Qrow POV
There are some people you don't expect to see again.
Cassian Valehart was one of them.
I leaned back against the wall of the hospital hallway, the cold wall pressing into my shoulders as I stared at my scroll. The screen was on contacts as I had to make a couple of calls to get everything prepared for the trip to Vale.
Cass had been officially marked as missing for almost three years now. Some thought he'd gone rogue. Some thought the Grimm got him. A few, like me, held onto a sliver of hope that he'd just vanished for a reason.
But that didn't make it any better, leaving without saying anything.
That smartass is not easy to kill; if anything, he's hard to put down on the ground.
I grumbled and shifted my weight, flipping through my contacts. I didn't want to call Oz right away. I needed time to breathe, to think. He'd ask questions I didn't have answers to yet. So, instead, I tapped on another name.
Taiyang.
If anyone deserved to know Cass was back, it was him. Maybe Summer too, but let's not set off that time bomb just yet. Honestly, if she sees Cass, it'll be a slap to the face, and I can already picture her storming off.
As for Tai, he would've loved nothing more than to land a punch right in his face. But honestly, I can't let him do that. Given Cass's injuries, that's just not possible.
While I was wrestling with the discharge forms, the nurses dropped a bomb that Cass was dealing with some serious rib injuries. Just perfect, right?
His aura's taking its sweet time healing, which isn't a good sign. I haven't dared to look at what it's like without those bandages, but I've got a feeling it's a real mess.
The call rang. Once. Twice. No answer.
Figures. Probably stuck dealing with the twins again, or maybe it's Yang causing trouble. Either way, Tai and Summer are busier these days.
After I ended the call and scrolled down to the next contact on my Scroll, Ozpin. That guy had a talent for appearing out of nowhere right when you didn't want him around, and then he'd pull a vanishing act when you actually needed him.
And don't even get me started on that endless coffee mug of his, it's like he somehow found a way to keep that thing full no matter how many times he took a sip. Wish I had that for my flask.
I tapped his name. After one ring, the line connected.
"What is it, Qrow?" his calm voice. "Is there any important information you've discovered that couldn't wait?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, already tired. "Yeah… Oz. I found Cass."
Silence.
I let the words hang for a second, then added, "He was in a hospital in Mistral. Poisoned. Broken ribs. He flatlined for five minutes. Guy's lucky to be breathing."
Still no reply. Just silence through the line.
But knowing him, I can tell he is surprised.
I continued, "He just woke up today. Still banged up, but… he's alive. And there's more. Stuff you'll want to hear in person."
A few seconds passed.
"Are you certain?" Ozpin asked, finally. "It's him?"
"I'd recognize that stubborn, sarcastic smartass anywhere," I replied. "And trust me, the damage he took? It wasn't Grimm, it was an ambush. Venom, shattered ribs, deep lacerations. He flatlined, Oz. But he came back."
"Then it appears we must speak face to face. A discussion over the phone wouldn't suffice," Ozpin remarked, letting out a sigh.
"Exactly why I'm calling. Can you come to Patch tomorrow?" I asked, knowing that I will need Oz there just in case when talking about Salem, since the first day Cass gets there, it's going to be a warzone. "Cass is gonna stay with Tai, Summer, and the girls while he recovers. You'll want to hear what he knows. Because I've got a bad feeling about this, Oz."
"Qrow, don't tell me you're also planning to let Cassian see his daughters and have him talk with Summer about why he left, aren't you?" Ozpin said, figuring out what I had planned to do.
I just wanted one of my best friends back, not to lose him after he left, along with what happened with Raven, who also left for a group of bandits.
Isn't that too much to ask?
I couldn't answer Oz right away.
Because, really, what could I say?
That I wanted to give Cass a chance to fix things? That I thought maybe, just maybe, the guy who vanished in the dead of night all those years ago still had something left to give?
I rubbed the back of my neck and exhaled, glancing down the hallway where Cass was still behind a hospital door. Alive. Breathing. But heavily injured. I'd seen enough battlefield wreckage to know when someone was barely hanging on.
He shouldn't even be alive. And yet he was.
"…Qrow?" Oz's voice crackled through the scroll again, softer this time.
"I know what you're thinking," I muttered. "That this is a bad idea. That I'm throwing gasoline on a bonfire that's already been burning since the day Cass disappeared. And yeah, maybe you're right,"
I'm not denying that. He left before the twins were born. Summer cried.
She doesn't cry easily, and that's not something you forget.
Not someone like her. She's the strongest person I know, always was, even back in the old academy days when Team STRQ ran missions like we were invincible. But when Cass left when he vanished without a word, she broke in a way I've only seen once.
She didn't scream or throw things. She just sat in the living room for hours, holding her scroll, waiting for a call that never came.
Then the tears started. Slow. Quiet. The kind of crying that doesn't make a sound, just pain leaking out.
Afterward, she retreated to her room, only leaving to eat, use the restroom, or train outside with her weapon, Sundered Rose.
However, after three weeks, she stopped training altogether.
One night, I found her crying in the kitchen, and she showed me a pregnancy test, revealing that she was eight weeks pregnant.
