Author's Notes

IMPORTANT NOTICE - NEW STORY!

Hi everyone! A new story, my third, has launched. It's called Living The Dream, and it's a comedic tale of Jaune Arc, the first huntsman to attend Beacon (mainly because he didn't meet Pyrrha and is still trying to unlock it). Be sure to check it out!

Happy rats, and don't do crime!

Chapter 63: The Blind Leading the Blind

In which two parties set their sights on the same destination.

"LLeett uuss bbrreeaakk ccaammpp hheerree, RRoossee. TThhee ppllaatteeaauu sshhaallll pprroovviiddee uuss wwiitthh aann eelleevvaatteedd vvaannttaaggee ppooiinntt aass wwee rreeggaaiinn oouurr aauurraa."

"OOkkeeyy ddookkeeyy!"

Their semblances aligned near-perfectly for this trek. Rose's speed enabled them to travel all but instantaneously, and Bronzewing could navigate for her within the time bubble. They occasionally experienced the odd collision with local foliage and geological features, but it was generally a smooth passage overall. In the wake of two White Fang terrorist attacks in short succession, Mistral and the other kingdoms instituted a strict identification check for all domestic and international airship flights. Goodwitch had waved the requirement for their transport to the western coast of Anima (evidently, she was interested to see whatever findings the dug up in regards to the death of her predecessor). Within Anima, though, they could not afford to alert Headmaster Lionheart or his spies to their presence, lest he betray them.

If he has spies. There is no guarantee he is corrupt.

They exited Rose's semblance with a skidding halt. Bronzewing's semblance operated by allowing him to emit compression waves of a singular frequency and wavelength, then interpret the reflected waves and visualize his surroundings. He'd have thought he would be useless within the time bubble, as the waves would exit, slow down in comparison to him, and change their relative frequency, but it was not so. As soon as the waves returned to him and re-entered the bubble, they sped up and achieved their usual frequency.

He could still see and tell Rose when to turn left or right, but it was not perfect. Usually, the waves left his mouth and returned at the speed of sound, 343 meters per second. An object 10 meters away would be visible in 0.06 seconds. However, if the time bubble was 40 times faster than the outside environment, the waves would take 2.33 seconds to return to him from that same object. The delay was noticeable, and several trips and stumbled had been sustained. Still, it beat walking to Haven.

They broke camp as per Bronzewing's instructions. Bronzewing had initially thought to pack just enough food and supplies for one in his bag, but he'd reconsidered when he remembered just who his travelling partner was. It had proven the wise decision – Rose's own bag was devoid of nutrients, vitamins, or any of the critical proteins necessary for survival. It was not filled with cookies, as he'd initially suspected, but instead military hardware, Dust ammunition, and, to Bronzewing's great surprise, comic books. He wasn't sure if Rose had forgotten her disability when she packed them or if she was simply in denial, but he hadn't the heart to reminder her that they were useless to them both. Even with his own semblance, he could not perceive ink on paper.

Bronzewing pitched two tents while Rose struggled to build them a fire. Her determination was admirable, but she was simply unable to complete the task without any way to tell if she was making sparks from the flint and magnesium starter she'd brought. Bronzewing finished with the tents and proceeded to Rose.

"I was not born blind. I, too, had sight before losing it, and believe me, I struggled."

Rose threw down the flint in frustration. "But you have a semblance that allows you to see everything! It's not fair!" Her childish mannerisms reminded him that, despite their clear difference in skill and competence, he was still somehow her elder. Powerful though she may be on the battlefield, he had a distinct advantage in terms of maturity.

"Not everything. I can only regenerate aura as fast as I use it when I perceive objects within a distance of less than four and three-quarters of a meters. I cannot differentiate between objects smaller than a half of a millimeter, not matter how close. I've never been able to see further than two hundred meters, even at full aura. I've had to adapt. There is no shame in accepting our disabilities, nor in admitting we cannot do all that we once could."

Rose sighed, fumbled around on the ground, picked up the flint, and handed it to Bronzewing.

"I also cannot perceive non-physical matter. Fire is out of the question for the both of us."

"Great. I guess it's gonna be a cold night for Team Road."

"Team Road?"

"Ruby and Dove. RD. Road. It's even better cause we're on the road."

"Perhaps Team Rebel would be more suitable."

