A small addon to what was said last chapter, because someone asked, but this is Qrow before the revelations about Ozma and Salem that came via Jinn. This is a Qrow who 100% supports and believes that Ozpin is the best path to humanity's future. Unlike Jaune, who I often write quite Ozpin-sceptic because of what happened to Pyrrha, this Qrow has no reason to doubt him. In Qrow's mind, Ozpin has been winning this shadow war for the past several thousand years. Yes, Beacon fell, but Qrow writes that off as mostly because Cinder got lucky, and Ironwood fucked Vale up by bringing all those robots. Qrow knows Salem is immortal in the sense of being ageless but, unlike Raven, he still thinks she can be beaten.

Obviously, that'll eventually change as Qrow learns more but that's not the here and now. That's why Qrow isn't panicking or hyper-focusing on Salem. In his mind, Salem is a threat but only a threat. She's like North Korea, always there and threatening and probably quite dangerous, but held back by other powers and considered by the vast majority of people to unable to follow through on her threats.

Naïve? Maybe, but Ozpin HAS been winning for the past however many thousand years. And Canon Qrow, at this point, was staunchly loyal to Ozpin, choosing him over his own sister and even helping Ruby and co run away from Taiyang to follow Ozpin's will.

Cover Art: Aristeo Storm

Chapter 47

Sparring with Torchwick was significantly harder than it was with anyone in his year. It might not have felt like it should be, with a year not being that long a time, but the difference was that this was a year Torchwick spent at Beacon. It was a year of almost daily combat against the best people of his age in Vale. Beacon was where the kid gloves came off and the training became real, and a year spent training through that was as good as three in Signal.

The biggest leap in skill a person would get typically came in their first year of Beacon, and again in their first year of real life as a huntsman – assuming they survived it or didn't end up so traumatised they quit entirely.

Qrow was better than Torchwick on a technical level – it was hard not to be at his age – but his body couldn't keep up. That let Torchwick take the win, which was good for Qrow in terms of not standing out too much, and probably good for Torchwick's self-esteem as well.

"Good," said Ozpin, ending the match. Qrow was on red aura and Torchwick was in the yellow, panting harshly but also flush with victory. He was grinning like a loon. "Finally, Mr Branwen finds a foe he cannot overpower and you, Mr Torchwick, are able to train in more than just the defence. How did that feel for you both?"

"Good," said Qrow.

"Yeah," Torchwick agreed. "Wasn't half bad."

"Then you will continue training as such under my supervision. Once I am content you can be trusted not to overdo it, I'll allow you to train outside of that as well."

Torchwick scoffed. "No faith in me, sir?"

"You're not the concern. Mr Branwen is a first year. I do not trust any in his year to know when to hold back, as you'll well remember from when your teammate continued past the red."

"Ha. Yeah, I remember that. Put himself in the infirmary for a week. Fair enough. If the kid enjoys being knocked around, I'll do the honours. As long as this stays quiet. I might tell my team after a bit, but I don't need the shitheads on top of the class getting wind of this and spreading rumours."

Ozpin nodded. Old as he was, he knew how schoolchildren were. Qrow did as well. Torchwick's request might have sounded childish on the surface, but there was good reason behind it. There was also reason to doubt Qrow in keeping the secret, since it'd be a feather in his own cap to claim he was sparring with a second year.

"I won't tell anyone," Qrow promised. "My team have their own insecurity problems right now and knowing I'm facing against you, even if I'm losing, will make it ten times worse."

Torchwick grunted. "Cool. Then we're cool. I've got to go see to my team, though. Told them I had a detention. Bart is crawling up my ass about representing the team and not making a scene, so I'd best shut him up before he stages an intervention."

"Mr Oobleck cares for you and your teammates."

"Yeah, well, he can care in another direction. I've got enough shit on my plate. See you tomorrow, kid."

Roman Torchwick picked up his weapon and left. It was strange to see the thief Ruby often tangled with here, and even stranger to realise he was older. The man acted spry enough to pass for his late twenties. Maybe that was what a life of not fighting Grimm did for you. Roman had the aura and the physical training to have a body at its peak, and he didn't mar it with scars by fighting monsters.

