Knock knock knock. Clark rapped gently on the wooden door to Qrow's room.

"Qrow?" Clark called out. No answer.

He tried knocking again. "Qrow, it's three-fifteen, you told me to wake you up now."

From the other side of the door, Clark heard how he'd interrupted Qrow's easy breathing and the man got up from his bed with a groan. Then, with heavy, plodding steps, he reached the door and opened it.

"You sleep well?" Clark asked with a playful smile.

"Ha ha. Real funny." Qrow said. He rubbed some messy hair from his face and yawned. "Sorry, but most people need a little something called sleep."

"I sleep too."

"Yeah, well you sure don't look like it." Qrow looked him over. Waking up at three in the morning didn't really affect him as much as it seemed to Qrow, but Clark wasn't happy about it either.

"Anyway, our shift's in about forty minutes." Clark said. "I'll be up on the wall while you get ready."

Qrow nodded and stretched before heading back inside his room.

Clark walked through the narrow, concrete halls until he reached the door leading out to the wall. Once he stepped outside, he saw that Remnant's shattered moon, which he still wasn't used to, shone low in the clear western sky. Providing some low light.

The spotlights on the wall were on, pointing down to Lapis and Brun. Who at the moment were waiting for the Grimm. The purple-haired Violet was on lookout to Clark's right with her rifle-sword. It was a little while before she noticed him, and once she did, she walked over.

"It's not time for your shift yet, is it?" She took out her scroll. "Yeah, you still have like half an hour."

"Actually, I thought it might be interesting to see how actual huntsmen fight with only the spotlights to see." Clark answered. He saw fine in the dark; even before he'd gotten the ability to see in infrared, low light hadn't been an issue for him. He'd already tripped up with using telescopic vision around Qrow and Sera, so he needed to try and see how they fought without seeing in the dark. He'd have to pretend not to notice objects that were easily visible to him.

"You got up earlier so you could watch them fight?" Violet tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. "Huh. Sera said you'd gotten your license recently. Fine, I'll give you a run-through of what they do."

She pointed down at the overlapping circles of light on the ground. "Obviously, we want to lure the Grimm into the light. Can't fight them if you can't see them after all, and none of us are faunus. But there's more than that, always try to keep the light behind you. They're bright as hell, even from the ground you don't want to look straight up at them. You can use that against the Grimm though, hit them while they're blinded."

She continued, telling him about strategies that a team of two would use. For example, one standing out to the far edge of the light and the pair tagging in and out as necessary while they moved further back towards the wall and into the light. Or even circling around the light, since the mindless Grimm would chase after the two rather than go directly for the wall.

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Violet was able to describe the reasoning behind their moves as they watched Lapis and Brun cut down some Boarbatusks. Brun was usually behind her, since she had higher mobility with her spear. They switched around a couple times, and it was a good strategy, as they hardly had to move back toward the wall at all.

"Oh, here comes Sera." Violet noted at the end of the fight. "She's going to be the lookout for you two, right?"

"Yep."

"Hey you two." Sera waved at them slowly, she clearly lacked the energy that had been so prominent yesterday.

"You alright?" asked Violet. "I can stay up here for a few more minutes if you need to splash some water in your face or something to wake up."

"No, it's fine." Sera shook her head and yawned. "I already did, and even drank some of that awful instant coffee. I'm just not a morning person, but I'll be okay."

"Well, at least you'll be able to sleep again after the shift." Clark said.

"Yeah, that's basically all that's keeping me going right now. Well, that and the fact that Nick would probably rip my head off if I fell asleep on duty." Sera groaned. "But then we're probably gonna be in action again at noon. Apparently, they spotted a big group heading this way that would have needed all six of us. Now that you and Qrow are here, that probably means all eight of us will be called in."

Violet sighed. "That's not going to be fun. Well, good luck. I'm going to sleep." She went to the door for the stairs.

Qrow arrived, and their shift went without any hitches. It hadn't been easy for Clark to pretend he didn't see the Grimm until they were a lot closer, but he generally tried to react to them after Qrow did. It helped that Sera also gave them more detailed information with her scope about approaching packs.

The pre-dawn glow a couple hours into their shift had lifted everyone's mood though. It was easier for Qrow and Sera to stay awake, and Clark had been used to waking up around this time back home. The faint orange glow was a familiar sight, and Clark could point out Grimm in the distance without suspicion falling on him.

