No author's note on this installment, wait until the next chapter.
Chapter Four: "Worries, Weapons, and Sorrow"
As Qrow and Summer went down from Ozpin's office in the elevator, he took a glance at his recently-returned team leader, whom seemed to be nursing a headache.
"Everything alright, Shortstack?" He asked while placing a caring hand over her left shoulder.
"It's... It's just too much to process... I get the feeling I'm having a bad dream or something" She replied with a sigh. "There's a Queen of the Grimm hellbent on wiping us all out, she and her lackeys are after me because of a power only silver-eyed people hold, and possibly will be after Ruby when they find out she also has the power of the silver eyes... Some 'Welcome Home' party is this..."
"Such is life. This' our burden to carry, nobody said that being defenders of the world was gonna be easy" He shrugged.
"And don't I know it now that I'm finally back on the loop..."
At that moment, the elevator touched down back on the ground level. Both of them quickly stepping out as soon as the doors opened. Given the lack of privacy, they couldn't talk about you-know-who anymore. So they decided to make some small talk as they made their way to Beacon's forge.
"So, what're your plans now that you're back in action, Sum?"
"First and foremost: Reconnect with my family. Ruby and Yang've grown up without a mother and I don't want it to stand for another day" Her face then shifted to a coy smirk. "Plus, I have this longing for... Physical attention from Tai, if you catch my meaning... Might take the rest of the year off so I can do it all, y'know?" She answered swiftly.
Upon hearing those words, a forced smile made its way to Qrow's face.
You know how it is, and a case of amnesia's never going to change that. One of the few things The Bitch was right on, you never stood a chance against a crush.
"Might want to check that out with Oz, as far as I'm aware, he'd like you back in action ASAP"
"I know, I know... But he better understand the circumstances, normally I'd be all over getting back to work, but that hit in the head made me see things differently. And it made me wonder..." She shook her head and changed her tone to be more upbeat. "Nevermind. All I'm saying is that I need to get settled back in, spend some time with my family, but first: A weapon. I've been designing this new baby for a while and now I want to see it realized and ready to kick ass!"
He chuckled at his former team leader's enthusiasm for weapons, a long-standing quirk of hers. "So, what you've got in mind?"
"Oh, you'll see. It won't hold a candle to Sun's Light but it'll be something grand alright"
"Don't you mean overkill? Because Sun's Light was that and more" He replied coyly and leaned closer.
"Ah-piss off!" She playfully came back as she pushed him off. "I'll have you know that if something's worth doing, then it's worth overdoing! Which is why I went all out with Sun's Light and I'll also go all out with this weapon!"
"You've got a name?"
"Huh?"
"You got a name for the weapon?" He clarified.
"Not right now, I need to see it realized first, then I can start thinking about names. I've been working super hard on this, made six concepts and prototypes already, and now I've got the final schematics said and done! And with Beacon's forge being the best place there will ever be to make a weapon this side of ocean, this is going to be great!" Summer replied with enthusiasm before looking back at him. "And then, I'll kick your ass with my new baby six ways from Sunday all the way to AR!"
"Keep dreaming, Shortstack. I haven't made it this far by being the same fighter I was the last time you saw me"
A playful grin made its way through her face. "I've picked up a few tricks along the way too, you'll see..."
He swallowed hard, and suddenly, the idea of forfeiting and just getting Alcohol Rehab over and done with didn't sound that unappealing to Qrow Branwen.
Shit, all that time in the shadows and she's probably learnt how to fight dirty. I've done goofed.
"Finally, it's done" She said to herself as she hefted the finished product of two years of research, trial and error, and endless perseverance to see how would a Summer Rose-styled weapon would fit her the best.
Sun's Light - Summer Rose's original weapon - was a hunting sword with sawed edges as well as a bolt-action rifle. The weapon was based in practicality along with combat effectiveness, since it didn't serve only as a weapon, but also as an improvised saw in survival situations. The use of mechashift parts were minimal to allow for extended use without having to spend absurd amounts of time maintaining the weapon after a battle (She still did this anyway) and minimizing the risk of malfunction. The only things which shifted in the weapon were the hilt (Which always contained the rifle firing mechanism at a ready state regardless of the current form) and the scabbard. The former allowed the weapon to shift into rifle form (By deploying the barrel along the flat part of the sword, reforming the hilt into a rifle stock, and deploying the magazine receiver), and the latter used to split and collapse into an ammo belt and tripod/handle attachment. Sun's Light was also white in color, with intricated engraved light red rose patterns running all over it.
Summer's emblem was engraved in various parts of the hilt, which made it easily visible when in rifle mode. Sun's Light had no compact mode and was carried on Summer's belt at all times, and it was 34 and 36 inches long in rifle and sword forms respectively.
The new weapon, however, was something more fitting of the new age they were living in, being a double-edged Falchion sword as well as a selective fire rifle, capable of both semi and fully automatic fire. Unlike Sun's Light, the weapon is capable of firing a round even when in Falchion form, since the barrel and firing mechanisms are always at the ready and accessible given the flat part of the sword is actually the barrel, and the point of the blade is something along the lines of a bayonet as to not obtrude the end of the rifle barrel. The grip or handle is able to split and slide along the blade as to allow for adaptability, improvised defense, and switching fighting styles on the fly. The blade's edges are also laced with aluminum oxide ceramic (Sourced from a bootload of spark plugs) to allow breaking through glass without much effort (You'll never know when you'll need to break a window). In Falchion form, the weapon is 42 inches long.
