I know it's been a bit since I last posted. That has mostly come down to me deciding that longer chapters work better for the story I am trying to tell. As always, please feel free to ask any questions you have regarding details in the story, or leave constructive criticism. I'll be sure to answer them by the next chapter. But until next time!
Note: I do not own either RWBY or Fairy Tail. Those are owned by Rooster Teeth and Hiro Mashima (and FUNimation). Please support the official release.
Note two: Bolded text indicates telepathic dialogue. Italic text indicates a flashback.
Three days before…
Ruby was practically bouncing with excitement. She had been waiting for months for Intern Week. Hopping up and down, she felt an almost uncontrollable urge to dash all the way to the amphitheater. This was her chance to prove herself, to show everyone what Team RWBY could do.
"You need to calm down Ruby," Weiss's voice was the only thing anchoring the fifteen-year-old girl. "You promised to keep all of my dust safe."
"Right, right," Ruby took a deep breath, trying to quell her jittery excitement. "It's just, we finally get the chance to, you know, go find the thing we were looking for."
Blake's amber eyes flickered toward the other students making their way to the amphitheater. "Sure, but now might not be the best time to be talking about this."
"Oh, I'm sure it'll be fine," Yang shouldered her backpack. "The other students already think we're weirdos." Ruby frowned at that. Her sister wasn't exactly wrong, even if she didn't like it. It hadn't been too noticeable until recently when Mavis and Zeref went on a special assignment for Professor Port. The more Ruby thought about it, the more she realized how much time she'd spent with the two of them, though really just Mavis: in the morning during sparring, at lunch, sometimes during study hall…
"Can we talk about how we're going to get away from the Huntsmen then?" Weiss nudged Ruby, pulling her out of her thoughts. "Or are we going to just wing it like normal?"
"It was one time," Ruby groaned, "and that was weeks ago! Besides, we nearly beat Mavis and Zeref that time."
Weiss's smirk confused the teenager. "Oh, I know."
"Did Weiss just…make a joke?" Yang sounded almost mystified. "I didn't know that was possible."
"Oh come off it," the Ice Queen huffed. "I can't be that bad."
Blake shot her a deadpan look. "You are that bad. Glad to see Yang's finally rubbed off on you." Blake's tone was flat, but her eyes betrayed the amusement she was clearly feeling.
"I'm not sure whether or not to take that as a compliment."
"What's that supposed to mean?" The brawler leaned into Weiss's face. Ruby neatly stepped between the two, pushing them apart.
"Now's not the time Yang," she tilted her head in the direction of the amphitheater. Then she wheeled at Weiss. "And you are going to tell me what you did with the real Weiss Schnee." She heard a stifled giggle that sounded suspiciously like Blake.
"Not you too," Weiss trudged forward, ahead of the team. Ruby's heart softened at the sight of her friend's back—there was more to Weiss than met the eye, and Ruby was determined to understand every part of it.
"Hey, wait up!" Ruby quickly pushed through the crowd after her partner.
Ozpin took one last sip of his coffee, feeling the last few drops of the caffeinated liquid reach his lips. It helped calm his nerves before a speech. Perhaps it was naive, but after eighteen reincarnations, he figured he would've lost his fear of public speaking. Though, it wasn't like that fear wasn't without good reason. It was the commencement speech for Intern Week (as much as he admired Mavis's genius, he needed to change the name of the program as soon as possible).
The more important part was the presence of the other academies' students. He could feel Salem's presence, the increasing darkness creeping up on Beacon. It was imperative that the kingdoms—humanity—needed to be united more than ever. Or at least, to calm James' paranoia.
"You good, old man?" Qrow stood in front of him, arms crossed. His breath fortunately did not smell of whiskey.
"Just reflecting," Ozpin put down his mug, "on a few things."
"What? You finally realized 'Intern Week' was kind of a shit name?"
"Oh I already knew that," the Headmaster smiled. "Just, remember to keep that kind of language to a minimum. And remember to try and keep your involvement to a minimum. This is a training mission after all."
"Yeah, yeah," Qrow waved him off. "Go give your spiel." With a smile, Ozpin walked out onto the stage, watching as the crowd quieted down upon his entrance. He spotted Team RWBY in the back, nudging each other while whispering. They'd make fine future agents, with none of the… negative qualities of Team STRQ.
He then spied on a trio of Haven students. Two girls and a boy. At least the emerald-haired girl and silver-haired boy seemed of the correct age. The brown-haired girl on the other hand…there was malice in her eyes. A fiery rage he hadn't seen in many people.
The trio moves out of his line of sight. He turned his attention back to the rest of the students. Hopefully, Mavis and Zeref could get some answers out of Leo.
He'd been suspiciously silent lately.
"To the students of," he shifted slightly to lean toward the mic, watching as the lights dimmed, "Atlas, Haven, and Shade, welcome to Beacon Academy. Standing before me is the next generation of huntsmen and huntresses–humanity's protectors. We are gathered here today, as a reminder of the past, and hope for the future.
The four kingdoms once fought each other long ago–for many reasons. But it was more than just a war for land, or political gain. It was about the very idea of individualism. One side, some of you may remember, fought to destroy art and all forms of self-expression. Many were opposed to that.
They began to name their children after colors, one of the core elements of self-expression, as a statement that they and their descendants would not tolerate such oppression. We are gathered here today as a symbol of how unity can be derived from diversity." He paused, observing the crowd once again. The trio had disappeared. He'd need to remind August to keep an eye out for them. " But that unity takes effort to maintain. So while the rest of the world celebrates this peace, many of you will be shadowing professional huntsmen or huntresses on a variety of missions. Some of you will be taken beyond the safety of Vale's walls for multiple days. Others will remain in the kingdom. But wherever you go, remember this: stay safe, remember your training, and do your best. Being a huntsman or huntress means taking on a responsibility–the protection and safety of others." He let those heavy words set in. "I hope you all rise to that station.
