Heya! Long time no see over here - I was deathly busy, but things have mostly cleared out now!
And now, here we go; Qrow's part, this time, along with Pyrrha as his Ozpin-assigned partner for the mission.
Edited by Kabuto S. Inferno
Enjoy!
・・・伝説・・伝説・・伝説・・
Not even a minute from the police station and already Qrow's senses were flaring.
"We're being followed." He stated plainly, and Qrow could see Pyrrha's slight nod by the corner of his eye.
"Headmaster Ozpin has provided us with a new place to stay. Much more safety in mind than before." Pyrrha paused. "I think that a follower would make all that effort for nothing."
"You got that right." Qrow and Pyrrha took a turn, and after several paces felt their follower, their so-called shadow doing the same.
Pyrrha opened her palms ever so-slightly, pinging the metals around her with her Semblance.
"He doesn't feel like he's particularly armed…" She whispered. They came upon a turn with a convex mirror near the street, and Pyrrha just managed to get a glance through its reflection.
"Male. Average height, dark clothing." She quickly listed off, "I can't look anymore unless I make it more obvious. What's your call?"
Qrow hummed, both his and Pyrrha's steps synched. Slowly, he increased his pace, as did Pyrrha in turn.
"Bait-and-switch." Qrow said. "Get us somewhere without surveillance or crowds."
Pyrrha nodded, quickly using her Semblance to map out the metals in her immediate surroundings – and from there, she could narrow out places that seemed to fit Qrow's desired criteria.
Everyone used metal in the modern world – and while nothing beat using her own eyes, fine use of her Semblance Polarity allowed her to figure out what they might have been turned to.
"Take a right." Qrow synced his steps with hers as Pyrrha took the lead.
"A left, then straight."
"There's an intersection up ahead– break into a smaller road right after it."
Qrow did as he was led, and soon they came up to an empty, narrow road that barely anyone was using.
The senior Huntsman took a quick scan – indeed, there were no cameras, no overlooking civilians, and no one to see them. Just as he had requested.
Flap!
Swiftly in just a moment's notice, Qrow's body changed to its avian form, to the bird of his namesake. A crow flapped its wing in where his human body once stood, and now transformed he soon flew high to instead see the situation from above.
And it was good that he did so – for just as he did so, their follower turned round the corner.
Step!
"Ah-!"
And their dark-clad follower was surprised to meet Pyrrha staring them down face-to-face; eye-to-eye, a deadly emerald glint barely covered by her crimson bangs and her body's position ready to attack if need be.
Their stalker turned around in panic. "Shit-!"
SLAM!
"GAH!"
Only for his back to be slammed into the ground, forced by the impact of a Huntsman falling from the skies.
Qrow kept one foot on their follower's back and the other on their knees. "Talk." The Huntsman growled.
Their follower – male, mid-20s by the looks of it – quickly went into panic mode. "L-Look man, it was nothing, I swear!"
"We will be the ones deciding that." Pyrrha took a knee and stared the robber down. "Who are you? Why were you following us?"
"N-ngh. I just heard that you were back in town, ma'am! The great Pyrrha Nikos!" The follower squirmed, "I mean, you're the greatest Huntress to ever come out of Mistral! What kind of Mistralian wouldn't want to see their prodigy return?!"
"Tch. So what are you, paparazzi?" Qrow twisted his foot and groaned in annoyance. "Just great. Unwanted attention."
Pyrrha knew about her fame - very well so, she had spent most of her life in its shadow - but sometimes, even she herself found it hard to tolerate.
"Then how did you find me?" Pyrrha asked. She had covered all her tracks before coming here after all.
"I- I work at the airport part-time too, and I just happened to glimpse the flight logs. A-and I've got a cousin who's a Huntsman too; he gave me a heads-up that someone important was coming down to Mistral." The man visibly smiled despite his predicament. "I never thought it'd be you! And when I did, I just had to seize the opportunity!"
"A paparazzi that works at an airport – if that isn't a deadly combination I don't know what is." Qrow shook his head. He turned his gaze to Pyrrha.
"So, whaddya wanna do with this guy? Looks like all that tip-toeing was for nothing."
Pyrrha closed her eyes for a brief moment – when she opened them, her gaze was resolute. "Leave him."
"…You sure?" Qrow rolled his shoulders. "We can't have the police back on my heat here."
"Then they won't be." Pyrrha turned to their would-be stalker. "Isn't that right? We can all agree that this was a misunderstanding, correct? Off the books." The Huntress emphasised.
The man nodded, sweating bullets and pupils dilated. "O-of course! I've learned my lesson! Just let me go, please!"
"…" Pyrrha stood back up. "Fine. Get out of our sight."
Qrow stepped off the man's body, the follower quickly stumbling back and scurrying out of their vision.
The Huntsman present cracked his neck. "What a waste of time... Let's get back on track. You were saying about Oz' accommodation?"
"Yes. A small house that coincidentally shouldn't be too far from here." Pyrrha said. "It has been fitted with the best stealth measures that we could have managed."
"That bad, huh." Qrow whistled and looked to the skies. "Sun's still up a fair bit. Break a leg and we might get some daytime left after checking up that house. Get some info before turning in."
"That would be ideal." Pyrrha nodded. Without another word, she turned around and led Qrow to their accommodation.
"It's only a 10-minute walk. We should have plenty of time for any adjustments."
伝説・・伝説・・伝説
Creak…!
"Seems pretty modest." Qrow gave his final verdict on the house. 2 single bedrooms with their own bathrooms, a living room, and a small kitchen. It truly only consisted of the necessities – hell, there wasn't even a computer for them to use.
