This one was a fan-submitted story that intrigued me, so it will be the first I write. Big thanks to Nuclear Waffle for the idea! Keep a lookout if you submitted a story and it might just be published here!
Also happy birthday to me! Here's my gift to you!
XOXOXO
CoffeyJoe
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The Blackwater Gospel:
Noticing a discrepancy in the Grimm's behavior, Ozpin sends out a few of his most trusted huntsman to research and scout the are, as the chance it could be "her" is dangerous. However, instead, the team finds only a small, wooded town where the denizens couldn't be happier, where they worship their "god" and pray to him every day. All signs point to a malicious entity or person harbored in the town, but perhaps that couldn't be further from the truth.
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"Ozpin, is this...?" A rugged, and ragged, man asked looking down at the data.
"I'm afraid so, the Grimm in this area have been acting strange." The wizened old man nodded, hands interlocked. "I am concerned as to the nature of this behavior, so I have asked you to conduct a search."
"Looks to me like it might be a Grimm migration." the black-haired man grumbled.
"At first, I did as well. But the various species aren't moving in tandem, and they aren't moving one direction. Instead, it appears as though they have all scattered from this one area, as if they were repelled back." The headmaster noted, shuffling a few extra papers.
"What's so special about this location?" the man asked, narrowing his eyes at a few of the pictures.
"Nothing of historical or magical sense, but there seems to be a small town known as Blackwater in the center of this strange behavior." Headmaster Ozpin sighed, feeling too old for this job. "Qrow, I've put together a small unit to investigate this and I want you to lead it."
That caught his attention, Qrow raised a sharp gaze at the headmaster. "Ar you sure that's smart? My semblance is, well, kinda shit at group projects, if this is the Queen we don't need to lose any more huntsman than necessary."
"I've thought about that, but this doesn't feel like the Queen's influence. There is literally nothing of importance there, even the town itself has never been the cause of anything even remotely interesting. It's a frontier settlement and nothing more, but the Grimm's willingness to run away puts it as an oddity."
Qrow sighed, thinking of memories long past. "And my team...? Who are they?"
Headmaster smiled slightly, nodding to his trusted companion. "Only people I trust. With the school year not yet beginning, I was able to conscript Port and Oobleck for this assignment."
"Port and Oobleck?" Qrow asked skeptically, he would never deny their merits as a huntsman but for this...
"Oobleck is one of the most brilliant mines in Grimm behavior and history, and Port, although he may not always act it, is an adept huntsman specializing in tracking." Ozpin reasoned.
"Is that it?"
"Yes, I would like you three to ship out immediately..."
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Near Blackwater...
"Keep close, we have no idea what we can expect." Qrow murmured to his companions, both the older teachers nodding resolutely.
The three expert huntsmen approached the town's gate and took in the site. By all means it looked like an average town, a small wall of wooden spikes acting as a barrier to the outside world and two bored looking guards standing at the gate. A large sign hung over the entrance gate reading "Welcome to Blackwater" and below it a sign read "Population: 358" with the number being scribbled out to say "351".
Sending a quiet glance to his companions, Qrow crept silently around the wall and turned into his crow form. With a short caw he flew overhead and landed on one of the buildings in the town center. Instead of finding the townsfolk massacred or turned into Grimm, he found a bunch of normal people going about their daily business, shopkeeps sold wares and the old women of the town gossiped. All in all, Blackwater was an average town.
However, Qrow did notice a single glaring thing. All over the square, on doors, made out of glass, and even sewn into some of the clothing, was a symbol; a single, yellow crescent moon. Cocking his avian head around, Qrow took in the fact that everything had at least one symbol of it on the outside, and he guessed there would be even more on the inside.
A religion perhaps? It would make sense, in his travels Qrow often found varying religions in frontier settlements, stories and parables to help people get through trying times and stave off the Grimm. Still, if this was indeed a religion, these might've been the most pious folk he had ever stumbled upon. Despite that, they didn't seem to be in any danger nor did they radiate anything dangerous to Qrow's senses.
If anything, they seemed happy. Happy just going about their daily chores, happy with chatting with friends, happy being kids and running around playing huntsman, etc etc. There was nothing evil, and nothing radiated a sense of impending doom, but then something else curious happened. What appeared to be megaphones attached to large wooden poles all around time gave off a whine of feedback before something began to chime through them.
Music.
