Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“We’re getting close.” Weiss announced from the cockpit. Everyone in RWBY and JNOR sat up straight, carefully looking out of the airship’s windows. Before them, among the ghoulish purple landscape, Evernight came into view. 

Ren let out a steadying breath, and stayed focused on cloaking their ship. Grimm were everywhere in this land, even with Salem and most of her followers away. They were counting on finding the last relic at Beacon, leaving Evernight almost entirely unguarded. 

The Teams hated leaving Beacon to fend for itself, but at least it was still abandoned. Penny and Oscar agreed to stand ground at Beacon to keep Salem from being suspicious. And if it comes to it, they’ll let Salem and her followers look in the wrong place. This was their only chance to gain the upper hand. 

If their plan works, and RWBY/JNOR are able to find the Lamp and Sword within Salem’s castle, their ambush at Beacon might actually end in victory. 

Ruby gripped Crescent Rose tight in her hands as she laid eyes on Evernight. “Everyone get ready.” She told the others, all grabbing their weapons. “There might be something in there we don’t know about.” 

“We’re able to handle anything, Ruby.” She felt Yang’s hand on her shoulder with a comforting smile on her face. Flames, the display of Raven’s maiden powers now flowing through her, flickered from her eyes. “This will work.” 

Ruby tried to smile back, and forced it to look sincere. She had to believe that, that this wouldn’t be anything like how Atlas and Beacon fell. They weren’t on the defense anymore, and in the years passed, they trained. Their powers, semblances, and fighting ability, they had all grown so much. 

“And if anything is in there,” Nora said. “We have so many secret weapons, we’ll beat them by surprise alone.” 

“Right.” Jaune agreed and stood, holding his fist out. “My aura siphoning can at least bring whoever’s in there down to our level.” 

“And if it’s Grimm,” Weiss calls from the cockpit again, a smirk on her lips. “My time dilation is enough to give you a few seconds and activate your silver eyes.” 

Ruby’s smile came naturally now, she looked between each of her teammates. Her family. They planned for this, and are actually ready. No matter what, they’d stand together. “Okay,” she rested her hand over Yang’s, and gave a firm nod. “Let’s do this.” 

The airship glided smoothly to the base of the castle. It looked like a landing pad of sorts, and with Ren still hiding their ship from the wandering Grimm, they decided it was as good a place as any to land. As planned, there were no guards. No security by the doors, or seemingly anywhere. Salem’s main defense was secrecy, and the hoards of Grimm surrounding the castle that anyone - who didn’t have their very own Lie Ren - would perish to try and cross. 

As they all filed out of the ship, Nora cleared her throat. “Would now be a bad time to say this feels a bit too eas-”

“Yes.” Jaune and Ren said in unison. She frowned. Ruby saw Weiss beside her shake her head, and tried to keep a smile. 

As they entered the castle, it quickly fell from her lips. There was a kind of hum in the air, Ruby wasn’t sure if she just heard it or felt it around them - some kind of dark aura. She kept her grip tight on her weapon as they walked through the entrance hall. The castle’s halls were all tall ceilings, the pillars carved with intricate, sharp edges. Their steps echoed through the gothic halls.

The entrance hall branches out to a grand staircase, to both a lower and upper floor. Two hallways flanked their left and right. They knew they were going in blind when it came to the layout of the castle, but Ruby already felt her nerves peaking. They really had no idea where to start, and this was only their first choice. 

Blake was the first to speak. “Maybe they hid them down in a dungeon? Maximum security?” 

Yang shrugged. “That’s how it is in video games, right? All the good stuff is in the dungeons?” 

Jaune stepped up to be at Ruby’s side. “We gotta start somewhere.” 

The stairs led to another hall, though the castle walls gave way to a natural cave. The purple rock seemed to glow, and the ominous feeling Ruby felt in the air thickened. Each step they took down made her throat tighten, she wanted to ask Ren to start cloaking them again. Ruby just set her jaw, and forced herself to focus on the walls lining the long, darkening hall. Half circles were cut into the rock, crude metal bars surrounding them. 

Weiss covered her mouth with her fist. “They look like cells,” 

A howl sounded, echoing through the cave’s hall. More followed, an amalgamation of alerts from barking to screeches. Ruby gasped as pairs of red eyes glowed from behind the bars, stalking closer. Metal clanged with the sounds of scraping claws. “Ren!” 

She saw the shimmer of pink aura, and suddenly colors seemed muted. No one had moved a inch, the noise from the Grimm stopped within an instant. The cave was silent, the Grimm suddenly still as if they were frozen. It lasted a moment, then they relaxed, moving ambiantly within their cells.

“What,” Nora’s shaky voice filled the silence, pointing to the nearest half circle in the rock. “What even are those?” 

A beast of a Grimm paced behind the bars, its body a mass of black ickor and bones. Its head looked similar to a Beowolf, with four extra sets of eyes randomly across its snout and skull. A mix of human looking black arms, mammalian paws, and slimy tendrils served as legs bursting from its body. What looked like a fish tail slapped against the ground from its backside. More monstrosities lied within each cell, lining the wall all down the cave tunnel.  

Experiments . Ruby felt bile rise in her throat, and felt Weiss grip her wrist. “We need to go.” 

“No,” she shook her head, steeling herself. “What if the Relics are down here? At the end of the hall or something?”

“Are you sure it ends?” Ren asked. 

Ruby turned to face her team. Weiss looked about as sick as she felt, Yang and Blake were tense and on guard, Jaune watching their backs. Nora kept a hand on Ren’s shoulder. It’ll take a lot out of him if this goes on for longer than we think. “Okay,” she sighed. “I’ll speed ahead, see if there’s something on the other side.”

Yang frowned. “You shouldn’t go alone.” 

“Start looking upstairs, to the west, and I’ll meet you there. I won’t even come out of Petal Burst, okay?” She held up a hand, but she didn’t leave room for argument. Yang clenched her jaw. “I promise.” 

No one wanted to move, but eventually, Jaune sighed. “Just be careful.” 

Ruby gave him a nod, and before the intense want to stay with them overwhelmed for her, morphed into Petal Burst. It was an odd feeling to really describe - but she always felt weightless, fluid through the air. Less like running, and more like gliding. Free, more than anything else.

Now, it felt like a shield. Her speed didn’t let Ruby actually look into any of the cells, see whatever Salem was creating to torment humanity next. The cave did go far beyond what they could initially see. Cell after cell after cell, Ruby had to keep herself from falling into a sort of hypnosis among the dark purple haze and how fast she pushed her semblance.

The solid rock wall at the end of the tunnel came up fast. Ruby’s boots skidded for yards before stopping before the wall. She frowned at the sudden end, no grandeur, doors to other halls, or some recognizable mark to signal the end. Salem must have just...stopped. 

Ruby blew out a breath, at least that was that. The trip back would be a chore, but better than keeping her team waiting. A low growl sounded from the cell beside her, Ruby dashed off again before the ghostly tendrils from the creature could reach through the bar. 

When she caught up to the others, the hall was lit from several grand, stained glass windows high on the walls. “Find anything?” 

“Not really.” Nora deadpanned. “Besides a lot of windows.” 

“There are doors up here.” Jaune called, pointing to where the hall turned.

Ruby jogged up to him, seeing the short hall. Wooden and iron doors line the right side, with more windows on the left. “Okay,” she shrugged, reaching for the first door. They’ve already seen where Salem keeps her Grimm. Part of her wished for a bedroom, at least then they’d know there was some semblance of a home to this place. 

The door creaked open to show a simple, empty, stone room. Not even the odd purple rock like the Grimm dungeon, it looked more like concrete. Ruby frowned. 

Yang sighed from behind her. “It’s like this place is a doll house.” Ruby turned to see her shiver. “How does anyone live here?” 

“Oh, gods...Ruby! Ruby, come here!” 

 Ruby whipped her head around towards her partner’s voice. “Weiss? Did you-” Her question died in her throat at Weiss’ expression of horror towards whatever was in the room she stood at. With a flash of her semblance, Ruby was by her side. “What is it?” 

Weiss didn’t answer, only guided Ruby’s gaze through the door. It wasn’t a room, but a small hall that led to a cell. The light from the hall shined through the bars, Ruby had to squint to make out the form in the dark. 

It wasn’t a Grimm, like the horrors of the lower floor showed them, but a human. They sat on their knees. Black feathers were scattered across the floor. Their wrists were chained to a post above and behind them, and their head hung loosely to their chest. 

Ruby could make out wounds, new and old, on their skin. Tattered remains of clothes hung from one shoulder and their hips, at least offering decency. Adrenaline rushed through her, they hadn’t even thought of possible victims. They had planned for Grimm, monsters serving as security dogs, a hidden follower of Salem’s they would have to take down. Not people. Of course Salem would have prisoners. There could be more, maybe even Silver Eyed Warriors. 

“We have to get them back to the ship. There could be more people.” Ruby kept her voice steady. If they started panicking now, this whole castle could turn on them. Blake, Yang, and JNR were standing behind her now, taking in the scene.

She turned back to see Weiss suck in a breath, and compose herself. The rest of the team nodded too. It wasn’t part of the plan, but they couldn’t leave innocent people here. No matter what. 

Ruby turned back towards the cell, stepping into the room. Her boots made a scuffing sound on the concrete, and the prisoner behind the bars jerked. She stopped, rested Crescent Rose on the small of her back, and held out her hands. “Hey, you’re gonna be-”

The words died on her tongue as the other lifted their head, striking red eyes burning into Ruby’s. 

She gasped, and felt her blood freeze. It can’t be, her mind screamed at her. It can’t be him.

His face was battered, his ribs showed through his skin, and his hair hung down to his chin, but Ruby knew him. She thought of him the most when they held a memorial for Atlas’ fallen. Her throat went dry. 

He’s been here ?

Yang pushed past Weiss, voicing what Ruby couldn’t. “Qrow?” 

A shocked “what?” cracked from each of the rest of the team. Yang’s voice seemed to shake Ruby out of her shock. Her feet moved for her, morphing her into Petal Burst to slip right through the cell’s bars. Blood roared in her ears. Distantly, she heard Yang break the locked door open with a powerful kick and stood behind her. 

Ruby felt her heart racing, and her throat start to burn. She had only dreamt of seeing him again. They had searched the tundra for days after Atlas fell, far longer than they should have with Salem moving quickly towards Shade. All they knew was that Tyrian’s prisoner transport had gone down after Ironwood ordered Atlas’ retreat, but the debris from the city’s fall had covered the entire landscape for miles. When the teams found half-buried remains of an airship with only a blood-stained Harbinger, they knew they had to move on. 

We left him with them.

Now, Ruby’s hands were close to shaking, her mentor alive and breathing and here in front of her. Beaten and weak, for sure, but Ruby counted all four limbs and a relatively whole face - she’s counting this as a win no matter what. “Qrow? You’re, Uncle Qrow, it’s-”

“Ruby.” He finished for her. The familiar roughness she associated with his voice had turned more hoarse and quiet, lower than a whisper - but she still smiled. It almost felt natural now. Water burned her eyes. “Yang. You..How’re you-” 

“We’re here.” Yang stepped forward, kneeling next to Ruby. She held out a hand, pausing, before cupping his cheek. Qrow tensed, almost shaking, before closing his eyes. He leaned into the touch. 

Ruby let out a breath at the contact - she wasn’t seeing things. He was here. They would save him. We have to save him.

“Get him down.” She found her voice surprisingly even as she looked to Yang. Her sister swallowed, and grabbed the chains wrapped around the post. Weiss was suddenly at Ruby’s side, ready to take on Qrow’s weight with her. Blake was at Yang’s, an entire, silent conversation passes between them in an instant. 

“Wait, wait.” Qrow croaked, twisting his arms against the bonds with a grimace. 

Ruby didn’t want to entertain an argument. She wrapped an arm around his side. “We’re getting you out of here.”  

“No, it’s- ah!” He jerked with a gasp, as if something had hit him, and started twisting away again. "Stop!"

Yang dropped the chains like they were hot. Ruby felt her heart rate soar again. 

“What!”

“Ruby, it’s a Grimm.” Blake’s calm voice directed her panic away from Qrow’s pain. “The chains, look. They’re controlled by a Gheist.” 

Ruby followed her hand, pointed towards the top of the post. The ghoulish mask of the Grimm was resting at the center of a mass of chains. Its black smoke of a body lining every link, from Qrow’s wrists, down his arms and to his legs, and around the thick, heavy ring of metal around his neck. 

The others started planning. 

“It’s been feeding off his aura.”

“Gods, how long..”

“How do we get it off?”

“Can we attack it’s face?”

“We’ll have to lure it out or it’ll keep hurting him.”

“If it escapes it could attract others to us. Or set off a warning, or-” 

“Ruby,” Jaune’s voice cut over the rest, placing a hand on her shoulder. It jerked her gaze away from her Uncle. “We can get it out, can you use your eyes quick enough to stop it?” 

The thought paralyzed her, and with her blood pumping through her in anger and panic. Ruby opened her mouth to say no. “Okay,” came from her lips instead.

Below the fury of seeing her Uncle’s state, there was an astounding joy to see him at all. The desire to protect - what Maria had drilled into her head over and over in their training, was ready to burst from her eyes.  

Jaune gave an affirmative nod, and turned to Ren. In one leap, Storm Flower’s sickles were dug into the mask. A wretched scream from the Grimm filled the room, no one flinched away. Ruby kept her eyes firmly trained on the pale face being pulled from the chains. Beside her Weiss has Qrow’s head cradled in her shoulder, away from the sound and sight of the ghost. 

Ren thrust himself back, and the Gheist was yanked from its host. Ruby didn’t need to think twice to call on that protective feeling - the light from her eyes spilled into the room before it could even think to phase through the walls. The Gheist screeched once more, before fading away. 

Qrow slumped into Weiss and Ruby’s arms as the chains loosened. They fell down the post, landing in a snake-like spiral at their feet. He cried out in pain as his arms lowered.

“Easy,” Ruby gripped his shoulder, pushing him to lay on his back rather than his knees. Weiss mirrored her, taking as much weight as she could while they moved him, and rested his head in her lap. Ruby tried not to look at his left forearm, purple and swollen from a recent break. Wounds across his shoulders broke open at the movement, slowly bleeding fresh. “Yang, melt the cuffs off.” 

“Ruby,” Yang said softly from above her. “It’ll take too much time to get them off or else I’ll burn him.” 

“We need to get him out!” She snapped. All of her team tensed, even Nora standing guard in the doorway looked backed to her. Ruby sighed.

“Kid,” Qrow shakily reached towards her, Ruby took his hand in her own. It was too small, he was missing a finger. His words slurred together. “You need't get out...away from here.” 

Weiss shook her head. “Salem’s not here. They’re all looking for the Crown at Beacon. We came here for the other relics while we had the chance.” 

“No,” Qrow squeezed Ruby’s hand, trying to push himself up. “No, Hazel. I heard Hazel here.”

Everyone tensed. They had prepared to face a possible guard, even a tank like Reinhart, but it would be close. He knows how Jaune could take aura from people, and would probably be targeted first.

Blake took a breath, and asked softly. “When? How long ago?” 

“I,” Qrow frowned, mouth gaping. “I don’t know. It’s hard to- I don’t know.” 

“It’s okay. We can handle him.” Yang spoke up, Ruby nodded in agreement. They would manage - if they met him at all. She forced a smile down at Qrow. 

“Hey,” Jaune stepped forward, shifting Crocea Mors to it’s full form. “We gotta keep looking. We’re not leaving without you,” he promised, which made Ruby bite her lip. Jaune brought down his sword, hard, on the links nearest to the post to break them open. Pieces still hung from the shackles of Qrow’s wrists and neck, but they would at least be able to move him. “Do you know the layout at all? Did they take you anywhere, or say anything about the relics? Even to gloat?” 

“Jaune,” Weiss balked. “Now’s not the time for this.” 

“He told me.” Qrow spoke anyway. “He- I didn’t know what was true. I didn't see it, but he- Tyrian told me they got the relics. And Atlas fell, and you all were..your eyes, he had someone's...” his voice shook, and faded. Ruby reached to rest a hand on his shoulder. A comfort was ready at her lips, but he seemed to jerk back with them. “I don’t know where they are, but there’s a main hall above us. There’s a kinda meeting room, and one with a throne. They’re up there all the time. I think it’s...east, maybe. I don’t know. I don't know.” 

“That’s okay,” Weiss soothed. “It's more than we knew before.”

 “Okay,” Jaune took his eyes from the ceiling, as if he were trying to map out the floor above them. “I can heal him enough to get back to the ship, then we can-”

“Don’t.” Qrow rasped, shaking his head. He reached, before snapping his arm back. His whole body was shaking. Ruby frowned, looking down on him. “Don’t you dare waste that on me.” 

Ruby shook her head, but it was Blake who spoke up. “His semblance.”

Qrow swallowed thickly, eyes flicking between each of them. “Who knows what’ll happen. You kids are already pushing it.” 

Ruby felt like shouting how much she didn’t care, but just squeezed his hand. “You’re still hurt.” 

“I can make it back.” He promised, and Ruby hated that he was still comforting her, even now. 

There was no painless way to get Qrow on Yang’s back, but they slung his arms over her shoulders and she gripped his legs to bear his weight. The remains of his chains dragged behind them. Ruby led, not wanting to look at the disfigurements on his back between the tatters of clothes. Scars old and new, lumps and pocks. She had glanced at two black clumps of ickor against his shoulder blades, and decided they would have to deal with that later. 

The ship was still intact, out of reach of the Grimm. Inside, they dismantled the cushions, laying out a makeshift mattress on the ground to set him down. Ruby felt her stomach turn at every flinch and groan he made. 

She made herself swallow as they eased him down. “Just lay back, Uncle Qrow.” She kneeled to be beside him, and rested a hand on his forehead. “We’ll find the Relics and come back as quick as we can.” 

Ren cleared his throat, Ruby looked up. He had his hands folded in front of him, calm as ever. “I can block his pain.”

Ruby nodded, though the thought made her jittery again. Ren’s centralized Tranquility can completely numb a person’s mind, rather than just hide their emotions. It might as well make them a vegetable, so they save it for emergencies, or particularly frazzled civilians they rescue. 

“Someone should stay with you two, then.” 

“I will.” Blake stepped forward, Yang was soon behind her. Before she could open her mouth, Blake held up a hand. “If Hazel is here, you’ll need a maiden on your side.”

Yang winced, Ruby saw her eyes dart to Qrow. “Blake-”

“What did you say?” Qrow asked quietly, but every eye turned down to him. 

He doesn’t know. Ruby’s thoughts were too loud in her head. He doesn’t know about Raven at all.  

“Guys,” Jaune, waved his hands. The attention turned to him, but Ruby saw how Yang looked away. The pained look on her face. “I’m sorry, but we’ll do this when we get back, okay?” 

“Right,” Ren said, and Ruby forced herself to move to make room for him. He sat cross legged, holding Qrow’s temple gently. “This will feel strange, like a heavy sedative. I'll guide you into it, and the feeling lasts a few hours.” 

“We’ll be back before then.” Ruby promised, spinning Crescent Rose to its sniper form. She forced a smile, and ignored the thundering sound of her heart in her chest. “Don’t worry.” 

She heard Ren slowly release a breath, his pink aura shimmering from his hands. Ruby tore her eyes away, the rest of her team already waiting at the ramp of their ship. She gripped Crescent Rose, forced herself to think of her go-to Silver Eyes memory, and stepped out to lead them back into the castle.

Chapter Text

Entering Evernight for the second time was somehow worse than the first. 

The fear, and pure mystery of the place had allowed Weiss to focus on her aura coursing through her, the adrenaline pushing it outwards to protect her, and forward into the castle. This was their chance to really make a difference in this fight, she was ready to turn the tide and stop running. 

Now, the high ceilings and hazy lights filtered through the large windows, it felt like an inverted version of the Schnee Manor. Halls upon halls that one could get lost in, rooms that were built for show more than function - and prisoners. 

As bad as it was, Weiss was glad Qrow had been alone. She wasn’t sure if she could handle a ship full of hurt people. 

The thought made her shudder, glancing discreetly to Ruby. Her mouth was a hard line, grip tight on Crescent Rose. If they weren’t within the halls of a literal incarnate of evil, Weiss’ gaze would not have ever left their leader. The Grimm on the lower floors, the empty eeriness of the entire castle, and to find someone - anyone - in Qrow’s state could shake any of them up. Finding him after all this time… Ruby resorted to focusing on the mission, blocking everything else out to lead her team. 

Weiss didn’t blame her, losing Qrow the first time had been torment for all of them - wondering if they gave up too soon. Weiss had had to push past her own heartbreak when Ironwood stood against them - refusing to listen even when Salem was right at their doorstep - after he’d been her only ally in Atlas as a prisoner to her father. But Ruby, Weiss had to listen to her doubt herself.  

‘We should have known something was wrong when he didn’t meet with us.’ ‘We should have tried to look for him sooner.’ ‘There should have been more guards with Tyrian.’ The regrets she had confessed to Weiss on the way to Vacuo seemed endless.

She couldn’t let her go on like that. 

‘Ruby, you were not in charge of him.’   Weiss had snapped one day. They would mourn him, Ruby needed to mourn him - but not blame herself. ‘ I know you looked out for him when you could. But that was not your job. This isn’t you.’ 

It had taken a while for Ruby to actually believe her, but at some point the guilt must have subsided into something else - it was as if she didn’t change at all. The distraction of being in Vacuo, preparing for another inevitable bout with Salem, they found a new form of back to normal. They would do better, move on, and protect anyone they could. 

Now, finding him again? Weiss couldn’t imagine what was going through her leader's head. All those doubts may be bubbling up again, knowing that her Uncle had not, at least, been at rest.

Weiss adjusted her grip on Myrtenaster, and set a hand on Ruby’s arm. Their pace didn’t falter, but it did shake her from that lazer focus. “It’s okay.” 

She couldn’t say everything she wanted. Ruby was still a private person, despite her bubbliness, and would never want everyone to hear how she needed support. Not to mention they were climbing the staircase to what was probably Salem’s very own throne room. But Weiss knew her message came across - they would make it out of here, back to Qrow, and everyone would be okay. 

She saw the flash of understanding in Ruby’s eyes and the nod of her head. Weiss watched her force a smile and carry on. She sighed, they would have to deal with this - and everything else - later then. 

Despite the risk of Hazel being there, the team’s steps pounded up the staircase. They echoed down the halls, the upper floor was just as expansive as the lower ones. Everyone seemed to rather face Hazel head on than be halfway out with the Relics only to be ambushed.

“Qrow said a throne room was to the east?” Jaune jogged next to Ruby, looking between her and the rest of their team. “There?” 

Yang rolled her eyes, but nodded. “Where else could she revel in her success?”  

Qrow’s direction had been spot on, Weiss tried not to think of how that meant he was taken here often. The east corridor led to a grand doorway - a larger version of the empty rooms’ they found on the lower floors. Ruby stepped right up to its handle, but paused. 

Weiss watched her shoulders raise, and lower. She glanced at Yang, but she had her eyes on Ruby, too. She adjusted her hold on Crescent Rose, Weiss saw her hands were steady. She steeled herself, and waited for her leader’s charge. 

Ruby took one more breath, looked to each of her friends, and pushed her weight onto the door. 

It groaned as it opened, showing a wide, open room, nearly empty. Weiss was drawn to the tall, boney throne in the center, and the two Relics hanging like trophies on the wall behind it. 

And Hazel Rainhart sitting casually on the steps to the throne.

Weiss drew her saber, and heard everyone else’s weapons being readied around her. Hazel slowly looked up at them, and then sighed. As if it were a chore. Weiss watched his eyes look carefully at each one of them. “She thought you might come.” 

Beside her, Nora stood in front of Jaune to block Hazel from him. She spun her blaster into its hammer form. “Judging by your security, she didn’t think very hard.” 

“The Seers knew the second you stepped foot on these grounds.” Hazel just shrugged, and steadily stood to tower over them. Ruby shifted out of the corner of her eye. Weiss saw her open her mouth, but Hazel continued. “I was told to protect the Relics. What happens to Tyrian’s pet is his problem.” 

Weiss felt anger explode from her gut, out through her throat with a yell. She slashed Myrtenaster in an arc, a blast of fire swept towards Hazel. He just set his jaw, walking through the flames without a flinch - but Weiss was already striking again.

A straight line of ice spread across the floor, Yang cracking it with a punch. Steam filled the room, and everyone scattered. Even with their advanced moves, Freezerburn was their most reliable when it came to single, large enemies. It gave Weiss a tiny pang of satisfaction as they moved on the offensive. 

Weiss stayed with Yang, tag teaming her summons and Yang’s brute strength for a barrage that even Hazel had to focus to keep up with. Ruby darted around him with her speed, using Crescent Rose’s sniper from different vantages. Quickly, it became more of an annoyance than a real distraction. 

Both Nora and Jaune made sure to take shots at Hazel - though he was smart enough to knock Jaune away before he could get close enough to use his semblance. Nora gave a concerned yell, took one more swipe at Hazel, and ran to his side. 

Weiss couldn’t help her smirk.

She sent a swarm of baby Nevermores towards Hazel, forcing his attention back to her and away from Jaune. He swatted them away easily, and advanced. She dodged the first swing of his fist, used a glyph to shield her from the second, and let Yang jump before her to take the force of his third punch. She skidded backwards, and cocked her gauntlets. Yang fired explosive blasts, Weiss risked a glance to Jaune and Nora, sprinting to the back of the room. 

Jaune held out his shield and Nora jumped, planting her feet solidly on the metal. She was launched into the air, high enough to grab the Lamp from its perch, and tugged. It came loose with some effort - Weiss saw Hazel’s fist swing towards her just before she was sent sprawling across the room. 

She felt her aura flicker around her, but it held on. Distantly, she heard Ruby and Yang shout her name, and the familiar shots of Crescent Rose. 

From the back of the room, the Lamp dropped to the ground, filling the air with a metallic clang.

Hazel whipped around towards the sound, Nora and Jaune froze. Weiss saw a burst of red as Ruby weaved in and out between Hazel’s feet. His gaze dropped, and Weiss jerked back to action, rushing Hazel with Yang beside her. 

Yang's hair burst into flame, and she launched herself at his giant form. As her fist connected with his chest, Weiss stabbed Myrtenaster into the ground - a black gravity glyph forming around Hazel to keep him down. 

Jaune let out a yell, Weiss froze at the orange gleam in his hands - he raised the Sword of Destruction as he charged at Hazel. 

“Jaune!” 

“Stop!” Hazel boomed, loud enough that everyone listened. Jaune stood with his arms frozen above him, gripping the Sword tightly. Weiss quickly focused back on maintaining the gravity glyph, Ruby pressed the barrel of Crescent Rose to his temple. “Do you even know how that works, boy?” 

“The pointy end is the one that hurts.” Nora deadpanned, adjusting her grip on Magnhild. 

Hazel ignored her. “You want to destroy something with that, you’ll destroy yourself along with it.” 

Weiss flinched, and felt her grip on her sword falter. Hazel didn’t make a move to take advantage of the opening. She gritted her teeth, and Yang stepped up with her fist raised. “Why should we believe you?” 

“Even if you don’t, you won’t take the risk.” Hazel answered smoothly. 

Weiss felt her chest tighten. Ozpin had told them to avoid using the sword if they could, but Ozpin...there’s always more to what he says. 