"Be that as it may, this house is both fully legal and off the grid." Pyrrha stated. "Mistral paperwork can often be a nuisance and be used to… intrude on one's privacy. This one's been taken care of long before our arrival, ensuring our compliance in the eyes of the law. We've also checked to make sure that there are no bugs, cameras, or anything of the sort anyone might use to spy on us."
"Hm. Well done." Qrow took a seat in the living room and propped his feet up the sofa – it barely fit. "I'm assuming you did all this yourself?"
"A few years ago – but yes." Pyrrha dragged a seat over and sat across him. "I… had planned to come back for a while now. I wanted to make sure that everything was ready, the day when that chance comes."
"And I bet setting this up wasn't easy, huh." He had heard of the general difficulty in getting any sort of paperwork done in Mistral, and especially if you were a Huntsman or Huntress. It wasn't even the filling out forms part, nor was it in finding the correct information and government department each matter related to.
No, it was that the process took a lot of waiting, and you tended to be asked about every. Little. Thing.
One could say that no stone was left unturned by the government towards the Huntsmen. Qrow would say that wasn't true, there was still plenty of freedom when one looked at the bright side; but people rarely do.
"I… must admit that I most likely had it easier than others." Pyrrha muttered, looking away. Ah yes – being a prodigy and a media darling tended to have its benefits. "But that just means we could use this to its maximum potential."
"Hm. Then let's get to work." Qrow crossed his arms over his chest. "The Huntsman Killer. How are we gonna stop him?"
"I would prefer him being brought alive." Pyrrha stated.
"Right. Then we just need to get a solid lead first." Qrow sighed, "I've been around here for weeks but I still haven't got anything. Asked around but no one knew anything. Now that you're here, do you think you might be able to fix that? Even a little?"
"…I do have several contacts, but they're hardly Huntsmen-related." Pyrrha deflated. They were mostly her managers, sponsors, and the occasional security detail should she really need one.
"…"
"I could ask them for anything, if you'd like." Pyrrha offered. "But the results might not be what we're looking for, exactly."
"…That's still a positive, I guess." Qrow muttered. "Being a superstar and all…"
"…"
"But too much evidence will just muddy the waters…" Qrow stroked his chin. "Just give 'em a call, ask them to ask around, but don't tell them too much – we don't want to risk them, and we also don't want to murky up our own understandings."
"Very well. Anything else?"
"…That guy, Alba…" He had died in such a strange manner. How could the corpse have looked so old when he was just talking to Ozpin just a few hours ago?
There must be something in common with Alba and the other victims. But in a vast world without any Grimm, how exactly was he supposed to find such a fact?
Even the little discovery he did find had almost landed him in jail, so there was no way he was going back to the crime scene. Nor near any police, for that matter.
Huntsmen, by nature, were a scattered and heavily independent group. The Kingdoms had a database, sure, but those were only of the barest essentials. And with him being a former suspect, he doubted any sane lawman would allow him near such a thing.
The only real collective that Qrow could recall was that of the Huntsmen Association, and even then, they only had data on those who agreed to answer their questions and join the cause. And, well, they had helped him in getting his name cleared, didn't they?
"I actually found something else, Qrow." Pyrrha stated, bringing the old man's attention back to her. Without a word, Pyrrha pulled out a stack of papers from a folder and handed it to Qrow.
Qrow felt his eyes widen as he read the contents. "T-This is…"
"Research on Mistralian crime rates." Pyrrha stated. "As you can see, Mistral overall has a low, healthy homicide-to-population ratio; much lower than, say, Vacuo or Mantle."
"Recent average crime rates are some of the lowest in over a decade. However," Pyrrha paused. "If you look at the distribution, then you can see it isn't that clear cut of a case. Even more recent trends are showing the beginnings of a rise. The city's crime is a record low, but venture outside of that then it's not that clear cut. The only reason it might be a bit bearable now is because people have been moving out to frontiers, to Kingdom expansions like Shin Kuroyuri."
"More than that, Aura violence is at a record high. It wasn't even something statistically measured a decade ago, but now without the Grimm it has become a major focus - that value is rising across all Kingdoms, but in Mistral it's one of the worst."
"So, this Kingdom's a hotbed for crime?" Qrow asked, shuffling the files around with squinted eyes.
"Not just yet. But give it time, and it'll be something that we won't be able to stop. And now that you've got the picture... let's focus our attention here." Pyrrha pulled out two more files and placed it above the ones Qrow was holding.
One was titled – Missing Persons Report Case, Mistral.
The other – Safety survey on Mistral citizens.
"I said before that crime is low, and that's true." Qrow heard Pyrrha say as he flipped open the new files. "Right around before the Huntsman Killer's rise, the survey showed that citizens feel safer than ever in recent years. But even then, there's been several cases of missing persons that have been swept under the rug. And curiously, there's no one talking about them in the surveys."
"And you think these missing persons can be connected to the killer…" Qrow trailed off. "What, some kinda prelude?"
"It's possible. Important to note, those missing persons weren't limited to Huntsmen. Most were civilians, some from the security sector, the spread was a lot more random.
"But then the moment a Huntsman spree began, the news was all over it, so unlike this 'second case' of missing persons that went unreported. So, maybe the killer decided it wasn't getting enough attention and moved on to the biggest fish in the pond? Did they want more spotlight on them, want more terror out on the streets?
"The crime rate is low, but it's beginning to rise. It never did when those 'missing persons' were civilians, but then the trickle-down became real the moment the Huntsmen began to get killed off. Something is brewing here; intentional or not on the killer's part."
"We're getting side-tracked here." Qrow put the folders down and eyed his assigned partner. "You want to solve this other case while we're here? Ozpin put us on the Huntsman Killer, Pyrrha. Getting on this other case isn't our objective."
