Chapter 1
I stepped off the curb, sprinting down the darkened road. Huge skyscrapers, devoid of action, towered above me. mist swirled, obscuring the tops of the buildings. My only thought was to keep running. Keep away from those… things. I could hear their muffled growling, gradually growing louder. I didn't have much time. I searched for a solution. I had to take out those beasts… whatever they are, and find a safe place. I saw a coffee shop to my left. Ducking into the building, I found a small cramped room. I ran through the door at the other side, rotten planks squealing in protest. I knew that only hours ago, this place had been bustling with people getting their coffee before rush hour. I silently stepped into the kitchen. A huge pot of water lay on the stove. The water was boiling. Picking up the pot, I jumped upwards, pushing the roofing tiles out of the way. I landed smoothly, setting the pot on the roof.
I had always been a good acrobat. In fact, the best. That was why I was in New York at 9:25 on 4/23/17. That was why I was there when huge black beasts invaded the city, killing indiscriminately. I had just won the national acrobatics championship, obtaining a perfect score. Just after the awards ceremony, the huge portal had opened up.
I heard the beasts before I saw them. They ran through the coffee shop, crushing everything in their path. From the chase, I knew there were two of them. As they were directly under me, I dumped the water. Pulling my hood lower over my head, I ran, feet pounding on the roofs of the houses as I jumped from shop to shop.
I ran with no direction, no purpose. I didn't know where I was going, nor did I care. Suddenly, without knowing it, I came to the center of it all. The Empire State building towered above a spinning purple vortex. Mini bolts of lightning flashed in the purple mist that emanated from the royal blue center of the vortex. Through the center, I saw a great mountain. Rocky crags extended from its rough surface. The top of the mountain was obscured in red mist. I could see a throng of the beasts at the base of the mountain. They ran towards the portal. As they got to the entrance, the malevolent monsters came through the portal. Suddenly, the beasts stopped coming through. The image in the portal changed to that of a large city. I couldn't tell many details, but I saw huge brick townhouses. In the center of the city, skyscrapers rose above the other buildings, silhouetted by a broken moon. Huge tentacles emanated from the portal on my side. The tentacles lunged towards me. At the same time, I saw an auburn haired girl sprint into the open area in front of the portal. The tentacles lunged for her as well. They grabbed onto me and pulled me into the portal.
I emerged into a bustling city. People went around their daily business, going into shops and restaurants. It's hard to imagine that just 3 hours ago, I was just like them. I wondered where I was. I knew I wasn't in our world. It hit me in a rush. I leaned against a wall, sweat beaded on my face. I was in another world! I stood up again, and began walking aimlessly, taking in the sights and sounds. I saw a sign that said the city I was in was called Haven. I entered a smaller side street. Walking on the other side of the road was a man in a green suit. His head snapped toward me. "You… You shouldn't be here. Come with me."
I followed the man through ever decreasing sizes of alleys. Eventually, we arrived at the smallest passage yet. It branched off one of the larger pathways, seeming to fade into the darkness. Slimy water coated from the walls, dripping on the grimy ground below. The girl I'd glimpsed in New York came also, being led by a stout, fat man with a huge mustache. I didn't know what to think about her. She wore punk clothes, all black. Her long auburn hair flowed down her back, ending in a ragged line at the small of her back. She had dark hazel eyes. As I watched, they seemed to changed colors. All in all…. Absolutely gorgeous.
I realized I was staring and blushed, looking away. We were led to a door made of mouldy, dark wood. The fat man pushed and the door swung open, revealing a dark, albeit clean, hallway. Breaking the silence, the green suited man spoke. "It's not much, but this is all that's left of Beacon Academy. Follow me and I will tell you more." The man had silvery grey hair, and wore miniature spectacles, that lay perched on his nose. As he walked, he clicked his iron tipped cane against the ground.
We came to a door at the end of the long hallway. The tall man, who introduced himself as Professor Ozpin, opened the door. Its rust covered hinges squealed in protest. We walked into the room. A round conference table took up most of the room, with hardwood chairs circling it. The top of the room rose into a dome, devoid of any decoration. A single lightbulb hanging by a string, extended down until it was about five feet above the table. It cast weird shadows to the 6 people already occupying the table. There were exactly four chairs left. We all sat down.
A brownish red haired girl stood up and addressed the rest of the table. She wore a black skirt and blouse with a pretty red trim.
"Hello and welcome to Beacon Academy. It has been a long journey for all of us, especially for the newly formed team RNJR. It appears we have some unexpected visitors. Go ahead and tell us your stories."
I looked at the other people sitting at the table. An unimpressive boy in jeans and a t-shirt sat next to a black haired teen in a green suit. A somewhat pretty girl, wearing pink, was bouncing in her seat next to the black haired boy.
The brown haired girl I saw as I was entering introduced herself as, not surprisingly, Hazel. She said how she lived in downtown New York and felt herself called to the Empire State Building, where she was pulled in by tentacles. Another girl shyly stood up, glancing down at her feet before speaking. She introduced herself as Indigo. She had light purple hair and strong facial features, which seemed to not match her shy personality. She went on to tell the group about how her small village in Iraq was being hit by bombs when a portal opened in the doorway to her hut. Just as a bomb exploded in her hut, she had jumped through. Her last sight before entering Haven was her family being blown up.
Now it was my turn. I told my story, starting with my name, Verdigris, and continuing with the acrobatics competition, then how the beasts entered the city. I told about how I saw Hazel and got pulled in by the tentacles. Finally, a silver haired boy introduced himself as Silvio. He said he had also come to the Empire State Building. I asked why I hadn't seen him. He said he could move without being seen. Wow. RIP acrobatics. Ozpin stood up.
"It is a grave day in the world of Remnant. All of vale has been taken over, and the members of the school Beacon Academy are spread thin. The Hunters and huntresses…"
"Hunters?" Silvio interjected.
"Id better start from the beginning" Ozpin said under his breath.
"As you now know, you are in the world of Remnant. Somehow, you got sucked through portals to this world. I heard from you, Verde, that black beasts are invading the city you call New York?"
"Yes"
"Those are Grimm, the monsters that inhabit this world. I know you would like to get back to you're world. That is impossible at this point. You will have to get to the main portal at the realm of Salem and Cinder, the… villains... of this world. First you will need training. We don't have much time… one year to be exact. We'll get started tomorrow. For now, I have some explaining to do."
I stayed silent, not knowing exactly what to say. I kind of have to like the man Ozpin. A woman walked through the door, heels banging a sharp report of the hardwood boards. She wore a white suit and some sort of purple cape, tattered on the edges and bottom. The cape reached to the small of her back, giving the impression of wings. She wore a strict expression on her face, as if every emotion was regulated and controlled into a featureless mask.
"The acrobatics you mentioned, Verde, are known as a semblance, Silvio also mentioned moving without being seen."
The woman stepped forwards, perching on a chair placed diagonally in the corner of the room.
""Now… Hazel. Indigo. Have you noticed anything that is strange-stronger about you?"
Hazel spoke
"I've always been able to communicate mentally with those closest to me. I can also make others able to talk with people other than himself but not me."
"A very uncommon semblance… I don't know if anyone has had that in recent past. Indigo?"
"Nothing…"
The woman stood up, motioning to the door. "It is quite late. Get some sleep and we will tell you more tomorrow.