“There’s no need to use any of those, things, on me.” Hazel continued, everyone tensed. Weiss furrowed her brow, trying to keep her glyph steady. “You can take them.” 

Silence washed over the room, Weiss could clearly here the ambient noise of her semblance. 

“What?” Jaune spat, ringing off the walls. “Why would you-” 

Hazel looked him dead in the eye. “Salem is Grimm, she wants the world to end. The ultimate act of destruction. That’s not my goal.” 

“Why?” Yang scoffed, but kept her fists ready. “Ozpin’ll be dead, just like you want.” 

“I want Huntsmen Academies gone.” Hazel whipped his head to her, reacting for the first time in anger. “I want him to stop feeding children to a killing machine. Everyone dead is the opposite of what I want.” 

Nora spun Magnhild in her hands. “I say let him act a fool, and have him deal with the consequences.” 

Hazel closed his eyes. Weiss frowned, if she didn’t know any better, she would have said he looked sad. “I will be punished for failure, but my goal will remain.”

Weiss looked between Ruby and Jaune, both staring holes into Hazel. She glanced at her Dust reserve, the black’s cylinder nearly empty. “Ruby,” she looked pointedly to her. 

She sighed, closed her eyes for a moment, and nodded. “Jaune, take the Relics.” 

“But if he-” 

“Yang can keep him down.” She turned to her sister. “Make it so he doesn’t follow us?” 

Yang just shrugged, rolling her shoulders. “It’ll be messy.” 

Let it. Weiss thought bitterly. With all that he’s let happen.  

“Do it.” Ruby ordered. 

Jaune and Nora hesitated for just a moment, each with a Relic in hand, before turning to jog out of the room. Weiss maintained her stance, keeping Hazel to the ground, as Yang’s eyes began to be lit with fire. 

Weiss would never get used to the pure, unfiltered power radiating off her friends when they used magic. It just felt...different. Something ancient.

Yang kneeled to the ground, touching the odd stone before pulling up her fist. The rock crackled and rumbled before being pulled from the ground, wrapping around Hazel’s arm, torso, and legs. Some parts looked tight, and others loose enough to wriggle but not gain freedom. Weiss couldn’t bring herself to care, the welded cuffs around Qrow's skin were burned into her mind. 

She let out a breath, her glyph dissolving into the air. Her aura felt drained after wielding such powerful Dust for so long, but she spun Myrtenaster’s chamber again. Cool blue poured over Hazel, ice forming around his body. “Just for safety.” She hummed. 

Ruby nodded, the smallest trace of a smile across her lips. As they turned to follow Jaune and Nora, Yang was outright grinning. They had done it, really done it. Weiss didn’t even let herself think of what else could go wrong. Ren could hide them on their way out, Jaune still had enough aura to recharge everyone, and Weiss was still their best pilot. 

Nothing would stop her from getting them out of here.

Chapter Text

Yang looked back at her, before they returned into the dangers of the castle, like she always would. Blake stood at the ship's ramp, and gave her a nod. They would see each other again, and they would both be fine. Yang nodded back, a thousand pleas and promises to be safe in her eyes, and turned away to follow Ruby. 

Blake watched until they disappeared into the gothic halls, then checked the area around the ship. The Grimm were still in the valley, mostly by the pools of black spotting the landscape. Blake couldn't see any easy route for them to reach their airship. 

Inside, Qrow's pained breaths filled the silence. Blake hadn't even noticed them before, only trying to process the shift in their mission. Ren's semblance could work wonders on the mind, but it was a delicate thing. "It's like coaxing someone to sleep," he had once told them. "But trying to not completely shut off their brain." 

Blake let him work, instead looking for the airship's medical kit. It had been used before - the ship wasn't exactly in top shape after so long - but she would make due with what was left. Better her than Yang, or Ruby. She was almost, almost, glad they were gone. They both were a bundle of nerves whenever Blake tried to patch someone up. 

After Yang at Beacon, and Sun in Menagerie, Blake never again wanted to feel helpless when someone was hurt. Aura was fickle, and they were so vulnerable without it. 

The kit still had a blanket, which Blake deemed clean enough, though she knew they must have used it before. She pulled it out and carried the rest of the kit to Qrow. 

Ren's light pink aura glowed around his temples, Blake cleared her throat to make him look. "Here," she showed him the thin, gray blanket before laying it softly over him. It reached from his abdomen to cover most of his feet - though they were a sickly color and Blake couldn't help but wonder if he even felt them. She'd work on cleaning his upper half first. Hopefully he would be numb enough that antiseptic wouldn't hurt - or make him panic. 

Blake didn't have much experience with full on prisoners, but the Faunus the White Fang would meet in outer Mistral's labor camps were always jumpy. Guarded, but also distant. Qrow had a similar look in his eyes, with the bloodshot and clotted, that made her stomach turn. 

She swallowed the feeling, and focused her ears to listen around the ship. No Grimm nearby . She blew out a breath, and softly laid a hand on Qrow's shoulder. "I'm going to try and patch some of your wounds. Clean and bandage them, that's all. It shouldn't hurt." 

She looked to Ren for confirmation. He just flicked his eyes to hers, and nodded slowly. "Hold off on his arm." He advised. 

Blake glanced across Qrow to his left forearm, swollen, purple and slanted slightly. His wrist was pushed painfully against the shackle. She sighed, the pain of setting a bone would break through any of Ren’s blocks.

Qrow dragged it limply from his chest, away from Blake. "Tyrian." He muttered. "Calls them 'going away presents'."

Blake's heart thudded hard against her chest. "I'm sorry." She told him quietly. Yang was always better at this. Weiss, and even Jaune were better at this. Yang used to tease her - she reads all these books, but rarely knows the right words. "It will never happen again." 

Qrow made a grunt, Blake took that as her time to get to work. There were wounds that opened on his shoulders when they first moved him, she started there. He didn't flinch at the cleaning pads, Ren's semblance must be taking effect for the pain. 

The grime on his skin came off as almost black with the antiseptic. Blake focused on scrubbing around the wounds, the layers that have built up on him. For the two, truly deep cuts she had access to, Blake used synthetic stitches. Though sparingly - the last thing they needed was to have none and the rest of her team come back bloody. She used bandages more liberally. 

More than once, she found a needle-like stinger embedded where his skin tried to heal around it. She made a point to toss them out of the ship, far away, before cleaning out the puss that followed.

Where his neck met his shoulder, stuck beneath the thick metal collar still welded shut, she pulled out a feather. Skinny, with its black plume nearly shredded. It left a small hole in his skin when she plucked it. Blake tried to school her frown. "Wings," Qrow rasped, making her jump. "He...he gave me wings...just, just, so, he could take them away.” 

His words came out slow, and half muttered. Blake had to play them back in her head to understand. She looked up to Ren, who did glance back this time. "I’m almost done.” He said quietly, and shook his head at Blake. 

Qrow must be lucid from Tranquility, she decided. Most people end up sleeping until it wears off. He didn't know what he was saying. There was no use trying to argue with him - that  what he said was impossible. “Okay, Qrow.”  

He didn't say anything else, Blake started a mental list of things they'll need when they get back to Patch. Scar treatment made the top. Every huntsman had them, but the mass of erratic patterns across Qrow was excessive, noticeable. He seemed to have more raised skin than not. 

When she reached down to his wrist, the thick metal cuffs still molded on, the skin red, angry and puffy around the metal, Blake took a moment to breathe. She listened around the ship again to check for Grimm, wiped her hands, and reminded herself that this was what she needed to do. Not just for Yang and Ruby's sake, but for Qrow himself. She didn't need to think about what happened to him or why, only how to help now. 

They hadn't been close, nowhere near like his nieces, but they had talked. That first day after the Battle for Haven, he'd welcomed her back. Told her that being back, coming back to face her team after she hurt them - it meant more than she knew.

And in Atlas, the few nights she still could not get to sleep, she had run into Qrow up at ungodly hours too. 

"Whatcha been reading, kid?" He had asked, and when she answered: "Go and read it then, get back to sleep. You don't want to hang out with an old man at four in the fucking morning." It had made her chuckle, at least, his brashness. 

Loyal , had always been her word for Qrow. Loyal to the niece he followed across a continent. Loyal to his team, which wasn't even a team anymore. Loyal to Ozpin, even when his lies were revealed and it brought out in Qrow what Yang called his worst side. 

Even loyal to Atlas - though he seemed to hate most aspects of it - they thought he died for it. While trying to support Yang, Blake couldn't help but feel heavy with remorse too. She had recognized that Qrow had been trying to change, to be and feel better - even if he had to fake it.

She did the same thing so many times over now. It had not been fair, for Qrow to die right when he claiming his life again.

But he did not, and Blake was left to wonder if she can do anything to ease chafing while the shackles were still on. 

She glanced up, and saw Qrow's eyes trained on her. He blinked sluggishly. "We'll get them off." She promised, and tried not to look at the band around his neck. 

"Yang." He croaked, and Blake blinked. She was about to tell him yes, Yang would get the cuffs off, but he spoke again. "Why'd you call her that?"  

"What do you mean?" She frowned, looking to Ren. His eyes were closed in concentration, Blake let him be. What had she called- 

Maiden.

The realization made her heart sink, she hadn't even thought about Qrow in that moment. It was the one thing that she knew would make Yang go. 

"It's.." she sighed. "When Atlas.." Again, lost for words. How could she tell him his sister was dead? That she had lied to him, and now Yang had an even bigger target on her back?  

Everything in Atlas happened so fast - Blake's memories blurred together at some points. But Raven returning, with Yang and Ruby's dad, suddenly ready to fight? They found it hard to believe until Raven was actually by their side, full power on display. 

It cost her though, and Blake remembered even clearer how Yang just pushed through the Battle. Days later she came to Blake, like it all just hit her. Atlas was gone. Her Uncle was gone. Her mother was trying to do right - only to have left again, for good. And passed an unimaginable burden onto her daughter. 

 Qrow hadn’t looked away, besides to slowly blink. Though, Blake doubted she could get out of answering him. 

“So much has happened.” She gripped her arm, that nauseous feeling rising in her stomach again. “When Salem arrived in Atlas, Raven used her portal to Yang to help us. Her dad - Taiyang - he came too. Raven said - well, she showed us that she was the Spring Maiden. We tried to stop Salem, but she had this army, and this huge Grimm. The vault for the relic wasn’t opened, but she destroyed Atlas by breaking it apart. Tyrian didn’t lie to you about that.”

Qrow frowned, creasing his brow, but said nothing. Ren moved his hands from his head, the pink aura fading back into his skin. He nodded to her, encouraging. Blake took a deep breath. Quick and clear is probably best. She thought. At least to make him understand.

“Raven died helping us.” She kept her voice steady. “She was protecting Yang. The power transferred to her.” 

For a while, Qrow didn’t move - or react at all. Blake tried to will herself to say it again, or ask if he heard her, until his eyes drifted down. "Rae, she," Blake saw him swallow thickly. His voice was soft. “Okay.” 

“I’m so sorry.” She said, before her ears twitched. They swiveled towards the sounds coming from outside. Her heart sped up. “I think the others are back.” 

Ren was on his feet in a second, jogging to the ramp of the ship. “They’re coming! They have them!” 

Blake felt her breath leave her, and pushed herself to her feet. Later, when the odd mix of fear or relief faded, she’d feel bad about leaving Qrow alone, but she was pulled away - she had to know if everyone else was alright. She relaxed slightly at the sight of Jaune and Nora hurrying out of the castle, a Relic in each hand. The soft blue glow of the Lamp with Nora stood out sharply against the harsh orange of the Sword.

“Where’s-”

She couldn’t get the question out before the rest of her team was in sight, trailing closely behind. A bit roughed up from a fight, but whole and uninjured as far as Blake could tell. 

Yang smiled lopsided at her, and Blake felt the threatening burn of tears in her eyes. Like the fear caught up to her - the realization she let her partner go. 

They wrapped arms around each other, touching foreheads. Blake felt the heat from her gauntlets, and wished they could hide away. 

Instead they pulled apart. The rest of RWBY filed quickly into the ship - Weiss to the cockpit, Ruby kneeling beside her uncle.  Ren and Nora embraced, quickly pulling Jaune into their hug.

Blake looked between all of them  “What happened?” 

Yang rested a hand on Blake’s arm. “Hazel was guarding the Relics.” 

Qrow jerked his head up, Ruby grabbed his shoulder. “But we’re fine.” She assured. Weiss was closing the ramp, the ship’s engine started to hum. “We’re leaving. We’re going home, Uncle Qrow.” 

“Yeah,” Jaune huffed, and dumped himself into a seat. The Sword rested between his legs, but he gripped his knees. “I can’t believe that worked.” 

“We’re not exactly in the clear yet!” Weiss called from the cockpit as the ship raised in the air. Blake risked a glance out the window, the noise would be attracting the Grimm from the ground. Who knew how many could become airborne. “Ren, I know you’ve done a lot already,”

“I can hide us.” He nodded, but looked to Jaune. A boost would make it so much easier, Blake knew, but they had to get out. 

Jaune hoisted himself up to sit next to Ren. “Right. Hazel said the Seers knew where we were - they could maybe even reach Salem.” 

“If she’s on her way..”

“We’ll be long gone.” Weiss cut off Nora’s concern. Ren’s shimmer of aura surrounded the ship as Weiss flicked switches on the controls, before gripping the yoke. They shot off quickly, Blake felt a weight leave her as Evernight started shrinking behind them. 

Yang must have noticed, she wrapped an arm around Blake’s waist. “We’re okay.” She whispered, and pressed a kiss to Blake’s temple. 

She squeezed their hands together. “Yeah. We are.” It felt good to say it out loud. It wasn’t over, but they finally had total victory. 

Blake looked down to Ruby, still watching Qrow carefully. He had sunk into sleep soon after they had come, but she still held his hand in her’s. She pulled Yang to sit next to their leader, wrapping Ruby between them with their arms linked. Yang hugged her for a moment, before turning to Qrow. The cuffs were still on, she gently took his hand from Ruby's, and her eyes lit aflame. Blake watched as she carefully pressed a heated finger against the metal. 

Ruby looked to Blake, her eyes shining. Her other hand stayed on Yang's shoulder in support. “Thank you.” 

The softness of her voice made Blake’s heart sink. She didn’t have to look to Yang to know she was feeling the same thing. “Of course,” she told her, hugging both of them close. “He’s safe now, and he’ll be fine.”

“Thanks to you.” Yang nudged her, and Blake saw a small smile cross Ruby’s lips. “Dad’ll be so happy.”

“Ecstatic.” Ruby agreed, and they all ignored her little sniffle. 

The strange rock of the land of darkness gave way to plains, then woods and the ocean. The air felt lighter the farther away they flew from Evernight. The blue and orange glow of the Relics became the only light within the ship as night fell. Nora switched with Weiss in the pilot’s seat, and she quickly molded into the pile Team RWBY created. They didn’t sleep, and didn’t say much either - but they had finally won. And managed to stay together.

Chapter Text

Qrow had started to stir awake when they were somewhere over the sea, conscious but still numb. Ruby was at attention within a second, making sure he knew he was safe. 

“We’re almost back to Patch.” Yang reached over to squeeze his shoulder. Qrow reached his good hand up to pat her as a response. She smiled, but felt a pain in her stomach. It might be better that he wasn’t talking, Yang didn’t think she could take his questions. 

She was sure he had some. Blake mentioned their half-conscious conversation, how Ren’s semblance seemed to lessen the blow. Half of Yang wanted to delay that conversation as long as she could, the other small, terrible part was glad to be on the other side for once - answering questions instead of asking them. 

As soon as they touched down, Weiss was chucking the chains far from the ship. Yang stayed at Qrow’s side, opposite of Ruby, and gave her a smile. They were finally home . 

In actuality, the team hadn’t been gone for more than a day, but it somehow felt like ages. The autumn sun was low in the sky by the time they arrived back on Patch. Their part of the island had become their unofficial base, the Xiao Long property had been transformed into a shoddy sort of camp. 

Their shed was expanded into an armory, their backyard a training ground. Sturdy, but temporary quarters were built - more like boxes for meetings. Other large tents were scattered into the woods: students from Vacuo and Atlas who wanted to fight, scraps of the Atlesian specialists who followed Winter and the Happy Huntresses, Headmaster Theodore, SSSN and a few teams from Haven.

CFVY, Glynda, Oscar and Penny, a handful of other teams who stayed at Beacon were still on the mainland, trying to slow Salem’s army of Grimm from completely destroying the city. But they still had little idea what they were up against. 

Until Oscar and Penny returned and they formed some sort of final plan - they just had to hold down this excuse for a fort, make sure the last Relic stayed hidden, and prepare. 

Their ship landing, untouched, started to draw a crowd, but Weiss dropping the chains silenced any oncoming questions. Yang saw her shoulders rise as she took a breath. “We got them. And, we need a med cot.” 

Always to the point . Yang shook her head, but smiled at Weiss’ curt nod. She left her to field the barrage of questions, clear out the crowd, and find Winter for a loose debrief. The Specialist couldn’t help but try and run this place like a military. 

Jaune cleared his throat, and nodded to Ren and Nora. “We’ll take the Relics, make sure they’re secure until we leave again.”

“Right, thank you.” Ruby sighed, looking to Qrow one more time before standing. A leader again. “Go with Weiss to talk to Winter. We can be ready to leave in the morning for Haven.” 

Yang sighed. The new headmaster in Mistral agreed that the Relics should be as far away from Vale as possible. Ozpin hadn’t ruled out using the Sword as a last defense, though no one knew if it would actually work against Salem. Without Jinn, the Lamp was just a liability to have so close to the others. It had to stay out of Salem’s hands. And Yang was the only one who could open the vault to seal it away.  

“You should stay here with Qrow.” Yang stood, and raised a hand before Ruby could object. Joanna of the Happy Huntresses had effectively taken up the role as their trusted, fully trained medic- which no one could argue she wasn’t perfect at - but leaving Qrow alone didn’t feel right. Making Ruby leave so soon didn’t feel right. “Winter would probably appreciate Weiss staying too. We’re taking the long way across Vacuo, but it will only be another few days.”

 Ruby started to nod, as Qrow cleared his throat. She ducked down again when he tried to push himself up, taking his arm over his shoulder so he could sit. “Don’t split up.” 

Blake shook her head. “We’re not, JNR and I will be with her, too.”  

A cot was wheeled into the ship, Joanna at the helm. Sun was at her side, looking between all of them. “Who’s hurt?” Jaune stepped aside to start out of the ship, revealing Qrow and Ruby on the ground. “Oh,” 

Joanna pushed past him, kneeling to help Ruby pull Qrow up. She had never minced words, this time Yang didn’t mind. They turned him slowly, his legs shaky at the slight weight they held, and Yang heard Blake gasp next to her. 

She was staring at his back, mouth agape. Yang followed her gaze to the black mass on his shoulder blades, ickor that stuck out like shards. Bits of white bones were visible through the gaps of black. “Wings,” 

“What?” 

Ruby hadn't heard their whispers. “Where’s our dad?” 

“In town,” Sun answered quietly. “More Vacuo students came in, he should be back soon.” 

“You probably flew right over him.”  Joanna said over her shoulder, inspecting the break in Qrow’s arm. “Do you have centralized pain?” 

“No,” Qrow grated. “Kid blissed me out. She got the rest.” 

He jerked his head at Blake, Joanna nodded approvingly. “We can take him to the house, if you all are comfortable.” Ruby nodded, Qrow grunted a yes.

Sun took it upon himself to clear the stragglers of the crowd, boisterously shooing them off with his staff and tail waving in the air. 

Yang rolled his eyes affectionately at him, following Ruby and Joanna with the bed. She paused on the porch when Blake stopped. “Hey,” she whispered, grabbing her hand. “You alright?” 

Blake blinked, and shook her head like she was waking herself up. “Yeah, it’s- Let’s get inside.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Blake was forcing confidence, Yang knew, but she pushed herself up on her toes to kiss her cheek. Yang smiled on instinct, and followed her.

The main house was still relatively private from the makeshift camp around them, which Yang appreciated more than ever. They all needed some food, and a rest. The very thought of the flight to Mistral made her want to groan. 

They ended up settling Qrow on the couch, finding a sweatshirt jacket and pants for him and starting a stew in the next room. Weiss returned from meeting with Winter, finding some suitable place with Jaune for the Relics for the time being. She helped Blake with dinner, a mostly-broth stew that Qrow could actually sip at.

Yang and Ruby sat with Qrow as Joanna checked the less-immediate injuries Blake could not, mostly internal, and found nothing currently damaging him. She would cast his wrist before it could start healing improperly, and suspected that one or more bones in his legs had already been misaligned. Qrow actually agreed, having already judged that by the pain experienced and how his foot stuck out at an angle. 

Yang kept her eyes on Ruby, listening intently. As if they could do anything about it. She didn’t voice that bitterness, though, it wasn’t the time. If it were, she’d probably be teasing her uncle on how he was cooperating at all, given his tendency to insist being the last person checked out by medical professionals. 

They sat in silence, sipping at their stews, while Joanna decided to write down what she wanted them to keep an eye on - rather than trusting any of the exhausted huntsmen to remember. Yang was certainly thankful, her mind kept wandering to what she needed to do before heading off again to Mistral. 

Blake’s ears swiveled and she perked up, breaking the silence. “I think your dad’s back.” 

Not a second later there were voices at the porch, a loud What? and Taiyang pushed open the door. “Girls?” 

Yang pushed herself off the couch, Blake behind her, and met him in the foyer. “Dad, we’re-”

He grabbed her shoulders, looking up and down as always. “Are you alright?” He turned to Blake and did the same. “I heard..” 

Yang felt her heart drop, Tai wouldn’t just take someone’s word. Not after his team had left over and over. “We found him.”  His throat bobbed, and he backed away. Yang nodded to the living room. She glanced at Blake to see a smile on her face. 

All of Tai’s breath left him as he laid eyes on his brother, struggling to be halfway off of the couch at the sound of his voice. “Shit,” Tai crossed the room within two steps, one hand gripping Qrow’s better arm and the other around the collar of his shirt. Tai yanked him up into a crushing hug, bearing his weight when Qrow tripped over his feet. “You, you - Oh, gods, Qrow,” 

He gave up whatever he was trying to say, instead holding Qrow close. Her cradled the back of his head, the other arm able to wrap almost completely across his back. Qrow buried his head into the crook of Tai’s neck, shaking again. He mumbled something Yang couldn’t hear, and sniffled. He said it again, and Tai huffed a tight laugh. 

“Don’t be, don’t you dare be sorry for anything, idiot. ” Tai shook him with a jerk. He pulled Qrow back just as quickly, a laugh that turned into a sob. “No one knew. You’re alive, gods, you’re-” 

Yang felt her own throat tighten, and looked down to her boots. In the heat of the moment, they didn’t have the chance for a proper reunion. Everyone wanted to finish the mission and get out of that place alive. Hearing the hitch in her father’s voice, and Ruby wiping a tear from her eye, Yang felt a tidal wave wash over her. 

 What’s she’s wanted to say since they found him rushed through her head again. If we hadn’t been fighting, Raven would have looked for you. She would’ve fought alongside you, even if you were mad - she knew she deserved it. Dad was so scared, he didn’t leave you. He trusted you, your skill - we didn’t want to leave. 

She bit her lip, quivering, and covered her mouth. Yang tried to take a breath, flinching when Blake’s fingers slid perfectly between her’s. She looked up to her, her eyes burning, and Blake gave her the smallest of smiles. Yang nodded, and wiped her eyes. 

“I hope he’s not angry.” Yang blurted when Patch came into view. She had been a bundle of nerves since they left Haven. Flying across Saunus to avoid Vale was necessary, but it took a lot of fuel and a lot of time. When she wasn’t sleeping from near exhaustion - Yang couldn’t turn her brain off. 

 Regrets started piling up inside her without permission - she started to understand how Ruby must feel. All her talk of everyone leaving, especially to Qrow, and what has she done? Left him for her dad to handle? Her little sister? In their ragtag defense’s excuse for a base camp?

“I know he understands.” Blake answered smoothly, and squeezed her hand. “It was a part of the mission. And you’re his niece.” 

Yang sighed. The simple touch cleared her mind, like blowing away fog. “You’re right.” 

Blake gripped her hand again. “It’s hard when it’s family.”

Their ship was slowly starting to touch down, Yang forced out a breath. Something about being home made her overthink, this had always been the place where she had to step up responsibility - even with Qrow. She just had to push past it, trust the people around her. 

Ruby and Weiss were waiting for them as the ramp opened, and they hugged despite it only being three days. “Anything out of the ordinary?” Weiss asked as she pulled away from Blake. 

“Besides a ridiculously long flight?” She rolled her eyes, flicking her ears. “Nothing. Dad has been talking with the new headmaster as part of the new White Fang’s initiative, and he feels that he’s trustworthy. The vault is sealed, no problem.”

“It helped that basically a legion of White Fang members went down with us to make sure nothing happened.” Yang added. Even if they were across the world, having allies was better than amazing. Haven was protected and no matter what happened in Vale, Salem was at least further from her goal. 

“As long as the Relic is safe.” Ruby said, relief clear in her voice. “It’s good to be together, and until Oscar comes back, we have time to prepare!” 

“Right,” Yang nudged her shoulder with a fist. “How’s Qrow?”

Ruby cleared her throat, and gripped her arm. Weiss spoke for her. Still a sensitive subject, then . Yang didn’t blame her. “He’s been staying in the house, mostly, with your dad. His aura returned last night, and Joanna thinks it’ll heal him slowly. But he can't walk very well. And his memory isn’t the greatest.” 

Yang shared a glance with Blake. “Which means?” 

“It’s just some, little things.” Ruby defended, but Yang felt her stomach drop. “Joanna doesn’t think it’ll last. But we’re writing stuff down for now. And Tyrian..”

“We know, it wasn’t easy.” Blake finished for her. With a breath, she tried to sound lighter. “Winter and Theodore are probably waiting to talk to us?” Yang felt warmth in her chest - Blake always denied it, but she seemed to always move them along when they needed it. 

Weiss took to it immediately, Yang was glad her sister at least shared a groan with her behind the Schnee’s back.

Weiss ended up sending her on a mission for coffee, and to "stop your leg from bouncing so much," during their meeting. She didn't mean to have left so eagerly, but she wasn't one with enough patience to try and tell Atlas specialists what to do. Especially with Headmaster Theodore seemingly rousing them up on purpose. The house was usually quiet - but Yang found Qrow in the kitchen instead. 

He was slumped in a chair, wearing one of her Dad's hoodies that Qrow might as well swim in, and cradled a mug close to his chest. She could see two of his fingers that cut at the knuckle. There were still red, angry marks on his neck, his hair was still long, and his arm was wrapped tightly in a cast, but he was healing. The welts on his face lessened to bruising, he was clean, his eyes clear, and being down here meant he had enough strength to get down the stairs. 

"Hey, Firecracker." He gave her a half smile. Yang felt her chest tighten - how long had it been since she heard that? And so naturally, she felt frozen with the feeling. "It's just coffee. Cold, but that's all."

Yang frowned. He held out the mug towards her, and she flushed. "No! That's not what I was thinking,"

"I wanted you to know." Qrow shrugged a shoulder - Yang didn't miss how he gritted his teeth at the movement. 

