Hey guys! So obviously it has been a bit longer than I originally promised (I know I'm sorry!) I have been contracted by three different developing companies as of last month so my time for writing has been crunched down to very little. I will still be getting these chapters out as soon as I possibly can but cannot guarantee exactly when that will be so I will be trying to make the chapters a bit shorter so I can get out more instead of less chapters with longer waits. Thank you guys so much for your patience and I hope it was worth the wait. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
"Speech"
Thoughts
Chapter Nine: Judgement
(Present Day)
"After that we didn't see heads or tails of Slade for about a year. Of course I was keeping tabs on him but he never did anything too out of line in the beginning" Qrow explained "Slade became a Bounty Hunter, quickly earning a name for himself bringing down the most wanted criminals around with relative ease. Not too long after he was contacted by Ironwood himself and tasked him with infiltrating a criminal organization and bringing in their leader alive"
Qrow stopped taking another swig of his flask only to find it empty "Damn" he sighed "Long story short he succeeded and managed to get on the good side of Roman Torchwick, which landed him several other jobs taking down criminals and brining them in. This gave Slade a good reputation within certain circles of law enforcement giving him a free pass on pretty much anything. Not long afterward he met Adam Taurus and Cinder Fall"
"I can't believe it..." Nora looked slightly shaken by the story.
"How can someone experience so much pain, so much lose and just keep fighting?" Weiss asked "If I ever lost you guys or Winter... I don't know what I'd do"
"That's not going to happen, Weiss" Yang assured her confidently.
"Slade didn't think it was going to happen to him either" Jaune sighed "Pyrrha died for the same reasons his friends and family did. They believed their sacrifices would be worth it. Sometimes I wonder if it really is"
"Jaune-" Ren tried.
"Imagine being in Slade's position" Qrow sighed "You've lost all of your family and friends and the one person you have left to believe in lets you down... that can break anyone"
The group stared silently at Qrow, sadly thinking about the possibilities of it happening to them "The day Slade attacked Ozpin, was the same day as our orientation... Was that why he was so detached during his speech?" Ruby asked
"Yeah, he was still thinking about Slade... Oz was understandably upset"
"What kind of jobs did he do for Adam and Cinder?" Yang asked curiously.
"I don't know everything he did for them, but he hunted down and killed several former members of the White Fang and even current members so Adam looked innocent when it came to their deaths. The jobs he took on for Cinder however are a complete mystery to me, I found out he was responsible for the arrest of several officials and company board members on account of an overwhelming amount of evidence of their corruption turning up anonymously"
"You think Slade was responsible for finding the evidence?" Yang asked curiously.
"Slade's done more to help the world anonymously since his departure from Beacon than either of us expected. That's why we never hunted him down, he was proving to be a help instead of a hindrance like we had anticipated. I assumed he was using his association with Adam, Cinder, and Roman to keep himself from being suspected" Qrow explained "Unfortunately not long before the attack on Beacon, I received evidence that Slade had accompanied Cinder and her "Friends" to the last town Amber, the Fall Maiden had been seen in. The entire town was slaughtered... there weren't any survivors"
The group gasped in shock "I think I'm gonna be sick" Weiss held her hand over her mouth in revulsion.
"That's when we decided to go after Slade. Ironwood was told of his actions and shown the evidence and he refused to believe it. Every law enforcement officer and Huntsman in the world knows Slade's face now and would attack him without a second thought had he been found. Of course, Slade's much better at staying under the radar than we anticipated and I was sent after him-"
"Wait" Yang looked thoughtful "Slade told me about the attack on the town" she recalled.
"What did he say exactly?" Ozpin asked surprised.
"He didn't go into much detail but he did say they did something unspeakable and that's why he left their employment. Now I wonder if he meant the massacre" she answered.
"If that's true, then Slade might not be as bad as we originally thought but regardless of that he's still dangerous"
"That's why you were sent after him right?" Jaune asked curiously.
"Yeah, unfortunately when I started to get close to finding him, I received an anonymous letter"
"What kind of letter?" Nora asked leaning forward expectantly.
"The letter told of an attack coming soon to the city of Vale and that the relic was in danger. It warned me to return quickly and protect my family, it also said the attack is planned around the tournament and to keep a watchful eye out on the students. Some of Salem's followers had infiltrated our ranks"
"It was a warning about the attack on Beacon" Ozpin shook his head in disappointment "We headed it too late"
"You knew about the attack and still couldn't stop it from happening" Jaune asked angrily "Pyrrha died fighting in that battle!"
"Jaune" Ruby gasped.
"I know" Ozpin sighed "I wish I had seen the situation more clearly, but I couldn't convince the council with an anonymous letter. They had already placed Ironwood in charge of security, not that it did much good"
"Who gave you that tip?" Ren asked "You said it was anonymous but you must've obtained it somehow"
"I found it underneath the cap to my flask when I decided to take another swig" Qrow answered "I still don't know how it got there without me noticing, but I was glad it was something intended to help us and not an assassin"
"Yeah, otherwise you'd be dead" Nora pointed out.
"Do you think Slade could've been the one who gave it to you?" Yang asked hopeful.
"It's not impossible" Ozpin admitted "I often wondered if perhaps he had tried to assist us without getting directly involved, but had nothing to support the theory"
"Why did you tell us all of this? This seemed like something personal that Slade should've been the one to tell us about" Ruby pointed out.
"I explained this to you so maybe you could understand why he's so dangerous, you never know what you're gonna get with him anymore. Slade's only motivation is money. Bounty Hunter's don't just take jobs on good faith and hope to make a profit, especially when those jobs don't have a foreseeable end date. This war could take us a week or it could take us years, decades, hell... we may not even be the ones to end it. What do we have to offer him as motivation?"
"Other than saving the world and becoming a hero?" Jaune asked.
"Slade never cared about being a hero, even before he began attending Beacon. If I'm being honest he reminded me a lot of you Ruby" Qrow sighed.
"Why didn't you tell Slade the truth when he asked about his sister the first time?" Ruby asked.
"I didn't believe he was ready for that information in his current state. I fully intended to inform him the day he had awakened but his anger rose so quickly I believed him to be unstable" he explained "Unfortunately if I had told him he may still be fighting with us today as I had hoped he one day would"
"You wanted him to help you in your war against Salem but never told him anything about it until that day?" Weiss asked "You don't think that's a little selfish?"
"I didn't want to force him down that path, but yes I had hoped he would fight with us against Salem. I left him in the dark about Salem for as long as possible so I could allow him to make the choice for himself. Unfortunately for everyone Salem wanted Slade on her side, so she forced him into something he wanted nothing to do with"
"That's why he chose to be a Bounty Hunter" Ruby concluded "Slade didn't want to have to choose a side when he didn't trust either of you"
"That's right" Qrow sighed "Slade has become obsessed with money as it gives him an excuse to ignore the world around him in favor of hunting criminals"
"I know he cares about more than money" Yang said standing abruptly "Slade wouldn't have continued to learn at Beacon if he didn't want to help people"
"Maybe that was true once, but not anymore" Ozpin sighed.
