Chapter One: Been Gone For Too Long

The sun was setting over the tranquil city of Vale. The evening rush hour was slowing down and the shops were beginning to close. An airship slowly arrived at the city's port. The wings folded as the aircraft pulled into the dock.

"The Atlas-Vale shuttle has arrived at Docking Bay C-26. Welcome to Vale and enjoy your stay." A female's voice said over the intercom. The shuttle doors opened and a small wave of people began to trickle out. After a few minutes, the airship was all but empty, save for one passanger in a gray hoodie, black jeans, and a backpack. His hood concealed his identity as he looked at a large screen that displayed the news. He stared intently as the news anchor began her report.

"Reports are coming in that the attack on the Vale Ship Yard last week was the work of none other than the White Fang. This is the latest in a string of attacks committed by the radical faunus group over the past few months. This begs the question, what are they after, and just how far are they willing to go to get it?"

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and finally turned to walk out of the shuttle. He stepped out into the dimming light of the sun as it sank into the horizon and walked down the road. He continued walking down the block until a small establishment caught his eye; a brick building just off to his left. The lettering above the door read, "Bentley's Bar", and a blazing neon green "Open" sign hummed in the window. The mysterious figure opened the door and strolled inside.

The place was empty except for the bartender, who was cleaning dishes at the sink. He was an older man with brown hair and a handlebar mustache. The bartender dropped what he was doing and perked up at the sound of a patron entering his establishment.

"Evenin'!" He said enthusiastically as the stranger sat down at the bar, "What can I do ya for?"

The mysterious man pulled back his hood, revealing a kid in his late teens. He had short brown hair, a faint five o'clock shadow, and eyes that were a deep sapphire-blue. With a friendly smile on his face, he ordered his drink. "I'll have a bottle of Corstall Cola, if you have it."

"I certainly do!" The bartender said, bending down underneath the counter. He came back with a green glass bottle of soda and set it in front of the kid.

"Thanks." The young man said as he pulled back his sleeve, unveiling a silver gauntlet that encased his left forearm. He raised his fist in front of him and two 12 inch steel claws shot out of the gauntlet on the right and left spaces in his knuckles. He used one of his claws to pry the cap off of the bottle before they receded back into the gauntlet with a brief metal-on-metal screech.

The bartender raised an eyebrow, "With weapons like that, you must have gone to Signal Academy."

"I did," The kid said, taking a sip of the green soda, "But that was a few years ago. I've been away for a while."

"My daughter, Velvet, went there; it's a good school. She's attending Beacon this year."

"I think I remember her," The kid said as he gripped the bottle neck with his thumb and index finger, "She's a Faunus with rabbit ears, right?"

"Yep!" The bartender replied. He turned around and showed the kid his bushy rabbit tail, "It runs in the family!"

"Ah!" The kid said, "I'm half-Faunus, myself!" He was about to take another swig from the bottle, but then he froze. He set the bottle down, closed his eyes, and with a long sigh, he slumped in his seat, and with a smirk on his face he said, "Damn it, Qrow."

The bartender's eyes widened, "Is something wrong?"

"I was hoping to do this on my own terms." He spoke to himself out loud. The teenager slowly looked up and directly addressed the bartender, "Listen, if something happens to the bar, I'll pay for the damages."

"What are you talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough." The kid said.

Before the bartender could respond, there was a deep rumbling throughout the bar and the roaring sound of a motorcycle could be heard getting louder and louder outside. The teen flipped his hood over his head, silently nursed his soda, and looked down at the counter top. The motorcycle stopped outside the door and idled for a moment before completely shutting down.

The young man heard the door open behind him and a familiar scent entered his nostrils. The sound of footsteps filled the otherwise quiet room. He felt chills run down his spine. The footsteps soon fell silent and a bar stool screeched as it was pulled out from right beside him. He then heard the voice that he had been dreading.

Addressing the bartender, a young lady spoke, "I'll have a Strawberry Sunrise, no ice, and don't forget the little umbrella."

The bartender warily gathered the ingredients to make the drink that the girl had requested.

"Is your name, Bentley?" She asked, patiently waiting for her drink.

"Yes, ma'am!" The bartender now known as Bentley replied, trying to maintain his upbeat demeanor, although he was clearly nervous.

