Fleeting Dreams
Chapter 1: The Force Addiction
伝説・・伝説・・伝説
Mistral, Eight Years After "The Grimm Disappearance" …
On a cold, chilly night in Mistral, a bar was quickly filling with people as the night got later, their talks and conversations lighting up the atmosphere; and of course, harmonized by smooth jazz playing in the background.
In the backdrop of all this, Qrow put down his glass on the bar counter and rubbed his eyes.
Qrow had been in the Huntsman game for a long time – longer than most. For that, he considered himself extremely lucky. And boy wasn't that quite the joke.
He had seen a lot of people come and go. From acquaintances, colleagues and even to his own Team, STRQ. No one was invincible, everyone had their time.
Qrow looked around – the bar was filled with both local and visiting Huntsmen and Huntresses, something he took note of when he first arrived and came to this bar here in Mistral. And no doubt, they'd all have their time too. Just as he would have his.
His mind concluded what it always did. The only thing that mattered was-
"Hey theree. Got something on your mind?"
"Wha-? O-oh, nothing." Qrow shook his head and gave a nod to the questioning bartender. From the way she looked she wasn't a Mistralian native either – she had dark skin, relatively well-kept and tidy green hair and ruby red that eyes stared into his own – but her accent showed the contrary, thick as any that had been born here.
With nothing else on his mind, he decided to ask about it himself. "Hey, barkeep, you don't look like you're from around here." Qrow asked. "But you've got the accent nailed down. Why's that?"
"Oh, really?" The bartender chuckled. The accent seemed to fade away; even if it was only just a bit. "I suppose that makes sense. I opened shop a few years ago," she let out an amused chuckle. "I came here when I was a teenager, had a lot of things to take care of back then." Her eyes seemed to wander away from him, lost in memory. "One thing led to another, and then in the end here I am. Heh, never really got a chance to move out from Mistral, so in the end..." she trailed off.
"Gotcha." Qrow lifted his glass, and as the bartender poured him another drink – non-alcoholic, mind you, Ruby would kill him otherwise – Qrow looked at the bartender more closely.
"Say…" Qrow said as he took a sip, the bartender turning away to clean some glasses, "You didn't happen to be a Huntress, did you?"
At that, the bartender seemed to freeze. And then, after a moment, she relaxed and let out a soft smile. "Hm, I suppose you could've called me that." But before she could answer him further, other customers began to order for more drinks, quickly diverting her attention away and beckoning her elsewhere, leaving Qrow alone with his thoughts.
"An ex-Huntress' bar, huh?" Qrow took another sip of his drink. Well then, this place would be an ideal place for his mission. He didn't come to Mistral to play around, after all.
His objective was to find out-
Brrt!
A TV to his left, at the edge of the bar, suddenly blared to life and interrupted his thoughts. It immediately shifted to the default channel, Mistral's news, and spoke Qrow's thoughts for him.
"This is Mistral News Network, bringing you the latest news from all around our Kingdom. An update regarding the police's biggest case, and one that has everyone questioning their safety - Police investigations continue to prove no leads as they scour for Mistral's serial-killer-at-large, now nicknamed the Huntsman Killer."
The Huntsman Killer: and Ozpin had personally sent Qrow to deal with the problem.
"The Huntsman Killer has yet to make another mark – however, with a tally of over six Huntsmen under their belt, that makes their silence all the more confusing. Police have scoured over all evidence, however new leads have yet to be revealed. We've spoken with the head of the investigation, Detective Sun Wukong of Downtown Mistral's PD…"
Qrow tuned the rest out. It was nothing he hadn't heard before. He opened his Scroll as he took another sip and took a look at the information he had gathered so far.
There was a killer loose in Mistral, targeting specifically Huntsmen and Huntresses. The killer was professional, leaving no DNA traces and the only wound to identify on the corpses was a single clean slash across all their throats. The killer didn't have a specific time of attack – it could be nighttime, yet daytime killings were also on the table. And most damning of all, in his mind, was that all of those killed were top-level Huntsmen; not those who could have easily been easily brushed off.
And upon hearing the news, Ozpin's mind had immediately gone to Salem. And to confirm his suspicions, he had sent Qrow there to investigate. Especially now…
…Now, when Huntsmen and Huntresses were starting to lose employment, as their livelihoods began to be threatened and questioned.
