Chapter 3 - A Drunken Wager

Unravelling, the bandage tumbles down to the bathroom floor.

For the first time in days, I can feel the cool air brush against my waist. Through the mirror, I can see the scar lay bare on my skin. I wince. Not because of the scar itself, mind you. I know there was no chance in hell of it not leaving a mark. What bothers me is the size of it. It was much smaller than I thought it would be. I sigh to myself.

Taiyang was right. It was just a graze. I should feel really lucky for surviving that but honestly, I think that just makes it a whole lot worse.

A few days ago, Tai told me all about the monsters that attacked me that night.

The Grimm.

To summarize, they're soulless bastards that feed on the negative emotions of humans and they've apparently brought humanity to the brink of extinction. They are everywhere and I mean, everywhere. The only places you can truly feel safe from the Grimm are the Kingdoms and there are only a certain few of those in the world. That's not even the worst part. See, those things that attacked me on the first day? The ones that almost... took my life.

They're called Beowolves, and they're common as dirt. They're the weakest kind of Grimm out there. Bottom of the ladder. Cannon-fodder.

A graze from one of their claws almost killed me. A graze, and you're going to tell me that there are Grimm even stronger than them? There's no way I'm going to be able to look for a way back with those... beasts out there. There's no way around it. Without training, I'm going to die.

Hell, even if I had basic training, it wasn't going to be enough. I'd need years upon years of experience in order to fend them off alone. I need something better than basic.

Actually, I'm going to need a lot more of everything. That's partially why I'm still here.

After finally agreeing to stay with them, I tried my best to gather as much information as I possibly could from Tai. Basic stuff like where I am, how their society works, and most importantly, how being a Huntsman works. Granted, the family did end up asking me piles and piles of questions in return. To which I answered most of them with an honest 'I don't know.' To them, I'm just some weird homeless kid who's apparently been living under a rock all his life. I also come from a place far, far away. I can't really tell if they bought it but they didn't push me.

Ever since then, I've been keeping my distance from the family the best I can. Staying out of their way, dodging conversations the best I could and eating alone in my room. It might be a little... lonely, but it's for the best. If anything, it's given me plenty of time to think. To figure stuff out. After my talks with Tai, I think I know what I need to do.

I take out my phone, flipping it open. A few carefully placed clicks later and the old picture pops up onto my screen. I focus on their faces. What they would say to me now. What they think I should do. The encouraging words that my Mother and Sister knew would push me forward.

I take a good hard look at myself in the mirror, gently swaying my fringe to rest just above my left eye. Like I've always had it. Same pale complexion. Same thin body. Same everything, really. I let out a dry laugh. Yep. I'm still the same old me.

I snap the phone shut, nodding to myself. Right.

I have to talk to Taiyang.

I reach the bottom of the house stairs, casually clapping Zwei on the head as I pass by him. From the kitchen, I can hear the taps pump out boiling hot water, quickly followed by intense scrubbing.

"Morning Eren!" It's Tai. How does he always know when it's me? I try so hard to keep quiet too...

"M-morning, sir!" No. Wait. He hates it when I call him sir. "I-I-I mean, Tai!" Great start Eren. You already sound like a complete twat. I sigh to myself.

A heavy thump at the door makes me jump out of my skin. Another thump. Yet another. Someone's at the front door. That's... concerning. I don't actually know how far away from the rest of Patch we are but it's far enough that you'd still have to make quite the trek in order to get here. That's yet another reason why I didn't try to leave. Between that, the freezing weather and the Grimm, I'd be dead before I reached town.

I hear a groan from the kitchen. "Eren, could you do me a favor and get the door for me? I'm a bit tangled up here."

I... I think I blacked out for a second there. Did he say to, uh, 'Get the door?' I-I mean, I think I might've heard him say that. Can't be too sure though. Could've been something else! Something that I can actually do! Like, uh, cleaning! That's right! I should offer to do the dishes for him! Then he can get the door instead!

"O... Okay."

I repeat. I am my own worst enemy. I fiddle with my hoodie zipper. My nerves were all over the place as I slowly creep towards the pounding door. Timidly, my arm reaches out for the handle. Letting out a slow breath, I gingerly own the door. Poking my head around, I answer.

"H... hel- Ah!" A glimmer of light shines in my eyes. A whiff of putrid, nauseating and utterly horrid air gusts pasts my nose. I look up at the man who's been knocking on the front door.

"What? Are we taking in strays now? Where'd you come from, pipsqueak?" It was a man with dark hair and unkempt facial hair. A man who has terrible breath. A man with a sword. A man... with breath that smells a lot like alcohol.

It's a drunk man. A drunk man who has a sword.

