Chapter 1: If Alpha is the Begining, What is the End?

-Sanus, Vale, Signal Academy, Two Years Until Canon Storyline-

Life isn't always what you want it to be. I sit here in this classroom learning the basics of Grimm fighting. I despise sitting and taking notes. I was looking longingly out the window of the classroom.

"Miss Prism? Please answer the question." The teacher, one Miss Pearl, called on me. I gave a cock of my head, and Miss Pearl sighed. "What is the best way to defeat a Nevermore?" Miss Pearl re-asked the question.

I gave a scoff. "Sever or cripple its wings, then move in for the kill. Or trap it close to the ground and attack from an angle." I answered nonchalantly, redirecting my gaze out the window.

Miss Pearl nodded. "Those are effective ways to deal with a Nevermore." I heard her say. I glanced up to the clock. Just a few more minutes, then we get to go to the weapon forge and make our own weapons.

I was thinking over my designs for my weapons, when a ball of paper hit me in the back of the head. I jumped slightly, startled, and looked to the ground, where the object had fallen. Quickly, I reached down and swiped it off the ground and unfolded the paper to find a note:

Dear Clu,

I am sure you have heard of how cool I am, and are probably considering dating me soon. That being said, I just want to invite you to come and join my team, when we get there.

Yours truly,

Cardin

I finished skimming the note and suppressed a fit of laughter while crumpling it in my fist. He thought he could woo me? That is humor at its finest. The jerk couldn't even treat his own kind properly and he thinks he is ready for a relationship? Hilarious.

I held the balled up the note like a weapon and toss it into the trashcan when Pearl turned her back and the red-haired prick glared at me. I shrugged at Cardin while I shook my head slowly. He didn't seem happy about this.

I was about to flip him off too, but the bell rang. I have to admit, I am not the fastest here, but when that bell rang, I was the first one out the classroom door. I was feverish at the very thought of making my own weapons! I almost didn't even notice my transition of rooms until I felt the air grow hot. I took a look around and saw anvils, hammers, blast furnaces, and a few other crafting stations. The weaponsmith, Master Brick, greeted me as I crossed into his realm. "Oh! Why hello, Clu. Excited to finally make your weapon?" The tall, tanned man asked me. I nodded excitedly.

"Yes, sir!" I answered, eager to get started. Brick gave a hearty laugh and got me started on the process. I was the only one who knew it would be my last day at Signal. I mean, why would I stay another day at a place where the students continuously make fun of the real me?

-Somewhere in the city of Vale two Years later-

I was sitting in a seat at the counter of the Crow Bar. When I had arrived, I noticed a few people look up at me funnily, but the bartender said nothing.

I ordered a tea as I watched the Vytal Festival on the television above the bar. "Bah! All of these students have such horrid styles!" I complained as I watched another student from Beacon get knocked off their feet and eliminated.

The bartender gave me a concerned look as he set my tea down in front of me. I laid five lien down and the bartender took it.

"Hey, kid, who are you to judge? If you know so much, why didn't you join?" The bartender asked. I snorted and looked sternly at the man.

"Let's just say I left Signal and transferred to Sanctum because of the people, and I never met Sanctum's expectations, so I left. It also doesn't help that my job's frowned upon everywhere." I spoke with bitter distaste in my mouth.

The man gained a curious, yet nervous expression. "So how did you get the weapons?" He asked pointedly, gesturing with a quick nod of his head toward my two blades.

I took a long sip of my tea. "I left Signal right after I forged my weapons." I said, patting my greatsword which had been in the seat next to me since I came in, just in case.

The bartender gave a "hm". Sensing the conversation was over, I looked back to the screen. There were two fighters left standing, one from Beacon, the other from Atlas. The two charged at each other, both making one final strike at the other. A few moments of dragged by, and finally the Beacon student fell.

"Predictable" I muttered, looking back down at my drink. I quickly downed the rest of my tea and collapse and put away my greatsword. The soft click of my sword connecting to the magnetic plate harness I was wearing let me know it wouldn't fall off. It's time to vanish again.

"You know, I actually have a bet with Professor Ozpin. If he catches me on his school grounds, I have to enroll in his school." I thought aloud as I got up and turned to leave, "But, I have no reason to go near his school." I exited the Crow Bar and my Scroll buzzed. I pulled my scroll out and opened the message. It was a contract. I scrolled through the details:

Target name: Ozpin

Location: Beacon Academy

Pay: 7,000,000,000 lien

Deadline: None

What? Someone wants me to kill Ozpin? What idiot thinks I have any chance against Ozpin?

