DISCLAIMER: I do not own RWBY. Obviously.

Red Reaper's Resolve

Chapter 5: Team

That hit the spot.

After a long day of work, there's nothing like the scorching feeling of booze. Fortunately, Qrow happened to be in a little settlement east of Mistral. As soon as he made the decision to end the day and spend the night at the tavern's inn. He started ordering an entire bottle of special Mistralian sake as soon as he had refilled his flask. Naturally, in moderation of course!

The waitress for tonight was pretty cute, maybe he could flirt with her and then afterwards–.

Ring ring.

Qrow let out a grunt. Due to particular circumstances and the fact that he spent most of his time working as a huntsman, he may not be a social butterfly, but at this hour, only one person could call him.

He checked the ID of the caller, it was labeled as Coffee Maniac.

After letting it ring for a few times and taking a shot of his drink, with big reluctance, he answered.

"Hello. Your residential errand boy calling for duty!" Qrow answered in a sarcastic tone.

He could hear a sigh from the other end. "Good evening Qrow. I take it that your day went well?"

Eesh. Not a laugh, a snicker, or a giggle. The huntsman knew his boss was old, but he could've at least laughed at one of his quips once in a while.

Qrow took another sip of his sake, "You already know the answer Oz." He surveyed the tavern. Typically, Qrow would always sit by himself in a solitary spot at a distance from the door. After all, his job isn't precisely like that of a usual huntsman. It'd be kind of a bad thing if someone happened to hear something that wasn't just drunken ramblings. Or worse, one of "her" little helpers heard a sliver of anything.

The huntsman sighed which would be considered a groan by some, "Amber's assailants are cautious. They covered their tracks surprisingly well. I've checked the entire east coast of Anima, not one whisper, a squeak, let alone a lead."

For one individual, this was simply too much labor. Anima was the most populous continent on Remnant, huntsman or not. One can only imagine how tiresome and discouraging a search for three people in particular may be. The majority of the continent lacked the technological prowess of Vale and, of course, Atlas. Since the effort required to move between settlements was far more than the benefit.

He can only do so much in his bird form. It may be the perfect tool for espionage and tailing, but for travel it simply wasn't ideal. Borrowing a bullhead also wasn't practical, Anima housed many dangerous airborne grimm and having one wasn't Qrow's style at all. Maybe he could ask Jimmy to commandeer one with a cute pilot as a bonus.

As he laid up his legs on the table, Ozpin spoke. "I understand. Nevertheless, keep searching and move carefully. We are already in a somewhat unfavorable stalemate and time is running out. "

Qrow swished the contents of his drink. Looking for what may be a half maiden, this job already had caution out the window. Although, Oz was right. The clock was ticking at an alarming rate, it's only a matter of time before they go into uncharted waters of using science to force a poor and unfortunate girl to bear some of the burden of this hidden war.

The huntsman took a big swig from his drink at the thought.

Might as well enjoy the booze while it lasted. It may be another long search to only come up with nothing, if something can be found that's all he needed. However, his gut told him it may be otherwise.

"So…" Qrow began as he leaned forward slightly in his chair, "How are the brats doing?"

There was a pause. "Mister Rose and Miss Xiao Long? I am happy to say they passed the initiation with flying colors. They just so happen to be on the same team no less. With Mister Rose as the leader."

He could practically see Ozpin smirking from the other line. Damn sly old man.

On the night his nephew chased away Roman Torchwick and his henchmen, Qrow learned of what had happened through Tai. He was aware that although Garnet still possessed his idealistic heroism, the kid was battling actual criminals who were not hesitant to take his life. Especially if that criminal was Roman.

Of course, the drunken huntsman had his fair share of scuffles against criminals who were way too dangerous to be out and about. Some of which were former huntsmen, he still had scars to prove it. A high profile criminal like Roman Torchwick was known to be one of the most elusive criminals, he had a track record of always absconding away from huntsmen. He may be a crook who undoubtedly scurries away from the first sight of combat, Qrow read that he was definitely still dangerous.

For a person like him to run into his nephew in the dead of night in the city? The kid should've just ran and called the authorities.

Qrow knew his nephew inherited that altruistic ideals from Summer.

