Chapter 45
What do you mean you're not doing anything?" Weiss hissed, scowling as she crossed her arms. "A boy was murdered an hour ago and you're not even going to report it to the police?"
Nex rolled his eyes under the mask. Fat chance the police would actually get off their asses and help some faunus in the slums.
Adam chuckled. "If only that were possible." He clicked his tongue. "The police would sooner arrest us than help us. No. We're alone in this matter, and I ask that you be patient while our officers discuss this string of attacks."
"That's—"
"Fione," Nex said, nudging her hip.
He grinned at the others in the chamber. Some officers and henchmen probably, along with the watchman who returned his grin.
"Let's just go home." Nex squeezed her hand. "I'm sure we all need some sleep."
"Fine," Weiss said. She scoffed and practically dragged him up the maze leading to the surface. "I can't believe no one is doing anything."
Nex hummed. Pitter-patter—the tapping of water dripping down his arm. There had to be some reason why no one was particularly in a hurry to do anything. But it was neither here nor there. Weiss was right. Someone had to do something before every faunus kid in the slums got their entrails ripped out.
"Who says no one's doing anything?" Nex said, smirking. "I think B wants to help, and I'm sure we can give R a quick call."
"Are you sure?" Weiss asked. "About involving more people, I mean."
"I happen to have carte blanche on this mission, so yeah," Nex said. He shrugged. Ironwood never really mentioned anything about it either. "Besides, there is that saying about using every avenue at your disposal."
Weiss smiled at him, looping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder. Vanilla flitted through his nose. His footsteps dragged on the sewage, her weight pulling him down.
"You know, a few nights ago, I never thought you'd ever let me in on anything." Weiss giggled. "What is it about men and trying so hard to be macho?"
Nex grinned. He cupped her cheek, his palm gliding like silk over her skin. Her warmth seeped into his hand, staving off the chill. "What can I possibly say? I like to maintain my aura of mystery."
"I don't think your aura of mystery survived last night," Weiss said, blowing on his earlobe. "Unless you're hiding more skeletons in that closet of yours."
He shivered, placing his foot on the first step up the winding stairway.
"I..." Nex sucked in a lungful of the bitter air. "Yes. I'll be honest. There's some... stuff I'm not ready to tell anyone yet."
More like some stuff he could not tell her yet, seeing as he still had some things to do as the Artificer. But maybe when it was all done. When the business with Roman's virus was over, and Cinder's cloak-and-dagger conspiracy was dealt with. Then he could bury his skeletons six feet in the dirt. It would not have been fair for both of them otherwise.
"You know that's not fair, Nex," Weiss whispered, pecking the corner of his lips. "But I guess I can wait. Don't keep me waiting forever though."
"Don't worry," Nex said, his eyes narrowing under his mask. "I don't think you have to wait very long."
The watchman wrenched the door open, his face twisted into a scowl. "The commander say anything?"
Nex shrugged, moonlight flitting through the slits of his mask. "Nope. Just want us to wait."
"Damn it!" the watchman punched the wall of the hovel, the door creaking in the wind. "Two kids are dead and we're still not doing anything?!"
"I feel you, man," Nex said as they climbed onto the surface, the cool breeze blowing at his hood. "I feel you."
When they arrived at the hotel, Blake was already standing outside their room. She crossed her arms over her yukata, her knee hugging the door frame and the tip of her foot tapping the carpet.
"So?" Blake said. "Did Taurus bother to do anything?"
"Nope," Nex said, swiping his scroll over the terminal. They slipped into their room, the ghost ninja included. "That's the thing, right? He should be doing something."
After all, actions spoke louder than words ever could—more than the supposed planning the higher-ups of the White Fang were doing. Plus, there was that connection between Cinder and Adam that Ilia let slip—
Wait.
"What if, and hear me out," Nex said.
He slipped off his jacket, tossing it on the couch. His semblance cackled at the back of his skull as it connected the dots—and they had always been there.
"Adam not doing anything, the murders supposedly by the Resolutionists, the White Fang's new goals for the future, the rampant dust thefts and the collaboration with Torchwick—they all point to one thing."
"And what's that?" Weiss asked, plopping down on the edge of their bed.
"War," Nex said, breathing a sigh. "The White Fang's gearing up for a second Faunus Rights Revolution. But this time, they're not playing for keeps."
Two pairs of eyes blinked, darting towards him.
"What?" Blake hissed, leaning against the wall. "That's not just another one of your crazy theories, right? Like Ruby having the ability to time travel?"
"Maybe we should hear our team leader out," Weiss said, shooting the ghost ninja a glance.
Nex raised one finger. "First. The dust. According to Ironwood's confidential data, they've stolen enough to equip a big-ass army."
"And depriving our own in the process," Weiss mumbled.
"Yep. That, and I'm pretty sure a metric fuckton of dust can blow up the walls of Vale," Nex said, frowning. "Which, in turn, would definitely be an open invitation to a metric fuckton of Grimm."
More since Vale and Mountain Glenn were neighbours, just one dust bomb away from each other.
"The White Fang wouldn't do that," Blake said, her lips pursed into a thin line. "Faunus live in Vale, too."
"I don't think Adam gives a fuck," Nex said. He chuckled, cracking his neck side-to-side. "Also, he's probably letting a cult of humans kill faunus kids in Vale, so their families have an excuse to hate the humans even more, and then take up arms for the White Fang's stupid revolution."
It was... ingenious, admittedly. Like something he could have been doing had he been the brains behind the White Fang's operations. Letting a human cult wet their knives on a bunch of faunus children—children that would not be of much use when it came to open war.
No.
The psycho bull probably thought their families' rage was worth their lives. It was definitely something Adam Taurus could do, judging by his files. Maybe it was what Ilia meant when she said the psycho bull was involved with something more. And if it was, then the Resolutionists—if it even was the Resolutionists—were also working with Cinder Fall.
"Damn it," Blake said, her hands clenching into fists. Like the time she and his girlfriend argued about the White Fang. "What happened to the White Fang?"
"That's... evil," Weiss said, glaring at the far wall. The signature Mt. Weiss glare, even. "We can't let them get away with this."
"We're not. Open war between faunus, humans, and Grimm isn't very good for anyone's health," Nex replied. He nodded, snatching his scroll from his pocket. "I think I've figured out where the dust is really going. Now, I just need to use my semblance, give the good general a call, and..."