The young man didn't look up from the counter, but he felt her piercing gaze turn in his direction. It burned through him like a laser beam. "How 'bout you, Jack? You got a name?"

"You know I do, Yang." He replied before taking a swig from his bottle.

Bentley finished mixing her drink and topped it off with the umbrella that Yang had requested before sliding it in her direction. "Yeah, Mason, I know you do." She said before taking a sip from her drink, "I know that you've been gone for over a year and that you left me and Ruby without so much as a note."

The young man's name was Mason. After his biological father's death, he was adopted by Ruby and Yang's Uncle Qrow at a very young age. He grew up with Yang and Ruby and although they were his adopted cousins, Mason often thought of them as his sisters. Now he sat next to Yang, ridden with guilt for leaving her and Ruby. His head sunk closer and closer to the counter with every passing second.

"But above all," She moved her mouth closer to his head until it was right up against where his ear was located behind his hood and whispered, "I know how much I missed you!"

Mason slowly turned his head and faced Yang for the first time in more than a year. She had the same fire in her violet eyes that she'd had since they were little kids. Mason had seen her angry plenty of times, and from the smile that engulfed her face, he could tell that this was not one of those times.

Yang threw her arms around Mason's neck, locking him in a cross between a hug and a choke hold. The resulting force knocked them both off of the bar stools and onto the floor. Yang still held on tightly as the two of them hit the ground.

Mason finally found his bearings and returned Yang's embrace, "You're not mad at me for leaving?"

"Of course not! By blood or not, you're like my brother!" She pulled back and looked him in the eyes. He looked exactly like he did when he left, only with a hint of a beard. "Uncle Qrow told us that you left to learn more about your real father."

Mason nodded, "Yeah. But I'm putting that past behind me. Besides, our names may be different, but Qrow will always be my dad." He stood up and held out his hand to Yang, "I guess he's the one who told you where I was?"

Yang grabbed his hand and he pulled her to her feet, "Yeah, you know how well connected he is. Even if he's not exactly the most sober person on the planet."

Mason laughed, "Yeah, I never could get away with much as a kid."

The two of them looked over at the bar, where Bentley slowly stood up from underneath the counter. "Is it...over?" He asked, his voice cracking in the process.

Yang looked at Mason, "What's up with him?"

Mason scratched the back of his head, "I kind of...left him under the impression that you would, uh, maybe... destroy the bar."

Yang shrugged her shoulders, "Well, it wouldn't be the first time."

They both picked up their seats and sat back down at the bar. Yang finished her drink with a large gulp and said, "So, I have a proposition for you."

Mason looked in her direction, "And what's that?"

"Qrow set up a meeting with you and Professor Ozpin, Beacon's Headmaster," Yang stated as she threw her arm over his shoulder, "He wants you to attend Beacon."

Mason sat down his soda, "I don't know, Yang. I only just got back..."

"Look," She said, poking her finger at his forehead, "You want to make a difference in the world, right?"

Mason thought of all the evil that his biological father had created with the White Fang and imagined what he could do to combat it. "Yes, that'd be pretty nice."

"Then come with me to Beacon and meet with Professor Ozpin." She said, standing up from her seat, "Ruby and I miss you," Yang tossed the lien that she owed Bentley on the counter and started towards the door. But before she left, Yang turned around, "But it's up to you, Tiger."

Mason smiled at the nickname she had given him when they were children. He stared at the empty Corstall bottle in front of him and made up his mind. He reached in his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, "Thanks, Bentley," He dropped some lien onto the counter and walked toward the door, "I'll see you around."

Bentley looked at the money that Mason had placed on the counter, "This is more than what you owe me!"

Mason turned around and smiled, "I know." He gave Bentley one last nod before walking out the door.

Yang was waiting outside next to her bright yellow motorcycle, "I knew you'd come!"

"You know me," Mason said enthusiastically as he slung his backpack over his shoulder, "I love an adventure!"

Yang handed him her spare helmet and mounted the motorcycle, "Well you're coming to the right place!"

Mason straddled the back seat of the bike and braced himself, "Wait, back in the bar you made it sound like Ruby was going to Beacon too."

Yang revved the motor, "She is!"

"But how can that be? She's only 15, right?"

"It's a long story," Yang strapped on her helmet, "I'll tell you when we get there!"

Yang revved the engine one more time before popping a wheelie and rocketing off into the evening twilight.