Shaking off from his thoughts, he took another shot.

"Is that so? I pity whoever the other two members of the team are."

"Ah, you may not believe me. But the other two members of Mister Rose's just happen to be Weiss Schnee and the daughter of the Belladonnas of Menagerie."

Qrow practically did a spit take, wasting all that delicious sake he had in his mouth. He knew Oz was a master of reason and temptation, but this was too far.

The drunk clenched his scroll. "Oz… if you pulled any strings–," he was cut off.

"Like I stated before, you may not believe me. I did not by any means involve myself in the formation of team RWBY." Huh, so that's what his team was called. Maybe if Garnet was a girl, he could see Summer naming him that. Getting side tracked!

Ozpin continued, "Their team is entirely coincidental. I may be wise and experienced, but I am certainly not omniscient. I am just as surprised as you are at the formation of such a… interesting turnout."

He opened his mouth to speak but closed it. Qrow wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. Even by the off chance it was a coincidence, it was completely ridiculous. Regardless, he trusted Oz and he saved him from that hellhole of the bandit life.

So the Heiress brat and the runaway princess, his firecracker niece, and his smartass nephew… Quite the team Qrow had to admit, but there's no way those brats could compare to his team. His team was genuinely one of if not the best to ever graduate from an academy.

Now those were the good ol' days. Back when everything was… simpler.

The drunk took another shot of sake to honor the memory.

"Now Qrow. As for the other mission I assigned–."

"I'm gonna have to stop you right there Oz." Qrow interrupted him. Exhausted, he reclined in his chair; he most certainly did not want to be reminded of that other mission. He acknowledged that he was the errand boy for the secret-in-the-know organization, but he was still only one man. Even if that man was one of the most awesome Huntsmen in history.

"Do you really expect me to search for her while I'm off on this wild goose chase? I'm good, but my hands are occupied at the moment with this whole," Qrow looked around to check if there was anyone within hearing distance. "Maiden situation." The Huntsman whispered into his scroll.

"I agree that the current situation is urgent. The top priority at the moment is finding Amber's attackers. Even though she doesn't have to be located right away, we need her because our numbers are dwindling."

He didn't have to say that again, Qrow mused. His group wasn't exactly one, at most people could call it a "select few." Looking for people with the right resume to be accepted into the inner circle was very difficult. Not counting the maidens, himself, Oz, Glynda, Jimmy, headmasters of Haven and Shade. Six people including himself. Not anywhere near enough to fight a monster who could control all the monsters on Remnant. They'd be lucky they could recruit someone on such short notice right now.

Qrow silently took a sip. He knew exactly the person he needed to look for. There was only one slight problem to that though.

The person he needed to look for was essentially a ghost, a legend even.

He gave Harbinger a downward glance. Qrow recalled the day he drew up the blueprints for his fantastic weapon. It was modeled after the huntress he admired. His preferred weapon was a wonderful fit for him just by adding flair and a double barrel shotgun to it.

The inebriated man might claim to be a fanboy of her work. He would carry that to the grave and never confess it to anyone. But a connoisseur at best. Unfortunately, she wasn't generally recognized because it was before youngsters were cooped up with scrolls and other stuff. Good thing, he reasoned. He would be referred to as a hipster otherwise. Her name was well known among veteran huntsmen anytime anyone heard it.

Another long sip, it was gonna be a long while before he could visit his family.

A dormitory. a location where students live together and gather. The majority of dorms are typically assigned by the faculty at the school. It was extremely uncommon for students to be allowed to select their own roommates. It was a good reason however, placing a bunch of young hormonal teenagers into one place can only spell disaster. Especially if it was co-ed.

Garnet gulped. He was such a fool! A naive fool! How come he didn't realize this sooner? Especially after the ridiculous condition the Headmaster set to formulate teams.

Being the only guy in a team full of girls.

Still, although one of his teammates was his sister, it was difficult to process. Garnet was way past the age of having the belief of girls containing "cooties." He learnt from health class, boys his age would be a hormonal mess. That brought worry to the Reaper's mind and he was positively sure the other girls realized it as well.

Damn it Mr. Ozpin! Why would he make dorm rooms co-ed as well?!

