Brawl in the Family AU is an Alternate Universe RWBY fanfiction series by The_Escaped
. Realizing how in over their heads they are working for Salem and lacking better options, Mercury and Emerald reach out to Ruby and co. for help. Get them out and they'll give information on Salem and her plans in return. Things quickly get out of hand.
The series consists of three works so far:
- It's Brawl in the Family: The first installment in the series. It's only three chapters long and is essentially an extended prologue for the rest of the story.
- How to Succeed in Captivity Without Even Dying: The second installment in the series. It deals with the fallout of It's Brawl in the Family, particularly the First-Episode Twist. It's eleven chapters long.
- the bigger they are the more that they bleed: The third installment in the series. It's an interquel set when Mercury was unconscious in It's Brawl in the Family.
Brawl in the Family AU contains examples of:
- Abusive Parents: Marcus Black. The abuse has warped Mercury so bad he doesn't seem to understand normal family dynamics.
- Adaptational Villainy: Downplayed. A good chunk of the series was written before Season Six of the show revealed Ozpin's backstory, and solid confirmation of his status as the Big Good. Ozpin's portrayal is thus slightly (though not egregiously) more morally grey than in canon, such as denying the chance that Mercury and Emerald's initial offer of defection is genuine and the implication that he would use unsavory methods in the war against Salem.
- An Arm and a Leg: Mercury ends up losing both legs in his fight with Cinder
- Because You Were Nice to Me: Mercury, becomes protective towards Ruby. He rationalizes it as needing her, but it's really because she's been much kinder to him than she needs to be.
- Big Brother Instinct: Mercury is fiercely protective of Emerald, Yang even compares it to her relationship with Ruby
- Yang is a sister variant of this trope, extending it to Mercury once she find out he's her half brother
- Blood Knight: Just because Blake got Ilia to back away from the extreme aspects of the White Fang doesn't mean Ilia is suddenly completely free of her hang-ups around humans. She gets more and more tense throughout How to Succeed in Captivity until eventually needing to spar with Yang so she has an excuse to vent violently.
- Cool Big Sis: Yang accompanies Ruby on the rendezvous with Mercury and Emerald. Even if she thinks it's a trap, she loves Ruby and would never let her go alone.
- Chronic Hero Syndrome: Ruby is adamant about helping Emerald and Mercury escape for no other reason than they seemed scared and needed help.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Not quite "evil" anymore, but Mercury's abuse at the hands of Marcus has screwed with him enough that he doesn't realize that not everyone is bitter and self-serving. He's properly bewildered upon finding out that Ruby helped him and Emerald because they needed help and not to get information.
- First-Episode Twist: Raven is Mercury's mother, making him Yang's half-brother and Qrow's nephew.
- Forgiven, but Not Forgotten: Ilia worries about this applying to her, and that she can never get move past her history with the White Fang
- Innocently Insensitive: Mercury, unaware of Yang's pledge to never abandon her family, makes a crack about it being cold of her for her to let her own brother die. He's genuinely taken aback when she gets upset.
- Killed Off for Real: Cinder in It's Brawl in the Family.
- Like Brother and Sister: Mercury and Emerald's relationship is portrayed as this, to the point where Yang flat out refers to her as Mercury's little sister.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": Yang, Ruby, Emerald, and Mercury when they realize that Cinder followed the latter two to the rendezvous point.
- Missing Mom: Raven is this to both Yang and Mercury.
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Mercury is subjected to an off-screen one at the hands of Cinder.
- Power Incontinence: Emerald doesn't have strong control over her new maiden powers and uses them accidently
- Screw This, I'm Out of Here!: The plot kicks off when Mercury and Emerald decide to pull this after realizing they're in over their heads working for Salem.
- Secret Snack Stash: Emerald has a habit of hiding food bars around owing to her hungry upbringing.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Yang looks a lot like Raven, to the point where Mercury realized that Yang's his sister upon seeing Raven for the first time in years at the Branwen tribe's camp. The resemblance is even stronger when her Semblance is activated, to the point where Mercury is relieved whenever it deactivates.
- Switching P.O.V.:
- It's Brawl in the Family: Mercury narrates the majority of the first chapter and all of chapter three while Ruby narrates a segment of chapter one and the entirety of chapter two.
- How to Succeed in Captivity Without Even Dying: Narrator duty is split between Mercury and Yang.
- The Alcoholic: Marcus Black and of course Qrow
- Training from Hell: Mercury's training from his father amounted to this as does Emerald's training with Cinder.
- Took a Level in Badass: Emerald becomes the new Fall Maiden after Cinder gets Killed Off for Real.
- Unbroken Vigil: Emerald initially refuses to leave Mercury's side after his brutal beatdown by Cinder. Of course the minute they convince her to get something to eat is when he wakes up.
- Unknown Relative: Mercury only knows Qrow as one of Ozpin's lieutenants and has no idea that he's his uncle. He finally finds out in chapter 10 of How to Succeed in Captivity.
- What You Are in the Dark: Invoked by Ruby as her reason for going to help Mercury and Emerald.Ruby “It’s not about what they’re worth. It’s about whether I’m the kind of person who can hear someone ask me for help and then ignore it. And I’m not.”
- Wham Line: Mercury, heavily concussed from being on the receiving end of a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown, winds up revealing the First-Episode Twist upon mistaking Yang for Raven.Mercury: Mom?
- You Shall Not Pass!: Mercury attempts to hold off Cinder so that Ruby and Yang can get Emerald to safety. Key word being "attempts".