Their shift ended at seven. The moment it arrived, Sera immediately rushed off to bed. And Qrow obviously wanted to hit the hay as well.

However, when they reached the top of the wall, Nicholas Arc was there to greet them.

"I need to talk to you two." Nicholas announced, and turned back towards the interior of the wall. "Come with me."

He led them down to an unused room with only a wooden table and a few chairs where they sat down. "Alright," he said. "I've made a decision, and before I go through with it, I want to make sure of a few things. Clark, is it true that your beliefs are stopping you from killing the Grimm?"

"I . . . yes." Clark looked over at Qrow. Who'd suddenly developed an interest in staring at the wall. Hadn't the plan been to keep that a secret?

"Then, to be frank, why are you even here?" asked Nicholas. "We need people to defend the wall and kill the Grimm attacking it. Your little setup with Qrow's worked out so far, but are you going to have him hold your hand for all of your missions?"

"Sir, I'm here because I want to help." Clark answered. "I don't think it's necessary to kill the Grimm to defend people. I have my own ways of dealing with them."

"What? Breaking their legs?"

Clark blinked a couple times. "Yes, actually-"

"And you do nothing else." Nicholas snorted. "I've seen you fight, you're leaving them behind for Qrow to finish off. You think that'll work on a solo mission?"

"I'm willing to carry the Grimm away so they won't hurt anyone."

Nicholas just stared at him before shaking his head. "Unbelievable. Qrow, you actually brought him here knowing what he thinks?"

"Hey, I'd had some idea of his beliefs, but I didn't think he'd take it this far," replied Qrow. "To be honest, I'm with you on this. I've been trying to change his mind for the past couple days."

"Qrow-

"Look kid," interrupted Qrow. "I know you grew up differently from us, but I've tried to explain it to you. We need you to kill the Grimm."

"I'll only do it if I have to." Clark answered.

"And you think that you don't need to?" Nicholas asked. "Is that final? You're not going to kill the Grimm for us?"

Clark nodded. "Yes, it's final."

"Fine." Nicholas took out his scroll. "Qrow, I'm sending you and everyone else a new schedule. Clark, you're off it. Completely. If you're not going to do your job, we don't need you."

"Now hold on," Qrow argued. "That's taking it a bit too far, he's still been a lot of help."

"Maybe, but he's not pulling his weight." Nicholas said. "I've seen him toss Grimm around, he could be doing a lot more if he didn't hold back. I don't know what his circumstances are, but the Grimm won't care. And neither will anyone they end up killing because he let them go."

He turned his gaze to Clark. "Do you have a problem with my decision?"

For a moment, Clark thought about arguing. Qrow was right, even without killing them, he was helping. But after a single look at Nicholas Arc's uncompromising eyes, he realized that anything he said would be pointless. At least, anything besides agreeing to kill the Grimm.

"No, I don't." said Clark. He felt uneasy, but he'd seen the huntsmen fight. They'd be fine, and the people of the town would be safe.

"Alright." Nicholas nodded. "You're welcome to stay here until the turrets are fixed later tonight and Qrow's mission is done."

"Thank you," Clark said. "But I'll stay in Ashbury. I have something to take care of."

"Okay, the Bullhead will-

"Actually, I'll get there on foot."

\\

Clark had seen how Nicholas had been confused by his decision to "walk" to Ashbury. It had actually been kind of funny. Of course, he'd made sure he was out of sight once he sped back to the town.

Still, even if it hadn't gone as he'd thought it would, this had been a useful learning experience. Group missions weren't for him, no huntsman would accept his methods of fighting Grimm. They'd likely react the same way Nicholas had.

Well, at least he had time to continue with his search for the final phantom. The town's library wasn't open yet, but he was still able to look up articles on his scroll.

Hours later, after he'd felt that he'd read enough, he found nothing. Maybe he could head back to Vale and deal with any crime there?

Clark decided against it. Getting there without air transportation would seem suspicious if anyone ever started to dig into his background. The only Bullheads around were at the wall, and he'd already told them he'd stay in town. If anyone saw him in Vale only minutes later, that would be the first breadcrumb in the trail. And no way he was going to allow someone else try to blackmail or publicize him again.