It was music, piano music to be specific. And at once, as a unit, the bustling people stopped their movement as men took off their hats, older women bowed their heads, and some folk dropped to their knees in religious fervor. The crowds around him whispered prayers to themselves, some smiling brightly as if all their worries had up and disappeared.
And then, the singing started.
"Led through the mist, by the milk-light of the moon, all that is lost, is revealed." A voice crooned over the speakers. A young one speaking in dulcet tones and belonging to what Qrow most likely thought was a young man.
"Our long bygone burdens, mere echoes of the spring, but where have we come? And where shall we end?" Qrow saw a woman began crying in an emotional mess, wiping her tears and bowing her head again.
"If dreams can't come true, then why not pretend? How the gentle wind, beckons through the leaves as Autumn colors Fall." the singing stopped and was replaced by a sweet and melancholic piano solo.
A grizzled man down below let a single, silent tear fall. Mothers and fathers brought their kids close as they hummed to the tune.
"How the gentle breeze, beckons through the leaves. As Autumn, colors Fall. Dancing in a swirl of golden memories, the loveliest lies of all, the loveliest lies of all." the voice began to whistle for a moment before continuing.
"Dancing in a swirl of golden memories, the loveliest lies of all." the song closed to a somber finish as a few more townsfolk let out some choked cries. Qrow sat perplexed, perched on the top of a house.
Ok, scratch "most pious folk" and replace it with "fervent cultists". The crowds began to move again, going about their daily business once more as normalcy returned to the town once again. Qrow picked up some snippets of conversation from the bustling people below that made him frown, or at least would have if he were able to.
"Our lord truly is a most beautiful man." he heard one woman sigh dreamily.
"How many other folk can say that heard the force of God like that?" one older man bragged to his friend who agreed.
"By the lord, he truly is a most benevolent god." an old woman crooned to her friends as she knit.
Gods? Lords? These people seemed a few bullets short of a full clip if you asked Qrow, but still, this was troubling to say the least. Ozpin might've been right, this didn't seem like the influence of her, but whatever was happening it couldn't be good. The best he could theorize was that someone was controlling the people in the town, distorting their views to crown himself their new god.
A huntsman, or some other individual who decided to have a town all to themselves. Qrow took off into the air to report back to his teammates who stood crouched the brush outside of town.
"Did you two get any of that?" Qrow asked, transforming back into a man.
"Aye, not all of it but we heard the music and the gate guards dropped to their knees." Port said, frowning deeply and staring into the town. "Did you catch anything?"
"Besides a bunch of happy, healthy townsfolk not at all." Qrow mumbled, casting a glance back towards the town. "I'm afraid we'll have to infiltrate the town ourselves."
"Hmm, that could cause problems if we simply burst into the town guns blazing. The individuals in the town don't seem to be acting of their own doing, or at least not fully." Oobleck surmised, rubbing his chin. "And yet, this doesn't quite explain the strange Grimm behavior. A side effect of what's happening to the town perhaps?"
"No, doesn't feel like it. I can't imagine the Grimm dropping to their knees and praying all of the sudden." Qrow said, furrowing a brow in thought.
"Hmm, tell me, Qrow, what did the people seem like to you? Were they happy?" Oobleck asked, forming a theory.
"Hell yeah, they only seemed to grow happier when the music starting playing, why?" He asked, leaning against a tree.
"Well, it's just a theory, but Grimm are, on average, attracted to places where there is extreme negativity and avoid places where there is extreme positivity. Perhaps the overall combined happiness of the town is simply pushing the Grimm away, as the Grimm aren't likely to want to spend time around a single epicenter of happiness." he finished, taking a sip from his thermos.
Qrow supposed that made sense, the Grimm were simply leaving to find greener pastures so to speak. Still, this required a more thorough investigation into the identity of whatever is causing this.
"Port, head back to camp and contact Ozpin with what we found. Oobleck, you and I will infiltrate the town and find whatever is causing this." The two other huntsman nodded and Port took off towards their camp.
"How do we go about doing this?" Oobleck asked, eyeing the front gate. "I don't imagine we'll simply waltz through the front door?"
"I'll scout around for a moment, cover me." Qrow transformed and took to the air, circling along the walls several times before returning.
"Along the southern wall their is a small gap you can fit through." Qrow reported. "I'll meet you there."
