Blue As The Sky, Dark As The Knight, And Pale As The Moon

by starkidcali45

WARNING: This is just a prototype! I will be making improvements and lengthen the story over time! It's also a one-shot! Yes the main character is based off of Batman, and I'm trying to lower his power and such, so don't worry!

Where to start? It's a long story, and will span several short stories. You probably have heard the story of Team RWBY and their friends. Don't worry, they're in here too. But the main focus of this story is me, Pirus Turquoise Guhl!

Never heard of the name? That's to be expected. My family name was tarnished as a child, and it hasn't been restored since. Then came a ton of awful junk that measured up to a Siege. And that was before Beacon. Then there were old friends, a death or two, robots, drunk hunters, Grimm, and then came a war. But, that comes MUCH later. Let's start at the beginning.

I was born in the kingdom of Atlas, in the city hub called Mathog. It was vastly different from Vale, in size and atmosphere. The buildings were incredibly large, and the streets and alleys were dark and crawling with criminals. One night, my parents took a shortcut through such an alley. A man pointed a pistol at my father's chest. He asked for his lien and a necklace of pearls around my mother's neck.

My father calmly reached for his pockets, and calmly said, "Stay calm. There's no need to get overexcited." As his hand entered his pockets, he kicked the man across the jaw with a roundhouse kick. He grabbed the man's gun, took out its ammo, and threw it back.

After this point, he decided to teach me in his line of work. Guhl Enterprises was a company of many branches. Weapon manufacturing, robotics, human synthetization, energy, chemicals, aviation, medical and biotech were but a few of the many things I had to master. Over the course of five years, I got steadily better at the subjects.

At the age of thirteen, it ended. We were invited to a meeting with General Ironwood himself. My father entered the room first, followed by me. The General sat at the end of the table, next to Mr. Schnee, and his daughters, Weiss and Winter. We sat down as Ironwood cleared his throat.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. Guhl. Lately, we were given some incriminating evidence that I cannot stand for." On the projector screen behind him, a photo flashed on screen. The picture was of a Faunus workforce, dirty and malnourished. There were plenty more of these photos, and each one featured the Ragnarok Family insignia.

"That's insane! I would never do such a thing!" As my father tried to defend himself, guards entered the room and grabbed him by the arms. They also brought in my mother with bags under her eyes and her hair a mess. "Now, I'm sure you know the punishment for this crime. But don't worry about your son, he'll be in good hands. You have one minute to say goodbye."

My father grabbed me first. "Son. You know we're innocent. But don't be afraid, son. Never be afraid, Pirus. You will restore honor to this family. I love you." He was dragged away, as my mother held me tight. Her curly turquoise hair covered my vision and she whispered in my ear. "My darling son. You are my greatest pride and joy. You will help shape our world, and we will be with you every step of the way." She kissed me, and was dragged away by the guards.

I fell to my knees and sobbed. I sobbed and bawled until my tear ducts were dried up. My voice grew hoarse, and I felt a hand on my shoulder. My vision, blurred, I made out the image of Weiss Schnee. She dared to touch me, after what had just happened!? "Get off me!" I slammed her into the table and ran.

A blizzard was raging outside, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered at that point. My vision was useless and stumbled through the snow and hail. After many hours, I stumbled inside a small book shop and into a boy. When we stood up, we looked at each other. He had flaming red hair and incredible fashion sense. We stared at each other, until a woman rushed forward and inspected me.

"Oh, you poor baby! You must be freezing! What happened? Where are your parents?" Yup. Rubbing salt on the wound. I started to cry again, and she held me tight like her own child. "There, there. Let me go get you something." She sat me on a chair in front of a fireplace, swaddled in a blanket and with a cup of coco.

I was there for hours, and became friends with the shopkeeper and her son. Her name was Relena Torchwick, and her son was Roman. Roman and I hit it off, to make a long story short. The next morning, the head butler, Winfred, picked me up. I promised Roman I'd visit. That was a promise I kept for years.

Then came the depression. I lost all meaning, and my face lacked all emotion. My skin grew pale, and my frame became wire-thin. I barely ate or slept. Most days I visited the graves and dealt with legal things. I did my best to keep the company alive, but it paled compared to the old days.

The only hobby was music. When I visited Roman, he would try to get me to play anything. After about a month, I gave in and learned Mandolin. Weird instrument, I know, but it's sweet. I took it home and practiced each day, giving my life a little light.

But I couldn't do just that! I needed to create my own weapon if I was to get in any of the academies. But I needed more time to decide. So, I took some martial arts classes. I started out with (deep breath) Tae Kwon Do, Judo, Muay Thai, Karate, Boxing, Jujitsu, and Ninjitsu. Yeah, it's a lot, but you wait until my later years. I studied these arts until I was 15, then the attacks started.

