Legal Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY, Red vs. Blue, or any of the shows' characters. They are the rightful properties of Rooster Teeth.
Chapter Twenty-Nine:
Ironwood stormed into the safehouse, his stride angry and purposeful. Cinder was, unfortunately, hot on his heels, a smirk lighting up her face as Clover glared ineffectually at her. In the General King's arms was a bag of what appeared to be various kinds of fruit, but from the grimace on his face and the way he carried it away from his body, it seemed as if the item had personally offended him somehow.
Clover watched curiously as he all but slammed the bag down on the nearby table. "What's wrong, James?" He asked cautiously, not sure what was going on.
Ironwood did not respond for a moment, merely pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration and closing his eyes as if he was suffering from a horrible headache. At length, he finally said, "Qrow."
"What?" Clover asked as he tilted his head in curiosity, not sure what the dark-haired Huntsman had to do with a bag full of fruit.
"I'll be having dinner with Robyn Hill and some others tonight at Schnee Manor. Qrow included." Ironwood explained further, his blue eyes narrowing at the bag now resting on the table, "He insisted I at least bring you the fruit, just like a typical bird."
Clover felt his face heat up slightly at the idea that Qrow had specifically gotten him something while feeling guilty at the same time. He truly wasn't worth the effort at the moment. The former Ace Op captain furrowed his brows in confusion all the same because he honestly still couldn't see why Qrow's action would have Ironwood so upset. He was just trying to look out for a comrade, wasn't he?
"You don't know much about bird behavior, do you, Captain Ebi?" Cinder asked him in a rather mocking way, snickering the whole while.
Clover narrowed his eyes, about to say something to her when a familiar peal of laughter met his ears. He stiffened, about to spin around because it almost sounded as if the mysterious woman were in the room with them when that same voice whispered in his mind, "Stay still now, my lucky charm."
He seemed to freeze in place at the command, standing stock still as Ironwood approached him from around the table, suddenly pulling Clover into an impromptu embrace. The General King's metal arm wrapped around Clover's body, his hand falling on the boney protrusions under his new red armband. Ironwood's flesh and blood hand started to slowly attempt to create soothing circular motions on the brown-haired younger man's back.
Clover found he couldn't say anything as Ironwood's lips neared his ear, "Don't worry, I'll come right back to check on you after this dinner is over." He whispered, "You might as well eat some of the fruit so it isn't here when I get back." The older man pulled away then, holding Clover at arm's length as he regarded him in a surprisingly gentle manner, "It's imperative that we get your strength back since we may need to try repairing the barrier soon."
Clover dumbly nodded, knowing he'd prefer being allowed to do so as well so that the burden didn't completely fall on Oscar Pine's small shoulders. Ironwood smiled slightly and squeezed his shoulders once more before he turned to leave again, which unfortunately left Clover alone with Cinder. She motioned over to the table then, her smirk widening, "You should have a seat, Captain Ebi," Cinder said almost companionly, "You heard His Majesty."
"A dinner." Robyn Hill hissed under her breath as she glared down at her plate of food in the Schnee Manor as if it somehow pissed her off just by existing, "I can't believe I let you drag me into this, Winter."
Winter Schnee raised a white eyebrow at Mantle's unofficial leader, "If we can have a civil conversation tonight it will go well with ensuring we can establish further peace talks tomorrow." She stated-matter-of-factly.
"Right. Atlesian political bullshit at its finest." The tan blonde ground out, tapping her finger against the table for emphasis.
Winter smiled slightly, "That's one way to put it, yes." She said, almost distractedly.
For a brief moment, Robyn's expression faltered as she regarded her companion for the evening, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" She asked tentatively, "Seeing these people again?"
The white-haired woman smiled at her concern, reaching over and placing her hand gently on top of Robyn's over the table, "I already saw His Majesty earlier, remember?" She asked, "Besides, we have to focus on the bigger picture now."
"Right. Finding out about Clover and attempting to establish diplomatic relations between Mantle and Atlas again." Robyn murmured as she furrowed her brow, "Which is going to be a major pain in the ass, but we have to try."
"That's the spirit." Winter said, lips quirking upwards slightly in a smile, "Just try not to punch Hargrove in the face later."
"No promises." Robyn replied as she leaned forward to kiss Winter's cheek briefly.
"No hanky panky at the table." Sarge intoned seriously from his spot seated across from the two women, an amused look in his brown eyes as he added, "There's rooms upstairs for that sort of fraternizing."
"Believe me, Sarge, we know already." Robyn pronounced as she waggled her eyebrows suggestively while Winter's cheeks turned red as she averted her blue-eyed gaze.
