Big Issues

AN: We're back for another chapter! Woo! And I'd like to thanks mobleytrey6 and Pollius for the follow and fave of this series. I hope you all enjoyed the fights from the last few chapters and you can now sit back and relax without such action heavy scenes this time. No promises for next time in that regard. On with the show!

Nice

Getting a flight from Beacon to go to Anima was easy, Glynda had everything ready for them as soon as they arrived. The Bullhead had room for Scarab and Bumblebee along with the passengers and a few crates of supplies going to the other continent. But that also meant that this was the first time for Yang and Denko to see the state of Vale and Beacon since the attack nearly a year ago.

Tents were still in use for some, though that seemed to be for volunteers rather than necessity. Simple buildings served as the primary residence for many while some apartment buildings had been built or repaired for others to live in. The governmental buildings like town hall still bore the scars of battle, appearing that only the debris was cleared so resources would be spent on housing.

Shops had sprung up in the city, most goods sold being traded for others or paid by cleaning efforts. The manufacturing district had thankfully been spared of the worst damage and was running around the clock to recycle materials brought in and produce new items, mostly building supplies and furniture. Food was being rationed yet despite the good harvest this year, not wanting to risk starvation in the winter.

Beacon wasn't much better with many of the buildings now completely gone. The Beacon Tower that could be seen from Patch on a clear night, was now rebuilt on the outside. It was now nearly twice as thick as it used to be, concrete and metal armor that was being painted. On the inside, technicians were still busy going through every part of the machine to ensure that it was completely fixed.

"It's good for you to stop by." Glynda greeted the team as they stepped out of the elevator, finishing what she was doing on her computer in a few seconds before giving them her full attention. And that was when her breath hitched upon seeing Yang.

"Yang Xiao Long?"

"Hi Professor Goodwitch." The younger hefty blonde says meekly with a wave of her right hand.

Without another word, Glynda walked around her desk, crossed the room, and enveloped the girl in a hug.

"Professor?" Yang wasn't exactly objecting to the embrace but it was unexpected.

The taller blonde stepped back and gave her student a proper look over and took in the changes to the girl. "Sorry about that, I'm just relieved to see you up and about."

"Thanks." It was a bit odd for Yang to see her teacher, now Headmistress, this way. She was used to the strict but fair attitude Glynda normally used, though being kind and gentle contrasted with her short temper, both of which she had witnessed.

"Are you here to see the team off?" Glynda asks the younger blonde.

"Actually… she's going to be part of our team for the mission." Denko clarifies, prompting Glynda to snap her gaze at him.

"Really?" She marches over and 'leads' him to the window by the shoulder.

"You do know of the secrecy of this mission don't you? She shouldn't be involved." Glynda whispers.

Denko kept his voice low as the girls watched with interest. "Of course I know all about that. But she's been involved in this stuff without knowing about how deep the hole is. Not to mention the family involvement."

"I know the two of you are close friends but we keep the Inner Circle small for a reason."

He let out a small snort of laughter. "We're dating now but that's not why she's coming. She's dealt with some of the crap before and she's itching to get out of the house. Even fought Tai so she could go on missions again."

Glynda blinked a few times as she processed the information. "I suppose congratulations are in order. I'm hoping that you'll keep each other in check while in the field." She spoke loud enough to ensure that Yang heard, making the girl blush.

"And what was that about fighting your father?" That question led to a brief recap of the argument and the tests that followed.

Glynda leaned back in her chair with a sigh. "For one, I'm glad he's not as hotheaded as he used to be when he came to Beacon… reminds me of someone else." Green eyes looked pointedly at lilac. "At the same time, I understand his hesitation to let you leave so soon."

"Not you too!"

"Relax, Miss Xiao Long." Glynda waves off the concern. "I'm not going to bar you from going if you have these three backing you. Though I am curious as to how you defeated Taiyang; he was among the strongest to graduate as far as I know."

"You don't think I beat him?"

"I'm just saying, that compared to how you fought back in the Tournament, Taiyang could have a cold at your age and would have beaten you in under three minutes." Glynda states. "That is not a slight against you but more of a show of how he was as a student… in combat at least."

"I didn't know about that, I always kinda figured that dad and Uncle Qrow exaggerated their stories a bit."

"I'm sure they did, especially when softening them for young girls." Glynda smirks at implying the bedtime stories. "At the same time, while I truly do have my doubts that you are actually up to the level you were before the attack, you may be about that point now. And for you to have beaten your father in a fight he must either really held himself back, let himself go, or most likely a combination of both."

"He was a tougher fight than Mercury, that's for sure."

"Speaking of which, I'm sure you've been made aware that the records have been set straight about your disqualification from the aftermath of that fight?" Goodwitch asks as she laces her fingers.

"Umm, yeah."

"Good, then we should have some measure of clarity in your mind on that front."

"Have you heard anything from Ruby? Or the others?" Yang asks, almost sounding desperate for news.

"I'm sorry to say that I haven't." Glynda shakes her head. "Their team left long before the tower was repaired enough to allow communications, especially at that distance. I had hoped that Leonardo would have called me by now about their visit to him."

"Isn't that why you sent Qrow to speak with him?" Denko speaks up.

"Among other reasons." The Headmistress closes her eyes for a bit, even when the man was on another continent he could somehow give her a headache. "But he sent me a message that he may have a lead. One that pertains to the mission you're undertaking."

