Gunfighter of Remnant

Chapter XXXI

Death's POV:

"Have a seat Ozpin." I demanded pushing his seat back for him to sit. I took the bottle of whisky and poured us both a shot as he took a seat after sitting at that bar for ten minutes. 'What do you want?" He asked without breaking eye contact. As I set the bottle down, the glass closes to him moved by my own methods scooted closer to him and stopped as I took mine in hand. "I've been waiting for you Ozpin for over five millenniums now. The gods may have favored you, but you've long corrupted your purpose and thus need to be gone from this life and the next." I replied. I leaned over and finished that question saying, "I want you Ozpin. Being the trickster you always been, you and I know I can't seize your soul until your semblance is all but rendered useless." The man smirked and took his shot and took it one one quick gulp before putting back where it was. He then averted his eyes to the other patrons while mocking me. "Is death mad because he can't have a certain soul?" I closed my eyes and growled rather lowly as he turned his head back towards me smirking. "You've offset the balance between living and the dead here in Remnant Ozpin. People who died because of your actions are now stuck in their final resting places while those who are living aren't supposed to be. You need to go." I stated as I got more irritated by the second. He chuckled and poured himself another drink before I wiped his smile by telling him something he wasn't ready to hear from me. "You want that book don't you?" He stopped half way from drinking that shot before putting it down and glared at me. "What is it to you?" I leaned back once again and started to rock the chair back in forth in silence getting him more angrier than before. "WELL!?" He yelled standing up. "What's wrong Ozpin? Mad because you can't find some little book you're so desperate to find??" He sat down and kept his menacing stare on me which amused me to a certain extent. "So this is your plan. You want me dead don't you?" I took my unfinished shot and drinked it before I answered his question. "I want your soul to cease once and for all. You want that book to raise hell upon Salem. I'll make a trade with you. Your semblance for the book's location." "You really think I'm gonna be that stupid!? I know you're setting me up for my untimely demise if I find it." I smiled knowing he's gonna have a hard time agreeing to this, but the cards were dealt and I had all the aces. "The choice is yours Ozpin, but I'll make sure no one ever tells you where that book is until you're gone, or agree to my offer. A rogue wizard against death Ozpin. You and I both know how it's gonna end. You've made some terrible decisions before Ozpin. Don't make a grave mistake again." I said stopping him to slide his hand over. "What if I get the book first?" He asked changing the subject from him. "If you get the book first?" "Yes! If I get that book first you never come back for me ever again!" I poured myself another shot and drinked it down before I thought it over. "I'll come for you regardless Ozpin. The gods will only sit by idly for so long before they send my brothers and I out to get you. Until then, if you get the book before you pass on to another person, I'll be standing back watching you. Should you not, I'll be coming for you once again." I extended my hand as he looked at it. "Backing out now?" I asked mocking him. He glared at me and took my hand without hesitation saying, "Deal!" I then proceeded to mark him with a small symbol of a small black skeleton holding a rolled up contract in its hand onto his palm forcing him to endure a burning pain. 'What's this!?" He asked panicking. I got up and looked down at him. "A way to make sure you keep your end of the deal. Lie and I'll intervene with Oum's plan for this world to take you where you belong Ozpin." He looked at me with some fear in his eyes, but nodded before I turned away and disappeared leaving him alone with his thoughts.

Ruby's POV:

"I'm not going with you to buy some cookies Ruby." I stared at Yang with puppy eyes begging, "Plleeaasseee?" She shook her head and started to walk down towards Coco's dorm. "No sis. I gotta help Coco and her team get the dance ready. I moaned in sadness as she walked away leaving me by myself in the hallway. I looked behind me hoping Nora, or someone might be there, but no luck. I made my way to the docks to catch the next airship to Vale, but stopped when the sound of a harmonica playing, echoing off the pillars. I twitched a bit as a shiver dived down my spine from that eerie tune as I stood there wondering where it was coming from. I looked down the empty pathway and started to walk between the large square pillars lining both sides as I looked between them to see who was playing that creepy tune. The sound kept playing again, and again as I kept looking until I came to a tree on the other side of a pillar to see the gunfighter sitting against a tree covered in shade from the leaves above. I stayed behind it as he kept playing which made the atmosphere around him more scarier than before, as if he's waiting for someone...something. He quit playing and started over the distance without moving, without a word. The only thing I heard was his calm breathing as he sat there with that old instrument in his hand, tied on one end like a necklace. "You it's rude to spy on someone you know?" "Eep!" I squeaked backing behind the pillar. "No sense of hiding Ruby. What can this old man do for you?" He asked. I slowly peeked around the corner nervously chuckling while rubbing the back of my head and moved from my failure of a hiding place. "I was walking around when I hard you playing that...uuuhhh...that creepy tune on that thing. Sorry if I interrupted anything." He gave me a smile smile as he put the harmonica back around his neck and said, "No harm done. Want some company?" I looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah that would be nice." He started to walk with me to the airships and didn't bother asking where we were going so I stopped and asked just in case. "Aren't you gonna ask we I'm taking you?" He smiled at me which was extremely rare and replied, "To spend that betting money you earned on my match with the teachers." I froze on the spot as he chuckled at my reaction. "How did you know!?" I panicked while catching up with him. "Pay up." He answered. I couldn't help but stifle a slight laugh as we got onto a bullhead heading towards Vale. "What do you plan on doing with your hard earned gains there Miss Rose?" He asked almost like Professor Good witch. "You know that almost sounded like Professor Goodwitch." He shook as if goosebumps ravaged his entire body and quickly said, "Oh that felt horrible now that you brought it up. Please don't remind me." I put my hands over my mouth to silence my laughing but failed as he looked at me trying his hardest to not smile. After catching our breaths, I answered his question. "I was gonna get some cookies with Yang, but she had to help Coco with the dance tonight." "Dance?" "Yeah. I'm not sure if I'm gonna go." The airship dropped us off in Vale and we started to walk to my favorite cookie shop in town. "Ruby." He said getting my attention. "Enjoy the little things that come around. You aren't gonna be around forever, good things don't last forever, but you can still make the time worth your while by doing things to keep a smile on your face." I nodded knowing he never got to any of those things, but I believe I can change that. "Have you ever tried a strawberry chocolate chip cookie?" He gave me a look of confusion and undoubtedly something I should've taken a picture of as he asked, "That's a thing? I've had a chocolate chip cookie of that means anything." I smirked and grabbed his hand before speeding off to my favorite shop to have him try it. As we stopped stopped in the front I looked back to see him gasping for air leaning over holding on his knees. "Th-thanks for fi-finally sto *heavy breathing* finally stopping." I rubbed the back of my head and nervously laughed before apologizing. "I'll be alright. The years haven't been to kind to me."

