Chapter Text
Jaune hummed a jaunty little tune, lazily plucking the strings on an old guitar. Leaning against the back of the cart as he let his eyes roam the tree line. Both Ren and Nora had taken to steering the mules, so that left him back together with Pyrrha and Oscar.
Violet glaring at Elizabeth, a question on her tongue. Every time she turned to him and opened her mouth, the older ghost shushed her. And every time Elizabeth looked to open her mouth; Violet shushed her in retaliation.
“It’s been a long time since I have seen you so… relaxed, Jaune.” Pyrrha said, some envy slipping into her voice as her eyes gently drifted off to the horizon. Staring down that invisible line only they could see.
“Last night… last night was gentle.” Jaune eventually said, racking his brain for a word to best describe it. “There was no killing, no dying, just… moving corpses.”
“How can moving corpses be gentle?” Oscar asked with an inquisitive little frown. Cheeks flashing a crimson not a second after the words left his mouth as Elizabeth turned to glare at him.
“My people are being put to rest.” Elizabeth answered for him. “Victims of a baseless slaughter, of senseless violence.”
“Elizabeth.” Jaune called with a clipped tone, giving her a look. “I can answer for myself, thank you.” The spirit looking at him with her usual detachedness. Not the slightest bit affected by his chastisement. Only giving him the smallest of nods as she floated to his side. His frown never leaving him.
He understood the angle she came from, having taken Oscar’s honest question as a slight. Ghosts weren’t logical beings, no matter how it might seem as they were ‘normal’. The girls were made up of negative emotions and miasma first and foremost. The grudge the centre of their life. It wasn’t wrong to call it the ‘centre’ of their existence. Even if he had taken their grudges on, that didn’t change their nature. Only, repressing or muting it some manner of way.
‘But that’s not what’s going on, is it?’ Jaune felt like sighing. Ever since leaving Beacon, it was as if Elizabeth had constantly been pushing and prodding at him. ‘Or, thinking back at it, it was more like I didn’t notice. There were always more important things going on.’
It honestly felt like he was some doll on a stage. She was manipulating him. It wasn’t something new, he already knew that. The question was more towards what.
Why did she want for him to seize power. Why did she push against him now and not when in Beacon. Why did it feel that she was vying for his attention. Why now of all times?
“I’m going to hold a funeral for a township.” Jaune said evenly, the farmhand’s eyes instantly glancing towards the floating ghosts who were pestering around the innkeeper. “Let the girls embark on their next great adventure.”
Even if it was a monumental task, Jaune found out that he really didn’t mind. It was good work, spiritual in a way, almost healing. It didn’t wash away the blood he had on his hands, yet it helped lay to rest some of the guilts and demons he felt gnawing at him constantly. Gherman might bemoan him for not hunting beasts and wasting his time, but there were some pride in his eyes when he had caught his old mentor looking. What that pride was directed at, he would never know.
“Ohh.” It was a sombre mood that had fallen over their little carriage. Oscar looking like he had swallowed a lemon.
“Don’t think about it. You didn’t know.” Jaune said, hopefully easing the boy’s nerves. “It’s something I have been working towards for a while now. The funeral is in part that, a funeral, but it’s also a ritual. Many of the girls are ready to pass on but are held back by some foul magicks.” Choosing not to mention the Queen. Not trusting the Infinitive Man with that.
‘Now, where can I get enough coffins to bury the entire township?’ Jaune through idly even if he already knew the answer. ‘Looks like it is back to Hemwick.’
“Still can’t believe they gave us two mules and a cart.” Nora mumbled aloud, resting her arm on the backrest and looking at them over her shoulder. “Isn’t it faster to walk?”
“Do you want to walk?” Ren asked with his usual gentle firmness.
“I for one think it’s nice.” Pyrrha mumbled, pulling her knees into her chest and grabbing wrapping herself with one of the blankets they had been given. “We shouldn’t take their gratitude for granted. They gave what they could.”
