Cover Art: Aristeo Storm

Chapter 41

Time passed almost too quickly for Qrow to keep track of it. He'd always wondered at how it seemed to go faster and faster the older you got. Back when he'd actually been a teenager, it had felt like a week was forever, and as an adult a week would go by in a blur.

Ozpin had once explained it to him as a matter of perception and percentages, that a week was a higher percentage of your life when you were young, and thus felt longer. That as you aged, the length of a week felt less and less because you had lived many of them and began to tune out and work on autopilot. Given the man had lived millions of weeks in his time, he was something of an expert.

But the six or so weeks between them arriving in Vale and the beginning of Beacon seemed to fly by, even with Willow there to demand upgrades to her weapons and Taiyang and Raven causing almost daily comedy routines with their flirting. Even after Qrow constructed Eagle and Talon – which he refused to call The Eagle's Talons because that was ridiculous – the time seemed to speed on by.

The constant stressing over Mountain Glenn probably helped. He'd gone back no less than twenty times, scouting the city out for some glaring weakness or obvious flaw, but of course there weren't any. If there had been, Ozpin and the army of experts building the damn place would have found them by now.

The night before Beacon was somehow stressful. Qrow had no idea why. The thought they'd fail in initiation was laughable given they were stronger than they had been the first time, and yet he still lay awake at night dreading what might go wrong. Raven and Summer were obviously no better given their exhausted looks come morning, and Qrow knew that it'd be the same for just about everyone attending.

There was a reason Beacon forced students to sleep at the school before commencing initiation the following day. They wanted people to be fully rested for it, and there was always the chance those coming from further afield would suffer from jetlag. Beacon wanted its potential students at their best, because it wanted to recruit the best. Forcing them all onto an even footing was a good idea.

Which made it all the stupider he'd worried himself sick, because he knew they wouldn't even be getting to the initiation today. This was literally show up, look around, get a speech, then attend a big sleepover.

But his brain didn't care.

Stress, panic and anxiety.

"Oh look, Qrow's as bad as us," said Summer, yawning. "That makes me feel better, actually."

"Gee. Thanks." Qrow stabbed a sausage at breakfast and stuffed it in his mouth. "You two not get any sleep either?"

"Fuck all," Raven grumbled. "But Summer's right. I'd be fucking pissed if you were looking bright as a daisy. Good to know you can stress with us mere mortals."

True as it was, he'd have rather not been so worked up about it. Breakfast was a mumbled affair and then they headed to the docking area, running into Willow with a large collection of suitcases on the way, and then finding Gretchen already there, biting on her nails and flicking through a last-minute intensive textbook.

"Qrow..." Willow said. "Won't you help me with my luggage?"

"Sure—"

"He has his own!" Summer said, yanking him back. "And you shouldn't have brought so much. We're studying to become huntresses, you know. What do you need all that for anyway?"

Willow smiled and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Looking fabulous. And I look good. Don't I, Qrow?"

"Sure."

Summer's fingers dug into his arm.

"You know who else looks fabulous!?" a familiar voice said, as an arm snaked halfway around Raven's waist before she noticed, dodged away and flung a fist back. Taiyang evaded it with a sway back and a handsome smile. "Fabulous and feisty."

"Fuck off and die!"

"But I meant Summer of course!" he teased, leaning an elbow on her shoulder.

Summer laughed and pushed it off. "I look awful on account of the zero sleep I got. How are you so relaxed about all this?"

"Ah, it's the Xiao Long family secret. It's called `faking it`. You should try it."

Qrow couldn't resist. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure Summer has experience there."

"Excuse me!? What does that mean!?"

Summer scowled at him, arms crossed, and Qrow realised his ribbing hadn't come across in translation very well. After all, Summer and Taiyang had never been together, so implying Summer had to fake orgasms wasn't a very effective taunt. Whoops.

"Uh. I mean you fake liking him. Because he's so unlikable...?"

It was weak, even for him.

