Sorry for the late update
Chapter 5
It was Raven and yet it was not. She was different. With Sun it was easy to see the differences ten years had made on him, but the changes were much subtler with the woman stood before him. She looked younger in a way that was hard to define, with a smoother complexion and eyes that spoke of less cynicism and anger, if that was even possible with someone like her. Her relationship with Yang had always been a complicated one and never really sorted itself out, which meant he didn't know all that much about her personality other than what he'd seen for a very short amount of time. He knew what she was like when the chips were down, but not like this. Unlike anyone else he might have run into and at least had some idea of what they might say or do, Raven was a mystery.
"What is this?!" Qrow angry how Jaune described Raven body
"Vomit Boy is perspective as hell," Yang said as Raven chuckled
"I do look good aren't I Tai?" Raven asked with a smirk making Tai blushed
And yet here she was, standing before him in the past and watching him like he was a particularly amusing breed of insect. She'd be what, twenty-eight or so? She had to be the same age as Qrow, and he'd been thirty-eight when Beacon fell. He remembered Ruby calling him forty and the man's rather defensive reaction.
"Hehe I Uhh" Ruby tried to look away from Qrow as he glared at her
Regardless of age, this was a Raven who had already abandoned Team STRQ and her daughter. She was a bandit, which meant the camp he was in belonged to the Branwen Tribe. A tribe which didn't have the best record of how it treat civilians or those unfortunate enough to fall into their grasp.
"Raven?! how could you?! I know about you going back but kill the innocent?" Summer cried out looking at Raven who looks away from her making Cinder chuckled
What a time to be without his weapon.
She had hers of course, and as his eyes roved down her form he realised she had another strapped to her other waist. Crocea Mors, back in its sheathe once more. Jaune was so shocked at the development that rather than consider the situation he was in, he blurted out the first thing to come to mind.
"You have my sword."
"Seriously?" Qrow raised at eye brown at Jaune
"It's not my best moment," Jaune said
"I'm impressed that you have balls to say that to me knowing full well I can kill you" Raven looked at Jaune giving him a shiver down his spine
It wasn't his best moment...
"Is that thanks I hear for saving your life?" Raven asked, more amused than offended. She chuckled under her breath and allowed her hand to stroke the hilt of his weapon. "I enjoyed watching you knock Vernal around, though she's nothing but a child. I'd ask if you thought you could do the same to one of my men, but I saw the results of your battle with the Nucklelavee myself." Her eyes watched his and she smiled in what could only be called a predatory manner. "You're strong."
"Taking down a Kucklelavee only been training for 4 years is very impressive," Ironwood said with the thought that he would make a great specialist
The word would have meant so little from or to anyone else, but given by Raven it meant everything. Her obsession with being strong was something he'd never understood, even at the end. He could appreciate the basic theory of it, especially considering she was the Spring Maiden and had Salem after her, but it had always been something deeper with Raven, something more than just common sense.
Either way, was he strong? It was hard to say. He was stronger than possibly anyone else his age, but even now Raven had six or seven years on him and she'd never been a pushover.
"You used the word pushover out of all the other words?" Raven spatted
"I'm not strong enough," he said, erring on the side of caution. He neither needed nor wanted Raven's attention, and getting away from here as fast as possible was the best course of action. Of course, he'd need his sword for that. "If I was strong, I wouldn't have needed you to pick me up at the end. I heard you helped the survivors to safety. Is that true?"
"You ask if it's true, rather than if they're safe. Such lack of faith."
"You're the leader of a tribe of bandits."
Raven smiled. "Ah, so you do know who I am. I thought I saw recognition in your eyes for a moment. Interesting, since I'm sure I've never seen you before. How do you know me, huntsman?"
Jaune cursed. He really needed to stop reacting to things so obviously. He'd gotten away with it with Sun because he was an impressionable child and Ren and Nora were in a dangerous situation that didn't leave much time for detail, but Raven was neither and if she could pick up the cues, then someone like Ozpin or Ironwood certainly would.
"I know of you, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting you directly," he clarified.
"Hm, I see." Her smile didn't falter. In fact, it seemed to grow wider. She didn't believe him. "Those civilians are fine," she said, suddenly changing the subject. "We wouldn't normally interfere in something like that, but one of the survivors was distant family to a member of the tribe. She knew our frequencies and when the call to Mistral yielded no help, contacted us instead."
"Fucking Lionheart" Qrow spatted "What surprises me that you acttuacly help the village but knowing you, you probably raided it"
"I saved the peoples, I do deserve rewards don't I? although I never did come in our timeline," Raven said making Ren glared at her for raided his village but he also graceful that Jaune and her help the people there
Annie…? There was no telling for sure but it seemed possible. As far as he knew, no one had survived the first time and Raven's tribe hadn't come to Kuroyuri, otherwise the Nucklelavee would have surely been killed. Had his saving Annie provided the means for those survivors to contact Raven and her people? Well, at least that explained why they'd come by.
Then again, Ren and Nora just might not have known if there were any other survivors. For all he knew, this might have happened in the original timeline and he just never found out about it.
"We don't know either" Nora said sadly
"And you took the survivors to safety?"
Raven nodded.
"That seems unusually kind of you…"
"The weak die, the strong live. They managed to survive where few others could and I respect that. I respect it enough to let them go free. Whether they live or die now is entirely in their hands, as it should be."
"She doesn't seem that bad" Ruby said
It was about as callous an answer as he'd expected, yet also much kinder. He wondered at first if that was a fact of the past that Raven was somehow less cruel, but he realised a moment later that this was just her twisted philosophy at work once more. If they were strong, they would survive. If not, she couldn't care less.
"What happened to Kuroyuri?" he asked.
"Destroyed. We helped ourselves to some of what remained, but otherwise left the ruins to be reclaimed by Mistral or the wilderness, whichever wants it most. There were a few other survivors, though not many."
"You looted the town!?"
"I'm suspired that you surprised," Qrow said to Jaune
"The dead have no use for trinkets." She said it simply like it should have been obvious. "We helped those we could and allowed them to take their own belongings."
"Ok, this Raven is nicer than" Qrow look at his Raven "Than my Raven, what changed sister?"
"Nothing Qrow" Raven stated
"It's my death right?" Summer asked looking at Raven who is keeping her eyes on the screen
"Let keep watching," said the Empty decided to hep Raven out
Jaune bit down on his instinctive anger. It really shouldn't have bothered him, not with Raven having already gone above and beyond for the survivors already. It wasn't like those saved would have complained, so he had no right to. "Thank you," he said through gritted teeth. "Thank you for responding in time to save them - and me. However, I'm neither dead nor dying, so I'd appreciate it if I could have my weapon returned to me."
"I'm sure you would. One of the survivors said you didn't live at Kuroyuri but introduced yourself as a wandering huntsman." Raven ignored the issue of his sword entirely, waving one hand before her. "Since you had nowhere to be taken, I graciously allowed you to make use of a tent with us, and even provided you with healing."
And all of those things were so uncharacteristically unlike her that having them listed out set him on edge. He had a feeling he knew where she was going even before she spoke.
"I believe all of that deserves some payment. Your sword will do."
"Why do you even need his sword, it literally just a sword" Tai don't see anything special from the sword
"It's fun to collect weapons" Raven explained her reasons but Qrow is not convinced
"All those things don't count as `gracious` if you demand payment right after."
"Do they not? A shame. I guess that makes me something of a bandit."
A few chuckled in the theater while a few confused with the joke
"I didn't know Raven can make puns," Ozpin said amused
Some of the men around the campfire laughed at the quip, despite it being not that much better than what Yang might have come up with. Bad puns came from Raven instead of Taiyang, whoever could have guessed? She wasn't interested in his sword, however. Raven had hers and she'd grown up in Beacon, which meant she'd been around far superior weapons for years now. His, while a good weapon, was frankly pedestrian compared to the likes of Crescent Rose, Myrtenaster and any other huntsman weapon.
"Of course my weapons is the best," Weiss said politely
"My weapons are the best, of course, we should upgrade your weapons when we get back. Heck, maybe we will see your weapons upgraded on here" Ruby cheered want to see what changed Jaune will make
"Maybe Ruby... maybe" Jaune is also curious
She didn't want his weapon, but rather something else. As Raven made to leave, his hand shot out and grasped her elbow. The crowd gasped. He could tell from their silence that this was not something they were used to.
