Most people hated paperwork. It wasn't too bad.

The only problem I had was the amount.

I spent the summer back at Mother's place. She and Bartholomew were both glad to see me, but I was more happy about Bartholomew being alive. I expected him to be dead in two weeks, at best. Mother wanted to do something fun, but I was too busy making sure she didn't get a hold of my Beacon application.

Fighting might not have been my favorite thing in the world, especially since I hadn't discovered my semblance yet, but it was a path I was stuck on.

I was reminded, for just a second, of some of my old writing habits. Now the best thing for me to write about was the Grimm. They were by far the most intriguing thing I'd ever come across in both lives.

I still remember most of the details, but some things escape me.

"Hey kid, you ready to get a move on?" Mother practically kicked the door down, forcing Bartholomew and I to jump. I let out an angry hiss, but Bartholomew oinked happily and nuzzled Mother.

"Yeah sure." I wanted to say something sly, but I lost my train of thought. I stood up, taking a glance in the mirror at my desk.

Some things about me might not have changed, but it was everything else that bothered me. Brown hair and green eyes replaced by grey hair and hazel eyes. I wasn't tall in my last life, but in this one I could hardly be considered short. 5'10"? Was that how tall I was now?

I let out a long breath and turned out of the room.

"You figure out what you want yet?" She was referring to the shopping trip she wanted to take me on.

"I think I'll figure it out once I get there." We strolled out of the house, grabbing our weapons on the way out.

The long distance between the house and Patch was great for conversations. "Well I hope you have some ideas."

I let out a grunt. "One, actually."

"Huh?"

"Vacuan. I was thinking about a Vacuan look." She laughed.

"You do realize how many regions of Vacuo there are, right?"

We continued on as normal, treading on and talking about whatever little things came to mind. Once we arrived in Patch, she led me to a store in the center of the town. I didn't bother reading its name as we strolled in. A clerk welcomed us as the cool air hit me like a truck. At least Remnant had AC.

Mother went off, so I casually went into the men's section, surprised at the wide variety of garments. I already had an idea forming.

Mother looked at me with confusion. "So... that's your idea of Vacuan?"

"Yep." I stood in front of her wearing loose grey pants, some simple dark grey robes, and a white cloak with sky blue lining. Both of my arms were exposed. Hell, my robes actually kinda resembled some random D&D character that was trying too hard to fit in with their backstory.

"Well, it's not bad, I guess." She seemed reluctant at first. "But I think it looks good on you, you sure it's what you want?"

"Yep." I went back into the changing room. Once back in my jeans, I realized how light those clothes were. I stepped out and carried my clothes to the clerk. Mother walked with me, but stopped to check her scroll.

"It's that time of year again? Hm." My mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion which shall not be named.

"What time of year?"

Mother put away her scroll and handed the clerk a few lien. "A friend of mine from Beacon comes over to study the patterns of Grimm in this time of year."

We both walked out of the store and headed back home. "So when's he gonna get here?"

"Should be today."

By the time we got back, a tall, poorly kept man in glasses was waiting outside. My eyes immediately narrowed on him. He looked like a doctor of sorts. I cracked one of my knuckles. Human.

"Been a while, Bart." Mother smiled and led the giant inside. It looked like he was a foot taller than me. I stayed quiet and followed them in.

The two of them conversed in the kitchen as I went to my room. Bartholomew was happy to see me and rushed to me-

He knocked me aside and ran out of my room. I rushed after him, tripping and slamming my head into the doorjam. I heard a yell from the kitchen as I forced myself up. I tried my hardest to force myself up. I ran around the corner, turning to Mother and Bartholomew in the kitchen. "BARTHOLOMEW SIT!"

The boarbatusk came to a sudden halt and sat just in front of Mother. I pressed a hand against my bleeding temple, taking deep breaths. Mother's guest seemed astonished. Mother rushed over to me. "Sylas, are you okay?"

I took in a deep breath and calmed down. "Yeah."

"What happened?" Mother's guest cautiously approached Bartholomew.

