Chapter 42 – introduKtions and farewells

Formally, Winter Schnee had met Adam when he was an apprentice. The two had fought together on occasional joint missions between Atlas' military and Valean hunter forces, hence their knowledge of one another. Friendship had come about when they were together, and she was now spending some of her time in Beacon with him.

Informally, Adam wasn't actually as afraid of bodily fluids as the others thought.

He'd texted K to meet up once both he and Winter were fully clothed – and in their own clothes. Winter's blue dress had not been a good look on Adam. He considered inviting Ruby along as a future member of K, but he figured that they could all speak more freely if they had a chance to meet up in private first. It wasn't like he was hiding this from Ruby; he would just introduce her afterwards.

Blake and Ilia entered Peach's classroom together. Both girls' eyes widened upon seeing the slightly elder huntress.

Blake tackled her into a hug first before Ilia could even move. "WINTER!"

"For Dust's sake, Belladonna, calm down! It's just me."

"It's so good to see you! You've been gone so long! You have to tell us everything."

"'Sup?" asked Ilia, trying to play it cool even though she was clearly barely able to hold in her exploding emotions.

"Yes. We shall sup later in Beacon's dining halls," agreed Winter. "But for now, let us receive one another, Amitola."

Ilia grinned. "Still got that stick up your ass, I see."

Her ass bore no sticks when Adam had last seen it, but he decided not to say anything.

"I still carry myself with decorum, yes."

"Hmmmmm. Winny Winny Win. Nondescript Winter Holiday. Winifred."

"What are you doing?"

"Well," said Ilia, ghoulishly rubbing her hands together. "Now that you no longer outrank us, I need to think of the perfect nickname for you. What about…Lose-ter? Instead of Wint– no, no, I take it back. I can do better."

"Hey, that's right. Winter, why did you leave? And why are you here now?" asked Blake, still clinging to Winter's side like a barnacle Faunus.

"In summary, I left because I believed that I could not, in good conscience, continue to be a part of the same organization that punished my younger siblings for the sins of our father. I do not personally hold ill will against you or the general and still considered K to be like kin."

"Awwww," cooed Blake. "I love you too."

Adam honestly was struggling to tell her apart from Ruby when she behaved like this. Of course, from what he knew of her history, she'd spent nearly as much time with James and Winter as her own family, so a little sentiment was to be expected.

"I've come to Beacon in order to visit my sister and you all."

And for a booty call.

"Additionally, I'd be willing to offer my aid towards whatever mission you are currently on."

Adam raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to ask what that was supposed to mean, but Winter beat him to it.

"This is not a veiled attempt to reapply to the Specialists Corps or anything so drastic. I simply figure that I can aid my friends while I am here. I am assuming that you are on a mission, are you not?"

"A sunuvabitch of a mission," griped Ilia, discontent clearly in her voice. "It somehow actually got harder after we killed Time's Up Tock."

Winter took a step back. "Time's U– you killed the hunter of hunters?"

"Yup. Specifically, I did." Ilia beamed. "Only me. I soloed her and two others and still managed to extract information about–"

Ilia paused, then looked to Adam. He nodded.

"It's Winter. Go ahead."

"–about the maiden powers. It was super awesome and…okay, pausing in the middle for approval of it ruined my epic moment."

"Maiden powers?" asked Winter. "I knew it; Adam really was reading a book on the four maidens before he so rudely insulted me out."

"He insulted you?" asked Blake, looking slightly offended on Winter's behalf.

"I mistook her for Weiss and called her a waste of space," said Adam, gently resting his hand on his weapons in case he actually did need to defend himself from Blake over this perceived slight on Winter's honor. "Honest mistake."

Ilia snorted. "That's fair."

"I knew this would happen," said Winter, shaking her head and resting the bridge of her nose against her palm. "I just knew it. Blake, you're just about the only member of K who doesn't have some sort of chip on your shoulder against my family. Please, in your unbiased opinion, explain just how far off the mark Adam is about my little sister."

