Hello again! Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter published, things were just not working in my favor. But here it is! Chapter fifteen! Hope you enjoy!

To recap current situations:

The reunion between Qrow Branwen and Ruby Rose was a bit short-lived when most of the professors working at Beacon came charging into the scene, with Team JNPR in tow, intent on arresting Qrow for throwing Ozpin out of the 95th story of Beacon Academy. Team EBWY, the team with Ruby's mysteriously traitorous sister, Yang Xiao Long, has come stumbling into the reunion as well. The reunion that just might reveal the secrets that Ruby carries inside her.

Oh, and Skyler found his fedora.

"QROW!"

Goodwitch's enraged roar caused every student in a ten-mile radius to automatically quail in horror. Qrow gave an exasperated groan before turning to her.

"Yeah?"

Glynda's face was flushed with an infuriated red color, her teeth set in a snarl as she stalked up to Qrow, her face just barely not touching his.

"Explain yourself. Now."

Qrow looked to Ruby and then to Ozpin, then back to Glynda.

"That might take a while."

"EXPLAIN OR I WIL- "

"Well, I found my hat-eewwhh…" The newly-returned Skyler stopped in his tracks as he took in the situation, his eyes shifting from confused Team EBWY, to the bemused Team JNPR, to the professors, to the Glynda-Qrow standoff. He re-positioned the fedora on his head and backed off towards Crimson and Neo.

"Never mind. Carry on with whatever you were doing."

Goodwitch glared at him before turning back to Qrow. "Start explaining, Qrow."

Qrow looked at the professor in front of him, then at Ruby. Looking back at Glynda, he shook his head.

"You're going to have to get in line, Gly', there is a whole queue of people waiting for an explanation."

Some of the anger on Glynda's face was replaced by confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Means that I can't explain what's going on until I know myself."

Before Goodwitch could say anything, Jaune stepped forward. "Um…Prof. Goodwitch?"

Glynda sighed angrily. "Yes? Mr. Arc?"

"Um…why are we here?"

"Yeah, you never told us why, you just sorta grabbed us and ran." Nora Valkyrie chimed in, looking around at Teams RSNC and EBWY, the latter who were still on the outskirts of the gathering, watching with a mixture of wide and eager eyes.

Glynda turned to Qrow with narrowed eyes. "I am sure Mr. Branwen here will tell us the reason for why we are here."

Qrow considered and shrugged. His smoky red eyes lingering on Team JNPR.

"I guess it was the fact that I threw your great headmaster out of one of his office windows with the full intent of murdering him if he survived the fall."

"WHAT?!"

Team JNPR looked at Qrow in shock and, in the case of Nora, a little admiration.

"And I would love to hear your reason why." Glynda gritted her teeth as Ozpin went up beside her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Easy, Glynda. It was…my fault that this happened. Qrow can hardly be blamed."

He most certainly can! Goodwitch grumbled in her mind, but aloud she just huffed. Glancing critically at Qrow, she continued her questioning.

"Can you at least explain why you flung Ozpin out of the window in the first place?"

Qrow opened his mouth, stopped, and turned to Ruby, who was standing off to the side and watching with wide eyes.

"Oz, let's take up this conversion in your office, yeah?"

Ozpin followed Qrow gaze then nodded in understanding. Focusing back on the situation at hand, Ozpin started to restore the school day for the students and professors present.

"Arthur, if you can start your class, we are already late as it is. Bartholomew, if you can..."

"Oh, yes! Right away."

"And he's gone. So…Glynda, if you can escort Mr. Arc and Ms. Winters and their teams back to their classes and then come to my office."

Glynda nodded and started to lock eyes with team leaders. "EBWY, JNPR, back to class! Move it!"

Ozpin and Qrow watched her for a moment before the headmaster turned to Qrow.

"I take it you're still not going to apologize for throwing me out of the window?"

"No."

Ozpin bent down and picked his cane off the ground. "Fine, but I do take it that you are going to want to hear the story Ms. Ruby Rose gave me when I first met her?"

Qrow paused, he looked sideways at the sliver-haired headmaster.

"That'll be nice, but if you're so sure of Ruby hiding dark secrets, why don't we ask her what her story is? See if it changes any."

