"Well, you've been busy haven't you, Bastion?" Echoed the mighty voices who occupied the grayed domain.
The lights dim, the withered tree stood off-centered with its roots barely clinging to the decayed soil beneath it. The stairs leading to the circular stage past repair, a single hazy light of orange glided down the steps with an air of authority.
"Indeed, it seems you've taken things too far this time. To go against our direct agreement of having Hawkins be an independent, he's now found himself indebted to several people who are more than happy to create friendly ties." Sighed a stern blue cloud of smoke as it flew in from a tear in the sky.
"Let's not be hasty as there's nothing we can do about the past. All we can do is learn from it and move forward, however, you've put us in quite the predicament Bastion. I do not disagree that improving the moral compass of our stoic magician is beneficial, but if he becomes too soft those weak points will be exploited." Came a gentle yet harsh voice from the green spirit from under the tree.
"Is that all you've come to discuss? We all agreed that it would be my turn to select the path of the coming years of Remnant, yet here you all are clinging to the choices you'd make with no consideration for my own. I detest playing the victim card, but don't you think you're all being a tad unfair?" Bastion's white smoke joined the others beneath the withered tree.
"While the role of guardian was passed onto you, that does not mean you can discard our advice whenever you see fit! There's more to Hawkins' role than simply acting as a father, why we haven't even touched the politics yet!" Growled the blue spirit.
"Politics?" Bastion scoffed. "You mean the slavery laws you upheld during the nightmare years of 1750 that were only removed in 1845? Hmph, the Mistralian nobility you were so proud of couldn't even see the difference between a poor Faunus and a poor human. Are those the politics you wish to impose on Hawkins?"
"Those were different times, Bastion! During the nightmare years, military might and resource gathering were an indisputable necessity! My counselors and I had to weed out the weak to allow the strong to grow! Or have you forgotten the financial and agricultural aid I provided to the Valesian soldiers during your defense against the pale witch's armies at the twin mountains?"
"Is that how you see it? Every living creature is an inhabitant of Remnant, to oppress others to build your walls and then exclude them from the territory they surround... who were you really protecting?" Bastion countered.
"Enough!" Roared the orange smoke.
The bickering spirits caving to the booming voice, a pause of silence lingered over the withered tree.
"That's better," the orange smoke huffed, "we didn't come here for petty squabbles as if that were the case I would have never bothered to show up."
Drifting to rest upon a downtrodden branch, the orange spirit glowed a brighter hue as it settled. "While the progress with Hawkins has been slow, I do believe that Bastion's actions have benefited us for the coming years. The magician has come to terms with the planet he now inhabits and is willing to take up the mantle of fatherhood."
The orange spirit set its sights on its fellow white. "However, we are careful as to not degrade Hawkins' objective mentality. He's a meticulous man with a cunning mind which are traits I respect. But, I do not want to see the stoic blonde reduced to a soft-hearted fool who takes things for granted."
"Takes things for granted?" Bastion's tone was respectful and strong. "Hawkins suffers constant trauma for his arrogance in his old world. I don't think a man like him is likely to repeat the same mistake twice, but for the sake of being open-minded, I will adhere to your advice when given."
"That's all the more reason we shouldn't have selected him as a candidate. There are hundreds if not thousands of people who'd do a better job than that sulking pirate." The blue spirit growled.
"But this is the exact reason why we chose him." The sudden voice of the green spirit silenced all. Its voice calm, it shined a brilliant emerald then subsided as all attention veered to him.
"Hawkins, while reserved, does not wish to be on a platform of fame. His humility from his losses may have weakened his mind, but after coaxing and encouragement from the positive peers that surround him, I have confidence that stoic magician will no doubt carry on the work we have planned for him."
The green smoke grew in size as its white companion.
"Bastion, while I am disappointed that you did not inform us of your nightly expedition, I am overall content with the outcome. Nevertheless, should you try something again, I am prepared to condone you for such actions. Am I clear?"
Bastion sighed but agreed to comply. He'd learned from experience how powerful his peers were, and did not wish to fight a losing battle all on his own.
"Thank you for understanding and I hope this is the only time I must give you this warning."
An eerie cry from the gray skies above, a sudden chill gripped the air as the withered tree violently rattled.
"It seems this meeting is adjourned. Till we meet again everyone." The green spirit hummed and was the first to depart.
"Remember what we said, Bastion, otherwise I'll have to resort to brute force." The orange smoke petered out into the wind.
"Hmph, if you really want to gain our favor, it'd be wise to heed the advice we bestowed upon you." The blue spirit scoffed in a dismissive tone.
All alone, Bastion lingered for a few moments more. Letting out a long sigh he didn't know he was holding, the white spirit looked to the tree with an air of disappointment.
"They all want Hawkins to act as a tool instead of a person, but do they honestly expect me to accept having a tool raise my noble bloodline?"
His spirit waning, the white smoke faded as it muttered its last words.
"I wish you were still here to advise me... Cecilia..."
