Holy crud this chapter was a really long one for me! I usually don't write this long of a chapter, but I really wanted to wrap up the Patch Arc at chapter 60.
Okay, so just to get a few concerns out of the way, I can't believe I forgot to address this, but Hawkins did lose his devil fruit powers for a time after his fiasco in the hospital when STTQ and GPPO along with Tim and Ozpin tried to infuse him with aura. I actually do have a draft written up that was supposed to be included in chapter 43, but I forgot to include it for some strange raisins. But I will make sure to fill it in with the upcoming Vacuo arc.
That said, I know that Hawkins might seem underwhelming at the moment, but I promise that he's going to go through a big power surge in the upcoming Vacuo arc. I'll do my best to scale the magician where his strength is on par with the current One-Piece Wano arc, and this includes his really cool straw man technique with a few others I've thought up.
So, with that, I'll be taking next week off to allow my creativity to build, but should be back by February 12.
Cheers, Searoar.
"Yang... we shouldn't be doing this," Ruby whined as she pulled the hood of her hoodie over her trembling head.
Under the night sky and in the backyard, the two sisters walked carefully through the darkness and toward the wooden shed.
"What's so wrong about it? We'll find the secret hideout on the back of this photo and then I'll finally have some answers. Honest answers." Yang stressed the end of her sentence with a huff and carefully opened the shed door.
She had hoped her little sister would remain asleep for the beginning of their journey, but the cookie lover turned out to be a lighter sleeper than expected.
"B-But it's dark out, and mom and dad always said the Grimm are out at this time." Ruby protested and puffed her cheeks.
"You promised to help me, Rubes, isn't that what we agreed to when we made our sister promise earlier?" The young brawler put her hands on her hips and showed a rare face of anger.
"Y-Yeah... B-But..." The little reaper could only whimper and retract her rebukes under such an irregular glare. Yang had never shown such a fierce visage before, especially towards her sibling, and it frightened Ruby quite frankly.
So, with a reluctant heart, Ruby continued to follow through with Yang's plan as the two fetched a red wagon and dumped the bounty of snacks they'd gathered from the kitchen. However, the little reaper did ask a very good question. How were they going to find the secret hideout on the picture if they've never strayed past the usual hiking trails?
"That's just it, Rubes, we're going to explore uncharted territory. Go to places we've never seen before!" Yang said as the ominous cry of a corvid echoed in the distance.
"M-Maybe we could ask Uncle Hawkins to find the place for us? He's really good at finding things with his cards..." Ruby flinched as her sister's face soured.
"We can't trust the adults! All they do is lie and pretend that everything is okay!" It took all of Yang's willpower not to yell those words.
"Well, that's just because they're trying to protect us. That's what my Granpa and Grandma usually say."
Both Ruby and Yang froze at the sudden voice. Craning their heads to meet with the voice's owner, their eyes bulged as wide as dinner plates when they saw another blonde child with a packet in hand.
"Then again, my dad does say he lies when it benefits him, so I guess you're not entirely wrong?"
"J-Jaune?!" Yang spluttered. "What are you doing here?! Did you tell any of the adults where we are?!"
The boy flinched and stepped back. "I-I was hungry and went to get a snack from the kitchen. B-But I didn't say anything to the adults or Trifa!"
Jaune held up the bag of peanuts and offered them to his friends. Yang scowled at the bag, but Ruby timidly reached out and snagged a couple of salted nuts.
"So..." Jaune scratched his head awkwardly. "What are you guys doing out this late? We're gonna get in trouble if we get caught."
Ruby shuddered at the thought of being punished, but her sibling didn't share her trepidation. Instead, Yang crossed her arms and grit her teeth. She didn't want to waste this opportunity to sneak away, but now she faced an obstacle in the form of Jaune. The boy didn't bear any ill will, but Yang knew that he'd be a goodie little two-shoes and tattle on her.
Choices narrowed, the young brawler sucked in a breath and drew a long sigh.
"Jaune, you're coming with us," Yang said in a voice that held no room for argument.
"H-Huh?" The boy wilted under his fellow blonde's glare.
"Yes!" Ruby fist-pumped meekly. She didn't want to be the only one to venture into the scary forests with Yang, and there were powers in numbers, right?
"B-But, it's really dangerous at night! My Granpa always tells me that the shadow Grimm lurks in the darkness and waits to gobble up little kids who stay past their bedtime!" Jaune vigorously shook his head in defiance.
"Nu-uh, you owe me big time," Yang growled. "Especially after what you said when we first met."
Jaune tilted his head, then blinked as his brain produced the memory Yang was referring to.
"I-I already said I was sorry about that!"
"That doesn't mean I forgave you, dummy, so to make up for it you have to help me look for this secret hideout." The young brawler presented the bewildered male with the picture she'd snatched from her sister.
"A lot of the boys and men my Granpa and dad talk to wear overalls!" Jaune threw up his hands dramatically. "So I thought you were a guy too because you wore similar clothes!"
"I'm not a guy!" Yang barked. "Do guys have long hair like mine?!"
She grabbed her pigtails then waved them side-to-side. However, her temper cooled just a bit when all she got was a deadpanned visage from the one she was angry at.
"My dad's hair reaches way past his shoulders. So there's no way that guys can't have long hair."
Met with this indisputable fact, Yang glowered at Jaune but kept her mouth shut. Pigtails lowered, the two blondes continued their staring contest until the sound of a door closing echoed from the house.
Nerves jolted, the two whirled around to see Ruby with a handful of cookies and three flashlights.
"Ruby!" Yang hissed under her breath and the little reaper recoiled. "Did you go back inside the house? Did anyone see you?"
"N-No!" Her sibling squeaked. "I-I just thought we'd need some flashlights for our adventure... and I wanted some cookies."
Yang rolled her eyes. She'd already lost precious minutes with her petty dispute with Jaune, and she wasn't keen on burning the rest of the night away.
"It's fine..." The young brawler lamented. "Just gimme a flashlight and let's get moving."
"O-Okay!" Ruby nodded and dumped her cookie cargo onto the red wagon.
"Wait, we can't leave-" Jaune's advice was cut by a fierce retort.
"I'm trying to find my real mom, Jaune, and if you won't help me then your not my friend!" Yang snapped. Deep down she didn't mean it, but given her boiling emotions, her mind wasn't exactly focused on being polite or sympathetic.
"B-But, friends are supposed to protect each other, not put one another in danger..."
"Of course, you'd say that!" A large nerve twitched above the blonde girl's brow. "You don't get it because you don't have a mom!"