"Here," Blake said, chucking a flash drive at him. "The data I promised you. From an old friend inside the White Fang."
Nex smirked, rolling the length of metal between his fingers. "Now that's more like it." He shoved the flash drive into his scroll, his personal antivirus marking it as safe. "Time for some little Artificer-magic."
Nex pulled up the documents, his screen flashing. Every little bit of data he had. From Ironwood's down to Blake's. He closed his eyes and dumped a metric fuckton of aura into his semblance. The spiderweb formed in his mind, cables linking like wires crawling with electricity. His limbs tingled, his aura manifesting its true purpose.
Pareidolia. His semblance. What made Nexus Shade who he really was. The essence of his very being. His very soul. To see the world in abstract possibilities instead of concrete actualities. Eyes that did not see so much as intuit.
And then, in a spark of the midnight sky, he just knew.
But still. One question remained.
What the hell did Cinder Fall have to gain from everything?
Unless...
Unless she wanted to raze a kingdom to the ground.
But that one was probably overthinking it.
"We'll need time to mobilize the military," Ironwood said, sipping on his coffee. Again. "The information you've delivered on the White Fang and Torchwick is beyond what we expected from you, and it will save hundreds of lives."
Nex shrugged, smirking as his date lifted the croissant to her lips. "I do my best work from shadows."
He told Ironwood everything of course—except for his less-than-reputable involvement.
"Indeed," Ironwood said with a short chuckle. "In the meantime, we've assigned some of our... off-brand ACD projects to you. At your discretion, of course."
"I'll take a look," Nex said, the chatter of the cafe filling his extra pair of ears. "After I track down the murderer in the slums."
"The unknown faunus in your report, I presume?" Ironwood asked. "Best of luck then. Dismissed."
His scroll beeped off.
Nex shrugged, shoving it in his pocket and taking a big bite of his bagel—the last of its kind. "Ready?"
Weiss nodded, wiping some crumbs from her cheeks. "As I'll ever be."
It was approximately forty-four minutes past eight when Nexus Shade and Weiss Schnee arrived at the quaint little hovel the White Fang used to disguise their recruitment drives.
They did the usual—get some supplies and hand it out. Quicker this time, as there were two of them, and the ghost-ninja and her partner were already off shadowing a gaggle of kids in the dark.
Playing some tag.
And, well, when else could they play but in the dark? Playing in daylight was definitely riskier, as humans passed through the slums during the day, some of them with bigger spears up their asses than the others.
His earpiece vibrated, Ruby's voice rising over the static. "R here. Go for N."
"N here," Nex said, dropping the empty bag of supplies into the trash bin. "We're done with charity. How're things on B's end?"
"B's found someone suspicious," Ruby hush-whispered. "Someone with a hat, a mask, and a spy coat like yours."
Nex rolled his eyes, even as his girlfriend shot him an amused glance. "This isn't a movie, R. Besides." He patted his grey jacket. "I'm not even wearing my trench."
"We'll check it out," Weiss said, tapping her own earpiece. "We can't risk anyone even slightly suspicious slipping past the radar."
They slunk off towards the ghost-ninja—a purple dot on his scroll. Tied to their earpieces, it made finding each other easier. Supposedly, huntsmen and huntresses made use of it in the field, only with some of them installing it on their scrolls instead of earpieces.
Well, Ruby Rose was unsurprisingly eager to go on a spy mission, as she called it last night. With Team AXRN off on a team-building exercise—or a team vacation according to Nora—somewhere in the wilderness of Mistral, she really had nothing to do in Patch other than watch some Mistralian cartoons and play with her video games.
To be fair, helping stop a killer in the slums was definitely more productive than whatever it was she had been up to. And undoubtedly more exciting, if not a little riskier. Still, it was a risk they all had to experience eventually as huntsmen and huntresses in training.
"So," Weiss said, her eyes glowing red through the slits of her mask. "What led to you working for you-know-who?"
Nex smiled, keeping one hand on Oathkeeper. It wasn't the worst conversation starter he heard from his girlfriend, but it certainly wasn't the best either. "Well, it all started with my semblance."
Well, it did. Just probably not in the way Weiss was definitely thinking.
"I take it you're not going to say anything more, Agent Nightshade?" Weiss asked, chuckling. She fidgeted with her nano-tech rapier—the one clipped to her waist. A cute little wolf dangled off its hilt. "I'll just ask my sister then."
Nex shrugged, his smile dying on his lips as Pareidolia nudged the back of his skull. "She'll probably say it's classified."
Weiss huffed. "Probably. But you can't fault your girlfriend for trying, can you?"
His earpiece vibrated. Again.
"Snowbear!" Blake screamed, steel gnashing against steel. "I hate to be the a little help girl, but, a little help!"
They exchanged glances. And sprinted across the street, blurring around the bend straight towards the lines of fleeing children. Their screams roused the faunus inside the hovels and the tents, the doors of the former whining as they hinged out.
For fuck's sake.
Everyone should have let the kids in and locked the doors, instead of peeking at the fight raging over the sidewalk—the ghost-ninja in her purple hoodie versus a tall man in a brown long coat.
The same man as last night, his eyes glowing amber behind the slits of some sort of black mask.
The ghost-ninja held her ground, dagger flashing as she weaved around the would-be assassin's kick. She raised her dagger and brought it down on his back.
Only for the man to twist on his heel, lashing out with another kick. The man's boot slammed into the ghost-ninja's midriff.
Weiss gasped, drawing her nano-tech rapier.
Blake Belladonna crashed into a brick fence, fizzling into shadows—nowhere to be found. But Pareidolia had about twenty-seven guesses as to where she really was, and more counting by the second.
Nex rolled his eyes and brandished Oathkeeper, the gold glinting in the dark.
Of course she just had to show off.
Roses swarmed, a broadsword whooshing.
The man cackled, his high-strung voice cutting through the night. He ducked under the sword. Once. Twice. And thrice. He leapt over Ruby's mass-produced sword, planting his feet into her face. He flipped away, landing on the fence.
Ruby stumbled, tugging her hood back over her face.
"You!" the man yelled, his eyes burning as he pointed at the silver-eyed girl. "Oh, how my dearest queen will delight when I present your head!" He cupped his masked face. "On a silver platter!"
"Queen?" Ruby mumbled, raising her sword.