I remember thinking, "Cass, you bastard. You better have a damn good reason for leaving."
That night, Tai punched a hole in the wall, while I drank at a bar until it closed.
So yeah… I know this isn't gonna be easy.
"Cass screwed up. I'm not denying that." I paused, letting the silence weigh on my shoulders like it always did when this topic came up. "He left. No warning. No note. No explanation. But this is our chance to know why he did what he did."
"He left a family behind, Qrow," Oz finally said, his voice quiet and almost sad. "People who trusted him. You understand that letting him walk back into their lives may cause more harm than good?"
I gripped the scroll tighter, feeling my jaw clench. "Yeah, Oz. I know. You think I don't know that?"
I glanced back at the door again, as if somehow looking at it would let me see through the walls. Like I could see Cass the same cocky bastard who used to bet on who could land the first strike during missions, the guy who always had a stupid nickname ready to piss me off.
"He left a family behind," Oz had said.
Damn right he did.
But I wasn't just doing this for Cass.
I was doing it for them, too.
Because those girls deserved to see their father. Not just half-truths. Not just a name and a picture of a man they'd never met in the future. They deserved to know who he is, or at least, who he used to be.
And Summer? Summer deserved to look him in the eyes and ask why. She deserved closure, even if that meant pain. Even if it ended with her slapping him across the face and walking away forever. At least then, she'd be walking away on her own terms.
I had nothing left to say that wouldn't sound like an excuse, so I decided to speak about what would happen if things went south.
"I know what I'm doing," I finally told Ozpin. "And if I'm wrong… if this makes everything worse, I'll take the fall. I'll deal with it. But I'm not going to pretend he doesn't exist anymore. He's here, Oz. We owe it to them to at least hear what he has to say."
There was silence again on the line. Oz was probably weighing the thousand consequences in that head of his like he always did.
Then, finally, Oz had made a choice.
"Very well," he said. "I will be on the next airship to Patch tomorrow. I want to hear what Cassian has to say… then we'll deal with what comes next together."
I nodded, even though he couldn't see it. "Thanks, Oz."
"Keep him safe, Qrow."
I scoffed under my breath. "Trying. But Cass? You'd need two hands and a leash just to keep him from walking into his own funeral."
The call ended with a soft click.
I lowered my scroll, my fingers brushing over the edges for a second longer than I needed to before putting it in my pocket.
Keep him alive.
That's the plan.
The moment we leave for Vale, then straight to Patch, the clock starts ticking not just for Cass, but for all of us.
For Tai, for Summer, for those kids who have no idea what's about to hit them. We're lighting a match in a field of dry grass, and I don't know if we'll come out of this with anything unburned.
But I'll be damned if I don't try.
I walk toward Cass's hospital room, as he should be nearly ready since a nurse has returned his belongings.
Let's get this done, Cass, one way or the other.
------------------------------
Cassian POV
I stood by the hospital bed, adjusting the collar of my black vest over a white button-up shirt. It felt a bit tight across my ribs, which wasn't surprising considering I had been beaten, poisoned, and clinically dead for a few minutes.
Next, I grabbed the black tie, which reminded me of my past life as a barista. Back then, I wore either a white button-up shirt with a black vest and tie or a simple black button-up shirt, then black pants and black shoes for the job. So putting on the tie was simple for me.
However, I needed to be cautious while moving around since my ribs were still broken and hadn't fully healed. When the nurse came to drop off my belongings, she left a medical ointment for me to use each night until I recover.
It turns out that when the doctors were trying to remove the venom from my stomach, they discovered something unexpected. After being punched in the ribs, there was horrible bruising, and some ice and fire dust had gotten fused with the bruised area.
This made it difficult for my aura to heal properly, so I needed to recover the normal way with medicine to help my ribs recover to normal. This means that Hazel had to have injected Ice and Fire dust crystals into his body to inflict that damage.
His semblance, Numbing Agent, is indeed a monster, and it's clear why he can fight Salem for a while in Volume 8, even with him mentioning that he had killed Salem over and over before.
Finally, I reached for the long black cloak folded neatly at the foot of the bed. With one careful motion, I swung it over my shoulders, letting the fabric drape down my back. It was a little scorched at the hem, but the weight of it felt… right.
My eyes then went toward the weapons rack beside the bed.
There it was, Sky Voyager.
Cassian's custom twin blades. They had sleek black handles and white steel with faint crimson engravings running down the grip. I reached for them instinctively, my hand wrapping around the grip with familiarity.
But there was a problem; there was only one blade, not two.
I frowned.
"Where's the second one?" I muttered, scanning the rack again. "Cassian was a dual wielder; he shouldn't have only one blade."
My stomach sank as I remembered Tyrian had disarmed Cassian during their fight.
Great. That means the original Cassian lost it during his battle with Tyrian and Hazel.
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck with my free hand. "Of course. Because why make anything easy, right?"
I looked down at the only weapon left in my hand. It felt solid and balanced, but it wasn't Sky Voyager. I needed the second blade to fully utilize Cassian's combat style.
Without both swords, one of the three cards I had drawn with the goddess was completely useless, as I also needed both blades to transform Sky Voyager into a sniper rifle.