I was lost in thought when someone bumped into me. I looked up to see a girl who looked like the personification of Neapolitan ice cream.

I was about to apologize when she snagged my scroll from my hand. "Hey!" I almost yelled. She looked between my scroll and the one in her other hand. She handed my scroll back to me, then typed furiously on hers. My scroll buzzed and looked at the new message.

"What the hell!? Watch where you're walking!" I blurted, startled and irritated by my concentration being lost. Was this girl mute?

"I… um, I was standing still. I take it you are mute?" I asked. Her look of anger faded away. "Oh… Sorry. I guess I should've looked where I was going. But… yea… I am mute. What about it?!" She messaged. I shrugged. "I have never met one. You seem cool. Anyway, I might see you around." I spoke casually as I stepped to the side and politely motioned for her to continue on her way. She gave me a confused look and continued on her way.

I took one step in the opposite direction and stepped on something. I looked down to see an umbrella under my foot. She must have dropped it. I picked up the umbrella and walked after the girl. I stopped once I came to the main road by the bar. Well, shit. She could've gone anywhere. I thought I had lost her, but then I saw the ice cream girl step into an alley. That was fast.

I jogged across the street and came to the opening of the alleyway. I stopped short when I heard some voices. "Well, well, a little girl all on her own?" Said a gruff voice. I heard a shuffle of feet. "Nah-uh, we ain't letting you go 'less you dead or give us all your money." Said a similar voice. "Guys, come on, leave 'er be. She obviously doesn't have much money, if any." Said a deep, bass-like voice. "Shut it, Grif!" Yelled the first voice. I heard a loud thump, like someone getting hit in the chest, then a loud smack. Well, shit.

"Damn, little bitch has some bite to 'er." said the second voice. I sensed this as being my cue to intervene.

I walked around the corner and down the alley toward the thugs. The first voice belonged to the thug with dirty blond hair and a fair complexion, the second voice belonged to a male brunette with a nasty scar down his face, and the deep voice belonged to a tall, muscular black guy. Shit, I don't want to fight him.

"Hey, Miss, you dropped this when you ran into me." I said to the ice cream girl. She just gave me a nasty glare. "I suppose you want me to help you here?" I asked. She nodded. That's all I need. I tossed her umbrella to the ground and drew my sword as it extended to its full length. This got three looks of fear and one look of intrigue.

"Let her go, and you might be lucky enough to walk away alive...if you can still walk by the time I'm done with you." I demanded. The first thug gave a short laugh and drew a gun from the inside of his bulky military jacket. Smirking, I activated my semblance and vanished.

"O-oh, no! Where'd he go?" The second thug whimpered, his former toughness gone. Too easy.

I walked straight up to him and shoved my blade through him. The sight scared the other two thugs. The first thug, apparently becoming desperate and panicky, suddenly lifted his gun to the girl's head, his hand shaking violently.

"Show yourself or her brains leave her skull!" He shouted. I collapsed my greatsword into its sniper from and squeezed off a shot to his head. The resulting hit caused his brains to paint the wall behind him red. I deactivated my semblance and approached Grif as I put my weapon away. "Let her go, and you will live. I can tell you don't really want this." I said. His eyes wide as saucers with awe-struck fear, Grif let ice cream girl go rather quickly, pushing her roughly for good measure. Calmly, she picked up her umbrella and strode over to stand just behind me to my right.

"P-Please don't kill me!" Grif said as he slowly backed away from me. "I won't kill you if you keep your hands clean from… this." I said as I motioned to the bodies. "Y-Yes, sir!" And with that, Grif ran off.

I turned toward the girl. "You ok?" I asked. She pulled out her scroll. "Yea. Thanks for helping me out." She typed. I gave a small, polite bow. "I know I myself am not much of a reputable person, but I can't just let thugs have there way." I said. I turned to leave, but my scroll's buzzing stopped me. "Hey, my name's Neapolitan. Most people call call me Neo" was the message. I turned to her again. "And I am Cloud Prism." I said with another small bow. Neo giggled silently. "What?" I asked. Neo just gave a sly look and typed something. "Quit being adorable!" Neo sent. I can't believe she said that. I couldn't tell if my face reddened, but I definitely felt embarrassed.

I looked at my shoes, forcing the flush creeping up my neck to be nonexistent. After a few moments, I looked back up at Neapolitan, or, Neo, and she smiled at me. Then she looked down at her scroll and messaged "Sorry. Too soon?"

I read the message and chuckled, quickly getting over my brief embarrassment. "No, Neo, it's fine. Really." Now it was her turn to look abashed. Sensing another awkward moment, I decided to change the subject.