"Very well." Ozpin turned to the spot where Ruby was standing. "Ms. Rose, if you and your team can accompany us to my-where did they go?"

"Well, it was great while we were here, food was nice. But all good things must come to a end and I rather not be arrested."

"Or executed." Skyler called over his shoulder as he raided the bathroom for anything useful.

"Or executed." Crimson agreed as he stuffed the dorm's microwave into his gigantic chest. Ruby and Neo were pacing the length of the room as they tried to decide what to do about the current situation. Ruby was trying to calm herself while Neo was just trying to keep up with the longer strides of sliver-eyed girl.

"Ok, the meeting with my uncle was good, it was more than good, it was almost perfect! But we can't really tell him the real reason why we are here! Can we?! I don't know!"

"Deep breathes, no freaking out, more deep breathes." Crimson instructed as he packed the school's pillows on top of the microwave. Skyler came back into the room with an armful of shampoo and soap which he preceded to dump into his worn-leather bag. Ruby rolled her eyes, but ignored the both of them.

"We gotta go. That's the only way we can deal with this, we got to go back to Roman, flip off Cinder Fall, and escape to Vacuo. That's our plan…maybe."

"You know, your uncle seems like a pretty cool guy, maybe he won't mind if you were raised by Roman Torchwick?" Crimson suggested as he took down the window curtains. Ruby just looked at him.

"Really? The Roman Torchwick I know is the crime lord of Vale who is wanted for three hundred-sixty-four counts of illegal drug smuggling, two hundred counts of arson, fifty counts of sabotage, three thousand-two hundred-eighty-three counts of armed and aggravated robbery, and last but not least, five-hundred counts of maritime piracy!"

"Why maritime piracy and why five-hundred counts of it?" Despite the questions, Crimson looked impressed.

"Neo was going through a phase."

"Cool." Crimson looked over at Skyler who was dismantling the floor lamb.

"Hey, Skyler, you have any ideas?"

The well-dressed spy paused in his disassembly of Beacon's light fixtures and become thoughtful. Stuffing pieces of metal into his bag, Skyler gave his opinion.

"Just give your uncle an edited version of the truth, leave out the part about you being a master criminal raised by other master criminals, as well as the real reason you're here."

Ruby looked at him in disbelieve. "That's literally leaving out nearly three years of my life, how exactly do I make up three years of false life-story?!"

Skyler finished packing up the lamb and shrugged. "No idea, but aren't you the one who always has a plan?"

It was the air quotations that made Ruby take off her boot and hurl it at Skyler Snow's head.

"NOOOO! NOT THE HAT!"

She aimed a little high.

As Skyler scrambled off after his hat for the second time today. Crimson started to go through the kitchen cabinets, shooting off ideas as he pulled their contents out.

"OK, what about telling him the same story you told our HeadSadist?"

"Not a good idea…for a multitude of reasons."

"Fine, how about fleeing into the night-wait, that was your first idea." The pilfering assassin carried the contents of the spice cabinet and dropped them into his box of death and stolen goods. Brushing off his hands, he turned to the still pacing outlaws.

"Well, it is apparent I can't help you…and I don't think Skyler is going to be particularly friendly after what your boot did to his fedora, so you are on your own."

Ruby resisted the urge to flip Crimson off with both hands and grounded out a replay.

"Oh, thank you so much."

"You're welcome!" Then he left to sweep the closet for anything worth pillaging. Neo raised her eyebrow after him and turned to look at Ruby.

"Why do we put up with that nut?"

Ruby shook her head. "I have no idea…because he makes life interesting, I guess."

Neo rolled her eyes, both due to Ruby's answer and the fact that Crimson came out with his and Skyler's school uniforms, as well as most of the coat hangers. As he kicked the closet door close behind him, Skyler came back, muttering, from wherever his hat ended up, his hat on his head and the shower rod in his hand. Ruby's weaponized shoe in the other.

"Here's your boot!"

Ruby's footwear came sailing back towards her, she caught it and slipped it back on in one fluid movement, Ruby straightened back up and looked around at her team.

"We still need a plan, all stealing aside, we need a vague idea of what we are going to do."