Blake let go of Winter and looked up into her eyes. She remembered back before initiation, when she'd thought the same things about Adam and Ilia being unfairly judgmental to Weiss and not giving her a chance. For such open-mindedness, she'd received a broken nose.

"Winter…"

She nodded. "Go on, Blake."

"You know I would never be prejudiced against Weiss because of her last name. I know that she had nothing to do with your father's crimes, and she's her own person."

"Precisely." Winter's gaze turned away and squarely landed on the rest of K. "A lesson Adam and Ilia appear to need taught to them."

"So, without any prejudice, let me say this. Weiss' own person is a bitch."

Winter bit her lip. "Oh, not you as well."

Blake held back a grimace. "I think she's changed since you last met her, since you seem to think the world of her, and you're usually a good judge of character."

"I'll admit that she probably has been negatively influenced by a childhood spent in close proximity to Jacques Gelé, but I'm having trouble believing that her behavior is so distasteful that it repels all three of you." Winter's brow furrowed. "Three. Was there not a fourth huntress on your team? A black and red dressed woman with a scythe?"

"Ruby Rose," answered Blake. "My…My girlfriend."

"We're planning to bring her on board to K when the mission ends," said Ilia. "She's a good kid."

A white eyebrow was raised. "And what, exactly, is the mission?"

"Magic? Serious? General Ironwood has sent you to become a…magical girl?"

"Not like that," said Blake. "We just found out about the whole magical girl thing while investigating our original mission, the aura transfer device."

"I see." Winter nodded. "Actually, I don't see, and I'm still having immense trouble getting over the whole magical girl thing."

"It is a lot," said Adam, rubbing her back.

Adam…

Blake wasn't sure about the way he was looking at Winter.

Blake wasn't sure about the way Winter was looking at him, either.

"What is this?" Blake asked reservedly.

"What is what?" Adam asked back.

"What is…thiiiiiiiiiiis?" Blake pointed between Adam and Blake. "What's going on here?"

The two of them looked at one another, then back at Blake. Okay, it was official; something fishy was up here, and not the kind of something Blake wanted to swallow whole with tartar sauce.

"Blake," said Winter, clutching both her hands together.

A second passed.

"O shit u fucked him u hoe!" shouted Ilia, pointing.

"That's absurd," Blake said, rubbing her cat ears because of the sudden loud noise. "They would never do that. Winter has standards, and Adam used to hate humans."

"Except for his two great loves, James Ironwood and Winter Schnee," said Ilia, turning pink and spotted purple with delight. "You guys totally did it! Where? Was it in this classroom?" Ilia stood up from her chair. "Was it in this very seat?"

Adam's one eye looked away. "Actually, yes. That seat."

What?

"Bitchin'!" exclaimed Ilia, standing up and kicking the chair away from her. "I didn't actually think you'd actually mush up your gross body parts in that very chair I sat in, but it's both very cool and very messed that you did. And also that you let me sit down on the stains without saying anything. Am I possibly pregnant with a tiny bull Faunus? Will the horns gore my cooch when he pops out? Cuz I kind of need that."

"That's not how Faunus reproduction works," said Adam. "The offspring of two Faunus don't actually inherit either parents' trait. They get a random one from some other animal."

Winter nodded. "He's right. Seriously, Ilia, watch World of Remnant."

"ADAM!" screamed Blake. "YOU SLEPT WITH WINTER?! THAT'S OUR MOM!"

The room fell silent. Everyone turned to stare at Blake.

Blake's cheeks reddened, but she folded her arms and firmed up her gaze at the residents of the room. "Yeah, I said it. I see Winter as a mother figure, in part due to the fact that she was the first strong female role model I encountered after the death of my own parents, and I latched on."

Ilia scoffed. "Wasn't expecting you to double down."

"I see," said Adam. Slowly, a grin appeared on his face.

"Don't," commanded Winter.

"I haven't said anything."