“You are not hearing me complaining.” Jaune shrugged, strumming the guitar they had given him. “If they felt like they needed to do more to show their gratitude, let them. Not all payment has to be in lien.”
“Ey, I’m not complaining.” Nora shot back with a little pout. “I think it’s nice not having to walk everywhere. Sure we can’t exactly cut through the forest, but not having to carry what little gear we have is a nice compromise.”
“Dad… you promised to teach me magic.” Violet whined petulantly, crossing her arms and glaring up at Elizabeth. Huffing and leaning over the edge of the cart and glaring out into the forest when he didn’t answer immediately.
“I did, huh.” Jaune nodded, not having forgotten it.
“Fearless leader, I’ve been wondering about something.” Nora asked over Violet, the little girl giving the ginger a spicy glare. “That blood magic thing uses that sigil in your palm and on your bicep, right? Why don’t you just… I don’t know, do the same for Violet?”
“You can be frightfully clever when you want, huh.” Jaune grumbled, shooting the ginger a look. Violet’s eyes dancing from him to Nora and back. “But as for why, it’s two-fold.” Apathy and caution warred inside him. Shouting their reasons as to why sharing about his magic was a dumb idea. Yet, the apathy was winning. The cat was already mostly out of the bag. And it wasn’t like he was going to go into the details.
Blood Magic was a lot like math. Just a weird agglomeration between calculus, algebra and written language. ‘And I’m talking about, not giving them a step-by-step guide.’ Throwing a glance over to Oscar, he could see the open wonder in the boys eyes. Something he, Violet, Nora and everyone seemed to share.
“Violet isn’t me.” He said softly, reaching over to run a hand through her hair. Violet preening and scooting closer to him even if the frown never left her eyes. “I learned healing more as a stop gap measure because my aura kept shattering.”
“Jaune, you have more aura together than the three, maybe four, of us.” Nora deadpanned. “What do you mean your aura keeps shattering.”
“Exactly that. My aura drops to zero, and I die.” Jaune rolled his eyes. His friends cringing slightly at the nonchalance with which he spoke. “You know I cheated my way into Beacon?” He asked, Oscars eyes bugging out of his head. His team nodding like it was obvious. Having long since figured it out.
“Well, no matter how much I trained, catching up with years of experience and combat training isn’t something you just do overnight. And no matter how miraculous the Dream is, I need more than just it if I want to stand on my own two legs. I don’t have your strength Nora, or Ren’s calm, or even Pyrrha’s talent. What I have is a shit ton of aura. So I capitalised on my natural toughness, to the point where I have multiple ways to heal myself if I lose my head, my heart is ripped out, or worse.” He continued.
“So you are the tankiest tank that ever tanked?” Nora summarised with a tilt of her head. Expertly glossing over the little slip of tongue, her eyes twitching over to where Pyrrha sat. A clammy paleness marring Pyrrha’s cheek as the memories of what she had seen in their dream.
“Not entirely, but I’m making my way there.” Jaune nodded. “While Violet will learn some healing magic in the future. She isn’t me. She has time to experiment with different types of magic to find out what she likes and what she ‘clicks’ with.”
Violet looked at him, the pout never having left her. But as it stood, while she had a lot of aura for her age, it was nowhere close to what he had at his disposal. At the same time, while she may want to fight like him, his fighting style was not something he ever wanted her to imitate.
Even calling it a fighting style felt like a disservice to all the proper fighting styles out there. It was a cold, pragmatic and reckless thing. Nothing more than the barest basics he thought Violet about what felt like ages ago badly married with Waltz’ box step. It’s success came from his myriads of deaths. Each death a new lesson he swore to never forget. Refined further by wanton bloodshed under a full moon.
Violet was a lot like Pyrrha. Agile and capable of bending and moving effortlessly in ways he coulndt. He coulndt do the dozen of flips he saw Pyrrha do so effortlessly. He coulndt fight an opponent and learn their pattern in a single moment. His daughter may not have his partners natural inclination for combat, but she was quick, light-footed, and fought with more grace than what he would probably ever have.