But Taiyang saved him. "Hey now, no woman has ever had to fake a reaction with me."

"Yeah?" Qrow fired back, grateful for the save. Good old Taiyang never left a brother behind. "I somehow doubt you have much experience there, virgin."

Taiyang snorted. "Qrow, we're seventeen. We're probably all virgins."

"And that's how I'll be staying," Raven growled, edging away to put Willow between her and Taiyang.

"I obviously am," Summer growled. "Despite what Qrow implied."

"Obviously here as well," Willow said. "I'm only sixteen."

All eyes turned to Qrow.

Who was not sixteen, nor seventeen, and who had forty years of life under his belt.

Not all of that had been spent abstinent, thankfully, because while he'd been awful at keeping a steady relationship thanks to his flaky behaviour and unusual work career, he hadn't been a complete prude his whole life. It would have honestly been impressive to make it through Beacon with his virginity intact – not because the school was some sordid den of vice, but because students there, both male and female, were seen as something of a catch to the civilian population.

Any huntsman could go to a nightclub and have a good chance of catching a girl's eye – whether you were good enough to keep their attention after meeting them was up to personality, but huntsmen and huntresses were the top 1% when it came to physique, and that tended to be attractive. Hazel was working hard to look good, but even the worst huntsman in Beacon would be all lean muscle and defined abs. It was just what happened when you worked out for several hours a day every day.

Not to mention the whole "could die any moment" mentality making the whole experience a lot freer for them all. It was actually kind of embarrassing Qrow had taken until his third year to lose his virginity. Mostly because his personality had been dogshit thanks to the tribe's upbringing.

"No way..." Raven mumbled, eyes wide as saucers.

And, yet again, his moments of silence as he contemplated the past had come back to bite him.

"What? Ahah." Qrow laughed. It was unconvincing. "I'm totally a virgin as well. I mean, obviously."

No one believed him.

"No way..." Raven repeated. "How? When?"

"Who?" Willow and Summer hissed.

"Whoah," Taiyang whispered.

"Ew." Gretchen lowered her book. "Was it some desperate grandma...?"

Qrow had the presence of mind to spare her his middle finger even as he tried to wave down the sudden interest in his love life. Which hadn't even really been a love life so much as a girl a year older than him saying she'd found him cute on her graduation day and didn't want to have any regrets. The fact she hadn't stayed in touch after leaving Beacon had left Qrow with little doubt as to how he'd performed, too.

In his defence, no man was an expert the first time around.

Except Taiyang, apparently, but fuck Taiyang. Fuck him and all the times Qrow and Summer had to do a one-eighty outside their dorm because they'd heard sounds from within and seen one of Raven's socks on the handle.

"Look, it's not that big a deal."

"Like fuck it isn't!" It was his own sister, of all people, who grabbed his collar with both fists and yanked him toward her. "Who was it? Was it Sally? I bet it was Sally!"

Sally...? One of her friends from Signal!? Qrow's face said it all, and he'd apologise to Sally if she ever heard and thought herself hideous because of how sick he looked. That wasn't it, though. Sally was... well, she was their age now, but she'd been fifteen when she confessed to him.

That was Ruby's age.

Qrow was not touching a girl his niece's age.

"Not Sally, then," Raven said. "Then... no way. Kali!? You fucked the faunus?" Raven looked him up and down, then let go of him and nodded. "Respect."

"No!" cried Summer. "No respect! That whore!"

"I did not fuck Kali," Qrow said, feeling he really ought to defend Ghira's wife. "Can we leave this be?"

"Yeah," Gretchen said. "Let's not talk about this."

Summer and Willow stared at Gretchen. "No way..."

"No what...?" Gretchen noticed them. It took her a few seconds to realise what they were implying, at which point she dropped her textbook in shock. "ME!? With him!? Blargh. Ackkk!" Gretchen doubled forward, retching. "Blurgh! No way! Never! I mean, look at him!"