/-/
"I'm starting to really hate hospitals." Summer groaned from her fluffy mattress by the windowsill. Light rain pittering against the foggy glass, the red reaper sighed as her eyes wandered to the bandages on her arms and legs. Most of her huntress attire had been removed and all that remained was her dress and socks.
"Who was that crazy man?" She pondered, the image of the trench-coated assassin bringing distasteful memories and stinging pain.
Sitting up from her pillow, Summer's silver eyes roamed the area but was met with nothing but sleeping patients and a couple of nurses talking among each other by the double doors.
"Ah, Ms. Rose, how are you feeling?" Asked an approaching doctor.
The red reaper almost fell out of bed at the sudden greeting. Gently knocking her forehead against the headrest, Summer fumbled out a hello which earned her a hearty laugh.
"While your aura has taken care of the bruises and slim cuts, I'd advise you to take it easy this week and get plenty of rest." The doctor had a pair of wolf ears that twitched as he read the notes on his clipboard. A tag on his white coat told all that his name was Tim.
"I-I'll be sure to," Summer winced while rubbing the pink bump on her head, "but what about my friends? Are they alright?"
Tim chuckled. "Why don't I let them tell you instead? They've been waiting in the main lobby for well over an hour now."
"R-Really?" Summer squeaked.
"Yep, the members of team GPPO were the first to come around, though like you, I suggested that they don't exert themselves. As for your team, Qrow and Tai have made great progress, but I must say the alcohol contents in the latter's bloodstream is a tad concerning."
"Of course it is..." The red reaper grumbled.
"Yes well, I'm needed elsewhere at the moment, please excuse me." Tim gave a friendly salute and turned towards the double doors.
"H-Hold on, what about Hawkins? Is he in this hospital too?"
Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Summer hopped off her bed and straightened out her wrinkled clothes. While dusty and ripped, there wasn't anything a needle and thread couldn't fix. Tilting her head to meet the doctor's gaze his smile wavered as his brows scrunched together.
"I did what I could when the staff brought him in and will do a follow-up after I've collected your current status."
"Wait, how did you know that Hawkins is stoic?" Summer muttered.
"Hmph, believe it or not, he's one of my most frequent visitors. From the day he crashed into the agricultural district to his wild escapade during the recent inferno, I'm happily shocked that he's still alive."
The red reaper blinked. "What do you mean crashed?"
Tim adjusted his glasses and hummed. "Oh, he didn't tell you?"
"He doesn't tell me much of anything." Summer pouted.
"Well, perhaps it's for good reason? From what I've gathered from Sam and his wife, Hawkins doesn't like to really exert himself unless it's absolutely necessary. Not to mention he suffers from a serious level of PTSD."
"PTSD?"
Tim shrugged. "All that I know about Hawkins' mental condition is that he's subjective to bright lights and loud explosions. He could have served as a soldier of some kind or maybe even a hunter, but without any kind of medical record or history for me to look up, I can't say for certain."
Suddenly it all made sense. Summer already had a hunch that Hawkins struggled under certain circumstances, but to have it boldly stated confirmed her prior suspicions. Then another thought popped into her pondering mind. The singer at the grande reunion, the one who joined Ms. Schnee, acted rather strangely when the fireworks erupted. However, seeing he was masked there was no real telling if the mystery singer was Hawkins or not.
"Hah, I'm probably overthinking it. That grumpy magician would never sing."
"Hm, what was that?" Tim leaned in with a curious eye.
"I-It's nothing," Summer stammered, "would it be okay for me to see my team and friends now?"
The doctor adorned a kind smile. "Of course, it seems all is in order, but if you experience any pains in the coming days please don't hesitate to see me."
"No problem!" Summer beamed and skipped past the double doors in a blurry of rose petals.
"Summer!" Tai burst from his chair and wrapped his arms around his leader and lover. The few hours in the waiting room had felt like an eternity of uncertainty.
"Are you alright? I wanted to see you but the nurses wouldn't let me past the doors!"
"Easy Tai," Qrow grunted with a short grin, "you don't want to be the cause of Summer's second visit to the hospital."
The blonde relinquished his grip and fresh air refilled his leader's lungs.
Coughing and hacking, the red reaper smiled at the friendly faces of her peers. "So, what did I miss? Is everyone alright?"
"This is nothing but a mere scratch," Port replied joyfully, pointing to his flexing bicep as he did so.
"Nothing a little history can't fix!" Oobleck grinned from ear to ear.
"I wouldn't mind having a few days off to relax, but my injuries are nothing to get worked up about," Thumbelina growled cutely.
"Wait a second, where's Glynda? Did she leave already?" Summer scanned the room but there were no signs of the snooty witch.
Oobleck stepped forward to speak, but the happy squeal of a child rung through the hallway. A boy, about ten years old with shaggy blue hair and light brown eyes, waved vigorously at the history enthusiast with a group of younger children behind him.