‘Honestly, the best role model she could take after when it comes to combat is properly the Viscount.’ It stung to admit, but it didn’t make it any less true. Violet might not be a vileblood, or born in Cainhurst’s township, but she had that something the Viscount had shared. A cold, almost inhumane, ruthlessness. Something far colder and different from the bestial bloodlust he had locked with magic in the back of his mind. The bestial and seemingly ever-growing bloodlust banging against it’s chains every waking moment.
Shaking the thoughts away he continued to strum his fingers over the guitar. “And the other part is more that she has to learn. Sure I can and I will help her, but she still needs to learn the nitty gritty details herself.” Effortlessly glossing over the fact that if he his contract was fulfilled or if he went mad, that she would be unable to cast the magicks he was teaching her.
‘Forever is not as long as everyone thinks.’ He reminded himself. The many gravestones in the Dream telling everything he needed to know and more about his many predecessors.
“How much magic do you even know?” Oscar asked with a little frown, the curiosity there as he tried wrapping his head around anything.
“A bit of this and a bit of that. Less than you think.” Jaune shrugged nonchalantly. The lie slipping of his tongue easily. “It’s more like I have my finger in two different types or schools of magic.”
A frown was on the young farmboy as he nodded, a hum escaping him as his eyes clouded slightly. “But isn’t learning multiple fields of magic counterproductive?”
“Ask the voice in your head.” Jaune shrugged. “He split his power into four ‘seasons’, or maidens. Each maiden with a different aspect or theme.”
“That reminds me.” Pyrrha butted in, turning to look over at Oscar. “Do you have anything against teaching me how to master my magic? I can pay you back with staring to teach you how to fight.”
Oscar looked at her, frowning slightly as his eyes grew cloudy. Before a slow, slightly reluctant, nod escaped him. “He looks forward to it. Saying that it has been a long time since he taught anyone in the magical arts.” Sighing, he tilted his head to the side with a little pout. “He is also saying that I shouldn’t rely on him for much. That he will only come out when it’s absolutely necessary.”
“Everyone in favour for taking a training break after the next stop?” Jaune asked, getting a unanimous yes as a reply.
Strumming his finger’s over the strings, the clopping of the mule’s hooves and the crunching of gravel and mud under the carried wheels made for a gentle melody as they travelled. Pyrrha humming something to herself, the young ghosts floating down and around her and humming in chorus with her.
For what felt like a long, long time, Jaune let a small if honest smile onto his lips. For one moment, the hunt didn’t exist. Neither did the existence of the other half maiden out for their heads matter. It was just them, some gentle music, and wherever the road took them.
{-ooo-}
“Oh sweet ground, how I missed you.” Weiss moaned the second she stepped of the ship. Legs like jelly as she all but threw herself at the nearest bench, collapsing down and letting her nails all but bite into the wood to the point her aura flared briefly. “Yang, know I’m forgiving Arc for throwing up on you boots in your stead.”
“Sheesh. Bit dramatic there, no?” Yang chimed back as she walked down onto the pier. Bag slung over her shoulder as she looked around, pulling down her aviator glasses. “And here I had thought you were above such petty things like motion sickness.”
“Well, it turns out, I was wrong.” Weiss grumbled, feeling her cheeks turn rosy as she glared up at Yang. “Apparently there is a difference between a bullhead and a boat. Being used to one don’t automatically mean you are used to both.”
“You learn something new every day I suppose.” Yang shrugged, leaning against a lamp post as they waited for the rest of their little group to join them. Zwei being the first, zig zagging through legs down the rampart before placing his furry butt by Yang’s feet. Only to give the girl a stinky little look and trot over to Weiss when she didn’t bend down to pet him. Something the snow-haired girl had no problems with doing. Happily lifting the corgi of the ground and petting him affectionately.
