The sudden jump in Blake's celebrity caught her by surprise. Even only a few hours after her first match there were people who tried to call out to her during her nightly jog. Of course she ignored them and focused on her exercise, but when she got back to her apartment she was surprised to discover dozens of missed calls to her scroll from several complete strangers.
"How did they even get my number?" She huffed.
Rather than answer, Raven just settled into her usual spot on top of the couch armrest. "Turn on the tv." She demanded, unable to touch the buttons without Blake's help.
Blake did as asked before stepping into the shower to wash the sweat and grime of the day off. While she was under the shower head, blissfully closing her eyes and massaging the shampoo into her scalp, she faintly heard the sound of her phone going off again and over the running water. Even afterwards while she was using her hair dryer, she still heard her scroll ringing again and again.
When she stepped back into the living room, Raven had an annoyed edge in her voice as she demanded, "Turn that thing off if you don't plan to answer it."
When Blake quickly checked the long list of missed calls, the only one she recognised was from Geoffe. To be considerate to Raven, who was trying to watch tv, Blake stepped into her room and called him back.
"Hello." He quickly greeted her then hurried to ask, "Why haven't you been answering?"
"I didn't recognise any of the numbers, so I didn't answer."
"My brother, your sponsor, has been trying to reach you. His number ends in 3322. You need to call him back, or he might pull his money."
Blake cursed internally. Quickly she found the number in her call history that Geoffe mentioned and dialed it. Soon a man with a Valish accent answered.
"Miss Pie?"
"Speaking."
"Great. You know what I saw on the tv this afternoon?"
"The competition?"
"That, and I also saw a talented young athlete make her first big splash in the professional world. For a moment she actually managed to draw attention away from Pyrrha Nikos and Pumpkin Pete's, something pretty rare in that scene. And you know what I saw her do with that limelight?"
"...uh. No?"
"No comment." The man grunted. "Next time you're in front of a camera you say, 'Thank you to B.G.T. for giving me this fantastic opportunity.'" He pitched his voice up to sound more feminine, before adding in his normal tone, "We're paying you to promote us, not play camera shy, you understand?"
"...Right." Blake frowned, not liking his tone, but understanding his complaint. "Alright, got it."
"Good." The man breathed out. "Talk to Geoff in the morning, he'll feed you the lines if you ever get another chance."
"...Anything else?" Blake demanded, not quite able to keep the sourness from her voice.
"No, just smile for the cameras, sweetie."
The man hung up.
Scowling, Blake turned the device off before heading to bed for the night.
Blake had thought Russel was big for his age, and the boy certainly was, having shot up like a weed and begun to fill out early. At thirteen years old, there were few adults who could stand eye to eye with him, let alone other teenagers. By any sane standard, Russell was absolutely enormous.
And then there was Yatsuhashi.
It was one thing to see how tall the teen towered in the game footage, not quite filled out yet, but still wiry with well developing muscles. Now that she was facing him from across the arena, and she could see more than a foot of difference between the top of her head and his, she could only shake her head in disbelief.
"What do these people eat?" Blake muttered to Raven.
"Don't get intimidated. He's got reach and weight, but he's not quite used to his size yet, he's still growing."
Blake nodded.
"This won't be as easy as Russel was, he won't underestimate you now that he's seen your last match, but if you can unbalance him, you can win. He will be a little clumsy."
Their fight hadn't started yet. The live broadcast of the event had gone to commercial, and until it came back the two of them had to wait before assuming their starting positions. She waited in her corner until a producer with an earpiece waved at her, and she stepped out to stand just a few feet away from Yatsuhashi in the centre of the arena, holding her bokken at her hip in a familiar starting position, while he held his giant blade up, tilted upwards in preparation for a downward swing. His eyes were set in hard lines of concentration, steely calculations playing behind his gaze.
All around them the crowd cheered as the referee counted down to the start of the bout.
"-two, one, fight!"
It was impossible to tell who moved first, so to the audience's eyes it looked as if both fighters had moved at once to take a synchronised step backwards.