"That might be true, but I feel like this is all connected somehow." Pyrrha retorted. "Trust me. In a place like Mistral's underground, everyone knows everyone."
"Tch… fine. You're the local, I suppose." Qrow leaned back on his seat and looked to the ceiling. Already he was damn tired from all this ordeal, and if it really were as deep as Pyrrha suggested…
"If that's all then I'm gonna get some rest." Qrow said, "You get with some of your old contacts that you talked about. Then, we'll get back out on the streets once they get back to you."
Pyrrha nodded. "Understood."
・・・伝説・・伝説・・伝説・・
The next day couldn't have come soon enough. Pyrrha put her Scroll down on the living room table and put her head in her hands.
The notifications from old contacts inundated her screen, all yet to be opened. They had answered relatively quickly, no doubt eager to reconnect with her and help, but that was the thing – they were looking for a superstar, for their own opportunity, and it always took some time for her to prepare herself for those kinds of interactions.
Most days, she'd rather have small talk anonymously then have 'fruitful' talks with people seeking her for her fame.
"Hm…" But this was one of the few times her fame would bring her something positive. With that in mind, Pyrrha took her Scroll in her hands and contacted one more number to prepare herself.
Ring ring… ring ring…
"Hello! You've reached the Lie household! Can I ask who this is?"
Pyrrha's lips quirked into a smile. "Nice to see you as energetic as ever, Nora."
"Pyrrha! How have you been?! It's been so long since you called!" Pyrrha had to move the Scroll farther from her ears from the sheer volume of Nora's delighted voice.
"Haha, I've been well, Nora." Pyrrha answered. "How about you, though? Everything good over there?"
"Yeah! Everything's been a-okay, girl!" Nora responded with cheer. "Shin Kuroyuri's as peaceful as ever, and we just got a bit of a windfall too! Renny's been planning some new renovations for our home, so there's that too."
Pyrrha could feel her friend's pout through her Scroll. "He doesn't want me to do anything though – it's been like: take a rest Nora this, let me handle it that. Says he's got everything under control~."
"I'm sure he means well, Nora." Pyrrha soothed her friend. "He wouldn't have gone this far for anyone else, I'm sure."
"Well, yeah! Of course…" Nora's voice fizzled out. "Anyway! Enough about me. Now's your turn to spill the beans! Tell me everything about what's been happening with you!"
"Well, much of the same, really. Ozpin's assigned me a new mission… so right now I'm in Mistral again-"
"Really?!"
"Yes, really." Pyrrha chuckled. "And since I'm here, I thought I might as well call in to check on my Team. There's no harm in that, right?"
"Of course not, silly!" Nora laughed. "Then we should really meet up again sometime – I'll talk it over once Ren gets back from his mission."
And of course Ren was out, Pyrrha thought. With Nora on leave ever since a few months ago, it was up to him to feed their family of two; as such, he had been taking more and more missions as of late.
Coupled with Ren's protectiveness for his wife, and their windfall was a blessing, Pyrrha was sure. And as such with him in better spirits she was also sure that he wouldn't be so against the idea…
"Great. I'll leave that up to you then." Pyrrha smiled; it felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders, no matter how miniscule. "And Nora? Before I forget - congratulations on the baby."
"Thank you, Pyrrha! Have a great day!"
*click*
Pyrrha looked through her notifications just as Qrow woke up and went out his room's door. She could see him rub his eyes from sleepiness, covering a yawn with his hand.
"So. Whatcha got, Nikos?"
Pyrrha scrolled through her notifications. "Most of them said that they don't know anything but were willing to dig in deeper. However," Pyrrha narrowed her eyes at the screen.
"I've got two here that say they'd like to meet me, if possible. Both claim that they've got information that they can't share over the CCT."
"Is that so… that might be a good lead then." Qrow nodded. "And who are they, exactly?"
"One's an old classmate of mine from Sanctum Academy. The other's my former manager, from when I was a champion in the Tournament circuit."
"And I'm guessing they want to meet you today, ASAP?"
"Yes. At around the same time, too."
"Then we'll have to split up." Qrow stated. "Since these are your contacts, I'll leave it up to you; which one do you want to take…"
Pyrrha took a moment of silence and organized her thoughts. Compared to her old 'friends', her manager at least was much more straightforward. No beating around the bush, business was business with her.
But she could still recall the way many of her 'friends' only seemed to approach her for her fame. They had swarmed her, forming a sort of posse that she never asked for in the first place, all because she was – had been - a four-time champion.
Even if it was against her own better judgment - no thank you. As necessary as it was, she didn't particularly fancy going back to that part of her life.
"I'll meet my manager." Pyrrha said curtly. "I'll tell my classmate that you'll be meeting her in my stead."
"Yeah."
伝説・・伝説・・伝説
Coffee shops weren't exactly Qrow's cup of coffee – heh – but if Pyrrha's friend wanted to meet her here, then that wasn't exactly his choice to make.
The doorbell rang as he stepped inside. Qrow took some effort to make himself look as inconspicuous as possible – made sure to hunch his shoulders just a little, kept his weapon hidden, and his steps not as wide as they usually were.
His first impression of the place was that it was quiet and cozy. The aesthetic was that of warm brown with dim lights, the barely-audible clinking of coffee cups the only other sound than the quiet chit-chat of its customers.
And speaking of, there weren't that many in the first place. Qrow understood, of course; this place was a hole-in-the-wall type of deal, and from what he discerned with the way they sat and chatted with the waitresses of the place, they must've been regulars.
And among those, one customer stood out – she seemed to be staring emptily at a window to the store's back garden, a lukewarm cup of coffee on her lonesome table.