"I guess he's busy with another lead for something else." Anya scoffs.

"Perhaps." Glynda agrees. "Either way, if he's occupied or following that lead for Her, you will be going to investigate."

"Why do I get the feeling that I'm missing some important context to this situation?" Yang asks.

"We'll explain on the flight to Anima." Denko tells her suspiciously quickly.

"It's a long ride and filling you in will help pass the time." Talon adds.

"So I'm the odd one out?"

"Here? Yes." Anya says flatly.

"Very well, if you three are going to explain, that makes it easier for me. Had I known Miss Xiao Long would be joining you, I would have asked for our meeting to be earlier." Glynda tells them as she stands up, her chair letting out a few creaks of relief.

"Keep in mind, Yang, that whatever they tell you about this mission, it is of utmost importance that you speak to no one outside of this room about it." Glynda emphasized with a squeeze to the shorter girl's shoulder.

"Nobody?"

"Your uncle is the exception, should you happen across him."

"But not even Ruby?"

"I have a higher expectation for you to find Qrow during this mission. But should you somehow cross paths with your sister… not a word."

"I understand." The girl was disappointed that she was being forced to keep a secret from her sister but the fact that it was her former teacher asking that of her and her boyfriend was part of it, she was willing to comply.

"Very well, let us be off. The rest of the Vale Council requested an in person meeting about how the rebuilding efforts are going. We can walk to the docks together."

"Sounds good Professor." Yang smiles as they all gather into the elevator and with the two blonde women dominating most of the room. "That's really nice."

—-

"Uncle Qrow? Just… who was that guy?" Ruby asks from next to the fire the team had made to give them heat and light for the night.

Qrow's leg had been quickly wrapped in bandages to stem the bleeding. There was worry about venom but between their lack of anti venom, something that only a hospital would have, and Qrow's insistence that he has a strong resistance from his years in the wilderness, the team was forced to accept that they couldn't do anything more. What it did do was encourage them to help the veteran Huntsman to get to Mistral faster so he could get the treatment required.

"That guy?" Qrow took the offered meal of stew they made from freeze dried packs."That is one bastard that the world thought that we were rid of years ago. Turns out that he was just laying low."

"You said his name is Tyrian?" Ren asks as he fills a bowl for Ruby.

"Tyrian Callows. A couple years ago there was a mission to capture or kill him out of Mistral. They sent fifteen Huntsmen after him, with the current Headmaster of Haven, Leonardo Lionheart, in charge. Callows took out half the squad during that mission either from killing them in the field or from venom later. Two died from Grimm attracted to the fighting. Three more needed amputations of some sort thanks to the injuries.

But from the gashes in his body and throwing the nutjob off a cliff into the ocean, the team figured at least one of those would have finished him off. The families of the Huntsmen lost and the victims certainly took some manner of peace from that."

"What did he do?" Pyrrha was hesitant to ask after hearing 'victims'.

Qrow sighs. "If you couldn't tell, that guy isn't exactly all there upstairs. Add in the fact that he loves to dish out pain and to kill, you can imagine how he earned a rap sheet a mile long. The most dangerous serial killer anyone could find and a very successful one at that. Dozens of lives were lost by his hands and more than a few disappearances of Huntsmen and Huntresses were believed to be his doing while on relatively simple jobs."

"Who is the 'Queen' or 'Goddess' he talked about? He didn't seem to like it when I thought it was Cinder." Ruby hadn't touched her bowl, too focused on her uncle.

Qrow finished his bowl before answering, the best food he had in days. "Hmmm…." He seemed to be considering something for a bit, then shrugged his shoulders.

"Normally, I'd keep my trap shut about this but with as mixed up into the situation as you kids are, and one of you already knows a lot more than she's letting on, I'll explain some of it." Red eyes swept over the teens, lingering on the green ones looking back.

"Wait, one of us knows?" Jaune asks in confusion.

"Yeah, she does. Thing is, some of what I'm gonna say is news to her too, so all of you better listen up." Qrow got his bowl refilled by Ren.

"But who is it?" The blonde questions. Everything seemed to go quiet aside from the crackling fire.

"Me." A quiet voice broke the silence.

Everyone turned to see Pyrrha keeping her head low so her bangs hid her eyes. Everyone but Qrow who was eating.

"Pyrrha?"

"I'm sorry!" She looks at her friends and sees that they just wanted answers, not judging her for keeping a secret.

"You knew? But… for how long?"

"Jaune… I…"

She was cut off by loud slurping and everyone looked to see Qrow finishing his stew. "Relax kid, I'll explain. You don't know all the details anyway or why you were so important."

"Wasn't I supposed to keep Amber's powers safe?" Pyrrha nearly sobbed as she remembered being there in the vault, seeing a dying woman clinging to life. How the machine keeping her alive was also meant to extract her aura and the Maiden powers to be transferred into herself. The pain of Amber's aura being forced into her body, how she could feel the anguish from Amber through that connection that her own aura and powers were torn in half. The fact that she hesitated too long, how she might have the powers safe from Cinder if the transfer was successful. The death from an arrow to the heart and all of the aura rushing back.

The last time seeing Amber in that chamber and the pain on her face. How Cinder used the power she stole to hurt and kill others simply because she could. The pain she had been in from her brave, if foolish, attempt to stop her on her own. In the aftermath of the attack, Glynda telling her that Amber had been laid to rest.

