Chapter 45 - A Wolf Amongst Ravens
"Into the gray: a wolf amongst ravens..."
Darkness.
Nexus Shade woke up encased in the warmth of a cocoon. It was a reminder of the way his mom would wrap her arms around him and whisper into his top-ears that everything would be alright. Or, at least, the rare times when he had a nightmare. The rough cloth covered him from head to toe like a sack of carrots, the fabric itchy on his skin.
A lone candle flickered in the darkness. The fire cast shadows over the grey walls.
Cloth, probably.
The candle sat on a wooden desk, a metal basin leaning against the foot of the table. A red cloth soaked in the liquid, the water reflecting his golden eyes. They shimmered as he glanced around what must have been a tent.
He stood up, shaking off the thick sheets and wiping the sweat from his forehead. Dry grass crunched under his bare feet.
Huh.
Last time he checked, the exact variety of grass wherever here was did not grow in the Valean slums.
Where the hell was he?
What happened... after he blacked out?
And, more importantly, where the hell was Weiss?
Strands of the familiar, serrated grass poked his soles as three snores prodded his extra pair of ears.
Blake. Ruby. Weiss.
Who else could it have been?
Nex sighed in relief, the scent of ash and woodland filling his lungs. A forest, then. Weiss, Rubes, and Blake were in the same place as him, bundled in similar sheets and lying on the ground. Although, he was the only one awake. But maybe it was for the better. He could find out where they were before they woke up so they did not have to.
Thus, the leader of Team SSBR inched open the flap of the tent, peeking out into the rest of the world.
He blinked as the light stung his eyes. The cons of having night vision. He had to rub them once or twice, yawning. As he did, he took in the sight of dozens of other tents, several campfires, and walls manned by men and women dressed in cloth and leather.
Armed.
Huntsmen and huntresses, judging by their guns and swords. Or, at least, huntsmen and huntresses without licenses and formal training.
The grass under his feet only grew in the lawless frontier, after all.
"Hey, you," some woman posted outside said, her blue eyes crinkling as she smiled at him. "You're finally awake."
Nex frowned, his hand darting to his belt. Damn. Oathkeeper. Missing. He really was out of it if he left it in the tent. Or worse, if whoever these people were took it. "Where am I? Where's my sword?"
"Like father like son. Birds of the same feather," the woman said, chuckling as she rubbed her freckles. "So fascinated with swords. Or so Chief Raven tells me."
Nex shrugged, his jaw clenching. Raven. Raven. The name seemed familiar. Especially since his father somehow bore a connection to his current predicament.
"Mind giving me a straight answer?" Nex asked. "Or do I have to go and find my godmother myself?"
Raven. Raven Branwen. Birds. Feathers. Of course. His father's opposite-sex twin and also Yang's long-lost mom.
But still, if he had a godmother all along, of all the things he could have possibly had, then why did his mom not tell him? The same logic held with his father of course. Then again, that one probably never wanted to tell him, much less have his mom spill the metaphorical beans all over the dinner table.
Deeper still, his godmother showed up and fought the assassin and his overpowered semblance off, rescuing Team SSBR from death and whisking them all to her camp somewhere in the frontier. It was practically a small settlement, judging by the clotheslines, the wells, the makeshift kitchens, and the like. Everything that someone would need to live a life in the wilds.
Still, why show up now?
How did she even show up?
Better yet, why show up at all?
No one ever showed up before. Not even when he was on the verge of losing. Or, worse, dying. He hated losing, admittedly. But it was certainly better than dying.
"Hey." The woman snapped her fingers. Inches from his nose and encrusted with dirt. "You still there?"
Nex blinked. He had been staring, probably lost in his head. "Still here. Just thinking."
"Thinking?" The woman chuckled at that, placing a hand on her hip. Pareidolia filed away the crescent-shaped blades hanging off her belt. "Not exactly like Qrow then. Maybe there's still hope for you yet."
Nex shrugged. Gods forbid he was anything like Qrow Branwen. Bastard son or no. There was a reason why he practically swore off drinking under pain of death.