"Kid has balls...a lot of it," Qrow said as a few agreed with him including Raven
"Thank you for saving my life," Jaune said, realising that some gratitude was necessary whatever he thought about her or her parenting skills. "I'll repay you if I can. But I'm afraid that sword isn't something I can part with. I'm going to have to ask for it back."
Her head turned, just enough to flash him the red of a single eye. "Is that so?"
"Is it me or Raven making it dramatic?" Mercury asked
"Not just you" Nora replied
Any other man might have backed down. He felt afraid too, but hardened himself. Crocea Mors was all he had left of his last life and Pyrrha. It was foolish in the extreme, but he felt like he'd be willing to die before he let someone take it from him. "It is. Please give me my sword back."
"So dumb" Cinder rolled her eyes, even if the sword is what had left of his partner, he comes back to save his friend and yet willing to die for his weapons
The fact that he resisted seemed to please her. She stood a little taller, and dare he say it but her eyes slowly started to take him in more fully. A slow smirk began to spread across her face. "And if I say no?" she asked.
"Then I'll take it back."
"Whoa..." Nora was loving it "Fearless leader is truly badass, kick her butt Jaune"
"I'm very liking him" Raven licked her lip making Jaune tensed up
"Likewise," Cinder said also impressed with Arc
"The kid is dead," Qrow said as Winter and Ozpin narrowed their eyes
"Have some faith Qrow" Ozpin and Winter said at the same times making Qrow rolled his eyes
Those watching gasped again and some reached for weapons, though none dared draw in front of Raven.
"There are some who might say making demands of me takes courage. Others would say it is stupidity. Which is it for you?"
"Neither. It's necessity."
"GODDAMIT!" Yang yelled out "That is hot."
Confident Jaune is hot for sure making Pyrrha, Yang, and Ruby want him
"Are you challenging me?" she asked.
Not willingly.
"If I must."
"Finally!" Mercury yelled out "The best action is when a hustman fight another hustman, way better than hustman fighting Grimm."
"As much as I hate to do this" Emerald sighed "I agree."
Raven turned fully, forcing him to release her arm. "I was right," she said, more to herself than to him. "You are nothing like the ones I've seen before. This sword…" She hoisted it on her hip with one hand. She noticed how he flinched, but thankfully didn't do anything to it. Her grip suggested respect, if only to the weapon and not him. "It's a good blade. It's seen use, and not just petty sparring or weak Grimm. Its design is nothing special and there is less to it than any other huntsman weapon I've ever seen, and yet despite all of that it feels warm to the touch. It is well-used, very well-used. It has slain Grimm and human alike. It is a deadly weapon."
"So it was a test to see if he willing to stand up to her" Salem said
"It is," he admitted, for he'd done all of those things in time. Some of them he felt bad about, but regrets were for those with options. He and the rest had been so lacking in those.
"But a weapon is nothing more than a tool. Anyone can pick it up. It is the wielder that makes the difference. I caught the end of your conversation with Vernal. You said someone died for this."
"Yes, my best friend."
"Was she a fighter?"
"She was a huntress."
"How did she die?"
Jaune's hands clenched into fists. "She was killed by an opponent. She died because I wasn't strong enough to watch her back, and she felt she had to send me away to protect me. She died because I was weak."
"Jaune..." Pryhha feel bad for dying on him as others feel bad for him as well
"It's ok," Jaune said holding Pyrrha hand as she on the verge of tears
Whatever Raven felt of that, her face gave nothing away. "You are not weak now," she said.
"I grew stronger in her memory."
"Hm." She inspected the sword for a moment, testing it. With a nod, she let it fall at her side. "It's a good sword. Very well, I'll give you a chance to reclaim it. But to do that, you'll need to fight me." Raven paused to let the awed whispers around them fade. "How does that sound?"
"If Jaune was trained before coming to Beacon, he could beat her but I don't know if he can now" Glynda said
"I'm sure friend Jaune can beat her," Penny said as Jaune smiled at her for having faith
"Fine," he snapped back, and the whispers returned. "Will you let me fight with my sword, or am I to do this bare handed?"
"Neither, and you're not doing it now either. You are injured and running on fumes. If I wanted to fight a cripple, I'd break one of my men. We'll have our fight in a week or two, once you've recovered enough to actually pose a challenge." She turned away once more. "Until then, I'll keep this safe. Roland, see him fed. He is allowed free reign of the camp and is here as my guest." Her eyes scanned over the rest. "No one is to challenge that lest they wish to face me."
"As you command, Raven," the man from before, the one sparring with Vernal, replied. Once the woman was gone, he sighed and walked up to Jaune. "I've no idea if you've balls of brass or brass where your brain should be, boy. Do you have any idea who that was?"
"A bitch?" Qrow said making a few laughed
"Raven Branwen, leader of the Branwen Tribe."
"His future knowledge give him advantaged, although he don't know if she already has the spring maiden power," Ironwood said
"Aye…" Roland looked surprised at the knowledge but forged on. "If you're going into this thinking she'll be a pushover because she's a woman…"
"I see more woman in our school than men," Glynda said
"And tougher" Blake added
"I know just how powerful she is."
"Strong but not powerful" Salem corrected him
"And yet you're still willing to do this?"
Jaune turned to the man, finally taking his eyes off the retreating figure of Raven Branwen, or more specifically the sword swaying on her hip. "I need my weapon back. I'll do whatever it takes to get it, even if that means fighting against someone like her."
"You're ballsy, I'll give you that."
"He's a fucking idiot," Vernal snapped. "Talking to Raven like that! Who do you think you are!? I'm going to enjoy watching her cut you a few feet shorter. Won't be a very long fight, but I'll take what I can get."
"I want to break her leg so damn much" Nora gritted her teeth
"He gonna need to play dirty" Qrow suggested
"Please," Raven rolled her eyes "No trick can top me, What is he gonna do?"
"What would you do to beat her Arc? Weiss asked Jaune
"Ahh..." Jaune thought for a moment "Throw dirt into her eyes?"
"Ha!" Qrow cheered "That what you always do to me, can't wait for this cheater to throw dirt in your eyes"
Raven rolled her eyes
Roland's fist caught Vernal's jaw with a sickening crack. The suddenness of it surprised even him, but it certainly caught Vernal off guard, knocking her back with a cry and a spray of blood. The girl landed hard and wiped some from her lips, glaring at the man.
Team RWBY and JNPR with some other cheered
"If you've got time to talk shit, you've got time to train. I didn't unlock your aura so you could be blindsided like that. Bring your aura to the fore to block the attack. Don't just stand there like an idiot."
"He is harder on the kid than Glynda" Qrow flask then move up on it on hit Qrow's face by Glynda semblance
"Y-You surprised me!" Vernal babbled past the blood that pooled in her mouth. She spat some out and glared at them both.
"I punched you in the sodding face! How much more obvious can I be!?" The man held out his hand, requesting the wooden sword returned. Jaune hadn't realised he still had it but gave it over after a second's thought. "Take a breather, boy. I'll get to you in a second. First, I need to whip this foul-mouthed little snot into shape. That or kill her trying."
What followed was a crash course – literally, in Vernal's case – of what life was like in the Branwen Tribe. Roland pushed the girl hard, far harder than anyone in Beacon would have. The man was a career soldier, or had been one, that much was obvious from the way he moved, the way he held himself and even from how he adjusted his sword, only moving as much as he had to and conserving his energy.
"How the hell he knows so much for a twenty one years old? I get it that he went through the biggest war of all times but still" Ironwood thought to himself
Vernal was much more raw and untamed, striking with a ferocity that was almost frightening to see in a child. She made wide and aggressive swings, all the while trying to use her natural agility to get past Roland's guard and land a killing blow. Whenever that failed, and it failed every time, he would punish her not with stern words or a lesson, but with a strike of the wooden blade. He was never gentle about it.
The crowd around the campfire dispersed after a while, some staying to watch the entertainment while most found other things to do. There was no real organisation to it, but there was some discipline, for while they laughed, jeered and shouted insults at one another, no one dared to cause any trouble. The sounds of training from further afield spoke of more in Vernal's situation, but there were no brawls or fights among the bandits.
