Asher awoke the day after his "introduction" to the sound of an alarm clock buzzing in his ear. He slapped the thing to shut it up, then simply lay in his bed staring at the ceiling. He was not looking forward to the day ahead at all, but what's done was done. He sat up and stretched out before scanning his meager room again, cataloguing the things he'd been provided. A nicer than average bed, a nightstand beside that(equipped with the annoying alarm clock), a simple desk with an equally simple chair(lamp sat on top of that), and a wardrobe, containing at the moment two sets of Beacon uniforms and his preferred clothing. Another door led into a bathroom, of equally meager size. Asher attention was eventually drawn to the small device firmly attached to his right ankle, a light blinking on its surface every minute or so. His leash. If he strayed off of Beacon grounds without permission, or tried to take the thing off at all, it would send a signal to the faculty's scrolls as well as local law enforcement, while shrieking loudly to alert everyone nearby to his location.

The newest student of Beacon sighed before getting started with his day, showering and dressing before waiting patiently by the door, last night's instructions from Professor Goodwitch ringing in his ears. He's be locked into the room at precisely 9 o'clock every evening(unless otherwise allowed), and if he was late he'd be reprimanded severely. His room would be unlocked at precisely 8 o'clock every morning, giving him an hour to eat and be at his first class. His schedule had been provided for him on his scroll(a school issued one instead of his own), the first class being Weapons Maintenance. Asher didn't see the point really, he didn't have a weapon to maintain, but what Ozpin wanted, Ozpin got, and if Asher was going to be around, he was going to go through the same classes as everyone else. Went with the "rehabilitation" that the criminal was supposed to be going through here at the school. Just as Asher finished that thought, a click was heard from the door, and he tested the handle with some hesitation before finding that it did indeed swing open.

"Well, at least they're punctual about things..." Asher commented to no one, before he stepped out and took a moment to recall the path he'd need to take to get to the cafeteria.

The walk to the cafeteria was, as it was expected, nerve wracking for the man. Everywhere he went he attracted looks of fear, anger, contempt, even the occasional pity. And as soon as he passed the silent onlookers, the whispers seemed to drift after him, some containing insults, other wishes that he wasn't around. When he finally arrived outside the doors of his destination ten minutes later, he could hear the sounds of lively conversation and the clinking of utensils against plates. He paused outside to steady himself, then entered the building, already expecting the kind of welcome he'd receive. The minute he was spotted, the place seemed to go silent, people steadfastly ignoring him unless taking the occasional glance in his direction. He ignored them right back, choosing instead to stride over to the food line, but as he neared, most of the students shrank away. Asher sighed as he got into line behind someone with large bunny ears sprouting from the top of her head, but the moment he settled into his place, he noticed her body seemingly vibrating in place. He frowned a moment, then couldn't stop himself as he reached towards her and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Uh... you alri- Whoa!"

The rabbit faunas literally jumped into the air, letting out a high-pitched squeal of fear, before she landed on again and took of running, desperate to get away from him. Asher felt his face twist into one of despair, then quickly shook it away. Now wasn't the time to be feeling sorry for himself. The rest of his time in the line went by uneventfully, despite the dirty looks he got from a few others, and he collected his food without incident. Then he found a quiet corner of the cafeteria to sit in and ate quietly, trying to distract himself further from the general aura of hate that seemed to be surrounding him. He glanced up only once during his meal, and could have sworn he saw a flash of red among the other students, but if it was there, it disappeared long before he could place it. After turning in his tray, Asher departed to his next class, arriving early to find that he apparently had an assigned seat near the front of the class. Taking said seat, he settled in for the next twenty minutes, closing his eyes and wishing he would get to take a decent nap before class. Unfortunately, ten minutes later, his lounging was interrupted by a hand grasping him by the back of the head and forcing his face to meet the wooden desk in front of him.

"Ow!"

"I thought I told you not to hurt my sister!"

Yang, eyes red with rage, was already deploying her gauntlets, ready to reduce Asher into his namesake. Asher himself was struggling to get away, at least until he noticed Ruby standing behind her sister with her other teammates, Blake and a white-haired girl he didn't recognize, presumably this Weiss he'd heard about, who had just as murderous a look on her face as the blonde. While the red-cloaked girl was trying to restrain her sibling, she was also deliberately avoiding his gaze, and he found the fight drain out of him at the sight. Damnit, why'd she have to go and make him feel like he'd kicked a puppy? Fortunately for Asher's continued lifespan, the teacher of the class entered the room carrying a large container, and his eyebrows shot up as he took in the sight of Yang getting ready to demolish one of her fellow students.