That is all I have to say for now. One more piece of advice before I go: try to choose wisely which mission you go on. You and your team will be all the better for it." He finally turned away from the mic and headed for the left side of the stairs, with applause filling his ears. Ozpin pulled out the tablet he kept in his coat pocket to monitor which team took which job.
He'd normally leave the monitoring up to either August or Glynda, but Team RWBY's recent encounter with the White Fang had him suspicious of their intentions, which wasn't helped by Mavis and Zeref's weekly reports to him about the students. But given their absence in recent weeks, Ozpin had taken on the task himself to track their actions. It had become apparent that the team was conducting their own investigation into the White Fang conspiracy.
He made his way toward the corner of the room when he overheard something that caught his attention.
"...and give them the slip by night!" The headmaster nearly sighed at how loud Ms. Xiao-Long's tone was. Ozpin fought the urge to turn in her direction and instead made his way to one of the mission boards. He checked his tablet for missions near Mountain Glenn, the location Ruby had revealed the White Fang decided to set up shop.
"A Grimm clearing mission in Quadrant Five," said to her teammates, "It's in the southwest."
"That should work," Ms. Schnee agreed. Ozpin let a small smile grace his lips. Did they not read the details of the mission clearly enough?
He subsequently heard a blaring error sound.
"So first-year teams can't do it," Ms. Xiao-Long groaned, "It just had to be that way. What now?"
"We mail our way there!" Ruby declared. A series of exasperated sighs followed—time to step in.
"Yes," he stepped into view, tapping away at the tablet, "we determined that the number of Grimm would be too much for first-year teams. But," he raised his eyebrows at a flustered Ruby, "I believe you and your team would find your way to Quadrant Five regardless."
"How'd you know?" the silver-eyed girl asked sheepishly.
"I heard a few interesting stories from the grapevine," Ozpin was met with the confirmation screen, "but instead of waiting for you four to break the rules, why don't we just bend them for the time being?"
"Sir," Ms. Belladonna spoke up suddenly, "why are you doing this?" The Fanus's amber eyes betrayed her wariness of him. He couldn't quite blame the girl, even if he felt it was misplaced.
"I still wonder how you four managed to find yourselves on the Docks last semester in the midst of a White Fang Operation. And there were reports of a group of teenage girls, ice, and rose petals at the sight of last month's 'disturbance' on the freeway."
"That's putting it lightly," Ms. Xiao-Long scoffed. The rest of her team turned to look at her. "I mean, there was a fucking–er, freaking robot!"
Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "I suppose I'll never figure out the answer to either of those two mysteries." He waited as Team RWBY exchanged a series of inaudible whispers.
Ruby turned to him with a grin on her face. "We won't let you down, sir!"
the Headmaster couldn't help but let a small smile tug on his lips. "While I appreciate the enthusiasm, I do have to warn you four of the risks of taking on this task. This won't be like anything you've faced before. You will have to rely on your Semblances, your training, and each other. There won't be a teacher to swoop in and save you if you get hurt." He felt a pang of guilt at the sight of the sobered faces of Team RWBY.
But he knew better than to lie about certain things.
Certain things.
"Of course, that doesn't mean you'll be completely alone," Ozpin went on. "You'll be with a professional huntsman, so I recommend watching them carefully. There might be something you learn from them." He held his gaze on Ms. Xiao-Long for a moment. "Don't feel discouraged—remember, you'll have to take these same risks every day once you leave Beacon. So I would get used to them now."
"You know, I think Ozpin needs to rethink what a 'pep talk' means," Yang muttered as they made their way to the school's landing pad. Her mind lingered on Ozpin's words. Did he think they couldn't handle it?
"You can say that again." Beside her, Blake secured the bandolier of ammunition stored in the small pack she was carrying. "The Headmaster's not telling us everything." The comment caught Yang's attention. Ever since she'd...comforted Zeref in the supply closet, the brawler had been able to wheedle small details about Headmaster Ozpin out of the quiet Mistrali kid. And what she'd learned about the old huntsman was interesting, to say the least. Was Ozpin hiding more from them than they realized? The possibility gnawed at her.
"What'd make you say that?" Weiss looked over her shoulder. "The headmaster, not some sort of shifty, shady White Fang–" the Heiress sucked in a sharp breath, "I mean–criminal. Sorry…Blake." Yang instinctively moved a hand to hold the black-haired fanus back. Then she noticed Blake's hand grasping the air. Did she want to…? The blonde tentatively took the hand, intertwining their fingers together.
Blake waited for a moment. "It's…okay. You're trying. That's more than I can say about most people. But to answer the question, think about it–he just admitted to knowing about our investigation of the White Fang, and wants us to keep going."
"Still, that doesn't mean Ozpin's scheming something in the background."
"He definitely is," Yang countered, "from what I've heard about the Headmaster."
"Zeref?" Ruby finally piped up.
"How'd you know sis?"
"Mavis mentioned stuff about Ozpin too," the team leader shrugged, "I don't remember much of what she said to me. Didn't seem that important."
"Well, Zeref slipped that he'd been asked to watch our team specifically," Yang lowered her tone, "by Ozpin, which I don't know about you, is kinda weird. He even let Ruby in two years early, not that I'm not grateful he did that."
"Shouldn't there be some connection between the two?" Weiss stopped walking, which would've caused Blake to bump into her if Yang hadn't gently pulled her back. "Maybe he just sees something special in Ruby, and that's why he asked Zeref and Mavis to keep an eye on us. Train us even."
"Then why wouldn't the Headmaster tell us that?" Blake crossed her arms, "that would be innocent enough."
"Hey," Ruby's uncharacteristically authoritative voice killed the rest of theirs, "we can save this talk for the Bullhead. We're about to meet the huntsman we were paired with. Let's try and make a really, really good first impression, okay team?"