"Yes you were." Qrow retaliates, but there was nothing but sympathy for her. He had been against the whole ordeal in the first place, only accepting the transfer idea as a last resort thanks to Ozpin and Glynda convincing him.

"What are you talking about!?" Nora jumps in, as loud as always.

"Sit down and stop yelling. I don't need a headache on top of a leg wound." Qrow was quick to admonish, giving the small clearing they were in a glance to check if any Grimm were attracted by the noise.

"Alright, now just sit there and pay attention. And remember, you tell nobody about this except if I say so. We can talk to Glynda when we get back to Vale."

"Professor Goodwitch?" Ruby squeaked at the slight irritated look her uncle gave her.

"Now… I'll start at the beginning. That'll be nice."

—-

"Wait, so there are girls with magic powers running around?" Yang was incredulous.

The team are now high in the air as they flew to Anima, intending to land near the middle of the continent. Thanks to Qrow, they have a general area to begin their search.

"I dunno about running around… at least for all of them. Unless Winter found a new host lately, she's been kicking around since the Great War and had a hand in the Faunus Revolution." Denko was comparatively laid back to his girlfriend , though Talon made him look tense with how she was laying across a bench seat.

"We'd spar against Summer back home every so often back home. That was always fun." The chubby girl comments as she eats some pocky while reading a comic on her scroll.

"So you are used to their powers?"

"Gets a bit lackluster after a few rounds. The real trick is more about HOW they use the power." Denko tells her.

"Don't forget how to respond to how she uses them." Anya adds from her seat nearby.

"Why do I get the feeling that there's more to this?" Yang rubs her hands through her hair in a mild display of frustration.

"Well… Summer is fairly safe in Vacuo and Winter is in Atlas being cared for, hopefully they will help her choose a successor rather than letting it go to someone random and having to track them down." Denko begins. "Fall, unfortunately, is now Cinder and Spring is currently unknown."

"Hmph, at least Cinder was too hotheaded for her own good. Had a chance to open the vault for the relic and blew it." Anya grins at the misfortune of their enemy.

"Didn't you blow her out a window?" Yang asks for clarification on the fight in the tower.

"Yep. Turned her own power against her with a good bit of his Semblance to boot." Anya's face soured at the next part. "Too bad that Grimm carried her away before she went splat."

Yang shivered a bit at how casually the dark girl spoke of killing but thankfully it was reserved for certain individuals. And honestly, after what Cinder did to Vale and Beacon, and many waistlines, she deserved it.

"So… you said this, Salem, controls the Grimm?"

"Short version, yes. How? We're not sure." Denko shrugs. "But we assume that it's only general orders, given how dumb Grimm are as a whole. We think that she uses some kind of special Grimm or magic to tell them what to do."

"But if she's able to control the Grimm, why hasn't she tried to overwhelm the Kingdoms?"

"Probably because the Kingdoms were founded in spite of the attacks like that. That and it's a valid tactic to pretend you don't exist while letting mindless minions create terror all over the world." Anya told the blonde.

"And you say she's some kind of immortal witch with magic? What stops her from taking things into her own hands?"

"That would make her a prime target for the rest of the world to rally against and she'd have to try fighting off anyone being sent after her that wasn't busy holding off the Grimm, constantly. And apparently, if the world is united and the four Relics are brought together, the Brother Gods will return to judge Remnant." Talon explains.

"Plus you could see that the Kingdoms would pin her down with artillery or something like that while setting up a prison around her. Probably with all kinds of traps and shit to keep her occupied healing herself indefinitely." Anya suggests.

"Is there any way to beat her?"

"No idea. Never met the witch and not particularly inclined to fight her if I do." Denko shrugs. "But from what I've heard, she's the type to let others do the work for her. So, take out her followers, we keep her from completing her own plans."

"And what is her plan?"

"To be honest? Not really sure. Our best guess is that she wants to take the Relics for herself and bring the Gods back to see a world in chaos, and destroy everything." Denko tells her honestly.

Yang let all of that sink in for a few minutes, slumping back into her seat.

"And you've known about this for how long?"

"Nearly two years now." Anya answers easily. "Took us a bit to process all of that too but dealing with Summer and a few missions for Ozpin's group is a good way to provide enough proof."

"And Uncle Qrow?"

"Been part of this fight since he was in Beacon. Same with your parents." Denko was serious but also worried.

"Dad? Mom?"

"Yeah, Team STRQ was in on things before they finished school. But you'll have to ask Tai and Qrow when we see them again." Denko shrugs again before moving to sit next to Yang.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean when I do that I have to be nice."

—-

The discovery of a crashed ship in the forests of Anima was far from unheard of, it was more of a matter of how long ago they crashed. For some, like Huntsmen on a mission, that meant a temporary shelter to work out of, depending on the conditions of the wreck. For others, they lived off the land and would take anything of worth from food and clothes to weapons and Dust. There were few missions sent this far out for a search and rescue, let alone a recovery operation unless there was something of extreme value.

And for this group of hunters, it was certainly the latter and not a recovery unit.

"Whoa ho! Now this is one hell of a prize!" The apparent leader of the group boasts as they walk up to the permanently grounded Manta alongside the path of destruction its landing created.

