It's cold.
Strange for that to be his first thought, given the situation. After having been caught in a cave-in and subsequently trapped inside a small space, losing oxygen with each breath he takes and succumbing to blood loss, his mind decides the temperature is what he should be most concerned about. What point is there in worrying about freezing to death when he is going to bleed out long before then? Really, he should be used to the oddities of his mind by now with how many times he has found himself in these situations, but somehow he continues to surprise himself.
A surge of throbbing pain runs through his spine, spreading outwards from his back down his arms, his muscles seizing from the intensity of it. Grimacing, he digs his fingers into the icy slush underneath him. Probably a good thing he can't feel his legs. The last thing he needs is to be experiencing full-body agony.
Of all of his deaths, this has to be the stupidest one. A fucking cave-in with a rock through his back.
He'll just have to avoid this particular cavern in the future.
~0~
Clover knows the moment he reads through the mission details that no one is going to be happy today. As if to prove his point, there is a series of groans from his younger coworkers as he begins to rattle off all the information about the mission, and though his teammates remain silent, he can see they are less than enthused. Of course, Qrow has his trademark scowl on his face, making his annoyance with the situation clear. A sentiment Clover shares. Whether it be abandoned mines or naturally formed cave systems, missions centered around traversing through and fighting in tunnels are always on the irritating side, especially when taking into account available space and structural integrity.
The first to voice a complaint is Yang, who lets out another groan. "Another tunnel mission?"
"Unfortunately," Clover says, a small sympathetic smile on his face. "Believe me, I enjoy these just as much as the rest of you. But it is necessary. Leaving Grimm to gather together never ends well, and it would do no good not to check for any Dust we could make use of."
"Wish your dumb military bots were more sturdy. Then we could just send those in."
It would be nice. "Maybe in the future. For now, it's up to us."
With that, the meeting is adjourned. Ruby and friends are the first out, hastily making their retreat, with Qrow slinking out after them. Clover takes up the rear when his teammates exit, but falters when he sees General Ironwood standing in the hallway. He nods to Clover, eyes flicking towards the others then back to the Ace Ops leader. Knowing James wants to talk, Clover turns to his team.
"I'll meet you in the hangar," he says.
Though Harriet, Elm, and Vine merely nod and start to walk off, Marrow is hesitant, concern flashing in his eyes before he steps away. Clover takes in a breath and lets it out, then turns back to James.
"Is Qrow fit to be on a mission?" James asks.
Not how he expected this conversation to begin, but it makes sense. During the last proper talk the two had James had been focused on Qrow. With how Qrow has been acting of late and his lack of sleep, it's understandable.
"No, but he refuses to stay behind. You can try to make him, though I doubt he'll listen. He hasn't been open to suggestions lately."
Which is an understatement, given how poorly Qrow reacted to Clover the other day.
"What do you mean?"
Clover rubs his neck. "The day of the Griffon mission, Qrow threatened me for asking him not to go."
Stunned, James stares. "He...what?"
"He was regretful after the fact, but..." Clover trails off, shaking his head. "I wish I could understand what's going through his head."
"Did he explain why he wanted to go?"
"According to Marrow, he simply didn't want to stay in Atlas."
Turning away, James places a hand on his chin and presses his thumb to his lips. "I see. So he has been avoiding me." Then, quieter, "I thought as much."
"I take it you haven't been able to talk to him."
"No," James says with a sigh. "Not since the last time I called him into my office. I tried, but he ignored my messages. At this point I wouldn't be surprised if he muted me."
That does sound like something Qrow would do if it meant avoiding any unwanted conversations. Ever since that morning in the mess hall, when Qrow had that panic attack, the man has been reticent at best and outright antagonistic at worst. Refusing to speak for almost an entire day, threatening someone just for being concerned, snapping at the smallest annoyances. James no doubt wants to talk about Qrow's recent behavior, and the only thing that would do is worsen Qrow's already dismal mood. Of course he would go out of his way to avoid interacting with the General.
"We should be on our way."
Dragged from his thoughts, Clover looks at James in surprise. "You're coming with us?"
James nods. "Yes. It has been a while since I've been out on the field proper."
"Can you afford to leave base?"