Qrow's eye twitched. "I couldn't get it up for that flat tomboy either, especially not when she'd probably scream Taiyang's name instea—"

The book smacked into his face, driven by Gretchen's arm as she clotheslined him.

"BASTARD!"

Absolutely no one helped him.

"Not her, then," Summer said, quite accurately reading the act of Gretchen mounting him and fixing two hands around his throat to throttle him as not being driven by sexual tension. "But when? Did you sneak out the hotel or bring someone back?"

"Ack! Kakkkk!"

"That's not an answer, Qrow."

"Um." Taiyang poked Summer in the cheek and then pointed down. "I don't think he can answer."

Qrow's legs and arms kicked as Gretchen strangled him.

"Don't kill him," Raven said. "We need him to carry our suitcases onto the Bullhead."

Qrow flipped her the bird.

"I'll carry them," Taiyang offered.

"Touch my stuff and I take your hand off at the wrist."

Taiyang, ever brave, slid closer. "Is that an invitation to carry you instead...?"

Omen was drawn with a hiss. Taiyang backed away, hands up.

"Miss Branwen!" Ozpin said, appearing on the docking area at that very moment. "Put that away. Miss Rainart, please save the attempted murder of your classmates to during combat class. Everyone else, you may now board the aircraft. Let me be the first to welcome you to Beacon."

/-/

Gretchen thumped him in the arm. "You embarrassed me in front of a teacher, you prick!"

"Me? You're the one who tackled me and tried to kill me."

"You deserved it!"

"How?"

"I agree with Gretchen," Summer said, looking out the window with an irritable scowl.

"Same," added Raven.

"I agree with Raven," said Taiyang.

"Bitch, bitch and simp."

"What does that last one even mean?"

"Dunno." Summer answered. "Qrow uses loads of weird words like that. He says `Cringe` like it's an insult too. I think it's some old-fashioned insult."

More of a next-age one, but he couldn't say that. Qrow had taken time to adapt to them too, only learning them from Ruby and Yang. It was hard to go back and remember what they'd said in their time, and he'd only look and sound like an idiot if he got it wrong.

Hello my fellow kids! What is up today? What about this radical weather we're having. Fo sho and all that!

Yeah, no. He'd take being called odd over being called an embarrassing loser.

"I'm still angry!" Gretchen hissed.

"We all know. Sheesh, he's just the combat teacher. It doesn't matter what he thinks of you."

"It does! He's still a teacher!"

"Heh." Qrow smirked. "Teacher's pet."

Gretchen seethed. To be fair, he'd kind of outed her attraction to Taiyang, not that it was much of a secret, so he could understand why. Call him cruel but Taiyang wouldn't have returned her feelings anyway, so he figured a little embarrassment now would make up for heartbreak later. The Gretchen of right now, burning with embarrassment, obviously did not agree.

The aircraft was filled with other potential students, and the word "potential" mattered. More than half of them wouldn't make it into Beacon, which was a sobering affair given they'd all worked hard to get here. Failure at Beacon wouldn't mean the end of their dreams, just a harder path. There was a part of Qrow that knew – as a seasoned huntsman – that he shouldn't be here. He could survive earning his license in the wilds or apprenticed, while some of these might not.

But he was selfish. There was no denying that.

And I'll do more under Ozpin's employ and here where I can keep Gretchen alive, prevent Summer's death and Raven running away. I'm not just doing this for myself, but for them as well. To take the fight to Salem before Cinder Fall ever comes into her power.

It took away the guilt. And, frankly, if these people weren't good enough then they probably wouldn't have made it even if he stepped our and let someone else take his spot. The initiation was challenging, but it wasn't hard. Even Jaune had completed it, albeit probably more thanks to the aid of his teammates.

The kids were nervous, though. Qrow busied himself with looking for familiar faces – either from the future, or distant memories from when he'd been young. A few stood out as looking vaguely familiar. Probably, they would be the ones to make it through, and they were twigging his memory as classmates.