"Howdja get that from our names?"

"Rose and Bronzewing. RB. Rebel. We're rebelling against a possibly evil headmaster."

"Hmmmm…but Road lets us integrate into Roadway (RDWY) when we go back to Beacon and join up with Weiss and Yang."

That was definitively a red flag. Bronzewing decided he needed to stamp out this foolery before it grew out of proportion.

"Hmmmm. Rose, are you familiar with the concept of denial?"

"Dove, I know I'm blind. I'm just trying to see what I can and can't do. When I get more experience, I'll–"

"I mean in regard to Team Rainbow."

Rose tensed. "There is no Team Rainbow."

"I know that. But do you?"

"I was there bleeding out on the floor when Weiss killed Blake, Dove. I know that she's dead, and Team Rainbow died with her."

"But you continue to entertain notions of your two surviving teammates banding together when our business in Mistral is concluded. I fear that may be impossible. Correct me if I speak in error, but Xiao-Long was enamored with Belladonna and has not taken news of her betrayal well. Is it possible that teaming up Schnee, her killer, may bring about some tension?"

"Yang won't blame Weiss. Blake nearly killed them both. It was self-defense."

"Furthermore, Xiao-Long refused to speak or interact with anyone last you saw her. Is in not possible that she is attempting to reject reality?"

"Yang's just having a hard time. She lost an arm, Dove."

"Schnee has returned to Atlas. She claims it to be a temporary measure to look after her family and reform her company, but perhaps the comforts of home will be too enticing to spurn a second time. She may not wish to return to the same academy where she was forced to kill her own partner."

"You're not wrong, but Weiss is stronger than you think. I spoke to her when she left. She'll be coming back."

Please stop. I'm trying to make this easy for you. I'm giving you reasons that are easier to accept.

"Rose. You are blind. Do you still wish to be a huntress?"

"I can turn into a bird, I might have some kind of secret maiden powers, and I'm super speedy. I'll make do, blindness or not – my silver eyes still work, anyways."

"A team with less than four members cannot function. Rose, think about this logically."

"Maybe it will! You don't know! And you're being kind of rude to my teammates and me. Why are you so opposed to Team Roadway?"

Up to this point, he was actually being polite. But if she wished to hear the truth, Bronzewing would not deny her. So be it.

"Fine. I do not want to join your team because my partner is dead. My leader is dead. My leader's partner is dead. All of them died the same damn night. Nikos was mutilated, Arc's body is missing, and Thrush was reduced to mere ashes. I'm the sole survivor of Team Adventure, and I'm not sure I want to just jump into another team like nothing happened. Like none of them ever mattered!"

Rose froze in surprise at Bronzewing's outburst. "You don't–?"

"No!" he practically screamed.

"Oh."

"Oh, indeed."

Bronzewing wasn't sure if he was angry at her for suggesting he throw in his lot with another team when the others' bodies were still warm, guilty for surviving when his friends hadn't, upset at himself for begging Thrush to risk and ultimately lose his life, bitter that she'd only lost one person that night, or just still upset at the world in general for taking so much from him. Maybe it was all of those at once.

"Let's…Let's just sleep. We can discuss this more on the morrow."

"O-Okay. Did you bring sleeping bags?"

Bronzewing tossed one to Rose. It bounced off her face and knocked her over onto the grass. He hadn't meant to hit her – he was just so used to everyone around him seeing things – but she probably interpreted as a sign of vexation on his part.

"M'sorry, Dove."

"Look, I am aware it is not your fault. I just…it is still too soon."

Rose stood up and reached out with both arms. Bronzewing took pity on her and silently stepped into the hug.

"I just don't want you to be alone."

"I know." He patted her on the back. "I know, Rose."

Team Road split from their hug. The mood was already shit, so Bronzewing decided to get one last thing off his chest while everyone was already hurting.

"R-Rose, there's something I need to tell you."

Rose blinked her gray eyes in curiosity. "Go on."

"I don't wish to upset you or break your heart, but lies only get worse the longer we let them lie. I – I only invited you to the Beacon dance so Arc and Nikos could get together."

"You don't love me?"

"I should never have led you on. My mothers always said that lying is wrong, but I just…it was diverting to spend time with you."

"Dove, I knew about Operation Arkos. Jaune recruited me to pretend-ask him out so you'd get a chance to step in, and Russel would forgive you."