"Things have been calm, and we're ahead of schedule. There's no harm in me stepping away for a day."
A light frown tugs Clover's lips down. "Is this because of Qrow?"
"Am I that obvious?" James asks, a faux laugh slipping out.
"Do you think this is wise? It could make things worse."
"I don't make this decision lightly, Clover. If there is even a small chance I can start to fix this, I want to take it."
Clover pauses at that, lets it roll over in his mind. If James is this concerned about it, maybe it would be better for him to try. At the very least Clover can play mediator if necessary, so long as he sticks close to the two. That is, if James doesn't decide to go alone with Qrow.
"Of course, sir."
Still, he can't help but feel this won't end well. Things concerning Qrow rarely do.
No wonder Qrow is always so down on himself.
When that particular thought crosses his mind, Clover bites down hard on the inside of his cheek and shoves it into the back of his mind where it belongs. The last thing Qrow needs is for anyone else to agree with his already extremely negative opinion of himself. Uplifting him has been Clover's goal from the day they met, and he is not about to go against that, no matter how difficult a task it is.
He must not be doing a good job at controlling his expression, because James fixes a scrutinizing gaze on him. Brushing it aside, he turns and takes a few steps forward. Thankfully James chooses to silently fall into step with him instead of commenting on it. It's for the best; Clover doesn't quite feel like trying to put all the thoughts circling around in his head into words.
For as reluctant as Qrow has been to talk about more sensitive topics, he has had no trouble making how he feels about his lot in life known. He dislikes talking about it even more. Telling James would lead to him wanting to discuss it with Qrow, which would make things worse. If Clover wants to avoid that, he needs to do his best to respect Qrow's wishes and refrain from bringing it up. And he will, barring any unforeseen circumstances warranting a confrontation. No, he'll keep it to himself until he can find a more appropriate time to bring it up, or if it ends up being necessary.
He hopes it won't be, because that conversation will inevitably be terrible, but he can't deny the ever-growing sense of foreboding. It leaves an awful sinking feeling in his gut, one warning him that this is only going to get worse.
Should he be concerned Qrow is rubbing off on him this way?
All eyes turn their way upon entering the hangar. With how unusual it is for James to be there in the mornings rather than working in his office, it is no surprise his presence draws their attention. He stands straight, arms folded behind his back.
"I'll be accompanying you today."
Quiet murmurs follow, but it is one particular reaction that Clover focuses on. Qrow bristles, his entire body tensing, anger flaring in his eyes as he glares, his appearance akin to that of a startled cat. To be expected, having to be in such close proximity to James. There is nothing he can say to ease Qrow, so he remains silent, merely watching as Qrow turns and storms onto the nearest transport to distance himself from the cause of his ire. Concerned gazes follow him until he disappears. Once he is out of sight, those gazes are turned to them.
Clover looks at James, expecting him to at least comment on it, but the General gives a subtle shake of his head. Instead, he makes his way towards the other airship. Hesitating for only a moment, Clover follows after him, glancing at Ruby and her friends as he passes by. He can see the distrust brimming in the eyes of their young companions, each watching warily as James boards. Harriet opens her mouth to say something, but Clover motions for her to board as well, a silent command not to cause trouble.
Once the rest of the Ace Ops have boarded, Harriet turns to Clover, fuming.
"You're really going to let them get away with that?" she hisses.
"I understand why," James says before Clover can even speak. "They care about Qrow, and he's obviously uncomfortable around me."
"That doesn't make it okay!"
Quelling the spark of irritation trying to break free, Clover sighs and looks at his angry teammate. "You heard him, Hare."
"You know I'm right."
"It doesn't matter. We have enough problems without you causing more."
She straightens, her eyes widening. "Causing more—?!"
"Harriet," James says, his tone sharp, "enough."
She turns to him, startled, but digs her nails into her palms and drops onto her seat without another word. Good. Clover would rather not argue with her about what is a sensitive subject, especially while in such a confined space. Marrow glances at the three of them, uncertain, while Vine and Elm share a look with each other. In the end, they choose not to speak. Clover would find the silence relaxing, were it not for the lingering tension in the air. It seems to be the norm as of late, to his disappointment, but he can't blame them for how they feel. With how the ongoing situation regarding Qrow has been wearing on everyone's nerves, it's no wonder.