When the mechashift components kick in and the weapon shifts into rifle mode, it slightly contracts to 38 inches long to retract the points of the blade and deploy a firing compensator along with the magazine receiver, the firing mode selector, a basic optic scope, and a small stock so it can be placed on her shoulder. Each ammo magazine fits fifteen high-power dust rounds, and the recoil is a force to reckon, but Summer's fighting style relies on it for mobility alongside her semblance.
The aesthetics of the weapon follow the style set by Sun's Light with various rose thorn patterns adorning the weapon through its entire length. However, unlike its predecessor, the new weapon eschews the white in favor of adopting a polished light gray and appropriately rose-colored thorn engravings. Summer's emblem is absent on the weapon for now. Also of note is that the weapon, much like Sun's Light, lacks a compact mode. Requiring to be either carried on her belt, slung across her back, or hefted in her hands at all times.
She examined the weapon one last time, twirling it around on her hands, looking over every crevice, nook, and cranny of it before shifting it into Falchion mode.
"I'm guessing you're happy with it?" Asked Qrow, looking at her and the weapon while supporting himself with a distant workstation.
"Most definitely. But there's only one way of making sure of it..." She said before attaching the new weapon to her belt. "Let's head on over to the training arena. Lead the way, Slits?"
"Sure thing, Shortstack"
With that, Qrow and herself moved to one of Beacon's many training rooms. The drunken huntsman proposed for them to sync their aura levels to the display on the arena via their scrolls, before they realized that Summer's scroll was so old that syncing it was useless, since her scroll was an old model that couldn't read aura levels.
"Looks like I need a new scroll, hehehe" She giggled upon realizing their mistake.
"Great, we're doing this the old way. Beating each other 'till we draw blood" He harrumphed.
A toothy grin made its way across her features before she began to boisterously chant. "A duel for the privilege of drinking booze! The first to draw blood is the loser!"
"That sounded better in your head, didn't it?" He cockily asked.
"... Maybe... Kind of...? Yes..."
A few moments later, Qrow and her were stretching across from each other, preparing themselves for what was to come.
"So~! You're ready for rehab?" She mockingly asked.
"In your dreams, shortie" He snapped back with a grin.
Her face shifted to a scowl. "You've done goofed, prepare to go sober!"
She speedily charged at him in what appeared to be a blind charge, drawing her new weapon mid-way. Qrow's stance was prepared for a clash of blades as she charged, but she had other plans involving the wide opening between his legs, as just as their blades were about to collide with each other, she slid across the floor and in between his legs to give the drunken crow a point blank shot on his back, aura flaring as he staggered forward. The cheapshot giving her enough opportunity to raise up once again to face Qrow's Harbinger in great sword form with her own blade as Qrow was able to turn around with speed in order to attempt an attack which she promptly blocked. The clash of blades was expected, but ended up playing into Qrow's own strategy, since as soon as the blades crashed against each other, he released a shotgun blast against her. With no possibility of avoiding or deflecting the shot, her aura had to tank it. Now it was her turn to stagger back, and that she did, since the strength of the blast was pretty big.
She glowed a pale red as she slid backward across the arena before composing herself and going back into the fray, quickly charging at Qrow once again with purpose as he copied her movements as well, but before they could collide head on, she moved to the side and lowered her sword to Qrow's legs in an attempt to make him trip, a gambit that paid off as Branwen's legs collided with her sword, and the impact made him trip and roll on the floor before he could notice what was going on. She quickly used the scarce time it took Qrow to pick himself up to shift her weapon into rifle mode and load it with a fresh fifteen-round magazine (Filled with blanks because she has to go buy some ammo, whoop-dee-doo), before taking aim at the drunken huntsman in the process of standing up to shower him with a burst of Automatic fire, herself letting the recoil of the weapon move her around and widen the distance between them, while also making sure she wouldn't get out of bounds from the arena. After the distance was set, she and Qrow were circling each other, waiting for one of them both to initiate the next strike.
Qrow shifted Harbinger into scythe mode and took another charge at her, this time apparently trying to return the favor by swiping at her at her legs, so for her the logical counter would be to jump, fire at the ground, and let the new weapon's recoil take her out of harm's way, so she did just that... Only to feel herself unarmed upon landing.
"What the...?" She spared a glance at Qrow. "Mother..."
There he stood, with a smirk on his face as her new weapon was stuck in Harbinger's blade, right before he chucked it out of bounds, leaving her unarmed.
"Sorry Shortstack, but you ain't taking my booze away today, how about we forget about this?" He cockily asked.
"Nuh-uh. You do not just call me 'Shortie' and get away with it!" She snapped back.
"Meh, it's your loss, then. We both know you can't fight without a weapon for jack"
Now it was her turn to smirk. She ran at him before making an aura-enhanced jump, which sent her flying above and past him, prompting him to look up to prepare for the next attack... Only for her to be directly in front of Qrow, all thanks to Summer's semblance. With unprecedented speed, she pulled him forward through one of his arms, restrained him with a headlock despite the height difference, and drove a fist at the top of one of Branwen's hands, his own aura flaring to prevent any damage, but the involuntary reaction was already underway, with his left hand loosening its grip on Harbinger's handle, prompting her to replace the hand with hers and give Qrow a kick in the chest to force his total grip on Harbinger to totally falter and for the haggard huntsman himself to stagger back, her quickly retreating to face Qrow once again, herself wielding his weapon instead of him.