Yang couldn't help but feel a burst of pride well up in her chest. "You got it, captain!" She ignored the strange looks of the students around them. It didn't matter, not with Ruby's earnest grin.
Blake turned her head slightly toward the blonde. "Glad to see she stepped up." Yang could only nod. "Who do you think we got paired with?"
"Hopefully someone who's able to work well with others–" Weiss started.
"Someone who's super cool and has, like, the biggest weapon imaginable!" Ruby gushed. Never change, sis. Yang's exasperation must've shown on her face because she then turned to her. "What?"
"Nothing," she looped an arm around Ruby's shoulder, "Let's go meet that huntsman, yeah?"
Yang personally felt she didn't have many expectations for this assignment–particularly the huntsman they were paired with. She just assumed that they'd be the run-of-the-mill huntsman, with one or two unique quirks.
What she was not expecting was a certain tall, lanky, black-haired man with a small cross around his neck and a white, button-up coat open around the collar, and an overly large sword handle. Yang's mind went blank with shock.
"Uncle Qrow?" She and Ruby exclaimed at the same time. What the hell was he doing here? Then she thought about it a little more. No way… Her mind struggled to connect the dots.
The huntsman had the gall to smirk. "I guess you're the group I'm stuck with for the next week–" he was interrupted by Ruby jumping-tackling him.
"I didn't know you'd be back for Intern Week!" The girl seemed too preoccupied with her uncle before Yang cleared her throat, her mind still reeling from the surprise.
"Ruby," she tried to hide the amusement in her tone, "maybe let Uncle Qrow say something first?"
Weiss neatly pulled Ruby away from the tall huntsman. "Who is this anyway, Ruby?"
"This is my uncle," the red-haired teenager explained, "he's one of the best huntsmen to ever come out of Beacon, and the one who taught me how to use Crescent Rose."
"Enough of that Ruby," Uncle Qrow seemed reluctant to silence her, "As much as the praise is nice, it's really time to get a move on. And I should introduce myself real quick," he turned to the rest of Team RWBY, "the name's Qrow Branwen, I've been in the huntsman business for about 21 years, and I am the uncle to these two." He gestured to both Ruby and Yang. "But don't expect any special treatment from me—I didn't give any to Yang or Ruby either. Now come on, we have a Bullhead to catch."
As the old huntsman turned away from them, Yang noticed a flash of disappointment on Weiss's face. So had Ruby. "Something wrong, partner?" Yang's concern for her friend grew, wondering what was bothering the usually composed heiress.
The Heiress hesitated before answering. "N-nothing Ruby. We should just get going." She was being polite. Yang made a mental note to talk to Weiss later, before jogging slightly to join Qrow at the front of the pack.
"You don't have anything else to say to us?" She tried elbowing him, only for Qrow to catch the jab.
"Look Yang," he lowered his voice, "I'm glad to see you and Ruby, but I'm technically here as a huntsman–not your uncle. Gotta maintain some professionalism." Yang frowned at that. She wasn't upset Uncle Qrow was acting this way…just not used to it. Her eyes wandered down to his pockets. No whiskey flask. The realization sent a mixture of relief and unease through her.
"So we finally got through to you," Yang grinned slightly, "I'm glad."
"Oh, you shouldn't be." Those words sent a cold shiver down her spine. What did he mean by that?
Yang wasn't sure what he was talking about. "I'm…sorry?"
"You didn't think your team's little 'escapades' wouldn't get back to me at some point," his voice dropped an octave, "right?" The blonde brawler gulped.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Yang said nervously, "and I thought you were on, and I quote, 'an uber-secret mission that us kids didn't need to know about.'"
"Well, I got it done early," Qrow deflected, "and now it's my job to make sure you four don't die charging headfirst into a Grimm-infested den."
That last comment especially stung. "Well, thanks for the voice of confidence."
He ran a hand through his oily, black hair. "I…didn't mean it that way. It's just, after hearing how reckless your team's been, I just hope you're taking this seriously." Qrow's words lingered.
"Hey," Yang shot him a self-assured grin, "Ruby's become an amazing team leader, Weiss's glyphs are basically magic, Blake's untouchable, and I'll be there to blast anything left of smithereens!"
"We'll see," He slowed his pace as they approached the Bullhead. "You should go talk to your team. This ride won't last very long, so try and get some sort of plan ready."
Yang didn't immediately follow him into the Bullhead.
"So," a familiar voice called behind her, "did he tell you anything?"
"Nah," Yang turned to face her sister, arms crossed, "just being an ass again. So, what's the plan?"
"First thing," Blake raised a single finger, "are we going to have to…ditch your uncle?"
Yang considered that for a moment. "Nah. I think he already knows why we're going on this assignment."
"The Headmaster probably already told him." Weiss shook her head. "It wouldn't make much sense for Ozpin to let us jump headfirst into this job without backup."
Yang couldn't help but scowl at that. "It's almost like they don't trust us to do anything. I mean, we managed to kick Torchwick's ass on our own."
"I don't know sis," Ruby brushed past her, "that wasn't exactly a clean fight."
"You mean the collateral," Blake raised her eyebrows at Yang, "I'm with the Headmaster on this one. No offense Yang, but you haven't been out there like I have."
She couldn't argue with that one. "Hmm, I guess. But still, why would Ozpin let us go on this mission in the first place if he could get other huntsmen who'd do it for him?"
"We can ask that question after we smash Torchwick's scheme into pieces," Ruby finally answered. "C'mon girls, we gotta go over the attacks we worked out with Mavis."
The three remaining members of Team RWBY followed her up into the Bullhead. "So, what's your uncle like anyway?" Blake asked. "He seems a little…"
"Unprofessional?" Weiss offered.