The bolt of dejection striking his heart like a searing arrow, Jaune dropped his peanut bag and balled his fists. Head hung low, his face held no anger, merely sadness. Sure... he didn't get along with Yang as much as he'd liked, but did she really have to go there? And his friendship with her, as weak as it was, wasn't something he wanted to lose no matter what.
"Okay... I'll help." He muttered weakly after rubbing the tears from his eyes.
Yang pursed her lips at her fellow blonde's downtrodden state. A pang of guilt worming its way into her gut, she did her best to hammer it down so she could lead the group out of the backyard and onto the forest trails. Though in her state of command, she didn't notice that Ruby had pulled the hood of her jacket over her face.
Beneath said hood, was an annoyed- nay, angry visage never before seen on the little reaper that was being directed solely at her older sibling. Least to say that Ruby was very upset, and I mean very upset, with Yang for what she said, but she didn't know how to voice her opinion on the matter.
With Jaune pulling the wagon, he dragged his feet behind the two sisters who controlled the flashlights. As they passed through the backyard gate, none of them noticed a peculiar corvid atop a nearby tree branch. Its blood-colored eyes watched with interest before narrowing on the dark cabin that showed no signs of activity.
/-/
"Tunk! Tunk! Tunk!"
"Urgh... what is it?" Hawkins rubbed his temples and slowly raised his head off his pillow.
A vein twitching above his brow, the magician had finally managed to fall asleep without hassle, only to be woken by loud repetitive taps on his room's window. Crimson eyes narrowed on the cause of the disturbance, he curled a brow and walked towards the window, but when he opened it all he saw was a black feather on the windowsill.
He picked up the feather, closely inspected it, then put it on his desk.
"I'm starting to lose my grip on reality..."
Closing the window, Hawkins dragged his feet back to his bed but was not allowed to rest as an annoyingly familiar heat began to burn on his chest. The Arc symbol, while still bright, had significantly dimmed over the years and the magician sometimes struggled to hear Bastion's voice during their brief conversations.
"Bastion?" Hawkins sighed.
"Hawk..." The voice started softly, but slowly grew louder. "Hawkins? Is that you?"
"Who else could it be?" The former pirate grunted. "We haven't spoken since last Christmas."
Hawkins expected a snarky comment from the doting spirit, but his suspicions were raised when the spirit's tone held nothing but concern.
"Haw...kins..." Again, the voice struggled to speak clearly, and this time it didn't grow in volume.
"I can't hear you, speak up," Hawkins grumbled.
"Your... son is miss...ing." Bastion said in a humbled whisper that was barely audible to the one receiving the message.
"Jaune?" The magician shook his head. "I already talked to him about the mother issue, so why would there be more concern about him?"
"He's... treading down a path of danger!"
Hawkins steeled his nerves at the now hearable volume.
"I don't think Jaune is going to be making any stupid decisions in regards to me giving him a mother, so there's no need to feel so distraught."
"Your son and two others, have ventured into the forests when the Grimm are at their peak. Please, protect all of them and bring them home!"
Despite his desire to rest, Hawkins was no idiot. He knew Bastion had a horrible sense of humor, but when it came to protecting the Arc bloodline, the spirit did not fool around.
Hawkins was quick to heed the warning and grabbed his ruffle-collared cloak from his desk chair, but as he did so, he heard a crumple come from the cloak's pocket where his tarot cards should be. Was this a note?
Unfolding the messy creases, Hawkins' pupils widened a fraction at the messy message within. His weariness all but gone along with the idea of falling back to sleep, the stoic blonde shoved the note in his pant pocket and grabbed the longsword that leaned against the foot of his bed.
"Bastion, which path did the children take?"
"They... we...nt..."
Hawkins patted his chest lightly, but he could do nothing to stop the Arc emblem from fading away into silence. Pale skin now bare, Hawkins swung on his clothes and rushed to the doors of his respective teammates.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
His gloved hand knocking harshly on the shared room of Ms. Rose and Mr. Long, the magician heard a muffled cry followed by a loud thud that vibrated the floorboards.
The door swung open and Hawkins was met with the sight of a rather angry red reaper.
"Hawkins? What are you doing? It's one in the morning for Oum's sake!" Summer growled, the buttons of her gray pajamas undone, and almost gave a lewd sight to the blonde in front of her.
The magician's gaze snapped up to meet with the narrowed silver eyes directed at him.
"My son is missing, along with your children." He said plainly.
Her temper subsided immediately after hearing those words. Pushing her way past her partner, she threw open the door of Yang's and Ruby's room. To her horror, Hawkins' statement was true as the only one to squeal at the sudden entry was Trifa.
"T-Trifa, where are the others?" Summer panicked and pointed to the empty beds.
"H-Huh? I-I don't know..." The spider Faunus replied groggily.
"Ugh, what's all the commotion about?" The dusty voice of Qrow entered the scene with Tai close behind him.
"Jaune and my kids are missing!" Summer's voice boomed through the household rattling both Carla and Sam from their slumber.
All lights of the large cabin were flicked on, but the kids were nowhere to be found.
"What's gotten into those tykes?" Sam scratched his head. "When I saw Jaune come back with you, Hawkins, he seemed as happy as could be."
"S-Samuel!" Carla called from the hallway. "The gate of the backyard fence is open!"
"W-What?!" Summer quivered then blitzed to the scene in a flurry of rose petals.
The faint lines of Yang's favorite wagon trailing the dewed grass, the hearts of all the adults pumped into a frenzy.
"We have to find them, Patch might be a peaceful island, but the Grimm know how to threaten any community no matter the circumstances," Tai said.
Hands-on her hips, Summer went into full leader mode and began ordering the members of STQH.
"Qrow, I want you to take to the skies and patrol from above. Tai, you'll search the lake with Sam and Carla, as that space is the largest nearby. As for you, Hawkins, you'll perform as many tarot readings in regards to the missing kids' locations and relay them with your scroll."
"W-What about me?" Trifa asked with a raised hand.
Her features softened, but the sternness in Summer's eyes refused to fade.
"I want you to hold the fort and keep an eye out should Jaune and the others come back. Can you do that for me, Trifa?"
The spider Faunus pouted but nodded her head. She really wanted to help search the area but knew she wasn't old or big enough to be of much assistance.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Sam puffed his chest and snapped his fingers. "Come on, Carliana, I'll grab the lantern and put on my running shoes."
A flame of hope burning in her chest, Summer smiled proudly at her proactive friends. One, however, seemed a tad off among the rest of them.
"Hawkins, what's wrong?"