Because how could it not?
The Grimm had disappeared eight years ago, without a trace, leaving the Huntsmen without a purpose to life. Without an enemy to fight…
Without a dream to chase… And now, suddenly, they were being killed off?
It was too much of a coincidence not to be her. And even if it wasn't, what did it mean for them? All their life they were trained to fight the Grimm, and for humanity to seemingly win in such an unexpected way.
And even then, no one took the claim! So in the end, what choice did they have? It must've been the work of Salem, Ozpin was sure; and Qrow was too.
Taking a long swig, Qrow took another look around the bar and felt his suspicions confirmed. That was why he approached this bar in the first place – most of the customers here were ex-Huntsmen and ex-Huntresses, killing their time with nothing to do. This particular joint was particularly popular, perhaps from the bartenders' same status as being a Huntress herself, but also because her kindness had exceeded her. Even when some of her regulars had slipped into unemployment, she gave them food, shelter, and a new direction to follow.
And Qrow was hoping on just that – a direction that might lead him to the killer. And, well, it wasn't like he didn't overhear Yang on how he looked like a homeless mess whenever he was drunk off his ass…
With that in mind, Qrow signaled the bartender again for a refill. She quickly came over and gave him a pour.
"Say, barkeep, I never did get your name." Qrow spoke. He gave her a thanks as he took a sip, his eyes never leaving her.
"O-oh, right! My name's Emerald. Emerald Sustrai." She gave Qrow a nod-bow.
"Qrow." He responded.
"Heh, sorry about leaving you all of a sudden back there. One of my regulars just came back after a long time. He's sitting over there." Emerald pointed to the far back of the bar, to a man sitting by his lonesome with documents spilling all over his table.
Qrow looked at his condition, and then at the man himself. The man had black and spiky hair, eyes hidden beneath sunglasses and fair skin hugged by a tidy black suit and dress pants. But what caught Qrow's eye the most… 'He just got here and he's already got that much of a mess on his table? And is that paperwork? Ugh, must be rough…'
Emerald, of course, didn't mind. She called out to him with a wide smile even from where she was. "Hey, Jin! Stop being a loner and come over here, will you? I've got someone I think you'd like to talk to over here!"
She got a middle finger in return.
"Tch, fine! But you're gonna regret it!" She called out, though in a cheerful and playful manner. Then, Emerald turned her focus back to Qrow and busied her hands with cleaning another glass. Her gaze knew – Qrow wanted to speak more with her.
And seeing that gaze, Qrow took the chance. "See, I've got a question, Emerald."
"Hm? What is it?"
Qrow tilted his glass to the TV. "You got any rumors on that Huntsman Killer? Any whispers, myths, anything?"
At this, Emerald deflated. "Sorry. The patrons here don't like to talk about it much. They've already got some problems with employment and rent, and I heard some say that every other one that dies makes one less competition on the market." Emerald shivered in disgust. "I've been trying to ask around myself, at least to keep myself safe, but so far…"
"Ah, I see…" Qrow took a long sip, and then asked another question. "What about any potential motives? What do you think someone like that's thinking inside their head?"
"Beats me." Emerald shrugged. "It's not like we're easy prey, right? But he keeps doing it all the same, which is… well…"
"Hm." Qrow put his glass down and leaned forwards. He met her eye-to-eye and spoke calmly. "Listen, Emerald. I want to find out who this guy is. He can't keep getting away with this, and it doesn't seem like the police have any real clues either. If you have anything, anything you could tell me, I'd owe you a big one. Really."
Emerald met his stare dead on with sincerity. Qrow could see that she wasn't about to lie – which made her answer even more disappointing. "I told you, I don't know anything. I'd like to answer you, honest! But I really don't have an answer…"
Qrow retreated and closed his eyes. "Is that so…" That meant this was a dead end – but that didn't mean it couldn't come back alive at the right time, either…
Qrow took one final look around the table, and then to the bar around him. He could recognize some of the people here as colleagues and acquaintances, some he'd even seen during his years in Beacon and then as a teacher in Signal. He could get a read on everyone here…
Qrow's eyes zoned in on the far edge of the bar. All except that one man with the sunglasses who sat alone, Emerald's regular, 'Jin' as she had called him.