I was in a deep sleep, tossing and turning in my bed. But that sleep couldn't last. The staff and I awoke to the ground shaking and falling out of bed and I grabbed the only weapon I could. Two arm braces with blades on the side, and two metal shin guards.

Another explosion rocked the earth, much stronger than the one before. I reached the main foyer, with the front wall turned into rubble. White fang guards pointed at me and un-sheathed standard swords. I inhaled, exhaled, and threw my first punch.

The first guard fell to the ground, and cracked his ribs against the rubble. Guard number two swung his sword to split my head in two, but I flipped back behind a pile of rubble. The cover was helpful and allowed me to move around. The guard shouted, "Where are you, rat!? Come out and play!"

I sneaked up behind him and said, "I'm right here." I punched his ribs, and proceeded to slam his head into some rubble, knocking him unconscious. The third guard rushed forward and struck me across the jaw. I fell to the ground, and turned to find him standing over me. He raised his sword, and swung. I turned to the right, and struck his wrist, making him drop the sword. With his other hand, he struck my face several times. After several painful punches, I punched his inner thigh, and he cried in pain. I swung my elbow into his temple and he collapsed. There were no more White Fang members, as I counted the dead. Three servants died in the explosion. I screamed into the night. They were good people, with hopes and dreams! And their lives were cut short to protect me. this was no longer a small-scale argument. This was war!

Construction began immediately. I hired a construction crew to turn the family mansion into a fortress. The front wall was torn down, and replaced with solid stone with reinforced steel. Beneath the western wing, we dug out a cave incase of an extreme emergency. It only took about a day for an army of bats to move in.

By the end of the month, the family home was a worthy rival of an apocalypse bunker. Each staff member was equipped with an automatic machine gun and a personalized weapon. My own weapon was in-progress, so I stuck with the arm braces and greaves. But that didn't stop me from upgrading.

The arm braces and greaves? Replaced with a full-body suit of armor. It was pitch-black, and came with a few gadgets. Around my waist was a belt containing smoke pellets, compact explosives, and a grappling hook. Around my neck, I wore a cape, made from a material from engineering. Memory cloth is a fascinating material. If an electric current is ran through it, the fabric would stiffen, allowing me to glide in the air. I wore a steel mask, which covered my head. Installed within it were scanners, communication devices, and a filter.

However, the arsenal did not stop there. Perhaps my favorite part of the arsenal was the car. Highly armored, weaponized, and accelerates from o-60 miles per hour with 500 horsepower, this beast was truly beautiful. Originally made to bridge gaps in warzones, it was also capable of incredible jumping skills. Each piece of equipment I had made came from my father. He had enough blueprints to fill an entire museum.

We were all prepared to die, knowing it would likely be our last stand. However, when we would die was still unclear. There were no attacks for nearly a month. Rumors of scouting parties were the only conversation in the last week, until we had received a tip from General Ironwood himself. A strike team would drop in by air in the dead of the night, two days from when we received the message. The sun set that day, as we all waited.

My scroll read midnight, as a transport ship flew overhead. From the back, thirty soldiers leapt to the ground. After the ship left, fifteen moved inside the mansion, where the staff lay in wait. That left me with 10. If I tried to take them on openly, that was a death sentence. But that's what smoke pellets are for!

I snagged one; several sizes larger than the others size, and hurled it in the courtyard. The cloud of smoke rendered their night vision useless, which provided the perfect cover. I leapt down and pulled out the hook. The first criminal screamed as his colleagues saw him pulled away by an invisible force, with his shouts shortly silenced.

Another was enveloped by moving shadow, two more struck unconscious by a wraith in the night. Five of the remaining criminals circled around each other, and tensed as they heard a small rolling noise. One turned to a small beep, as he found the source of the noises. A small pill-like object was flashing a red light. He didn't even get to shout as an explosion rocked the earth beneath them.

No criminals were killed, however they were all paralyzed. One was standing as he fired into the night. "WHAT ARE YOU!" He fell to the ground as a man, nay, a demon stood over him. It had the face and build of a man, cloaked in shadow. He spoke with a gravelly voice, powerful and terrifying. "I am he who walks in the shadows! One who has embraced the night itself! A warrior of midnight! I! AM! VENGEANCE!"

The man screamed as I struck him across the jaw. With the threat disposed of, I ran inside to help the staff. I heard no gunshots or henchman. They all laid on the ground, defeated. However, among their bodies were five of our own. We called the authorities, but not before I took one to the cave.

