Hello again all! I was very happy to see how well received the last chapter was! It lit a fire in this writer's heart.

I don't normally do this either, but if you enjoyed the more original nature of the last chapter, I have another story I've been writing for again. It's my slice of life story "What it Means to be Legendary". In the loosest ways, it's a pokemon story, but it's similar to how I write for RWBY in a few ways and aside from the characters names, it's one hundred percent my own original stuff from start to finish, no base story that I'm tampering with like how I've done with my RWBY fics. If that interests you, or if you're just looking for something to read while you wait for other stories to update, I'd love it if people gave it a look.

In other news, thank you to Private Winters for setting this story up with a (very in-depth and up to date) TV Tropes page! I hadn't expected anyone would be cataloging all the details of this story, and reading it made me realize just how far along I've come with this. So thank you again for that, you rock!

I'll see you at the bottom for more!


Adam hadn't been to Mistral in a long time. Being the closest kingdom to Menagerie it wasn't that hard to reach. To get into, on the other hand, it was quite difficult. Mistral, while keeping a guise of being friendly to the faunus and having good relations with Menagerie, was perhaps the most segregated kingdom on Remnant. Sure, they had laws in place for the faunus that kingdoms like Atlas wouldn't implement or Vacuo that couldn't implement. But that was all superficial, simply words on paper at the end of the day.

It didn't stop any profiling, nor did it stop the incredibly obvious divide between upper and lower Mistral. The class disparity was clear as day, the upper levels of Mistral being clean and picturesque, they were every bit like the media and pop-culture depicted the country as. A bustling club life, neon signs and gimmicky establishments. There were even springs and shrines. It was like watching one of Yang and Ruby's anime come to life.

Meanwhile, the lower levels of Mistral looked like they had a fresh coat of dirt rubbed on every surface each morning. To say the people in the lower levels looked untrustworthy was being polite. Some of the seediest parts of lower Mistral made you feel like you would be grabbed and sold to the highest bidder at a moment's notice, and the worst part was that every person, human and faunus alike, gave you that feeling.

Hell, even the fact that they were referred to, officially, he may add, as upper and lower Mistral basically set it in stone that everyone in the kingdom knew just how different they all were. Sure, they argued it was only about elevation, but then, they wouldn't ever mention that the lower in the city you go, the worse the infrastructure is due to poor landscape and unsuitable housing land. With all the rivers and waterfalls in Mistral, the lower areas were almost always muddy or humid beyond belief. It was lower geographically no doubt, but that in and of itself was a problem.

And of course the lower part of the city, the lowest in fact, was where they needed to be. After all, if they wanted to hop on a boat to Menagerie, they wouldn't find one in the upper levels of a mountain, but the lower levels closer to the ocean. Of course, they hadn't arrived in Mistral via boat. They had landed in Argus, then taken the Argus Limited into the city. They'd have to take a bullhead to a portside annex of the kingdom and then go from there.

Roundabout to the most tenuous degree, Adam thought. Just another way the world wanted to keep the faunus from going to and from the neat little prison island they'd been given at the end of the war.

"Man I haven't been to Mistral in a bit," Jaune mused beside him, mirroring at least that aspect of Adams thoughts with his face buried in his scroll, "Last time I was here was for a deal my agent made for a brand of limited edition shoes with my emblem on them."

"How much did those go for?" Adam asked out of courtesy, not really that interested. He nearly bumped into the champion's back when Jaune stopped and backed up a few steps before tuning down a street they'd nearly missed.

"Originally? Probably like five hundred lien or so?" Jaune looked up in thought while Adam scoffed at the price, "After they sold out though, the value went up. I think I remember hearing about a pair going for over a thousand once..."

Adam just rolled his eyes. He'd never understand shoe culture. By the looks of it, Jaune didn't know much about it either. Putting that aside, there were other matters to attend to.

"So where exactly did Pyrrha want us to go?" Adam grunted. Jaune turned sharply as they followed the map on his scroll.

"Map says it's a bar of some kind," he shrugged.

"And why are we diverting for this?" Adam once again nearly tripped over the blonde, who he was beginning to realize had very little sense of direction.

"I don't really know," Jaune laughed sheepishly, "Pyrrha's messages just popped up once we hit Argus, and all they said was 'go here and meet some of Cinder's associates', followed by 'I promise it's probably not a trap!', followed by exactly seven heart emojis."

Adam let out a sigh from the depths of his soul. He was starting to reconsider allowing Jaune to join him.

Reaching the bar, they took in the sight before them with scrutiny as they looked for the words to describe the joint.

Raggedy would be kind. Filthy, too, would be too nice. Ramshackle felt too comedic, especially since they actually had to enter the place and that wasn't a good sign.