"I'm not my father," Nex said, "and I never will be."
"Huh." The woman quirked her head. "Good for you."
Seeing as the conversation just died, he loped away, some of the people in the camp shooting him curious looks.
Some maybe even looks of recognition.
Recognizing his father, at least.
Damn his face. Not even a wildly different haircut could hide it.
He licked his coarse lips, pushing onwards to his goal.
A huge-ass tent sat at the middle, just a leap away from the tall, wooden barricades. The flaps blew in the morning breeze. It carried the familiar scent of wild strawberries. The kind that only grew in the forests of Mistral. Fruit he snacked on in his journeys before. His favorite.
Mistral. It was an awful long way from Vale.
Nex reached into his pocket. Good news: his scroll was still there. Bad news: there was no signal whatsoever.
No calling Ironwood for a fancy ship then.
But maybe Raven Branwen had her own thing for transportation.
Nex reached the tent. The biggest one in the entire place, probably. He peeled back the flap and stepped inside.
Crimson eyes blinked.
"You're awake," Raven said, sitting cross-legged on a mat. Bookshelves lined her tent and suffused his nose with the scent of crisp books and tomes. "I was starting to wonder if the poison got to your brain."
"That man's semblance you mean," Nex said, nodding as he loomed over his supposed godmother. "You don't look like it got to you, though."
Instead, Raven Branwen looked exactly like the photo Yang showed him, down to clothes and the katana propped up against the shelf behind her. Well, except for the beginnings of crow's feet on the corners of her eyes. Not even huntresses were exempt from aging, and no blade could possibly best death. But still, the resemblance to both him and Yang was definitely there, staring at him with a smile on her dry lips.
She had dry lips too. And she even licked them. Were dry lips hereditary?
"How astute of you. You may look like my wayward brother, Nexus Shade." Raven chuckled, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek. "But you have your mother's eyes."
"So it's true then," Nex said, raising an eyebrow. "You're my aunt. And Yang's mom."
"Godmother. But yes," Raven said, clicking her tongue. "Mary was particularly vehement about saddling me with that honor."
A zigzagged remark if he ever heard one. For a chief of some sort of settlement in the lawless frontier, his godmother sure was political.
People were political animals then.
But still, that was neither here nor there. He had more pressing questions to ask the woman in front of him.
"Why show up and bail our asses?" Nex asked, tapping the floor with the tip of his bare foot. "Last I checked," he continued, chuckling. "None of my supposed family wants anything to do with me."
His father sure liked hanging out with his nieces playing video games more, anyway. Maybe that was why his father liked his nieces more than his own son? Nexus Shade never did like playing video games.
Not before, not now.
Probably never.
And now, that his godmother was here, alive and chatting with him... It certainly put things into perspective.
"I can only speak for myself," Raven said, her eyes snapping towards his. "Your life as a lone wolf, without my intervention. It made you strong, didn't it?"
What the hell kind of question was that?
Nex shrugged, even as her crimson eyes bored into his. "Well, I survived. That's certainly more than some wolves in the wild."
Raven nodded as if his answer already answered his question. "Exactly. You wouldn't be what you are now had things gone differently, would you?"
If his mother never died, then...
If his father or his godmother took him in...
If any of his mother's old friends gave him a home or even a family...
Then-
There would have never been the Artificer.
There would have never been a Nexus Shade.
There would have never been a him.
"No, you're right," Nex said, tearing his eyes away. His godmother had a point. Even if the point in question made his stomach churn. "Is this also why you left Yang?"
It was definitely fucked up. And, yet, it made an awful lot of sense. Was everyone in his convoluted family tree a few screws loose?
Raven took a sip of her tea, the cup steaming as she lifted it up to her lips. "The problem lies with our... irreconcilable differences."
"Differences with whom?" Nex asked. "I don't think a kid's irreconcilable when it comes to her mom."
"You'd be correct," Raven said, setting down her cup. "Tell me. How much do you really know about what's going on in the shadows of Remnant?" She steepled her fingers on her lap. "Do you know what you stumbled upon last night?"