But he couldn't put childish face to adult face in most cases. They were just too young, and Glynda Goodwitch was currently at Beacon despite looking nothing like her adult self, so for all he knew there could be future friends of his here that he just didn't recognise.

"They look weak," Raven said.

And not quietly either. A few looked their way.

"Be nice," he cautioned. "You thought Taiyang looked weak and he kicked your ass—"

Raven stamped on his foot.

"I wonder why they told us to bring sleeping clothes," Summer said.

"Because they intend to have us sleep here," Willow replied. "Use your brain."

"I know that much! I mean why bring them separately. We have our luggage and we'll be given rooms. Why not just send our luggage there and we can get our sleep clothes out ourselves."

Qrow saw his chance. "Gretchen thinks there'll be a selection process. That we're not all guaranteed to get in."

All eyes turned to Gretchen.

"I did? I mean, I did, but Qrow thought it too," she replied. "I only said the numbers didn't add up between all the people who are invited and the people who graduate. Unless Beacon has half of its students dying over the course, there must be some not allowed in."

"Maybe they do die," Raven said. "The strong live and the weak die."

"I think we'd have been warned of mortality rates if that were the case," Summer pointed out. "Beacon is meant to be a safer way of becoming a huntress than apprenticing under one, so I don't think half of the year dies."

Taiyang hummed. "A 50% mortality rate isn't exactly insignificant. I think it'd be seen as negligent teaching at that point."

They were catching on. Good. He didn't want to always be the one forewarning them with future knowledge and looking suspicious, so offloading this onto Gretchen helped. It also let him chime in without looking suspicious.

"If they have some selection process then they might be running it tomorrow and want us to sleep tonight," he said. "But they wouldn't give us rooms and bother moving our luggage there if there's a chance we'll be kicked out."

It sent a ripple of worry around those close by – including some who overheard them. It'd spread, no doubt, but Qrow didn't think that would change the future or alter the timeline in any way. Those who were skilled enough to succeed would do so again. All it really did was forewarn his friends.

And that was valuable enough on its own.

Voices rose as they came close to Beacon, faces pressing flat to windows as everyone scurried for a look. Those from Signal had seen it before as part of their field trip, but students from other kingdoms would have visited their own academies, so this was the first time many on the airship would see Beacon.

And it was a spectacular sight from the air. One that had Qrow's heart swelling despite his expectations otherwise. He'd seen it before, and from the air due to being a bird, so he'd assumed it wouldn't have an effect on him. He'd been wrong. Witnessing its spires and archways grow ever larger, Qrow felt his heart race and his blood rush in his ears. This was Beacon, home, the place where the best years of his life had been had.

And it was good to be back.

/-/

Future Team STRQ had stuck together as they disembarked and got the short tour from Ozpin – filling in for the role Glynda had in Ruby and Yang's time. It was always the job of the combat instructor to do those sorts of things. With Gretchen and Willow in tow, they made their way to the main hall, where there was a lot less surprise than normal at being told they would be spending the night there.

Oddly enough, the headmaster didn't come to give the speech but left that to Ozpin. Come to think of it, Qrow couldn't remember that much about the old headmaster. He'd been ancient at the time and would retire the moment Mountain Glenn fell. Perhaps he was too old to be stood on a stage giving speeches, but then he should have also been too old to run a school.

But, importantly, he would be one of Ozpin's agents, so it was likely Ozpin had told him to stay in the position because it suited his ends. Every headmaster and future headmaster of Beacon was involved with Ozpin's secrets, including Glynda in the future. How much they knew differed, but they all knew that Ozpin was the leader of a group dedicated to the protection of humanity against the Grimm hordes. Not all knew about Salem specifically, but they certainly would before they took on the role as headmaster.

Because that meant the old one – typically Ozpin himself – would be dying soon, and they needed to be forewarned of Ozpin coming back in a new body, and to quickly hire that person without any questions asked. Had Beacon not fallen and Ozpin be allowed to die of old age, Glynda would have taken over and then arranged to find and re-hire Ozpin as her deputy.