"Miss Xiao Long, much as I enjoy seeing Ember Celica being put to use, I doubt murdering a fellow student is what they were built for."

"Professor Einion! I was... uh..."

"Take your seats please. As for you, Mr. Mercury, I believe this is yours."

The Professor dropped the container in front of Asher as the rest of the students filed in and took their seats, and the criminal frowned at the thing in confusion. For a moment he merely stared at it as the Professor started up the class, informing them that they would be studying the advantages of lighter alloys over heavier, as well as testing some modifications that could be used to augment the recoil of various firearms. Most of what he'd said went straight over Asher's head, but before the teacher continued with his lesson, he seemed to notice his confusion and turned to him, gesturing at the box.

"I'd suggest starting on getting that finished now, so that if you need any help you can get it."

"Uh... ok?"

Asher pried open the box's lid and took a look inside to find something he hadn't expected to see again. He groaned in annoyance before dumping the box out in front of him, parts and papers scattering across the desk. And there it was. A reminder of a time he'd long given up, when he still thought being one of the heroes would help him save his sister. He extracted the papers from the parts, then cleared a space and laid them all out. He sighed as he got confirmation from the blueprints in front of him. This was his original designs, back at Signal. Crystal Virtue. Ha! His sister had come up with the name, she'd thought it sounded cool, that it would represent his crystal clear virtues for the world to see. He'd never felt comfortable with it, but he'd do anything for his sister, and naming his weapon what she wanted seemed a small price to pay to see her smile. He remembered showing her these same pages, back in her hospital room. He grimaced in distaste at the memories, then crumpled up the papers and tossed them towards the trashcan, missing the basket entirely. Now what to do with these parts...

"Mr. Mercury, what are you doing?"

"Getting rid of something that I no longer need."

Asher picked up the most prominent piece, the large blade section he remembered painstakingly crafting, and promptly tossed it to the side, resolving to dispose of it later. This was done piece by piece, one after another, until the only thing he had left in front of him was the piece meant to become the hilt, something his sister had put together with Roan's help, the handle wrapped in a silvery gray material and perfectly fitted to his hand. He glared at it a moment before deciding he might as well keep the one piece, unable and unwilling to simply throw away the memory of the past. Professor Einion stared at him, before going over to the parts and examining them. He frowned upon finding nothing wrong with them, turning back to Asher to inquire further.

"I don't see a problem with the parts themselves. And I reviewed your design, it's... solid... if unimaginative."

"The problem isn't with the parts."

It's with me was the unspoken phrase that Asher kept to himself, even as he found some sheets of paper and slapped them down, glancing at the remaining hilt piece one more time. He started sketching something as the Professor went back to teaching his class, but everything he tried to envision slipped through his fingers, and finally, as they reached the end of the class, Asher was forced to admit that he wasn't an engineer, wasn't ever going to be, and wished that he had Ianthe here to do this for him. He sighed as the bell rang and he snatched up the hilt piece, intending to toss it into the discard pile along with the others and rid himself of the thing for good. Before he could complete the toss, however, the silvery grip caught his eye again and he shoved it into his pocket with a scowl on his face as he left for his next class. Damn memories...

And Asher, too far gone into his own brooding, failed to notice a certain red-cloaked girl slip over to the trashcan and collect the wrinkled pages found around it, smoothing them out and scanning them with a barely contained interest.


The next two classes were similarly frustrating for the teen, if slightly safer with the absence of team RWBY. While the study of Grimm was fascinating to most of the students present, despite the long, droning and often irrelevant stories told by Professor Port, all that Asher could get from Grimm Studies was a teacher glorifying themselves to the next generation. His feelings were only made worse by his sever lack of interest in the Grimm in general, and despite trying to page through the textbook, after looking at some of the monsters contained within his thoughts quickly formed into the simple statement of "I never want to meet one of these thing in my life". As for Dust Theory/Application, Asher found the entire class to be completely over his head, textbook or not, and found himself simply staring dully at the wall, trying to seem like he knew what was going on. Thankfully, the teacher seemed inclined to ignore him for the class, and Asher was grateful for the consideration, even if he was sure it was mostly out of pity.

Which is why, morning classes done with, Asher found himself out on a balcony, skipping lunch to avoid the dreadful feelings the cafeteria seemed to give him. He rubbed at his temples, headache already coming on and only halfway through the day, but before he could get to contemplating whether jail might be more preferable, his thoughts were interrupted by what had become a familiar voice over the past few months.