For once, she probably wouldn't have been upset if had spiked his own drink. It's not like she's been the most responsible person since Atlas. And even before. But the several times her or Ruby found Qrow passed out on the couch - or hell, the floor - when they were younger always made her cautious. Even when they were in Atlas, when Qrow was trying to stay clean, Yang couldn't help but keep her expectations low. 

After he went missing, all she thought was that she should have been more like Ruby. Supportive. Proud, at least. He was trying. All Raven had to do was show up and Yang wanted so badly to believe it was real. 

And that was ripped from her even quicker. 

"I'm glad you want to take care of yourself." Yang told him, and Qrow shifted in his chair. She could tell he was looking for the right thing to say, and knew how they both hated the feeling. She started the coffee maker instead. "I was gonna make a fresh pot, though. If you wanted any."

"Nah," Qrow tapped his mug. "I'm already making you my accomplice." 

Yang raised a brow, a twist of a smile on her lips. "What's that supposed to mean?" 

"You're busting me outta here." Qrow scoffed, but looked over his shoulder. "Your dad told me to stay while he handles something. I want to see the fucking sun." 

Yang wanted to see if he could remember what Tai had told him, but she couldn't help it. The joke was right there. She placed a hand on her cocked hip. "You're looking at it." 

He snorted. "Save it for your little pretty kitty. And don't think I didn't notice you two." 

Yang just shrugged, keeping the smirk on her face. She turned away to watch the coffee fill its pot and it quickly morphed into a real smile. Her chest ached with how much she missed this. With what Ruby told her, she didn’t expect this to feel so normal .

She poured the coffee into the portable pitcher, leaving one arm free to offer to Qrow. It felt as if he weighed less than the pitcher as he slung an arm around her shoulder, nearly trembling. She didn't mind their slow going to the back door. 

"Alright," Qrow scoffed, refusing to look at Yang. "This is the only time you can act like I'm old."

"Oh, I'm always going to call you old." He rolled his eyes at her, and took one step down from the back porch. Yang kept by his side, taking his weight. 

Their breath and heat of the pitcher curled into the cool air - autumn had crept into Patch slowly, but the sun was shining today despite the cold. Qrow sighed, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back. Yang felt herself smile, and looked onto the camp around them. 

People hurried from one tent or shoddy building to another, others headed to the training grounds: one on the other side of the house, another large area further into the woods. Some people glanced their way, Yang just jerked her head to keep them moving. 

Except for the lean woman making her way straight towards them, her hands folded behind her back and saber swinging in its sheath on her hip. Winter sighed and cocked her head, but not one piece of her short cropped hair moved from its place. "I was wondering what was taking so long." She nodded to the pitcher still in Yang's hand, then to Qrow. Her expression softened. "We're all glad you're here. It's good to see you again." 

"Wow," Qrow drawled dramatically, but Yang nudged him. He cleared his throat. “You got quite the setup.” 

He jerked his head, Winter shrugged. “It’s not exactly an army, though I suppose you were the one to tell us that wouldn’t work in the first place.” 

“No shit.” 

Yang could tell Winter was trying to school a scowl as she held out a hand, before turning to her. Yang passed off the pitcher of coffee. “Ruby wished for me to tell you that your team is training at sunset.” 

Yang barely got the “Thanks” from her lips before Winter was turning away, back into the camp. She lightly shoved her uncle. “You’re so mean to her.” 

He nearly stumbled off the step as he was laughing, but Yang tightly held onto him. “Come on, no one’s allowed to get all personal just because they missed me.” 

“Right.” Yang drawled. 

Qrow started reaching his foot down off the porch steps, she followed his lead and kept their arms linked. His limp became worse, but he didn't slow. She didn’t ask where they were going, considering nowadays Yang herself could get turned around in their own backyard, but Qrow led them into the woods. 

For a moment, she thought they were headed to Summer's Memorial. Tai had subtly guided people away from propping tents from the site, so the woods leading to the cliffside were empty. The grave markers untouched.

Qrow looked over his shoulder, and veered them off the path, straight to a different clearing beside the sharp drop off a cliff. 

“What exactly am I breaking you out to do?” Yang eyed the cliff suspiciously, and Qrow pulled away to stand wobblily on his own. “And am I gonna like it?” 

“Depends,” Qrow rolled his shoulders, not taking his eyes from the cliff. 

“...On?” 

He huffed, placing his hands on his knees, and shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. It’ll work, I remember.” 

“Qrow,” Yang’s mouth twisted to a frown, but before she could say anything else her uncle was gone, a small crow looking back at her. He twitched his wings once before spreading them to their full length, and cocked his head at her. “Yeah, okay.” Yang shook her head, putting a hand on her hip. “No offense, but you can barely walk, let alone- okay.” 

She sighed as Qrow ignored her, taking off with a jump. He flapped his wings shakily, but stayed off the ground, quickly gaining speed and height.

He had told them all, forever ago, that injuries don’t transfer between forms - it was mind over matter - but endurance was a different story. Pain was a different story.

Yang understood now more than ever. Magic was...strange. Not like aura, or fighting or even Dust, but it still took energy to use. Skill. 

Yang crossed her arms, watching him catch a breeze and spread his wings, gliding for a moment, before heading to the edge of the cliffside. 

She tried to swallow the panic - Qrow had to know what he was doing - but how long had it really been? He couldn’t be back to full strength after just a few days. Still, she knew the draw flying must have, the freedom it gave after so long. Far enough away, Yang could mistake him for a raven. Another pit settled in her stomach. 

She let him glide, watching him twist through the air. “Okay!” Yang called after a while, the crow twisting its head to look through his feet at her. “You’ve made your point!” 

He drifted for a moment more, the wind carrying him through the sky, before he circled back towards Yang. His wings shifted downward, letting gravity pull him towards the ground. Another flap of his wings slowed him somewhat, and Qrow shifted back to his human form. 

He stumbled one step, Yang was already sprinting towards Qrow as he landed hard on the grass on his hands and knees. He slid a foot further in the mud, cradling his head. 

“Are you okay?” She slid beside him, grabbing his shoulders.  

Qrow was shaking, his shoulders bouncing, and Yang felt panic rise in her chest before she realized that the bastard was laughing . “Yeah.” Qrow huffed, twisted to sit, then lay on his back. He spread his arms out, opening and closing his hands to tense the muscles in his arm. “Yeah, I’m good. I didn’t know- There was something about that place. I couldn’t change. And, never learned how to land that well anyway.” 

Yang scoffed, looking him up and down. “Well now I get why Dad’s been keeping you so close. The first thing you do is jump off a cliff.” 

“Not true.” He pointed a finger at her, before letting his arm fall to his chest. He was still breathing heavy. “But, kid. I don’t really want to be locked up in the house.” 

“You’re not-” Yang stopped herself, sighing. “He just wants to protect you." A cold breeze rushed over them, she stopped herself from wrapping her arms close to her chest. "We all thought we lost you.” 

“I know.”  Qrow waved her off, but stayed quiet for a moment. “He’s...I just thought he’d be angry.” 

“What?”

 She could have laughed, it seemed ridiculous. Tai had spent the long months thinking he was alone, the last of his team. If they hadn’t been forced to move on to Vacuo, and set up the base at Patch surrounded by friends - Yang wasn’t sure how her father would have ended up.

Qrow kept his eyes on the cliffside. “He didn’t let you see it, but, I really knew how to piss off your dad.” he sighed, and shrugged. “Tai just dealt with my shit, and of course I never said anything.” 

“You’re part of his team. It takes a lot to break that.” Yang told him, and kept her voice steady. A part of her figured that he probably had a lot of time to think about these things. “Everyone’s glad you’re here, Qrow.”

He blew out a breath, watching it curl upwards in the cold air. Yang sat back too, not minding the quiet. It had been forever since she’s been in the woods. She looked over the dropoff to the rest of the forest. The trees hadn’t changed to their full spectrum of red, orange, and yellow, despite the cold - but Yang doubted they would have to wait long. By the time they dropped for winter, Salem might even be gone. She could hope, anyway. 

 “Do you still think we can do it?” The question left her before Yang could think twice, but Qrow didn’t flinch.

“Maybe.” He sighed heavily, and Yang thought that might be all he would say.

It was probably stupid to ask , she thought, Not like Tyrian told him any of their grand plans.

“Though usually,” Qrow continued, making her look. “Salem wouldn’t fight us in the open. With all these people on our side, the Relics out of the vaults, you and…” His mouth twisted. 

“Penny?” 

“Yeah. She’s a good one. So,” he waved a hand. “You kids are the best chance we’ve had. Who knows.” 

Yang had to suppress a scoff, with all that in their favor and it was still just a maybe . She felt exhausted after knowing for barely two years - she couldn’t imagine doing this for lifetimes. 

Qrow added quietly, “I know I dragged you guys into this, but don’t think I can end with you. I’m sorry.” 

“Don’t be,” Yang frowned. Who knows how long it would have taken her to bounce back after Beacon if she didn't want to go after Ruby? Haven might even had fallen, if they weren't there with Qrow. Raven might have actually killed him, and the Haven Relic...nothing would have been for the better. She looked back towards the house, then stood to offer him a hand. “Dad might be freaking out, but can I show you something before we go back?” 

Qrow eyed her suspiciously, but accepted her help to stand. She started leading them back to the path. A new, dirt line veered off before reaching the private memorial - Yang wasn’t sure when they would remove Qrow’s stone between Raven and Summer’s - that was forged by Vacuo and a handful of Atlas students shortly after arriving. Qrow didn’t ask, even when they arrived at the monolith. 

A jagged piece of stone was centered in the clearing, hooks jutted out from all sides - weapons were hung from every one. Swords, axes, spears, guns, everything. They spilled from the stone to the surrounding grass, circling the memorial around and around. There was a plaque at the entrance to the clearing, Yang had heard debate over what to write on it. It has been between writing “ Remember the Fallen ” and “ Remember What She's Done ” from students who had been more or less still looking for revenge. They left it with just Remember .

Yang walked past the plaque, and nodded towards the peak of the monolith. Qrow followed her gaze, taking a breath at Harbinger.

It's sword form stuck out from the stone, hilt up, right beside Omen. The angle made it look as if the swords were embedded into the rock. 

They stayed quiet, just for a moment, before Yang pointed her thumb towards his sword. "I can get it down. If you..”

“Nah,” with how intense his gaze was, Yang blinked at his light tone. “I thought it was still in the tundra, or, I don’t know. I’d rather it be up there than gathering dust in your dad’s house.” 

She furrowed her brow, waiting until he looked back at her. She almost scoffed at his smile.
“C’mon, it’s not like you’ll never use it again.” 

Qrow just shrugged, and looked to his feet. “Well, I, kind of spent a lot of time betting on you guys to do it without me, and, you’ve done really good so far. I was thinkin’ - if I can make a bet with you - by the time I am ready to use it again, it’ll all be over. I won’t need it.” 

He leaned against her as a nudge. “I do want to be done with this.” She sighed after a moment, and forced a grin. “But I don’t think you’ll be let off that easy.” 

“‘Course.” Qrow rolled his eyes. “Spend all this time trying to stop the end of the world and still have to clean up the mess.” 

“You’ll want to. I’d bet a million lien you couldn’t stay retired for more than two months.” They laughed, and even among the weapons, it felt right to her. Yang watched his eyes look back to Harbinger, the slight fall of his smile. “But, when you want it, it’s here.” 

“Thanks, Firecracker.” Qrow blew out a breath, took one more look at the monument, before turning back to her. He nodded, Yang mirrored him. 

They turned back towards the house. It was slow going, and he leaned a bit heavier on her, but neither of them mentioned it. The closer they got back to the house, the louder the noise, and only then Yang realized the quiet of the woods. How much more complicated everything was than “get it done.” 

Though with all the surprises they’ve faced in the last few years, she was starting to really think they can handle anything.

Chapter Text

“You could’ve at least told someone where you were going.” Taiyang had tried to stay casual; not like he had been worried out of his mind when he came back to an empty house. Not like he had to ask four groups of people if they had seen where Qrow went before finally getting an answer. 

“Yang was with me. You would’ve stopped me.” Not that Qrow made it easy. “It was just a walk.” 

 “I know,” Tai sighed, and sat heavily next to him on the back step. 

He had been told, several times, that he can be overprotective - but it was just a natural impulse. For over a year, the girls had been leading this fight while he tried to push past losing the last of his team all at once. For letting them die without him even there. 

When Sun had told him team RWBY had returned with Qrow, his mind immediately thought just his body , and was happy. He could at least bury the bones next to Raven’s, give them an amount of peace.  

But they meant Qrow, alive, and an awful mix of regret and fear and joy at seeing him again outweighed anything else. He wouldn't let Qrow think he had been abandoned, and he wouldn't ever let him be hurt like that again. 

Even if that meant feeling the same terror he had as a younger man of oh gods where is Qrow what did he do . Now added with what in the world happened to you. 

The days Qrow's been home, Taiyang hadn't left his side. Help him wash the grime away and use one of the few IVs to start supplying his body nutrients. Qrow fell in and out of consciousness. Ruby, Weiss, and JNR had taken turns watching as well. There would be some confusion, and they answered his questions, the same ones over and over that they quickly realized was not just the shock of being home but true brain damage. His aura returned, Qrow was able to sit up and talk more and Tai felt comfortable enough to leave him for just an hour. 

“Sorry,” Qrow muttered to him now. “I just saw the chance and took it. ” 

“Don’t be sorry. Just, I would have gone with you.” 

“I’m not going to wander off and get lost in the woods.”

“I know that.” 

Qrow just grunted, looking to the camp around them. A dark, skinny cat slinked up to them on the porch, and plopped down in front of Qrow, blinking. Taiyang recognized this one, and knew she was looking for food. “When you’d get that?” Qrow asked, jerking his chin at the cat. 

Tai, for once, didn’t mind Qrow avoiding the subject - if they started, they could argue in circles for hours. They’d known each other for too long. “Not mine. There's a few though. I think they’re from a farm down the road. The kids out there started feeding them, so now they stick around. When Zwei doesn’t try to chase them.”

He heard Qrow huff a laugh, and watched the heat of his breath puff in the cold air. “I think stuff like this just happens around you.” He stretched his good arm out, letting the cat sniff his hand. She was curious for a moment, and rubbed her nose against him, but ultimately decided the men weren’t worth her time. She turned, flicking a skinny tail, and started to dig under the porch. 

“Better than rats.” Tai mused. “Or Grimm.” 

He nodded. “How’ve you been handling Grimm?” 

“Same way we did before, the alarm system still works around the outer rim of the island. Whoever’s closest handles it..” He shrugged, and turned to see Qrow staring into the camp. Past it, really. “They’re not much of a problem, honestly. You don’t have to worry about it.” 

“ ‘M not.” Qrow’s words were steady, but Tai did not miss how he had to swallow after saying them, or how he scratched at the chafing around his neck. It worried him, the outline of what had been a collar. Along with so much that had changed about his friend. Now didn’t seem the proper time to mention it. Not when people were in listening range.  

Though it could be a pain, the camp surrounding their house made it harder for any Grimm to wander the property.  Stragglers came through, but it wasn’t all on Tai. The kids wanted to help, and he had to get used to the fact that they were actually adults in their own right. Capable of running things. Training, planning, missions, perimeter protection.

And accumulating cats, apparently. The black one squeezed from under the porch, a mouse in its jaws. 

He let out a chuckle, the cat scampering off with its treasure. Another one, dusty brown started to chase after its friend. Qrow cocked his head, and jerked his head towards her. “What’s with all the cats now?” 

Taiyang felt his heart sink, and frowned. Qrow didn’t even blink, just watched the feline disappear back into the camp. Tai schooled his expression before Qrow could turn back - it didn't seem to help to tell Qrow when he repeated himself. At best, it just made everyone worry. Which had also been fueling Taiyang’s horror when he returned to the house empty, the I will be back by 11:30 note apparently unread, despite him also telling Qrow the same thing before he left.   

"They're from the farm down the road." Tai explained again, as casually as he could manage.  "The kids have been feeding them so they've stuck around." 

"Hm," Qrow hummed, and placed his hands on his knees. Tai got to his feet, offering a hand before Qrow was forced to ask for one. 

He was in the dark again. The cold tile beneath his skin, the pain that pulsed through him every few minutes, and the always present weight of the Gheist. He was back here, of course he was. 

Of course it was a dream. 

Maybe Emerald had finally taken Tyrian’s offer. Use her little mind tricks on Qrow for his amusement in exchange for a favor or two - at this point he wouldn’t put it past her. She was the one person who had seemed genuinely disturbed at what Qrow had been forced to do - rather than apathetic. About time that ended he supposed. Or he was finally, actually losing it.

It wouldn't be the first time he saw something that couldn't be real. 

Doesn’t matter. It was dark and Qrow was in the cell again and the weight was back. He couldn’t move, it hurt to breathe - but he did. Shaking inhales - feel the burn at the back of his throat, the pinch of the collar, the ache in his chest - the lightheadedness of breathing out. Hunger clawed at his insides, his chest hollow but pinned and he hurt.

“Qrow,” 

He flinched away from the voice that came from everywhere. A pressure against his arm made him squirm away, with the clink of chains and the scratch of the floor following him. The start of laughter wouldn’t be long, Tyrian’s always laughing. No, no, I’m not ready for this again. 

His chest ached, and his head spun. The grip on his arm tightened. “Qrow. Hear me, you're home. Here,”

You don’t call me that . It was always something, anything but his name. Don’t . Something cold was forced into his hand, but he couldn’t move away - couldn’t lift his arms, curl his hands. He heard himself breathing, heaving in the air. It wasn’t burning. What is-  

“Open your eyes? Please?” No, it wasn’t Tyrian. He’s definitely never sounded anything like this. “Qrow, open your eyes.” 

The cold was starting to burn, his head was spinning. One of his tricks, he knew it, just don’t say anything.

“I’m not lying to you. You can talk, Qrow. You’re safe, you’re home on Patch. Please, try to look at me. You are at home.”  

I’m- Qrow relaxed his eyes, they had been screwed shut, his mouth open to suck in air . Light was around him, not the same light as - he cracked open an eye. Not the dark of his cell, or the glow that would spill in from the halls of Evernight. A fluorescent that lit the dark wood in front of him. Not the bars. Qrow jerked back, the brown morphed into a cabinet. 

"Easy, Qrow. Look at me." 

His hands were shaking, clinging to something wet. Cold. He tore them open to show a melting ice cube. There was a pressure on his shoulder, pushing. He was on his back. A blurry face was over his, Qrow blinked wetly until Tai came into focus - the bathroom’s vanity, mirror, and lights behind him came after. 

“Okay. You see me?” Tai sighed, backing up slightly. Qrow couldn’t find his voice, he heard himself heaving in air, but not the confirmation he wanted to give. He did see him, just confused as hell. “We’re at home. Just try to breathe.”

His hand was reaching, tangling with Tai’s and squeezing until the grip was all he could feel. Cool water from the ice Tai had shoved in his hands dripped down their arms - but he tried to listen, follow his brother’s inhales and exhales until the ground stopped spinning.  Eventually he felt his muscles start to relax.

Tai was patient, because he was always too patient, repeating lines of where they were until Qrow believed him. It hadn’t been a dream, but the other way around, but that ingrained feeling of defeat had come back so easily. “Tai- What, what,” 

“Slow down,” Tai’s hand was on his chest, pressuring back down. Qrow didn’t realize his arm was under him, trying to sit up. To go. He forced himself back down. “Are you with me? It was just a memory.”

“Yeah,” Qrow swallowed. He felt sweat across his skin, and saw it bloomed a shade of red. “I think so.”

Tai kept his voice gentle. The kids were still asleep, as far as he knew, and Qrow doubtfully wanted an audience. Still, better than a seizure. A flashback he could handle - their excuse for a defense force dragged up a lot of those, considering nearly everyone had survived Salem’s attacks. “Do you remember what you were doing?” 

“I thought I was back there.” 

“You’re not. You’re with me.” He shook his head, and squeezed Qrow’s hand. “It’s over, Qrow. I promise.” 

Tai kept repeating himself, convincing himself of their truth as much as Qrow. They were safe, as much as they can be. Even people who had lived in Vale their whole lives could overlook Patch, a small island town with not much to offer - the “only” reason refugees had started coming was for the uninhabited landscape. Salem couldn’t know anything she wanted was here. The most unexpected place to hide a Relic, after all these years. 

Tai would say it as many times as he could to make it true. 

Qrow’s breathing started to even out, the frantic look in his eyes started to fade, the heartbeat in his chest under Tai’s hand slowed. They both slowly moved to sit up, Tai against the wall and Qrow leaning against the cabinets. He swallowed thickly, rubbing the chafing on his neck. “Sorry, I think I’m good now.” 

Tai’s stomach dropped at the hoarse apology. This could easily start their conversation of circles. “Don’t be. I only want to know what you think set it off.” 

“I don’t know,” he groaned, and the back of his head thumped against the counter. Tai just shifted his weight, waiting. Qrow stared at the ceiling, right into the bathroom lights before shutting his eyes. “It was dark, and, I don’t know. Being alone. I was trying to feel around for something.” 

“Okay,” Tai sighed. Qrow had obviously been to the bathroom, but not this late at night since he's been home. In terms of triggers, darkness was leagues better than what taking a piss usually entails. They could handle this. He gestured to the lightswitch. “We can just leave this on at night now, it’s dark early anyway,”

“Tai.” Qrow deadpanned, rolling his head without lifting it from the wall. “Come on.” 

“What?” 

He threw his hands out, scoffing. “I’m not that guy. I’m not- I’m not!” He raised his voice just until Tai closed his mouth, letting him talk. “I’m not going to be that washed up vet everyone sees jumping at shadows. I don’t need anything. It just, snuck up on me, but it’s fine.” 

“You’re fine?” He raised a brow, and couldn’t help the hard frown. “I just found you on the floor.” 

“You don’t have to tell me that!” Qrow snapped, and Tai sighed. “I know I’m fuckin’ falling apart and you want to handle it, I get that. Just don't.”

Tai ran a hand through his hair. “Qrow,”

“I don’t need you to look at me like that. I don't need you to help me. I can handle it, you don’t need to pretend. I lasted over a year without you anyway " 

His heart twisted. "Hey, that's not-"

"And I know if it was between me and Summer coming back from being missing, it wouldn’t be me.”

“Shut up, man!” Tai wanted to shake him, but he settled on a snarl. “I’m not playing dirty with you, you know that shit isn’t fair. I want you here, and alive, and not miserable. Forgive me.”

Qrow turned away, hiding his face. Tai watch his hands go to his neck again. Scratching against the skin.

He forced himself to stand and take a calming breath, before holding out a hand. “It’s fine if you don’t want to talk. Please, let’s just go back to bed.” 

It was fascinating, if not a stab to the heart, to see how fast Qrow deflated. Not a shut down like he used to do when they’d argue, but more tired out. “Fine.” He gritted out, and slowly bent his bad leg to try and stand. Another selfish thought, but Tai was glad Qrow at least couldn’t storm away from him. 

The spare bedroom had been transferred to JNOR, Qrow refused to take it back. He had slept in the pullout of Tai’s room, which he dumped himself onto now. Space would probably be beneficial, but Tai was starting to be too tired to care. 

Qrow buried himself on the creaky pullout. Tai sighed when he saw how the moon lit that part of the room. "You have to realize," he started quietly. "That if I had known where you were-"

"I know," Qrow whispered. He curled further in on himself. "I'm sorry."

Tai waited, but silence dwelled. He settled in his own bed, and listened for his brother's breathing to even out. Neither of them slept before the sun was rising again.

The ledger’s pages rustled when Tai let out a breath, the numbers really blurring together. Armor and weapon repairs, shelter, food for the people that made his home theirs - the kindness of Patch’s village could only go so far. They weren’t exactly raising an army, but starving the huntsmen on his property before shipping them off to fight Salem was not the best idea. 

The Schnees were close to broke, most of their assets lost in the fall. Specialists and even the Happy Huntresses had joined their cause, but asking them for lien was a step too far. Vale had its own problems, Vacuo had always been the cause to donate too, and trying to go around to Menagerie or Mistral would attract too much attention. 

And Tai thought feeding two girls was hard. 

He scratched the back of his head, and forced himself to sit back. Staring wouldn’t change the numbers. Or anything else he’d written down; various notes Winter insisted were memorandums, tools needed for weapon repairs, medications they’d need to go to the mainland to try and find, the large number of people he now owes favors to.

The most recent one being the single surgeon on Patch Tai had convinced to take a look at Qrow. He’d been compiling a list of things they needed to bring up, mostly so Qrow doesn’t have to say it or hear it out loud. 

Mostly the misaligned bones in his leg - it’s been over a week since his aura returned and it still hurt him like hell. His left eye had probably half its field of vision. He was missing a majority of three of his fingers. There were a handful of bad abrasions that refused to stay closed. The memory issues, the swelling of his arm that wasn’t going down, the migraines he thinks he’s hiding, whatever was on his back he didn’t want to mention.

Tai wanted to think most of it would fade with time, as his aura regained its stamina. Hopefully.

Tai rolled his neck, settling back in the chair. As the front door creaked open, boots, nails and a jingle of Zwei’s bell on his collar sounded around the corner. “Hey, Dad!” 

He put on a smile, and twisted to see Ruby making a beeline for the kitchen drawers. She was flushed from the cold. “Hey, sweetie.”

“Do you know if we..um.." She paused, humming as she rummaged around in a drawer. Taiyang bent over to scratch behind Zwei’s ears, getting a happy pant in reply. “Hm, do we have any extra pliers? The pair from the shed finally snapped.” 

He tried not to sigh, but it came out anyway. Ruby just turned, a smile bright on her face. It spread warmth through his chest. “There might be an extra toolbox in the garage. I checked a few months ago, but who knows if it made its way back.” 

“Okay!” She nodded, but stayed in place. Tai raised a brow. 

Ruby did her hand wringing behind her back, and Tai selfishly was happy that hadn’t changed about her. At least he knew when his own daughter had something to say. "What's on your mind, Ruby?"

“Are, um, you okay with Qrow?” She asked quietly. “It’s just, we know everyone has a lot on their plate, but we can help out with whatever he needs too! And, well, I kind of heard you guys a few nights ago...” 

Tai ran a hand through his hair, resting on the back of his neck. “Qrow’s just frustrated. He doesn’t mean it.”

She swallowed, and watched Zwei sit at her feet. “I know. But, it's like sometimes he's fine. Then he won't really talk to me.”

“Ruby, you know he loves you more than anything.” Tai shook his head. His heart twisted in his chest. His daughter was brilliant, but how to explain Qrow. Even before all this his behavior wasn't exactly logical most of the time. “He’s never going to take it out on any of you, and we’ve just known each other a long time, so.” 

Ruby hummed, taking a deep breath. He knows her too well to think she’s satisfied, or happy with the truth of the situation, but she hasn’t changed enough that they’ll outright argue. Part of Tai thinks she doesn’t forgive herself for running away, and it's painful how much like Summer she is. A perfect memory of only her mistakes. 

“What about you?” She asked. “You can vent, too. It doesn't have to be with me, I know I’m still your baby.” She rolled her eyes, but gave him a laugh, Tai at least could force one in return. 

“I think I’ve been doing pretty good lately.” He scoffed dramatically. “I’m not even trying to backseat teacher you anymore!” 

“Anymore!” She stuck out her tongue, Ruby still hadn’t gotten over him giving her hints on teaching while she’s training younger fighters. Even if she can run circles around Tai during the rare times they spar. “But, really?” 