"Just because you don't believe in him doesn't mean I can't" she spat angrily.
"Yang-" Qrow tried.
"No, Qrow!" she turned toward him "You and Ozpin kept secrets from him while he suffered through his torturous visions of Salem, you never told him the full truth around the death of his family members until it was too late. You never trusted him enough to tell him the truth when he deserved to know. What did you think he would do? People don't just take being lied to very well, let alone when those lies end up killing his family and friends-"
"That's enough, Ms. Xiao Long!" Ozpin yelled stopping her "I know we didn't do as much as we could've or even should've, but that doesn't change anything about the man he is today. I would love to be able to change what I did to him and bring his family back, but that just isn't possible... Slade has become a different man than I thought he would be and certainly a different man than I thought he had become already as shown by his decision to help you and stick with you to make sure your family was alright despite the lack of a payday" he explained remorsefully.
"Don't you see?" Yang asked "If all he cared about was money he would've killed my mother or at least captured her for the bounty on her head. Slade gave that up to ensure I found my family. He's a good person, Professor" Yang insisted.
"Slade's always been a good person, I just don't think he can see that in himself right now... being good means you care, and caring is the worst fear he has now" he explained.
"You mean he had all of those corrupt officials and businessmen arrested anonymously because he was getting paid for it?" Yang asked sarcastically.
"She's got a point, Oz"
"I know you still want to believe in him, Qrow. I do too, but the fact of the matter is he's far too dangerous-"
"Give me one good reason why I should give up on Slade? One reason why I shouldn't trust him"
"Slade's broken the trust of everyone he has ever worked for" Ozpin replied "Slade's got a bounty on his head because of his crimes and Cinder and Adam have been sending thugs and hired killers to take him down for betraying them"
"Oz-" Qrow began.
"You should know more than anyone what kind of person Slade is now, Qrow. You've seen the aftermath of what he's capable of, and the evidence of how cruel he can be"
The room became silent as Ozpin and Yang glared at one another "What do you mean by cruel?" Yang asked never turning her gaze away from Ozpin.
"Slade's tortured people that didn't need to be harmed just to gain information on a target. He would drive them to an inch of their life and then have them incarcerated... he plays with his food so to speak" Qrow explained.
Yang wanted to rebuke his statement but remained silent as she knew he could've been capable of more than he showed her on the bandit he had shot for Raven's location, she wondered if he lied to her about the lengths he would've gone for the information. The silence eventually became unbearable for Ruby.
"So... what exactly is Slade's Semblance? You never full explained it to us" Ruby asked curiously.
Qrow turned to look at Ozpin with a small shrug, Ozpin sighed "To be honest we don't really know enough about his capabilities to properly categorize his Semblance like we can with all of yours" Ozpin answered.
"What do you mean?" Ren asked not understanding.
"Well, simply put; your Semblance, that of Ms. Rose, Ms. Xiao Long and Ms. Valkyrie are as simple as they come. One is able to mask emotions, another to absorb electricity or attacks in Ms. Xiao Long's case and transfer it into raw strength, and the other to increase your speed exponentially. Ms. Schnee's and Mr. Branwen's are slightly more complicated than that having multiple uses, such as increasing speed, decreasing speed, summoning a creature to help fight and even just creating a platform to stand on. Qrow's is less predictable as it only affects bad luck for everyone around him, of course this could range from something as small as a wooden beam falling on your head or something as big as slipping while dodging an attack and getting impaled on the edge of a blade" Ozpin explained.
"You're saying Slade's abilities are even more complicated than that?" Nora asked.
"Yes, far more complicated" Qrow answered.
"So far we've been able to discern Slade has the ability to manipulate anything and everything that exists, organic or created, right down to the molecular level. How he does this is still yet to be determined though I suspect it's mental manipulation as his emotions seem to cause it to react similar to your eyes Ms. Rose"
"You mean when I watched Pyrrha die?" Ruby asked solemnly.
"Unfortunately, yes. Whenever Slade was upset or enraged like when his sister was killed, his Semblance was out of control. Most of the time I don't even think he was aware he was doing anything"
"You said he could manipulate anything... what exactly did you mean? Like telekinesis or something closer to Pyrrha's?" Jaune asked curiously.
"Very astute Mr. Arc" Ozpin smiled lightly "From what I have seen, Slade doesn't possess anything more than the ability to move things telekinetically but cannot alter their make up. For instance he cannot change your hair color from blonde to black but he can ensure you never had a bad hair day again" Ozpin explained with a chuckle "However Slade has also managed to control his power to such a degree, that he can pass through objects. We once believed this ability to be a separate Semblance from the first but it turns out to be one and the same"
"How does he pass through objects? If he cannot alter the makeup of a structure then how would he be able to do that?" Weiss asked confused.
"Slade simply manipulates the molecules of both himself and what he is passing through so that they never intersect. Of course our minds are not capable of perceiving this and so we fill in the blank space so it appears a blade or bullet passes through him when in reality, it never really existed there to begin with until the intersection period has passed, then he puts the molecules back into alignment. It's an extremely dangerous ability, considering what can be accomplished with it in the midst of combat but also to the user"
"How is it dangerous to the user? That sounds awesome!" Nora yelled excitedly.
"Think about it, Nora" Yang turned toward her "What happens if Slade doesn't put something back correctly or is distracted while doing so? What do you think happens when you tear a whole in yourself then don't put yourself back into place?"
"Oh" Nora sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck.
"You're very sharp, Ms. Xiao Long" Ozpin smiled "His Semblance is dangerous for that reason along with several others. If he catches one of you with his Semblance or tried to throw you out of the way of an attack but used too much force he could break you in two, crush you, even make you implode due to the slightest distraction. Slade's mental conditioning is impressive for him to never have made this mistake in the past, but there's a first for everything"
"Slade's never done it before?" Ruby asked surprised.
"Only during his early training days, and he stuck to non living things back then. Since then, he's never done it... not unintentionally anyway" Qrow answered.
"What do you mean?" Ren asked curiously.
"I told you there wasn't much left of Hunter and Cole's bodies when I arrived didn't I?" Qrow asked getting shocked expressions back from the group "From the sounds of it, he didn't make it quick either. I could hear their screams out for miles"
"What about Slade's ability to see into the future?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, you said he saw us and the attack on Beacon before but didn't specify what exactly he saw" Yang pointed out.
"I am still uncertain if that is directly tied to him or his connection to Salem. It's possible it's related to his Semblance somehow, but it's far more likely Salem is manipulating his visions for a reason. Though some of them he described to us didn't make sense as something to convince him against us"
There was a uncomfortable silence that hung over the room, everyone uncertain how to continue the conversation. Some of them wondered if they should just end it where it was and call it a night. Finally Weiss decided to speak up, breaking the silence.
"So, the Maidens. Magic. Salem. It's all true?" Weiss asked drawing their attention back to their previous conversation.