"Remind me why I'm here again when I can just turn into a bird and sneak away later?" Qrow asked from his spot sitting next to Sarge. What Qrow wouldn't do to be hiding out in the kitchen with Oscar, the girls, and their friends having a semi-pleasant dinner instead of whatever tense hell this was going to end up being. He wasn't cut out for fancier events like this.
"It's imperative that us old folks stick together?" Robyn asked him bluntly, violet eyes lighting up in comradery.
"Speak for yourself, Miss." Sarge scoffed, "I'm only twenty-nine."
Blank looks met his declaration all around the table, "You might want to stick with an age that could be semi-believable, old man." The dark-haired Huntsman finally told his eccentric comrade, rolling his light red eyes as Robyn and Winter both smirked.
Sarge harrumphed, crossing his arms over his chest and muttering to himself. Willow, meanwhile, was setting down the last of the plates of food with Kimball and Carolina's help. Kimball had been eager to see how this dinner would equate to the Atlesian political background, and Carolina evidently had decided to accompany her on this particular outing. Evidently, they'd been teased quite a bit about it being an unofficial "date" by their friends if the blushes on their faces and their adamant refusal to meet one another's eyes just then was any indication. The older woman motioned for the two girls to finally sit down once everything seemed to be in place, taking her own seat and promptly taking a sip of alcohol from the glass at her side. Qrow pointedly looked away, hand resting on his glass of water in uncomfortable silence.
The group didn't have to wait long before Ironwood and Hargrove made their presences known, a servant introducing them at the door to the dining room. Neopolitan stood a little behind Hargrove, evidently on bodyguard duty tonight. That at least would make part of the plan run smoothly, if nothing else. Qrow caught Carolina nodding slightly to the dual-haired girl, who gave a slight tilt of her head back in response.
"General King. Chairman." Robyn Hill said as she stood up at the table with her best diplomatic grace, the others quickly following her lead, "Thank you so much for coming."
"Since our talks have been proceeding decently, I didn't see any reason not to." Ironwood told her, a thin yet strained smile on his face.
"We're all glad to be here." The leader of Mantle stated smoothly as Ironwood and Hargrove took their seats.
"Yes, well," Ironwood fixed his steel blue glare pointedly at Qrow, evidently their earlier tense encounter when the invitation had first been proffered still on his mind, "Some more than others, I'm sure."
"When have you ever known me to turn down free grub, Jimmy?" Qrow countered back, his own red eyes narrowing in turn.
The next several hours went about as well as could be expected, especially with Winter and Willow working in tandem to try and keep the dinner conversation civil in order to hopefully help Mantle have more positioning power in the next bout of talks between the two cities. They had a hard time of it, however, as Qrow kept glaring daggers at Ironwood and Hargrove the whole time while making snide remarks wherever he could. Besides that, Robyn nearly lost it when she found out that the Golem presence around Mantle wouldn't be ending anytime soon, and Willow had to actively keep Sarge from chucking a piece of bread at Hargrove's bald head at one point.
Fortunately, Kimball was able to steer the conversation back to more peaceful topics for the dinner table by asking seemingly inane questions about Atlesian politics and military protocol, to the point where all of the adults turned to look at her in a rather impressed and assessing manner. Carolina smiling smugly at her side didn't go unnoticed by Qrow either. It seemed that the young woman from Chorus seemed to have a natural gift for diplomacy.
Eventually, however, and rather fortunately for Qrow, the uncomfortable ordeal came to an end when Ironwood stood up from his seat, "As interesting a night as this was, I'm afraid there is still much I have to check on tonight." He stated quietly.
Qrow's eyes narrowed at the General King's words, "You mean like Clover?" He growled out.
"That is not your concern any longer, Qrow."
"The hell it isn't!"
Qrow nearly jumped up from his seat angrily then, though it was surprisingly Sarge who stopped him from doing so, "We won't keep ya, Your Majesty." The older man in red said gruffly, a tense hand on Qrow's shoulder to keep him in place.
"Before you go, though," Willow said diplomatically as she stood up as well, "May I ask you to bring a bottle of my favorite scotch to Captain Ebi should you see him?" She smiled thinly as she took a lingering sip from her third glass that night, "I wanted to give it to him as thanks for his help in dealing with my husband before."
Ironwood inclined his head slightly, "Of course, Mrs. Schnee." He said, once more all political decorum and politeness.
"Thank you. I keep a cabinet just down the hallway if you wouldn't mind." Willow walked towards one of the doors out of the dining room then, Robyn and Winter following behind her along with Ironwood and Hargrove.
As their voices receded down the corridor, Neopolitan quickly removed the hat from her head with a gesture for Qrow to move quickly. "Best hurry, son," Sarge murmured, clapping him on the shoulder briefly, "We'll cover for you if anyone asks."
"We'll be sure to make it an excuse other than needing to use the bathroom." Carolina assured the older Huntsman.