"What do you think it was doin' out here, Boss?" One of the men asks.

"Dunno, but this crash is still fresh." The young woman comments as she notes that the broken wood is still green and the craft was smoking slightly. "Shay, go around front and see if there's a pilot. Tater, you're with me to check the back."

"Why do I always get the shitty job?" Shay complains before a boot slammed into his rear. "Argh! What was that for?!"

"Ya get the shit jobs because you keep pulling stupid shit like that all the time! Now get moving!" The woman yells.

"Idiot is gonna get himself killed one of these days." Tater grumbles in a deep voice.

"On the job or by one of us?" The leader smirks.

"Whichever comes first or makes us feel better." Tater grins widely.

"And that is why I like you, big guy. You know your place and you are reliable. That's better than half the tribe." Tater just laughed at that compliment and follows her to the crash, arriving just as Shay approached the cockpit window.

"What is it, Shay?" Tater asks as the Boss was ducking into the open rear hatch but knows she's listening.

"Pilots dead. Bunch of glass and a branch in his chest!"

"Fine with me! Now search him for anything good!" The Boss calls out from inside.

Tater could hear Shay sigh and grumble under his breath. At the same time, the Boss was doing something inside that made a fair amount of noise. The results were quick to be seen as a pile of emergency food packs, medical kits, ammunition, some Dust, and most interestingly, a rapier was tossed out.

"Hey Tater, she look familiar to ya?"

The big man pushed on the Manta to lift it up to allow his bulk to duck under and look inside… with one arm. But the surprise was seeing his Boss pointing at a younger looking woman with long white hair slumped over in her seat, held up by her harness.

"Hmm…yeah, she does. Looks like that girl her daddy is willing to pay big money for." Tater says as he scratches his chin with his free hand.

"She's still breathing, ya thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yeah. We just hit the jackpot."

"Alright, gimme a sec to get her." The woman releases the harness and the girl falls forward onto her. "Damn! She's heavier than she looks!"

"I got her." Tater reaches over and plucks the pear-shaped girl off his Boss with one hand.

"Good. Make sure she'll make it back to camp and can't run away. I'll finish up here with the jackass."

"Hey!"

"Shut it! Aren't ya done yet?!"

With those orders, Tater backed out of the Manta and set it back down gently before taking a few strides away to take care of the prisoner with a bounty on her head.

A quick check for injuries found that they were minimal aside from some minor bruising, more than likely from the crash. A split lip and small cut by her hairline had stopped bleeding long before they arrived. Another search of her pockets brought out her scroll and a small wallet, both of which he tossed into a suitcase that was obviously hers. He finished by taking a short length of rope from his belt and tying her wrists together.

The sword that belongs to his captive was already secured in the belt of his Boss alongside her own weapons. And Shay was having to load up the weapons and ammunition with the Dust in his pack while the Boss took the food and medical supplies.

Tater hefted the heavy girl over his shoulder and let the Boss secure her to his pack before standing up to tower over his comrades… white suitcase in hand.

"Haha! C'mon Tater! Do you know how ridiculous you look?!" Of course, Shay would be the one to point that out… and receive a boot to the ass for it.

A large hand caught him before the Boss could put her foot back on the ground or Shay to land on his own feet.

"Shut up and start listening for once in your life. Next time WILL be your last." Tater told the scrawny man as he held him high in the air, which meant that Shay's feet dangled where his head would normally be.

"G-got it!" Shay stammers out.

"Thanks Tater. Let him go and we need to get our cash cow back to camp." The woman pats the much larger man on the back as she passes, leading the way now.

Tater gave one last look of warning to Shay in his grip before it morphed into a malicious grin. "She said let go."

That was the only warning the blonde man had before the hand opened and he fell to the ground. The huge man simply stepped over the fallen bandit.

As Shay picked himself up, he glared at the backs of his tribesmen. "You may be the pet of the Bosses pet but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't watch your back." He began to follow the pair at a distance. "Someday real soon, I'm gonna take over. And once I do, things for me are gonna be real nice."

—-

"This is unbelievable!" Jaune yells as he stands up and marches up to Qrow. "You tried to force Pyrrha to become one of these Maidens! Why?!" He pokes the man in the chest several times.

"Put that finger away if you want to keep it. Even with my leg like this, I can still kick your ass to Mistral if I wanted." As much as Qrow sympathizes with the teens and what they just learned about the world, the combination of the intrusion of his personal space and Ruby nicking his flask made him irritable.

A pair of arms wrapped around the blonde and pulled him back to the log he'd been sitting on.

"Jaune, nobody forced me to try keeping that power safe. They explained things to me and showed me Amber down in the vault." Pyrrha told him, though everybody could hear her.

"Who?" Was the simple question.

"There was Ozpin, Glynda, Qrow, Ironwood, and Anya for the meeting."

"Believe me kid, I would have preferred to simply kill the one who attacked Amber and see if restoring her power would pull her through her injuries over what she was being asked to do." Qrow emphasized by pointing at Pyrrha. "Do you know how pissed I was when I found out that MY girls were on the short list of candidates for that?"

"What?" Ruby squeaks out, prompting her uncle to slap his face and drag his hand down.

"Fine, since we're being honest here, Jimmy suggested that you or Yang be the one to go through that BS." He spat into the fire in anger at the memory.