I switched out of my armor and into my pajamas, giving me a little more comfort for the inevitable meeting. The first to arrive was none other than Ironwood himself. Beside him was the newly appointed head of the special ops unit of the Atlesian military, Winter Schnee, along with Weiss. As you can guess, I was less than happy to see them.

Ironwood broke the ice first. "Impressive. Few casualties among your allies, and many more among theirs. Many have claimed that a monster from the shadows, not a Grimm, similar to a man was the attacker." Hoo, boy, coming in hot! If the news got out, there would be no end of interviews and reporters. "I have no idea. I simply took the staff, and we defended my home. That's a ridiculous notion."

He nodded and left, leaving the scene. All the reporters left by dawn, leaving me to interrogate the man. I donned the armor again, and tied the man to a pillar. He lay there for a few more minutes, until I woke him up with a haymaker. He jolted awake, and looked around buggy-eyed. This went on for ten seconds, until his eyes rested on me. I roared, "WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS!?" He quickly responded. "Da boss told us to kidnap the Guhl kid. He said dat he wanted him alive, I swear to god." "SWEAR TO ME! If you failed, what's the next part of the plan!?"

"Gather up as much troops as we can and storm da place! As tough as you are, you can't keep him protected inside forever! We'll find dat kid!" I slammed my knee into his gut, taking his breath away. If he was a criminal, he may know something that's very close to my heart. "One last thing. The evidence against his family. Who made it?" He shook his head. "I don't know anything. That's all high-rank stuff."

The man screamed as I struck him across the jaw. With the threat disposed of, I ran inside to help the staff. I heard no gunshots or henchman. They all laid on the ground, defeated. However, among their bodies were five of our own. We called the authorities, but not before I took one to the cave.

I gave him to a local police building, crying and begging to get away from me. If he was telling the truth, an army may be next. This could be a chance to capture the White Fang! The next day, I gave a call to Ironwood and told him the plan. he would get his forces at the ready on my command. The White Fang should surrender in time for tea, and I'd restore honor to the family. He agreed, and the trap was set.

But this time, I couldn't leave (many) survivors. I needed to finish my weapon. In the dead of night, I grabbed my materials, and began to forge. The blades were first, and were the hardest. The material gleamed in the moonlight like Sterling Silver. I carefully cut the smaller blades on the ends and engraved runes on both sides. Part two was a power source. Luckily, Dust could be converted into a long-lasting energy source, serving as both fuel and ammo. The elemental power would be condensed into a small blast of plasma, similar to a laser gun. The last part was naming them. As the night, my weapon would symbolize the end of day. it took me a day to figure out a name.

The Twilight Harbingers. They were a pair of fearsome chainsaws, that roared as fiercely as an Ursa. They were as long as my arm, with large turquoise pommels that doubled as small motors. The runes read "Loki", and "Jotun", fearsome entities from an old religion. On the inside, a small barrel protruded from the motor. In the pommel was a small button, when pressed, would connect the two to form a small laser cannon. I was proud of my beauties, ready to use them in the upcoming battle.

Fifteen days passed. It was midnight as I stood out alone on my front wall, armored and solemn. Surrounding the fortress was a sea of Faunus, screaming and shouting for blood. I jumped back down in the courtyard, and contacted Ironwood. "NOW!" The car swung around, and I hopped in the pilot's seat. The main gate blew open, as I accelerated into the battlefield. I blinked away a few tears as I felt the Faunus being trampled beneath the vehicle.

I set it to auto-pilot and jumped out of the car. As I landed, I unsheathed my weapons and started to fight. I launched forward, stabbing, whirling, and parrying the weapons of the other warriors. many more were killed. But, I did not escape without injury. A bullet pieced my shoulder, a rib or two were broken, and a dying faunus stabbed my calf. After that, one slammed into me, knocking me to the ground. He took off my mask, and I was face-to-face with my old friend, Roman Torchwick.

"Roman? Wh-What are you doing here? You're not a Faunus!" He smiled, and held his gun to my throat. "Well, old friend, I need to do something to make them trust me!" I couldn't believe it. I had trusted him! He was my brother! "Are you going to kill me, Roman?" His face got so close to mine, I could smell his rancid breath. "This is what happens when an unstoppable force meets and unmovable object. You won't kill me, out of some misplaced sense of self-righteousness. And I won't kill you, because you're too much fun! But cross us again; don't expect me to be so... merciful."

He jumped off as the army retreated. I stood up as the soldiers cheered. We had killed many of their soldiers, but I knew they still had plenty more. The sun rose above the horizon, glowing brighter than ever. Still wearing my armor, I greeted Ironwood in his ship. "Congratulations, Mr. Ragnarok. this day will go down in history as the Siege of Ragnarok Manor. There's someone her to meet you." I looked across the room to see an old main with eyeglasses and a cane, standing at the end of the room. "Ah, Mr. Pirus. My name is professor Ozpin. I'm here for a...business proposition."