Maybe he could relax for once. If the phantom wasn't doing anything, then worrying over it wouldn't help. With that attitude, he strolled to a nearby coffee shop and bought a breakfast sandwich and some orange juice. The food was good, and were made from local ingredients according to the storeowner.

The people here were easier to talk to than most in the city. Some in the shop had recognized him as a newcomer, and more than a few were curious about him. He kept up his façade as a regular, albeit young, huntsman.

Ashbury had quite the population of farmers, and Clark was more than comfortable talking to them. Of course, it was a bit awkward when they thanked him for fighting the Grimm, but he accepted their words with as much grace as he could.

Clark thanked them for their time and bought a pair of headphones from a nearby store. There was a park nearby that looked nice, so he found a nice patch of grass, lay down, and listened to some relaxing music.

It was nice. Taking a break to soak up some sunlight, and the music also took the majority of his attention away from his super-hearing. It wasn't often that he was able to loosen up his constant control of it. He didn't feel sleepy, despite waking up incredibly early today. Still, he closed his eyes as he felt the nice and soft grass and his nose caught a hint of pollen. Spring was rapidly approaching.

Clark relaxed, and didn't hear the woman's hurried approach until she was almost right next to him. Once he noticed her, he pulled the headphones out of his ears. "Yes, can I help you?" he asked as he sat up.

She was a blond woman who looked to be in her early forties, wearing a white blouse and long brown pants. What worried Clark though was the panicked expression on her face, her wide eyes and the sweat on her brow almost made him think of the worst.

"You're Clark Kent, the huntsman, right?" She asked in a shrill voice.

He stood up. "Yes, I am."

"It's my son, Cyan, he left this note." She handed a piece of paper to him. "I don't know when, but it must have been while my husband and I were out. Normally he sleeps in or watches cartoons during the weekend, but he's been going on and on about you huntsman, and-and-"

"Don't worry ma'am, I'll do my best to help. Please, calm down." Clark waited a few moments for her breathing to slow, and he read the note.

Mom, Dad, I'm taking my bike and going to the wall to see the huntsmen fight the Grimm. I know you said I can't go but I HAVE to. Don't worry, it'll be totally awesome and safe. Clark, one of the huntsman, already got his license and he's nineteen. If I learn how he fights, I might be able to do it too!

I know I'll probably be grounded like forever, I still think is unfair, but that's not gonna stop me.

The wall was dangerous, but Cyan would be fine. No way the huntsmen would let him near any Grimm, they'd send him back the moment he showed up.

"Ma'am." Clark said in a calm voice. "Don't worry, your son will be fine. I'll call them and make he's brought back home."

She nodded, relieved somewhat. "Thank you." She said.

"No problem." Clark found Qrow's contact information and dialed. He waited for Qrow to pick up.

And waited.

And waited.

"The caller you are-

He looked at his scroll with a confused expression. Why wasn't Qrow answering? It was only a bit past noon, could he be on his shift right now?

Wait, Sera had said that at around noo-

A scream sounded in the distance, too far and faint for anyone but Clark to hear it. He recognized the voice, it was Cyan.

"Sorry, I have to go!" He rushed off at a normal sprint behind the closest building he could find, and scanned the area in an instant. Once he confirmed nobody would see him, he raced off at full speed.

For a brief moment, he heard another sound, like the cawing of a bird. Before he could listen for more, the Doppler effect took hold and distorted sounds beyond recognition.

Even as he pushed himself to go faster, it felt like he was moving in slow motion. The trees and grass rolling by lazily. The last time he'd felt hyper-awareness like this had been when he'd caught the cars during the Paladin's rampage. Yet even that hadn't been to this extent.

Clark feared the worst. If Cyan got hurt, it would be Clark's fault. It had been because of him that the boy had wanted to do something so reckless. Clark should have demanded to stay at the wall and fight anyway, he would have been in the position to defend him.

Damn it damn it damn it. Go faster! He pumped his legs as fast as he dared without kicking clear through the ground. Outracing bullets was routine for him. He could make it, he could make it!

Finally, Clark saw the enormous Nevermore hundreds of feet away above the grass in the middle of its descent. It must have had a forty foot wingspan at least, and its talons looked nasty. Clark couldn't spare any focus for X-ray or telescopic vision at this speed, but as he got closer, he saw Cyan flat on the ground next to his bike.