More than that, Qrow had recognized her from the picture Pyrrha had shown of her. Though she did seem a tad different than she had been...
Qrow quickly made his way over and sat across her. They both took a good look at each other, and Qrow realized that while the faces did match, their demeanors certainly were different.
The picture Pyrrha had shown was that of a girl training to become a Huntress; a classmate from combat school, wielding a weapon with her head held high, red eyes piercing and challenging through the camera, and silver hair flowing down majestically.
In contrast, the woman across him was as if tamed by forces out of her control. Her hair was cut short to a side bob, her eyes were much more dull, and the eccentric and flashy clothes of a Huntress were replaced with a standard suit-and-tie.
The woman was the first to speak. "Do I know you?"
"Not really, but we have the same acquaintance." Qrow offered the woman his hand. "Qrow Branwen – I'm Pyrrha's current partner."
"Is that so…" The woman took his hand with some skepticism and gave it an uneasy shake. "Astra. I suppose Pyrrha sent you?"
"She did." Qrow drew back and signaled a waiter to take his order; black coffee, due in around four minutes.
Qrow continued once they were back at their lonesome. "You said you had something you wanted to tell us?"
"There's something I wanted to tell her." Astra stressed, but she folded even without any pressure from Qrow. "But I suppose you'll have to do…"
"Hn?" Qrow leaned forwards. "And just what does that mean?"
"It's nothing." Astra quickly shook him off. "Just that she needs to be careful. Mistral is dangerous, and this place isn't like how she's left it. In fact, she should've never gone alone."
"Well that's what we're here to solve, aren't we? And to make sure things get safer." Qrow answered. "That's our job."
"Nonono, you don't understand!" Astra almost shouted. She took a frantic look around the coffee shop before leaning in close to Qrow. "She's a key. She's a key and she needs to get out of here before things go wrong!"
"A key…?" Qrow's mind went a mile a minute. "You're saying she's going to be the next target? Or do you mean the killer wants something from her?"
"…"
"I need answers here." Qrow wiped his face with his hands. This was bad. If the killer was already aware of their operation, then that meant that they'd leave fewer evidence. They might target them too, get them out of the picture before they even came close to a lead.
"You're saying-"
"Look, I don't know everything, just what I've been hearing. The Valean whispers through the shadows." Astra spoke in a hush-hush tone. "This thing is big; systematic. And what I heard is that they want other Huntsmen and Huntresses from outside the Kingdom as well."
"Then why Pyrrha? And who is 'they'?"
"Not even I know that." Astra looked away. "They've been spreading out coded messages, you see. And one of the first ones we ever got was to 'keep an eye out for the Hometown Gladiator.'"
Astra fidgeted in her seat. "I only know what that meant because I tried to get close to her all those years ago. My guess is that the others are still left in the dark, but as soon as they hear that she's back…"
"And you said you don't even know who they were…?" Qrow whispered. At Astra's fearful nod, Qrow's mind ran a mile a minute. Pyrrha had asked for all of her contacts for info. The only two who ever got back to her was the woman across from him, and the other...
Had their plan just backfired right in their faces? How many people were connected in the killer's network? And if Astra hadn't reached out, then would they have been swarmed, assassinated in their sleep?
Speaking of…
"I'll get this to Pyrrha ASAP. But then, what's in it for you?" Qrow narrowed his eyes.
"Ah… Look… not all of us had the makings of a great Huntress." Astra leaned on the table with her head in her hands. She was barely looking at Qrow now, and if he had to guess she was lost in some memory.
"A lot of us didn't even make it past combat school – didn't get into an Academy, Haven or Beacon or otherwise. Those of us that didn't, we ended up either getting grunt jobs or going back to being a civilian. Guess which one I ended up in."
Astra laughed bitterly. "Looking at you lot now, guess that was a bullet dodged huh? A lot of us were jealous back then, but when I look at you now…" She shook her head.
"Doesn't matter what I think now. A lot of people may not care what the Huntsmen stand for anymore, but that doesn't mean that they're forgotten." Her eyes were piercing him now – just like those pictures. "A lot of people want revenge. Payback. For what, it varies from person to person."
Qrow found himself drawn to those eyes. Their pupils getting smaller and smaller as Astra's voice grew hoarse. "That's what I can tell you about 'them'. They want to destroy the Huntsmen viciously, completely. And where else to start than their stars? Their best and brightest? And the best of the Huntsmen had historically always came…"
"…From Beacon." Qrow finished. Astra didn't nod, but he did hear her grunt.
But Qrow noticed something else. Astra seemed to be holding her head tightly now, her hair turning to a mess as her eyes grew bloodshot. Her body began to shake, and Qrow's heart seized with worry. "Hey now, you okay-!"
"N-no!" Astra clenched her teeth as pain shot up her body. "A-AGH!"
She collapsed to the ground, her body convulsing as blood began to leak out her nose.
"S-SHIT!" Qrow quickly went to her and tried his best to help. "Come on, stay with me, stay with me-!"
"No… it's no use-!" Astra gasped, her skin already pale and eyes bleeding red. Her lips turned blue, words barely eligible through her mouth. "J-just… get Pyrrha out of here-! She doesn't deserve this-!"
"I will! Just hang on!" Qrow pleaded. "You hear me, Astra! Don't you di-!"
"A-Ah…" Qrow's words were interrupted by a final breath from Astra.
"I'm sorry…"
And with that, Astra spoke her last words. And as for Qrow, he was once again left holding the body.
Frustration welling up inside him, Qrow grit his teeth and turned over the now-dead body. He began looking for a clue, anything to get him out of this mess!
Qrow began with Astra's suit cuffs. He unbuttoned them, perhaps there might still be a pulse or something-!