"I hope you're fitting in, young man. It would be a shame if you failed out so early after joining us."

Asher opened one eye to find Professor Ozpin, sipping from the coffee cup that never seemed to leave his hand, eyes studying the him. Joy. Now he had the headmaster sticking his head into his affairs. Well, he supposed he didn't have much choice but deal with the man. Still, his coming headache only worsened at the prospects of having to listen to more riddles and vague words.

"Yeah. I'm fitting in fine. Like a boarbatusk in a dust shop. I'm fairly certain if I'm around long enough, people might actually get over their fear and realize I'm not that great at fighting. Then I get to graduate to a punching bag."

"Must you be so sarcastic? Surely the young Ruby Rose is a welcome friend."

"If she could stand to look at me. You kinda ruined any chance of a friend there, with your whole 'A new student is joining us now, by the way, he's a multiple offender of nearly every felony they have in the book'! See, that doesn't make many friends. Sir."

Ozpin simply smiled knowingly and took another sip of his coffee. Asher eyebrow twitched at seeing the man's face, he clearly knew something. This man had to be the most infuriating person he'd ever met. Even more so than having to talk to underworld informants, and they were notoriously tight-lipped. At least for the latter, you could get them to talk with large stacks of lien. With the headmaster, you were stuck hoping he would talk. It amazed him Glynda could even put up with old man at all.

"Mr. Mercury, I suggest you trust in Ms. Rose. She is far more resilient than her age might suggest. I don't believe finding out you're a criminal will keep her away for long. Especially considering your, ah... weapon designs."

"Did everyone take a look at those and get a good laugh?"

Ozpin merely gave that infuriating smile again as he turned away, leaving Asher to glare at the man's back before he returned to rubbing his temples and opening up his scroll. What other classes did he have for the day? Oh look, History. There was something he might be able to keep up with. Next we have... he was a dead man already.


At the cafeteria, Ruby Rose had laid out the now smooth pages of Asher's blueprints. She frowned as she went over them again for the fourth time, trying to figure out where he might have reserved a spot for a cool gun attachment, but try as she might, she couldn't find one. Before she could go over them a fifth, just in case, her attention was attracted by the delightfully sweet smell of cookies, and the girl glanced over to find a plate placed right next to her, piled high with her snack of choice. Distracted as she was shoveling the treats into her mouth, she wasn't able to guard the plans from Yang, who scooped them all up with a grin that quickly disappeared as she realized what she had.

"Ruby, these are terrible!" And idea seemed to strike the blonde suddenly as she noticed the crumpled feel to the paper, and her eyes opened in shock as the realization hit her fully. "Are these...?"

"AH! DON-"

"What did she have?"

Weiss arrived, tray neatly ordered in the proper way, and she placed the food down as she glanced over Yang's shoulder at the discovery. Her face curled into a frown of confusion quickly, and she grabbed one of the pages from Yang's grasp and studies it further before her eyes narrowed and she shoved the page into Ruby's face.

"Is this what I think it is?"

"Uh... What do you think it is?"

"Ruby! Why on earth did you go digging through the trash for that... that... that-"

"Bastard?" Yang's helpful suggestion cut in.

"-That lowlife's weapon design?"

Ruby shrank under the combined judgement of her partner and her sister. She flicked a glance to the side at the silent Blake, who steadfastly pretended to ignore the situation, despite her own interest in the question. Finding no help, Ruby shrank a bit more before gathering her courage and bringing her gaze up to meet the two stares waiting for her, even as she brought her index fingers together in anxiety.

"I just... he seemed so lost, is all. And... I kinda promised I'd help him build his weapon..."

"You promised to- Ruby, you shouldn't be wasting a minute of your time on that man! Besides, what about your own studies?"

"I gotta agree with Weiss, Sis. You shouldn't be hanging around with him."

"But, he doesn't have anybody!"

"Ruby, he's convicted of armed robbery, assault and battery, MURDER! And that's just a few of them!"

"But what if they just made that up?"

"They have WITNESSES, Ruby! People saw him do it!"

"But... But, what if it was just an acciden-"

"Ruby." Yang sighed as she sat down next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her sibling. Part of her was happy that her sister was so willing to try to search for the best in everyone. Still, another part of her, the protective part, was worried that Ruby was being too naïve. Asher, for all his seeming incompetence, was probably just biding his time until he could strike. Yang wasn't about to let her sister be the next victim. "Not everyone is as good as you think they are. Sometimes, people are really as bad as they seem. And I'm sorry, sis, but Asher is one of those evil people."

"NO!"

