Hello. This is my first attemp at a story and I'd like to make a few points first:

First: This not exactly a SI. The character is from Earth and is somewhat based on me, but is more an OC than anything else.

Second: I have a good idea where I'm going with this and I hope it will be different enough to be interesting...eventually.

Third: I have left some details about the character out of this chapter for now in an attempt to avoid a big exposition dump now. They will come up later.

Ok,

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own anything from RWBY. I wish I was that creative. It all belongs to Monty Oum and RoosterTeeth. I guess I have some claim to my OC's.

Chapter One

I was panting from exhaustion, my back aching, squinting past the blood dripping down to my left eye from a cut on my forehead. Alarms blaring everywhere, punctured with the occasional sound of gunfire.

A year of practise and a lot of luck is the only reason I'm alive right now, although the current situation doesn't leave me with much hope that will last.

Emergency lighting gives the corridor a red glow as I move along it. I don't meet anyone else.

We weren't prepared for this! This is a small facility, the guards aren't as good as in others! We aren't experts! We weren't supposed to be important enough to be worth attacking!

There's a window up ahead, looks into an office, but the door is in a hall on the other side…There's someone there!

I almost rush up to see before remembering that not everyone in the facility is friendly right now. I sneak up to the edge of the glass and look in. I sigh in relief, another employee, a regular worker, he looks scared and I don't blame him.

I'm about to step in front of the glass...and then something hit the door, hard.

The poor guy turns to the door just in time to see it burst open.

I'm frozen in shock and horror as the Beowolf leaps on him…

I woke up with a gasp.

Nightmares aren't uncommon for me these days, but thankfully they don't happen too often, and they're getting rarer.

I got up and just sat for a while, just trying to follow the chain of events that brought me here. Then I got up and started getting ready.

The face in the mirror hasn't changed much at first glance. Blue eyes, short dark hair. But I guess I'm a bit thinner. I'm definitely stronger.

Today was a big day, I never actually expected this to happen. I'm still surprised this is happening.

About a year ago, when I was sixteen, I arrived here on Remnant, I don't know how it happened. I didn't wake up on a plane to Beacon, there was no one saying they brought me here, no explanation.

I've read stories about characters that wake up on different worlds, but they are usually brought by someone, or they had resources. I woke up in an alley. No usable money or identification, no record of my existence, nowhere to stay.

It didn't take me long to realise where I was, it was night and the moon was a dead giveaway. When I realised where I was…I had no idea what to do. Whatever event brought me here did not include the necessary skills to become a hunter…or indeed any information or resources but the clothes on my back.

I went to the first police station I could find, what else could I do? At least while remaining on the right side of the law. No ID, no records, no home, trying to explain my situation (without going into the whole "other world" thing, which would make me sound crazy) was not fun. They ran my prints just to be sure, nothing again.

Fortunately for me it was fairly obvious that I didn't know what to do, hell I was just short of panic, so they called up someone who could help. Nobody fancy, just an agency that could help me find work. They gave me a few tests so I was able to prove I an education, but the lack of records keeps things complicated. In the end they found a job, didn't require much qualification.

The job was as a guard for a small facility owned by the Schnee Company. Not a large facility, more a refuelling station along the rail tracks, not too far from the city. No big cargo stored, no really important personnel. Honestly it was more a training facility than anything else, somewhere new employees could get started before moving on when they were more experienced.

Small (comparatively anyway), not important, not many Grimm attacks, and if they do attack there aren't any big ones like Death Stalkers or Nevermores.

Interesting fact, defending against Grimm from a fortified position is much different from fighting them up close. With walls and plenty of guns it's not difficult to take down groups of Beowolves or Ursa.

Spent almost a year there, a year training, getting stronger. I researched information on Aura and how to activate it. In practice this meant finding someone who knew more about it and paying them to help. Of course that only took me so far. I needed to learn more about it myself from there.

I admit, I was still interested in being a hunter, being a monster slayer, being a hero. But Beacon seemed out of reach. Beacon is a school for the best, the idea that they would accept a nobody without any records and only a year of training was laughable at best.

Then…..

…The idea was that we were too small to be a target. That we wouldn't have anything worth hitting. That we weren't important enough to be really noticed…

But apparently we were wrong…

It happened during a Grimm attack, a pack of Beowolves. But then the explosions started, and suddenly we weren't just being attacked by Grimm.

Not that we really noticed at first. We were more concerned with the holes in our defence that the Grimm could get through, so we moved to that. That we were under attack from a third force only truly registered when shots hit us from behind.

It was a brilliant plan really. Wait till we're distracted, make the situation worse, and then hit us hard with forces they'd snuck in. With that happening they could bring in more while everyone was distracted on the other end of the facility. Apparently the White Fang had been fighting smarter recently.

The fight didn't end well for us.

One thing I could say though, the fear of imminent painful death really motivates a person. After everything that happened…It gave me the final push to fully unlock my Aura.

When it was all over I came out with a fully activated Aura, a fair idea of what my semblance was, some more "intense" Grimm kills…and scars on my back and my front. I also gained a new perspective, at first I was interested in being a hunter because it seemed exciting, interesting and worthwhile. Now? I still think it's worthwhile…but now that's more because I've seen firsthand what happens when Grimm win.

After that I just quit. I went back to that agency that got me the job and said I was interested in being a hunter. I may not have learned from an actual combat school but I had some experience, and given that we encountered Grimm on a semi-regular basis I had a bit of practical knowledge about them. Beacon still seemed out of reach, but while it's definitely the best, it's not the only place to learn.

But when trying to figure out where I wanted to go I decided to just send of applications out and see who'd have me.

It turned out an application was sent to Beacon as well. But I only learned this when I received a message saying I'd been accepted. To say that I was surprised would be an understatement. I'm still surprised.

So here I am. A bag packed with my few possessions. I'm standing in line to get on the airship to Beacon.

I admit, while I'm excited, I'm not exactly confident. Is what I know enough? Did I learn enough? Will I be good enough?

I know the whole purpose of the academy is to learn, but Beacon is for the best…

No point dwelling on it now. I'm here and this is my course, all that's left is to give it my best.

I reach the counter at the front of the line. "Name?"

"Samuel Drake"

Here goes.

Alright.

Like I mentioned earlier I've left some details regarding Sam out of this chapter (semblance, weapon, ect). I'm introducing them later to try and avoid an awkward exposition dump this chapter.

Constructive criticism is welcome and I hope you enjoy the story.