Nex hummed, his brain and his semblance already at Mach 2. He could tell her exactly what he knew of course. Cinder's cloak and dagger conspiracy came to mind, now with the addition of an unknown and highly-skilled assassin and the White Fang branch of Vale. Maybe Raven knew something. A missing piece to the Cinder's conspiracy. Maybe even Ozpin's. Or maybe there was a connection between the two.
"Alright, I'll bite," Nex said, cracking his neck. "I know there's a woman going around by the name of Cinder Fall, pulling the strings of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick in Vale."
He sucked in a deep breath as Raven hummed, waving at him to continue.
"They're gathering dust for a Second Faunus Right's Revolution. Maybe to blow up Vale's walls and expose it to the Grimm. Cinder's motives are unknown. Even after extensive mining through Atlas' database, legal and illegal, no records of her were found. Although..."
He trailed off. Should he tell her about his research on fairy tales? It sounded crazy. But now that he was here having a normal and civil conversation with someone of his own blood...
"Although what?" Raven said, smirking. "Carry on. I'm simply delighted to see that my godson isn't as brutish as my daughter." She chuckled and shook her head, her mane swaying. "I mean, not even landing a single punch? Disappointing."
She was definitely referring to their match in the Sanus Festival. His memory of about a year ago was a little bit foggy, but there had been a raven in the stadium. Was the ability to turn into a bird genetic? Maybe the Branwens had a genetic semblance like the Schnees. But then again, if they did, then he should have been able to turn into a bird too.
Unlikely then. He already had Pareidolia. Which meant the bird-turning thing was something else entirely. Something else that broke the Law of Conservation of Mass and Polendina's Treatise on Aura and Semblances.
Something like Magic. With a capital M, if their world was something out of the fantasy books.
Maybe Raven would deign to answer him if he asked and not simply laugh at him and throw him into the loony bin.
Nope. Not the time to ruin whatever impression his godmother had of him.
"I've been meaning to ask," Nex said. Hopefully, his change of topic would go unnoticed. "That bird-turning thing you and my father do. It's not a semblance, is it?"
Raven's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "He showed you that?"
"Kinda hard to unsee for an eight-year-old kid," Nex said, rolling his eyes. "Especially when there's feathers on the floor and the guy who got your mom killed just gave you her weapons and flew off to who knows where."
"Now that's something my dumbass of a brother would do," Raven said, the corners of her eyes twitching. Definitely in annoyance. "Let me be frank. I'll tell you everything that you want to know if you do me a favor."
Nex pushed back his fringe. "What kind?"
"Leave Beacon," Raven said. She held out her hand, her fingers outstretched. "Stay here and live out the rest of your life. Safe from that lunatic when he returns. And free from being a pawn in someone else's game."
What? No way he heard that one right.
"Sorry," Nex said, sticking his pinky inside his ear and swirling it around. "I must've misheard. Did you just say that you want me to leave Beacon?"
"You and I are birds of the same feather, heir of Amariss Shade," Raven said, "my sister in all but name. I sense it in you. The desire for freedom. To do whatever you want whenever you want it, beyond the cumbersome laws the four kingdoms have set down."
The camp rumbled in the background, the early morning chatter of men and women drowning his extra pair of ears.
Raven stared at him. Waiting. Waiting for an answer. An answer he would have to think about.
Admittedly, his godmother had a point. Freedom. There was no freedom in a society bound by laws. He became who he was and plunged himself into the free and lawless world not because he needed lien.
Well, maybe he needed it at first. But he could have stopped the moment the cash in his wallet hit the triple digits. It would have been enough to pay for Atlas Primary, with his part-time job at the Huntsman's Respite shouldering his daily expenses.
Still, he continued his dealings in the shadows, flirting with crime and saddling the line between good and evil.
Not out of any real need.
No. Definitely not. He could have turned over a new leaf and looked for a more honest livelihood, after all.
