The prompt for this was "Right before the last battle RWBY has with Salem's forces, all the adult/parental influences are in the same bar sharing a drink."
The Grimm surged forwards. They were endless, a tide of black fur pouring from the crags and pools surrounding Salem's keep. There had to be thousands of Beowolves and Creeps, their bodies virtually indistinguishable in the roiling mass of darkness. Even the larger Grimm were beyond counting.
By the end of the day they would all be dead… or everyone else would.
Qrow looked out into the horde, Harbinger in his hand. Spread out around him was the full strength of Remnant, humans and Faunus by the hundreds ready to lay down their lives to defeat Salem. There were soldiers from all four kingdoms and Menagerie, but it was the Huntsmen who were expected to win the day.
Time seemed to slow down as Qrow charged towards the Grimm. He lowered his shoulders as he brought Harbinger back for the first swing. He pushed off with his right foot, and his cape billowed out behind him.
He knew he was going to die today.
The night before the final battle, one of the Vacuan soldiers had gotten a neon bar sign from gods-knew-where and hooked it up to a portable generator near the edge of the camp. Everyone who had alcohol had come together around there and proudly formed the first bar in Evernight. They sat on crates, rocks, or the ground, talking and laughing or just sitting and drinking. Many of them would be dead by tomorrow evening.
Qrow had stayed there most of the night, working his way through a bottle of whiskey. He would have liked more, but there were a lot of people around. Keeping an entire bottle to himself was already pushing it in terms of greed.
Tai, Bart, and Peter sat together and talked for hours. Their conversation and their laughter were always just at the edge of Qrow's awareness. They kept a seat open for him, but didn't actually ask him to join. Qrow was glad for that. He felt like spending his last night alone.
Qrow came down on his left foot. The Grimm were getting closer, but still each second dragged by.
Qrow swore he'd kill a thousand of them before he went down. More would be better. Maybe he'd do even more than that. Tyrian was still out there, and still out for Ruby's blood. If Qrow found the assassin, he'd kill him. If he survived that, he'd go after Salem next.
But wherever it came from, Qrow knew his end was coming.
He pushed off with his left foot.
There was a huge group of Faunus from Menagerie towards one side of the bar. The Belladonnas stayed there for most of the evening, but they also went around mingling with people the other kingdoms. No one gave them any shit. Here, on what might be the last day any of them lived, they were way past racism.
"Qrow," Ghira greeted when they passed by him. Qrow nodded in reply.
"I know we've said this before," began Kali. "But thank you for everything you've done."
Qrow shrugged. "I did what I could. The kids made the rest happen."
"You kept Blake alive in Atlas and Vacuo," Ghira replied. "That's more than I know how to repay."
Qrow met the Faunus chieftain's eyes. There was fear in them, for his daughter and for all of them. But Qrow knew that the Belladonnas had faith too.
"Stay alive out there," he said firmly. "People are going to need you after this is over, your daughter especially."
Ghira and Kali nodded. They moved on to speak with Tai after that. Before long they retired to their tent. Qrow didn't know if they were going to have sex or spend the whole night whispering to each other. He didn't know what couples did in situations like this. He barely knew what couples did at all.
He took another drink.
Qrow came down on his right foot.
He could see which Grimm he was going to reach first. A single Beowolf was slightly ahead of the horde and directly in front of him. Qrow began to swing Harbinger forward, aiming for the monster's throat.
He wondered how much Aura he could afford to lose early on. He needed to save it if he was going to fight for as long as he needed to, if he was going to kill Tyrian. But he could afford to take a few blows from the Grimm, couldn't he?
He pushed off with his right foot.
Qrow saw Weiss walk past the bar. Earlier, when her teammates had gone to spend time with their parents, Weiss just followed Ruby and stood off to the side. Her entire family had died or abandoned her.
Qrow thought about going over to talk to the girl. He should be looking out for her now that Winter was gone. He owed that to his… whatever they had been in the end.
But before he could collect himself enough to stand, Weiss ran off. A little ways into the camp, Qrow could see her meeting up with her teammates. The four of them continued on until the tents blocked his view of them.
He nodded and managed a small smile. She'd found a new family, and Ruby and Yang would be better at that than he ever could. The last thing Weiss needed was some old drunk trying to take the place of her sister.
Qrow took another drink.
Qrow came down on his left foot.
