Sorry for the wait. Life gets crazy when you least expect it doesn't it? Also for the long time readers, I changed June's semblance. Please don't hate me. I went back and fixed it in the previous chapters too.
...
June felt almost stiff when she stepped of the bullhead. Tai had been right, she can't live her son's life for him. But that did not mean she had to lay back and let Qrow get the boy maimed or killed. She knew him, better than almost anyone. Qrow had good intentions and always tried his best to be the hero, but his semblance gets people hurt. It gets people killed. And Jaune will not be one of those people. She would let him be whatever he wanted, but it can't be Qrow to make it happen. She was going to track her boy down, have Nick train him and then he was going to Shade Academy. Beacon was off limits.
Standing on the coast brought back memories of her team. Memories of her glory days as a Huntress and what her daughters all called a "Badass". Kids now all have labels for everything. When she was their age almost a decade ago, it was cool or wack. How the times fly. It used to be you were one or the other. She has heard several levels of respect given their own titles now by her sweet little gremlins. As annoying change can be, sometimes it could make you giggle. She needed some glee every once and a while. Times were tough. Nick flipped out when she told him where Jaune was, and with whom. He went even more berserk when she said she was going after them. She had a feeling another separation was coming in their marraige. What was it now? Four? Five?
After the twins were born she went on several expeditions and large offensives with her old team and friends. Including Summer Rose. That's where she slowly learned about the secret war behind the veil. It took her months in the field to put it all together. But Summer needed her semblance everywhere they went so she didn't miss much. The ability to stop time in a given radius was extremely useful in their profession. As with all things and powers, it comes with limits and rules. Once she activates it she can only take five steps in the area within her time-stop before it collapses. And if she falls down it fails. Crocea Mors's shield became an impenetrable wall using Time-Stop, as she could see the trajectory of every round. Now she had to rely on movement again. Like she did when she was a student. She even dug through the shed and got her old beacon gear out for this trip.
They all fit a little snug, seeing as she had gotten older and her body proportions had changed. But her black steel breastplate still fit alright, her dark green duster coat pinches here and there but still fit on over the top to hide the fact she was wearing mechanized chainmail and light armor under it. The hilt of her "Bite" sat tucked in a pocket on the interior of her coat. Her old blade needed a lot of love but was quickly back to its old performance. It was a simple mecha-shift weapon. A short-sword that when activated would collapse it's blade into the hilt. Came in handy when she needed to surprise an opponent or win a blade lock. Her trusty secondary was in a side holster strapped to her right side ribs. It was a powerful hand cannon with a precision system built into the barrel. Atlas tech from when Nick was still military.
Her practice shots yesterday proved that time didn't effect all things. "Bark" was still as deadly as ever. A tree that had four six inch holes blasted all the way through it outside of her home in Valin stood a testament to that. Her black and green Grimm mask hung at her waist. Old habits die hard, and she didn't want whoever she may come up against to remember her face. Her description hasn't been as she is right now in almost fifteen years. She had always just gone as herself. But when you were young, you wanted to be a legend. It's just a shame that Raven decided to steal her mask idea. Bitch. She hasn't seen Raven in too long. And honestly she would beat the ever-living shit out of her if they crossed again. Tai, Summer, and Qrow didn't deserve the treatment Raven gave them.
But then again she had not been the best of friends to them either. So that was a double edged sword. Nick had called in a favor from a Special Ops buddy back in Atlas to help them find Jaune and Qrow. She didn't know how Clover always came through but he did. A Schnee freighter caught Qrow on facial recognition boarding a ferry headed to Argus from the south. So as a mother should, she is taking this opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Visit her daughter, and catch Jaune.
Her daughter's home was lovely as ever. She let her shoulders drop and relax as she knocked on the door. She smirked, ready to see her oldest again.
"Mom?" Jaune said when he opened the door, eyes going wide.
"Hey J..." June said with malice.
"Oh fuck me! Saph Help me!" Jaune said ducking a swipe from his mother and diving backwards into the living room. He bounced off the bottom of the stairs and slid to the side not a second too soon. As soon as he had moved, his mother nailed the bottom of the stairs in a failed tackle.
Raven walked into the room with a limp and a snarl, her blade drawn at the sound of struggling. Upon seeing June chasing her son around the couch, Raven uncharacteristically sighed and spoke.