Yatsuhashi had seen the footage from yesterday's fight, and unlike Russel, he had taken the time to research his opponent even before that. In his mind, Magdalene's wooden swords were a trick. Such flimsy things were only there to bait unsuspecting fighters into overextending against her, thinking to destroy her weapons with a big blow. Normally it would be an effective tactic, but it seemed like she had counted on that, and so had prepared a powerful counter.
By not making the large strike, Yatsuhashi thought to put distance between them, where he could use his longer reach to keep her at bay, while looking for a good chance.
Blake on the other hand, was simply being cautious. Yesterday, Russel Thrush had telegraphed his intentions from the split second he laid eyes on her, sneering contemptuously and stretching his shoulders eagerly. In stark contrast, Yatsuhashi had watched her cautiously, face set in impassive lines. Unsure of what he was thinking, Blake chose to be cautious and keep out of reach of the boy's long blade.
To the crowd and the viewers at home, it was something of a disappointment. Everyone who had seen Magdalene's fight yesterday had been hoping for a reprise of her incredible opener to the tournament.
Among them was Yang, who let out the disappointed breath she was holding with a mutter of, "Lame."
By contrast her father, who watched interestedly, nodded his head with approval. "Right move."
"I don't like her." Ruby frowned. "What's with the wooden sword? It's like she's making fun of everyone else."
Tai shook his head. "It's probably part of a strategy… I mean that, or…" He trailed off as he stared at the screen. He and the rest of his family soon forgot the conversation entirely as they got wrapped up in what proved to be quite a long and drawn out fight.
Magdalene charged at her foe, except now there were two of her moving with perfect synchronization. Acting quickly, Yatsuhashi swung his sword in a wide arc that would catch both Magdalenes. One continued forward, blindly getting cut in half and the other ducked, sliding under the heavy blow to swing her wooden sword at her foe's legs. Rather than trip up her opponent like she hoped, Yatsuhashi simply leaned forward, his aura flaring to protect him and the sword shattered to splinters on his shin. With his big hand he simply grabbed her by the neck and lifted her bodily from the ground. Magdalene struggled for a moment, flaring her aura to stop him crushing her neck while jabbing at his wrist with the jagged hilt of her weapon. In response, Yatushashi calmly sheathed his sword with his free hand, before grabbing the girl's weapon arm and pulling it away.
It was a difficult situation for any fighter to be in. A stronger opponent didn't have to concern themselves with finesse and speed if they could simply pin their opponent. Suspended from the ground, and unable to draw a new weapon from her back without unzipping it first, it seemed like this would be the end of Magdalene's tournament run, her aura slowly depleted by the vicious chokehold.
Except suddenly Magdalene twisted, raising her legs and wrapping them around Yatsuhashi's arm, and swinging the entire bag of sword around as a crude blunt weapon to smack into her opponent's face. Yatsuhashi's head snapped back, though he was determined to hold Magdalene where she was, but in the moment his vision was blocked and she twisted in the opposite direction, shifting her balance in the direction he was leaning and unbalancing him. Tall, lanky Yatsuhashi was almost thrown off his feet entirely, and had to put an arm out to stop himself from falling. It was only after he did so that he realised the arm he used was the one he'd held Blake's weapon arm with, and he looked back towards her just in time to see a new wooden blade headed straight for his unprotected face.
The members of the household crowded around the television all reacted differently. Ruby gasped and covered her mouth, while Yang shrieked with excitement. Tai merely winced with sympathy as blood sprayed from the poor boy's nose. He went down to the sound of the crowd's collective gasp, and the referee immediately put a pause to the match.
"Ooooh, you just hate to see that!" One of the commentators on the match commented. "That looks like a broken nose to me."
It wasn't long at all until the ringside doctor called an end to the bout. A dizzy looking Yatsuhashi was helped out of the ring, while Magdalene was declared the winner. The camera zoomed in to catch the girl's face, who had a look of suppressed satisfaction at the outcome. The feed cut to a different camera, focussed on the ringside commentator reporter, who rushed forward to shove a microphone in the girl's.
