Here we go.

Cover Art: Aristeo Storm

Chapter 74

Raven's team desperately wanted to be in the infirmary but she, as family, was the only one allowed. When she came out, they lunged to their feet. Qrow's team was there as well, and they were equally tense. All waiting on her to deliver them the news.

"Qrow is going to die."

Her team reacted with utter horror, Willow wailing, Summer sobbing, and Taiyang covering his face with both hands. Qrow's team sagged, Peter and Nessa looking shocked, while Gretchen's eyes began to water.

It took Raven a moment to realise the complete shock and grief and the reason behind it.

"I meant figuratively. He's fine right now, but I'm going to kill him for stressing me out when he recovers."

Summer's fist cracked into Raven's cheek.

"BITCH!" she howled. "DON'T TELL US HE'S DYING, THEN!"

Raven grunted and rubbed her jaw. She'd have hit back normally but she could admit (though she would not) that she deserved this one. "My bad. Didn't realise this was so much a misery party that you'd all jump to that conclusion."

Taiyang laughed hoarsely. "Raven, you literally came out the infirmary and told us he's dying. What were we meant to think? He'll be okay, then?"

"Doctor wants him to stay there for a few days in case anything crops up but he'll live. Chemical burns, stab wounds, cuts, low aura, glass in his back. The list of symptoms is as long as the list of questions I'll be dumping on him when he wakes up."

"You're not the only one," Willow said.

The Schnee didn't know the half of it. Ozpin had been there with questions for her that she obviously couldn't answer, the doctor had questions, and given the fact Qrow came back in clothing she'd never seen before, she imagined there'd be questions from even more people – maybe even the police.

Raven didn't believe for a second he'd been involved in anything illegal. Not because he couldn't or was too soft, but because he didn't need to be. Qrow had decent money thanks to his weapon commissions, and he'd always been dismissive of those who used their strength to prey on the weak. Raven might not understand it fully, but she understood he wouldn't say that, then turn around and do the opposite.

Qrow was a prick sometimes, but he wasn't a hypocrite.

"So, to be clear…" Nessa spoke up, and all eyes turned to her. "None of us have any idea what he's been up to? Like, no one here knows what that weird outfit means or where he went? You, Gretchen?"

"Me!?"

"I just mean you're his partner. He didn't confide anything in you?"

"No. Nothing!"

"Don't feel bad," Summer said. "He didn't confide in his best friends or his own sister either. Qrow has always been secretive. He likes to do things on his own. I don't think it means a lack of trust or that he doesn't like you. He's just…"

"A bastard," Willow said.

"Yes. Sometimes, he can be a real bastard."

It was bad if the two idiots crushing on him could say that. Not that Raven needed that as evidence things were fucked up. Qrow was hard as nails, so who was he fighting against that could reduce him to that state? And where would he get chemically burned? There were so many damn questions.

Then Ozpin left the infirmary and looked at them.

"No one knows." Raven pre-empted his question. "Before you start asking."

"Hm. Miss Branwen, your cheek…"

"Summer hit me."

The girl blushed when Ozpin looked over. "The first words out her mouth was that Qrow was dying! She deserved it!"

"You two." The man sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Miss Rose, violence is rarely the answer among friends. Miss Branwen, please be aware of the effect of your words on people – and the right time for humour. The rest of you. I assume Miss Branwen's words are true. Where did he tell you he would be tonight?"

Qrow's team looked between themselves. Peter answered. "Qrow often spends a good part of the night out training in the forest. It's a weekend. We figured he'd train late and sleep in. He often does."

"I see. I trust you'll keep an eye on him in the future."

"Of course!" Peter hesitated. "What will happen, sir? He's not going to be expelled, is he?"

"It's far too early to say anything like that. We don't know anything about where he was or what he was doing. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation for this." His tone said he didn't believe that. "Either way, I can't comment on something like this when he hasn't shared his side of the story. Congratulations on unlocking your Semblance, Miss Branwen."

"Huh…?"

Ozpin regarded her patiently. "Your Semblance. You opened a portal to your brother and saved his life, or so your teammates say."

"Oh. Shit, yeah."

It wasn't like she'd forgotten about it; she just had a lot more on her mind, like her brother's secrets, his wounds, and then the ache in her jaw because Summer punched her when she totally didn't deserve it. The whole Semblance shit could wait.

"Yeah, that's cool I guess. Not sure how it works."

"It takes time to understand the rules and limits of your Semblance. We have workshops for those who newly unlock them. I'll have the details sent to your school email. Get in touch if you're struggling. Now, I'm going to head back to my office and try to squeeze in an hour's sleep before the headmaster finds out about this and loses what little patience he has. A good night – or good day, I suppose – to you all."