"Grumpy?" Yang ignored Weiss's comment. "He can seem that way sometimes. Doesn't open up to many people. But I'm sure things'll get better with me and Ruby around." She grinned. Now come on!"
Qrow knew his nieces weren't pushovers–he'd seen their Beacon entrance exams. But he couldn't help but grin slightly as he watched Team RWBY dispatch a pack of assorted Grimm.
They'd come up with a strategy Qrow couldn't help but recognize. Ruby had kneeled down on a pile of rubble, scythe blade embedded in the concrete; it helped to stabilize the kickback of Crescent' Rose's anti-material rifle as it ripped into the crowd of Beowolves. Each shot elicited the cries of pain of two to three Grimm.
Far in front of her, the familiar blast of Yang's gauntlets echoed against the ruined buildings of Mountain Glenn, shattering the aged and fractured glass, keeping the Grimm of the sniper. Qrow took aim at a baby Ursai charging at his niece from behind, before pausing. He couldn't protect them forever, only make sure they were on the right path.
The third member of Team RWBY, the Fanus, jumped from the window ledge she'd been taking potshots from to land sword first onto the bear's bony plating. The dark, metal blade sunk deep into the Horse's back, causing it to let out a roar, as it tried to swipe at Blake with its paws. That only left the creature open to Yang's fists, which began pummeling the bear into the ground.
Qrow's eyes narrowed at a small group of Grimm skirting around the two huntresses to go straight for Ruby. He managed to shoot one Boartusk in the back, but the distance between him and the monster caused his shells to lose much of their impact. The rest continued their scramble toward Ruby. But he wasn't too worried.
The lead Beowolf lunged at an 'unaware' Ruby. It unceremoniously fell to the ground, pinned by the swirling black glyph on the ground. Despite Qrow's…rocky relationship with her sister, he was glad his niece had a partner and friend in Weiss Schnee. The Heiress jabbed the downed Beowolf in the eyes, before writing a second set of glyphs with the tip of her rapier.
He heard an angry snort. Oh right–he'd shot at a Boartusk. Sighing, Qrow flicked his wrist, relocking the blade of Harbinger, his weapon, and leaped through the broken window he had been using to observe the battle. As he landed on the cracked pavement, the monster pig took the opportunity to charge.
One swing was enough to knock the Grimm to the side, leaving it off-balanced. He swung again, creating a nasty gash in the Boartusk's side. The thing took one step, then another, then disintegrated as it tried to take the third step. He glanced over his shoulder–Team RWBY seemed to be cleaning up. Beowolf packs generally tended to hang out in forests, or on the outskirts of ruined towns. Packs this large would never normally coalesce in the center of Mountain Glenn. Unless… there was something more sinister at play.
Putting away Harbinger, he jogged over to his black and red-haired niece, who had gotten to her feet. "You did alright kid."
Ruby's eyes widened. Her mouth stretched into a big grin. Oh boy. "Really? I have to tell the team!" She tried to dash off, her enthusiasm almost overwhelming.
"Slow down," Qrow snickered, holding her in place by grabbing her arm, "that doesn't mean there aren't still issues you four are going to have to work out." It didn't take long before the three other members of Team RWBY approached their leader.
It didn't take long before the three other members of Team RWBY approached their leader. "That went pretty well." Qrow's eyebrow twitched at Yang's smug look. She was confident, sometimes overly so.
Blake looked less celebratory than her teammate. "I mean, we took care of all the Grimm."
The old huntsman cleared his throat, slightly annoyed. "Sure. You did eliminate one pack of Beowolves and Boartusks. But you missed the most important detail."
Yang popped out the empty shotgun shells from her gauntlets. Qrow frowned. His niece's gauntlets, Ember Cecilia, glowed with a slight orange tint. She had been too trigger-happy.
"I understand our team is out here to find the White Fang hideout," Weiss's tone sounded strained, "but what were we supposed to get from a Grimm attack?"
Ruby had a more thoughtful look on her face. "Why don't you tell us Uncle Qrow?"
He waited for a moment before answering. Interesting. "The number of Beowolves we just had to fight isn't natural. They like to stay in the wilderness. I wasn't expecting any of you to notice this, honestly. It's just something you'll learn from experience."
"If that's true, why would there be any Beowolves here–" Weiss grumbled, "oh. So are you saying the Beowolves are only here because there's a White Fang hideout somewhere?"
Qrow hummed approvingly, "Pretty much." He smirked. "You all were asking about the plan for today, right?"
"Only for the past five hours," Yang joked, her tone light but her eyes serious.
"You four are going to split off into pairs to clear out Grimm in the city," the old huntsman glanced up at the sky, "then mark out where you find large concentrations of Beowolves. We'll meet back up here in…three hours. And if you happen onto White Fang grunts–"
"We'll kick their butts!" Ruby exclaimed. Qrow raised his eyebrow.
"We'll stay out of sight and call for backup," Blake deadpanned.
"Hehe," his niece sheepishly laughed, "that's probably a better plan."
He sighed, shaking his head. "Just check your scrolls so you know where to go. Call me if you need help–now get to work."
He watched as Team RWBY split in half to cover more ground; Ruby and Weiss went left, while Blake and Yang went right.
Qrow decided that he'd do some scouting of his own. It'd been a full two and a half weeks since he'd been able to let loose. Turning a city corner, Qrow found himself face to face with…an Ursa Major and its cubs—just his luck.
He unclasped Harbinger from his belt, holding it by his side. The demon bears–the cubs–began lumbering toward him. He reached into his left pocket to pull out an old, gold coin.
Please heads.
Qrow flicked his thumb, launching the coin into the air. He opened his palm, allowing the piece of shiny metal to fall flat onto his hand. Head it was. Returning the coin back into his pocket, the old huntsman squeezed the smaller black lever that stuck out from the mechanical gearbox of his weapon. The mechanism whirred to life, causing the segments of his sword to extend outward, locking in place into a curved scythe.