Crimson finished throwing the hangers into the chest and turned to Ruby, Skyler nodded. Strapping the rod to his bag, he completed the team leader.

"Ok, but first, let me ask what our options are?"

Ruby held up one finger.

"Number one is just getting out of here while we still can, escape Beacon, disappear into the night." She then raised up a second finger.

"Number two is to tell my uncle the truth."

"I'm voting for the second option." A quiet voice said from the window sill. The reaction from Team RSNC varied from Neo's drawing her Parasol blade to Crimson slamming down the lid of his chest and striking a pose on it, Ruby and Skyler were just staring in a small amount of horror and shock at the fact that Qrow Branwen was sitting on their window sill, gazing frankly around at the depleted dorm room. His gaze finally stopped on Ruby.

"So, are you going to tell me or are you going to leave? Those are your two options, right?"

"We could always knock you unconscious and then blame it on Team EBWY?" Crimson suggested, though he didn't sound like he actually meant it. Qrow shrugged.

"You could, you always could." His eyes went back to Ruby's.

"But back to my question, are you going to tell me the truth?"

Neo and Skyler turned to Ruby, they would support her in anything she decided, Crimson, meanwhile, had gotten his hands on a frying pan and was looking at Ruby, ready to hurl it at Qrow if that was what she wanted, or if Qrow made any sudden moves, or if he sneezed; Ruby was starting to suspect that Crimson just liked to hit people. There was silence in the room as Ruby turned the prospect of telling Qrow what really happened to her or at least parts of it.

It scared her, the thought of telling the story of the two darkest years of her life, her life on the streets of Vale and what happened that started it all; telling that story scared Ruby…but so did the night alone in that alleyway. Her life on the streets, always cold, hungry, in pain, despairing, stealing, killing…all of that scared her to, but she did them and she conquered them one by one. Ruby Rose may not always have a plan, but she never let fear rule her life, not anymore. Her resolve hardened, she gazed back into Qrow's eyes.

"You want to hear the story of what really happened when I died? Then take a seat, it's a bit long."

Neo caught Ruby's attention and flicked her fingers towards Crimson and Skyler.

"Are they staying or going?"

Ruby thought and sighed. "Let them stay, they will figure it out one day, it might as well be today."

Skyler leaned against the wall of the dorm room while Crimson sat up on the chest, both remained silent. Ruby looked around at her waiting audience. Breathing deeply, she began her story. She told them about a hellish early life, what the body and mind can endure, and what it can't. Of how it is to grow up with only one person that you are able to trust not to hurt you, and what happens when that one person is gone.

Neo had heard this story before and knew what it might cost Ruby in telling it, her small hand gripped Ruby's in a sign of comfort; Ruby never let go. Skyler and Crimson listened and while they never made a sound, their eyes betrayed rage and sorrow. Qrow was beyond furious and thoroughly not surprised about what Ruby was telling him, in fact, the main conflict going through his mind was the choice of either beating Taiyang to death with his bare hands or to just shoot him and be done with it.

Then, she started the real story of what happened to her when the rest of the world believed her to be dead, of what really happened to her when the Grimm were blamed for the crime they had no hand in. She began the true version of the day when Ruby Rose of Patch was murdered and the Street Rose was born.

That Night, in the alleys of Vale

The murder of Ruby Rose of Patch

Five years ago

Ruby drifted in and out of consciousness as the cracked pavement scraped across her skin, the dying light of the sky blinking out of existence as her eyelids fluttered in a pain-filled dance between drifting into the shadows of the unknown and staying in the harshness of the known.

Either way, some part of Ruby's deep subconscious knew it would be a nightmare darker then Hell, no matter which one was chosen.

The pavement continued to pull across her skin and Ruby realized she was being dragged. Her flickering eyes landing on the shadowy figure that was pulling her into the dark recesses of an alley. The figure's masculine features and blond hair marking him as the father of Yang Xiao Long, the so-called man that was so respected on the island of Patch, Taiyang Xiao Long.

Ruby moaned as she came back into reality, the pitiful sound alerting Taiyang to her awaking. Dimly, Ruby heard the sound of his teeth grinding together in frustration at the fact of the sliver-eyed girl's continued existence.

