A/N: As a little preamble, I'd like to say that I love the interactions, and differences, between Qrow and Ruby. I started this little story arc in order to try to explore their relationship as master and apprentice from the beginning of Ruby's training. I'm very open to opinions and new ideas, so please add those to the reviews or p.m. if you'd like to share them. Thanks and enjoy your read.

Part 1 - Dogs & Birthdays

"What a wash," the old huntsman groaned as he kicked the gravel along the street, walking down the shadiest part of Lower Mistral like he didn't give a damn about all the glaring eyes that were upon him.

Yeah, that's right, he didn't give a damn. So what if humans weren't welcomed?

The sour mood huntsman had hoofed it all the way from the other side of the world on a hot tip of White Fang activity in the area known as Lower Mistral, home to one of the largest faunus communities in Remnant.

The streets are narrow and dark, littered with trash that no one bothers to clean, giving the place a smell that anyone from the outside would immediately be revolted by. Living condition are poor to say the least, the poorest this huntsman has ever seen actually. Not much attention is given to the cramped quarter by its ruling council. A place like this would be perfect for recruiting young, hungry, and angry faunus into the ranks of the White Fang.

Or so Qrow thought! By the Four Seasons, he wished he'd gotten some more solid intel from Ozpin the next time he dispatched him on a wild hunt such as this!

He kicked an innocent trashcan that was lying in his way. The oversized tin can sailed across the street with a perfect shoe impression flattened into its thin metal shell. It split across a nonfunctioning light post before spilling its contents onto the ground.

"Heh," he lightly chuckled as he reaches into his pocket. "Still a size twelve I see," He took out his flask and downed a large gulp. He embraced the bitter sweet buzz.

As soon as he reports back to Beacon, his boss is going to get a drunken earful from him.

Back to Vale then, he thought, causing him to pause. The last time he was in Vale was for his youngest niece's birthday. That was what, two or… three years ago?

Qrow has always had another mission to do as soon as one was finished. There was always some investigation to be conducted, some group to spy on, some Grimm that need exterminating. But now, the first time in a long while, he had no new mission waiting for him after this. His last lead for his current case has gone cold, leaving him with nothing to do.

Even Ozpin, his chief source of information, hasn't communicated to him any new leads either. That's definitely odd.

Maybe with this free time he could revisit some of his favorite watering holes, knock down a few and start a fight or two. Maybe he'd wonder around for a bit, look for and hope that trouble found him so he could shred it into pieces. Maybe he could continue searching for her…

He rolled his eyes and smashed down another gulp from the flask. Anything to keep from breaking down like his brother-in-law. Anything but that.

A rustling of feet came from behind, pulling the semi-buzzed Qrow to attention.

"Hmm?" He groaned as he looked behind his left shoulder, an uninterested look across his face.

They were faunus, a whole lot of them too. Decked in white hoods and armor, each of them wore mask over their eyes but their malice was clearly felt.

"Not a complete wash after all," Qrow remarked to himself, turning to face them, still uninterested, his mind mostly elsewhere. "Looks like I get a regular old White Fang hit squad." He took a brief scan of the area. "With extra helpings it seems." He was surrounded. White Fang soldiers stood around him high and low, on the roof tops, in the streets, and all around him. He counted at least thirty of them and then got bored of counting.

No wonder he'd never ran into any White Fang until yet. They were all living in plane site, never revealing their true colors until the moment was right. And the moment to them it seems, is the perfect moment to kill their interloper.

A figure stepped forward in the crowd of silent soldiers. "You've been a great bother to us as of late huntsman," His voice was thick, arms ripped and decked in tattoos, face covered completely by a mask. In his hands he wielded a weapon that Qrow can only describe as a 'big damn chainsaw'. He pointed a straight finger at Qrow as if to stab his heart with it. "Here he is my brothers and sisters, here is the man whose hounded our family all the way from Vale." He declared to his adoring, bloodthirsty audience. "It because of him some of family members are not here today, it is because of huntsman like he that we have to continue to hide our true selves, for fear of being discovered and wiped out." He ran his thumb across his neck in a sliced motion, "We will take his head my brothers and sisters, we will take his head and send it back to those who would and oppress us and-"

The voice trailed off as Qrow downed another gulp of bitter sweet relief. He was feeling it now, oh man. Maybe he could do for a quick trip home, he thought, and if anything he could make sure Taiyang was taking good care of the kids. By the Seasons they must be at least fifteen and twelve at this point. Maybe even older… He fumbled his flask back into his pocket and managed to get his scroll out. He flipped it open, squinting at the suddenly bright screen. He checked the date… damn!