In hindsight, the Artificer lived on because Nexus Shade could not live without him. He loved the thrill. The thunder rushing through his veins as he fooled everyone around him. As he hid in plain sight, delving deeper into the darkness and the shadows, making deals with Roman Torchwick in downtown Vale and pretending to be an officer of the White Fang. Shrugging whenever someone asked a question and leading them away whenever they dug too deep.
It was the Artificer's opium. An addiction. And maybe even Nexus Shade's disease.
But then...
He had her, did he not?
Nexus Shade had Weiss Schnee. He could not simply up and leave because Raven Branwen asked nicely. Not now, anyway.
But maybe if the kingdoms all fell over and died. At least then they could have somewhere to stay. Planning for the future and all. Something his days burning with hunger in the back-alleys of Mantle drilled into his brain.
Nex sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Can I have time to consider it first? Just up and leaving isn't my style. Not when I've got someone to lose."
Well, what could he possibly say? He still hated losing. But now, his brain was starting to not label it as irrational.
It was never too late to change, right?
"The heiress. The Schnee." Raven nodded, hauling herself to her feet. "The spirit carries on, does it not, godson of mine?"
"My mom and her mom you mean," Nex said as she dusted off her blouse. "What were they like?"
"Partners." Raven strode past him, parting the flap of her tent. "But your mother has lost her fire, has she not, Weiss Schnee?"
"Eeeep!"
Ruby yelped. Her arms flailed as she slammed into Blake and Weiss. They crashed into the dirt like dominoes. A pile of tangled limbs kicking up dust and strands of grass. But still, all three of them were armed with Weiss clutching Oathkeeper to her chest. Its runes shimmered under the sun as it brushed her bare forearm.
"Ugh," Nex said, plucking a stray pebble between his toes. He flicked it somewhere to the side.
Trust his team to fill the socially-awkward meter for him.
"You, daughter of Rose, are much alike your mother." Raven scoffed and marched past them, deeper into the camp. "Seek out sustenance so I can return you immediately. Vernal should be able to assist you."
She stopped walking just as his teammates hobbled to their feet, rubbing their backs.
"And Nex?" Raven said, sparing him a red-eyed look. "Do consider what I'm offering you. 'Tis only fair, after all."
His godmother resumed her leisurely stroll, her arms swinging by her side-
"Wait!" Ruby yelled. "You have to see Yang-"
"Exactly like your mother, Ruby Rose." Raven quickened her steps, the rest of the camp bustling around her like a sea of clouds. "Yang must seek me out on her own, when she's ready, and by her own strength. I expect nothing less from her."
"Great," Nex said as Raven Branwen disappeared from sight.
She probably hid behind a tent and transformed into a bird.
He turned to his team.
Weiss tossed his mother's sword to him, which he caught and fastened to his belt.
"How much did you hear?" Nex asked.
"Oh, I don't know," Weiss said, crossing her arms and fixing him a look. A look he knew all too well. Of course. The I'm secretly disappointed but I'm too prideful to say it look. "How about hearing that my boyfriend's seriously considering living in the middle of uncivilized nowhere with his questionable godmother just so he could"–she rolled her eyes–"do whatever he wants whenever he wants it like he's some common criminal off the streets of Mantle."
Nex barked out a laugh, the urge to rub the back of his head hitting him like a freight train. She was right without even knowing it. It stung. Maybe he was just a common criminal or something. But a lot of people would have disagreed with the word common when it came to him. Then again, Weiss really had no idea about his secret secret identity.
"Ah, well," Nex muttered, offering her his winning smile. "I don't suppose you heard the rest of what your boyfriend said in reply?"
"I did, and I'm proud of him," Weiss whispered, leaning over and pecking his lips. She grinned and patted his arm. "Which is why I'm not screaming your extra pair of ears off."
The wind blew and whispered garbled words into his ears, the world moving around them, him staring into the pale blue and her definitely into bright gold. With her hair cut down to her shoulders, she looked different. More mature than she did a year ago.
Somehow.
He would have spent a few more moments wondering why women with shorter hair had that effect, if not for Blake coughing and Ruby dipping her face into her palm, gagging like she was going to throw up in her hand.
