Chapter 24 (Edited)

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"We are almost to the next town guys. Tegan-ba-ta?" Ruby struggled to pronouce it's name.

"If it's still there." Jaune grumbled and looked down.

"Shut up, Debbie Downer." Gracie growled and watched for the town or smoke...

"Of course it will be there. I've heard it's pretty big." Ruby smiled and looked at the map.

"I'm surprised that we haven't seen more Grimm." Jaune looked around.

"Maybe we're just lucky?" Nora hummed happily.

Gracie's ears twiched to the sound of metal on rock and she slowed a bit before turning to look at the cliffside they were passing. From atop the cliff, a bird flew down and past Gracie, following the road towards the town. Gracie looked back up and saw the silhouette of a man above. She growled and grabbed her daggers from the pouch on her back.

The sihouette jumped down and revealed Qrow with his sword standing a few feet from her. Gracie rolled her eyes and put the daggers away.

"Why are you here?" She growled.

"Cool it, doggo. I'm not spying on you. I'm just keeping an eye on Ruby. You really think that I'd let her go off all the way to Haven alone?" Qrow put away his sword.

"No. But she isn't alone. She is with us." Gracie glared.

"Ha, you think you five can do much? You almost saved a man's life. Spoiler alert, the world doesn't give out medals for almost." Qrow scoffed.

"You almost saved Beacon. Spoiler alert, you won't be getting a medal either." Gracie folded her ears back against her head.

"You almost saved your father. Spoiler alert, you didn't." Qrow was in Gracie's face by now and the two were in an intense stare down.

"Gracie?!" Ruby's voice came from up the trail.

"You're lucky you're related to Ruby and Yang. Or else you'd be joining the group people you failed to save in Vale." Gracie stormed off to rejoin the group.

"There you are. Were did you go?" Jaune asked.

"I thought I heard a Grimm, but it was just an annoying bird with a death wish." Gracie growled and followed the group into an inn.

"Alright, how many of there are you?" the inn keeper questioned.

"There's uh..." Ruby turned and counted quickly, "five."

"Alright, you all will be in room 108." the inn keeper smiled and handed Ruby the key.

"You guys go on up. I saw a bar across the street, so I'm gonna go get some water." Gracie smiled innocently at them before going to the bar in which she saw Qrow enter.

Upon walking in, she didn't see the man, so she sat at a table and listened for him. The waiter came by with her water and left before she knew it, Gracie had picked up on a conversation in the upper loft.

"Listen, I told you Beacon would fall and it did." a feminine voice was saying. "I told you Ozpin would fail and he did."

Gracie growled and stood, making her way slowly to the stairs.

"We need your help, Raven." Qrow's voice sighed.

"And to which we are you referring to?" Assumingly Raven said before swinging her sword.

Gracie followed a waiter up the stairs and watched as a long haired woman walked through a large red portal. Qrow was sitting at the table next to it, downing a glass as the waiter in front of Gracie dropped the glass and tray. Qrow looked back and saw the waiter, then he saw Gracie. Turning back to the waiter, he held up his cup.

"Make this one a double." He groaned as Gracie sat in the seat Raven had just left.

"What was that conversation about?" Gracie growled.

"She's my sister. We were catching up." Qrow lied.

"That's some b.s. and you know it." Gracie pulled his new drink away from him and set it on a different table. "Talk if you want your alcohol back."

"Fine. She is my sister, but she was asking me about our enemy since I am a spy for you missing father." Qrow smiled as Gracie gave his drink back.

"What information was shared?" Gracie listened for anyone else coming up the stairs.

"Nothing you would know about." Qrow sipped his drink.

"Then it won't hurt you to tell me." Gracie smirked.

Qrow sighed and set his drink down. "You're a lot like your dad. But more careless. You need to stay out of stuff that isn't your business."

"If it involves anything to deal with Beacon's Headmaster, then it involves me too." Gracie folded her ears back.

"You want to know the truth? You nor anyone else is ready for this coming war. She will kill all of us. Its time that you decide how your going to help. Either you can stay with your little group of friends continuing on to Haven to arrive only too late or you can do something and get off this depression trail." Qrow snapped.

"I'm not depressed." Gracie growled.

"Now look who's spreading the b.s." Qrow smirked.

"Still looks like you."

"Listen. I know a lot of people and I've got eyes everywhere. If you're willing, I've gotten word that two members of the White Fang have been meeting up with the Belladona family. They might be planning something, but no one can really get to Menagerie at this time except fanus. I'm not a fanus, Glynda isn't one, but you are. You're also not one that's well known with the White Fang." Qrow sipped his drink.

"Wait you said the Belladona family. Are you referring to my teammate Blake Belladona's family?" Gracie perked her ears up.

"As far as I know, your friend is off the charts. So unless she took a boat and is a fanus, I doubt she's there." Qrow sighed.

"Well, she is a cat fanus, but cats hate water, right? So she'd never take a boat. She's probably going after the White Fang in Vale." Gracie nodded.

"Well?" Qrow looked over his glass.

"I'll do it. But on one condition." Gracie smirked.

"What is it?" Qrow sighed.

"You buy me some liquor and the plane ticket there." Gracie smiled and leaned back in his chair.

Qrow nearly spit out his drink. "Oz's daughter is an alcoholic?!"

"Shut up. I just like some liquor with my coffee from time to time. When I was growing up, it was sometimes the only beverage I could find. It's not like people would just give a street raised kid fanus their water." Gracie rolled her eyes.

"Fine. But as long as you don't get me in trouble with Glynda for this." Qrow waved the waiter over and placed an order.

"I'd be more worried about my dad finding out." Gracie looked at the cane on her hip.

"Gracie... He's-" Qrow stopped when he received a look from the fanus across the table.

"Missing. And that's all we know. He isn't dead." she growled.

"Kid... Gracie, listen. No one has heard a word from your dad since the tower fell. That Jaune kid said Oz stayed to fight and Cinder emerged victorious. We have no evidence you dad is aliv-" Qrow was shut up when the tip of Ozpin's cane was pointed at his throat.

"Consider this your evidence." Gracie reholstered the cane and walked away. "I expect the items to be outside the door 108 in the inn across the street by daybreak." she turned and faced him before decending the stairs. "And thank you for the woman's name. Cinder. I'll remember that for her gravestone." Gracie continued down the staircase and left the bar, leaving Qrow to think about what was said.

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