"This place is a shithole!" a snide, femine voice shouted from within.

That worked best.

Walking in, and minding the unidentifiable stain on the doors as they swung open, Adam and Jaune noted that this place was far worse on the inside. It looked like there wasn't a single piece of furniture that wasn't broken and taped back together in some way, it not only smelled like smoke, but a visible haze was present in the room that made eyes and lungs alike sting. Anyone that wasn't absolutely sloshed was well on their way, but for one group in the corner, who looked almost as disgusted as them.

"Wow, this place is... certainly something," Jaune coughed as he tried to hold his breath for as long as he could.

The group in the corner waved them over, likely recognizing Jaune more than him. It wasn't hard to pick them out as fighters either. Walking over, stepping over an unconscious man being fleeced by two likely homeless children on the way, they seated themselves on the opposite side of the table, now facing two unknown individuals, and two familiar ones.

Familiar didn't mean welcome, of course.

"Oh for the love of," Adam started his curse as he came face to face with Roman and Neo, the former of which had caused him that headache at the docks. Realizing this was one of that Cinder woman's associates didn't make him want to leave any less.

Roman waved casually and Neo swooned. For a moment, Adam felt that urge to run away from a woman's affection come over him, only to realize she wasn't looking at him. She was staring right at Jaune, who looked very out of place in this dirty bar with his shining armor.

"Well hell-o handsome!" Neo looked ready to jump the blonde's bones right there, "If I wasn't already risking an STD just from sitting in this dump, I'd take you to the back for the time of your life!"

Jaune scooted his chair back and leaned over to Adam.

"I need an adult!" he whispered harshly. Adam sighed and looked at the two unknowns.

"Tell me you two aren't his," Adam pointed at Roman, who waved his hand in an 'as if' motion.

"Thankfully not," the girl groaned, "I don't think I'd survive another mixtape."

"It was all pop covers of other songs. R&B, rock, hip hop, even reggae," the guy shuddered, "Non-stop, never ending, pain."

Adam looked at both as if they were insane. They very likely were, in all honesty. He didn't even fully understand what they were talking about.

"How did you even get here? Aren't you wanted?" Jaune asked Roman. The thief shrugged.

"We drove!" Neo answered cheerily.

"You... drove a car... from Sanus to Anima?" Jaune asked, face telling of how confused he was.

"It," the guy spoke up, "was a very long drive."

They left it at that. The better question was why exactly they were told to meet with these people. Adam dreaded what answer he would receive, since the universe seemed to have it out for him at all times.

"First, introductions," the guy said, "I'm Mercury. And this ball of sunshine is Emerald."

A thump under the table and the groan and pained expression on Mercury's face told them that he'd just had his toes introduced with the bottom of Emerald's shoe. Emerald looked at them and waved with a smirk. Sunshine indeed.

"Jaune," the champion nodded before gesturing to his left, "and this is Adam, my own ball of sunshine."

Adam didn't stomp on Jaune's foot, but he did scowl at him fiercely.

"And I'm Neo!" the petite girl looked as if it was a boast, before leaning over towards Jaune and leaving her bust on display, "But you can call me 'baby'!"

Jaune did not look like he wanted to call her anything other than 'stay away', so Adam cut in again to get things back on track, for both their sakes.

"Why the hell were we asked to meet?" Adam sighed out as he rubbed his temples.

"We were told that Cinder is indebted to you for your help," Mercury looked at Jaune as he spoke, "so she asked us to make sure that the champ here doesn't kick it while on your quest. Something about an important semblance."

Why did nobody just refer to it as a mission!? It was always 'quest', or 'crusade', or 'warpath', or anything to make him sound like a redemption crazed maniac! Also it was only slightly a blow to his pride that they were sent to keep Jaune alive on his own business, but he was better than to express it in any way.

"So what is your little journey about anyways?" Neo asked, tapping her fingers impatiently.

"I'm dismantling the White Fang," Adam stated bluntly.

"Welp, we're out!" Neo and Roman stood, heading for the door, "Make sure to keep that fine ass safe out there my knight in shining armor!"

Adam sighed in relief. That was close. He was this close to having to deal with them for longer than strictly necessary. Thankfully he wouldn't have to—

"Then again," Neo stopped as she thought, "We just might be able to shack up in Menagerie if we help deal with the psychos there..."

Roman too looked to be pondering it. Adam's heart stopped and he paled.

"No! You'd hate it there!" Adam tried to assure them of their decision to leave.

"I dunno..." Neo tapped her chin, "Beaches are kinda my shit..."

"Sand everywhere, an absolute pain," Adam fired back.

"And we do need a place with a more... ah, 'relaxed' government," Neo looked at Roman, who nodded in agreement.