Could he carry him away? No, the Nevermore was too close. Clark couldn't slow down. Normally, things he picked up at high speeds seemed to be able to withstand it when they shouldn't, but at this speed he couldn't risk it. He might rip Cyan's arm off, or end up breaking his back.

Heat vision was out, even if he seared a wing off, the Grimm might still land on Cyan. Super-breath? The Nevermore was pretty big though, and even if the blast of air went hundreds of miles per hour, it still might not reach Cyan in time.

In less than a millisecond, Clark made his decision. If he leapt up into the Nevermore and knocked it onto to the other side of the wall, Cyan would be safe. He'd make sure to break its wings as well, and let the huntsmen kill it.

Clark launched off the ground, dirt and loose rocks exploding from his impact. He rammed into the Nevermore's chest-

And came out through the other side.

Clark blinked in surprise and turned his head. He'd pushed the Grimm away, but he'd pierced through its body. Already, the corpse began to fade, and parts of it disappeared before they even hit the ground.

He hardly noticed the fact that he'd begun to sail over the wall.

He'd killed the Grimm.

\\

"Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod." Cyan quickly got up and ran over to his bicycle before he began to yell. "Help! Help! Huntsmen! Please!"

He didn't know what had just happened. Everything had gone perfectly in his head. He'd come here, see them shoot and slice the Grimm while he watched and took notes. There wasn't supposed to be Grimm on this side of the wall. They were supposed to be on the other side!

But someone had saved him, they must have shot the Nevermore before it reached him. He even saw a crater nearby, which had to be from their weapon. He needed them to come, there were going to be more Grimm, they were going to come and eat him and-

Suddenly, a shower of dirt and pebbles pelted Cyan's face and he had to drop his bike to cover himself with his arms.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous it is here?" A man said in front of him. The anger in his voice was clear, but Cyan was so relieved he didn't care.

"Clark!" It was him! He must have saved him! "I was so scared! I thought the - I thought the-

Cyan shuddered as he started crying. This was so stupid, he couldn't cry in front of Clark. He'd look like a total wimp. But he couldn't stop and continued blubbering and wiping his face.

"Why would you think it would be a good idea for you to come here?" Clark's voice still harsh.

After clearing away the tears, Cyan saw Clark glaring at him.

"I . . . I wanted to see you and the others fight," said Cyan quietly as he looked down at the ground. He sniffled as he waited for the scolding.

He could feel the disappointment coming from Clark. It was almost like his dad, but a thousand times worse because Clark was actually cool. Plus, he'd just killed a Nevermore, and he was mad. That was scary.

"You could have gotten killed." Clark said, he motioned for him to come over. "I'm putting you someplace safe until we can get you back home."

When Cyan walked over, Clark lifted him with one hand. Like a baby. Cyan opened his mouth to complain, but shut it when Clark glared at him. Clark's grip was secure, and in his other hand was Cyan's legs.

Clark bent his legs. And jumped.

"Whoah!" Cyan scrambled to grab onto Clark when they were launched like a hundred feet in the air. The wall got closer and closer, real close. For a second, Cyan was afraid they'd hit the side.

Instead, Clark landed softly just on top of the wall, and set the boy and his bike down.

"That was awesome! How did you do that?" He asked Clark.

"Go inside." Clark ignored the question with a hard expression. "Go to that door and stay inside. Don't come out."

Cyan looked over to the huntsmen in the middle of combat. He had to watch, he'd never get a chance like this again. "B-but-

"Cyan, you can either go in there on your own or I'll find a room to lock you in so you don't hurt yourself."

"O-okay." The young boy picked up his bike and walked it over to the door with slumped shoulders. He went in, any thought of peeking out squashed completely.

\\

"Clark! Clark!" Sera approached Clark with sweat on her brow and her weapon ready. "Where the hell did you just come from? I thought you were off the mission!"

"I am." He answered.

"Well, you're here now, and-

Sera turned to the side and took some shots at a group of Nevermore. All smaller than the one that had gotten over the wall. She waited until they all faded before speaking again. "I saw you come out of nowhere to take down that Nevermore and bring the kid up. We could really use your help. I'll make sure that kid doesn't get in the line of fire."

