter below!
XXX
The night came and went in the blink of an eye. No sooner than Qrow had put his head down on his pillow was he waking up to sunlight and the noise of an already awake city. Granted, Qrow was sure he'd gotten at least 6 hours of sleep, but it felt more like 6 minutes.
When Qrow walked downstairs, rubbing his eyes blearily, he found Ruby and Jaune sitting at the kitchen table, and a young woman with mahogany skin and dark eyes, probably a few years older than Winter at most, standing by the counter sipping at coffee in a mug. The woman turned, saw Qrow, and scowled.
"You weren't up all night drinking, were you?" she asked in an accusing tone. Qrow grit his teeth, but ignored her glare and plumped down into a seat next to Ruby.
"No, I was speaking with Winter late last night," he replied. The woman, Mira Finn or something along those lines, was an old friend of Winter's from her early Academy days. The woman was probably in her twenties, but her stern attitude, chin length platinum bob, and sharp eyes reminded Qrow of someone much older. Actually, come to think of it, she reminded him of Glynda. Perhaps he should introduce the two.
Mira was the person who had been putting Qrow and the kids up while they stayed in Atlas. Winter had asked her as a favor, and while she seemed to have no problem with Winter asking such a thing, Mira always seemed strict and annoyed, especially around Qrow. He barely knew the woman, and already she was accusing him of leaving the house to go out drinking. If he was being perfectly honest, it was driving him crazy, but he didn't really have anywhere else to stay, and everyone else seemed fine with Mira.
"Thank you for breakfast, Ms. Finn!" Ruby piped up, her smile wide as she took in her plate of sausages, eggs, and pancakes. Jaune nodded, his cheeks already stuffed with pancakes.
"Uh huh! Dis is 'mazing!" he mumbled around bites of food.
"Of course," Mira said with a nod.
"Geez," Qrow muttered. Mira shot him a hard look, but she didn't say anything. He couldn't tell if she heard him, or she just didn't like him. Maybe both. He just shrugged and walked over to the counter, grabbing a cup of coffee. Instinctively, he reached for the flask in his pocket, then stopped himself. It's breakfast, everything is fine, you don't need it, he told himself. This had more or less become a mantra for him in recent weeks. It didn't feel right to constantly be drinking around the kids, though he hadn't given it up either. But drinking at breakfast probably wasn't the best idea.
"So Uncle, what's on the agenda today?" Ruby asked.
"I've got to speak with Winter Schnee. We'll be going over any new information either of us have, and setting up the Brotherhood meeting, hopefully." Qrow glanced over at Mira, raising an eyebrow. Winter had vouched for her, but still …
Mira rolled her eyes. "Like I'll tell anyone what you're saying. But if it makes you feel better, Slim, I'll go into the living room." She leaned past him to grab a bulky pair of headphones that had been laying haphazardly on the counter, slid them onto her head, and left the room, humming along to some fast-paced tune. Qrow scoffed quietly, then returned his attention to Ruby and Jaune.
"Finding Weiss Schnee might be a good idea. If you want her in on this, now is your chance. Winter might have already explained things to her."
"I want her on this team,"" Ruby said, her determined expression leaving no room for argument. "She's my partner."
"Fine by me, as long as she can keep a secret," said Qrow.
"But what are we gonna do while we're here in Atlas? Emerald and Mercury were arrested, and Cinder Fall is still stuck on top of Beacon's tower, as far as we know," Jaune stated. "We don't know where Salem or any of her other associates are, so what's our plan while we're here?"
"Where do we even start?" Ruby sighed. "Atlas is huge!"
"Sometimes you gotta start small and work your way up," Qrow said with a shrug. "If you'd like, I might have an idea …"
XXX
"May I see your identification?" A stern woman with pale cream skin and red hair piled into a bun held a hand out to the students, Ruby, Nora, Jaune, and Ren, standing before her. Jaune handed his Scroll over, his student information from Beacon pulled up. The woman took the Scroll, quickly glancing at the device before looking back at Jaune, then to the others. "And you're all from Beacon? Interested in enrolling?"
"Yes!" Ruby said, perhaps a little too eagerly. "We were hoping there was some kind of exchange thing, uh, program that we could do? Since we can't attend Beacon anymore."
"Hmm … it's not unheard of. However, I feel it important to point out that our curriculum here at the Atlas Academy is very different from the other kingdoms, and not what you are used to." The professor raised an eyebrow at them.