"I have to admit Raven," Qrow look at her "You lead the tribe pretty well, way better than dear old dad"
"Of course, I'm a natural-born leader," Raven smirked
"So why didn't you get to be the leader at Beacon" Tai teased as Summer giggled and Raven just ignored them
Jaune watched as the training session came to a close when Vernal fell for what felt like the thirtieth time. She tried to rise but couldn't make it, and instead curled into a ball in submission. Roland placed a foot on her hip and Jaune almost rose to stop him. Luckily, the bandit simply rolled the girl over.
"You're spent already? Tch. I guess this is as far as you go. Get up, wash the stink off your body and then report to the kitchens. You can help cook food and then help yourself to some – but only then. If you take some ahead I'll know, and I'll make what happened here seem like mercy. Got it?"
"Mercy!?" Pyrrha yelled out "Not even me can stand up that many times"
"Because you weak" Raven spat making Pyrrha glared at her
"I-I got it, you bastard…" Her insults were cut off as he rolled her further, dashing her face in the soil. The girl spluttered and coughed, sending both Roland and Jaune a deathly glare. She limped away with one arm held to her side.
"You're hard on her," Jaune noted.
"That a statement or a complaint?" Roland asked, moving over to sit down opposite him.
"A little bit of both."
"Tch. The brat wants to get strong and I'll make her strong. What I am is efficient. Take it or leave it." The man paused to take a swig of water. "What did you think of her?"
"Vernal?"
Roland nodded. "Hm."
"She has potential."
"That is what everybody always said" Mercury spatted
"To hell with potential, boy. I asked what you think. Everyone has potential and it doesn't mean a damn thing when a Grimm or angry huntsman is staring down the end of your sword. Leave that potential nonsense to the weaklings in the Kingdoms. Maybe it'll help coddle a wounded ego. Out here, that kind of crap will get you killed."
Jaune sighed, aware of just how many times Pyrrha had told him he had potential. He had, and he knew he'd realised it now but try as he might he couldn't help but wish he'd had a little less potential and a little more actual skill when she needed him most.
"Jaune...I'm sorry." Pyrrha said as the villains rolled their eyes
"It's ok and not to mention I can be strong too, I mean look at me." Jaune said
"Honestly, Jaune has the most potential out of you, I mean he already has a lot of Aura. Too bad he got nerf by his parents not letting him have any training." The Empty chuckled while everyone impressed
Ozpin was happy that Jaune was in his school or letting Jaune stay in his school
Glynda look a little guilty for giving up on him at school but she hopes maybe she can redeem herself
"Fine. She's too emotional when she fights and far too aggressive. That means she exerts all her energy early, which is fine if she can take down her opponent in a blistering attack, but is just going to leave her exhausted against someone better or as good as she is. She's also had no plan I could see against you and just kept wailing away. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Yes," Raven impressed for someone whose never teach
"It's a start," Roland said. "She's shit, then."
"Bruh, she is a kid" Sun don't understand these people, she is a kid but she still better than anyone at her age
"She's a child!"
"Like that matters. I'll up her training in the morning but that's nothing for you to worry about. Come on, I'll give you a tour of the camp and the rules here. Wouldn't want you pissing someone off and getting yourself killed before the boss has had the chance to have her way with you." The cruel chuckle from not only him but those nearby made it clear what he meant by the final comment.
"No way she can beat a time travel!" Nora shouted making her friends chuckled
Well, if they expected him to roll over and cry when he fought against Raven, they'd be sorely disappointed. Even if it took a week or more to fully recover, he'd still face her down. Even if the past could be changed without his sword, he wouldn't leave it here.
The wind buffeted her as she cautiously stepped out of the Bullhead, caught halfway by a pair of hands that assisted her down to the floor. "I'm okay," she breathed, though even to her ears her voice sounded weak.
"Finally, the interesting part." Salem thought
Ozpin didn't remove his hands from her, but rather adjusted them, helping to support her so she could stand as she left the Bullhead. "You are not okay, Summer. You are injured. It is not weakness to accept a hand in help every now and then. I'm sure I taught you that."
"Now come to think of it," Jaune thought looking at Ruby on his left "Is that what Ruby will look like when she grown up? and what about Pyrrha?" Jaune sighed not knowing what to do when he come out of this theater. There Pyrrha, his partner that kissed him but he doesn't know what he should feel but there also Ruby whose he has a relationship in the future, and what if there another lover in the future or the past?
"This shit is getting complicated" Jaune thought
Summer grumbled under her breath but allowed herself to lean on him. Ozpin had taught them many things, the importance of co-operation among them, but pride always played its part and it was sometimes hard to be an adult and be seen to lean on someone. Seeing Beacon on the other hand, was a wonderful experience.
"Summer x Ozpin? hell no" Yang is trying to get that thought out of her head only to lead to Jaune x Summer
"It's so good to see you in one piece," Ozpin said. "When we lost contact I feared the worst, and then to receive that call from Shade." He shook his head. "You almost gave me a heart attack, my dear."
"Better than a heartbreak or heart tear out" Blake commented...or was it a pun
Yang look at Blake whose slowly turn her head and look and Yang
"Shup up" Blake hissed
"Did you-"
"I told your family the moment I received the call," he assured, and Summer relaxed. "As I understand it, your husband has chosen not to fully inform your children, other than to assure them you're safe and well. I don't think he wants to broach the topic of mortality with them just yet."
Ruby and Yang look at their dad as he sighed "You have to understand that you too young at that time to lose anything. When Summer died, I rather take on thousands of Grimm than to break the news to you girls" Tai said
"We guess." Yang closed her eyes
"Well, at least Jaune saved mom!" Ruby cheer happy that her best friends save her mother
"More like he's waiting for me to come home so we can double-team it," she laughed. "Tai can be surprisingly flimsy like that. He's such a baby."
"I do not need to know!" Raven and Qrow covered their ears while Mercury is imagining it
"I'm not a baby!" Tai yelled out "And that also no true" Tai said as Summer laughed
"Hey, is it weird that Jaune and Ruby's dad have like the same trait, and they both dorky and they both have sex with a redhead dork?" Sun said as he continued "I mean Jaune and Ruby in the future is like Mr. Xiao Long and Miss Rose." Sun exclaimed, "I mean Ruby's dad lost Raven while Jaune lost Pyrrha, They both lost women that is prodigy and associate with red and then find another redhead with silver eyes... "
"..."
"I'm gonna rip your dick off!" Qrow yelled to Sun while Raven laughing her ass off. Ruby, Summer, Tai, and Jaune face both red as Ruby's cape
"God I can't ever look at Ruby and Jaune the same again" Team WBY and NPR thought
"Jaune is nice and I like him but he is not like dad. Noooo He doesn't do puns" Ruby look at Jaune making him look away from her eyes
"Ruby is cool and nice and I like her but she is not like...wait why does that matter that she looks like her mom. No, it doesn't matter" Jaune sighed in relived
"Ewww I'm a married woman" Summer shook the thought out of her head
"Never look at your boyfriend that way Ruby or I swear." While Tai don't like Jaune, He knows Jaune would do anything including travel to the past to save her and he knows Jaune deeply care about her daughter
Ozpin chuckled. "I'm reliably told being a father is not as simple as it sounds."
"Yeah, and Ruby and Yang are a handful, bless them." Summer allowed herself to be eased down onto a bed in the infirmary. Although mostly healed, she still wasn't fully on her feet yet. The doctors in Shade had deemed her fit for travel however, and Ozpin had convinced them more familiar surroundings would help her heal.
"No, we not." Ruby and Yang deny at the same time making Summer laughed
It didn't mean she had to like it, though. Hospitals sucked.
"You'll have all the time in the world to broach such heavy topics when you return to Patch. For now, be thankful that Taiyang doesn't have to cover it with the added news of your passing."
"Worst day of my life." Ozpin, Ruby, Yang, and team STRQ thought
The prospect was too cruel to imagine. Summer's eyes watered.
"If only she knows that her death got her daughter and everyone else to die" Cinder smirked
"That's is not true!" Ruby yelled with Yang nodded along with her glaring at Cinder
"Really?" Cinder amused "If your mother didn't care about her job more than her daughter then she wouldn't be dead but she did and because she died, she wasn't there to protect you"
"That is not true! Right Empty?" Yang asked didn't know what else to call the being
"Sorry but it's one of the reasons you died," The Empty said making almost everyone eyes widened
"..."