And Qrow's mind came to a thought; what if he perhaps might know something? Those documents he was handling looked pretty damn official, and since he seemed totally out of place here, might as well give it a shot. 'Couldn't hurt to ask….'
He turned back to the bartender. "Hey, Emerald. Mind if I ask your regular over there some questions?"
Emerald shrugged, who then winced as if remembering something. "Suit yourself. Just… be prepared. He's a bit rough."
"Gotcha." With a nod, Qrow got off his seat and approached the mystery man, quickly striding over to the table in just a matter of seconds.
"Heya, buddy." Qrow placed an elbow on the table, body leaned down to stare at the man through his sunglasses (still, indoors?) "Mind if I sit here?"
"Yes." If Jin had any thought of acknowledging him, he didn't show it. His eyes were focused on the documents spilled on his table.
Qrow cursed under his breath. This wasn't how it was supposed to go.
He suppressed a sigh. "Listen, man. I'm new around town, and I just wanted to ask a few questions. Is that too much to ask?"
Jin bristled. Qrow felt a spark of hope that his words were going through, and finally, a lead! – but alas, when he saw Jin coldly stare at him through his sunglasses, Qrow felt his hope wither and die.
"Yes." Jin said coldly – and was he hallucinating, or did his pitch-black eyes suddenly turned blue for a second there?
Qrow stared him down for a few seconds, using his best 'I'm-a-teacher-and-a-Huntsman-you-better-not-mess-with-me' look. When Jin didn't budge one bit, Qrow sighed and withdrew. It wouldn't do to cause a scene here.
"Fine. Sorry for bothering you." Qrow grumbled and roughly pushed himself off, backing off to his seat once more in front of Emerald.
And Emerald, knowingly, smiled sympathetically at him; which made it all the worse. "I take it he brushed you off?"
"Brushed me off is saying it lightly." Qrow sighed and rubbed his face, not long after leaning his cheek against a fist. Dead end after dead end… "More like told me to go fuck myself."
Emerald chuckled. "He's told me he's been pretty busy, so I'm not surprised he's in a fouler mood than usual…"
Qrow grumbled in response. When he had been talking with that Jin guy, something had felt off in his stomach. As if his entire being was telling him that the guy was different, and yet Qrow just couldn't properly put a finger on it.
And for him to brush him off just like that! Qrow had a good hunch on him, he knew it! And then about those eyes too; he knew he wasn't hallucinating; he hadn't even had one drop of alcohol in months! But alas, Qrow knew that a hunch was just a hunch, and it wasn't like his hunch was always right anyways.
Qrow heard a click, and then noticed that his glass had been refilled.
"Something to clear your mind, no?" Emerald offered. "On the house."
That brought Qrow's head back in the game. "Thanks." He quickly downed it in one go – still non-alcohol, thankfully – and put it back gingerly on the table.
Qrow fished out his wallet and placed some money on the table. "For the night. And a little extra tip from me." He took the glass and motioned it to her, "It was a good drink. I'll make sure to stop by in the future again, Emerald."
"Thank you for your patronage." Emerald nod-bowed, and waved him goodbye as he left. "Come again soon!"
Qrow gave a grunt and waved behind him as he left the door, exiting through the door as the bell chimed behind him.
As he left, Qrow's mind began to turn and analyse what he knew. He walked along Mistral with no set destination in time, his feet bringing him through bustling city districts and prospering city lights. A killer was on the loose, that was for certain. And yet, they still knew so little… And if it really was Her, then did it mean the Grimm's disappearance was her plan all along? Kill them all and then strike humanity with a blitzkrieg-like attack when they were at their most vulnerable?
Qrow stopped at an intersection, downtown Mistral, and gazed up to skies that were dominated by skyscrapers and bright advertisement lights. And his mind pondered this all, all while waiting for a mere red light to turn green.
This wealth and prosperity were a result of humanity's expansion when there were no more Grimm to be mindful of. And yet, beneath these bright lights, a killer was on the loose, more dangerous than they could've ever imagined with implications that could end every Huntsmen still living their life. And yet, their numbers were decreasing even if the killer wasn't around…
Ring, ring!
Qrow heard his Scroll ring and picked up the call. It was from Ozpin, no doubt asking for a status update. Qrow hastily picked up the call and spoke to the other end. "What's up, Oz?"