"We understand," Ruby said.
"We respectfully request that we be allowed to attend classes and train here, so we don't fall behind on our skills," Ren said.
"Are you planning on becoming Atlas citizens?" The professor asked, eyes narrowing.
"No." Jaune shook his head. "And we don't plan on joining the military. We know that Atlas' Huntsmen and Huntresses usually join the Specialists once they graduate, but we're not here to become Atlas Hunters. We just want to attend school and finish our training."
The professor pursed her lips, then looked back down at Jaune's Scroll. She tapped the screen, opening up a 'Letter of Recommendation' page. "Who is Qrow Branwen?"
"Me." Qrow strolled over from his spot against the wall, where he had been trying not to attract any attention. "I'm an official Beacon Huntsman and a retired teacher from Signal Academy." He held up his own Scroll, which had his official license showing. The professor looked over, squinting her eyes, then nodded. Qrow was thankful she didn't seem familiar with his name. He prided himself on being an excellent Huntsman and a decent teacher, but he had quite a few unflattering stories - all of which were true - attached to his name.
The professor scrolled down through Jaune's information, then froze.
"This 'W. Schnee' … you've been recommended by the Schnee family?" The professor asked, her previously unimpressed tone now one of surprise.
"Yes!" Ruby said with a large smile.
"I believe one of them in particular has a close tie with this Academy," Qrow drawled. "I reached out to the family because of that. We have a history, and Ms. Schnee can vouch for these kids." The professor looked taken aback, and quickly began speaking to the kids about an exchange student program and finding a way to fit them into the Academy lifestyle. Qrow hid a grin behind his usual bored look. He didn't bother to mention that the 'history' between the Schnees and himself wasn't exactly a good one. He didn't bother to mention that the W. Schnee signature, the Ms. Schnee he had mentioned, was Weiss and not her older sister.
Though speak of the devil. Qrow heard the telltale hard clicks of Winter Schnee's boots against the floor, and he turned around to see her marching towards him. Or maybe stomping was a better term. If there had been Grimm in her path, they would have fled in fear.
"You got my message!" Qrow exclaimed.
"Qrow," Winter ground out. Qrow stared back at her with a poor attempt at an innocent smile.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Why is your niece and her friends following an Atlas Academy official?"
"Well you know, it just didn't seem right that those kids couldn't continue on with their studies after Beacon." Qrow shook his head, sighing deeply. "Poor kiddos were heartbroken. But then, the perfect idea came to us - they can enroll at Atlas temporarily!" He grinned.
Winter looked a little less than happy. "Qrow, do you have any idea how risky this is? Do you have any idea what attending Atlas Academy even means?! The teachers, the faculty, the soldiers … everyone here demands etiquette, obedience, and above all, loyalty. If you share information about Atlas to anyone else, or you betray their trust -"
"Relax, it'll be fine."
"No, it won't Qrow! Aside from what they could do to you and the students, it could cause tension between Atlas and the other kingdoms if word got out," Winter insisted.
"Yeah, that's true," Qrow said casually. He stifled a smile as Winter's eyes widened, looking like they might pop out of her head.
"If you know it's true, why are you going through with this?!"
"Because it's worth a shot, and I trust Ruby and the others to be discreet and only focus on learning more about Salem, her associates, and any possible way to stop her. They deserve to help too. This is as much their fight as it is ours," Qrow said. Winter quieted, crossing her arms and looking away. Qrow waited for her to snap something back, but no such fiery response came. Finally, still looking away from him, she spoke.
"This could end badly, Qrow. Spying on Atlas is no light matter," she said in a low tone. "We shouldn't even be having this conversation here."
"I know. But please, trust me on this, Schnee," he said. Again, Winter fell silent. Qrow was thankful that she didn't immediately shoot the idea down. Granted, he had gone through with it without consulting her, but he still appreciated that she seemed to be considering the idea, at least a little.
"What about the General?" she breathed out.
Always the General. Would James Ironwood ever stop getting in his way?
"We can tell him, if you think it's a better idea," Qrow said after a moment of hesitation. Winter, too, looked like she was hesitating. Like for once, she was unsure of what the correct decision was.
