Chapter Text
“Where is it?!”
Adam tore across the cabin like a hurricane. Room to room. All the closets flung open and their contents thrown about.
“No”
He pulled all the cushions from the sofa. Still nothing. His anger growing he knocked over the couch hoping to find what he sought. Nothing.
As he turned he locked eyes with Mercury. The man stood leaned against the counter. In one hand Adam’s sword, it’s blade slathered in butter. In his other a single peice of bread that he was drawing across its edge to coat it.
The scene was so ludicrous that Adam could only stand in shock, confusion keeping back his rage. Only for a moment though.
He charged closer a hairs breath from the smug grin of Mercury. His fists shaking with fury at his side. Mercury seemingly unfazed brought the now buttered bread upwards and tore a chunk off with his teeth. Chewing loudly and with an open mouth.
“I will take great pleasure from tearing your-“ Adam started
A hard flick to the ear of each man produced a small yelp as suddenly Taiyang stood beside them.
“I thought I told you both.” Taiyang sighed. “No more fighting.”
“Hey! It’s not my fault!” Mercury whined “there’s no knives in this place!”
“That’s because I had to hide them all. Neo keeps trying to stab Cinder with them.” Taiyang explained.
The sultry voice of Cinder could be heard as she entered the room. Her elegant dress slightly out of place with its flashy design.
“Don’t be ridiculous” she said bringing her hand to her collar in a condescending manner “Neo would never do such a thing..”
The eyes of the three men all fell to the dapper dressed girl by Cinders side. Mercury and Adam both shifted uncomfortably. Taiyang walked over looking down at the short girl. She smiled sweetly. Taiyang simply held out his hand.
With a silent sigh and a shrug from behind her back she retrieved a steak knife and laid it gently in his palm. Much to the chagrin of Cinder.
“You little bit-“ she began
“Language!” Taiyang interrupted.
Cinder narrowed her gaze and made a noise of disgust as she stormed off to her room. “I’m gonna go change!”
“Young lady you’ve only been up for four hours you will wear that outfit the rest of the day!” Taiyang called after.
“I HATE IT HERE!” Cinder screeched.
The sound of her door slamming was followed by a low scream. Most likely by the sound of it muffled by a pillow. Taiyang took a deep breath and turned once more two the males.
“Go clean up your mess Adam” he said
“But he-“
“Adam we talked about this.” Taiyang said firmly “you have to take responsibility for your own actions”
“Yeah” Mercury said shaking his head “personal responsibility tsk tsk”
“And I told you, to learn to play nice with the others..” Taiyang scolded “which is why you’re going to help him”
Mercury straightened taking a step forward as he spoke “or what? You gonna hit me?”
“No” Taiyang said “But you won’t get the comics I bought for you this morning”
“Like I care!” Mercury snarled but walked off with Adam.
The two turning the couch right way up once more, resumed their bickering.
“The world would be a better place if your father taken your tongue instead of your legs” Adam muttered
“No the world would be better if your father had taken himself out of your mother” Mercury shot back “let’s just get this cleaned up before ‘the warden’ gets back”
Taiyang rubbed his temples, a headache already rumbling between them. He felt a tug on his sleeve and looked down to see Neo looking up at him with a smile.
She gestured across the room to Emerald who sat in the windowsill with a book over her knees.
“Yeah” Taiyang said “atleast one of them is behaving”
Neo patted his arm and shook her head with a smile, almost in way, she seem to be conveying the notion that he was being adorably naive.
She reached down and took the knife from his grip and flung it at Emerald. It sailed through the air and struck her head..but went right through it and lodged itself in the wall.
The illusion flickered and disappeared. Taiyang groaned. She’d run off again. Ofcourse she had. He looked down at Neo and patted her dual colored hair.
“Nice work kiddie cone” he said
Neo replied with a salute and a wink before she skipped off to do..honestly Taiyang was never sure what she was off doing. He trudged outside to find Qrow leaning against the house.
“Those kids are gonna drive you gray” he chuckled.
After the Gods had returned and Ozpin and Salem had both moved on to the other side. Humanity had been hard at work pushing the tide of Grimm back. So much progress had been made and humanity had retaken much of its lost ground in the past few months.
Salem now finally gone had left a certain group of young people without much of anywhere to go. It had been Ruby’s idea for them to be given another chance under someone’s watchful eye. Surely if Salem could be redeemed so could they.
When Qrow offered to stick around Taiyang had hoped it would be to lend a hand but it seemed more like Qrow only wanted a front row seat to the chaos. The only help he had actually received in his endeavor was from a most unexpected source.
“Did you see where she went?” Taiyang asked
“Oh. Little miss pick pocket?” Qrow nodded towards the tree line. “That way but I wouldn’t worry. She’ll be back”
Before Taiyang could ask what he meant rustling from the trees drew his attention. An aggravated woman emerged. Her long black hair holding a number of twig bits and the occasional leaf. Behind her, being unceremoniously drug by the back of her shirt, was an unconscious Emerald.
Raven stood before him and with a bored expression released her grip on the girl, who dropped with a small thud and a groan.
“Raven?!” Taiyang spoke accusingly “I said you couldn’t knock them out anymore”
“And I told you” Raven said through gritted teeth. “That was an accident…she fainted when she saw me that’s not my fault”
“Did you have the mask”
Raven looked away and didn’t answer.
“Did you have your sword drawn?”
Raven still refused to meet his gauze but had an angry look of slight embarrassment.
“Tell you what” she said with a crooked brow “I’ll just go to your room and think about what I’ve done…and about what I’ll do later”~
She walked away vanishing into the cabin, leaving a disgusted Qrow and a smirking Taiyang. That woman had been the last person he’d expected to return to help him raise children but it added a nice counter measure since all of his charges were terrified of her.
Emerald groaned and struggled to stand. Taiyang brushes the dirt from her shoulders.
“Not bad” he said “you’re getting really good at holding those illusions from so far away…but that’s probably why you actually fainted..be more careful. No go change you’re covered in dirt and mud. I’m fixing lunch soon.”
“OH SO SHE GETS TO CHANGE OUTFITS?!” Came the outraged voice of Cinder from her second floor window.
“Just mad cuz she’s not the favorite anymore” Emerald smirked. “Almost made it to town..stupid portals..”
Emerald walked away a bit miffed but accepted that she was stuck here awhile longer. Taiyang however scratched his chin and stared into the blue sky above.
Raven had used her semblance to find Emerald? She could only to that when she…a smile spread from ear to ear. Heh. It looks like the kids weren’t the only ones who were starting to reform.