Ruby leapt to her feet, snatching the stolen papers from her teammates and clutching them to her chest protectively. She wouldn't... She couldn't believe that Asher was as bad as they claimed. There had to be some kind of mistake. Her defiant gaze locked onto her sister, who'd spent almost the same amount of time with Asher as she had. They were wrong! They had to be!

"Yang, you were there with me! You met him! Talked to him! Do you REALLY think he would do all the things they say he did? Do you think he could kill people?"

"Ruby, I-"

The girl was gone in a flurry of rose petals, her semblance taking her from the cafeteria and into the hallways beyond. She'd prove it! She'd show them that he wasn't as bad as they claimed! She just had to figure out how! Ruby slowed as the thought struck her. How was she supposed to prove someone wasn't a robber and a murderer? Well, first she should ask him, right? But then, she needed to figure out where he was. The team leader frowned in thought, but before she could get any farther, the bell for classes rang. She frowned in annoyance before folding the papers clutched in her grasp and slipping them into a pocket. She'd find him after classes and ask about it then. Her studies could wait a day, after all.


Asher spent History actually enjoying himself, if only because he actually knew what was being discussed(more or less) and it distracted him from what was next. Inevitably, however, time marched on, and the end of class came, carrying with it the bell that tolled his coming doom. Asher loitered in his seat, wishing something would come along that saved him, but eventually he was forced to leave the safety of the classroom and take a quick trip back to his room. There, in record time, he changed into his "combat uniform" as he'd been told it was called, which amounted to just dressing as he used to before getting caught. He tied his tie as he rushed to the auditorium, making it just as the bell rang, out of breath and chest heaving. He straightened out to be greeted by the combined stares of the class, most notably Professor Goodwitch, who cleared her throat to get the classes attention and deliver her verdict.

"Well, thank you for volunteering for our first match, Mr. Mercury. Would anyone else like to volunteer to spar?"

Two hands shot up instantly, and it was then that Asher noticed the reappearance of team RWBY. Oddly, he noticed that Ruby herself seem to be sitting apart from the rest of her teammates, and just as oddly, she was staring right at him, a defiant look on her face. His immediate attention, however, was quickly drawn to the two raised hands, and he groaned as he attached them to two faces, both painful options. Yang and Weiss, both people he figured wanted him dead. He gauged the two of them, and quickly decided he wanted Weiss for an opponent. She was smaller. Maybe she wouldn't hurt as much.

"Very well then. Ms. Xiao Long, please come forward. You as well, Mr. Mercury."

Asher's shoulders fell, and with them his hopes of survival, as he meandered his way over to the small stage, hoping to prolong his journey. As he pulled himself up onto the stage and positioned himself opposite Yang, however, the professor paused, frowning as a thought seemed to come to her.

"Mr. Mercury, your aura is active, isn't it?"

"Um... I think so?"

"You... think so."

"Uh, yeah. It... woke up? I never understood how you described it, but my aura came out back at Signal. It's... been awhile since then, though. So... I guess it's active?"

"Hm. Ms. Xiao Long, are you fine without weapons? I'd hate to have a death in the student body from a training class."

"No problems here, Teach!"

Glydna frowned at the moniker, but quickly stepped away to allow them room to fight. Yang brought her fists up, hair already flickering with her semblance, while Asher brought his own fists up to mimic her. Still, as Glynda began to countdown till the start, Asher couldn't help but flashback to his first meeting with the woman in front of him. This was going to be really painfu-

"Hurgh!"

Asher's thoughts were interrupted as Yang suddenly appeared in front of him and drove her fist into his gut with an explosion of heat and force. For a moment, Asher's body was lifted and held in the air, and Yang flashed him a grin that promised more pain to follow. Unfortunately for both fighters, Asher's aura, neglected for two years and long since gone dormant, didn't protect the young man, and as Yang skipped backwards to get some distance and set up for her next attack, gravity dragged Asher to the floor, the man collapsing as he clutched at his stomach. He could feel his chest struggling to suck in air, but he could only seem to grab short gasps of it as he heard Glynda stop the fight and felt hands grasp his sides, checking for damage. He closed his eyes, focusing on trying to calm his spasming body, and after a minute he finally regained his breath, rolling onto his back to stretch out his now sore stomach.

"Well... I think we can say that your aura is not currently active... I don't think you're in any condition to continue, Mr. Mercury. Do you know where the medical wing is?"

"I... think so..."

"I'll take him!"