"...It's me...they died because of ME!" Summer cried out her friends and family hugged
Even Raven trying to resist the urge to hug her friend as Summer keep crying while others keep telling her it's not her fault only to make her cry harder
"I've upset you, forgive me," Ozpin said, bringing a paper towel for her to wipe her eyes on. "I didn't mean ill, but I suppose you must be sensitive after what happened. Worry not Summer, you are safe now and you'll be back with your daughters before you know it."
"Tomorrow?" she asked hopefully, tearfully.
"Not until you're healed." Ozpin's face was firm. "I've seen that expression before, Miss Rose. It did not work on me when you were a student and it will not work now."
"Cute..." Jaune thought as now Summer has stopped crying a little bit
The tears vanished in an instant. "Boo…"
"I don't want to dwell much on what happened to you," he said, taking a seat beside her bed. "But obviously I need to ask how you were injured and what you remember. If you're unwilling to talk about it now, I'll understand."
Summer shook her head. She had been a few days back but the healers in Vacuo had been understanding and kind. Now, with her initial fear dulled somewhat, she felt ready to tell the full story. Ozpin listened as she did, highlighting how she'd responded to a distress signal only to be ambushed by both people and Grimm.
"Salem pawns..." Ozpin said making almost everyone gritted their teeth
Noticeably, the people had been ignored by the Grimm, almost as though they were working together. "All I can remember is that one of them was heavy set with a black beard and tanned skin, while the other was much narrower with pale skin and black hair. I managed to score a blow here." She indicated her chest. "It was deep and should have put him down, but I'm not sure if he survived or not. I don't remember anymore. I… I guess they left me for dead."
"How unprofessional of Hazel and Tyrian" Cinder want to make them look bad but Salem ignored her
"Most likely to secure help for the one you wounded. You're lucky the Grimm were dispatched first." Ozpin sighed heavily and removed his glasses, setting them down on the bedside table. Although appearing ageless, the wrinkles about his eyes hinted at his stress. "It appears that Salem has begun to move once more. I'd hoped she would not discover you."
"It's not your fault, sir."
"Pretty sure it is" Mercury smirked but no one objects him because it is true, if Ozpin told Summer Salem is immortal, she maybe would have quit and been there for her family
"Thank you, Summer, but I believe the fault lies more with me than you realise. I won't send you out again to Vacuo. The risk is too great and-" Ozpin paused, having noticed the sudden look on her face. "What is wrong?"
Summer's stomach rolled and flopped and she couldn't quite meet his gaze. She didn't know how to say what she felt and a part of her thought she was a coward for even thinking it. Still, for her children's sake she forced herself on. "A-Actually, sir. I… I was thinking that I wanted to take a break. Only for a while. I'm not saying I'll stop fighting or ignore all of this like Ray, but-" A finger pressed over her lips.
"Good choice," Raven said and others agreed with her because they want Summer to live
"Yay! We get to spend more time with mom" Ruby cheered hugging Summer as she hugs back with just a little bit of tear in her eyes
" Yeah...sniff...it would be great" Summer whispered
"You have always had a habit of babbling when you're nervous, Summer."
"M'sorry," she mumbled.
"It is perfectly understandable that you might want to take a reprieve from such dangerous missions, especially after what happened. I would be more concerned if you did not. I will be happy to cut your duties and allow you more time with your family. They should always come first."
Salem rolled her eyes "Tch...always come first..."
Her eyes watered. "Thank you…"
"Should you change your mind, you can feel free to come back. I can give you work close to home and simply, just to ease you back into the swing of things, but don't fret about that for now. Focus on getting better." Ozpin leaned back in his seat, the stress from before melting away as he smiled down at her. "I really am glad you're alive, and not just because it saves me having to deliver terrible news to your family. I suppose we owe this tribe of yours some thanks."
A memory flashed back to her mind. Blue eyes, weary and hurt, yet filled with new hope. A face as haggard, if not more, than Ozpin's would ever be. "Actually, I'm not sure if it was someone from the tribe who saved me. I think I'd have died if it was just them…"
"Interesting" Raven having some romantic thought
"Oh?"
"There was a man," she explained. "His skin tone and his face were different to theirs. I… I can't remember a lot, but I recall waking up. I was in so much pain and I thought I was still under attack. He was… he was healing me, or he said he was." Her brow creased. "He must have since I survived, but the way he did it. It was like… it was like he was making me heal myself. I could feel his aura."
"There is just something about what she just said that kinda cringy but I can't explain it," Emerald said
"You mean like she remembered that one thing out of everything and that one thing is that blonde that happened to be a time traveler and now she gonna look for him" Cinder know she is right
"Yeah! that the one" Emerald agreed
"A Semblance?" Ozpin guessed.
"It must have been. I can't think of anything else. Either way, he saved my life. I… I don't think I'd still be here if it wasn't for him."
"Hm, interesting." Ozpin expressed no doubt when it came to her story, such was the faith he had in her. "Well, I would very much like to meet this man and thank him."
"Thank you," Ozpn said to Jaune
"Me too" Summer added
"Whoa...I see what you did there and you welcome" Jaune said
Summer sighed. "You and me both…" There was so much she wanted to say to him and it seemed almost too cruel that he'd not been there when she woke. The tribe too, but him more than they. Neither of them had stayed to hear her say thank you. Neither of them knew just how much they'd given her.
"You save my Mom lives lover boy, you made our life better, or will better so thank," Yang said
"Thank!"
"I don't think I'll ever forget his face," she said, laughing a little awkwardly. "I thought he was some kind of divine being. It was the gold hair and the white robes," she said, gesturing to herself as her cheeks heated up. What would Tai say about that? Well, he'd probably want to hug the guy, but still! She was a married woman!
"Whoa! Whoa! Time out!" Qrow shook his head while Summer and Jaune blushed
"Nail it!" Raven and Sun laughed
"You better stay away from my wife kid!" Tai shouted at Jaune as he nodded rapidly
"Yes sir!"
"Honestly, I saw too many time travel movies to guess there a chance of Ruby's Mom and Jaune get together if something happened to Ruby's dad" Sun explained
"No way! There no way dad would share Summer with Jaune...Right?" Yang asked The Empty
"Oh..they actually have a kid together, She has looked like Ruby but instead of red hair, it's blond..." The Empty said making a long silence
"...If Ruby's mom learn there is a kid... she would definitely fuck Jaune," Sun thought as Jaune get up his sit trying to find a way out of this theater
"GET BACK HERE YOU DICK!" Tai, Yang, Qrow get out of their seat chasing Jaune with the intention of killing him or cutting off his leg while Raven laughed even louder
Ruby and her friends were still frozen while Summer is in deep thought
"Another kid?! oh NO! I mean yes but with my petal crush UGH!" Summer can't think right now while Qrow about to cut off Jaune legs
"STOP!" Suddenly everyone is back to their sit as The Empty continue to speak
"I was kidding" He chuckled "Jaune didn't or will have a kid with Summer...in this universe at least"
After a long silence as everyone relived, Tai speak
"...I still want to kill him and torture him even worst than Salem and what do you mean not this universe," Tai asked
"Anything is possible, and please, There some universe where Jaune got torture worst than Salem," The Empty said making everyone tensed up
"W-What uh do you mean?" Jaune said nervously
"For example...there a Universe where every time you died, you become young again and you been fighting for like millions of years, It like a cycle," The Empty said making everyone in the room shocked feel bad for that Jaune, Not only has he have to die, He has to die seeing his friend die. Hell not even Salem can do that
"What happened to him?!" Pyrrha asked quickly
"I break the cycle," The Empty said making the good guys relived and thanking him
"Let keep watching"
Another thought also occurred to her. "Do you think you'd be able to find him?"
"That's quite the task you pose me without as much as a name to go by." Ozpin held firm in the face of her begging look, though he did sigh. "I will have a look at any databases and see what I can find. Such a Semblance would be rare and highly prized, I'm sure. Healing is an incredible gift. In fact, if we could find him I would certainly appreciate the chance to talk to him. Such an ability would be incredibly useful."
"Ugh...Well at least the kid be smart enough to avoid him" Raven spatted
Summer chose not to argue, mostly because the idea of a healer on hand if she, Tai or Qrow got hurt was great, but also because she wanted to find the guy too.
"I make no promises, but I shall see what I can do," Ozpin said, slowly standing. "I'll also see about bringing a scroll patched through to the CCT in after you've had a rest so that you can speak with your family."