Nex rolled his eyes even more, reaching into his pocket and swiping at his VPD speed dial. "Right. Crazy. Keep talking. Give the kids more time to run and the parents to lock up."
And give the police more time to respond to a huntsman-in-training's distress signal—like that one time in the alleyway and just like they planned now—but their would-be assassin did not need to know that.
"And you!" The man's glowing eyes darted to his mom's sword. "That blade. The Oathkeeper..." He gasped. "This is most unexpected!"
Nex shifted his foot, his lips twitching. "How the hell do you know my mom's sword?"
Unless the man in front of them really was a member of the Resolutionists—and if Ironwood were to be believed about his mom's history.
"Ah! Uh! Uh!" The man clicked his tongue a grand total of three times. "Where, oh where, is Vigilance the old wolf, I wonder?" He cackled. Again. Even more. "But it doesn't really matter, does it? Because you're dead!"
He leapt off the fence, the blades on his wrist flashing.
"Spread out!" Nex said as Oathkeeper parried the man's first slash, gold sparking as it clashed against steel. "Don't let him escape!"
"Escape?!" the man screamed, his slashes a storm. Chaos. Raw chaos. "I don't need to escape!"
He deflected another slash, Pareidolia humming.
There!
Nex tilted his sword to the side, where the man would strike next—
Pain exploded in his shoulder. Another one in his gut sent him crashing back-first into the pavement.
"Shit," Nex said, rolling away.
A tail crunched through the cement, specks of mud flying where his head was a second ago.
A faunus. Scorpion. The venom from last night.
He funnelled more aura into his semblance.
"Pareidolia, work with me a little here," Nex muttered.
Weaknesses. Some hole in the man's form. There had to be a pattern he could exploit—
Roses. Whoosh.
Ruby slashed at the man with her new toy, the broadsword a blur of red in her deft hands.
It distracted him long enough for Nex to slink away, nursing the bruise on his shoulder.
Apparently, the man's fighting style was chaotic enough—even more chaotic than Yang's—that Pareidolia was having trouble keeping up.
Fuck.
It was going to be a little harder than fighting against a bunch of goons then. Especially since Weiss had no access to her glyphs and the ghost-ninja was ill-equipped for open confrontation, wielding only a flimsy dagger. Even worse, Ruby had no night vision like the three of them did, and it was doubtful she was used to using a sword instead of a scythe.
Ruby yelped, her hood blowing in the wind. She smashed into a hovel. Metal crunched in the dark.
The damned tail clicked, slithering back into the man's long coat.
Weiss rushed at their would-be assassin.
Blake fizzled out of the shadows.
The man weaved around the rapier and dagger, spinning on one hand like a top. His boot sliced through Blake's clone. The other dug under Weiss' chin.
A wrist blade darted to her sword arm. The other to her chest.
Weiss stumbled, gasping as her rapier flew from her grip—
"Son of a bitch." Nex charged, his boots rasping over the pavement.
Oathkeeper caught the man's arm, arcs of thunder crackling over the golden blade.
Weiss' eyes widened as she hopped away, chasing after her sword as it clattered over the street.
Lightning.
Oathkeeper spouted lightning, silver runes blazing from the hilt down to the tip.
The man cackled, ducking under the thunderstorm. "Amariss Shade taught you well. But she didn't teach you everything." He spun into a kick. "Or I wouldn't be standing here without a scratch!"
Nex raised his off-hand, the man's boot locked against his forearm—against muscle and aura. "You talk and yell too much."
He batted away the man's leg, countering with a slash of his own. The man's wrist blade darted towards Oathkeeper's guard. Probably in an attempt to disarm him like Weiss.
Steel flashed over the man's shoulder, his coat ripping as the silver-eyed girl yelled.
The man screamed and spun away, roses scattering across the street.
His tail deflected Ruby's nameless sword with a sharp thwack.
"Ha..." the man panted, giggles bursting through his mask. His tail peeked out the hem of his coat. "You'll die for that. You'll all die!"
With a wail, the man rushed Nex, his eyes burning.
The assault came faster this time. Kicks, punches, and blades clashed against Oathkeeper, the golden blade unyielding.
His heart pounded in his temple. Sweat raced down his cheeks, the fire consuming his stomach. This was it. A fight. And it was even better than the fight against the White Fang goons and his fellow thief.
Pareidolia crackled, even as he brandished his sword into another trade.
"Die!" The man twisted, lashing out at Weiss, cackling. "Why don't you all die!"
She parried it, the wrist blade locked against her rapier.
Purple mist burst from the man.
Pareidolia shrieked. His limbs dragged, heavy as lead.
"Shit..." Nex said, his aura flickering.
The man blurred, stomping on her chest.
Weiss flew, crashing into the brick fence. She slumped. Unmoving.
The man cackled, stretching his arms as he trotted over Weiss.
Ruby growled, her broadsword whooshing.
Red petals swarmed.
A shadow leapt at the man.
Purple. And the man sent Ruby and Blake careening over the street.
Nexus Shade tightened his grip around Oathkeeper, even as the entire world wobbled, a motherfucker of a migraine stabbing his head.
No good. He had to keep fighting. Only until the police—
"I think..." The man hummed, tapping his chin. "I'll take the wolf's head first!"
Shit.
Nex raised his mother's sword.
The man darted towards him, sharp laughter ringing in his extra pair of ears.
The wrist blade flashed.
Black feathers burst.
Like his father. That night ten years ago.
A katana. Red as blood. It tore through the gap.
Steel clanged against steel.
"Hmph."
A huntress stood there, red and black swirling behind her. She was dressed the same colour as her sword, black feathers clinging to her neck. A bone-white mask concealed her face, almost like the visage of Grimm. But it did little to hide the contempt in her voice.
"Pick on somebody your own size," the huntress said, the sneer on her face practically audible.
The man gasped, holding a hand over his face. "A raven descends from the sky. After so long!"
Nexus Shade's knees shook as he propped his weight against Oathkeeper, the tip screeching over cement.
"I didn't expect you to be this foolhardy, scion of Shade," the huntress said, flicking her katana. "But then again, unlike Mary, you are half Branwen." She chuckled and strolled towards the man as he radiated more and more of the purple stuff. "That might explain it to no fault of yours, godson of mine."
"Oh! A family reunion!" the man said, his tail clicking as it hovered over his shoulder. He crouched over the pavement like a tiger stalking its prey. Half his ripped coat fluttered in the breeze. "How exciting!"
