Cut for FFn, full version on Ao3 same name.
Ruby loved the dark, usually. It was the best for stargazing a frequent activity of hers, less so in Mistral it was too rainy most of the time. She did remember hiding in Qrow's room at Patch and looking out the window to admire the stars. Atlas was wonderful for it, the smog of Mantle never reached the floating city and James's flat had such lovely enormous windows. There was a little distortion through the glass but the city on a clear night was still lovely. The silver eyed warrior crept to the window wall of the living room. She set her fingertips against the glass, it was warm to her touch and she could see the city of Atlas below them and the academy above. Was Tyrian out there? Or was he down in Mantle? It would be easier for a faunus to hide in Mantle.
She tucked her hands into the sleeves of her housecoat. The sun hadn't risen as of yet, it seemed that even eight in the morning the sun couldn't rise over the horizon as not a speck of it lightened the sky. Where was he? Where was the crazy scary monster? The purple eyes that haunted her, snuck into her dreams and turned them into nightmare fuel. Everywhere she looked they appeared, in the shadows and the corners, the darkness she had once felt so at home in was now so so frightening. She knew he had been obsessed with her and Qrow, if he knew they were here he'd make their life hell just because he could. Ruby pressed her hands to her flat belly, she wanted her baby so much. To know she was okay, to hold her and protect her. Tears started to gather in her eyes and she covered her mouth with a hand. Gods where was he? What if he already knew where they were? What if he could see her right now, cowering in front of too large windows! Her mind clouded with fear, danger screaming at her. Get away! Run, hide!
Hands on her shoulders startled her making the young woman jump with a screech! She spun, hands up ready to fight only to find James standing there, dressed only in a housecoat looking down at her with a kind smile. All her fear and adrenaline rushed out in one fell swoop and Ruby tipped into him and took shelter in his embrace. His hands, one flesh and one metal looped around her waist holding her comfortably. "Shouldn't you be with Ozpin and Qrow?"
"They are having a shower together. I don't feel up to it, I know that Oz is leaving again and Qrow is going down into the Mantle but…" Ruby hid her face against his chest. "He's out there and they are leaving me. What if he knows I live here? What if he knows they are going out on their own missions. What if Qrow doesn't find him?"
"What exactly did he do to you? I mean I can guess from your reaction but Ozpin and Qrow haven't actually said." James asked he could feel the shiver that ran through her.
"He...stole me. I just wanted to go for a walk and he…" She took a big shuddering breath. "He raped me for a week, I don't remember the time well he drank Qrow's favourite whisky as he-Gods I can't do this again." Ruby grabbed his coat and cried into it.
"I understand, I don't need anything more. Qrow and Oz are heading out today, would you like to come to work with me? I work almost exclusively out of the academy it would be better than being alone here." James raised his hand and brushed back one of Ruby's bangs back behind her ear.
Ruby couldn't help but notice how huge his hand was. Oz's fingers were longer but James's were broader and he didn't have the same calluses as either of her husbands. She sniffed and reached up taking the bare hand in hers. Her's was tiny in comparison, pale, almost white like the moon against his tanned skin. Gun calluses were very different than what she was used to but she could tell he hadn't fought in a while, his hands weren't soft but she could sense pen over weapon. More then that they felt relaxed in her grip, not limp but safe and soothing. She traced over his palm caressing the lines was a welcome distraction from her thoughts.
James found her analyzing of his hand interesting. Her touch was light and unsure, not at all like how Weiss touched him. "Would you like to see the rest? Qrow mentioned once you're a bit of a metal head so you might enjoy it." He wondered if a further distraction would help, he felt a bit guilty about sending her back to such painful memories.
Ruby looked up to him her eyes and nose still a bit red. "I'd like that."
James reached up and pulled his house coat down his shoulders the belt kept it from falling to the ground. Ruby's eyes went wide, she took a half step back to take it in. The metal wrapped around his side broken into muscle groups with a black hexagonal mesh underneath that Ruby could see move as he breathed. She reached out and touched between the plates, the mesh retracted and James chuckled. "Sorry ticklish, having sensation is still a new thing after all these years."
Ruby traced up his side, the metal moving like skin and muscle. It was probably one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen, even better then the new Crescent Rose hot off the forge. She traced back over the black metal to the joining of skin. The meeting points were now smooth with an edge of white scaring, the metal was spread evenly down his middle, following the lines of his pectoral downward till it was hidden under the rest of the housecoat. "This has got to be one of the prettiest, coolest things I've ever seen. My baby excluded of course nothing can be prettier than her."
James laughed softly again as her fingers wandered up his side again petting over the metal. James lifted his right hand and offered it to her. Ruby took it and traced along the smooth interlocking plates, the mimicking of knuckles and tendons. It was warm to the touch, not quite skin temperature but close enough to fake it. "I didn't expect it to be warm."
"Requirement for preventing frostbite in the field. The damage it would do to the living parts of me if it was cold would do more harm than good. I'd be forever stuck in the city. With my old ones only the core was heated but now it's more in tune with my circulatory system so even my own body heat can be used to help maintain the temperature." James turned his metal wrist showing Ruby the back and letting her touch the sculpted metal, it was a very close copy of his left side. Near perfect work. She traced one round insert no doubt a grounding point of interior pieces.
She traced up his arm, what a difference, it looked like the smooth metal was actually a mesh upon touch, sculpted like muscle to no doubt give more space for interior functions. The pieces that made up his core from what Ruby guessed appeared to be fastened down with black circular disks a little less then two of her fingertips in width. She traced over one. "What's this?" Then tapped another one in the middle of his living pectoral. There was another chain of three more on his living side only a finger width in diameter. She also noticed twined strips of black metal that were usually hidden by the high collar of his shirts.
"Regulators as well as injection points. This whole system does require additional power if I am to use any of the more… discrete functions. It's not just my one side, if it was none of this would work. My internal organs, spine all of it has augmentations to work with the prosthetics. When I got these new ones I went all in, it was almost a requirement. These augmentations are cutting edge, it's impossible to power them without changing your whole body. Even what I eat doesn't just fed the living side but there are… system I guess would be the simplest way to put it that can convert organic matter to energy for augmentations. I have dermal implants throughout my body that can negate physical damage without Aura. Would you like to see something cool?"