"Hi! Congratulations on your win. Any comment on the bout?"
Magdalene scowled, looking like she was about to shove them away, when she hesitated and sighed. With obvious reluctance she leaned forward and said into the microphone in a monotone manner, "This victory wouldn't be possible without the help of my sponsor, B.R.T. It's a restaurant with a bar, and they play tournaments. Like this one. You could be watching this from the comfort of one right now, with a rib eye steak and an ice cold beer."
The delivery was so sullen, so stilted that Tai and Yang both burst into giggles, while Ruby just looked at them confused, not quite getting the joke.
Without giving the reporter a chance to ask another question, and cheeks burning red with embarrassment, Magdalene fled the arena.
Downtown Mistral was very different depending on the time of the year. Every year winter came, and the frigid air drove the rich to warmer climates and heated homes, but for the poor who couldn't make that choice, it drove them to big gatherings. At this moment in the middle of autumn and with the frosts just around the corner, the streets were abuzz with people rushing about in last minute preparations for the snows. That suited Qrow Branwen just fine, as he picked his way through the muddy alleyways and avoided the dense crowds.
The morning had been wasted. Completely. Just like yesterday afternoon, and that morning for that matter. And the evening before it, and really the entire time he'd been stuck here in Mistral. Qrow didn't mind working hard, any holes he wore in his boots were a tax write off, but he hated work wasted. All day, each and every day he'd been going through his long, long, list of contacts, including the ones others would disapprove of to see if anyone had heard anything about Atlas Mechs. Some people had noticed the disappearance of the Branwen's, but not even a single one of Ironwood's overpriced renta cops had been seen. Not by any of his friends in the police, not by any of the weapon dealers he schmoozed with -legal or otherwise- and none of his ex hunter friends had even heard anything about them. Qrow had gone as far as to check with mechanics and even scrap yards just to see if maybe a damaged bot had been sold, but no luck there either.
Whoever had done this to the Branwen's had planned it out carefully, and left all but no trace. If it hadn't been for the giant pile of old bodies Lionheart had shown him, Qrow wouldn't have believed anything had happened at all.
At least Raven hadn't turned up yet.
Actually, scratch that. He wished Raven would turn up. He didn't look forward to seeing his sister at the best of times, but nothing would solve this mystery quicker than her just portaling to his location.
With his list of potential contacts growing shorter and shorter, Qrow resolved to visit one of the last people he ever wanted to meet again. He found the place quite easily. Downtown, the two story bar with the curtain covering the entrance. It was almost as cold inside as it was outside. Same as last time.
Just inside the door he was greeted by two burly men, scarred and mean. They didn't scare Qrow even a little bit. Street toughs like these were a dime a dozen, and dealt with easily.
"Malachite in?"
"Lil' Miss Malachite." The one on the left corrected with a growl.
"Lil." The other affirmed with a thick Mistralian accent, his L rolled nearly like an R.
"Yeah, 'Lil.'" Qrow agreed. "I'm here to buy information."
"Cash?"
Qrow showed him the wad of bills, but didn't actually hand it over when he reached for it.
The guard scowled at him before heading deeper into the building to see if the meeting could be arranged.
Qrow didn't have to wait long, which was good given the tense silence from the other guard and the chill in the air that was literal and figurative at the same time. The word came back that 'Lil' Miss Malachite would see him in her office, and Qrow walked away without even a second glance at the two.
The door to her office was open when he stepped inside, and warm from the thermostat glowing orange in the corner. There was a desk that Malachite sat behind, an old worn thing with names scratched into it, and a single uncomfortable stool for people to sit at, taken straight from the bar. In one corner of the room was a small screen, showing live footage of the Mistral Games. Sports wasn't Qrow's thing, never had been. He wouldn't even know who Pyrrha Nikos was if it wasn't for that sickeningly catchy Pumpkin Pete's jingle.
