"Speaking"
:Thoughts:
Oscar's POV
Shit! It wasnt supposed to be like this. They weren't supposed to be fighting amongst themselves. They should have been standing by each other to defeat Salem. How did it come to this? How did they fall so far?
It was just like how it had been Oscar on their way to Argus. A divided team that were angry and scared because the immortal wizard in his head didnt have a plan. Everything they had done and lost up until that point seemed like it had been for nothing.
Thinking back on it now he could understand their anger. However, they were being hypocrites when it came to telling James the truth. Ruby had made the decision not to tell him right away. The team and Oscar included went along with it. His heart told him though it made them little better than Ozpin.
Then telling James the truth had sent the man over the edge. Things simply went from bad to worse in what he thought was the blink of an eye. After losing the relic he had gone on his own to face James. Not knowing it seemed that would be the last mistake he ever made.
James wasnt willing to listen to his advice and backed him towards one of the many holes in the vault. His chilling words still rang in Oscar's ears.
"My friends call me James. To you, it's General."
Before he could react James pulled out Due Process and shot him in the chest. White-hot pain flared in his chest and his aura broke. Oscar felt warm blood coming from the wound as he fell back. It was difficult to breathe and he couldn't move.
: Sorry Auntie Em it seems I won't be coming home after. Sorry, Oz, you should have had a better reincarnation than me. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you told me not to tell them her name.:
Oscar flinched at a spike of pain that went through his chest. He was dying there was no doubt about it. He didn't want to die. If he died then Ozpin would have to start the process all over again. Then again, maybe that was for the best. Maybe he would actually get a better reincarnation than what Oscar could realistically be.
"OSCAR!" That was Oz's voice but he was too weak to say anything in return. The world around him faded to black. Before he could truly lose consciousness he felt his body hit something hard. Then there was nothing.
Oobleck's POV
It was unfortunate that he had not been successful in locating what they thought was a new Grim. He had hoped to study it while determining if it was truly a new Grim or a variation of a current one.
Bartholomew was ready to head back to Vale. Normally he didnt take missions so far from the school. It was only because Headmaster Ozpin had asked him to take this mission in Mistral over a week ago as a favor. In that time he had seen many Grim but none fit the description he had been given. There weren't any new sightings from civilians either.
Currently, he was roughing it in the forest rather than in an inn. It allowed him to be more vigilant in looking for the Grim. Night had already fallen and he was huddled close to the fire. Above him, the broken moon lit up the forest where his fire didnt reach.
It was a cold night and snow lay across the ground all around him. Snow brought back memories he would rather keep buried. Pushing away his memories he glanced into the sky.
A frown marred his face as he watched a green light enter the sky. It seemed that it was falling at an accelerating pace. If his mental math was right whatever it was it would crash not far from his camp.
Grabbing his weapon he swiftly began to follow it. The closer Bartholomew got to the projected landing site the more he realized it wasnt an object. The green light was very similar to the light of an aura. That meant it had to be a person.
The question was how did they enter free-fall like this? He didn't see any signs of an airship going through? Unless they were going in stealth mode. That would in turn make sense. Hopefully, it would be just someone who fell out. Humans were clumsy like that even huntsman and huntresses.
Bartholomew's thoughts were interrupted by the person with a green aura come with a dozen feet of the ground. Suddenly their aura expanded outwards into a shield seconds before they hit the ground. Then the shield broke and a person with the stature of a child.
When he didnt get up Bartholomew carefully made his way to their side. On the ground beside them was a cane that was very reminiscent of Ozpin's. For now, he set aside the thought and set about checking them. Turning the person over he found that his original thoughts were correct.
This was most certainly a child no more than thirteen years of age. He was wearing dirty torn combat gear that had splotches of black soot that could easily come from gunfire. Carefully he began to pull aside the child's shirt noting the way it stuck to him. Sticky with blood then. He was most certainly injured meaning this was no accident.
Bartholomew knew that he did not have the means to treat him. He could stabilize the wound but the child needed a real medical doctor. Then when he woke up questions could be asked.
After ensuring there weren't any neck or back injuries he picked the child up. A frown crossed his face at how easy it was. The child weighed next to nothing and Bartholomew had no problem moving him back to his camp even carrying the extra weapon.
From there, he stripped the bloodstained combat jacket and undershirt. The wound he noted was that of a handgun caliber. It wasnt close to any major organs so that should help things along. Turning the child gently over he found the exit wound. All signs pointed to how lucky he was. Digging a bullet out of a child's shoulder would not be an easy task.
Bartholomew went to his bag and pulled out his first aid kit. Then he began to clean and dressing the wound as best as he could. When he cleaned it the boy's body shuddered in pain before going still once more. The only thing that let him know the child was still alive was the painfully slow rise and fall of his chest.
Once the wound was dressed he unwillingly put the jacket back on the boy leaving the shirt. They would have a couple of mile treck back through the woods. If he remembered correctly there was a medical doctor back in the town of Spire. That would be the child's best chance. Even if he could get an emergency signal out here it would be morning before an airship arrived. That would only happen if more snow wasnt dumped on them.
Packing up the camp only took a few moments most of it being sure the fire was out. One thing that was bad about camping in Mistral was the chance of forest fires. The smallest spark could be enough to destroy whole towns and farms. It made the locals wary of any newcomers unfamiliar with the way their land works.
After that, he carried the child on his back allowing him to feel the warmth of their breath on his neck. Keeping track of that would warn him if he needed to take precautions for hypothermia on top of the wound.
It was a slow treck through the snow. His aura kept him warm but the child not shivering made him move faster. When he arrived the moon was three-quarters into the descent. It would be morning soon. He could only hope the doctor was in.
He didnt get very far into town before a boy came rushing towards him. He questioned, "Are you alright mister? Most of the town saw that green light fall a few hours ago. Half of the town is out looking to see if someone is hurt."
Bartholomew replied, "I have the one who fell. It seems he is injured so I applied first aid and brought him here. Is the doctor still here?"
"Yes, sir follow me."
They went into the middle of town and took a left. There they moved to the third in a row of small houses. The boy knocked on the door before pushing it open. Bartholomew followed behind him noting the small kitchen and living room in one. There was a set of stairs that led to the second floor and across from him another door.
He called out, "Hey doc! We brought you a patient."
A middle-aged man with greying black hair and grey eyes came down the stairs. There was a small amount of stubble growing on his chin and dark bags under his eyes. It seemed he had a problem sleeping. He was wearing a long-sleeved black t-shirt and sleeping pants.
The dark eyes fell upon him and the boy he was carrying promptly widened. He ordered, "Follow me. Cobalt go find the group that went out and tell them that a huntsman found the person."
"Yes, sir"
Bartholomew followed the man across the room and through the door. There was a small examination table, cabinets, and a chair in the corner. He laid the child on the examination table.
The doctor ordered as cold as the air outside, "You need to get out. I'll do my best to help this child but I can't do anything with a huntsman looking over my shoulder. Get out. You're welcome to anything in the kitchen and I have two extra bedrooms upstairs if you need to sleep. There is a bathroom upstairs as well. It's the second door on the left."
Then he was bodily shoved from the room and the door was shut in his face. Well, then he would go shower and sleep. A shower was something he desperately needed.