"You're about to. Don't say it, whatever it is."

Adam pushed on regardless of his apparent lover's objection. "Does that make me your new stepfather, Blake?"

"I told you not to–"

"It does," said Blake, nodding solemnly.

"Oh Dust, she tripled down!" said Ilia. "I need to get a stiff drink. Winter, can I borrow your military ID for the veteran's discount, and in case I get carded?"

"As a matter of fact, you cannot. I quit the military, remember?"

Despite the odd nature of their conversation, Blake couldn't remember having felt so relaxed since coming to Beacon. Their carefree banter as a team was something that she'd missed. In a world where things were going wrong left and right, it was good to just have a day off.

Blake and Adam were in the arena, fighting some weirdo pair named Team Funkopop or something, but Ilia couldn't bring herself to watch the bloodbath. Adam was twice the huntsman that Flynt Coal ever could be, and the Faunus girl, Neon (not Neo – Ilia had made sure to quintuple check that), was just plain annoying.

Of course, Adam had tapped out early, falling to the might of Flynt's…it hurt to even think…Flynt's trumpet, so that Blake could be the hero. It had been tough for him to fake it, but he portrayed it as overconfidence causing him to underestimate his opponent, which seemed fairly believable for the proud bull Faunus.

General Ironwood via Penny had assured K that Team Funkykong, while a dignified team that brought honor to their proud kingdom, was no threat. Blake had Neon tangled up in Gambol's ribbon and was using her whole body like a mace and chain to pound Flynt.

For the first time in quite a while, Ilia could simply sit back, kick up her feet, and throw a kernel of popcorn into her mouth as someone else did the fighting. Well, that said, her seat was uncomfortable so she didn't sit back, and kicking up her feet would mean she bumped the head of Sky who sat in front of her, and popcorn kernels always had the sharp bits cut into her sensitive gums, but you get the picture.

Ruby was with her, and it was so wholesome to just watch the little girl have a ball as her girlfriend/partner kicked butt. Every time Flynt blasted a shadow clone with his Killer Quartet instead of the real Blake, Ruby went wild with applause. Whenever Blake used a combo attack, Ruby would tug on Ilia's shoulder and exuberantly tell her the name of the attack, the full history of how Blake had come up with it, and a comprehensive outline of the optimal move for Blake to do next. Impressively, Ruby called out Blake's next actions with surprising accuracy.

"She just did a Double Flying Blakedown! Did you see it?"

"I did, Ruby."

"If she follows up with a Pewter Punchity Punch and then a Gambowling Alley Strike, she's got this in the bag!"

"In the…bag?" said Ilia. "If Blake does that, it's in the bag, so it's not in the bag yet. You're saying that right now, the cat's–"

"Out of the bag; holy shit that was bad," finished Yang, frowning at them from in front of her sister. "Fuck you, Ilia. You've ruined puns for me. They used to be fun, but you're making them like pulling teeth."

"Sorry, Yang. I didn't to give you jaws for alarm."

"I will snap your neck. I swear to the Brothers, I will."

Ilia decided she wanted to stretch her feet. "Imma go get some more snacks at the concession stand. Ruby, you want anything?"

"Ooh ooh, could you get some more of those Mistrilian Fish gummy candies? I just love their cherry flavor."

"You know those are bad for you, right?"

"I know, but sugar's never really made me gain weight. It must be my semblance consuming all the calories for fuel."

"No, I mean doctors found that they contain several carcinogenic ingredi– forget it. I'll bring you back a bag."

Getting out of the stands, Ilia stretched out her arms and began to head in the direction of the food vendors. As she rounded one of the corners in the covered areas of the Vytal Colosseum, a patch of white hair stood out in front of her. Checking the shoes and clothes to make sure it wasn't Winter, Ilia turned around the other way. Weiss hadn't seen her, and Ilia decided she wanted to keep it that way.