“There you are Zwei, we thought someone had dognapped you.” Ruby materialized in a flurry of rose petals, pinching and rubbing Zwei’s cheek.
“By the looks of it someone already have.” Qrow grumbled, coming to join them. Rolling his eyes when Weiss huffed and shot him a little glare.
“Let the girl be, Qrow.” Taiyang replied with a roll of his eyes. Before taking a step forward. “Now, quickly, some ground rules. Number one, don’t do anything stupid. Yes, I know this is ‘your’ mission and me and Qrow will take a more supportive role, but that don’t mean you can’t use this as a learning experience. Think with your head, not act with your heart. We won’t have any backup out there, if some fights can be avoided, then take means to avoid them. I’m not saying don’t stand your ground or to be a wet blanket. But sometimes a fight can be avoided while sometimes a fight is unavoidable. Best save your energy, ammunition and dust for those unavoidable fights than to use them willy nilly.”
Weiss shared a quick glance with Ruby and Yang, before nodding. For one moment glad to have another voice of reason in the team.
“Then there isn’t much more to say. You should know more or less to handle yourself on your own. The only thing I have any gripes with is Weiss’ heels.” Taiyang continued, raising his hand slightly and giving her an apologetic look. “While I can understand how you might want to use them, heels aren’t practical. Even with aura, a sprained ankle is a sprained ankle. If you have a bad misstep in the heat of the moment, a sprained ankle will be the least of your concerns. You had the Forever Fall assignment, right? How did it feel fighting grimm there, compared to, say Beacon’s arena.”
“I did struggle more than normal with finding my footing, yes.” Weiss relented with a little nod. A pang of jealousy and hurt flaring up inside her chest as she snuck a quick glance towards Yang and Ruby. The sister’s looking almost embarrassed on her behalf for their father’s concern. Not knowing she would happily give an arm and a leg for her father to look at her with the same concern.
“I won’t say there is something directly wrong with fighting with heels. It’s just… heels are ballroom dance shoes. Maybe not entirely, but it’s city footwear. Something you can wear in your day job in an office, walking down the street, maybe not driving a car, but I think you get my drift.” Taiyang finished, crossing his arms over his chest and looking down on her with caring smile.
“I need something more heavy-duty footwear.” Weiss summarised, finding herself not entirely opposed to the idea. If they were going to be walking through Mistral in their search for Team JNPR, she didn’t want to wade through mud in heels. Just the thought of mud coming slipping though her heels sent a shiver of disgust racing up her spine.
“Didn’t Pyrrha get some new boots after Juniper came back from their camping trip?” Yang pointed out.
“No, she borrowed Jaune’s spare pair.” Ruby chimed in, frowning slightly as she tilted her head. “Her heel broke and pulled out most of her shoe, she borrowed a pair from Jaune then bought a set of her own later.”
“What doesn’t Jaune have in that fanny pack semblance of his?” Yang asked as Weiss got up. The group of six beginning to make their way inwards. “Didn’t he pull out like four guns during the livestream?”
“Honestly, think the kid has even more on him.” Qrow muttered. “Sure as hell felt like it when they tagged along for that sewer cleaner fuckup. Kid pulled out knives, torches, poisons, fuck, you name it, and he probably have it stuffed into his coat somewhere.”
“Jaune isn’t… he doesn’t…” Ruby tried coming to Jaune’s defence, only to falter and trail on. Pouting as she kicked a rock up the path. “He never let me play with his flamethrower.”
“Ruby, no.” Taiyang sighed in a tired way only parents could muster. “Yes, flamethrowers are cool, but they aren’t practical against grimm.”
“There’s one thing I don’t get, if Jaune carried so many weapons on him. Why did he default to his sword and revolve combo?” Yang asked idly. Voice taking on a sour note before she shook her head. “I mean, some of the guns he pulled out looked sick.”