H-He did? Perhaps Arc is…was more cunning than I gave him credit for. The thought of his deceased leader brought with it more depression, but Bronzewing still managed a smile. Those two had been so bad at love, they'd needed the entire school to take up sides and conspire to get them together.

They'd want me to be happy.

Bronzewing burst out laughing, and Rose followed shortly thereafter. They hugged once more.

"Friends?"

"Besties!"

He didn't love Rose, nor she him. That much was absolute. But he was certain that together, they could be…content. As Bronzewing lay down in his makeshift tent, he softly began to reconsider his stance on the formation of Team Roadway.

"Local police remain on the lookout for Qrow Branwen, huntsman and former professor at Signal Combat School and Beacon Academy. Branwen is wanted for four counts of murder, including Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon and Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl of Mistral. An eyewitness reported seeing Branwen covered in blood and fleeing the scene of the crime, an underground hallway beneath the CCT Tower that was previously unknown to authorities. No motive is known for Branwen's actions, though many suspect that the rogue huntsman was driven to violence following the murder of his nieces, who died alongside Weiss Schnee at the hands of the White Fang. Beacon has not yet made a comment on the two attacks that occurred on the night of the Vytal Festival Tournament semifinals and final round. If you see or encounter Qrow Branwen, do not attempt to engage or follow him. Due to the extreme danger presented, police have set up a special hotline reserved solely for–"

Jaune would never have believe Qrow capable of such savagery if he hadn't seen the damage with his own two eyes. The memories were hazy, but he remembered seeing Harbinger sticking out of Pyrrha's chest. Oz's legs had been…urgh, the gory scene threatened to make him spew all over the plain floor. Ozpin had mentally directed him to a safehouse in Vale. The immortal had built and stocked several such bunkers throughout Remnant in case he ever came across such a situation. Jaune was currently in control of his…of their body.

Qrow, how could you?

"Don't blame him, Jaune. He was out of his mind that night."

Don't blame him? He killed Pyrrha!

"Ruby, Yang, and their entire team had just been killed by Cinder Fall's agents. He believed it to be my fault."

Your fault? But that's absurd. You did more than anyone to stop her! He was criticizing you for doing too much.

"As I said, he was out of his mind. Logic will never prevail over blame when loved ones are lost. And, to be fair, my hands are not clean in this whole tragic affair."

Sir, it wasn't your fault.

"Wasn't it? Qrow was only after me. In my heart, I still believe that Qrow remains a good person. Murdering me would've been nothing more than a setback for me, and he knew that. It was when Miss Nikos intervened to save me that Qrow acted unforgivably. I wish I could rewind time and tell her that the life of Ozpin was trivial compared to her own."

Yeah…trivial…

"Jaune, I didn't mean to suggest that my mind joining yours–"

It's okay, sir. For the record, I don't think you're at fault in the slightest. This was Qrow's choice. He betrayed you.

"He did indeed, and I shall never forget that fact."

So, what now? Straight to the Grimm pools?

"No, Jaune. To even touch down in the Grimm wastelands near Salem's castle, we'd need an army of huntsmen and a fleet of airships."

Glynda could–

"Regrettably, we cannot go to her. Qrow is still at large, and he knows that I inhabit your body. If we set foot in Beacon again, we run the risk of your death. And, before you nobly say that you'd sacrifice your life for the greater good, allow me to remind you that your unique semblance is our best chance of stopping Salem once and for all. Jaune, this will be difficult for one as selfless as you to accept, but your life is now more valuable than those of the people around you. It is imperative that you survive. Remember, if you die and Salem endures, she will slaughter them all without mercy."

…

"I know. It is not a pleasant though. In fact, it'll be even more difficult for me to accept. I've grown so used to my own life being expendable that I've incorporated some suicidal attacks into my repertoire, to use against especially dangerous foes. I suppose I'll have to unlearn those habits."

So, if we're not going to Beacon, where too? Atlas, maybe? James and Winter could help us. Oh, and Penny! It'd be nice to see her again.

"Cinder chose to kill Team Rainbow, Mister Bronzewing, and Mister Thrush by sending a White Fang assassin after them. James is a good man, but he is prone to overreaction and paranoia, especially when the name of a particular Faunus paramilitary group is thrown around on the nightly news more frequently than the weather. Atlas is restricting non-military movement into and out of their kingdom."