"The General wanted that?" Ren spoke up, surprisingly.

"Yeah, figured that it would be easier to convince either one since we're family and our family already has a history with this mission since we've been doing it since before we graduated. At least I still am." He was understandably bitter as he explained.

"It's too late to do much about that now. What's guarding the Relic back at Beacon?" Nora queries.

"Right now, Glynda is spending as much time near the tower as possible as a final line of defense. She also used the reconstruction as a cover to seal the old entrance to the vault and build a new one." Qrow elaborates. "Not to mention the students and faculty who stayed to help with rebuilding serving as extra security. Plus everyone is still on high alert and anyone going to Beacon requires documentation and scheduling. Even have passwords embedded in the ID's that are randomized day to day to prevent infiltration."

"Wow."

"Yeah. Now if you don't mind keeping things quiet for a bit, I'd like to relax." The older man shifted on the log so that he could lay on his back.

The teens finished their dinners and cleaned up, though there was a slight tension centered around Jaune. Tension that made him a bit distant from Pyrrha and spiked when looking at Qrow. Thankfully, Ren took him to help wash their bowls and restock their water at the small river nearby.

"Uncle Qrow?"

"What is it, Pipsqueak?"

The use of her nickname brought a brief smile to her lips. "I was wondering… was he after me because of my eyes?"

That got the man to sit up straight in a hurry and wish that he had his flask. Too bad the latter was used to help disinfect his wound.

"Ah, you did remember what me and your dad told you."

"What are you saying about Ruby's eyes?" Pyrrha asks, her face showing a slight irritation over another secret. Nora looked between the trio and subtly moved towards the tall redhead.

"Something that has been a closely guarded secret for generations within her family line." Qrow responds. "But, if you want to know so badly because there's no way you're gonna leave my niece on her own and I've already told you some of the greatest secrets in the world… why not add one more, huh?"

As sarcastic as he was for the last part, he knew that he was going to need to be honest with the kids about this. Snark just came naturally to him.

"Then let's wait for the boys to get back." Nora suggests as she sits on the log next to Pyrrha, coincidentally filling the space with her wide load.

"Don't bother, we're here." Jaune was obviously still grumpy about things and it seemed like his mood had worsened. Ren seemed peaceful in contrast and silently helped put the equipment back in their packs.

Qrow waited until they were done and seated before he spoke again. "Alright, to be fair to all of you, I'm no expert on the clan of Silver-Eyed Warriors but I'll tell you what I do know."

"Is that what you told Ruby before we left?" Ren asks.

"Yeah, we weren't gonna send her out without knowing something like that, now that her eyes have activated once." Qrow confirms, following that with a few gulps from his canteen.

"Activated?" All teens besides Ruby ask as one.

"Yeah, activated. And I was right there in the front row seat to see it happen." He held his hands up when he saw them opening their mouths to speak. "Sit down and keep quiet. Maybe I'll answer your questions without your input."

Despite the situation, Ruby giggled as her friends soured looks at her uncle's teaching methods. She just had the fortune to have grown used to it over the years.

"Now, the Silver Eyed Warriors are a clan that had fighting Grimm in their blood. The only way to stop one from fighting was to restrain or kill them, and if the fight was far away, they'd go to it.

It might be just a wild guess, but the Kingdoms were partly founded thanks to the efforts of the Silver Eyes combat abilities and leading others to follow them.

But as years passed, the centuries of going out to the front lines of any and every fight took their toll on the clan. Their numbers dwindled until only a few families were scattered around the world and it was Ozpin's group who did their best to keep tabs and keep them safe.

But as for their eyes… well, that's a bit complicated because I've only known two Silver Eyes personally; this Pipsqueak here and her mother, Summer Rose."

Qrow paused for a drink, almost forgetting that it was just water, and he saw the pride and sadness cross over Ruby's face.

"Now, on the surface the Silver Eyes seem to be just a family quirk, like a Branwen having red eyes." He points to his own for emphasis. "But Silver Eyes can do much more than draw curiosity for the color, they can stop Grimm in their tracks with just a look."

"Really?" Nora had to ask.

"You saw that massive Grimm at Beacon, right?" The former teacher asks and gets five nodding heads. "Good. And to be honest, nobody on their own has the capability to stop something that big, and that thing came after the Atlesian battleships were taken down. Those were the only other things with a chance to kill it.

Denko did a damn good job bringing it to the ground before it could do too much damage but he could only delay it, not kill.

But was it that caused such an unstoppable monster to turn to stone at Beacon?" He looked around to see them pondering about the situation. Most of them weren't there and were injured within the tower or on the docks waiting for evacuation to Vale.

"From what I know, Silver Eyes release a power that destroys Grimm with the overwhelming need to protect others. Selflessness at the cost of oneself." He saw them staring at him in shock, even Ruby despite hearing it from him and her dad back home. "The big downside is that it uses a lot of aura and drains the body of whoever uses that power."

"Is that why Ruby was unconscious for nearly a week?" Pyrrha asks as she looks at the girl.

"Ha! Only part of the truth. The doctors were right about her pushing herself beyond her limits… and now you all know that it's part of just who she is. The happy sunshine and rainbows and cookies with strawberries part is just her being Ruby. She just happens to have a born fighter under all of that fluff."