"Well, well, well." Malachite grinned up at him. "Ozpin's bell boy, all the way down here."
"Yeah, all the way." Qrow grunted, opting to lean against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Getting desperate?" She smirked.
Her games were frustrating and he had no time for them. "You have something?"
"I might. What are you looking for?"
"Atlas tech. Somebody moved a massive number of bots through this hemisphere recently and I'm looking for them."
"Hmm…" Malachite tapped her chin. "Huh. Well if that's what you want, sorry. Must have been one of the other cities. Argus has a big port, you might want to check in there."
"Great. Thanks for the tip." Qrow scowled with disgust and he turned to leave.
"You might not want to go so fast, though. I have something else that you want." He glanced back at her, seeing the grin turn up her cheeks at his gaze. "It's about your sister."
He stared at her for a long moment, before taking out his cash and putting it on the desk. "You know something about Raven?"
"Not directly." Malachite admitted. "But a girl calling herself Raven's apprentice just came through here the other day." She reached forward to deftly pluck up the bundle of cash and tuck it under her collar. "I figure if you're looking for whoever bagged the Branwen's, the last known associate of your sister might be a good place to start."
She wasn't wrong about that. "Who?" Qrow demanded.
Malachite pointed a finger at the screen. "Her."
Turning his head, Qrow regarded the ongoing fight. Two girls in their early teens traded blows in front of a crowded arena, one in black the other in purple. At first he was going to ask which, when he saw the girl in black slash out with a long wooden sword in a perfect Iajutsu draw right under her foe's block and straight into her unprotected ribs. The move was so achingly familiar that the question died on his lips, and he had to stop himself from reaching for his side.
"The one in the black." Malachite answered, though he didn't need to ask. "Magdalene Pie."
...Magpie? Qrow snorted. That name was either a pseudonym or one hell of a coincidence.
With payment made, he left Malachite's office quickly. Not only was this the strongest lead Qrow had found in Mistral, it was the only one. There was no way he was going to let it slip away. Qrow stepped into a back alley, and a black bird flew out, winging its way away to the crowded stadium.
Compared to the previous fighters Blake had faced in the tournament, Porpura was different. She was faster, more vicious. Several times Blake had landed what felt like solid blows on the girl's body, and on each occasion the girl had grit her teeth through the pain and kept going. The research Blake and Raven had done revealed that the girl had been the runner up to Pyrrha last year and the year before, desperately fighting her way to a distant second both times.
This year that same desperation was present, as Porpura attacked relentlessly, spear spinning and its violet tassel flowing behind it in an endless series of attacks. Her jaw was set in frustration, and her lips were pulled back in an angry snarl.
Before the fight had started, Raven had offered Blake very simple advice. "Let her do the hard work, and wait to make a good counter attack."
The girl's semblance was an unusual one, a breath attack. She would open her mouth and unleash a lungful of lingering purple smoke into her foe's face, blinding them and choking their airways. It was searingly hot and smelled of cloying incense. No doubt it wouldn't be too effective against creatures of grimm, but against a person it was fairly potent. When Raven and Blake reviewed the previous years fight tapes, they saw that Pyrrha had dealt with the attack by either blocking it with her shield, or suddenly hitting Porpura in the chin, forcing her mouth shut and nearly causing the girl to bite her tongue off.
For Blake, her counter was a simple one. Her clones were weak, unable to stand up to any serious attack, but against smoke? A false version of Blake unblinkingly took the entire faceful of smog, while the real Blake simply ducked away, totally unharmed.
Porpura growled in frustration and charged, dispersing both their aura constructs and whipping out a wide attack. Blake deflected it upwards with her wooden sword, and took another careful step back, giving ground. The body blow she had inflicted on Porpura earlier in the match was clearly having an effect as the girl winced faintly, trying to bring her spear down to a defensive position. Not only that, but Porpura was clearly tiring, her chest heaving and her breaths short.
It was exactly as Raven had predicted. Blake's foe had indeed done the hard work.