Harbinger was midway through its swing now, the blade nearing the Beowolf's throat. The Grimm on either side of it began to turn their heads towards Qrow. He knew he should think of how to dispatch them as well, but all he could focus on was the Beowolf right in front of him, his blade drawing ever closer to its neck.
Maybe the soldiers behind Qrow would cover him with their gunfire. Maybe they wouldn't. Maybe he'd start taking damage sooner than he'd planned.
He pushed off with his left foot.
It was close to midnight when Bart and Peter turned in. Tai split from them and sat down beside Qrow, who offered him the mostly empty whiskey bottle. He took a swig and handed it back.
The two men sat in silence for a while. By the time Tai finally spoke, they were the only two left.
"I don't know if I'm ready for tomorrow," he said distantly.
"No one does," Qrow answered, his words slurring.
It was another minute before either of them spoke again. But finally Qrow blurted out what he was thinking, not entirely meaning to.
"Everything good in my life is because of you."
Tai glanced over at his brother-in-law, surprise written all over his face.
"That's not true," he tried to counter, but Qrow spoke up again.
"Yes it is. I'd have spent four years at Beacon and never said a thing about myself if you'd let me."
"What about Summer?" asked Tai.
"She helped," Qrow admitted. "She was the first person I even wanted to talk to. But you were the one who didn't take no for an answer. I'm so glad you made me get to know her."
Tai chuckled. "You're welcome."
"And Raven was less of a bitch when she was with you," Qrow continued, not noticing how Tai's face fell. "We were better siblings then than we were any other time.
"And Yang and Ruby, they were the only people I ever just... loved… without any bullshit getting in the way." He sank his head into his hands. "I think I'd have kept fighting even without them, but I wouldn'ta done as well cause I wouldn't really have cared that much. I'd pro'bly be dead by now."
"You'd have done better than me," Tai answered somberly. "I don't know what my life would be without those two."
Qrow lifted the bottle of whiskey and finished it in one swig before continuing.
"I think I'm gonna die tomorrow."
Tai flinched when he heard that. He stared at his brother-in-law, but Qrow wouldn't meet his eyes.
"Why would you say that?" Tai asked.
"If we lose, we lose," Qrow began. "If we win… I've been fighting Salem a long time. I don't know what's left for me after that."
"Qrow, Yang and Ruby will," Tai answered. "They're going to come back and-"
"What if they don't?" Qrow interrupted, tears starting to pour from his eyes. What if they die like Summer, and Leo, and James, and Winter, and Glynda, and Raven? I don't think I can handle that. Maybe if there was more to do, but not now, not at the end. It's better if I just leave it all on the field."
"You think I'd be OK with it?" yelled Tai, standing up from his seat. "You think I'd be OK if one of them didn't come back? But I'm not just giving up! I plan on being around for them when this is over."
"Good," said Qrow, cutting Tai off before he could continue. "They're probably going to need you."
Tai snarled and punched Qrow in the face. The caped Hunstman fell off the crate he'd been sitting on and collapsed in a pile on the ground.
"Get up!" shouted Tai. Qrow didn't move. Tai snarled and stormed off.
Qrow stayed there on the ground for the rest of the night, barely even shifting to get more comfortable. At some point while he was still awake, Tai came back and said something else to him.
Qrow came down on his right foot.
What had Tai said to him? He'd been so drunk and so tired by that point he couldn't even remember.
Harbinger began to cut into the Beowolf's neck. It went through fur, skin, muscle, and bone, so slowly that Qrow could feel how each one was different. Blood poured from the wound. As that curtain of red flowed over Qrow's weapon, Tai's words came back to him in a flash.
"You know the thing about those heroes who sacrifice themselves so that the good guys win? They never get to find out if it worked. They die not knowing if the people they wanted to save live or die. Is that something you think you can handle?"
Time was suddenly moving very fast. Qrow finished hacking through the Beowolf in front of him and whirled around to behead the ones beside it. He flew forward and continued cutting through the Grimm, a blur of motion that left a trail of bodies dissolving into smoke behind him. He didn't stop for a second, slicing apart each creature before it could even think of striking at him. He didn't plan on letting any of them touch his Aura.
Qrow let out a scream as he fought. He poured everything he had into that scream, all of his fear, and grief, and anger, but his defiance as well. It was a wordless litany, and it said one thing in no uncertain terms.
Qrow Branwen was not dying today.