"Qrow. Have you found any new leads yet?"
"Sorry, but no. It's been dead end after dead end so far."
"Hm," a pause, and then Ozpin continued. "Well, we still have more options and time. I hope that you still remember the contact you're supposed to meet tonight?"
"Oh, you mean that guy you used to teach… what was his name?"
"Alba, Qrow. An old student of mine. He's been in Mistral for a long time, moved right after he graduated Beacon. Hopefully he'll have some better leads for us, and if not…"
"Ah, right. Alba. Yeah." Qrow gave a brief nod. And then, before he hung up, Qrow decided to say one more thing. "Ah, listen, Oz, when you meet Ruby and Yang, can you tell them this mission's gonna be a little longer this time? I've got a bad feeling about this whole thing here… and I don't want them involved."
"Listening to your instincts is always good. Very well, I'll tell your nieces once they're done with their investigations as well... and your request has been noted." And 'as members of our inner circle' went unsaid. Ozpin chipped in again. "Remember, Qrow. Downtown mistral, 01:45 AM. Don't be late."
"Yeah. Catch you later, Oz." With a grunt, Qrow lowered his Scroll and hung up on the call. He looked back up to the intersection's lights. Still red.
'What the hell? It's still red? How long's a red light gonna take, huh-'
Crash!
Qrow turned around and saw the windows of a neighboring store shatter. Looking at the store, he could see that it was a jewelry store as civilians began to run away. It was a robbery in progress, he realized with the robbing thugs holding the cashier hostage. Qrow suppressed a smirk.
'Some things never change, huh?'
Rolling his shoulders, Qrow approached the store and calmly walked in through the front door, confronting the robbery head-on.
Cling!
And as he walked in, the bell chiming above his head, five of the seven thugs turned from the cashier to him, pointing their shotguns at him and ready to kill.
"W-what the fuck?!"
"Who's this guy?!"
"Excuse me, gentlemen." Qrow began. He cracked his knuckles. "I heard that this was a robbery. Mind telling me if you're really gonna go through it?"
"And just who the fuck do you think you are, old man?!" The leader – Qrow'd nickname him Thug L, one of the few who still had his shotgun on the cashier – prodded the gun even further down the cashier's chest. "What, you some kind of hero or shit?!"
"Well, I wouldn't call myself that, really…" Qrow shrugged, and he let out a cunning smirk. "But I people did say that being a hero's a part of a Huntsman's job too, y'know?"
"Shit, a Huntsman?!" And now, all their guns were pointing at him. Thug L shouted to his friends, "FUCK HIM UP!"
BANG BANG BANG!
All seven shotguns fired at him, right for his chest. Qrow smirked and spun, withdrawing his sword from his back as he did so. He put the back of the blade in front of him and stood his ground, letting out an amused smile.
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
The bullets bounced off his blade and Qrow smiled.
The thugs screamed. "He blocked it, man! Shit!"
Qrow spun and quickly dashed towards the first thug. 'Priority is to get them outside.' Qrow kneed the Thug 1 in the stomach and saw him double down. With a grunt, Qrow lifted the thug by the shoulder and threw him through the already-broken window, sending him to the streets.
Another shout of, "you fucker!" and Qrow ducked, dodging another shotgun shot. Hefting his large sword high, Qrow swung down and cut the shogun in two.
"RAHHH!"
SLASH!
"F-FuuuuuUUCKKKK!" The man screamed as his weapon was cut, and then yelped as Qrow kicked square in the gut, sending him out of the store.
"Hmph." Qrow flourished his sword around and looked at the remaining five. He opened a palm and beckoned them forth.
"Come on!"
"Fuck you!" They fired, and Qrow quickly leapt back through the already-open window. And with his taunt, they soon followed him out to the streets where Qrow could cut loose.
"Heheh." Qrow laughed under his breath and put his sword high, all seven of the thugs lined up before him with guns ready to shoot. With a yell, Qrow slammed his sword down, cracking and planting it on the asphalt and cracked his knuckles.
"Let's go!"
"Fire!"
BANG BANG BANG!
Qrow left his sword planted and dashed to the side, dodging their shots. He came up to Thug 1 and slammed his fist straight to his nose, sending him flying back and out for the count.
CRACK! "AHHHH!"
"Daryl, no!" Thug 2 screamed, "Take this!"