"I am considering bringing you to work with me. You really seem to be a pair for me." I thought aloud. Neo seemed to stop and think for a moment. "The offer is nice, but I would like to stay here in Vale." Neo politely declined. I nodded in understanding. "I respect that. Plus, my line of work isn't very safe." I said. Neo gave a smirk. "Yea, killing Ozpin won't be easy." Neo's message seemed to mock me.

I stiffened a bit. "Eh, I am not planning on doing that contract. Too much risk, too little payment." I said with a shrug. "Anyway, I suppose we should go our separate ways. I am sure you have things to do." I said curtly. Neo nodded in agreement. "Yes. I tell you what, if you ever find yourself back in Vale for any reason, shoot me a text. Maybe we can hook back up and… who knows? Kick some thugs around again?" Neo sent, with a picture of her and another scroll number. I chuckled and waved good-bye as we both went our separate ways again.

I stood on the sidewalk next to the main road and went through my other contracts. One stood out to me, as it was the only other contract in Vale:

Target Name: Alpha

Location: Junior's Club

Pay: 30,000 lien

Deadline: Tonight at midnight

Notes: This little cunt has ruined my life! I want her dead and her head brought to me!

Interesting contract. I mean, I have done many contracts where someone wants another dead because they ruined their life, but this one doesn't say what happened. Well, I should go and at least see if this is even a real complaint. I switched windows on my scroll and pressed the "deploy" button and waited. A few moments later, my personal vehicle, a canceled experimental vehicle called the Manta, came cruising down the road. The sleek, silver vehicle cruised down the street. The Manta's chassis was a like a smoother, bigger Mustang Boss. The sound of the engine was music to my ears. I had always loved muscle cars, and getting my hands on this one was deceptively easy. I inherited the the chassis from the parents I never knew. Along with the chassis came a note that explained what it was. The Manta Ray was an experimental "hover car" that Mantle had begun to build. However, when Mantle fell and Atlas rose, the development of the vehicle ceased. With in the note were the blueprints for the rest of the car, but I had only the chassis. So, from there, I assembled the vehicle using old car parts to make the parts I needed for the Manta. Given the weapons I made, it was pretty easy to make the parts. Now, I have a car that hovers above the ground. No wheels needed. I can drive over water, but at a reduced speed. No flying though. I tried and almost died.

As the Manta pulled up along the curb, I put my scroll in my coat pocket and got in. The Manta's interior was similar to a normal car, minus the built in GPS system and the two bench seats. A six-person vehicle for a one-man team is amazing. It's sometimes my mobile bed. In the Manta, I had a pillow bundled in a blanket, a few changes of clothes for disguises, and a weapon cleaning kit. You would think that with how much I could get paid, I would have more, but I do not see how that's necessary. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was half-past-three. If I wanted to scout the person out, decide their fate, and kill or spare them, I need to go now. With that, I typed in the club's address and relaxed as I was driven there.

Now, time to pick out an outfit. I crawled over into the back seat and sorted the clothes into piles. I had these outfits to choose from:

1) a sky blue tee with black jeans, white socks, and black hi-tops,

2) a yellow collared long-sleeve with blue jeans, white socks, and black hi-tops

3) a relatively skimpy maid outfit.

Tough choices. If I chose the maid outfit, I could go with the story of never having been to a club. So, I picked the maid outfit and changed into it. I looked at myself in the rear-view and noticed something, or rather, somethings. My hair style didn't match the formality of the outfit and I had no makeup on. I still looked the part, however, but I don't think it is convincing enough. I quickly crawled back over the seat and changed my destination to a local makeup shop called Purr-fect Vanity. Sounds like a faunus owns the shop. With that done, I enjoyed the rest of my ride to the shop.

Once the car came to a stop, I exited the car with a little handbag that matched the outfit. I stepped on to the sidewalk and pulled out my scroll. I few clicks later, the Manta went to find a parking lot. I put my scroll in my bag and looked toward the store. I caught my reflection in the window of the store. Damn, I look cute. I shook my head in disappointment at myself. Damn my fused soul. Casting the thought out of my head, I walked into the shop and was immediately greeted by the owner.

"Hello, little miss! How can I make a cutie like you even cuter today?" The cat faunus spoke as she seemed to appear from nowhere. I jumped in surprise. "I-I um… I just need some makeup." I spoke nervously. Chirpy people make me nervous. "Oh, my dear, I will get you the perfect makeup and do your hair at our seasonal discounted price!" The faunus said as she guided me to a chair in front of a mirror. Tentatively, I sat in the chair as she searched her shelves for something suitable for me. After a few minutes, the cat returned.