“Worry about your team, Ruby.” Tai pushed himself to stand, holding his arms out. Ruby melted into his chest, sighing out of habit. He cradled her head, it had been too long since he held her without one of them crying. “I’ll worry about your Uncle. I’m just glad he’s here. When this is all over, we can nag each other about stuff like this, okay?” 

“Fine,” she whined, but it was too staged for Taiyang to take her seriously. They pulled away, and Zwei whined between them. Ruby cooed and bent down to rub his face. “We’ll always have time for you.” 

He scoffed. “You friend Sun keeps feeding him.” 

Ruby didn’t even look up from the dog. “He deserves it. He’s stressed too.” Tai rolled his eyes, but smirked when she stood again. “I’ll look for the toolbox, thanks.” 

“Of course, love.” Tai watched her go, Zwei’s tail swishing as he followed. Someone started yelling outside, but he relaxed when it was the friendly, excited kind rather than a fight brewing. Not that he wouldn’t appreciate the distraction. 

Tai sighed, and picked up his ledger again. 

The sun hadn’t shown its face, earlier and earlier it seemed - and brighter since the leaves started falling. Tai was awake anyway, the need for coffee pulling him out of bed. 

Even this early in the morning, the grounds weren’t entirely quiet. He peeked out the side window to see some of Atlas’ students already awake, dressed, and discussing something in the sparring circle. Taiyang didn’t even want to think what they’ll have to do when winter rolls in.

He flicked on the kitchen’s main light, and flinched at the shape. 

"Qrow?" When he didn't break his dead eyed gaze at the other end of the table, Tai suppressed a sigh. He could see that Qrow's eyes were red at the edges, puffy. His arms were tight around his body. Blood trickled from scratches on his neck. "Okay, what's-" 

"I can't do this." Qrow cut him off, voice hoarse. Tai slowly pulled out a chair to sit across from him. "It's not going to work. I can't be here. I can't- let go-" 

"Hold on, bud, back up." He placed his hands on the table. "What's not going to work? Whatever it is, I can help you. We're all good to help you." 

"No! No, it's," he let out a frustrated noise, rubbing the heels of his hands into his eyes. 

Tai breathed in quietly. He had been waiting for something like this, a blowup of some king. He'd wait for Qrow to get himself together enough to talk. It's not what he needed at four in the morning, but, better now than never. "You can talk to me, Qrow." 

"He won." Qrow kept his eyes away from Tai. He curled his arms around his chest again, reminding Tai again of how skinny he was. How it takes much longer than it feels to put on weight. "I'm angry. Every second, it’s filling me. It’s...stuck. I’m ready to bite your head off, or snap at the girls, and I want to scream at Raven for- fuck. Everything? I don’t know how to stop it."

"That's normal, it's-" 

"I don't know what's real half the time. I don't know if I'm remembering wrong, or dreaming, or- And if I try to stop and think, I'm just fucking scared again. That Frozen, real pathetic fear. That I know I shouldn't have." He was rambling, but Tai let him. "Like when I was a kid, with the tribe. Now I don't even have Raven, if she would even look at me now like this - I can't do anything. And I couldn't do anything, but just fucking drink. Feel numb, and end this shit. Not have to feel when I don't want to. And I don't want to, Tai, you can't even know, I don't want to feel any of this. I want to sleep and forget his damn laugh and his hands on me and how everything hurts. Still, now. 

"But I know," he wheezed out something like a laugh, and shook his head. "I'll be back to the same, useless drunkard I was. Now I can't even fight. Probably getting someone killed, or having Yang and Ruby and you look at me like that and I can't- I know I can't do that again. I'm stuck. I'm stuck." He heaved in a breath, pulling back from the table. "I can't win! I'm fucked! He won! I'm here, and he still damn won. He's still got me." 

Qrow broke his hold on himself, wiping at his eyes and leaning forwards to bury his head in his hands. Tai felt his heart twist at the shake of his shoulders. A sickening feeling filled his stomach, up to his chest until it choked his throat.

The instinct to grab Qrow by the shoulders and shake out the pain nearly overcame him - but his mind searched for the words. Something to ease him, even for now, but he knew nothing he said was going to fix this outright. 

"This is what he wanted, he told me it would happen.  I can't get away from him. He took everything, and it's all that's in my head. I'm not a Huntsman anymore. And I'll never be one again."

The words were pulled from Tai's throat, straight from his chest. "No. Qrow that's just how it feels now, but we-"

"I'm not a Huntsman." He sobbed, finally looking to Tai. He choked out the words, "I can't fight. I can't sleep, I can barely move - I can't even be in a room without a fucking, stupid light on. I can't protect the girls, anyone. I dragged them into this. But I can't- I told you and I told Summer I would, but-”

"And we should not have let you." Tai cut him off. "That wasn't why we kept you around, and it isn't why now. We loved you. I love you, you're my best friend, you're my brother. And not for the things you do. Who you are, Qrow. I shouldn't have let you think anything else."

He could have listed every instance - at this point they were ingrained into his mind. But if they started on regrets, it could go on for days. 

"You still have your family, Qrow. All of us. And you're still you - and I know what you're capable of. Strong, and loyal, and incredibly smart and stubborn. That bastard can't win because you would damn well never let him." He released a wavering breath, feeling his heart pound hard in his chest. "And if you let me, I will help you. We can ease the pain, and build your strength again, and,”

Qrow had started shaking his head, picking at his cast. “You’re in a war, Tai.” 

“We’ve been in a war for years.” He scoffed. “I know you wanted to start fresh in Atlas, it didn’t stop you then. It’s just as worth it now as it was then, you have to believe me. You’re a goddamn good man. This is not the end.” 

Qrow looked away, back to the table. His chest heaved, and he rubbed at his neck again - Tai realized he must have scratched opened the chafing himself, a spot of blood was growing fresh on his sweatshirt, and he clenched his jaw. That sick bastard does not get to ruin Qrow's life.

Qrow’s lips quivered, and he opened his mouth twice before anything came out. “I never did any of this for you.” 

Tai’s gut twisted, and he shook his head. The need to shake him came back. “That was a long time ago now. It’s not about what you’ve done. And if it’s not me, Ruby or Yang, or at this point I think even Winter wants you to feel safe .” At least that made him scoff in a sort of laugh. Tai leaned against the table. “Can you at least try to let me do that, until you believe me about anything else?” 

Qrow shook his head, his jaw clenching over and over again. He shrugged, opened his mouth, and sighed. Fighting himself, like always. 

Eventually, he forced in a breath, and hurled out the words. “Fine. Fine. Okay.” 

“Okay.” Tai nodded, and held out a hand. It stayed there until Qrow grabbed it, gripping with his life. 

Chapter Text

Maybe, when Qrow was feeling rather generous with his vulnerability, he’d admit making Tai leave him in the hospital overnight was a bad idea. 

It’s fifteen minutes away, Tai. It’ll be fine. Pick me up in the morning. And somewhere in the reasonable part of his mind, Qrow knew it to be true. It was, objectively, fine , even if he didn't feel like it. Kept checking the doors, he couldn't take his eyes off anyone that passed the room. 

The surgery went ‘well,’ according to the doctors. As well as it could go, sawing his bone in half to shove a metal rod in it. He had a day of loopy post-surgical opioid induced bliss, and two nights of being watched for complications. It would be fine. It’s not like he was alone anyway. 

He had only finally agreed to the surgery at all after his back had healed. ‘Healed’ in the way that he could sort of understand. The black ichor was gone, leaving just scrambled muscles of his shoulder blades and surgical scars. It died, or dissolved, or got zapped along with the Gheist when Ruby found him. Whatever. It didn’t matter. No feathers poked out of his skin and no surgeons asked any questions. Maybe Qrow could pretend that it was all a dream, just something he made up.  

Patch’s two-story hospital was probably the business place on the island - excluding their crowded land covered in huntsmen. There were four surgical suites with only four emergency surgeons, and ten doctors. Most intense or specialist procedures were always referred to Vale’s high tech hospitals. Though with Salem’s occupation of the city, Vale’s hospitals were overrun with more...drastic cases.  

Qrow’s recovery room was on the second floor, relatively quiet, with a direct view of the docks. A bit too far away to pick out any shifty looking drifters anyway. Not that he was looking, obviously. Because there was nothing to worry about.

He couldn’t push Ruby out though, she was too stubborn, and her staying was why Tai felt comfortable leaving anyway. Qrow figured she needed some time away from their makeshift base. The kid had taken up training other student huntsmen, weapon repairs, and preparing the camp for the coming winter. Not to mention her silent suffering over when Oscar and Penny would return. Hopefully with a plan. Hopefully so they could end this. 

Though, Qrow could tell she was doing more than just keeping him company. The last few times he's asked the nurse something, Ruby was the one to answer. She didn't have to tell Qrow for him to realize he was repeating himself. 

Ruby perked up when she caught him watching her, looking away from her scroll game. At least she didn’t grow out of her hobbies. “Do you, uh, want the sound off? It’s kinda late.”

Qrow shook his head, and swore Ruby channeled her mother. 

“Does your leg hurt? I can ask them for more medicine. There’s technically a ration but it’s not like anyone’s going to really say no if you want it. Just to sleep, you know. Or if you want the radio on, there’s actually a lot of stations still playing music. Or I think Yang has some old tapes still, I can call her-” 

“Kiddo,” Qrow cut her off before she turned blue. Ruby shut her jaw with a click. “I’m good, you’ll have months of me whining about it.” 

She let out a little laugh, and wrung her hands together. “Oh, it won’t be that long….And Jaune doesn’t mind speeding things up-”

“Ruby,” he started, a sinking feeling in his chest. 

“Really!" She insisted, that look on her face that extinguished a lot of the anger inside of him. "It's not fair that you have to do all this with just your own aura. It's not regenerating fast enough."

Qrow couldn't argue against that, though it was partially his fault. His aura had been a bit... uncooperative. Like he was some trainee as green as grass and can’t yet keep it on without thinking about it. One minute Qrow could feel his aura flowing to the abrasions, healing with the comforting and familiar warmth. He had finally stopped expecting the blinding pain of a Gheist feeding off of him. Then he’ll reach his arm one way or roll over in bed and his wounds rip open again, his aches turning back into pains like no progress had ever happened.

It's been like wrestling his own soul along with his body. And neither were very keen on listening. 

Boosting his aura was a risk he didn't want to think too hard on. 

"It's not fair, Uncle." Ruby repeated. She had gained a lilt to her voice when he was gone, that tone that demanded attention. Qrow sighed again. 

"It's not." He relented. "But I can't." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ruby clench her jaw. The anger very quickly deflated, and she sagged in her chair.  Acid guilt burned at the back of Qrow's throat. 

She had been dancing around him for weeks now, hesitant to say or do something wrong. Qrow knew she felt guilty. Everyone’s suffering was somehow her responsibility. It was this family’s signature trait. It left them with little to talk about. Qrow tried not to remind Ruby of anything that still flooded his mind with fear and made her think that any of it was her fault.  

They both hated it. Neither knew how to stop. 

Qrow swallowed and rolled his head to look back at her. "You still cut that kid’s hair?" 

Ruby blinked at the question, looking at him in confusion. "Jaune? Uh, not all the time. Sometimes Nora does it….why?" 

Qrow shrugged a shoulder, a string of his black hair hanging over it. "Need someone to do mine." He didn’t know much when it came to cosmetology, but he knew his ends were wrecked, he was missing chunks that left some patches of hair shorter than others, and needed more than just a few washes he’s had to get it actually healthy again. It had lost its thickness and shine, and maybe he could admit he missed it. 

“Oh,” Ruby was thrown off by the shift in focus - but Qrow figured if she wanted to help him that bad, at least she could do something that wouldn’t end in the house falling into a sinkhole or something. “Uh, yeah. If you want to, we can do it when we go home.” 

She nodded, a small smile on her face. Qrow mirrored her and settled back against the bed. He didn’t have to fake exhaustion, and after another moment, Ruby turned back to her scroll. 

“No.” Qrow scolded, around the fourth or fifth time he’s done so since sinking into the bath. The resulting whine and scratch of tiny little nails against the door followed, Zwei making an alien-like sound as he sank to the floor outside of the bathroom. Qrow could hear him snuffling against the crack of the door. “You had your chance.” 

He didn’t really mind if Zwei wanted to stay in the bathroom - it was warm and quiet compared to the rest of the house. But the incision on Qrow’s leg from where they reset the misaligned bones was still heavily bandaged, and couldn't get wet for another few days. Zwei took advantage of the limb resting on the tub’s ledge - mostly by licking Qrow’s exposed foot.

So the dog had been exiled from the bathroom, much to his chagrin. 

“Weirdo,” Qrow scoffed, sitting back in the tub deeper into the water. He crossed his arms over his chest and let the warmth sink in. It was much easier without the cast on his arm. He traded mobility in his leg, for mobility in his arm. So far it worked out well enough. 

But the house got cold in the winter if you’re not by the fireplace - most of the dust had been to reinforce the tents and shelters outside against the incoming winter. But hot water was one thing all of Patch still had and Qrow took advantage. 

He sighed after a while, when the steam from the tub evaporated. Qrow maneuvered himself  to grab the soap from the ledge. Ruby had made good on her promise, his hair was evened out as much as it could be. There were still patches missing, but it was still long enough that he could tie it back to cover them. All in all much easier to wash. He worked from his feet upwards, avoiding the wounds still open enough that stung if scrubbed. While he was thankful he could wash on his own, Qrow kept his eyes off his body as much as he could. 

The sores and scratches on his neck were Qrow’s own fault. He just had not figured a way to keep his hands off. When he was stressed, or nervous, or uncomfortable, his hands were always pulling at the skin before he even realized. The scabs would peel, and open, and bleed,  turning into sores and ending up sodsd than just chafing or scars. He tried dressing them, but at night he’d dream and rip off bandages in his sleep.

He couldn’t stop himself from checking. From making sure nothing was there. 

Qrow filled the washbowl, slowly pouring water down his neck and over his hair to rinse. Ducking his head under the water with one leg stuck over the ledge, and no nearby handles as a safety, was not going to happen. He leaned forward and shivered, the heat from the tub finally dissipating from the room as cold seeped in. He washed his face in record time before hauling himself to sit on the lip. 

Another whine sounded from the other side of the door. “Mmmmrrrrf.” Qrow could hear him sniffling at the crack. 

“Zwei, fuck off.” 

An offended “hey!” sounded from the bedroom. “Qrow, Do not talk to my dog like that!” Taiyand warned. Qrow flinched, then rolled his eyes and mentally scolded himself. He hadn’t heard Tai enter the room outside. 

His heart shouldn't be racing. It’s supposed to be a good thing he’s not listening for footsteps at every moment anymore. 

Qrow slowly but surely dried and dressed himself. Awkwardly he managed to put fresh bandages on the bad cuts. More were turning into scars, finally. He decided to behave and take the painkiller Tai had set out for him. Qrow leaned on one surface to another to make his way out of the bathroom and save his leg from the pain. Cold air rushed him and Qrow felt goosebumps raise across his skin. 

He ignored Tai's usual greeting and "how are you feeling?" as he followed his strategic path of getting from the bathroom to his bed without putting weight on his leg. Qrow collapsed onto the pullout, springs squeaking as he landed in the middle. Zwei hopped up next to him, earning a groan. A cold nose pressed against his knee, sniffing intensely. “ ‘o ‘way.” He muttered into the sheets.

“He just likes you.” Tai hummed from his spot on his own bed, not looking up from his scroll. “And he knows you’re supposed to still be on bed rest.” 

Qrow rolled his eyes, and tried ignoring how it made his head hurt. He’s been on bed rest since he returned home, a perfect outline of his torso has been permanently imprinted onto the pullout’s spring mattress. And probably would be for at least another two weeks, when he can start trying to walk again. If his aura cooperated. He sighed, shutting his eyes instead of answering. 

Because he had the stamina of roughly a five day old kitten while on the painkillers, when he opened them again their room was dark. The moon lit his side of the room, it's beams dappled across the mattress. The comforter had been pulled over him, up to the shoulders, and his bandaged leg propped up on a pillow. Tai. Qrow could hear him breathe heavily as he slept in his bed across the room. Zwei was sprawled out on his side, his back against Qrow’s leg, and snoring lightly. Figures he stuck around.

Qrow swallowed an awful taste in his mouth, stretching his arms out to pull himself towards the pillows. His leg flared with pain at the effort, and he gritted his teeth to keep from making a sound. Pulling a pillow towards him instead, Qrow slowly shifted himself to lie on his side with now minimal complaints from his limbs. Zwei sniffled and squirmed back to nuzzle against Qrow’s back and body heat. It would be too much effort to try and push him away now, and somehow he felt like Tai would know if Qrow mistreated the dog, even if he was asleep. Qrow just nestled the pillow under his head, intent on watching the beams of moonlight slowly move across the room until he fell asleep again. 

His eyes settled on the corner of the bed. On the sight of a metallic stinger.

Qrow jerked back, panic seized his heart as he scrambled blindly. His hands found the pillow, whipping it towards the tail as he kicked and clawed himself backwards. Blood roared in his ears and his chest felt tight, suffocating as the fear flooded his system and drowned out the pain in his leg.

 It froze him, his breath coming out in wheezes. Qrow closed his eyes and felt the tail slide up his waist, cold metal across his burning flesh until it was around his neck, circling slowly, dragging the stinger against his skin - up until it caressed his cheek. Its grip tightened around his throat, Qrow’s mouth formed pleas and cries and nothing escaped and the touch was cold but it burned as whispers filled his head of oh, little bird -

A soft tongue licked his nose and Qrow jolted, eyes flying open to see Zwei right at his face. His little paws were on his chest, still heaving with panicked breaths, and he licked the few tears from his cheeks. He snuffled and wagged his tail. The pressure around Qrow's neck was gone, the phantom sting of a needle against his skin just a memory. One hand clawed into the sheets, another had a vice grip around his neck. His nails had dug right back into the sore skin.

He risked a glance back to the corner of his bed, seeing only a gap in the branches’ shadows that left a curved beam of light. Not a stinger. Not a stinger, not anything. 

Qrow let out a shaking breath. His leg pulsed with pain, having been roughly treated in the process of pushing him back and up against the wall. He could feel warm blood trickle from a sore on his neck. Heart still pounding in his chest, Qrow slowly uncurled his hands from their strongholds. 

He wanted to sob, he wanted to throw something. He wanted this heavy weight of shame to leave him because he knew Tai wasn’t lying when he said this was normal, just his mind struggling to adjust - but anger just filled him instead. 

His throat burned and something close to dry heave escaped him. Zwei stopped his licking to blink curiously up at him. The thought crossed his mind, just a flicker that he wouldn’t entertain, that this stupid dog was the only thing he was stronger than. That couldn't stop him.

Instead Qrow buried his fingers into Zwei’s fur, soft and warm and not something he wanted to hurt. The panicked rhythm of his heart started to even out. He slid from the wall, back down to the mattress where he painfully pulled both legs close and wrapped his arms around himself. Zwei apparently realized that the time for licking was over, and casually curled up next to Qrow’s stomach. A content sigh escaped the dog as Qrow lifted a shaking hand. 

I am home. I am home. I am home. 

He spent the rest of the night slowly petting a hand between Zwei’s ears, down his back to his tail, before moving up to start over and over again. The dog didn't stir, didn't complain that his hands shook or his ring finger was missing. He didn't seem to care, or more likely even notice, the scarring across his skin. Occasionally Qrow’d realize he had stopped, hands resting against Zwei while he fell into small bouts of sleep. Then he’d wake and start his rhythm again, until the sun started creeping up. 

Tai was quick to wake up at first light, sliding off his bed to get to the bathroom first. Qrow listened to him move around for a minute, keeping his slow rhythm petting Zwei. The dog perked up when his dad came back into the bedroom, his little stump tail wiggling in happiness. Tai grinned and nodded to Qrow. “Mornin,” Qrow grunted in response. “I told you Zwei liked you.”

“He’s not all bad.” Qrow admitted.

“You alright? Been up for a while?”

“Yeah,” Qrow told him quietly, because when he said he would not lie to Tai, he meant it. “Awake on and off.” 

“Your leg still hurting?” 

“Just a bit.” 

“You can take a reliever if you want one.” Tai sighed, turning from Qrow to put a fresh shirt on.  He just hummed. Sleep would be good for him - though probably not to him. Qrow had been relying on these restless, on and off spans of sleeping to avoid dreaming. Whatever they had given him at the hospital knocked him out out, but Qrow wasn’t betting on Tai getting him any of that. “Did you try focusing your aura at all?” 

Qrow sighed. That answer was a resounding no , he hadn’t wanted the reminder that if Tyrian really was here, he’d be fucked even if could keep himself together. “I thought I saw him.” 

Admitting it felt a bit like ripping a nail out of his heart. Tai stopped, his vest halfway over his shoulders. Qrow could see the concern rising. "You could have woken me."

He wasn't sure if they had that conversation and he'd forgotten, or Tai just expected him to know that. “Just shadows- in my head. It’s stupid.” 

“I can guarantee you, it’s not.” Tai said sternly, and finished dressing himself. He sat himself on the edge of Qrow’s bed, making him feel somehow even more like a child, but spoke plainly. Casually. “You know you’re not ready for that yet, and it freaks you out. You don’t have to be.” 

Qrow didn’t meet his eye, staring at the opposite wall instead. “You’ve always been a very observant teacher, no wonder they love you.” 

“I’m going to take you seriously.” Tai decided. “So thank you. I just have to run to town and be back in the afternoon. We can do some meditation, Jaune’s crazy good at aura melding, showed me a few things, I think it would help.” 

“Sounds like something you should teach to your students.”  Qrow deadpanned. 

“Hey,” Tai leaned over, Zwei sniffing at his arm, and gripped Qrow’s wrist. “You’re not getting rid of me.” 

Qrow didn't know how to thank him enough for that.

“Watch your feet!” Ruby called out to the Atlas student, her ankle sliding dangerously close to the edge of the ring. She corrected easily, spinning and using her momentum to dart right back towards her opponent. 

Ruby let herself smile, but kept her eyes on the girl’s feet for the rest of their match. A ring KO wouldn’t be a concern with Grimm, but it was important to keep the trainees aware of their placement. Soon, knowing where to step and where to not would be second nature. 

Ruby sighed, and hoped they had long enough for the skill to set in. It had been one of those days, where she woke up with that feeling in her stomach - where she can’t stop thinking about the hell she’s bringing all these people into. Students that were now younger than her.

Before Beacon fell - or really, before she left home - the memorial on the cliff, at the edge of the woods, would be just where she could calm herself down. Focus on what mattered. Talking it out was always helpful - talking to her mother was the easiest. 

After Atlas, she had only gone out to the memorial stones once. Two were placed aside Summer’s, only one with a body at peace, and Ruby couldn’t say anything without seeing the Hound, the scarred remnant of a man inside and knowing the first attempt could have gone so much worse.

Ruby had stayed away. She took comfort in knowing that at least these students here, now, that she actually could do something for, were being trained , not just thrown against Salem’s forces and told to sink or swim. Not like so many innocents that have gotten caught up in all this. 

She shook her head. That sinking feeling had been inside her all day. She had to keep shaking it off. All they could do was wait for Oscar and Penny to be back. News or none - they all agreed by the Winter Solstice that they’d check in with each other. And she didn’t even have bad news to tell them - Their mission to get the Relic of Knowledge and Destruction was a success, Hazel was doubting Salem like Oscar wanted, and Qrow was safe again. Plus, with daily training the students from Atlas and Shade were getting better every day. More huntsmen arriving, too. Ruby couldn’t let herself worry about what ifs - past and future. Keep moving forward, and all that. 

“Feet!” Another voice called out, Ruby turned from the student who was rolling her eyes to see Weiss across the ring. She apparently didn’t think the Atlas girl corrected enough. Ruby huffed a laugh, her breath curling in the cold air around them, as Weiss circled the ring towards her. “Not to hammer home a point, but…” She shrugged, tossing her hair over her shoulder. 

“I don’t think we’re really meant to be teachers.” Ruby tried a smile. 

“Huntsmen usually aren’t, is what I’m learning.” Weiss sighed. “I couldn’t imagine trying to train people who don’t know how to fight at all.”  

“I could,” now her smile was teasing. “Your poor students would be tripping over themselves to please Weiss Schnee.” 

“Oh, ha, ha.” Weiss scoffed. 

The girl they had corrected before landed a solid kick to the other student’s stomach, sending him sprawling across the line in the dirt. He groaned, but the Atlas girl was smirking. “How’s that for footwork?” 

Ruby nodded appreciatively. “Nice power.” She reached out a hand to help the boy to his feet. He brushed some dirt from his sleeve, Ruby straightened out his jacket before turning back to the girl. “An enemy won’t go down after one fall though.” 

She smirked, the boy frowned. Taking his hand again, Ruby spun him, pushing him to go right back into the ring. The students didn’t waste a moment to exchange blows again.

Weiss hid a small laugh behind her fist before shaking her head at Ruby. She just shrugged. A cold wind blew them both nearly off their feet. Tent strained against the wind, and some of the huntsmen milling about wobbled. 

Ruby flexed her aura to keep warm, and sighed. That sinking feeling was creeping up again. There were fires spread around the makeshift camp and most tents had Dust sewn in to keep out the cold, but not everyone had been adjusting so well. The snows would get heavy as they did every winter, and food would run thin eventually. Especially if more people keep coming to the island. 

She turned away, holding herself as the hot pit in her stomach started up again. Ruby swallowed, and kept down a flinch when Weiss rested a hand on her shoulder. She smiled softly. “I’m going to grab some lunch. Come inside with me?” 

Weiss was leading her to some peace and quiet, trying to get her in a place where Ruby would be comfortable talking about what was bothering her. And lately, she had been trying to take those opportunities. Things from the weather, their odds against Salem, to the amount of people that somehow made her home seem small. 

Today, however, it felt pointless to vomit up her worry about things they had no control over. The house was crowded with people looking for warmth and food. Tai was handing out stew bowls with May, thin slices of potato and onion with thin stock. Jaune and Ren were talking with a few others in the living room, stew in their hands - It was easy for Ruby to bump Weiss’ side and leave before getting wrapped up in conversation.

“I’m gonna grab a bowl.” She said, pointing a thumb behind her before backing up into the kitchen. 

Tai was already holding out two bowls to her, and a sad smile on his face. “Can you leave this in my room?” He told her quietly, nodding to the stairs. “He’s resting.” 

Ruby bit back a sigh, taking the food. 'Yup," she said before looking back at Weiss. She relented in letting Ruby go alone upstairs, but made it clear she would be waiting for her. 

It was accepted that the second floor of the cabin was off limits to everyone except its residents, leaving one space that stayed quiet. Ruby was very thankful that no one had attempted to push that boundary, even as it got cold and more people wanted to hang around inside. Though, she couldn’t help but think of Qrow, alone for long periods of time except to be fed. Like they were keeping an animal up there. A secret. 

She set aside her thoughts, and gently pushed against the wooden door. Everyone at the Patch house was used to the background noises of a well worn house, but Ruby still winced at the squeak of the door’s hinges and the creek of the floorboard as she stepped lightly into the room. 