"Uh-huh" Qrow nodded.
"Ah, yes, back to the bigger topic" Ozpin chuckled "Ms. Xiao Long, everything I have said, is this more or less what your mother told you?" he asked. Yang doesn't respond still having her arms crossed over her chest angrily. Weiss answers for her.
"For the most part"
"You forgot something. You forgot to tell everyone what you did to Qrow and my Mother" Yang added causing Ruby to gasp.
"What is she talking about?"
"Oh, great" Qrow groaned as he rubbed his forehead in annoyance.
"Hm, that's not a secret I thought she would give up so easily. Your mother must trust you a great deal" Ozpin mused causing Yang to scowl at him "My ability to reincarnate, though a curse, isn't without a few key benefits. Much like the Maidens, I too possess a certain... "magical" power" he stands up and walks next to Qrow "Using this power, I was able to gift the Branwen twins the ability to "see" more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I... well... gave them the ability to turn into birds" he chuckled lightly "Rather ridiculous sounding out loud, isn't it?"
Wait, what? Oscar asked mentally.
"Uncle?" Ruby asked cautiously.
"You turned them... into birds" Ren repeated in disbelief.
"Alright, now you're just messing with us" Nora pointed out.
"What else is new?" Jaune growled angrily.
"He's telling the truth. We saw it. Yang's mom... changed, right in front of us" Weiss assured.
"Why would you do something like that? I mean, what is wrong with you?" Yang asked angrily.
"Yang, that's enough! We made a choice. We wanted this" Qrow explained, Yang relented.
"May I?" Ozpin asked Qrow, earning a nod in return "Granting this power to them was no trivial task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously. I required assistance in gathering information on Salem's plans, as well as searching for Maidens when their hosts became unclear" he explained.
"Okay, so, have you done this with others? Like General Ironwood? Or Professor Goodwitch?" Ruby asked curiously.
"As helpful as that might be, unfortunately, it is not that simple. My power is finite, and if I'm being honest, dwindling. The amount that I gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule. You see, centuries ago, I sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who I hoped would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens" The group remained silent "Ms. Xiao Long, it was never my intention to lie to you. To any of you. There are just some matters that I prefer to... "play close to the chest" he looked to Qrow "I believe that's how you phrased it?"
"Yeah" he chuckled back.
"Everyone has a choice. The Branwens chose to accept their powers and the responsibilities that came with them. And later, one of them chose to abandon her duties in favor of her own self-interest. Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat" Ozpin explained. Everyone is silent as they ponder Ozpin's words.
"Very well, then" he continued, Yang suddenly stands up.
"Yang?" Ruby asked concerned.
"If Ruby sticks around, then I will too. If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she somehow always knows the right thing to do" she smiled down at Ruby, earning one back "But, if we're going to help, if we're going to keep risking our lives, no more lies. No more half-truths"
Everyone remains silent. Ozpin and Qrow exchange a brief look with each other. Ozpin ponders Yang's words for one last moment, before responding with a smile
"Understood" Yang sits back down, content with his answer.
"So... what now? I mean, what can we do?" Jaune asked.
"Mm, that is a difficult question. One that I believe is best answered tomorrow" Ozpin replied.
"What do you mean?" Jaune asked.
"The road ahead is undoubtedly filled with hardships and peril. However, it's been far too long since you have all been together" Placing his hand onto Yang's shoulder "Please, take tonight, enjoy this moment" earning a smile from Yang. Suddenly Oscar's eyes glow, with Ozpin giving him control back to his body. Oscar realizes he has his hand on Yang's shoulder.
"Geh!" he quickly takes it off and nervously holds his cane in his hand. Yang and Weiss laugh at him, before hearing a noise from Nora.
"Oooohhh. Raven? Qrow? They're birds! Cracked it!" she proclaimed proudly. Ren shakes his head at Nora being slow on the uptake.
"So that's how you watched over Slade during his test in the emerald forest?" Ruby asked.
"Yeah, I was a bird following him around. It's also why he almost took my head off" he chuckled at the memory.
"We would have a better chance against Salem with Slade's help" Yang said to Qrow "I've seen him fight, he's better than anyone I've ever seen at his age" she offered "I think I can convince him to our side"
"I don't trust him" Qrow replied earning a glare from Yang "But if you think you can convince him to come work with us, so be it" he sighed crossing his arms.
Yang leaned up and kissed him on the cheek "Thank you, Uncle Qrow!" she called rushing toward the door "Don't get your hopes up, Firecracker. Slade's not likely to agree to it" he called as she reached the door.
"I'll be sure to be as persuasive as I can be" she winked back at him.
"Yang!" he called stopping her before she left "Remember, not a word-"
"Don't tell Slade about Ozpin. I know" she replied back to him "I promise I won't say a word" she called yanking the door open and rushing out.
"Hey, Yang!" he called as his hand came up only to slump back down as he rubbed his forehead in annoyance "Why do I even bother"
"Do you think she'll be alright?" Ruby asked "Slade seems like a nice guy, but he's also pretty dangerous" she pointed out.
"I know, kiddo. That's why I'm going with her"
"You think it's going to be easier to convince him to work with us with you there?" Weiss asked raising her eyebrow.
"I'm not going there to help convince him, I'm going to make sure nothing happens. Besides, they'll never even know I'm there" he chuckled as he changed into crow form and flew out the still open door.
The group stared silently after Qrow as he had left "I'm never going to get used to that" Jaune groaned causing everyone to laugh.
Slade sat on the barstool in the empty building as he drank down yet another glass slamming it down onto the bar shattering it "Shit" he groaned in annoyance, picking the glass out from between the metal armor on his gauntlets.
"That's the third glass tonight" the bartender pointed out "You wanna talk about it I am a fantastic listener"
"Put it on my tab" Slade growled gesturing for another.
"That's your eighth drink in the last twenty minutes, slow it up or I'm gonna have to cut you off" he warned.
"How about you worry about you and I'll worry about me" Slade replied grabbing the newly filled glass from his hand and placing more Lien onto the bar.
"Long as you promise not to break anymore glasses on me"
"Yeah, yeah" he waved off.
Yang entered the bar spotting him as she closed the door behind her. Qrow in his bird form flew up to the window on the second floor overlooking the entire place.
"What do you want?" Slade asked without turning to look at her.
"I came to talk" she answered.
"Then talk, come, sit" he pulled out a barstool and patted the seat, she approached and sat down beside him cautiously.
"What can I do for you miss?" asked the bartender.
"Just a water is fine" she replied as she stared silently at Slade gulping down the contents of the glass.
"Coming right up"
"What is it you wanted to talk about?" he asked as the bartender gave Yang a glass of water and filled up Slade's glass once more. Slade placed more Lien on the bar before taking a sip of his drink.
"You seem rather drunk" Yang pointed out.
"Rather less than I planned to be" he replied "Of course I usually drink something stronger than the swill they serve here in Mistral" he chuckled as he lifted the glass to his lips.