"Fuck. How did you find us?" Raven yelled to get June's attention.
Just then Qrow came down the stairs enough to look and see the situation. His face showed pure shock and terror.
"Ray!" Qrow said diving into the air after turning to a bird.
"Right behind you!" Raven shouted following suit.
"Nope!" June yelled as she activated Time-Stop.
She stopped still and sighed. She hadn't used it in over a year, it felt like slipping on an old favorite jacket of your teenage years. Like being hugged by an old friend. She surveyed the room, her idiot son had backed into the corner. So he was already handled. There were two annoying birds mid-flight towards the front door. The door itself was still open wide so it was an avenue of escape. Time to eliminate that option. June smirked as she hooked her foot under the coffee table and kicked it forward towards the door. It stopped mid-air as soon as it left her foot of course, but the momentum would carry when she dropped her semblance.
Leaping off with her other foot she stepped off the back-rest of the couch and before landing she punched the raven lightly. After her feet hit the ground she reached up and flicked the Crow on the chest with her fingers. That made three steps. Reaching to her belt she undid a clasp and retrieved a long cord of high tensile wire. She fashioned a lasso of sorts and set it at her feet, before leaping up and launching off the wall with both feet.
With her five steps completed time resumed. June felt a breeze as she flew backwards, a coffee table soaring under her by a few inches as she flipped over mid-air. As she landed she saw Raven shift back and fly harshly to the side, crashing into the wall hard enough to shake the pictures hanging off it. Qrow shifted back and yelped as he flung directly upwards to slam his back into the ceiling. He fell and landed hard onto the floor in front of the front door. While the siblings were getting slammed, the coffee table had flung and forcefully closed the front door before falling to the side. It landed on all four legs right over Qrow as he hit the floor.
Qrow shifted to try and get out from under it before feeling something under his belly. Glancing down her saw what looked like...Wire.
"Shit" He said wincing.
June flicked her wrist and her lasso slithered under Qrow before tightening down on his legs. With a hard pull the Drunkard was yanked out from under the coffee table, not before hitting his head on it first. Qrow scrambled for purchase on something with desperation. June released the wire, letting it spool back onto her waist mount. You never knew when a simple climbing tool would come in handy. Qrow whimpered as June grasped his shirt and pant-leg. With a twist and toss, Qrow slammed ass first onto the couch. Raven gripped said couch's back-rest and used it to stand.
"What a way to greet me June, just beat up on the injured woman." Raven said grimacing.
"I'd hardly call you a woman, and what's this? The immortal and all powerful Raven Branwen, injured? Gasp! I can't believe it!" June shot back with dry sarcasm. "Sit your ass down or I can show you what an injury is."
The all powerful Raven Branwen stumbled around the couch and sat next to her petrified little brother. Qrow was already pale, but right now he looked like a ghost.
"Jaune Miles Arc..." June said in a dead tone.
"Y-yes Ma?" Jaune said currently in the corner, both hands covering his head and one leg raised to cover his side.
"Go fetch your sister. Now."
"Yes Ma." Jaune said slowly sliding along the wall before bolting to the stairs and speeding up them.
"June." Qrow said raising his gaze to meet hers.
They held each others stare for a minute. Many different emotions flowing across their features.
"Ugh. Get a fucking room." Raven said holding her sleeve to her bleeding lip.
"Shut it. When?" Qrow said never taking his eyes away from June's.
"When was I going to tell you?" June asked.
"No, when were you going to learn to fly? Of COURSE I MEANT THAT." Qrow yelled launching to his feet.
His breathing was ragged and his face was red. He was actually angry. Furious even. He should be she supposed. He had a daughter, that he never saw or knew of all this time. But June stands by her decision. It isn't his fault but he isn't father material. And what would have happened if she had an "unlucky" step on the stairs while pregnant? Or Saphron was in the wrong place at the wrong time for a roof shingle to fall on her, or maybe she would have fallen in the road.
"Qrow Branwen. Congratulations, you are a father." June said monotone. The last four words a near whisper, as Saphron and Jaune walked down the stairs.
The look that came over his face right then... June felt her heart shatter and the tears almost well up in her eyes. She bit them back and breathed in shallow shudders. His eyes were empty, his features slack and mouth slightly agape. The tears flowed evenly down his still face.