"Godson? What? Who the hell are you?" Nex croaked, the purple mist blanketing the street.
Bodies upon bodies of wide-eyed faunus thudded over the sidewalk.
"I... His semblance..." Nex blinked. "Be careful... it's..."
Paralytic. Deadly.
The huntress sliced into the purple cloud, the miasma parting before her blade.
The wind howled and caressed his flushed cheeks.
The huntress' mane whipped behind her back.
Darkness. The clanging of steel. Boots shuffling over stone.
Nexus Shade dropped like a feather, his lungs embroiled in fire—like ants stinging every inch of his chest.
Chapter 46
Darkness.
Nexus Shade woke up encased in the warmth of a cocoon. It was a reminder of the way his mom would wrap her arms around him and whisper into his top ears that everything would be alright. Or, at least, the rare times when he had a nightmare. The rough cloth covered him from head to toe like a sack of carrots, the fabric itchy on his skin.
A lone candle flickered in the darkness. The fire cast shadows over the grey walls.
Cloth, probably.
The candle sat on a wooden desk, a metal basin leaning against the foot of the table. A red fabric soaked in the liquid, the water reflecting his golden eyes. They shimmered as he glanced around what must have been a tent.
He stood up, shaking off the thick sheets and wiping the sweat from his forehead. Dry grass crunched under his bare feet.
Huh.
Last time he checked, the exact variety of grass wherever here was did not grow in the Valean slums.
Where the hell was he?
What happened... after he blacked out?
And, more importantly, where the hell was Weiss?
Strands of the familiar, serrated grass poked his soles as three snores prodded his extra pair of ears.
Blake. Ruby. Weiss.
Who else could it have been?
Nex sighed in relief, the scent of ash and woodland filling his lungs. A forest, then. Weiss, Rubes, and Blake were in the same place as him, bundled in similar sheets and lying on the ground. Although, he was the only one awake. But maybe it was for the better. He could find out where they were before they woke up so they did not have to.
Thus, the leader of Team SSBR inched open the flap of the tent, peeking out into the rest of the world.
He blinked as the light stung his eyes. The cons of having night vision. He had to rub them once or twice, yawning. As he did, he took in the sight of dozens of other tents, several campfires, and walls manned by men and women dressed in cloth and leather.
Armed.
Huntsmen and huntresses, judging by their guns and swords. Or, at least, huntsmen and huntresses without licenses and formal training.
The grass under his feet only grew in the lawless frontier, after all.
"Hey, you," some woman posted outside said, her blue eyes crinkling as she smiled at him. "You're finally awake."
Nex frowned, his hand darting to his belt. Damn. Oathkeeper. Missing. He really was out of it if he left it in the tent. Or worse, if whoever these people were took it. "Where am I? Where's my sword?"
"Like father like son. Birds of the same feather," the woman said, chuckling as she rubbed her freckles. "So fascinated with swords. Or so Chief Raven tells me."
Nex shrugged, his jaw clenching. Raven. Raven. The name seemed familiar. Especially since his father somehow bore a connection to his current predicament.
"Mind giving me a straight answer?" Nex asked. "Or do I have to go and find my godmother myself?"
Raven. Raven Branwen. Birds. Feathers. Of course. His father's opposite-sex twin and also Yang's long-lost mom.
But still, if he had a godmother all along, of all the things he could have possibly had, then why did his mom not tell him? The same logic held with his father of course. Then again, that one probably never wanted to tell him, much less have his mom spill the metaphorical beans all over the dinner table.
Deeper still, his godmother showed up and fought the assassin and his overpowered semblance off, rescuing Team SSBR from death and whisking them all to her camp somewhere in the frontier. It was practically a small settlement, judging by the clotheslines, the wells, the latrines, the makeshift kitchens, and the like. Everything that someone would need to live a life in the wild.
Still, why show up now?
How did she even show up?
Better yet, why show up at all?
No one ever showed up before. Not even when he was on the verge of losing. Or, worse, dying. He hated losing, admittedly. But it was certainly better than dying.
"Hey." The woman snapped her fingers. Inches from his nose and encrusted with dirt. "You still there?"
Nex blinked. He had been staring, probably lost in his head. "Still here. Just thinking."
"Thinking?" The woman chuckled at that, placing a hand on her hip. Pareidolia filed away the crescent-shaped blades hanging off her belt. "Not exactly like Qrow then. Maybe there's still hope for you yet."
Nex shrugged. Gods forbid he was anything like Qrow Branwen. Bastard son or no. There was a reason why he practically swore off drinking under pain of death.
"I'm not my father," Nex said, "and I never will be."
"Huh." The woman quirked her head. "Good for you."
Seeing as the conversation just died, he loped away, some of the people in the camp shooting him curious looks.
Some maybe even looks of recognition.
Recognizing his father, at least.
Damn his face. Not even a wildly different haircut could hide it.
He licked his coarse lips, pushing onward to his goal.
A huge-ass tent sat in the middle, just a leap away from the tall, wooden barricades. The flaps blew in the morning breeze. It carried the familiar scent of wild strawberries. The kind that only grew in the forests of Mistral. Fruits he snacked on in his journeys before. His favourite.
Mistral. It was an awful long way from Vale.
Nex reached into his pocket. Good news: his scroll was still there. Bad news: there was no signal whatsoever.
No calling Ironwood for a fancy ship then.
But maybe Raven Branwen had her own thing for transportation.
Nex reached the tent. The biggest one in the entire place, probably. He peeled back the flap and stepped inside.
Crimson eyes blinked.
"You're awake," Raven said, sitting cross-legged on a mat. Bookshelves lined her tent and suffused his nose with the scent of crisp books and tomes. "I was starting to wonder if the poison got to your brain."
"That man's semblance you mean," Nex said, nodding as he loomed over his supposed godmother. "You don't look like it got to you, though."
Instead, Raven Branwen looked exactly like the photo Yang showed him, down to clothes and the katana propped up against the shelf behind her. Well, except for the beginnings of crow's feet on the corners of her eyes. Not even huntresses were exempt from ageing, and no blade could possibly best death. But still, the resemblance to both him and Yang was definitely there, staring at him with a smile on her dry lips.
She had dry lips too. And she even licked them. Were dry lips hereditary?
"How astute of you. You may look like my wayward brother, Nexus Shade." Raven chuckled, brushing a stray strand of hair from her cheek. "But you have your mother's eyes."