And the cycle would have continued.

"We're going to go get changed," Raven said, in a tone of voice that made it clear that he and Taiyang were not invited. "You two go do whatever men do in the changing rooms."

"We flex muscles, grunt like animals, and beat our chests to establish dominance," Taiyang said, without a hint of humour.

"That wouldn't even surprise me. Go establish dominance, then."

Qrow and Taiyang trekked off into the men's changing rooms, where they were immediately faced with the typical dichotomy of men confident in showing their own bodies and those who were shy. Half the boys there were loudly talking about girls and how cool this would be, and the other half were awkwardly changing behind towels held up before them. It wasn't a divide of strong or weak either, because half those shy boys would probably be the strongest ones here. It was just what you were used to. Not everyone was raised in a dorm school where communal showers were common.

Ironically, Qrow had no shame while Taiyang was nervous – which was ridiculous because Taiyang's body put his to shame. They changed quickly enough, Qrow into loose flannel pyjamas and Taiyang into a tight shirt and pants that showed off his biceps. No tattoo, yet. He'd gotten it part-way through Beacon after losing a bet, as Qrow recalled. Taiyang's luck with women might have been off the charts, and so was his luck with gambling – just in the opposite direction. The man could roll a dice and score a negative one.

"So, you and Raven are getting on more," he teased.

Taiyang grinned back. "I kinda noticed that myself to be honest. I know she's still cursing me out and threatening to kill me, but there isn't as much heat in it as before."

"That's the exposure therapy for you. Raven can't keep her claws up forever, no matter how much she likes to think she can."

"I was actually worried I might not feel the same way when I came here."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I had a huge crush on her when you came to Mistral but it's been a while, you know? I figured it might be nostalgia talking." He blushed, then, and scratched his cheek. "But the moment I saw her fighting Summer, my heart just started pounding away."

"You romantic dweeb!" Qrow shoved him, and Taiyang pretended it knocked him off balance, staggering back with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah. But how about you, eh? You must have a girl you like. Summer, maybe? Willow? Gretchen?"

"Don't even joke about that last one."

"Heh. But what about the first two?"

"It's not like that. Summer is..." Taiyang's future second wife. Qrow still didn't know how to fix that since Raven wouldn't be running away this time. "Summer is a friend, and Willow is... I'm not 100% sure what Willow is, but she's had no friends before Beacon and is under a lot of pressure because of her family."

"Hmmm. Sounds rough. And Kali?"

"Is totally into Ghira."

"Totally." Taiyang gave him a fist-bump. "Those two are gonna be making out before the year is out."

"I said that and Summer told me I was blind and stupid."

"And girls call us oblivious, eh?" Taiyang laughed. "Those two are way too into hating one another to not be interested. They could just avoid the other if they really hated them that bad, but they keep on coming back. Who do you think will end up on top?"

"Kali."

"Yeah. That was an easy one. Hey, do you think the girls will be talking about us like we are them?"

"Totally. 100% certain. Same as it's 100% certain they'll call us arrogant if we say it and pretend like they weren't. I know for a fact Gretchen will be."

Taiyang winced and looked away. "Don't say that, man. I don't want to hurt her feelings."

"Noticed, then?"

"You spelled it out to me. But... yeah... and she seems nice but..." Taiyang let out a sigh. "No, it's not even fair to pretend like it's a fault with her. I'm just too in love with Raven to see another person like that. And you can call me a romantic loser all you want."

"Heh. I will. But don't try and act dumb or evade her if she expresses interest in you. It's worse to keep her thinking there's a chance."

Taiyang crossed his arms. "Easy for you to say. I'm the one who has to upset her."

"And who do you think will be the one comforting her?"

"Fair. Fine. If she asks, I'll be honest with her. Just make sure you tell her it's not her – it's me being head over heels with someone else. She seems like a nice person. Smart, too, if she knows to beat your ass when you're being a prick."

