BEGINNING OF VOLUME 1
This dream again…?
Why?
Why do I keep having this dream?
It's never a pleasant one. I don't need to be reminded of this particular chapter of my past, there's no way I could ever forget the events of that day. But no, it seems that my brain won't let me get a wink of sleep without reliving this event.
Ah well, I'm here now and nothing I've tried can stop this memory from playing out. Let's get this over with.
Okay, Act 1 Scene 1. The first thing I noticed that night was how cold it was. The familiar sensation of winter air assaulting every part of my body. But unlike all the other times I've been out in the winter, I was chilled to the bone. The warm clothes I usually wore weren't doing their job of insulating me from the harsh cold. A quick feel of my body told me the reason for this: apart from a thick shroud, I was completely naked. What the heck have I been doing to end up like this? Eager to find out, I opened my eyes.
What I saw was quite puzzling, to say the least. The shroud draped over my body was a thick brown cloak, tattered in places, patched up with random bits of cloth and sprinkled with snow. Despite the gravity of the situation, I couldn't help but feel slighted by the shoddy needlework.
As for the rest of my surroundings, I was in the middle of a forest on a particularly dark night. The leafless trees with black bark were slumbering and everything was covered in a light dusting of fresh snow. My body made an impression about an inch or two into the snow if the footprints to my right were any indication. Other than the low howl of the chilly air, I could hear something behind me… gurgling? Growling? Whatever it was couldn't have been a natural sound. I turned around to find out what was making that sound, but all I could see was this strange golden glow shining out through the darkness.
Right behind a shadowy werewolf-like creature with a white bone mask and sharp white claws.
The wolf growled as it swiped its right arm. Looking back now, I noticed how different the sound made by that Creature of Grimm, otherwise known as a Beowolf, was in comparison to whatever that golden thing was doing in the background. But that was the least of my concerns as the claws raked across my field of vision. Everything went back. A painful heat erupted as something warm trickled down my face.
My eyes.
It slashed my eyes.
At first, the younger "me" was too shocked to scream. I wriggled my hands free from the cloak and felt my face, hoping that it was nothing more than a scratch. But pain flared through my head as I reached above my cheeks and nose. I choked back a sob when I felt a loose flap of skin that used to be my lower left eyelid. The screaming started when I felt splintered bone at the bridge of my nose.
The Beowolf made a sound resembling a cackle. My pain and shock was music to its inhuman ears. Howls pierced the air around me, signalling the approach of more Grimm that were drawn in by all the negative emotions my suffering produced. I remember thinking how that was it, I was going to die a horrible death. The beast that took my sight would then rip me apart savagely before the other would show up to join in the fun. Nothing would be left of me but mangled scraps of flesh and bone, barely covered by the torn remains of the cloak atop the red snow.
I could feel the Beowolf's breath as it leaned down to the head buried in my hands. It didn't do anything but occasionally blast me with its hot breath. That was when the younger "me" realised that it wasn't going to kill me to sate its hunger, it was going to kill me to satisfy its sadism. It was deliberately holding off its next attack to study my actions, to terrify me with the uncertainty of when the next blow would be dealt. It knew how certain I was of death and was trying to milk the experience for all its worth.
The monster drew its head away, rearing back to strike me from an angle I wouldn't be able to predict. Not that it mattered, since there was no way I could've defended myself. Either that, or it didn't want me to lean into the next blow and end up dying faster than it would've liked.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
But thankfully, the strike never came. Someone, a woman, by the sounds of things, intercepted the Grimm before it could torture me further. I could hear the sound of a sharp, curved blade streaking through the air which was then followed by a soft thud. The beast barely had time to growl at the new arrival before it was cleaved in two.
"Are you alright…?" The woman asked as she ran over to my side, placing a reassuring hand on my back before she saw just how stupid that question was. "Oh no…"
"Take him and run." Another woman's voice emerged from behind my saviour.
"You! You are-"
"We don't have time for this, Summer!" The newcomer's voice sharply rose. "He's bleeding out fast! You're faster than the two of us. Besides, we can't just leave both of them here to die…"
The woman, who I later learned was named Summer Rose, gasped in surprise. From the angle of her voice, it sounded like she was regarding something in front of me. "Is that really…? Is this boy-"
"Yes. He is." The second of the newcomers, also a woman, confirmed. She had a much calmer, soothing voice than the other. I remember her presence coming as a surprise since I couldn't detect her approach. Thanks to the many replays of this sequence that were forced on me, I managed to detect and study the sound of their footprints in the snow. They were standing apart from one another, but were walking in such perfect sync that the younger me couldn't tell that two people were there until she spoke up. "But sister is right, you need to get him to the hospital fast. We'll take care of Solus."
Solus… whatever it was, it was, in all certainty, the glowing thing in the background. Speaking of which, its weird noises have died down. Guess it was either taken care of or dying faster than I was at the time. Or it could be something else. I dunno.
Summer sharply sucked in air through clenched teeth. She obviously didn't like this situation. Whatever Solus was, she wasn't willing to risk letting these two strangers handle things. But the pained sobs of a child around the same physical age as her stepdaughter at the time were enough to make her reconsider. First I heard the sound of something mechanical folding up to my right, then Summer bundled me up in the cloak, holding me tight to her chest as she picked me up.
"I'll send help!" She promised the two sisters.
"Don't bother about us, get him out of here! NOW!"