"Get away from him. He doesn't like you." The guest furrowed his brow and stepped back. "I tripped."

The guest muttered something under his breath before speaking up. "How did you manage to do such a thing?"

I stepped towards him and Bartholomew, holding out a hand. "It wasn't me that made him like that, so I can't really tell you why he listens."

The man fired back. "Astonishing. A Grimm that listens to human commands. I take it he is your-"

"Pet? Hardly. He's more of a research subject."

"Sylas!" Mother scolded me. All of the hell I went through to keep him, just to study him.

We both ignored her. "Sylas, correct?" We shook hands. Left hands. I nodded. "I am Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck."

"Doctor? So I finally get to meet someone who knows what they're talking about?" I grinned.

"Yes. I spent several years studying history and the Grimm." He spoke quickly, but I kept up.

"I'm still right here, y'know?" Mother tried to butt in, but we continued to ignore her.

We both sat there silently for a second. "So what would it take to create an obedient Grimm?"

"I do not know. This is the first time I've encountered such a creature. Bartholomew, was it?" He kneeled over before carefully placing a hand atop the Grimm's head. It looked up to him like a sad dog. "What might you think?"

I cleared my throat. "Well, Grimm do become more intelligent as they age, so I think once they live long enough alone, they develop the ability to think freely. That also brings into question the pack mentality of the Grimm. As we know, there are usually Alpha variants of the common types of Grimm that have the ability to command others, so what if there are greater Grimm that command them? What if when Grimm spend enough time away from their masters, they lose their bloodlust?"

"Yes, but you are relying on too many 'if''s.'" He paused. "But if you are right, that could change everything. Have you observed any of this in the field?"

"For dust's sake, Bart, he's sixteen! Of course he hasn't!" Mother seemed to be pissed at the lack of inclusion.

"Actually, when I found Bartholomew, the other boarbatusks in his pack didn't seem to care much for him, as if they didn't recognize him as their kin."

"Really? Is that all you know?"

"Yes, but I've been trying to understand more about the Grimm as a species." The giant towered over me. I needed to know how tall this man was.

He looked at the staff on the back of my waist. "And I take it you are training at an academy?"

"Signal, yes."

"Have you considered Beacon?"

Mother threw her arms up in the air and let out an angry huff. "Friggin' nerds."

"Yeah, I've actually been working on my transcripts."

"Applying for the next year in the fall?"

"Yep."

"Why?"

The question didn't throw me off, but it did interrupt my thought process for just a second. Why? "I don't really have much else I could do."

"You show a clear interest in the Grimm. Why not spend your life studying them?" I knew what he was doing. It didn't bother me.

"There's only so much a man can do sitting around in a lab coat all his life. If I actually want to learn about them, I'm gonna have to do some fieldwork."

Doctor Oobleck smiled and pushed up his glasses. He held out his right hand. I nervously cracked a knuckle and shook his hand. "I believe Beacon Academy would be best suited for an individual like yourself."

I wore my light exoskeleton under my combat gear, but it still was visible on my hands. The blue wiring trailed down to my fingernails. The airship I was on was packed with people, almost none I knew. There was one girl there who I recognized. Rosanne? Scarlet? What was her name? She helped me out with my exoskeleton. I still owed her.

She was talking to Xiao Long's daughter. As far as I could tell, she was nothing like how I knew her dad. Easy going and fun. She seemed cool. I tilted my head to crack my neck as I continued to listen in on their conversation. Nothing special. It was funny, though, to listen to them.

Teenagers. So stupid. As a thirty one year old man, at least mentally, it was fun. Relieving almost. I chuckled to myself.

"Something funny?" The blonde turned to me with a grin.

"Just people." I closed my eyes and let them go back to their conversation, or at least I tried to.

The short one who I knew recognized me. "Sylas, right?" I blushed and shot an eye at her.

"Yeah, I think you helped me with my exoskeleton a few months back?" I tried my hardest to avoid using the wrong name. Or any name in general, at that.