"He'll find out sooner or later that they've enrolled," Winter said finally. "He is the headmaster, after all. We should tell him they have decided to continue their studies at Atlas since they're staying in the kingdom for a while." Qrow raised an eyebrow, a little surprised if he was honest with himself.
"That's it?" he asked. "You won't tell him anything else?"
"We won't tell him that four teenaged students are spying on his Academy and city, no. As of right now, it might do more harm than good to tell him that, and I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt for now, Qrow." She held a hand up to her head, rubbing her temple. "I still think this could end up badly, but if Ruby and the others stay safe and don't draw attention to themselves, who's to say what they're doing is any different from observing the kingdom?"
"Now you're talking, Schnee!"
"So for now, don't encourage them to go sneaking around or anything!" Winter scowled at him. "I've only just gotten the General's permission to look into Atlas' classified matters myself, and I don't want underaged students messing that up."
"Ok. Got it," Qrow said with a nod. Winter sighed again, still pressing a hand to her temple.
"Honestly Qrow, I question working with you sometimes."
"Thanks, Schnee. I appreciate it."
"Next time, you tell me before you do something like this. Keeping secrets about something in my own kingdom, related to our mission, just leaves me in the dark and unprepared." It was perhaps a little harder to agree to this than Winter's previous suggestions, but Qrow reminded himself that she was not asking him to spill all of his secrets. She was asking to be kept in the loop about necessary things. "And speaking of which, there's something else I failed to mention last night." Qrow met her gaze, brows furrowing. Winter's face was composed, but her eyes darted to the left briefly, a quick flash. She was hiding something … no, something had her nervous or unsure.
"What is it?"
"Not here," she said, lowering her voice again. Then she returned to her normal level. "At any rate, you and I are going to see the General first." Qrow groaned very loudly, not that he gave a damn. In fact, he really hoped that somewhere, somehow, a stuck-up Atlas soldier heard him. "I thought you and the General were friends," Winter said calmly. Qrow knew that tone of voice, the slight hint of triumph. She was mocking him.
"The General and I are friends, I guess. We don't see eye-to-eye a lot though, and I certainly don't want to see him every day I'm in Atlas!" Qrow complained.
"The General is a part of this. He'll want to make some sort of plan for what to do while we wait to hear back from Grandfather's facility."
So he relented, and Winter led him back to the General's office, down the many, empty hallways until they reached the elevator. Qrow noticed a few soldiers patrolling the corridors, but the entire base seemed rather quiet.
"Where is everybody?" he asked.
"Because Atlas has been on high alert since the Fall of Beacon, many of our soldiers are now patrolling the streets of Atlas, the outskirts of Mantle, or they're stationed in the airships, guarding our skies," Winter explained. Qrow grinned.
"You offered that information up pretty fast."
"You're already in Atlas. What are you going to do with that information?" Winter shook her head, tossing her long bangs back.
When they reached James' door, Winter didn't even hesitate before she pushed it open. Qrow followed her in, meeting the gaze of James Ironwood, who was already seated at his desk.
"Qrow. Good to see you again. I hope you were able to find a place to stay," James said politely, inclining his head.
"Course I was," Qrow replied. He didn't bother taking a seat, mainly because he hoped to be out of there as soon as possible.
"As I'm sure Winter has informed you, I'm currently in talks with the owner of the Clementine Moore Facility. We haven't reached an agreement yet, but I hope to receive their permission for us to use the building as a meeting place soon." Ironwood's eyes glittered with something close to anticipation, like an animal that was enjoying its hunt. The tired lines and dark circles under his eyes hadn't quite disappeared though.
"Sounds good," Qrow said, because he wasn't sure what else to say to that.
"And since you're here in Atlas, the three of us might as well try any other plan we might have to defeat Salem," Ironwood continued.
"The students from Beacon that arrived with Qrow have decided to start taking classes," Winter quickly informed him. "They were hoping to continue their training since Beacon is no longer an option."
"Of course. That's perfectly understandable." Ironwood nodded. "We need more trustworthy and courageous Huntsmen and Huntresses in the world right now. Our Academy can provide them with the necessary skills to become just that." Qrow tried not to look too impressed. Winter had slipped the information right in there, in such a calm and easy manner that Ironwood hadn't found it suspicious at all.
"So what should we do?" Qrow asked.