"Sure!" Ruby grinned, looking up to his face.
He spread his arm and cleanly vanished from sight. Ruby could see the change start from the middle of his chest then flow out from it in only a couple seconds. It was almost like looking at a perfect glass reflecting everything around it so perfectly that it made James invisible as he stood before her. All to soon it was over and James returned to the visible spectrum with that same effect. "What's that?"
"The Glass-Shield Cloaking system allows the user to turn invisible for short periods of time. It achieves this by generating a carefully tuned, spherical, electromagnetic field that can control the refraction of light in the user's immediate vicinity. In essence, this field steers light around the user and returns it to its original path with a perturbation rate of less than three percent." James said as if he was pitching it to his medical team. "One of my own ideas, if it ever becomes more mainstream I thought Qrow would like it. He did give me the idea with his ability to sulk about."
"What else can you do?" Ruby asked awe in her eyes.
"You'll have to wait and see, I've got to keep some surprises for you. Don't go getting any ideas though, I am one of a kind partly due to a genetic quirk that my scientists haven't quite figured out yet."
"What's that?"
"Well currently with the test subjects most have developed something we call Darrow Deficiency Syndrome, it's when their bodies reject the augmentations which causes a build up of glial tissue around the neuroprosthetic junction, the interface between augmentation and flesh. We have been calling it nerve scarring and it blocks the electrical signals between the implanted biochip and the biological nervous system, resulting in rejection. It can cause things as simple as dizziness, seizures and death. As well as loss of control over the augmentation of course. We aren't totally sure why but currently the idea is that it I might have some genetic aspect that is preventing it or severely reducing any DDS. After my surgery I did have to use small amounts of neuropozyne while I was actively healing as a preventative measure but I've never actively had DDS." James shrugged. "I'm basically the human guinea pig for all augmentations. The end goal for augmentations will be the replacement of the current prosthetics systems. To get the entirety of the human body to work with prosthetics rather then the faulty system we currently have."
Ruby adored the passion in James's voice, it wouldn't surprise her at all if he was one of the scientists actively working on this. "That's really amazing, you'll have to teach me more about it I do so love learning about science and given that weapons haven't be changing much something new would be so cool."
"Sure." James moved away, pulling his house coat back over his shoulders and sat down on the couch. "It will be nice to have a new mind on it."
It was at that point that Weiss walked in with a yawn and stretched. "Morning Ruby, Oz and Qrow having fun without you?"
"Yeah, I wasn't feeling up to it." Ruby walked over and curled up in a corner of the couch. "James was just telling me about his new prosthetics."
"They are very cool, would you help me with breakfast you two. I'm hungry and it's going to be a busy day."
Ruby nodded, feeling more like herself again and when she peered back at the windows her eyes met the dawn of the new day. Somewhere between her fears and talk with James the sun had welcomed them with a bright orange glow that chased away the shadows lingering in her mind.
Ruby sat curled up behind James's wide desk while he worked. Her back to one of the metal braces, she had her own Scroll of work on the ground beside her. It was just so hard to focus to even think about school when Tyrian was out there. She was wearing the Atlas academy grey uniform further washing out her already pale skin to an almost sickly color. Her long hair tumbling down her front like a scarf against the cold chills that threatened her.
James turned in his chair and looked at her, so compact that he could pick her up with one arm. He watched her for a moment her homework forgotten and searched for something to say. Ozpin was gone and Qrow out in the cities. Weiss, Ren and Nora were in classes, she could have gone as well but her cheeks had gone ashen when Ren asked if she was coming with them. The school was like a floating glass building and she just hadn't felt safe, so exposed to them as it were. So she had instead followed James when he went up to his office, a little pale flower following the general had gathered some odd looks. James didn't care though, keeping Ruby safe was more important. She was precious to Ozpin and Qrow, but she was also a Silver Eyed Warrior capable of using her power. Keeping her safe was a top priority. Happy was ideal but that particular idea was much more difficult at the current time. "So, you know that thinking about it won't make it any better."
"I know but I can't get it out of my head. Can't focus on anything else." Ruby rested a cheek on her knees as they were drawn up.
"I understand but letting him linger in your thoughts only gives him more power." James said.
"I know that too." Ruby sighed. "But I can't think of a way to stop thinking about him. He's out there, he's in the same city as me and he so insane I bet he can do whatever he sets out too. If he knows I'm here…" Ruby pressed a hand to her belly. "He almost killed me last time, almost killed my baby." Tears threatened her eyes again.
James walked over and sat down beside her. "I won't let him near you, I understand that Ozpin and Qrow are your husbands and they've done their best to take care of you… and that I've asked them to work for me even if that takes them away from you. You aren't alone though, you can stick close to me for as long as you want. I understand that your friends don't have the ability to defend you and that is why you don't wish to be with them now."
"That's part of it, Qrow is one of the best and Tyrian still almost killed him. My friends even with all their different skills, I'm not convinced we'd stand a chance. He toyed with us last time. His Semblance drains your Aura away the longer you fight him the worse it gets…" Ruby shivered. "I don't even want to see him again, if he does see me again." She clenched up get whole body, her eyes shut tight.
"I know, it took a while to become both and Headmaster and General. I started at the bottom like everyone else and I did my fair share of investigative work. Nothing anywhere near Qrow's level but I know a stalker when I read about one."
Ruby shuffled over and rested her head on his arm. "That's nice to hear, I know with your Semblance you could just grab him out of the air but he's sneaky, what if he gets the drop on you?"
"If you only ever think about the what if's you'll make yourself sick." James said and offered his hand.
Ruby took it and shifted to let him hold her. "Easier said than done."
There was a knock on the door and the two got up together. Ruby squeezed his hand briefly before stepping away and assuming military ease. "Come." James called out and moved to stand before his desk.
"I'm sorry to bother you General but-." Winter started before the doors were tossed over and something bright and yellow flew into the room with a cry. "RUBY!"
Ruby barely caught her sister as she barrelled into the younger girl, stumbling back a second. "Yang! You're back, I thought you'd stay longer with dad."
"I really thought about it, but Bart made a convincing point about moving on and forward. So I decided to get a move on, I saw Argus on my way over here, Gods I've seen a town fall before but nothing like that." Yang stepped away and took in Ruby's pale cheeks. "Ruby what's wrong? You look pale."