Most guys would be envious of him being in a team full of beautiful girls. Being absolutely honest, even Garnet had to acknowledge the females of his team were way above the standard of beauty. No, not from a lustful standpoint, but from an appreciative one. Regardless, Garnet wasn't a womanizer like his uncle! He sighed, no point in complaining about it now. More than likely the Reaper was overthinking things.

Snapping away from his thoughts, his team recently picked up the rest of their luggage from the airships. With Weiss having way more than the average team combined.

No surprise there.

Finding the student dorm took some time. Each of the first, second, and third years had a separate building. It was a little challenging to find the right building without getting lost because of Beacon Academy's expansive campus. Weiss, however, led the new team to the right building with ease. It seems that she had thoroughly researched the campus.

They opened the door and they were greeted by the immediate sight of the living room. At the same time, there was a kitchenette along with other accommodating furniture sharing the same space as the common area.

Four chairs and one singular dining table near the kitchen area, a small island accompanying it.

"What's this?" Blake pointed at the dining table.

The other three spotted where the raven haired girl was pointing at. There seemed to be a folded up note at the center of said table.

Garnet reached out and retrieved the paper. As he opened it up, Yang, Weiss, and Blake loomed over him to see what the contents of the paper was.

It was a letter.

'Congratulations, Team RWBY. Given that you are the first team to recover the four golden King Pieces, your team is awarded a special room. I hope the extra accommodations are to your liking.

Please note your team will only occupy this room for one year. -Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Ozpin.'

There was a momentary silence for team RWBY after reading the note from the Headmaster. Yang spoke up first.

"Sweet! No wonder looking for this place was a pain in the butt."

"While I am not one to complain," Weiss started, she didn't notice the eye rolls that she got from the other members. "I do have to question why we only have this room for one year."

Garnet placed a thoughtful hand on his chin. "Maybe it's because they can give an opportunity for the other teams later on. Then again, it wouldn't be fair for one team to receive special treatment during the entire time here."

"Maybe encouragement for the other teams? It's best to not question the Headmaster's motives." Blake voiced out.

The others automatically nodded at Blake's statement. When it came to his policies, the Headmaster was undoubtedly eccentric. Even though the semester has just begun, the team members already have a sneaking suspicion that their time here will be different from other places.

Garnet surveyed the room once more; four doors ran parallel to each other. With the kitchenette and extra furniture in the center, it was thoughtfully designed. There was a fifth door in the living room, most likely the bathroom. The group thought it was a small room of their own. The Reaper reached for one of the doors' handles and pulled it open.

It showed him a wardrobe with a few drawers underneath, a small bedroom, and a study desk with a lamp. Though it was just barely wide enough for someone to stretch their arms out fully, there wasn't much space. To be honest, these accommodations were pretty exceptional. According to some of the tall tales he had heard from his uncle, a huntsman was frequently left with no choice but to sleep in subpar conditions.

Garnet practically thanked the heavens. He was just glad the beds weren't in just one singular room. The Reaper didn't want to imagine the conversation that could've been made if that were the case.

Team RWBY began unpacking in their respective rooms, for the foreseeable future this was gonna be their home away from home.

Garnet only brought the bare minimum, he thought he was gonna have to get used to not having that much possessions on his person. So he just collectively got his essentials, clothes, weapon tools, and other commodities.

Still, he missed his video game consoles a lot. They had no one to play with while they sat in his room at Patch all alone… For now, his scroll would have to suffice.

It didn't take him that long at all to unpack and set things up in his closet and drawers. Since he was team leader and classes don't start until later, he decided to help his teammates unpack.

Blake was carrying a large stack of books as Garnet opened the main room door. She carried them with extreme caution because of their various sizes, yet the structure was still unsteady. Garnet swiftly scooped up the book to assist after one of the books fell off the top.

"Ah, Blake here you go–," He handed his partner the fallen book, but he trailed off when he saw the title.

'Ninjas of Love Volume 5'? Garnet asked himself a question. Though the front cover clearly warned that there was a lot of... questionable content not intended for younger audiences. Other than that, the cover was plain to say the least.

Probably for good reason.

Before Garnet could think of it anymore, the book practically disappeared from his hands. Turning away from him, Blake murmured a thanks before rushing off into her respective room with her stack of books.