Qrow couldn't help but smirk, "Thanks." He said, standing up quickly. Kimball smiled and waved from her spot next to Carolina as, with a sigh, Qrow changed into his avian form and promptly flew to rest on the top of Neo's waiting head. As the hat covered him, Qrow tried not to worry about what he might find when he saw Clover next.
"We've decided to let Ironwood keep his pet for just a little while longer," Cinder told him in a sickly sweet voice as she approached the bag at the table, "Especially since it won't be long before you have a new master."
"I'm not a pet." Clover couldn't help but bite back in response, though his stomach twisted uncomfortably at her words.
The dark-haired young woman smirked knowingly, "All you've ever done is follow orders, Captain Ebi." She informed him pleasantly, "You're probably more well-trained and loyal than most pets are."
He opened his mouth to retort as Cinder waved her Grimm arm in the air briefly. Clover's eyes widened at the lack of sound that suddenly came from his throat. "That was an observation, not something up for debate." She told him plainly, reaching into the bag with her monstrous hand and picking out a piece of fruit.
"How thoughtful of Huntsman Branwen to want to bring you food." She mused, holding the fruit up to her face as if examining it, "Though you have to wonder if he'd even bother if he actually saw your pathetic state." She brought the fruit down to his eye level, "Not that you'll be too concerned with that soon." She assured him, holding out the piece as if offering it to him, "Come now, Captain Ebi, it's time to eat."
And suddenly Clover was no longer sitting at the table, but he was standing in that horrible place once again. The Nevermore dropped from the blackened sky to stand beside him, and he tensed as the shadows melted and converged to once again form the woman's silhouette.
The blob of viscous purple liquid was already churning in front of her, and Clover was horrified at the sudden hungry pangs he felt in his stomach at the sight. There was a smile in her voice as she approached, "It's good to see your transformation is moving along nicely, trinket." She informed him, holding up the "food" with a flick of her wrist, "I'm certain it won't be long now before we can finally meet."
The Nevermore began to hum once again, and Clover felt his entire body relax once more as she tipped the liquid into his mouth. He was aware he didn't gag this time despite the still awful taste, and he wondered briefly what that meant.
"That's it, pet. Just relax." She murmured as she reached out and touched his chest and back again. Clover knew more protrusions were undoubtedly springing to the surface at the touch, but his body felt completely numb thanks to the effect of the Nevermore's humming.
It wasn't until he is back in the safehouse that he felt the telltale aches forming, Cinder smirking down at him. "It seems as if you ate well, judging by what you devoured here." The dark-haired woman informed him, motioning towards the now empty bag on the table.
Clover's eyes widened at the sight, and he felt juice dribbling down his chin just then. He shuddered as Cinder wiped it away with her blackened, clawed hand, "You eat like a Grimm." She told him smugly, staring down at the new bone ripping through his clothing, "But I suppose that is hardly surprising now, is it?" She said as she smirked, "It looks like someone needs a new set of clothes as well."
Clover opened his mouth to speak again, when the door opened behind them and both Ironwood and Neo entered, Neo standing ready at the doorway for guard duty. Ironwood stepped forward, glaring at the now empty bag as if it still personally affronted him before his eyes drifted over to where Clover still sat, taking in the sight of the new bone growth.
"James, how are—!?" Clover began, desperate for information on the others at least, though he cut off abruptly when Ironwood stepped forward and pulled him from the chair and into a hug.
"One would think your concern for the Inheritor is more than just for a subordinate, Your Majesty." Cinder snidely remarked.
"Go and report the new growth to Hargrove." Ironwood ordered over Clover's shoulder. Out of the corner of his eye, Clover saw Cinder mockingly bow at the General King's back before leaving the room. Ironwood pulled away from Clover then, his expression softening a fraction as he rested his hands on the younger man's shoulders, "I have some work I need to finish up. Try and rest, all right?" He asked Clover, as if Salem's Inheritor was even being given a choice.
Mutely, feeling too tired and defeated to really argue anymore, Clover merely nodded his head in response.
"Guard this room until I come back." Ironwood told Neo as he stepped away.
Clover fell back into the chair he'd just vacated as soon as the door closed, holding his face in his hands and trying to fight the suddenly overwhelming urge he had to cry. He had to be strong, he had to be...! A hand gently landed on his shaking shoulder then, and he choked out a sob, "I'll...I'll be fine, Neo." He tried to assure both her and himself without even bothering to look up.
"Cloves, look at me." A familiar, gruff voice spoke up not a second later, "Please."
Dimly, Clover lifted his head then, utterly surprised and absolutely terrified to find himself staring up into the worried, red-eyed gaze of Qrow Branwen.
Author's Notes: Yep, Neo snuck Qrow in under her hat! XD