Sitting back, he lets out a soft breath and closes his eyes. He has a feeling things are going to go downhill.
The moment they land, he is proven correct.
They have only just stepped out of the transport when Qrow, with only a brief glance at Clover and James, storms off toward the cave entrance. Clover takes two steps before he finds Yang and Ruby standing in front of him, placing themselves squarely between him and Qrow. Clover can only imagine the choice words the two sisters have for him and James—Yang especially, given the fire in her eyes. Qrow himself stops just before entering the cave, head tilted towards them.
"No way," Yang growls. "You guys can go with the others."
"I don't think it's a good idea for Ironwood to be around Uncle Qrow right now," Ruby says, looking at James somewhat warily. "Just let us go with him, okay?"
James, conflicted, says nothing. Clover isn't sure what to say either. Maybe it would be for the best to let them go along with Qrow instead. Would that really make a difference though? He might be more comfortable around family, but Qrow has been argumentative with just about everyone this past week, and with how he tried to rush in alone, it seems like he doesn't want anyone to go with him.
Movement catches his eye, and Clover raises his gaze to watch Qrow flex his fingers.
"Girls."
Ruby glances over her shoulder at Qrow, eyes wide.
"Are you sure?" Yang asks.
"...Yeah."
Ruby turns to Yang, and after a moment, the two step aside reluctantly. James nods to them, and Clover gives them his best reassuring smile as he walks past. Distrust swirls in their eyes. He looks away with a silent sigh. They won't truly trust him and James until this is all resolved, it seems. Not that he could blame them. Why wouldn't they be protective of a struggling family member? It's not as if they have any reason to put their Atlas compatriots above Qrow, someone they have known their whole lives. The only problem is that it further complicates an already messy situation.
No point in dwelling on it. There are more pressing matters to focus on at present.
Namely, how to keep the peace between James and Qrow. The three of them being alone is going to be tense no matter what Clover does, but he wants to prevent a fight if possible.
The silence is overwhelming, the only sound that of their breathing and footsteps.
Qrow keeps his back squarely to them as they make their way into the tunnel, hands clenched tightly into fists and shoulders raised. Either he is going to snap or run, and neither of those options are appealing to Clover. He doesn't want Qrow snapping at James, and he doesn't want Qrow to go running off again just to avoid dealing with his problems.
Not that encouraging him to stop internalizing his issues has actually helped.
Qrow comes to a stop. He turns, arms folded against his chest, and glares at James.
"Was muting you not enough of a hint?" he asks with a hiss.
"I just..." James cuts himself off, realization dawning on his face. "So you did mute me."
"Yeah, no shit. Guess I expected too much from you."
James winces, a subtle shift in his expression that Clover only just catches.
"I just want to talk, Qrow. To work things out."
"Fine then. Talk."
Clover frowns. "I don't think this is an appropriate place to—"
"Don't give a shit," Qrow says, cutting him off. "Only chance I'm giving him."
James glances away before closing his eyes and sighing. When he looks back at Qrow, the expression on his face is far more vulnerable.
"Tell me what I've done to lose your trust."
Qrow's lip twitches, nails digging sharp crescents into his skin. "You know," he mutters, "it might be the fact you have no problem going behind people's backs if it means having things go your way."
James straightens. He opens his mouth as if to protest, only to pause, his brows furrowing.
"Not gonna bother denying that one, huh?"
"I'm trying, Qrow," James says, desperate. "I know I've made mistakes, but I'm doing what I can to make them right."
"Like Beacon?" Qrow asks in a harsh whisper. "When you ignored everything Oz said and dragged that armada with you to the festival?"
"I brought my troops to protect the people of Vale."
"And that turned out so well, didn't it? With your robots firing on civilians and students." Voice dripping with venom, he lets out an empty laugh and continues. "As if you didn't play right into Salem's hands."
With the way Qrow looks ready to throttle James, Clover steps forward, reaching out to the irate man.
"Qrow—"
Qrow bares his teeth. "You stay out of this."