Gunfighter's POV:

After calming the storekeeper down, Ruby was able to buy her cookies before finding a bench for us to sit down at. She happily munched on each one while not choking seeing how fast she's consuming them. "Maybe you should slow down there speed demon. If you keep eating like that you're gonna choke." I stated catching her attention. She looked at me with some crumbs on her cheeks and smiled. I couldn't help but chuckle at her antics. She reminds me so much of Vanessa. "Want one?" I looked back her as she held a cookie before he with that same innocent smile on her face. "I looked at it and shrugged before I gently took it from her hands and nibbled on the edge getting a flavor. "Well?" I looked at it and took a bite out of it and took the flavor to heart. "It's-well it's the damnedest thing I've ever had to be honest with you." "Is that good, or bad?" Sh replied unsure of my answer. I finished my cookie and looked back at her. "It's amazing Red!" I answered. "Have you never ever had something like this!?" I looked at the concrete beneath our feet and shook my head. "No. Fifty years hunting criminals down left and right tends to keep you away from the little things. Things you'd enjoy as a kid living a life you enjoy." She looked at me as I stared down and asked, "A life you were ripped from?" I turned my head at her and replied, "Yeah. Guess someone has to suffer in this world for others to enjoy it." We sat there in silence for some time before I looked at the sun was nearing it's down turn. "Sorry for ruining the moment there Ruby. I don't know what came over me." She got up and said, "It's okay. Sometimes you need to vent to someone to be free of such a burden. Come! Let's get back to Beacon." I watched her begin to walk away back to the docks and got up to join her. I don't how she does it, but damn me if I ever ruin that for her. Right as we got back to Beacon Ruby was quickly taken by Weiss nagging her about being late, not being able to get her in her dress. She looked back at me begging for help, but this was out of my league so I smirked and stood back as she was dragged away. "Good luck kid." I muttered. As the sun went down I started to wonder the school hallways once bustling with students not empty except the echo coming from the dance. I usually never would do this unless I felt safe, but something was keeping me from that. Something was in these hallways with me. I came around the corner to meet the same girl with the other three, Cinder I think her name was. She was clad in a tight black suit silently moving around until she looked in my direction. "Cinder is it?" I asked staring at her right in the eyes. She started to get nervous and replied, "Ye-yes! I was...uuuhhh...I was jus-" "Save it. I don't care what you're doing. I got a question for you." She kept her eyes near my hands which sat in my pockets as I approached her. Upon closer inspection I noticed a scar on her face, notably on her left side. "Tell me. How far off was I from killing you that night?" I asked. She froze in place not sure what to do and tried to play it of asking, "What the hell are you talking about!? I was there what ever night you're talking about!" I scoffed and replied sharply, "I'm sure Roman would've said otherwise if I would've asked him. You think he'd be still be here if it wasn't for that robbery?" She started to walk away and looked back every ten feet before turning down another hallway and judging by the sound of her footsteps picking up, I'd say she's running now. I decided to walk back outside and came to a shitty looking sight and decided to talk to him. For a better future if he isn't a damn moron. "Rough night rummy?" He looked back at me with a glare before taking a deep breath. "Goddamn old man! Can't I ever get away from you?" I chuckled and walked towards his side. "Qrow is it?" He nodded while taking a drink from his flask. "Listen, I know you and I hate each other, still do to be honest, but I want you to steer clear of Ozpin." He looked at me with some intent and asked, "Why would I do that gramps?" I turned my head and glared at him. "Listen you drunk prick I know you know there's history between Ozpin and I. Why do you think I agreed to his terms dipshit?" He started to look at me in the eyes and back away a few feet. "Those stories you told Ruby. He's the man you're after?" I didn't answer leaving him to ponder his question. "Well!?" "I ain't gonna lie to you Qrow. He's not the person you think he is, and when the time comes he's gonna have something on him that'll kill you eventually. I'm trying to save someone for once for a better future." He laughed and asked rather snarky, "So you can save someone!? Who? Yourself?" I growled and grabbed him by his shirt. "For your goddamn niece your arrogant bastard! Ozpin's getting desperate the longer I stay here, and why do you think he's been hiding things away from you?" "Like what?" "How about hiding a student I knew some years ago under this school in a giant fucking room?"