I twist my body slightly to sheath the lone Sky Voyager blade across my hip. An ache spreads through my ribs; even the slightest movement causes a large amount of pain. I can feel the burning sensation of the fire dust on my skin as I move.
Ding!
New Side Quest: Forge a New Weapon
Objective: One of your twin blades has been lost during the battle with Tyrian Callows and Hazel Rainart. Cassian Valehart's signature combat style is compromised. Restore balance to your technique by forging a replacement weapon.
Optional: Commission or forge a new blade to complement the remaining Sky Voyager.
Rewards: [Sky Voyager-> ???], New Skill: Dawn's Light, Wildcard Skill: Legacy Adaptation
I let the System window fade, blinking away the glow as I looked down at the single blade that was sheathed.
Forge a new blade, huh?
Easier said than done. I didn't know any blacksmiths in Mistral or Vale either, and even if I did, I didn't have enough of Cassian's memories unlocked to remember the original weapon schematics. The best I could do for now was keep breathing, survive Patch, and not let a reunion with my possibly murderous ex blow up in my face.
It looks like I will have to start from scratch and create a new blade entirely by commissioning a bladesmith in Vale once I get settled in.
Still, I couldn't ignore it. Cassian's original weapon was built around using two blades that fuse to become a sniper rifle. Missing one blade threw the entire thing off-balance.
Which meant I'd need to improvise.
Or, even better, consider getting an entirely new weapon forged. The system shows that it will be upgrading Sky Voyager once I complete the side quest, as trying to find the other blade is risky.
Who knows, maybe Tyrian took it to Salem or left it there to track me down if I ever went to get it back later. I really don't want to deal with that possibility.
There was a knock at the door. The only people who know where I am are the nurses and the doctor who checked on me when I woke up, but since I am being checked out, it's definitely Qrow.
"Come in, Qrow," I called out.
The door creaked open, and Qrow stepped inside, eyes scanning the room. He stopped when his gaze landed on me.
"Well," he muttered, crossing his arms, "you clean up better than I expected. Still looks like hell, though."
"Appreciate it, Birdbrain. Gotta thank the hospital and not being dead." I said in a dry tone.
He chuckled. "Welcome back, Cass, it's good to see you again." Then he got serious. "You ready to head out?"
"Physically? Not even close. Mentally? About the same. But if I stay here any longer, someone from Salem's inner circle is going to finish the job. So, yeah, I am." I replied, already wanting to get out of here since this place gives me the creeps.
Qrow didn't argue with that logic. He just nodded, stepping further into the room, his boots echoing softly on the floor. "Then let's not waste time. I already cleared it with the hospital; they weren't thrilled about releasing you so soon, but I pulled some strings to be able to get you out early."
I grabbed the last item on the bedside table, Cassian's old scroll. It was scratched, a little outdated, and is out of battery, so I will have to charge it later when I have time.
Putting it in my pocket, I turned back to Qrow. "Any complications getting us out of Mistral?"
He smirked, a tired edge tugging at his face. "Only the usual. Bullhead's on standby. Ozpin's meeting us in Patch tomorrow. The problem is I couldn't get in touch with Tai, so we are going in as a surprise."
I raised a brow. "A surprise? You want a reunion or a fistfight?"
"Probably both," Qrow muttered. "But trust me, Tai's not the one I'm worried about."
I didn't have to ask who he meant.
It's either Raven or Summer, and I am already terrified of who it is, and I don't want to die again.
I wasn't ready. But I had to go anyway.
Because fate or the gods, or Seraphina, or whatever cosmic clown was pulling strings, decided this was the route I'd walk now.
I exhaled slowly, reaching out and picking up the small container of ointment the nurse had left on the bed.
The ointment lid was stamped with Mistral's emblem, with a light blue color marking it as a premium-grade healing balm, the kind typically reserved for Huntsmen and Huntresses who are in critical need.
The nurse said to apply it every night before bed. With the fire and ice dust damage to my ribs making my bruises worse, skipping treatment wasn't an option unless I wanted to risk permanent scarring or worse nerve damage.
With a sigh, I tucked it into my other pocket, opposite to where my scroll is. I might as well keep all my lifelines close.
Qrow was already turning toward the door, his cloak moving with every step. "You good?"
"As good as I'll ever be," I replied, taking one last good look at the place where I first transmigrated.
For a place designed to help people heal, it certainly felt like a coffin. That makes sense, considering the original Cassian died here, and I took his place. There's no need to make it any sadder than it already is.
Without another word, I followed Qrow out of the room.
One foot out the door, and the journey was about to begin.
Ding!
Main Mission Updated: "I'm Back with the Milk!"
Objective: Meet your daughters, you horrible human being!
Time Limit: 29 Days, 6 Hours
Progress: 0%
Failure Penalty:Soul Deletion
Bonus Reward for Completing your main quest:Permanent Skill Unlock, [Unknown Perk], and… a Father's Day card.
Status: NOW STARTING…
"Back with the milk," I muttered. "Yeah. Let's hope this doesn't go wrong."
The countdown had begun.
Time to get started.