"The law is ever changing, you never know what's coming next," Adam added.

"Hmm, it really doesn't sound that bad now that I think about it..." Neo started to sound enthusiastic which was awful for Adam.

Roman made a gesture to himself before spreading his hands in a 'boom' motion. Neo nodded with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah that's right! And we do have our own bone to pick with those masked bastards! They blew up our city! Our turf!" Neo agreed to the unspoken claim. Adam's heart dropped further and further with each affirmation. Surprisingly, aid came in the form of the two still seated.

"But it's such a bad place to set up shop!" Mercury added, looking mortified at the prospect of having to deal with the two thieves any longer.

"Seriously, you won't find any big heists there," Emerald, too, looked ready to kill the two if they came with them.

"I dunno, maybe it'll be a good place to just lay low and retire early," Neo looked to Roman, who looked happy with the idea, "plus it gives me a reason to put this tight ass in a bikini! I've got a body the world deserves to see!"

Recognizing a defeat when he saw one, Adam slowly and forlornly turned around, sighing when Roman and Neo entered his vision again and sat down once more, now looking quite happy to be joining them. A look to the rest of the table showed that the rest, Jaune included, looked scorned at their decision.

Doing the only thing left to do at that moment, Adam raised his hand towards the bartender.

"Four of your strongest," he practically begged.

"Make it six! To new friends!" Neo grinned cruelly, "On our horny friend here!"

Adam made it seven. He'd need two to really make him forget this.


"I have a question Miss Salem," Ruby started as they all sat around the lavish table for a meal. It was actually quite the spread, and it had been even more surprising to hear that Gretchen of all people was the one who had made a majority of it. Summer had apparently walked in on her cooking and joined, but by then it was almost done anyways.

"I'm sure," Salem waved for her to ask.

"So Cinder told us about the relics, but that didn't make sense," Ruby tilted her head, "If all of the relics have these great powers, why doesn't Ozpin use the Relic of Knowledge to find the relic that you have?"

Salem smiled gently.

"Why do you think?"

Ruby blinked then her eye seemed to brighten in understanding.

"Oh!" she jumped a little, "That makes sense actually..."

Nora and Whitley nodded, having figured it out as well. It wasn't that hard, it wasn't even hidden behind coy words, it was really just process of elimination. Of course that didn't mean everyone got it immediately. Pyrrha took a moment, but it seemed to click after she thought about it longer. Raven grunted and Summer let out a hum.

"I don't get it!" Ren didn't look too upset about it, happy even.

"I think I get it," Yang hummed, "You're saying you actually have the Relic of Knowledge hidden, right?"

"Indeed," Salem inclined her head, "I only knew the relics by name at the time, it was all Ozma would tell me before he started losing it. I mostly guessed what they all did and decided which was most important by name alone. I knew that he wanted the world to live so letting him keep Destruction was no issue. Creation, too, would only do well in his hands overall. Choice and Knowledge were too dangerous, and I was right to think so. If I had let him have Knowledge however, we would only be playing cat and mouse for all eternity until I messed up. Good thing too, she has been most useful to us."

"She...?" Pyrrha trailed off, catching the weird phrasing.

"Ah," Salem blinked, "my apologies. I am referring to the spirit in the Relic."

"There are spirits in the relics too?" Raven couldn't help but realize just how little she had known about all the things Ozpin had her looking for.

"Jinn is the spirit in the Relic of Knowledge," Salem explained, "Through her I learned the names of the other spirits as well. She only allows one to ask three questions every one hundred years, which makes it basically useless to everyone but Ozma and I. She can answer any question you have without fail, so long as it is not a prediction of the future."

"That is quite powerful. If you hadn't taken that one, I can see why you likened things to cat and mouse. Ozpin would just keep asking where you hid the other relics every time," Whitley mused. Salem nodded.

"It's still a problem frankly. That's why every hundred years I take a vacation to where we have the relic hidden and ask her three completely random questions to exhaust her powers," Salme grinned. That got a laugh out of a few of them.

"Any memorable ones?" Yang looked amused at the idea, and Salem tapped her chin in thought.

"I recall asking her one year 'can I ask you a question?' followed by 'I can ask you a question?' and then asked 'is it raining in Vacuo?'. She was quite upset with me that year," Salem laughed into her hand. That earned its own round of chuckles from the table again.

"There was also this most recent cycle where you sent Tyrian to do it for you," Watts smirked as the scorpion faunus groaned, "What was it you were told to ask again?"

"Ugh... 'Can I take your order? Do you want to make that large? What kind of sauce do you want with that?'," Tyrian growled out. The table exploded again in laughter, much to the man's chagrin.