Suddenly Blake surged forward, and Popura instinctively raised her spear to deflect, only to realise it was just a clone making a faint. The real Blake cut through her double, landing another hard hit on Porpura's ribs, and by the time the spear was in place to block that one, Blake was striking again at a different place. Exhaustion slowed that spear again and again, as Blake landed blow after blow on her opponent's torso, all stopped by Aura and only leaving small bruises, and everyone making it just that little bit harder to block the next.
Porpura desperately lashed out, swinging her spear in a broad arc that she had to realise was a mistake the moment she did, as it merely dispersed another one of Blake's clones and exposed her to more attacks. Again and again, Blake worked the body as the poor girl struggled to breath or find respite until on a poor step backwards she stumbled and fell onto her backside, throwing up her arm to protect her body instinctively. It worked, the wooden sword only hit her aura protected wrist, but at that moment a buzzer sounded.
Blake looked across and saw that the referee had thrown up his hands. "This fighter's aura is now in the red! Pie is the winner!"
Letting out a breath of relief, Blake lowered her wooden sword, and the familiar weight or Raven settled on her shoulder. She tucked the weapon under her arm before reaching forward to offer a hand to the defeated fighter.
For a second, Porpura stared at her outstretched hand, before tears welled in her eyes and she turned, scrambling to her feet to run from the arena.
Somehow Blake felt guilty. Looking up at the aura measurements painted quite an unfair story. During the fight, Porpura and Blake had exchanged a fairly even number of blows, but the difference was in their reserves. Boosted by Raven's massive Aura, Porpura had barely shaved off a quarter of Blake's reserve, where her own had been totally decimated. Somehow Blake couldn't help but feel it really hadn't been a fair fight at all.
She flinched as Raven's wing smacked her ear. "None of that. You're doing this for the money, and nothing else, remember?"
Wondering how she knew her thoughts so well, Blake shot the ghost a surprised look.
"I can easily read the emotions of a teenager." Raven scoffed in answer. "Now focus. The cameras are coming."
Indeed they were.
Blake managed to fight her way out of the arena eventually, stumbling through the lines BRT's marketing department had texted her, and doing her best to smile for the audiences at home. When she finally made it backstage to the locker room, she hurriedly showered and got changed before rushing out of the arena and towards her small home. The cold gloomy day was not like anything she was used to in tropical Menagerie, and she shoved her hands into her coat pockets with a shiver.
She hurried across the streets, only pausing occasionally to let cars pass until she suddenly heard a voice in her ear. "Don't look now, but you're being followed."
The hair on the back of Blake's neck stood up, hidden by her hood. Very carefully not turning her head, she asked, "Is it the White Fang?"
"No." Raven said flatly. "I mentioned I had a brother previously?"
Blake searched her memory. "Crow?"
"Yes, Qrow."
"Why's he following me?"
"I'm not sure, maybe he's looking for me."
"Does he know you're dead?"
Raven sighed. "Just… don't head straight home. Detour to get some food, and see if he wants to talk to you."
Blake was already pretty hungry, though her nervousness was getting in the way of her appetite. Smelling what seemed like a nice little noodle shop, she stepped inside and took a seat at one of the booths. It wasn't long until the waitress came over and she ordered a bowl of soft boiled with mixed seafood and a pot of green tea.
Waiting for the food was painful. Blake had to fight to not turn her head and look out the window, but in the end she trusted Raven to keep an eye out.
"Seems like he wants to follow you home. He's settled on the power lines outside and is watching you through the window."
"Is your brother dangerous?"
"To some people, yes." Raven answered. "To us? Maybe."
Blake sighed at the answer. "You're being very vague and it's not helpful."
At the best of times, Raven didn't like being talked back to like that. The bird turned to regard Blake with a cold glare, and the faunus's ears hidden behind the ribbon wilted.
"I'm sorry." Blake murmured. "I just meant that… you don't need to hide things from me, and if I'm supposed to protect your daughter from your past mistakes, then… maybe you shouldn't keep secrets from me?"