After a brief warning to hold on tight, Summer began to run. A few paces later, the air around us began to streak past rapidly as her speed increased. Later on I'd learn that this was because of Summer's semblance, her soul's unique power which granted her super speed. I could feel her dodging and weaving around the snarling Grimm who were advancing on our position, the sharp twists and turns playing havoc with my sense of balance. If my eyes were still intact, I would've been able to handle it. Maybe not the biting wind rushing into my face, but I wouldn't have been so queasy if I could've at least seen what was happening.
This sensation continued for what seemed like an eternity. But ever since I had these memory nightmares, I had the "luxury" of reviewing each step of the way. Summer was running for just over twenty seconds (I think. It's a bit hard to measure time without a watch.) when a loud roar belonging to a bigger, meaner Beowolf erupted from in front of us. Summer yelped in panic, too fast to stop, too startled to change direction before she collided with the Alpha.
"Cover your ears!"
*BLAM!*
I barely managed to comply with those instructions before that shotgun blast took out the obstacle before us. It was okay for Summer since she was used to the sound of close-range gunfire, but my developing ears weren't so fortunate, even with my hands protecting them. There was nothing but the sound of ringing before I could discern anything else.
"-to the hospital quick, Qrow!" Were the first words I heard from my rescuer to her former teammate. "Hold them off, I'll explain later!"
"Alright then, fearless leader." The gruff male voice belonging to Qrow, which hadn't changed that much when I heard him talk years later, affirmed. "I'm on clean-up duty yet again. You just keep running."
From that point onward, nothing else of any interest happened. I went on dashing through the snow in a one-Summer closed cloak until I arrived at the hospital. She stayed by my side as the doctors slipped me into a bed and carted me off to the emergency wing. The last thing I remember before everything faded was being asked to count to ten as they applied the knock-out gas.
And there we have it. Over at last, thank goodness. I should be waking up any time soon now…
…
…
Come on, I swear I set my alarm. It shouldn't take this long to *BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP*
l-|-|-l
Ugh, shut up.
*BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP…*
Stupid alarm clock. Just let me sleep…
*BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP*
I said shut up. Just stop beeping! Don't make me smack the alarm out of you…!
…
Uh, I can't feel it. Where's it gone? I could've sworn I left it on my bedside table…
Oh, right. I usually just turn the alarm off and fall asleep again. Force of habit. To make sure that didn't happen today, I stuck it on the highest of the wall-mounted shelves above my bed so I'd have to stand up to turn it off. Good thinking, me. That'll help to wake me up.
*BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP*
Alright, alright! Cease and desist, already!
*BEEP-BE-click*
Ah… Much better. Now I can collapse back into the warm loveliness that bore me through my slee-
STOP RIGHT THERE.
You're supposed to get up early today, remember? Two flights in a row, first one leaves at half-past eight to get you to Vale's main airport, second one takes you to Beacon Academy from there. Miss it, and you'll have a lot of explaining to do to Miss Goodwitch when you show up hours later than you're supposed to. Get up, get washed, get dressed, get fed and get your posterior out of the door ASAP.
With a yawn, I stepped off of my bed, placing the silenced alarm clock on the bedside table. After that, I removed my blindfold and reached for my glasses case, pulling out a pair of frameless glasses with rectangular lenses, green plastic arms and a brass bridge and joints holding it all together. Once all of the sandman's contributions to my slumber were removed, I slipped the glasses onto my face and opened my eyes.
Morning light was sneaking past the gaps in the curtains, barely illuminating my bedroom. The sky-blue paint on the walls helped to brighten up the place a little, giving a clearer picture of my surroundings. The room was quite spacious, obviously intended for more than one occupant. But since there were no other children in the Greene household, I had it all to myself. The shelves on the wall above my bed bore books; mostly fantasy novels, comics and issues of my favourite gaming magazine, along with old toys and figurines from my early years. I had two desks: one for reading, schoolwork and gaming, the other for weapons maintenance. Both were nice, clean and orderly, give or take a few coatings of (regular) dust. All my clothing was split between a wardrobe and a chest of drawers, both of which were emptied out into the luggage sitting in the middle of the floor.
Last of all, there was a full-length mirror next to the door to my en-suite bathroom, through which was my first destination this morning. Before I went in, I did a few warm-up exercises to get my body in gear. A few basic stretches, nothing too strenuous, but it was enough to prep my body for movement. You don't always know when you're going to end up in a combat situation, so taking steps to avoid pulling a muscle when you're running about always helps. After doing the necessary ablutions and taking a warm shower to kick-start my body, I got dressed and inspected myself in the mirror.
For today I wore a plain grey t-shirt worn under a white jacket that featured a brass zip done up all the way to my sternum, brass buttons on the outer pockets and had black faux fur around the cuffs and collar. On my upper left arm was a black armband bearing the Greene family's insignia: a pair of green oak leaves joined at the stems neatly contained within a circle. Black silk gloves adorned my hands; thick enough to protect them from wear and tear, thin and tactile enough for me to interact with whatever I touch. My lower half was clad in black cotton trousers secured with a black leather belt with a brass buckle and multiple holes along the length for easy adjustment. And on my feet would've been a pair of black leather shoes with grey soles and brass lining the lace holes, but since nobody's allowed to wear outdoor footwear indoors, I had to make do with a pair of navy blue closed slippers over my black socks. All in all, it looked like I was dressed as a delinquent dropout.
"Eh, passable. I guess." I muttered to myself with a smirk.
Clothing sorted, I checked the rest of me out. My pale white skin on the places that were visible had no noteworthy blemishes. My thick dark brown hair, two inches in length and cropped around my ears was a wavy mess as always. No comb or hairbrush could ever hope to tame that unruly mop.