“Yang, I really don’t think Jaune cares about cool.” Weiss snipped, rolling her eyes at the Yang’s antics. Letting her eyes roam around the dock in curiosity. Feeling an almost childish giddiness come bursting forth as she saw boxes of fish be moved onto waggons, while other boxes were led into the cargo hold of some bullheads. “He always rubbed me more as a practical sort. ‘Why change weapons when what I have work’, or something along that line.”
“You know what, fair.” Yang conceded with a nod. Something else momentarily on her tongue, before she shook her head and picked up her speed.
Weiss felt her curiosity bubbling, but she pushed it to the side. Jaune’s bunny sweater had still been in their old dorm when everything went to shit. None of them knew what had happened when they went out for their joint-training beyond the fact that Yang and Jaune sparred. But by the looks of it and how she behaved after, it hadn’t been pretty.
“What’s that about?” Ruby asked innocently. “Don’t ask me.” Weiss answered simply, not missing the clouds that momentarily came and drifted through the redhead’s eyes. “Is it just me, or does it feel like we never really knew Jaune? Like there was something he always was hiding. His semblance, Violet, the constant bags under his eyes, suddenly getting a new combat attire, how he never was in class but still got top mark, how Violet was blonde one day then white haired the next…”
“Then we just have more answers to needle out of him when we find him, don’t we?” Weiss said softly, not really knowing what to say. No one came to her for consoling. Her advice more likely to cause harm than to actually work.
Ruby wasn’t the only one with questions, Weiss had plenty of them herself. Still not entirely sure how Jaune managed to pop out not one, but two girls. Only for one of them to disappear as if never there in the first place. Ruby and the entirety of Juniper knowing about what had happened yet refusing to share what they knew with them.
‘Then there was the ostracization.’ She frowned. Not having been blind to how JNPR had been treated. Both from getting their own larger dorm room and from how the teacher’s treatment of them changed. That was without the jealousy some team’s felt for them getting the spotlight and ‘fame’ from the livestream.
Which was a total pr disaster in Weiss’ humble opinion. She could understand that some saw the livestream as a quick way to fame. Weiss instead felt like the entire livestream was a video essay in what not to do.
It was badly planned, no script or even plan for the interview. She wasn’t even sure there was a plan for it in the first place. Then there was the fact that it hadn’t even been two days since the Breach before they were paraded forth onto stage. Weiss was sure she had seen some rusty spots on Pyrrha’s armour, not to mention the brown stains on both Jaune and Violet’s coats that seemed to disappear into the fabric.
‘Just thinking about that disaster is giving me a headache.’ Weiss shook her head, freezing in her tracks when she saw a pair of all too familiar amber eyes and midnight black hair.
“Blake?” Yang asked, blinking stupefied, and staring down the same hallway. Not a second later Yang raced down the street, rose petals trailing after Ruby as she darted forward at impossible speeds.
“That’s your last teammate, right? Not going to chase after her?” Taiyang asked, looking down the street where his daughter’s had disappeared down with a frown. The drunk nowhere to be seen.
“Me and Blake have a complicated relationship.” Weiss replied diplomatically, taking Yang’s duffel bag and throwing it onto her back. Winching slightly when it felt like a set of weights slammed into her back. “Did Yang seriously pack a set of weights?”
“Knowing my daughter, she probably did.” Taiyang sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “We’ll have to go through everything you packed before we head out. I’m afraid if you want to train out in the field, bodyweight exercises are the way to go. No extra weight, and you can make them as complex and challenging as you need.”
Weiss nodded, throwing a look at her own duffel bag and going through everything she has packed mentally. Blanching slightly when it felt like she forgot something.
“We’ll also have to buy tampons, bandages, and some first aid kit’s as well.” Taiyang said, continuing to walk unabated by the blush of embarrassment she felt. “Oh, and Weiss. I know how it is to have difficult teammates. It’s not my place to say, but Qrow and Yang’s mother didn’t have a normal upbringing. Coming from a more, might is right, and winner takes all, sort of mentality. It’s just… what I want to say is that if you want to talk about it. I have been there, for both good and bad.”