"Why can't you just die?" He hissed. He dropped her legs onto the littered pavement of the dark alley. He stepped over her body and bent down over her head. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were furiously angry and filled with hate. Ruby looked into them, too much in pain and confusion to be scared.

"W-why? Why do y-you hate me?" She croaked out, still staring into his cruel eyes. Eyes that widened in surprise and even more anger. Ruby heard something being picked off the ground. Taiyang leaned in closer to the small form of Ruby.

"Because you're the reason she is dead! Because of you, you! My Summer Rose is gone!"

There was the shrill whistle of air being parted, a whistle that was soon replaced by a scream of chocking pain as the length of iron was driven into Ruby's abdomen, the jagged metal twisting inside her before being ripped out, along with clods of blood that stained the child's body, streaking it with a color as red as roses.

Taiyang stood back, his breathing heavy and harsh, he stared at the body of the child in front of him, a body that was still gurgling as blood seeped from the still-gaping mouth. He looked at the body for a moment, then at his blood-soaked hand which still clutched the length of metal in a death-grip. His face seemed almost surprised at the blood that ran down his arm in streams. After nearly a minute of gazing at the blood that was pooling at his own feet, Taiyang released the deadly metal and stumbled out of the alley.

Ruby gazed up at the night sky, the last of the sunlight fading. She could feel her heart sporadically beat a rapid pattern in her chest, her fingers shaking violently as she retched up blood, trying to keep it out of her windpipe. Unable to speak, her mind slow and nonsensical, Ruby Rose started to drift beyond the veil of death. The few remaining thoughts were hard to piece together.

I…wish…I want…M-momm-

The drops of blood slowed, the hole in Ruby's stomach gleamed wetly, the last sherds of Ruby's consciousness barely holding on.

`Ruby. `

Then something changed. Something was different, Ruby felt heavy, like she was being pushed back down, her thoughts flowed more swiftly now.

`My Ruby. `

Eyelids trembled opened, revealing sliver irises. Those eyes were met with a soft red light, a light that glowed around her wound, trying to heal it.

`I'm so sorry, Ruby. `

Pain was receding, growing less, replaced with a merciful numb.

`Be strong, Ruby. Be brave and know that I will always love you. I will always be with you, my beloved daughter, my sweet baby. `

Ruby felt tears spill over onto her checks, she felt like a hand was lovely caressing her face, and with that gently touch, Ruby fell into an exhausted sleep, the last thought she had that night being a warm and loving voice.

`I will always love you…`

Ruby finished the story of That Night. She paused and looked around. She was sitting beside Neo on the pink and white hammock, Skyler had slid down the wall, sitting on the floor, his elbow propped up on his knee, his hands limp and unmoving. Crimson was still in in the same position he was in when Ruby first began, his twilight irises fixed on the celling, his face solemn, his eyes a jumble of emotions. Qrow, on the other hand, was pacing the floor, his teeth set in a snarl as he drew his sword only to find there was nothing to swing it at. Words begin to sputter from his lips.

"Miserable little shit! Unforgivable son of a bitch! Motherfuc- "

Neo's hands slowly descended to cover Ruby's ears, the said ear-owners starting to try fiercely to get them off. Crimson started to smile again as words continued to flow from Qrow. Skyler just looked mildly impressed. After a minute, the words stopped and Qrow calmed down enough to put away his scythe, Ruby finally succeeded in get her ears free by lifting Neo up in the air and slamming her back down on her hammock. Dusting herself off, Ruby looked up, slightly wary.

"That's it, that's the story. Eventually, I went to…Mistral where I met the people you see here and after a while we decided to become hunters and here we are."

Right, that our story…oh, God, we are so going to be caught.

As if to press home that fact, Qrow's eyes narrowed and he looked critically at the team leader.

"Ozpin told me what story you told when Glynda found you fighting that crime lord. About you having a happier life and going to Signal, and me teaching you. That one is obviously not true."

"Yeah…I…didn't want to tell them I was undocumented and…I panicked because I didn't go to a combat school and I didn't want to tell Ozpin the reason why."

Oh, stop with the face, Crimson! Let's see you up here!

Ruby took a deep breath and looked up into Qrow's murky red eyes. "So…what are you going to do?"