Qrow stopped in his tracks once he saw the body's wrists.
There, dead center, was a mark etched deep on her skin – pitch black, a circle with pins piercing to its middle and a singular red eye as if staring straight to his soul.
Qrow knew it immediately – the symbol of Salem and her associates.
"Fuck." Qrow skid back in panic and looked around. "Someone, anyone, call an ambulance-!"
But his words died in his throat. The coffee shop was totally empty; no customers, not even the waitresses nor the cashiers were present.
His instincts flared - something was coming!
BAM!
"Agh!" Qrow clutched the back of his head as a baseball bat hit his neck. He rolled with the blow and turned to face the aggressor.
A tall and buff man wearing a black hoodie and jeans, his face covered with a Grimm mask and his hands wielding a mechashift bat-shotgun.
Qrow grit his teeth and flicked his wrist. In a flash, his weapon unfurled from his back and he held his sword ready to fight.
So this was it then. Salem was behind all this, involved undoubtedly-
Ring!
Qrow's head whipped around, more and more people stepping in through the entrance. And they were all equipped the same way as his aggressor was, Grimm masks the prominent similarity between them all.
"Shit." In but a moment they had all surrounded him, pulling down metal blinds over the shop's windows and locking the doors shut; both front and back entrances.
Wordlessly they began to encircle him. Qrow could see their stances ready to go, the only thing holding them back from launching themselves at him with some kind of wordless signal.
He could feel a bead of sweat run down his eyebrow. That surprise hit had taken a good chunk of his Aura. He needed to be careful, keep track of them all.
And then, like a pin had been dropped, chaos started.
Grimm-masked Assassins
As one they all charged, screams more monster than human. Qrow ducked low and lifted his sword, their weapons clanging as they were blocked with his sword's blade.
"Tch!" Qrow spun his foot around, sweeping the closest ones off their feet. With the opening in the crowd, Qrow quickly jumped to the entrance end of the room and gave the door a hard tug.
Click!
The door didn't budge even with his hardest pull. 'What the fuck kind of door is this-!'
"GRAHHHH!" Qrow stepped to the side and hastily dodged a sword swing right for his neck. With a yell of his own, Qrow grabbed the assailant's head and slammed it to the cashier next to him.
Crash!
"Ack-!" SLAM! Qrow didn't give them a chance to breathe before slamming his foot down on them again. He quickly noticed even more approaching him now, this time taking care not to go alone.
Qrow gripped his sword tight. Faster than he would've liked, the new pair were upon him. Qrow swung to the left, using his sword's size to crowd their space. The one on his right blocked the blow, but still stumbled from his blade's weight.
'Good.' Qrow thought. With a roar he pushed his attack through, forcing the two back. Qrow quickly went on the offensive and struck the enemy on the left with a right hook, sending them further into a daze. He slammed his sword's pummel into their gut, the enemy doubling over, before Qrow roared and threw him to his other assailant.
A loud crash can be heard as the two were hit chairs and tables. Qrow didn't waste a second and went on the assault on the others.
"I'm not done yet!" In a flash, he was already standing before another enemy, one among many. Qrow swung overhead, slamming his sword on an enemy's head. The man fell and Qrow dragged his sword to the right, attacking another one – they were circling him again, he wouldn't give them the chance – when that enemy blocked, Qrow kicked his knees and elbowed him in the face right as he doubled down.
Qrow's instincts felt an array of melee weapons shifting the air behind him. With a flick of his wrist his sword turned to a shotgun and he faced the mid-attack cronies with a smirk.
"Smile, punks!" BANG!
Shouts and screams filled the coffee shops as his enemies were blown away. Internally, he breathed a sigh of relief. That was a close one…
"RARGH!"
'Shit!' Qrow turned around and parried a blow with his re-transformed sword, clenching his teeth. Damn it, there seemed to be no end to them-!
Slam!
"Gah!" Qrow flinched as a mace slammed to his back. He felt his legs tremble ever so slightly from the blow, but apparently it was all his enemies needed. The next moment a sword had sliced clean through his back knee and he was forced to the ground.
Qrow groaned in pain as he fell, and in less than a moment the assailants had jumped him. Kicks, punches, swings, they took no breaks to pummel him into the ground.
Qrow weakly raised a hand to the air, trying to grab something, anything. His wrist was then seized and slammed to the floor, squeezed tight as a fist slammed to his nose.
"Grk!" Qrow grit his teeth. He had to get out of this, his Aura was draining fast!
Another set of blows were coming from his enemies; he had to take the risk! With a yell, Qrow refocused his Aura to his bounded arms and reverse-gripped the hands holding him down. As the blows continued to rain down, Qrow amplified his strength and spun his captor around, sending the others back before he threw them away.
"RARGH!"
With that, he was finally freed from the hold – but not without cost. As Qrow stood back up, he felt numerous bruises scattered along his body, cuts small and large running across his chest and his arms.
"Fuck…" And though his Aura had begun to heal them, he knew from experience that the sheer number of wounds he gathered would not be properly healed for a long time.
That was, if he had time to begin with. As it stood, he still had to survive this.
Qrow saw his opponents recover little by little. It seemed that they planned to overpower him with numbers, no matter how hard he would try to resist.
"Screw this." Qrow spat to the side and felt adrenaline rush through his veins. He saw the head honcho from before, still yet to take a single swing at him, and gripped his sword tight.
There was no way he was dying here – no way he was going to let Salem get away with all this.
"You've all had your damn turn," Qrow snarled. "Now it's mine!"
Qrow rushed straight at the bat-wielding leader. With a roar, Qrow swung his sword hard from the right. The leader parried the blow with his bat, stepping forward and slamming his fist into Qrow's face.