"So you just mess with the literal embodiment of knowledge every hundred years?" Pyrrha asked.

"She doesn't quite mind, I assure you. If anything, I don't think she ever expected to be used this much!" Salem smiled, "She's quite the conversationalist after using all three questions, so long as you avoid asking any more afterwards."

That sounded remarkably easy on paper, however the more they thought about it the harder that actually sounded. After all, questions are an integral part of everyday speech, whether people realized it or not. It wasn't easy to go an entire conversation without hearing a question mark in some way. It was obvious that Ren was trying to map out an entire conversation in his head that didn't use questions, but his face said he was struggling.

"At any rate, we don't have anything for you all to do just yet," Tyrian desperately changed the subject, lest more of the tedium his boss put him through came to bear.

"You don't wanna find another relic or something?" Yang tilted her head. Salem shrugged one shoulder, humming lightly.

"It wouldn't do me any good at the end of the day," she said simply, "But we do want to find the maidens. Rob Ozma of his relics and he'll find a way to get them back. Rob him of his keys and he'll need to comb every woman on the entire planet in order to make them his again, to say nothing of the fact that he must do it multiple times."

"It would be nice of your friends to scour Mistral for the Spring Maiden while they pass through..." Watts mused.

"That would also put them directly in the line of fire," Gretchen grumbled, "Unprepared, I may add. It would just be irresponsible."

Not to mention how against the idea the teams of the aforementioned looked. Watts didn't falter under their looks, but conceded that the idea wouldn't come to pass and dropped it. He wouldn't fight an uphill battle for nothing. Surprisingly, Raven interjected.

"Actually," she sighed, "I know someone who might know where spring might be. No guarantee he'll cooperate though."

Summer made a bitter face, the first that anyone at the table had seen but for her family. Her family knew exactly what that face was for, and that soured their moods almost instantly. Summer only made that face when one person was brought up.

"On that note: news, since I know you all will only badger me for it eventually," Cinder, in a rare move, broke the awkward tension, addressing the two three-person teams, "As of two hours ago, your friends arrived in Mistral and met with my associates."

A palpable sense of relief emanated from the two groups. While they hadn't started their fighting yet, simply knowing that their friends were still okay after all that they'd learned and seen so far was enough to make them thankful.

"They even sounded quite jovial," Cinder looked to be mulling over something, "Though..."

"Though?" Yang raised an eyebrow, "Though what?"

"Well," Cinder shook her head, "It's nothing. I just never thought I'd hear that bull sound so happy..."

That spawned its own round of questions, but Cinder remained tight lipped. It wasn't her business to share. Especially not when her own two partners were part of the mess she'd heard on the other end of the line. Instead, Raven claimed she'd look into her source and stalked away, her family excusing themselves shortly after to follow her.


"GO!" Mercury slurred, tossing his scroll behind him after drunkenly telling Cinder he missed her and nearly falling backwards from his seat as he dropped his arm through the air to signal to start this round.

In a wild turn of events a series of rounds attempting to prove who could hold their liquor the best had started. It hadn't mattered too much in the first place, but word very quickly spread through the streets of Mistral that not only were there six hunter-level individuals tossing it back like pros in a raggedy tavern, but that two of the individuals were the Immovable Champion of Vale and Roman Torchwick of all people.

The bar had quickly become a hotspot for everyone in lower Mistral, as well as a few curious souls from upper Mistral.

The six tossed back yet another shot. What number this was, none of them knew. Surprising very few was that Roman was keeping up well enough, only looking mostly ready to fall over as opposed to Neo who was basically on life support as she clutched the edge of the table but refused to give up.

More surprisingly was Jaune, who had previously stated he wasn't a fan of alcohol, tanking each shot like he had the world's strongest livers. The blonde looked determined, and it was obvious that the champion's competitive nature extended beyond just fighting.

Adam, Mercury, and Emerald were all roughly in the same boat. All three were better off than Neo but doing nowhere near as well as Jaune or Roman. They were all laughing, and wasn't Adam with a massive smile something nobody expected to see.

"I-I-I got th'ss in th' bag!" Neo basically drooled her words out, "Nun of ya's have a shot of beating this fine ass t'night! Not n'less you're a champion!"

"Go home little girl," Emerald leaned in to growl, though the effect was lost as she leaned in towards Roman instead who smirked and shook his head.

"Nuther round!" Jaune raised an arm, earning cheers from the crowd. By this point, if the people watching weren't also drunk, they were unconscious from previous drinking. The bartender looked elated for the business.

Back went another series of drinks, and the table fell ever further into the clutches of alcohol.

"I'll be the last one standing here!" Adam laughed, and wasn't it a surprise that he was a happy drunk, not to mention that none of them were standing and likely wouldn't be able to stand up straight for another twenty hours at this rate.