“Thanks.” Weiss replied, taking the offer for what it was. “I guess it’s just… it’s been a lot. Sometimes it feels like we have come a long way, and then sometimes it feels like we are just where we started. Only this time we are lacking someone, yet… it feels no different from when she was here.” Taking a soft breath, she shot him a little look. Not used to being so vulnerable. “Am I a bad person to say that?”
“You are a person.” Taiyang replied simply as he led them into an unfamiliar shop. Filled with all sorts of gear, from shoes, coats, cloaks, to their more robust variants and multiple outdoor tents. “You are allowed to feel as if your team isn’t perfect. Just, don’t let what you feel stop you from doing your best.”
Finding a pair of boots she was comfortable with was almost therapeutic. Shopping helping her ignore the nasty ball of emotions gnawing in her stomach. Stopping on a stylish mix between riding boots and traveling boots with some detailing going up the sides and ending just slightly under her knees.
‘They are surprisingly comfortable.’ Weiss noted to herself, doing a little test strut around the shop to get a feel for the boots. The slight chill she had felt along her legs gone completely, replaced with a snug warmness instead. ‘Stylish to boot.’ She thought idly. Walking up to the counter and pulling out her wallet, only for Taiyang to have already paid for them and more.
“I’m not going to have you pay for new footwear when I forgot to mention it earlier. This is something I should have mentioned earlier.” Taiyang cut off with a wry twist of his lips before she could open her mouth. “We have some good cobblers on Patch, who we should have visited before heading out. But…”
“I’m still going to pay you back.” Weiss promised, looking at the total.
“If it helps you sleep at night.” Taiyang shrugged nonchalantly. Taking one of the tents he had bought and packing it into his bag before handing the other one to her. Opening her own duffle bag, she placed it down into the side. Placing her heels into a bag and moving them into a corner.
Standing with Yang’s bag slung over her shoulders and her own duffle bag in her other hand, Weiss felt like a real huntress about to head out into the wilderness.
Stepping out of the shop, what good mood she had quickly died when she saw Blake trapped between Ruby and Yang. The girl’s amber eyes looking at her for help. Yet, the only thing Weiss could remember was Blake not being there. In the aftermath of Beacon’s tower falling and the Scorching of Vale. Blake hadn’t been there.
She hadn’t been there when Ruby returned with a haunted look in her eyes, hair fused with her forehead cacked full of dirt and dust, not to mention the old and brown bloodstains on her sleeves and under her nails. She hadn’t had to listen to the teams youngest wake up in the middle of the night because of nightmares. She didn’t have to suddenly feel the entire city and Academy look at her with wariness and barely concealed anger just because she was Atlassian.
When it felt like the sky was falling, Blake hadn’t been there in the aftermath.
And Weiss wasn’t sure she could ever forgive her for running out on them like that.
“Are you coming with us?” Weiss asked diplomatically. Professionally courtesy the only thing Blake would get from her, until she either cleaned up her act, or she took off for good. Squashing what she felt when hurt briefly flashed over Blake’s face. Blake had her chances; multiple of them. She had had the same chances as her.
Weiss can admit to being a bit of a bitch in the start of the semester, until the reality of who she was becoming slapped her in the face. Having done her best to try and change after the wakeup call. And, deep in her heart of hearts, she felt far happier and certain of her choices than she ever had while trapped in the gilded cage that was the Schnee Manor.
“What are you even doing in Mistral?” Blake shot back just as quickly.
“What are you doing in Mistral.” Weiss threw back, tone clipped. Her eyebrow twitching the only sign of the growing frustration she felt.
“That’s enough.” Ruby said with a voice that brokered no hesitation, coming between them and giving them both stern glares. “Weiss, if Blake wants to come with us, or if she doesn’t want to, that is for her to decide.” Ruby started with steel in her voice. Before turning over the faunus. “And Blake, why we are in Mistral is our business. Something you would have known about and been part of if…” A sigh Weiss coulndt quite make out escaped Ruby. “Blake, you are free to join us. You will always be a part of Team RWBY...”