BANG!
Qrow ducked under and swept Thug 2's legs from under him, knocking him off his feet. With Thug 2 on his ass, Qrow roared, lifting his foot and slamming it back down right on Thug 2's face.
"RARGH!"
"AHHH!" Crunch!
Thug 2, down for the count. Though he did glow for a bit before he was knocked out…
'They've got Aura.' Qrow realized. Even more reason not to hold back.
"YOU SICK FUCK!" Thug 3 rushed at him – and was that a pipe in hand?
"TAKE THIS!" Thug 3 swung at him from the side. Qrow dodged back, tilting his body cleanly. He responded by kneeing him in the gut, and then following up with a right haymaker to Thug 3's head.
Slam!
"Grk-!"
But Qrow wasn't done yet! He withdrew his right hand and grabbed the stunned Thug 3 by the collar. Gripping it tight and rushing to the others, Qrow roared and swung Thug 3 around him, knocking out Thugs 5 and 6.
"HYAHHHH!"
CRASH! CRASH!
"AGHHHH!"
"OORAAAAA!" And as his spin reached its apex, Qrow let go of Thug 3 and threw him away, his head hitting right to a light pole.
CLANG!
"Oof." Qrow winced, yet let his smirk grace his face freely. That definitely hurt - just as intended
But then, he heard a whimper of both fear and anger. "Y-y-you…."
"Eh?" Qrow turned to the last remaining Thug – Thug L, the leader. And then, Qrow felt his eyebrow raise as he looked at the weapon Thug L was holding.
Instead of his shotgun, Thug L was now wielding a katana. And yet, that very same katana had traces of the shotgun's earlier style…
'Mechashift..?' Qrow thought. Just like his own sword, and like so many Huntsmen and Huntresses he knew; and only they ever truly learned to use such weapons.
"Hey. You ex-Huntsman?" Qrow asked. Not that he had seemed particularly skilled, but was their lack of job opportunities really leading them to this? Nighttime robbery?
"F-fuck you! Who cares?!" And yet, that enraged voice seemed way too young. More like a teenager.
'Ah. Must've been a dropout then.' Qrow couldn't blame him, their prospects seemed bleaker every week with no Grimm, but come on, robbery?! 'What a sick joke!'
"Come on, kid." Qrow said. He could feel his age now; he was 49, nearing 50, he didn't deserve this shit- "Is this really how you wanna spend your life?"
"Screw you, old man! You don't know jack shit! This gig is the only thing I've got!" Thug L – Qrow changed his nickname to Kid - grit his teeth. He gripped his katana tight, and seemingly finding the determination, rushed at his senior with Aura-induced speed. "DIE!"
Qrow let out a sigh. Kids these days.
The kid was upon him and Qrow tilted his body to the side, easily dodging the katana. The kid didn't let up and swung at him again and again, Qrow dodging every time.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
"Damn it, stay still!" The kid grunted and lifted his katana high up in the air. "RAAARGH-!"
Slam!
"Grk!" Qrow quickly smashed his open palm into the kid's face. As the kid stumbled back, Qrow brushed his hand off.
"When you're attacking, don't telegraph your move." Qrow lectured in a bored tone. He smirked. "Come on kid, is this really all you've got?"
The kid's rage bubbled over. "FUCK YOU!" He rushed at Qrow again, repeating the same mistake.
Qrow sighed internally. 'No surprise there…'
The kid swung from above, and yet his katana hit the asphalt as Qrow ducked and slipped behind him. The kid grit his teeth and dragged his katana through the asphalt, then swung it back up for Qrow's chin.
Qrow tilted his head back with a smirk and dodged the attack cleanly. The kid didn't give up and swung again from the side, Qrow ducking under and kicking the kid's legs with his shin. The kid stumbled forwards, to which Qrow slapped him across the face with an open palm.
Smack!
"Gah!" The kid's face was sent to the asphalt, his body following suit. Qrow dashed back, back to his planted sword, and pulled it out with a grunt.
"Hmm..." Qrow hefted his sword on his shoulder and looked back at the kid. As he had expected, he had gotten back up, katana in hand, and now his face was redder than a tomato. No doubt, from all the rage.
"Tch." Qrow smirked and opened his palm again, beckoning him forth. "Come on, kid, you wanna learn now, don't you?"