When Oobleck arrived and quietly jammed himself through the gap, Qrow was there waiting for him laid flat against a building. The two peered around the corner to find the people still going about their business as if nothing had happened, more of the strange symbols being visible inside the windows of the various houses dotted around.
"This is strange." Oobleck murmured to which Qrow silently agreed, strange was indeed a word for it.
The two snuck around the alleys and back spaces of the village, avoiding the notice of the locals as they did so. Qrow narrowed his eyes in search of something, somewhere where that voice could be originating from. The most obvious answer was the small church on the western end of the village, but that seemed unlikely with how it seemed to have been ransacked and boarded up.
That left what must have been the town's local government building, a three story converted mansion of place on the opposite end of the village. Nodding to himself, Qrow silently motioned towards the large building and Oobleck followed his lead. The two continued to skip around the houses, narrowly avoiding passing townsfolk, before they were only a couple of streets away.
Qrow could make out a shiny plaque of the front of the building from the alleyway they were in but was unable to read it. The building itself seemed to be the most heavily guarded place in the entire town, with militia standing at every visible point on the property. Qrow began formulating a plan on how to get to the mansion before the loudspeakers whined above him.
There was a sound of man tussling with some equipment slightly before he cleared his throat.
"Citizens, it is time to say our daily prayer." the voice said solemnly. Qrow noted that it was drastically different from the singing voice from before, this one sounding like it belonged to a heavily accented man.
Like with the music, all the townsfolk bowed their heads and took off their caps. All motion grinded to a halt as the entire population stood still in a silent prayer, the voice was silent for a moment before it started again.
"Citizens, we lucky few must never forget that our gracious lord has gifted us with his presence. We holy disciples must act as our Lord's protectors, nurturers, and advisers as he expands into the new world."
"Our Lord's words must never be doubted, save for in the course of protecting him. Citizens, I have come to a revelation in my dreams, our good Lord requires a new heir to his glorious name. He must spread his seed to the holy maiden, and she will be gifted with the child of light." as much as a ladies man as he was, Qrow couldn't help but cringe at that which nearly turned into a full tremor as he saw more than a few "holy maidens" looking quite eager for the job.
"Soon, our Lord will mature and he will guide mankind into the next golden age. He alone has the power to drive back the unholy tide of monsters, and restore this world to its rightful owners. We must give thanks for our Lord god for blessing us with his divine presence, and we must never stray from our righteous path."
"There will be dissenters, there will be false shepherds and lies told around every corner. Citizens, we must not succumb to the temptation of these lies, no, we must cut away the poison from the world, both Grimm and human. At times, it will almost seem cruel, it will seem impossible but we must remember, dear citizens, that no soul cannot be redeemed in his light. Those slain by his righteous hand and his righteous flock, will find a new life in serving him in the great beyond, we are the one true path citizens."
There was a collective "Amen" from the entirety of the crowd. Seeing an opportunity, as everyone bowed down in prayer, Qrow motioned for Oobleck to follow him in as they crossed the street moving from mailbox to pillars and even behind signs. The voice continued to drone on and on about prayers or something followed by frequent amens. As Qrow and Oobleck neared the large mansion Qrow spied a single opening in the attic of the house.
"Oobleck," he whispered motioning towards the opening. "I'm going in, meet up with Peter again and call in a bullhead for evac."
"Are you sure? If you get caught in there you won't be able to get out." Oobleck whispered harshly, thermos in hand.
Qrow gave a wry smile. "That would be just my luck wouldn't it?"
And with that he transformed and flew high into the air before diving down into the small hole. Inside was, well, an attic complete with dusty blankets draped over even dustier furniture. The air was warm and stuffy, molecules of dust visible in the fading sunlight. Slowly, and with expert caution, Qrow traversed the old floorboards careful not to make a sound. He stood over a single trap door at the end of the attic, pressing an ear against it and focusing his aura told him that either no one was in the hall or they weren't moving.
Carefully, Qrow opened the door and peered around slightly. With a sigh of relief at it being empty, Qrow dropped down onto the shag carpeting to reveal an old, yet luxurious, hallway. If this so-called god was anywhere, it had to be here. Venturing down the hallway, Qrow picked up the sounds of a conversation just outside a nearby room.
"So, you talk to him lately?" one voice asked.
"Nah, the high priest doesn't want anyone to go see him. Says that our lord is having some difficult times, I don't blame him either. I mean, the poor guy has to psyche himself up to be a father, and trust me, that ain't no easy thing." another said in an accent.