ONE MONTH LATER

I looked around the old mansion the last time for many years. There was a transportation ship waiting for me outside, but I had to say two more goodbyes. The first was a daily one, so it was rather quick. I stood there at the graves of my parents. The cold air stung my face as I placed two roses on their graves.

"Hey, Ma. Hey, Pops. Well, today is the day. I'm leaving for Sanctum Academy, and after that, I'm going to Beacon! I hope that you're proud, wherever you are. Anyway, I'm not gonna stop my plans. The one who framed you is still out there. I will not stop until he's found. I promise."I left the cemetery and said goodbye to Winfred. He was the oldest of the staff, and helped build what Ragnarok Manor was today. He told me to be safe, and not to get in over my head. I told him not to worry as I got in the transport ship.

As I sat down, we took off. It should have been a smooth ride, but no. Ironwood was sitting there with a drink in his hand. "Well, this should be good. Mr. Ironwood. I didn't expect you to be here." He smiled, and handed me a lemon water."Pirus, I'm here for a little business proposition. A few years ago, your father gave us a drive, full of blueprints and plans. One of our best men has successfully completed one such project. Say hello to Penny."

A door opened, and I locked eyes with a girl. Her eyes were a light green, and her hair was a bright orange. Penny's skin was a pale tone, and she wore a plain blouse mixed with overalls. "Salutations, my name is Penny!" My mouth P.E.N.N.Y was a simple prototype when I learned about it, and now she was here, in the flesh! I never thought I'd get to see it completed until I was an old man! "Hello, Penny. My name is Pirus."

She smiled and stuck out her hand. "It's a pleasure. Mr. Ironwood has told me stories about you!" I forced a smile. What gave Ironwood the right to tell her anything about me? "That's great! One day, it will be our job to save the world. When that happens, I look forward to working with you."

She smiled and sat next to Ironwood. "Well, Pirus, what do you think?"

"I. Love. It."

"Excellent. Let me show you something else we've been building." I "smiled" as he sent me a video to my scroll. There was a simple human-like exoskeleton, walking. I know what you're thinking, "Uhhh, It's just walking." That is where you're wrong. My father had been trying to develop a human-like soldier for years!

I closed out in silence. "Well, James. Congratulations. You've completed my father's work." At this point, I was seething. He smiled and left to go talk with the pilot, leaving me with Penny. "Isn't Mr. Ironwood great?" Ah, ignorance must be bliss. Our conversation went on for what seemed like HOURS! Her energy was boundless, and never stopped asking questions.

After a quick nap, Penny tapped my shoulder. "We've reached the Academy, Mr. Pirus!" Sanctum Academy was certainly intimidating. It was a castle, carved of white marble into a mountain over a thousand feet tall. It took five minutes to reach the singular landing pad, located at the entrance. I grudgingly said goodbye to Ironwood and Penny as I stared up the white walls of the castle.

The opening ceremony was on the highest level. "Well, time to get busy running, or get busy failing." After sitting around for a month, the cardio workout was tough as the scales of a King Taijitu. Panting, I bust through the doors leading to the ceremony.

All heads turned to me, with a small cough from the audience. "Present!" I heard the voice of the headmaster from the stage as I regained my breath. He was a man in his late forties, with dark hair combed down to his shoulders, although it was speckled with gray. His face was stern and pale, with a dark goatee on his chin. "Well, Mr. Guhl. It's about time you joined us."

"There was a long trip." He continued his spiel, going on and on about honor and such things. "Now. Until you graduate to a more prestigious academy, you will only have two partners. These two will share rooms with you, fight with you, and protect you with their lives. Tonight, you will meet them in your dorm."

There was a murmur of uncertainty amongst the crowd until the headmaster finished his speech and left the stage. The crowd broke out into an overwhelming amount of noise, especially after the last quiet months I had spent at home. As students pushed me and elbowed their way forward, I was struggling to keep my footing and tried not to get trampled by the crowds.

After about fifteen minutes of looking for my room and running around looking like a complete nincompoop, I leaned against the door of my dorm. I flung open the door, and I flopped down on the nearest piece of furniture I could find. It was a leather couch; a welcome sight after the workouts earlier that day.

However, before I could fall into a comfortable sleep, I felt a small weight settle on my back. I dismissed it as my position; at least, I did until another one settled itself on top. I sat up face-to-face with a Faunus. How did I know he was a Faunus? Well, it might have to do with his monkey tail holding onto a banana peel.