For the most part, it was still entirely her father’s. The bed was a mess of covers, the bookshelf was an amalgamation of whatever Tai needed that couldn’t fit on his desk. Stray socks and undershirts were bunched up on one of the shelves. Some of Zwei’s half-chewed bones and a shaggy bed sat in the corner. The desk was partly organized, as usual, but pushed aside to make room for the pullout bed. 

Ruby let out a small sigh at the sight of her Uncle, still as he rested on his stomach and breathed evenly. It was different from those first few days he was home, fed through a port and barely keeping awake, asking the same panicked questions. Are we really home? How'd you find me? How'd we get here? Is anyone hurt? 

Now, Zwei snored peacefully beside him - she had wondered where he was hiding all day. One of Qrow’s arms was outstretched with a tight, rubber cast encasing with thick gel scar treatment. Synthetic skin, rebuilding the cells, smoothing them out to be like nothing ever happened.

Scars on places like the hands, joints, and face can’t be treated without the skin looking malformed, but flat expanses of flesh are more likely to look normal. Ruby had always figured that Qrow never worried about things like that, but Tai convinced him to try it. Then not every part of him would be marked by Tyrian in some way. And if Qrow rested for most of the day anyway, it didn’t hurt to try to heal.

She bit her lip, and turned away to the desk. Old school papers of Taiyang’s were pushed into the corner. Books stacked on top of them. Ruby gently moved the ledger from the center of the desk and set the bowl of stew down. 

Ruby stepped back and hit her boot right against the bedpost. 

It rattled, Ruby winced as Qrow’s head jerked up from the pillow. “Tai?” 

She made herself ignore the slight panic in his voice. Zwei perked his ears, she shushed under the guise of talking to the dog. “It’s Ruby, Uncle.” He paused, but relaxed, turning towards her voice. Ruby saw him blink blearily. That red spot was back in the corner of his eye. “Just bringing up some food. Go back to sleep, it’ll be here when you wake up.” 

“It’s okay,” Qrow sighed, turning back to his pillow. He started to mutter something that ended with time , gripping the sleeve around his arm. 

Ruby bit back a sigh, and glanced at the table beside the pullout. Scraps of paper were ordered to be the first thing Qrow sees when he wakes. Notes in Tai’s quick but legible scrawl. Painkillers taken at 7am, next dose at 1. The RED toothbrush is yours, let the water run first. Do not feed Zwei. You can eat anything you want. The stove does not work, you did not break it. No one is upset with you. We love you. 

The last one looked as if it had been crumpled before, and flattened out again. Ruby placed it on top of the small pile before reading another aloud. “You started scar treatment at 10. You have another hour, I think. So, try not to move too much?” 

“Right,” he mumbled. Ruby reached out a hand to brush his hair away from his face. Slowly, he looked back up to meet her eye, and frowned. “What’s the matter?” 

“Hm?” Ruby blinked. “Nothing.” 

He scoffed. “You look more squirrely than usual.” 

“No… squirrelly-ness.” Ruby shrugged, looking anywhere but her Uncle. Even still partly asleep and with only one eye open, he gave a look of doubt. She sighed again, and sat on the edge of the bed. Zwei wiggled his way into her lap. The thought occurred to her that they were trying to plan for winter. “Okay, maybe some squirrelly-ness.” 

Qrow chuckled, before holding out the hand not in the treatment cast. Ruby helped pull him to sit up. The old shirt he was wearing was slightly too big, the neck stretched to show his collar bone jutting out. She made herself look away from the scar that looked like a bite mark on it, or the bright red ring around his neck. “Pack too many people anywhere, even a nice quiet island, shit’ll get stirred up.” 

“It’s not that,” Ruby said, shrugging her shoulders. Qrow raised a brow. She hadn’t come up here with the intention of talking, but Qrow didn’t seem to plan on falling asleep. The feeling bubbled in her stomach. “People aren’t fighting. Not really, anyway. It’s just...Penny and Oscar are supposed to come back soon. If Oz doesn’t think the time is right to go after Salem, it’s going to snow soon. We’re already trying to feed so many people, and it’ll take so much dust to keep warm. By the time spring comes everyone will be weaker. But if we go now..there’s no way everyone is ready to face her. I don’t know if our plan will work, or if we'll fail again . This time with everyone at risk. I just,” 

She made herself pause, take a breath, uncurl her hands in her lap. 

“Everyone thinks this is the end. And I can’t promise it will be. I don’t think I can face any of them if we spend all this time, all this effort and hurt, and just have to do it again.” 

Ruby had never made that promise, but it was there. The expectation was in the air. Everyone’s hope, looking to her to lead the way as if she knows anything about how to do this. It wrapped around her heart and felt too tight.

Qrow was quiet for a moment before, “That’s not really your responsibility, kid.” Ruby looked at him and frowned, Qrow shrugged. “I know that Atlas was a shitshow. And you shouldn’t have had to be the one to try and fix it. Even now,” Ruby opened her mouth, that familiar ache turning sharp in her chest as he remembers how they found him.  “You’ve done enough. So much for, for everyone around you. Anyone expecting anything outta you now, that’s on them.” 

The words stung. “Uncle Qrow, I have to help them.” 

“I know, and you will. I would too.” Qrow shook her hand. “I’m just saying - you do what you can, and knowing you, that’s gonna be enough to help a whole lot of people. You know, even if you take a few blocks back from the Grimm, let people just get their stuff out of their homes. Give a little more room for the safezone. It gives people hope. ‘Cause you’re a good fucking kid, Ruby.” 

Ruby looked to their hands, adjusting her grip before pulling herself close to Qrow. She wrapped her arms around him, feeling him stiffen for just a moment. “Thanks.” She whispered, and Qrow melted into the hug, using his free arm to hold her. Ruby let the feeling sink in for a long moment before pulling apart. “Sorry,” she huffed. “I didn’t even want to wake you up.” 

“Eh,” Qrow waved her off. “Getting tired of sleeping.” 

It was just platitude, but Ruby smiled at him anyway. “I’m sure you’ll be up in no time.” She said,  “But are you hungry?” 

Qrow jerked his chin to the stew on the desk. “Your Dad make that?” 

“Think so.” She nodded, not waiting to stand and grab the bowl from him. 

“Mostly edible, then.” He smirked at her, taking the stew and pushing it around before taking a tentative sip. Checking for something, just a habit. She didn’t take it personally.

Ruby looked back to the desk, her own bowl still waiting. The pit in her stomach seemed to shift. She forced herself to get off the bed, grab the bowl, and sit back down. She had training with the rest of her team later, but leaving Qrow to eat alone felt wrong. It was wrong. 

“I miss you.” Ruby said plainly when Qrow looked at her curiously. He glanced to the door, like someone had put her up to this. “I missed talking to you.” And training, and fighting, and even just traveling with him, too. 

Qrow shifted, looking at his stew, then quietly “I really missed you too, kid.” He drew in a deep breath before looking back up. “Not sure about riveting conversation. My recent experiences only consist of walking from here to the bathroom, so. Oh! And Zwei’s shedding habits, really getting that winter coat in.” 

Zwei perked up at the sound of his name, looking between them expectantly. Ruby chuckled and patted his head. “It’s not like I really do much either. Walk around putting up tents. Yell at students.”

“I really doubt you yell at anybody.” 

“Sometimes I want to.” 

“That’s called teaching.” Qrow winked, making her laugh. He picked at a fingernail, before stirring his stew again. “You know, your dad, he’s been helping me get off my ass. Might come down and help you with that sometime. If you want. I’m not afraid to yell.” 

Ruby snorted. She reached out to take his hand again. “You don’t have to, I know you didn’t like teaching.” 

“Not entirely true.” He defended, sitting up. “I didn’t like having a required curriculum. I loved teaching you.” 

Warmth flooded her chest. She squeezed his hand. “Whenever you want.” 

“You take it easy, though, okay?” 

Ruby sighed, but couldn’t deny how she felt - lighter. “I can try.” 

The cold air shocked his lungs, but Qrow didn't mind. He breathed in deeply, the fresh air waking up his body, the sun on his face a welcoming warmth after so long inside. Even the grass, frosted over now, that crunched beneath his old boots made him grin. 

Standing before one of the small lakes of Patch, its surface partly covered in ice, he shifted his weight from one leg to the crutch under his arm. Slowly Qrow let his foot down, free of bandages but sporting a thick scar. Pain still sparked up as he put more pressure down, but his knee didn’t give out. He turned to Taiyang, who was making himself comfortable with a blanket on the ground beside the water and his ledger already in his lap. They had their routine down, though sometimes it was Ruby and Weiss, or Blake and Yang, with him.

Qrow pulled the fire dust out of his bag before dropping it to the ground, cracked open the crystal and tossed it into the frigid lake. A circle of steam reverberated from the splash, and within seconds the spots of ice had melted away, the water lightly steaming in the cold air. 

Tai was not exactly happy with Qrow wanting to swim before he could even walk - but he couldn’t deny it was good to build his strength up. 

Qrow shed his jacket, top shirt, socks and his boots, until he was just in a thin tee and long shorts. It was a miserable minute or so when he got out of the water, but he didn’t care. If he was swimming he was moving.

And slightly less helpless than he was before.

He dove sloppily but the lake accepted him, the warmth soothing his muscles. It wasn’t like flying, where he had the wind to carry him and really only one way to do it wrong - crashing. Even that had many ways to control, lessen the impact or recover enough to avoid it altogether. Swimming forced him to pay attention, stay present.

He was truly surrounded, enveloped in the water as it filled his ears, forced his eyes closed and invaded dangerously into his nose - but he wasn’t suffocating. There was none of that painful feeling in his chest of fear or anger. Fish did not touch him, if his lungs burned he knew how to get air. His muscles held onto that good type of ache. He followed the rhythm. He was fluid, and calm, and quiet and strong. 

The week of swimming every day had made Qrow stronger, if even in just little ways. He stayed awake all day most days now, and could get himself down the stairs without scooting on his ass. Last night he hadn’t even reopened any of the scabs on his neck. 

Qrow reached the edge at the end of another lap. The water started to lose its heat, and his lungs burned. At the strain, his muscles were going to give out soon, and the misshapen and half cut tendons in his back complained. He gave in, and gripped the grass at the lip of the lake. Taiyang was on him immediately, pulling him out of the water to sit. 

The cold air stung his skin, quickly seeping into the wet shirt before Tai wrapped a cloak around his shoulders. Qrow kept waiting for the day it would annoy him, or convince him to wait until the spring. But it hadn’t. 

Everyone went on about how he could feel safe now, rest, and not have to jump up and help. And Qrow knew he was safe, physically, he was. But he was done resting, as much as he could be. He had told Tai he was ready to start again. Ruby, all the kids, needed his help. He was done with being scared. 

Qrow rolled his shoulders, feeling the ache in his muscles. It was a start. He’s done more with less.

Chapter Text

“Ruby,” 

Blake didn’t reach her shoulder before Ruby jolted awake. She rolled over in bed, seeing Blake step back with a hand outstretched. Her gold eyes blinked at Ruby, Yang stood behind her, gently waking Weiss. Their room was still dark, the moon dim outside their window. 

Ruby squinted at Blake and rubbed her eyes, she must have heard something no one else could. “What is it?” 

“Oscar and Penny are back.” 

Ruby jerked up in her bed, awareness pushing any remaining sleep out of her mind. It’d been weeks since they heard from anyone on the grounds in Vale. Ruby pushed herself from the blankets, diving for her boots. “Where are they? Are they okay?” 

Blake shook her head. “I just heard them land.” 

“The ship’s outside.” Yang confirmed, stepping back from the window. She waved Ruby towards the door. “We’ll wake the others and meet you down there, go.” 

She nodded to her sister, pulling her cloak from the back of the door. She hastily snapped it on as she raced down the stairs - for once not hyper conscious of how loud she was being. If Penny could fly here, it meant her and Oscar were not only back but in one piece. Ruby couldn’t stop the grin growing on her face.

The cold winter air shocked her skin when she ripped open the door. Ruby didn’t miss a beat, sprinting off the porch and into the arms of her friends. 

“Ruby!” They both yelled as she wrapped her arms tight around both of them, holding as close as she could. Both pairs of arms squeezed her back, Penny buried her face in Ruby’s neck. Oscar let out a heavy breath of relief. 

“I’m so glad to see you.” She huffed, and pulled back to face them but kept a hand on each of their shoulders. Oscar’s grin spread cheek to cheek, Penny’s skin was flushed from the cold. Sometimes it was still surprising to feel how warm she was. “Are you guys okay?” 

She turned to Oscar, who was also looking her up and down. “We’re fine. I’m sorry we came so late.” 

“We wanted to be back before the snow,” Penny added, voice solemn. “But we had an opportunity to push further into the industrial district and control the port.” 

Behind them, a handful of huntsmen were exiting the airship. Professor Rumpole from Shade, Professor Oobleck, and Councilman Tarot among them. All good sights, no one limping. She sighed. “I understand. You can’t give that up.” 

“It’ll make moving everyone a lot easier.” Oscar said, before swallowing. Ruby didn’t have to wait for his question. 

“We got the Relics back.” She assured. Him and Penny both relaxed. “Everyone’s fine.” 

“Oscar!” If the camp wasn’t awake from the sound of the airship landing, Nora’s screech of glee sure would. She dove off the porch, just enough time for Oscar to brace himself before being scooped up into a hug. 

The rest quickly followed, exchanging embraces and assurances they were okay, the camp was intact, the Relics were out of Salem’s hands for now. No matter what, they’ve slowed her down. Oscar and Penny started filling them in on Vale’s status. Most of the upper class, commercial district on the north side of the river to the Forever Fall was overrun by Grimm. Pockets of safe zones were established in the Industrial sector and residential district. 

“Beacon is still entirely surrounded. It’s..” Oscar sighed, blinking a few times. Ruby watched the yellow flecks of his eyes wane and brighten. He lifted his head to look beyond Ruby, and frowned deeply. 

“Hey, we’ll figure it out. I’m sure Winter will have tons of meetings to go over it all.” Ruby huffed a little laugh, but Oscar didn’t even look at her, didn’t blink. Shock covered his face. She instinctively reached for Crescent Rose at her back, only to remember she left it in the bedroom. Ruby turned, and realized what had frozen Oscar. 

Qrow shifted in the door, leaning against the frame with a crutch under his other arm. He reached for his neck, about to scratch, and Ruby winced before Qrow grabbed his own wrist. He swallowed thickly. The others started noticing, silence swept over the yard as they stared towards the door. 

“Mr. Branwen!” Penny’s cry of joy broke the tension in the air. She pushed past Oscar and Ruby, zipping towards the porch to throw herself at Qrow and wrap her arms around him. He stumbled backwards but Penny held him upright, despite his resounding oof . “You’re here! It’s really you!” 

Qrow coughed, but it quickly turned to an amused laugh. He rested a hand on Penny’s hair, a small smile on his face. “Yeah, yeah. Good to see you, kid.” 

“How?” Oscar pulled Ruby’s attention away from them. Guilt that was beyond his years shown on his face. Her stomach sank again. “Was he ever really..?” 

Ruby understood. “No. We were...wrong.”

“Long story?” 

She sighed. “Yeah.” 

Oscar mirrored her, looking back to the cabin. Others were starting to mill towards the front of the property, some with weapons in hand, and others with just sleepy expressions of curiosity. They saw Professor Rumpole return with Winter and Theodore in tow. Oscar cleared his throat, straightened out his shoulder. More Ozpin again. “Everything is.” He relented.

It didn’t take long for Oscar to come find Qrow.

He sat himself on the couch in the living room, resting after his swim, with Oscar lingering by the stairs. They stared at each other for a moment, mentally dancing around the other.

Qrow was used to waiting for Oz to gather his thoughts, but watching Oscar fidget as if Qrow couldn’t see him was not as entertaining as he once would have thought. He was definitely the most different out of all of them. The kid really sprouted up, almost as tall as Jaune, a slightly stronger jaw and wider shoulders. Apparently being an Ozpin meant lanky. 

He swallowed, and cleared his throat, not able to bear the silence anymore. “They tell you where they found me?”

“Yes. I heard it from team RWBY.” Oscar swallowed, tapping his cane. Qrow could’ve laughed at the gesture. “I actually came to apologize.” 

 “I’ve gotten a lot of those. Think we can just forget about it.” Qrow scoffed. “Yeah, I was on the Monstra in Atlas. But I was taken back to Evernight before you were even near me. By the time Yang and the boys were anywhere near that Grimm, I was long gone, so,” he shrugged. 

Oscar lowered his eyes to the ground. “That’s actually not what we wanted to talk about.” He looked up again to see Qrow blink. Oscar sighed. “What you said to us, or Ozpin, back then, after Jynn? It was right. You were misled, and he, I, used you without even really knowing what we gain. You gave up a lot, without really knowing what we were up against. I’m sorry.” 

Qrow’s heart grew very loud, and felt his throat burn. “Can I talk to him?” 

“It’s..” Oscar chewed his lip. “You are? It’s gotten pretty blurry. There’s no one taking over anymore. But when we thought you were gone, that feeling was pretty clear.” 

“Oh,” Qrow said after a moment. Silence filled the room, Oscar fiddling with his cane, before Qrow shrugged. “Well, I shouldn’t have hit you, so. Sorry.” 

That made him laugh, closing his eyes for a moment of amusement. “You can't just take the apology?” 

 “Mm, no. I will never be able to do that.” Qrow pretended to think it over, before dropping his act. “But, really? Even if you told me at the start? I think I would’ve ended up in the same place.” 

“Believe it or not, Raven actually told me something similar.” 

That hit Qrow in the chest. He had figured something had happened to Raven when she just...didn’t come for him. After it had really sunk in that he couldn’t change his shape, that he was not getting out of Evernight on his own, he called her. They had their ways in an emergency, and Qrow was her oldest link as far as either of them knew. She would’ve known something was wrong. 

It had been a dangerous thought while in the dark of his cell. It’s not working, she doesn’t know. She wouldn’t leave me. She can’t ignore me forever. She can’t be dead. She doesn’t care. She wouldn’t let it go this far. When he caught Qrow screaming on his own, Tyrian’s mix of conflicting information only muddled his thoughts further. 

His hand was reaching for his neck. Qrow stopped midair, redirecting the motion to grip his other wrist. “I guess she really changed.” 

“I think Raven tried.” Oscar nodded thoughtfully. “You were right not to give up on her.” 

Qrow snorted. Envy flared up in him, guilt following quickly behind. He should’ve been there to see it, he should’ve been there to bury her. Maybe even stop yet another death. 

“You know,” Oscar chuckled behind a fist. “I remember a lot of times you telling me to get out of my own head.” 

“Guess I didn’t do a lot of thinkin’ back then.” 

“You were young.” Oscar gave him a grin that was way too self-satisfied for Qrow’s liking, coming from the kid he used to be able to lift with his pinky. “But we wouldn’t say you didn’t ‘think,’ just needed some direction.” 

“Yeah?” Qrow crossed his arms. “You still wanna direct me?” 

“Absolutely. If you’ll have me.” Oscar shrugged a shoulder, rocking his cane back and forth. “We’ll all certainly need direction soon. If this is over. When this is over, I should say.” 

Qrow wasn’t sure what to say to that, nothing would be what he wanted to hear, certainly. Life without Salem might be as chaotic as life with her, and Ozpin had never really known the blissful ignorance of a world without planning for her next move. 

“So you’re not really counting on this being over, are you?” Qrow asked. Oscar took a long time before responding. 

“I don’t think I really have the luxury.” He said quietly. “But it’s never been like this before.” 

“I keep hearing a lot of that, too.” 

“Good.” Oscar nodded, and stood from the couch. “It’s true. Whether this ends, or not, there’s always going to be work to do.” 

Qrow’s heard him say it a thousand times. He wasn’t sure why, when coming from Oscar’s mouth, it took on more than usual.

Qrow dug the heel of his good foot into the carpet, flexing his toes as Zwei went in for a lick. He scooped up the dog by his belly, setting him down on the bed next to him instead. “I think I should go with you.” 

Tai paused his fluffing up of pillows, glancing quickly between Qrow and his bed. “To town tomorrow?” 

Qrow rolled his eyes. “To Vale, jackass.” 

“Oh,” Tai stiffened, which was better than the outright “no” Qrow had been expecting. 

Even though he’s been sticking pretty close to Qrow, Tai didn’t actually stop him from doing anything he wanted to. Though with everything Tai had done for him, Qrow was hesitant to push. Going into a warzone was definitely going to push Tai’s anxiety levels to their limits, but on the other hand, his kids are leading the charge there. 

Taiyang rubbed his chin. “I was actually wondering if you were just going to fly off.” 

“I wouldn’t do that...anymore.” He added weakly. Not that he was lying. Qrow took a deep breath. “I know I can’t fight yet. But it’s not like they know exactly what they’re running into, I could at least fly ahead. Scout, that’s what I’m good for.” 

“You rehearse that?” Tai scoffed with a small smirk. It was a sour attempt at keeping their mood casual, though Qrow figured that only meant he was not going to like what his brother had to say. He didn’t respond. “I don’t know, man. There will be teams staying behind-”

“And I’m supposed to sit on my ass with them?” 

“And guard the last Relic that Salem needs to get her hands on? Yes.” Tai reasoned.

“Whatever,” Qrow waved him off. “Not my grand last stand would do much anyway.”

“I don’t even know if I’m going.” He continued. “I left this place wide open when we were all at Atlas. You know, the one thing we weren’t supposed to do? I’m still waiting for Oz to have my head for it, it’s not gonna work out again.” 

Qrow sighed, a mix of guilt in his chest. The Relic had always been the thing standing between his team. It was part of the reason Raven left in the first place. Ozpin tasked them with protecting the island, and the Crown hidden within. Raven was not making a nest over the very thing Salem wanted the most. It was why there always had to be one of them behind on Patch. Just in case Salem’s followers came sniffing around. 

Mostly, they relied on the location being a secret. Tai leaving the island to help in Atlas was a risk, one that they weren’t keen on taking again. Even more so now, with Salem so close

Qrow slid back to stay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “If worse comes to worst, I don’t think my last stand would do much to stop them from getting the Crown.” 

Qrow heard him sigh, and picked up his head. Tai was slumped in his place, and avoided his eye again. 

He rolled his eyes with a scoff. “Fine, just say you don’t think it's a good idea.” 

“C’mon man, I’m not gonna tell you to go for it. You think I wouldn’t keep the girls here if I could?” 

“I didn’t say you could keep me here.” 

“You know that’s not what I meant,” Tai held up a hand, catching his breath, before lowering his tone. “You would be able to help them, give them a good scout. But you can’t stay in flight for more than twenty minutes before you’re exhausted. And what happens once they meet the waves of Grimm in the inner city? You think you could just sit back and let them fight? And you’re not ready to face a hoard of Grimm, Qrow, I’m not gonna lie to you. You would be a liability.” 

“Yeah, okay. I get it.” Way to not be an asshole . He scolded himself. Inside, he knew Tai wasn’t wrong - Qrow himself wasn’t sure how he’d face off against anything more than a Beowolf. With some luck. If he tried to cover someone’s back he might as well just jump into the Grimm’s mouth. Just because he’s closer to walking doesn’t mean picking up Harbinger wouldn’t feel like a joke. 

Their lights flickered, before shutting down completely. Two separate “I’ll get it!” sounded from the hall, Yang and Jaune both heading out to check on the generator. In the snow. His semblance loved to hammer home a point. 

Qrow pulled a pillow over his face. Zwei huffed, squirming his way onto Qrow’s stomach and successfully stopping his self-strangulation. He lifted a hand to pet the dog, earning a pleased snuffle. 

“You’re not useless here, you know that, right?” Tai said in that way , like Qrow was one of his students. 

Qrow scoffed. “Yeah, your dog loves having someone he can slobber over.” 

“C’mon on, man.” 

“I know,” he groaned out sardonically. And rationally, Qrow did know. He kept to his promises to Ruby and looked over some of the student’s training. Weapon maintenance. Gave some pointers, mostly stuck to the background. The kids weren’t entirely sure what to make of him - he came to recognize that awkward look on their faces when he repeated himself or fumbled with something he couldn’t hold with his stunted fingers. 

But if he could get students to listen to him when he was half drunk and bullshitting a lesson, he could do it with some hands on advice before they’re shipped off to the incarnate of destruction. It would just go down a little easier if he went with them. 

Ruby tried to remind herself that this was what she wanted . 

She wanted Oscar and Penny back, that was no question. She also wanted a concrete plan for how they were going to take back Beacon; the meetings , however, were really eating at her patience. 

The last few hours felt almost useless. She huffed out of the house, sitting on the cold front step and tried not to feel the irritation that ate at her. They had a plan of attack, a solid one. Get through the city, reach Salem, use Ruby’s eyes to weaken her enough to pin her down, use the Sword. Not knowing if the Relic of Destruction would actually destroy an immortal made it that much harder to justify everything they’ll have to do to even get to Beacon.
Now it felt like they were wasting time, ironing out details that probably wouldn’t matter in the long run. Who would go where, how long would they be expected to stay, which sectors they could afford to lose and which they had to throw everything they could at to keep. There weren’t even right answers, and as the night went on Ruby just felt tired.  

The very worst was how councilman Tarot seemed to have a counterpoint to every piece of their plan. At first Ruby couldn’t even find the effort to be annoyed with him, they all knew they had one shot at this. Then he brought up the possibilities of traitors. Informants among them, questioning any possibility that Salem knew their plan, or where the Crown might be. 

Ruby was so tired of the distrust. 

She blew out a breath, watching it waft up to the sky. A quiet “I forget I can do that now, too.” sounded behind her. Ruby smiled and twisted herself to face Penny. She pursed her lips, blowing out a hot breath of air into the freeze. “I did not get an opportunity before we left Atlas.” 

“Well,” Ruby scoffed, gesturing to the frosted yard before them. “If the others keep at it like this, we’ll have plenty of time for all that winter stuff.” She sighed, and slouched again when Penny’s face fell. “Sorry I left so quick. I’m just…” 

She shrugged again, and Penny nodded. “It is alright. We are all taking a recess.” She wiped away some frost from the porch before sitting next to Ruby. “You are not the most patient.” She finished for her.

It made Ruby snort. 

“Salem is not going anywhere. Now that we have the time to truly prepare,” 

“We should take it, I know.” The logic was sound, Ruby would not argue that. But she couldn’t really shake off the expectations that this was it . This was their only chance, their last one to really stop Salem. She wanted to hurry up and get it over with. She wanted to tell everyone that it was finally over. “I guess I’m just used to coming up with a plan, then having to do it immediately. All this scrutiny is making us second guess ourselves.” 

Penny tapped her toes thoughtfully. “That is not entirely true.” She started, making Ruby glance towards her. “The plan to get the relics from Evernight took quite a while. And it turned out better than we hoped!” 

Penny’s encouraging smile made Ruby’s heart flutter, and she couldn’t help the small laugh. “Celebrate every victory, right? We probably won’t get that lucky again.” 

That sinking feeling reared its head inside of her. Ruby would always be thankful for finding Qrow, and always guilty they left him there in the first place. The image of his hanging by chains from a post, nearly unrecognizable, sometimes it just felt like a preview for what they were all headed into. 

Penny grabbed her hand, making Ruby flinch. She hadn’t realized how far off into space she’d drifted, though knowing Penny it couldn’t have been for long. Her friends were becoming great at being her anchors. She was not alone in this, they’ve done good, and they’ll do more.