Blinking at the attention his partner was giving him, the magician muttered something she didn't quite catch.
Hawkins performed a few quick card shuffles and came up with a vague conclusion in terms of where everyone should search.
"65% chance the kids headed toward the west, 58% chance they went south, 63% they went east, and 27% chance they went north."
Locations confirmed, the group rushed into the house to collect their belongings and change their clothes. However, seeing that he was already prepared, Hawkins told everyone that he'd get a head start on the situation while also stating that since he was the slowest in terms of travel speed; he'd cover the northern areas.
The rare initiative of the magician bolstering her hope, Summer and the others wished him the best of luck then hurried off to the other locations on the island.
"Jaune..." Hawkins blinked. He knew it was his responsibility to look after the tyke, but there was a subtle heat that twisted his heart at the thought of the little blonde meeting an early end. This, followed by the smiles of a little red reaper and young brawler popping into his mind, the magician shook away these thoughts but they refused to completely leave his conscience.
Shuffling his cards once more, the former pirate concluded that there was an 86% chance that his son was in danger; and for a moment, the Arc symbol on his chest fizzled into view.
He took the straightest path that led to the northern mountains of the island and broke into a light jog. He couldn't afford to waste his stamina on a blind run, but he wanted to set off on a reasonably hurried pace.
The darkness of night obscuring his sight, Hawkins cursed his misfortune as he pulled out his tarot cards. He didn't have Bastion to rely on but found aid in the sudden cry of a bird that flew overhead. Said bird, swooped down to ground level for a moment then flapped back to the moonlit sky.
A familiar feather left behind, Hawkins caught the falling object and inspected it. He didn't know what was going on, as if it were Qrow, the hunter would simply transform and inform the magician of his findings. A moment of self-contemplation, Hawkins rubbed his temples with the idea that the power of transformation did not solely belong to his booze-loving teammate.
Qrow did have a sister after, all right? And the possibility of them sharing a similar ability was plausible at the very least.
Crimson eyes trailing the faraway bird, Hawkins trusted his gut instincts and pursued the avian creature down a path that did not belong to the common hiking trails. His venture lasted a whole ten minutes, bringing more doubt about the safety of the kids.
'Crumple~'
Hawkins curled a brow as something had stuck to the heel of his boot. Taking a pause to inspect the oddity, the blonde grit his teeth at a photo of the former STRQ. Flipping the photo over, he was provided with a vague map that led to a hideout in the northern parts of the islands where the mountains were tallest.
Wasting no time, Hawkins pulled out his tarot cards and began deducing the possibilities of the kids passing through here. The odds rounding to 74%, the reading was bolstered by the hint of wagon tracks left in the soil.
"Jaune..." Hawkins muttered as a mental image of his son and his team leader's children flashed before his dimmed eyes.
/-/
"Yang, are you sure we're going the right way? I think we passed this tree already." Jaune muttered as he pointed to a mossy tree with a bent stump.
The surrounding terrain had taken a dramatic shift over the past half-hour. Going from lush trees and bushes to withered sticks that stood lopsided over swampy terrain the further they traveled.
His fellow blonde shot him a glare. "The map says that we have to pass by a bent tree, and this one matches the picture perfectly. So we have to be going in the right direction."
"You said that a while back though..." Jaune huffed. His arm sore from the long time it had spent pulling the red wagon of provisions.
"Hrmph." Ruby pouted with her hood still over her face.
"What's the matter, Rubes, you see something?" Yang asked. Though her concern drifted into bewilderment when all she got was an angry stare from her sibling.
"What?" The young brawler repeated.
Ruby refused to meet her eye and turned her head away. She mumbled something under her breath, but neither blondes could make out what she said.
Irritation now in the mix of her faltering determination, Yang's frown deepened as she continued to lead the group to Oum knows where. The bulb of her flashlight had also started to flicker, signaling the batteries wouldn't hold out for the remainder of the night.
Jaune observed the scene with increasing worry. He'd never seen such a sour expression on Ruby before, and he couldn't help but feel responsible for her poor mood. He obviously barged in on the little reaper's and her sister's secret adventure, though unintentionally mind you, but he assumed neither girl saw it that way.
"Um, do you want another cookie, Ruby?" Jaune asked timidly.
To his surprise, the little reaper accepted the gesture with a softer expression, but the moment Yang glanced at her, the stern mask returned. Yang was obviously miffed by the gesture and decided to finally do something about it.
The blonde brawler pointed her flickering flashlight at her sibling and huffed.
"Why are you being such a sour puss? We were supposed to have fun on this adventure!"
Another rare flash of anger crossed the little reaper's face that made Jaune let go of the wagon and step back. He didn't know what was going on, but he didn't like the way things were going that's for sure.
"I'm not having any fun!" Ruby yelled in a voice unfitting of her small stature. The volume of her voice startled Yang to the point that she too took a step back.
"We're lost in a scary forest and I'm hungry!"
"We can't go back yet!" Yang shouted back. Anger etching onto her features as well.
"Why not?!" Ruby screamed back. "This whole time you've been nothing but a big meanie to Uncle Hawkins and a bully to Jaune!"
"WHAT?!" Yang roared.
"You heard me!" Ruby flipped off her hood to show her teary but furious visage. Hands clenched, the little reaper stared defiantly at her older sister who had crossed her arms and puffed out her chest.
"You always say that Jaune's stupid and that Uncle Hawkins is really rude, but Jaune's actually really smart and his dad let me ride on his shoulders!" Ruby continued.
"I'm not a meanie!" Yang bit back her tears but eventually lost the emotional battle.
"Yes, you are!" Ruby's verbal assault went into overdrive. "You never help Jaune when he asks for it, and you keep saying mean things about him and his dad behind their backs!"
Jaune blinked, he felt happy after hearing Ruby's kind words but also dejected at all the stuff her sister said about him on the sidelines. However, in the midst of the heated debate, Jaune's eyes wandered to a faint light in the distance.
The flashlights of the group currently being used by the sisters in an attempt to spitefully blind one another, so their flickering devices couldn't be the source of the strange light. Plus, the light in the distance was red and seemed to be closing in on his location with the faint sound of slobbery growls accompanying it.
"U-Um, guys?" Jaune stiffened as the surrounding foliage was ruffled by a large presence.
"Fine!" Yang screamed. "If you want to go home then go ahead! I don't care!"
"But I can't go back!" Ruby stomped her feet. "Because we're lost and we don't know the way back!"
Jaune tried to stop the confrontation as his instincts foretold danger, but the sibling bout in front of him proved too large a hurdle to overcome.