Ruby pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, unintentionally showing just how much 'fluff' she has on her as her arms sank into her belly. "I'm not fluffy."

"Keep telling yourself that kid. Just don't expect to follow me down any tight tunnels." Qrow shrugs with a laugh.

"Back on the topic, you've seen this power before?" Pyrrha spares the younger girl from being teased about her weight.

"Yeah, I did." The veteran confirms as he nods. "Couple times while we were in school at Beacon Summer wound up using her Silver Eyes. Got us out of some really tight jams that way but I'm pretty sure that's why Ozpin sent us on those missions; we could handle tough fights better than anyone."

"What kind of Semblances did you have besides the Silver Eyes?" Ren asks politely.

"Ha! The Silver Eyes aren't a Semblance. Though there is a rumor that they are a gift from one of the Brother Gods." Qrow crosses his arms as he looks to the star filled sky. "Team STRQ wasn't known for our Semblances, though they could come in handy in certain circumstances. Only Taiyang has one good for direct combat, his Dragon Fists. The girls and I had to rely more on our pure skill than anything else."

"But why did you tell us to stay back? Besides Stinger Butt beating us up." Nora asks in her usual 'eloquence'.

"Hmmmm… I should have expected that." Qrow grumbles as he looks at the fire and begins to poke some of the logs with a long stick.

"Is something wrong?" Ruby was full of concern for her family.

"It's just that… my Semblance is Misfortune."

"Bad luck?" Jaune repeats, breaking his silence.

"Yeah, Bad Luck, Misfortune. Whatever you wanna call it. Whenever I'm around, something is bound to go wrong somehow. Anything from a cup shattering to broken chairs, finding a slick spot to slip on and worse." Qrow explains.

"Hmm… you mean like that time my prototype Crescent Rose broke from its holster and misfired?"

"Yeah, exactly that. And I'm sure you had the safety on and it was secured because I watched you do it properly." Qrow confirms with a nod of his head. "We got damn lucky that was all my Semblance did to you because that bullet could have hit somebody."

That got the teens to quickly but carefully check their own weapons so that there couldn't be a reenactment of that incident .

"But why would you use your Semblance to do such a thing to your own niece?" The accusation was thinly disguised in Pyrrha's voice.

"Trust me, I DON'T want anything to happen to her. It's just… my Semblance isn't like most, I don't activate it like you kids do, it… it just is a constant."

"But such a thing is really rare! The only other person with a constant Semblance is-"

"Anya Eaglewing. Glad you remembered that. The two of us kinda connected thanks to our shitty luck of the draw when it comes to our Semblance's but we've managed to deal with our curses in our own way. She keeps hers tightly controlled to a minimal range and strength, I try to keep my distance from those I care about."

That revelation brought a new round of silence over the campsite. A small rustling was followed by a small hand on his.

"Uncle Qrow? Is that why you take those long missions? To stay away from us?"

"Ruby… my Semblance is part of that reason but not the whole reason. The things I do on those missions, let's just say I'm one of a select few with the skills to do them and I'd rather let my Bad Luck have its way on my enemies instead of my family." His right hand tussles her hair a bit at the end, bringing a much needed smile.

Unfortunately, at that moment one of the burning logs crumbled and a chunk rolled out to stop on a certain red cloak.

"Ah! Fire!" The rotund reaper screams and jumps high into the air with Petal Burst trailing smoke. The red rocket made its way to the river where the panicked yelling was replaced by relief.

"Um… was that…?" Nora drawls.

"My Misfortune? More than likely. I hate that I can't control it at all and it does bite me in the ass at times. That's why I keep my distance."

"That's better." Ruby walks back into the light looking a bit damp and a scorch mark on her cloak. Though to be fair, the red cloth was looking a bit ragged after months of travel so one more bit of damage wasn't too noticeable.

"That's not the only reason you didn't walk with us, is it?" Jaune accuses the Huntsman.

"What are you getting at, kid?" Qrow responds with a scowl and narrowed eyes.

"You used us as bait for that guy, didn't you? Let us draw him out for you!" The blonde was now standing and pointing his finger.

Qrow silently stood up so he could look down on the boy. "You might want to watch your tone, punk. I've been doing this job with a full license longer than you've been alive and never once did I ever use someone for bait, not without volunteers anyway."

A quick step was all he needed to be face to face with the knight. "I had no idea that Tyrian was targeting Ruby or anyone else for that matter. My best guess was that Salem could target her because of what happened at Beacon."

Jaune barely lasted three seconds into the stare down before giving in, allowing Qrow to smirk in satisfaction and step away.

"I have business with Lionheart when we get to Mistral and you kids will be my backup in case he gets a little difficult. He wouldn't know that I've clued you into the big secret and I'm hoping that you might pick up a few things while you talk to him about your actual mission."

"Where are you going?" Ruby raises her voice as Qrow limps away into the woods.

"Going for a short walk. Someone here doesn't appreciate when I made your trip here easier than it should have been." Qrow shoves his hands into his pockets and limps into the darkness, the light of the fire reflecting off Harbinger until that too disappears.

Jaune had a few moments before his friends turned their gaze onto him. As much as he felt the anger he had was justified, shame was quick to smother that.

"Jaune." Pyrrha's tone was one of disappointment, something that he hated to hear, especially when directed at him. He may have been lucky that it was rare but when it came… he knew he had screwed up enough to test her seemingly bottomless well of patience for him.