"Qrow told us everything about your past" Slade froze just before he took another sip from his glass.
Oh boy Qrow groaned inwardly.
Slade finished the contents of his glass and placed it down on the bar "Bartender, cut me off" he said placing the glass over on his left leaving the space in front of him open as he turned to Yang looking her in the eye "What exactly did he tell you?" he asked narrowing his eyes at her.
"He told us what happened to your brother, parents, and sister... to your team. He also told us about your visions of Salem, and Cinder being behind everything pertaining to you and your family, and about your abilities. Qrow explained what you knew as opposed to the truth of what happened when you asked Ozpin and we know you attacked Ozpin when you found out what he did to your sister" she explained. Slade remained silent, searching for any signs of deceit. Finding nothing he shook his head, turning away from her with a soft chuckle.
"Good, that saves me the trouble of dealing with that myself later. I really hate talking about things" he admitted with a deep sigh.
"Qrow says you don't care about anything but money-"
"I don't" he interrupted sternly.
"I don't believe that"
"Good for you"
"You can't truly believe that after everything that you did in your past and what you've done since"
"I believe the truth, Yang. That's what that is" he replied.
"Liar"
"Stubborn ass"
"You know I am right"
"Do I now?"
"Yeah, you do"
"Funny... I thought I knew you were wrong, but I guess you got me" he rolled his eyes.
"Why can't you just admit that you care about people-"
"Because the people I care about always die, Yang!" he yelled, Yang stared at him in shock, her shock quickly changed to sympathy "I'm cursed, Yang. Qrow may have really bad luck, but he's never gotten anyone killed simply by existing"
"You're not cursed-"
"Really, Yang? Then explain to me how in only a few years time my brother, sister, mother and father all ended up dead just because I was around. The first official mission I went on with my team they all died. What other connection do you find in all four of those events?" he asked.
"Salem" Yang answered.
"Precisely" he replied looking away from her "Salem has an obsession with me... I don't know why she continually focuses on bringing me to her side but so long as I remain on my own path, anyone I care for will end up dead sooner or later" he explained.
"That's not your fault, Slade"
"No, it isn't... it's Ozpin's" he turned back to her "Did you know he's the reason Salem is the way she is today?" he asked.
"I... Qrow never said anything about that while he explained it to us"
"Qrow might not even know" Slade sighed "Did Qrow... tell you what I did as a Bounty Hunter? The jobs that I've taken and the people I've killed?" he asked looking somewhat nervous.
"Yes"
Slade remained silent as he looked toward the empty glass next to him and thought about getting another, he sighed deeply "They say everyone is born a hero" he took out his revolver and stared down at it "But if you let it, life will push you over the line... until you're the villain" he placed it back into his holster "I'm no hero, Yang. I never have been and I don't pretend to be. I'm just a man trying to make it through to the next day"
"Do you ever see their faces? The people you've killed?" she asked curiously.
"Everyday" he answered looking toward her once more "Though it's not a very large number"
"What do you mean?" she asked surprised.
"The majority of my jobs paid me whether or not they were alive or dead. Dead was easier but too short in my opinion, I brought in everyone I was able to"
"So you only killed a handful of people compared to how many you incarcerated? Is that what you're saying?" she asked.
"Mostly. I can count on my hands how many jobs I've taken to actually kill someone"
"Just how many jobs have you done?" she asked.
"183" he answered.
"That was incredibly specific" Yang deadpanned.
"Only about eight of them demanded death. I'm not really a fan of those ones though, they require proof of the deed instead of just walking them in the front door and that can get nasty"
"You did that many jobs in only one year?" she asked surprised "Did you start the day you left or something?"
"No, I started a week after departing from Beacon. Of course I did take several at once on some days as they would be in the same general area"
"You work fast I'll give you that" she laughed.
Slade chuckled "I try my best" the two of them remained silently staring into each other's eyes, looking away he sighed with a small shake of his head "I know why you're here, Yang"
Her smile turned into a frown "Qrow doesn't think you'll fight with us"
"He's right"
"Slade, please-"
"I will not apologize for the truth, I refuse to fight Ozpin's war anymore"
"Innocent people will die if we don't stop Salem"
"Innocent people will always die, that won't change just because one person is dead" he replied.
"You've fought against evil before" she pointed out.
"Things were different then, this is now" he paused with a heavy sigh "I'm not a good person, Yang. I'm not a Huntsman, and I'm certainly no hero... there's nothing more to discuss"
"You are a good person, Slade" she insisted "You wouldn't still see those you've killed if you weren't, you wouldn't blame yourself for the deaths of your family and friends, and you never would've attended Beacon if you didn't want to help people"
"I'm not you!" he yelled standing up from the bar stool "I can't keep fighting just because someone asks me to, Yang. Ozpin unleashed a monster that's unstoppable, who doesn't have a conscience. How do you suppose we win against something like that? Huh?!" he asked, his eyes desperately searching for an answer in her own.
"By trying dammit! You cannot succeed if you don't even give it a shot!" she yelled back standing from her bar stool.
"Trying? That's your answer? I've done that, and yet Salem killed everyone I cared about. MY FAMILY! Just to prove I couldn't change a damn thing..." he sighed turning away from her.
"We don't understand what she is exactly, what she can do" Yang pointed out "There's gotta be some way we can beat her. Everyone has a weakness"
"You've got that right" Slade sighed "I can't keep fighting, Yang. I told Ozpin I was done a year ago and I meant it" he turned to leave "I'm sorry"
"Please" Yang pleaded as she followed him to the door "All I'm asking is for you to try" Slade stopped in the center of the room turning back to her.
"You cannot convince me to join you, Yang" he replied narrowing his eyes.
"Ruby and Qrow are going to be fighting Salem even if I don't. I cannot just stand by and let my family, my friends go on their own... we'd have better chances with you helping"
"I cannot fight for Ozpin another day, I made my choice already... but you don't have to fight, Yang. You can choose your own path"
"My family and my friends will be fighting Salem. I won't let what happened to Pyrrha happen to them... they need me... they're relying on me" she explained.
"People are always relying on you, Yang. They won't stop just because you aren't there... I'm sorry. I can't join you in this fight"
"So you're not even going to try? You're going to give up before you even get started?" Yang asked angrily "You know not everyone has gone through the same shit that you have but everyone fighting with Ruby including her have lost people they cared about. None of them have had it easy getting to where they are today and you're just gonna give up on them?" she asked.
"Yang-"
"We don't have much choice here, ya know?"
"Yang..." he sighed "The reason I refuse to fight is because I don't want to be the reason you all end up dead too" he walked back to the bar and poured himself another glass while placing the Lien on the bar to pay for it "It's my last one I promise" he laughed as the bartender glared at him. Slade leaned back against the bar and looked back to Yang "Qrow explained my connection to Salem, yes?" he asked, earning a nod from her.