Ruby wet ler lips, her voice weak. "T-Tyrian is in Mantle, we just f-found out."
Yang went almost as pale as her sister. "Oh Gods, that bastard! Is uncle-?"
"Hunting yes." Ruby forced a smile. "Hopefully things will go better this time around."
"Well, where is everyone else?" Yang asked looked over to Winter and James. The older sister wanted nothing more then to throw her arms around Ruby and protect her from the looming threat. She kept a tight lid over her fiery temper, no one was getting their hands on her little sister again, not if she had anything to do about it!
"In classes, here I have prepared a new Scroll for you." James walked around to his desk and pulled out a Scroll from a drawer. "This has all the second year material you can skip anything you covered at Mistral, the idea is to get through as much content as quickly as possible ideally so you can be brought in as a third year come next September. If you all hit third year content sooner you'll be moved up in accordance. The idea is to catch up to your age group as quickly as possible."
"Sweet, Beacon was too easy at times." Yang took the Scroll and booted it up, her hand still grasping her sister's. "Do I get to sit on classes?'
"Yes, Weiss, Ren and Nora are there now. Winter if you have a moment I'd appreciate if you could show Miss Xaio Long around." James gestured towards the exist.
"Of course sir." Winter dipped her head to him.
"You aren't coming Ruby?" Yang asked as her own sister shied away from her.
"No, I'll be staying with James till Ozpin and Qrow are back." Ruby hugged herself with an arm. "... He's the strongest Huntsmen around with Oz and Qrow busy and if Tyrian is out there I don't want to risk being out in public."
"Ruby, I can protect you." Yang took a step towards her.
Ruby held her hands for her to stop. "With all due respect Yang, if you got into a fight with him he'd kill you. I'll be staying around at least one of our top hunters till Tyrian is caught or dead."
"But this is an academy Ruby, what are the odds that-."
"I don't care what the odds are Yang. This is Tyrian, and I'm sorry but you can't make me feel safe like the others can. Not you, not Nora or Ren or Weiss. We aren't even in his league Yang, you've never seen him so you can't understand what he's like. Please Yang just go and explore, I'm going to stay here." Ruby inched back towards the desk.
Yang moved towards her hands outstretched before she stopped herself. A deep breath calmed herself down, she knew that Ruby was different now. That she looked to others for protection, she had to learn to take this in stride even when it stung her heart a little. "Right, sorry. I just… yeah I'll just go catch up with the rest." Yang gave Ruby a gentle hug, it was times like this she was jealous of Weiss who knew her sister better than she did. "See you later."
Ruby nodded and went quiet as Winter escorted Yang from the room and covered her mouth swallowing a cry. James saw the stress and drew her into a hug stroking up and down her back. "It wasn't my place to say anything but are you two okay?"
"Yang has always had this thing for protecting me or dropping me like dead weight. I still can't tell which she'll do. She ditched me on the first day of school at Beacon for example." Ruby said hugging herself tightly. "She did come to me at Haven but I'm still not really sure why. Part of me thinks it was just for Blake, I don't know the more I grew up the less we connect anymore."
"That's a very natural thing between siblings. Believe it or not I have four and none of us speak to each other anymore, it's just a part of growing up." James leaned against his desk observing her. "Do you want her here? You are a grown woman now, a wife and mother, you don't have to do anything you don't want too. That includes whatever Yang would have you do. Your safety is more important than her feelings."
"I know all that and I appreciate she came she's part of my team and family but that was just so her to want me to run around with her. When I don't want to run around with her. Even after I woke up after I was rescued from him. It was Yang at first with Weiss but in the end it was Weiss who stayed with me. Helped me when I was afraid of my own shadow. Yang hasn't never been there like for me, not like Weiss has. Weiss had been my friend and part of my life more actively then Yang has been for years. Then here she comes crashing in wanting to act like nothing has ever gone so very wrong." Ruby grabbed her belly, flat and empty it unnerved her more than anything else. "I can't forget what he did to me, even if she can."
The headmaster was silent for a minute. "Give her a little slack, she's not been in your shoes and doesn't know what it's like to go through something like that. Hasn't seen it from the perspective of the one trying to find you after seeing the trail of bodies lay in the path."
"I know that but I just don't know how to reach her anymore. She's not been the same person since Beacon. She's moody and grumpy, she was trying to court Blake and that was kinda relief so that I didn't have to figure out how to entertain her. Now that is gone and she's just trying to pick up where we left off. I don't know what to do."
"Take it one day at a time. I understand if you can't talk to her with ease anymore as I said it's just a part of growing up but you are Huntresses in training it's not like you don't have anything in common anymore." James said flipping his hand out.
"That's a good point… thank you James I do feel a bit better now." Ruby smiled and walked over to sit on the edge of his desk. "I used to do this for Oz when he was having a bad day. Something about my legs having healing properties for the local males and bis." She kicked them out and pointed her toes.
Her skin tight tights did communicate that idea. The grey leggings of the uniform weren't very sexy but he could admire the lines all the same. "Well I do think those do have some fortifying properties." James walked over and sat back down in his chair. "Right then we have work to get to."
The Drunken Whaler was as dreadfully scented as last time Qrow had lurked in a corner. This time he had a wide leather brim hat down low over his ears. A stinky tankard of beer sat before him on the table untouched. Still today appeared to be his lucky day as the infamous Nightshade appeared. There was no mistaking her, not between the ebony hair, skin and eyes. Qrow let a smile spread over his lips as his red scarf hid them. He pulled his gloves off and rubbed his nails, he could almost feel the insides of his fingertips changing.
Nightshade flashed Lien and the barkeeper pulled her down a bottle from the top self. Qrow watched as his mark drank and smiled, he also noticed a particular Ace Op walk into the bar and frowned. That wouldn't do at all. The red eyed man stretched his Semblance throughout the bar. Glasses broke from a waitress who stumbled, men lost their balance and crashed into each other. Clover got clocked in the nose with an elbow and a bar fight broke out. Nightshade only laughed and stumbled out the back door. Qrow followed leaving the chaos in his wake.