"You were saying?" She replied while smugly throwing Harbinger out of bounds as well. The scales were even once again.
"I thought for a second that you were gonna use it against me" He said genuinely amused.
"I didn't have a set weapon until today, you thought I didn't pick up how to disarm?" She disengaged her semblance when it came to mimicking fighting styles and assumed a boxer stance. "Now, I'm going to show you some moves that'd make Tai bend over backwards"
She telegraphed the right hook she planned to give as a way of getting a feel for Qrow's hand-to-hand abilities, so she wasn't surprised that the punch was swatted aside with ease. This though, would be the beginning of a long series of testing jabs with no real technique or finesse, also as a way to get Qrow a little too confident with himself, given it was a spar, it was too easy.
"Seriously? This would make Tai impressed? Our good ol' brawler? Don't make me laugh!"
She smirked, and that was her cue. She jumped at Qrow, wrapping her arms around his neck in order to bring him down to the floor via weighing him down. Once she was clung onto him, she slightly increased her body fat using her semblance, the built-in corset of Summer's blouse now feeling constricting around her contours.
Urgh, reminder not to do this as often, or to change Summer's wardrobe to something less tight. I wonder why she avoided turtleneck sweaters, though? I look awesome as Summer Rose in them.
Back to the fight and away from her thoughts, Qrow Branwen staggered forward and downwards. Quickly, she released her hold on his neck and seized the opportunity, driving an aura-charged elbow hit to his exposed back and pummeling him to the ground. Then, she hopped on his back before he could even think of getting up again, and pulled his head before repeatedly slamming it against the floor until he had enough and used an aura-enhanced roll to get her off his back, so he could hastily get up before shaking his head to regain his senses. As he did this, she reverted the changes on her body fat back to the values Summer Rose had the last time she took a medical check-up.
"Geez..." The drunken crow huffed like a horse. "You're heavier than I remember"
She let out a snort as she drove a fist to his midsection. "You shouldn't tell..." A kick to a kneecap. "THAT! To a lady!"
He stepped back before she could drive a fist to his jaw, and countered with a quick flurry of five hits to her own face, but she didn't relent, ducking out of the way of what could have been a sixth hit before replying with a roundhouse kick to his stomach. The height difference between Summer and Qrow was the biggest disadvantage when it came to hand-to-hand combat, and given she was (At the moment) a 1:1 copy of Summer Rose, that disadvantage carried on to her. Yet - Despite the odds of her winning this bout - she kept going, determined to send Qrow Branwen to rehab for his alcoholism.
More punches were exchanged quickly and relentlessly between the two, with her going frequently for quick grapples, headbutts, elbow hits, and punches and kicks to his face while Qrow used his superior (sense the sarcasm with a bit of envy) height and weight to his advantage against her. Frequently driving her to the ground before pulling a variety of moves including choke holds, body slams, and hits to her midsection to make her stagger back and dwindle her Aura. After forty-five minutes of combat, both of them were winded, yet they still managed to keep going.
"You... You done yet...? Shortstack...?" He asked, every pause a pant.
"In... Your... Dreams... Slits" She replied, also panting while assuming a boxer stance once again.
He wheezed and she snorted before returning to the fray and launching a charged right hook against each other respectively. Due to their Aura exhaustion - which also carried over to their stamina - they didn't pay any mind to the fact that they both threw their punches at the same time... Until it was too late and neither of them had a chance to dodge.
The hooks landed at the same time with about the same strength. Her hit landed on his jaw yet again. But this time, due to the fact both of their auras were under what in a tournament situation could be considered 'the red', the passive protection of their auras was spotty at best, and done for at worst. This ended in her knocking one of Qrow's molars out of his mouth and him biting his upper lip, drawing a line of blood. However, Qrow's own hit landed square on her face - straight on her nose, breaking it - prompting her to stagger back and drive her palms to her nose in an attempt to nurse the nosebleed the whole thing caused.
When both of them were at a reasonable distance from each other, they exchanged glances at each other.
"Looks... Like I win...!" She gloated before musing to herself. "Geez, Tai's not going to like the look of this..."
"Says the girl with a nosebleed..." He quipped before spitting out a glob of blood, along with the loose tooth. "Oum-damn-it..."
She light-heartedly giggled. "... Tie?"
He agreed with her proposition. "Tie"
They both approached each other to nurse their injuries a little.
As Qrow approached her to take a look at the broken nose, he began making some small talk. "Well, you've certainly improved your hand-to-hand skills, I'll give you that, Sum"
She took out a handkerchief out of her skirt's pocket to clean his broken lip. "And you keep fighting as you always did: Quick and dirty. Glad to see some things never change"
"Hey, you didn't fight exactly clean either. Seems like you took a few pointers outta my book"
She shrugged. "It was all or nothing over in Anima. You either fought like a cage fighter or died trying, and I certainly wasn't up to dying over there..." She winced at his touch. "How bad is it...?"
"Not too bad, you'll stop bleeding in a bit. Just let it flow until it stops because your aura healed it..." He drove her hand with the handkerchief away from his lip. "And don't worry about me. This' just a scrape, we both had worse, remember? Keep the rag to yourself, don't wanna get that old outfit dirty just yet, right?"
"I guess you're right..."
"That. Was badass" Said a voice from nearby.
The voice belonged to a particularly stylish brunette student wearing sunglasses (Inside a well-lit location of all things).