"You... How could you be so heartless? How can you look me in the face and throw it all at me like I have no place in this?" Qrow said, his voice thin and hollow.
"Because you don't have a place in this Qrow..." June started. "And I don't know what you think you are accomplishing with Jaune but he can't be the replacement of those years."
"Hey back off bitch! You don't have a right to say that when you never gave him the chance!" Raven said.
"Oh! Mothering advice coming from the one who abandoned her daughter and husband without so much as a goodbye? Fucking Rich!" June said cutting Raven down.
Qrow reached into his jacket and pulled his flask out. He had it halfway to his mouth when a hand grabbed the flask and stopped it short.
"You can't drink this away Q." June said. She always hated that flask. She hated how he killed himself every day with it.
"Keep it." Qrow said dropping it to the floor. He made for the door slowly and with his head hung low.
"Where are you going!" Raven and June both said at once, turning to glare at one another.
"To the nearest Bar! Fuck you, I don't need this!" Qrow said flipping off his ex and throwing the door open.
June sat on the couch next to Raven and put her face in her hands.
"Real smooth." Raven said patting June on the shoulder.
"So... there is a hole in my wall and ceiling..." Saphron said neutrally.
"Made with my shoulder and Qrow's back. Take it up with your mother." Raven said getting up and heading to the kitchen to find ice.
"So... Jaune, mind explaining?" Saphron whispered leaning over to her younger brother.
"Raven and Qrow are old friends of Mom's from Beacon. They had fallings out, and Raven left my teacher Taiyang years ago and made a mess. I have a suspicion Qrow and Mom used to fool around, and Raven and Mom were rivals." Jaune said whispering into his older sister's ear.
"Oh come on Jaune, Mom totally did the four-legged tango with that Qrow guy. That much was obvious." Saphron said with a giggle. "But at least now I know how they all know each other. Alright, you go get Qrow. I'll get some wine in the girls. Divide and Conquer."
Jaune gave his sister a mock salute and made for the door. His mother attempted to stand but Saphron swatted her arm and gripped her wrist, before pulling her into the kitchen.
Raven sat with a frown at the kitchen counter with a pink and yellow ice pack held to her face.
"That's a good look on you Raven." June said with a smirk as she entered.
"Fuck off."
All three of them shared a laugh for a minute before Saphron grabbed two bottles of Mistrali wine from the cabinets.
"Yes please!" June and Raven said, both raising their hands. Another glaring contest ensued.
"I hope the boys can get along better." Saphron said pouring the first round.
...
Cinder smirked at the antics of her pawns. Emerald and Mercury were arguing over who should be doing what and when. She simply let them squabble, their childish fighting made them easy to manipulate. Her current goal was simple. Find them passage from Argus to the straight. She would arrange for them to find transport and then getting to vale undetected would be as simple as jumping ship and stowing away on a shipping freighter on its way to the city from the kingdom of Atlas. Currently she had eyes on tickets that she could win easily. Well, she wouldn't so much win them as take them off the corpse of the man she was playing in cards. The simple downtown bar was ripe for the picking. When this man beat her, she would play the damsel with no money or way home. He would most likely follow her out, as most of his ilk do. Emerald would make the outsiders see nothing in the alleyway outside. Then she would take what was hers.
"It looks like you have lost girly." The man said laying down a flush.
"Well that is horrible!" Cinder said moaning in fake disbelief. "Hold on I have more money." She then made a show of searching for more Lien in her clothing. Her oversized jacket and standard jeans served as a good disguise. She needed to seem like a normal girl after all.
"Oh no! Shit! I lost it all... Great, how am I to get home now?" She muttered to herself, but just loud enough to let the man know.
Emerald and Mercury stopped arguing at the table next to theirs and made for the door as if to argue outside. She had to hand it to them, they could play the part in a lovers spat so well.
"I could always give you a ride home little lady. Free of charge I promise." The man said with a slight grin, one could almost say it was wicked.
"No need." A new voice said walking up to the table.
Cinder forced her face to stay neutral when she recognized the man, or more accurately the boy in front of her. His slickened-back golden hair, mixed with his exquisite clothing and full set of fighting gear and equipment made her sure. This is the same boy she saw in Haven academy linked directly to Qrow Branwen. And as with all roaches, where there is one...