"What, you think he can't handle it?" the first voice asked, sounding slightly indignant.
"Nah, of course he can he's the god. But hey, parenting ain't easy for nobody, god or not."
"Yeah, I guess you got a point there. So, you thinking of trying to set him up with one of your daughters?"
"Who, Olive? I don't know, the girl gets so shy I don't want to embarrass her or the lord with it. I mean, I love her but I think there's better people to go chasing after."
"Hehe, true that."
Qrow shook his head, continuing down the hallway before he came upon a grandiose set of stairs. Silently creeping down, Qrow took notice of the fact that this building seemed more like a converted house than anything. From the stairs he could see the entryway to a kitchen and another door beside that, weighing his options and hearing some footsteps from the kitchen Qrow opted for the door.
He crept silently along the mahogany wood floor, keeping his senses working overtime to alert him of any danger. Oobleck was right, it'd be bad if he got caught in the middle of the town by these people. Laying flat against a wall, Qrow peered into the kitchen where what appeared to be a few guardsmen on their break sat chatting around a table. Qrow slowly reached for the knob to the door and felt it open with a soft click!
The door lead down a flight of stairs into what must've been a basement and, sensing someone's approach, crept down the stairs and into another dank, dreary hallway. This one being unlike the lavished ones from before, instead being made of soulless concrete and ending with a massive steel door. Seven different locks were bolted to the damn thing which only made it more imposing.
"But why are..." Qrow trailed off, if there was someone important in there why keep the locks on the outside? Perhaps this wasn't where their "God" was, but instead this was some kind of holding cell.
Shaking his head and going to look over the locks, Qrow noticed only one of them required an actual key with the rest being able to be opened on their own. Kneeling down and fishing out his lockpicking set, he was raised in a family of bandits, and began to work the lock. It took a few moments but eventually it opened with a satisfying click and the professional huntsman slowly slid the door open, sword in hand.
Inside was a complete difference to the hallway, with a room furnished in expensive furniture and lovely paintings. A large bed was tucked into one corner and a grand piano in the other one. But, in the center, on a chair near a roaring fireplace, sat a young man reading a book. He didn't seem to take heed of Qrow's entry and didn't even spare a glance before sighing.
"Brought me a bride have you?" he asked in a sort of disappointed yet resigned way.
"No, I haven't." Qrow replied gruffly, and that made the man stop and perk up.
The boy turned his head to reveal a young, blonde face. Absently, Qrow was almost reminded of a young Tai before the young man in front of him got up slowly as if he was trying to comprehend what he was seeing.
"You- You're not one of them are you?" he asked with disbelief and wonderment.
"Ugh, no. So, you must be this god I've heard so much about." this time the kid actually barked out a laugh that seemed both bitter and amused.
"Sir, I am no such thing. I am not a god nor lord of anything, these people are just nuts!" he responded with a giddy laugh. "But you, you must be a huntsman!"
"Y-Yes I am, I've been sent to investigate this place." Qrow responded warily, this kid could be pulling a trap.
"Oh thank the gods I've been saved!" the boy said, throwing his hands into the air. "Sir, you must get me out of here these people are crazy! They think I'm some kind of reincarnated god or something and they won't let me leave until I've "matured" whatever that means."
"You mean to tell me that everything out there isn't your fault?" Qrow asked in disbelief, the boy's smile faltered and died.
"Well, not entirely. My semblance, I discovered it months ago, almost a year now, it's a sort of subtle mental manipulation. From what I've seen my semblance slowly alters the perspective of people around me in a way that makes them delusional." he said, scratching the back of his head. "I-I didn't know what to do so I just played along until... well until things took a turn for the worst and I tried to run."
"You ran?"
"Tried to at least, they caught me twice before they just locked me up down here. For my own safety they called it." The boy snorted in disgust. "My name's Jaune by the way, Jaune Arc."
"Qrow Branwen." The elder huntsman rumbled, turning his attention back to the door. "Don't suppose you know another way out of here do you?"
Jaune shook his head. "No, one way in and one way out."
Qrow muttered a curse, that certainly made things more difficult. The grizzled veteran peeked outside the steel door and saw the faint outline of someone's shoes clunking down the old steps. Muttering another curse Qrow shut the door and quietly as possible before turning to the young man.