Qrow stared at her for a moment then gazed around at the rest of Team RSNC. The stylish Skyler, the eccentric Crimson, and the confident Neo. They all looked back at him, Skyler with expectant eyes, Crimson with his cocky grin, Neo with a single eyebrow raised. Qrow looked back at Ruby, her sliver eyes wide and worried, slightly pleading for him to help. He sighed.

Stupid misfit team doing their stupid misfit charisma!

He shook his head. "I'm going to tell Ozpin whatever you want me to, that and nothing else."

Ruby nearly fell over in relief and beamed. "Thank you! Sooo much!"

And then to the shock of nearly everyone, Ruby hugged Qrow. The uncle was stunned for just a micro of a second before he followed her lead and wrapped his arms around her in return. The contact only lasted a few seconds, but it was nice to see nevertheless. When the uncle and niece broke apart, Qrow suddenly frowned.

"What about Yang?"

While Ruby seemed to be at a loss with that question, Skyler and Crimson had a few ideas.

"Whack her, a lot."

"Introduce Yang to our dear, sweet Neo here and see what happens."

Neo jumped off the hammock and twirled her parasol, a slight sadistic smile on her face.

Ruby completed for a moment, what did she want to happen to Yang Xiao Long? The red-cloaked girl looked into her uncle's eyes.

"Don't kill her, that's all."

Qrow nodded and looked back out the window and the darkening sky.

"I need to get back to Ozpin and tell him…" Another glance at Ruby.

"What I told you." Ruby confirmed, then had a second thought. "Just tell Ozpin, please, not Prof. Goodwitch or anybody else."

Qrow placed a hand on her shoulder. "Whatever you want, kid." He disappeared out the window.

There was silence in the dorm for a moment as they all stared out of the window, looking out into the deepening shadows. The silence was broken when Neo jumped Ruby from behind and tackled her to the floor in revenge for being lifted like a doll. Ruby let out a yelp as the two started to roll around the floor, the match soon descending into a tickle war-slash-minor pillow fight. Crimson laughed at the sight and even Skyler chuckled.

As shouts of Ruby's laughter filled the room, the two boys looked around at what was left of their dorm, there was no bedcovers on the two remaining beds, the kitchen was devoid of everything but ice cubes, and the bathroom was unsupplied of everything but the faucets and the commode.

Skyler shook his head. "This is a horrible place to live, there is nothing here!"

Crimson agreed. "What kind of boarding school doesn't supple bedding? The least they could have done was give us some soap! We should complain!"

Skyler nodded. "Let's go to Ozpin and see if we can get this room furnished."

Crimson smiled, a twinkle in his eyes. "Better yet, let's go to Goodwitch, thanks to her, I think I've discovered my new favorite sport."

Skyler stared off into space contemplatively. "We are not good students."

"No, but we're fun!"

Ozpin was silent for a moment, looking at Qrow. Qrow, finished with re-telling the true events of Ruby's life, just stared back. Ozpin's eyes lowered to stare at his desk top. When he spoke, his voice was hollow and strained.

"I…I never thought…I can barely believe…" Ozpin turned to look sharply up at Qrow.

"If you knew, why didn't you say anything?"

Qrow shook his head. "I didn't know, I suspected. But I still couldn't do anything, a constantly travailing hunter who has a drinking problem? Oh, yeah, I'm sure people will believe what I have to say." He glanced out the window.

"I didn't believe I could help Ruby then, but I'll be damned if I make that same mistake again."

"What are you going to do now?" Ozpin asked worriedly, slightly afraid of what the veteran hunter would do. Qrow looked back at the headmaster.

"I think…" He cracked his knuckles. "I'll go pay some family a few visits."

In EBWY's dorm room, Yang was going through some tough realizations.

First, the uncle who cut contact with Yang and her father had come to Beacon to see Ruby Rose, the girl who her family thought dead.

Second, the girl and the uncle had met, they talked with each other.

Third, that uncle was standing right outside her door.

"Can I help you?" Weiss asked as the door swung open to revealing Qrow Branwen. The heiress had warmed up to her team over the course of time, in small thanks to Ebon's fun-loving personality which helped along the way. At the moment, the platinum blond was looking at the scurry Qrow with her eyebrows raised disdainfully as the light scent of alcohol came whispering off of him. Qrow looked down at the Schnee with an expressionless face.

