Ethan Thomas, that's me... drunk, tired, and pissed off.
I had my entire life collapse in front of me, I went from ace detective, to bottom of the barrel drunkard, all thanks to SKX, the prick wanted me for... something, no idea what, I think he wanted me to see Oro, a terrorist cult designed purely to control the populous, so they could become their "protectors" or some other proverbial bullshit... unfortunately I was in the way. They may have ruined my career, I may be unwelcome in every facet of the world because of the frame I was put onto, but it was worth it, if only because my demons could be weakened from it, my reliance upon alcohol gone, I had accepted that my parents had died to protect me... as much as it hurt... more than I'd like to admit it.
Ethan Thomas... that's me... I managed to give up my alcoholism, but I'm still just as tired, and just as pissed off.
Awakening in a new place after passing out on the helicopter home was bizarre, In a forest, alone, with no wreckage around me... fuck me, these trees are fuckin tall. There was a commotion going on, deep into the seemingly endless abyss of muddy brown and vomit green. Not gunshots, or the clanging of metal objects onto another, but the sound of a rabid animal, foaming at the mouth for flesh, the flesh of a person, most likely, if it was another beast, or it's prey, the fight would have already ended. Regardless of my willingness to help a stranger, I still need info on where I am, What happened after Oro was exposed. Prodding under my right arm, my 9mm remained where it always was, slowly removing the protruding metal contraption from its holster, the magazine was removed, and three small golden lumps were found...
That would suffice.
Slowly standing from the seated position I sat in, turning in the direction of the noise, I ran, for only a minute, before stumbling to a halt, at the sight I saw.
A girl, long white hair bound into a long, rather ridiculous ponytail, dressed in full white, corset and skirt in full display, prodding an old rapier at a beast, painted in black and red, about 4 times the size of her, covered in bones over key areas of its body, like a natural built in armor.
I didn't want to help her, she was foolish enough to fight a giant fuckin boar with a tiny metal toothpick, she could, but lose her life. But something was telling me to do otherwise, an instinct, to protect... I hadn't felt that since the early days of detective work.
"Why don't you just leave her to die, like you always do" Stated an ever familiar voice to my left. Leaning on a tree, was my other self, that ever haunting mask he had replacing skin, akin to that of a clowns, seemed to always unnerve me.
"I'm not letting you win... ever... you fuck." I state, slowly raising my 9mm, and directing the sights right over the colossal beasts gullet... and slowly, but surely, appliying pressure to the trigger.
The beast stumbled slightly at the impact, before rearing it's ugly teeth in my direction. The trigger is pulled again. Smacking out a rather large tooth from the beast's muzzle, contorted and scratched, but still a viable weapon. The beast was now barrelling towards me at full force. I knew I had to act.
Running at the beast, I cracked my rather boisterous heel into its snout, hopping off of it and landing behind it, grabbing the previously mangled tooth from the ground, turning once again, and climbing onto the now confused and oblivious beast's spine, and driving the tooth through its snout, and out the bottom of its jaw. Flipping my torso around, I mounted onto the beasts face, and, cracking my fists, prepared to brutalize the poor fuck.
Punch after punch after punch, the beast's skull went from an unmoving stalwart, to a collection of mangled shards and flesh turned to pulp. Once the beast had been effectively made into a ball of shame. I relaxed my shoulders and posture, grabbed the 9mm I had managed to drop during my flurry of fists, turning to the girl in white.
Her jaw on the floor from the brutalization, the blood, the gun, my rather unpleasant face, whatever. Stomping towards her to question her, she reaches for her toothpick, which I grab from her and throw to the side. Grabbing her shoulders, I quietly, but with plentiful force, ask her "Where the fuck am I, where is this place?"
She fumbles for words, stuttering slightly, before replying "Emerald forest."
"And where the fucks that?"
"Beneath Beacon Academy, In Vale."
"And where the fuck is Vale?"
On Remnant Dumb ass. What, are you that inept you don't know what Remnant is?"