"'Mistakes?'"
Blake cringed. "I didn't mean it like that, I just… I want you to know you can trust me."
A tense silence followed, which lasted several minutes, broken only by the frying sounds coming from the kitchen and the faint passing of cars outside. Eventually the waitress came over to serve the noodles smelling of soy and spices to Blake, which she blew on to cool down while waiting for Raven to respond.
Eventually, the bird said, "You are correct."
Blake's ears perked up, and she looked up at her mentor in surprise.
"It's not helpful for me to hide things from you." Raven admitted through grit beak. "But there's a lot to go over, and now may not be the best time. I'll start with the basics, and then we'll decide what to do about my brother once you're up to speed. At the moment he seems content to watch you eat anyway, and it's not like anyone might overhear me."
Blake nodded once, slowly.
"Essentially, my brother is the right hand man of an ancient sorcerer named Ozpin, who is at the center of a vast international conspiracy that seeks to control the future of all mankind."
Whatever Blake had expected, it wasn't that. She stared at Raven for a long moment, waiting for some kind of punchline. The statement itself was so insane that if she wasn't talking to a ghost that was fused to her soul, she never would have taken it seriously. Her mouth opened and closed once, before she reached for her cup of steaming green tea and swallowed it in one gulp, wincing at the burning as it passed down her throat.
Once the pain had subsided, Blake simply nodded and said in a weak voice. "Okay."
Raven snorted. "Yes, well that is what we're up against. Ozpin and his Circle of Old Friends are the puppet masters behind much of all four of the kingdom's policies, for example, the currency. Just forty years ago, Vale used dollars, and Atlas used marks, but now all four Kingdoms have adopted Mistral's lien. This was mostly thanks to the Old Friends."
"Oum above." Blake boggled.
"In regards to my brother, Ozpin granted both me and him the power to transform into corvids at will in order to travel the kingdoms and observe his enemies undetected. Currently, Qrow is the black bird sitting on the roof edge just across the street, watching you through this window."
"...Is that why you changed your name?"
Raven glanced at her. "What?"
"To Raven and Crow?"
Raven's eyes narrowed. "We never changed our names."
Blake blinked. "So it really is just a coincidence?"
"Yes." Raven huffed. "Or Ozpin's sense of humor. Magic often works in strange and arbitrary ways. For now focus on the task at hand. What do we do about Qrow?"
"Well, what does he want with me? He can't see you, can he?"
"I don't think so." Raven answered, and paused to consider. "He might be looking for me, and heard that you were my apprentice. That or…"
"Or what?"
"He recognised you as a princess, and maybe Ozpin has plans to use you related to his goals in Menagerie?"
"I'm not a princess, that's not a title under a Chieftain." Blake frowned. "And everybody thinks I'm dead, so why would he be looking for me?"
Raven nodded. "You're right, it's too coincidental. Probably he's looking for me."
Blake sucked her lower lip. "So… should I talk to him?"
"...That might be a good idea. We might be able to get some useful information from him." Raven hopped off the table and back onto Blake's shoulder. "There's a way that I used to signal him, see if it will get his attention…"
Mistral was cold this time of year, and as a bird Qrow was definitely feeling it. Perched at the edge of the rooftop he was shivering as he waited for his mark to finish her damn meal and go home already. She spent an awful lot of time staring at the table instead of eating. Even indoors the girl had her hood pulled up, probably to try and avoid being recognised by anyone who had seen the tournament, which made it impossible to see her face from this angle. He was tempted to get closer, but that would mean landing closer to the street where any passer by might kick him. Birds were a lot more fragile than hunters; hollow bones were not at all resilient. He had learned to be careful.
Magdalene Pie signalled over a waitress, and after a brief conversation received what looked like a glass of whiskey on the rocks. All he thought of that was, she's a little young to start drinking. Right up until the moment she turned her head to make direct eye contact with him. She raised the glass, before setting it down in front of the chair opposite her.