"Here you are miss. Catch a cab. I also suggest you be more careful when gambling next time." The boy said, his eyes drifting to the shady man she was playing against.
"Why thank you! Such a sweet gesture." Cinder forced out. She hated when plans failed. But maybe she could turn this in her favor.
"Say, would you be sweet one more time and walk me to the nearest rail stop?" She said with the most innocent smile she could muster.
"Yeah I can do that, it's on my way anyway." The boy said leading the way.
"Mind telling me what a Huntsman is doing in a bar giving life advice to pretty girls?" She asked giving him what she thought was a playful nudge.
"Well actually I'm just looking for a pal of mine. Ran into you by chance I guess." He said chuckling and rubbing his neck.
"The name is Garnet, In case you were wondering." Cinder said smiling a little. He would crumble like paper as soon as she gets what she wants from him.
"Oh! Yeah I totally forgot to introduce myself! Name's Jaune. I'm in town trying to get passage to Vale, I have some training to do there." Jaune said back to her.
Cinder smirked. Her new plan was starting to take shape. If she could make a little ally of this boy, she could tag along with them. What better way to avoid suspicion than to ride on the same bullhead to vale as her enemy, under the guise of a friend.
"Oh really? Me too! Well I'm doing an entirely different type of training but still." Cinder said.
"Yeah I bet, didn't take you for a Huntress and didn't want to say anything." Jaune said with a chuckle. "What do you do?"
"I am a Glass-Blower. I work in making art for shops all around Vale, Mistral, and sometimes even Menagerie. It's so good to travel." Cinder said noticing out of the edge of her vision that her two cronies were following on the rooftops across the street.
With a subtle gesture she signaled for them to get lost. She can't have Branwen spotting them up there and ruining the façade. Her gait led them to the rail stop and she spun like an exited teenager on her heel to face Jaune.
"Well this is me! Thank you again for the extra Lien." Cinder said while sticking her hand out.
"No problem, always willing to help. It was good to meet you Garnet." Jaune said shaking her hand.
Making the most of the situation she gripped tight and pulled him close so her lips were close to his ear.
"We shall have to see who is better at helping who. Call me sometime Jaune..." She whispered with a heavy sensual tone.
She pushed him back and gestured to his vest with a wave and a wink. The railcar pulled in and she boarded, taking her seat. A certain two idiots managed to walk up, acting intoxicated and hopped on as well. The car pulled away, leaving Jaune stood on the side of the road with a dumbfounded look on his face and bright red cheeks.
"Change of plan children. We are going to hop a bullhead all the way to Vale, with a Huntsmen escort." Cinder said satisfied with an evil smirk.
...
Jaune stood on the curb watching the rail car roll away. The feeling of her warm breath on his ear lingered and his heart raced. Not only had she been an absolute knock-out looker, but she hit on him. His hand traced up to his vest and fished a paper scrap from his pocket. A scroll number was written on it with a little heart that had horns.
"Qrow...I owe you one for the clothes, and the advice. Holy shit." Jaune said shaking his head and making for the next bar.
He only had to visit two more bars before he found the dusty old Huntsman. He was slumped at the back of the bar in the smokers section, an entire bottle of what looked like scotch turned over empty. What had Jaune worried was the tears. Qrow had evidently been balling his eyes out for a while now. His shirt was wet and so was the picture in his grip. Jaune slid into the seat next to him instead of across. He reached out with a sad sigh and put a hand on Qrow's shoulder.
"I have messed up my entire life kid. I let my sister walk out, I let my best friend almost drink himself to death, I let his soul mate leave to be killed. And on top of that, I screwed up everything I had with the love of my life when I was your age. She ran off to marry some soldier prick and I just let her. I should have fought for her, I shouldn't have walked away like she told me to. And now I find out some serious shit and wind up in this bar. Like the coward I am." Qrow said slowly, sweeping his arm across the table and flinging the empty bottle across the way to shatter on the floor.
Getting the look from the Bartender, Jaune nodded back and shrugged. Slinging one of Qrow's arms over his shoulders and standing them up. With a few nudges and calm commands, they were on their way back to Saphron's house.
...
"So let me get this straight! You had eight children and just decided to keep being a huntress through most of it?" Raven asked loudly, slurring.