I feel a jolt course through my body. It's like I'm being electrocuted. I don't let him get another word out. Without hesitation, I slam the door in his face. I spin around.

"Tai!" I yell, racing for the kitchen. "Tai! He has a sword! He has a sword!" I dart right through the kitchen door, rushing up to Tai.

Tai holds his hands up "Woah! Woah! Eren, calm down. Who's at the door?" My heart pounds at my chest. My mouth is a river and I feel like I'm drowning. I have to swallow everything down before I speak again.

"I- Th-there's a man at the front door. He has a sword and-and-and..." I shake my head. "I-I-I think he's drunk!"

"Drunk?" He asks. His brow furling. "Are you sure about that?" I nod rapidly.

Okay! Okay! Plan. I need a plan. I hastily look around the kitchen. Where are the knives?! It might not be the best weapon but it's better than no weapon at all! If I play it smart and use the house to my advantage, we might be able to get out of this alive!

"Hello, Qrow." ...Huh? I look over my shoulder. The scruffy drunk swordsman was there. I let out a yelp and bound backwards. Tai quickly side steps behind me, preventing me from retreating any further.

"Eren! Eren! It's fine. It's okay. He's not an intruder." Tai puts an arm up to introduce the "not" intruder. "This is Qrow. Qrow, this is Eren."

Qrow takes a sip out of his flask. Filled with some awful concoction of lager, ale and vodka no doubt. The scruffy-looking man lets of a gasp of air after taking one massive chug from the drink. He closes the top, eying me closely.

"First impression." He looks up at Tai, smirking. "You need a better bellboy, Tai."

I... He...

"Uncle Qrow! You're back!" A wave of rose petals overcomes the room. All of a sudden, Qrow has a little red girl latching onto his back. "How'd your mission go? Was it exciting? It's been so long! It's so great to see you!" Wait... Uncle?

'Uncle' Qrow chuckles to himself, looking to Ruby. "Hello to you, too." He ruffles her hair affectionately.

This guy is their Uncle?! But-but-but he's...

He's a drunk! Tai puts a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. Qrow's always drunk." My jaw drops to the floor. What?! And-and Tai's totally cool with that? If my Uncle turned up drunk, he would've been shipped halfway to Cairo before he could say 'Honey! I'm home!'

I look over at Qrow and Ruby again. If a normal drunk guy was grabbed like that, he would've fallen on his ass at best and kicked the crap out of the person who grabbed them at worst. Yet, there they were. Babbling on like it wasn't even a factor. I let out an exasperated laugh. I shake my head.

This family's crazy.

I sit at the top of the stairs, trying desperately to stop my legs from shaking.

After Yang popped in to say hello, the kitchen started to get a bit too crowded for my liking. I managed to slowly slink away from the conversation and just let them talk amongst themselves. It's a family conversation. It's not my place to get involved.

I waited patiently in the meantime. Looking for my opportunity to ask Taiyang. I figured it would've been far easier to ask him if he was alone. No other eyes to judge me or anything.

That was this morning. It's the dead of night now. I tried my best to pick my moment earlier but as soon as I gave it a shot, it was already time for dinner. I just took my dinner up to my room again and hit my head against the wall for another couple of hours.

Fortunately, a few hours later, Ruby and Yang had finally gone to bed.

Unfortunately, Uncle Qrow hasn't. He's still downstairs talking to Tai. I sigh lightly. At this rate, I'll be up all night. I can still hear them chattering away. Talking about something or other. I slowly stand up from the stairs, letting another breath out.

Well, by the time they finally finish talking, Tai will be too tired to talk to me about it. At least Qrow's an adult, maybe he won't judge if I asked him now. Yeah. Maybe... Well, it's now or never.

Gingerly, I tiptoe down the stairs. Their voices pick up. I halt...

Nothing. I feel like turning around and going back to bed but I hold my ground. I shake my head vigorously. Come on! Stop cowering and just do it, you idiot. I reach the bottom of the stairs, softly walking towards the kitchen door. I hear their voices pick up again.

"His swordsmanship still needs work but, his gunplay has improved over the last few months. I'm a bit worried about his home life though." Tai. I think he's flicking through some documentation of some kind. I think it might be from Signal. Qrow hums.

"If it starts becoming a problem, we'll start offering after school classes." He takes another gulp from his flask. "There's not a whole lot else we can do for the kid." Tai doesn't seem to like his answer but he doesn't rebuke him. Tai flips through the paper before stopping when he notices me.

"Eren," he greets. "Everything okay?" Qrow leans back in his chair, lazily glancing at me.

"U-uh... Um..." Without realizing it, I start playing with my hair. Swaying my fringe into position even though it was already there. "I..." I burn under their gaze. My body was shaking and my blood was pumping. "I... I was just wondering..." Come on! I scream at myself. You know what's at stake. Just ask him!