"So it's true then," Nex said, raising an eyebrow. "You're my aunt. And Yang's mom."
"Godmother. But yes," Raven said, clicking her tongue. "Mary was particularly vehement about saddling me with that honour."
A zigzagged remark if he ever heard one. For a chief of some sort of settlement in the lawless frontier, his godmother sure was political.
People were political animals then.
But still, that was neither here nor there. He had more pressing questions to ask the woman in front of him.
"Why show up and bail our asses?" Nex asked, tapping the floor with the tip of his bare foot. "Last I checked," he continued, chuckling. "None of my supposed family wants anything to do with me."
His father sure liked hanging out with his nieces playing video games more, anyway. Maybe that was why his father liked his nieces more than his own son? Nexus Shade never did like playing video games.
Not before, not now.
Probably never.
And now, that his godmother was here, alive and chatting with him... It certainly put things into perspective.
"I can only speak for myself," Raven said, her eyes snapping towards his. "Your life as a lone wolf, without my intervention. It made you strong, didn't it?"
What the hell kind of question was that?
Nex shrugged, even as her crimson eyes bored into his. "Well, I survived. That's certainly more than some wolves in the wild."
Raven nodded as if his answer already answered his question. "Exactly. You wouldn't be what you are now had things gone differently, would you?"
If his mother never died, then...
If his father or his godmother took him in...
If any of his mother's old friends gave him a home or even a family...
Then—
There would have never been the Artificer.
There would have never been a Nexus Shade.
There would have never been a him.
"No, you're right," Nex said, tearing his eyes away. His godmother had a point. Even if the point in question made his stomach churn. "Is this also why you left Yang?"
It was definitely fucked up. And, yet, it made an awful lot of sense. Was everyone in his convoluted family tree a few screws loose?
Raven took a sip of her tea, the cup steaming as she lifted it up to her lips. "The problem lies with our... irreconcilable differences."
"Differences with whom?" Nex asked. "I don't think a kid's irreconcilable when it comes to her mom."
"You'd be correct," Raven said, setting down her cup. "Tell me. How much do you really know about what's going on in the shadows of Remnant?" She steepled her fingers on her lap. "Do you know what you stumbled upon last night?"
Nex hummed, his brain and his semblance already at Mach 2. He could tell her exactly what he knew of course. Cinder's cloak and dagger conspiracy came to mind, now with the addition of an unknown and highly skilled assassin and the White Fang branch of Vale. Maybe Raven knew something. A missing piece to the Cinder's conspiracy. Maybe even Ozpin's. Or maybe there was a connection between the two.
"Alright, I'll bite," Nex said, cracking his neck. "I know there's a woman going around by the name of Cinder Fall, pulling the strings of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick in Vale."
He sucked in a deep breath as Raven hummed, waving at him to continue.
"They're gathering dust for a Second Faunus Right's Revolution. Maybe to blow up Vale's walls and expose it to the Grimm. Cinder's motives are unknown. Even after extensive mining through Atlas' database, legal and illegal, no records of her were found. Although..."
He trailed off. Should he tell her about his research on fairy tales? It sounded crazy. But now that he was here having a normal and civil conversation with someone of his own blood...
"Although what?" Raven said, smirking. "Carry on. I'm simply delighted to see that my godson isn't as brutish as my daughter." She chuckled and shook her head, her mane swaying. "I mean, not even landing a single punch? Disappointing."
She was definitely referring to their match at the Sanus Festival. His memory of about a year ago was a little bit foggy, but there had been a raven in the stadium. Was the ability to turn into a bird genetic? Maybe the Branwens had a genetic semblance like the Schnees. But then again, if they did, then he should have been able to turn into a bird too.
Unlikely then. He already had Pareidolia. Which meant the bird-turning thing was something else entirely. Something else that broke the Law of Conservation of Mass and Polendina's Treatise on Aura and Semblances.
Something like Magic. With a capital M, if their world was something out of the fantasy books.
Maybe Raven would decide to answer him if he asked and not simply laugh at him and throw him into the loony bin.
Nope. Not the time to ruin whatever impression his godmother had of him.
"I've been meaning to ask," Nex said. Hopefully, his change of topic would go unnoticed. "That bird-turning thing you and my father do. It's not a semblance, is it?"
Raven's eyebrows shot up to her hairline. "He showed you that?"
"Kinda hard to unsee for an eight-year-old kid," Nex said, rolling his eyes. "Especially when there's feathers on the floor and the guy who got your mom killed just gave you her weapons and flew off to who knows where."
"Now that's something my dumbass of a brother would do," Raven said, the corners of her eyes twitching. Definitely in annoyance. "Let me be frank. I'll tell you everything that you want to know if you do me a favour."
Nex pushed back his fringe. "What kind?"
"Leave Beacon," Raven said. She held out her hand, her fingers outstretched. "Stay here and live out the rest of your life. Safe from that lunatic when he returns. And free from being a pawn in someone else's game."
What? No way he heard that one right.
"Sorry," Nex said, sticking his pinky inside his ear and swirling it around. "I must've misheard. Did you just say that you want me to leave Beacon?"
"You and I are birds of the same feather, heir of Amariss Shade," Raven said, "my sister in all but name. I sense it in you. The desire for freedom. To do whatever you want whenever you want it, beyond the cumbersome laws the four kingdoms have set down."
The camp rumbled in the background, the early morning chatter of men and women drowning his extra pair of ears.
Raven stared at him. Waiting. Waiting for an answer. An answer he would have to think about.
Admittedly, his godmother had a point. Freedom. There was no freedom in a society bound by laws. He became who he was and plunged himself into the free and lawless world not because he needed lien.
Well, maybe he needed it at first. But he could have stopped the moment the cash in his wallet hit the triple digits. It would have been enough to pay for Atlas Primary, with his part-time job at the Huntsman's Respite shouldering his daily expenses.
Still, he continued his dealings in the shadows, flirting with crime and saddling the line between good and evil.
Not out of any real need.
No. Definitely not. He could have turned over a new leaf and looked for a more honest livelihood, after all.
In hindsight, the Artificer lived on because Nexus Shade could not live without him. He loved the thrill, the thunder rushing through his veins as he fooled everyone around him. As he hid in plain sight, delving deeper into the darkness and the shadows, making deals with Roman Torchwick in downtown Vale and pretending to be an officer of the White Fang. Shrugging whenever someone asked a question and leading them away whenever they dug too deep.