The Ursa Major roared, the sound echoing through the empty streets, making the windows of nearby buildings tremble. Sensing their mother's aggression, its cubs quickened their pace, their growls growing louder and more menacing.
Qrow took a deep breath, steadying himself. His eyes narrowed, locking onto the largest Ursa. He swung Harbinger into a ready stance, the blade glinting under the sun in the sky.
"Alright, let's dance," he muttered, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. The first cub lunged at him with surprising speed for its size. Qrow sidestepped effortlessly, swinging Harbinger in a wide arc. The blade sliced cleanly through the beast's bony plating, and it crumpled to the ground with a low growl. He had no time to rest, though, as the second cub charged at him, teeth bared and claws extended.
Qrow ducked under its swipe, rolling to the side and coming up with his scythe ready. He spun Harbinger around, bringing it down on the cub's back. The creature howled in pain, staggering backward. Qrow pressed the advantage, delivering a swift kick to its side and finishing it off with a quick slash.
The Ursa Major, witnessing the demise of its offspring, roared in fury. It reared up on its hind legs, towering over Qrow, and slammed its massive paws down where he stood. Qrow leapt back just in time, the ground shaking from the impact. He was not going to be taking any hits from that. Or take it out in one hit. He needed an opening. His mind raced, searching for a strategy.
Taking the opportunity, Qrow scanned the abandoned, crumbling buildings.
His eyes landed on a rickety fire escape ladder hanging precariously from a nearby building. The green paint had given away to dark brown rust. That's better than nothing. He darted towards it, the Ursa Major hot on his heels.
Just as Qrow reached the ladder, he heard the Grimm's paws thunder behind him. With a burst of speed, he leapt, grabbing the lowest rung and hauling himself up. The Ursa Major's claws swiped at his legs, missing by mere inches as Qrow climbed higher. Halfway up, Qrow felt a shudder run through the structure. The fire escape was not going to hold for long. He had to make a decision fast. Spotting an old clothesline stretching between the buildings, he cursed under his breath.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, gripping Harbinger tightly.
With a swift movement, Qrow transformed Harbinger back into its sword form. He swung it to cut the clothesline, grabbing the severed end. With a leap of faith, he swung across the alleyway, the Ursa Major roaring in frustration below.
Please hold–please hold–please hold–
He landed on the opposite rooftop, rolling to absorb the impact. The clothesline snapped back, slapping against the walls and distracting the Ursa Major momentarily. Qrow took advantage of the beast's confusion to catch his breath. Now that he'd put some distance between himself and the bear–
His thoughts were interrupted by the loud crack of stone. Qrow looked down. The Ursa began to climb the building, using its massive claws to scale the brick facade. Qrow had no time. He scanned the rooftop, his eyes landing on a large, rusted antenna secured by a series of bolts.
He sprinted towards it, using Harbinger to slash through the bolts. The antenna creaked and groaned as it started to come loose. Timing his movements perfectly, Qrow waited until the Ursa Major was directly beneath the antenna.
With one final strike, he severed the last bolt. The antenna toppled, crashing down onto the Ursa Major. The beast roared in pain and fury as it was pinned to the ground, giving Qrow the opening he needed.
Leaping down from the rooftop, Qrow landed beside the struggling Ursa Major. He took a deep breath, before bringing down the Harbinger in a deadly arc, striking at the beast's underbelly. The Ursa Major let out one last, guttural roar before disintegrating under the weight of the antenna.
Breathing heavily, Qrow stood over the fallen beast, Harbinger at his side. He glanced at the gold coin in his pocket, a small smile playing on his lips.
"Thanks again, Teach," he said to himself, turning away from the writhing metal mess of the downed antenna. He owed August a drink when he saw him again.
"You hear something?" The sound of an unfamiliar voice froze Qrow in his tracks. The sound of feet crunching glass was getting louder. "Are you serious, Prata? We just saw a fucking antenna fall from the roof of a building. Yeah, I heard something."
"Geez, you didn't need to be an ass about it."
There was no way Qrow would avoid being seen by the two quickly approaching strangers. Unless…the raven-haired huntsman took a deep breath, before envisioning a familiar, small, black bird, with dark red eyes. It cawed back at him.
He blinked, only to be met with dark, well-worn shoes. "I guess the antenna just got old," the same voice he'd heard earlier spoke out. Qrow had to crane his neck to get a good look at the stranger. They were dressed in the familiar White Fang getup, with a long black-sleeved shirt and hood, gray gloves, and a white-colored assault vest.
"It's just a bird," the other masked figure answered, "let's not waste any more time out here." Qrow pecked at the shoe of the first White Fang member.
"What the–" Qrow was glad for the increased maneuverability of his corvid form. Otherwise, he would've felt that kick from the White Fang member for weeks.
"See? Even the crow wants us gone." Hah. Serves you right.
"Tch," the same White Fang member kicked a few more pebbles toward Qrow before turning away. The transformed huntsman decided to take the opportunity to make his way back up to the rooftop he'd come from. He observed the two Fanus below him methodically pace around in a rectangular path. Just as Qrow was about to follow the pair, he paused. I probably should check in on my nieces first. It sounds like a different set of patrols will be out here later anyway.
He closed his eyes again, and imagined the crow in his mind again. It was perched on a branch. Qrow watched it fly away.
He opened his eyes, feeling much taller than he had been. Taking out his scroll, Qrow swiped in his password, planning to call Ruby. There's no signal. Shit. But he swore he'd read in the briefing that Mountain Glenn had a, albeit, weak CCT signal. He stifled a groan. Guess I gotta do it the old-fashioned way. He was going to throttle whoever wrote that debriefing after all of this was over.