"Someone's coming, I'll lay down a trap just act casual." Jaune looked unsure of his plan but this was no time for arguments.
Qrow laid down behind an antique chair and subtly peeked out, he heard the quiet murmurs of a confused person before the door was slung open violently.
"My lord!" an middle-aged man dressed in a white robe cried, launching himself in with a frantic expression.
"It's fine High Priest, I'm ok." Jaune soothed rather robotically, as if he'd been through the motions.
"Oh thank your grace, but how did this happen? The defenses on your door have become unlocked!" The High Priest said, still a little frantic.
"I believe I heard someone earlier attempting to unlatch the locks, but I did not dare to venture out to see if it was safe." Jaune explained, rolling with the plan as best as possible.
"As you should have your grace, your flock would be distraught without your guidance!" The strange man wailed in abject horror at the prospect.
"I am fine Bylun, you may return to your work." Jaune calmed him down with a hand.
"Of course your grace, I was merely here to congratulate you on that mesmerizing piece earlier. Your flock eagerly listened in and prayed with such fervor I must have the audacity to ask if you would do it again soon." Bylun said, now much more calm, as he bowed slightly.
"Of course Bylun." Jaune answered and that was the moment Qrow struck.
As the priest's eyes closed in reverence Qrow dashed out from his corner and struck the man behind his head. Bylun sagged and fell to the floor in a heap, completely knocked out.
"D-Did you really need to...?" Jaune trailed off with a gulp before shaking his head. "No, he had it coming."
Qrow chose to ignore the darkness in the boy's words for now as he grabbed him by the hand and lead them through the corridor back to the stairs leading to the first floor. Qrow peered outside a small sliver of the open door to check for guards and, seeing none, motioned for Jaune to follow him quickly and quietly. The two crept out of the basement door and moved along the wall, keeping close to eachother.
They made it to the side door of the house and Qrow took a moment to once again peer outside. Nothing visible, a bored-looking guard here and there but nothing of importance. Qrow nodded and opened the door, his divine charge behind him, before he heard something that made his blood run cold.
"Who are you?"
A surly voiced asked from his side. Turning his head, Qrow saw a 30 something year old man aiming the barrel of a rifle at the huntsman's head, the expression on the guard's face critical and suspicious. The man's faced then changed into a flurry of awe, wonderment, worry, and even a hint of anger.
"M-My lord," the man began, fumbling as he internally debated dropping to a knee and going over to guard his lord. "I did not know it was you, but the high priest-"
"Bylun already knows Faraj, do not trouble yourself with it. Return to your post, tell the High Priest I have absolved you of your sins." Jaune commanded in a firm, yet gentle voice. Qrow was surprised at the tone, but found himself remembering that this kid was their reincarnated god or something.
"O-Of course your holiness, I live to serve you." The man bowed deeply before turning around and leaving.
"Sweet jumpin shit kid, you got some pull around here." Qrow commented idly.
"God remember? Let's keep going." Jaune replied curtly, dragging Qrow along with him.
The two had made it halfway to the village before the loudspeakers whined to a start again. The people, though confused and slightly troubled, began to remove hats and begin their praying stances before they were cut short.
"My glorious fellow citizens, the worst has come to pass!" A familiar voice, Bylun, wailed painfully. "A false shepherd has infiltrated our town and he- he- he has taken the good lord!"
The voice devolved into a painful sob for a moment as other followed suit. Men, women, and children began to comprehend the words and had begun to cry and wail in agony, other, however, set their faces in stone and already moved to grab suitable weapons. It was only a moment before the High Priest collected himself and cleared his throat.
"Citizens, we cannot let our god be captured by these barbaric heathens. Assemble yourselves and follow me as we take back our god into the safety of our town, we will not falter in this divine test that the lord has given us!" The crowd roared in a collective anger, the type that brought the most bitter of enemies together for a cause.
To kill Qrow Branwen.
Qrow swore and grabbed the boy behind him before speeding off at his top pace. There wasn't much point in stealth when an entire town of people were looking for you, instead he opted to rush through the streets with a boy being whipped around in the wind behind him. It was only a moment before a voice shouted for them and hundreds surged forth to reclaim their holy icon.
"Dammit Bart where's my evac!" Qrow shouted, barely avoiding a pitchfork slung at his chest. "Sorry about this kid."