It was the Artificer's opium. An addiction. And maybe even Nexus Shade's disease.
But then...
He had her, did he not?
Nexus Shade had Weiss Schnee. He could not simply up and leave because Raven Branwen asked nicely. Not now, anyway.
But maybe if the kingdoms all fell over and died. At least then they could have somewhere to stay. Planning for the future and all. Something his days burning with hunger in the back-alleys of Mantle drilled into his brain.
Nex sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Can I have time to consider it first? Just up and leaving isn't my style. Not when I've got someone to lose."
Well, what could he possibly say? He still hated losing. But now, his brain was starting to not label it as irrational.
It was never too late to change, right?
"The heiress. The Schnee." Raven nodded, hauling herself to her feet. "The spirit carries on, does it not, godson of mine?"
"My mom and her mom you mean," Nex said as she dusted off her blouse. "What were they like?"
"Partners." Raven strode past him, parting the flap of her tent. "But your mother has lost her fire, has she not, Weiss Schnee?"
"Eeeep!"
Ruby yelped. Her arms flailed as she slammed into Blake and Weiss. They crashed into the dirt like dominoes. A pile of tangled limbs kicking up dust and strands of grass. But still, all three of them were armed with Weiss clutching Oathkeeper to her chest. Its runes shimmered under the sun as it brushed her bare forearm.
"Ugh," Nex said, plucking a stray pebble between his toes. He flicked it somewhere to the side.
Trust his team to fill the socially awkward meter for him.
"You, daughter of Rose, are much alike your mother." Raven scoffed and marched past them, deeper into the camp. "Seek out sustenance so I can return you immediately. Vernal should be able to assist you."
She stopped walking just as his teammates hobbled to their feet, rubbing their backs.
"And Nex?" Raven said, sparing him a red-eyed look. "Do consider what I'm offering you. 'Tis only fair, after all."
His godmother resumed her leisurely stroll, her arms swinging by her side—
"Wait!" Ruby yelled. "You have to see Yang—"
"Exactly like your mother, Ruby Rose." Raven quickened her steps, the rest of the camp bustling around her like a sea of clouds. "Yang must seek me out on her own, when she's ready, and by her own strength. I expect nothing less from her."
"Great," Nex said as Raven Branwen disappeared from sight.
She probably hid behind a tent and transformed into a bird.
He turned to his team.
Weiss tossed his mother's sword to him, which he caught and fastened to his belt.
"How much did you hear?" Nex asked.
"Oh, I don't know," Weiss said, crossing her arms and fixing him a look. A look he knew all too well. Of course. The I'm secretly disappointed but I'm too prideful to say it look. "How about hearing that my boyfriend's seriously considering living in the middle of uncivilized nowhere with his questionable godmother just so he could"—she rolled her eyes—"do whatever he wants whenever he wants it like he's some common criminal off the streets of Mantle."
Nex barked out a laugh, the urge to rub the back of his head hitting him like a freight train. She was right without even knowing it. It stung. Maybe he was just a common criminal or something. But a lot of people would have disagreed with the word common when it came to him. Then again, Weiss really had no idea about his secret secret identity.
"Ah, well," Nex muttered, offering her his winning smile. "I don't suppose you heard the rest of what your boyfriend said in reply?"
"I did, and I'm proud of him," Weiss whispered, leaning over and pecking his lips. She grinned and patted his arm. "Which is why I'm not screaming your extra pair of ears off."
The wind blew and whispered garbled words into his ears, the world moving around them, him staring into the pale blue and her definitely into bright gold. With her hair cut down to her shoulders, she looked different. More mature than she did a year ago.
Somehow.
He would have spent a few more moments wondering why women with shorter hair had that effect, if not for Blake coughing and Ruby dipping her face into her palm, gagging like she was going to throw up in her hand.
"Get a room, you guys," Blake said, a smirk on the corner of her lips. "Just remember to use protection if you don't want a little wolf running around in nine months."
Pink dusted Weiss' cheeks as she huffed and turned away, saying, "I'm sure my boyfriend won't be that irresponsible when it comes to it, will he?"
Ruby snickered, covering her mouth with her arm. How come the fifteen-year-old kid understood what they were talking about?
For dying's sake. It was that code word again. A code word even Ruby Rose knew. Protection. Maybe he should ask Yang or something. It was certainly more helpful than wondering about it on his own and ending up with effectively nothing.
Nex shrugged, glancing at the familiar woman inspecting her dirt-encrusted nails. "Weiss is the responsible one. Not me. I'm sure she'll have some protection on hand when we get a room."
Although, they already had a room in Vale. Maybe it meant something else entirely?
Ruby and Blake exchanged looks, snorting as they stifled their laughter.
Weiss glowed pink even more as sweat raced down the crook of her neck. "Let's find this Vernal and have some breakfast. Whatever happens in our room is none of your business."
Her hand snaked into his. And then, there really was no point thinking about living with his godmother in the wilderness of Mistral.
"You have the Oathkeeper," Raven said, nodding as she drew her katana. The bulky variable sheath clicked and ejected a crimson blade. "Keep it safe and it'll serve you well just like it did Mary."
She slashed at thin air. The world rippled, red and black swirling as she sheathed her katana with barely a whoosh.
"You know, I always wondered," Nex said as his teammates stared at the hole through the fabric of space, with one Ruby Rose gasping. "Why does everyone call my mom Mary?"
From Jacques and down to his godmother, even. Was he the only one who called her by her actual name?
"Why don't you tell your girlfriend to ask her mom?" Raven arched an eyebrow as she shot Weiss a glance. "Unless, of course, Willow's much too preoccupied with the bottle these days to even attend to her children."
Weiss scowled, her eyes practically flashing as they darted towards Raven's. "You're one to talk."
"Yeah," Ruby said, glaring at his godmother. "With your semblance, you can visit Yang and dad every day. Why don't you?"
Blake and Nex exchanged glances. Both of them shrugged. Apparently, not everyone on their team was too bothered by Raven's less-than-polite demeanour. But still, she definitely had an excuse. It was the lawless frontier, after all. Doubtful her people would listen to her had she been all Miss Polite and Pleasant.
"Hmph," Raven said and waved at the portal. "Go before you overstay your welcome, little Rose. And, little Schnee, give your mother my regards, will you?"