"That's what I've been trying to figure out." Ironwood sighed. "Maybe we should go over all of the information we've gathered, and decide on our next move from that." Qrow saw Winter glance at him out of the corner of his eye. Now was his chance. Did he trust Jimmy? Was sharing everything he knew a good idea?
… Probably not. But sharing most of it …
"James," Qrow practically snapped out. Ironwood raised his eyebrows, looking a little surprised.
"Yes, Qrow?"
"I think that's a decent idea. And I have some info that might help us," Qrow said slowly. And he told James. He told him that Ozpin was in safe hands with one of the Maidens, the Spring Maiden, and that Ozpin had brief moments of clarity but overall couldn't remember any past incarnation. He told him about losing Ozpin's cane and the run-ins both he and Winter had with Salem's associates. He did make sure to keep quiet on specific details. He never mentioned Beth by name, nor did he mention that they had met up with the Winter Maiden as well. And he didn't mention that Ruby and her friends were helping him spy on the Atlas military. Something told Qrow that little tidbit might not be well received.
"So our enemy could be here in Atlas, right now," James mused, lowering his gaze. His shoulders slumped, as if he was disappointed.
"It's very possible. Salem's reach is extensive. You know that, James," Qrow reminded him.
"The White Fang were a large part of the attack on Beacon, and with the growing unrest in the Faunus community of Atlas, it's highly possible Salem will use the activist group to stage an attack," Winter mentioned. "That's what she did in Mistral. She wanted the kingdom to think the White Fang were solely responsible for the massacre of the Council."
"Wouldn't surprise me," Qrow grumbled. "On my way over here, I heard some rumors about a group of Faunus moving a Dust shipment to Atlas. Could mean nothing, but I don't like the odds."
"I'll alert all the Atlas Council and make sure they're guarded." James took a deep breath. "I … should probably inform Jacques as well. And maybe you should stay back on base for awhile, Winter."
"What?!" Winter blinked, looking stunned, then her expression shifted into anger. "No, sir! Why?! Why ask such a thing of me when I'm fully prepared for what may happen? I'm one of the few people in the entire kingdom who knows the truth behind the attacks across Remnant! Is this because of my father? Because I can assure you, General, that though my attitude towards my father has not changed, I will always act professional and civil towards him. I would not disgrace the Atlas army simply to spite my father." Qrow decided to stay silent, knowing this was probably an argument he didn't want to get in the middle of, but he had to admit that he was shocked - and maybe a little impressed - at Winter's tirade. He wasn't sure he had ever heard her say so much in a single conversation before, and he was certain he'd never seen her so blatantly argue with James.
"It has nothing to do with your relationship with Jacques," James said with a wave of his hand. "But you know your family's history with the White Fang. The SDC has always been a target by Faunus extremists, and your family could be targeted next. I think it would be a good idea to station guards at the Schnee manor for your father, mother, and siblings. And it might be a good idea to do the same for you."
"I'm a trained Huntress and Atlesian Specialist. I can handle myself. I don't need a guard," Winter said stubbornly.
"I think it might be in your best interest-,"
"Qrow can accompany me on any mission, if need be," Winter interjected. "I'm sure he will be an adequate guard." That caught both Qrow and Ironwood off guard. James' mouth had fallen open, and Qrow knew his own face shared a similar look of surprise.
"You want Qrow Branwen to assist you and act as your bodyguard?" James said slowly, like if he repeated it maybe he would understand Winter's reasoning better. Qrow opted for confused silence. What a rollercoaster, he thought to himself.
"Not particularly, but if you insist on assigning me some guard, I'd rather have a competent Huntsman I have worked with before than some incompetent soldier fresh out of the Academy," Winter stated. "Qrow and I would most likely have been working together anyways, given our knowledge of Salem and Professor Ozpin's mission, so this is clearly the solution that makes the most sense." She's not wrong, Qrow thought. Old Jimmy seemed to be thinking the same thing, though he still looked confused. And maybe a little disturbed.
"I suppose that works," Ironwood said. "What about the rest of your family?"
"I…," Winter trailed off, now at a loss for words. Qrow slid his eyes over to her, watching her carefully. Why did this question trip her up? Was she against the military guarding her family?
"Look, how about Schnee and I go out and do some recon ourselves? Find out if the White Fang are up to anything," Qrow suggested.