"Huh. He's alive." I could tell by his outfit and careless attitude that this would be AWFUL. "Well, I certainly hope I'm alive. If I wasn't, would I be here before your eyes?" The Faunus shrugged and walked away, leaving me by myself on the couch. Our room was the size of a luxury condo's living room with four doors; two doors on each side. We got a large television on a mahogany stand. To my left was a large window, giving us a wide view of the grassy marshlands outside.

Three of the four doors led to separate rooms, giving me plenty of space to, uh, hide my wardrobe. I dumped my luggage on the bed and searched for any sweet hiding spots. It took a few minutes, but I stashed them under my mattress. Hopefully the faunus was stupid enough that he couldn't find it.

As I hung up my collection of day suits, I heard the door open. "Ooops! Sorry!" I turned around to a girl, holding out her hands in a "sorry" gesture. She had dark red hair, cut just below the shoulders. On her head she wore a tiaram with armor on her neck, forearms, and legs. "So. You must be our other partner."

She stammered to speak as the Faunus snuck behind her. "Dude. You don't you know who this is? This is Pyhrrah Nikos, victor of the Mistral Regional Tournament two times in a row!" Pyhrrah looked embarrassed as I rolled my eyes. It was the classic "famous and humble" routine. "Well, isn't that nice." I walked forward and stuck out my hand. "Pirus Guhl, pleasure to be partnered with you both." Phyrrah was the only to shake it, as Sun put his arms behind his head.

" Neat. Well, keep your things close, 'cause I have a philosophy that everyone shares." He walked away, leaving another peel in his wake. "Well. He seems nice. I have some business in Mistral tonight, so I won't be here tonight." She smiled. "Very well, but get sleep. You can't fight tired."

As the sun fell behind the horizon, I donned my armor and began to sneak out. I heard no noises from the other rooms. The silence gave me clearance, and I left. The academy was rather lacking in security, as I was easily able to climb over the school walls.

Over the last months, I scouted the area surrounding the school. It took over a week, but I finally found the perfect place. In the mountain behind the school was a series of caves and tunnels, stretching out for MILES! (Convenient, right?) Over the weeks after, I moved my things from the Manor underground the mountain.

The first part was the car. To build all the devices I would need, I needed metal. So, I ordered scrap from old Ragnarok Enterprises Warehouses across Remnant. Due to the amount of missions I would be going on, I started to make different varieties. Car #1 was "The Tumbler". It was a more compact vehicle, but had much more armor. The Tumbler's original purpose was to jump gaps in wars, so it could accelerate like a Schnee when approached with a bill.

"The Foxx" was not exactly a car, but it was certainly fast as one. It was a sleek motorcycle, designed for agility and speed. The wheels could un-lock, spin around so I did not flip over, and die. It was probably the only vehicle I could go unnoticed out of the collection.

Car number three was the "Speed Demon". Its frame was long and sleek, and like everything I owned in this business, colored black as the night. On its end was a powerful rocket thruster, capable of powerful acceleration and the perfectly cooked steak. The Speed Demon was designed for enclosed spaces, and to break the front lines of an organized army.

"Jormungandr" wasn't finished. However, it could only be used for near apocalyptic situations. It would become a behemoth of a vehicle, requiring at least two people to drive. The speed was nowhere near the speed of the others, but…well, you'll see it when I use it near the end of the adventures.

Enough about the cars! You're here for vigilantes fighting crime! And that's what you're gonna get!

The entrance into the caves rested at the top of the mountain, underneath a large shrub rested a steel plate with sensors. I tapped my feet three times, and I began to lower into the darkness. I ran to the Tumbler, jumped in the pilot's seat, and gunned it.

The scenery blurred as I flew out of the exit and saw Mistral rise in the distance. It reminded me of home, and gave of a feeling of homesickness. But, seeing as it was my first night, I couldn't drive around in plain sight. So instead, I searched a map of the city's subterranean level. Luckily, I found a spacious abandoned subway tunnel, that allegedly housed a rather stupid gang. My first target of the night.

I parked outside and walked into complete darkness. After a minute of silence, I saw a soft glow around the bend and heard voices "Why do we have to stand around here all the time?" I slunk further back into the darkness, trying as to not to be seen. "I don't know. We just stand here each night. The boss just says to do it until we finish." I was exited! A pair of dopey guards would be excellent for spreading the word.

"I guess, Simmons. But there's only a few more shipments left." They talked on and on. After a minute, the lights flickered on and off before shutting off completely. "Great. I'll go check the fuse box." There was a scream, a grunt, and a thump. "Griff?" The guard opened his mouth to speak, but was rudely interrupted by getting his face slammed into the stone wall behind him.