Before Clover has a chance to respond, James turns to him with a pointed look, a silent command to do as Qrow says. With a sigh, Clover steps away, turning his back to the two. All three of them butting heads would just make it worse, that much he'll concede. If they can manage to air out their grievances with each other now rather than later, then there at least might be a chance the rest of this mission can go smoothly. Though, knowing Qrow, this is far from the last of his spats with the General. It would be one thing if Qrow would stop playing coy and just be honest with them, because Clover knows Qrow is using the Beacon incident as a means of distracting from everything that has happened these past several days.
Frustrating is an understatement when it comes to Qrow.
Hypocritical of me, he thinks, dropping his gaze to the ground. He hadn't been honest with Qrow either during that sparring match fiasco.
Tuning the two out is difficult between the ever-increasing hostility in Qrow's voice and Clover's desire to stop an all-out brawl from breaking out. Still, they both expressed a desire for him to stay out of it, and so he does, grinding the tip of his boot against the stone beneath him.
Sooner or later he and Qrow need to have a discussion of their own, he knows, because of how poorly things ended the other day. The biggest hurdle Clover faces in that regard is the fact that he has yet to decide on how to go about admitting his lapse in judgment was caused by a nightmare. Each time he considers what to say, it leaves him wanting to avoid the subject even more. Ironic, considering his annoyance with Qrow in regards to the broody man's refusal to provide answers.
That can all be dealt with on a later day. Focusing on Qrow's issues with James is more important.
The arguing falls into sudden silence, replaced by the sound of ruffling feathers. Whirling around, he finds Qrow gone, and James angrily shouts the man's name, his voice echoing along the tunnel. There is no answer.
Sucking in a sharp breath, James rubs his eyes. "Damn it."
"How did he...?"
James looks at Clover, then shakes his head. "Come on. We can't let him go running off on his own." Under his breath he grumbles, "Though I doubt we'll catch up to him any time soon."
"He did something similar when we inspected the abandoned facility," Clover says, and James eyes him with a frown. "Managing to put quite a bit of distance between us and him. His Semblance can't be given credit for that as far as I'm aware."
"It's for him to tell you," James answers.
Clover sighs. "Nora said the same thing."
"I've upset him enough as is. Airing his personal matters without permission isn't going to help."
He takes in a deep breath, holds it for a moment, and then releases it.
"Understood, sir."
~0~
It is one particular comment that sets Qrow off and leads to him transforming to escape the situation, to get away before he makes a decision he will inevitably regret. In reality, it is nothing more than James pointing out Qrow's tendency to lash out of late that does it. The worst part is that Qrow knows. He knows better than anyone else. How could he not when he's the one experiencing it? When he's the one having nightmares, the one who has died over and over again, been betrayed and forced through one awful situation after the other with no end in sight. What the fuck would James know? Acting like his friend after everything he's done, all the people he's turned his back on and abandoned. As if he hadn't shot Qrow in the back.
But he hasn't done that yet, not this time around.
Growling, Qrow shakes his head, tugging at his hair. It doesn't matter. Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean that it won't, because it always does. That's just how all this ends, with Mantle and Atlas in ruins and James buried under the rubble of his choices. Nothing, not one damn thing Qrow has done has ever changed that. There is nothing in the world Qrow can say that will convince James to change his mind.
Because James always has to be right, doesn't he? A great leader can't afford to be in the wrong. Can't afford to be weak in the face of his enemies. It just so happens that Qrow ends up one of them, even after so many years of them working together under Oz.
But it's not just James. The longer all this goes on, the more insistent everyone becomes. No one will give him the space he wants. No, they just keep poking and prodding him and demanding answers he can't give them.
Why the fuck can't any of them understand? Why can't they just leave him alone and let him deal with this instead of making it worse?
Qrow staggers. His hand swings out to scrape along the tunnel wall until he can find purchase, holding onto a rugged rock sticking outwards. Drawing in a ragged breath, he leans against the wall and runs his other hand down his face.
He's tired.
So, so tired.
Not a single day has gone by these past several days where he hasn't been utterly exhausted. And today? Today is worse. His entire body is heavy, dragged down by the weight of the world itself. The lack of sleep and lack of eating seem to finally be catching up to him. Laying down right here, with the silence of the cave his only company, is tempting. He knows he can't, though. Too much of a risk. Instead, he shoves himself away from the wall. If he gets this mission over with, he can find a place in Mantle to crash for the night. Maybe that way he can get more than an hour of sleep.