"Get a room, you guys," Blake said, a smirk on the corner of her lips. "Just remember to use protection if you don't want a little wolf running around in nine months."
Pink dusted Weiss' cheeks as she huffed and turned away, saying, "I'm sure my boyfriend won't be that irresponsible when it comes to it, will he?"
Ruby snickered, covering her mouth with her arm. How come the fifteen-year-old kid understood what they were talking about?
For dying's sake. It was that code-word again. A code-word even Ruby Rose knew. Protection. Maybe he should ask Yang or something. It was certainly more helpful than wondering about it on his own and ending up with effectively nothing.
Nex shrugged, glancing at the familiar woman inspecting her dirt-encrusted nails. "Weiss is the responsible one. Not me. I'm sure she'll have some protection on hand when we get a room."
Although, they already had a room in Vale. Maybe it meant something else entirely?
Ruby and Blake exchanged looks, snorting as they stifled their laughter.
Weiss glowed pink even more as sweat raced down the crook of her neck. "Let's find this Vernal and have some breakfast. Whatever happens in our room is none of your business."
Her hand snaked into his. And then, there really was no point thinking about living with his godmother in the wilderness of Mistral.
"You have the Oathkeeper," Raven said, nodding as she drew her katana. The bulky variable sheathe clicked and ejected a crimson blade. "Keep it safe and it'll serve you well just like it did Mary."
She slashed at thin air. The world rippled, red and black swirling as she sheathed her katana with barely a whoosh.
"You know, I always wondered," Nex said as his teammates stared at the hole through the fabric of space, with one Ruby Rose gasping. "Why does everyone call my mom Mary?"
From Jacques and down to his godmother, even. Was he the only one who called her by her actual name?
"Why don't you tell your girlfriend to ask her mom?" Raven arched an eyebrow as she shot Weiss a glance. "Unless, of course, Willow's much too preoccupied with the bottle these days to even attend to her children."
Weiss scowled, her eyes practically flashing as they darted towards Raven's. "You're one to talk."
"Yeah," Ruby said, glaring at his godmother. "With your semblance, you can visit Yang and dad every day. Why don't you?"
Blake and Nex exchanged glances. Both of them shrugged. Apparently, not everyone on their team was too bothered by Raven's less than polite demeanor. But still, she definitely had an excuse. It was the lawless frontier, after all. Doubtful her people would listen to her had she been all Miss Polite and Pleasant.
"Hmph," Raven said and waved at the portal. "Go before you overstay your welcome, little Rose. And, little Schnee, give your mother my regards, will you?"
"What should I tell her?" Weiss said, scoffing. "That an old friend's unhappy with her drinking?"
"Heh." Raven smirked and spun on her heel, her mane whipping as she strode towards her tent. "Keep that fire in you, little Schnee."
The portal floated before them, swirling and sucking in air. Pareidolia buzzed. Theorizing. Raven's semblance was probably like Neo's, except she had no need to travel with people to transport them somewhere. While Neo's semblance manipulated space, Raven's punched holes through it, bridging two points and somehow repairing the damage after she was done.
It was interesting. Very interesting.
If time travel was hypothetically possible with Ruby's semblance, then-
Ruby growled, her eyes stabbing daggers into Raven's back. "You're not even going to say anything to Yang? To dad? To Uncle Qrow?"
"I have nothing to say to them that hasn't already been said," Raven replied, sparing her an amused glance. "You, on the other hand, have a portal waiting, while I have a family to lead."
She pulled back the flap and slipped inside her tent, leaving them alone in the grassy meadow.
Nex placed a hand on Ruby's cloaked shoulder, giving the tense muscle a small squeeze. "If she doesn't want to talk to her family, then it's her loss."
"What about you then?" Ruby said, shaking his hand off. "Why not talk to your dad?"
Nex shrugged. He really should have been more angry, as irrational as it was. "I guess it's a loss I'm willing to bear."
He already bore it his entire life. And now that he had so much more than he did, he had no real need or want of his father.
