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Haywireseagull: I'm trying.
X3runner: Correction: Neo has his number, Felix has Ruby's number, and Ryby… poor Ruby is just clueless
"Ninety-two! Ninety-three! Ninety-four! Come on! What are you!? A warrior or a worm!?"
"I'M A WARRIOR, SIR!"
"Then pick up the peace, soldier! Ninety-Six! Ninety-Seven!"
Felix rested easy as he sat at the top of Nora's back while barking orders. It gave him a certain sense of nostalgia from back at the military bases where he was located.
After her uncle started to drunkenly mistake Felix for some long-lost son, Ruby had freaked out believing she had a cousin. This only lead to Felix walking away from there with a weirded out look on his face and with Qrow laughing.
And yet the guy let out a lot of glaring alarms inside of Felix's head. He saw how he fought against the older Ice-Queen; the guy was above average. And everything about him just screamed veteran. You know what they say: Fear an old man in a job where they die young.
And apparently Mercury knew the guy too. Enough to make him scare and run with his tail between his legs back to mommy Cinder. He tried texting but she just told him not to worry, you know, because he is in the know basis.
Bitch.
But, bitch with money that he wanted so he continued to do what she asked. Keep an eye on the team and specifically Pyrrha. Whom was sitting next to Ren as they observe Nora use him as an added weight for her push-ups.
"You're doing great, Nora!" Pyrrha clapped, wanting to cheer her.
"No Pyr! I need heat, no sugar! Felix, do the thing!" Nora growled, pushing herself up.
"You forgot the magic word~"
"THUNDER TIGHTS!"
"That's not… whatever," he has given up in trying to make sense of what this girl says. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. "YOU WON'T GET THOSE TIGHTS IF ALL YOU DO IS PUSH-UPS! NEXT TIME YOU ARE DOING ONE HUNDRED CROUCHES!"
"Yessir!"
"No. To either of you," Ren said, putting his hands on his hips. "Nora will be too tired and she needs to be in top shape."
"I'm always in top shape!" Nora whined.
"I'm gonna have to agree with Ren, Nora. As much as I like yelling at you, which is somewhat therapeutic. We do not want you to have muscular pains mid-fight," His fun done for, Felix jumped off Nora's back and flopped back into bed. "It would be bad if you suddenly got cramps in the middle of the fight."
"It won't happen! I won't get a muscle cramp in the middle of the fight and leave myself wide open for my opponents to attack, forcing Pyrrha to cover for me and then she would have to fight two on one which will prove to be too much for her. We will be kicked out of the tournament and Pyrrha's career as a fighter will be over. And then I will be diagnosed that my muscle cramp was actually a degenerative decease and I will be stuck in a chair forever with Ren feeding until we ARE OOOOLD!"
… What.
Nora crumbled; all face drained from her body. Her face hit the floor and she started sobbing loudly. A large stain of water forming under her face as she just wept over the imaginary nonsense she formed in her head.
Because, seriously: What.
"Nora. None of that is going to happen. A single losing fight won't drag Pyrrha's career down, aura protects against most muscular deceases," It did? Good to know, "and I doubt you can even stay in a chair for less than an hour even if your whole body was paralyzed.
Nora snapped her head up, shrugging. "Yeah, guess you're right," as if nothing had happened.
"Felix?" Pyrrha called. "Did you see what the altercation in the courtyard was about?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. Just two Huntsmen ducking it out at each other. Well, one Huntsman and a Huntress but you get the point."
"What!? And we missed it!? … And you didn't recorded it!?" Nora accused, pressing a finger to his nose.
"Ummm, whoops?" Felix blinked, only able to shrug and smile under a sheepish mask.
This cheek really needed a psychiatrist.
As Ren pried Nora off Felix and Pyrrha distracted her by talking about cute and sweet things that almost made Felix wretch. He could only pray these followings day will go by fast.
The sooner this tournament was over and he gets his payment, the sooner he can not only retire, but focus his attention and the resources he will have with his newfound capital to hunt down Locus like an animal. And then…
He will have a T.V the size of a billboard and a nice place to finally live the life he deserved.