"Just here to talk to my niece over there." He turned his unreadable face to the blond brawler.

"Hey, Yang. How've you been?"

She gulped in terror.

"H-hey, Uncle Qrow!"

"Yeah, about that `Uncle` part." Qrow jerked his head out the door, motioning for Yang to follow him into the hall.

"Why don't you and I have a little talk?"

With Blake and Ebon sparring, there was only Weiss for back-up and she had just gone back to studying. Her ice-blue eyes met lilac ones of Yang.

"Well, go on. I'm sure the sooner you go; the sooner he'll leave."

Yang stared at the white-dressed heiress angrily as she marched out of the room to find Qrow own the hall, striding up to him, Yang felt like tar was pooling inside her chest. She took a deep breath and looked at Qrow.

"Yes?"

Qrow was still impassive as he asked a question that Yang had hoped he would never voice.

"What happened to Ruby, Yang?"

Yang froze as a thousand thoughts filled her mind. Should she lie or tell the truth? Should she confess or continue to hide what she had done? Yang's mind thought furiously as the decisions passed through.

"Well?" Qrow asked. Yang felt like she was going to hyperventilate, but she stared up at him.

"I don't kno- "

The slap, when it came, chilled Yang to the core, it felt too familiar, like she had seen it happen many times before. Yang Xiao Long gasped as Qrow's hand made harsh contact with her cheek, jerking her head to the side, her hair falling around her face. Qrow face was as indifferent as ever, but his eyes betrayed wrath that was equal to Hell's.

"What. Happened. To. Ruby?"

Even Yang's Semblance didn't activate to help her. She looked back up at Qrow, her eyes dry, but despair deep within them. She looked at the man in front of her and broke, was defeated, could not keep it hidden any longer. The words spilled from her mouth.

The story was the same, but this time from the view of the transgressor, from the view of the abuser. And it ended where Ruby died. A story of betrayal, pain, hate, and rage.

Yang finished just as Ebon and Blake walked up into the hallway. They both paused as the sight of Qrow and Yang standing there.

"Is everything alright here?" Blake's golden eyes darting between her partner and the man with the large weapon. Yang looked over at them, her face bleak.

"It's fine, guys, just one of those family visits that you get from time-to-time."

"OK…"

With one last look, Ebon and Blake disappeared into their dorm room. Yang turned back to Qrow and looked up, fearful of what he'll do now.

"T-that's the story, everything I saw or…did."

Qrow's eyes lessened in their intensity and his voice held more emotion then before, it was fierce anger, but emotion, nevertheless.

"I have questions, but I don't think you're the one to answer them." His head tilted towards her.

"Yang, where is Taiyang Xiao Long?"

The bar was quiet, Patch was a quiet island, but the bar was unobtrusive by even the calm little island's standards. The total of two people inside included the barkeeper and a blond-haired man who was currently, in the opinion of the barkeeper, was trying to drown himself in alcohol. The barkeeper didn't care why, but the black-haired man who swung open the door did, a lot.

The man strolled over to the blond drinker, whose appearance degraded with the distance. Stubble covered the lower half of the blond's face while the hair was long an unkempt.

The black-haired man sat down beside him, waving off the fumes of strong alcohol that wavered from the blond.

"You takin' care of yourself, Tai'?"

Taiyang Xiao Long raised his blurry eyes and peered at the man besides him.

"Qrow?" The drunken croak of a voice was dumbfounded. Struck with shock and confusion at the appearance of the man who left Patch five years ago. Qrow smiled grimly back.

"Hey."

Tai stared up at him in a muddle. "What are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, Qrow caught the attention of the barkeep, handing him a roll of lien and jerking his thumb towards the door.

The barkeeper left.

Turning back to the blond besides him, Qrow forced back up the grim smile.

"I have a few questions for you, Tai. Hope you don't mind."

"I…"

"First question, when Yang was young, how hard did she take Summer's death? Afterwards, how much did she look up to you? How much did she want to do everything you did? How far did she take that? "

"Qrow, Wh- "

"Yeah, doesn't matter much anyways." Qrow shifted in his seat and looked sideways at Taiyang.