"Forgive his attitude," said Ozpin. "He's a good student despite it."

"Not sure there's anything to forgive. He didn't say anything insulting."

"Good." Ozpin seemed relieved. It was always dicey on how egos would interact, but Qrow was a little too mature to feel wound up by Roman, especially when the guy had his own issues. "I'm glad you get along. Mr Torchwick is by no means a bad student. He's simply overshadowed by better ones. I fully believe he will become a good huntsman, but always being on the defensive doesn't let him train properly."

"Hmm. It's cool. How will normal combat training progress if I'm doing this in secret? Will you make me show off more or…?"

"You're welcome to hold back. I will pretend I don't see it and match you in one-on-one spars for now, but only for now. Eventually I will have to take this more seriously. But, on the bright side, eventually your classmates will improve and stand up more to you."

"Looking forward to it. And thanks for not singling me out. I really don't need it right now."

Ozpin smiled. "It's my job to teach and help students, Qrow. I can tell when a student needs help via a stern wake-up call, or when they need support. If you were arrogant about it, I'd have had you destroyed in the ring by Mr Torchwick's team leader. You're not, however. Is the issue with your team or with your sister?"

"A little bit of but more the former. Ray isn't the jealous type, but she'd push herself too hard and I want her to have fun, you know? Experience life as more than just some endless struggle to be strong."

"A good sentiment. And your team?"

"It's just some teething issues. New team nerves. Peter doesn't think he's leader material and Nessa is taking the fact she was a burden in the initiation a little harder than she lets on. Gretchen still feels guilty for being my partner."

Ozpin appeared surprised by how perceptive he was. If Qrow were seventeen, he wouldn't have such an easy grasp of it, but you couldn't work in a school full of teenagers without learning how teenage politics worked.

"An astute observation. If it helps, you're hardly the only team dealing with this. And with Mr Port, do you think him leader material? I'll admit you would fit it better."

"Nah. I'm not leader material. I'm the kind of guy to run in first and forget about my team. I'd end up getting one of them hurt and then feeling awful about it."

Old habits die hard, and he hadn't been on a team since Summer died. That was when Taiyang retired and Raven gave up, so ever since then, around thirteen years ago, he'd been a lone huntsman. That was thirteen years of bad habits to unlearn. That wasn't to say he wouldn't give it his best shot, but it'd take time.

"I don't know that anyone is leadership material anyway. It's just another skill to learn."

"That it is. Your maturity often surprises me. I suppose it shouldn't given all you and your sister have been through, but even then I expected a more cautious and cynical outlook. You are more worldly aware than your peers, but it's possible to be that while also being immature. Someone who takes from their peers and feels they must remain in control so as not to be harmed again. Someone who doesn't trust easily."

He'd seen the likes of that as well, especially in children from abusive families. It was one of the signs a teacher was told to look out for, beyond the obvious ones like bruises and unusual fear around authority figures. As Ozpin said, not all kids became afraid. Some closed themselves off and erected walls.

He and Raven had done that to a degree the first time around as well.

"I have a sister to look after," Qrow said, shrugging. "Ray started to be like that, but I knew I didn't want her to be. That's it."

"You make it sound so simple. I look forward to watching your growth, Qrow."

Of course he did. The old man wanted to recruit him. Qrow felt he ought to be more upset about the blatant manipulation, but he really wasn't. He'd always been Team Ozpin, and he would be again this time. The man was the one thing keeping Salem down, and he needed Team STRQ once more. The only difference would be the allocation of teams and the fact that Summer wouldn't die and Raven wouldn't run away.

"I'll do my best not to let you down, old man."

/-/

Nessa was on him the second he got back. "You need to do bro things."

Qrow blinked. "Raven?"

"No. Bro not brother. Boy things. Man things. Isn't there a code?"

"The Bro Code? Nessa, that's, like, leaving a space at the urinals and not dating your best friend's ex."