"Really!?"
"After you have had a rest," he stressed. "Not before and no matter how much you beg. You have just travelled across half of Remnant while injured. You need rest."
"But-"
"And it is two in the morning," he said. "On a weekday, no less. Your girls have a day of school ahead of them."
Ugh, he was right, and she was the one who kept telling them off whenever they tried to stay up late or watch TV with their father. What kind of message would she be sending if she told them off one moment, then broke the rules the next? Argh, Tai would never let her live it down. Summer pouted, crossing her arms and glaring at the headmaster as if it were somehow his fault.
"That pretty cute like Rub...Oh fuck.." Jaune thought as he may or may not be falling for Ruby
Ozpin, in turn, simply chuckled. "It won't be a long night. The sooner you get some sleep, the sooner morning will come."
"I don't need you to give me the same line I give Ruby," Summer grumbled, feeling very much the five-year-old right now and not liking it. That was the kind of tone she used with Ruby when convincing her she wouldn't grow big and strong unless she drunk lots of milk. "Hey, is Qrow around?"
"Drink milk doesn't make you mature," Weiss said to Ruby
"I never said I want to have a matured personality" Ruby smirked knowing she won
"No, and if he was I would also ban him from interfering with you when you need rest."
"That is sad" Blake do feel bad for Qrow because of his semblance
"Aw. Where is he?"
"Qrow is on a very special mission for me. It is something only he can achieve." Ozpin finally moved away from the bed, pausing at the light switch to slowly turn it off. "Goodnight, Summer. It's good to have you back."
"Oh, I forgot!" Qrow sighed
"What?!" Yang asked confused
"Keep watching Yang, I'm sure it will show," Raven said with Ozpin and Qrow knowing where Qrow was sent
She grinned and flashed her silver eyes in the dark.
"It's good to be back."
"I-I think you've had enough, sir."
"What?" the muscled man belched and rose to his feet, though perhaps staggered might have been a more accurate way to put it. His body swayed and for a moment it seemed he might sit back down again, perhaps horizontally on the floor, but he caught himself on the bar and pushed on. "You got any idea who I am? I'm not done until I say I'm done."
"Serious Ray? this is what you abandon for?" Qrow asked looking at Raven whose avoid eyes contact and ignore the question
"S-Sir…"
"I am a proud member of the Branwen Tribe. I am-"
"You are drunk," a calm voice spoke from behind, freezing the bandit. "And the lady says you've had enough." Jaune wrinkled his nose at the smell. "I'm inclined to agree."
The bandit, who was easily six and a half feet tall, didn't turn to face him. He didn't need to since he recognised the voice, as most had come to in the two weeks Jaune had spent with the tribe. At first his presence there had been a source of amusement and entertainment, a lamb to the slaughter of Raven's twisted humour or idle curiosity. They'd put up with him, but he'd been a weak and pitiful thing to be mocked.
"Oh that does it, I'm gonna break their leg," Nora said, How dare they make fun of her Time Travel leader
"Have some faith in Mr. Arc Miss Valkyrie" Glynda defused Nora
"I honestly doubt anyone in the tribe except Raven can beat the kid" Qrow commented receiving a glare from Raven but decided to said nothing because it's true
It hadn't taken long for one of them to push their luck, and for Jaune to show them just how wrong they were on that notion. Strong as they may have been, Raven's tribe were not huntsmen. There was a reason she and Qrow had been sent to Beacon to learn how to deal with huntsmen, after all. They had their auras unlocked, but they stood somewhere between Roman's thugs and a fresh academy student in terms of skill.
"Ugh...gonna need to train them more," Raven said to herself
News of his strength had spread fast, and the fact he didn't have a weapon meant remarkably little when it came to the difference between he, a veteran of the campaign against Salem, and they, drunken and undisciplined bandits who preyed on civilians.
"You know, In movies the main character usually weak but seeing Jaune kick butt making it better" Sun exclaimed making Jaune blushed
"I don't want no trouble," the burly man said, backing down. "Maybe the woman is right. Sorry," he added, this time to the women behind the counter. One of the earlier ones had balked at his demand to apologise to a civilian.
No one had since. Jaune nodded and watched as the man took his fellows out, closing the door softly behind them and causing not a single bit of mess. The others in the tavern, bandits and normal folk both, quickly returned to their own conversations.
He didn't stay for any thanks from the woman, paying for his own drink and leaving a moment later, stepping out into the warm midday sun. Two whole weeks with the tribe, and though he'd have balked at the idea initially – and still did – he had to admit that he could feel his body getting stronger. Fighting their way through to Salem, battling her, coming back, being swept away in an ocean, trekking across a desert and then fighting the Nucklelavee. He hadn't realised just how hard he was pushing himself or just how battered and bruised his body was.
"That must have hurt," Penny said don't know what to be like a human
"Yeah.. but what doesn't kill you make you stronger" Qrow said
Raven had, of course. And with the ironic concern she gave to what might prove an unsatisfying fight, assured that he had ample time to rest and grow strong. He felt like a pig being fatted for the slaughter, but he couldn't help but admit that he'd needed it. The rest, that was. Less so the slaughter.
The actual prospect of facing Raven wasn't a particularly endearing one. There was no telling whether she had the Spring Maiden's powers yet, but he had a feeling it wouldn't matter either way. Qrow had been ridiculously strong, even at the end, and he'd often said Raven was the stronger.
"Haven't seen the brat yet and thank you Qrow for letting me" Raven smirked at Qrow whose rolled his eyes
"You kill the spring maiden!" Yang yelled at Raven
"She was weak!" Raven countered "She wanted her power to be removed to she was about to go to Salem to beg her to remove her power."
"..."
"Shame" Salem sighed
"Is it true?" Ozpin asked The Empty
"It's true" The Empty
"Wow...thank Ray" Qrow admitted
"You have my thank too," Ozpin said making Raven rolled her eyes
"Yeah-yeah," Raven said as Yang confused
"Wait...why didn't you tell me that in the vault so I know you did the right thing and maybe I would have warm up to you," Yang asked as Raven shrugged
"Let keep watching,...Hah plot holes," The Empty whispered the last part
His path took him out of the small village they'd stopped at, which he didn't remember the name of, and to the bandit camp parked on its outskirts. It was odd to consider a bandit camp next to a civilian town without any violence – other than the occasional brawl he'd quickly stepped into – but then again, bandits couldn't live their whole lives in the wilderness. They needed somewhere to come to sell, buy or just spend their free time. This village seemed to be it, and it appeared there was an understanding of some kind, for Raven's tribe had never attacked it.
"I miss that goddam bar," Raven thought
Many of the bandits nodded as he walked by, acknowledging him, or more likely his strength, but no longer offering the jeers and taunts they had a fortnight before. One or two he knew by name, Roland among them, but most were just faces. It was hard to grow close to people you knew as bandits and criminals, especially given what he knew of the future. Of course, not everyone saw it the same way.
"Oi, fuck-face!"
"These people are savage!" Weiss said in disgust
"Wow, judging people by the way they born, you cross the line mini ice queen," Qrow said and even if Winter wants to hit him, she can't and Weiss rethink a little bit
"Haven't we had this conversation before?" Jaune asked, not really needing to turn to know Vernal was behind him. "I'm fairly sure Raven isn't impressed with your cussing. Neither am I for the record. Also, my name is Jaune, not `fuck-face`."
Vernal's pout was in full force when he finally turned to face her. The girl had been greatly offended by what she saw as him humiliating her in front of Raven, but had for some reason decided that this was all the more reason to hound him for further spars. He'd hoped Raven finding out would put a stop to it, but the damnable woman had simply smirked and said the best sought to grow stronger by challenging those greater than they. She'd then complimented Vernal's drive, which had pretty much sealed his doom.
"Ha" Raven chuckled
"Fight me!" Vernal cried, holding her wooden sword out towards his chest.
"Didn't I beat you just this morning?"
"N-No…"
"You tried to ambush me the moment I stepped out of my tent," he recalled, unimpressed. The girl flinched and looked down to her feet. The worst part was she probably didn't even feel bad for having used such a duplicitous tactic so much as the fact it hadn't worked.
"I'll do better next time."
"You're missing the point here."
"No I'm not, now fight me!"