As for the damage dealt to my face, it was looking good after fifteen years. My glasses did a good job of masking the pale scar that ran across my eyelids and the small notch in the bridge of my nose. The scar where my left eyelid was reattached was but a thin white crease.
The only notable difference was that my eyes had suddenly changed from pale blue to a silvery-gold. A shame, I liked my old eye colour. And the ability to see without prescription lenses. The doctors say it was a result of the physical trauma, but then there's that glowing gold thing to take into consideration. Was "Solus" responsible…? Meh, forget it. I've spent years speculating, so what's the chance I'd figure out the answer now? Anyhow, thanks to the doctors' quick thinking of unlocking my aura to help with the healing process, you needed more than a quick glance to notice my old wound.
Okay, now to double-check my luggage: One bag for clothes, one bag for school supplies and my personal effects, three large and sturdy locked cases for my weapon materials and Dust collection. All my clothes were packed away, including my Beacon uniform. I chucked my blindfold, toiletries and alarm clock in the bag as well. Oh, and I mustn't forget to take my slippers and spare shoes before I leave.
All of the personal junk I intended to take was present and accounted for in the second bag. I'm well equipped for classes and more than well equipped for lazing about during my free time. My Scroll and wallet were securely stowed in my jacket's inner pockets. Enough cash for a regular day out and all my travel documents were saved digitally on my Scroll.
All three of the large cases were locked up tight with everything present and accounted for. Sure, Beacon supplies tools and materials to their students, but I'd rather use the ones I'm familiar with. Mess up your weapons maintenance and you'll be cursing yourself as the Grimm tear chunks out of your flesh.
Speaking of weapons… it would help if I took mine with me.
I opened the secure locker beneath my weapons desk and took the contents out for inspection. Huntsmen were known for constructing elaborate transforming weapons that were usually the combination of a melee weapon and either some kind of Dust-utilising mechanism or firearm. Or, as the younger sibling of my classmate aptly puts it: "It's also a gun." Combining different weapons allowed for versatility in combat. Not only did it give you options, it could also be useful in manoeuvring around the battlefield, channel your Aura for more devastating attacks, or tie in with whatever ability your Semblance provided. An added bonus was that the weapon was unique to you, and you alone. If someone else stole it, chances are they wouldn't be able to wield it as effectively as you could.
Taking the above into consideration, my choice of weaponry was quite baffling.
First of all, a completely mundane semi-automatic handgun with a few performance-enhancing modifications here and there. It had an angular design, held fifteen rounds per magazine, and packs more than enough stopping power to blow a Grimm's brains out (assuming those heartless monsters had physical brains, of course). The entire thing was matte black, save for the Greene insignia on slide to show that it was mine.
Of course, no sane huntsman would rely solely on a modded pistol as his main weapon, this was just my backup. My melee option was a simple, yet slightly less mundane sword. In its inactive form, it was nothing more than a one-handed sword grip with a brass-highlighted rectangular handguard. The handle, finely sculpted to feel comfortable in my grip, had textured carbon fibre scales held in place with brass screws and a rounded brass pommel that slid open for me to insert the cyan hard-light Dust cartridges that powered the holographic projector. All it took for me to activate it was to disengage a manual safety on the left side with my thumb, then squeeze the trigger that deployed at the top of the grip.
A test pull produced the same result as always: a double-edged glowing cyan blade reaching thirty-two inches in length. I would've taken a few practice swings, but since the floor was littered with my not-so-slash-resistant belongings, I wisely decided to just leave it at the activation test. Normally holographic blades would be a simple wire-frame, but I must've screwed something up when I was tuning it up since the entire thing was glowing. I'd better remember to fix this later, because projecting more than it should isn't all that good for the power cell's mileage.
These weren't the only toys I kept in reserve, I had others locked up in one of my cases. But any more than what I've got at the moment would've been overkill for a simple flight across the channel. Plus, they were just a bit too… awkward to keep on my person. It's for the best that they stay locked up in their reinforced cases for now.
After checking that everything was fine and dandy, I replaced the handgun in its black leather holster and strapped it to my left hip. As for my hard light blade, I deactivated the blade, engaged the safety and attached it to my belt with a magnetic clip on my right hip. The reserve magazines and a few spare Dust cartridges were kept in my jacket's abdominal pockets, on the opposite side to the weapon they went with. This way, I can reload them with whichever hand is free at the time. Neither weapon was inconspicuous in the slightest, but a quick draw's better than the off chance of getting them tangled up in my clothes if I went for complete concealment.
Right, that's the last of it. All that's left for me to do is lug my bags and the heavy cases downstairs, leave them in the foyer and grab me some breakfast. I just hope I don't knock over anything on my way down, leaving broken picture frames and vases in my wake would be bad from my long-suffering bank account. My funds were somewhat lacking thanks to my weapon choices and the price of Dust nowadays (Damn you, Jacques Schnee!).
Before I left, I took one last look at my bedroom. Fifteen years, and now I'm moving out. With the exception of the gaudy carpet that looked like it was stolen from a three-star hotel, the place has changed considerably throughout that period of time. And now it was going to be unoccupied once more. It will be a long time before I come back here… or it could be that I will never be coming back at all. The life of a huntsman is an exceptionally dangerous one. Many have died on the job… heck, many have died before they even graduated from the Academies. That's something I've long since come to terms with.