Raven waited for him to leave before turning to her team. "So, breakfast?"

"Qrow was almost killed by someone, we have no idea who, and you want to eat!?"

Summer was as calm as ever.

Raven shrugged it off. "Not like any of us can sleep. And you're not allowed in. It's eat or spar."

No one was in the right mood for the latter. Oh, they craved violence, but that was precisely why it wasn't wise to train at that moment. They'd just end up hurting one another, and then they'd be in even more trouble. Summer and Willow grumbled and growled, while Taiyang just looked a little helpless. They did follow her, though. So did her brother's team.

I can't believe you're making me the one who has to take care of everyone, she thought. You'd better have a good explanation for this one, Qrow.

/-/

Well, I'd better come up with a good explanation for this one…

Qrow kept his eyes closed and his body still, relying on it being a weekend to keep the doctor distracted. He was in a bay with curtains drawn so it was fine so long as he didn't make any noise. He'd woken up minutes ago, to the sound of Ozpin leaving, and that was a lucky break and a half.

There probably wouldn't be any more of those.

So, Raven unlocked her Semblance and saved me from Salem's lapdog. That's a miracle and a half. Problem is, I'm stuck here with all the evidence of my little jaunt in Mountain Glenn, and half of it is tied to diplomatic issues between Atlas and a resident government spy agency. Fun, fun, fun. Will I be killed if I say too much? No one covered this.

The curtain opened. "I'm aware you're awake, Mr Branwen, but keep your eyes closed for now." The doctor sounded tense. "I've been contacted by some friends of yours with instructions."

Qrow couldn't believe his ears. "You're part of them too, doc…?"

"I'm not sure who they even are and I've a feeling it's safer for me if things stay that way. I was brought into a council meeting several years back and forced – against my oaths, mind you – to testify on a patient of mine." He was angry. Qrow gulped. "I'll trust you're not a threat to anyone here. If nothing else, it seems to be matters of state. Not my business."

"Right. Maybe it's best that way. What are the instructions, then?"

At least they weren't trying to cover their tracks by offing him.

"You engaged in a little vigilantism at the docks in Vale. A repeat of your last encounter with the Atlas containers. There, you came upon someone you believed to be up to no good and engaged them. A container was ruptured and exploded with chemicals, leading to your current condition."

"Uh. And if people look into that?"

"The docks have been closed due to a chemical spill."

"That they caused or…?"

"I wouldn't know, Mr Branwen. I'm just a doctor. You've also been told to be as forthcoming with information on the person you fought as possible. Give them anything and everything. Beacon's resources may prove useful in identifying them. Beyond that, you know nothing. Your clothing is simply a set you bought to hide your identity."

It was a bit slapdash as far as cover stories went, but they were probably in a bit of a rush. He wasn't sure how many hours it had been since Raven brought him here, but the spies wouldn't have been prepared for it. The fact they'd managed to come up with a way of contacting him and even a shitty cover story was a credit to them.

"I guess that's my story. Sorry to get you involved, doc."

"Hmph. Tell me one thing. Will this harm anyone in Beacon?"

"Other than me? Nah, it shouldn't. This is some dangerous criminal who we think has been trying to release Grimm in the city. This'll save lives."

"Very well. You're in a state but you'll recover. The burns will need to be treated and wrapped but aura will help you heal. You may have scars on your back from the glass, however. You rolled on them and drove them deeper into your body."

"Eh. Rather my back than my face."

"Hm. You are lucky to be alive, Mr Branwen."

Lucky, huh? It was hard to argue against that and yet he felt the need to. His Semblance was bad luck. In a way, Raven saving him hadn't been down to luck at all. Her Semblance was predetermined. It would have unlocked at one point or another, and she'd always been able to tell when people she bonded to were in trouble. Given he was one of the few people she legitimately cared about, it wasn't a big surprise her Semblance activated and pinged off him.

No luck had been involved in this. No good planning on his part, either. Just a set of events that played out in a predictable manner.

"I think I'm going to get some more sleep, doc."

"You do that. I'll have some lunch brought up for you later."

/-/

Ozpin came back for answers that afternoon. He brought Maria with him, and the older woman looked pretty pissed to be there. The glares she kept sending at Qrow made it clear who she was upset with.

It wasn't lost on him that the agency's instructions were basically to throw himself under the bus. By saying he'd gone to the docks, he was taking all the blame on himself. But he knew Ozpin. Knew what made the man tick.

It wasn't manipulation if the information was pertinent, was it?

Maybe it still was, but Ozpin needed to know.