I switched the lights back on, admiring my handiwork. I checked their unconscious bodies to find any evidence. All I found was a can of black spray-paint, which gave me an idea. On the wall, I painted a pair of wings, a symbol of...The Dark Knight! With the two men taken out, I entered the room they were blocking out. Inside was a number of crates stacked on top of each other, all of which labeled "FRAGILE". I ripped off the top of the closest box, and inspected the insides.

Inside were racks of vials with stoppers, each filled to the brim with a bubbling green liquid. As I moved on to the other boxes, my worries grew more and more as I saw that each contained more of this vile liquid. At the fifth, I heard a voice. "What do you think you're doin!" There was a sharp pain in my side as I saw a gunman in red armor, his pistol smoking.

As much as it hurt, I couldn't show weakness. I flung several smoke pellets clouding the area in a dark smoke and jumped on top of the crates. Shots rang out as he fired a shotgun, nearly hitting my head. I rushed him, only to be met with a knife stabbing me upward across my shoulder. The man laughed jubilantly and proceeded throw a capsule in my mouth. It broke open, and out spilled a carbonated drink, tasting strongly of lemon-lime soda.

He was quickly silenced with a roundhouse elbow to the head. I held my wounds and felt thick, hot blood stain my hands. No matter. I ran back to the tumbler, and hacked into some police lines. After a minutes, I heard the code for a hostage situation at an old construction site. Most of the men had been killed, but the boss and many more had grouped on the roof.

I rammed the accelerator and shot out of the tunnel. The tumbler roared through the streets, swerving in and out of the way of other cars. Eventually, I caught a police barricade out of the corner of my eye, and drifted through to smash into the site. Immediately, police started to shoot at the vehicle, so I had to wait for a pause. Once the fire ceased, I grabbed my grappling hook and fired up as the roof opened up.

The wind roared in my ears as I flew onto the abandoned structure housing the boss. I slunk up the stairs as I approached the top. When I peered above the floor, I had to try to not hurl. The mob boss had killed his men, with many still fidgeting in a crimson pool. When the man turned to a drop, I jumped up, grappling hook in hand.

He laughed, haunting and insane, he tensed to jump. When he did, I fired at his leg, wrapping it around his leg and setting in with a horrible scream. It took all of my strength to not drop him as I attached the string to a large steel girder. As he hung from the building, I took a knee to catch my breath. Between the gasps, I heard a cackling, but not from the boss. "Piiiiiiiiruuuuuuss. Get up! We've got a lot of fun planned!" It was a gleeful, grating voice, like the man had a sore throat. I raised my head to a gruesome sight.

It was me! I mean, not my normal look, but me! My skin was a pale white, unhuman and rather scary. My eyes had changed to a neon green, along with my hair, which had been slicked back to my shoulders with grease. The worst part was the smile. It was stretching my face muscles beyond human capability, and was outlined with crimson lipstick. "Keep quiet, pumpkin, you've had a rough night. I'll make sure to drive us home for the honeymoon!"(Author here! Just imagine Mark Hamill's Joker voice!) His laughs pierced the air as I fell into darkness.

I woke up in my bed, sore, and still bloody. Every part of me hurt as I limped over to my drawers and pulled out some stitching needles and thread. Each puncture hurt as I sewed the knife wound on my shoulder back together, which in total took an hour. After I finished, I looked at myself in the mirror and winced. My front side looked like a Dalmatian, along with a few more cuts and bullet holes I didn't remember.

That...man I saw before I blacked out was talking about driving us home. Could he really be me? I shook my head, and put on my standard blue tux as Sun walked in. "Dude, you need to see this." I grunted and walked to the main room. The TV was on the news channel, and what else would it be about? "Last night, Remnant watched in awe as a man took down Farmine Calrone, one of Mistral's largest crime bosses. This vigilante has been dubbed "The Dark Knight", due to his dark outfit. Some call him a hero, while many others like the term criminal."

Phyrrah turned off the television and turned to us. "That's awful! No man is above the law, and he has no right to be so out of control." Sun looked shocked, and leaned forward, arms crossed. "But he's put one of the worst men out there in the criminal underworld in bars! Plus, he's scaring the criminals out there! The Knight deserves a medal!" Both looked at me, hoping to side with one of them. "Well, anyone who dresses like a bat and spends his nights beating up thugs clearly has some issues. I think he has yet to show his true colors."

They groaned as we left for class. To be honest, each one was pretty easy, as ninety five percent of them were all combat-based. But, seeing as I couldn't go out for at least a month, I had to lay low for a while. Of course Phyrrah and Sun were getting straight A's, as they were in their prime. I was doing well, but the fact I couldn't do my best was rather vexing. At the end of the day was personal training, which allowed me to get more practice with the Twilight Harbingers.