He'd never been good with children. Not in a sociopathic or anti-social manner, but just in the way that he hadn't been around many and really didn't know how to calm them down. Vernal had to be the worst example, too. She was defiant and rebellious for the sake of it.
"I'm sure Ruby count as a kid" Yang said receiving a hit from her little sister
"I'm not a kid!" Ruby yelled out "Right Jaune?" Ruby asked cutely
"Yes! of course!" Jaune said to Ruby, sometimes her cute face could be cunning..."You're a woman!"
"YAY! SEE!" Ruby yelled out to Yang and stuck her tongue at Yang while clatching onto Jaune arm making him blush, Cinder rolled her eyes and Pyrrha want to kill
"I have a meeting with Raven," he said instead, opting to lie through his teeth. "She'd be angry if I was late."
"You do?" That got a reaction, as it often did. "Hngh." She scowled. "Fine, but you have to fight me later. I'm going to kick your ass and prove I'm stronger than you."
"Bruh" Yang couldn't believe this girl so stupid
Maybe in ten years' time she would be stronger than the him of this time, who was probably busy being a seven-year-old boy about now. Sadly, he doubted Vernal would ever grow strong enough to challenge him. He didn't intend to let his skills stagnate in the coming years.
"He is not wrong but still...the kid train for fours years while Vernal train for like forever but I doubt she can beat him even in our timeline" Qrow commented
"Hm next time, I'm leaving her with a stick in a forest full of Grimm, everybody knows that the best way to learn and improve is under intense life-threatening situation," Raven thought
While the excuse got him out of trouble, it didn't free him entirely and Vernal hovered behind him, clearly hoping to get a glimpse of Raven. With no means of escaping and no desire for another sparring session, Jaune sighed and made his way to the centre of the camp.
"Is she gay for her" Mercury pointed at Raven who looks disgusted in her comment making almost everyone laugh
In the two weeks he'd spent here, it was inevitable that he and Raven would interact. It was impossible not to really, particularly with him getting involved in breaking up a few fights before they could harm the locals. Raven took discipline seriously, though not in a murderous manner. She normally forced those guilty to fight one another until they both collapsed, but if she was feeling vindictive she might fight them herself and really make them regret it.
He wasn't sure if she approved of him disciplining her people or not, but she never stepped in and the one time someone had complained, she'd simply told them to `deal with it` directly. Aka, fight him. They hadn't complained since.
That encounter led to the two of them speaking more often, which wasn't something he'd had planned. The camp was small and no one dared talk to him other than Vernal and Roland, leaving him to either spar until the end of the day or chat with Raven. The latter was by far the easier choice.
"Maybe I should take over this tribe" Cinder thought
The bigger surprise was that Raven humoured him. In fact, she seemed to appreciate it and occasionally hunted him down instead of it being the other way around. He wasn't sure if she was intrigued, curious or merely bored, but with little else to do and his sword on the line, he'd become a somewhat familiar face at the bandit leader's tent.
"Both hate Ozpin, know about Salem, Relic, and powerful?" Cinder pretend to gasp "I ship them" Cinder smirked
"God..." Qrow and Tai sighed while Jaune blushed
"It's only somewhere twenty years apart," Raven thought
So it was now, that she looked up from a scroll she was reading a message and chuckled. "Using me as an excuse to escape Vernal again, are we?"
"She's a handful." Vernal had stopped some distance away, too shy to approach.
"Hmph." Raven brushed some of her black hair over one shoulder and smiled cockily at him. It was odd to see, but she really did remind him of Yang sometimes, not just in the looks department, but the way she acted. She was still cruel and callous, but in the two weeks he'd spent here he'd also seen her laugh, tease and fight with her men.
Perhaps it was just that the times were easier now. In ten years things would be so much worse. It was possible the Raven we'd met had been forged by those, or at least stressed by them. Now, ten years younger, she was no less callous and yet somehow more light-hearted.
"If you really want rid of her you should beat her down," she said. "Make her regret challenging you so much that she avoids you."
"Jaune is way nicer than that" Ruby defended him
"More like amused with her and knowing she couldn't do anything against him," Cinder said but she is not wrong
"I've already beaten her a few times. She's stubborn."
"I meant that you should go further. Break her arm or leg, or maybe drive her until she can no longer move and then go further. Leave her weeping for mercy."
"Man, serious Raven?" Summer asked
"It's not like she gonna die and I'm preparing her for Salem" Raven explained but no one argues against her
"I know what you meant," he said, frowning at her. "And I'm not doing that. It's cruel and she's only a child, no matter what she says."
Raven shrugged. "Then put up with her constant pestering, I care not. I merely gave you an option which would solve your problem. It is your choice on whether you act on it."
"Can't you say something to her?"
"Nope." Raven shook her head
"I could, but why would I? You can either show your strength and disabuse her of approaching you, or harden yourself and put up with her." Both methods involved being strong, of course. Nothing less could be expected from her. "How is your health?"
"Am I dreaming?" Qrow pretends to gasp "Raven, my little bitch of a sister care enough ask a stranger how are they?"
A few chuckled at Qrow
"Good. I'm getting stronger."
Raven smiled. "Perfect. A little longer and you and I shall have the chance to cross blades. I look forward to it."
"Nope, She does not care." Qrow smirked
The fight was something she often brought up, though oddly enough more in a teasing way than any real lust for battle. Oh she was excited, but there seemed to be something more to it. If he didn't know better he'd have said this was all an attempt to recruit him into the tribe. Maybe it was; she probably didn't come across someone capable of killing a Nucklelavee every day.
Raven shrugged "He is not wrong but I'm sure that is not the only reason"
But he, in the Branwen Tribe? Not a chance. Even if they'd saved his life, his morals wouldn't stretch far enough to let him become a bandit.
"Shame." Raven shook her head
Of course, it was also possible Raven was just bored. As a tribe of bandits, all they did was wander around stealing and occasionally killing. While that might have been an exciting life for some, it didn't have much in the way of direction or meaning. Being Beacon trained and thus much stronger than her own people, there was probably no one in the tribe that could last against her, let alone pose a challenge. For someone as proud as she, that must have been a source of constant frustration. You grew strong by challenging yourself, after all. What possible training could she endure against people so much weaker than she?
"You could have fought the Nucklelavee" Glynda suggested
"The other girl did send SOS in our timeline" Raven defended herself
Glynda rolled her eyes "Fair point"
"I'm surprised you're patient enough to let me heal at all," Jaune said. "You're always going on about strength and how important it is."
"Strength is important, but there is no fault in being weak due for a short time." Raven said, frowning. "A baby is weak, as is one brought low by injury. You admitted yourself that you were once weak, and yet now you are stronger than any man in my tribe. The weak can grow strong, but while they are weak I will despise them. That said, temporary weakness due to factors outside of your control is hardly something worth disparaging."
"Your psychology makes no sense," Penny said innocently
Simple logic for a simple woman - or perhaps a complicated one wanting to see the world in black and white. "I'm not sure strength is the be all and end all, though."
"Ha!, he called you simple" Qrow laugh as Raven getting a little piss off
"You certainly like to cling to your flawed logic," she said, for what felt like the tenth time. This was a constant discussion between them. "You could only step in at Kuroyuri because you were strong. Your friend fell because you were not strong. I was able to save you because I was strong enough to feel no fear for any Grimm that dared stand in my path. In this world, a world where the Grimm rule, strength is everything. It grants you the freedom to do what you want."
"There are some who would say it's how you use that strength. What's the point in being strong if you hide away and refuse to use it?"
"Discussions on how to use strength still rely on you having it."
Jaune's words trailed off. She'd caught him there. "Maybe…"
"Strength is like wealth," she said, stretching her muscles in the warm air. It was an oddly vulnerable motion, even if she was anything but. Maybe it was just that it was a very human thing to do and she'd never seemed it before. Then again, he'd only ever seen her in live or die situations before this. "There are some who hoard wealth and others who spend it, and while I'll agree wealth not spent is meaningless, that doesn't change the fact that those with more can have the greatest impact, whether good or bad. The richest man on Remnant could ruin a Kingdom, but he could also save it. It is not so different to be strong. The weak cannot change their own destiny, while the strong can decide it for many."
