A/N: Magic AU.
Yesterday, Arvel Hawkins was brutally murdered. No one knows who did it or why. Clover was determined to find Arvel's murderer.
"Clover, just let the authorities handle it." Elm told Clover.
"Yeah, whoever did this is obviously dangerous." Punzie agreed.
"Sorry, but I'm not all that patient. I have to know who did this and make them pay!" Clover replied.
"Dude, no! You're gonna get yourself killed!" Rose argued.
"Please, Clover, consider your actions; or else I will have no choice but to inform a teacher." Vine said sternly.
"Ugh! Why won't you guys just let me do this!?" Clover shouted.
"BECAUSE WE'RE YOUR FRIENDS AND WE LOVE YOU!" Punzie yelled back.
"W-we don't want you to end up like Arvel." she cried, her bottom lip trembling.
Covering her face with her hands, Punzie starts weeping. Clover hated seeing her like that so he walks up to her and wraps her in a loving, big-brother-type hug. He kisses the top of her head and strokes her hair.
"I'm sorry, Punz, if it upsets you this much...I...I won't do anything reckless." Clover told her.
Punzie hugs Clover's torso, gripping the back of his shirt tightly in her hands. Clover feels so bad, he hasn't even once thought about how all of this was affecting Punzie; after all she saw Arvel's dead body too. Seeing something so horrible and gruesome must've traumatized the poor girl. Later that night, while sleeping in his bed, Clover is suddenly woken up by a scratching at his window. Confused, he walks over to the window and opens it. On the other side of the window was an injured ferret, a ferret Clover recognized as Arvel's familiar, Josh.
"Josh?" Clover said, concerned.
Turning into a human, Josh tumbles into the room, landing on the floor with a grunt of pain. Clover and Qrow crouch at Josh's side and assess his injuries. He had deep long gash on his right side.
"Qrow, quick! Heal him!" Clover told his familiar.
"I can't, the wound is too severe. I'm sorry, Clover, it doesn't look like he's gonna make it." Qrow replied.
"Josh, tell me what happened. Who killed Arvel?" Clover asked.
"W-Watts...and h-his familiar." Josh answered weakly.
"Watts? The potions professor? But...but he doesn't even have a familiar." Clover said confused.
"He does! It's...a scorpion...n-named Tyrian. He...h-he poisoned Arvel so he wouldn't...be able...t-to fight back. Clover...y-you gotta stop them." Josh told him.
"Stop them from what?" Clover asked, desperate for answers.
"They're....planning something, have been for a while...Arvel was suspicious, so he investigated and found out...what they w-were planning. The...other day he came up with a way to counteract what they were planning, but Watts found out he was onto him and had him killed. Everything about it is here...in Arvel's journal. H-he gave it to me and told me to keep it safe at all costs." Josh explained handing Clover Arvel's journal.
"How'd you get hurt like this?" Qrow asked.
"Watts and Tyrian found me...t-tried to take the journal from me...I...I-I barely managed to escape. Clover, I'm not sure how deep...this all goes. F-for all we know, none of the teachers can be trusted, so it has to be you, Clover, you have to stop them." Josh replied.
The dying familiar coughs harshly, blood coming out of his mouth.
"I've seen you do magic...it's strong...I know you can save the school...Arvel believed you...c-could." Josh told him, his voice getting weaker by the second.
Josh's eyes become dull as he takes his final breath, involuntarily changes back into his ferret form, and becomes limp in Clover's hands.
"He's....dead." Clover gasped.
He opens up Arvel's journal and looks at everything about Professor Watts's plan. The man was planning to go to a secret chamber deep beneath the school to release an ancient demon that's trapped in a pocket dimension, so that it can wreak havoc on the school and kill everyone. In Arvel's notes, it says where the chamber is and how to get into it. There's also a spell to counteract the spell that's going to be used to release the demon.
"The journal says they're doing it tonight! I have to stop them!" Clover said casting a small spell to change clothes and heading towards his bedroom door.
"No you don't!" Qrow said grabbing Clover's wrist.
"Let me go! You can't tell me what to do!" Clover told Qrow.
"Do you seriously think that you could be the hero and save the day!? That stupid hero-complex bullsh*t doesn't do anyone any good! Being a hero is what got Summer killed, it's what got Arvel killed, and if you don't f**king listen to me, it's what's going to get you killed!" Qrow snapped at Clover.
"Well, I'd rather die a hero than to live a life of cowardice like you!" Clover snapped back.
"Fine! Go and die a hero! If you're not gonna listen to me and go off and get yourself killed, then I don't have to be there and watch it happen!" Qrow replied before turning back into a crow and flying out the open window.
Growling in frustration, Clover clentches his fists and blinks away the tears that threatened to spill out of his eyes.
"You stubborn b*stard. Why the h*ll am I in love with you? Am I stupid...or just plain crazy?" Clover muttered to himself.
He picks up Josh's body and places it on the windowsill.
"I'm sorry...I don't have time to properly take care of your body." Clover apologized.
The young wizard gathers some things he may need and quietly sneaks out of his dorm, trying not to wake up his dormmates.
"I'm sorry, Punzie, I know I said I wouldn't do anything reckless...but the fate of the school and everyone in it is at stake. Please forgive me." Clover mumbled.
On his way to the chamber's entrance, Clover formulates several strategies to stop Professor Watts's plans to destroy everyone. He's not sure whether he'll make it out alive or not...but he wasn't going to let his friend's sacrifice be in vain. And he sure as h*ll wasn't going to let any of his other friends die when he can do something about it. He just wished he had his familiar by his side.