"Aw, Ruby, you already made a friend!" The blonde did what I called a "glomp." The process of crushing someone's face in your tits. The younger girl seemed to be struggling to breathe. All that came from her was struggled gasps and muffled screams. People turned to us, so I shot them all a burning glare.

I went to go speak up again, but I was cut off by the sound of somebody vomiting. I clenched my jaw shut and held down the urge to puke at the sound of it. Vomit was not my thing. Never was.

The blonde quit suffocating the younger girl as she turned to the sound of the vomit. Neither one of us were too pleased. "You alright there?" She seemed express some concern for my well being.

I spoke through clenched teeth. "Great. Doing great." Thank god there wasn't a smell.

I let them return to their fun and kept quiet until a projection of a blonde woman came up and started speaking. "Hello, and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected into our prestigious academy! Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and training to protect our world." Not even a hint of enthusiasm.

I felt the airship come to a slow halt and was relieved. I was far from impatient, but sitting on an airship that had the lingering scent of vomit was far from what I planned. I let a few others go ahead of me and let the huge crowd pass by before I left. The Xiao Long girl left Ruby alone. I owed her one, but I didn't want to leave the other blonde, the "Vomit Boy," alone. As she began to awkwardly shuffle off of the ship, I grabbed her by the shoulder. "You don't know where you're going, don't you?"

She shut down for a second. "Um, no? But I thought it wouldn't be too hard to find..."

"Hey," I lightly punched her in the arm, "that's what people say before they get lost. Come on."

"Alright." The response from her was alright. It didn't matter. I was paying her back. As we walked, I paused to glance at the blonde looking around, confused.

"Hey, let's go help that guy out." I pointed to him and turned to her.

"Wasn't that the guy who threw up?" The concern on her face reeked of childlike innocence.

"Yep, so he's probably having a bad day. Let's go help him out." I just wanted to have some people to know before I got stuck knowing nobody.

"But-" I cut her off by sliding a hand into the neck of her cloak and dragging her with me until she starting walking on her own. I waved at the blonde, who was much taller than he looked. He was shorter than Doctor Oobleck, but that didn't stop him from from towering over me.

"Sup, man. Looking for where we're supposed to go?" The relief on his face was nice to see from a guy like him.

"O-Oh, yeah. How'd they expect us to even know where it is?" We shared a chuckle, but Ruby stayed silent.

"Eh, they mustn't have thought it out." Oh boy, did mustn't throw him off. "But what's your name?"

"It's Jaune. Jaune Arc. Rolls off the tongue. Ladies love it." He seemed like someone who was confident only because he was told to be.

"Hey, I like the confidence, partner. Speaking of which..." I turned to Ruby, who was practically hiding behind me. I grabbed her by the cloak again, causing her to flail angrily. "This is Ruby. I met her back at Signal."

She came to an embarrassed halt and froze in front of the blonde, who stood a foot over her. "H-Hi?"

"No Ruby, not like that. Try being a bit more confident. I'm sure Jaune could teach you about that. He's a cool dude." Jaune laughed and tried to shrug it off.

"Oh hey, it's nice to meet you, Ruby." He held out his hand. Ruby shook it. "You know, my mom always said that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet." He ended his statement with a chuckle.

"Yeah, she sounds cool, huh Ruby?" For whatever reason, she shrunk for just a second. "Anyways, how about we get a move on? Don't wanna be late." Jaune nodded and Ruby laughed when I tried to wedge my hand into her cloak again.

God, it was hard to find good people like them.

I navigated our way to where the speech was being held.

"I'll...keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge-to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

In the back, Ruby and I were having trouble seeing. I signaled for her to climb onto my shoulders. She blushed, but eventually accepted my offer. A few people turned to us, and I could've sworn somebody whistled, forcing Ruby to heavily blush. Hell, Ozpin even paused his speech to acknowledge us in the back. "Well, at least I can guarantee one of you paying attention." Jaune and I found it kinda funny. Ozpin cleared his throat.