"So…have you heard any news from Beacon lately."

The twitch that followed those words gave Taiyang away.

Yang called him, good! That makes my job easier.

Qrow stood up, rubbing his hands together, he stood slightly behind the blond Tai.

"So, you have heard from Beacon or Yang, it doesn't really matter who told you, just so that you know…and you do know, right?

Qrow let his hands hang loosely by his sides. His voice lowered.

"About who else is attending Beacon this year?"

Tai fumbled to sit up straighter. "Qrow, I- "

"Who else is attending Beacon this year, Tai? I want you to say who!"

Qrow's face was no longer calm and casually, it was harsh with hate.

Tai gasped, his mouth opening and closing like a dying fish. He closed it and swallowed.

"Ruby Rose, Ruby Rose is at Beacon."

"Right!" Qrow grabbed Taiyang's head and slammed it down on the bar, he threw Taiyang back, sending the drunk blond sprawling to the floor. The drunk couldn't get himself back up.

Qrow stepped forward. "We even got a chance to talk and- "

Taiyang tried to rise, only to have Qrow kick him back down.

"Ruby."

A bone-shattering stomp to the kneecap.

"Told."

A kick to the groin.

"Me."

A stomp to the stomach.

"What."

A blow to the sternum.

"You."

Qrow twisted Taiyang's hair in his fist, pulling Tai's head up.

"Did!"

Qrow smashed his fist into the face of the blotto, again and again the blows fell; blood staining everything around the two. Qrow stood back and delivered a kick to the jaw, shattering Tai's mouth and splitting teeth as thick strands of blood flew from Taiyang's lips. Qrow pulled him up by his hair and rammed the blond's head into the lip of the bar top.

He collapsed onto the floor, groaning in pain as Qrow stood, panting, above him. Straightening up, he glared down at the form laying before him, a glare full of hate and fury. Qrow bent down and pull Taiyang to his feet, the drunk looking with wide eyes at the murderous Qrow.

Blood sputtered from between his lips as Taiyang tried to speak through his ruined mouth.

"W-what are y-you doing…"

Qrow looked at him in disgust. He stared at this thing in disgust.

"What am I doing?! I'm doing to you what you did to Ruby. Only you're lucky, I won't drag it out for ten years!"

Qrow lifted the drunk blond off his feet and slammed his body on top of the bar, shattering shot glasses and spraying liquor. Taiyang tried to fight and even managed to land a punch on Qrow's cheek, bruising the skin, but Qrow was stronger, fueled by anger and rage over the thought of what happened to Ruby. Pinning the struggling Taiyang to the bar, Qrow pulled free the scythe strapped to his back and held it aloft.

"One last thing..."

The blade cleaved into Taiyang's broad shoulder, the muscle splitting under the sharpness of the blade. Even under the dull haze of alcohol, Tai screamed in agonizing pain.

Qrow twisted the weapon in as blood seeped from the wound, and the wide blade severed the bone, sending the tip of the scythe into the wood of the bar.

"…I hope this won't ruin your teaching career."

Qrow twisted the blade once again, severing the entire right arm from the body of Taiyang Xiao Long.

As Taiyang laid there, nearly comatose from the shock, Qrow leaned in close to whisper in his ear.

"If you even try to see Ruby again, if you even think about coming near her, I will kill you. I will rip everything that makes you human out with my bare hands and replace the hollow with the blade of my scythe. This isn't a threat; this is a promise."

Then Qrow left, out of the bar and leaving Taiyang to stare at his own dismembered arm as it's blood mixed with whiskey and glass.

His heart still drumming a beat of the damned.

So, there we go! What do you think? Yes, Taiyang is still alive, but that is because I have plans for him later, don't worry, Taiyang and Yang (If you didn't think I was harsh enough) will get theirs. But I hoped you have enjoyed this chapter and thank you to all the people who help this story along! The people who are following this, have left a review, and have favorited this story, you are all incredible!

A HUGE thank you to Lucian Naruto for being awesome. Really though, Lucian, you're awesome!

Anyways, I hope I'm doing well and I'll see you all in the next chapter!