The blonde trudged over to his pack and began to set out his sleeping bag. "I know, I wasn't very nice."

—-

Qrow spent a few minutes walking around the camp, the light of the fire seen through the trees served as his guide. But as much as he was irritated by Jaune's accusations, he knew the kid cared for his team. The real aftermath of the fight with Tyrian had yet to hit them but after what they had gone through at Beacon, he hoped that the experience had tempered them enough to pull through.

The lack of his preferred drink for so long wore at him. It's not that he hadn't gone days or weeks without alcohol before but it had been rare and he hated those days. He'd probably find a way to make up for the loss once he got to Mistral.

On top of it all, he couldn't walk right since he'd been stabbed and he couldn't just fly off without raising questions. Had enough of that for one night and he hoped the detailed questions could wait until they got back to Vale so Glynda could deal with that problem. He was sure that he'd get an earful from her anyway for telling them so much.

He limps his way back to the log and sits, giving his leg the rest it needs. He wasn't facing the fire so he didn't see Ren sit up from his bag.

"I'm on first watch so you can get some rest." The ninja tells him quietly.

"Not bad, I thought you were asleep." The man looks over his shoulder in time to see the boy shrug.

"I use the time to meditate. It's peaceful."

"Yeah? I'm glad that at least one of you doesn't lose their cool."

"I do have my moments."

"We all do. And I'm sure your little girlfriend has given you plenty of practice In patience." Qrow grin widened as he saw the young man's face turn red as he glanced at the large pink lump with orange hair at one end.

"We-we're not like that."

"Could have fooled me. But don't tell me that you wouldn't want to."

A certain softness came to Ren's face as he looks at Nora again. "Maybe."

"Alright, go back to your meditation. I'm gonna crash in a few minutes." Ren silently lay back down and Qrow faced forwards again. Lifting his right hand, he saw the wound underneath bleeding through the bandages.

The worst part was the color being a dark purple. He muttered under his breath, "That can't be nice."

—-

If there was one thing that Yang could appreciate, it was a good view. Whether that was a fight between skilled Huntsmen, the beauty of men and women- her boyfriend in particular, or the scenery, she could usually find something to like about… some more than others.

This time, while she still had her boyfriend nearby, she was taken away by the view. The Bullhead had dropped them off on the top of a grass covered hill. A few leafy plants added some variety to the terrain. In the distance, mountains could be seen covered in a variety of trees that gave them different textures and colors. The bright blue sky was clear of the haze of the city thanks to the closest towns being small and agricultural, for the most part, with a few white fluffy clouds drifting by.

In short, it was a scene that a photographer would love to capture and an artist to kill to paint.

Yang simply pulled out her scroll and recorded the view as she turned for the full panoramic view of the beautiful landscape. Once done she slipped her orange tinted shades over her eyes and walks over to Bumblebee.

"Ready to get moving? We're not seeing any signs of people around here." Denko calls out from the driver's seat. Inside, the dashboard was projecting a hologram of the area thanks to a small retractable dish on the roof of Scarab spinning to gather data.

"Yeah, I just really like this place." She replies as she straddles her bike.

"Maybe we'll try to come out here for a picnic sometime."

"Sounds like a date."

"Alright you two, enough flirting. We need to move." Anya butts in from the back window.

"Come on Sis!"

"Mission first, Talon. Then we can do other things." The darker sister retorts.

Bumblebee rolled up next to the larger Scarab, stopping by the window. "Which way are we going?"

Denko looks at the map again to double check. "Heading north towards Lake Mashu. There's a few towns around that area we can ask around at. It's also known for being a place where people tend to go when they don't want to be found thanks to the mine tunnels, mountains, forests, and stuff."

"Works for me." Yang shrugs and sets her scroll in the slot on her bike. A small holographic screen popped up and she synchronizes her map to the one from the Scarab, complete with indicators of who is where. The yellow arrow being close to the slightly smaller stack of arrows of green, blue, and red. A flick of her finger made the map zoom out and black blocks showed where the towns were, mostly located on the rivers that fed into the lake.

"See you at Sunrise Station." Yang quips as she points at the nearest town on her map before leaning over and giving Denko a peck on the cheek and gunning her engine to get ahead.

"Never boring, is she?" Talon asks as Denko drives after the bike.

"She had her days. Hopefully they are behind her now." The blonde says simply, not wanting to see Yang depressed again. "Now that she has her spark, things have been nice."

—-

Blake was in the middle of a particularly grueling training spar. It was made so difficult by the fact that she had extensive physical training that had her soaked in sweat before the spar even began.

Sun practically danced around her attack, looking fairly fresh in comparison despite doing the same exercises with her, and her broad backside received a smack from his staff. Humiliating that she was hit that way, yes, but from him it was a tease that promised that they'd try to get together later.

Itazura coming at her with her sickles was another story, the blades were often used to hook her own swords and pull them out of the way so the fox could kick into her well padded sides and stomach. She also had the habit of using her small size to swing around using those hooks and would do so off any surface that would hold her long enough, including her opponents weapons.

And the fox dropped to the ground to slide as the black cleaver cut through the air, only for the curved blade to catch the cats ankle and pull the foot out from under her and causing the much larger girl to fall. However, what 'hit' the ground wasn't the blubbery cat but a shadow that dissipated on contact.