Amber eyes looked onto silver as Ruby took a deep breath. Wiping her tears away on her sleeve, Ruby looked at Blake. None of the earlier hesitance’s written on her face as she gave the ultimatum.
“But Blake, if we can’t trust you with our backs. If you will run away at the first instance of real trouble.” Ruby took a deep breath, biting petulantly into her lower lip to stop it from quivering. “Then… then you have no place in team RWBY…”
Letting hard silver eyes wander over them, Ruby took a deep fortifying breath before looking back at Blake. “We are leaving from the west gate in two hours. Meet us there if you want.” Shrugging, Ruby took a step down the path and looked over her shoulder with a nonchalance Weiss had never seen in her before. “Or don’t.” Ruby’s voice cracked slightly as she took another step away from Blake. “And go on doing whatever it was you came to Mistral to do.”
Zwei raced to Ruby, tongue hanging out of his mouth as he trotted alongside her.
Weiss shared a glance with Yang, their eyes sliding towards the seemingly shellshocked faunus in tandem. What quick quip on her tongue gone as a frisk breeze came blowing by.
{-ooo-}
Gravel crunched and crackled under two pair of boots. A dozen pair of eyes followed the pair as they made their way up the main road. There was anger, distrust, and a smothering of fear in the eyes. Mothers standing before their children, while father’s and teenagers reached for anything sharp and dangerous with a fearful hesitancy of what maybe would come.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Winter asked curtly. Shoulders squared, each step practiced and measured, icy blue eyes wandering over the civilians around them. The iciness in her demeanour fitting her namesake and more.
“Chill, Winter. You are scarring the locals.” Clover replied with a lazy roll of his eyes. Whistling a little tune as he scanned over the quaint little village they found themselves in.
“Yet this is the fifth village we have found ourselves in after trusting in your semblance blindly.” Winter continued, voice just as clipped and chilly as before. Her travel backpack lightly packed, even if the water canteen was lighter than she would have liked.
“Relax, Winter.” Clover echoed, huffing and giving her his usual lazy smile. Filled with a casual arrogance that scrapped at her. “You are going about it wrongly. While your drive is impressive, don’t be so impatient.” Ignoring her huff, Clover continued on with a smile. “I won’t say we have all the time in the world, but while it doesn’t look like it, we are making progress. You don’t blindly chase after your query, instead, when tracking criminals, I have found the best way is to take it step for step. Find what they want, triangulate what areas can give them that and start from there. We might be specialists, but we are still hunter’s. And the good hunter know that you don’t rush blindly. They aren’t criminals per se, but why change what works?”
Winter opened her mouth, critique on her tongue, but she thought better about it. Closing her mouth with a sharp clack. As much as Clover’s nonchalance and arrogance galled her. He was still her superior. Having been in the game a good many years longer than her. His semblance might make him the luckiest man alive, but Winter wasn’t blind to the fact that luck could only bring someone so far.
Even if his semblance made him lucky, Winter knew that Ironwood would never have given Clover the position as head of the Ace-Ops if he didn’t have either the skill, knowledge or attitude required to lead the kingdoms best.
“That may be true, but you forget the simple fact that we know none of these.” Winter countered quickly. “Beside running around blindly, killing grimm and what bandits we have run into, we are not a step closer to figuring out what they want and where they can find that, whatever that even might be.”
“Touche.” Clover replied, cringing ever so slightly as he looked around. His façade of confidence slipping ever so slightly. “Still, you are hurrying. There is only so much we can do, and we are already doing everything we can with what we have. You know as well as me how important this mission is.”
“Maybe it is because of its importance that I feel the need to hurry?” Winter countered glacially.
Atlas had managed clean up the videos of wherein Arc crashed through the roof. The way blood pooled out of his neck, how his head was only held on by a flab of skin. It was all improved to crystal clear and grizzly 4k. How Adam’s katana had slipped out from his neck, how Arc calmly made his way out of the rubble and stitched his head on without as much as a blink or wince of pain.
