Inactive

[[This is a mini AU of the Bandit King AU. There was a year break between Qrow’s five year imprisonment, this is a sub AU where Huntsman found Qrow first instead of the Bandit Tribe. So these events occur 10 years prior to Volume 1 start.]]

[[Reserved for Ozpin, STRQ members, Ruby and Yang RPers]]

Doctor Onyx guided his guests through the intensive care wing of Mistral’s Panacea Hospital. One of the largest and most well equipped hospitals dedicated exclusively to healing and rehabilitating soldiers and Huntsman alike. It functioned as an attache of the Sanctum Academy.

“He was delirious when our Hunting Team found him. Started attacking wildly and our Hunter had to subdue him forcibly. From what we could tell of his physical symptoms; it was either drugs, fever from infection, hunger or some combination of all three.” The Doctor explained gravely, taking a proffered patient’s chart from the nurse’s station.

“About thirty percent of his body is covered in scar tissue. We’re still trying to determine exactly what caused most of his injuries, but Mr Branwen is still very emotionally fragile. He may not respond favourable to you, if he does respond at all.” The Doctor explained, scanning through his charts. “If you’ll follow me.”

The Doctor guided them through the ward, into another until they reached  the arboretum located at the center of the hospital construct, the buildings hugged the gardens like a protective barrier against the outside world.

With the doctor's leave he approached Qrow. His heart ached for how thin and lost he looked. He quietly sat on the nearby bench before venturing to gently say his name.

As usual, the meal went completely untouched, wicked away by the machine when it registered as cold and no longer safely edible. Ozpin sighed, lightly tapping the surface of his desk to close the screen displaying the video feed from Qrow’s cell. By far his most difficult trait had remained unchanged. He was still the stubborn, bull headed boy he had ever been. And his refusal to eat was already affecting his health.

Gathering his cane, Ozpin entered the elevator and scanned his Scroll across the sensor. A secret panel opened with a dozen additional buttons. He punched the one leading to level where Qrow was detained. Within minutes he was once again outside the glass walls, staring in at his lethargic detainee.

“You aren’t eating,” he said quietly.

Based on the cycling lights, Qrow guessed he’d been here at least a week if not longer - assuming of course they were properly timed to the day-night cycle and not just a ruse to confuse him.

It wouldn’t matter however if it were days or weeks he’d been trapped in this display case, he still refused to move from his perch in the corner after the first visit. Back against the wall, elbows on raised knees and head resting on his folded arms. Even when food seemed to come like clockwork - three hot meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner, Qrow didn’t even so much as twitch. Simply let them stay untouched until the cell wall swallowed them again.

The smell made him sick. But refusing to eat make him even sicker. Already he was developing gaunt features, his cheeks looked sunk, his arms and legs thinning and his entire being was lethargic. His lips were chapped and dry and his throat felt tight.

Footsteps approached, the echo like a hundred thousand needles boring into his skull. A surge of anger rose in his gut at Ozpin’s tone, but he was struggling to find the energy to stay awake let alone physically stand to express his outrage.

“Your mastery of the obvious is inspiring,” he spat weakly, refusing to look up.

Qrow gave an exasperated sigh. “I didn’t even meet you until I was 18! I was an adult! You can’t adopt an adult!”

“You can’t adopt me, I’m a 40 year old man.”

He lowered the lights over the scythe once more, until it was dim but visible. The tray of photos snapped shut but the wall tile above it hummed to life, rotating through a slideshow of the photos he had seen and more.

“I know you blame me for what happened back then. I understand your reasoning, as I’ve spent much time blaming myself as well. However, it was them who turned you into this, not me. Yes, I scattered that tribe of yours to the wind, destroyed it even, but they destroyed you first. So, I think we’re even.”

He paced along the wall back to the central control panel and began tinkering again. With all it’s features and clearly Atlesian tech, no wonder it had taken so long to construct.

“I’m not going to lie to you Qrow, this process is going to be painful, but there are things you need to know. Words meant for your ears only. So, on that note, I will leave you with a friend.”