Still, I can't help but feel a twinge of sadness. Leaving behind my room and the majority of possessions I accrued throughout my new lease of life. I decided to spare another moment looking at the place before leaving, just to ensure I won't have any lingering doubts.
…
Okay, moment over. I'm outta here.
l-|-|-l
After a big bowl of corn flakes with a sprinkling of sugar and a ten-minute drive to Patch's airport, I was standing before the check-in desk. Being a huntsman-in-training meant that I had to put in extra paperwork, show my Huntsman License and endure a short obligatory lecture that while I was permitted to take weaponry onto the Aircraft, I shouldn't pull them out for nefarious purposes or the security systems would zap me before the security crew beats me into unconsciousness, slap cuffs on and hand me over to military cops after we landed to be prosecuted… blah, blah, blah. Seriously, my passport shows that this isn't the first time I've flown to Vale's capitol. Can't Professor Ozpin have a word with the Council to stop us from hearing this inane drivel over and over again?
"…and face prosecution and imprisonment under the Airline Security Act of 53 UE. Do you understand?"
"Of course…" I wearily confirmed.
The holographic check-in clerk gave a satisfied nod with an overly rehearsed smile. Guess the person she's based on had long since grown numb to the tedium of her job. "Okay. That's everything. Head through the corridor to your right to reach Huntsman Security and the departures lounge, you will be leaving from Gate 2. Have a nice flight!"
"Cheers." I half-heartedly replied as I gathered up my stuff and walked away. The good thing about holograms is that you don't need to smile or fake politeness, you can be as blunt as you want without any backchat. It made the whole experience a lot less annoying.
Anyhow, with the tedious part out of the way, the only thing left is my most difficult task so far… saying goodbye to the adoptive parents. They were standing to the side of the check-in lines to give their final farewells for the next four years. They'd never replace my real parents in my eyes, but they've been good to me. A proper parting is in order.
Standing proud at a stunning seven foot two with green eyes, crew-cut brown hair and a stupid grin plastered on his goateed face was my foster father: Evan Greene (Yes, the "evergreen" pun was intentional. I hate his parents for their crimes against good humour). He was wearing a green-and-black tartan shirt over a black tank top, a watch with a metal strap that barely fit around his meaty right wrist, tan cargo trousers and rugged hiking boots. The guy was a giant, both in terms of size and muscle mass. Seriously, just look at him. That shirt and must be bursting at the seams. At least his baggy trousers left a lot more to the imagination… Eugh, why the heck did I think that!? Change the subject! NOW!
Ahem. Next to him was his wife, Ivy Greene. Unlike her bulky husband, she was much thinner and shorter: exactly five feet tall, six entire inches shorter than I am. The height difference between the three of us was quite staggering. I jokingly referred to her as my "mini-mum", much to her annoyance and Evan's amusement. Her appearance was quite noteworthy as well. Despite being in her late thirties, she looked young enough to pass for my older adoptive sibling. And instead of the rugged outdoor hiker vibe her husband went for, she looked a lot more delicate with her emerald green knee-length dress, peridot ivy leaf-shaped earrings, a thin black cardigan and low-heeled shoes coupled with black tights. With her short-cropped black hair, freckles, light green eyes and slender build, she closely resembles the delicate creeper vines that were her namesake. Until they grew to thick, choking tendrils that throttled trees as they matured, that is…
Wow, I am just full of unflattering thoughts today.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes for a few seconds as I gave myself a mental kick up the pants. This is supposed to be a serious moment, ya moron! Don't let some snide comments cloud your mind at a time like this, okay? Good. Now go talk to them.
"Right then, I'm good to go." I announced as I walked over.
"Are you sure you've got everything?" Ivy asked for the umpteenth time.
"Ugh… yes mum." I groaned. "I've double, triple, quadruple, and quintuple-checked everything. It's all there."
"You've got enough money, right?" She pressed on.
My ears perked up. "Why, have you got some more to spare?"
Evan pointed at me jokingly. "Don't push your luck, kid."
"Meh, worth a try."
"And you are sure you've eaten enough?" Persisted Ivy.
Oh, not this again. "A bowl of cereal is more than enough. There's no way I could've eaten a Full English after you served that joint of roast beef last night."
"Yeah, give the kid a break, Ivy." Evan voiced his support. "He won't get any healthier if you keep on shoving food down his throat."
Ivy fixed her husband with a disapproving glare. "I know that, I just want to make sure that he's ready for this. You know how much I worry about him."
"You and me both." He reassured, gently placing his massive hand on her small shoulder. "I've been worrying for his safety ever since he enrolled at Signal. But there's no need to overcompensate. We taught him how to fight before Tai and Qrow got the chance. He's strong enough to take care of himself. Besides, Ozpin's keeping an eye on things over at Beacon. He won't let anything stupid happen under his watch."
For some reason, that last point didn't fill me with confidence. Ivy, however, finally relented and stopped pestering me.
Annoying though this was, I understand what drove her to act this way. Before I came along, they had children of their own: twin sisters, who, thanks to a Grimm attack, didn't live longer than seven months. Both parents studied at Beacon and were tough as nails, but that didn't ensure the safety of their children. It completely tore them apart.
Ivy was hit the hardest. She put aside her weapons, abandoning her life as a huntress and spent years grieving before I came along. Evan was better at hiding his sorrow, but I could tell from the way he looked at me that he desperately hoped that history wouldn't repeat. Heck, this was the deciding factor on sending me off to train as a huntsman in the first place. Their caution is more than warranted, so I'd better make sure that they're both at ease.