"I-It's okay guys, there's a high chance that my dad will come and rescue us."
Yang stilled after hearing the boy's comment. "What?"
Jaune raised his hands defensively. "I-It's just that when I usually go missing, my dad somehow manages to find where I am even when he's asleep. It happened a few times before when I tried to sneak out to catch fireflies late at night back in Vale because my Granpa told me that my dad would always wake up when I strayed too far from home."
"So you lied then," Yang said curtly.
"Huh?"
"You told your dad that we snuck away, didn't you?!" Yang's voice raised to a shout and she stomped towards the nervous male of the trio.
"You told me you didn't tell anyone that we left, but you just admitted to doing the deed just now!" The young brawler threw her hands into the air then grabbed Jaune's collar.
"You're a liar just like your stupid dad!" Her spit pittered against his cheeks and forehead.
"MY DAD'S NOT STUPID!" Jaune bellowed, his tone nearly matching that of his stoic father which sent a jolt of fear down Yang's spine.
"Sure, he's not the nicest around people he doesn't know, but he's never been the one to take physical action first!" Jaune grabbed Yang's wrists and threw them off his person. His strength surprised both his fellow blonde and the watching little reaper as the latter staggered back and fell on her bum.
"And he's way smarter than he looks! He wins almost every chess match in the commercial district's amenity halls, and he helps plenty of the Valesian farmers with calculating their taxes! And so what if he doesn't have a wife?! He's still a nice person, after all, is said and done, and that should be good enough for me!"
Jaune took a heavy step forward. "So you can call me an idiot and say that we aren't friends for all I care but don't you ever say mean things about my dad!"
His rant done with, Jaune grimaced once his brain caught up with the monologues he'd spouted. Shame replacing his fiery temper, he recoiled back to his responsibility of pulling the wagon with his head hung low and mouth clamped shut.
"This doesn't change the fact that we're lost..." Ruby growled in the background.
"We're not lost!" Yang pulled her hair. "We have a map and this bent tree is the last stop before the secret hideout!"
"You said that an hour ago!" The little reaper yelled.
Their bout put on hold by a booming roar, the three kids flinched as the earth beneath them trembled. Rummaging through the foliage, was a Grimm they'd never seen before. It's shape akin to a bear with boney plating on its back and limbs, its head was compromised of round beady eyes fitted on a thick skull of bone and jagged teeth.
The Grimm before the trio was an Ursa Major, much more powerful than its lesser counterpart, and a rare occurrence on Patch.
"Uh oh..." Jaune whimpered as he and the others shared a worried glance. In a heartbeat, the Ursa gnashed its teeth and lunged forward, eager to sink its sharp jaws on the easy prey it stumbled upon.
"Run!" Jaune cried and abandoned the wagon.
Yang snagged Ruby by the wrist and followed her fellow blonde through the thickets of shrubs they managed to squeeze past. The Grimm, hot on their heels and jaws eager for blood, broke Yang's favorite wagon in half with a heavy stomp and pursued the fleeing humans.
"Sharp left!" Jaune panted. His clothes cacked in dust, he brushed twigs and thorns from his hair and face but in his momentary blindness, he stumbled over a fallen log.
He fell on his side but yelped in horror as he tripped and rolled down a steep cliff.
"Jaune!" Yang and Ruby screamed after their falling friend.
The two peeking over the edge of the cliff, they shuddered at the staggering height then drew a sigh of relief when they saw Jaune had landed on an extended rock on the cliff's face.
"H-He's not moving, Yang!" Ruby squeaked.
The young brawler felt her blood freeze and color drain from her face. She yelled at the boy below to say if he was alright, but the only movement coming from him was from the chilled breeze that brushed through his hair.
"Jaune! Wake up! Please wake up!" Yang continued to yell until her throat grew raspy and tears flooded over her cheeks.
"Growr!"
The sudden cry of the pursuing Ursa major rattling her nerves, Yang spared a glance at her sister who was trembling in fear.
"We have to get out of here!" Yang said in despair and snagged Ruby by the wrist.
"No! We can't leave Jaune!" Ruby protested and dug her heels in the dirt.
Locked between a rock and a hard place, the siblings couldn't decide on an action and were promptly punished for it.
"Duck, Ruby!" Yang commanded, but her sibling's reactions were too slow. Eyes wide in panic, Yang did the only thing she could think of and shielded her sister with her body.
By a stroke of undeniable luck, Yang managed to shove both herself and Ruby off the ursa's line of attack. However, as a result of the swift dodge, the Ursa slammed its arm against the ground causing the cliff's foundations to crumble.
With an ear-shattering yell, the two girls fumbled over the cliffside and found themselves landing on the same outcropping Jaune had fallen onto.
Head throbbing and shins scuffed, Yang blinked in alarm as she tended to her sister in a motherly fashion. Thank Oum her sister had made it out in one piece, and nothing appeared to be broken. Her concern drifting to the still boy beside her, Yang's heart sunk as he refused to wake no matter how many times she shook him.
"I-Is he gonna be okay?" Ruby whimpered. Her entire form was shaking as she gripped the hems of her torn hoodie.
"He's gonna be fine!" Yang yelled. Though there was no malice in her outburst, only worry and frustration.
'Plunk~'
A pebble knocked against Yang's head forcing her to stare upwards. The moment she did, her lilac pupils widened as a hungry Grimm loomed over the group and gave a ferocious roar.
"I-It's climbing down the cliff!" Ruby shrieked.
True to the little reaper's words, the Ursa major started to charge toward the helpless trio with hungry vigor. Backed into a corner, Yang did her best to protect her friends, but her small frame proved useless against the monster's advance. The hulking beast crashed against the outcropping's foundations thus shattering it and sending all those upon it to plunder to the ground level below.
All Yang managed to hear were the woeful cries of her sister, and watch as she could do nothing to help the tumbling form of an unconscious Jaune.
The roll down the cliffside lasted only a few seconds before all was brought to a halt by a crash landing. As the dust cleared, Yang's body was covered in bruises with a hint of blood seeping out of her mouth.
"R-Ruby?! Jaune?!" The blonde girl cried as she pushed aside clumps of rubble.
She whipped around in search of her family and friend and breathed a sigh of relief as the other two kids came into view. They appeared to be breathing, but Jaune was still unconscious with Ruby apparently joining him.
Yang scrambled to stand then rushed over to the wounded. She checked every spot she could think of and though Jaune and Ruby were covered in scratches, bruises, and bits of blood, they appeared to still be in the world of the living.