"You know, as an uncle, I really should not be playing with you girls. I should be giving you a speech about the things you did in your second semester. Telling you how what you did was irresponsible, how you should have talked to the adults, how you're gonna give your old man a heart attack before his fifties. Yadda, yadda…"
"… But…?"
"Buuuuut, I think I already gave Ruby enough grief by embarrassing her in front of that other kid."
"Oh, is that why she is sulking in the corner, ignoring you?"
"Either that or she refuses to play because she is afraid~"
"I AM NOT!" Ruby finally put her headphones down and glared at both her sister and uncle.
The seconds were over, yet Ruby was not
"I did the vasectomy the day Yang was born. Was not going to run the same risks Tai did and bring another Branwen into the world," He had said.
Ruby did then search what a vasectomy was. One word: Gross.
Still, that made her cross with her uncle, who then left for some talk to Ozpin and the other teachers. Probably a scolding for wrecking the courtyard fighting Weiss' sister. So, when he came knocking at their door, she tried her best to do the silent treatment.
"Ha! She talks! Told you I could make her talk to me in less than five minutes."
"Actually, it was six, you lose."
"Fuck, always with the bad luck…"
"I'm right here!" Ruby complains, getting off her bed and grudgingly grabbing her controller.
He wanted his butt kicked badly? Fine! He will give her the butt kicking of a lifetime!
As they started playing. Yang cleared her throat and turned to her uncle. "So, you know about those things…"
"Whom do you think your father rants about you two? Zwei?" Qrow asks rethorically before stopping and considering it. "No, okay, that's fair. Zwei does listen to him."
"And were you… mad?" Despite being miffed with him, Ruby really cared about her uncle's opinion.
"Right now? No. Back then? Eh, it was fifty-fifty between angry and amused," He admitted, before Ruby did a combo on his character. His expression soured and he turned to her. "Okay, now I am mad."
That got a giggle out of Ruby. Yang however continued asking her uncle. "Amused?"
"I mean. A highway?"
Ruby winced and that gave her uncle the chance to use a grappling move on her character. Making her having to smash buttons randomly.
"Any news on your teammate?"
That gave her a pause, and she actually did press the pause button to look at him.
Yang flinched and looked away with a sour expression. "No… They just have her in custody… Can you, maybe—"
"—Talk to Jimmy? I could, but I doubt it'll help. He never listens, much less to me," He says with a hint of bitterness on his tone.
Welp, there goes one idea.
"I wouldn't worry too much about your friend. Ozpin is known for giving people second chances," Qrow reassures, waving a hand. "He is just a bit hand-tied with the festival."
"She deserves it. She helped a lot in the Breach," Yang insisted. Ruby's heart went out for her sister; she really wanted her partner back.
"I'll take your word for it. Didn't had the chance to meet her I can't give my opinion. By the way, Ruby."
"Yes?"
"Dragon Dive."
"Er, what?"
"C-C-C-COMBO!"
"WHAT!?" She shrieked, turning back to see that the game was un-paused and that her character just received a barrage of punches that left her laying on the floor.
"Round one: Ninja!"
"Aaaah, its good to be the boss," Qrow relaxed and folded his arms behind his head.
"Second round! You won't win, old man!"
"You're nothing but talk, kid!"
"You can do it, Ruby!"
The battle ended in a tragic resolution. With Ruby's heroine falling to the evil tricks of Qrow's character, all while her evil Uncle had a smirk on his face as he twirled his Scroll around.
"Ouch…" Yang winced, but with a smirk on her face.
"Never call me old, again," He said blowing the device as it I was a gun.
While she sulked, Yang took the chance to push Ruby out of the way and sit next to her uncle, "My turn!" She said eagerly, grabbing the control.
"So? Anything else to add?" Qrow asked as he selected the scenario.