But Qrow didn't budge, even as the fist buried itself deep into his cheek.
The leader stumbled back in shock. "W-what-?"
"HRAGH!" Qrow slammed his knee into the leader's gut. As the enemy doubled over, Qrow brought his sword down and sliced straight down their chest.
Slash!
"GAH!" The leader flew back, their Aura flaring as they hit the floor rolling. He quickly got up and looked at his compatriots in rage. "What're you all standing around for?! Help me you fucks!"
"R-right! CHAAARGE!" More enemies rushed themselves at Qrow. The Huntsman twisted his foot and readied his sword, Aura flowing and shielding his body.
With a flick of his wrist Qrow's sword transformed into a scythe. His enemies realized it too late. As they surrounded him from all sides, Qrow spun on his heel and sliced them all with his scythe's blade.
Cries of pain rang out as his spin was faster than their Aura reaction time; thus, causing many to bleed from their injuries. Qrow immediately rushed to the closest enemy and slammed his now-transformed sword on their neck – Aura-protected, thankfully or not – taking him down for the count.
Another came from the side with a short sword. Qrow moved quickly and slipped inside his guard, ramming an elbow to his face and then slicing upwards through his chest.
Another came from behind him; Qrow recognized him using a polearm. He quickly turned and parried the blow, using his sword to plant the polearm's edge on the floor before flying forwards and kicking the enemy straight in the chest.
Slam! The enemy flew away from the impact, hitting the wall and spreading spiderweb-like cracks across it.
"TAKE THIS YOU BASTARD!" Another one rushed at him from the side; Qrow swung his sword in their general direction. Their blades met, sparks flying as they caught themselves in a deadlock.
Qrow grit his teeth as his strength contested against his enemy, red eyes staring into a Grimm-masked face. The enemy roared and Qrow pushed the back of his blade with his other hand. This was bad!
"Die, shitstain!" And another was coming from the other side, running at him with a dagger! Qrow acted quickly and gave in, stepping to the side and letting the enemy's blade hit the floor.
Clang! Skrrrrt!
But the enemy moved quickly and dragged his sword across the floor, sparks flying as they lifted the sword and aimed straight for his neck.
Qrow ducked, letting the blade nick his hair, and slammed a fist to the enemy's arm.
"Ah!" The man's arm flew to the other side, but the other dagger-wielding enemy was already here. Qrow prepared to move to the other side, but alas-!
"Ack!" He faltered in his steps, the wounds from before preventing smooth movement, and that was all the moment the assailant needed. With a smirk they planted the blade straight through his left thigh, shattering his Aura and planting itself deep within.
"AHHHHH!" Qrow yelled and fell to the ground, blood gushing through the wound and staining his face. His breathing grew ragged as he forced himself to stand back up, keeping his sword ready.
Stay calm. Stay calm!
The dagger-wielding enemy pulled out another dagger, and Qrow knew a sick smirk was playing at their lips. Steady, steady – he still had his sword, he simply had to wait for an opportunity.
With a wordless yell they lunged at him once more; but this time Qrow was ready. They first went in for a grab, hands outstretched for the hems of his shirt. Qrow parried the arms and stepped back, the enemy going straight for another lunge.
Qrow narrowed his eyes. He steeled himself and pushed his free arm forward, grabbing the man's blade mid-swing.
Shink!
"W-wha-!"
Clickclickclick. With their weapon now inexplicably tied onto him, Qrow transformed his sword into a shotgun and aimed it point-blank at their face.
He could see the slight widening of their eyes through their mask, their breath hitched with horror. "N-no wait-!"
"You lose." Qrow stated deadpan.
BAM!
The shot ripped through the man's Aura and skin, sending them flying far back and even through the metal-reinforced windows.
Crash!
Qrow turned his laser focus towards the only remaining opponent – the 'leader', baseball bat still in hand and glaring at him with burning hatred through their mask.
Qrow lifted his sword, as did his opponent with their bat. And with a wordless queue, they charged at each other head-on.
CLANG!
The sound reverberated through their ears as metal met metal. The enemy roared and swung down for Qrow's head. The Huntsman rolled to the side, letting the bat hit the floor and shattering the ceramics.
"Hah!" Qrow dodged back again as the enemy quickly followed up. Swing after swing, grunt after grunt, the enemy was relentless. Qrow's own wounds continued to flare with every move, reminding him that he couldn't go on forever.
"RARGHH!" The enemy lifted their baseball bat high over his head. Heavily telegraphed, Qrow thought. With a grunt Qrow stepped in and slammed his sword's pommel at the enemy's head.
Slam! Crack! Qrow smirked as the enemy yelped back in surprise, their Grimm mask on the verge of shattering from the blow.
The enemy – the man, Qrow realized – roared in anger and moved to retaliate. Qrow smirked; now that they were one-on-one, the odds were more in his favor.
The enemy attacked, yet, Qrow was quicker and more than matched him more than blow-for-blow. Every swing the man attempted, Qrow foiled by attacking him first with his sword. Every feint the man attempted, Qrow saw easily through and punished with strikes so unexpected it left the enemy winded and confused.
Slash! Strike! Slowly but surely Qrow whittled down at the enemy leader's endurance and durability. All the while the Huntsman himself teetered on the edge of defeat, hanging on to his consciousness by just a thread.
"GRAGGGHHH!" Rage consumed the enemy, and Qrow could see it clear as night. This was his chance!
The man swung wildly from his own left. Qrow ducked and slammed his sword's pommel into the enemy's gut. The man roared in anger and swung high. Qrow stepped back, let the end of the bat graze his chin, swiftly striking back with a slash across the enemy's chest.
"AGHHH!" Even as blood splashed across his new wound, Qrow's enemy still kept pushing forward, holding his bat in both hands and rushing for him straight on.