"Don't call me that," she said, slapping his arm. "And that's it? Ugh. Guys are useless. We tried to cheer Peter up and he's withdrawn. We, that is Gretchen and I, need you to go and beat some sense into his head. Or whatever guys do to commiserate and become friends."

Drink, play videogames and talk about women mostly.

"Okay. Slow down. Full story."

Gretchen stepped up. "We were going to wait until you came back to do the whole team talk thing to cheer Peter up, but he started talking about how he was letting the team down by being so weak, and we didn't want to stay quiet and make him think we agreed."

"Good. That'd have been a bad call."

"Yeah," said Nessa. "So, we told him that he was plenty strong enough and how we didn't have any issues with him, and I reminded him how I was the one who got injured and how he had to defend me. I thought that'd calm him down. It should have," she added. "But he can't get the last few days of spars out his head."

"Why? It's not like he's the only person to lose every fight."

They hadn't been at Beacon long enough for every student to fight every other person, which meant there were a lot of people both who hadn't won and who were still undefeated. Technically, the strongest in the class hadn't even been decided yet, although most could tell ir was between Qrow or Raven based solely on how they fought.

"The others who are losing don't get ragged on as much as Pete does," Gretchen said. "Everyone picks on him."

"They wouldn't if he'd stop with the boasting," Nessa grumbled. "I've told him to cut back. No one likes it when he acts arrogant – and he's not! I don't see why he has to pretend he is."

Qrow had a suspicion. Again, benefits of both knowing the man when he was older and having seen too many kids to not piece it together. Which, annoyingly, meant these two were right to send him after Peter. "Any idea where he is?"

"Emerald Forest."

"As if that isn't a big ass place. Never mind, I'll find him."

Heading out alone, Qrow left Beacon's grounds and entered the forest. It wasn't yet fully dark, the sun still setting and turning everything a ruddy orange. Finding Peter wasn't hard. All he had to do was follow the screams.

The huntsman-in-training had made it deep into the forest and was stood atop one of the many ruined buildings buried and entangled with vines. Peter had one foot balanced on a piece of masonry and another on an archway, and he was screaming up into the sky. The birds had long since taken flight.

No Grimm, Qrow noted. Given the noise Peter was making, that almost certainly meant he'd killed them already. They wouldn't have ignored a tempting target like this. It reminded him of what Ozpin had said about even the weakest in Beacon being a damn fine huntsman.

"Yo!"

Peter stopped at the point of drawing in a new breath, and then choked on it. He exhaled in a rasping cough, beating his chest. "Q—Qrow? What are you—? Gah. How… How much of that did you hear?"

"Pete, buddy, I think everyone training out here today heard that."

Peter sighed and slumped down to sit on the archway. "Oh."

Qrow scaled it and came over to sit beside him, both their feet dangling over the edge. The silence was companionable, but the rest of their team wouldn't be happy if they knew the two of them just sat there. It was tempting to just offer the silent shoulder, but Qrow knew that was the coward's way out.

"So," he began. "I take it this screaming thing is… what, a technique? Something that helps?"

"Y—Yes." Peter fiddled with his fingers. "It calms me down."

"Scream therapy, right? I've heard of it."

"It's not…" Peter laughed weakly. "Okay, I guess it is scream therapy right now, but that's not the point. It's to calm my nerves. Not just the screaming but the… ah… the way I talk."

"The boasting?"

"Hm. I don't mean… well I do mean to boast but it's not meant for others to hear…"

"You're boasting to yourself?"

Peter nodded. "Telling myself what I can do. Trying to convince myself. Which is stupid, I know, because I can fight. I passed all the exams and I've killed Grimm, a whole lot of them, so I shouldn't be having doubts about my skills but…"

But he did. Qrow exhaled slowly, wondering how far it went. He'd run into his fair share of students who doubted themselves. Most, sad as it was to say, were right to do so. Not everyone was cut out for the job. That couldn't be Peter's case since by the time you were accepted into Beacon, you had more than proven yourself.

"How bad is it?" he asked, instead.