Ruby jumped at the chance. Her favorite activity every time her uncle was around. "Tell us about your most recent mission! Where did you go? How did it go? What kind of Grimm did you see? What weapons?" She asked, getting closer and closer to him.
Qrow snorted and pressed a hand to her face to shove her away. "Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a twist, kid."
"YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SAY THAT TO US!"
"Just did," He smirked, not caring about how weird he was being! "Unless you don't want me to talk…"
"No! I want to!" She backpedaled quickly.
He smirked, knowing he had the upperhand—meanie—and started to rely them with the tale of his latest mission in settlements around Mistral. The tale had started normal, and the way he was narrating—while not as good as her mom's—was captivating and hyping. Like the narrator of some movies!
For a few moments she remembered why her uncle was the best uncle in the whole wide world!
But he had to ruin it…
"I was defeated… by the mere sight… of the inn's keeper knee-length skirt!"
EW!
"You are the worst!" That gained him Yang's ire, while Ruby wretched, and it was going to increase because Qrow took that chance to beat her in the game.
Still, as gross as Qrow was with his stories, seeing Yang frustrated brought out Ruby's true nature as a little sister and couldn't help but giggle at her expense alongside with Qrow. "Best out of three?" He asked.
And getting their butts whooped? Not thanks! Better to continue and satiate her curiosity about what happened AFTER he made that whole show with Felix.
"So, Uncle Qrow, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?" She asked, feigning innocence.
Qrow either didn't notice the fakeness or didn't care, and simply waved her off. "Nah, me and Oz go way back. We're cool."
Yang rolled her eyes and scoffed, still salty over her loss. "Cool for an old guy."
Qrow took offense to that and turned to her with a scowl. "Not funny."
Ruby tilted her head. " So, what are you doing here anyway? Dad said you'd be on a mission for like… ever!"
"Your dad exaggerates," He assured with a roll of his eyes. "It took long, yes. But what can I say? a professional Huntsman like myself is expected to get results, as soon as possible." He answered and prepared a new match with Yang.
Ruby kicked her feet over the edge of Weiss' bed. "I mean I sort of get that…After the breach…" She would have said they were pros… but the highway incident put countered that.
"We totally saved Beacon and Vale while you were gone," Yang had no such reservations. She boasted and flipped her hair with flair.
"Funny, because I heard Vale suffered a Grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train. You even had good ol' Nick with you, you have no excuse!" Qrow retorts, winning the round as he leans over to rub it in his niece's face. "But they don't give out medals for almost~" he said in annoying sing-song tone.
"Silver medals have a say to that!" Ruby whined, crossing her arms.
Yang was insistent. "Well, we helped take down Roman Torchwick! He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime's been down ever since! That's basically a bounty mission!"
"And what about the other two guys with those weird armors?" Qrow asked, raising an eyebrow. "From what I hear those are more dangerous than Torchwick. Especially considering…"
His eyes traced Yang's torso. She covered it with her hand and shook her head. "I'm fine. I lived."
"You sure did. You are made of tough shit, kid. Both of you are," he said, stretching his arms. And what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but not smarter, and you need both to be full fledged huntresses. Torchwick is locked behind bars and yet crime stays still."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Ruby questioned. For her it made perfect sense: Torchwick was the one pulling strings and stealing dust.
"Good? Yes. Normal? No," Qrow corrected, giving her a dry look. "There would be criminal activities to see who fills in the shoes of Torchwick, yet they are not doing anything. The White Fang also disappeared without a trace. The King Taijitu's head was cut off, but they always come in two and no one is looking for the second. That's something Jimmy has not realized either." He sighs with resignation.
"You sure seem to know how the General thinks," Yang raises and eyebrow.
"Like Ozpin, we go way back. In fact, I go way back with a lot of people," Their uncle's joking demeanor came back as he fished out a picture. "Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team to ever graduate Beacon!"