The sudden realization that she was still far from safety, Yang glanced at the spot where the ursa major had landed, and the beast also appeared to be in a state of rest. Though knowing the power of Grimm, Yang knew she didn't have long before the monster came around, so she needed to get away as soon as possible.
Though she was tired beyond belief, Yang snagged the collars of Ruby's hoodie and Jaune's onesie, then dragged them as fast as she could to a place where they could hide. Passing through a thicket of trees, the young brawler was met with a large clearing that stretched across the horizon.
Blinking the blurriness out of her eyes, Yang's breath hitched when her lilac pupils landed on a broken-down shack. Most of its frame left in shambles, the swampy terrain had claimed the majority of the withering and rotting establishment. Ensnaring its walls in vines and plaguing its leaky roof with patches of moist moss. Then one by one from the looming darkness, the eyes of hungry and malevolent predators awakened. Eager to sink their long pale bone fangs on the meal that was kind enough to drag itself to their claimed den.
Slowly, the beasts emerged from their home and licked their lips in starving delight. A pack of beowolves and boarbatusks, that much Yang knew, but their numbers exceeded the number of fingers and toes she had combined.
"W-We made it guys..." Yang broke down and pulled in her friends for one final hug. Her fingers clasped so tight there'd be marks left in her cohort's arms after all was said and done.
With nothing but the cold breaths of her friends for comfort, Yang drew a shaky breath through her snot-filled nostrils. She imagined the blonde goofball she held as his stoic father for a moment, and perhaps that is why she was okay with burying her head into his chest for support as her mind was flooded with happy memories to counter the woeful emotions that thundered in her mind.
"Yang? Come down for dinner, your mom made you your favorite grilled steak and barbecue sauce!" Tai called from the kitchen with a snow-melting smile.
"Yang, I finished sewing the hole in your favorite overalls, why don't you try them on?" Summer beamed as she presented her daughter with the hardy piece of clothing.
"Yang," it was Sam who took the spotlight now, "I can show you a new type of knot if you want. You never know when you'll need to tie a piece of rope in a jiffy, so it's best to be prepared wouldn't ya say?"
"Yang, come over here please," Carla waved from the backyard's balcony. "I want you to try these new lemon tarts I whipped up because I know you love the taste of lemon-themed desserts."
"Yang, can you pass me the plastic pearls? I want to finish your necklace before the day ends." Trifa grinned as she fiddled with some shiny beads and string.
"Yang!" Jaune shouted with comically teary eyes. "I'm sorry I called you a boy, and to make up for it, I'm going to be the best friend I can be for you!" Jaune's triumphant declaration resounded with absolute certainty.
"It's alright, I'm here now, and no one is going to take you away." The heartfelt words from her stoic uncle Hawkins served as the final nail in the coffin as the haunting growls of Grimm brought Yang back to reality.
"I..." The blonde brawler whimpered. "I don't want to die! I don't any of my friends to die!"
Her sobs transitioned from hopeless whimpers to furious screams of vigor.
"It's all my fault! I'm sorry for being a stupid meanie, Jaune, Rubes!"
It was then and there that a match had been struck within. Her hair gaining a brighter tint accompanied by a sudden shift in her eyes, the lilac hue of her pupils had blurred then burst into bright displays of clear scarlet. A hot sensation ignited within her left breast, a faint shimmer of gold-lined her fingertips that soon spread across her entire being.
The ribbons holding her hair in pigtails snapped allowing her hair to waver and flow freely, as pressure began to rise within her skull that caused a thundering headache. Though her senses were worn, they felt sharper than ever as the cold temperature around her was soon replaced by a bursting warmth.
Yang didn't quite grasp the recent change in her personal dynamic, but for some bizarre reason, she felt as if she could punch through a boulder. Understanding the blessing of this random gift, Yang released Jaune and Ruby from her grasp and laid them gently on the muddy earth.
She took a classic boxer pose and despite her trembling knees, she prepared to protect the ones she cared about to her last breath.
"Ow... what happened? Did I hit my head on something?" Jaune said groggily as he came around. "Whoa, Yang! What's going on?!"
The boy scampered to his feet.
"R-Ruby, wake up, we're in trouble!"
"...Huh?" The little reaper wiped her dirty face and joined her friend.
Seeing the hoard of hungry Grimm, Jaune pulled Ruby up then eyed a couple of long sticks on the ground. They weren't the best of weapons, and Jaune would've definitely preferred to flee in this instance, but given that he was completely surrounded he had little choice but to fight his way out.
Ruby fumbled with the stick and dropped it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't keep her composure and buckled under the heavy pressure.
"R-Ruby? Come on, we can't give up now, we might be able to escape if we can find a gap to run past!" Jaune tried to sound reassuring, but his cracking voice failed to bolster his words.
"I-I'm scared... I don't want to fight..." Ruby whimpered pathetically then pulled her hood over her face. Head hung low, she refused to stand and could only muster the energy to cry her heart out.
A sensation of brotherly duty seething under the skin of his left breast, Jaune squinted his eyes as a bright golden light pierced his peripherals.
"Y-Yang?" The boy called in shock.
His fellow blonde turned to address him. Showing a nervous smile, Yang tried to pull a brave face and blinked the tears out of her eyes.
Jaune took a few deep breaths to gather his bearings. There was no room to be afraid now, as both he and Yang knew they had to protect Ruby at all costs. Though a thought niggled at his subconscious. If only he'd been sterner when he met his friends by the backyard shed... all of this could have been avoided and would've gone down a less perilous path.
Well, the present was usually the best time to atone for one's mistakes, and when Jaune put his mind to something he always tried to see things through to the end.
"Great vile beasts of the darkness!" The boy declared in a voice filled with vigor. "I, a mighty knight of the marines, shall vanquish each and every one of you in the name of mighty justice!"
"...What the heck was that?" Yang deadpanned. Her hair still burning brightly.
Jaune raised his stick toward the hoard of Grimm.
"It's one of my favorite lines from Sora the warrior of the sea! Doesn't it sound cool?"
Yang let out a genuine laugh that made Jaune's stomach flutter.
"Alright, then let's get rid of these stupid monsters then head home!" The young brawler yelled.
Jaune blinked dumbly. "Wait, I thought the plan was to take care of one beowolf then run for our lives? Since when did defeating all of these Grimm come into play?!"
The choice made for him, the Grimm advanced with Yang meeting the closest beowolf with a punch much too powerful for a girl her size. Her knuckles sending the small Grimm pup into the ground, both blonde's eyes widened as they shared a glance.
"Yang, how did you get so strong?"
"I'm not sure exactly..."
