First Meeting

Guts rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Great," as he followed Qrow onto the boat.

As they walked on board, Qrow turned to Guts and said, "Find the cabin and get some rest," handing him the keys to their room. "Where will you be?" Guts asked, curious.

Qrow turned around and replied, "Getting us some food," before walking off.

Guts watched him go before shrugging and starting his search for the cabin. He had to admit that walking on a boat like this made his previous trip on the seahorse seem dull. There was practically nothing to do there except sit.

The boat was like a miniature city, with a kitchen, pool, and even a bar, much to Guts' surprise. He had heard that it was rare for a boat like this to have a bar, as it was primarily used for luxury cruises and, due to the dangerous Grimm in the water, not many people used them except for intercontinental travel, which was less risky by airship.

Guts needed to understand what Qrow meant by that entirely, but he planned to ask about it later.

Guts had already asked Qrow many questions, especially about his bird form. Surprisingly, Qrow didn't hesitate to answer and told him as much as he knew, including the history of Remnant and the tale of the two brothers.

Guts still weren't sure if he believed it, but he didn't care as long as religion wasn't hurting anyone. He just wanted to stay out of their way.

Guts found the cabin they were staying in and dropped their belongings on the bed before claiming one for himself and sighing. 'First things first, when I finish with Oz, I'll get myself some extra weapons, including something like an arm cannon,' he thought to himself as he let sleep overtake him.

By the time Guts woke up, his stomach was growling with hunger.

Guts groaned and looked around his now dark cabin. 'What the hell?' he thought as he reached for the light on the wall. Fortunately, he didn't knock over the pile of things as he turned it on, but he noticed that the room was untouched.

There was no sign of Qrow and certainly no food. Guts growled and stormed off to find him. He was fortunate enough to still be in his gear, as he had been too tired to take it off before falling asleep.

Guts looked across the ship for Qrow and eventually found him, of course, at a bar.

Qrow was chatting with two women wearing bikinis and flowing dresses when Guts stormed over to him. "Qrow!" he snapped, causing the three to turn their attention toward him. "Oh, sorry, ladies, I have to go," Qrow apologized as he slid off his barstool and sauntered over to Guts. "Sorry about that. I was just having a nice conversation with these ladies over here," Qrow explained, a sly grin on his face.

Guts, clearly frustrated, smacked Qrow to get his attention and asked, "Can you focus for a minute and not think with your dick for a while?" Qrow gasped in shock and replied, "Jeez, fine. Give me a second to clear my head and...ahhhh." He sighed as he activated his aura, purging the alcohol from his system.

"You could have done that the whole time?" Guts asked, surprised.

Qrow shrugged and explained, "Yeah, but it gives you one hell of a hangover afterward, and usually, after those, I don't drink for a week. So, I tend to avoid it unless it's really necessary."

The two men soon boarded a VTOL Bullhead from the dock to Beacon Academy. As they flew over the city, Guts marveled at its size. "It's big," he remarked. Qrow nodded in agreement and added, "And it has an even bigger armory to match. As the kingdom's capital and home to the CCTV network, communication falls apart in all four kingdoms if the tower falls. It's a prime target for enemies."

When they landed at Beacon, Guts noticed the empty courtyard and asked Qrow, "I thought you said this place was guarded at all times due to the 'special object'?" Qrow rolled his eyes and explained, "The students are away now. They'll be returning in the next couple of days." Guts huffed in frustration and commented, "You should at least have a few people here all year round besides teachers."

Qrow waved his arms childishly and replied, "I said the same thing to Ozpin, but he wants it to be 'homey for the students'."

Qrow used his scroll to open the door, and the two men entered the academy. As they rode the elevator up to the headmaster's office, Qrow remained silent.

When the doors opened, they found Ozpin standing by the window, sipping on a cup of coffee as usual. "Gentlemen," he greeted them calmly. Qrow stepped forward and gestured for Guts to stay back in the shadows of the office.