They both looked at their surroundings only to notice that the arena's stands were packed with students. As it looks like they'd inadvertently had made quite the show. She winced at the attention while Qrow shrugged at it, the stylish brunette from before and a young Mistrali boy who was surprisingly taller than Branwen approached them.
"If you two are done with your spar, I would advise you to leave to nurse your injuries better. Miss Goodwitch will also show up soon enough and we have combat class in a few minutes in this very same room, and she doesn't take kindly to delays"
"Guess you're right, kid. Thanks for the heads-up. The last thing I want today is Glynda biting our asses off for holding up her class, she's always been a tight ass, and knowing my luck? Stuff couldn't get any worse with her" He quipped.
"Hey! She isn't that bad" She defended the Deputy Headmistress without a second thought despite the fact she had no real idea of how was she like outside their brief interactions over their first meeting.
He snorted before sarcastically replying.
"Yeah, right"
"Before you all leave, I was wondering why were the both of you beating each other senseless?" Asked the brunette.
"Rematch" They both said at the same time.
She lowered her sunglasses and rolled her eyes. "Obviously. But what I meant was why the both of you didn't stop when your auras were in the red"
"Easy, Shortstack here" She nudged his ribs with her elbow in mock annoyance. "Has a scroll so old that it can't read aura levels, so we sparred with the old stopping conditions for a spar, which is carrying on until your opponent starts bleeding"
"Doesn't that mean their aura has shattered?" Asked the giant boy.
"Not exactly" She intervened to explain. "When your aura reaches the red - that's about twenty percent by the way - your semblance becomes weaker and the passive protection around your body tends to fail unless you're channeling it actively. Meaning that if you get hit and you aren't channeling your aura to protect you, you can indeed be injured as if you didn't have it at all"
"Well, thanks for the heads up. Unfortunately, GOODWITCH'S COMING!" The brunette announced, and the arena went deadly silent and every student rushed to a seat. Just in time for Glynda Goodwitch herself to enter the room, riding crop in hand.
"I suppose you two were sparring while nobody was around? Judging from your injuries" Asked the Deputy Headmistress/combat professor.
"Indeed we were, Glyn! But we're already on our way out..." She looked around for her weapon and Qrow's. "Now, where's my new baby...?"
Quickly enough, she saw her weapon and Qrow's Harbinger slowly gravitating toward them, encased in a purple glow. So, she started to reach for it with a single hand - given her other hand was busy holding a handkerchief to her bleeding nose - to hook it up to her belt, where it rightfully belongs.
However, Glynda had other plans, since as soon as she reached her weapon, it suddenly pulled away. She narrowed her eyes at the culprit.
"Glyn... This is not funny" She growled.
"Sure is to me, Shortstack..." Quipped Qrow while also reaching for Harbinger, which also suddenly pulled away as soon as he said it. "Oh, you gotta be..."
"Chalk it up to bad luck, Branwen" Glynda said straight-faced.
"Ha ha. Very original, Glynda"
"Glyn, I am going to ask nicely, and I'm going to ask just once: Put Qrow's weapon and my new baby down" She said threateningly and Glynda Goodwitch flinched.
"Hmmm... Of course"
And faster than they could process, her new weapon clattered to the floor, freed from the grasp of Glynda's semblance... While Qrow's dropped right atop of his head, and whilst he Ouched at the action, everyone else was giggling at it.
"Thank you!" She cheerily thanked while she retrieved her weapon and hooked it to her belt, before ushering Qrow to get up before dragging him out. But not before addressing Beacon's Deputy Headmistress with few kind words.
"Oh! And before I forget, Glyn... Do what you just did again and your dirty laundry will be out for all of the student body to see..." Goodwitch swallowed hard and her eyes widened at the prospect of that. "Okay! See you around, and have a nice class, kids!"
Note to self, look for material to blackmail Goodwitch so that isn't an empty threat.
After the spar, Qrow got a message from Ozpin telling him to meet him on his office once again. After waving goodbye to Summer, who told him she was headed straight back to Patch to catch the girls and Tai when they came back from Signal with a good and filling meal. She asked if he was going to drop by later to hang out with the family a little longer, but he quickly came up with the excuse that it all depended on whatever Ozpin wanted to talk about.
Of course, if one was to know to Qrow Branwen in-depth, you'd know that when a reason like that pops up from his mouth, it's probably bullshit and that he's not dropping by at all. Summer knew this, judging by the sad smile she gave when she heard him, but of course, he had his reasons to not hang around for long.
For one, finding out that Summer was alive was one massive stroke of luck, another one her wanting to rendezvous with him so she could be reunited with her family, and a third one that Ruby and Yang actually accepted Summer back in their lives, let alone recognize her as their mother. But for every moment of good luck and hope and Qrow's life, three of bad luck are coming near, and the fact that Raven claimed that Summer was some sort of impostor was the first of many to come. He without a doubt thought this was the doing of his semblance, so the best course of action was to steer clear of Summer, Tai, and the Girls for a while, just so they could enjoy their good luck. And Ozpin calling him to have a 'Chat' (Though most likely a mission assignment, as always) could be the perfect excuse for him to leave the happy family be for a while.
At that point in time, Qrow was enduring yet another lengthy elevator ride to Oz's office at the very last floor of the Beacon Tower.
Geez. Why didn't Oz pull a Glynda and put his office on ground level...? Oh yeah, because he wanted an elevator straight to his office back when he founded Beacon. Stupid old fart...