Jaune had no time to ask what he meant before he was slung forward as a sort of shield. Instantly the crowd gave wave and pointed their improvised weapons elsewhere, some screaming in horror. As they passed the crowd would roar again and give chase with twice the effort, Qrow was impressed at the fact they had been keeping up, even as a group, with a hunter of his caliber.
Then, as if my divine intervention ironically, Qrow heard the mighty whirring of a bullhead in front of him. The grey steel behemoth just over the gates as those inside defended against a staccato of gunfire from the gate guards. Qrow redoubled his efforts and charged forth with a speed propelled by his aura, behind him a single man tripped and caused an avalanche of people to fall over him.
The tidal wave of people behind them folded across eachother as each one lost their footing and gave the two needed space to continue. Qrow could make out Port firing a volley of shots to disperse the meager guardsman around the bullhead. Seeing an opportunity, Qrow gave a mighty leap, hugging the young man close, and sprung from the head of individual guards towards the bullhead.
"Hurry!" Port shouted, clipping a nearby guardsman who had aimed his sights on the huntsman.
Finally, with a mighty leap and a scream from Jaune, Qrow flew through the air and caught hold of the bullhead's floor. Port lifted him up with ease and brought Jaune aboard before yelling at the pilot to get out of here. Down below, Qrow could hear the mighty, and terrifying roar, of thousands of folk all yearning to get their god back into their loving arms. Looking towards Jaune, Qrow was displeased to find the young man looking sick to his stomach as he viewed down upon them with a mix of pity and fear.
Qrow closed the bullhead doors and sat the young man down on one of the nearby seats.
"So, anyone want to explain?" Port asked the two, Qrow sighing deeply as Jaune seemed to shake ever so slightly.
Qrow gave another sigh when it was obvious Jaune did not intend to speak. "The townsfolk looked up to Jaune, the kid, as their god due to his semblance, a sort of mental manipulation power. The people in Blackwater had been altered to believe he is their god, so they kept him locked away for almost a year now. I busted him out when I found him and hauled ass back to the bullhead."
Port frowned before trying to say something, and then simply frowned again. Oobleck sidled over to Jaune carefully, putting a reassuring hand onto one of his shoulders before asking him some questions.
"Ok young man, we're going to take you to Vale, to Beacon Academy. A hunter school." Oobleck started before offering up a small cup of his thermos's liquid. "I need you to explain what you can about your semblance."
Jaune took a tentative sip before nodding shakily. "I-I, my semblance- I mean, Qrow kinda got it pegged there. It passively influences people's perspective towards me, messing with their mind until they become nothing more than fanatics. I-I think it kind of spreads like a disease, infecting one person over time and having them spread their ideas and vision across a multitude of people."
"At first, I thought I had just gotten popular. The guy who used to bully me apologized, and offered to be my friend if I ever needed one, I was hesitant but accepted and soon we were like brothers. The girls around town began to notice me more, some vying for my attention at times even, and the adults around me praising me for everything." he sighed deeply, sipping his drink. "And then, Mayor Bylun went nuts one day, showing up at my house with a mob of people, screeching something about how he was unworthy for my grace."
"I had no clue what he was talking about, but I didn't want anyone to get hurt so I went outside to calm them down. Instead, it was like the second coming of god with people bowing, praying, crying, even some admitting their sins and it was... overwhelming. My dad grabbed me and took me inside, and I guess the townsfolk thought he was trying to hurt me and they... I- I mean they-"
Oobleck laid a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "That's enough for now, can you tell me anything about your semblance?"
"It- It works slowly, almost unnoticeable at first. But, it grows exponentially working itself into someone's brain at the deepest part, modifying their senses, concepts of reality, and thoughts. Then, that person begins to work outward, spreading ideas, seeds if you will, into other people's brains that then becomes a part of them. It spreads like a virus, but I think the initial infection is slow."
"So, even now we're-" Peter began, startled.
"Coming under my spell? Most likely." Jaune finished.
Qrow watched the whole scene unfold, biting his lip. He was unsure as to what to do with the kid, put him in a hunter school and they'd have a big, big problem on their hands soon enough. Give him to Jimmy and they'd likely dissect him or use him as a weapon, give him to Leo and he was bound to "disappear", and if they pass him off to Braith then things could get even worse.
Qrow picked up his scroll and dialed Ozpin, who answered on the second ring.
"Qrow, have you found the source of the strange behavior?"
"I have, and you'll never guess what it is..."