“Sorry,” she huffed out, Penny squeezing her grip. “You don’t seem worried about this working.” 

“Oh, no,” Penny shook her head. Ruby’s lips twitched at the natural blush over her cheeks. “I am worried about what will happen, and it feels terrible here.” She placed a hand to her chest. “But I do believe in you, Ruby. Just as you have always believed in me.” 

That dark’s hold on her relented for a moment, and Ruby grinned. She blinked wetly before leaning her head on Penny’s shoulder. “Thank you. I-” 

A clatter sounded from inside, cutting Ruby short. She tried not to let out another sigh before she pulled herself to her feet. She didn’t have to let go of Penny’s hand, they would put out the next fire without complaint. 

He really should have known something was up when Winter of all people asked him to come talk. 

Not that taking stock of everything they had in the shed was great fun, but the sheep girl and blue haired one from Happy Huntresses were kind of a riot, in Qrow’s opinion. Nevertheless, he was summoned back to the house. 

Taiyang leaned against the counter, frown lines etched into his expression. Winter, Oscar, and Headmaster Theodore sat at the kitchen table. Along with another huntsman, black bearded but groomed, Qrow only knew him distantly as one of Vale’s councilmen. 

“You might remember Tarot,” Oscar introduced politely. Because somehow he knew that Qrow should know, but probably forgot. Or never bothered to learn the man’s name in the first place. “He’s been working with us and Glynda in Vale.” 

That was the only thing that told him was Oz trusted him enough to do the right thing when it came down to it. And he probably had signed Qrow’s paycheck When he had taken Kingdom missions. “Right,” 

This felt a little too much like an intervention for his taste. 

Qrow sank in the chair, keeping his eyes on Tarot out of habit. The councilman watched him carefully, looking Qrow up and down before folding his hands in front of him. Winter cleared her throat and opened her mouth, but Tarot spoke up before she could start. “It’s very good to see another experienced huntsman with us.”

His voice was grough, suiting his stature, but admiring. Qrow scoffed. “I’ve been conscripted to stay behind.” He shifted his eyes to Taiyang. He didn’t budge. 

“Which is what we all wanted to talk about.” Winter said, pointedly. She took on that diplomatic tone that used to make Qrow’s skin crawl. It had always carried a warning: cool it. “Yes. With a majority of the huntsmen leaving the island for the mainland, it’s going to attract attention from Salem’s forces. We're going to spread out along Vale’s coastline, but she’ll know something is up when we start arriving in droves. Most of them will be working to take back more and more of the city, while Ruby and Oscar’s make their way through the tunnels opened from Mountain Glenn. Eventually we’ll meet in the residential district and make our way to the school. We need to be sure Salem will be there.” She jabbed a finger into the table, over Beacon tower.

“So you want a bird's eye view before you make the assault.” Qrow deadpanned, crossing his arms. 

“No.” Tarot was the one to correct him, drawing every gaze in the room. His eyes bore into Qrow, but he didn’t fidget under the scrutiny. “We have huntsmen with abilities capable of keeping an eye on the tower. None that get as close as you can, admittedly, but we won’t be going in completely blind.” 

Qrow frowned, looking from Tarot to Tai, who kept his eyes on the ground and dug his heel into the floor. Acid burned at the back of his throat. They knew this plan already. Knowing Winter, they had ironed out every detail of it in the days since Oscar came back. They didn’t want him for his battle skills, and not even for his magic. 

“We need to be sure that Salem thinks the Relic is at Beacon before we leave this island open.” 

Tarot answered very calmly, very firmly, the question Qrow hadn’t asked. 

Silence surrounded them. He glanced at Tai, who only flicked his eyes up at him before shrugging. “They want to hear it from you.” 

They had asked Tai first. They had all assumed Qrow gave up everything. His head started that sharp, pounding feeling as Qrow looked to everyone in the kitchen, their faces varying from questioning to solemn. “She does. They all do.” 

“You’re absolutely sure of that?” Tarot asked, leaning forward over the table. “You were with them a long time,” 

“With them?” Qrow hissed out. “I didn’t exactly have a seat at the table.” 

“We know,” Winter cut in, holding out a hand. “But with everything Callows put you through, and your memory-” 

“I remember.” He insisted. He gripped the edge of the table, his fingers turning white.

Tai stepped forward, uncrossing his arms. "Okay, that's that." 

Tarot scoffed and leaned back in his chair. “I have a hard time believing Salem had one of Ozpin’s closest friends and didn’t take advantage of an asset like that.”

“I think I would’ve noticed if the fucking world ended around me!” He couldn’t stop his shout. His heart felt too loud, all of the eyes on him made him feel trapped. They really believed he sold them all out. “I remember. I remember wishing they asked me questions! He didn’t!”

“Qrow-”

“Okay, let’s-” 

“There was no interrogation. I wasn’t an asset I was his reward! And he sure took advantage of that !”

“What’s going on here?” Ruby’s voice seemed to cut through the rest of them - for a moment Qrow was forced back to the present, Ruby standing at the doorway with Penny behind her. He jerked back, pain shot up from his leg, adding to the blurriness in his head. Qrow gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, wavering on his feet. He couldn’t remember standing up. 

Qrow set his eyes to the floor, and whispered, “I didn’t tell them.” 

“What?” Ruby blinked, looking from Qrow to the adults at the other side of the table. Qrow heard the strain in her voice. “Is this about the Crown?”

“I thought you said he was stable enough.” Tarot looked back towards Tai as he spoke in disappointment. 

That rage flared up against his skin again, Qrow distantly heard glass breaking. 

"That's enough." Oscar stood from his seat, centuries of authority filled his tone. 

Silence filled the room, a few glares pointed towards the councilman. Qrow kept his eyes on the ground, the back of his throat burning. Ruby was by his side now, a light grip on his arm, and he took a step back. 

"This isn't a trial." Winter broke the air. There was a small amount of hesitancy, maybe regret, as she said, "We wanted to be sure, and we are." 

“Sure,” he scoffed. Tai moved to round the table, but Qrow batted away his outstretched hand. “You can really feel the trust here.” 

The hurt on Tai’s face stung, but didn’t stop Qrow from leaving. 

Chapter Text

The acid in his chest burned away the bitter cold of the forest. Qrow didn’t know how he managed to weave through the camp surrounding the cabin so quickly, but the fires and the tents were behind him. The moon sparkled off the snow-covered branches, falling with soft poofs as Qrow pushed past. 

He couldn’t tell where he was going, just pawed blindly against the trees. He wanted away, away, away -  His heart pounded against his ribs, and the ache radiated through his bones. His legs hurt from pushing through snow, pushing him away from home. From his jury.

They don’t believe you. You sold them out. You can’t even remember doing it- for what? You fed right into his hands, right into Salem’s, and they all know it, and now-  

He staggered over a root, his bad knee quickly gave out under his weight and Qrow landed hard into the snow and the mud. It shocked him out of tunnel vision, and he whipped his head around to see how the woods had swallowed him. 

He was too far to see the fires from the camp - through he left a very obvious trail for the others to follow. Whether he wanted them to or not, he had yet to decide. Anger pricked at his heart, along with betrayal, and shame being the worst of the mix.

They didn’t believe him, why even ask if they weren’t going to believe him? 

“You were with them a long time.” 

As much as he hated to hear the words, to feel the accusation from some councilmen he couldn’t remember ever meeting before, Qrow felt the prick of shame twist into a stab in his heart. 

" You were with them a long time." 

He was. He was there, but he wasn't with them. Qrow couldn't have been. He would have given that information to Salem in an instant - anything to get her praise - and Patch would be scorched earth. It was so clear. 

It was so clear. " See? See? My little bird has such secrets.." 

Qrow could hear the glee and pride and mania in that voice, and could feel the visceral, rancid shame in his chest as he choked out the damning confession. 

The one he didn't make. The one he couldn't have made.

But why was it so clear? Why could he suddenly recall his own desperate " It's- it's on Patch. Please, it's always been there. Stop, just- please-"  

Please he had said so many times. After his pride had left him, when the days blurred together. What had he forgotten? What begging and pleading turned into promises that he just couldn't remember? Couldn't handle knowing he had been so cowardly that he just blocked it out completely? 

More feelings bubbled in his memory. Blurry, half-formed thoughts like dreams. The relief of laying down, not being pulled along by a collar. Running his hands over warm sheets, the sound of heavy chains hitting soft satin, and the words  bird deserves something nice for such a useful song.

Why can he remember that? Why is there boiling shame and hatred nestled alongside relief in his memory that he can't pull apart? 

There was no bed. Qrow begged his mind to remember. He could not have sold everyone out for a moment of peace. Of dignity. That amounted to nothing in the end, anyway.

His captors might dangle such temptation in front of him, but Qrow couldn't have taken it. Must have known it wasn't worth it. Must have known whatever deal they made wouldn’t last - it certainly didn’t last if how he was found was any indication. There was no deal. There wasn't. There wasn't. There wasn’t. Unless- unless- unless unless unless unless unless 

Unless he had not let himself remember. One final, shameful mistake his brain had finally figured out how to forget. 

The trees spun around him, whirling and whirling as Qrow's panic consumed him. The blood inside him was so loud, the mud and snow seeping into his skin felt far away, the expelled contents of his stomach forced their way through his throat stung just beyond his body. 

Qrow clung to the ground. He dug his stunted fingers into the dirt as the world tilted this way and that. Everything was off balance, everything was thrown out of the miniscule semblance of order he had painstakingly worked to put it in again. 

He wanted to scream. He wanted to throw up again. He wanted someone to claw through his skull and tear out the reams of his pathetic brain tissue and read it to him. Just tell him what he's done, sort out the real from this smeared mess of his memory. 

"Qrow! Move!" 

He could feel the heavy paws of a Beowolf shake the ground behind him right before the sound of Ruby’s rifle ripped through his brain. One hand snapped to his ear, the other still clawing the ground. The wolf howled in pain, it just added to the screeching noise . 

“Uncle-” 

“I don’t know,” he whispered to the ground, before they could ask him again. He knew they would ask him again. 

Ruby knelt beside him, trying to get him to look up. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Are you hurt? Let me-” 

“I don’t know!” Qrow didn’t mean to scream. His voice was so raw, and his vision was so blurry. “I don't know anymore, I don't know."

It was not a painless process to get Qrow back home. Ren had found him so pathetically easily, and it was by some miracle the Grimm didn’t get to Qrow first. Ruby was stewing with anger so obvious it was surprising a whole pack didn’t follow. But she led him back through the woods. 

She didn’t even let any of the adults apologize, not even Taiyang. Just said a clipped I’ve got this that did not leave room for Tai to argue. 

Qrow distantly thought how this should have shocked him. Both Ruby and Tai could be protective, but never from each other. Never about him. If he could ever think straight again, he’d add it to the list of things he needed to make up for. 

Ruby didn’t ask what he meant in the forest, just tried to calm him down. Qrow didn’t elaborate. He wasn’t sure what he could even say, now, and be sure it was real. 

Maybe what Tarot forced him to remember didn’t mean anything. Of course he can remember the relief of falling into bed, he had felt it on Patch so many times. Of course he could hear Tyrian saying those words to him, he had tormented him countless times, and a song could mean anything. Of course Salem couldn't know where the Crown is, she wouldn't waste time trying to get her hands on it if she did.

But, who knows how patient she could be. Who knows if this had been her plan all along, to draw everyone away from Patch and have her maiden sneak right into the vault while no one was looking. RWBY have always been the ones to mess up Salem’s plans, especially with Cinder involved. Salem could be patient enough to draw them out of the way. How could they really know they weren’t there already, with the thick crowd of the camp-

Sharp pain snapped him out of his thoughts. His vision focused on Blake wincing, her ears flat back, as she pulled a long splinter from his skin. "Sorry." She grimaced. 

He watched her throw the bloody sliver into the bin, and stared at its red stained tip against the rest of the trash. He couldn’t even remember her coming into the room - with Yang pacing beside them, Weiss watching Ruby watch him.

Instead of bothering to ask, Qrow said nothing. Blake continued cleaning off his hands. 

“They shouldn’t have asked you.” Ruby said, with emphasis that made it sound like this was not her first time saying this. “It’s not fair to make you relive any of that.” 

Fair, ha. As if anything had been fair for him. 

Yang stood behind her, crossing her arms. "We never would have let Tarot corner you like that. We believe you, Uncle."   

You shouldn't. Qrow shuddered. You can't trust a word out of my fucking mouth.  

"And it doesn't even matter!" Yang threw her arms out in frustration, before pointing a thumb to her chest. "The Lamp is back at Haven, protected. I made sure of it. Salem's not winning any time soon. Even if our plan sucks, even if we leave the island open, it doesn't matter!" 

"Yang," Blake chided her, gently, as Yang raised her voice. Qrow hadn't reacted, so he wasn't sure if it was for his benefit, or Blake's. 

"Even Dad told him over and over again that it wouldn’t change anything." Yang said with venom still in her voice, though at a regular volume again. "Tarot's lucky if I don't make him eat his teeth tonight." 

Over and over . Qrow almost laughed. How many times was Tai going to support him only for Qrow to fail again? It was a good thing Tai threw him to the wolves this time, it’s not like Qrow didn’t deserve it. 

“I thought you said he was stable ” Tarot had said - Qrow certainly showed him how stable he was. How many times was he going to lose his fucking mind only for these kids to drag him back out again? 

“Qrow,” 

He blinked at the soft voice - not knowing who was calling him until his eyes landed on Weiss. Her legs were crossed and her eyes held patience. 

“It’s…it’s okay if, maybe, you actually-”

“I don’t know.” Qrow cut her off. He had blurted the same words in the forest, repeating the phrase that Ruby was too angry or too worried to ask the meaning of. Now Weiss had kicked down the dam again - and the confession burned his throat and made his eyes well. “I can’t remember. I said I did, but I- I don’t know. There are these, these moments in my head now that weren’t there before. It’s so foggy, and it’s like- like- I don’t know-” 

Ruby took his hand, halting his heaving breaths, stopping his rambling. Her grip was stronger than his, and Qrow felt something shrivel inside of him. It was not supposed to be like this; Ruby holding him together as he cried over his own failure. Everything was backwards, he was just weighing them down, again. 

“I’m sorry,” he sobbed. He hid his face in his hands. “I’m so sorry.” 

Ruby didn’t let him go. She jerked his hands away from where they hid his shameful tears. Yang placed a hand on his shoulder. Qrow could see her through blurred vision, looking like a mirror in time to Summer sharing a look with the rest of her team before coming to some kind of silent consensus. 

She squeezed his hand, and looked Qrow in the eye. “Okay.” 

Qrow let something out like a wheeze. It was not okay , she didn’t understand. She was too young. “No, no. You can’t say it’s okay when I-”

“That’s not what she meant.” Yang cut him off. “You said you don’t know? Fine. You don’t know. That’s that.” 

“It’s the same information we were acting on anyway. The plan isn’t changing.” Weiss said. 

Blake tried to ease him, too. “Like Yang said, we have the other Relics. It doesn’t matter if you did or didn’t tell them.” 

“So I sold you out for nothing.” Qrow didn’t mean for the words to come out like a snarl - he felt like something clawed at his chest and made him spit everything he had up at them. “Salem doesn’t even have the advantage she thinks she has, they just..he made me- fuck, I didn’t even do it to save my own skin, I failed you.”

“Uncle,” Ruby completed their circle. She held his hands tight, strong. It made him feel sick, but it also made him listen. “I forgive you.”

“ Ruby -” 

 “I said I forgive you.” She stopped him again. Ruby kept her grip on him, giving him that look that was part anger, and part believe me that Qrow was getting too used to seeing. Ruby glanced at her team, and took a deep breath. “If you think I am, or any of us, are angry with you, we’re not. We’ve been failing almost every step of the way. I thought I lost you because we failed in Atlas, and it,” she took another breath. “The more I blamed myself the worse off I was. You told me I don’t have to carry everything alone, that what we’ve already done is still good. That goes for you, too.” 

“Don’t say this isn’t the same.” Yang said before Qrow could even think to argue. “You take care of us, we take care of you. You’re sorry that you might have, while basically in hell, given up some information? Fine. We forgive you. Sometimes you don't have any other options. You might feel terrible about it, but you’re still our uncle. It doesn't matter what you do. You're family.” 

Qrow wanted to argue. He wanted to tell them they shouldn't have to clean up his mess, again , on top of everything else they had to handle. He wanted his brain to just figure it out. He wanted to hold them and never stop saying he was sorry. He wanted his stupid heart to stop panicking and listen and stop flooding him with shame. 

"Please believe us, Uncle." 

"I want to." Qrow whispered. 

If there was one thing he knew was true among the slurry of his mind, it was that the girls absolutely would forgive him. He didn't want to hurt them, he had protected them, that had always been enough for them. He had never believed it to be enough for himself. 

Ruby wrapped her arms around him. Qrow could feel the others piling on. He let himself rest against her, and he let himself stay grounded. He listened to Tai all this time, he could listen to them. You take care of us, we take care of you. 

"Just don't give up before you do," Ruby pleaded with him. 

A warm feeling bubbled up in his chest. For the first time he could see it, something would click. Like it had before, he had made it so many times over. "I don't think you'll let me." 

Yang sighed, tightened her hold. "Now you're getting it."

Chapter Text

The second night Qrow woke up screaming, he broke their unspoken stalemate. 

Just as he had been the first night, Tai was already outside RWBY’s door, listening to the girls calm him down and assure him that he’s home, he’s safe, no one’s making him do anything he doesn’t want to do. Just as it had a few hours ago, Qrow’s voice grew softer and the I’m sorrys barely made it through the frame. Taiyang's heart beat hard, tugging him forward, to do something, to help his brother. But he was rooted in the hallway.

They needed some time away from each other, Tai understood that. There were a million different ways he could have better handled the Relic situation, it was taking up too much of his brain the past few days. They were running out of time, and Tarot wouldn’t let up, then Ozpin was agreeing and Winter dragged Qrow in and Tai should have defended him better.

But Ruby and Yang didn’t want to hear it, and Qrow didn’t seem to care either, so he let them be. When he’s ready, they’ll hash it out like they always do. Qrow stayed away from everyone again, slept on the floor of the girls’ room. Tai knew they kept it too dark, but gods forbid Qrow tell them that, and when the nightmares come it was harder for him to wake up and see where he was. 

It happened several times a night, this one and last. No one in the house was getting any real sleep. Tai couldn’t help but think if he barged in, he might just make it worse again. The way Ruby had looked at him, disappointed, leaning towards disdain. Yang may always have a chip on her shoulder for Tai’s failing, but his youngest? It cut him deep, more than anything else had in a long time.

So now he has a new routine of almost trying to help, but finding himself frozen. Shut out and shut down.

Tai heard movement from the other side, whispered voices and a “Uncle, you don't have to-” before Qrow opened the door so fast it nearly cracked him in the nose. 

He flinched at the sight of Taiyang, and it made him relax his stance, letting his arms hang at his side and step back. Tai saw fresh blood down his neck, claw marks bleeding from a desperate attempt to rip something away that wasn’t there. It oozed onto his shirt, and he met Tai with red rimmed eyes. Tai opened his mouth, but Qrow moved first. Qrow came just close enough to close the door behind him before shuffling past. Down the hall, limping bad, into Tai’s room.  

He felt that pull on his heart again. 

He slowly walked into his bedroom. Qrow was curled into a ball on the mattress, holding his bad leg with gritted teeth and labored breath. He had stomped all on it in the woods, the pain must be flaring and adding to the mess of triggers. Zwei was there, snuffling at his feet before turning around, sitting to face the door. If that dog could raise a questioning eyebrow at Tai, he would. 

Tai sighed, “Hey,”

“I’m fine.” Qrow spat without looking back. “I just want to let them sleep.”

“Sure.” It was hard to keep the doubt out of his voice. Tai swallowed it back before moving to the bathroom and grabbing a medtowel. They don’t do much, but they stay cool and are infused with antiseptic, so it was better than nothing. He unwrapped the towel before laying it next to Qrow on the mattress. “At least put this on your neck, okay?” 

Qrow grunted something that was vaguely affirmative, before taking the towel and gently resting it below his jaw. He hissed at the sting, screwing his eyes shut. Tai almost put a hand on his shoulder, but made himself pet Zwei instead. 

He thought that might be it. Qrow coming back to their room, letting Tai hover for just a second, that was better than it was yesterday. It didn’t come from a good place, moreso how much Qrow hates to let the kids see him like this, but he wasn’t running off into the woods again. Tai will take any silver lining these days. 

“Tai?” Qrow called quietly, keeping his back to him. 

“Yeah, man?” 

“Do you trust me?” 

The question was so quiet, his voice strained and tight like he was trying to force calm. Tai closed his eyes, even when the answer came easily. “Yes.” 

Qrow scoffed. Like it was a stupid mistake.

“I’m not lying. I trust you with my life. With their’s.” Tai stressed. Qrow was always testing limits, this was as close as he got to asking do you still love me? “I made a mistake, but of course I trust you.” 

“I don’t think you should anymore.”

“Why?” 

“Did you ask me?” Qrow twisted on the bed, met his eyes with something sad in them that made Tai’s heart twist. “Did you ask me if I told them about the Crown? Do I just not remember?” 

Tai sighed, and slid his hands in his pockets. He supposed he should have expected this. “No.” He answered. “I never actually asked you.” 

“Why?” Qrow let out a pained sound, falling back to stare at the ceiling. His breath picked up and Tai could tell he was trying to keep it under control. “Why didn't you- and why did you tell them I didn't? You didn't know!”

“Qrow, you're you.” Tai leaned forward with a scoff. “I know how you are, the guilt would have eaten you alive. If you did anything that might put us at risk, it would've been the first thing out of your mouth. So the answer was either no, or that you don't know. I didn't need to ask.” 

He had wondered, when Qrow had first gotten back, what Salem had wanted with him. He was so close with Ozpin for so many years, they could have asked him anything. But Qrow kept quiet about what happened to him, only giving vague explanations when asked about an injury. It was clear he didn't have anything important to tell them, Tai wasn't going to embarrass him further. 

Then Tarot had brought up the possibility, in a meeting Tai didn’t even attend. Winter had told him, to which he told her no way Qrow gave that up. He kept the secret for twenty years. Tarot didn't believe that, so Tai told him again. Tried to rationalize that it wouldn't matter anyway, Salem still doesn't have the other relics. 

Apparently Taiyang wasn't convincing enough. He couldn’t protect Qrow from reliving his time at Evernight. And he overestimated Qrow's confidence in himself. 

“I don’t regret sticking up for you. But I could have warned you, not let them spring it on you like that. I'm sorry.”

The room settled again. Outside, the wind scraped against the shutters. Somewhere downstairs, the radiator clunked.

Hands running down his face, Qrow spoke again, barely audible. “I don’t know what’s real anymore.” 

The words clung to the space between them. He didn’t look at Tai. Just stared at the ceiling, one hand pressed hard over his sternum like he was trying to hold himself in place.

“I keep—reliving things. Shit I think happened, but doesn’t make any sense-” his voice hitched on the word. “I didn’t let myself think about it, I didn’t want it to matter, but Tarot…It’s like all this was backed up and keeps spilling out. I didn't tell you,” Qrow spoke again. Tai didn't mean to tense up as much as he did. “But he would…poison me. Like the first time, but, it was changed. It still hurt, but, it made me see…things. Fuck, I don't know anymore what was because of that or- And now Ruby’s trying to keep me together.” 

“Qrow,” Tai moved to sit with him, a comfortable distance. The words had yet to sink in, really, he couldn’t let himself feel that anger when Qrow was spiraling. “You know that is not a burden.”

He wanted to remind Qrow how far he’d come. He had already built some of his strength back up, he was becoming more mobile every day, his aura was getting stronger. He had a setback, and Tai still had to make it up to him, but Qrow had nothing to prove. 

But he also understood that Qrow did, actually. He didn't want others to see how fear still controlled him. He didn't want to feel helpless in the face of danger. That wasn't what a Huntsman was - who Qrow had always wanted to be. 

It hurt to think that he really might not be a Huntsman again. 

“We’ll sort it out together.” Tai promised. 

“It doesn't even fucking matter.” 

“If it does to you, it does to me.” He reasoned. 

They were quiet again. Zwei started sniffling at Tai's leg, beginning to worm his way into his lap. Qrow finally looked away from the ceiling and rested his cheek against his arm, curling tighter in the blankets.

“I don't want to do this tonight.” Qrow whispered. 

Tai barely held back his sigh. The words were like permission for exhaustion to come washing over him again. “We don't have to,” he said, because he couldn't be so cruel as to say thank the gods. He just wished Qrow would believe him. “But try to get some rest. I'll wake you if you have another nightmare.” 

Qrow nodded, keeping his gaze away from Tai. He took that as a thank you, and went back to his own bed. Only feet away. 

Tai stood a few paces back from the loading zone, arms crossed tight against his chest. He watched closely as Team RWBY prepared to depart. They did all they could from the safety of Patch, the home Tai worked every day to make a haven. 

They moved like a unit now - each one different, distinct, but orbiting each other naturally. Like limbs of the same body.

It reminded him of STRQ, with an ache in his chest. 

But gods, they were so much more capable. 

Case in point, Qrow had disappeared hours ago - no doubt avoiding saying goodbye by leaving first. But he couldn’t miss this, Tai took a break from searching for him to be here instead. 

He caught himself memorizing their faces, the shapes of them in motion. How Yang adjusted her gauntlet straps even when they didn’t need it, how Blake always double-checked the team’s gear before her own. Weiss barked a last-minute logistics call at the crew. Ruby held her weapon to her chest, needing a quiet moment to herself, then turned back towards him.

Tai forced himself to smile. He didn't want their last memory of him to be a worried face. Both her and Yang jogged over, her hood trailing behind Ruby and Yang’s hair blowing in the winter breeze. He opened his arms and his girls were there in an instant. 

Sometimes, he still felt guilt over failing them. That time after Summer…it was too much. He put too much on Yang, and he was thankful every day that she was strong enough to forgive him. 

Ruby was taller now. Stronger. Confident. Tai could still remember when she used to climb on his shoulders like she was invincible. She still was, in her own way. But she didn’t lean on him anymore. 

He was still putting too much on them, and he will always regret not fixing the world for them. But there was a solid, steady confidence in them, too. 

When he pulled back, his voice cracked just a little.

“Your mom would be so proud of you both.”

Ruby’s eyes shone. Yang’s jaw clenched.

“We’ll come back.” 

Tai nodded, but the lump in his throat didn’t budge.

Behind them, boots scuffed on concrete.

“I know you will.”

Ruby turned, her eyes widening with surprise - and relief. Qrow stood at the edge of the tarmac, hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. He looked tired, but clearer than he had in days. Balanced. Present.

“You came,” Ruby said, already stepping toward him.

He tried to shrug it off, but everyone saw how his throat bobbed. “Yeah, well. Figured if I’m not coming with you, I should at least try not to ghost the send-off.”

Ruby gave him a fond look and teased, “You’re terrible at goodbyes.”

“You’re one to talk.” Yang scoffed beside her, leaning an elbow onto Ruby’s shoulder. 

She wrapped her arms around him tightly, and to Tai’s surprise, Qrow didn’t flinch. Yang joined them, and he just held her close, one hand steady against each of their backs.

“I don’t know what you're about to walk into,” he said, voice low, “but whatever happens, you’re not alone. Not now. Not ever.”