Ruby lost herself when she stared at the picture. Focusing specially in the figure wearing a white cloak similar to hers. Her mom, her greatest hero and the source of inspiration of the kind of Huntress she wanted to be…
She wondered what would she say about the things she has done across her first year in Beacon…
"Yup, Team STRQ, that's where I met your parents." Qrow declares as he looks at the picture with pride. "We were pretty well known back in our day."
"For your crummy fashion sense?" Despite being wrapped in her thoughts, she couldn't help but rib at her uncle's expenses.
From the corner of her eyes she saw how Yang was eyeing the picture… and how Qrow's thumb covered one of the member's faces. Better to get her mind from that. She does not want to see her sister have more reasons to be sad.
"We have a great fashion sense!" Qrow snapped, stuffing the picture back into his pocket. "And plenty of stories. Though some of them I'll tell you when I'm older."
The implications were not lost to Ruby. She gagged and shook her head. "Ew, gross!"
"Welp. Time for me to scram. Hanging around with kids will ruin my style." Qrow sat up and stretched his limbs before walking to the door. Not before turning to them and give some parting words. "Listen, I am not going to tell you to not get in trouble, I'd be a big hypocrite if I did, but learn from all the things you've lived until now. You've hit a few batches in the way, but you're still too young to be unable to correct them. But don't think graduating means you achieved the goal." He jerked a thumb behind his shoulder. "Out there, what they teach you here is nothing. In here, what you learn outside is ten times better. Keep going, fix your batches, and always keep learning, don't let a single victory make you go over your heads. With all of that you two and your team are gonna go far."
Qrow left the scene. Ruby blinked at the door and turned to Yang. Her sister looked at her and smiled, holding out a hand that Ruby quickly grabbed hold of with a giggle.
Their Uncle was the best.
Felix clapped along with the rest of the audience as the second day of the Seconds Rounds began. Pyrrha and Nora had steam-rolled their rivals, and now it was the turn of some girls from atlas.
One of them had blades… attached to a backpack… by strings.
Only in Remnant people. He didn't think even the most twisted minds of the Covenant could come up with something like this!
As he is enjoying the total decimation of Cardin and one of his no-named teammates. He felt someone plopping next to his seat—Ren had left when Pyrrha and Nora won and Felix fed him the excuse of wanting to see the rests of the fight. Which to be fair wasn't a total lie…
"Enjoying the show?"
He didn't like getting interrupted when he was enjoying something. So, fighting back a frown, he turned to see his sexy-but-deadly employer. Whom was…
"You are trying to get to me, aren't you?" Felix asked, glowering at her.
Cinder flipped her hair over her shoulder and gave him an innocent smile. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You are literally wearing bandages over your breasts and nothing else!" Felix hissed, looking shamelessly at her bust. "This is high-level teasing!"
Cinder turned to him with a knowing smile. Her fingers danced around the edge of the fabric covering the oh-so-glorious sight almost every man yearns to see… And when she tugged Felix realized the truth…
"It's just a tank top with a bandage-like design. It's from my favorites in my closet."
"… At least my Ice-Cream goddess touches me when she teases me."
"Spare me the details." She rolled her eyes in exasperation. Or maybe jealously. Felix liked to consider it was the last one.
"So? What brings you to my tiny corner of the tournament?" He asked, crossing his arms and feigning to watch the fight.
"You met him, right?" Cinder's asked, catching him off-guard.
Felix blinked in slight confusion. "Ummm… who?"
"Qrow Branwen. The Huntsman. The one who caused a stir on the courtyard yesterday." Cinder explained, looking back at the fight and watching the strange movements of the orange-haired girl.
"Oh, Ruby's weird uncle," Felix said as his eyes dawned on understanding.
Cinder's eyes narrowed slightly as she turned to stare at him. "First name basis with that girl?"
Felix would have flinched under her tone had he been any other person, but he was a veteran soldier of the UNSC. He shrugged uncaringly, playing it cool. "Yeah, so? Same with you, Cinder. And Neo, thought I prefer to call her Ice-Cream Goddess." He gave her his most charming girl. "I'm a ladies man, I don't like being formal."