"Something about the guy stuck in my head," he told them, bulling over their questions why he went to the docks. He needed them distracted. Needed them to not report him to Atlas. "He thought I was working for you of all people."

Ozpin leaned back, visibly stunned. "Me?"

"Yeah. Sounded crazy to me as well. I mean, you're just a teacher. I study under you but I don't work for you. But he was insistent. Kept talking about how I was one of your pawns, and how you were interfering in the Queen's business." Ozpin tensed. Qrow pretended he hadn't seen it. "I tried to tell him otherwise but he wouldn't have it."

"What did he say? Exact words if you can!"

It had actually been Qrow who brought Salem up to the faunus first so the exact words wouldn't do. He needed to be careful.

"It's all a bit of a mess in my head so I might not have the exact words, but he said something about a Queen. Not sure if that's a name or a title. He also mentioned a good doctor but I've no idea who that is. Unless the queen is also a doctor."

Breadcrumbs. He had to give Ozpin a trail to follow, but not one so blatant that Qrow would be implicated by knowing. It probably wouldn't take long for Ozpin to track this to Merlot, especially not once the man's death was reported. The main thing was that the crumbs led away from Qrow himself. At least until Ozpin trusted him enough to welcome him into his inner circle.

"He mentioned something about gifts and you interfering in them. Uh. Something about a big event. He kept referring to himself in the third person. Lappy thinks this and Lappy doesn't like masks and stuff. It's hard to recall his words since he kept dropping his own name."

"If it's his real name at all," Maria pointed out. "Might be he was dropping a fake one to throw you off."

That was a fair point. Qrow had made the connection between Lappy and lapdog as a mocking jibe in his own head, framing the huntsman as Salem's pet – but what if that was literal? What if the faunus had renamed himself Lappy specifically because he wanted to be seen as her loyal hound? A person had to be a certain level of crazy to follow Salem.

"Yeah, I'm not sure. I was just taking a look around – wanted to make sure Atlas weren't pulling any more shit."

Ozpin frowned at him. "And if they were?"

"Video it and expose them." The answer had Ozpin and Maria relaxing a little bit. "But then that psychopath came out of nowhere and attacked me. I genuinely assumed he was Atlas for a bit, but he was way too crazy for that."

"Then you were attacked first?"

"Yes."

"And the chemical burns?"

"He completely outclassed me. Completely." Qrow didn't have to fake his frustration. "I was just a toy he was playing with. The only thing I could think to do was lure him into hitting something. There was a container marked as hazardous. I blocked the sign with my body and got him to hit at it. Chemistry took care of the rest."

Hopefully, the "evidence" cooked up on the docks was convincing of that. He had no idea how much or how little they'd got done in time. Maybe they hadn't done anything and had just sealed the docks off. They might actually wait for the doctor to report what his story was before making up the evidence. That'd be the best hope.

"I needn't tell you this was reckless," Ozpin said. "Going alone almost cost you your life."

"It was in Vale! I figured I'd be safe."

Ozpin hummed. He was already distracted, already lost in his thoughts and no longer focusing on Qrow. That was good. "Tell me. Did he mention the huntress you and Maria fought?"

"The one with the teeth? No. I don't think so." The one Ozpin suspected of working for Salem. "Wait. Are you saying he assumed I was working for you because I stepped in and helped Maria deal with her?"

"It's possible. You're also Maria's apprentice and she works for me. They – he – may have simply made the obvious assumption. I apologise for that, Mr Branwen. I didn't think the decision would place you in any danger."

"It's cool. So, am I in trouble? Am I being expelled?"

"Self-defence is not a crime. As long as nothing else comes to light, and as long as you haven't lied to me, I see no reason to punish you."

"You may not. What about the headmaster?"

Ozpin frowned. "You won't have to worry about that. Maria, a word. I think we should look into this Lappy character. Make sure there are no further attempts on your students' life. Get some rest, Mr Branwen. And do take this as a lesson to not travel alone late at night."

The two of them departed in a hurry to have one of their secret meetings. Qrow missed being involved. Laying back with a sigh, he could at least feel confident he'd distracted Ozpin away from wondering what he'd been up to. The old man wouldn't have forgotten – and he'd probably be monitored – but Salem's agents operating in Vale was much too important an issue to waste time dealing with an unruly student.

I wonder what news will come out of Mountain Glenn. Has Atlas admitted the deaths of Merlot at their facility? Will they? It's more likely they'll cover it up and quietly close it down. There's no reason for them to admit to anything.

As much as his arms ached, he was able to reach for his scroll and access the days' news. It was afternoon, a good twelve hours at least since he'd been in Mountain Glenn. That was time enough for news to get rolling.