"Maybe you should stay with Raven, Nex," Ruby said, frowning as she marched to the portal. Huh. Uncharacteristic of the silver-eyed girl. "You're the same."
She was gone, swallowed by the portal and whatever awaited her on the other side.
Nex hummed, his jaw clenching. Maybe Ruby Rose had a point. He was more raven than crow. Certainly more than what his heritage would suggest.
Weiss' hand slipped into his, her eyes fixed on the portal. "She doesn't understand, does she?"
Nope. Definitely not. The silver-eyed girl had a dead silver-eyed mom. A huntress she revered as a hero.
Not a father who got her mom killed and left their kid alone.
Not a mom who flew the coop when she was a kid. Just to play chief to a settlement of freemen and outlaws in the endless frontier.
Not a mom who drank her sorrows away and a father who drowned his problems with work, both of them filling the ears of their kids with shouts and yells behind closed doors.
And certainly not a mom and a dad forced into hiding in Menagerie, leaving their kid alone to face the world. Worse since said daughter was a faunus. Unable to even hold a job without getting fired for accepting a tip.
"No." Blake shook her head, a frown on her lips. "She doesn't. Maybe I should talk to her."
"We all should," Weiss said, his thumb brushing her ring. "We're a team, remember?"
"I'll pass," Nex said. He licked his lips and trotted after the silver-eyed girl. "I'm not exactly great with heart-to-heart talks."
Weiss poked his chest, her nail digging into the spot right where his heart was supposed to be. It was frail. Withered. And maybe it had never been there at all. "Perhaps we should find some time to practice our heart-to-heart talks, Mr Shade?"
Nex shrugged, grinning as he placed his foot in the swirling red. "Do we need to get a room when we practice our heart-to-heart talks?"
"Ugh," Blake mumbled. She rushed past them, leaping after her partner. "Seriously, get a room."
And he seriously needed to find out what that meant.
Maybe Ninjas of Love had the answer? Last time he checked, Weiss had a copy in her luggage, for some reason.
Oh well, oh well. It was something to think about at least.
Nex swept his arm at the portal, his grin stretching up his eyes. "Shall we get a room, Miss Schnee?"
Weiss hmphed, raising her chin as a smile played on her lips. "Perhaps, Mr Shade."
"Ruby!"
The portal sizzled and closed behind them. A man with messy blonde hair and the beginnings of a beard scooped Ruby Rose into his arms and pressed her against his chest. He trembled even as the silver-eyed girl squirmed and placed her hands against his shoulders, trying to push him away.
"Raven didn't do anything," the blonde man said. Her father, Pareidolia deduced. "If she did, then I swear-"
"Dad. She saved us," Ruby said, flushing as she finally found the strength to extract herself from her father's arms. "And my team's here."
"Oh, uh." Her father coughed, scratching his neck. "Hi there. I'm Tai. Ruby and Yang's dad. You're Team Snowbear, right?"
A house stood at the end of the dirt road behind Tai - a quaint little cottage with flowers and grass on its front lawn, two glass windows hiding whatever lied beyond the patio. The lawn was well-loved and well-watered, judging by the vibrant hues of the dandelions and the roses, and the glimmer of dew on grass as sunlight poured from above.
"My name is Weiss Schnee," his girlfriend said, a beaming smile on her lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Blake Belladonna," the ghost-ninja said, nodding. "Nice to meet you, Tai."
Nex shrugged. Introducing himself was pretty much a given, despite the fact that Tai probably already knew who he was just off his face alone. "Nexus Shade. Team leader. Although you can call me Nex. Everybody does, right?"
Maybe it ran in the family. Shortening names and all. Just like how Raven, his father, and Jacques and Willow all called his mom Mary.
"You're Qrow and Mary's..." Tai trailed off.
The man's blue eyes drilled into his. Maybe looking for crimson. And instead finding gold. Well, he did have his mother's eyes. Just as Raven said.
"Son. Unwanted bastard," Nex finished, rolling his eyes. "Yep. I've briefly considered plastic surgery, but then I decided that it was too expensive."