It was nice to hold them in my hands once again as the engines roared to life. I took a few swings, and I felt like I had gotten the hang of it! But as I swung my arm up high, there was a flash of pain and I dropped it with a scream. Instantly, I grabbed my arm and started to cradle it. I swore like a sailor as I felt Sun's hand on my back. "Dude, you okay?"

My vision blurred, as there was a racking pain spreading across my body. As I tried to stand, my stomach felt like flipping itself inside-out, and I swore my brain was being stabbed. I tried to speak in ragged gasps as I left. "Just need...some fresh air...is all. I'm going back to the room." I stumbled and lurched forward in a daze, and the closer I got to my room, I started feeling lightheaded. I thought just how funny my situation was. What were the odds I would have lived through all that, only to be nearly crippled by a few thugs?

My laughter grew and grew until my voice started to grow hoarse. I fell to my knees on the floor, shaking and shuddering, and spitting up discolored mucus. The pain grew more and more as I saw my skin turning a pale white. I pulled myself up the drawers in my room to look at myself. My hair was turning green, spreading like a disease, and my face was starting to twist and contorted to a malicious grin as I fell unconscious.

The man stood up, embracing freedom. He had lived inside of my head for YEARS, waiting to be able to take control of my body. "Well, well, well! I've got the reins for tonight! I need a name. Well, with the beautiful smile here, perhaps a Jester? Yes, Jester... perfect! Let's get to work!" Jester swaggered up to the cave's entrance, and laughed in glee as he was lowered down.

Jester waltzed around the cave and jumped in the Speed Demon. His laughed pierced the silence as he shot out into the city. Before any other stops, he swung by the gang hideout I busted on my first outing and grabbed two crowbars. After which, he hung around a particularly muggy part of town in an alley. It only took fifteen minutes for a family to cut through and a crook to point a gun at them. Before he could fire, Jester jumped from the shadows and slammed a crowbar into his jaw, sending to the floor.

The family ran, but that was no matter. He swung again as the crook tried to get up. "Wow. Now that looked like it really hurt." Jester swung at his chest, then again at his stomach. "Whoa. Now hold on, that looked like it hurt a lot more. So, let's try to clear this up, okay, pumpkin? What hurts more? A?" He slammed the one in his left across his jaw. "Or B?" The crook felt another blow to the spine. "Forehand, or backhand?" Both blows were to the head, knocking the other man to the ground. Bleeding, the criminal tried to speak, but could only whisper. "Uh, what was that, lamb chop? You might have a collapsed lung. That always impedes the auditory." He slammed the man's head into the ground, killing him.

I woke up in my bed, again with no memory of the last night. After groaning and getting out of the bed, I walked into the living room with Sun looking like he lost his lunch. "What's the matter? What did you eat?" He pointed at the tv, again on the news, broadcasting a video. It was the Jester, holding a camera in front of his face. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am tonight's entertainment. Don't worry your little heads about me. I just had a little fun tonight, the serious business doesn't start for a while. You'll know when it does. But for now, here's a little...reminder." He spun around two two corpses, with their faces twisted and contorted in the same horrible smile. Jester's laughed pierced the silence as I stood there in shock.

As I headed for the bathroom, I heard more retching, so I moved to a trashcan and waited. Nothing came up, and I headed back in my room. On top of my bed sat Jester, picking his fingernails with a dagger. "Ah! Pirus! Are you enjoying my handiwork? I hope your not feeling too bad about all that! For now, I'll be content with just...helping for now." I tried to punch him, but my fist phased through his head like he was a ghost. "Listen. I think we've gotten off on the wrong foot. We're trying to get to the same goal! As a little present, I found something you might want."

"You've got nothing I want." He smiled, which infuriated me even more. "Au contraire. I found out the name of the man who condemned our parents. His name is Jonathan Glacier. He lives on 52 Dini Street." Jester faded away as I left for class. The whole day went by as if god himself slowed down time. While everyone else was eating dinner, I ran to the cave. I opened up the armor containment unit, and down fell my jaw. Jester had modified my suit! The armor was thicker, allowing me to take much more damage. It was formed of Kevlar and carbon composites. My chest area was bulletproof, but the lower areas would only stop plain pistol shots. He also gave my arsenal an upgrade! There was an EMP blaster, along with a sound cannon, some specialty dust crystal grenades, specialized throwing stars and a few more things.

He also created to arm guards and a new cowl of titanium, giving me some incredible defense and speed. I had to admit, he was smart. I hopped in The Foxx and drove off to Mistral. After fifteen minutes, I found Glacier's house. I opened a window on the side and slunk inside. Apparently, Jonathan wasn't there. After leaving, I took to the rooftops to look for criminals. As I knelt there, a man carrying a purse ran down the alley. He screamed like a child as I shot my grappling hook around his legs and pulled him up.