Ruby pulled back to look at him, eyes wet but bright. She grabbed Yang’s hand beside her, Weiss and Blake waiting for them. “I know.”

“You kids are the best of us. You always have been.” 

“Aww, he was practicing.” Yang placed a hand on her heart. 

Qrow deadpanned. “You’re welcome.” 

Tai watched as his daughters let out a laugh, the air finally clear between them. Then the airship’s siren blared.

Ruby looked back once more at both of them. Tai raised a hand. Qrow did too, this time steady. She smiled. “See you soon.”

Taiyang and Qrow watched until the last boot disappeared up the ramp, until the hatch closed with a hiss and the engines roared to life. Until the airship was just a speck in the sky. 

Days passed. The camp’s routines shifted into structured movements. Transports prepared, weapons inspected, rations counted and re-counted. The kind of buzz that always came before something big, but no one would say it out loud.

They didn’t admit it to each other, but Tai and Qrow were both mentally tracking where each team would be by the hour. Arriving on the other side of the mountain. Clearing the path to the tunnels. Clearing inside the tunnels. They should be at the base of Beacon in two days. 

Tai let them both be distracted, instead starting the painful process of Qrow relearning sword forms. 

They found a suitable practice blade, nothing close to Harbinger but it would let him get used to weight again. When everyone had started carving out a camp in Patch, there was a shed that served as a small indoor training area. Just enough space for light drills, with some old crates serving as makeshift dummies. It wasn’t ideal, but it was something. And as more and more teams left, it was quiet. 

Qrow’s breathing was already tight. His shirt clung to him with sweat, his hair damp at the edges. He held the sword at a ready angle, though the grip steady in his hand. He let out a long steadying breath. Tai hadn’t brought up Qrow’s memory yet. Qrow hadn’t offered, and Tai wasn’t eager to get into it himself. 

They needed this space. Something simple. Something that used to be second nature, that they taught students. 

But it was part of building him back up again. Control of his body, then his aura and mind. Show that what happened to him was not permanent, not who he was. 

“Good,” Tai said, watching Qrow’s feet. “Now again. Shift from ox into guard. Remember, short steps.”

Qrow nodded once, jaw tight. He moved—weight forward, pivot, then twist. Then again. And again.

His balance faltered at the end of the form. Tai saw it too late. Qrow turned too fast. His bad leg caught under him wrong, and he went down hard on one knee with a clipped grunt.

Tai was beside him in a flash, hands ready but not closing the distance just yet.

“It’s okay to favor it, you know,” He said, kneeling. 

Qrow gritted his teeth, curling his hands into the dirt. “I know that.” 

He got to his feet but didn’t try to resume the form. He just stood, slightly hunched, blade at his side. Tai wished he could tell him, promise him, that he wouldn’t have to fight ever again. But that wouldn’t be as much of a comfort as he wanted it.

Winter was then in the doorway, clearing her throat. 

“Oh, great.” Qrow huffed with a roll of his shoulders. “You're back to enjoy the hospitality then?” 

Tai slapped his stomach. He didn’t even bother tacking on the disapproving look. “What’s going on?” 

Winter didn’t react, either. Only silently drew in a breath. “Tyrian Callow has been captured. We have him in Vale.”

The name alone made Taiyang’s jaw lock.

Captured.

It sounded so grounded. As if what Tyrian had done to Qrow could be contained. As if shackles could hold a virus. A bitter feeling overwhelmed him, an image that he hadn’t let himself dwell on formed in his head. The shadow that had been lurking over his brother now had a tether - and Taiyang wanted to turn it into a noose.

He glanced at Qrow, all tense muscles and unwavering attention on Winter. “What are you going to do with him?” 

“He’ll face justice. I promise you that.” Winter’s voice didn’t falter. But there was something underneath it. Hesitation. “But we might need him first.”

“Of course,” Tai couldn’t help himself from scoffing. He asked the question before Qrow had the chance, “Why?” 

Winter didn’t blink. “The Wyvern is gone.”

Taiyang’s brain froze for a second. “Gone?”

“There was a field of darkness surrounding Beacon for almost an hour. Total black. No eyes on anything. No communication.”

Beacon... again. The name still hurt when he heard it.

“When it lifted, the Wyvern wasn’t on the tower anymore. Multiple teams confirmed it. It’s gone. And we haven’t seen it since.”

The thing that almost killed Ruby. The thing she’ll have to face down again, now.

The thought landed like ice in his gut.

“What’s this got to do with us?” Tai asked, trying to keep the edge out of his voice.

Winter’s gaze went to Qrow.

“He’ll only talk to you,” she said, purposefully calm. “He’s only talked about you, actually.”

Tai felt something shift within his chest. Something cold. Qrow finally broke his stance, turning to face away from them. Tai felt desperate, he grasped at a new solution. “Use a double. Corio Andern’s still in Vale. Use his Semblance.”

“We did,” Winter said with a sigh. “Callows…knew.”

Taiyang watched the way Qrow’s hand moved up to his face, dragging down with visible effort. His voice shook, “Is he still alive?” 

Thankfully Winter knew how important that answer was. “Yes. We got him out quickly. And improved Callow’s restraints.”

Tai shook his head. He couldn’t stop, placing his hands on the back of his neck. Qrow was not ready to face him again, not when Tai still had to keep him from jumping at shadows. They had to find some other way, he just needed a bit of time.

“Qrow,” Winter said quietly. She looked right past him, only at Qrow. “I have to ask. If I get you to Vale, will you talk to him?” 

Qrow didn’t answer. Just stared at the floor. Tai could see his jaw working behind his stubble.

“He’ll just lie,” Qrow finally said, his voice brittle. “He won't give you anything real.”

“Then we’ll know what isn’t real. He’s not giving us intel—we’re hunting for slivers. Context. Behavior. Weaknesses. If he so much as mentions the Wyvern, it’s something.”

She’s right. Taiyang hated it, but she was.

Qrow was already nodding, shoulders taut. Steeling himself. “Okay.”

Tai stepped forward before he realized he was doing it. This was wrong. “Qrow, look,”

“I can’t guarantee he’ll say anything worth your time,” Qrow said.

“If he says one thing about that Grimm,” Winter replied, “it’s worth it.”

“Then when do we leave?” 

“Next squad ships out in two hours.” 

Winter nodded, like that was that. She just glanced at Taiyang before turning on her heel and leaving the shed. Qrow moved to follow.

Tai didn’t wait. He stepped in close and grabbed Qrow by the shoulder.

He looked past Tai, muttering, “You gonna tell me I don’t have to do this?” 

“We don’t even know if he knows anything.”

“We also don’t have time. The kids will be at the school in two days. This is something I can actually do.”

“You don’t owe us anything,” Tai said, heart thudding. You don’t have to go near him again. You don’t have to relive it. It's hurt you enough already. Just let me protect you.

“Yes I do.” Qrow pushed his hand off. “You want Ruby to take that thing on her own again?”

“No!” Tai shouted, sharper than intended. “Gods, you know that!”

The sight of his child, the beholder of an ancient power neither her nor her mother wanted - that Summer prayed she would never have to use - unconscious for days. It still shook him to the core. 

Qrow’s voice went flat. Forced calm into his tone. “And you’re not going to let him take me again?”

Taiyang froze. It wasn’t an accusation. It was a plea. “Why would you even think—”

“Just tell me.”

Qrow’s voice cracked on the word. Tai saw the tension in his shoulders. The flicker of panic hiding behind sarcasm. The kind of fear that didn’t scream—but crouched behind the ribs and waited.

Tai stepped forward, hand steady.

“Never,” he said. “Not again.”

Qrow nodded once. Sharp. Like he was shoving something deep down.

“Then I have to try.”

Chapter Text

To get out to the memorial, Qrow had to lie. He tried not to anymore, to Tai anyway, and sneaking out of the house like a teenager didn’t exactly help his case for looking ready . Especially after almost ditching the girls' sendoff a few days ago. But he just wanted a second alone. In case he failed again. 

Harbinger was solid, unrelenting against the wind and the snow on top of the monolith. The last remnant of who he had been.

It didn’t shimmer like a weapon in a hero’s story, but it was sharp. It looked like a tool built to end things. It always had. He’d used it that way, to kill and attack, but to save, too. 

As cliche as it was, Harbinger was an extension of himself, and a part that wasn’t hard to love.

Qrow took one slow breath. Then another. He stepped forward.

His hand hovered over the hilt.

Felt stupid for hesitating.

Felt terrified.

The last time he saw it, he’d been screaming. Disarmed, broken, poisoned - but trying to claw back to Clover. Maybe if he had reached for his weapon instead of recoiling from what it had just been used to do, everything would be different. All he had for so long was the sound it made when it hit the snow, coated in blood. Like it was leaving him behind.

Qrow’s fingers curled around the grip. He pulled it from the stone. 

He was ready for how heavy it felt, but his arm still shook. He wasn’t the same, he didn’t have the strength just yet - Harbinger wasn’t designed to be something easily wielded. 

“We're screwed.” He whispered, and adjusted his grip. 

It was also so familiar. The leather-wrapped hilt knew the shape of his hand. The balance pulled against his arm just right. Like meeting an old friend with a loving there you are . 

He dared to try a few movements. It was awkward with his bad leg, and the blade dipped dangerously near his side. Qrow shifted his stance, slowly - one step back, weight on his left. Then forward. Pivot. The tip dragged the floor for a moment, and he winced. Too shaky.

But Harbinger stayed in his grip. It didn’t accuse him. It knew its maker - the kid that had stolen parts for the first attempt, snuck out of the dorm to the forge, painstakingly cleaned the gears and barrels, let his niece hold it with such reverence.

He exhaled through his nose. Straightened up. He tightened his grip just for a moment before letting the tension drain. 

“Okay,” he sighed, breathing a thick cloud in the cold air. “Keep me steady, one more time.”

The engines hummed low beneath his boots, a dull vibration through steel that Qrow kept telling himself was comforting. Predictable. Mostly. Their scrappy army didn’t exactly have the most state of the art equipment. But it was enough to help him keep it together. 

He sat near the back of the transport, buckled in tight, fingers wrapped tight around the belts to the points of becoming white. It was better than opening the wounds in his neck again, at least. And still enough to remind him this was real. This moment. This body. Not some illusion that had been cooked into his veins.

Not then . Now.

Breathe in. Two, three. Hold. Out.

He stared ahead, counting the rivets in the ceiling panel. Twenty-two, one strip. Twenty-two in the next. A grid he could focus on.

Keep the world small. Control what you can.

He felt stupid, doing the little tricks every therapist on Remnant would tell every Huntsman in history was useful. Qrow used to not need tricks. He used to not need an airship, or feel his weapon so heavily on his back. But he’s been humiliated a thousand times over now, might as well keep throwing his pride away as long as it helps him stay steady. 

Across the aisle, Winter was reviewing something on a scroll. Maps, maybe. Tactical reports. She hadn’t said much since takeoff. Tai was up near the cockpit, talking to the pilot. Qrow was grateful for the space.

He felt the lurch of altitude shift, the groan of metal. Closed his eyes.

No pain. No hollow stomach or weight around his neck. Just steel and wind and the low murmur of the engine. He’s walking in willingly, with head up, and for a reason that mattered. 

Another breath.

In. Two. Three.

The airship dropped through the cloud cover. The city of Vale stretched below, all dark buildings, so much destroyed, with only pockets of warmth and light where safe-zones had been established by huntsmen. The school loomed over like a dark monolith, half destroyed and crawling with Grimm. They looked like maggots digging in and out of a corpse. 

Winter was already unbuckling before the engines had cut. Qrow followed slower, jaw tight. They stepped into the cold and a team met them. Four Huntsmen in mismatched armor, none of whom looked older than thirty. Winter gave a clipped nod. Qrow stayed quiet.

There were some nods of acknowledgement. No one said his name. But every one of them looked when they thought Qrow couldn’t see. Like they were all told not to act like they knew something about him. 

One of them glanced away the second Qrow met his eyes. He resisted the instinct to reach for Harbinger’s hilt. 

What the hell has he been saying?

Tai’s hand was suddenly at his back, and they followed Winter. The huntsmen had cleared out an old police precinct as a base, but it was worse for wear. War had passed through it like a storm, left the walls cracked and the roof patched with sheet metal and tarps. 

They walked through what used to be a booking room—now just cots, weapons racks, a communications table, a dusty vending machine someone had tried to shoot open. Qrow clocked exits without thinking. Two on the north wall, stairwell to the east, three Huntsmen inside the perimeter, one with a shoulder brace.

Winter led them past a checkpoint and down a hall where old glass walls had been replaced with steel plates. The power hummed erratically. The silence was worse.

“The interrogation chamber is secure,” Winter said. “Two guards at the door, and me, but you’ll be alone inside.”

“Great,” Qrow muttered.

Winter paused outside the door to a prep room. Not quite a locker. Not quite a waiting cell. “Do not engage with him,” she said, turning to face him. “He hasn’t tried to breach containment since we reinforced the cuffs, but he’s not stupid. He’s watching everything. Your nervous system will react for you.” 

Qrow almost wanted to roll his eyes. Yeah, I know that well. 

She continued, “Keep the table between you and him. Don’t let him control the tempo. Use closed body language—crossed arms, leaned back posture, non-engagement. Don’t argue. Keep your sentences short and focus on the Grimm-”

“Winter.”

She blinked, coming back from somewhere else. The cracks in her expression sealed.

“I am a Huntsman. Not a hostage.” 

He knew he should be thankful, or at least not an asshole. But it was easy, and familiar. And maybe if she believed Qrow, then so could he. 

Winter set her jaw. “I know you are.” 

Qrow looked away when his throat tightened. 

Tai was behind him, like always, and Qrow let him guide through box breathing. He didn’t feel strong, but he was steady. He shifted his hips to feel Harbinger against his back. The lock disengaged with a sharp chhk , too loud in the narrow hall. Qrow didn’t hesitate—he stepped through the steel door and let it shut behind him. Let it seal.

The room wasn’t large. Concrete walls, a bolted table, two chairs. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead like insects. More steel panels were newly installed over a patch in the wall. 

Tyrian sat chained to a chair in the center, cuffed at the ankles and wrists. His tail was tied at least 5 times over. His posture was slack, staring at the table, slouched like a marionette with its strings half-cut. A black eye had blossomed across the left side of his face, ugly and fresh. His lip was split. 

Qrow didn’t speak. He kept his hands in his coat pockets, shoulders squared. Four seconds in. Four seconds hold. Four seconds out. A slow rhythm. Enough to keep the tremors at bay.

You’re here. You chose this. You’re not in the cage anymore.

Tyrian didn’t look up at first. Just tilted his head as if listening to a sound only he could hear.

Then, slowly, he raised his eyes. And lit up like a flare.

“Ohhh... look at you.”

His voice slithered. His eyes trailed down Qrow’s body, to his weapon, then back up to his face. He didn’t flinch when penetrating gold eyes met his. 

“We’ve switched places! And you’re pretending to play Huntsman again, oh, this is fun. Finally.” 

“Okay,” he said evenly, ignoring the ramblings. “I’m here. Tell me where the Wyvern is.”

Tyrian blinked. Then gave a little pout. “After all the time we spent together?” His voice dipped into mock hurt. “I don’t even get a hug?”

Qrow said nothing.

“How about a free shot, then?” Tyrian leaned forward, cuffs clinking. He turned so his already bruised half of his face was towards Qrow. “Or several? I’ll take what I can get.”

Qrow’s jaw ticked. His hands stayed in his pockets. Four in. Four hold. Four out.

Tyrian grinned wider. There was dried blood between his teeth. 

“You are going to tell me where Salem took the Wyvern.”

There was a beat. Then Tyrian made a soft, delighted sound in the back of his throat. “Mmm. All business now, aren’t we? You are playing Huntsman very well.”

Qrow didn’t speak. Didn’t blink.

Tyrian tilted his head. “Ask nicely for me, birdy. Hmm? You used to beg so sweetly—”

Qrow’s voice cut through, hard. “Tell me, or I’m walking.”

There was a flicker in his features - almost annoyance. Then Tyrian smoothed it back into a smile. 

“Oh fine , I will repeat myself,” he said, as if humoring a child. His bruised eye twitched with amusement. “Our goddess has deemed it a noble sacrifice. It will turn Cinder into something truly marvelous - like we did with you.” 

The words swirled in his head - Qrow tried to sort out what was something worth listening to. Cinder..turning herself further into a monster? Controlling it? He couldn't focus, his breathing pattern was lost. 

Like we did with you . Repeat myself . 

He screwed his eyes shut for half a second as the echo of Tyrian’s cackle bounced off the concrete. He wasn't sorting it out here. Qrow turned, already walking. That was enough. He didn’t need more.

“I’ll see you again soon, little bird…” He sang. “Just like we planned.”

Qrow stopped with his hand over the door.

“You promised me so fervently, sweet bird,” he said, his voice rising with joy. “Don’t tell me you forgot!”

It was too familiar a mania. Qrow’s spine locked up. The lock moved under his hand from the other side, a heavy clunk , but Qrow didn’t move. He didn’t know when his breathing pattern had broken. He didn’t know why his throat felt tight or why his vision was doubling or why he suddenly couldn’t feel the floor under his boots. His body knew before his brain did: panic. He was unraveling, and Tyrian knew it.

“You’re going to be right where you’re supposed to,” Tyrian said, the words slathered in false affection. “With your beautiful wings! Getting rid of that little red brat, you were so eager .”

“You’re done, Callows.” Winter’s stern voice was next to him, her hand on his arm. 

Qrow pushed it off. “The fuck does that mean?” 

“Qrow,”

Tyrian just smiled at him. “You won’t have to play along anymore, dear bird.” 

“We’re done.” Winter’s hand was on him again, her grip tight. He didn’t shrug it off this time, just let her pull him away. 

Then Tai had his shoulder and Qrow felt his legs start to shake. They guided him back into the hall and went careening into the wall. He slid down, Harbinger scraping the concrete uselessly. 

“What does that mean?” he whispered. Everything felt too bright. “What did I do?”

“Nothing,” Tai said immediately. He crouched in front of him, hands up, steady and slow. “Hey, hey - look at me.”

Qrow couldn't. He pressed his knuckles to his temple instead, pressing hard like he could dig the memory out. The tips of his fingers, the ones that were left, went white from pressure. His heart pounded in his ears. If he couldn’t figure this out the world would start spinning again. 

“Qrow.” Tai’s voice was firm now, and his hands took his cheek, making him meet his eyes. “Look at me.”

He tried, but Tai’s face wavered before him. Breath shallow and uneven, Qrow put a hand to his chest, making himself slow down. Winter came into focus beside them, sending off another huntsman. Qrow thought he might have missed what she said or maybe already forgot. 

“He was fucking with you. You can’t let that get in your head. You’re not going to hurt anyone.” 

Winter crossed her arms, looking down on him with a gentle expression. “There’s no plan, Qrow. He knew we were listening, he wouldn’t alert us so openly.” 

“You don’t know..” Qrow trailed off, a new confession stuck in his throat. They needed to know, he’s avoided it for so long, but they needed to know and he didn’t know how to hell to tell them. 

Tai shook his shoulder. “Hey, I’m with you every day, Qrow. Every day. You haven’t done anything. You’re not part of anything.”

“No, no.” Qrow shook his head. “I didn’t tell you, I didn’t think it mattered but, fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair. His finger pulled hard, despite Tai’s hand on his elbow. “There might be something inside of me.” 

Winter sighed above them, Qrow heard her heels clicking back and forth. “Let’s find somewhere private.” 

Tai was pulling him up, holding him steady until Qrow found his footing. His leg throbbed as they walked down the dank hall of the station. 

Winter took them into an old office. The light flickered overhead, the leather chair behind the desk was covered in dust. Tai practically dropped him into the seat. 

“Okay,” his brother sighed. “I need you to calm down first. You’re not in danger, and you’re not going to hurt anyone.” 

“Yeah..yeah..” Qrow nodded. He leaned forward to place his elbows on his knees. He let himself breathe, fill his lungs, and empty them until it tweaked in his chest. Then he found his rhythm again, without too many eyes and that fucking voice. 

“There is something,” he started quietly, trying to find how to explain it. “Look, I know I can’t always trust myself, but there is something I know is real. And it sounds impossible, but it’s not so…foggy, like some other parts are. They gave me wings.”

He looked up to see Winter and Tai both looking down on him, trying not to show confusion or skepticism. 

“On this body.” He clarified. “Salem strapped me down, cut into my back, and grafted Grimm into me. Bone, tendon, feathered spines. Wings. I... I had them for months. I know this happened. It changed me. I remember what it did to my spine. My lungs, the weight of them. I wake up feeling them still, like phantom limbs.”

Tai held out a hand. “Okay.” 

“And I thought it was just to see if it would work. That was the only thing Salem ever cared about, with me anyway. But they did work, before…” he sighed, the pressure building up in his spine, tensing for the pain. “It was just another thing to hurt me with. Tyrian…ripped them off, over time. By the feathers, and the- But I thought they were gone, when Ruby came. She was killing the Gheist feeding off my aura, but the rest was hit, too. I felt it, the wounds healed. I didn’t think it mattered.” 

He ducked his head, his heart beating hard in his chest.

Qrow thought, foolishly optimistic for some stupid reason, that saying it would be some kind of relief. But instead it felt like waking up in Evernight again, crushed and molded into something different with a permanent leash. 

“He said it’s still in me.”

Tai shook his head. “He was lying.” Qrow frowned. “I believe it happened. I’ve seen your back, I just…didn’t know what it was. But Qrow, nothing is inside of you. We would have noticed it.”

Winter was staring at Tai, waiting for him to glance over, to share a knowing look. She sighed. “Salem’s experimented with fusing humans and Grimm before.” 

“She uses Cinder’s arm to keep her under control.” Qrow said. 

“And Cinder has been deteriorating ever since.” Tai countered. “You've seen it, Winter, the Grimm is up to her face. She's weak. Nothing is taking over you, Qrow, you're only getting better.”

He shrugged.  

Winter held a hand to her brow. Qrow saw the worry on her face. She's probably thinking about how to get a message out to the teams. But the information was so vague, how in the world could it be helpful? Salem might be trying to fuse maiden to a Grimm. Or something. Also, your uncle may be unknowingly acting against us. But don't worry, we don't actually know anything. 

Yeah, very helpful. 

Winter finally spoke. “This is what she's always done.” Qrow raised a brow at her. “Make us stand here talking in circles doubting everything.” 

“Right. We shouldn't act on the information I was brought out here to get you. Okay.” Qrow nodded. Taiyang huffed out a groan beside him. 

Winter ignored his cynicism expertly. “I am acting on information that might actually mean something. Scouts are looking for Cinder. Salem will keep her close. Right now, it's almost four a.m. and you two need to sleep.”

“If there’s some kind of Grimm inside-”

“Then you’re not alone in fighting it,” Winter interrupted softly.

Qrow blinked. His mouth was still half-open, a protest curling behind his teeth. But she didn’t raise her voice, or pull rank, not that that ever worked on Qrow anyway. She just… looked tired. 

“We can monitor you,” she continued. “Not because we think you’ll betray us. But because you don’t trust yourself. And until you do, someone has to.”

That hit harder than he expected.

Qrow looked away, jaw clenching. It should’ve felt cold, clinical. But there was something achingly gentle in the way she said it. She wasn’t condemning him. She wasn’t afraid of him. She was offering a safety net.

He wasn’t sure what to do with that. 

He’d rather her snipe back at him. 

Tai put a hand on his shoulder again, solid. “We’re gonna figure this out,” Tai said. “And in the meantime, we’ll watch your back. You’re not some walking liability. You’re my brother.”

Qrow gave a weak nod. He wasn’t sure he believed it yet. But he wanted to. That was something. 

Many of the temporary cells were turned into bedrooms, the bars taken out and replaced with curtains. They passed a lot of injured before they found a free room, cell, whatever, and by the time Qrow’s back hit the mattress his exhaustion was winning out over the dread in his stomach. His leg throbbed from knee to ankle, his head pounded, even the small fuzzy patches on his scalp felt sensitive when he ran his hands through his hair. 

Tai was on the cot opposite of him, just a few feet away like always. Qrow added this to the long list of things he owes Tai for - his daughters were hours away from coming up on Beacon. And he’s still here. 

“Just get some rest, man.” Tai sighed, because Qrow must be radiating guilt again. 

He turned to face the ceiling, and tried calling on his aura. It was getting easier, and soon the warmth flooded through his veins, easing his aches and the panic in his heart. The eternal healing comfort of his own soul. Grimm don’t have an aura , Qrow reminded himself. He tried to cling to that thought like it meant anything. And he slept.

The alarm shattered through his daze like glass.

Qrow jerked upright, heart hammering, breath shallow. For one disoriented second he thought he was back in Evernight - the red pulse of the hallway lights too much like blood, the siren’s pitch a scream he hadn’t caused.

He swung his legs over the cot and staggered to his feet, ignoring the lance of pain up to his knee. The floor beneath him vibrated - booming footfalls, shouts, gunfire. Grimm.

Taiyang was gone from his side of the room.

Qrow shoved past the curtain and was nearly run down by two soldiers storming past. Neither looked at him. One of them was already bleeding.

The old station was chaos. Red light strobed through the hallway, shadows jumping and doubling over themselves. Boots pounded up and down the concrete stairwell to the west. A soldier screamed something about a breach in the outer corridor. Somewhere overhead, the sound of claws on metal shrieked across the walls.

Qrow limped forward. "Tai?!"

The smell hit him first—iron, rot, Grimm blood.

He started down the hallway, others scrambling around him, trying to get to the wounded, trying to just get out. He was close to the office when there was a crash. Qrow turned just in time to see a dark shape lunge through the broken windows.

He yanked Harbinger from his back and tried to brace, but his leg buckled on the pivot. The swing went wide. The creature clipped him across the ribs, sent him skidding across the room.

He coughed, the taste of copper in his mouth and a sharp pain in his chest. 

Qrow groaned, then instinctively reached for his sword. Can’t be afraid. Aura, aura, find your aura.  

Just as he felt the light consume him, the low growl echoed around him. He turned just in time to see a hulking Ursai emerge from the smoke, blackened fur bristling, its mouth ringed with red. It was bigger than he remembered it ought to be. Wider, meaner. Its eyes locked on him. Its clawed feet pawed the ground. 

Qrow gritted his teeth. 

The Ursai charged.

He pushed himself up and to the side, sloppy and slow but let him get to his feet and avoided putting weight on his bad leg. He held Harbinger low and it just caught the lumbering paw before the claws could rip him in half. 

Qrow wasn’t strong enough to hold the block. His back slammed against the wall. It took all his concentration not to let go of his sword. 

The Ursai roared, paw raised again.

Qrow’s hand closed around his weapon’s hilt. He dove, twisted himself up, and drove the blade straight up through the beast’s jaw.

It froze. Let out a choked snarl. Then burst into black smoke.

Qrow collapsed against the wall, panting. Pain lanced through his ribs. He dropped to one knee, coughing. Harbinger clattered beside him. “You’re okay,” he had to remind himself, as his heart stuttered. Qrow called on his aura again, it failing at some point during the dive to the floor. 

He sucked in a breath, and despite the smoke, it cleared his head. He had to find Tai, or Winter, or someone who can tell what the hell he’s supposed to do now. 

Qrow grabbed Harbinger from the ground, its blade sparking against the broken floor before he could drag himself back up on two feet. 