"In your dreams!" Mercury leaned in and prodded his chest, "I'm not losing to some strangers!"

Mercury was silenced when Adam's hand landed on his shoulder, an intense gaze meeting his eyes.

"We aren't strangers," Adam clasped his hand, holding it up to their chests and retaining eye contact, "We are brothers in arms now!"

"Bro..." Mercury's previously competitive attitude faded away, and he gripped Adam's hand back, nodding as a lone tear fell down his eye.

The audience cheered. Evidently their act of brotherhood had only ignited the fires of the crowd further. Little did they know that they really were just strangers who had just met, and Adam didn't even know Mercury's last name, where he was from, or even just his scroll number.

"Here here! Another round!"

Everyone in the bar with the exception of their group of would-be-revolutionaries went silent as the new voice called. They all turned slowly to the source, and when their eyes landed on him, many people immediately fled the vicinity.

"Huh?" Neo was sideways now, laid across Roman and Emeralds laps, "Who's that?"

They all stared as the newcomer waltzed over, already looking drunk himself, and falling into a chair that he dragged over.

"I'm just a fun-loving guy," his voice was raspy, his facial hair scruffy, and his eyes a beady red, "Can't I enjoy the night too?"

His posture wasn't that of a regular drunk. It was confident, yet sleazy in a way. He was slouching, but it wasn't as if he were hunched in on himself, it was that he was totally relaxed. A tattered red cape hung off of him, almost seeming as languid as him in the way it just flowed loosely.

The obvious mechashift sword on the back of his hip also told them a lot about their newcomer.

"Nothing wrong with that I suppose..." Jaune seemed defensive, which was enough for the rest of the table to be a little on edge as well.

"Oh c'mon!" the drunk laughed, leaning in on one arm with a smarmy grin, "I don't bite... unless you want me too."

Finally, someone in the crowd who hadn't fled yet found their voice and shouted.

"Th-that's the head of the Branwen Tribe!"

"The Who-what now?" Neo grunted.

"I can introduce myself, thank you very much," the man smirked, standing with a stumble that almost seemed choreographed and bowing exaggeratedly.

"Qrow Branwen," he looked up from his flourish, "Your pleasure."

They all blinked. Adam and Jaune had no idea who he was, but for some reason the name sounded familiar. Actually, the longer they looked at him, the more he looked like someone they knew. Adam especially was getting a very distinct feeling that he knew this man.

"Shit," Mercury seemed to snap back to sobriety at that, and the way he leaned back said that this guy's name was bad news. A look at Emerald and Neo said they kind of knew his name, but didn't understand the sudden mood change. Roman simply stared and waited, though he too looked poised to strike.

"And... who is that?" Jaune asked, brave or drunk enough to ignore the mood and speak. Qrow's smirk seemed to grow wider.

"Nobody important," he rose back to his mostly straight posture and shrugged, "just a guy looking for a fun night on the town."

Something about the way he talked put them on edge, but Adam was still staring and thinking. Qrow seemed to catch his stare and winked at him.

"See something you like, pretty-boy?" he asked, winking languidly at him, "Whose got you looking so stiff?"

Adam blinked at him as the pieces he was looking for finally fell into place and his eyes widened in realization. He normally wouldn't speak so suddenly or blatantly, but in his drunken haze he didn't even realize he was speaking until the word fell from his lips.

"Ruby?"

A fist met his cheek and Adam recognized that he had been caught by Jaune.

That had been enough though. The bar had just become a battleground.

Emerald fired a shot off on the man, but he just leaned under it before coming back up and headbutting her nose on the way. Her head snapped back but a boot met her stomach as she did and she immediately curled inwards again. Mercury came to her aid with an axe kick, but it was caught on Qrow's forearm and he was taken for a spin as he was quickly flipped and sent through a table.

Okay, this guy was bad news. Officially, now.

Neo tried to fight, really she did, but drunk as she was all she managed to do was take a step towards Qrow before tripping over her own feet and landing in a face-down-ass-up position, the snores following telling everyone that she had taken herself out of the fight. Roman rushed in and scooped her up, fleeing to a safe area to leave her before coming back and standing to Jaune's left. Adam stood to his right, now on his own feet again.

"Okay, good to know I was on the right track," Adam grumbled, shaking his head to clear his brain for the fight ahead.

"Where'd you get that name, Ribeye," Qrow no longer looked happy, and the way he still stood lazily told them that the people who had run away upon his arrival knew just how dangerous he could be.

"Where'd you get that chip on your shoulder," Adam grunted back, "I don't owe you anything."