Winter was no medical expert, but she knew what healing of that calibre meant. It was something that could save more lives than a hundred, maybe a thousand or two dedicated huntsmen and huntresses.
Paradoxically as it was, Grimm wasn’t the biggest killer when it came to hunters. That was sickness, disease, and internal bleedings that just disappeared into the haze that was adrenaline. First aid could only do so much when they were stranded in the wilderness with nothing but what they had packed and someone had a broken leg or a bleeding that just didn’t stop.
‘And what Arc has, or what Arc can do can completely remove that statistic.’ Winter knew. It was also something Clover knew. And yet he was more than happy to take things as they came and go with the flow. Not chase after the possibly largest game changer since Dust.
“Maybe it’s because it’s importance we should handle this mission with the degree of tack and caution it demands.” Clover said flatly. The jovial quirk of his lip gone as he gave her one long look.
Coming up to one of the larger buildings in the town, Clover gave her one last serious look, before stepping fully inside. Instantly his shoulders fell, gait changing to a confident and friendly saunter.
Following him inside, Winter scoured over the dingy bar, pub, tavern they stepped inside. It felt warm, yet it was also empty. An illusion stemming from the large room and building, yet only two single customers sitting by the counter.
‘Why does such a little township have something akin to a guesthouse?’ Winter thought, throwing a quick glance over to the barkeep before scouring the tavern for anything that could give something away.
“We don’t take lien here.” The barkeep said flatly. Cutting of Clover with a gritty drawl.
“Not taking lien?” Clover asked, gesturing with his head at the slip of lien one of the bar patrons handed the barkeep. The stout man pouring a large glass of cheep bear and handing it to him.
“My apologies. We don’t take Atlasian lien here.” The barkeep drawled, shaking his head as he bent to grab a mop and bucket and stepping away from the counter. Sending them both dirty looks as he plopped the bucket down onto the floor and began cleaning. Eyes filled with old resentment. The type Winter had seen, and heard, in the eyes and voice’s of the more racist and radical members in the ‘Old Guard’ when talking about the White Fang.
“Then we’ll get out of your hair.” Clover replied easily, the friendly smile never leaving his lips. “We are only here because we are looking for someone. Please, just a question or two, and we’ll be out of your hair. No need for us to overstay our welcome.”
The barkeep gave Clover a look, a gruff harumph escaping him as he moved the mop around. Shaking his head and sighing reluctantly. “Be quick about it.”
“Thanks. I have a picture of him here.” Clover said, moving slowly and obviously to take out his scroll. The tension in the barkeeps shoulders spiking before falling again. Taping on his scroll, it didn’t take long before a picture of Arc and the rest of Team Juniper was projected into the air. Even Violet was included, two crystal clear blue eyes glaring out between bags of platinum white hair as she had a death grip on the older boy’s hand.
Recognition flashed through his eyes as the tensions was back in full force. “Why is Atlas after them?” The words came out harsh and sharp. Taking a sharp breath, he shook his head. “You know what. None of my business. Passed through here two weeks ago, maybe three. Killed the bandits hounding the roads nearby. Stayed for maybe two nights, then they were off.”
“Old frank gave them a cart and two mules as thanks for avenging his daughters.” The drunk patron spat; face pulled into an ugly snarl as he looked over at them. Turning around and sipping on whatever it was he was drinking. “Good riddance, I say.”
“Huh. Isn’t that the son of the faunus from a week ago?” Another of the patrons asked. “Fucking whirlwind. Coulndt sit still for a second. Constantly crying as he bragged about the kid.”
Winter shared a look with Clover. Feeling her stomach sinking. It could just be a coincidence. A weird one at that. That someone else was looking after Arc and his team. But as Winter shared a nod with her fallow specialist, the rock in her stomach only sank further when she saw the same concern in his eyes.