"WHERE IS JONATHAN GLACIER!?" He started to cry when I dropped him and pulled him back up. "He's at the old chemical plant across town!" I let him free as I ran to find the man who ruined my life. It took about fifteen minutes to reach the smoking chemical plant. There was an open ceiling window, which dropped to a metal platform. I jumped on to see a man at the edge, shaking and holding a gun. "Jonathan Glacier?" The man turned around and began to fire at me, at which I began to block with my gauntlets.

I knocked the gun out of his hand, and twisted his arm to make sure he couldn't run away. He was an old man, that much was obvious. His hair was receding, and he had that sort of old man pudge to him. "Today, you pay for your crimes against the Guhls." Jonathan's eyes widened as he started to stammer. "B-but that was a lifetime ago!" I swung him around my back and slammed him onto the hard metal plating beneath us. "I know because it was MY lifetime! I know because I was there when they were dragged away to be executed! I am Pirus Guhl!" As I saw true fear in his eyes, I pulled him up and punched him directly in the chest. There was a cracking of a rib as he fell off the edge and into a vat of the same green chemicals I had ingested.

When there were no more bubbles, I knelt down, crying tears of joy. After years, I had finally avenged both of my parents. My work was done, and now they could truly rest in peace. "You killed him!" I turned to see the shocked face of Phyrrah Nikos staring at me. "Well, Nikos, we've all got to get our hands dirty at one point." She looked furious, and held out her hand, and yanked back. I stayed put, and smiled inside my mask. "No magnetic materials, sucker!" I rubbed my hands and got into a fighting position. As I did, a large crackling was heard as I could see electricity coursing through my gauntlets.

She was a master of armed combat, but lacked in hand-to-hand combat training. I couldn't win in direct combat, so versatility was my upper hand. As she unsheathed her shield and spear, I reached for an Ice Dust grenade. She rushed forward as I jumped up to the ceiling, leaving the explosive behind. As I landed, I pulled out the sound cannonand prepped it. After a flash of bright-blue light, Phyrrah flung her shield up, spinning me around as she joined me on top of the building. Before she could attack me again, I pulled the trigger.

The vibrations rocked the earth as Nikos held her hands over her ears, and it wasn't long before she began to bleed. Phyrrah walked forward, and threw her spear. The blade knocked the cannon out of my hands, and she ran forward, bashing me with her shield. As I swung my leg around in a roundhouse kick to her head, she rolled forward and picked up her spear. I flipped backwards again and again as Phyrrah swung forward again and again. After getting backed to the edge of the building, I pulled out the grappling and shot it at a condo complex across the street.

I threw a star at her, causing her to throw up her shield. While I had cover, I flew across the street and began to run. As I began my retreat, her spear unfolded into it's rifle mode and she started to shoot. There was a burning pain in my calf as I felt hot blood streaming into my boots. As a last ditch attempt, I jumped down to the street. Leaning on one of the poles was Jester. "Y'know, you can pull something out of the third capsule on the right. I've been looking forward to this!" From the said capsule I pulled small jumper cables, and understood what they were for. As I attached them to the lamppost, Nikos jumped to the asphalt. For the final part of this battle, I pulled off my mask.

She gasped as fury became the most obvious emotion from the reveal. "No! Not you! Why would you do this, you...horrible person!" I looked her dead in the eyes and told her why. I told her every painstaking detail and emotion right to her face. Over the course of my tale, her anger grew ever-more. "You couldn't just move on? We've all had to deal with loss! But moving on is essential to being human!" I snickered, and that snickering turned to intense laughter. "I haven't felt like a man for years! But that doesn't mean I've felt more alive!" She ran to me, spear raised to stab me in the gullet. Before she could make me into a kabob, I grabbed her head with a bloodcurdling cry. Electricity coursed from my hands and began to fry her skin. Bolts shot from my hands in all direction as she screamed into the night. I cut the voltage and moved my right hand over her throat.

"It didn't have to go like this. You would've won if I fought fair. You're feeling it now, aren't you? What normal people fear everyday, Their own weakness." I started to squeeze as she clawed at my hands. "I'll let you live, don't worry. I want you to remember this. I wanted to remind you to stay out of my way. In all the years to come and in your most private moments, I want you to remember the one person who beat you."

I left Mistral the next day. I never returned to the city, and instead roamed the rest of Remnant. There were a few nights were I dressed again, but after the fith, I hung up the cowl. I couldn't be a faceless hero of Remnant, they needed a person like Nikos. After moving to Vale, I remained a recluse until I was contacted by Ozpin. It was about time for me to start going to Beacon Academy! This was a new start for me, and I could finally move on! Or so I thought.