I fixed a warm smile for both of them. "It's just like dad said. No need to worry. You've done all you can, so let me figure out the rest, okay?"
Both of them turned to look at me. The concern never left her eyes, but Ivy placed both hands on my cheeks and looked up to my face, trying to return a brighter smile to the one I gave her. "Look at you, all grown up… It's hard to think that this handsome young man is the same little boy rescued from the woods all those years ago. You've come a long way, Isaac."
"All thanks to you and dad." I added, trying my best to ignore the 'handsome' comment. "Just try not to have too much fun without me, okay?"
Despite her reservations, Ivy couldn't help but chuckle. "Okay, we'll try to behave ourselves."
"C'mere, you!" Without much more warning than that, my foster father wrapped his humongous arms around both of us and hugged tight. Ivy let loose a surprised squeak as she was squashed against my chest, but managed to untangle her hands from my face and returned the hug. I followed suit soon afterwards, giving as much affection as I could muster. They deserved every ounce and more.
…
…
…
Okay, you two can stop hugging me now.
…
Seriously, let go. This moment is going from tender to uncomfortable with each passing second.
"Yo, Evan! Ivy!"
Thank you!
We detached and turned to face the one who called out to them: a scruffy-looking casually dressed blonde guy with a flaming heart tattooed on his right arm and the metal spaulder on the left being the only thing hinting at his profession. He was Taiyang Xiao Long, one of my teachers at Signal Academy.
At his side was a silver-eyed fifteen-year-old girl with dark red hair, wearing a black and red Gothic Lolita ensemble coupled with a hooded red cape and, on her lower back, folded into its compact form was her weapon: the sniper scythe known as Crescent Rose. She was Taiyang's youngest daughter, Ruby Rose.
And at their feet on a lead held by Ruby was their perpetually happy pet black-and-white corgi, Zwei.
"Good to see you, Tai!" Evan grasped the hand Taiyang offered, breaking a few bones if the pained wince on my teacher's face was anything to go by. "Here to see off your little girl, eh?"
"Yeah, ow… Easy on the grip, man." He replied, shaking his sore hand once he got it loose. I couldn't help but snort in amusement and even Ruby tried (and failed) to suppress a giggle at this sight. "Just got done with the paperwork. I did tell you about Ruby moving on to Beacon two years early, didn't I?"
"You did. It's great news!" Ivy replied. "We're just seeing Isaac off ourselves."
"Oh, really?" My teacher's blue eyes turned to me with a raised eyebrow above them. "So, you're finally ready to become a huntsman, eh? Glad to see that all my hard work has finally paid off."
I shrugged. "Eh, I'd say you did a decent job at best, Mr Xiao Long."
"At BEST!?" He feigned shock. Not only was he a good teacher, the guy was so easygoing that we often traded friendly barbs. "Can you believe this guy?"
"Hey, sarcasm is one of the best things I learned from you. You and Qrow sure know how to tear apart a room with sheer- Whoa! Hello, Zwei!" The young pup bounded over to me and leapt up against my legs once he recognised my voice. So I knelt down and give him some affection in return.
"Oh, you know Zwei?" Ruby asked as she walked over to me.
"Met him a few times when he was out on a walk." I replied as I scratched behind his ears and dodged his affectionate licks. "Like that time last week when you and your sister took him out to the park, remember?"
"Huh? I've met you before…?" She studied me with a confused expression, before snapping her fingers once the penny dropped. "Aha! You were there! You're Yang's classmate, right?"
"Yup."
"Sorry, I didn't recognise you because of that outfit."
I stood up straight and quizzically tilted my head at her. "What, the glasses, bad hair and weird eyes didn't stand out enough for you?"
"I know… It's just weird seeing you wearing something other than that pink hoodie you were wearing then. You didn't have any green like your parents, either."
I pointed to the arms of my glasses.
"Oh, right. Still, it wasn't as much as I was expecting back then." Ruby paused for a moment as she studied my face, her finger tapping her chin. "Come to think of it, I do remember seeing you at random times in the past…"
"Yeah, we have bumped into each other before." I confirmed. "But those were brief meetings, I'm not surprised you don't remember me."
"Yeah… though I do remember seeing you spend a lot of time with Yang."
That sentence, like many similar to it, sent my foster parents into a giggling fit. Taiyang shot a glare their way with me following suit. Come on you two, this joke about me Yang having a thing going on has long since worn thin. Give it up, already! The same goes for you Zwei! Lower that eyebrow this instant!
"Well, we are in the same class…" I replied through clenched teeth, before relaxing as I turned back to a somewhat confused Ruby. "Our homes are more or less in the same direction, so we often walked home together from Signal. Plus, we play fighting games a lot."
She narrowed her eyes upon hearing that last bit. "You aren't the guy who challenges her online and wins every time, are you?"
"I don't always win." I hastily corrected, before sheepishly adding: "I just… don't want to be in the same room as her when I do. Punches tend to fly whenever your sister is on a losing streak."
"Yeah. She is a bit of a sore loser." She said sympathetically. Everyone around nodded their heads in agreement. Including Zwei. "Sorry you had to put up with that."
"That's okay, I already know how hard to handle your sister can be." I replied, thankful I wasn't the only one suffering. She gave me a sympathetic smile in return. "Nice though this chat is, what time is it now, dad?"
"Huh?" It took Evan a while to recognise what I was asking, before regarding the timetable above the check-in desks. "It's ten past eight… You have twenty minutes before the Flight leaves."