Clark nodded, and looked down to see that things weren't going terribly great for them. All seven of them were here. Lily and Violet were further along the wall, shooting off into a group of remaining Nevermore. While everyone else dealt with the multitudes on the ground. It seemed like they had it under control though, the one large Nevermore was probably the only issue.

"Do you know about my beliefs about killing?" he asked.

"Nope, is that really important right now?" she asked distractedly while reloading her weapon.

"I won't kill Grimm unless I think it's necessary."

"Considering what's going on here, I think it is," answered Sera. "Stop messing around Clark, I just saw you kill a Nevermore. We're holding up okay here, but the ground team would do great with another member. Get down there as quick as you can."

Clark nodded. Now wasn't the time to argue, there were still several dozen Grimm remaining below. He jumped off, landing hundreds of feet away from the wall, but right by Qrow.

"Clark?!" Qrow asked once he saw him. "What are you doing here? I thought you were back in town."

"I'm here to help." With a few strong kicks, Clark snapped the legs of a couple Ursai. They fell over and growled, still trying to claw at him with their broken limbs.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" Nicholas Arc repeated the question, the blond had gotten close while Clark had been distracted and was slashing through the underbelly of a Boarbatusk.

"I talked to Sera." Clark explained. "She said you could use help."

"We've got this handled." Nicholas said. "We can't look after someone who won't even do his job as a huntsman. Go back up the wall."

"I don't need to be looked after." Clark was hit by a swipe from a Beowolf, and didn't even flinch. Then, he knocked it flat on its back. He saw Nicholas' eyes widen at the lack of reaction. "And no offense, but you don't have everything handled. On my way here, a Nevermore managed to get over the wall."

"So what?" Nicholas said. "The three on top wouldn't have let it get any deeper inside, they can all use recoil from their weapons to reach up and stab it if they have to. It wouldn't have gone into town."

"There was a child who'd come nearby because he wanted to see the huntsman fight." Clark said. "I had to deal with the Nevermore to save him. It had been too close for anyone else to do anything about it."

"A child? Where is he now?" asked Nicholas. He sliced through a Beowolf and jumped back from another's claws.

"I put him inside. Sera's making sure he doesn't come out."

"Good." Nicholas stayed silent for a few moments. Clark realized he was coming to a decision. "I can't stop you from staying to fight, but don't hinder anyone else. Once we're done, we'll talk more. For now, focus on your job."

Clark agreed, and they fought the Grimm for the next twenty or so minutes. Clark stayed near Qrow, since he was the one who knew Clark's strategy best. However, he also made sure to place a few incapacitated Grimm in Nicholas' path. Enough to show his usefulness, and all the while making sure not to interfere with anyone else.

By the time they'd finished, all of the others were breathing heavier and covered in sweat. Clark knew how suspicious it looked that he didn't seem the least bit winded.

"I'll go check on the kid." Clark said. He leapt away, hopefully before any of them noticed the lack of sweat on him. Although there were still some surprised noises from the huntsman who hadn't seen the height he could reach.

He landed and went inside. "Cyan? You can come out now." He called out into the halls.

The young boy came up while leading his bike by the handlebars. "It's over?" he asked.

"It is, and you're going home."

"Okay, can I at least talk to the other huntsmen first?" he asked hopefully.

"You can." Clark answered. "In fact, you'll have to talk with at least one of them."

Clark first let Cyan gush over Sera and her weapon. The blue-haired boy's excitement had returned easily. It was incredible how children could bounce back like that, especially from what he'd experienced. He was all smiles as the huntress indulgently explained the workings of her weapon. She was kind to Cyan. She still chided him, but it was without any real heat. Maybe she had a soft spot for children.

Nicholas was the huntsman that Cyan needed to speak with though. The blond was nowhere near as kind to the boy as Sera. Once the situation had been explained to him, he hadn't held back with his scolding. Pointing out to Cyan's stupidity and how he could have gotten himself killed. He must have been quite intimidating to the twelve year old. Clark disagreed with the way he'd done it, but none of what the man said was wrong.

"Clark, take a Bullhead and make sure he gets back to Ashbury." Nicholas ordered. "You killed a Nevermore. Is that the situation it takes for you to kill the Grimm? Or are you gonna help us until the turrets get fixed?"

"Sir, I hadn't even meant to kill it." Clark said. "I was trying to jump into it and push it away, and break its wings to immobilize it. Instead, I went too fast and barreled right through it."