Cinder kept staring at him, analytically. He did not need her to suddenly keep his eyes on him twenty-four-seven, or at least not like he was suddenly to become a turncoat. Eventually she sighed and shrugged her shoulders.
"What was your impression on that man? From a professional standpoint," eventually she asked, turning away and crossing her arms.
Avoiding a sigh of relief, Felix leaned into his seat and considered what Cinder was asking and thought back to the fight the man had with the Ice-Queen. "Dangerous. Skilled. Definitely more than any of the school's personal, including Goodbitch."
"Good. And if you were to face him in your armor?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "Especially now since your partner took your sword."
"Former partner." Felix stressed out the word through gritted teeth. Then he closed his eyes and thought about it. "If I was wearing that armor and that guy had a strong Semblance, he might cause me a little trouble."
"But would you lose?" Cinder stressed, leaning forward
"I'd win." That was not a supposition, it was a fact. Why? Because he was that awesome. He smirked as he imagined himself fighting the guy.
Still, his weapon was still hiding something. He saw the gears shifting as he fought the older Ice-Queen. A weapon that had a third form wouldn't be so outlandish in this planet.
"Hmm, I'll take your word for it," Cinder hummed and crossed her arms, turning back to the fight. "How is Nikos?"
Felix stopped and turned to her with a raised eyebrow. 'What is up with her and this sudden interrogatory?' He wondered to himself. "She's… fine? She just won her round with Nora. Why?"
"Because I think I told you to keep an eye on her, didn't I?" She asked as her tone started to become colder and colder. "And yet you are here, enjoying the sights." Her head turned slowly and Felix had to really grab the arm-sets of his chair because he could have sworn he saw her eye lit up.
He shook his head, he needed to keep calm. No lose his cool and keep her from thinking that beyond money, she had any control over him. "Wait, so you mean to follow her all the time?" He asked, using a perfect tone of confusion and not letting his sudden nervousness invade him.
Cinder her eyes narrowed even further, and Felix could literally feel the temperature rising. "I think I was pretty clear with my instructions. Or do I have to reduce that priced paycheck you are expecting so dearly?" She finally said, giving her a sickening sweet smile.
This bitch…
Hitting him where it hurt, Felix had no choice but to sit up. "Fine. Fine. I'll follow her to the fucking bathroom and sleep in the same freaking bed if that makes you happy." He grumbled and shoved his hands into his pockets.
She did not respond to his sarcasm, which just served to frustrate him more. He turned around and stormed out of the arena while grumbling under his breath.
The least he could do was keep on guessing why Cinder was so obsessed with Pyrrha? Did she consider her a threat? She has not interfered in her plans as much as Team RWBY. Heck the only time she 'interfered' was in the Breach and that was pretty much an all-hands-on-deck situation. There was a reason she is keeping such a close look on where she was and his position as temporal member of her team was a sudden advantage to her.
'It's not just Pyrrha. They mentioned a list way back…' He thought, frowning as he mulled the information on his head, which was none. 'It frustrates me that they are hiding something from me. But I can't help it. I am just a mercenary for hire, whatever they are hiding is something they only trust the members of their teams. I doubt even Neo and Roman know, or if they know more than me its half-truths. Cinder is keeping a lot of cards to her chest.
He already knew that the last phase of Cinder's plan was to do something like the breach. It was going to be bad; it was going to be messy, and it was going to land him a paycheck with so many zeroes that he wonders if she is some part of cult or is a better thief than Roman.
'If I have to keep an eye on Pyrrha then I also need to find a way to keep Crater Face away from this mess. She can't go and die playing hero yet. She still has so much to learn…' Felix thought to himself. Ruby's chronic hero syndrome was going to be the death of her or of him.
But he could make her into what Locus could not be. A great partner that sticks to him through thick and thin.
Not my favorite chapter, I'll admit. Too many focus and sticking to canon.
But hey, In my P a treon a certain Fall has already started so… Stick around there or wait for the next few months to watch it.
But AAAAAAANYWAYSSSSSSSS.
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