"What should I tell her?" Weiss said, scoffing. "That an old friend's unhappy with her drinking?"
"Heh." Raven smirked and spun on her heel, her mane whipping as she strode towards her tent. "Keep that fire in you, little Schnee."
The portal floated before them, swirling and sucking in the air. Pareidolia buzzed. Theorizing. Raven's semblance was probably like Neo's, except she had no need to travel with people to transport them somewhere. While Neo's semblance manipulated space, Raven punched holes through it, bridging two points and somehow repairing the damage after she was done.
It was interesting. Very interesting.
If time travel was hypothetically possible with Ruby's semblance, then—
Ruby growled, her eyes stabbing daggers into Raven's back. "You're not even going to say anything to Yang? To dad? To Uncle Qrow?"
"I have nothing to say to them that hasn't already been said," Raven replied, sparing her an amused glance. "You, on the other hand, have a portal waiting, while I have a family to lead."
She pulled back the flap and slipped inside her tent, leaving them alone in the grassy meadow.
Nex placed a hand on Ruby's cloaked shoulder, giving the tense muscle a small squeeze. "If she doesn't want to talk to her family, then it's her loss."
"What about you then?" Ruby said, shaking his hand off. "Why not talk to your dad?"
Nex shrugged. He really should have been more angry, as irrational as it was. "I guess it's a loss I'm willing to bear."
He already bore it his entire life. And now that he had so much more than he did, he had no real need or want of his father.
"Maybe you should stay with Raven, Nex," Ruby said, frowning as she marched to the portal. Huh. Uncharacteristic of the silver-eyed girl. "You're the same."
She was gone, swallowed by the portal and whatever awaited her on the other side.
Nex hummed, his jaw clenching. Maybe Ruby Rose had a point. He was more raven than crow. Certainly more than what his heritage would suggest.
Weiss' hand slipped into his, her eyes fixed on the portal. "She doesn't understand, does she?"
Nope. Definitely not. The silver-eyed girl had a dead silver-eyed mom. A huntress she revered as a hero.
Not a father who got her mom killed and left their kid alone.
Not a mom who flew the coop when she was a kid. Just to play chief to a settlement of freemen and outlaws in the endless frontier.
Not a mom who drank her sorrows away and a father who drowned his problems with work, both of them filling the ears of their kids with shouts and yells behind closed doors.
And certainly not a mom and a dad forced into hiding in Menagerie, leaving their kid alone to face the world. Worse since said daughter was a faunus. Unable to even hold a job without getting fired for accepting a tip.
"No." Blake shook her head, a frown on her lips. "She doesn't. Maybe I should talk to her."
"We all should," Weiss said, his thumb brushing her ring. "We're a team, remember?"
"I'll pass," Nex said. He licked his lips and trotted after the silver-eyed girl. "I'm not exactly great with heart-to-heart talks."
Weiss poked his chest, her nail digging into the spot right where his heart was supposed to be. It was frail. Withered. And maybe it had never been there at all. "Perhaps we should find some time to practice our heart-to-heart talks, Mr Shade?"
Nex shrugged, grinning as he placed his foot in the swirling red. "Do we need to get a room when we practice our heart-to-heart talks?"
"Ugh," Blake mumbled. She rushed past them, leaping after her partner. "Seriously, get a room."
And he seriously needed to find out what that meant.
Maybe Ninjas of Love had the answer? Last time he checked, Weiss had a copy in her luggage, for some reason.
Oh well, oh well. It was something to think about at least.
Nex swept his arm at the portal, his grin stretching up his eyes. "Shall we get a room, Miss Schnee?"
Weiss hmphed, raising her chin as a smile played on her lips. "Perhaps, Mr Shade."
"Ruby!"
The portal sizzled and closed behind them. A man with messy blonde hair and the beginnings of a beard scooped Ruby Rose into his arms and pressed her against his chest. He trembled even as the silver-eyed girl squirmed and placed her hands against his shoulders, trying to push him away.
"Raven didn't do anything," the blonde man said. Her father, Pareidolia deduced. "If she did, then I swear—"
"Dad. She saved us," Ruby said, flushing as she finally found the strength to extract herself from her father's arms. "And my team's here."
"Oh, uh." Her father coughed, scratching his neck. "Hi there. I'm Tai. Ruby and Yang's dad. You're Team Snowbear, right?"
A house stood at the end of the dirt road behind Tai—a quaint little cottage with flowers and grass on its front lawn, two glass windows hiding whatever lay beyond the patio. The lawn was well-loved and well-watered, judging by the vibrant hues of the dandelions and the roses, and the glimmer of dew on the grass as sunlight poured from above.
"My name is Weiss Schnee," his girlfriend said, a beaming smile on her lips. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Blake Belladonna," the ghost-ninja said, nodding. "Nice to meet you, Tai."
Nex shrugged. Introducing himself was pretty much a given, despite the fact that Tai probably already knew who he was just off his face alone. "Nexus Shade. Team leader. Although you can call me Nex. Everybody does, right?"
Maybe it ran in the family. Shortening names and all. Just like how Raven, his father, and Jacques and Willow all called his mom Mary.
"You're Qrow and Mary's..." Tai trailed off.
The man's blue eyes drilled into his. Maybe looking for crimson. And instead finding gold. Well, he did have his mother's eyes. Just as Raven said.
"Son. Unwanted bastard," Nex finished, rolling his eyes. "Yep. I've briefly considered plastic surgery, but then I decided that it was too expensive."
Well, believe it or not, he did consider it. Probably seconds before Weiss kissed the thought away. Saying she liked his lips and his eyes the way they already were in that low and throaty voice of hers. A voice she definitely reserved for whenever they were alone. But thinking about how they spent their nights was definitely letting his brain wander into certain less-than-appropriate places.
"You're not a bastard!" Tai exclaimed. Suddenly.
Three pairs of eyes swerved towards him.
Nex clamped down on the urge to roll his eyes even more, the birds chirping in the trees. Right. Not a bastard. When all the evidence pointed to the contrary.
"Sorry. Overreacted a little," Tai said, coughing, a brittle smile on his lips. "You four must be tired. How about you come in?"
Ruby and Blake walked ahead of them. Tai fussed over the silver-eyed girl, patting away the dirt and the grass stuck on her hoodie. Blake had the flattest deadpan on her face. But she held a scroll under her hip and snapped discrete photos of her partner as the silver-eyed girl tried to swat Tai away.