He moved faster than expected for someone who had been basically stumbling before. Adam ducked left, avoiding another punch to the face. Foregoing any nuances of fighting, Adam, Jaune, and Roman all attempted to dogpile the man. They almost succeeded too, landing on him one by one and keeping him down on the ground for a moment.

Then, by some awful fate, the rickety floorboards under them gave way, possibly due to the weight of all of them impacting the ground so hard.

They fell through to a boiler room of sorts, scattered about now.

"You're all a real class-act, ya know," Qrow stood and shook himself off.

He ran in and kicked Adam while he was down. The impact itself hurt, but Adam hadn't expected to go flying with the kick. His back hit the wall and he groaned as he tried to stand. Roman and Jaune were up again and trying to fight, but it was almost like watching a circus act with the way things kept happening.

Jaune would charge forward and tackle the man into a shelf, but it would shatter and they'd tumble through it. Roman took a stray bottle that had fallen from above and tried to bash Qrow over the head with it, but apparently the fall had cracked the neck of the bottle and instead it fell apart when he raised it. Mercury looked down to see them and got ready to drop down and help, but before he even jumped the floorboard once more gave way and he fell and landed flat on his back.

Qrow stood and wiped his face with his arm.

"Alright, this hasn't been as fun as I thought it'd be," he grunted, "I'm outta here."

He grabbed his folded blade and they all feared for the worst, but instead he shot the boiler and the cellar started to fill with steam. They all rushed to get out, taking the stairs carefully after so many mishaps in the last few minutes. When they got back up, the bar was empty but for Neo sleeping in a corner and Emerald holding her sore midsection as she looked at them.

"Where'd he go?" Jaune mumbled, looking around. Emerald shrugged.

"After all that steam started coming up I didn't see him," she groaned, pulling herself up. Being kicked in the stomach when you were both drunk and unprepared was a bad combination.

How a man just vanished like that was weird. Maybe it was a semblance? Invisibility wouldn't be the most unheard of thing, but even then what were the odds.

"So who was that exactly," Adam asked.

"He's the leader of a big bandit tribe here in Mistral. I know he's got a big number on his head, but that he hasn't ever been brought in. Beyond that, I can file him under 'jackass' now, after meeting him," Mercury rubbed his back. Roman went to retrieve Neo, who didn't even budge.

"You saw how he reacted to hearing Ruby's name?" Jaune looked at Adam from the corner of his eyes.

"Yeah. I think I can take a few guesses as to what else he may be," Adam stretched his neck to crack it and sighed. Fun time was over it seemed. Time to get back on the trail.


"You can't be serious!" Summer had her hands in the air as she looked at Raven incredulously.

"What other options do we have!? Do you know where to find any of the maidens?" Raven shouted back.

Summer remained silent, but the glare she sent the other woman said that she didn't appreciate being pushed into a corner on the matter.

"He won't kill me," Raven scoffed, "He might want to but he knows better than to give you a reason to come find him."

"Oh believe me, I have plenty of reasons," Summer growled.

"If you're going to see him, I'm going too," Ruby stared hard at Raven.

"Absolutely not," both mothers stated at once. Ruby threw her hands up.

"Why not!?" she stared back and forth between them.

"I don't want you seeing what he's like," Raven crossed her arms, "And I don't need to hear what he has to say about you either."

"Not to mention that I don't want you getting hurt," Summer looked far more emotional, "he made his choice. He doesn't deserve the closure of seeing you."

"But don't I!?" Ruby clenched her hands into tight fists, "don't I deserve to see him at least once!?"

"You'll walk away more upset than you arrived," Summer grimaced as she looked away. She didn't want that for Ruby. She already always asked herself if it was something she did, Summer didn't need her to go and learn about all the other problems her father had.

Yang meanwhile sat and watched, unsure and afraid to interrupt. Sure, this was technically her uncle they were talking about, but she had less connection to him than anyone here. She never met him and with how things were going here, maybe never would. But she knew how much meeting him meant to her sister. It was the one thing that Yang had ever known the girl to get stuck thinking about. Ruby was normally able to keep a clear head, but this always weighed on her.

"I just want to ask him if he knows," Raven stressed, both to Ruby and Summer, "this doesn't need to become anything more than it has to be."

"I don't want it to be anything at all," Summer bit out, but seemed to finally stop digging her heels in.

Ruby remained silent, glaring at a spot on the ground as her mind filled with thoughts. Raven felt bad, but it had to be done. Ruby had asked her time and again if she could use her semblance to get her to Qrow, but Raven had refused, even without Summer's input. As much as it hurt her to see Ruby so bent up over the man, meeting him might only do more harm than good.