"We're not trying to provoke the White Fang into an attack," James warned. "With the issues between the main city and Mantle, as well as the history of Faunus labor in the SDC, I don't know if sending you two after the White Fang would be smart." Qrow thought there was an unsaid 'assuming you two don't kill each other before that', judging from James' gaze darting back and forth between the two Hunters before him.
"Nah, it'd just be simple recon. We go investigate whether there's going to be an attack or anything like that." Qrow shrugged. "We know that at least part of the White Fang worked with Cinder Fall in Vale, so we'd be smart to prevent that from happening again."
"We would report back with our findings," Winter offered. Qrow scoffed, but kept quiet. Seconds passed in silence. James looked like he was thinking the idea over, his hands clasped in front of him and eyebrows furrowed so deeply a deep wrinkle appeared on his forehead.
"If you're really ok with this, and you promise that you won't engage the White Fang, I will allow this," James said finally.
"Of course, sir!" Winter immediately straightened, saluting the general.
"I will be continuing to work out the meeting place," James groused.
"Start sending out messengers now," Qrow suggested. "Even if we can't meet, they should know what's going on."
"If only we had the CCT up," Winter said, her eyelids lowering. "But someone would have to fix the Vale tower."
"We can worry about the CCT when we're in a better position to defend ourselves," Qrow said. "For now, our focus should be on preventing the White Fang and any of Salem's associates from infiltrating Atlas and provoking an attack." He turned back to Ironwood. "I know Atlas is already a bit of a police state, but you should up the security around this place. We'd probably be screwed if someone got in here."
"I never thought you would suggest such a thing, Qrow," James said with a tiny smirk, an eyebrow raising. He seemed to be ignoring the police state comment.
"Don't get used to it," Qrow grumbled. Winter shot him a quick glare.
"And we continue to meet with each other and share information. To keep planning." James picked up a paperweight from his desk, turning it in his hand. "She's always been two steps ahead of us." His eyes glazed over, lost in some capturing thought. Qrow frowned. Winter looked a little uneasy when he looked over at her, but she smoothed her features into an expressionless mask.
"I won't let you down, sir," Winter said. "We'll take our leave now." She bowed her head, then spun around and began to leave. Qrow took that as his cue, and followed Winter out. Though he had to admit that the General's attitude struck him as a little strange, he was also more than happy to leave.
"All right, Schnee. Where to next?" Qrow asked once they were alone in the elevator. Winter raised an eyebrow, and he rolled his shoulders in a shrug. "You're the one from Atlas. Surely you know where to find the White Fang better than I do." Winter rolled her eyes, but when she turned away, Qrow thought he could see a hint of a pleased smile. Then she sighed, leaning until her back hit the wall of the elevator.
"I suppose … we should begin our investigation in Mantle," she said.
"Buuuuuuut you don't want to," Qrow drawled. She grimaced, but Qrow motioned for her to go on.
"The General is right. The Schnee family has had a horrible history with the Faunus since Jacques took over. And I saw firsthand how it affected the company and my family." As if realizing what she said, Winter bolted back up, hands up in a silent plea. "I have no problem doing this as a member of the Atlesian army. But I feel I should point out that my presence could cause problems." There was a strange semblance of … well, Qrow wouldn't quite call it fear, on Winter's face. Concern? Worry? Frustration?
"So, you're telling me there's a conflict of interest here?" Qrow asked slowly.
"I can still do my job and remain unbiased, so I wouldn't call it that."
"Really? You could remain completely neutral?"
Winter's mouth set into a grim line. "Yes."
"You tore Beacon's courtyard up once because you got mad."
"You broke Atlas military property, created a scene in front of the students, and shoved my sister out of the way."
"Yeah, but I was a drunk idiot who was known for pulling stunts like that." Qrow grinned.
"Ugh. You're hopeless."
"Don't worry, Schnee. I trust you. We've both come a long way these past few months." The elevators dinged open, and Qrow patted Winter on the shoulder as he walked out, earning a slightly disgusted hmph. "Besides, if something ends up happening and we get caught up in a battle, keeping you around is a good way to piss off Jimmy! So, either way, this is a win-win."
XXX
"Yeesh. Mantle looks nothing like the illustrious city of Atlas," Qrow commented as they walked through the grimy, soot-filled streets. He tugged on the long sleeves of the hooded jacket Winter had forced him to wear; it was barely more than a threadbare excuse for a cloak, and Qrow had argued against his wearing it since no one in Mantle would recognize him. But Winter had stated that his normal clothes might give away that he came from another kingdom. And then when she had practically shoved him into the ratty jacket, she had commented that it was only fair that he wore a disguise if she had to wear one. Qrow had almost chucked the old cloth back at her.