Qrow's breath hitched. Now, now was his chance!
The enemy swung down and Qrow spun on his heel, slipping past the enemy's guard and safely through the effective range of the bat. The Huntsman elbowed the back of man's head, forcing him to trip forwards.
"Ack-!" But Qrow didn't let up. Before the enemy could recover, he twirled his sword in his hands and rammed its tip straight through his back.
Rrrrripp!
Steel tore through skin and bones as his sword went in one side and out the other. His enemy could only stare at it dumbly in shock, coughing blood out his mouth before sliding down the blade more than dead.
"A-ah…" Qrow drew his sword back, freeing it from the corpse, and then leaned on it heavily as he caught his breath.
He looked around at the carnage around him. Some dead, some unconscious, some somewhere in-between. He didn't care much; these people were agents of Salem, they knew what they were signing up for.
More importantly, though…
"Hah…" His hand went over to his thigh, pulling the dagger free and throwing it away. He assessed the situation; his Aura was shot to shit, and people were bound to start asking questions, again….
But his mind came to a blank on how he had gotten to this situation; not that he had never engaged against multiple enemies before, nor was this particularly the largest he had ever had to handle, but why was this one of his closest brushes with death?
Was he getting rusty? He doubted it; though 'peace' existed, Ozpin still sent him on missions regularly. Was he getting on in his years? He doubted that too, but there was always the possibility…
His thoughts continued to wander as he tried his best to recover. He stood on shaky legs as he sheathed his sword, struggling to get out through the busted metal window.
But then, as Qrow walked, he noticed something strange. The bodies of the enemies he had defeated, dead or not, began suddenly convulsing. Their muscles started to spasm as blood trickled down their lips, some screaming like hell even as their eyes remained shut.
Qrow took a step back in fear. "What the fuck…"
And then suddenly, black matter began to overtake their bodies, staring from their wrists – Salem's logo, it must be from there! – and then consuming their bodies whole. Like a ravenous Grimm eating its prey, or a parasite taking one last bite from its dying host, the sight of flesh and bones disappearing into black nothings shook Qrow to his core.
And then, in just a moment, both corpses and bodies – even that of Astra – were gone, like dust in the wind.
"S-shit…!" Qrow stumbled forwards and quickened his pace. It was dark outside now, the moon high in the sky yet giving him nothing to be calm about. He needed to get to Nikos, needed to inform Ozpin and everyone else about what was happening-!
A voice cut through his silence. "You won't get far in that state, Qrow."
He recognized it immediately. How could he not? He spent the better part of his childhood with her everyday.
He tried to turn around to face it, but he found that his wounds were just a bit too severe.
"Raven." Qrow bit out. "What brings you here?"
Raven smirked from behind Qrow. She strolled into Qrow's view with her hand on her hips, her head high and her smile smug.
"Gotten weak now, haven't you?"
"S-shut up." Qrow bit out. "What, you come here to gloat, Rae?"
"Hmph. That would be a waste of Aura and my time." Her nose wrinkled.
"So? Then I'll ask again, why the fuck are you here?" Qrow growled. "If you haven't noticed, I'm bleeding to death over here!"
"Would you believe me if I said it was to help you?" Raven cut him off.
Qrow bit back the doubt from his tone. "Forgive me if I don't believe someone who's stayed silent for eight damn years."
A breath went through Raven's nose. "...Thats- that's fair, I suppose." She shook her head.
Qrow bit the inside of his cheek. Was he dreaming?
He had a lot of pent-up aggression towards his sister for leaving him in the dark for almost a decade - he wasn't even sure if she was alive, for fucks sake! - but never in a million years did he expect anything close to an admission of guilt-
But Raven spoke again before Qrow got the chance to open her mouth.
"Look at the facts, Qrow." She stated, "You're 'bleeding to death' as you said, you've already got some heat from the authorities, and your partner's way too far to give you any help. Are you really in any position to refuse?"
Qrow bit the inside of his cheek. He hated to admit his sister being right - there was something inherently wrong with that, he felt - but there really was no other easy way out.
His eyes went to his sister's hip. She was a bandit, always had been according to her, and so of course he saw a Grimm mask ready to be worn.
It was just too much of a coincidence. The Killer, his sudden attack, and then his sister appearing out of the blue to 'save' him. Fuck, it wasn't even funny!
Raven offered him her hand. He immediately looked at her wrists; there were no emblems of the wretched Queen of the Grimm there, so he supposed that she was clean, but could he really trust her?
"Time's ticking, Qrow."
"Tch. Fine." Qrow swatted Raven's hand away, but gave her a reluctant nod nonetheless. "Get us out of here."
In a flash, Raven turned around and drew her sword, slicing open a portal for them to walk through. Qrow took a peek past the portal, through the now-smashed metal-reinforced window.
"It's already night time…" He noted. Was he really inside for that long?
He turned to his sister. "How the hell did you even find me anyway?"
Raven smirked again. "Would you believe me if I said it was the police?"
"Pft, yeah right. As if you ever liked authority in the first place." Qrow scoffed.
The portal continued to swirl red, a gateway to parts unknown. A leap of faith he had no choice to take.
Raven tilted her head. "Come on then."
"After you."
Raven harrumphed but did as told. And as she stepped through, her body disappearing in a whirlpool of red and black, Qrow steeled his resolve and limped to the portal alone.
He only managed to type out a quick message to Ozpin and the rest before he disappeared from the scene as well.
He had to concede to the facts, just as he was doing now. There was no way he and Nikos alone could handle this.
'With Raven. Things are much more dangerous than we thought.
Nikos, retreat ASAP. Regroup.