A lightning bolt went through his mind. Ruby is going to be thirteen next week?! What should he get her? He can't just pop back into town and be like, oh it's your first birthday I've been to in a while so I forget to get you something, my bad. No damn it! He doesn't want to be that guy. Seriously though, what do you get a teen for their birthday? He hardly knew of anything of what the kids these days are into. Maybe a teddy bear? But what if she's too old? Oh, how about a dog? No wait… they already got that super pup. What'd they end up naming it again?

"DO WE NOT HAVE YOUR ATTENTION?" The White Fang's leader's voice broke up his messy thoughts like a rock shattering a mirror. Qrow tilted his head to him and saw he was clearly pissed.

"Oh… heh… forget you were d'ere," He was starting to slur his words. Oh well. "I'm just… uh… trying to figure out what teenage girls like for their birthdays. Hey, do you know what teens like for their birthdays?"

"What…?" The leader's brow was definitely furrowed under his mask. "Are you drunk?" He questioned.

"Err… hold on a second," Qrow took back out his flask and poured the rest of its contents straight down his throat. He rode buzz punch right down to his core and grinned. "Okay… huuuuh… now I. am. drunks…" He laughed, oh man, what was that dog's name? Seriously? Wasn't it Ruby who named her? No, wait it's a guy dog. Also Ruby. Also birthday. Also, druuuuuuuunk.

That last sip was a big one, Qrow could feel himself riding the rollercoaster now!

All the White Fang around the now fairly blitzed huntsman were fairly disappointed. The leader shook his head slowly. "This is what we've been hiding from…?"

"But no, it's like…" Qrow rambled on happily. "A boy dog, so it's gotta be called something manly right? Guuuh. Doesn't a dog get a birthday to? Ehh… wait, who are you guys again?"

"I just…" The White Fang leader began. "I just can't right now…" He sighed, after having given the speech he's worked on up until this point, only for it to be ignored by his supposed greatest opponent yet.

Qrow gasped suddenly. "Hey wait a minute!" He pointed a figure at the leader, suddenly serious, eyes turned cold and deadly. The White Fang as a whole all took a step back. "You…" He began, cursing the words out of his mouth.

The leader got into his battle stance, the rest of his kin following suite.

Qrow starred daggers into them, standing straight and serious. Finally, after a deadly pause, he said, "You… haven't told me teenage girls like for their birthdays yet." He said in all seriousness.

"I… you're..." The leader could barely make any words. He groaned deeply and buried his face in his hand. "Just kill him."

With a sudden roar, the crowds surged forward, white mask and the ones that wore them all jumped into action. Many swords came at him in all direction.

Qrow spun on his heel, kicking the nearest sword right out of its owner's hands. He dodged another, and sent two soldiers flying away with a pair of half powered punches. One soldier was so bold as to jump in with a downwards hack. Qrow grinned and caught the sword perfectly between his hands.

With a snap the weapon was ripped from its owner's hands and Qrow seized the bewildered faunus by the arms and brought him in close.

"Hey!" He whispered, a sick grin cutting through his cheeks. "Do you know what to get… for teen's birthdays?"

The White Fang soldier gulped loudly, shacking violently with fear. "I… I… don't know… maybe, ahhhh, maybe, a teddy bear!"

Qrow cocked an eyebrow. "Wah? Are you stupid? Teenagers are too old for that kind of stuff." He tossed the poor man over his head, sending the faunus straight through a window of a nearby abandoned apartment block.