"It's the industrial part of the kingdom. Our largest dust mines are located here," Winter explained. Qrow wondered if she meant Atlas or the Schnee Dust Company when she said 'our'.
There were no looming, sleek manors or chic businesses here. It would have reminded Qrow of Vale, with its family businesses and the casual appearance of both its citizens and buildings, except this city was much bleaker and uninviting. Qrow could see a few people dotted in the alleyways between the apartment buildings, and a Faunus man with long, grey rabbit ears bumped into Qrow as he stumbled down the broken sidewalk. Three other Faunus walked down the opposite side of the street, each in dirty overalls with protective helmets on their heads. One of the Faunus had two holes in their helmet to allow for long horns to sprout through.
"Pretty sad part of the kingdom," Qrow muttered.
"Yes. It is," Winter agreed, and Qrow felt some strange feeling fill him. He couldn't quite name it. Perhaps it was respect that Winter could see that this second-class section of the kingdom was not normal.
Another Faunus couple passed by, two men holding hands and whispering to each other, side-eyeing Qrow and Winter as they passed by.
"You know, maybe we should have brought a Faunus with us," Qrow said, tapping a finger against his chin. "Are there any Faunus members in the military?"
"Of course there are. Not many, though," Winter admitted. She peeked around her hood nervously, eyes scanning the area, and Qrow regretted making a comment. He was used to ending up in the scummy underbellies of Mistral and Vale, in the dark corners where ex-Hunters and criminals lived, and he had travelled through every kind of barren wasteland and cruel forest out there. The city of Mantle was unique in its problems compared to the places he frequented, but he saw similarities that put him a little more at ease.
But Winter Schnee had just been dropped into the belly of the beast. She was in the middle of a city where she was most likely hated, or at least her family name was. Qrow had no doubt that some of the Mantle citizens would like no more than to tear Winter apart for sharing a last name with the man who asked for too much and paid too little.
"We're doing fine though," Qrow said gently. "No one knows who you or I are, especially with these ratty things." He laughed as he pulled on the hood of Winter's jacket, tugging it down so it covered half of her face. She grunted, quickly putting it back in place as she shot him one of her signature looks.
"Knock it off," she mumbled. "We need to find someone who might know something."
"It's not like we can just walk up and ask someone."
"Why not?" Winter cast her gaze around, eyeing an older woman sitting on a bench nearby. "We have a better chance of getting a direct answer." Qrow exhaled, blowing out a breath of air before grabbing hold of the back of her hood and pulling her along.
"Ah! Qrow, let go!"
"Nope. We're going to head to a bar."
"What?! Qrow, I reject this notion! Consider this idea of yours vetoed!" Winter attempted to pull away, but Qrow decided to ignore it and keep moving, dragging Winter with him. "Why a bar? Surely a Dust shop would be more efficient!"
"No." Qrow shook his head. "It'd be too suspicious. If the rumors are true, and the White Fang are moving shipments of Dust around, two Hunters sniffing around a Dust shop will be suspicious. We should find someplace where people aren't afraid to talk."
As it turned out, Mantle was home to a number of bars, taverns, and places Winter described to Qrow as 'landfills'. When they entered the first bar they came across, Qrow hadn't planned on ordering a drink. And he didn't. Instead, he just tried talking to the bartender about anything new in Mantle.
The bartender had barely talked to him, let alone gave him any relevant information. And when a couple of the patrons left after Qrow and Winter hung around a little too long, the bartender glowered at them until they left too.
The second bar didn't go much better.
Or the third.
"Do you think it's our outfits?" Winter asked almost self-consciously as they left a near-empty tavern. She brushed off the worn-out jacket. "These actually come from the region. I made sure to find something that wouldn't draw any suspicion."
"I doubt it's the outfits." Qrow rubbed the back of his head, grumbling under his breath. Someone from inside the tavern yelled out at them, something Qrow didn't quite catch aside from a few swear words and "actually order a drink". It reminded Qrow of just a week or two earlier, when he'd been trying to get a ride to Atlas from Mistral. "You know, I'm having a bit of deja vu."
"Of course you are." Winter sniffed.