"This is stupid" Ren mumbled her psychology is so stupid
Despite his best efforts he couldn't entirely bring himself to disagree with her. She was still a terrible person, being both a bandit and a mother who had abandoned her family, but then he wasn't being asked to condone her actions, just her philosophy. And if he'd been stronger, so many people might have survived the final battle. Well, he had plenty of time to grow stronger. A lot could happen in ten years. It was just a little galling to realise that Raven Branwen was the one sharing such wisdom with him, and that it was the same wisdom everyone had found so aggravating in the future.
"Boring! fight already" Nora shouted because no one cares about Raven psychology,
"What do you intend to use all that strength for?" he asked. "If strength is like wealth then like you said, it's pointless if you don't spend it. Where do you mean to cash it all in?"
Her eyes pierced into his and she frowned. "That is a personal question."
Rather than take the hint and back away, Jaune shrugged and held his ground. It was what she tended to prefer and it wasn't like he had anything better to do. He was just counting the days until he could get his sword back and leave. "If you don't want to answer it, don't. But I'll still ask. There are plenty of people who could use skill like yours."
"We already know all this stuff!" Weiss complained
"Use?" She snorted and looked off to the west, eyes narrowed. "There was once someone who sought to use my strength, and I gave it to him willingly. I trusted him with my power, my skill and my loyalty." Her eyes narrowed, as though recalling some distant time. At some unbidden memory her lips peeled back into a snarl. "No longer. I answer to no one." She didn't meet his eyes, too engrossed in staring at something he couldn't see. "What are your plans once you leave here?" she suddenly asked.
"Is it Ozpin?" Blake asked
"Yes, he lied to me, He didn't know how to kill Salem" Raven answer
"And I still managed to find a way to defeat Salem in the end" Ozpin counted
"Yeah? but at what cost, you used people to get what you want" Raven said shutting up Ozpin
"I'm not leaving until I get my sword back."
"So you say, so you say…" She glanced at him, not quite smiling but somewhat amused. It felt like she appreciated the distraction, or at least the change of subject. "Still, humour me. You're huntsman trained but I've never heard of someone like you. You claim you were trained in the deserts of Vacuo, but everything about your appearance and dialect suggests otherwise."
She knew he was lying, even as he knew that she knew, but he'd already said it and couldn't take it back. To do so would be to admit defeat, and it wasn't like he had any other story he could realistically give her.
"So, what do you intend to do from here?"
"I need to get my huntsman license." There wasn't much point in hiding it from her and no real reason to do so. "I'll be headed to Vale first to pick up something and then travelling to Atlas to be tested for it."
"Nice" Ironwood has a feeling Jaune will meet him and maybe there even a chance for him to become a specialist and he wants to see how Jaune will do it
"Atlas? Why not be tested here in Mistral?"
"The coward," Everyone said remembered Leo
His face twisted. "I… have unresolved issues with the headmaster here."
"Oh? And what might those be?"
"We don't see eye to eye on some things," he said. Lionheart was a coward and a monster and someone he'd probably have to deal with in time. Not now, however. He had no evidence and no means to depose the man, and even if he did Salem would likely just influence his replacement.
"Interesting, and I suppose my next question would be why you don't choose to be tested at Beacon, seeing as how you already intend to visit Vale. Or is it that you feel the same way about Beacon's headmaster as you do Haven's?"
"Kid really need to stop telling her everything," Qrow said
Jaune's silence was telling.
So was Raven's delighted grin.
"Hm, now that's interesting. Does it have something to do with this?" Her hand touched his, tracing the back of his left hand before he could stop her. The sigil from Salem was still burned into it and he tore his hand away, hiding it. It as good as confirmed his guilt. "I see."
"Does it give Jaune wizard juice?!" Nora asked as Salem about to said anything, the Empty cut her off
"Spoiler," The Empty said
"I don't think you do, but you're free to believe what you want." He'd realised after only a few days that the best approach to maintaining his lies was to simply refuse to broach the subject. Whatever story she came up with, it would be more believable to her than the truth, and she'd likely feel more connected to it if she was the one to decide.
Perhaps he was a spy, a criminal or some huntsman on the run. It really didn't matter and it wasn't like Raven Branwen was going to turn him in to the authorities or Ozpin.
"I'll be sure to get the full story out of you in time," she said. "I don't much like secrets."
He shrugged. "You're free to try."
He had no idea how much he'd come to regret that comment.
"Is Yang's mom gonna seduce Jaune?" Sun asked receiving a punch from Yang
It was less than four days later when things changed. He started to wake up feeling fresh rather than tired, and his muscles stopped aching at last. Refreshed and healthy, he saw the world in a different way, somehow less muted. Whatever he had to say about Raven stealing his sword, he couldn't deny how much the two and a half weeks had done for him.
"Really?!" Qrow groaned "Stealing his sword?" Raven chuckled
He'd kept up his daily visits and chats with Raven, there not being much else to do to entertain himself and most of the people in the tribe being violent, dull or drunk. Sometimes they talked about the Kingdoms, politics or her tribe. But other times they talked about lighter things like entertainment, fighting styles or even places they'd been and sights they'd seen. Roland was at least a friendly face, but since he trained Vernal daily, that meant approaching him was a bad idea.
Of course, Vernal still found and forced him into at least one spar a day.
Most of the time, he spent with Raven however, and it came as something of a surprise to realise just how normal she was, which was kind of stupid in hindsight. She couldn't perpetually exist in a state of fighting against Salem, and at this point might not have even been aware of her. Plus, she was still human, terrible mother or not. As such, like any other human being, Raven had to live life day by day and deal with normal things like laundry, cooking and chatting with the person who wouldn't leave her alone because she'd stolen his sword.
"I could never imagine friendly neighborhood Raven," Qrow said as Tai and Summer nooded
In a way, he felt she enjoyed it too. They weren't close, not at all, but he was `new` and in a tribe where she saw the same people day in, day out, that probably counted for something. More than that, he wasn't afraid of her and thus could hold his own when they disagreed on something. There were times when the discussions got so heated she reached for her weapon, but he pointed it out each time and she would relent, frustrated – and even a little surprised – that someone had pushed her so far.
"She knows he knows about Opzin and she knows he doesn't trust Ozpin so I guess that why she enjoyed having conversations with him" Winter suggested
"There not a lot of people share my perspective but one that does and especially about Ozpin earn my respect" Raven said
He had a feeling no one in the tribe did that, whether out of fear or inability.
"That is sad" Penny said
Raven delighted in it, if only because it broke up the mediocrity of life.
And then, with the coming of the fourth dawn, that all changed. Jaune noticed it upon waking, that there was a buzz in the camp, with people whispering in low voices and many congregating toward the centre where Raven's tent lay. It was almost as though they'd formed a circle around it to watch a fight. That had happened once or twice when she sparred with someone, though it never brought so large a crowd.
"Oh man..." Qrow sighed drinking from his flash
"Finally" Raven smirked
No one asked them anything but they know they getting an answer soon
Jaune pushed through it, ignoring complaints as he forced his way to the centre and silenced any who tried to stop him with a glare. His reputation among the tribe had grown enough that none challenged him twice. Those who hadn't seen or experienced him first hand knew of him from others, or had watched in awe and a little jealousy at the easy way he interacted with their fearsome leader. As Jaune approached the centre, he heard voices, one of which was Raven's.
"You come here and make demands of me, traitor? You have a lot of nerve. I've half a mind to cut your tongue from your mouth."
"Traitor?" Sun asked getting some pieces together
"Wouldn't be the first time you've threatened that and I'm still talking," the other taunted. The voice was familiar, almost. It was gruff and yet not, lacking a certain edge. "Besides, I'm not here to fight. I'm here to talk some sense into you and convince you to come back. He wants to talk to you."
"Oh..." Winter recognize the voice and the taunting
"Oh? And here I was under the impression he had moved on. I doubt my reappearance would have the desired effect."
"Yayyy, it's uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouted in excitement
"It Raven gonna fight Qrow?" Yang asked
"That is what happened in our timeline," Qrow said
"Let see Qrow kick her ass" Nora yelled poting at Raven
"Like he can" Raven taunted
"I'm talking about Ozpin," Qrow said, for it was Qrow – younger and leaner, and actually not sporting the beard he'd become so well-known for. In fact, the streaks of grey in his hair were absent too, leaving it all black. Jaune found himself staring at the man, too shocked for words.
Raven's sword cleared its sheathe in an instant and tickled the underside of Qrow's chin. It took her a second to realise it wasn't her sword at all but rather Crocea Mors. She'd drawn it without thinking. She recovered quickly however, adjusting her weight for the heavier weapon.