With an audible chime of the elevator, the doors opened to reveal Ozpin's clockwork-decorated (Courtesy of Summer and a jackhammer) office, with the man himself standing in front of the window, holding both his mug of whatever-the-hell-he-drinks, and his cane - all while looking over at the horizon.
Shrugging it off, Qrow stumbled into the office, then grabbed one of the chairs in front of Oz's desk and dragged it closer to it before sitting down and putting his arms on the desk to hold his weight a little better. While he did all of this, Ozpin didn't even flinch.
He took the chance to be snappy. "Y'know, I've been wondering. Looking at the same landscape for many lives don't turn boring for you? I mean, the view's nice and all, but you've been seeing this for... One hundred years or something like that?"
Oz took a sip of his mug before vaguely addressing him, his eyes never leaving the view of the Beacon campus with the city of Vale in the far distance. "For the record, I have been working in this office for exactly seventy-nine years - Eleven years as the founder of the academy, twenty-two years as Headmaster Pivot, and forty-six years as Headmaster Ozpin - considering I have lived thousands of years, and seen views far greater than this one throughout my many lives, I suppose I have settled for beauty in the simplest things"
"The fact that this place has a tower that's taller than all of the buildings in Vale even a century after was built? I'd say you haven't settled for simpler stuff, if anything you were stroking your ego when you pitched the plan for the Beacon Campus" Qrow let out a small hiccup. "Let's be honest Oz, you just wanted an elevator, didn't ya?"
A small smirk graced the old Wizard's lips. "I have no idea of what you are implying, Mantle wanted the tower to be this high for the CCT to function effectively. The elevator was just a plus"
Qrow lazily shook his head. "Old bastard... So, Oz. Why'd you call me here? We both know this ain't a social call"
Ozpin sighed and finally turned to face Qrow - with a worried expression plastered on his face. "I am worried, Qrow. Things have been far too quiet for my liking. The last time she made a move was during the Great War, and while we've recovered from that, built up our defenses, worked hard to try and build a better world despite the odds..." He took a seat on his prized chair (Which Qrow still believes up to this day that it resembles a dick) before continuing. "... I am afraid that this radio silence is the calm before the storm. She's shoring up her forces, hatching new schemes, recruiting newer pawns - And with the 40th Vytal Festival coming up next year, I have plenty of reasons to believe the next year will be a pretty eventful one by her making moves in the shadows"
Qrow's face scrunched up in distaste. "Well, shit. What's the plan?"
"For now, we wait whilst keeping an eye on our prized assets. The Relic of Choice is still secure within the vault, but with the Fall Maiden refusing to be protected, it still runs at risk. Qrow, I need you to check up on the maidens, ensure that they're safe" He pursed his lips. "I am also worried about the fate of Spring; Leo has reported that she fled Haven without a set path. And with her being untrained as it is, she runs at risk of being whisked away by Salem and her followers. On the other hand, we also have the Winter Maiden, who's becoming too old and weathered to fight. Leave Summer and Fall for last - for we know those two can hold their own in a fight, but the priority is to locate the Spring Maiden as soon as possible and make sure she's safe and sound"
"Got it. I better get moving" Now debriefed, he tried to stand.
But Oz wouldn't have that. "Hold on, Qrow. I have something to ask you"
The veteran huntsman hummed in curiosity.
"How did you find Miss Rose? Do you think she's perhaps a double agent now these days?"
He scoffed. "I doubt it. We've been hanging one around the other for the last few days and I've gotten a peek at her plans for the future from chatting with her..." A dry chuckle escaped his lips "Promise you ain't gonna laugh, alright?"
"Qrow, this could be a serious matter, and quite honestly? You haven't delivered a good punchline in a while... Except for that one time the elevator got stuck on you, that was quite amusing"
"Oh yeah, lemme live that one up, will ya...?" He sighed. "Summer's planning on throwing the towel on this life. She's retiring, Oz - now that she's back she's trying to spend every waking hour with Tai and the Girls. That hit in the head made her think that this' no longer a fight worth fighting, especially due all that she's missed on the way"
"Hmmm... I see... What did she tell you about her involvement in the criminal underworld as 'The White Death'? Any developments on that?"
Qrow's jaw hit the floor at that moment. "Y-Y-Y... You knew?"
Oz chuckled at his reaction. "I knew all along. After all, the level of skill 'The White Death' exhibited was far too familiar for my liking, only befitting of a Beacon Academy Honor Roll graduate. Though I will admit that her fighting style has changed dramatically - now she relies on her weapon less and focuses on disarming and immobilizing her opponent while also using their own weapon against them. I am glad she fixed that flaw she used to have - relying on Sun's Light excessively"
"Then why didn't you tell me any of this 'till now?!"
"Qrow, take two seconds to look at your reaction at this time. You think it would have been prudent to let you search for her back then with such clouded judgement?" He asked, gesturing to the drunken huntsman in front of him.
Shit, he's right. I flipped out like a maniac.
"Yeah, sure - whatever. Either way, the only reason she became that was because Hazel Rainhart tried to get the drop on her and she needed to hide while also making Lien so she wouldn't starve, and she kept doing it after she regained her memories as a way to draw attention from us so we could find her. Always with the damn theatrics that Shortstack"
As he took a long chug from his flask, Oz was deep in thought over what he had just heard.
"Figured as much..." He turned his chair back to facing the window while taking a sip of his mug. "Well, I suppose I shouldn't hold you up any further - you have a mission to complete... Unless you have something else to tell me?"