Nightshade stumbled towards home. Today had been a good day, got paid for her work after dropping off the newest prosthetics she'd acquired. Too bad it was never enough to move into a nicer flat but she wasn't going to risk life and limb fighting Grimm. The gunk of Mantle's streets splashed into her boots, Gods she hated this part of town. The whale abattoir was only a block from her flat… a block uphill. There were times she really doubted the owner was disposing of the waste properly. That just as much of what she waded through was likely whale feces as well as humans.
Still tonight everything seemed worse though, she was stepping in more shit, stumbling into the piss soaked walls. She set a hand on her rapier as the darkness pressed in on her. "It's just good the Ops hardly ever come down here. Maybe now that the embargo is over I'll be able to sneak out of here."
Qrow flew down and transformed. He'd left Harbinger at home for this and called on his magic, black claws grew in painfully while thin tendrils of blood seeped down them. His normally red eyes changed too, expanding with thick pools of onyx that took pleasure in stealing every scrap of light. The pale red shape changed to feline as he smiled not a foot from the woman whose hands bathed in blood. "Who the fuck are you?" Nightshade whipped around drawing her blade.
"You are on the Red List." Qrow dropped his voice several octaves injecting more gravel into his voice.
Even the dark Nightshade when pale. "Oh FUCK NO!" She turned on her heel and started to run, amped with her Semblance. Qrow gave chase his heart beating in glee, ohh the chase. He hadn't felt this since Ruby gave birth. It was such a rich high. He leapt up onto a fire escape and jumped from one to the other pouring speed forward. His Aura allowed him to keep up even with her Semblance. They were coming quickly upon the abattoir, well Qrow couldn't think of a more fun place to play. He rebound off a wall, elbow collided with Nightshade back and sent her flying through a thin brick wall.
Nightshade tumbled and gasped, it felt like a train had hit her. Her vision blurred as she looked up, the hitter stood above her. She could see his red eyes catch the light, they were the only thing that caught the light on his figure. "Fuck off, I can't be worth that much!" She scrambled back and looked around. Vats of waste meat intestines, bits of bone. The gutted whale was hanging open, split from jaw to tail fin. Hooks hug around the room some for smaller chunks of meat others for larger. The smell alone was vomit inducing. She looked back just in time to feel claws skin into her neck as she was lifted clear off the floor.
"I might spare you yet. I am looking for a Faunus new to Mantle, he is a scorpion Faunus. Might be missing a large portion of his tail might not be. Long brown hair, pale skin with scars across his chest. Gold eyes that turn purple when he fights. Tyrian Callows."
"I don't know who the fuck you're talking about!" Nightshade kicked him in the chest but his chest only moved slightly. That alone made her eyes widen. "Who the-."
Qrow sank his claws into her chest and ripped down rending her Aura strike after strike. She screamed and kicked but he didn't let up, only tossing her up and for a moment her heart soared thinking maybe she had struck a good hit… only for her to slam into a collection of chains. Her foot snagged from the metal prison and she was ripped downward, only for her chest to be impaled by something sharp and coppery smelling. The hook was smashed through her back catching on her ribs. She screamed an ear piercing sound. Agony rippled through her as the steel hook pierced her insides, barely missing vital points. Blood flowed from the wound soaking her clothes with the vile scent of rot.
The Hunter walked over and found the switches that controlled the hooks and lowered just her chain down so she was hanging just a few inches from the ground. Then walked back over, he grabbed her by the back of a thigh and as he walked. Her screams, not so long ago they would have sickened him. Now, now this was getting even for all her victims, they would have screamed as she tore their prosthetics out. "Tyrian Callows, crazy laugh, obsessive."
Nightshade gave an ugly cry. She wanted to be sick but her body was in so much pain it was all she could do to not struggle on the hook and dig further on it. "I don't fucking know! I've never heard o-ah!"
Qrow grabbed her legs and pulled downwards. "You all trade with each other, drink with each other. You'll have heard something." She screamed with sobs. "I don't know, I don't know!"
"You know you aren't increasing your chances of survival here." Qrow said, though that was a flat lie, she was never going to survive this encounter.
"How the fuck I'm I supposed to remember anything with a hook in my shoulder?! Oh fuck it HURTS!"
Qrow turned away and flicked the switch and she crashed to the ground with more screams. "If you don't know him then I've got no reason to drag this out any further." He walked back to her as she tried to pull the hook out of her shoulder. He grabbed her by her skull. Their eyes locked for a moment. "Think of this as a justice for all those lives you've harmed." He smashed her skull into blood stained concrete, her brains splattering out from under his fingers. Qrow shook the grey matter off his hand and turned her over. He yanked the hook out with a squelched and set it down. Qrow turned her face upward hiding the mess a bit and took a picture of her face and submitted it to the Red List with a tap.
As he walked out a buzz of his Scroll notified him that her bounty had been paid out to his Scroll. As soon as he sent the picture the local police force would have been notified with her coordinates taken off his Scroll. He'd need to find a place to clean up before he went home, he had been careful about that while working for Roi. To never let his spouses see the mess he made. He turned a scuff behind him and turned to find an Ace Ops trying and failing to be low key.
Clover stared into those black red eyes. His hand strayed to his weapon but suspended as he was using it was a risk. "That was messed up… Qrow." He clenched his fists.
"I'm the Red Lists best hitter. You didn't honestly think it was a clean job did you? Oh wait, a blue balled newbie like you doesn't even have access to the list do you?" Qrow smirked as Clover's expression said it all. "Ha, an Ace Ops who isn't even allowed to be a Hitter, that is rich. I'm not waiting around for the clean up crew. You don't belong down here kid get lost."
Qrow jumped clean up onto the roof top of a warehouse he only walked a few steps before he heard Clover land behind him. "It might not be a clean job but you didn't have to drag it out like that. Who even is Tyrian?!" Clover reached for Qrow's shoulder trying to grab him.
The taller man sidestepped neatly from the attempt. "A monster who I will string up by his own intestines when I catch him. You're off duty get lost."
"So what if I'm off duty? You're a fucking unregistered faunus, just how much of your file is BS?" Clover followed Qrow he wasn't about to let him out of his sight.
Qrow rolled his eyes and jumped up into the air and transformed taking flight for Atlas. Let the flightless rabbit try and follow him now. He was a crow after all and crows ate rabbits for breakfast.