"Well then you know it's a two way connection, I can see what she sees and she can see what I see. I recently found a way to block her out so she cannot see if I don't want her to see but she can do the same on her end if she wants" he explained "Even if I fought with you... it's possible she could use me to spy on you and your friends. You'll be far safer without me around"
"I trust you enough to know you wouldn't let her do something like that, if you even suspected she was looking through you, I know you wouldn't stick around" she explained.
"I'm not going to fight with you, Yang. My mind is made up" he replied.
"I saw how recklessly you threatened my mother back in her camp. When she offered you the choice to leave or face her and the rest of the tribe or leave with us, you chose to leave"
"You think I'm afraid to die?" Slade asked taking a seat at the nearby table.
"No... I think you want it" she answered honestly "The real question is: Why did you choose to leave instead of fight?" she asked sitting across from him.
"If I fought Raven, you and Weiss would've gotten involved and you never would've found your sister. As someone who's lost everything that matters... I couldn't just sit there and let that happen again to somebody else"
"Aw, you do care" she punched him in the shoulder "I knew it"
"Yang-"
"What the hell do you think you're doing here after last time!?" yelled a man leading a group of six into the bar all wearing different variations of purple clothes with yellow thrown in here and there.
"Some more friends of Adam?" Yang asked.
"Not quite"
"You're not allowed in this city anymore, Stroud. After you trashed the bar the boss said you were fair game, she doesn't care what Torchwick has to say" the man up front warned as they approached.
"I can assure you I had no intention of coming to Mistral and didn't even know I would be here until I was teleported here by Raven Branwen" Slade explained.
"Branwen?" the man asked surprised "What's a guy like you doing associating with someone like her?"
"You know how business is" Slade shrugs "I go where the money tells me"
"Slade hasn't-" Yang began before he put his hand up toward her.
"Let me handle this, Yang"
"Who's this? Your girlfriend? the man asked to Yang's annoyance.
"I worked with her on a job, that's all" Slade answered.
"Since when do you work with a partner?" the man asked confused "I thought you work alone"
"I do, this was a one time thing" he answered earning a small glare from Yang "You can let Miss Malachite know I'm not staying and won't be interfering with her business so long as she doesn't interfere with mine"
"She doesn't care what you're doing here, you need to leave"
"Look, boys" Slade said as nicely as he could "I've had a rather eventful day today, so whatever you think you're going to accomplish by intimidating me" he slammed his hand onto the table standing up and glaring at the man as he shrunk away from the sound "I suggest you wait until I finish my drink" he took another sip before retaking his seat.
"Do you think we should just go?" Yang asked.
"Nonsense I haven't finished my drink yet" he replied.
"Better finish it quick then, if she finds out you're here, you're gonna have someone coming after you for a change" he grinned.
Slade sighed "Fine have it your way" he stood with his glass in hand and walked to the door.
"You looking for some company sweetheart?" the guy asked leaning toward Yang "I know a few places around here-" he stopped and looked back at Slade as he heard the doors locking and the window shutters all close at once.
"You should've just kept that big mouth of yours shut" he chuckled taking a final sip of his drink before flipping the empty glass around in his hand "Threatening me wasn't the best idea you've ever had but hitting on her is an even worse one. I've seen her temper before" he looked at the men as they gathered behind him trying to look intimidating "Allow me to teach you a lesson in manners" he flicked his wrist backwards launching the glass from his hand into the head of the man leading the group shattering upon his head as he dropped onto his back. Slade slowly approached the group "Are we going to stand around all day? Or are we going to fight?" he asked with a smirk.
The man in the back pushed the man in front of him out of his way before pulling his fist back and swinging for Slade's face. Slade easily redirected the punch with his arm pushing his by the wrist, forcing him to punch the man to his right in the face, dropping him into the bar face first before crashing into the floor. Slade then kicked his first assailant in the chest before blocking a second's punch with his left arm and slamming his right fist into his face.
Yang laughed as they continued to attack him to no avail, Slade turned from the man he just punched to elbow another in the abdomen just as he was preparing to punch him. The man behind him stood back up and grabbed him by the shoulder only to get backhanded followed shortly by and fist to his face as Slade grabbed hold of his arm with his left hand and turning to backhand another man as he attacked.
The man who attacked him first pulled out a knife and tried to stab him as Slade pulled the man in his grip toward him lifting his arm up painfully as the knife embedded in his shoulder. Slade kicked his leg out from under him as the knife was pulled back out of his shoulder dropping him onto his knees, before ducking under a punch for his head as the man stumbled past him then kneed the man on his knees in the face.
One of the men behind him swung for his head from behind just as Slade ducked under his attack once again and placing his fingers together he chopped his hand onto the man's shoulder breaking the bones as he did before running the same hand under his opposite arm and back over his shoulder keeping him trapped in his grip. Another had a knife in hand and stabbed toward Slade as he turned with the man in his hold using his gauntlet to knock the weapon from him and kicking the man in the chest. The man stumbled backward smashing a few glasses on the bar as he crashed into it, he picked up a bottle from behind the bar and swung it toward Slade. Using his semblance, he forced the man back into the bar while being careful to not break the bottle as it was guided back into place then slamming his boot into the man's face.
Slade removed his arm from under the other man's and kicked him onto a nearby table, breaking it as he fell atop it. Then he grabbed another as he attempted to crawl away and slammed him face first into another's head knocking them both unconscious. The next man with a knife in hand thrusted toward him as Slade caught his arm in hand and elbowed him in the abdomen before grabbing him by the throat and spinning him toward the bar. Stopping as he faced the bar, he turned the man around and kicked him in the back, flipping him backward as he soared toward the bar slamming into it and falling to the ground unconscious.
The leader of the men finally stood back up with a gun in his hand he began firing at Slade just as his gauntlet came up to deflect the bullets "You dirty son of a bitch!" he yelled as he fired until the gun clicked indicating it was empty. Slade flipped sideways and kicked the man in the face, throwing him into the ground before slamming his fist into his face knocking him unconscious as well. The bartender just looked at him in anger "Sorry" he tossed a considerable amount of Lien onto the bar "That should pay for any damages"
"That was glass number four"
"I know" Slade sighed turning back to Yang "Sorry about that. Needed to let off a bit of steam" he smirked "Qrow pissed me off a bit back at the house so" he shrugged.
"Was that because they threatened you or because he started flirting with me?" Yang asked, looking a little too pleased with herself.
"Please, Yang, don't insult me. I cannot allow him to think he can go around threatening me when I have a reputation to keep up" he turned toward the door "See you around I suppose. I truly hope none of you die" he added as he walked through the closed door without unlocking it.
"How did I get lucky enough for that guy to show up in my bar?" the bartender asked sarcastically.
"Sorry about that" Yang said rubbing the back of her head sheepishly "Let me help you clean up to make up for it"
I'm sorry, firecracker Qrow sighed I tried to tell you he's different than you think he is... at least now I won't have to worry about him finding out about Ozpin he sighed in relief Though I have to say, I am surprised he's as good natured as he is given the reputation he's built among the underworld... though perhaps that has something to do with his predisposition to starting bar fights he chuckled to himself before flying off back toward the house.