Nicholas snorted. "And here I'd thought you'd learned something. You can stay in Ashbury too, you're not welcome back."

\\

The Bullhead ride back was silent, since Nicholas' heated lecture had evaporated all of Cyan's enthusiasm. It wasn't a long trip. Within minutes, they were back in town.

"Ohhh, my baby!" Cyan's mother ran up and smothered her son the moment the door had opened. Like only a parent could, her concern and fear immediately turned to anger.

"How could you be so reckless?!" she screamed. "We're going to be chaining your bike up for weeks, and you're grounded as well. No more video games or TV until I say so either. And none of that huntsmen nonsense, no classes,."

Cyan's head jerked up at the last one. "But mom-

"Don't you dare talk back, do you have any idea what you just put your father and me through? Your punishment's going to last for a very long time."

"Okay okay, that's fine!" He argued frantically. "Punish me, make me do all the chores, take away my video games, but you can't stop me from going to fighting classes!"

"Enough!" The blue-haired man by her side spoke for the first time. "Listen to your mother. We've tolerated you wanting be to a huntsman for now, but if you're going to risk your life like this, we can't allow it."

Cyan didn't answer. Instead, he stared at the ground with clenched fists.

Clark watched on silently. Taking away Cyan's dream would only make him lash out. The boy had made a mistake. Admittedly, one that could have been fatal, but children made mistakes. Clark could understand the parents' concern, but the right thing would be to try to teach him to chase his aspirations responsibly. Not outright deny them to him.

Cyan's mother left with the boy, and his father came up to Clark and shook his hand. "Hi, I'm Merrin. Thank you so much for bringing him back, and I'm sorry for the trouble he must have caused you."

"There's no need to apologize." Clark said. The boy had forced his hand against the Grimm, but that wasn't the parents' fault. "I knew he was enthusiastic about becoming a huntsman, but I wouldn't have expected him to ride his bike out miles out to the wall. If you don't mind me asking, why is he so set on it?"

"I suppose telling you is the least I can do after you helped us." The father shook his head once he explained. "It's because of his uncle Argent, my wife's brother, who was a huntsman. Whenever he was around, he'd tell stories about his missions, brag about his kills, that sort of thing. And I guess Cyan was inspired by them. He's wanted to be a huntsman ever since he was young, but when his uncle died a few years ago, it became almost all he talked about. He started learning how to fight from a local retired huntsman, and started obsessing over Grimm and weapons."

"I see." Clark paused, thinking on how to best phrase his next words. "I don't have any right to tell you how to raise your children, but I don't think you should try to force him off being a huntsman."

Merrin grit his teeth. "Excuse me? After what he just did?"

"I don't mean any disrespect sir." Clark raised his palms to calm the man down. "But unless you can keep a constant eye on him, there's no guarantee that he'll stop trying to become a huntsman. He'll probably sneak off to his classes, or hide his books. And if Grimm happen to enter the wall again, he might repeat his mistake. He's frightened now, but for someone his age, that memory might not stick."

The man was silent, he looked off in the distance, deep in thought. "I get what you mean. When I was younger, my dad tried to force me to stop drinking. It ended up pissing me off and made me want it more. But this is different, he almost died."

"That's true." Clark nodded. "But whenever I did something wrong, I was personally taught about my responisibilities and the consequences of my actions whenever I did something wrong. My punishments always came with explanation. At Cyan's age, it's not easy to realize everything that could have gone wrong, and how his loved ones would have been affected. I understand that you're angry, it shows you care. But if you decide to carry out your punishment, I hope you explain why you're doing it."

Merrin chuckled good-naturedly. "Look at me, taking parenting advice from someone half my age. Well, I'm not too prideful to admit its good advice. Thank you."

Clark shook his head. "No need to thank me. I'm just sharing what I saw my parents do. Consider the advice theirs."

"You're humble too." Merrin noted. "Okay, if they did as good a job with you as it looks, I'll try. Seriously though, thank you Clark. For bringing him back, and even if the advice is your parents', you are the one who decided to share it."

"I guess so." Clark assented. Sharing the advice was the easy part. His parents had been the ones who'd put in the hard work and followed it.

\\

"He should be right in here." Qrow said as he approached the door to the room Clark had rented.

