Copper is laying on a couch sleeping. He has his shirt and hat off, and a bandage is on his left shoulder. His scar on his right side is prominent. 

Blake is sitting on another couch nearby.

Copper groans and he opens his eyes. "¿Qué me golpeó?" Copper notices Blake. "Blake?"

Blake doesn't look up. "This... is why, Copper. This is why we left them all behind." Blake looks up to Copper as he sits up.

"Where am I?" 

Blake gets up and walks over to Copper.

"I am done seeing my friends hurt because of me." Blake states.

"Blake-" Copper starts.

"Shut up!" Blake yells and Copper shrinks back a little. "Do you think I like being alone? Everyday... everyday I think about them! Ruby, Weiss, Yang... they were my friends! I loved them like I never thought I could love anybody. And I hope they hate me for leaving."

"Blake, you don't really mean that."

"Yes, I do! Everyone thinks they can help me, but they can't." Blake sits down next to Copper. "You saw Ilia last night and she's not even the worst! No. No more. They're better off without me. I made my choices and I'll deal with the consequences because they belong to me."

"You're not being selfless, Blake." Copper says. "Yeah, Ilia seems different and she got me pretty good. But I'm your boyfriend. I'd do it all again if it meant protecting you. And I can promise Yang would say the same." Copper brings Blake into a side hug. "You can make your own choices, sure." Copper grunts. "But you don't get to make ours. When your friends fight for you, it's because we want to. I know Sun would say the same. So STOP pushing us out! It hurts more than anything the chicos malos could ever do to us. But, I'll have to get Ilia back for this." Copper motions to his wound and he grunts in pain.

Blake chuckles. "My hero."

"Oh, really?" 

Blake lightly pushes Copper into the couch and lays on him. "Really."

"Good."

Blake moves up to Copper's face and is about to give him a kiss, when suddenly the door to the study crashes down.

 Kali yelps in shock as she falls down with the door. Ghira stands in the door way and Sun's head pops in.

Copper and Blake quickly sit up.

Kali quickly gets up.

"Oh! Oh dear, would you look at that." Kali says and Sun waves to Copper. "He's awake! Thank goodness!"

Ghira facepalms. "Kali, please."

"Hi Copper, Blake." Sun waves.

"Mom!" Blake says in slight anger.

"Hey, Kali, Ghira!" Copper nervously says. "Hi, Sun."

Blake stands up and walks over to her parents. 

"What are you doing?!" Blake asks.

"Well, sweetheart, your father needed to speak with the two of you." Kali informs. 

"Huh?"

.

.

Ghira sets Illia's scroll on the table. "I'm afraid you were right to be suspicious."

Blake is sitting with Copper and Sun. Copper has his shirt and hat back on.

"What do you mean?" Blake asks.

"Adam Taurus is planning to overthrow the leader of the White Fang." Ghira states. "And stage a full-scale attack on Haven Academy. It would be the Fall of Beacon all over again."

A memory plays through Copper's head. "Was I a good teammate and Huntsmen?" Copper clenches his fists. 

"Not if we destroy the White Fang once and for all." Sun says.

"No." Blake says and she stands up. "We're not going to destroy the White Fang. We're going to take it back."

"Purrfect." Copper says.

.

.

Ecru is walking through the markets. She's wearing a sun dress and she has a big straw sunhat on her head. An airship flies over head and she looks at it.

Ecru puts a hand on her scar. "I wonder how the others are doing?"

.

.

Blake is holding a White Fang flag, then she sets it down and holds up a new one. Copper walks up to her and puts a hand on her shoulder.

Blake looks to Copper and he nods.

.

.

The sun is setting and Ecru is walking through the streets.

"Ecru?" A familiar gruff voice says.

Ecru turns around and sees Qrow. "Qrow?" Ecru says with a smile and she runs over to him and hugs him. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, you know, babysitting. You know, I'd never thought I'd see you wear something like this." Qrow motions to Ecru's dress and hat.

Ecru blushes and covers her face with her hat and Qrow chuckles.

"Come on." Qrow says and he walks off with Ecru following him.

.

.

Qrow and Ecru are sitting at a bar. Qrow with a alcoholic beverage and Ecru with a water.

Someone walks up to them, "Excuse me?"

Ecru and Qrow looks behind them to see a young boy.

"You know, I don't think they allow kids in here, pipsqueak." Qrow says.

The kids looks at Qrow for a few seconds. "Shut up, I'm getting there." He says to himself. "Umm... I'm supposed to tell you, I'd like my cane back?"

Qrow's eyes widen and Ecru is confused.

Qrow nods a few times and he stands up and he grabs Opzin's cane off his waist. "It's good to see you again, Oz."

"What?" Ecru asks in confusion. 

Qrow tosses the boy the cane and when he catches it it activates. 

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08-04-2022