Never Change

Chapter 28

Percy looked around, stepping off the bullhead and onto the small dock, following Qrow's lead. The island of Patch was fairly small, but still large enough for several small towns and farms. The place was still kind of unpopulated, even as they began walking along the side of the road.

Ruby followed with clear enthusiasm at returning home, amicably chatting with Yang, Nora, and Jaune, as Ren simply admired the landscape and the forest, all alone in his own world. Neo and Mercury were playing a game of "I spy", and somehow having fun and laughing, although mutely, in Neo's case. It must have been because they were pointing at Qrow half the time.

Instead, he walked in comfortable silence with Qrow, following him to wherever he was going, probably the house.

Qrow was the one who broke the silence, "Well kid, we'll head to the house, we can get everything situated, get a couple spars in. Then we'll shower, and- hey you old enough for drinks?"

Percy offered a noncommittal shrug, "I'm a former Beacon student. Do what you will with that info."

Qrow barked a laugh, slapping him on the back, "I like you, kid. Then we'll hit the bar if ya want, maybe bring the brats along too."

"Ruby and Yang?" Percy raised an eyebrow in question.

"Nah, the illusion bitch and the assassin," the huntsman rolled his red eyes.

"You could call them by their real names, ya know."

"Oh, you mean Brat 1 and Brat 2?"

"Heard that!" Mercury yelled from the back of the group, as Neo flipped the bird, earning a smirk from Percy and a small one from Qrow. As easy as it was for him to switch sides, the assassin was a strange personality, one that wasn't entirely unwelcome in their little group.

"So you're buying?' Percy wagered.

Qrow snorted derisively, "Then I got two questions for you. What are you smoking, and can I have some?"

"Wake up," he rolled his eyes, "You're making a minor buy drinks for you."

"And now you're pulling the minor card out of your ass. Come on, we both know you finessed that cash from under ol' Ozzy's thumb and he let you have it."

"That doesn't mean I'm rich, that just means I was poor enough to deserve the pity."

"Was being the keyword there," he stressed, leaning in with a smile, "Good friends like you and I share that bag, am I right?"

"No."

"Tch. I take that back, I don't like you. Sore loser," Qrow half-glared at him playfully.

"A sore loser is what you will be when you get your ass beat black and blue in spars," Percy shot Qrow a knowing smirk.

Qrow narrowed his eyes back at him, "If I had half the natural advantages you do, kid, I'd smoke your ass, and you know it."

Percy let his hands rest on the back of his head, "All I hear is a pissy old bird crying over his age."

Qrow shot him a look, "I'll make sure to aim for the extra painful spots."

"Doesn't matter, since you're not gonna touch me anyway," Percy smirked as Qrow's eye twitched slightly.

"Yeah, sure... unless you got twice as fast as when we last sparred."

Qrow paused, peering at him from the corner of his eye, "You didn't get twice as fast... right?"

Percy only smirked in response. It was fun to watch the old bird wait for his eventual demise.

"Oh who am I kidding," Qrow threw his hands up, "You're a demigod. You could just rail me with storms if you wanted to."