Call in RWBY.'
And to his great dismay,
'QUEEN HAS PAWNS.'
He only hoped Pyrrha could get the message in time…
・・・伝説・・伝説・・伝説・・
To Pyrrha, this situation was almost nostalgic.
The buzzing cheers of the crowd, the bright lights shining a spotlight onto the center ring, and the familiar pre-fight adrenaline of a tournament match.
Her old manager stood next to her, giving her a comforting hand in her shoulder that did little of its purpose.
"It's gonna be okay, dear." She said soothingly. "You'll do fine just like the old days."
"But this is… almost completely different." Pyrrha forced out.
"Well, all of us had to survive somehow." Her manager shrugged. "This… was the best compromise."
'This' being the fact that the tournament she was standing in right now; the formerly prestigious Mistral Regional Tournament, a place where warriors from all around the Kingdom fought for glory and recognition, reduced to nothing more than an underground fight club.
Sure, her manager had described it all earlier to her. Ever since the end of the Grimm, tournaments no longer represented the strength of humanity against their strongest foes, but rather became a symbol of the sheer gap between Huntsmen and civilians - of normal people against those with powers out of a comic book.
The response wasn't immediate, but it was there - support became fear, and yet the Huntsmen also longed for a place to use and test their skills.
The solution was to bring them underground, but that came with its own share of setbacks. Their once-famed prestige went down trench deep, multiple measures were taken to ensure their secrecy, and more and more unsavory elements began to leak into what was once a significant part of Pyrrha's pride.
She was still a four-time champion, her name spoken with amazement and adoration, but she also knew that what was in front of her eyes and what it once was could never truly be reconciled.
But apparently she didn't have as much time as she thought. "Go on." her manager urged her. "You don't have much time before your first match."
Pyrrha nodded curtly and began wading through the crowd, heading to the fighters area and then to the locker rooms. Along the way, she heard whispers from both anonymous watchers and fellow fighters alike as she walked through.
"Hey, isn't that Pyrrha Nikos?"
Yes it was.
"What's she doing here? I thought she'd never come back to Mistral!"
To find out more about the Huntsman Killer. Her manager had said that she had heard rumblings about that too from her scene, and their best bet was bringing her most prized fighter back in order to lure out any leads.
Oh how she hated being valued for her accomplishments alone.
"But she's entering the duos division though! Why did she do that? Wonder who her partner's going to be."
Because the singles were full, and as such her manager had used up all the connections she had to get her in the doubles. And apparently there was a crazy competitor that thought they had what it took to win the entire thing alone, a sudden registration just like her, and that left an open spot - so she had been paired up with them.
It didn't matter either way. She was used to somewhat working alone anyways - her partner was either him or no one at all, barring a few exceptions.
"Let's get out of her way; they're starting the doubles soon, we don't want to delay it any further…"
Damn right. She was forced to turn her Scroll off when she entered the area, another measure to ensure the secrecy of it all. The faster she could get out of here with more information, and the faster she could get reconnected to Qrow, the better.
The voices died out as she entered deeper and deeper into the fighter's area, eventually dying out entirely as she stepped into her and her partner-to-be's side of the locker rooms.
Taking a calming breath, she opened the door and entered the room. Immediately, her eyes went to the only other occupant inside.
He didn't seem to be looking at her, instead focused on looking inside a necklace or a pendant of some kind worn around his neck - what kind of pendant it was, she couldn't see from where she was.
He had pitch black hair, spiking up almost unnaturally high. He had medium build and height, wearing a black suit set and a pair of shades adorning his face.
Interestingly, he didn't seem to be carrying any weapons…
What she saw matched the description her manager gave her, of her partner-to-be. Now, all she had to do was to get his attention.
She coughed into her fist, and she saw how the man froze in his tracks.
"Hello again! It's nice to meet you." The man turned his head slowly towards her, his mouth opened wide in- was that shock or fear? She couldn't tell.
"I've been told that you had intended to participate in the duos alone; however, I needed to enter this tournament due to some… personal reasons, shall we say, so…"
Pyrrha knew it was somewhat unfair for her to force this on him, especially with her connections and all to another, unsuspecting participant. Unlike what civilians believe, not all Huntsmen could work together as easily as snapping their fingers.
So, she decided to extend the first courtesy. At least until this brief stint was over.
Pyrrha approached the man and offered him her hand to shake.
An old voice reverberated through her ears, the clear words of a man dead to the world but never to her.
'Sounds like Pyrrha's on board for Team Jaune. Spots are filling up quick!'
That was right. He may no longer be here, but if he showed her anything, it was that a positive outlook was important to an efficient collaboration.
"Jin Tadano, right?"
'What Headmaster Ozpin says goes, Pyr… and I have to take responsibility. He said it was expulsion… Can I really blame him?'
And the other thing that he left her with; that taking responsibility was important. He left to take responsibility for his actions. The least he could do was keep his memory alive, the only person who ever saw her for the girl she was, as Pyrrha.
That way he could keep him by her side. To feel his presence, even if she'll never see him with her own eyes ever again…
"..."
And yet, if possible, the man looked even more shocked than before. It seemed that even after nearly a decade of retirement from tournament fighting, her name still carried weight.
But surely that was all, right? She had to stay positive, and remember to not judge.
"I'm Pyrrha. Pyrrha Nikos." She gave him her best genuine smile. She hoped it would be enough.
"I hope we can work together well, Jin."
・・・伝説・・伝説・・伝説・・
Who exactly attacked Qrow? What's Raven got to do with all of this?
Why is Jaune entering the ring?
One thing's clear - next up, the long awaited and long-lost teamwork.
Don't forget to read and review, tell me what you thought!
Thank you, and have a good day!