"Okay, my dear, let's see about this hair first. I simply cannot work with makeup if your hair falls in your face." The faunus spoke, her eyes darting from my face to my messy hair. She swept my chin length hair back with a brush and discovered my horns. Bracing myself silently for the awkward questions, the cat's face remained overly-cheerful as she piped, "Oh, my. What lovely horns."I spaced out as she styled my hair, so I have no clue what she did, but when I came back to Remnant, my hair was bobbed with a slight curve outward and my bangs pinned to the right as to keep them out of my face. And on top of that, my horns, which are angled toward the back of my head, were showing. I could never get them to show. I was stunned as I looked into the floor-length mirror at someone I didn't imagine I'd ever see. This cat knows just how to turn a mess into a beautiful work of art. I let out a slight gasp and the cat noticed.

"I see the little missus likes it." She said with a smirk.

"Y-Yes, ma'am." was my stuttered reply. The cat stepped in front of me with a blush pad in her hand. "Now, for the make up." And with that, the cat's hands flew fast and accurate as she applied various makeups to my face. I wasn't sure what she had done, until she stepped to the side. The blush make me look less pale than before, my eyelashes were nice and plump, and my lips were colored a lovey shade of pink that complimented my hair. I let out a gasp and the cat giggled. Reality dawned on me. "H-How much will this cost me?" I asked. I knew this had to be expensive. The cat took a moment to think. "It will be 30 lien." She said. No. I don't believe her. This kind of high quality work deserves its high price. I reached into my bag and pulled out a hundred lien and handed it to her. "Take it, keep it, and I will be back." I said. The cat just stared a moment. "Persilla Marigold is the name you will want to remember if you come back." Persilla said and gave a warm smile. I nodded in thanks and left hastily.

I let out a sigh of relief once I was outside. Like I said, chirpy people make me nervous. I was about to pull out my scroll to call my car over, but the club was literally across the street. With a "hmp", I crossed the street. I didn't even have to look. Apparently, Vale has almost no cars on its streets. I found that weird.

Anyway, even though I WAS outside the club, I could hear the music from inside the building. Damn, they must have some high quality speakers. I open the front entrance and walked down a dimly lit hallway. A lit set of glass doors at the end of the hall drew closer as I walked on. The closer I got to the doors, the louder the music got. Eventually, I reached the glass doors, which slowly parted and revealed a somewhat dimly lit club with strobes and dance music playing loudly. Is this what a typical club was like? The setting of this club would probably make my job easier, but this was the first club I have been to. I still don't really know what expect in these kinds of places. I made my way to the bar and ordered a water. I turned to look at the crowd on the dance floor to see if I could find anyone who could go my the name of Alpha. Seeing few who could fit the bill, I gave a sigh and took a sip of my water.

Suddenly, someone tapped my shoulder. I turned to find a cute party girl with long blonde hair with rainbow highlights. She looked a bit tanned and had the most fascinating eyes. Her eyes were the colors of the rainbow going clockwise around her pupils.

"Hiya! I am Alpha, the queen of this dance floor. I know you are new here, and to clubbing, just from your mood. Does the cutie have a name?" Alpha said, her voice full of energy. I nearly fell out of my seat. "I, um, yea. My name is Clu. I-I am new to clubbing." I said nervously. All I was thinking up to this point was that I knew I could not kill this girl. She took a step back and twirled. As she twirled, she seemed to radiate glitter. I couldn't help but gasp. Alpha giggled at my reaction. "Come on, dance with me!" She beckoned. I hesitated, quickly running through my head all of the possible scenarios that could go wrong. Whatever, who cares?

"Okay. I guess I could try it." I said, hopping off my seat and following Alpha to the dance floor. As we approached the dance floor, the dancers there moved aside to let me and Alpha through. She truly was the queen of the dance floor. "Alright! Now, the easiest way to have fun here is to feel the music and let it move you." She shouted over the music and cheers. I thought about that. Feel the music and let it move me? I closed my eyes and listened carefully to the music. The beat was a steady pattern. One, two and three, four, repeat. I began to sway my hips to the beat and evolved into a dance from there. "See! You are doing just fine, Clu!" Alpha shouted. I felt happy, energized, and encouraged, as such, my dancing got more… complicated. "W-Whoa! Clu, you're a dirty dancer?! I want in on that!" Shouted the Queen of Dance herself as she joined in on my dirty dancing. At that point, I lost track of what happened. All I know is that there was a lot of grinding and rubbing. It felt great.