He looked around the office as a way to made his mind recall any more noteworthy stuff to tell The Wizard, and eventually something important was remembered.
"Oh yeah, also Raven finally lost it. She thinks Summer's some kind of impostor, doppelganger, or however you say it. She showed up yesterday night and attacked her when we were gonna get rid of the gravestone. Thank Oum Yang wasn't there because she would've flipped out as well, those two have more in common than they think"
"Interesting... Anything that might give credence to this theory? Perhaps something out of the usual with Miss Rose?"
"Oz, you can't be serious! You're gonna believe Raven out of all people in the world? Next thing you'll tell me Salem was your wife!"
The old wizard chuckled at that. "Now, let's not be hasty Qrow. I am just looking at all avenues and possibilities, we must react accordingly depending to the reality of our situation"
"Well, I doubt she ain't Shortstack. Even with the amnesia she knows so many little details that it's gotta be her, she acts like she always has, she loves Tai and the Girls, so I'll be damned if she ain't Summer Rose"
The Wizard hummed in understanding "Well, I suppose I shall take your word up for it. After all, you and Taiyang know Miss Rose better than anyone, especially you given you were - albeit unofficially - her partner"
"I still don't get why you didn't let us officially switch partners; it would've been for the best"
"What thing do you think S-Q-R-T would stand for?"
"Team... Oh motherfu - fair point Oz, fair point"
"I aim to be amusing" He said before sipping from his mug.
He stood up and began to make his way to the elevator.
"Nah, I prefer to think ya aim to be as much of an asshole as you can"
And with that, the elevator arrived and he stepped in.
"Godspeed, Qrow. Godspeed" Said Oz as the elevator doors closed.
Mission accomplished... For now. I'm not in the clear just yet, Ozpin seems uneasy.
Those were the thoughts lingering in her head as she opened the master door to the Rose-Xiao Long family home and entered the living room in the late afternoon. The day at Beacon was eventful, eye-opening, and a massive pain in the ass. From further convincing Qrow, Taiyang, and Summer's daughters that she was who she claimed to be, keeping an eye out for Raven, to trying to steer clear from Ozpin's suspicions, trying to wrap her head around the dump of info the Headmaster of Beacon had given her, and actually making her Summer-styled weapon - this was one hell of an immersive introduction to the role of Summer Rose. But at least there was a little relaxation in sparring with Qrow Branwen.
Upon arriving in the living room proper, she took off her combat boots and left them by the door, preferring to walk around the house in socks. After that, she unhooked her new weapon from her belt before making her way to the couch and sitting down on it, laying the weapon on the coffee table in front of the couch for further inspection.
Heh, looks like I haven't gotten rusty as a blacksmith. I could call this my best creation yet if I'm being honest. She thought with a smirk.
After making sure all mechanisms of the weapon were in an ideal shape - as well doing some rudimentary cleaning with the few materials she found scattered around the living - she placed her weapon on the rack by the kitchen. After that she smelled herself and - unfortunately - she reeked of sweat and blood, not to mention her armpits smelled foul.
She scrunched up her nose in disgust after smelling the foul body odor.
Eugh, I could've sworn I put on deodorant this morning. Note to self: Buy huntsman-grade deodorant ASAP. For now, I need a bath - then I can start working on a dinner. Taiyang and Summer's daughters clock off from Signal at about five and it's two-thirty. I've got plenty of time.
With an outline set up for the afternoon, she went upstairs to the master bedroom, and from there to the master bathroom. There, she disrobed herself and shoved the foul-smelling clothing on the hamper, including Summer's signature white cloak. She collected a few personal hygiene items scattered around the bathroom necessary for a throughout cleaning of her body, and entered the shower/tub before opening the shower and adjusting the temperature of the water to her liking. As the hot water splashed down on her body, she relaxed, and also disengaged her semblance... Well, as much as she could.
Her appearance morphed once more, though this time, her hair fell down to her knees and had more colors than a rainbow, her skin looked like the textbook definition of a vitiligo patient, her facial features were hideous to look at, she became tall and lanky, an obnoxious amount of animal traits appeared along her figure, and the irises of her eyes followed the pattern set by her hair, having a multitude of colors and shades that she barely looked human. She could only sigh at the reflection on the tiles of the bathroom.
"I am a monster..." When she opened her mouth, her voice sounded completely alien, being an amalgamation of the voices of all the people she has supplanted throughout her lifetime.
You see, this is one of the main downsides of her semblance. Though she is more than perfectly capable of doing so without eventually depleting her aura reserves, she should not shapeshift for extended periods of time because THIS ends up happening, she becomes a deformed freak. Unfortunately, she got the memo too late and the damage was already done. This was permanent unless she could somehow lock her aura once again, and so, she was forced to act, cheat, and lie for a place in the world, for there couldn't be a single person in Remnant who could accept anyone who looked like THIS.
After brooding (and maybe crying a little) for over an hour in the bathroom as she cleaned herself, she exited the shower - finally smelling like a normal individual. She then grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her figure, and stood in front of the bathroom mirror. Just to have one long look at the freak that she was because of her cursed semblance.
With a final, long sigh - she closed her eyes and used her semblance once again. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the visage of Summer Rose in the mirror. She ran a hand through her hair.
"Alright... No more moping, let's just get into this role again..." She muttered before finally moving onto drying herself.