A sour laugh slips out when he finds himself struggling to put one foot in front of the other. All of his energy is gone. Just his luck.
A memory rises to the surface at that thought, of a doomed settlement, the bodies of its inhabitants hollowed out.
He swallows past the lump in his throat and grabs hold of the wall to drag himself forward.
The moment he steps into the cavern, his heart drops.
Not just exhaustion.
"Oh, shit."
Qrow scrambles for his Scroll.
~0~
The tension is no better without Qrow. It remains, a taut string ready to snap at a moment's notice. Without knowing the exact dangers lurking in the depths of these tunnels, having Qrow off on his own in such a condition leaves Clover on edge. If the report had more information about what Grimm might be prowling around, he might not have this sense of dread, but with nothing more than a handful of unspecified sightings and claims of rather odd sounds, he can't help being worried.
Not one word has been exchanged between Clover and James since they set off. There are plenty of things Clover wants to say in regards to all of this, despite his choice to be silent. What happened between Qrow and James in the past for Qrow to have such strong animosity towards him? It is a question that has been plaguing him since the morning of the abandoned facility mission, since seeing the fear and anger swirling in Qrow's eyes at the thought of merely being near James. Reactions like that don't come from nowhere, after all. James has expressed concern for Qrow's well-being on multiple occasions, but it could stem from guilt.
Just what could James have done? It had to have been something quite serious for all this to be the result.
Clover's stomach churns.
Years serving under James and meeting Qrow was all it took for him to start having doubts.
His conversation with Marrow springs to mind. Speculation helps no one. Wait for all the facts instead of jumping to conclusions.
Easier said than done when it consumes his thoughts like this.
Skittering rocks draw his attention. Kingfisher is in his hand in an instant as he whirls around, eyes narrowed, ready to spring into action. As soon as those steps round the corner, he has his weapon stretched outwards to intercept the new arrival. He relaxes when his eyes fall upon Jaune, the young man having come to an abrupt stop with his hands thrown upwards at the sight of the weapon pointed at him. Jaune's wide eyes lock onto Clover, a spark of fear in his gaze from being startled. Beside him stands Weiss, who snaps her hand to the handle of her sword at the sound of her friend's gasp and then promptly drops it back to her side once she realizes there is no danger.
"Hey, guys," Jaune says, laughing nervously.
Letting out a heavy breath, Clover lowers Kingfisher. "Sorry, Jaune."
Weiss regards the two men with suspicion, immediately taking notice of their missing member. "Where's Qrow?"
"He didn't come this way, then," James mumbles to himself as he turns back around.
Annoyed by the lack of an answer, Weiss folds her arms.
"He ran off again," Clover tells her.
"Of course he did," she mutters. "And the two of you upset him, didn't you?"
"No," James says over his shoulder, "just me."
Not entirely true, since Clover's measly attempt at intervening in their argument had made Qrow snap at him, but he had kept his mouth shut and avoided saying anything specific to anger Qrow. Quite the surprise for him given his recent track record of royally pissing the man off. Though that particular feat has proven to be rather easy with how many times Clover has done so unintentionally. At this point it's a complete mystery as to what doesn't set Qrow off.
The anger in Weiss's voice drags him from his thoughts.
"So you just let him go running off alone instead of, you know, stopping him?"
"We didn't. He..." James glances at Clover, lips pursed.
Referring to Qrow's brilliant little disappearing trick, of course. The one everyone has decided is too sensitive of a subject for Clover to know.
He is getting quite tired of not knowing.
The single most overdramatic sigh Clover has ever heard leaves Weiss. "Right. Let's go find him before he gets into trouble."
Arms still crossed resolutely against her chest, Weiss storms past them. Jaune, for his part, seems utterly lost, looking between Clover and James before sprinting after her. Shrugging his shoulders, Clover gives James a "what can you do" look and makes to follow the duo. Having four sets of eyes searching will certainly make it easier than trying to rely on only two, and Clover isn't about to argue against having help. Clover is surprised Weiss didn't suggest alerting the others, but her irritation may be to thank for that. James falls into step beside him, a bit less pleased about the situation.