"Yeah I did! I am no little bitch that quits after one!" June said pointing to Raven.
Silence fell over the three women for a moment. Then thunderous laughter erupted from all three. Raven slapping her hand repeatedly on the table while wheezing. June leaned so far back in her chair she almost tipped over. Saphron giggled and drank the last of the rum. A quick look to the side had her counting bottles of alcohol. She stopped counting after five. What can she say? Two aura enhanced Huntresses could drink! She was swimming an hour ago, let alone now.
"Well both of you can suck it! I got to be a mother without birthing shit!" Saphron said putting her fists up like she won the Vytal Festival.
"Cheater!" Raven and June said in unison. Instead of glaring they both started giggling hysterically.
"Now all you have to do is to do better than us at marriage!" June said.
"Hey!" Raven said.
"Oh come on Mom, you did alright." Saphron said.
"My poor innocent girl. Honey I suck at marriage, your father would have left ten times over if it weren't for you kids. And the worst part is I can't blame him." June said shaking her head.
"Well if you didn't solve it every time by getting pregnant maybe you'd have it figured out already!" Raven jabbed.
"OOoooooh, burn!" Saphron said waving her hand.
"Those are your siblings!" June said incredulously.
"The truth is still the truth Ma!" Saphron said sticking her tongue out at her mother.
A slamming door drew all three of their eyes to the living room. Jaune stumbled into the Kitchen with a very drunk Branwen in tow.
Jaune sighed as he set the older man down at the end of the table, next to his sister. Raven took no time in tucking her brother's flask back into his shirt pocket and patting his back. Jaune tiredly sat between Saphron and his mentor. Pulling out his pack of dust-cigs and sliding one into his mouth.
"Smoking now little brother? How scandalous!" Saphron said playfully shoving him and looking to their mother.
"I think it make him look like Rogers did." June said with a solemn look. "It is a good look."
Saphron saw recognition pass over Raven's face and a scowl came across her features.
"That fool? I forgot he smoked. Used to give Ooblek a heart-attack in class!" Raven said cackling.
"We used to tease him about it all the time, but he never gave it up. I remember him telling me he'd die with one on his lips if it meant he would spite us!" June said fondly.
"Who knows June, he might one day." Raven said.
"Nope. They don't let them smoke in the mines." June said suddenly disgusted.
A few moments of silence stretched between the table before a new voice spoke up.
"He told me once... that if he couldn't be a Huntsman... I should open a bar with him." Qrow said quietly, his head still hung down as if asleep.
"Don't." June said sharply.
"Don't what?" Qrow challenged.
"Don't you dare try and blame yourself for what happened to Rogers! You always do this!" June said angrily.
"Rogers. A prodigy inventor and had the highest rescue stats out of his entire class graduating. Seventh mission outside of Beacon, he comes back in three pieces. A Grimm culling gone wrong when an expedition force accidentally drove a horde down on him while he helped fortify a village. Seven dead, thirty one injured. Official report listed it as an accident." Qrow said slamming Harbinger on the counter.
His red eyes glared at June. Her gaze met him, both of them heated.
"I said. Don't." June warned.
"You're right June... I don't blame myself. Because which one of us was in charge of that expedition? It wasn't Summer. It sure as fuck wasn't Glynda. And Brother's forbid you ever let me lead. So ask yourself June Arc... who is responsible for Rogers wasting away his days in a dust mine?" Qrow said, Venom on his every word.
"I think it's time we all got rest." Jaune said grabbing Harbinger and pulling it away from Qrow. He gave a warning glare to his mother.
"I can get behind that. Saphron, where do I sleep?" Raven said standing.
"You get the twin in the guest room, Mom has earned the pullout futon. Sorry girls, you have to share a room." Saphron said.
"Sadly, not the first time." Raven said walking towards the stairs.
"Mr. Qrow can have the couch. Jaune can stay with me." Saphron said grabbing Jaune and leading him into the living room.
"Should we leave them alone?" Jaune asked.
"My poor Idiot brother... Read the room." Saphron said shaking her head.
...
Expect real combat with stakes next chapter. Sorry for the wait guys. Live is nuts and i'm allergic lol. Leave some comments and let me know what yall think.
-SlyShorty