Ruby sat on the couch with Weiss as they talked about what each of them had been through since they last saw each other. The door opened as Qrow entered the house "Uncle Qrow!" Ruby called excitedly.
"Heya, kiddo" he laughed "Yang should be back soon, she helped clean up the bar Slade was at when he trashed it" he explained.
"Is Yang okay?" Ruby asked concerned.
"Relax, it wasn't her he got into a fight with"
"Then who-?" Ruby started to ask before the door opened as Yang entered "Yang!" Ruby called matching her enthusiasm for Qrow.
"Hey, Ruby" she greeted solemnly.
"What's wrong?" she asked concerned.
"I went to go see Slade... Qrow was right. No matter how much I tried to convince him to help us he refused"
"Because he wasn't getting paid?" Weiss asked.
"No, he didn't even bring up money. It's because he didn't want to see more people getting hurt again" she sighed.
"Neither do we, that's why we can't give up" Ruby said as if it was obvious.
"Yeah, that's what I told him" she plopped down onto the couch "It's just not as cut and dry for Slade as it is for us"
"Slade's connection to Salem has done a lot of damage to him, Yang. One day I hope he can move past that... but he's too scared of being hurt to allow himself to care again" Qrow explained sitting down next to her.
"He's only human after all" Ozpin's voice spoke from behind him.
"Oz" Qrow greeted.
"I assume by his absence that Slade isn't joining us" he sighed walking around and sitting in the empty chair.
"Yeah, he's moving on" Yang answered "He's leaving and not coming back... I thought he was better than that. I believed he was better than that"
"He was" Ozpin sighed "I made him into the man he is today, I am responsible for turning him away from his true self" he wiped a stray tear from his face "There are days when I wonder if I am doing more harm than good fighting against Salem. Then atrocities like the attack on Vale happen and I'm reminded why I fight... because no one else can"
"I think Slade got used to being alone for too long and now he's scared to accept someone else into his life" Ruby said looking over to Ozpin "You're not responsible for what Salem has done to him and you're not responsible for making him into the person he is today" she assured him.
"You're too kind, Ms. Rose. I wish I could believe that myself" he smiled softly toward her.
"Slade still cares though... he's a better person than he gives himself credit for" Yang shook her head lightly "If he didn't care about people... about what's right... he wouldn't fight against criminals the way he does"
"What about the criminals he doesn't fight against? Criminals like Adam Taurus, Roman Torchwick, and Cinder Fall?" Weiss asked "Wouldn't he fight against them if he wanted to do what's right?"
"You have to put your hands into the dirt to pull weeds" Qrow answered "Slade more than likely was using them to take down bigger fish than he could if he didn't, but honestly we still don't know for certain"
"I hope so..." Yang stared off in silence "I hope someday Slade remembers who he truly is"
"Me too, kid... me too" Qrow looked down in shame.
Slade entered the tavern as all the eyes in the room shifted to him he spotted his target, he smiled as he approached the heavy set woman sitting in the chair at the back of the room.
"That's quite close enough for my taste" she stated stopping him in place as the man in front of him pointed a gun toward him "I thought I made it clear last time we met that you weren't welcome here in this city anymore" Malachite narrowed her eyes.
"Oh, yes I remember. Your men sent that message loud and clear back in that bar" he laughed crossing his arms over his chest "You used to be subtle, Malachite"
"Well maybe that changed when you trashed my lovely abode" she said gesturing to the building they were in "What're you doing here, Stroud?" she asked leaning back.
"I'm looking for someone" he answered.
"That's no surprise but why come to me? You have multiple other contacts to go to-"
"I've broken ties with some of my old contacts and the others have recently been killed" he answered stepping forward passing right through the man in front of him, shocking everyone in the room before sitting down across from her "Now, can we do business or are you still holding that accident against me?" Slade asked raising his eyebrow slightly.
"Who exactly are you looking for?" she asked interested.
Slade showed her a drawn picture "Sorry, I didn't have anything else to use and had to go from memory" he chuckled handing her the drawing "Her name is Blake Belladonna"
Miss Malachite stared at the detailed picture slightly impressed with the work "What do you want with this girl? She a bounty of yours? Or something more personal?" she asked curiously.
"I don't want to know where she is. I'm doing this for a... for a... friend" he finished.
"Friend?" Malachite laughed "I know you, Stroud. You don't have any friends, you push everyone who comes close to you away. You like to work alone. Ring a bell?" she continued.
"I'm not here to listen to your inane prattling" he growled "Will you do it?" he asked.
Malachite leaned back in her seat stroking her chin thoughtfully "I will look into it, give me a few days and we'll let you know what I've found" she answered.
"Thank you" he stood from the chair he was in "Pleasure doing business with you again" he added with a small smirk as he turned to leave.
"Pleasure was all mine" she called after him as he left the building with a smile. Shortly after he was out of sight she frowned "Find out if anyone is looking for him" she ordered.
"Boss?" her bodyguard asked "Didn't you just agree to help him?"
"Yes, and I want you to find out what you can of the girl in question. However I also want you to find out who else he's pissed off, I'd like to know if we can make a tidy little profit off of it" she explained.
It is early morning in Mistral. Ruby's lying on the ground of the patio outside of the training room. She watches a group of four birds flying together, before one of them flies away from the group. As she watches it fly, Ruby sees Yang peek over her head.
"You're up early" she pointed out.
"Hey, sis" she smiles up at her.
"Boop" Yang lets her hair down and uses it to tickle her little sister's nose. Ruby giggles affectionately at her older sister's action. Ruby then sits up as Yang sits down next to her.
"What are you doing up?" she sighs contently.
"Can't fall back to sleep"
"Ah, me neither"
"Well, fortunately, coffee exists" Weiss called from behind them. Weiss carries a tray with three cups of coffee and walks over to join her teammates. She lowers the tray down so Yang can grab a cup.
"No, please!" Ruby shook her hands in front of her face.
"Don't worry, I put in blasphemous amounts of cream and sugar, just for you" she assured her holding the cup out in front for Ruby.
"Oh yeah! Nice Weiss strikes again!" she said as she reached for it. Suddenly, Weiss pulls the cup away just as Ruby was about to grab it.
"I will pour this on you and it will burn" she warned. She hands the cup to Ruby, who nervously giggles. Weiss sits down next her teammates and grabs her cup of coffee after placing the tray down next to her.
"Can't believe we're actually in Mistral" Yang sighed in contentment.
"That's what you can't believe?" Ruby asked surprised.
"Well, yeah! And all the other magic and stuff. But... Okay, you know what I mean!"
"I honestly wasn't sure if I'd ever see you two again" Weiss admitted.
"Well, here's to defying expectations" Yang and Weiss clink cups together, while Ruby gulps her cup down in one go, opening one eye to glance at the others' cups.
"I just wish Blake could be here with us" she pointed out.