It would take a minute longer, but Ilia would just go the scenic route to the food vendors on the other side of the stadium. Besides, she could probably use the exercise if she was going to eat more snacks. She appreciated the fact that the rest of the mission was Blake's to handle, but it wouldn't do for her to get complacent and load up with too many extra pounds.

Following the signs, she continued far enough to find herself in a less trodden corner of the building that was currently completely empty. According to the markings on the wall, the snack stands were now equidistant if she kept going forward or turned around. However, the markings on the wall didn't know that the way forward contained precisely one less bitch.

A faint noise spooked her, and she immediately drew Lash. It was probably nothing, but Ilia had thought she just heard someone shouting angrily. Ilia waited a second to hear if it would repeat.

It did. Someone on the other side of the wall was raising their voice. Ilia pressed her ear against the wall to see if she could make out their conversation. It was probably some couple breaking up or something asinine like that, but years of spying on the White Fang had taught her to never turn down the opportunity to eavesdrop. Old habits died hard.

"–on her mission. She didn't even need my help. I see no reason to get in the way."

Ilia had no idea who the woman speaking was, but she didn't sound like a teenager. Perhaps a family member, or just a spectator?

"I'm not askin' ya to train her. Just meet with her. It's all she asks me about."

That voice was Qrow, Ruby's uncle.

Ilia needed to hear this. Scanning the wall for any openings, she noticed a vent near the roof. Careful to not make not to make any noise that would alert Qrow and the woman to her presence, she flung Lash over the grate, then slid it up until she could reach the tip with her other hand. Tying it like a rope, she pulled herself closer to the opening and listened in.

"–life."

"Hunger makes her stronger. If I take away that drive, that goal of hers that she defines so much of herself around, she would be nothing."

"She'd be your daughter, dammit!"

Ruby's mother? But I thought she was supposed to be dead! Ilia didn't have any recording devices on her, so she committed the conversation to memory.

"Why? Why does she even care about me?"

"I just said, she's your daughter."

"And why does that matter? Why does some arbitrary blood relation mean I owe her anything at all? I've never interacted with her once in either of our entire lives. She knows nothing about me. How could my presence make her whole, as you seem to think it will?"

"She knows more than you think. She researched you, on her own. I didn't even help her, and she already managed to find out the tribe's in Mistral right now. She's closer to finding you than you think."

"Then she shall find me when she earns it."

"What's your game, here? If you don't care about her, you could just say. Why drop bread crumbs? Do you think she's just gonna find you, get invincible along the way, and join your stupid tribes?"

"They're our family, Qrow. Continue to insult them and I shall–"

"What? Shall what, Raven? Kill me? Go right ahead. You always could, and not just cuz you're a better fighter. With your semblance, you coulda smothered me in my sleep or sneak attacked me in the shower for years. You ain't gonna kill me."

"Perhaps I shall take just a finger, then. Which thumb do you prefer more, left or right?"

"This is my last warning. Meet with Yang, or just leave her alone, for Dust's sake."

"You're in no position–"

Ilia heard the sound of a scuffle through the wall, then metal clanging. It continued for a less than a minute, before Qrow screamed. Ilia switched Lash to the fourth chamber and surveyed her surroundings. This area would probably be enclosed enough to fill up with knockout gas in the event that–

A bright red light poured through the small vent, and a noise that sounded like a raging river drowned out Qrow's cries. Then, as quickly as it appeared, the noise and light were gone, leaving Ilia alone with just a presumably injured huntsman and the wall separating them.

She's had to double around in order to 'stumble' upon Qrow's gnashed leg and severed tendons, at which point he'd already begun to regenerate his aura and started healing again. She'd appropriately screamed and been horrified at the gore and instantly rushed to call emergency medical services, as any student discovering their teammate's injured uncle would. Qrow had been rushed to a hospital to have his wounds treated.

All Ilia had to show for her troubles was a name.

Raven.

Author's Notes

And so we finally go away from the difficulties of teenage romance and back to the story. These torrid romances shall return, but we're going to be doing a bit of spying and shit first.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!