Though the punch was mighty for a tyke, the smallest of the monsters shook its head and snarled as a few of its teeth fell out. However, overall, the Grimm was far from being dead and quickly resumed its advance.
"We're in trouble..." Jaune grit his teeth as doubt racked his worried psyche.
"I-I'll help..." Said the meek Ruby as she waved her flashlight like a baton.
The adorable gesture doing wonder's for the trio's morale, they puffed their chests and prepared to make a break for the weakest line among the Grimm's ranks.
"Yang! Behind you!" Jaune yelled at the top of his lungs as his friend was batted away like a ping pong ball.
Jaune ran to break his friend's fall and managed to catch Yang but his face met the dirt as a result. Knees and palms scraped, the boy's hope faltered at the sight of his stick snapped in two.
He tried to break through the weakest flank of Grimm with Yang's help, and they even managed to take down a small beowolf in the process, but no matter how they looked at it; three kids were simply no match for an ensemble of monster's this large. Not only that, the light in the young brawler's hair had begun to die out and her eyes were now a mix of lilac and scarlet.
"There's no way we're going to make it out of here in one piece..." Jaune muttered under his breath.
"Don't give up now! We're so close I can taste it!"
"Eek!" Ruby yelped as the jaws of a beowolf chomped down on the hem of her hoodie.
Hoisted into the air, the Grimm whipped its head back and forth in an attempt to dislodge its prey from its cotton protection.
"Rubes!" Yang screeched in anguish and charged at the monster. She landed a punch against the Grimm's stomach, and it released her sibling as a result, but the beast managed to retaliate with a harsh swipe to the cheek.
Yang crashed against the ground and the bright light that surrounded her body flared. The Grimm's attack didn't hurt as much as expected, but that was most likely due to the mysterious power she'd tapped into.
"Yang! Look out!" Jaune's warning came too late and he witnessed his friends' helpless forms barrel across the disturbed earth.
"Growr!" Another Grimm attempting to snuff out his life, Jaune barely ducked in time to avoid the eager jaws of the beowolf above him.
He retaliated with a strong swing, but the stick he wielded had run its course and snapped in two on impact. With only a few splinters to show for his hard work, Jaune raised his arms in boxer fashion as he too was batted into the sidelines.
"Oof!" He coughed as he landed next to Yang and Ruby.
The group reunited, none of them had a clue on how to escape their inevitable doom. Options limited, Jaune scrambled to his feet and raised his arms to cover both of his friends.
"You're not allowed to hurt them, you big meanies!"
"Gash!"
"Gyaaah!"
It all happened so fast. One moment, Jaune was standing before the cowering duo and the next...
"JAUNE!" Yang hollered and froze as her friend fell on his back. Three deep scars on his chest that trailed from his right shoulder to his stomach, blood poured from the wound at an alarming rate.
"I don't Jaune to die!" Ruby broke down, face smothered in tears and a nose leaking with snot.
The biggest among the Grimm, the Ursa major that chased the trio to this location, pushed its way past the lesser beowolves demanding that it have the first mouthful of flesh.
"GROOOAAAR!"
The growls and snarls of the Grimm hoard fell silent at the outburst. The cry was unlike anything they'd ever heard, even among their own malevolent pack.
The same went for the kids, however with Jaune temporarily out of the picture, Yang was the only one who recognized the distinct cry. Ruby, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on.
"Kyaaa!" Yang shrieked which made her sister cover her ears.
"Kyaaa!" Ruby joined her sister once she laid eyes on the towering figure that didn't look like any Grimm she'd seen before.
"I-It's the monster from the beach!"
True to her statement, a mighty scarecrow trudged past the trees and into the obsidian horde of beasts. It wasted no time in cleaving its enemies apart with no remorse. The first few beowolves fell with ease, but their staggering numbers proved to be a more difficult hurdle than expected.
From the eyes of the daunting scarecrow, Hawkins had alerted the other members of STQH of his location and after receiving a positive from the three of them, he headed to where the loud howls of Grimm were beckoning. Imagine his surprise when he found his son, as afraid as he was, shielding his downtrodden friends with his body.
There was an odd feeling that stirred within Hawkins' chest that demanded he take immediate action to save the helpless children. His devil fruit manifesting, the scarecrow was formed and set to work on exterminating all threats. However, as he reached the children after dismembering a handful of Grimm, an unaccountable variable presented itself in the most brilliant ways. Or in the magician's case, the worst kind of triggering fashions of mental trauma.
"Get away from us you monster! My Uncle Hawkins might not be around now, but I won't let you take away Rubes or Jaune!"
Yang lunged forward, oblivious to the fact that the Grimm had not approached this newcomer, and the hairs on her scalp sparked into a flickering frenzy.
"Yang, it's-Agh!" Hawkins shielded his eyes but the light still managed to blind his peripherals.
"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
"You're not a logia, as you do have a physical form."
"You are no longer needed here."
Yang's punch landed against the magician's stomach, on the exact spot where he had been pierced through by a hot laser.
Hawkins tried to block the horrible memories, but the adrenaline from fighting the Grimm added in with this unexpected display of searing golden light, had fastened his heart rate and quickened his breaths.
The former pirate no longer saw a girl he needed to protect, instead, he saw a powerful admiral who was keen on ending his life. With a mighty shout, the focus in Hawkins' eyes became blind as he began to assault whatever was around him at random.
Luckily, Yang scuttled back to Jaune and Ruby who was trying to stop the boy's bleeding by pressing her hoodie against his wound.
"Y-Yang, what is that monster?" Ruby stiffened as she witnessed the scarecrow rip a beowolf's head clean off.
"I-I don't know!" Yang blurted in panic. "But it's killing the Grimm, so this is our chance to escape!"
"Raaah!"
Unfortunately, Hawkins was drawn to the light that he felt he had to extinguish in revenge for his lost glory days. He broke the spine of a boarbatusk then charged towards Yang with his black iron nails flexing for blood.
"Eeek!" Yang's hair flared in sparking golden hues as the menacing scarecrow closed the distance.
His ruffled cloak torn away by the sharp claws of the monster hoard, the magician no longer showed any resemblance to his original human form. With a rattled state of mind, Hawkins raised his sharp nails and swung downward.
Ruby and Yang huddled around Jaune, trying to repay the favor for his brave action earlier. Backs turned, the scarecrow's attack never met its mark as the hasty descent of a corvid joined the fray.
Upon its plunge, the corvid's black feathers shed to allow pale skin and ebony hair to emerge and enlarge. Bearing the traditional combat attire of the Branwen Tribe, Raven unsheathed her weapon and slashed the crazed scarecrow across the chest. The cut trailing down from his shoulder to his thigh, the straw being staggered to a knee.