For a long moment, Qrow simply stared before shaking his head. He couldn't help but laugh to himself, which as a bird came out as a strangled caw. If that didn't confirm it, nothing else would. Magdalene Pie really was connected to Raven.
He took a moment to fly down to a back alley out of view, before changing into a human and striding around to the front of the noodle shop. As he passed by the window, Magdalene watched him, looking curious but warey. To him she looked like a frowner, with down turned lips and hands calloused from fighting. She kept her bag of weapons on the seat next to her, near at hand in case something happened.
The whiskey she ordered was the cheapest, nastiest kind of rotgut and welcome in his flask anytime. His hand twitched to reach for it, but he didn't in case there was something else in it. He took the seat across from her and observed the girl as she quietly ate her noodles, waiting for him to make the first move.
"You wanted to talk?" Qrow asked.
"You followed me." She replied, after swallowing her mouthful. "What do you want?" She had a soft, slightly deep voice for a young girl, and a faint accent that was definitely not from the Branwens or even Mistral.
"I'm looking for Raven."
For a moment the girl had a relieved expression that she quickly hid. So there was some other reason he might have wanted to talk to her? Interesting. "Well she's not talking to anyone right now."
"So you know about what happened?"
Rather than immediately answer, the girl went for another mouthful of noodles, chewing slowly, before washing it down with tea. "To the Branwen's?"
Qrow nodded.
"It was Atlas mechs. Attacked at four AM in the morning, right down to the second as the watch was changing. Hundreds of them."
"Hundreds?" Qrow repeated, disbelieving. "How did they move that many without anyone noticing?"
The girl shrugged. "There was also a very large man, who injected himself with dust directly. Definitely a Hunter."
Qrow took out a pen and notepad and began writing this down. "Anyone else?"
"One other. A fancy man, with an Atlesian accent, with a fashionable moustache and an expensive suit. He fought with a revolver and counted every shot."
That was very helpful. A description like that would narrow things down a lot on Ironwood's end, hopefully they'd be able to find where the mechs came from.
"Do you know what they were after?"
The girl took another mouthful of noodles, slowly eating like last time.
What is she trying to build the tension? Qrow squinted at her.
Eventually she answered. "They wanted to capture Vernal, the Spring Maiden."
Qrow felt a jolt of dread. Salem. "Did they?"
Magdalene shook her head. "No. Raven... didn't let that happen."
The meaning of her words was obvious. Raven had killed the maiden instead of letting her fall into enemy hands. "Shit." Qrow unscrewed his flask, leaning back in his chair. He unscrewed his flask and took a moment to think. He knew that Yang was the Spring Maiden, which raised the question of why the hell would this 'Vernal', a total stranger, think of his niece in her last moments? Maybe if this girl was connected to Raven she'd heard of Yang somehow? A surrogate daughter jealous of a real daughter? He wasn't sure he wanted her to know that. There really wasn't much point in guessing at the thoughts of someone who was dead.
So instead he asked, "Any idea who the next maiden is?"
Magdalene shook her head. "I know it's not me."
Qrow squinted at that, as if checking to see if the girl was lying. "It's not?"
"No." Magdalene scowled at him. "We checked."
Qrow took a pull from his flask, pausing before considering what to do with the girl in front of him. Yang was the next maiden, so letting this girl go wouldn't be too damaging. Not like she could leak that to the enemy. Besides, if she didn't want to stay with him, Raven would just portal in, scoop up her apprentice and take her away at will so there was no point in even trying to capture her. Even if it was for her own good.
He breathed out through his nose, before taking out a card and offering it to her. "Alright. Before you go take this. If you want to come in, Ozpin will protect you."
The girl only stared at the card, unmoving. After a long pause Qrow sighed and put it back in his pocket. "I don't know what Raven's told you, but we're not the bad guys. If she wants to find me she knows how to do it."
She only stared up at him without answering.
"Magpie, is it?" Qrow muttered, before turning to walk out. "Welcome to the family kid, may the gods help you."