Standing and turning, Raven raised Omen. A swift cut rent the air and a crimson portal opened up. A look back to her family showed Yang waving tentatively, Summer looking away, and Ruby glaring at the portal, trying to see through it. Raven nodded and turned to enter the portal.

She stepped through and nearly tripped as she quickly realized she was on a roof. She turned and glared at the crow perched on the edge that seemed to practically exude a smirk. She almost tried to kick him, but knew that she wouldn't get much out of him if she did.

"Wipe that look off your face," she growled.

She got a caw in response. She made to tell him where he could shove his caw, but he shifted before her eyes and stared her down before she could. He looked disheveled— okay, well, more disheveled than usual, like he'd just gotten out of a fight.

"What? Can't a guy greet his only family?" he grinned. She glared.

"I'm not your only family," she spat. His smile faded instantly and he pulled out a flask and took a long drink. His eyes followed something and he raised an eyebrow. For a moment he looked shocked, but then he schooled his features.

"Evidently," he raised his flask to point behind her. She turned and realized the portal hadn't closed and that a figure had stepped onto the rooftop with her. A very pissed looking figure. She swore she had closed the portal before anyone else stepped through, but then, Ruby had a knack for moving before people noticed. Raven dreaded returning now, Summer was probably livid back there.

"So this is the squirt now," Qrow waved once, a smile that didn't meet his eyes in place as he took in the reaper, his gaze lingering on her eye before moving on, "well, not much of a squirt anymore."

Raven felt like she was being suffocated with the tension here. She shook her head and positioned herself to block their line of sight. She'd have to do this before any fireworks started. Qrow attempted to look around her, but she stepped in front of him. She could hear Ruby shuffling behind her.

"I need something from you," Raven stated, knowing that any room to beat around the bush would be taken by the drunk, and she needed to get Ruby out of here as soon as possible.

"Not even gonna buy me a drink first?" he looked only slightly genuine in his disappointment.

"The Spring Maiden," Raven reveled a little in how his mocking face dropped at that, "Have you heard anything?"

"Dangerous game, Ray," Qrow tilted his head back, "You know I don't do anything for Oz anymore."

"It's not for Ozpin," Raven stared him down hard.

"Who's it for then?" he asked.

He wouldn't give her an answer unless she gave him one first. Saying it was for Salem would either confirm that he knew about the immortal woman and didn't want to paint a target on his back for Ozpin to start looking for him, or that he didn't know and likely wouldn't share once he learned it was for the assumed enemy of humanity.

On the other hand, she couldn't say she was asking for her own desires without him wondering why she was suddenly so interested in the whereabouts of the maiden.

"He doesn't know."

Raven turned a glare to Ruby, who didn't even bat an eye, staring directly at Qrow. For his part, all he did was bark out a raspy laugh.

"Bold claim kiddo. You pick up mind reading or something?" his stare pierced through any of Raven's attempts to block their showdown. When they both wouldn't back down, Raven gave up and turned her gaze back to her brother.

"You didn't deny it," Raven challenged. Qrow rolled his eyes, spreading his arms wide.

"You're right, my plan was to lead you by the nose so I could trick you into finding her for me! Blast you for foiling my scheme!" he snapped his fingers, stomping as he did so before turning a dull stare at them, "Course I didn't deny it. I wasn't born yesterday."

So they still had no idea if he knew or not. Or at least Raveen didn't, but Ruby looked like she was dead set that he was bluffing.

"Be honest with me Ray," Qrow took his flask back out, "why the sudden interest in Spring? Or better yet, why so interested if it's not for Oz? Pardon my overstep in saying so but you seem a little long in the tooth to be wanting the powers for yourself."

Raven clenched her jaw but stayed silent as she tried to figure out what to say. She wouldn't take the bait, that's how he got you. Qrow had her backed into a corner here, and either way he wouldn't be giving her the answer she wanted. Turns out Ruby had an answer.

"Ozpin isn't who we thought he was," she didn't let her eyes leave Qrow, "and I have a feeling you know that too."

"Color me surprised," Qrow snorted, "to think the kid had the stones to get the hell out before you did, Ray."

She chose not to comment on that. It would only give him more to work with.

"So you finally figured out that old Ozzy isn't the saint he presents himself as, eh?" Qrow took a swig, "Only took you a handful of years, your niece's eye, and your hus—"

Qrow ducked as Omen passed overhead. Raven was trying to set him ablaze with her glare, and Qrow whistled in response.

"Leave Ruby and Tai out of this," she snarled, "Enough beating around the bush. Do you or do you not know where Spring is?"

Qrow looked unamused as he sighed and shook his head.

"C'mon Ray," he waved his flask around, "you can come back to the tribe. Bring the kid here too. We don't have to be a part of that anymore."

