...
Coming to was a surprise. The first thing he noticed was that he wasn't in pain. Where there should have been fiery pain in his shoulder there was numbness. Air was cold around him. It didn't have the antiseptic smell of a hospital.
Oscar opened his eyes and saw dark wood ceiling above him. It was stained oddly, water stained he realized. Much like the barn had at home when he first moved in with his aunt and uncle. A shudder ran through Oscar at the thought of his uncle. The man was not kind and Oscar did not miss him.
Glancing around the room he saw that it was a makeshift hospital room. He was laying on a hospital bed that had seem better days. Not a regulated hospital then. He heard about hospitals like this when he was traveling his way to Mistral. Dingy black market hospitals that were unregulated. Only the desperate would come to them willingly.
The air was cool but the way that Mistral when Fall began to set in. Too warm to be Atlas or Mantle. How did he get here? Did someone find him after he fell from the Vault? Or had Ironwood locked him up somewhere out of the way? The latter didn't make sense. He would have woken up in a jail cell if he woke up at all.
Cautiously Oscar sat up noting how stiff he was. Nothing hurt still which he was grateful for. That was when he noticed that his combat jacket had been removed as well as his undershirt. His upper torso was covered in bandages expertly wrapped. His lower half was still covered by his pants but his boots were gone.
With continued caution he moved stand. His legs were wobbly when he stood upright. A hand propped up against the wall helped him stay upright. A frown was directed to his combat pants. They were too large on him now by several sizes. It had been fitted to him perfectly when he bought them. When he had been shot by Ja... Ironwood. Had he been unconscious that long?
Seeing a dirty mirror in the far corner he slowly moved over to it. When he saw his reflection he started in surprise. Oscar looked like he was 10 or 11 rather than nearly 16. The bandages were clean but he could see scar not old but neither new on his neck. The scars from when he lost his parents when he was 8. The sight didn't send him into a panic like they had at one point.
Oscar searched the room carefully. While he didnt find his jacket he did find a belt. For the moment it would be enough to keep his pants up. Though he did have to roll up the legs so that he wouldn't trip over them. Focusing innerward he pulled his aura forward.
Weakly it flickered over his body. It wasn't nearly as strong as it had been before. In fact it felt wrong even as he tried to grasp at it. What was wrong with his aura? This wasn't normal. Even he knew that.
Oscar dropped his hold on his aura. Then carefully he continued to make his way the only door. He would need to be careful as he did not have his jacket or Long Memory. Where were they? He needed them.
Unconsciously he reached out across his mind hoping to make contact with Ozpin. He somewhat could recall Ozpin calling out to him as he fell. Fear flooded every fiber of his being as he couldn't feel Ozpin. Even when he retreated to the back of Oscar's mind he could still feel him. He was alone in his mind and that made him more afraid than anything else. He had to get out of here right now and figure out what was happening.
Forcing his body to move he opened the door and headed out into a hallway. The walls of the halls were made of wood. He could hear quiet voices from all around him. Some coming from other rooms or hallways. A single window could be seen down the farthest side of the hallway. Oscar didn't know how far up he was and knew his aura wouldn't be able withstand a drop of any kind.
So he went the opposite way moving hoping that he could make it outside without being caught. Or at least find his jacket and a weapon. Preferably Long Memory but at the moment he could use any weapon.
Several times he heard raised voices and had to hide. People would pass by where he was hiding. They didn't seem to be in a hurry or looking for anyone. Which meant there wasn't an alarm thankfully. Once they passed him and were out of sight he would keep on going.
Oscar went straight down two flights of stairs. He was about to go down the final set only to pause when he heard voices again. This time he had to go into a new hallway.
He almost closed the door but what he heard stopped him, "When will the kid wake up? It's been two days since I brought him here."
"I told you, Roman," said a second voice low and angry, "That boy is lucky to even be alive. I have never met someone with an aura like that. It is as if someone reached into his aura and shredded it. I'm surprised he was even breathing when you brought him in."
The one called Roman said, "As you have told me. Repeatedly. But what could have done something like that? Who?"
Oscar didn't hear what the doctor's response was. They had gone back the way Oscar had come. Which meant he didn't have much time until he was found out. Time to get out of here while he still could.
As soon as he was sure they wouldn't hear him he took off. As fast as his legs would carry him he took the stairs two at a time. Just as he reached the bottom floor there were shouts from the upper floor. It seemed his escape was discovered. He threw open the door and continued out.
There weren't anyone on this floor thankfully. He could see the entrance that led out into a dark street. Pushing his body he kept heading towards the door hoping to slip out onto the streets. He only made it a few feet before the door he had come out of banged open.
Roman's voice sounded behind him, "Hey kid, wait!"
Oscar pushed his body to its limits and continued towards the door. He only made it a few more steps before arms wrapped around him. They were strong like iron and picked him up easily as if he weighed nothing. If he was in fact his 11 year old body he did practically weigh nothing. That didn't mean he couldn't fight back. Weak or no he refused to go down without a fight.
Oscar slammed his foot back trying to catch the person in the knee or groin. A light grunt sounded as his foot connected. A gloved hand pushed head forward into his chest. Gentle fingers carded through his tousled hair.
Roman whispered gently, "Easy there kid. I have you."
Oscar said wincing at the higher pitch of his voice, "Let me go! Where's Ruby and the others? Where are my friends? Who are you?"
The man said moving back so that he was leaning against the wall, "Roman Torchwic kid. You landed on me two nights ago and were severely injured. I might be a thief but I do not allow children to be harmed. I own the city's underground and they all are obey certain rules. One of which is to not harm children."
Roman Torchwic! He heard about the thief from Ruby. But he had died two years ago at the Fall of Beacon. She said he was a heartless criminal. Why had he brought Oscar to a hospital?
Roman questioned softly, "What's your name kid?"
Oscar started struggling again not wanting to give his name. He was no doubt wanted by now. Ironwood would have put out an arrest warrant when they couldn't find his body. Giving his name would only cause trouble.
Roman sighed then said to someone unseen, "Give him a sedative, doctor."
A man walked up to them and Oscar tried to plant his elbow into Roman's abdomen. It was deflected and there was a prick in his neck and something cold entered his veins. Only a few moments later his muscles began to relax.
Exhaustion took over and his eyes began to droop. The fingers began to card through his hair again. Unwillingly Oscar began to lean into the kind hand. Then he fell into unconsciousness.
...
Roman stared down at the kid in his arms. The sedative worked quickly but it wouldn't last long. Just long enough for them to get him back up to the room. He shifted the child so that he could carry him easier. The doctor watched an eagerness in his eyes that made him want to be sick.
Roman didn't say anything to the man as he climbed the stairs again. Once back in the room he placed the boy on the bed. The boy's breathing was much easier than it had been. The sedative was doing its job in calming him. Roman doubted the boy would give his name. Or why he had fell from the sky landing on Roman.
Turning to the doctor he ordered, "Do a blood test. I want to know who he is."
"As you wish Torchwic."
