Chapter 48

Months later…

Red eyes glared from the tree branches.

A house sat nearby, a two-story one with a large back porch that led to a large garden that was connected to a wood that was part of the Vale public park. Large floor-to-ceiling sliding doors separated the night from the inhabitants.

Silver sat on the floor of the living room on the other side of the glass, reading a story from a book while his two children listened, with Summer sitting on his lap and Gordon hanging from his shoulder. Both were already one year old and aging well.

The door to the room opened from the inside and the two children jumped up and crawled to Ruby, who laughed as she bent down and hugged them.

The red eyes narrowed as Yang walked in from behind, and she sat down next to Silver and kissed him while they watched Ruby roll on the floor with her children.

"Don't."

Raven Branwen looked up to find Qrow sitting in the trees, his own red eyes narrowed at his sister.

"Hello, brother."

"Don't hello brother me. I want to know what you're doing here."

She looked back through the leaves she was hiding in. "I came here to see them, of course."

Qrow scoffed. "Yeah, right. The daughter who you abandoned, for the clan. Damn everyone else in the world and all that crap."

Raven sighed.

"If you even think of hurting them…" Qrow warned.

"I don't." Raven interrupted him. "I just came to watch how my daughter is going."

"Like you ever cared about her."

Raven turned to Qrow. "The clan is dead."

"Huh?"

"The Grimm." Raven gave a small smile. "Do you wonder why they disappeared during the war?"

Qrow realized. "The Queen. She would have used the opportunity to wipe us out."

"I'm surprised you didn't notice."

"Look, there were other things at stake." He snapped. "Now what are you trying to say?"

"After the war began, the Queen tried to invade. She gathered her forces in the Grimmlands and was going to sweep across the land." She sighed. "So we, the clan, couldn't pass the opportunity to end it there and then. All the Grimm at once, with the Queen and her minions."

Qrow fell silent. "And?"

"They're all dead." Raven's grip on the branch tightened. "We slaughtered thousands, if not millions, of the monsters. But the Queen still lives, and more are spawning."

"That… is probably the most selfless thing you've ever done."

She snorted. "Really? That is all you have to say?"

"Just…" He sighed and sat down on the branch next to her. "Tell me, Ray, have you changed at all?"

"Don't call me that." She snapped, more out of habit. "And no. I haven't."

"But you said it yourself. The clan's dead. So what's left for you?"

Raven sighed and stared back at the house. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing."

"You made that choice." Qrow turned to her. "You chose to leave everything behind and sacrifice the rest."

"You don't have to tell me."

They both looked up at the shattered moon above them before Qrow grabbed his flask and took a swig. He then offered it to his sister, who did the same. "Any plans for the future?"

"I'll try to build up the clan again. After all, the Queen will recover eventually." She replied. "So the chances of us meeting again are slim."

"So we'll never see each other again?"

"Yes. Good riddance."

"Good riddance."

They both stood up. "Just do me one favor, Ray."

She didn't even bother correcting him, and just looked at him. "What?"

"Leave them alone." Qrow looked at her straight in the eyes. "Those kids are going to grow up strong, that's a guarantee. So don't even think of trying anything with them. They will not be joining your new clan."

She smiled. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Qrow just shook his head. "I guess it is farewell, then."

"Yes, it is. Goodbye, brother."

She then pulled out her mask and put it on before summoning a red portal. Just before she jumped through it, she gave him one last look, before disappearing, never to return.

"Goodbye, Ray." Qrow sighed as the portal closed, rubbing his eyes, before jumping out of the tree and strolling to the house.

Silver slid the door open with a smile. "Hey, uncle. What's up?"

Ruby and Yang smiled, and Gordon and Summer both waved.

"Nothing." He replied, strolling in. "Got any booze?"

Silver sighed. "Really? Well, yeah. Gift from Mistral sent some wine as a thank you to you."

"Well, bring it out and crack it open!" Qrow grinned.

Silver laughed and led him to the kitchen, before pulling out a bottle from a high shelf with a gold label. "Jeez, you're worse with alcohol than Ruby is with cookies. But anyway, what have you been up to lately?"

"Oh, you know…" Qrow sighed as he held up a glass as Silver filled it. "Just tying up a few loose ends."

The prison van veered across the road before pulling to a stop, and the driver, a young man only twenty-two years old, jumped out. "Crap!"

He ran back to find a small girl lying in the middle of the road, and he started panicking. "No no no no no!"

The man bent down over her and breathed a sigh of relief when she slowly pushed herself up. "Are you ok? I'm so sorry, I didn't see you!"

She seemed dazed, and she had blood dribbling down her forehead, but she nodded and tried to stand up.

He pushed her down again. "Stay still, you might be concussed. Look, I'm so sorry for hitting you, is there anything I can get for you?" He then looked around. "And… why are you out here in the middle of-"

He was cut off as a foot found itself in his face, and he fell back, unconscious.

Neo smiled and wiped away the fake blood from her head before dragging the man to the truck and throwing him in. She then grabbed a ring of keys from his belt, then reached into her pocket and stuffed a wad of lien into his pocket before shutting the door.

After all, he was really nice and was only being a gentleman. He probably would have bought her ice cream if she'd asked.

She hummed silently as she walked past the trailer to the back and slid an attached key card through a slot, then twisting three keys into three separate locks before reaching down and pulling back a bolt, opening it.

She then doubled over at the sight inside.

"Shut up." Roman Torchwick growled. He was chained in the middle of the truck, each arm attached to a corner of the prison truck with thick ropes, each closed in thick plexiglass covers, with a metal clamp around his waist and another around his neck attached to the back through long metal bars. "And you took your bloody time."

Neo merely skipped forwards past the remains of six Atlas Knights, whom she'd taken out before stopping the prison truck. She then annoyed Roman even more by starting from the top clamps and leading to the bottom, leaving him doing an awkward split towards the end.

He finally was released after a long time. Roman glared at her but then faltered when she hugged him.

"I missed you too, Neo." He chuckled. "I hope you have them…?"

She brought out his hat, Melodic Cudgel, and a lit cigar. He took them, placing his hat on his head and spinning his cane before putting the cigar in his mouth and releasing a cloud of smoke into the air. "Ahh. So, shall we?"

They hopped out and he looked around. "So… where's our ride?"

They stood in the middle of one of Vacuo's many desert roads. She pointed to a white sedan sitting on the road to the side, and he shook his head as they walked towards it.

"So who did you steal this from?" He asked as they arrived. "And no, you're not driving this time."

She pouted at the last part but then smiled as she held up a driver's license.

"Jacques Schnee…?" Roman read from it as he started the car and pulled onto the road. "That name's a bit familiar… Didn't we use to steal from him before?"

Neo nodded. They both turned as the distant roar of motorbikes sounded, and several masked men came from behind on dirt bikes, all wearing black balaclavas and leveling submachine guns at the car.

"And you pissed him off, didn't you?"

Neo shrugged helplessly, ducking as a bullet shot through the windscreen.

Roman sighed as he rolled down the window. "Just like old times, eh?"

Neo smiled as she grabbed the wheel while Roman leaned out, his cane out as he fired a shot at the approaching bikers.