"Come on. I've got another idea." Qrow began to pull her along again, despite her protests. "We should find a more crowded place to investigate."
Another hour passed by as they walked the streets of Mantle. Not that Qrow could tell by his surroundings; the sky had been the same murky, brown shade the entire time they were in the city limits. There was so much pollution and smoke that Qrow was beginning to wonder if they should have worn some kind of mask.
"Here, Qrow." Winter finally stopped, pulling Qrow to a halt as well. A dimly lit, Dust-powered sign hung on the outside of the building. The roof jutted out strangely, and when Qrow looked through the tinted windows, it looked more like a diner than a bar. "Here."
"Hmm. Why here?"
"It looks more like a family place. I don't know, I feel that we'll get better answers here." A tiny crinkle appeared between Winter's eyebrows, and she glided inside without another word.
"Uhhhh…" Qrow reached out a hand, then pulled back, unsure of exactly why he had done that. But Winter didn't answer him or respond, so he had no choice but to follow her inside.
It was very much like a small family diner, though a bar was off to the side in the tiny restaurant. People sat in almost every one of the booths, and two waiters stood by the bar chatting as they waited for meals to be prepared. The place was quaint, but unlike the previous joints they had visited, this little diner was much more genial and comforting.
Winter approached the hostess standing by the door, but when the hostess looked up, Winter froze.
"My associate and I … are looking for-," Winter began, and the hostess' eyes raised, a confused look on her face. Qrow nearly rolled his eyes, but he held it in as he stepped up behind Winter and slung an arm around her shoulder.
"We're just looking for a place to eat. Wondered if you had a table," he said with a bright grin at the hostess. The woman's confused face fell into a natural smile, and she nodded, leading them to a booth right by the bar.
"Slide in, dear," Qrow said as the hostess left them, slipping down onto the seat. Winter's head snapped towards him.
"What did you just call me?" Qrow had heard Schnee angry before, but her tone now was frigid. He leaned over and tapped her boot with his foot.
"Calm down, and sit down," he said in a low tone. "We don't want to attract unwanted attention, remember?" Winter scowled, but did as he asked and slid into the seat opposite him. "And I can't exactly call you your name, can I? Bit recognizable, wouldn't you say?"
"That is … understandable," Winter admitted. She refused to look him in the eye though.
"Lighten up, this is our chance!" He waved over a waitress and immediately put in an order. She barely looked up from her notebook, just quickly dotted his order down before heading to the back. Winter looked less than impressed.
"You ordered me a sandwich?"
"Gotta eat! We've been walkin' around all day!" Qrow smirked. "Don't know about you, but I'm starving!"
"The other customers. Can you hear or see anything suspicious?" Already, Winter was scanning their surrounding area. She's good at her job, but I don't think she really understands how to act casual, Qrow thought. Then he thought of the time they spent together in Mistral. Strike that, maybe she doesn't know how to be casual, period. He didn't know if there was a way to make her feel more at ease, or if Winter Schnee was the type of person who accepted comfort. In the past, during their month or so of travel, he'd offered her a few words of comfort during the appropriate time, but that was it.
So he kept his eyes looking around the diner, but he tapped his foot against hers again.
"Don't stress, Schnee."
"I'm fine!" Winter began to bristle. Qrow decided to let it drop, and turned back to their table.
"So then, what do you want to talk about? We've gotta look like normal customers, so play it casual." He raised an eyebrow. "What about that thing you wanted to tell me earlier?"
Winter's eyes widened, but she gave him a small nod. "I suppose this is a safe enough place to discuss it. The lack of security and Atlas technology is at least a small comfort."
"So what's so big you didn't want to risk talking about it?"
"I assume that you remember Penny Polendina?"
Qrow remembered. They had talked about Penny before. Way back when they first started travelling, sitting around a fire one night. Qrow remembered the argument they had before they had made up. But Qrow also remembered the flashes of screens, the image of a body torn apart on a stadium floor. In the weeks after the Fall of Beacon, when Qrow was staying in Patch with Taiyang, Ruby, and Yang, he had talked to Ruby about it.
"Yeah, course I do," he grunted.
"Dr. Polendina has made more vessels for the military. I visited him in his lab the other day to ask about the origin of Grimm, and I saw empty, metal bodies hanging on the wall." Winter now stared straight at him, eyes cold, but a worried frown on her lips. "I don't believe they've created another sentient robot of any kind like Penny. I don't know if there are any immediate plans to try to put a human soul in a vessel again, but I'm positive they didn't abandon the idea when Penny was destroyed."
