In case you didn't read the sneak peek, this was inspired by the RWBY Multiverse reaction stories featuring the trailers of John Wick featuring Qrow Branwen as the Baba Yaga. These stories made me think 'What if Qrow Branwen actually was the Baba Yaga of Remnant?' And then I wrote a teaser for it when I was under the account GojiraFan455515. I do apologize for not writing this sooner. I hit some writer's block with this story.
So, I hope you'll enjoy this AU.
I don't own anything. Qrow Branwen belongs to RWBY and RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth Studios.
Volume 1 Chapter 1-Don't blame yourself.
Qrow Branwen: The Baba Yaga
Qrow Branwen was a legend in the criminal underworld for his ruthless efficiency, and for being a man of focus, commitment and sheer will combine with limitless talent. Feared and respected by all even in Atlas. However, he stopped taking contracts when he met his twin sister and they both attended Beacon Academy. Then he left the fold five years after that.
10 years before Team RWBY formed...
Taiyang Xiao Long had always told him not to drive drunk. And Qrow Branwen always followed that rule. Especially when it involved his nieces.
But Tai never said anything about driving while bleeding from a stab wound in the stomach. So, here was Qrow driving as his stomach was losing blood.
Then again, Qrow thought. It's not like I had a choice in the matter tonight. It was the only way for him to win. And he finished what he set out to do. His Aura was down now, (Just his luck again.) and his vision was becoming blurry. And not because of the raindrops on the windshield.
That reminds me, He recalled mentally. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his Scroll. He searched through his contacts. Which wasn't much. Then he clicked on Tai's name.
He held the Scroll up as it rang before he heard it being answered. "Tai...it's Qrow." he said not caring if it was voicemail or not. "Look, something bad happened to Yang and Ruby almost a week ago." He sighed. "They're at Beacon...Glynds and Oz are watching them. I've hunted down the bastards who hurt them." he sighed. "I'm sorry Tai, but I'm on my last leg tonight...unless Rae decides to drop by...which is highly unlikely." he rolled his eyes at the end. Yeah, he doubts Raven was going to come by. "Look, just tell Firecracker and Pipsqueak that the bad people are gone. I'm sure that will make them feel 100% better. Tell Oz and Glynds that I said thanks for looking after the-" His head began to drop, and his eyes closed before the SUV he was driving slammed into a concrete wall. "Girls." he muttered.
Qrow sat up at the impact. "G-Give Ruby my Scroll." he said with a cough as he opened the door and limped out of the car, holding his bleeding stomach. "I have my training videos she could use..." he drops against the wall and to the floor. "If she...if she uses a scythe that is..." He then hung up. He then fumbled through his Scroll before he found a video of her. If he was going to go, he'd go with his wife in his final thoughts.
The video showed a woman with blonde hair and black cat ears was shown looking at the sunset at Beacon Academy. Qrow remembered the day well. The two were invited to Beacon long with Team STRQ by the headmaster and they learned something that turned their world upside down.
Both of them were asked an important question. One that they answered without much hesitation. And they went outside. Qrow could tell that she was conflicted, so he decided to try and cheer her up. She sees him holding his Scroll at the corner of her blue eyes and rolled them in exasperatedly and affectionately. "What are you doing Qrow?" she asked with a smile.
"Looking at you." He said teasingly at her. She shook her head at him. "Come here Birdbrain." she said pulling him to her before they both were shown kissing each other passionately.
Qrow smiled weakly before he leans to the side. He rests his head on the wet concrete. "Are you still filming?" she asked as his dull crimson eyes began to close.
I know what you're thinking. How did it come to this? Well, it's a long story.
1 week earlier...
It all started at his wife's funeral. A day that will be more painful than any Grimm hunt or Assignment he had ever been on and ever will be.
BIZZ!
BIZZ!
BIZZ!
His alarm clock rang two more times before he reached over and dismissed it. Qrow sat up and rubbed his face. He glanced out the window and saw that it was going to be overcast. With the chance of rain, he thought back to the weather report yesterday. He stood up and walked out of his room. He walked down the stairs of his house and briefly glanced at the photos of what he had lost. Their first date, the picnics with his team, Raven and Tai's wedding, a photo of the only time Raven and his niece were in the same room together and Summer and Tai's wedding. He knows that he would have to take them down. They may be good memories, but they brought him too much pain.
That didn't mean he forget her. He will never forget her. Never. She was one of the few that accepted him despite what he had done in the past just like his team and the headmaster. And she was the one that got him out of the underworld that hides in plain sight he lived in for his whole life. (The only way to hide from a Beowulf is under a Goliath.) One of the few that loved him despite being a living bad luck charm.
He walked into the kitchen and started to make coffee. He then filled his flask with whiskey. He glanced at the writing on it. To my brother on stilts, Short Stack. It read. He smiled at before frowning. He now suffered two losses. The woman who was his sister in all but blood and the woman he loved. Why? he thought to himself.
He heard the coffee maker beep. He shook his head out of his depressing thoughts-or at least tried to-before he reached for a mug to serve himself. He paused, his hand barely touching a white mug. On its side was a white crescent moon. His hand trembled a bit before he grabbed a black mug.
After drinking the coffee, he went to the bathroom to clean himself. But he ends up looking at his reflection. His dull crimson eyes stared not at him, but at the memories of what happened. He tried to stop it but the memory began to play like a fiddle.