"FUCK OFF!" The kid rushed again, this time his sword by his side.
And this time, Qrow met him with the same rush. "Let's do this!"
At the same time, they swung their swords, meeting each other halfway and sending air waves through the streets.
CLANG!
"Hyah!" Qrow pushed through the clash with his superior strength. The kid slid past and dodged underneath, avoiding the sword by a hair's breadth. Qrow quickly turned around and swung his sword down, meeting the kid's crouching parry.
CLANG!
"HYAH!" The kid shot up and pushed Qrow's sword away with the deflect. He swung from Qrow's right with a chest-level slash. Qrow deflected the blow and stepped in, slamming his sword's pommel straight to the kid's forehead.
Crack!
"Agh!" The kid stumbled back, dazed. With a yell, Qrow swung his sword again; not at the kid, but straight at his katana.
CLANG!
"Ah!" The kid screamed as his hand couldn't keep the grip, with his katana now flying out of his hand.
But Qrow wasn't done. With another yell, he punched the kid straight across the cheek.
Bam!
Following quickly, Qrow slipped his feet in between the kid's stance, and then pushed him to the ground.
Slam!
"Gah!" The kid screamed as he felt his back hit the hard concrete. His Aura shattered almost immediately, breaking apart like untempered glass. And then he felt horror as the cold sensation of steel brushed up against his neck.
The Kid's eyes looked up and met Qrow's shadowed ones.
All at once, it was over.
"Game over, kid." Qrow growled. "My win."
The kid let out a shaky breath, his heartbeat racing – before his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
He had passed out.
Qrow's shadowed eyes returned to normal. "Damn kid." He stepped back and twirled his sword back into its proper place, mechashifted for compact carry.
Qrow checked back up on the store owner, who he could now see was an old, local man. Seeing the owner's tense, terrified and confused stare, Qrow walked up to him with a non-threatening gesture. "Sorry for the trouble sir, are you okay-."
The old man raised a single hand, forcing Qrow to stop in his tracks.
"Just… leave it." The old man sighed. He looked from Qrow, and then to the kid. And Qrow swore he could hear the old man whisper. "All of this' all your kind's damn fault anyways."
At once, Qrow understood the old man's way of thinking. He must've seen that Qrow was a Huntsman, and that all these dangerous ex-Huntsmen must have been taught by someone, no? And when they dropped out, all they did was cause more trouble when there were no more Grimm.
And when Qrow took a second longer to move, the old man pulled out his Scroll and glared at him threateningly. "Get out of here, before I call the cops."
And Qrow could do nothing but sigh and nod his head, bending his body a little low to show respect. He didn't fear the police, but the Huntsmen had bad rep as they were. And now, when the people didn't need them anymore…
"Yes, sir. Sorry for the trouble." Qrow turned around and briskly left the scene, making sure to keep his head down and his posture discreet. A long time ago, he would've held his head high as he was praised. Now, that was just asking for trouble.
Qrow's steps were quick and silent, swiftly bringing him far and away even when he didn't know where he was particularly headed. He simply needed to run away, if he didn't want to get into more trouble than he needed. Both for his mission, but also because he simply had no choice.
Once he was far enough away – and that was, once no one could recognize him for the Huntsman he was – Qrow checked both his watch and the map in his Scroll. Conveniently, he was both close to the meeting point and the time was near; only around 500m away, and with 10 minutes to spare.
"Huh. Lucky me…" Qrow pocketed his Scroll back and began heading for the meeting point; a shady yet verified back alley where Alba and him could discuss things without anyone noticing them, especially if the topic ever strayed to Her.
The crowd in the city had finally begun to thin by the time Qrow got closer and closer to the destination. After a few minutes, Qrow finally reached the entrance of the alley, and by that time, the crowd was cut around half.
Qrow double-checked with the map on his Scroll, and then to the entrance in front of him. To a local like Alba, a place like this must be familiar, but to him, an outsider, who could only see pieces of trash littering the entrances, messy pipes that were rusted to hell, and building AC units whose dust he was sure was probably as hold as he was, the alley's shady reputation certainly lived up to itself.
Well, the map did say that there was a small square space behind the alley, and he was told that that was the exact place where they'd talk.
"This sure seems like the place..." Qrow sighed. "But come on man, couldn't you have picked a better place?"