"That's-," Qrow cut himself off. It was what? What did that mean in terms of their mission? He wasn't sure how to respond to this new information.
"Hey, you two look new." The waitress had stopped by their table, food ready. "Mantle rarely gets new residents, and never any visitors."
"We're from outside Atlas. One of the outer settlements," Winter said quickly.
"We had to work at one of the Schnee mines. We figured that if we had to work at a Dust mine, we should at least live in a warmer city, not the middle of a snowy hell," Qrow added, sure to sound nonchalant and bitter. Which even he had to admit, was probably not far from how he usually sounded.
"Ah. Well, I can't promise Mantle is any better than what you're used to. It's just a different type of hell, still run by the SDC," the waitress said with a heavy sigh. Winter shifted in her seat, calmly pulling her hood further to shield her hair. She had pinned it back for their trip to Mantle, so that she wouldn't be recognized by the signature Schnee hair color, but if anyone took notice, that could spell trouble. "But welcome to the area, I guess. The people here understand what it's like to work for the SDC, and how it feels to be stuck."
"Thanks. For what it's worth, the sentiment is appreciated," Qrow said with a nod.
"Atlas doesn't exactly care about this place either. But it is what it is." The waitress set the trays of food down. "I heard that there's gonna be a big shindig or something at the Schnee place. Some kind of get-together for the Atlas elite. Don't worry though. If you're not a fan of the Schnees, word is there's gonna be some kind of protest."
"A protest? Really? Is there some meeting place for anyone interested?" Qrow asked. Winter remained silent, which Qrow was perfectly fine with. He prayed no one would notice her.
"Nah, it's one of those Faunus things. The White Fang is organizing it, or so I hear. Guess they have even more of a reason to hate the Schnees." The waitress started to turn away. "I'd stay away anyway. With the White Fang, it's bound to get a little crazy." And with that she headed back to the kitchen. Qrow turned to Winter, who was completely still, her head bowed down. He couldn't tell what she was thinking.
"It sounds like we got what we need," he said quietly. Winter finally raised her head, a frown on her face and her slate blue eyes dull.
"Of course it would be at my father's place," she droned. Qrow didn't know what to say to that. He fell silent for a moment, then attempted a grin in Winter's direction.
"Hey, look at the bright side."
"What?"
"We get to go to a party, right?"
XXX
Back in the Atlas lab, a few floors below basement level, Dr. Polendina worked tirelessly at his desk. He rarely left these days. He'd been tasked with a specific job, yes, but he was also avoiding the above world. After Penny died, throwing himself into his work was the only thing that would give him even a little distraction.
When he heard the elevator door slid open, he debated ignoring it as he usually did. But with Specialist Schnee's visit the other day, perhaps the General was arriving to inform him of a new addition to the plan.
He didn't turn his head, but he called out to his boss. "General Ironwood, is that you?"
Light footsteps echoed throughout the cluttered laboratory, and when Dr. Polendina finally turned around, Ironwood was not the man who stood before him.
It was a tall, thin man with dark hair, a bushy mustache, and pale green eyes that glinted in the Dust light.
"Dr. Polendina," Watts said. "I've come for a visit."
XXX
This chapter took quite awhile to write, but it's finally done!
I do have a bit of news; I will partaking in a new job/internship next fall, so I suspect that between September and December or so, there may be a mini hiatus or lack of updates. I can assure you though, I plan on continuing this fic until the end and will continue to write for it as much as possible. There are no plans to abandon this fic. It will continue to be updated. :)
I hope everyone enjoyed RWBY Volume 7 too! If you haven't watched it yet, I highly recommend catching up!
NinaVale: I'm glad you liked the inclusion of Nick and the Schnee reunion! It's been a scene I've been planning for awhile, and I was happy to finally include it. And I'm glad you like the moments between Qrow and Winter! I'm enjoying exploring their relationship as it grows and they become less like "bitter rivals" and more like ... well, for now, "tolerable allies." ;)
JustinSpecialist: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it all!
Lins Fox: Thank you!
Tsiyi sin: I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy future ones as well! I think there will definitely be at least some unexpected things in the coming chapters.