After getting dressed in a white tank top with Summer's emblem on its front alongside a pair of black sweatpants and some navy socks, and fixing her hair back into style, she finally moved onto the kitchen to make a meal for five people. Qrow's attitude suggested that he wouldn't stop by later, but it didn't hurt to be prepared.
After deciding that the best course of action would be to prepare a traditional Vacuo dish which consisted of white rice, shredded and stewed chicken, and black beans; her mind wandered to the fact that the vast majority of huntsman attire - including casual clothes - seemed to seldom be marked with the owner's personal emblem in some way. She tugged at the fabric of the personalized tank top.
"I wonder why all hunters are this narcissistic. Sure, your emblems are cool and all, but isn't this a little too much...?" She sighed, knowing it would be pointless to ask the empty air. "I'll just have to roll with it to steer clear of 'unwanted attention'"
The rest of her cooking went without issues. The beans had gone soft, the rice was cooked, and the chicken was shredded and stewed with a variety of vegetables for enhancing its taste. In addition, she also made a pretty sweet lemonade for the family to enjoy alongside the food. However, despite the fact that softening the beans and cooking the rice had taken quite the considerable amount of time, she still managed to finish everything before five, meaning the people who had prepared the food for wouldn't arrive anytime soon.
Another sigh of disappointment came from her lips. Despite not knowing these people for long, the Xiao Long-Rose family were a welcome addition to her life already. Taiyang treating her right - a thing that rarely occurred whenever she stepped into the role of a housewife - and the daughters were like two drops of water ready to be taken in by her thirsty throat - healing and revitalizing her battered and stressed self.
Leaving the beans in their pots, the stewed chicken on the skillet, and the jar of lemonade in the fridge, she went back to the living before letting herself relax on the couch. She turned on the TV and started zapping, catching glimpses of mindless entertainment, the decent series or movie, and small glances at the news going around the world.
After a while, she took a glance at her scroll laying on the coffee table and looked at the time. 4:23 P.M. Time was surely taking its sweet time today, so she sprawled herself along the couch, laying her head on one of the armrests. The TV would eventually lull her into dreamland, so she'd rather be prepared.
The last thing she heard before sleep consumed her was Lisa Lavender talking about a surge of White Fang activity in Vale.
As "Summer" took a nap, a black raven with red eyes entered the house through an open window in the kitchen, and - in a cloud of black smoke and feathers - reformed into Raven Branwen.
Raven started pacing around the Rose-Xiao Long family home's kitchen, taking notice of the covered skillet and pots, plus the silverware awaiting on the table. She scoffed at this - the impostor thought she could make her way into their family via their stomachs. As if.
Further inspection of the kitchen - specifically the weapon rack - revealed a new weapon hanging on the wall. A highly-reflective, polished gray selective-fire rifle/sword hybrid with rose thorns engraved through its length.
I can't believe this; she's gone above and beyond with this farce. It looks exactly like a weapon Summer would design. She thought, scowling at the weapon. Still, she missed one crucial detail: Summer's emblem is missing.
After a short while, the kitchen failed to yield any further news, so she stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room. Encountering a turned on holo TV... And the subject of her hate taking a nap in the living couch, dressed so casually in a set of Summer's 'stay-at-home' clothes.
Peering from the top of the couch and onto the impostor, her hand drifted to Omen's pommel subconsciously.
It would be so easy. She's fast asleep, her aura is unfocused - one strong strike to the neck and she would be bleeding out with no way to stop it.
As she heavily considered just doing it and getting it over and done with, the impostor's face became strained and she started squirming in place.
"Take her... Get out... I'll hold it back..." She started mumbling, much to Raven's confusion.
So, a nightmare? Wouldn't expect less. But what is she talking about?
"Shion is that way... Keep my Gem safe... Go..."
'Gem'? Is she talking about Ruby...? Unlikely, she's known her for less than three days - and Summer used to call Ruby 'Little Petal' if Qrow's to be believed. No way she's gotten that attached, not to mention she's talking about Shion, that's a village in Mistral - and Taiyang hasn't taken the girls out of the kingdom as far as I'm aware.
The impostor's breathing became ragged and erratic - meaning one thing - she's about to wake up. Raven took cover behind the couch and transformed into a bird once again, taking the initiative to use the form's small size to her advantage and hide under the piece of furniture.
As she remained alert and in hiding, the couch shook and she heard a gasp in Summer's voice. Her assumptions were correct - she's now wide awake.
The impostor's feet slid down and set themselves firmly onto the ground, she also hunched herself and Raven heard an anguished scream muffled by a pair of hands along with some sobbing and sniffling.
"Let go... Let go of that, damn it...! You're not that person anymore, you're Summer Rose now. Summer was never there, Summer didn't have to fight the Nuckelavee, Summer didn't have to tell two kids and a toddler to run for their lives while she fought a monster...! Just. Let. It. Go!"
Fighting the Nuckelavee? Two children and a toddler? Running for their lives? Now we're getting somewhere.
After having to endure a few more minutes of the impostor wallowing in their own self-pity, she took notice of the Summer stand-in making her way to the kitchen once again, probably to get a glass of water - This was the perfect chance for her to sneak out of the house...
Only for her to retreat back into the couch because the door was slammed open. "Mommy! Mommy! We're home!"
Argh, The Branwen Curse strikes again - Just my luck.
"Petal! Sunny Dragon! C'mere! I made dinner!"
She managed to catch a glimpse of a flash of red rose petals and a pair of brown boots rushing to the kitchen, with an additional pair of feet making its way more calmly.