The scene happened so fast, that Yang and Ruby failed to keep up with the action, and were soon denied their sight by a hard hit on the back of their necks.
"Thock!" Yang let out a muffled yelp as her hair lost its golden flame and her eyes returned to their lilac tint.
"Thock!" Ruby gave a squeak as she was sent to dreamland.
Raven prepared to subdue Jaune as well, but she hesitated when she noticed the wound that marked his chest and stomach. His clothes had been bloodied, but it appeared the gashes had sealed themselves during the brief time of Ruby's attempt to save him.
The blonde male showing no signs of waking, Raven clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes on the approaching Grimm.
"You disgusting beasts might have had fun with these pathetic brats, but I'm in a league of my own."
"Growr!"
Raven ducked then thrust her blade into a beowolf's gullet. However, as she maintained the humble space around herself and the unconscious children, the broken scarecrow resumed its rampage, its vigor raising by tenfold as it stumbled clumsily in combat.
"What are you doing you, idiot?!" Raven snarled as she raised her sword to block a fast swing of iron nails.
Staring into the hollowed crimson pupils of the heaving straw being, the bandit decided it would be best to subdue him as well since it had already taken care of a large portion of Grimm.
Usually, Hawkins would be able to come out as the victor if it were a one-on-one fight, but his mind bent and common sense dispersed; he roared and slammed himself against the walls of the run-down shack. The sound of debris being flown about within the withered establishment, Hawkins broke through the other side with several beowolves sinking their teeth into his shoulders, back, and arms.
Forced to crawl, Hawkins stumbled then rolled his way until he stopped a few feet from Raven.
Raven deemed the magician's actions as pathetic. How could such a physically strong man like him be reduced to a crying infant? Wait... tears?
Using the incoming swing of an adult beowolf as a stepping stone, Raven soared into the air and planted herself directly in front of the wheezing scarecrow. Blood dripping from its mouth and eyes, the bandit stared indignantly into its crimson pupils.
"Is this supposed to be my future representative?" Raven scoffed. "You can't even keep your wits about you in dire situations. No, you're too unpredictable, and your psyche would never survive a day in the wildlands of Vacuo. It seems I'll have to go with my original plan, after all, at least this way my daughter won't be reduced to a similar lamenting state. You're too weak."
"You're too weak..." Those words were all Hawkins managed to hear as his ragged breaths eased his disquieted heart.
Arms too weary to support him, the magician fell flat on his face, but his peripherals managed to catch a very sorry sight.
"...Jaune... Yang... Ruby..."
All the kids, huddled together with faces smudged in dirt and clothes riddled with rips and holes, activated another memory once long forgotten.
There he was, lying on the ground, his depleted strength allowing him to give one last defiant stare at the man whose logia powers would hammer in the final nail on his coffin. But... the image changed. Instead of Hawkins, it was Jaune lying helpless... then Yang... then Ruby... who was on the burnt grass begging to be spared.
And then another image, this one much more recent, of a smiling Summer who held her dear daughters in her arms...
"I've already lost so much..." Hawkins' faint whisper was heard by Raven as she raised her blade.
The blonde's nails dug into the soil. "But they've lost nothing...
"If you're trying to give me your last words then speak up." However, Raven paused. The growls of the surrounding Grimm reduced to a puppy-like whimper, she lowered her blade and watched as the hungry beasts had begun to recoil.
"Shf! Shf! Shf! Shf! Shf!" The magician's straw poured rapidly from his pores.
"W-What?" Raven's determination faltered as separate strands of straw were created from the magician's back. Each new limb sporting a massive curved blade of complete black iron, the limbs ended at the number twelve and swiftly extended into the air in the motion of a twisting tornado as his body doubled in size reaching 20 feet if it were upright.
"They don't deserve to experience the same losses I have!"
His stoic octaves breaking character, Hawkins' voice shook the trees and sent cracking tremors over the earth. His dulled crimson eyes gained a brighter hue, they literally burned with power as something else stirred within the magician's chest.
The Arc symbol, no longer dormant, erupted with white light that frightened both Raven and the Grimm.
"STRAW HARVEST!"
With those words, the spiraling limbs of the rejuvenated straw hacked and slashed, sending the dismembered limbs of the screeching Grimm all over the battlefield in the likeness of a chainsaw tearing apart wood; that soon found its way toward Raven's head.
The bandit jumped back and deflected the strike, but the blow was so strong it dislodged her sword from her hands as she was sent clear into a tree stump.
"Huff... Huff..." his senses coming to, Hawkins glanced at the frothing pools of Grimm guts that fizzled into black clouds that evaporated into the chilled breeze.
His sights falling on the children he initially set out to recover, his straw unconsciously unraveled itself as he leaned down to check on them.
"Oh... I really need to stop blacking out..." Jaune grumbled as he finally came to. When his eyes fully opened, he was met with a most unusual sight.
"Jaune..." His father smiled at him. Actually smiled, though there weren't any teeth.
"D-Dad? Am I still dreaming?"
"No... son, you're safe and we're going home." His father confirmed.
Jaune jumped for a hug, his wounds surprisingly healed though the scars remained, with the faint glimmer of white trailing over them. He reached out his hands but was denied his dad's embrace by a jumping double kick from a certain bandit.
"Urk!" Hawkins coughed as blood seeped from his mouth. He landed on the ground with a dull thud on his back.
"Dad!" Jaune yelled before he was kicked in the forehead and forced to bite the dirt.
"I've had enough of these stupid antics, I'm taking my child and I'm never coming back to this stupid island!" Raven spat but felt a chill run down her spine as a flash of silver came into view.
"RAVEN!" Summer's scream was soon joined by the angry cries of her husband and spiky-haired teammate.
"Damnit, it had to be her to get through my traps first..." Raven prepared to slash open a portal, only to realize that her weapon had been misplaced somewhere on the battlefield.
Having time to barely mount a defense, Raven used her forearm to block an incoming kick and leaned back to avoid the sharp end of Summer's dual crescent swans.
Her situation dire and no room for mistakes, Raven noticed the wavering form of a drained magician and the longsword strapped to his side. She lunged forward, earning a harsh swipe on the back for her troubles, but ignored the sharp pain and plucked a little red reaper off the ground.
"Mmm... cookies. Wait, wha-?!" Ruby screamed in terror at the sight of her mom's furious visage and drawn blades.
"You coward!" Summer skidded her heels and came to a clumsy stop.