The largest panel on the wall facing him flickered to life as outside his cell the lights dimmed once more, giving Ozpin the freedom to exit silently. A moment passed as the screen finished booting up and a video started. At first all he could see was a hand covering the lens, but it soon withdrew revealing a familiar face. Dark hair, fair skin, and tears dotting her silver eyes. Her fingers sat against her mouth a moment before she took a shaky breath and began to speak.

“Hey, Qrow…” her voice broke as she said his name. She shook her head, wiping away another tear as she started again. “I don’t know why I’m doing this, but speaking to a camera somehow seemed better than speaking to that stone we just laid over your empty grave. I… I still can’t believe you’re gone. You were here, with me, just last week, and now you’re… I told you I loved you, right? Before you left? I… I told you, oh Dust, I can’t remember…”

For a moment her tears overtook her again. After a few moments, she settled and raised her reddened eyes back toward the camera.

“Anyway… I supposed I don’t have that much more to tell you today. We’re all still pretty shaken. Rae hasn’t come out of her room since the ceremony. She won’t open the door for anyone, not even Tai. Yang… she doesn’t quite understand. And Tai, well, Tai’s playing strong for now. We all miss you so much,” she sighed. “I haven’t been able to sleep in our bed since we got the news. But the couch isn’t much better. I keep having dreams that you’ve come home and you carry me to bed and then I wake up and- and-” her breath shuddered once more. “Okay. That’s enough sad for one day. I love you and I’ll talk to you soon.”

As she reached up to end the recording the screen flickered out, leaving him in silence once more.

The old fool. Qrow seethed silently from his cot. He truly had no idea. And Qrow was decidedly not going to make this easy. Maybe if he’d dragged this out, the old man would just give up on the pipe dream and kill him.

“Let me clear up one misconception Oz - oh, and pay attention cause this is the only hint I’m giving you,” Qrow cut in, “My tribe - my family had nothing to do with these scars. Since you had me changed I’m not gonna be deluded enough to think you hadn’t seen them or at least had reports. They nursed me to health after I escaped - so by your own logic, you killed them for doing you a favour.“

Qrow turned his back on the man, burning holes in the wall while the old Headmaster went on about something or other regarding the ominous ‘they’. The fact Oz believed it referred to the tribe just fuelled the angry blaze. Behind him, Qrow could hear light beeps and clicks on a control panel, Oz said something about leaving him with a friend. Funny, Qrow thought he had none left.

“Hey Qrow,” the all too familiar voice stopped his bitter thoughts cold. His blood turned to ice. Fear and panic wrapped their icy tendrils around his heart thundering in his chest. And Qrow closed his eyes and ears against the intruding sound curling in on himself. A hurricane of memory burst into the forefront of his mind. Things he’d spent the last decade trying to forget in spite of the legions of reminders crisscrossing his body.

No. No no no. No, this can’t be happening -Not again!

“OZ!” Qrow roared in a fury, whirling around and snapping to his feet with his fist clenched, ready for another futile assault.

But there was no Ozpin, and the voice was very real. 

The lights had dimmed with the recording projected on the wall. With the visage of Summer Rose, red faced and tears dotting her cheeks. In an instant, the anger melted away and it felt like he’d been stabbed in the chest. To stunned to do much else, Qrow watched the recording, barely registering when the tears started trickling down his own cheeks.

As usual, the meal went completely untouched, wicked away by the machine when it registered as cold and no longer safely edible. Ozpin sighed, lightly tapping the surface of his desk to close the screen displaying the video feed from Qrow’s cell. By far his most difficult trait had remained unchanged. He was still the stubborn, bull headed boy he had ever been. And his refusal to eat was already affecting his health.

Gathering his cane, Ozpin entered the elevator and scanned his Scroll across the sensor. A secret panel opened with a dozen additional buttons. He punched the one leading to level where Qrow was detained. Within minutes he was once again outside the glass walls, staring in at his lethargic detainee.

He gasped, lurching into consciousness. His entire body shook in her arms, his skin drenched in cold sweat.