"Oh no! Security takes forever to get through, we're gonna be late!" Ruby panicked, making a run for the gate before getting stopped by her father yanking on her hood.
"Whoa, hold on speedy! You haven't said goodbye to me yet."
After that, we said our respective final goodbyes to our families. And Zwei. Ruby said a quick goodbye to my foster parents before handing her dad the lead and making a mad dash for the gate. But before I could follow her, Taiyang put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me off to one side.
"Listen, Isaac." He began, lowering his voice to a murmur as he leaned close. "I had my doubts about you when you first showed up, but you turned out to be a good kid. But just so we understand each other clearly, don't try anything funny with Ruby while I'm not there to keep an eye on you, okay?"
I'm sorry, what? "I'm sorry, what?"
I winced as my teacher's grip tightened. "You heard me. Ruby is younger and less experienced than you are, and I won't forgive you if you use those facts to mess with her. Neither would Qrow or Yang. Got that?"
"Uh, sure…?" I warily agreed. "I wouldn't ever dream of doing anything you wouldn't approve of. You're my teacher, I'm allergic to Yang's punches and Qrow's not someone I'd like to cross. So don't worry about me… uh… 'trying anything funny' with your daughter, alright…?"
There was a brief pause as Taiyang studied my response. I could also hear Evan and Ivy laughing their heads off in the background. No doubt they cottoned on to the nature of this talk, but probably thought we were discussing Yang instead. Or maybe they were thinking about Ruby after all, in which case, the implications of me having a thing for an underage girl were most definitely not welcome. After we both shot another glare at the two hyenas (and Zwei), Taiyang let me go with a satisfied nod. "Glad to hear it. Now hurry up, or you'll be swimming to Beacon at this rate."
Well, that was unexpected.
Nevertheless, he's right, I need to be on my way now. I waved another goodbye to everyone as I walked on in the wake of the super speedy teen. No need to rush, huntsman security isn't all that time-consuming to get through. You just have to flash your license, declare what you're armed with then place everything in a tray, walk through a scanner and go on to the departures lounge. I guess Ruby's excitement and nervousness are getting to her at the same time, leaving her on a high of emotions comparable to a young child who's hyped up on sugar (which is probably the norm for her, considering what I know of her diet). Because this isn't as bad as she claimed.
Sure enough, I breezed through security four spaces behind Little Red Scything Hood, losing only a few minutes as I tidied away my toys and ammo after walking through the scanner. Once I was out of the room, a call over the PA system informed me that my flight from Gate 2 would begin boarding in five minutes. The Isle of Patch's airport was not enormous, but since it ferried people to and from the kingdom's Huntsman Academy, it was more than big enough to handle the annual traffic it received. Unfortunately for me, it means I have quite a bit of walking to do before reaching the second of the airport's many gates.
I made it with more than enough time to spare. The passenger aircraft I was boarding was an express model built specifically to ferry huntsmen to their destinations as quick as possible. Every second counted when you were on an overseas mission, after all. Instead of the multiple tiered decks that bore the rows and aisles of seats present on the civilian transport models, this had one deck with an open floor plan. Air travel was smooth and fast thanks to the Dust-enhanced engines, so if you needed a seat, all you need to do is tap a hard light button and one would emerge out of the floor.
I decided to remain standing for this flight, so I went towards the front of the lower deck and leaned against the wall. From there I could watch the scenery zoom by the concave window spanning two thirds of the deck as I listened to music. I pulled my wireless earphones out of my pocket, put them in, opened up my Scroll to start up my easy listening playlist…
"Um… Isaac?"
…aaaand was interrupted by Ruby before I could press play. She was standing there next to me looking a lot more sheepish than she was a few minutes ago.
"Oh, hi again, Ruby." I nonchalantly greeted, pulling out my earphones and stashing them away with my Scroll. "Something wrong?"
"No. It's just… I dunno." She pushed the tips of her index fingers together nervously. "I've made hundreds of trips to Vale in the past. Most of them were with my dad or Yang, but I have travelled across the channel all by myself before. It's just… Well… I'm heading to Beacon two years earlier than my friends. Yang's supposed to meet me at Vale's airport, but until then, I'm travelling with you and the other graduates. And… there's nobody I know here…"
I get it. She's nervous that everyone here would see her as a grade skipper who somehow managed to blag her way into Professor Ozpin's good books. It would be alright if this were a standard chartered flight, but now she's bumping shoulders with the big kids at school. Her nervousness is understandable once you take that into consideration.
So, as the only person she knows on this flight, I might as well do the gentlemanly thing. "Would you like me to hang about until we meet up with your big sister?"
And just like that, her anxiety was gone. "Oh! Really? Thanks a bunch, Isaac!"
"No problem." I replied with a smile, amused by her sudden change in mood. "It would be nice to have some company on this flight."
l-|-|-l
"…and then it was all KABOOM! POW! ZAP! when the huntress, Miss Glynda Goodwitch, showed up to help me take down Torchwick. But then he called some woman out who threw some fire at us, but we dodged and started shooting her, but she blocked Crescent Rose's shots with her hand, just like the bad guy with the helmet did in that sci-fi movie my dad showed us when we were little, and then she blew up the roof and both of them got away. After that, I asked Miss Goodwitch for an autograph and she took me to the police station and started yelling at me, but then Professor Ozpin showed up WITH A PLATE OF COOKIES! YES! And then we talked about my training, my weapon, my Uncle Qrow, and then he offered me a spot a Beacon two years early! Miss Goodwitch didn't like it, but Ozpin talked her into agreeing. It took a while to convince my dad, but he eventually agreed to let me go. And then I went home, packed my things, went to the airport and met you-"
"Yeah, there's no need to go over that bit again." I wearily interrupted. "I was there, remember?"