"You don't have to fight your sister Qrow" Ozpin rolled his eyes
"That was in her deal that if I defeated her, she would meet you," Qrow said
"So did you beat her in our timeline?" Winter asked with a smirked
"You can't even beat me" Qrow stated making the smirked on Winter's face gone
"Choose your next words carefully, Qrow. I do not answer to that man anymore. I am no one's slave."
"I can respect her" Cinder thought
"Heh, you don't answer to anyone as far as you can tell, but that doesn't mean you're not a slave, just that you're a slave to your own fear. Whatever happened to being the strongest?"
The sword moved closer. Raven's tone was arctic. "I. Fear. Nothing. I am the strongest.
"So you don't fear Salem?" Qrow asked but got no answer from Raven
"Oh? Then what is there to fear in a quick meeting with Ozpin? He just wants to talk."
Jaune scoffed. The day Ozpin `just wanted to talk` was the day he stopped treating everyone like chess pieces, which meant it wouldn't happen for at least another thirteen years. Unfortunately, he'd chosen to express his disbelief in a moment of tense silence, not only from the crowd but also Raven and Qrow. Their heads swivelled in his direction.
Ozpin stayed silent, while it hard to heard people said you are manipulated, he doing this for the greater good but Raven and Future Jaune doesn't approve of that
"I couldn't agree more" Salem smiled
"Another mindless killer?" Qrow asked.
"Come on Qrow, does he look like a mindless killer, don't judge the book by its cover" Summer hit him the head
"Sorry!" Qrow apologize rubbing his head
He didn't like the accusation and answered before Raven could. "I'm more of a guest."
Qrow looked him up and down, and since the cat was out of the bag Jaune did the same in return. It was like looking at an incredibly skilled imitation artist. Everything that made Qrow himself was there, from the hair to the outfit and weapon, and yet there were subtle differences; differences that would have made him accuse the imitation of laziness over if he didn't know it was simply a matter of time.
"With Miss Rose alive, he will be different, hopefully, more mature" Winter hissed
"Or less depressed," Yang said back to Winter
The beard was an obvious one, as was the grey hair, but the other was that Qrow looked remarkably sober. In fact, though he had a hip flask on his belt, it was tightly strapped down, impossible to drink from at a moment's notice and very un-Qrow.
A few around the room chuckled
Similarly, the posture wasn't quite there. The Qrow he knew was a man forcing himself to relax. He was tense, like a spring ready to snap, but he'd force his body to slouch, either to make people lower their guards or just to appear more relaxed than he actually was. He was cautious and always prepared.
"Damn." Sun whispered feeling bad for Qrow along with a few other
This Qrow was not. He slouched, but in a way that was perfectly natural and one of the biggest surprises was the cocky grin he wore, one that matched Raven's to a tee. If there was any doubt the two were related, that ended it. Still, his Qrow could be cocky at times, but he was never arrogant. This one was obviously looking down on him.
"Lover Boy is so fucking good!" Yang really impressed how Jaune was able to notice all of this as Ruby and Pyrrha glared at Yang
"A guest, huh?" he asked, shooting Raven a look. "You always did like them with blonde hair and blue eyes. I'm surprised how fast you've moved on, but maybe I shouldn't be. It's just like you to not care."
"Damn!" Mercury and Emerald love how Qrow testing Raven while Tai is a little bit jealous
Summer slapped Qrow on the back of his head
"Don't do that ever Qrow" Summer glared at Qrow
"Yes! mam!"
Raven's eyes flashed. Her hand tensed on the hilt of his weapon, and her shoulders vibrated for a second. The words had affected her, even if she didn't respond to them. Rather than admit that to Qrow however, she smirked and walked up to stand behind Jaune, draping her arms over his shoulders.
"He has things others can't provide. You wouldn't understand."
Jaune stiffened, though not – as one might have thought – from having a voluptuous woman pressing against his back. That was new, novel and nice, but it was the meaning of what was being said that caused him such internal strife. They assumed he had no idea what they were talking about, but he did. Qrow was suggesting he would come between Raven and Taiyang, that he was somehow responsible.
Yang grabbed Jaune at his shoulder pulling him in to whispered something in his ears"If you ever look at Raven with a weird face, I will rip your spine out of your back"
Jaune nodded quickly
It was just a family spat, a desperate attempt from each to hurt the other, but the accusation still lowered Jaune's opinion of Young Qrow. Yang's family wasn't a joking matter. Not with Summer dead and Raven like this.
"Imagine after saying that and learning about her death" Cinder smirked
It would have hurt...a lot, there no doubt that Summer death affects everyone including Raven
"In that case, I think I'd rather not understand." Qrow's eyes flickered to his. "Word of advice, friend. Don't get involved with her. She only uses people. People's feelings and thoughts are meaningless to someone like her."
"Except, I let them go if they want and tell them the whole truth, unlike Ozpin" Raven countered
Raven tensed; he could feel it through his back. However good her poker face, she couldn't hide the tiny changes reactions she had – not when she was flush against him. Jaune wasn't sure if it was some kind of camaraderie with her or not, some level of gratitude for saving him or just that Qrow was pushing all the wrong buttons. Either way, he couldn't keep his mouth shut.
"Unlike Ozpin, right? He'd never treat people like disposable pawns."
"Sorry to interrupt but that is not true, Ozpin does care but... he only cares about stopping Salem more," The Empty said
Raven is not wrong but The Empty is right, Ozpin does care but... not enough
It was the wrong thing to say he realised, even as he said it. Anger towards Ozpin, or at Qrow's hypocrisy or just the state of affairs, but whatever the case he'd let his temper slip away from him, just like he had with Neptune all those years ago at the Beacon dance. Even so, the sarcasm in his voice, thicker than tar, could not be missed. And of course, they didn't miss it at all. Raven's hands tightened on his chest, clutching through the fabric without her really realising it. He also caught a breath of warm air expelled against his neck and a sudden tenseness that radiated through his back. He registered shock and surprise, along with a slow, silent chuckle once she regained control of herself.
From Qrow, he earned instant and unwavering suspicion. The man's eyes narrowed, one hand reached back to his weapon and he regarded Jaune with the sudden attention of someone who'd just noticed a venomous snake. And why not? Most people shouldn't have known much about Ozpin, let alone that Qrow worked for him as some kind of personal agent. With just a few words, he'd burned his bridges with the man who had helped train him in the past.
"If there some way Qrow and Jaune can befriend, it must through Summer," Tai said
Me and my big mouth. Vernal must be rubbing off on me…
"I've decided," Raven said from behind him. Her interruption stole Qrow's attention, though Jaune still had a feeling this meeting would be reported back to Ozpin. That wasn't a good thing. "I've made my decision, Qrow. If Ozpin wants to speak with me, I shall speak. I will come to Beacon, listen to him and even allow him to convince me of his intentions."
"Finally!" Nora and Mercury Yelled
Qrow faltered, surprised. To be fair, Jaune was, too. "You'll come?" Qrow asked. "That sounds too good to be true. I'm sensing a condition here…"
"But…" Raven said, smiling widely, leaning on Jaune's back with her chin resting on his shoulder. She sounded unusually excited. "I will only do that if you can prove your strength here and now. Show me that time working under his sway has not made you weak."
"While you sitting on the bandit queen throne, I was sent on missions to fight Grimm. There no way that makes me weaker" Qrow said
"Sure brothers" Raven is amsued
"Fight you?" Qrow asked. "Tch, if I have to."
"Not I, brother."
Raven placed both hands on Jaune's back and pushed him forwards.
"Fight my champion."
(The screen froze)
"Holy crap, Jaune gonna fight Qrow?" Yang shouted in excitement
"Yay! Jaune gonna beat Qrow!" Ruby and Nora yelled
"He is fucked" The adult and the villain thought
"Who are you cheering for?" Qrow raised an eyes brown
"No offense uncle Qrow but this is like the video game and you the Boss, Jaune must beat you" Ruby explained
"Let keep watching, I want to see them fight" Mercury requested
Cinder wants to know what Jaune capable of, while knowing how strong he is by killing a Nuckelavee. Fighting another hustman is different but against Brawen of all people make it better
"Very well" The Empty nodded as the screen stop frozen
Sorry for my late update!