All in-hospital attire, the kids scurried over to the peppy man and asked him all sorts of questions related to the early days of Remnant.
"Can you give us another lecture, Mr. Oobleck? I wanna hear about the boats that sailed from Mistral to Mantle!" Said a girl with pink-tinted locks.
"Of course!" The green-haired hunter replied. "It's been a while since I've had the chance to educate you all, why don't we head back to your nursery so I can recount the thrilling tale!"
"Oh, is that Ms. Peach? Is she gonna stay too and show us how to mix cool dust experiments?"
"Not today dear," Thumbelina felt a bead of sweat roll down her forehead. The last time she showed the kids a dazzling display of small fireworks, she almost got caught and banned from the hospital.
"Such young minds full of potential," Port sighed happily, his sights turning to another boy with moppy brown hair.
"Can you tell me another war story, Mr. Port? My pops used to tell me them all the time, but he hasn't gotten back from his hunter mission yet."
"Of course my dear fellow! Let us be quick to join the others then shall we?"
The three subordinates of GPPO leading the children away, the three members of STTQ were left to their own devices with one general thought on their minds. Where was Ms. Goodwitch?
/-/
The monotone hums of the life support system echoing across the large room, Glynda clasped her hands on her lap as she sat in front of Hawkins' bed. She could've waited to see the downtrodden magician with the rest of her team, but as she processed the idea she had already found herself in Hawkins' room.
His pale skin layered with cuts and purple bruises, the only movements Hawkins made were the subtle rising and lowering of his pectorals as he breathed.
Glynda's bright green eyes followed the chord attached to the blonde man's forearm all the way to the blood bag that supplied him with necessary sustenance. It was odd, the witch thought to herself, that an independent man such as Hawkins would be reduced to seeking the aid of outside resources to survive. Albeit unconsciously.
A slight twitch of his arm, Glynda's hopes heightened at the possibility of the magician waking but was disappointed as nothing came of it. An uncomfortable tension worming into her chest, the sight of Hawkins in such a poor state brought forth all kinds of muddled emotions.
Why did she care so much about someone who'd she'd just met? The feelings thundering in her heart and mind weren't the romantic sort mind you, but she couldn't quite describe how she felt exactly.
"Hmph, you're nothing but a troublemaker." Glynda sighed.
"Yeah, but he's got a lot of positive qualities too."
The witch's posture stiffened as she reeled her head around. Her sights registering a head of red-tinted locks and friendly silver eyes, Glynda held back a groan and greeted her fellow huntress politely.
"I'm glad that you're okay." Summer skipped over with her hands clasped behind her back.
"Where is the rest of your team? I would have assumed that Qrow have would like to see the man he risked his life for."
"You're not wrong," the red reaper said shyly, "but both he and Tai got mixed up in helping Port prove his point about defeating a Beowolf with a rusty wrench."
GPPO's leader rolled her eyes. "I swear the exaggeration of Port's tales gets worse every year. If he keeps spouting nonsense like that, the future of hunters and huntresses seems bleak."
"His stories aren't that bad," Summer came in with a quick defense, "but I won't defend that he can get a little overboard when he gets pumped up for a topic he enjoys."
"That's an understatement, nonetheless despite his odd mannerisms, Port's experience has proven invaluable to many of my missions, and for that he's gained both my respect."
"So I guess the same applies to Hawkins?" Summer grinned.
The witch curled a dainty brow. "And how does this rude, ignorant, and selfish man compare to our mustached Grimm expert?"
The red reaper giggled. "Because despite all of those nasty traits, he's got a big heart. I can vouch for that point with plenty of examples, not to mention he took up the responsibility of being your date for our grad reunion."
"I only chose him because there were no other options available," Glynda huffed, "and don't try to sell the idea that I would have taken Qrow or Ironwood."
"That's fair... I think." Summer tapped her chin as a mischievous smile spread on her lips.
"Though I wonder, was Thumbelina telling me the truth about you throwing a tantrum when Hawkins was taken away by another pretty lady?"
Glynda choked on her breath. "W-Where did you hear such an absurd thing?!"
"Oh, just a little rumor I heard from a drunk dust enthusiast and history lover," Summer said nonchalantly. "But I'm sure those rumors have no merit to them right?"
"Absolutely." The witch said in a tone that left no room for disagreement.
The duo interrupted by an amused chortle, both Summer and Glynda turned to see a green-suited man entering with Dr. Tim in tow.
"It's good to see you both in such high spirits. Though on second thought, perhaps I should have stayed behind the door a few minutes longer so I could hear the rest of that juicy gossip." Ozpin's remark earned him a stern glare from the witch and a childish laugh from the red reaper.
"While I'm grateful to see Hawkins' friends at his side, I must ask you three to leave as I still need to run a few tests to ensure the magician makes a swift recovery. Don't worry though, visiting hours are always early, so you won't be waiting too long to see him again."
"Of course," Ozpin tapped his cane and left, albeit both Glynda and Summer seemed a tad reluctant on the matter.