"Oops! You're right." Ruby giggled in embarrassment. "Sorry, all of that happened a couple of days ago. I'm still a bit excited about it all."
After enduring that heavily abridged version of her last minute enrolment, "a bit" was a massive understatement. Truth be told, I didn't need to hear what happened since I already knew the full account of Roman's failed robbery before meeting up with Ruby. I just played along to ease her nervousness (and because hearing her explain it was quite amusing if you could bear with her rapid excitable talking). Getting her to talk would help to calm her down and stop fretting.
We had long since landed at Vale's airport and made our way to the terminal gate for the flight to Beacon. In the time since our departure, we had talked about our experiences at Signal Academy, the time when Ruby went out in the winter to see her mother's grave and slaughtered an entire pack of Beowolves without suffering a scratch, discussed our weapons, endured more of Ruby's excitable gushing over how cool my sword was since I used an old, yet functional holographic system compared to huntsmen who used projectors to conjure up full hard light weapons, tried to unfurl her scythe to show me what it was capable of before I reminded her that security wouldn't appreciate her doing that in the middle of an international airport… you know, regular teenage stuff. It helped to pass the time as we sped across the channel separating Patch from the rest of the kingdom.
But I must say, it sure is taxing trying to keep up with everything she said. Here's hoping I can pass her off to Yang and get a quiet moment to myself.
"Anyway… Where is Yang?" Ruby asked as she surveyed the waiting area as the other prospective huntsmen and huntresses began to board the flight to Beacon. "She told me we'd meet up here after she sorted out some business in Vale, but I don't see her anywhere."
"Me neither." I confirmed. "Maybe she went on ahead of us?"
"My big sis wouldn't just abandon me like that!" She was quick to deny, before a moment of doubt struck. "…Would she?"
Unfortunately, the answer was no. My blood froze as I spotted the blonde menace herself from the corner of my eye, slipping out from the line of other prospective students behind her unsuspecting little sister. Yang put her finger to her lips before grinning like a maniac. She was going in for a sneak attack and didn't want me to spoil it.
I shook my head, pretending (and desperately hoping) that I never saw a thing. "I doubt that. I know from talking to her that there's no way she'd just up and abandon you."
"Yeah… I guess you're ri- Wait, Yang talks about me? With her classmates…?"
Drat. Here I was trying to keep her nice and calm, only for my efforts to go down the toilet thanks to a poor choice of words. Now she's going to start fretting about what Yang has been saying behind her back. Sure, all of her gushing was positive, but that won't help Ruby's self-esteem. She'd probably think that Yang was overstating her awesomeness to others. I'd better dodge the subject for as long as I can.
"Of course she does. You are her little sister, after all. She's bound to talk about you."
"R-right. That does make sense, I guess…" Ruby concurred. She still looked worried, but thankfully not as much as I feared she would. "What did she say about me?"
"Nothing bad." I replied, doing a surprisingly good job not to sound too evasive. "But if you want details, you're better off asking her yourself later on. Specifically, after she pounces in a moment's time."
"Wait, what was that last bit-"
"RUBY!"
"AAAAAAAAH!"
Yang Xiao Long pounced, pulling her half-sister into a bear hug as she flailed her arms in panic. Everyone was drawn to the absurd scene unfolding in front of me. A few of our fellow graduates from Signal chuckled along with me; everyone else was either looking perplexed, annoyed or amused by the siblings' reunion. In particular, the black haired girl with the bow atop her head who smiled at their antics after a brief moment of confusion, and the white haired girl with the ponytail off to one side who just shook her head in annoyance and walked through the gate, stood out the most amongst the crowd of colourful students. Not sure why, but they did.
"It's so good to see you here!" Yang squeezed her sibling tight, nuzzling against her head. "My baby sister has finally come to Beacon with me!"
"Can't… breathe…" Croaked the constricted younger girl.
"Oi, Yang." I butted in. "Touching though this is, you might want to loosen your grip before you crush her ribcage."
"Huh? Oh!" She quickly realised her mistake and let Ruby go before she died. "Sorry sis, maybe I was a little too affectionate…"
Her younger sister was too busy coughing and spluttering on her hands and knees to respond. But after a few seconds, she was back on her feet and then returned the hug with a semblance-empowered flying tackle. "YANG!"
"Whoa!" Yang didn't budge an inch from the impact, she was strong enough to handle her sister rushing at her at the speed of sound (either that, or it was a regular enough occurrence that she subconsciously braced herself). Instead she returned her sister's hug a lot more tenderly than she did at first.
After they separated and regarded each other with a smile, Yang turned to me. In contrast to her younger sister's fashion choices, she went for a "sexy biker babe theme" (her words, not mine). Since I've never seen one of these fabled "biker babes", I'm not sure if one would dress like Yang did. Especially not with long flowing hair like hers or that uneven open skirt thingy. But there was no denying the amount of bare skin that outfit was displaying. It drew a considerable amount of attention to her thighs, midriff and cleavage. She knew how good she looked and flaunted it to the whole world.