Weiss wiped the sweat from her forehead, staring at one of the many abandoned buildings. The derelict structure seemed to whisper stories of a time long past. Ruby's voice broke through her thoughts. "That's the last block. You ready to head back?" When Weiss didn't respond, still lost in her contemplation, Ruby's voice took on a worried edge. "Weiss?"
"I just don't get it," Weiss said, peeling herself away from the ruined clothes shop. A crow (or maybe a raven) landed on the nearby streetlamp, its presence adding to the eerie atmosphere. "Why did Vale never try to reclaim Mountain Glenn?" The question had been nagging at her ever since she'd read up on the history of the place.
"I…don't get it," she answered sheepishly, "why are you bringing this up anyway? Not that I'm not interested–just kinda…weird?"
Weiss shook her head, dismissing her own thoughts. "No, it's nothing you need to be worried about. Let's just meet back up with the others." She tried to push the questions aside, focusing on the task at hand. But Ruby caught her by the shoulder.
"Nuh-uh!" The black-haired girl grinned. "I wanna hear where this came from. I mean, we're ahead of schedule anyway." Ruby's cheerful insistence made Weiss's heart lighten a bit, and she felt her face relax into a smile.
"It was just something I was reading about after our fight with Roman," Weiss said, sheathing her rapier. "I thought that it might've been a good idea to learn more about southwest Vale–including Mountain Glenn."
"But," Ruby tilted her head, "you didn't mention anything like that to me–I mean everyone before."
Weiss flushed slightly. "I didn't feel like I found anything useful to the mission. It was just interesting to me." It had been something Zeref sparked in her, a need to understand the history and politics behind their world when he first mentioned how entrenched her family–just her father really–was in every kingdom.
"Hey!" Ruby elbowed her playfully, "I'll always listen to whatever you have to say. So spill it." She blew a raspberry to emphasize her point, making Weiss chuckle despite herself.
"I still can't believe you're this childish," Weiss muttered under her breath, though she couldn't hide the smile on her lips. "I just found it interesting that Vale chose Mountain Glenn for their first major expansion because the many cave systems in the area made it cheaper to build a subway between the two settlements, but then failed to place adequate defenses against the subterranean Grimm."
"Could it have been a funding issue?" Ruby offered. She recalled her most recent reading for 's class. The section on taxes had been mind-numbingly boring, especially without Mavis to talk to.
"Embezzlement," Weiss's tone, gained a venomous edge. "The official in charge of the project siphoned from the defense budget. He was already one of the richest members of Vale." She paused. "He didn't need the money. But he did it anyway because…"
"This guy sounds a lot like one from Mavis's stories," Ruby grinned
iss frowned at that, feeling a twinge of jealousy. She started walking, her thoughts turning darker. "I thought she was supposed to be helping you study whenever I couldn't."
"I hang out with her outside of that," Ruby answered with a slight twinge of confusion, following behind the heiress.
"You do?" Weiss sounded skeptical, her eyes flickering upwards before refocusing on Ruby.
Ruby couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. "Yeah! Haven't you seen the two of us in the common area before?"
Her partner paused to think about her answer. "No…but that doesn't matter. What was the story?"
"Well, the guy was the leader of a mercenary group, the Red Lizards. It was one of the bigger and well-known ones."
"So he was rich?"
"Mavis used the word 'inordinate', so I'd say so. The guy, I think his name was Zeeself, had a daughter too. But apparently, the thing he most valued was this weird rock called Tenrou's Treasure. So when a different set of mercenaries came up demanding the stone, Zeeself told them to shove it. So…the rival mercenaries came back later and…took what they wanted by force."
"Was there a reason for him to refuse?" Weiss stepped over a pile of rubble. It was obvious, even to Ruby, that Weiss was avoiding the last detail. "Did 'Tenrou's Treasure' have any use case?"
"No. Zeeself apparently just liked how it looked–thought it made him special. Greed got him–and his daughter killed." The ending of the story hadn't ever sat right with her. It had just been too sad. "I don't think that's the end of the story though. It can't end with everyone just gone."
"I think the story's ending is fine as it is," Weiss replied absentmindedly. "Zeeself's selfishness was his downfall. That's a pretty simple story if you're asking me." She couldn't help but feel that that lesson could apply to a certain CEO he knew.
"But," Ruby struggled to articulate. "Mavis made it sound like she left some stuff out." Her partner stopped talking, which worried the heiress. Weiss glanced over at Ruby. Even with the soot and sweat covering her face, Ruby still had that look of optimism on her face.
Weiss suddenly grabbed her by the hand. Ruby nearly jumped at the touch. "Didn't you say you wanted to try making something for dinner this time?"
"Yeah," the black-haired girl couldn't help but grin. "Dinnertime pancakes–again."
"Then we need to get a move on." The Heiress pulled Ruby along, a similar smile gracing her lips. Weiss felt a warmth spread through her chest.
"Okay, okay!" Ruby laughed, then paused for one last question. "You never told me why Vale didn't try and reclaim Mountain Glenn."
"While there is no official reason as to why Vale never tried again," Weiss started, "I like to think it's because the Ruling Council didn't want to be seen as weak–that Mountain Glenn fell because of government incompetence. It was easier for them, politically, to pretend that the plan had just been doomed from the start."
"You're starting to sound like my uncle," Ruby grumbled, "after a really long night out on the town."
"Should you really be talking about your uncle like that?" Despite her initial opinion of the man, he was still the defacto adult in the room. "And I highly doubt I sound remotely like the ramblings of a drunk, middle-aged man."
Ruby snickered. "Are you sure you sure you should talk about my uncle like that?"
Weiss turned crimson. "Well–I mean–it's not like he heard me say that."
"Uh huh," a familiar, husky voice echoed across the street. "And here I thought you were the mature one of the team."