The commotion at the facility had been noticed. Gunshots hadn't been heard but the alarm had been – as had been the quick response of Atlas personnel rushing back to the facility. They'd released an official story claiming that a researcher had accidentally tripped an alarm which led to a recall of all staff, and that there was no danger. A few sites were already suggesting the White Fang might have had a hand in it. Bastards.

It wouldn't surprise him if Atlas pushed that narrative.

No mention of Merlot, however. The man was assuredly dead. Qrow had made sure of that. He might have to wait for a chance to speak to Oobleck to find out what was really going on in there. With any luck, the death of Merlot would mean no more Grimm nonsense in Mountain Glenn.

That won't save the city entirely, not now I know Salem is involved. Lappy and the one that attacked Maria – Tock, or whatever she was called. It's connected. Salem is making a push to destroy Mountain Glenn. I've screwed up her first plan but she won't be warded off that easily.

But Ozpin knew about it now. He was alerted, and he'd be ready. There was no one on Remnant with more experience dealing with Salem than him.

/-/

"I'm not 100% convinced on his story," said Maria.

"It doesn't matter if we are or are not," Ozpin replied. "Mr Branwen could not have known of Salem. The fact that one of her agents mistook him for one of mine is proof enough she's active. The attack on you was no accident, either. Tock was sent to kill you and deprive me of your services, likely so that this Lappy could operate in Vale undetected."

Maria Calavera crossed her arms and hummed. While she didn't disagree with Ozpin's focus, she was still concerned about the boy. He was too capable, too cunning, and too vicious by half. If he hadn't saved her life and killed one of Salem's agents in the process, she'd have suspected him of being a double agent.

But one of Salem's agents would never save a silver-eyed warrior like her.

"Do you think Atlas is working with Salem?"

"Not knowingly," he said. "Or it will be one individual within their organisation if they are. It's far more likely Salem sought to take advantage of Atlas' indiscretion in the city. We had wondered how Atlas was able to transport Grimm into Vale and through to Mountain Glenn. It may be that she had them act docile on purpose. If that's the case then it's another reason they may assume Mr Branwen is an asset of mine. He interfered with the shipment, and I've made a point of defending him in public over it. Salem may have assumed that's because I ordered him to do it."

"And is he an asset? You wouldn't ask me to train just anyone."

Ozpin smiled. "I have hoped he could be. He's competent, intelligent, and he has no connections other than his sister left in the world."

"Do you have to make it sound so manipulative?"

"It is what it is. The lack of connections is an advantage, even if it's not one I'd wish on someone his age. He's happy, if nothing else. He stands up for faunus. Hardly behaviour expected of one of Salem's flock."

"I've a feeling him and his sister will come as a package deal."

"Yes. Miss Branwen lacks in discipline but not in skill – and her new Semblance is very exciting. A logistical-type Semblance. Those are rare. The ability to open a portal could be invaluable, especially if it's range can extend further than here to the docks. We'll have to see how that develops. If she can travel across continents then she may have the most versatile Semblance of this age!"

"And the most illegal. Girl could bankrupt the travel industry. Or become the world's most accomplished smuggler."

Ozpin chuckled. "Let's keep her happy here in Beacon, then. But onto more immediate matters; this Lappy should be suffering from injuries. Qrow mentioned half his face having melted off. Look into it. Someone like that will be noticeable. I want him found."

"The boy said he mentioned a doctor. Might be someone he plans to go to for healing. Someone on the less legal side."

"I have contacts among the criminals in the city." The admission didn't surprise Maria at all. "I'll put some feelers out. I need you out and about."

"And the docks?"

"It's closed off for now but I'll request any evidence be forwarded to me. I'll call in some favours," he added. "Salem is active and I think we can both guess what it is she wants – especially with Grimm having been smuggled to Mountain Glenn."

"What about the Atlas facility?"

"I'm being stonewalled as usual. The headmaster is on my case as well. If I so much as sniff in their direction, it's likely I'll be put on administrative leave."

Maria scowled. "Isn't it about time he goes?"

"Yes," Ozpin agreed. "It's past time the headmaster retired. The other teachers and I will be putting in a motion of no confidence on Monday. With any luck, he'll retire before the end of the week to avoid a scandal."

Maria nodded and left the office.

A lot about the kid still wasn't adding up, making her all kinds of suspicious, but Ozpin wasn't wrong to say they had bigger things on their plates. Salem was active in the city, and that meant everything else was a lesser priority.

For now, kid. I'll be keeping an eye on you after this one...

Next Chapter: 19th April

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