After a while, I came back to my senses and checked the time on my watch. 1:23 AM was the time. Wait, where is Alpha? Just when I got to the important question I heard screaming. Oh, crap. I ran to the source and saw that four men, who were definitely hired, had Alpha kneeling and a gun to her head. Shit. I stepped closer to Alpha and she shouted at me, "No! Stay back!" I shook my head and tackled the gun wielder. The men pounced on me and restrained me. Phase one: complete. "Little cunt! Do you know who you are- Hey, what is this?" The ring leader said as he snatched my onyx locket from my neck. Suddenly, my hasty plan went to shit. "No." I muttered. He laughed. He must have heard me. He threw the locket down and stomped it. I heard the shattering noise of the locket and felt the real Clu coming out. Technically, this is my second semblance. I call it Psychosis and I am about to show why. A sudden blood lust consumed the rest of my emotions. I felt my aura supplement my arms, legs, and lungs. With a mighty roar, I released a massive plume of fire from my mouth. The thug holding me let go and tried to run. I pounced on him and pulled his throat out with my hands. At this point, The thugs either shot or stabbed me with their weapons. I felt my flesh rip and rebuild as I roasted two more with a breath of fire. The last guy plead for mercy, and I gave it to him in the form of ripping his throat out with my teeth. After that, I passed out.

I woke with a start and bolted upright. I was in a bed that was not mine. I was not dressed and was not alone in the room. "So, I see our assassin is awake." Alpha said bitterly. I laid back. "Yea…" I said, void of emotion. Alpha got out of her chair and stood over me. Her rainbow clothes making her the primary focus of my vision. "A bounty on my head, and you defend me? Why?" She spoke, her voice… cracking?

I shifted under the sheets nervously. "Um, I think differently. I don't do it for the money. I mean, I do, but it isn't my focus. I honestly want to make Remnant a better place. Give the people something I never had." I said somberly. I never had a family or even a somewhat easy life. My life sounds like a story trope. I rolled onto my side so I was facing away from Alpha. She sat down on the foot of the bed. "I need you to get out of my bed. You already got blood on the pillow, and I don't know if I want to even look at how much is under the covers." Alpha said. I guess I just gained her trust. "Sure… where's the shower?" I asked. Alpha pointed a nearby door. I nodded my thanks and used my semblance to vanish and make my way to the bathroom. A quick shower later, I found my maid outfit clean and my locket in one piece on the sink counter. I changed into the clothes and left the bathroom. I was greeted with a strange sight. Alpha had a hatch on her arm open and a screwdriver in the compartment. "Android. Kinda explains why you love music." I blurted out. Alpha froze in place and looked toward me.

"Um…" Alpha seemed to cease to function. I gave a shrug. "From one myth to another, it is nice to meet an android." I spoke as if she were an old friend. Alpha's expression told me she didn't know what I was talking about. "Okay, let me start by explaining my… meltdown at the club." I started as I took a seat in a chair near where Alpha was seated on the bed. "Alright, this will be a lot to take in, so pay attention." I said and Alpha closed the hatch and payed close attention to the words I was about to speak. "That 'meltdown' I have was my second semblance. I call it Psychosis because I have one desire once it activates, the desire to kill. Yes, I have a second semblance. Let me explain. I have a second soul." I spoke with little emotion. I pulled out the little onyx locket and opened it. In it resided a picture of a beautiful black dragon. "This is Clu, my dragon companion. I myself am a dragon faunus. Clu is dead now, which is why I have her soul as well as mine. And that's really all you need to know. The fact that I am the last descendant of the Elder Dragons means nothing as, not only have we been forgotten as time went on, but I am the last dragon in existence, other than the Grimm that used to be Clu." I finished. Alpha looked baffled. I found my handbag was on the floor by my chair, so I picked it up and retrieved my scroll. I check for any important messages, but found none. I then checked the time. It was around noon of the next day. "I should go. Sorry to cause you any trouble that I may have caused for you." I spoke as I stood and bowed. Alpha didn't move at all. I turned and was walking out the door when she spoke. "I'll see you some other time." I highly doubted that, but one never knows. I made my way out of the hotel and called my Manta. I climbed in and set the GPS to take me to the docks. My next destination: Mistral.

Well... how was that for a first chapter? Let me know in the comments (kind, constructive criticism is preferred).
Anyway... while uploading this first chapter, I thought of a new, brilliant idea: RWBY x Halo.
Since there isn't much to say here, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and leave a like? I am still new to this "publishing stories" thing.
'Till next time,

-Cloud