"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose – direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

As Ozpin left, I couldn't help but feel that something was keeping the old man preoccupied. I shrugged it off and let Ruby down. "Thanks, Sylas." I shrugged and let her run off to Xiao Long. Jaune stuck around.

"So, we got about three hours 'till we gotta check in for curfew... wanna go look around?"

"Wait, won't we get in trouble?" I laughed.

"No, because we're just getting the lay of the land."

"Oh." He dragged it out and laughed.

The two of us strolled out, figuring that we had all of the time in the world to go screw around.

We went through and just talked. Not about anything in particular. Our pasts, our futures, why we were here, et cetera. Eventually, we ran into some red haired girl that was talking to Ruby. Neither of us understood why Ruby was freaking out about her, but we tried to let her have her fun.

Seriously, I have never heard a gerbil manage to rant about weapons for so long. She also freaked out when I told her that my weapon was just a staff. She almost had a heart attack when Jaune said he just had a sword and shield.

The two of them joined us on our walk, but we only got to go around for about twenty minutes before the redhead, Pyrrha, told us we had to go to the initiates' dorm. It might very been a buzz kill, but it was better than us going through all of our conversation topics at once. Still, with them it felt like we weren't going to.

Everyone turned to us when we got there. Most of their eyes turned to Pyrrha, but I still didn't know why. Ruby ran off to talk to the Xiao Long again, and I bid Pyrrha and Jaune goodnight. I told them I'd save them a spot in the corner in they needed it, but they acted like they wouldn't need it.

I sat down on the floor and took a deep breath.

Today had been a great day, even if it was a bit weird to go out and meet people.

At least it went well for all of us.

I opened up my bag, pulling out my journal. I wrote in English, so others couldn't get into it. I looked over my shoulder and scribbled down random things that happened today. Nobody was paying attention.

Good.

I turned to an older page I wrote maybe a month ago.

Good God, I've really gone and done it.

I woke up during what I assumed was a robbery. Guys in suits were holding most of everyone in the store at gunpoint, including me. It wasn't at nice thing to wake up to. I took a minute to survey the situation. I jumped up, drew my gun, and shot him in the chest. Everyone in the shop broke into a panic. I ran through, getting rid of most of the people I came across.

Outside was Roman Torchwick. I was amazed. I decided to do something stupid.

"Looks like you could use better guys."

He was pissed. "Great. Just what I needed. Some kid trying trying to be a hero."

"I'm trying to make an offer with you. How's that make me a hero?"

That caught him off guard. He laughed. "Oh. You're being serious. Ugh."

"Yep."

He thought for a second. "How old even are you?"

"Sixteen."

"Great! I have just the idea for you." He spoke with a childlike tone.

"You gonna tell me or..."

"Go infiltrate Beacon Academy for me. I'll see to it being worth your while."

"Alright."

He turned around as he was getting into his getaway van. "What?"

"I mean I was already accepted not too long ago, so it's possible."

"Good. Uh, I'm in a bit of a rush here kid, so could we hurry it up?"

"Well, one last question. How am it's gonna get in contact with you?"

"I'll worry about that. What's your name kid?"

"Sylas. Just Sylas."

He fled. Later that day I got an anonymous text from him. I could clearly tell that Torchwick wasn't interested in the slightest as to whether or not I actually did it. At this point, not doing anything wouldn't hurt me in any way, but if I went through with it, I'd see payoff later. It was a reverse Pascal's Wager.

I could also tell that he had no use for me. He just wanted some crazy kid to stop bothering him.

Time to surprise him then.

A black-haired girl peeked over her book to shoot a worried glance at me. I waved, turning back to the page for today.

Problems may have arisen.

I am gonna upload this one early. I'm ahead on chapters, and I'm looking to make another story to force out my urges. I don't want this story to become "OP SI shite" so I'm gonna work on a very different project. Needless to say, its gonna be weird.

And no Team RWBY. Or any of them. Probably not. More than likely not.

I've told myself that before, so we'll have to see how this goes.

Excelsior.