No doubt Yang will want to strangle them even more once she learns about this. An oddly funny thought to Clover for some strange reason.
Thanks to the maze-like structure of the tunnels branching off one another, retracing their steps to find a new path to go down is difficult. Everything looks the same down here, and being preoccupied with his thoughts meant Clover hadn't even considered placing any marks to help with navigation. A fact that he is somewhat ashamed of, since he knows better. He can lament his failure at basic survival skills once the mission is over.
Maybe if he mentions it to Qrow, it would lighten his mood. Give him a reason to laugh.
Probably not. Even if Qrow had found Harriet getting reprimanded funny, he would recognize an attempt at making him laugh. It would only serve to make him angry.
Just like everything else Clover has tried.
It would be nice, though, wouldn't it? For one little mistake to be the first step on fixing this whole mess.
He reaches up to rub his eyes. When was the last time he felt this tired?
"Weiss?" Jaune whispers, or at least tries to, the tunnel carrying his voice farther than intended. "You okay?"
Letting his hand fall away from his face, Clover raises his head to look at her. Her already pale skin is somehow even paler, making her seem ill, and there is a noticeable tremble in her hand as she places it onto the handle of Myrtenaster.
"Something isn't right," she mumbles, brows drawn inwards. "This feels like..."
Whatever else she plans to say is interrupted by a far too cheery ringtone. It takes a moment for Clover to realize that the origin of the noise is his Scroll, and he grumbles under his breath as he pulls it from his pocket. What greets him when he checks it is none other than Qrow's picture. Anger flares in his chest, his grip tightening. After making the choice to run off, forcing them to search for him, he decides to call one of the people he doesn't even want to be around? Just this once Clover is going to give in to his irritation, because if there is any situation that calls for it, this would be one. Ready to launch into a long lecture, he presses the accept button.
He doesn't get the chance to say anything.
A terrifying screech blasts through the speakers. The shrill sound burrows into his skull, sending a shooting pain through him that splits his head in two. His face twists into a grimace as he clamps his free hand over his left ear and holds the Scroll away from the other. A sharp ringing fills his ears, no doubt caused by the shrieking. It is so loud that he barely hears the thump and clanking of metal that follows. Though it does nothing to help the pain, he finds himself unable to stop blinking, his eyes watering. He attempts to glance around at the others, his hazy vision making it hard to tell whether or not they've been affected in the same way he has.
Weiss speaks, her voice loud enough for Clover to hear but not enough for him to make out her exact words.
He shakes his head and squints at her. "What?"
She offers no answer. Instead, she takes off down the tunnel, propelled by her glyphs. For a moment all he can do is stare, then a hand latches onto his arm and pulls him forward. Shocked out of his stupor, Clover does his best to steady himself as he follows James. If Weiss is this panicked, then they need to hurry, but his body doesn't quite want to obey him, the continued ringing in his ears making him struggle to find his balance. Only once does Weiss look back at them, swinging her arm outwards to motion to the left as she shouts at them before disappearing around a corner. Jaune overtakes them, pointing to a split in the tunnel as he goes after Weiss. Clover nearly follows them until James presses a hand against his shoulder to steer him the other way.
Covering ground. Of course. With no way of knowing where Qrow is or how to get there, this is their best chance to find him.
The tunnel they turn down is one without any major branching paths. Neither he nor James speak, their focus entirely on sprinting. The farther they go, the more sluggish Clover feels, and the dread returns tenfold. It only worsens when groans begin to echo around them. They reach the end of the tunnel, a drop-off into a large cavern forcing them to come to a stop.
Pressing his hand against the wall, Clover bends over to catch his breath, but the sight before him makes him choke.
Apathy.
Dozens of them, all gathered together at the base of the cavern, piled on top of each other to create an awful undulating mass of black and white. Elongated fingers reach upwards, claws scratching at the rock walls as they try to climb, their attention focused firmly on one particular spot.
Swiveling his head, Clover's gaze falls on the object of their obsession.
Qrow.
From their position, Clover can't tell if Qrow is breathing. The stalactites on the cavern ceiling seem sturdy enough that he could use them to swing over. He takes a step forward, reaching for Kingfisher, only for the Apathy to let out a piercing wail that sends him staggering into the wall with a groan.