So…Vacuo?

"No. Mistral."

Mistral? Lionheart's a traitor. Except…you already know that. So, you wouldn't suggest Mistral without good reason.

"Very good. Let's see if you can deduce that reason."

Hmmm. Let's see. Lionheart's betrayed us, but we'd have known if he outed Salem's and your existence to the world. That means he's keeping it a secret. Now, we need manpower to get to Salem. Lionheart's been a headmaster for years, so all of the hunters in Mistral are going to be loyal to him. We can't kill him, or we'd lose them, but if we somehow manage to get him under our control…

"Very good, Jaune. If we can gain command of Haven's forces using Leo as a puppet, we'd have enough firepower to get close to the Grimm pools."

But how do we get Lionheart to lend us his armies?

"In all the years I knew Leo, he was the bravest man I ever knew, or so I thought. If one – actually, let's see if you can figure out the rest."

Jaune took a minute to ruminate on it before it came to him.

Hmmm. You told all the headmasters the truth of Salem. If he's defected to her side knowing full well that she seeks the relics to use them to bring death, destruction, and a painful end to this world, he's not doing it out of some ideological goal. She's probably threatened him or someone close to him. So we…threaten him harder? Maybe?

"Spot on, my boy. Spot on."

It should have felt demeaning, but it was actually quite kind. He had nowhere to go, but they'd given him shelter, fed him, and hidden him from those who would do him harm.

The door to the room opened, and Nora led a policeman into the room.

"Please, have a look around."

"Nothing personal, young lady. It just that I've heard you and your team are quite good friends with the suspect."

Qrow kept his mouth shut. If he so much as breathed, he was boned. His only recourse was to trust in Nora and let her take care of this. She'd never let him down before, and he didn't think she ever would.

"Mind waiting outside?"

"Please, go ahead. We have nothing to hide."

Nora walked away. The policeman waited until she was out of sight before he began to turn the room upside down. He checked everywhere – under the sheets, beneath the beds, even behind the desks. Qrow watched him tear posters from the walls in hopes of finding a secret tunnel carved into the wall. It was almost kind of sad how desperate the guy was. Qrow wasn't angry at this police dude for hunting him. It was just his job, and he probably thought Qrow was some kind of bloodthirsty serial killer. The news companies were shit; they'd gone and accused Qrow of killing Nikos and the others, and they'd jumped the gun and proclaimed the pipsqueak's entire team dead when she couldn't be reached for comment.

In the end, the cop couldn't find anything. Knocking on the door, he let Nora back in, thanked her for her time, and left.

Nora locked the door behind him and walked over to Qrow. Opening the door to his birdcage, she handed him a cracker, which he greedily devoured.

"Don't worry, Professor. You can hide with us until the heat dies down."

"Squawk!"

Nora, I love ya, you absolute ride-or-die bitch.

Omake

Ozpin:I've grown so used to my own life being expendable that I've incorporated some suicidal attacks into my repertoire, to use against especially dangerous foes.

*40 years ago*

Original Ozpin: Are you sure this is necessary?

Ozma: Yeah, I get a self-destruct device installed into all of my new hosts. It's for the greater good. If someone poses a threat to the safety of Remnant, we can just blow up them, ourselves, and the surrounding 500 meters.

Original Ozpin: Isn't that kind of dangerous?

Ozma: Don't worry, I'll be fine.

Next Chapter: Hostile Takeover – In which Weiss and Penny launch a daring rescue, and Yang works out some emotions.

Author's Notes

IMPORTANT NOTICE - NEW STORY!

Hi everyone! A new story, my third, has launched. It's called Living The Dream, and it's a comedic tale of Jaune Arc, the first huntsman to attend Beacon (mainly because he didn't meet Pyrrha and is still trying to unlock it). Be sure to check it out!

If you're worried about Dove being a main character, don't be. He was born a side character, and he'll live and die a side character. Right now, he's just a plot device so Ruby can run around while blind.

Ozpin's using his brain BS to fuck with Jaune's mind and only show him the memories of their dead friends, not how they died. It helps that fake news is corroborating his accounts.

No one birbs as hard as Qrow. And before anyone asks, no, that was not the big 'return of Nora' I mentioned. That will be later. WAAAY later.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!