"Me? A prick?"

"Bro, you are the worst!" Taiyang laughed and slung an arm over his shoulder, steering them both out the changing room. "But I guess I kinda like that. You don't posture and show off like a lot of other guys."

"Hard to show off with you at my side."

"Shove off. I'm not anything special."

They stepped out into the communal room and, like with every other person who had, they were quickly scanned over by the others already there. Nothing unusual, nothing new, just the casual looks their way as people took in their potential future classmates.

Except that quite a few female gazes lingered on Taiyang's tight pants and shirt.

Enough to make Taiyang blush and steer Qrow in front of him.

"You were saying...?" Qrow drawled.

"S—Shut up, man. These pyjamas fit me last time I used them! I'm used to sleeping in the buff and haven't worn them for ages."

"Hey, don't let me cramp your style. Tear them off and go commando if you like. I'm sure half the people here won't mind."

Blushing furiously, Taiyang turned the arm over the shoulder into a headlock and dragged Qrow off to claim a corner of the hall for their own. The girls weren't out yet, so it only made sense to stake some territory for them all to sleep at.

/-/

Gretchen didn't much enjoy getting changed in public. She was well aware of her lack of development compared to others – and she enjoyed it whenever Qrow pointed it out, the prick. That would have made it bad enough, but the fact that two members of her new friendship group were quite evidently interested in Qrow, and competing, made it all the more awkward.

Plus, they were touched in the head or something.

Qrow? Seriously?

The guy was a complete asshole.

Summer and Willow were exchanging passive-aggressive barbs, unfalteringly polite as they complimented one another in ways that they became insults – like Summer telling Willow that it was impressive she was so confident coming to Beacon a year early, when she was still just a child. Or Willow responding that Summer looked cute in her white pyjamas, like a big, fluffy (fat) marshmallow.

Raven was getting changed with intense focus on ignoring them.

How are these people the ones I made friends with?

It was a question she asked herself regularly. Hazel had been the one to introduce them, and she'd done her best to be polite because he liked Qrow. Raven and Summer had been convenient sparring targets, and Gretchen admired them for being focused on training rather than stupid crap like fashion and boybands.

Respect had... well, not exactly turned to friendship, but sort of turned to an automatic friend group. It was more like they gravitated together because it was comfortable and easy, and because it'd be hard work to go meet other people. Maybe that made her a coward, or maybe it just made her lazy. It was hard to tell. Either way, they'd approached her at the docks and she hadn't felt much of a desire to split off and meet new people once they hit Beacon, so it looked like they were going to be friends by default.

And it sucked because Taiyang was so obviously in love with Raven that it made her feel small and insignificant beside the taller, stronger, prettier, bustier girl. It was also total bullshit that her skin was so pale and creamy when she cussed and talked like the worst sailor. Some girls got all the luck.

"Got a problem?" asked Raven, stood in her underwear without a care in the world.

"No." Gretchen pouted and looked down at her own chest. An act which wasn't lost on Raven, who sighed and rolled her eyes, turning back to her pyjamas.

"It's not like they mean anything," Raven said. "Every woman on Remnant has tits. It's strength that matters. These are more hassle than they're worth."

Even so, Gretchen wouldn't have minded experiencing that hassle...

"At least you're the sane one," Raven said.

"Sane? Oh, you mean because I'm not fighting over your idiot of a brother?"

"Hm. You have brains. Unlike these two." Raven said it loudly, clearly intending an insult, but Summer and Willow were too busy squaring off to hear it. "Ugh. I say we abandon them and go talk to Qrow and the blonde idiot."

"I agree!"

Raven eyed her askance. "Though you're a bit of an idiot for liking Taiyang, too."

Gretchen wilted. "Because he's yours...?"

The other girl spasmed, face twisting.

"Never mind. You're just a different kind of idiot."

Next Chapter: 3rd August

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