Well, believe it or not, he did consider it. Probably seconds before Weiss kissed the thought away. Saying she liked his lips and his eyes the way they already were in that low and throaty voice of hers. A voice she definitely reserved for whenever they were alone. But thinking about how they spent their nights was definitely letting his brain wander into certain less than appropriate places.
"You're not a bastard!" Tai exclaimed. Suddenly.
Three pairs of eyes swerved towards him.
Nex clamped down on the urge to roll his eyes even more, the birds chirping in the trees. Right. Not a bastard. When all the evidence pointed to the contrary.
"Sorry. Overreacted a little," Tai said, coughing, a brittle smile on his lips. "You four must be tired. How about you come in?"
Ruby and Blake walked ahead of them. Tai fussed over the silver-eyed girl, patting away the dirt and the grass stuck on her hoodie. Blake had the flattest deadpan on her face. But she held a scroll under her hip and snapped discrete photos of her partner as the silver-eyed girl tried to swat Tai away.
"You know," Weiss said, squeezing his hand as they loped after the three. "Maybe you should talk to your father."
Nex groaned even as she stroked the ridge of his palm like he always did before. "Not you too."
"I'm just saying that you should try," Weiss said, her lips sinking into a frown. "Who knows. Maybe it'll work out like we did."
Maybe in an ideal world.
Definitely not in theirs.
Nex shook his head, tearing his eyes away from her. "Not this one, Weiss." He sighed and rubbed the callouses of her palm, the warmth of her hand seeping into his skin. "Drop it. Please. I don't need to add my father to the list."
He already had too much on it anyway, between Ironwood, The White Fang, Cinder, and Roman. Too much for him to even come up with a clever name like Reasons Why Nexus Shade Is Not Boyfriend Material (I Promise). But then again, he was probably proving that one wrong. Hopefully.
"I'm sorry. It's just..." Weiss mumbled. "I've been thinking about earlier."
Nex quirked an eyebrow, the wind whistling through the familiar, overgrown trees. Patch. Just like last time. "Thinking about what?"
"I haven't talked to mom since we left Atlas," Weiss said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Or Winter. Or even Whitley."
Nex chuckled, drawing circles in the air. "Can't help but notice. There's someone missing off your list."
"He doesn't count," Weiss said, one of her cute little scowls on lips. "You know that."
"Guess it's another one of those things we have in common, huh?" Nex said, smirking as her scowl eased into a smile. "So, how about it? We don't talk about the people missing from our lives and-"
"How about we do the opposite?" Weiss said, arching an eyebrow. "You talk to your father. An actual conversation, and I'll talk to mine."
Nex gritted his teeth. Why the hell was she being so stubborn about it? "I can't. You know that."
"Why not?" Weiss asked. "I've already talked to mine a few days ago."
"It's not the same," Nex muttered. And it was definitely not. "Please. Drop it, Weiss. I don't want to talk about it right now."
Weiss huffed as they stepped on the patio, the wood creaking under their boots. "Fine. But this conversation isn't over."
Nex managed a smile as they padded into their teammate's home, Tai nudging the door close behind them. "It never is, is it?"
They settled around the living room four minutes later. Mugs of ice-cold lemon juice sat in their hands as Tai asked some obligatory questions and the like. How they were feeling. What Raven said and did - her offer omitted, of course. As well as the reason why they were even missing in the first place, minus his involvement as an Atlesian nark.
Blake took care of that one, telling Tai that she was worried about the murders in the slums and decided to rope the rest of them in to investigate. Quite a shock when Ruby Rose had lied to her father about their mission, telling him they were simply hanging out instead of chasing after a serial killer's metaphorical breadcrumbs.
Tai crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. The one that lead to the kitchen. "So, this is your team, huh?"
"Yep." Ruby grinned and bobbed her head. "I've got the best teammates ever, dad."
"When she's not tripping or bumping into me, anyway," Weiss said, smiling as she fixed the silver-eyed girl a look.
Ruby flushed. "That was one time-"
"Thrice," Blake muttered. "The third time you got drenched in sap."