"Depends on the day. Sometimes it's not so tough and I can go on like normal, but some days I just feel like I'm weak and shouldn't be here. Then I psych myself up by reminding myself of all my accomplishments. And it works," he said, smiling. "It does work. It just… It pisses everyone around me off."

He was aware of that, then. Qrow couldn't tell if that was a good or a bad thing, but it at least saved him having to break the news that people didn't like him whenever he was loudly boasting and making tall claims.

"You know that none of us think you're weak, right? And we're all cool with you being the leader."

"I know." Peter smiled. "I know it the same way I know I can win some of those fights – which is to say I know it up until my brain starts overthinking it all and I stop knowing it. I can't explain it. I'd say it's like a voice in my head telling me I'm weak but…" He let out a sigh. "I shouldn't be boring you with this."

"You're not."

"I am. No one wants to hear about someone else's problems. We both know that. You're here because you think it's the right thing to do, and maybe you're right, but I feel bad enough about myself already without dumping this on you and making it your responsibility."

Peter's voice regained some of its strength, but that wasn't a good sign. "I am Peter Port!" he boomed, addressing the trees around them. "I am a huntsman, and I will become one of the greatest huntsmen in all of Vale! And if I can triumph over the Grimm, I will triumph over my own mind as well! HA! HA! HAAA!"

He'd closed off. Qrow sighed. "Just remember it's not a weakness to ask your team for help."

"And help I shall ask, my good friend, but not yet. Perhaps in a few days you and I can spar a little. Practice out of hours."

"Of course. I'd be glad to." He could teach the boy a thing or two. And who better to help him improve than his own personal tutor. "If you don't want me to help with whatever ails you, the least I can do is help you become a better fighter. Maybe that'll be enough to push the doubts away."

"Maybe it will be, my friend." Peter stood and smiled as several Grimm appeared. "But for now, if I may, I ask you let me have some fun alone."

There were four Grimm, all Beowolves. "You good for it?"

"Me, Qrow? I am PETER PORT!"

The wiry huntsman leapt from the archway and landed between two Grimm, roaring in rage and joy as he swept into them. He wielded his axe with far more aggression than he did in any spar, swinging with all his might and cutting through the Grimm.

He was good – more than good enough – and yet he held back. Was he afraid to hurt people? That didn't feel right, especially not when Peter knew his blows wouldn't cut through aura in one go. People with guns tended to be a little more cautious lest "one extra bullet" be too much and hurt someone, but you couldn't hit twice in one go with an axe. If the first blow took someone's aura down, Peter would have all the time in the world to not make a second.

Mad rage and a fear of harming people clearly wasn't the issue here.

It was something in his mind.

Either way, Peter soon stood over the vanishing bodies of the Grimm and looked more himself, or the Peter he knew from the future. It was as if he'd just had a meal, or a shot of happy juice. The man boomed his laughter and roared to the open sky.

"See, my friend!? Skill is not the issue! I am a proper huntsman!"

"You are," Qrow agreed. "So why all the doubt?"

"Because my mind is a maze and a fool all in one! It sees this, luxuriates in it, and then conveniently forgets it. Somehow, though it makes no damn sense to me, I can't cling to these memories come the morning. I face off against people I know I can beat, and my mind whispers poisoned words to me, and suddenly I'm as weak as a newborn baby!"

"A newborn baby can't wield an axe like you do."

"Ha! No, but you get my point. It's stupid, it makes no sense, I can't stand it, but it is how I am." Peter took a shuddering breath. "But it's not how I shall be. I'll beat this, Qrow. Mark my words. I'll beat this and our team shall be the greatest team that Beacon has ever seen!"

Nessa wouldn't be happy knowing his mythical "bro code" had failed to fix Peter.

But part of that code was respecting a man when they asked you, with or without words, to back off and leave well alone.

"I'll look forward to it, Peter. How about we go kill some more Grimm before we retire?"

"That, my friend, is the best idea I've heard from you yet!"