Itazura wasn't particularly surprised by that but she was when the sky darkened above her thanks to Blake having jumped over the fox. The heavy heel slammed into the sandy yard a mere moment after Itazura rolled out of the way, though a monkey jumped the fox with his staff raised.

Blake crossed her blades to catch the attack and felt the force ripple through her soft skin until her tight pants negated most of that quickly. A yell accompanied her pushing the staff back with her swinging swords and an instant use of Shadow moved her to his blind side where she was able to land a kick to his back.

With Sun stumbling away, Itazura jumped back at her and they clashed weapons several times trying to get an edge over the other. A tail flickered with blue light from a flame and swished, launching the fireball at her head only to miss as the cat ducked to the left just in time.

More sparks from blade on blade contact before the tail lit up again, engulfing the extension before the fox spun. Blake had to jump back to avoid the sickles and jump high to let the arc of blue fire pass.

Shifting Gambol Shroud into its kusarigama form, Blake threw it at the peak of her jump at the fox, not surprised that the small girl jumped away. However, Sun took her place using his staff to pole vault over the weapon. With a flip to build momentum, the red and gold staff slammed into the cleaver hard and drove Blake to the ground, barely landing on her feet and was forced to take a knee as her exhaustion began to hit as hard as her boyfriend.

"Lunch time!" The voice of Kali Belladonna yelling for the fight to end in favor of food and drinks brought the three youths to a sudden stop. The couple kids that would gather to watch the training were the main reason they didn't use their firearms and the arena being built at the school had yet to be finished.

The trio were promised to be the first ones to have a round there once done and have a live fire exercise to test the hard light barriers meant to keep the audience from being harmed. The rest of the foundations and the bulk of the construction of the buildings were ready, just needing the wiring and plumbing to be finished before the walls were closed up.

To be quite honest, if one wasn't told that it was to be a school they would assume that it was a tropical vacation destination. Plants were being brought in as decorations and furniture was being crafted in town. Flags and banners were being woven by the people as well, even large rugs, which admittedly would help on the stone floors in the lower levels with some of the noise and add some color.

The CCT tower was nearly done as well, undergoing final adjustments and a third round of triple checks of everything top to bottom. At least the heavy equipment was no longer needed and was now parked just outside of town waiting for the ships to arrive to pick them up.

Plans were being made by the entirety of the population of Menagerie to celebrate the completion of the school and communication tower. Six months of hard work and nearly working around the clock to be finished this fast. With the party proposed to be in the school itself to 'break it in', reasoning that if it couldn't handle a party then it couldn't handle teens who would be fighting there… jokingly.

It was also six months of getting to know the humans that had come to help Menagerie elevate itself to be equal among the other four Kingdoms of Vale, Vacuo. Mistral, and Atlas. Nobody would deny that tensions were high at first but professionalism soon had given way to friendship and comradery. Many of the humans spending their days off at one of the locals homes for a meal they had been invited to. The watering holes saw their own increased traffic thanks to the newcomers being welcomed.

Six months of building the next step in the future of the Faunus.

Six months of time that the splinter group of the White Fang had to prepare to take Menagerie for themselves.

Six months for those who fought to keep the White Fang from taking the island headquarters to train and grow stronger.

Six months for the unseen storm to grow.

"Thanks for lunch mom." Blake panted as she sat down and dug into the tuna fish sandwiches.

"Thanks Kali!" Itazura knew her manners well enough.

Sun was looking for something to drink. "Alright! Sweet tea, nice!"

—-

Adam looked over the map and directions on his desk, seeing the areas marked in red with known information about certain places. A double check of everything and he smiled.

"I take it you have no problems with this?" Hazel asks from where he stood at the entrance of the tent.

"You said you'll have more of these coming within the week?" The Bull wasn't speaking to Hazel but to the scroll the big man held, the stylistic W spinning in place on the screen.

"An airship will have its cargo bay filled and be at your location in five days. Please do not waste my work by doing something stupid with them." The posh voice came from the speaker and dripped with no small amount of condescension of having his creations used by what many would consider cannon fodder.

Adam held his tongue from speaking his mind to the man who he could tell was an Atlas elite. He looked at the bomb and rifle sitting on a small table after his personal inspection of the work from the man. "Good, we'll distribute these weapons among our best and we'll be ready to strike as planned."

"While I'm sure that the test run you will be conducting for your personal mission will not be needed, please provide me with a report on their effectiveness." W tells the leader of the White Fang.

"As you wish." Adam certainly didn't mind that Watts hung up immediately but dealing with such a man was a necessary evil he'd put up with, for now. Hazel didn't waste any time leaving the tent, his job here was done after bringing a large shipment personally of the equipment with the final plans for the downfall of Haven. Cinder and her team were to be sent out on a mission of their own soon for the lynchpin of their plans at Haven and Salem believed that she had tracked it down.

Back inside the tent, Adam picked up the rifle again and ran his fingers over the sleek lines and curves, almost feeling the power within the weapon. "Yes, this will do nicely."

AN: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and reviews are welcome as always.

This time some of the kids got to learn just how deep the rabbit hole goes and it just keeps going. Maidens, Relics, Salem and her followers... they will have their hands full. Meanwhile Blake is training with her boyfriend and friend, not knowing what Adam is up to.

See you all next time!