Garnet blushed slightly, he knew Blake was an avid reader from earlier conversations. However, he didn't think his partner would be a voracious one! He shook off the thought of what she'd probably be doing in her spare time.

Once again, he thanked the Headmaster this one time for providing this special dorm room. Having separate rooms altogether in a co-ed dorm was a blessing in disguise.

After taking a moment to settle in before classes, – which on the first day they start a little bit later than schedule – Weiss wanted to establish some 'ground rules' when living amongst each other.

One of them states that whenever the girls were getting dressed, the team's lone boy had to stand in the hallway. Although Garnet had to admit Weiss was being somewhat paranoid, he wordlessly shrugged at the restriction. Through Yang's protests she suggested that Garnet took care of his morning routines first before anyone else.

Weiss accepted those terms surprisingly. His sister commented that Garnet took fast showers, which was a bit of a personal tidbit, but it was a minor matter that needed to be done and over with so he didn't protest.

Garnet had to admit that the uniform was pretty nice, and he quickly got ready for the first day of classes. But there was one thing lacking. He made the decision to put on his red cape, which he promptly put away. Though his peers would likely consider him immature, the Reaper loved his cape, but it probably wasn't worth it to stand out like a sore thumb.

For a middle ground, he just wore his mother's emblem on his chest like usual.

He hurried out of the dorm room and waited in the hallway for his teammates as they prepared. They soon joined him in the corridors. Taking a moment for their appearance but not long enough to make it awkward, he complimented them.

"..." Weiss turned her head and walked right past Garnet into the mess hall.

"You too." Blake responded flatly, following Weiss.

"Thanks lil' bro! Looking sharp yourself!" Yang patted Garnet's back, both of them started trailing behind their other too teammates.

"Excited Garn? Or should I call you leader?" Yang joked as she nudged her brother.

"Please, Yang. Just being your brother is enough responsibility already." Garnet smirked.

"Aw, for– hey!" Yang pinched his elbow.

Garnet rubbed his elbow for relief. "Kidding, kidding, sis. Still, hard to believe we're finally here. It's kind of a lot to take in. Signal pales in comparison to this place. By sheer size I mean."

Yang hummed in agreement. "I know what ya mean. Beacon feels like a castle, and that's not even counting the outside. Though I gotta say it feels nice to know there's plenty of things to do here."

"Yep. There's a library, multiple gyms, a weapon facility, a forge, sparring arenas, cafeteria, and a swimming pool. That's not even all of it!" Garnet listed off.

Yang flashed a toothy grin. "From what I'm hearing, they're definitely treating us right here."

For a brief moment of silence, Yang looked at Garnet and noticed him frowning.

"Hey, you okay Garn?" Yang asked with slight concern.

He looked at Yang. "I'm fine. Just a little bit nervous at getting here so suddenly and being appointed as a leader… it's just what if I mess something up?"

"Relax lil' bro. You overthink stuff. It hasn't even been a full day yet and you're already doubting yourself? I know, I was definitely surprised at you suddenly coming here, but I'm happy you did. Let's just see where things go from here. Rely on me in case you need anything." Yang smiled.

Garnet returned her smile. "Thanks Yang. I'll keep that in mind."

Yang patted Garnet on the back playfully before walking faster ahead of him. "There you go. Now, enough sulking. I'm starving!"

A/N: Thank you so much for reading!

It's been awhile I know. Life has been a Roller coaster for me lately (not the fun kind). So I deeply apologize for this delayed chapter.

Talking about this chapter, a little bit of an inside look at Oz's group. I probably made it obvious who Qrow was looking for, but I'll just say it's NOT an OC. Many of you could guess who it is.

Besides that, team RWBY settled into their newly appointed dorm room with a little upgrade than the room in the show! Each of them has their own little space, just imagine those super small apartment rooms in the city. It's not a significant change but it's to ease a little bit of awkwardness when it comes to sharing a co-ed room.

This fic is uploaded onto AO3 as well.

Anyway, off to an important announcement!

I've been writing a new RWBY fic recently! This time it's a crossover fic, I won't say yet what crossover it is, but expect to see it uploaded very soon!

That's all, take care and please stay safe!