Weiss turned around slowly, eyes widening as they landed on Qrow Branwen. "Sir! I-I didn't mean—"
Ruby couldn't hold in her laughter this time. "Pffff–"
Qrow waved a dismissive hand, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. "Relax, Schnee. I've been called worse. Just focus on keeping an eye out for Grimm, alright?"
Ruby stepped forward, still holding Weiss's hand. "Uncle Qrow! We were just heading back to meet up with the others. Did you finish scouting?"
Qrow nodded, his expression growing serious. "Yeah. Ran into a couple of White Fang patrols."
"And?" Ruby asked excitedly.
"Dodged them." Qrow rolled his eyes. "I did tell you and your teammates to avoid confronting any White Fang members. Looks like you two didn't run into too much trouble."
"Have you checked in on Yang and Blake yet?" Weiss clutched the hilt of her blade.
"Not yet." Qrow pursed his lips. "It took me a while to find you two."
Ruby knit her eyebrows. "Couldn't you've just used your scroll to find where we were?"
"Well, that's what I thought too," her uncle grumbled, "but the briefing apparently lied about there being any CCT signal. But, that isn't the point right now. We gotta get back to the rendezvous point to meet up with your sister. Hopefully, they didn't run into the same complications I did."
Blake and Yang moved cautiously through the abandoned streets of Mountain Glenn, the eerie silence broken only by the occasional distant howl of a Beowolf. Despite her travels around Mistral, Blake had never seen a town the size of Mountain Glenn abandoned. The slowly crumbling skyscrapers almost acted like the gravestones of a massive cemetery–a monument to the destructive force of the Grimm.
"This place gives me the creeps," Yang muttered, her eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. Her usual bravado seemed muted, her posture tense.
Blake gritted her teeth, forcing her gloomy thoughts to the back of her mind. "Stay focused. We're nearly done clearing out our area." After all, she had faced worse before.
As they rounded a corner, they stopped abruptly. Two figures in White Fang uniforms stood in the middle of the street, clearly having a heated discussion. What was worse–both had walkie-talkies clipped on their waists. Blake's heart sank. This was not what they needed right now.
"White Fang," Yang whispered, her fists clenching. "What are they doing here?" Blake grabbed her partner by the arm, dragging her into a nearby alley.
Blake's eyes narrowed. "Doesn't matter. Now I know your uncle said to avoid confronting White Fang members, but—" Her mind raced through the possibilities
Yang grinned. "Don't have to explain it to me, Blake. If you want to take them here and now, I'm all for it." Yang's eagerness to fight was both reassuring and terrifying at the same time.
"Are you sure?" For all that Blake appreciated Yang's commitment to helping her, it still didn't sit right with the Fanus. "This is just my fight. You don't have anything to atone for. You don't have any reason to–" she was interrupted by a flick to the forehead.
"It became my fight the moment you became my partner," Yang crossed her arms, "dummy. I'll be damned if I—or the rest of the team—let you do this alone."
Yang's words warmed Blake's heart, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the gravity of the situation. "Thanks. I needed that. Now, we're going to need to take them out before they can call for backup."
They stepped out into the open, weapons at the ready. The White Fang members turned, eyes widening in surprise before hardening into glares. Before either of them could react, Blake aimed with Gambol Shroud. It only took two shots to turn the radios into smoldering scrap metal.
One of them, a tall man with a scar running down his cheek, drew his sword.
"Well, well," he sneered. "Looks like we've got some unwanted guests."
His companion, a shorter but stockier Faunus with wolf ears, cracked his knuckles. "Let's teach them a lesson."
Before anyone could make a move, the ground beneath them trembled. A low, rumbling hiss echoed through the street, sending shivers down their spines. Blake and Yang exchanged worried glances, while the White Fang members looked around in confusion.
"What the hell is that?" the scarred man demanded.
A massive shadow fell over them, and Blake's eyes widened in horror as a gigantic two-headed snake, slithered into view. The creature's scales glistened in the dim light, and its twin heads hissed menacingly, their eyes locking onto the four combatants.
"Of course, it had to be a King Taijitu," Yang groaned, raising her gauntlets. "Ready for this, Blake?"
Blake nodded, drawing her weapon. "Let's do this."
The two White Fang members glanced at each other, then back at the snake. "Truce?" the wolf-eared Faunus suggested.
"Truce," Yang agreed reluctantly.
The King Taijitu struck, one head lunging at Blake while the other went for the White Fang members. Blake darted to the side, her reflexes saving her from being crushed by the massive jaws. She slashed at the snake's scales, but her blade barely left a scratch.
Yang, meanwhile, was unleashing a barrage of fiery punches at the creature's other head, but the King Taijitu only seemed to be slightly dazed from the attack. "Damn it, this thing is tough!"
The White Fang members weren't faring much better. The scarred man's sword bounced off the snake's hide, and the wolf-eared Faunus's punches seemed to have no effect. "This isn't working!" the White Fang member shouted. The snake's head swung around, knocking the wolf-eared Faunus off his feet and sending him crashing into a wall. The impact left him dazed, struggling to get up.
The King Taijitu retaliated fiercely, its tail whipping around and striking Yang, sending her flying back. She hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. The creature's other head lunged at the scarred man, who barely managed to dodge, only to be caught by the snake's tail and thrown against a crumbling building. The force of the impact caused the pillar to crack and crumble, sending debris raining down on him. He tried to stumble away from the falling rubble, but a piece of rebar struck his shoulder, causing his gray-colored Semblance to flicker before dissipating.
"We need to hit it where it's vulnerable!" Blake called out, leaping onto the snake's back and running along its length, looking for a weak spot. She spotted a patch of softer scales near the base of one head and drove her blade into it. The King Taijitu roared in pain, thrashing violently.