Qrow ended up finding some snow to wash the worst of the mess off before heading home. He washed his boots in the mudroom and thankfully didn't have any other mess from Mantle stuck to him. He walked to the bathroom he shared with lovers and turned the tap on with his elbow.
The water quickly got hot as Qrow scrubbed the remainder of sticky blood off. It was hard to spot on his black nails but it was still fresh enough to be easy to get off. Qrow had lost track of how often he had done this, clean up before Ozpin and Ruby got home. They knew he had killed bandits in mass at Mistral they didn't know that he was enjoying getting up close and personal with them. A Vacou friend of his would say when he killed people in the name of peace and justice. "Everytime I yank a jawbone from a skull and ram it into an eyesocket, I know I'm building a better future." Perhaps Jack wasn't the best role model but it did help Qrow forget that what he was doing was perhaps unnecessary. That deaths needn't be violent and bloody, that he didn't need to scare them to the point where he could see the whites of their eyes as they shit themselves. No, that was just for fun.
Qrow turned off the water and dried his hands before looking into the mirror. He looked the same as ever, keen eyes, black hair, not a wrinkle in sight. Killing didn't haunt him anymore, no it had become exciting, like a hit of endorphins that he didn't get from booze anymore. Gods he missed whisky, or just alcohol in general. He wondered if James had something to drink squirreled somewhere around here.
After drying his hands he walked into the living room. The tv was tempting but he was feeling down, off his endorphin rush and that always sucked watching or reading never helped. He missed having the power to feel good whenever he wanted. His throat felt so dry. Qrow sat down on the couch and drifted off into a nap.
Not long after he was awoken to the snap of James's fingers right in front of his nose. "Wake up." The General snapped.
Qrow sat up groggy and looked around only for James to grab him by the front of his shirt and drag him into his bedroom. James locked the door behind him and shoved Qrow towards the bed. "Care to explain this?" He yanked out his Scroll and showed Qrow the very same picture that Qrow had sent to the Red List.
"Uh no? What's the problem?" Qrow look a step back, James was pissed about something.
"What is the problem?! You tortured her! It's all in the post-mortem, there is no way anything you did was necessary! You used to just break their necks what the hell happened?"
Qrow shrugged. "She was being uncooperative, I was interrogating her about Tyrian. Had she given me something useful maybe I would have just broken her neck. You got any liquor in here?" That was a lie, looking at them, feeling the bones give out had become an addiction all it's own.
James was speechless. Who was this man? This was not the one who came back to Ozpin on the verge of breaking apart after murdering a slaver in a fit of rage. This was not the one who became deaf to the world after senseless killing, he didn't even looked like he regretted the mess he made one bit. "You hung her on a meat hook. If you wanted to interrogated her you could have just incapacitated her and brought her in. You played with her, it's obvious by her wounds."
"Are you gonna get to a point here soon Jimmy?" Qrow snarked.
There it was 'Jimmy', seemed he had struck a nerve somewhere. James drew himself up to his full height and it made Qrow feel small. He advanced. "I want to know who the fuck are you and what happened to the Qrow I knew. He didn't toy with his marks, he got the job done as quickly and cleanly as possible. He would be down, feeling remorse right now. I'd see it in his eyes and I don't see it in yours."
"It's been a while Jimmy maybe you don't know me as well as you think you do." Qrow didn't back down, it had been a long time and he wasn't about to let James control this without a fight.
"You gave up drinking, that I've noticed. Did you just trade it for bloodlust? Do your spouses know? The monster they've made?"
Qrow pointed at James chin with a finger. "You won't be telling them jack shit. I'm fine, better than I've been in years."
James grabbed Qrow's wrist and yanked it down and behind him pulling Qrow's body against his. "I don't believe that for a second. What you did to her was sick and I not letting you out of this room till you tell me what's going on."
"Ha you can't intimated me James. You're not Oz, you aren't my Dom or Master, let me the hell go."
James grabbed Qrow by his chin. "Is that a challenge? You're no better than a junkie. Can't have anymore fun hunting since you butchered your target so now you want under my skin because it's just another high."
Qrow's eyes narrowed, it did sound like a damn good idea. There was a level of fun that could be had with James that Oz was never really into. They could get under each others skin, they could hate each other and vent all sorts of frustration. He licked his lips. "You may be some posh General of this stinking city but you haven't got the guts to get down and dirty. You like it up there on your ivory throne too much."
The General saw the bait and took it, Qrow always loosened up after a thorough fuck. It'd be easier to gauge his mental state. "Not what I remember. I remember a frail little bandit bitch who would scream like a girl when I pinned him down." He let Qrow's jaw go and pulled the buttons of his shirt underdone. "Safe word?"
"Red, keep it simple stupid for you jar head. Tapping if I can't talk." Qrow batted James's hands away, he wasn't about to make this easy. Still his other hand was trapped.
"Fine." James hit Qrow in his shoulder just as he released his hand. The impact sent him spinning and James snared him by his neck. "Have I ever told you'd make a fine GROPOS?" He hissed into Qrow's ear and bit the shell catching the sleeper piercings between his teeth.
"Oh fuck you!" Qrow stopped down on James's foot but it happened to be the metal one. Pain jarred up his leg but what could he really say? He was out of practice when it came to this game with James. James had ripped his belt open and was already through his trousers. The red eyed man tried to sink his claws in James arm but again met metal.
James shoved Qrow's bottom layers to the floor and growled. "You really are out of practice if you can't even remember which side is which." He shoved Qrow away.
Qrow stumbled but kicked the clothes off and out of the way. The excitement of this was already making his skin burn, this was better than hunting. His nipples were already erect and the metal within them rubbed in distracting ways against his shirt. He needed to take control. Qrow shifted his shoulders back and trailed his hands down his chest pulling the garments off and letting them fall to the floor. "It's been years, after all this time I doubt you can even get it up." A lie, but it did nicely for getting a rise out of James.
James was envious. It was about three in the afternoon so the room was cast in dusk lights and Qrow. Qrow looked like a God of temptation. The light caught in his piercings, he looked so damn young and untouchable not a scar on his hide. Lets see if we can't change that. James' resisted licking his lips as his hands gripped either side of his hips. The black hair of his groin trimmed and decorative. He took pride in his appearance for all the scruff on his jaw would contradict. It was an act, one that James looked forward to snapping. However Qrow wasn't the only one who was pretty now. James shred his clothes like a second skin, watched as Qrow's erection stood tall just looking at the new and improved James Ironwood.