/-/

It was harder than Qrow realised to find time to ring the figure who had bumped into him on the weekend. He was stuck balancing his team with his old, spending time both with Team PNGQ and also every member of Team SWRT. When he wasn't with Gretchen, Summer or Winter wanted him, and Raven wanted her daily spar, and Taiyang wanted his daily advice on how to win Raven over. Then there were lessons, homework (which was easy, but still time consuming) and then the extracurricular spars with Torchwick and the almost nightly talks with Ozpin.

They usually talked training but sometimes it was philosophy in general, Ozpin none-too-subtly wanting to know how Qrow thought about certain topics. He needed the man's trust, so he was happy to answer, but it all meant he had so little time, to the point that it was the following Friday he found a spare moment to make the call.

"About time," the man who answered said. The voice was different to the one who had bumped into him. Qrow could tell. "We were beginning to think you wouldn't call."

"Sorry. Life got a hold of me. Vincent, is it?"

"Yes."

"Funny. You sound different to the other Vincent."

"We are all Vincent Saint Sinclair in one way or another. That's not a concern, Qrow Branwen. Our concern is the mysterious research facility in Mountain Glenn, and we're led to understand that is a concern of your own as well."

"It is." No point lying. "But how about you tell me how you heard about that. The only one I shared that concern with is my combat instructor here in Beacon."

"Ozpin, yes? He didn't tell us if that's what you're asking, but you may be pleased to know he took your feelings to heart and raised several concerns about Mountain Glenn officially. Asked for its safety to be looked over in detail as he had a bad feeling."

Good old Ozpin! Qrow could have kissed the man.

"And?"

"And, sadly, nothing came of it. One man's ill feeling is simple superstition. There are greater and more important men than he who have invested billions in this, and they are keen to see it repaid. As for Atlas' facility, it's worth noting Atlas have footed almost 30% of the bill of Mountain Glenn already."

That much? Bloody hell. That had to be several billion on its own, and why bother? Atlas was an ally, sure, but that would be a significant chunk of taxpayer money. It wasn't like Atlas' budgets were overflowing with all the money they put into the military.

"Must be a damn good reason they're spending so much. I'm guessing hosting the research facility was part of the deal, right?"

"Now you are seeing things as we do, Mr Branwen. Indeed, that was the deal. Curious given that it would be far cheaper to run such research in Atlas. Safer, too, as they would not need to worry about security in their own lands. As such, it makes us wonder just what it is they are doing that they would spend so much to have it far away from Atlas."

Qrow caught on. "You think it's a weapon. One with a blast radius."

"We try not to make assumptions, but the thought has crossed our minds. Reason enough to want it far away from Atlas in case it goes off, and valuable enough to be worth the investment. It may simply be prudence, but we don't want to take chances. And neither, I suspect, do you. You're quite the paranoid young man."

"I have a bad feeling about Mountain Glenn," he said. Not much point claiming otherwise. These guys already knew.

And that said a lot, didn't it? Ozpin hadn't told them, but they'd found out because Ozpin talked to other people in control. They were either highly placed enough to be in those meetings, or they were bribing someone who was. That didn't narrow down who exactly they were, since even rival weapons manufacturers would be interested in what was going on in Mountain Glenn.

It also didn't much matter since they both shared the same goal at this point.

"So, let's say we're of the same mind. Why reach out to me? Plausible deniability?"

"Precisely so. If you are caught then it's on your head."

"Heh. Called it. Then how do I benefit from you?"

"Equipment, resources, information, support. We can get you building plans, we can outfit you, and we can shut down the electricity in the building to silence the cameras. Our reach is significant, and we can be useful allies."

Useful allies or dangerous foes, probably. Qrow didn't know these people from his time but that made sense; he'd been a kid back then. His only involvement in Mountain Glenn had been shock and horror when it fell, and then dealing with search and rescue. In fact, he'd been ignorant of a lot about the world for his four years in Beacon. The world hadn't been silent at the time, he'd just not paid attention, and now he was.

Now, he was looking to change things and to get involved in a bigger way.

Which meant meeting with and dealing with new enemies – and potentially allies.

"How about we meet in person to discuss."

"Mountain Glenn. The same café you watched the facility at. 11am."

"Buy me lunch and you've got yourselves a deal."

Next Chapter: 14th September

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