"You know," Weiss said, squeezing his hand as they loped after the three. "Maybe you should talk to your father."
Nex groaned even as she stroked the ridge of his palm like he always did before. "Not you too."
"I'm just saying that you should try," Weiss said, her lips sinking into a frown. "Who knows. Maybe it'll work out like we did."
Maybe in an ideal world.
Definitely not in theirs.
Nex shook his head, tearing his eyes away from her. "Not this one, Weiss." He sighed and rubbed the callouses of her palm, the warmth of her hand seeping into his skin. "Drop it. Please. I don't need to add my father to the list."
He already had too much on it anyway, between Ironwood, The White Fang, Cinder, and Roman. Too much for him to even come up with a clever name like Reasons Why Nexus Shade Is Not Boyfriend Material (I Promise). But then again, he was probably proving that one wrong. Hopefully.
"I'm sorry. It's just..." Weiss mumbled. "I've been thinking about earlier."
Nex quirked an eyebrow, the wind whistling through the familiar, overgrown trees. Patch. Just like last time. "Thinking about what?"
"I haven't talked to mom since we left Atlas," Weiss said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Or Winter. Or even Whitley."
Nex chuckled, drawing circles in the air. "Can't help but notice. There's someone missing off your list."
"He doesn't count," Weiss said, one of her cute little scowls on her lips. "You know that."
"Guess it's another one of those things we have in common, huh?" Nex said, smirking as her scowl eased into a smile. "So, how about it? We don't talk about the people missing from our lives and—"
"How about we do the opposite?" Weiss said, arching an eyebrow. "You talk to your father. An actual conversation, and I'll talk to mine."
Nex gritted his teeth. Why the hell was she being so stubborn about it? "I can't. You know that."
"Why not?" Weiss asked. "I've already talked to mine a few days ago."
"It's not the same," Nex muttered. And it was definitely not. "Please. Drop it, Weiss. I don't want to talk about it right now."
Weiss huffed as they stepped on the patio, the wood creaking under their boots. "Fine. But this conversation isn't over."
Nex managed a smile as they padded into their teammate's home, Tai nudging the door close behind them. "It never is, is it?"
They settled around the living room four minutes later. Mugs of ice-cold lemon juice sat in their hands as Tai asked some obligatory questions and the like. How they were feeling. What Raven said and did—her offer omitted, of course. As well as the reason why they were even missing in the first place, minus his involvement as an Atlesian nark.
Blake took care of that one, telling Tai that she was worried about the murders in the slums and decided to rope the rest of them in to investigate. Quite a shock when Ruby Rose lied to her father about their mission, telling him they were simply hanging out instead of chasing after a serial killer's metaphorical breadcrumbs.
Tai crossed his arms, leaning against the door frame. The one that led to the kitchen. "So, this is your team, huh?"
"Yep." Ruby grinned and bobbed her head. "I've got the best teammates ever, dad."
"When she's not tripping or bumping into me, anyway," Weiss said, smiling as she fixed the silver-eyed girl a look.
Ruby flushed. "That was one time—"
"Thrice," Blake muttered. "The third time you got drenched in sap."
"Drenched in sap?" Tai said, his eyebrows furrowing—the silver-eyed girl got that habit from somewhere then. "I don't recall either you or Yang telling me about sap."
Ruby rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, um, ups?"
Tai sighed, scratching his forearm. "I'll let it slide. But don't forget to be honest with your dad next time, okay? Goodness knows I worry enough with your sister on vacation..."
Nex took a sip of his iced tea, just as Tai shot him a glance. "Gotta say, this drink's really good."
He could probably mix it better, of course. But then again, he had years of experience as a bartender. Doubtful Tai had the same.
"Can I borrow your team leader for a sec?" Tai said, fingering the stubble on his chin. "I wanna show him something cool."
Nex shrugged, bouncing to his feet. "Is it cool cool like something out of a video game or is it cool like a weapon?"
"Huh?" Tai said.
"Nex doesn't play video games," Ruby said. "I've been trying to make him play, but..."
"Right." Tai nodded. "Mary never played much either. It must run in the family."
Tai slung an arm around his shoulder, speaking more about his mom and guiding him down the corridor. His team chattered in the living room. No doubt Weiss and Blake talking to Ruby about what she said earlier.
They stopped before a door at the end, sunlight flitting through the window next to it.
Tai pushed the door open. The hinges creaked, grating against his extra pair of ears like they were cheese.
Nex winced as the stench of alcohol invaded his nose.
Fuckity fuck.
Apparently, the room Tai led him to was his father's.
Nex scowled, shaking his head. "Nope. Whatever's cool in my father's room, I'm not interested."
"They're married, you know," Tai said, shutting the door by an inch. "Your parents, I mean. So you're not a bastard."
Nex stilled, shivering as Tai slammed open a drawer and fished for something inside it. "For a married guy, my father sure flies around. If this is a joke..."
He let it hang in the air. Veteran huntsman or not, it was going to be one hell of a fight.
"No joke," Tai said, tossing a piece of paper at him. "Qrow's gonna punch me for going through his stuff, but what can a man do, huh?"
He snatched it mid-air. It turned out to be a picture.
"This is..." Nex said, his throat constricting.
No.
Not possible.
Amariss Shade stood in the sunny meadow, beaming as she stared at the camera. Trails of grey ran down the photo and smudged her golden hair and the midnight-blue dress she wore. But it was definitely her. He could recognize his mother on sight, younger or not.
Qrow Branwen stood next to her, an arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close against his side. He wore a suit. An actual black-and-white suit, his hair pulled back for probably the first time in his life. He smiled as he held up his other arm, the golden band on his finger flashing.
It was uncharacteristic. Too uncharacteristic.
Where the hell was the flask and the undying five-o-clock shadow?
"This isn't possible," Nex said, slamming the damned photo against the dresser.
It thumped under his clenched fist, the wood shaking. An amulet with a tilted cross bounced down the floor. The little bad luck charm joined the piles of discarded clothes and bottles of month-old beer.
"It's real, you know," Tai said, reaching for the picture. "I remember the wedding as if it were yesterday."
Nexus Shade flinched. Hot tears stung the corners of his eyes. His mom's smile was the last thing he saw as he rushed out the door, running from the man trapped in a sunny little meadow.
His father did not deserve to smile like that.