"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Qrow put his hands on his hips, trying to downplay the uncontrollable reaction to James's new metal. He wasn't prepared for the sheer speed of James as he crossed the space and wove a hand into Qrow's hair all in the blink of an eye.
"You should be and you will be by the time I'm through with you." James attacked Qrow with a kiss.
Lips, tongue, teeth. Hot and wet, Qrow had to admit the beard was a real turn on. James grabbed him by the base of his cock, almost painfully tight but Gods it was good. This, this was what Oz just couldn't do anymore. Couldn't make him feel truly helpless anymore. James bit the smaller man's lip and it bled. Pain oh yes pain was good, Qrow could feel his body start to soar. He yanked his head away and dug his claws into James's shoulders. "More." He growled.
James controlled his surprise at the sharp stabbing of the claws and yanked Qrow by the hair over to the bed. Qrow hissed and swiped out but James hooked a foot behind Qrow's knees and pulled them out from under him. "You've gotten sharp. I'll have to do something about that." Qrow again attacked the hand in his hair but this one was metal and didn't give a flying fuck about the sharp claws. James reached into the bedside drawer and pulled out a pair of handcuffs, while these ones were lined with leather they had the ability to block Aura. They had been an investment when Qrow started to get really good at Aura. Having it took some of the fun out of this. As the smaller man tried to turn to his to see what James had grabbed James snapped the cuffs into place. They still fit like a charm.
Qrow's already dilated eyes went wide as he felt his access to Aura cut off. James ripped him up by his hair and tossed him onto the bed. Qrow scrambled to twist around and see the huge man but was caught by his now cuffed hands as James loomed over him yanking them up to the headboard and were clipped into another restraint. "For someone who wanted to fight so badly you're doing a terrible job of it." James said calmly.
Qrow kicked, aiming for his head but the General just moved the inch required out of the way and removed a condom and lube from the bedside drawer. "Now be a good little crow and let me prep you."
"FUCK YOU!"
James only sighed dramatically and put the condom on before getting back onto the bed. When Qrow kicked again he caught the offending foot by the ankle and pushed it upwards towards Qrow's head till Qrow was forced to pant and focus on relaxing his legs muscles. "My my still as flexible as ever." He traced two gloved fingers over Qrow's anus and treasured the shiver the red eyed man couldn't contain.
()
The shocks of ecstasy tremored up and down Qrow's spine. He couldn't remember the last time he had a fuck like that. "Damn James, we've got to do that more often."
"Not all of us are immortal Qrow." James moved his hand so he could lean on his arms, Qrow still pinned under him.
Qrow turned and looked up with a sly grin. "Didn't want to go bareback? That's always more fun."
"Given that you didn't have an enema before hand and I do have a woman that likes to jump me at the drop of a hat I decided it wasn't worth the risk. Had you been a little less going for my throat with those claws of yours I would have used an in condom just to be even safer."
Qrow pouted. "Yeah I can get that, but I didn't feel like it."
"I noticed, now since I have you here pinned like a bug and spread like a virgin on a banquet table. Why the hell did you do that to that poor woman?"
"I am not talking about what I did while impaled on your cock."
"Not like you can go anywhere, I'm not above fucking you into unconsciousness and asking Ruby to pull it from your mind while you sleep."
The raven haired man didn't believe it. "You just said you were getting old."
Feather light touches stroked over his body, rotated the piercings in his nipples while pushing his foreskin back and lathing over the head of his cock like a tongue. Sweeping touches up his spine made him moan and push back on James, just to feel the huge man's member press harder on his prostate. "Fuck~." Qrow whined the word muted.
"I may be getting old, but I've more than enough Aura to bring you off with my Semblance while I wait for my cock to get back in the game. As well as more than enough of a recharge on my Aura to repeat the processes."
Qrow barely processed the words as it felt like a wet tongue was dipping into to slit at the top of his cock while finger like sensation pressed up behind his balls as James rocked his hips. His jaw dropped as his cock started to weep again. James bent down and bite his shoulder with pressure that would have made Oz proud. "I can do this all day. I'm not afraid to bring Ruby into this either and something tells me you don't want her to know you tortured a woman for shits and giggles."
"It's not-ohh," Qrow's toes curled. "Like that and you know it. She's deserved to feel some of the pain she caused others."
"You are not judge jury and executor Qrow. You don't get to decide what she deserves, your job is only to kill them, nothing more. You used to do that well. As much as it tore you up. Now it doesn't do that anymore does it, that is what worries me."
"Daww you're worri-." Qrow's words were broken off with a moan, James was a holy bastard with his Semblance.
James pulled free of Qrow's body and let the smaller man slump against the ground. With his Semblance he removed the condom and trashed it. "I worry about what happened to the good man I knew."
Qrow was off in la la land as James's stroked every inch of him with that damned Semblance. "He was made to kill entire families of bandits. For Oz, for Roi. What can I say I just got good at it. Yeah you're right, it's a high but I haven't been drinking so I supposed I'm not that surprised." He bit his lip as his almost came again only for the sensations to let up. His words were slow and slurring. "You're right. I'm just an addict."
James brought Qrow off with a few expert touches of his Semblance. Qrow curled into his side his body too exhausted to keep up anymore. While the General sighed deeply sitting down on his heels. "And you traded liquor for blood. Oh Qrow, what are we going to do with you."
James stood up feeling his years then picked Qrow up bridal style and set him down on the bed before heading into the bathroom to clean himself. Then he cleaned up Qrow with a warm cloth and tucked him in. He sat on the edge of the bed watching the slim man sleep. Qrow was Oz's territory. Maybe he'd know what to do, James sure didn't.
Ruby, Weiss and Yang were moderately surprised when upon seeing Qrow sleeping in the living room he told them to go to the library and stay there till he said otherwise. Ruby sat beside Weiss on a leather sofa with her homework out as Yang was in an armchair doing the same thing. Weiss worried her lip looking between the two siblings. "So how do you like Atlas Yang? Did you go through Mantle on the way up?"
"No, the new commander in charge of rebuilding Argus sent me straight up to the school when I arrived. It seems nice enough, if a rather lot of blue." Yang was scrolling through clothing sites, she needed something new to wear and while she could just go to the quartermaster she doubted that there would be anything to her tastes.