He remembers kissing a cat-eared goddess. Her laughter always made his heart flutter and will forever echo in the back of his head.
He gripped the side of the sink tightly before he glanced at the other sink which was littered with femine hygiene products. Okay, those he'll have to get rid of. Or...give them to Yang. Yeah...that will work.
The feeling of kissing was now just a phantom feeling. Something that you can feel just by thinking about it so much, yet it was not truly happening. Qrow say the same about her chocolate hair.
They were on a date that night. They swam in each other's gazes. Dull red meeting blue. Qrow even transformed into his avian form to get a flower for her. She smelled the flower as they walked to the place where he had proposed to her. A bit of a cliche but it just felt right. Then all of the sudden, she fell to the floor. Qrow had first thought it was Semblance, but it wasn't.
She was sick. Very sick. She was hospitalized later before he found out that she didn't have much time. All he could was just stay by her side until her time came. He glanced at the doctor before the man walked around the bed, got the silent message.
Qrow stood up and leaned close to her side. He kissed her forehead. He petted her forehead, like how one would pet a newborn infant. He then placed his forehead against hers. His shoulders began to shake as he prayed to whatever deity that she will wake up. Or that this was just a nightmare he was going to up from. However, those prayers were shattered when the monitor flat line echoed across the room.
Ten minutes later, Qrow walked out of the hospital bed. In his hand was a silver chain necklace with a crescent moon. Above his wedding ring was her ring.
He glanced at the necklace now in his hands before he placed it at the nightstand next to his bed. He grabbed his Scroll and walked out towards the garage. He grabbed his keys before he entered the garage. He got into his mustang before it roared to life. He glanced at his sword Harbinger in the passenger seat before he looked back and backed out of the garage.
Just like it was predicted, the sky cried tears in the form of rain for Qrow's loss as a silver coffin was lowered in the earth.
Everyone present were friends, old classmates and teachers along with his and her Huntsman teams. Though only one member of STRQ was present along with Qrow.
Ozpin and Glynda gave him their condolences. Then he saw a man with a white overcoat, a black sweater, a red necktie and a white glove on his right hand with white suit pants and silver boots. Qrow gave the man a surprised look.
"Surprised to see me?" General James Ironwood said with a raised eyebrow. Qrow merely nodded before saying, "I guess the Tin Man does have a heart." he said a small grin. Ironwood shook his head before he placed his left hand on his shoulder. "I'm truly sorry Qrow." he said. "She was a great Huntress and I'm sure she was a great wife."
Qrow merely nodded as Ironwood walked back to his Bullhead. Qrow turned back to the grave as it was filled up with dirt.
As Ironwood stepped to his ship, he saw one of his students that escorted him was glancing at Qrow. "Something on your mind Ms. Schnee?" he asked. The white-haired girl shook her head. "...Did you know him as your student?" Winter asked. The General glanced at Qrow. "No. I've heard of his reputation before I met him. I have asked for his help more than once." he admitted. "His reputation?" Winter asked. "It's not my place to say, but should you see him in action, you'll understand."
Winter glanced back at Qrow before she walked into the airship.
Qrow began to walk to his mustang before a man holding an umbrella stepped in front of him. "It's been a while," Percy said, shaking Qrow's hand.
"Jackson." Qrow greeted. "It's good to see you." He put on a sad smile.
"I'm sorry to hear about your wife, Qrow. My condolences." Percy said. "How have you been?"
Qrow dropped the smile. "I..." He struggled to find the words to describe his loss. "I keep on asking why? Why her? She accepted me and my past, my Semblance." No tears were shedding but the pain was shown in his face and heard in his voice. "Am I cursed or something?"
Percy honestly couldn't say that he had ever seen Qrow Branwen this broken. He was just a shell now. "There's no why or reason in this world." Percy said sadly. "Life's not a fairy tale. It's days like today scattered among the rest."
"Are you sure?" Qrow asked. Percy shook his head. "Don't blame yourself." He said. "The pain will be worse if you do."
"What are you really doing here Jackson?" Qrow asked. Percy shrugged. "Just checking on an old mentor." They both shook hands again before they parted ways again.
Qrow grabbed the door of the mustang before he paused, sensing someone behind him. "Here to put me out of my misery?" he asked, closing his eyes for a brief moment. When he felt no blow, he turned around and saw a black-haired woman dressed in a red and black kamino with a black skirt and a white Grimm mask under her arm.
"No." The woman said simply. "I'm paying my respects to a worthy rival." Her bright crimson eyes softened a bit. "And checking on you."
"Shame." Qrow said with a hallowed smile. "You could have done that sooner?" he asked before turning back to the car.
"Qrow, you don't have to be alone." she said. "You can come with me to the Tribe." Qrow turned back to her quick like a viper. "And we could do what?" he asked. "Steal? Kill?" he shook his head. "I left that life Raven. There's nothing in that tribe."
"And you have nothing here. They're my family," Raven said. "They could be your family too."
Qrow looked to the side and was silent for a moment. He then turned to Raven with a steel gaze. "You're wrong. I do have something in this life." He said. "Two people, actually. You know one of them. You held her in your arms."
Raven frowned. Qrow's eyes glowed brightly to match Raven's. "If you have nothing else Raven, then we have nothing left to talk about." He turned away from her and stepped into his mustang before he drove off. He glanced back at the grave before he drove home.