Ruby, Yang, and Tai. Just great.
"So, how was your day? The both of you?"
"It was nice... I kept doing research for making my own weapon!"
"Is that so?"
"Yeah, she spent all day in the Signal library with her nose buried in Scythe and High-Power rifle schematics through all the breaks"
"What else was I supposed to be doing?"
"I dunno Rubes - Friends maybe?"
"Yaaaaaang! The only friend I'll ever need aside from you is my weapon when it's done!"
Raven muted out the rest of the family greeting each other and making small talk as dinner was served, especially the part where Taiyang and the impostor greeted and swooned over each other with pet names. Weaklings, the whole lot of them.
As Ruby swooned over the impostor's new weapon while Yang sometimes intervened with mild interest, Taiyang piped up.
"Girls, rooms. Now"
"I DIDN'T DO IT!"
A pregnant silence ensured shortly after.
"We'll find out what you did later, Ruby. For now, listen to your father - the both of you"
"C'mon Rubes, they'll tell us what's up later"
She heard as both of the girls rushed upstairs, following their commands to the letter. Afterward, she noticed how a pair of sock-clad and boot-clad feet started slowly pacing around the living room, judging from the rare glimpse of a reflective surface coming every now and then from the sock-clad pair of feet, both of them were armed and alert.
They found my feathers - I hate my transformation sometimes.
The pair of sock-wearing feet eventually stopped in front of the couch. Raven had to be ready to transform at a moment's notice any second now.
The impostor began to eerily sing. "Little bird~ Little bird~"
And then a hand coated in pale red aura rushed to grab the underside of the couch she was hiding under and flipped it over. Finding herself facing a pair of dull silver orbs.
"Come out to play~!"
Just as the impostor brought down her Summer-inspired blade on her bird form, Raven once again transformed into a human, drew Omen as quickly as she could and parried the blow before rolling out of the way.
"Nice to see you again, Ray! Came to dine and wine with us?" The Summer wannabe taunted.
"I've come to unmask you, impostor!"
She attempted to slash at the impostor's neck - much like she wanted to do earlier - only to find her blade being stopped by a faded yellow gauntlet. Before she could reach appropriately, the impostor's sword took a stab at her midsection, chipping away some of her aura. Raven staggered back and when she focused again, she remembered she wasn't fighting a single target, Taiyang had taken the impostor's side on this fight.
"Sorry Raven, but you'll have to eggscuse me" Taiyang added.
"Your puns are as awful as always, Xiao Long"
She charged at the both of them, trying to take a stab at Tai while also attempting to land a hit on the impostor with her momentum, but Raven found Omen to be unable to reach either of them because the impostor's sword was there to parry the blow away, and to top it all off, she used the momentum to land a stab of her own in Raven's chest. More aura spent.
Raven found herself being able to fend off most of Taiyang's feeble attempts to land a blow on her, however, the Summer impostor kept continually landing hit after hit, and making a few openings for her ex-husband to take advantage of. In addition, Raven found herself in the need to parry and sidestep many improvised projectiles, ranging from table lamps to magazines. The impostor kept lunging at her and striking with precision, in addition to her landing several lucky shots using dirty tricks with the improvised projectiles. The cramped space of the living room not doing any of them favors, but despite everything it seemed like the S/T duo had her on the backfoot.
And then, everything went dark, further upsetting the (im)balance.
"Lights out, Ray!" She heard the impostor gloat.
Faint light came through the living windows and the kitchen entrance, but it wasn't enough to offset the overbearing darkness that the improvised battlezone was then engulfed in. Raven was further on edge, looking around, watching out for any surprise attacks. If she moved to the kitchen, perhaps she could-
She didn't even get to finish that thought before a blade against her neck smashed her against a wall, and she found herself staring into two silver eyes that were faintly visible in the darkness.
"I thought I had warned you, Raven. You don't belong here"
"And like you do belong here-UGH!" The pressure against her neck intensified.
"I DO BELONG HERE! Unlike you! Who had a place here and ditched it to hang around a rag-tag bunch of wop crooks! And left a beautiful girl behind that I had to take under!" She berated, and pressed the blade further, Raven's aura in the edge of giving in.
"Summer didn't have to take my failure of a daughter as her own, and neither do you. The weak die, the strong survive-ACK!"
"Piss off, Ray! I. AM. SUMMER. Get that through your thick skull! Or I'll shove it through your cranium myself with this very blade!"
I need to get out of here. She won't out herself so easily, and she keeps besting me exactly like Summer would do. I have enough aura for a Kindred Link portal, I need to do this.
Using the restricted space she was trapped in to its full advantage, Raven focused on the mental image of her protégé Vernal and sliced a tear in the space-time continuum with Omen on the floor beneath her. Generating a Kindred Link portal that led straight back to her bandit camp in the wilderness of Mistral. The impostor nearly fell through with her as well, were it not for Taiyang catching her shoulders in nick of time.
"Whoa!" "SUMMER!" Was the last thing she heard from both the impostor and Tai as she fell through the portal, which she quickly willed to close itself.
After this encounter, only one thought remained in her mind.
Evidence gathering that she's an impostor won't be easy. She'll be more on edge from now on. But that doesn't mean I'll stop trying. I owe Summer - The real one who probably is in the overworld - this.
Oh! Looks like our fake Summer has a backstory and her semblance has a massive drawback! Who would've thought it?