"It is part of the kingdom colours." Weiss said with a shrug. "Not saying I like it but in the summer it actually does help reflect light around."
Ruby was reading a book off of the shelves, it was on biology and prosthetics. When from through the bonds flew excitement and lust, quickly followed by rampant arousal. Ruby pressed a finger to her temple. Of course Qrow would forget to shield, it sure felt like he had other things on his mind.
"You okay Ruby?" Weiss asked.
"Qrow and James are just doing the horizontal tango and Qrow is forgetting to shield his side of the bond." Ruby closed her book as her own skin started to flush. There was no way she'd be able to focus on anything now.
"So you're getting randy." Weiss hid her smile behind a book.
"Pretty much, he's already too far gone to think about it and while I can shut it down altogether I really hate doing that. Once today was enough for not being able to feel them." Ruby set the book down and looked over to her sister. "Sorry Yang, but given how things are going I don't think I'll be decent for company much longer."
"It's okay, I wouldn't ever want anyone in my head like that. Besides, you've got a head start on the homework." Yang held up her Scroll.
Ruby nodded to her and hightailed it to her room. She just got the door closed behind her before the pleasure made her fall to the floor and hug herself as her core clenched and leaked. She wondered just what the heck James was doing to Qrow. They only had the joined bathrooms between them so everything Qrow felt was coming through strong over the bond. Feeling the encompassing sensation of James playing with Qrow's prostate made her moan and roll into her side. She had to pant as her fingers fumbled with her clothes but she orgasmed before managing to get her trousers off. Ruby lay stunned for a moment before shoving her clothes finally off and staggering to her feet. "Just what are you doing James?" She wondered aloud.
The Silver Eyed Warrior got up and stumbled into bed tossing the duvet back and falling into the silk sheets. They were so smooth on her skin, her hard nipples brushed against them making her moan. Her skin felt hypersensitive as whatever was going on didn't even slow. Pain in her hair only sent her higher, she rolled onto her front and knelt her fingers seeking out her sopping sex. She hadn't felt like this since they left Mistral.
Weiss slipped into the room and was very turned on by the sight of Ruby pleasuring herself, already a sheen of sweat beading her face. The soft moans and whimpers as she attempted to chase the sensation bleeding from the next room got Weiss in the mood to play. She undressed quietly and set the clothes over a chair quickly retrieving the strap on she'd been gifted by Lydia before leaving for Argus. It wasn't overly large, measuring around five inches. She put it on and tightened the belt around her hips before crawling onto the bed and laid down on her side. The additional weight left a strange sensation crawling in her lower belly but it filled her with excitement. Ruby had her eyes closed as she panted into the sheet. She loved the red in Ruby's cheeks, Weiss reached out and brushed back Ruby's hair.
Ruby's eyes snapped open and she took in her nude companion. She caught sight of the strap on and whimpered. "Please~."
()
"No I'm okay, I really enjoy just watching you lose it." Weiss pet through the crimson locks, not as long as hers but getting to be a good petting length.
"Gosh I'm tired now." Ruby closed her eyes calming down to Weiss's touch. "I wonder what the heck James did, my ass feels like it's been reamed into oblivion. Qrow really enjoyed that."
Weiss giggled. "James does have a really nice… well you know."
"Yeah Qrow's ass is informing me of that. Playing with him with you was one thing but what just went down in the other room was completely different." Ruby could feel that Qrow was sleeping, it was a relief to say the very least.
"Well I know that Oz and James haven't had sex yet. Plenty of flirting but haven't actually done it yet and you spent the day with him. Do you like him?"
"Yeah, he makes me feel safe and is very sexy. I just haven't felt like it lately, too much going on. To much stress, my sex drive has been at an all time low." Ruby sighed. "And yet at the same time sometimes I wake up and want nothing more then to jump on them and get pregnant again. I miss it, I miss my baby I miss having one around. My insides just twist and turn and I want things I know I can't have and I miss her so much."
Weiss didn't envy her, Ruby really was mom material, she thrived with a baby at her breast. She thrived when pregnant, glowed and smiled. Weiss had noticed that almost as soon as she lost Euclase Ruby had started to mention wanting another child. Not to replace Euclase but that she just liked having children. "I know it hurts but you've got time and people who love you. There will be more children just wait a bit longer, just until it's safe to have them."
"I know and I know I'm not being rational. It's just been hard to be interested in other people when I care barely summon up the will to be with my husbands. If Qrow hadn't left the bond open I wouldn't have been into this now." Ruby reached out and traced over the curve of Weiss's side.
"Well, there is nothing wrong with just not feeling it and you have been really stressed out. It's completely understandable. But don't forget sex can actually really help with stress so even if you're not feeling it. It wouldn't hurt to try and get into it just for the health benefits. It might just make you feel better in the long run."
"That's a good point. I'll try and get more involved again, if James wants to have sex I won't turn him down. The newness of it might even help out." Ruby sighed. "We should go be good hostesses, I feel kinda bad for my sister. We both ran off and James didn't even let her say hi to Qrow when we arrived."
"Yeah poor Yang." Weiss and Ruby got up and dressed again. They walked hand in hand back to the library in just housecoats. Ruby was a little wobbly but managed to get a hold of it by the time they got there.
Yang looked up from her homework. "That was quick."
"Trust me you don't want to know, whatever James did has left your uncle fried." Ruby sat delicately back down on a sofa.
"Yeah~ don't need details there." Yang said shaking her head. "Atlas fashion sucks."
Weiss giggled. "Well I won't argue with you there."
James entered the room properly dressed in trousers and a short sleeved short. "Yang, I apologize for earlier. Qrow did something earlier today and I felt the need to confront him about it."
Yang wrinkled her nose. "Yeah I can tell you smell like sex."
James blushed and rubbed a hand over his beard. "That was unintentional but Qrow is easiest to err well crack open and get chatty if he's drooling into the floor."
"I did not need to know that!" Yang stood up shoving her new Scroll away and covered her ears. "I'm just gonna go, I'll say hi to him another time."
Ruby raised a hand but stopped as Yang made her way towards the door. "Sorry Yang."
Yang turned and smiled at her sister. "It's fine Rubes, you've got your own life now. I need to work on doing the same thing."