The rest of the White Fang were smart enough not to all charge in at once like those who did before. They circled him, waiting to pounce, like true Grimm in the wild.

"If ya'll ain't going to help me out." Qrow pulled back his bangs to reveal his red eyes. "Then I guess," He dropped a hand to his weapon. "I gotta figure this out all on my own." He lifted the weapon and with a click it roared to life, jutting forward and forming a massive sword. Definitely something you don't want to see a drunk man swinging around.

One of the White Fang soldiers turned to a nearby comrade. "Is this guy serious?"

BLAST. The soldier hit the dirt after receiving a face full of shotgun. The other's around the fallen man slowly looked back to see Qrow with his weapon's duel barrels smocking.

"Yeah- I'm for real serious here," he slurred. "I gotta a niece's birthday coming up," he let out a small burp "and… I don't know what to get her! And here you guys are… and… you can't even come up with any good ideas!" He leaned his weapon on his shoulders and shook his head with genuine disappointment. "Ya know, you guys are a bunch of jerks."

"ARRAGH!" The White Fang leader howled. "Shut up and DIE!" He's clearly had it these shenanigans.

A fresh wave of victims came barreling towards Qrow. "Alrighty, round two it is."

Like flies they fell. Each swing of his massive sword cleaved right through the throngs of enemies, sending them into nearby buildings, each other, or straight up into the air where they came crashing back down into the filthy concrete. Some gun fire came at him in the mix, and even in his drunken stupor, he could deflect it away from him with ease. Not a single one of them was a good fighter. To Qrow, despite of how much of a handicap he's giving them, none of them gave him a challenge.

Soon enough he knocked enough of them out to cause the last batch of survivors to think twice before tangoing with the likes of him.

The leader finally stepped forward. "We've clearly underestimated this one…" He gripped his chainsaw blade tightly. "I must redeem this clan. You will fall!" He lunged forward, weapon roaring to life with a blade that spun faster than the eye can see.

Qrow put up a defense with both arms to catch the attack on his blade. It was a half-decent attack, he thought.

"Wanna dance sweet heart?" He winked at the leader as they locked weapons. The other cringed.

"There is seriously something wrong in this world if they let people like you become huntsman!" He roared with a fresh wave of anger. With the pull of a trigger, his chainsaw buzzed faster, sending sparks off from where it met with Qrow's blade.

"For as long as we can remember," The White Fang leader began on another well practiced speech of his. "You huntsman have looked down upon us, favoring your human brethren over our needy and helpless." He pushed harder into Qrow. "Weren't it not for our efforts, the faunus would've been pushed out of Remnant and back into the void generation ago! How can you huntsman call yourselves warriors of the people when you ignore those who are different then you!"

They disengaged swords and swung back at each other to form another stalemate. "What do you have to say for yourself huntsman? What do you have to say after hunting us as if we were the Grimm?" He leaned in harder, his face pressing closer to Qrow's, brimming with anger and fury. "What do you have to say-"

A massive burp escaped Qrow's lips and blasted straight into the nostrils of the White Fang leader.

The leader disengaged from Qrow and stumbled backwards. "What. The. Fu-"

BOOM! A shotgun blast caught the man squarely in the chest, knocking him back several meters.

"Oops," Qrow chuckled, flipping his weapon back into sword mode. "My bad there… heh. Hey, do you know what to get for-"

"NO!" The White Fang leader leapt back to his feet. "Enough of this nonsense about birthdays, about dog names, about your damned niece!" He grasped his weapon with both hands and got ready for a renewed assault. "I've heard enough!"

"Hey buddy," All of the sudden Qrow's voice suddenly became more clear and serious. A man's drink is precious to him, but his niece… talking about her like that is… UNFORGIVABLE!

As if a fire was ignited, Qrow's left eye shinned forebodingly bright. He glared at the man, tacking a step forward. The other took a step back. "Your dead," he stated, all serious, no joke.