"Drenched in sap?" Tai said, his eyebrows furrowing - the silver-eyed girl got that habit from somewhere then. "I don't recall either you or Yang telling me about sap."
Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, um, ups?"
Tai sighed, scratching his forearm. "I'll let it slide. But don't forget to be honest with your dad next time, m'kay? Goodness knows I worry enough with your sister on vacation..."
Nex took a sip of his iced tea, just as Tai shot him a glance. "Gotta say, this drink's really good."
He could probably mix it better, of course. But then again, he had years of experience as a bartender. Doubtful Tai had the same.
"Can I borrow your team leader for a sec?" Tai said, fingering the stubble on his chin. "I wanna show him something cool."
Nex shrugged, bouncing to his feet. "Is it cool cool like something out of a video game or is it cool like a weapon?"
"Huh?" Tai said.
"Nex doesn't play video games," Ruby said. "I've been trying to make him play, but..."
"Right." Tai nodded. "Mary never played much either. It must run in the family."
Tai looped an arm around his shoulder, speaking more about his mom and guiding him down the corridor. His team chattered in the living room. No doubt Weiss and Blake talking to Ruby about what she said earlier.
They stopped before a door at the end, sunlight flitting through the window next to it.
Tai pushed the door open. The hinges creaked, grating against his extra pair of ears like they were cheese.
Nex winced as the stench of alcohol invaded his nose.
Fuckity fuck.
Apparently, the room Tai led him to was his father's.
Nex scowled, shaking his head. "Nope. Whatever's cool in my father's room, I'm not interested."
"They're married, you know," Tai said, shutting the door by an inch. "Your parents, I mean. So you're not a bastard."
Nex stilled, shivering as Tai slammed open a drawer and fished for something inside it. "For a married guy, my father sure flies around. If this is a joke..."
He let it hang in the air. Veteran huntsman or no, it was going to be one hell of a fight.
"No joke," Tai said, tossing a piece of paper at him. "Qrow's gonna punch me for going through his stuff, but what can a man do, huh?"
He snatched it mid-air. It turned out to be a picture.
"This is..." Nex said, his throat constricting.
No.
Not possible.
Amariss Shade stood in the sunny meadow, beaming as she stared at the camera. Trails of gray ran down the photo and smudged her golden hair and the midnight-blue dress she wore. But it was definitely her. He could recognize his mother on sight, younger or not.
Qrow Branwen stood next to her, an arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close against his side. He wore a suit. An actual black-and-white suit, his hair pulled back for probably the first time in his life. He smiled as he held up his other arm, the golden band on his finger flashing.
It was uncharacteristic. Too uncharacteristic.
Where the hell was the flask and the undying five-o-clock shadow?
"This isn't possible," Nex said, slamming the damned photo against the dresser.
It thumped under his clenched fist, the wood shaking. An amulet with a tilted cross bounced down the floor. The little bad luck charm joined the piles of discarded clothes and bottles of month-old beer.
"It's real, you know," Tai said, reaching for the picture.
Nexus Shade flinched. Hot tears stung the corners of his eyes. His mom's smile was the last thing he saw as he rushed out the door, running from the man trapped in a sunny little meadow.
His father did not deserve to smile like that.
Author's Notes:
You wouldn't believe it if I told you why this update took too long to come out was because my confidence as a writer's been shot in the head these past few months. I know, I know. Hard to believe.
Anyways, quick status update. I'll be updating my fics on a semi-consistent basis now that I'm back in gear. I've written about ten chapters of Artificer ahead, which involves going to Atlas with the team. The reason why Guardians of the Unknowing hasn't received an update in months is that I've been side-tracked writing another side-fic. It's on a franchise with Dragon and Age in its name. It's almost a direct sequel to Guardians of the Unknowing. It's also a Fantasy/Romance fic entitled Today I Saw The Whole World, featuring a female OC who's hopefully on par with Nex or even better when it comes to nuance and depth. Fun. I'll probably finish going through Origins first (and publish it) before I come back to writing Artificer's Act 2.