"H-how do I get into Beacon?"

The room goes dead. Tai blinks twice. His grip loosens on the page he was just reading. He's completely flabbergasted. I can only fidget at the silence. There. I asked.

Then, I hear giggling. Chuckling. Chortling. Full-blown laughter. Qrow's laughing his head off. He heard my question and now he's laughing at me? My face reddens. Did... did I say something funny?

"Hahahah! Tai, you've got yourself one hell of a comedian here! Hahahah!" I visibly shrink back into my hoodie. I just want to disappear at this point.

"Qrow." Tai cuts through Qrow's laughter. I'm not quite sure what it was but his tone feels as sharp as a sword. I've never actually heard Taiyang put up this kind of aggression before. Qrow stops laughing. Instead, he vouches to stare right at me.

"Wait, are you being serious?" His red eyes give me pause for a couple of seconds but nevertheless, I nod. Qrow's face drops. He takes out his flask once again, downing the rest in one go. He finishes with a gasp, I think I might've heard him growl a little under his breath. He looks back up to me. "Kid." He starts, his tone completely devoid of any mirth.

"Forget about Beacon."

"W-what?" F-forget about it? Are you kidding me?! Qrow looks me dead in the eyes.

"Are you deaf or something? I said to forget about it. A kid like you is only going to get himself killed." His words pierce right through whatever confidence I scrambled up. That was rejection in it's purest form. I clench my fists, gathering the pieces of my self-esteem and push forward.

"I... I won't. I want to know how to get into Beacon."

The chair screeches against the wooden floor as Qrow stands up. Against my better judgement, I don't step back from dusty older man. I have to stay strong. Everything was riding on this. Qrow inches closer towards my face. I steel my will. Whatever happens next, I won't relent. No matter what. Qrow looks at the patch in my hoodie.

"You've encountered them, haven't you." My hand wavers over my scar. "You remember it, right?" Casting my eyes down, I nod. "That's what true fear feels like. That's what we Huntsman have to fight through every single day." His voice turns strict. Less like a reprimand and more like a lecture. Either way, his words still hold a weight over my head. "Let's get something straight, kid. Whatever reasons you've got for trying to become a Huntsman, it doesn't matter. "

"Qrow." Tai warns him again.

"Let me finish, Tai!" He snaps. Tai and Qrow glare at each other. The air was thick and I'm finding it hard to breath. Eventually, Tai just folds his arms and resigns himself to a spectator. Qrow turns back to me, glaring deep into my eyes. "It doesn't matter because the Grimm have a grip on you that no-one else has."

"Wha... What are you talking about?" I have to grit my teeth. Qrow doesn't relent.

"How have you been sleeping?" I flinch. "What? You didn't think anybody would notice? I've been through crap like that before, kid. I know what kind of mark it leaves on you." I look down. At the floor. Just, anywhere else besides his eyes. It's like he was trying to peer into my very soul. I can't take it. "I don't know what you've been telling yourself but that kind of scarring doesn't just go away. It stays with you for the rest of your life. It's not something you can just wish away with the notion of 'Getting stronger.'"

I shake my head. "That's... that's not why I want to get into Beacon."

"I'm not saying it is." Qrow says forcefully. He looks up wistfully to the ceiling. "Like I said, it doesn't matter why you want to become a huntsman. Because the fact is, as soon as you stand face to face with another Beowolf again, that scarring is going to come back. You won't be able to handle it. I've seen men bigger, stronger and braver than you fail to overcome that scar. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He leans in closer, his voice deadly.

"If you go out there, you're going to die. No ifs. No buts. Am I understood?"

...Yes. I nod. I hear every single word he's saying.

Nevertheless, there are things far worse than death.

"How do I get into Beacon?" I repeat my question. Qrow wrinkles his face. He stares right into my eyes. I don't fall back. I stand undeterred by everything he just said. I know what I want, and I know that I'll never be happy with myself if I don't even try to get it back. I don't care what gets in my way. Be it Grimm, people or even myself.

I'll get back home. No matter what.

Qrow just laughs bitterly, shaking his head at me. "Alright. If you're so hell bent on becoming a huntsman..." He flashes a cocky smile. "Then maybe, you wouldn't mind putting something on the line for it. A little wager." I raise an eyebrow at that. Wh-what did he have in mind?

Qrow lifts up a finger. "Here's what we'll do. I'll give you a week. At the end of that week, I'm going to give you a little test. See if you're really as up for it as you say you are. You impress me, I'll tell you how to get into Beacon. Hell, I'll even tutor you! But if you don't impress me..." He pokes my hoodie. "Well, that hoodie might get me a pint or two if I... sold it."