"Nice one, Blake!" Yang cheered, taking advantage of the distraction to land a powerful punch right between the other head's eyes. The snake recoiled, dazed.
The wolf-eared Faunus managed to grab a piece of rubble and threw it with all his might, hitting the creature's eye. The King Taijitu roared again, this time in fury and pain. Its heads whipped around wildly, trying to shake off its attackers.
Blake held on tightly, her blade embedded in the snake's flesh. "Keep it up! We're getting through!"
Yang aimed her gauntlets and fired a concentrated blast at the snake's head, the explosion sending the creature reeling. The scarred man saw his chance and lunged forward, his sword piercing the snake's eye.
The King Taijitu let out a final, deafening roar before collapsing to the ground, its massive body twitching before going still. Blake jumped down from its back, breathing heavily.
"Good job, Yang," she said, before glancing at the White Fang members. "What do we do about—"
Her words were cut off as the scarred man suddenly lunged at her, his sword aimed at her heart. Blake's reflexes kicked in, and she dodged to the side, the blade grazing her arm. Yang roared in fury, her gauntlets blazing as she charged at the man.
"Yang, wait!" Blake called, but it was too late. Yang's fist connected with the man's chest, the force of the blow sending him flying into a wall. He crumpled to the ground.
The wolf-eared Faunus stared in shock, then turned to run, but Blake was faster. She tackled him to the ground, pinning him with her blade at his throat. "Don't move," she hissed.
Yang approached, her eyes evident with worry. "Blake, are you okay?"
Blake nodded, her grip on the wolf-eared Faunus tightening. "...I will be. But he's not going anywhere."
The Faunus's eyes were filled with fear. Blake's heart dropped. "Just get it over with—traitor. It's clear who you decided to side with."
Blake's heart dropped. "I'm not—I haven't betrayed the cause. Whatever Adam is telling you isn't going to bring progress for our people—"
"And how would you know what Adam's saying?" He sneered. "You left him, remember? You gave up on our cause, went scurrying into the clutches of the humans like a coward—"
Yang's boot connected with the wolf Faunus's head, sending him sprawling onto the ground. "We need to get him back to Qrow. He'll know what to do."
"I wasn't done talking to him," Blake sucked in a sharp breath. Memories of her time with the White Fang flooded back—days spent believing in their cause, just angry at the world for how it treated people like her, lashing out blindly at anyone she–no, Adam–deemed to be guilty. "I need him to realize that the path he's going down isn't the right one."
"You're wasting your breath, Blake. He's made his choice," Yang said, though her voice wavered with uncertainty. She looked at the other White Fang grunt. "So what do we do about that guy?"
Blake thought about that for a moment. "You didn't kill him, right?"
"What?" The blonde brawler sounded a little offended. "Of course not."
"Well that just complicates things for us," Blake sighed, "you don't have anything to tie him up with?"
"Nothing that would keep him trapped for long," Yang shook her head, "So do we just leave him and hope he doesn't wake up for a while?"
"We'll just have to bring some handcuffs next time," Blake shrugged. "Now c'mon!"
Things were finally looking up for Roman. In the short term at least. He watched as the last few crates of fire dust were loaded onto the train cars. Soon, all that'd be left were the explosives. He couldn't help but grimace slightly at the thought. If any of those animals fumble with the explosives…I'll be damned if I go out buried in an already dead city. Still, he was glad neither he nor Neo were the ones doing it.
"Sir…!" A voice behind him called out.
Please don't tell me…Roman plastered on his least threatening smile. He liked Perry after all. Gripping his cane, he slowly turned to face the lieutenant Adam appointed to him. "You better not be here to tell me something's wrong with the C4–because I was just beginning to warm up to you." He tapped his cane slightly.
"No sir," Perry answered flatly. "I am just here to inform you that one of our patrols was ambushed–by huntsmen, two of them."
Now that got his attention. "What in the actual–I am not getting paid enough for this shit. Could you tell me what the two looked like?"
"One of the huntsmen was a former member of the White Fang," Perry answered, with a healthy amount of anger in his voice, "Blake Belladonna." Wait. The cat girl?
"Oh you have got to be kidding me," Roman grumbled, "those girls followed me all the way out here?"
"Who, sir?"
"You know the people who had to ruin my perfectly planned dust smuggling operation? It was that group of kids. So, I don't know about you Perry, but I'd like to stamp out this fire before it gets any bigger–or lethal. How many people can you spare from the loading team?"
"Once we start loading on the explosives, " the fanus's eyes flickered to the train, "assuming there are no accidents, we'll have a sizable force–probably enough to overwhelm the students."
Roman tutted. "That's what we thought at the docks too. You've never fought a huntsman before, have you?"
"...no."
"Well, their Semblances tend to be… overpowered. So much so, compared to regular people like you and me, they're basically untouchable."
"So what's the plan, sir?"
"Simple," Roman smirked, "we beat them with our heads. I'm sure we can spare a few explosives, right? Plant them around the entrances to the base."
"I will see it done." Perry quickly turned to leave. "Would you like me to notify Adam about this complication?"
Roman raised an eyebrow. "Yeah Perry, I'm sure telling your very emotionally stable boss that his ex-girlfriend is here is going to turn out great."
"I was just offering a suggestion," the fanus answered, pulling out his scroll. "Not that I could've done that anyway. We've lost the CCT signal."
Well, at least I have an excuse to tell when Cinder asks why I didn't let her know about this. "I told you people that should've replaced that rusty antenna when we fist moved out here. Just get the plan ready." As the fanus disappeared into the shadows, Roman let out a sigh.
"You can come out now Neo," he called out. His partner materialized from the darkness, a pout on her face. "I know you've been bored, cooped up in here. So how'd you feel about doin' me a favor?"
Neo twirled her umbrella around her wrist, tilting her head curiously.
"How'd you feel about a rematch?"
Neo grinned.