He pulled the secondary trigger on his weapon. Each section of the blade jutted forward with a loud bang and hiss, the whining of gears singled the start of the weapon's transformation. The blade curved back and the handle extended to several times it length. The gears inside the weapon, now no longer a massive sword, finished their spinning and came to a halt with loud click clang! The weapon had turned into a scythe, a type of weapon with quite a reputation, just like its wielder.

"Boss…" One of the henchmen stepped close the leader and whispered. "I think we should… you know… retreat."

"Stand your ground my brother." The leader lashed back. "If we stand together, we can- gaaahh!"

A silver wave of light shrieked right through the formation of White Fang survivors, not directly hitting any one person but instead passed through with enough force to knock everyone down and cleave a small building behind them in two.

Over the sound of smashing glass and falling debris, Qrow spoke slowly and deadly, his scythe blade glowed brighter than the shattered moon up above. "Now it's your turn," He started to inch closer and closer to the last survivors, the cleaved building now a smoldering pile of wreckage behind them. "To shut up and die."

The subsequent screams could be heard from all across the city. No one was sparred…

Qrow walked away from the mess he had made, a satisfied grinned played across his face as he stumbled back to safer streets.

No one died of course, back there he knew how to pull his punches. They all deserved a knock down but killing wasn't something a real huntsman would do. No, he'll leave their fate to the police, assuming if they ever show up to scrape the bodies off the walls and streets. Not much of a chance of that, given the areas notoriety. Oh well.

Now that there is clear evidence of White Fang activity, or rather was, his mission would continue in Mistral…

Qrow shook his head and laughed. "Hey Oz," he started sarcastically, talking aloud and to no one, "I'm taking a break from all of these missions. I hope you're cool with that, cause, heh, if you're not, then tough sh-"

"I'm perfectly fine with that Qrow," A muffled voice came from his pocket.

Qrow nearly tripped and stumbled for bit before fumbling for his Scroll. "What the dust?" He flipped the device open. "Oh…"

Leave it to him to accidently speed dial the Headmaster of Beacon during his drunken tirade. "Umm, how long have you been on the line?" He scratched his head nervously, hoping he didn't learn much.

"Since you've seemingly missed dialed me before your little tussle with what sounded like a rather large group of White Fang soldiers." The little image of Ozpin on the screen should the gentlemen smiling, sitting in his chair and sipping coffee as he always did. "Good job dispatching them without causing too much damage to the city."

"Uh, yeah… thanks," Qrow looked from side to side nervously. Ozpin didn't need to know about the one and a half destroyed buildings right?

Qrow let out a deep sigh. "Look Oz, about this mission,"

"I know what you're going to say." Ozpin cut in, giving the 'all-knowing-look' to Qrow. "I heard much of what's going on. Including something about your young niece's birthday. I think it do everyone some good if you returned to base for a little while and resumed your mission at your leisure." He took a sip of coffee and paused, thinking. "The White Fang are increasing their efforts, your engagement with them won't be the last of it, or likely the worst."

Qrow nods in agreement. "Whenever I knock these jokers down, they just keep getting back up. Either there that resilient or…"

"Or their true leader is that much more determined stay in the fight," Ozpin finished. "It's troubling to say the least. I think a change of tactics is in order. For now, I think you should come back to Vale. Like you intended to." He smirked at the other.

Qrow smirked back. "You got it boss man,"

"Very good," Ozpin reached to end the call but then remembered something. "Oh and one last thing Qrow," He started. "I believe teenagers like your niece would appreciate just having their family visit them for their birthdays."

Ozpin ended the call, leaving Qrow to say. "Well, that's all well and peachy, but that doesn't answer my question!" Qrow shacked the scroll as if to shack Ozpin right out of it. "What can I get Ruby that she would like?!" He blurted out, his voice echoing down the street, getting him the attention of some out-late passersby's.

"Ah, whatever, I'll figure it out when I get there." He jammed the scroll down his pocket and sorely wished he had two flasks instead of one.

Qrow snapped his fingers and blurted out. "Zwei! That's what they named." Walking down the street again, he pondered. "What do you get for dog birthdays?"

A/N: Thanks a bunch for reading. I look forward to any responses I might get. Have a good one!