Would it be better to just lay here and rest?
But Qrow...
He needs to get to his comrade before those monsters do.
Clenching his jaw, he curls his hands into fists, digging his nails deep into his palms. The jolt of pain it causes is enough to clear his mind and let him move. His gaze falls to James, who is on his knees, arms shaking as he holds himself up. Pushing himself off the wall, Clover drops down beside him. It isn't the most elegant solution, but it is the only one he can think of.
He slams his fist down on James's back.
It works. Jerking his head up, James stares at Clover, his eyes clearing. As soon as Clover drags James to his feet, he relays his plan. The odds are against them at the moment without backup, but if James takes a higher vantage point, then he could draw attention without risking his safety. There is a chance, slim as it is, that Clover might be able to get to Qrow and get him out with a distraction. It's a long shot, unfortunately, even with Clover's luck. Even so, it's a chance he's going to take.
Gun in hand, James heads up the path winding upwards along the wall.
Clover wastes no time in throwing Kingfisher's reel out. It wraps around one of the stalactites, and Clover gives it one rough tug to ensure it's secure before he jumps and swings.
Qrow lays there listless, dull eyes staring at nothing. He doesn't react when Clover lands beside him, nor when arms wrap around his chest and drag him upwards. Not even the crack of a gunshot makes him react.
"Come on, Qrow," Clover says.
Grunting, Clover adjusts his hold on Qrow, putting one arm around his chest while draping Qrow's arm over his shoulders, all while trying to steady his shaking hands.
"Qrow," he says again, gently squeezing the man. "Can't drag you out by myself."
It seems to work, at least to some extent, as Qrow tries to get his feet underneath himself even though his gaze is still vacant. Clutching him tightly, Clover takes a few unsteady steps back, dragging Qrow with him. Even with James doing his best to take shots at the Apathy climbing the walls, Clover can see clawed hands reaching over the ledge where they are. Another ear-splitting screech nearly causes him to drop Qrow back onto the ground, his muscles growing lax. It is the feeling of Qrow slipping from his grasp that keeps his mind clear enough to tighten his hold and stumble into the wall to keep them both on their feet.
How can he hope to get Qrow out if he can barely walk?
A skeletal face appears over the edge, its mouth open as it groans.
Damn it.
He readjusts his hold on Qrow and backs away, each step slow and cautious.
A streak of white catches his eye, and he raises his head to watch Weiss slide to a stop on the highest path. With a swing of her sword, a giant glyph appears, and from it comes a massive glowing knight. It drops down onto the center of the gathered Apathy, crushing a few of them under its feet. Jaune follows shortly after, scrambling down the path. He follows it until he reaches a drop-off, then takes a few steps back and jumps. It is far too close for comfort; Jaune only just lands on the ledge where Clover and Qrow are.
Before the Apathy crawling towards them can scream, Jaune drives his sword through its head. The other creatures clinging to the ledge are knocked aside by the summoned knight.
Keeping himself firmly planted near the ledge, Jaune glances over her shoulder at Clover. "Weiss told Ruby what's going on," he says, "but we don't know how long it's gonna take her, so you should get him out of here."
Clover isn't quite sure how that's supposed to be reassuring, but he'll take what he can get. Right now he focuses on shifting Qrow's weight and pulls him down the tunnel. Hopefully they'll be okay handling the Apathy on their own.
Making their way through the winding tunnels is slow-going. Though Qrow stirs the further they go, it is Clover who keeps them both moving. He has heard his share of horror stories about the Apathy, but he never knew a person could be affected this badly by them in such a short amount of time. Dragging a barely conscious Qrow is bad enough without thinking of how much worse the situation could have been.
Had it taken them even a few more minutes to get there...
He pulls Qrow closer to him.
Sunlight pierces the darkness, illuminating the haze of the cave. The sight has Clover letting out a relieved sigh. For a while there he was starting to think he had gotten them both lost.
A blast of cold wind washes over them once they step outside. Clover has only a moment to appreciate the fresh air before Qrow bursts into movement.