"Would you please shut the fuck up... just shut the fuck up before my mind gives... What the fuck is Remnant?"
"THE PLANET YOU COMPLETE NEANDERTHAL BUFFOON." She shouted
What? I'm on a different fuckin planet? Well, I guess that's why boars are the size of trucks, Why this white bitch thought that toothpick was an effective weapon, and why the trees were about a kilometer tall and thicker than that school dinner lady I beat the shit out of when I was still chasing SKX. The real question is how I got here. And, for that matter, why this place of all the fuckin places you could send an angry, violent man, you chose this shithole...
Better than the Metro City I guess...
"Goddammit, I need to sleep. This shit ain't making sense."
I let go of her shoulders... and she immediately aggravates my ever dwindling psyche, as she jumps for her toothpick, tumbling into it, and standing through the roll, and pointing said weapon at me.
"Oh you gotta be fuckin kidding me, I just saved your ass, and now you point that at me... For real? I mean, the toothpick won't do shit, you won't get close enough or lucky enough to get a single jab in. I ain't got time for your shit whitey."
Turning to look at a gap in the endless sea of trees, was a cliff, and atop said cliff was a complex, more oppressive in nature than any location in metro city, perhaps the Beacon she mentioned. I walk towards the cliff.
White had decided to follow me, probably to attempt to kill me, not like she can even get close enough to try it without my intervention.
I found a small outcropping in the cliffs colossal side, a ladder leading up, which I take rather laboured, I was sleep deprived after all. Arriving at the top, I stare back at the wood behind me, a complete mess, I was correct in saying it had no end, I certainly couldn't see the end of it, and I doubt anyone else could.
"And who would you be?"
I turn rapidly, drawing my 9mm and pointing the barrel on the unfamiliar voices direction.
There stood an older man, hair greying, but hairline still strong, some rather generic glasses resting on his nose. He could be a threat, but as of now, he was no danger.
Lowering the 9mm, I state "Who wants to know?" The old man chuckled, stating "I'm professor Ozpin, Head of the academy you currently stand in, now, I will repeat, who are you?"
"Ethan Thomas. Professional insomniac and skull cracker."
"And why are you here Ethan?"
"I'm here to ask where the fuck I am... As far as I can tell I might as well not be of this planet, or even dimension for all I know, Never was a science guy."
"If you would follow me to my office, all shall be explained, hopefully your questions will be answered, and not provide more questions."
Was that really a good idea? I mean, so far he's no threat, but that could change in the blink of an eye... You know what? Fuck it, you only get one shot, might as well take it.
Slowly, I relaxed my stance, and began to follow the older man.
Absentmindedly, out of habit, I checked my munitions...
Only one little brass clump met me, completely Isolated, stuck within the inner mechanisms of the pistol.
Fuck.
Perhaps I can get some more bullets somewhere, oh well, my fists work just as well as the gun...
We reach the old man's office after riding an elevator, he hobbles over to a rather large desk, and sits, gesturing for me to sit in front of the desk
I do as he says.
"So, you say you think you are... otherworldly?"
"Well, if the wildlife here is anything to go by, yeah."
"Please explain."
I explain to him that there are no beasts such as that massive boar in my old home, then, I explained the rising crime, some snippets of my past, the stuff he would inevitably ask later on. After draining myself, I gauge his reaction...
I am met by a subtle grin.
"Well, if that's case, how old are you?"
"Ummmm..."
I have no idea, I was 23, but I felt... more agile, and perhaps less knackered, So perhaps I was younger or something? I mean, it was possible, After all, I kinda traveled through dimensions.
"Hand me a mirror."
I have a small hand held mirror placed into my right hand.
The face that greets is familiar, but noticeably less aged and haggard. The heavy stubble still remained, I could grow it well before the average male,my hair was still longer and unkempt, and the dead skin, the sunken eyes, they still remained, a seemingly ever-lasting mark of my insomnia.
I think over, and let out an educated guess.
"Just turned 17, I think."
"Okay... well, I have a proposition for you"
"... Urgh, What now?"
To Be Continued...