I let out a gasp, clutching onto my hoodie for dear life. No! No, I can't lose this! I need it!

"Okay, that's enough!" Tai strong-arms his way in between us, glaring at Qrow. "Qrow, he's just a teenager." I know his words are supposed to be in my defensive, but those words sting slightly. Did... did he think I wasn't up to it? Qrow just scoffs, looking back to me. I keep my head down as he scans for a reaction.

Then, he smirks at me. "I knew it." He stuffs his hands back into his pockets. "I think I'm gonna head to bed, Tai. We'll finish these papers tomorrow." He turns his back to me, walking for the door. He gives us both a lax wave. "Night."

I shake my head. Damn it! I can't lose this! Everything is riding on this, I need to get into Beacon. I need to! What do I do? I can't miss out on Beacon, but I can't lose my hoodie either! What do I do?! What do I do?!

Isn't it obvious? I'm such an idiot.

"Okay!" I scream. I probably woke up the rest of the household with that but I'm not really in the right mind to care right now. I need to go for this and I need to do it now! "Okay..." There's no turning back from this one. I gather my breath, staring fiercely at Qrow's back.

"You're on!"

Qrow doesn't face me. I can't see his reaction. Whether he was angry, shocked or stunned silent, I don't know. He just stays quiet. All three of us just stand wordlessly. I'm pining for some kind of response at this point. Some sort of acknowledgement. I'm going to go for this. I won't let him back out now.

Suddenly, Qrow just chuckles to himself. Is... is he laughing at me? Is he still not taking me seriously? "Quick question, kid. Do you know what Aura is?"

Aura? Tai never mentioned it in our talks. I shake my head, answering with a meek "N-no." Qrow turns his head, looking at me from over his shoulder.

"Any Huntsman worth his salt knows how to use his aura. Without that or a weapon, you're not going to impress anyone come next week." He turns his head back around. "Just for the record, I'm not going to pull my punches. See ya next week."

Just like that, Qrow leaves both Tai and I alone. I wait a couple of seconds, making sure he's absolutely not coming back. One. Two... I think he's gone. Okay. I let out a large gasp of held air. I slump against the wall, my hand clutching around my heart. I had to do it. I had to. Christ, I feel like I'm on fire. I knew the talk was going to be stressful but that... that was horrendous. How can people deal with that kind of pressure? It's only going to be worse come a week from now. Great...

Tai scratches at the back of his neck. "Damn it, Qrow..." Tai offers me a hand up. "Here, Eren. I'm really sorry about Qrow. He can be a bit... much at times." I don't take his hand, pushing myself up from the wall.

"N-no, no. I'm, um, I'm very sorry for interrupting." I bow my head. I look over to the kitchen table. Scattered around were dozens of what looks like school papers of some kind. I'm not entirely sure what they are, exactly. Tai mentioned that he was a teacher for Signal, the same place Ruby and Yang go to so, it's not really that much of a surprise. Though, the dried in wine stains on some of the papers does give me pause. Looks like they spilt a glass on it. I never really took Tai for the careless type. Weird.

"You know, you don't have to go through with this bet. I can talk to Qrow in the morning and get him to call it off." He folds his arms. "If you're really serious about Beacon, I can tell you about how students get in. You really don't need to go through with this."

...Technically speaking, he's right. I don't have to go through with this bet. Qrow's not the only person in the world who knows how to get in. Tai could tell me just as easily, maybe even tutor me himself even if I needed it.

But... I shake my head again. "Thank you, but no. I... I want to go through with the bet."

"What?!" He exclaims. "Why?" I don't mince my words.

"Because I need to."

Like I said, I heard Qrow loud and clear. He thinks my fear will be a hindrance. He thinks that I can't do it. That I'll just freeze up and get myself killed. I'm not stupid. I know that Huntsman are considered the best of the best and... Frankly? I don't even know where I am on the board. Qrow might be an a... He might be a bit stuck-up, but he is a Huntsman. He knows what he's talking about, and if he doesn't think I can do it then that's says something really bad about my chances at survival.

I have to prove to him that I can get into Beacon. That's the only way I can truly have confidence that I can do it. Losing this bet just means that I never had a chance to begin with. That he was right all along and I was stepping out too far from my element.

That's why I have to take this bet. To prove I can do it.

First thing on the agenda. "Uh... Tai? Sir?" He looks at me with a hum.

"Can you tell me about Aura?"

A/N: Hazzah! We have plot!

Also, Qrow is surprisingly fun to write. I'm hoping I didn't write him like a complete and total ass. Qrow might be a bit of an arse but the dude's still fully capable of empathy.