A tremor runs through his entire body, and he jerks backwards with such strength that he nearly tears himself free of Clover's grip, his feet sliding uselessly against the frozen ground. Clover prepares to pull him back up when he notices Qrow tense his jaw, his eyes widening. He helps Qrow to the ground just in time for him to start heaving. Clover cringes, but keeps a tight hold on Qrow. The last thing the poor man needs is to fall into his own vomit.
Gradually the sound of gagging tapers off, coming to an end after far too long. Qrow remains near frozen once it stops, the only movement that of his shivering. Clover rubs circles on his back in an attempt to provide at least some comfort and tries his best to ignore the acrid smell below him. He isn't sure what he's more upset by: the fact that Qrow vomited or the fact there is very little there. A clear sign the man hasn't been eating near enough. Really, he is to blame for this, having ignored that nagging feeling for so long. Even if it meant another spat between him and Qrow, he should've refused to let Qrow come along.
That is a conversation he isn't looking forward to.
They sit there for quite some time, the wind the only sound filling the empty air, when a voice shouts, "Uncle Qrow!"
Ruby pops into existence in a burst of petals, sliding to a stop and dropping her knees at her uncle's side. Her hands reach out to him, hovering without touching.
"The Apathy?" Clover asks.
Something dark passes through her gaze. "Gone," she says, quiet.
Clover looks at her, eyebrow raised, but finds his attention drifting back to Qrow when the man finally moves. He swipes his sleeve across his mouth, nose wrinkled, and shakily climbs to his feet with Clover's help.
"M'fine, Rubes," Qrow mumbles.
Scowling, she stands up and points down. "No, you're not. You threw up!"
Qrow makes a face and kicks snow over the pile. "Been worse."
"Seriously?" she snaps, raising her voice. "After that, you're just gonna—" She cuts herself off with a growl, balling her hands into fists as she glares.
The expression on Qrow's face isn't quite apologetic, looking more resigned than anything, and he opens his mouth to speak. He thinks twice of it, snapping his mouth shut and looking away.
Anger brewing in her eyes, Ruby gets ready to yell at him, only to be cut off by the arrival of the others.
"Qrow," James says, his shoulders sagging. "Thank goodness you're alright."
The way Qrow tenses prompts Clover to place a hand on his shoulder. To his surprise, Qrow allows him to, eyeing him out of the corner of his eye. Any arguments can wait until they are out of the cold and away from this place.
"We should head back," Clover says. "I think we're all due for some rest after today."
"Agreed. Unless anyone has objections."
As if anyone would after what just transpired. Clover not-so-subtly ushers Qrow towards the transport he will be taking, wanting to keep an eye on the man. Whether or not Qrow notices is hard to say since he doesn't object. Or perhaps he's too tired to. Whatever the case may be, he lets Clover guide him. Team RWBY trails after them, though he isn't surprised by that, given the circumstances. Clover shoots a quick look at James and lets out a quiet breath when he moves to board the other transport. That is at least one fight avoided for the time being.
He waits until Qrow is seated to step away, settling down on the bench opposite to him.
"I was really hoping we'd never see those things again," Weiss says with a sigh.
Clover frowns. "You have experience with the Apathy?"
"Yeah, we—we ran into some back in Mistral," Ruby says. "It was pretty bad."
Yang folds her arms and leans back. "We had to hunker down at an old farm because of a snowstorm. Come morning, none of us want to do much of anything. Then a bunch of shit happened and we found out there was a whole pack of them crawling around underneath the place."
Horror floods through Clover.
"Me being there made it worse," Qrow mutters, and Ruby looks at him with sad eyes.
"That's not true."
Ignoring his niece's objection, Qrow spares a brief glance at Clover before dropping his gaze to the floor.
"The girls were in danger and I was fucking useless," he growls. "Too drunk to do anything. They had to drag me out of a burning building by force because I was too stuck in my head to notice what was going on. Just wanted to keep drinking even when Ruby was begging me to leave. All because I was pissed off about a tire popping."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Clover says softly. What else could he say?
Qrow shrugs. "It was bound to happen. Just my luck."
"Qrow..."
"Don't."
Knowing that it would be useless to push the matter, especially when Clover is lucky Qrow spoke to him at all, he lets his head fall back to the wall and closes his eyes.
It's going to be a long flight back.