"Yeah, well, she made her choice" Yang deadpanned.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss asked.
"I mean she could've been here if she just stuck around. It's no big deal though. We'll be fine" she replied bitterly.
Ruby and Weiss have concerned expressions on their face "Don't you want her here?" Ruby asked.
"Why would I want her here?" she asked as if it was a dumb question.
"Are you still mad at her for leaving?"
Yang scoffed "Oh, whatever gave you that idea, Ruby? No, I'm totally fine. I'm great"
"Okay, calm down" Weiss tried.
"Don't tell me to calm down!" she yelled as her eyes flashed red. Ruby and Weiss gain startled expressions.
"Whoa, Yang"
Yang realizes what she did, and her eyes turn back to normal. Her hand shakes while holding her cup "Whatever" she got up and walked inside. Ruby and Weiss exchanged a look of concern as she left. Their attention was drawn by a deep sigh behind them, turning they found Qrow with his arms crossed over his chest.
"She's still mad about Blake leaving?" he asked.
"Yeah, it hurt her pretty bad" Weiss sighed "Probably because the only reason Yang even lost her arm was for helping Blake and instead of sticking around and helping she ditched us"
"Slade leaving probably hasn't helped the situation" Ruby pointed out.
"Yeah" Qrow shook his head as he placed his hands in his pockets "One person leaving you when you need them is hard enough but she's had more than enough people disappear on her... she has every right to be angry"
"How many people have left her?" Weiss asked.
"First her own mother Raven, then Ruby's mom Summer, and now Blake and Slade both left too... she must feel pretty abandoned at this point" he explained.
"Mom didn't choose to leave her though" Ruby offered in defense of her own mother.
"Not intentionally" Qrow said with a small smile "Summer was always doing the right thing... unfortunately there was always going to be something she couldn't overcome, going out on missions like that all the time"
"Yeah" Ruby wiped a stray tear from her face "I miss Mom"
"Me too, kiddo... me too" he sighed.
Yang sits alone on a bed looking at the "New Friends!" photo of Team RWBY. She hears a knock on the door and quickly puts the photo away "Yeah?"
The door opens but Yang doesn't look up to see who entered. "Look Ruby, I really don't want to talk about it, okay? Can you just leave me alone for a bit?" Yang looks up, and is surprised that it was not Ruby, but Weiss who is at the doorway.
"Oh. Hey Weiss. Did you need something?" Weiss says nothing. She closes the door behind her and sits on the bed opposite to Yang.
Yang sighed "I know she's our teammate, but I'm not just going to change my mind. I'm sorry, I just... I don't think you know what it's like to be left. You have a giant family, recitals to perform at, dinners to attend. I didn't have any of that. My mom left me. Ruby's mom left too. Tai was always busy with school and Ruby couldn't even talk yet. I had to pick up the pieces. I had to keep things together. Alone" she paused "Weiss, if you have something to say, then say it"
Weiss remains silent for a moment, before responding "When I was ten, my dad finally admitted to my mom that the only reason he married her was for the family name" she sighed "It was actually on my birthday. He missed the big dinner, she got mad, he finally snapped. I think she already knew. Looking back, I think I knew too. But hearing him say it finally pushed her over the edge"
She gets up and sits down next to Yang on the other bed "First it was separate lunches and dinners, opposite balconies at my recitals, a glass of wine here, a glass of wine there. Then, it was no dinners, no recitals, a bottle of wine here and... well, you get the idea"
"I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have assumed"
"You're right though. I don't know loneliness like you do. I have my own version. And, I'll bet Blake has her own version too"
"She doesn't have to be alone though. I was here for her. We all were! She chose to leave us"
"Why do you think she did that?"
"Hm?" Yang asked confused.
"The entire time Blake was at Beacon, she was afraid to open up to people. She tried to keep her past separated from us. She tried to protect us. Eventually, those walls she put up came down. And the moment they did, the one thing she was afraid of actually happened. The universe proved her right"
"No one blamed her for anything! If she had just talked to us, she would've known that! How could I be there for her if she doesn't let me? What if I needed her here for me?" Yang buries her face in her hands and starts sobbing quietly, Weiss puts reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"I know it's not easy. I wish she hadn't left too. The only thing we can do now is be there for her when she's ready. When she comes back"
Yang lowers her hands from her face "If she comes back"
"She will. Yang... You, Ruby, and even Blake are more like family to me than my brother or even my own father. I would do anything for you three, and I'm willing to bet Blake feels the same way. So, when she's ready, I'll be there for her. And I know we're not as close, but... I'm here for you too" Weiss smiles and Yang calms down.
"She still left when I needed her the most" Yang insisted.
"Did Slade not do the same thing?" Weiss asked.
"That's not-"
"Is that not the same thing?" she asked "Blake was afraid we would get hurt and we did. Slade was afraid his team would get hurt after what happened to his family and they didn't just get hurt... they died. She blames herself for what happened to you, Yang. Just like how Slade blames himself for what happened to his team. If you were in their place, don't you think you would feel the same way?" she asked.
"I... I... I don't know how I'd feel" she admitted "Maybe you're right" Yang relented with a deep sigh.
"All I'm saying is people don't just leave without a reason, I'm sure Blake thought what she was doing would be in our best interest"
"Maybe..." Yang relented.
They hear a knock at the door, which opens up and reveals Ruby. "Is, uh... everything okay?"
Yang smiled at her "Yeah, it is" Ruby sighs in relief.
Slade entered the tavern with a lit cigar in hand to find many of Miss Malachite's men looking at him nervously as he made his way toward the very smug looking woman he intended to meet with "Slade Stroud, how nice to see you again" she greeted.
Slade's hand hovered over Defiance as he remained standing "You have the information I'm looking for?" he asked.
"I do indeed" she laughed "Ms. Belladonna was in Menagerie" she answered "She seems to have reunited with her parents there and has been traveling with another Faunus named Sun Wukong since leaving Vale. She's currently on her way here to Mistral" she explained.
Well I'm paying you quite a sum of money for nothing then he inwardly groaned.
"Thank you, that should be sufficient enough" he turned to leave "Pleasure doing business with you again, Miss Malachite" he called as he tossed a sack of Lien over his shoulder onto the table to pay for her services.
"The pleasure was all mine, but before you go..." her men stopped Slade by forming a wall in front of him "There's some people who've been looking for you for sometime now. Apparently you're not an easy man to pin down"
"That's how I'm still alive" he said turning back to her "You really don't want to cross me, Malachite. The last time I messed up your bar was because I just happened to be here. Think about what I'll do to this place when you get on my bad side" he warned.
"I think I'll take my chances" she grinned "C'mon out now. Mr. Stroud is delighted to meet you again" she called.
Slade turned around to see Cinder standing in the open room with Mercury accompanying her as Miss Malachite's guards moved out of the way "Cinder" he greeted unsurprised "I knew I smelled an overinflated ego" he crossed his arms over his chest with a deep sigh.