When no answer came, Qrow shook his head and went inside. He slipped through the small spaces that the packed alley could give him, the sword on his back clanging against walls and pipes and his feet kicking up dust around the area.
"Tch!" Qrow suppressed a cough and closed his eyes, giving his body one final push before finally stumbling through the alley. He fell out to an open space on his knees, dust still kicking around and going around his nose.
"Pah! Shit." Qrow shook his head as he wiped his face with his hands, eyes still closed to prevent any dust from going in. Only after a few minutes of properly cleaning himself did Qrow finally begin to speak and open his eyes.
"Fuck me, you really couldn't have picked a better place, could you?" Qrow groaned, cracking his neck and giving a cursory look around. And yet strangely, he couldn't find the contact he was promised; the place was packed with trash, debris and dust, and yet there was no other person than him.
"Damn it, don't tell me I went through all that trouble just to get stood up…" Qrow scratched his head and walked around the small space the alley had. And true enough, there really was no one there – the only thing that accompanied him was the surrounding mounds of trash bags, no matter how much he rubbed his eyes to make sure.
"Damn it, another bust." Qrow fished out his Scroll and walked around as he pushed in the numbers. His feet automatically made space around the mounds of trash, knocking away dust and debris when suddenly-
Thunk!
"Huh?" Qrow stopped in his tracks when he felt his foot hitting something strange mid-movement. He pocketed his Scroll and knelt down to look at what he knocked.
And he felt his blood chill when he saw it was a shoe still connected to a foot, having been buried under the mounds of trash he had so carelessly written off before.
"Aw fuck fuck fuck!" Qrow's heart raced in panic as he quickly tossed the trash bags away – and his suspicions on what they were hiding underneath were quickly confirmed.
With all the trash bags cleared he could see it clearly:
The corpse of his contact, Alba – long dead and rotted away with dried skin and blood.
Qrow stepped back and put a hand over his mouth. His eyes immediately scanned Alba's corpse – he had no wounds to speak of, save for a cut on his neck that showed no signs of spilling blood at all.
But then, what was really happening here?! Didn't Alba just contact Ozpin a few hours before? How come his corpse now looked like it had been rotting for days?!
"Fuckfuckfuckfuck." Qrow quickly turned around, preparing to turn into a bird and take off – it was the most convenient way, and he needed to get out of here quickly to get Ozpin to handle this! Alas, he froze in his tracks when his eyes found what he feared the worst;
A CCTV pointed directly at him, sticking out from a roof and capturing the entirety of the small alley.
And then Qrow could only cursed even more when he heard footsteps quickly approaching, uniform in sound and paired with voices ushering each other with vigor – Mistral's Downtown Police Department.
He could see it happen all too well – together the police department officers rushed into the alley, their focus immediately turning to him and the dead body he had uncovered. And of course, Qrow soon found himself being stared down with guns pointed at him and batons ready to strike him down.
"Mistral PD! Don't move, you're under arrest!" The officers shouted.
Qrow sighed and slowly raised his hands – he knew better than to resist, lest he make his situation worse than it was.
The officers cautiously surrounded him, making sure to create a perimeter and also secure the body. And as they moved, Qrow saw one figure arrive late and stand in to lead of all the other officers, a blond-haired man wearing a signature detective's coat with his Faunus tail wrapped where a belt should be.
Qrow narrowed his eyes – and more than that, there was a non-standard-issue pair of mechashift nunchaku strapped to his waist. 'This guy's not a normal detective…'
The figure raised his hand and had all officers at the ready. He took a single step towards Qrow and fished his badge out of his coat, showing it to Qrow with clear visibility.
"Sun Wukong, Mistral PD Detective." Sun introduced himself. He looked at Qrow with an unreadable expression, and yet… did the ex-bandit just see a flicker of familiarity pass through Sun's eyes?
Yet in a flash it was gone. Instead his steely tone returned, and his eyes flickering to the corpse before going back to Qrow with more coldness than before.
Qrow could only keep his hand up as he suppressed the urge to slam his hand in his fist. Dead end after dead end, and now this?! This had gone wrong, shot to fucking shit!
Sun kept his mouth firm. "For the suspected murder of Mr. Alba Polmistis, I'm afraid you're under arrest Mr. Branwen."