"The maiden. Where is she?" Raven stated again.

"Get real Raven!" he finally raised his voice beyond a grumble, "You don't have to do this! Oz is more than anyone can handle! If you go poking your nose in his world when he doesn't want you to, you'll end up dead!"

"Coward."

Both twins whipped their gazes to Ruby, who was no longer glaring, just staring right into Qrow's eyes.

"Come again?" he whispered in a dangerous tone.

"I finally get it," Ruby just tilted her head slightly, "I always thought it was because you didn't try, some part of me even held out hope that you had to run— that you didn't have a choice. But you're just a coward."

"You don't get it brat!" Qrow rasped, tossing his flask back into his jacket, "You don't understand—"

"Understand what!?" Ruby shouted, anger coming back to the forefront, "That you saw how bad things were and ran away!? That you didn't even try to let anyone in!?"

"I don't get to pick the easy way!" Qrow stomped forward, shouldering past Raven to stand face to face with Ruby, "Not with a curse like mine!"

"Oh, you mean your semblance?" Ruby made a mock sad face before resuming her snarl, "Mom told me about it. Now I know you're just using it as an excuse!"

"What?" Qrow spat.

"You're terrified. Of Ozpin, of responsibility, of everything! But you can't admit it so you hide behind the excuse of your 'curse' because you don't want to possibly face the fact that something could be your fault, not because of bad luck, but because you're a coward and a colossal fuck up!"

It was silent after that. Ruby had no more to say, Qrow was left speechless at the accusation, and Raven couldn't believe that sweet Ruby could be so caustic with her words. It may have been the first time she'd personally heard the reaper swear like that and it cracked through the air all the more because of it.

"He doesn't know where the maiden is," Ruby seemed to be exhausted now, "there isn't a reason for him to know."

This time, Qrow didn't have a witty remark or any biting commentary. He just stared hard at Ruby before letting his gaze shift to herself. Raven only spared him a glance, more concerned for her pseudo daughter than her brother right now.

Raven simply cut open another portal and ushered Ruby through. Ruby didn't even look his way as she left. Raven sighed and stepped in front of her portal before turning to look over her shoulder.

"Stay safe, Qrow," she said earnestly. Bastard, awful father, and overall nuisance he was, he was still her brother.

Qrow said nothing, just staring into the darkness of her portal. Shaking her head, Raven turned and in an instant was back in Salem's castle.

Ruby was currently being chewed out by Summer, but the girl looked like she was sorting through a lot in her head right now and wasn't paying attention. Rightfully so, Raven thought. That probably wasn't how Ruby had always imagined that meeting to go. But that was Qrow for her.

Unpredictable, sketchy, a real downer of a man. You could always expect him to get out of doing anything bigger than himself—

"Where the hell have you been shacking up?"

And right fucking behind her.

"YOU!" Summer looked like fury incarnate at that moment, stabbing a finger behind Raven. The shock that he'd followed them through broke her concentration and the portal flitted out of existence.

"Oh hell no!" Qrow turned around to leave back through the portal he came through, but when he did he was met with empty space, "Shit!"

Well this couldn't get any worse.

The door opened and Ren strolled in, oblivious to the mood of the room.

"Hey guys, Salem wanted to know if you guys were okay after you left!"

The sound of a body crumpling to the floor once the name 'Salem' was uttered told Raven that Qrow had just fainted. A look back confirmed as much. Summer looked like she wanted to kick the man but refrained while in the presence of others. Raven tried to rub the migraine out of her with a hand.

"Who's the hobo?" Ren asked.

Raven went and grabbed Qrow's flask off his body. She needed it more than him right now.


Heeeeeere's Qrow!

Raven and Qrow always felt interchangeable to me. As much as RT wants to try and write him as vastly different, I feel like he and Raven really aren't that too far apart and I wanted a chance to explore that. This was a little fun chapter as well as more setup after the last one. Going forward we'll be skipping right to Menagerie with Adam and his Pain Gang since I've been sitting on that for far too long.

People following Raven through portals is something that I feel like nobody ever utilizes. In the show it just doesn't make sense to me, since it's not like we haven't seen other people use her portals before. In other people's stories it always seems like people just kind of... watch her leave through them and never follow. So I did it here. Twice. Screw the rhythm and the rhyme!

Also IMPORTANT: This story is nearly done, as I had never intended to add much from volume 7-8 and instead deviated to a different ending. A different cast alongside a different narrative means that things just wouldn't go the same. I can't say how many more chapters there are, but what I can say is that I've got a new story in the works. I won't say too much more right now, but know that I won't be falling off the face of the planet anytime soon.

Follow to keep up, and drop a review to let me know what you thought.

Stay safe and have a wonderful time!