Cinder grinned at him "Slade" her voice hissed out "It's been far too long"
"Not long enough for some of us" he replied "I had hoped the last time we met was the last we would ever see each other" he admitted.
"I'm sure you did" she laughed "Unfortunately for you, Salem has a vested interest in you"
"That's one way of putting it" he continued to glare as he stepped closer.
"You look good"
"Clean living" Slade replied placing the cigar into his mouth "You look like you've suffered some losses" he added referring to her injured face and her sleeved arm indicating an injury as she normally left as much uncovered as possible.
"You remember Mercury?" she gestured toward the man with his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Still shooting first, asking questions later?" Slade asked mockingly, referring to his actions during their previous encounter.
Mercury kicked up toward Slade firing a round from his boot through his cigar before returning to his previous stance "You still chewing on cheap cigars?" he asked with a smirk.
"Boys, please. Settle down" Cinder smiled lightly at the interaction between them "I have a job for you"
"I already have a job" he replied spitting the cigar out of his mouth.
"Still hunting Raven? 19 grand right?" Mercury asked with a cocky grin.
"19.5" Slade answered "You know I haven't had to kill anyone in a while" he pointed out.
"Starting to miss it?"
"Right about now I am" Slade's hand hovered over his weapon.
"Yeah?" Mercury asked, his tone practically begging him to try something.
"Mercury, take a walk and go find Emerald for me please" Cinder ordered.
While seeming a bit reluctant, he nonetheless complied and turned to leave "Attaboy" Slade taunted earning a growl from him as he left.
"You know Salem and I are both not proud of the way things ended between us. I want you to know neither of us intended for Elise to die"
Slade's smirk dropped at the mention of her name "Conversation's over" he pushed past her, shoulder checking her as he did. Cinder groaned rubbing her shoulder as he passed.
Slade had a brief moment of surprise, sensing something dark on his arm as he brushed by her but it passed almost as fast as it came Something is off about her, that arm isn't quite right
"Playing the callous mercenary again? That isn't you, Slade" she said following after him.
Slade stopped, turning to face her getting dangerously close "You would know, huh?" he asked as she instinctively backed off.
"I-I would" she managed to stutter out despite the confidence her newfound power had granted her.
"What do you want, Cinder?" Slade asked impatiently.
"Name your price" Cinder replied handing him a contract "Salem is willing to pay anything to have you on our side. If you continue to stay neutral in this war, the day will come when she won't be able to keep you safe from the repercussions of the collapse of civilization"
"I can take care of myself" he replied smacking the paper against her chest as he turned away from her, shocking Cinder.
"This is not about you, Slade" she replied following behind him "Who's going to ensure that cute blond isn't killed when we destroy Haven? She's already lost an arm... how much more does she need to lose?"
"Goodbye, Cinder" Slade placed his sunglasses on as he continued walking away. Cinder stopped following, watching as he left with disappointment written across her face. She sighed before following after Mercury to find Emerald and Hazel.
Oscar who is currently letting Ozpin take over, and Qrow Branwen are seen sitting together in the living room of the house they're staying in currently. Qrow takes a sip from his cup.
"Things aren't looking good, Oz"
"Ever the optimist" he sips from his own cup "While I would not say our current predicament is... ideal, I think we can both agree that the situation could be much worse. Humanity is a resilient force"
"Oz, pro Huntsmen like that don't just bite it all at once. Salem's powerful. It seems like her reach is growing by the day. What does that say about humanity?"
"That there are indeed a misguided few who have filled their hearts with malice. It doesn't take a great number of people to cause harm, but I still believe there are far more people in this world willing to prevent it" As Ozpin is about to take another sip, Ruby Rose is heard walking into the room.
"Um, excuse me?"
"Ah, Ms. Rose, join us. We were just about to gather everyone to discuss our next steps"
"Oh, uh, great"
"Something on your mind, kiddo?" Qrow asked.
"Uh... uh, it's... if it's okay to ask" she answered honestly.
"Of course"
"Well, uh... we've been talking about the Relic at Haven... and the Spring Maiden, but... what about the Fall Maiden?"
"Cinder?" Ozpin asked.
"Does that mean... Salem has the Beacon Relic?" Ozpin and Qrow share a brief look with each other.
"Very astute, Ms. Rose, I was wondering who would be the first to ask. No, thankfully she does not. It's true that the Relic at Haven is very much at risk, and for now, that should remain our primary focus. Let's just say I made finding the Relic at Beacon a... bit more challenging than at the other schools" Ozpin explained.
"Oh" she sighs in relief "That's good to hear"
"It is, but let's not forget the challenges that still lie before us" Ruby nods in understanding "Now is there anything else we can help you with?"
"Oh, uh... well, I did have one more question"
"No, my cane is not a Relic"
"I have no more questions" she replied causing them all to laugh.
"Yes, while this cane is indeed very precious to me, it is also just that - precious to me. While I admit it still has a few more tricks up its sleeve, I can firmly say that being a Relic isn't one of them. Now why don't you run and get the other students?"
Suddenly, Qrow's scroll is heard vibrating. He takes it out from his pocket to see "Leo Lionheart" calling. He takes the call.
"Yeah? Okay... yeah, we'll be there" Qrow hangs up.
"Who was it?" Ruby asked.
Qrow sighs while taking out his flask "It was Leo, says he had a breakthrough with the council. Thinks he might be able to get together a small raiding party for the bandits. He wants us to meet up at the school tomorrow night to walk us through it"
Ruby gasps and smiles "Really? Oh that's great! I'll go get the others" Ruby runs out of the room while Qrow takes a drink from his flask.
"Mmm, that sounds drastically different from your original conversation, does it not?" Ozpin asked.
"It does" Qrow answered.
"Interesting..." he mused aloud.
"Things aren't looking good, Oz"
"I know..."
The Haven headmaster sits at his desk in front of a blue holographic screen with the text "CALL END" before deactivating. Raven stands a few feet away from him, arms crossed and smiling.
"I still have questions for you" she said turning toward him.
"You're not alone in that" he replied bitterly.
Raven walked in front of his desk "You know, I never expected you would be the one to have the guts to betray Oz. Which makes me wonder, what does she have on you?" she asked curiously.
"I'm helping her for the same reason you are - I'm afraid. We... we can't stop her... no one can..." he explained.
"That's why I tried to leave when I did. I'm not afraid, I'm smart" she insisted.
"You can call it whatever you want, it doesn't really matter. We're here... helping her" he buried his face in his hands, sighing "I've crossed a line... I've done things that Ozpin will never forgive, and he shouldn't! I don't know where I go from here"
Raven placed her hands on his desk "Man up! You did what you had to do to survive, there is no shame in that"
"Who are you trying to convince?" he asked. Raven doesn't say anything, she just leaves the room while Lionheart sadly leans back sighing.
There we have it! Chapter Ten is already in the works and I will have it out ASAP, hopefully shorter waiting period between chapters this time around! Hope you guys liked it, and thank you guys again for your continued patience.