Ironically, her outfit actually helped me to ignore staring at those particular parts when talking to girls. I've seen her in that outfit so often that the sight of some exposed female flesh doesn't affect me as much as it used to. Quite useful when talking to girls who wore just as much, or even less, than Yang did. Her long hair, on the other hand, had my full attention. I know how much she liked her frizzy golden mane and had an all too personal experience of her temper when it was damaged, so any encounter after that particular incident put me on edge.
"Hel-lo, Isaac! You been keeping Ruby company on the flight over?" She greeted me, holding out her fistOH HECK NO PLEASE DON'T PUNCH ME!
…
Oh, she just wants a fist bump.
Snapping my attention away from her hair and towards her lilac eyes, I nodded, bumping her fist with my own in return. It's a relief that Ember Celica, her shotgun gauntlets, are deactivated. "Yeah, I decided to play chaperone. It was nice to have some company on the flight over."
"Thanks for that. You're a good guy." She gave a friendly smile before turning to her younger sister. "See, Ruby? You're making friends already."
"But he already knows you, sis. That doesn't count." Ruby protested.
"Ooh, that just cuts me to the bone." I hammed up my response for all its worth, pretending to look hurt from her words. "Am I that much of an unlikable person that you'd deny even knowing me?"
"No! It's not that! I mean… Uh… Well…" Ha ha ha! Oh man… It looks like the poor girl's brain is about to explode! "I mean, uh, you're a nice guy. You could be a good friend. It's… AARGH! It's hard to explain, alright!?"
Chuckling at her breakdown, I held my hands up in surrender. "Relax, I'm just messing with you."
Ruby glared at me with an annoyed grumble and a pout. Guess she doesn't like being teased, even if it was all in good fun.
Yang came to my rescue with a pat on her sister's head. "Ah, lighten up, Ruby. Isaac's sense of humour takes a bit of getting used to. I should know, I had to put up with this guy since elementary school."
"Whoa, you've known each other for that long?"
"Unfortunately." I chimed in.
"Whaddaya mean, 'unfortunately'!?" Yang exclaimed, before noticing my smug grin and giving me a playful punch in the shoulder. Once again, I'm thankful for the lack of a shotgun blast. "Oh, you joker!"
"Really should've seen that one coming." I replied, rubbing the inflicted wound to relieve the pain before glancing behind me. "Well, the line's gone down, so I'm gonna go board the flight now."
"You're leaving us?" Ruby asked, surprised by my sudden retreat.
"Don't worry, I'm not abandoning you." Pfft, yeah right. "I'm just giving you and Yang some time to catch up."
"But I've already told her everything…"
"In an excited phone call that barely made any sense." Yang pointed out. "I had to ask dad to give me a digest."
"Ah… whoops."
"But now you're here, I can hear just how awesome my little sister was! Besides, Isaac is going to the same academy as us. Unless we're out on a mission, we'll be seeing him every day. So don't fret about it."
"Oh yeah, that's right!" She snapped her fingers. "I forgot about that. So… see you later I guess?"
"Yeah, see you later, Ruby." I nodded, before waving to Yang. "Catch ya later, hothead."
"Oh, I'm sure you will." She winked. "See ya 'round, Goldie."
…And there goes my good mood.
"'Goldie'?" Ruby questioned.
Yang pointed to my eyes.
"Ohhhh…"
"Yup." I coldly confirmed as I turned around. "Also, please don't ever call me that again."
"Come on," Yang coyly pleaded as I walked away, "you know you love your nickname."
No, Blondie, I do not. And I'm not hanging around to take any more of this abuse.
Like I did for the last flight, I made my way to the front of the Aircraft. It looks like Ruby and Yang are keeping to the middle of the deck, well away from me. After making sure that they weren't looking my way, I pushed the button to deploy a seat, sat down and let out a loud relieved sigh that drew the attention of everyone around me.
"Man, those two sure are hard work."
Author's Note
Surprise! I'm not dead! Well, not as dead as I used to be, anyway.
Anyway, Fool's Goldis my attempt at writing an OC story and my first RWBY story to boot. I'll try to write this so it doesn't turn out as bad as other stories like this tend to be. Just don't expect anything groundbreaking, I'm mainly doing this for the experience. Pairings aren't on the agenda, but if I do decide to add them, Isaac x Yang and Isaac x Ruby are very unlikely to set sail.
Instead of writing a plot where the main character is tacked on to Team RWBY and experiences the plot every step of the way with them, I've decided to create my own storyline that follows the tale of other Beacon students. Barring JNPR, CFVY and the occasional encounter with Cardin's bozo brigade, RWBY doesn't interact that much with their fellow students in the show. And since Volume 1 is split over a whole semester and Volume 2 takes place over the course of a few weeks or even a month, it's hard to gauge the passage of time between the first two volumes' episodes. Still, this gives me some freedom to pursue my own plot whilst occasionally referring back to what the show's cast are up to.
Rather than releasing it as one large fanfic, I've decided to split it up into "Volumes" like the show. Should be easier to motivate me to keep the fic going, plus I have an excuse to take a break between each instalment… hehehe.
In other news: Isaac's handgun is based on a Glock 19. You have no idea how long it took me to choose a melee weapon for him, so I decided to be lazy and base his sword on a beam katana from No More Heroes.
Oh, and if you're wondering why I used the term "Full English breakfast" when England doesn't exist on Remnant: according to Yang in Volume 2, Brussels sprouts are a thing. So I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that things like English Breakfasts, Hawaiian pizzas and Jerusalem artichokes are still referred to as such for some trivial reason that doesn't need elaboration. In short: who the heck cares?
Anyhow, here's hoping this one doesn't die before I'm done with it. See ya next time!