Raven smirked at her former partner's despair as she threw the young tyke into the air. Ruby was sent so high up, that there was no way that she wouldn't have a few broken bones once gravity did its job.
"Mommy!" Ruby yelped.
"Ruby!" Summer gasped and sheathed her blades. She activated her semblance and caught her loved one in a jiffy, but the few seconds she wasted allowed Raven to stomp on the back of Hawkins' head, steal his longsword, and grab Yang.
"Owie..." Yang groaned as she gathered her wits. Letting out a surprised scream when she realized who was holding her arm.
"It's the meanie! Uncle Hawkins, Mommy, don't let her take me!" The young brawler sobbed as her efforts to break free proved futile.
Summer put Ruby down and blitzed to save her other child, but this time Raven knocked Yang down and grabbed the second closest blonde and raised him like a shield.
"W-Waaah! Auntie Summer, don't cut me!" Jaune waved his arms frantically in front of his bawling face.
Her good nature forcing her to take a more careful approach, Summer kept her weapons holstered and opted for hand-to-hand combat, which was a fighting form the red reaper was not well known for.
The smirk on Raven's feral grin stretched and she even used Jaune to intercept a bare-fisted punch.
"Doh!" Jaune wheezed as his lungs were depleted of air. Though the attack didn't hurt as much as he thought. Huh, go figure?
"The deal is off! I'm not letting you take away anyone else from me! Not Tai, not Hawkins, and definitely not my Yang!"
Summer winced as her fist collided with Jaune's cheek a fourth time, but the boy continued to ignore the pain and resumed his efforts to break free from Raven's grasp.
"Take anyone away?" Raven jeered. "If it weren't for me, Yang would have been torn to shreds by the Grimm, face it Summer, you're the worst mother on the fucking planet!"
Her face flushed with stinging tears, Summer let out a war cry and activated her semblance. She tackled Raven, and the two along with Jaune broke into a mix of flying swirls of red, black, white, and a hint of yellow.
They crashed through trees, tore apart thorny bushes, and rolled in the dirt before the spinning sensation of Summer's power wore off. Jaune was freed from the encounter, the small lad tumbling across the ground until he landed next to Yang who patted the dust off his shoulders and assisted him to his feet.
"Graaah!" Raven howled and forced her and Summer off course.
Unfortunately for Summer, the huntress' head was slammed against the side of a boulder sending her into a momentary daze which the bandit took full advantage of.
"Ah, Hawkins, where are the others?!"
Late to the fight, Tai and Qrow emerged from the disturbed foliage while covered in bruises and cuts.
"Raven?!" They both shouted in disbelief before taking out their respective arms.
The bandit snarled and unsheathed the magician's longsword. Her blood-colored pupils shifted to two young blondes, they locked on the female version as she broke into an all-out sprint.
Yang screamed in dismay, holding onto Jaune for dear life, but it was at that moment the boy had an incredibly stupid idea pop into his head that was so crazy it just might work! To Yang's reluctance, the boy separated their embrace and initiated his plan.
His onesie torn beyond repair, Jaune pulled it off his person and at the last possible moment, threw it at the running bandit's face. Startled by the defiant action, Raven carelessly slashed open a portal while her sights were blind and grabbed her daughter by the shoulder.
"Yang!" Jaune shouted.
"Jaune!" The young brawler screamed in absolute peril along with the voices of Summer, Tai, Qrow, and Ruby.
Raven's portal sparking as she and her daughter disappeared through it, it vanished as quickly as it was created thus sealing off any chance of pursuit.
The world fell silent, as not even the wind had a voice while all those on Patch took the time to register what had just occurred.
"Hawkins!" Summer hurried over, face awash with emotions, as she retrieved a small medical pouch from her belt.
Tai and Qrow gathered the kids before joining their leader and tarot-reading partner.
"Who did she take..." Hawkins blinked slowly.
"W-Wait, Hawkins, don't try to move. You're covered in blood!" Summer wept.
"S-She took someone, didn't she?" He tried to stand, but the deep gash he'd received from Raven along with the many Grimm bites forced him to remain on his back.
"I... I tried to be a good friend..." Hawkins' words broke Summer's heart as she tried to distract herself in treating her cohort's wounds.
"I... Just wanted you to smile without worry..."
"H-Hawkins, please, stop talking and rest..." Summer implored.
"I'm so weak..."
His breath hitched as two soft presences fell on his chest and shoulders. Yang and Ruby had hugged him, offering what little comfort they could as they shared their uncle's salty tears.
"I don't deserve to be a father or an uncle..."
Qrow and Tai furrowed their brows and unconsciously leaned in as they aided Summer in treating the magician's injuries.
"Why did I have to lose them all...?" He whispered so weakly, that the only reason the others heard his sentence was because of the nightly silence.
His lids closing, the rare sight of tears streaking across the magician's pale face broke Summer's heart and put a weight of guilt unlike any other on Tai and Qrow. Ruby also felt sorry, but in Yang's case...
The young blonde couldn't help but hate herself the most.
/-/
"Whoa, Raven, are you alright?" Asked a man adorning a thick gray jacket with the sleeves torn off that exposed his slim and muscular frame. Brown pants and black boots covered his legs, with a red bandana tied around his neck. He kept his wavy brown hair at shoulder length, and his plain brown eyes looked on in worry for his cohort's messy state.
The man was currently reading a book and chowing down on a red apple, but put his pastime aside as a red portal of aura appeared in front of his hammock.
He knew Raven had been taking a few liberties with her semblance, and she had returned with a few injuries that the man would treat every now and then, but today topped the list of wounds as Raven entered his tent with raspy breaths.
She threw a small kid on the floor and demanded he patch her up. But the doctor scratched his cheek as he hopped off his hammock and inspected the beat-up child.
"Okay, that didn't go as planned..." The kid coughed.
His cerulean eyes meeting with a pair of plain brown, the stranger offered an awkward smile that the boy was kind enough to return.
"Ahem, uh, Raven..." The stranger coughed into his hand.
"What?" The woman asked from behind a stack of crates that she used as cover so she could change her clothes.
"I know you had a kid with that blonde teammate of yours, but I thought it was a girl, not a boy. What's your name, kid, and I mean your full name please."
The crates that served as Raven's cover toppled then crashed. She stomped over, fury in her eyes, with only the bandages she used as a bra keeping her upper torso decent for young eyes.
"J-Jaune F. Hawkins..."
It was then that Raven gripped her hair, took in a deep breath, and screamed in absolute fury. And I mean really screamed.
*Patch Arc. End.*