"Thank you for understanding Miss Xaio Long." James tipped his head to Yang.
On the elevator ride down Yang looked through a map for a bar. A drink was sounding really nice right about now, after all she didn't really want to know the details of her uncles sex life. She wasn't shy about it by any means but they had been maintaining a mutual respect when it came to sexual topics around each other. Without Ruby or Blake Yang found herself with a strange freedom. She could go for a drink and no one would be any wiser.
Atlas's streets were freezing as she wandered around before finding a Huntsman bar. It was a bit on the smaller side but cozy and packed with people. Music blared from a couple of speakers at the two furthest corners of the bar, at least it was tasteful. The easy beat settled deep in her chest relaxing the blonde. This was a good idea. Yang passed by some of the booths, the scent of leather and booze comforting, there were a few familiar faces but Yang couldn't remember where she might have seen them before, maybe the news or something. Chatter was low and most retained some laughter as Yang headed for the U shaped wood bar on the other side of the room, she picked one of the free stools and bounced up onto it. The bartender looked over and raised a brow.
"Long Island Ice Tea please." Yang pulled out her ID and Lien.
The bartender studied the ID then took the Lien. Within a couple minutes she had a tall glass of sweet drink. Within half an hour she had two and was getting pretty sloshed. Her mechanical hand tapped to the beat of the music as Yang debated a dance or two on the colourful floor. It was a she drained the second glass and ordered her third that the shadow of a man sat down beside her and ordered a drink of his own.
Yang looked up to find a fit lean Huntsman in civilian clothes. They were brown and green with leather trousers. His eyes were a teal green with short brown hair. He looked over at her no doubt seeing the flush of red in her cheeks. "Hey there sweetheart, you look like you could use some company."
Yang eyed him like he was a piece of her favorite candy barely noticing when a glass slid over the bar to her. He did look really good. Plus it had been ages, she and Bart hadn't really shacked up since the Wylde Hunt. "Same to you, handsome man like yourself, it seems like a crime for you to be all by yourself. You got a name?" Her eyes wandered over his covered arms, a hungry smirk stretching over her lips.
"Clover." Clover pulled off his leather jacket. He saw Yang bite her bottom lip as she admired his arms.
Hot damn, those are some nice guns. "I'm Yang." Yang nursed her drink, the buzz was making her brain foggy. It was easy to forget the pain for a bit, the grief she had been carrying for so long. Maybe he could shove it even farther from her mind.
"Well Yang, I've got the night off. Do you want another drink or maybe some other fun, perhaps something that we'd need some mental ability for." Clover grinned.
"Do you have condoms on you?" Yang asked.
"I do." Clover grinned.
"Well then aren't you lucky I'm in the mood and you're very pretty." Yang finished her drink. "You have a place?"
"There are rooms upstairs for this." Clover got up and helped her off the stool. He could tell she was drunk but she could stand easily so he figured she was sober enough to consent.
"Don't have to go outside again, sounds good to me." Yang said.
Clover paid for a room and guided her through the compact bar and up the steps. Yang giggled, she couldn't remember the last time she had done this. Clover punched in a key code and shoved the door open. Yang closed it behind her them reach for him grabbing him by his shoulders and kissing him.
The Atlasian liked how she tasted, liked how with her cropped top he could run his hands over her exposed midriff. It wasn't a very Atlas thing to wear but he didn't want to think about that. It had been an awful day and getting laid would be a good way to end it. He grabbed her belt and pulled it open and pushed her trousers and underwear down. Yang toed off her boots and kicked the whole lot away. The kisses got wetter as Clover backed her to a wall. Yang went for his belt getting it open as well as his trousers and pulling out his cock already hard. "Hurry up and get something on this." Yang growled into the kisses.
"Yes ma'am." Clover liked her, he was itching to get her big tits free but having her up against the wall first sounded nice too. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a condom, he had brought them out today they were natural variety rather then latex, less likely to kill the mood with an allergic reaction that way. Clover opened the packet with practiced ease and rolled it down. "Better lovely?"
Yang purred reaching up and weaving her fingers through his hair. "Much." She kissed his jaw as he picked her up by her ass.
()
Clover laughed and did as he was told, sharp thrusts making his belt jingle. Screw romance, or being kind. He fucked her, banging her against the wall. Wet and lewd, Yang's fingernail scoring his back. She came first and he chased his own finish and groaned as he followed. Yang held onto him as he walked her over with ease to the bed and set her down, pulling out and tossing the condom away.
Yang's eyes fluttered as she drifted on the aftermath glow of sex and alcohol. She moved back putting her head on a pillow slowly, the room smelled cleaned. The bedding felt clean but her bra was bugging her. She propped herself up on an elbow and got her top off. She tossed her jacket, shirt and bra away and flopped back down. Yeah that was more like it.
Clover admired her breasts, big and lovely. Yang, there had to be more to it than that, she seemed out of it so he pulled her Scroll from her jacket pocket. It wasn't password locked so he figured it had to be new. Her ID read Yang Xaio Long, Huntress In Training Second Year. He flipped through to her medical information and was pleasantly surprised to find her last full panel test had only been a month ago. Well he didn't have anything and had a feeling she wouldn't notice. Clover put the Scroll back and crawled into the bed. "How are you feeling?"
()
"Fuck! Harder!" Yang tried to move but having him hold her still was hot all on it's own. Clover for once was happy to take the order and rammed into her and felt her come in no time at all. He moaned as he came shooting into her, his jaw slack. Now that was a feeling he missed. Yang's arms gave out as she slumped down into the bedding. Clover pulled out admiring the wet strings that joined them and coated his cock. Yeah that was a sight he could get used to. He tipped Yang onto her side and turned away so she couldn't see his cock. As he looked over he found Yang's eyes closed and was careful to mimic the actions of tossing a condom as he grabbed a tissue from the bedside table and cleaned himself up before tossing it to and laying down beside her.
Yang was in bliss and ready to sleep. All the thoughts of her family far from her mind, if they weren't she might have noticed she just pulled a move worthy of her uncle. She looked over to Clover. "Nap the booze off with me?"
"If it gets me another round when you're sober." Clover reached out and pet over her refined stomach.
"Heck yeah." Yang leaned up and kissed him. "I think I like you."