"Okay. Are you sure you won't mind me talking to talking to him for a bit?" asked Sera. They'd just finished their mission after all, and Qrow must have been eager to go back home. She didn't want to waste his time by delaying his partner.

Qrow rolled his eyes. "Answer's still the same as before. If you think you can convince him, I won't stop you. Clark's thick-headed though, so good luck."

At that, Qrow left. Sera took a deep breath, and knocked on the door.

Clark opened it. "Sera?"

She waved. "Hi! Yep, it's me. I'd heard from Nick and Qrow about your . . . beliefs, and I wanted to talk to you before you left. Qrow's agreed to wait around for a while."

"Okay, and I guess you'll try and persuade me to kill the Grimm?"

"Er . . ." That wasn't a good look. For a second, she wondered whether he'd close the door in her face.

Instead, Clark welcomed her in. "I've been thinking about that too actually, considering what happened with that Nevermore earlier."

He sounded . . . disappointed with himself? Why? Even he must have thought he'd had to kill that Grimm to save the boy, and the way he'd done it had been incredible. She'd seen him blast through the Nevermore and land on the other side of the wall, and the ease with which he'd leapt over it had been amazing.

"Well, I already know the general outlines, but I'd like to hear from you why you think it's wrong to kill Grimm. Is that okay?" asked Sera.

"It's fine."

Clark began, and instead of mentioning the Grimm, he first went on to explain about how he'd been raised. Stealing, cheating, violence, his parents had been quick to teach him about right and wrong. Violence was always a last resort to him. And even then, it was hardly ever one he'd followed through with. He'd always grown up with the fact that he could end up killing people if he wasn't careful.

She'd been confused by that, and he'd given a hasty explanation about how he'd had his strength ever since he was young. And that he'd had to learn to control it.

According to him, no one had the right to kill. Especially not him. She was actually pretty impressed by that, he really seemed to think that even the most terrible people might still have a chance at redemption. But he extended his tenet of not killing even to Grimm.

He did admit though, that once he'd left his home, he'd had to amend that. Acknowledging that there would likely be situations where he'd have to kill Grimm if he wanted to save human lives. He actually wasn't sure whether the incident with the Nevermore earlier counted. He'd planned to deal with it another way, but after thinking on it some more, he wasn't sure whether he could have pulled it off. Otherwise, so far he'd been immobilizing Grimm for other huntsmen to pick them off.

And he'd said he would have preferred to carry the Grimm off instead, where they wouldn't harm anyone. Which was insanity, although she kept that thought to himself. Did he really think he had that luxury? Was he really willing to put in the hours to lift them miles away? From the look in his eyes, he was.

Still, he hadn't interfered with the huntsmen doing their jobs. They weren't like him, he said, they were in actual danger from the Grimm while he wasn't.

"Hold on." Sera interjected while he was in the middle of his explanation. "You're saying you're safe from the Grimm? I've seen them attack you. You might have a lot of aura, but it can't be infinite. What are you talking about?" What confused her most how he'd said it without a hint of arrogance, like it was just a fact.

His eyes widened and he shook his head. "That . . . was a mistake. I'm different, that's all I can say."

Sera tilted her head, she was curious, but didn't try to dig any deeper. "Okay . . . well, I think I have a good idea of your beliefs now. Thanks, you've given me a lot to think about."

"You're not going to tell me that I have to kill them?" He asked after a few moments of silence. "Or that they're just monsters, and that I shouldn't hold back from killing them before they become bigger threats?"

"No, I'm not." Sera actually surprised herself a bit with that answer. When she'd come here, she'd thought that Clark might be some religious fanatic or something. But he was just a good kid, and now she knew why. "You've probably already heard that from Qrow and Nicholas. Do I think you should kill the Grimm? Yeah. But that's your choice, and besides, you were still helpful in your own way."

"Thank you." He grinned. "Qrow and Nicholas looked at me like I was crazy."

"Hey, I may not necessarily disagree." She smiled to show she was joking. She then gave him a serious look. "I think it might be a good idea for you to read up on some history though. Specifically how the towns Rainem and Orved fell. Just a warning though, they're not pretty."

"Thank you, I will." He promised.

She nodded and said her goodbyes. Had telling him about those towns been the right thing to do? The recordings were brutal, but they might be the only things that would convince him.