It didn’t last, he only made it into the next hall before he was thrown off his feet again - a screech echoing through the whole city. 

Flinching, he covered his ears. The sound grew louder, and the stone beneath his feet shook. Qrow looked up as the wind started to whip around him. The smoke was being pushed down, sweeping through the broken windows and creating a hole in the sky. For a moment, Qrow thought he saw the sun in the middle of the sky. 

It moved too quickly. It was trailing flames, dropping flaming gobs of ickor to the ruined city around him. Then he saw the tail attached to the fireball.

Silence followed, only for a moment, before the Grimm landed and shook the ground beneath his feet. “Found the Wyvern, then.” 

He tightened his grip on Harbinger, and continued down the hall. 

Qrow nearly got trampled by a group of Huntsmen crossing his path. He was about to head in the direction they came, assuming Winter or someone gave them orders, but heard a groan down another corridor. 

Maybe he could still help someone.

A woman was slumped against the far wall, blood pouring from her side. Qrow landed hard on his knees and covered her hands with his over the wound. She hissed and eyes fluttered open and closed. “No, no..”

“Hey,” Qrow said. “Keep holding this, someone’s coming. Hey!” 

It was a lie, but if he heard her down the hall, his voice could carry some, too. 

“Callows…Callows-” Qrow flinched at the mumbled name. “I don’t know how…” 

“What?” He whipped his head back at her. The Huntress rested her head back against the wall. “No, wait,” he looked to the ground, to her jacket, something to tear off and stop the bleeding-

Then he saw the door.

Tyrian's cell door was wide open. One hinge hung loose, bent like it had been torn inward. The fluorescent light above it flickered madly. Blood streaked the wall, but not enough. Not his blood.

Qrow froze. The corners of the world pressed in on him. Cold sweat broke across the back of his neck. The Huntress’s hands fell limp in his, the blood dripped from Qrow’s shaking fingers.

He stood, fixed in the doorway of the cell.  

No Tyrian. No restraints. The chair was overturned, splattered. One of the shackles was on the ground. Empty. 

Qrow turned and ran.

Chapter Text

The corridor was choked with smoke.

Qrow pulled his sleeve up over his mouth, staggering against the wall as another tremor shook the station’s foundations. The air was thick, Grimm rot, and something worse, something chemical surrounded him. Somewhere behind him, a junction box exploded, sending a rain of sparks across the flickering ceiling lights.

Down the hall, someone screamed. Gunfire followed, then a heavy, wet thud.

Qrow pressed forward. He was limping again, his aura flickering in and out and leaving the pain in his leg to flare . His breathing had gone shallow again. Box breathing wasn’t helping this time - not with the haze, not with the strobing red lights that painted the walls in too-familiar blood.

He wasn’t back in Evernight. He wasn’t. He knew that. But the smoke twisted the edges of his vision, and for a second he saw a shadow dart across the hall—a silhouette that didn’t belong. A chair. Chains. The metal glint of surgical tools in low light.

He blinked hard and shook his head. Keep moving.

“Tai!” he shouted, voice raw. “Taiyang!”

No answer. Just the station was falling apart around him. 

He passed a soldier hunched near the stairwell, helmet missing, dazed and bleeding from his temple. The kid didn’t look older than Ruby. Qrow reached out to steady him, but the moment his hand touched the soldier’s shoulder, the kid jerked away, muttering something unintelligible before scrambling down a side corridor.

Qrow grimaced and pressed on.

The stairwell ahead had partially caved in - dust and stone slanted down like a ramp from the higher level. Red light pulsed between cracks. For a moment, it almost looked like a heartbeat.

Don’t freeze up. Don’t freeze now.

He heard the skitter of claws on tile. The low, hungry rumble of Grimm on the move. Not close yet, but coming. The air was hotter now. The smoke turned darker.

Qrow turned the corner - and skidded to a stop.

Ten feet ahead, framed in the flickering hallway light and perfectly still, stood Tyrian.

His blades were drawn, blood trailing from his arm, and his face still beaten - but his posture was relaxed. Serene. Like he’d been waiting.

His smile widened when their eyes met. He looked fond.

“Well,” Tyrian breathed, opening his arms. “I hoped it would be you.”

Qrow’s breath caught. His hand went to Harbinger - but too slow. He felt himself sweat and his heart beat hard. Tyrian tilted his head.

“You were always going to come back to me, little bird.”

Qrow didn’t answer him. His grip tightened around Harbinger, jaw locked. Tyrian’s voice echoed strangely in the corridor, like it was being fed through a static filter - just off enough to make it feel like a memory instead of something real. Qrow shook his head. This wasn’t Evernight. This was now. 

“Are you done playing, dear birdie?” Tyrian said, his tone lilting like a lullaby. “I see you found your missing toy. That will be fun.” He jerked his chin to Harbinger and took a single, hop-step forward. 

Qrow mirrored it back, keeping the distance. “Back up,” he warned, his voice low and hoarse.

Harbinger’s edge tilted slightly higher. Qrow shifted his stance, trying to center his weight away from the pain still flaring in his knee. He didn’t dare look down. He couldn’t afford to show how pathetic he felt.

Tyrian’s tail was flickering back and forth, blades twirling lazily in his hands.

“I can’t leave you here alone, now. Dear old Tai is…hmm,” He paused. “Is that who you’re looking for?”

Qrow locked his jaw.

Tyrian smirked, lips blood-dark.

“I’ve already dealt with him, not to worry.”

Red clouded his vision. Qrow lunged. 

Steel clanged against steel as Harbinger crashed against Tyrian’s twin blades. Qrow grunted, twisting for a heavy follow-up, but Tyrian ducked under it with maddening ease, sliding back down the hall like he was dancing, a manic smile back on his face.

“Oh, there you are,” he hissed, delighted. “For a second I thought I broke you too badly, but this-”

Tyrian parried - left blade catching Harbinger, right spinning toward Qrow’s side. He barely blocked in time, staggering from the force. The next swipe of the blade kissed his ribs, not deep, but enough to bite. He hissed through clenched teeth and forced himself forward, bringing Harbinger around again. This time lower, aimed to cleave across Tyrian’s knees.

Tyrian hopped back, avoiding the strike and laughing. “There he is!” he crooned again. “Like going back in time! Mention the dead ones and you get so much fight !” 

The next attack was wild.

Qrow let out a sharp yell and swung with both hands, staggering forward on his ruined leg. Harbinger came down in a heavy arc. Tyrian ducked, kicked his good knee, and sent him crashing hard into the wall. His shoulder crunched into the stone, not saving his head from cracking against it right after.

The corridor spun.

Qrow gasped, bracing himself with one arm, the other gripping Harbinger’s handle like a lifeline. His legs felt like static beneath him, the muscles in his arms cried out, they couldn’t hold him up - he couldn’t get up.  

Tyrian kicked Harbinger away, clattering to the ground and Qrow felt it in his chest. Tyrian leaned in, close now, crouching just out of reach. 

He wasn't ready for this, he never would be. Thrown around like a ragdoll, a toy. 

“You don’t want to stay here with them, really.” His voice dropped low, the gleeful cadence softening into something almost intimate. Tyrian’s blade drew swirls in the dust. “Now… no one else really knows you.”

Qrow’s groan escaped through gritted teeth as his arm gave out, leaving him lying on his stomach and elbow. Focus.

The cold metal of Tyrian’s tail gently wrapped itself around his wrist. It froze Qrow in place, it’s stinger ghosting over his skin. He could barely hear the taunts over the blood roaring in his ears. 

“They let you play at Huntsman, still, but we know that time is over.” Tyrian nodded, almost sagely. “I saw you after all that was stripped away. I saw what was left.” He leaned closer, smile stretching thin. “They don’t know what I know. They didn’t hear how you screamed, or cried. And begged. Didn’t see your fear when your own body was turning on you.”

Qrow’s hand twitched. His eyes scanned the ground, dust and smoke curling between them, and looked anywhere but him. He reached forward weakly, reaching for Harbinger but falling short. Qrow let his hand fall behind a loose pile of concrete and steel rebar - dislodged from the station’s collapsing frame. “Stop,”

“I made you into something else.” Tyrian sighed, close enough that Qrow could smell the blood. “An offering. The ultimate tribute to my goddess. The destruction of a true huntsman.” 

Qrow clenched his jaw. The tail was starting towards his neck, ready to wrap around his throat. Blood from his nose dripped on the metal.

 “You didn’t destroy everything.” He whispered. 

Tyrian cocked his head like he didn’t hear. 

Qrow’s hand clenched around the steel.

He twisted. And he drove the twisted spike of metal up, fast and jagged, raking it deep across Tyrian’s ribs.

Tyrian shrieked - a high, inhuman sound that echoed down the hall like a banshee’s wail. He staggered back, blood pouring from the gash. 

Qrow forced himself upright, grabbing Harbinger as he went. He spun, using his momentum to bring the blade down hard on the metal coating of Tyrian's tail. 

It didn’t sever the limb, but it dented the steel enough to make the man scream even louder. 

Qrow didn't waste time, he hauled Harbinger up and ran. 

It hurt his legs, his chest, his arms to run. He had to cradle his weapon in his arms to avoid dropping it before his body blurred, bent inward. Limbs vanished into feathers. 

In a beat of wind, Qrow took flight.

It wasn’t graceful. The air stung. His vision swam with heat and fatigue, but the sky, what little sky there was, cleared the fog from his thoughts. The sirens were distant now. Gunfire like thunder behind him. He flew above the station’s western wing and dove down into the fractured streets of Vale.

The city was hell.

Buildings burned in orange rows. Broken transports littered intersections like metal carcasses. Grimm ran wild through the streets, Huntsman attempted to herd them away in makeshift formation. Far off in the next district over, the Wyvern beat its wings and spread the flames along with black ickor of more Grimm. 

This time Salem wasn’t leaving anything left.

He flew through a thick cloud of smoke and it choked him, snuffing out the energy to stay in the air. Qrow made himself land on a rooftop before gravity did it for him. The landing hit him like a punch. Qrow fell on human knees and held his weapon close to his chest. He panted, feeling every pain too sharp. 

He felt something flicker underneath the exhaustion. And grinned. 

The pain was worth it to see Tyrian bleed. 

He crept toward the edge of the rooftop, peering down into a courtyard. Must have been from a restaurant, though the tables and chair all turned over and fire poured smoke from the windows. A Beowolf sniffed the ground aimlessly. 

Qrow needed to get back to the station. Find Tai - who was alive , he knew it and wouldn’t let himself think anything else - and Winter and figure out what the hell to do now. 

He crouched to leap - and toppled forward as a weight slammed into his back. 

He hit the rooftop hard, stars exploding across his vision. Harbinger flew from his hands, skidding out of reach. A blade kissed the back of his neck. Just deep enough to sting and make blood roll down his skin.

“Tag,” Tyrian whispered.

Qrow rolled, barely avoiding the second strike. He was not so lucky for the third, and when he raised his arms the curved blade slid through his skin too smoothly. 

It cut deep, his aura useless. Qrow couldn't stop his scream, and scrambled away from Tyrian’s hands trying to haul him up. He slammed an elbow into Tyrian’s side - directly into the wound. 

Tyrian screamed, falling back. Blood poured from the opening.

Qrow didn’t hesitate. He dove for Harbinger, fingers catching the handle just in time to parry the next attack. He got to his feet, as much as he could with his leg unable to hold his weight. Their weapons clashed with sparks. Qrow let himself be pushed back, gaining distance.

He instinctually spun Harbinger, the gears slow but whirring cleanly as his scythe extended. 

Its blade cracked the stone as Qrow held it before him. 

“Do you really think,” Tyrian cackled, holding his side. His tail fell limp at his feet, like dead weight beyond where Qrow’s blade struck him. He swayed slightly. “You can run away from me? I serve Her, and our Queen is endless!” 

He raised his arms in manic reverence. The Wyvern screeched, back towards Beacon Tower. 

Qrow's heart beat hard in his chest. Focus. You're not done. 

“You will see soon, as will we all. The new world, my bird, you were just a taste. She’s beyond you. Beyond all of us. She’s a god. The goddess of this new world, destruction endless. She,” he sucked in breath, “ will never fall. ”

Behind him, a flicker of motion. Beacon Tower.

Then a flash of light.

Brilliant, white, pure. It tore through the smoky clouds like a blade, a scythe, lighting up the whole block for a breathless second. The wind died. The smoke stilled. Even the Grimm, just at the edges of the ruin, paused. 

Then a swirl of blue smoke.

Qrow blinked, then jolted, like coming back into his body after a dream. 

Tyrian turned slightly, a little off balance, too, and his smile faltered. “What was that?”

Qrow raised his eyes. And then he said, quietly, clearly, “Your goddess is dead.”

He sounded stronger than he felt. His leg throbbed, his chest felt too tight and he tasted too much blood. But it was the one thing he could say that would actually get to the bastard. 

Tyrian blinked. He let out a sharp bark of laughter—jagged, too loud. “You lie.”

Qrow didn’t respond. He moved.

He feinted low, spun the scythe full-circle, and forced Tyrian to step back, tail swinging uselessly and throwing him off-balance. He protected his wounded side and Qrow jerked Harbinger’s curve into the blade at Tyrian’s wrist. Metal clanged and Tyrian was forced to move further back or lose his hand. 

Then Qrow pushed.

Tyrian went over the edge.

The fall was only one story, but he hit the pavement in a twisted sprawl. Qrow landed a second later, dropping into a crouch. He didn’t speak. He advanced. 

Qrow wanted this to end. More than he wanted to run. 

With a shaking, broken arm, Tyrian pointed his weapon towards Qrow. His teeth were gritted, blood coating his lips. Qrow felt the bullet hit his shoulder before he heard the other missed shots. In one sharp, clean motion, he brought Harbinger up and forward - twisting the weight of the scythe into a sudden downward slash, using his weight and gravity to drive the blade through Tyrian’s sternum. 

There was a pause. Tyrian gasped. His hands went to the wound, expression convulsing. He was pinned to the ground. Blood pooled quickly. Fast.

Qrow’s arms shook as he pulled the weapon back. Tyrian jerked like he was trying to get up. Qrow just tried not to fall to his knees. He pulled in deep breaths, feeling a numbness start in his hands. Like through fog, he thought maybe Tyrian choked out a word to him. 

“You-”

And the Grimm began to gather.

Small ones first - creeping low along the street, pulled to pain, to death, to fear. Then larger shapes. A Beringel dragging broken chains. An Ursa Major clawing its way through the broken windows. 

Tyrian spat blood as he screamed at the creatures. “No, no, you come from her. You obey her. ”

The Grimm crept closer. A Beowolf was ready to pounce. Qrow just shook his head, there was nothing guiding them anymore. 

“I serve her!” he shouted, voice climbing to hysteria. “I am hers! I am hers! ” 

He didn’t want to turn his back, still, even now, but Qrow disappeared into a soft shift of feathers. It was hard to fly backwards, but he lifted off the ruined street, rising above the snarling chaos. Qrow landed back on the rooftop, his talons clicking on the edge, out of reach. 

“No!” Tyrian turned in a frantic writhe. A bug stuck on its back. “Salem! My queen! My goddess, hear me -”

But there was no answer. And the Grimm lunged.

The first impact sent him sprawling like a bloody rag doll. The second crushed his scream. The third, and the ones after, drowned it all in black.

Qrow still hadn’t moved. He was a man again, not really thinking about it, or anything. Pain was overcome by static. 

He looked down, eyes hard and unblinking. Below, Tyrian Callows disappeared beneath the tide.

Qrow watched until it was over. Some Grimm sniffed the air and growled at him but we're uninterested in making the climb. The static feeling spread throughout his body, but he was still breathing hard. A tweak in his ribs shifted something inside of him. He exhaled out a long, wavering breath, taking all of the tension with it. 

And then after a while, it became more of a wheeze. He whispered, voice low and steady, 

“Guess you’re the offering now…some plan.” 

The wind tore across the broken skyline of Vale, thick with ash and smoke, but high above it all - above the fire and ruin and blood - Qrow flew.

His wings ached. His body was close to collapsing but he didn’t care. He kept finding scraps of something to keep him going. 

He supposed all Huntsmen did, when they needed to. 

The station was still standing. Barely. The courtyard was scorched, half the western wall collapsed in. Fires still smoldered in places where Grimm had overrun the defenses. But the worst of it had passed. Gunfire had stopped. The screaming had faded. And someone had hoisted the patched flag of Vale back above the rooftop.

He circled once, then descended, shifting mid-dive. His boots hit cracked concrete hard enough to jar his bones and he stumbled, but he didn’t fall. He barely had time to look up before he heard the voice.

“Qrow?!”

Tai was running toward him. Blood and soot on his vest and mud on his boots. But whole. Qrow didn’t think. He met him halfway.

They collided in a rough, staggering hug, Tai gripping him by the back of the neck, Qrow’s arms limp over his shoulders with relief. For a long moment, they just stood there, breathing. Alive.

“You’re okay,” Tai muttered, voice shaking. “You’re okay. You’re okay.”

They pulled away, just enough to get a look at each other. Qrow saw the burn on the side of Tai’s face, already fading to a mild red as his aura soothed over the wound. Aura still in tact - maybe he really was fine after all. 

Qrow laughed once, dry and startled. “I thought you were…”

“Don’t even start,” Tai said, squeezing tighter. “I shouldn’t have left you, I thought you needed the sleep. Then the sirens, and the Grimm, and you were gone -”

“I’m here.” Qrow’s voice was rough. “He’s not.”

Taiyang pulled back just enough to look him in the eyes. His face searched Qrow’s, saw something there, something final. “You sure?”

Qrow nodded. “I saw it happen.”

Tai nodded, “Good.” He let out a breath that hitched halfway through. “ Good . It’s over. You’re safe.” 

He pulled Qrow in again, tighter this time. Qrow let him, his legs giving out and stomach churning. His head dropped to Tai’s shoulder, and rolled the word over in his mind. Good. Over. Safe.

Safe.

They were still locked in that rough, exhausted hold, now sitting on the closest pile of rubble, when Winter strode into the ruined corridor. Her coat was gone, and her face streaked with soot, but her voice was clear and even. She didn’t smile. But her eyes had light in them now. A kind Qrow hadn’t seen in a long time.

“It worked,” she said simply. “The light at Beacon. The Grimm are scattering. Salem is… gone. They did it.”

Qrow stared at her. The words sat in his head, unmoored. Gone. 

He saw the light, felt that out-of-time feeling that the Relics brought. Saw Tyrian fall under that mass of black monsters. Gone. Safe. He hadn’t thought both could be true.   

Tai’s hand flexed against his back and he muttered, “Gods,”

“She’s not dead,” Winter added, giving the most disjointed debriefing Qrow thought she’d ever give in her life. “I don’t think, anyway. Transmissions are pretty staticy. But she’s not connected to the Grimm.” 

He dragged a hand over his face and let out a slow breath, tasting smoke on the air. “Now what?”

Winter glanced toward the collapsed courtyard beyond. Then back to Qrow, looking him up and down. “You’re going to a medic.” 

“Exactly what I was thinking.” Tai muttered, and shrugged when Qrow sent him a glare.

He supposed his bad leg landed on the ground at a weird angle and he hadn’t even felt it. The pain had lessened into something like a distant wave. The gashes on his arms and neck weren’t helping his case. 

Qrow blew a long breath out of his nose. “I think that after my day, I get to do whatever the fuck I want.” 

Winter shared a look with Tai, before she crossed her arms. She looked back over her shoulder to the station. “If you let a medic look at you on the ship, you can ride up to the school with me.” 

“Deal.” 

Qrow let Tai help him back up, a spark of fear drowning out the pain of movement. Tyrian’s words lingered in the back of his mind just like we planned and Qrow almost took a step back. 

Tai held onto him, strong and steady and his own promise started drowning out that oily voice. We have your back.  

Safe . 

Qrow swallowed, and nodded. “Let’s see what’s left.” 

Tai’s hand stayed on his shoulder as they started toward the ship. Qrow kept pace, everything aching with each step - but not enough to stop him.

Safe . He wasn’t sure yet, but likely.

Chapter Text

Two Years Later

“Okay, I'm almost there.” Ruby sighed into her scroll, wrapping up her conversation with Weiss on the other end. Before her, at the top of the dirt path curved gently through the pine trees, her Uncle's home came into view. 

She waved goodbye to her partner with a “see you soon!” and pocketing her scroll. Ruby picked up her pace. Her hood flowed softly in the breeze, fluttering over Crescent Rose resting at her back. 

Not that she had needed it on the simple trip, but it was a habit, comforting. Patch had always been quiet, but this quiet wasn’t hiding anything. It wasn’t waiting for a siren or a call or a monster. The war was over. Salem was gone. Ruby didn’t have to carry the whole world on her back.

She could take a break to visit a certain old timer. 

Qrow's place looked the same as it had a few months ago. A little neater, maybe. The front steps were patched, the railing replaced. Flower boxes had appeared under the windows - clumsily planted and no doubt Tai's idea, but blooming just the same. Off to the side, a crooked clothesline dipped under the weight of drying laundry. A rusted motorcycle leaned against the shed, half- disassembled and gathering dust. A few tools sat in a forgotten pile beside it. He kept himself busy. 

It had taken a while for Qrow to live on his own again. Ruby remembered his hesitation around her, admitting what had been done to him and that it might not be gone. The tests in Vale had cleared him shortly after the war - no Grimm, no infection, nothing left of what Salem tried to make him. Tyrian had always been lying, and Qrow didn’t have to live in fear of them anymore. 

These days, the only thing in his eyes was the man she’d always known.

Ruby smiled.

She paused at the foot of the porch steps, tilting her head to glance up through the trees. On a good day in the harbor, one could see the new Beacon Tower through the clouds - tall and pale and humming with energy. 

Inside it, the relics no longer waited. They acted. The old gods had come and agreed to a few changes to their forgotten world. The spirits inside the relics, now freed, had chosen to stay. To help.

When people stopped her on the street to ask her how they did it, or to say thank you, she'd gotten used to saying, “Oh, it's a long story. You'll have to wait for the movie!” It didn't always work, but it usually got a laugh. 

Even here on Patch, the people who’d watched her grow up seemed to look at her differently now. Like they were still trying to fit the girl they remembered into the hero they’d heard about.

But here — with family — she didn’t have to think about any of that.

She knocked twice, loud, before letting herself in. “Uncle Qrow!” she sang, wiping her boots on the mat.

It was small and simple, all woodgrain and mismatched furniture, with soft warm light coming in through the windows. A worn couch and books stacked like towers against one wall. A tea kettle was heating on the stove. A rack of drying herbs hung over a kitchen window and a few preserves sat on the sill. The fireplace was dark now, but the mantle held photos, more books, and Harbinger sat comfortably displayed on the wall. It was shining, ready to be taken if needed. 

A blanket was tossed over the back of a chair, where a large smokey cat was sprawled over it. Not that Qrow would ever admit it, but Ruby knew of at least two others he lets come in and out of the house as they please. They were the ones that got along with the corvids that visited him in the back. 

Ruby set down her weapon. Her boots creaked against the wood floor as she stepped slowly over to the cat and let him sniff her hand. 

“Hey, kiddo,” Qrow stepped out from the kitchen, a mug of tea in hand. 

Still lean, a little weathered, and had a limp he couldn’t shake - but the tension in his shoulders was gone. No open wounds around his neck. Only the slightest hint of bags under his eyes. 

“Didn’t know Huntresses were allowed to barge into people’s homes and bother their animals, now.” 

Ruby pssh’d and waved a hand. “Don’t get mad because I interrupted your third nap for the day.”

“It’s noon.” 

“My point stands.” 

Qrow rolled his eyes, and hid a grin behind another sip from his mug. Ruby raised her brows at him until he held out an arm. She closed the distance between them in a second. She felt his squeeze her close and ruffle her hair before pulling back. 

“When’d you get back in?” he asked, pulling out a chair for her at the kitchen table.

“Last night,” Ruby said, taking the seat. “We’re staying in Vale for a couple weeks. Thought I’d come see you and Dad while I had the chance.”

Qrow sat across from her, still watching her with that mix of fondness and appraisal that always made her feel twelve again. “Take anything interesting lately?”

Ruby smirked, rubbing the back of her neck. Sometimes it still felt like she was about to get a lecture for doing something too dangerous on a mission. “Usual Grimm sweeps. One train robbery.”

He arched his brow. “Finally robbing trains?”

“Stopping a robbery,” she clarified.

His mouth twitched, and he leaned back. “I guess that’s fine, too.”

She launched into the story, and he let her run with it - the exaggerated bits, the hand gestures, the parts where Weiss pretended she wasn’t enjoying herself. He didn’t just nod along; Qrow watched her, chin in his hand. His eyes had lines at the corners, softer ones now, earned from squinting in sunlight rather than grimaces. He asked for details, about their tactics, about what Blake thought, about what Yang said afterward.. 

Without Salem overhead, everything just felt... easier. Not perfect, it never would be. Grimm still wandered. Bandits had returned in some places, along with those who rejected the changing world. 

But it didn’t feel like humanity was scrambling to survive anymore. 

Qrow didn't, either. 

They drifted into quieter talk. She told him about Vale’s slow reconstruction. Qrow even wanted the details about team RWBY’s off days that others would find boring. Their apartment and weapons’ maintenance and what movies they're seeing and if they ever drive each other crazy. 

The answer was yes, but in a good way. 

 He told her about Tai roping him into weekly patrols on Patch, which Ruby privately thought were more about Tai checking in on him than any real Grimm threat. Not that they aren’t constantly in contact anyway. Real empty nesters. 

“You ever think about coming back?” she asked finally, her tone light but her eyes searching.

His smile faltered, but not in a sharp way - more like he was weighing the truth. “I wouldn’t pass a license exam, if that’s what you mean,” he said. “But it’s not like I can’t handle the odd stray Grimm. Your dad and I keep the island pretty clear.” He hesitated, then smirked faintly. “Guess I’m okay leaving the fun stuff to the kids now.”

Ruby leaned back in her chair, grinning. “You’re getting real close to saying the word retired.”

“Retired on paper is different than retired retired.”

“Sure,” she said, stretching the word until he gave her a mock glare.

“I wouldn’t want to have to pay up on my deal with Yang.” 

“I’ll let her know you’re holding out just for her.” Ruby smiled into her sleeve.

After a moment, Qrow reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze. His skin was warm, rough as always, but steady. “Can I thank you again yet?”

“Nope.” Ruby said immediately.

“I guess that’s why you’re the Huntress,” he muttered with mock severity, pulling back to cradle his mug.

Their bickering was interrupted by a faint chime from the little receiver on Qrow’s mantle. His eyes flicked to it, narrowing slightly. He set his mug down and crossed the room, pressing the button. The voice that crackled through was calm, but the words were clear enough:

“Watch warning. Two hostiles spotted on the east ridge. Low-class. Watch warning. Two hostiles spotted-”

Qrow clicked it off and turned back to Ruby. She was already standing, picking up Crescent Rose.

“You want to prove you’re not ‘retired retired’?” she asked, tilting her head toward the door.

Qrow’s mouth curved into something between a smirk and a challenge. He reached up for Harbinger on the mantle, the polished metal catching the light. “Oh, you’re on, kiddo.”

They stepped out into the cooling evening, the trees whispering overhead. Now, together, in a world that was still healing, but not done yet.