The bubbly voice caught him by surprise, and Asher turned his head to find Ruby on her feet, hand waving in the air. Given the reactions of those around her, it clearly surprised everyone else as well, but the girl seem to pay them no mind as she hopped up onto the stage and helped him to his feet. She threw one of his arms over her shoulders, lending her support as she escorted him towards the door. The silence that took the room behind them seemed to cling to them both as they made their way through the halls, eventually reaching the medical wing. Ruby found him an empty bed and helped him into it, before finding a chair and dragging it over. The silence continued on as Ruby fixed him with a blank stare, and Asher squirmed for a moment before finally deciding to break the silence.

"Shouldn't you be getting back to class?"

"Nope!"

"... Right... sooooooo..."

"Asher?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you really rob banks?"

Asher froze at the question, a million possible ways to answer assaulting his mind. He stared into the suddenly very innocent gaze in front of him, and briefly considered lying to the girl, confident she'd believe him if only because she wanted to so badly. But another part of him tore that little dream to pieces. He was what he was. He couldn't be anything else, no matter how much he wanted it to be. Lying would likely only make things worse.

"Yeah, I did. Trains to, sometimes."

The answer seemed drain the girl of whatever cheer she'd had, and her sudden despair filled face yanked on his brotherly instincts. What came from her next though caused him to sit up in shock, eyes wide at the sudden accusation.

"So I guess that means you really did kill people."

"What? No! I never killed anybody! Hurt em, maybe, but never killed."

"You never...? You're not lying?"

"I told you the truth about the robbing, didn't I? Why would I suddenly lie about killing people?"

Ruby's mood brightened noticeably, and she practically jumped out of her chair in joy. Asher took that as a good sigh, and chuckled lightly before grunting softly at the soreness in his stomach. Damn, Yang had a good arm. Now he was suddenly glad she hadn't been allowed to use her gauntlets. She'd have left a hole in him. Ruby didn't seem to notice as she plopped down next to him again, eyes filled with wonder. In her mind, robbing banks and trains was still bad, but it belonged in an altogether more exciting category than murder. Questions threatened to bubble out of her, but before she got any farther, she remembered what had spurred on this little session and she pulled out the pages, placing them on the bed nightstand next to Asher. He frowned at seeing them again, a look Ruby didn't fail to notice, and she frowned right back, part of her angry on behalf of the weapon that was Crystal Virtue.

"Looks like I'm not the only thief in the school..."

"Hey! They were in the trash! I was only saving her!"

"Saving her?"

"Why'd you throw Crystal Virtue away, anyways?"

"Cryst- Is it alive now?"

"She could have been!"

"She?"

"Stop changing the subject!"

"Alright, alright! Crystal Virtue was my design back when I was still at Signal."

"You went to Signal?"

"Yeah, two years ago. I left for... personal reasons."

"You became a crook."

"Yeah. For personal reasons. Look, that weapon design was for someone who no longer exists. As I am now, I don't deserve to build... her. So, I kinda figured I'd build something new... you know, like you said you'd help me with before... if... you still want to."

Ruby's eyes narrowed as she considered the man, as if judging him, and Asher cringed slightly under her gaze. Then a bright smile exploded onto her face, and she scooped up the pages again, dumping them into the small trashcan next to the bed. That done, Ruby pulled a notebook as if from nowhere and opened it up to a blank page, clearly getting herself more and more excited as she began to make sketches of this and that, babbling on about thoughts she'd already had regarding his possible "baby". Asher watched her a moment before smiling slightly, content to listen to her talk. While he wasn't sure what had happened to cause her to accept him so quickly, his faults included, he didn't feel quite so bad about attending the school anymore. At least he had a friend he could count on. A moment later, and Asher suddenly had a thought hit him, his exclamation interrupting Ruby's incessant babbling.

"Aw... DAMNIT!"

"Huh? What happened?"

"Nothing, Ruby. Just remembering something an old man with too much time on his hands said to me."

And Asher was forced to agree with Ozpin, Ruby Rose had barreled through whatever prejudice there was and had become his first friend here. The ass probably knew it would happen this way too.


Author's Note- I always wondered if aura was something that once activated would stay on forever, or if you didn't use it, it would slowly stop functioning. I chose the latter route, just because it made sense to me. It's for that same reason I had Asher be completely clueless to the things most students would probably well acquainted with. Grimm, for instance, I felt were something that Signal would begin to instruct on in later years, to prepare them for the higher level combat schools, while the earlier years focused on basic combat skills, weapons construction and discovering your own style.

Regardless, I hope I did some justice to the school, and plan on having more interactions between team RWBY and Asher. Here's to hoping I can make it at least somewhat believable.

As always, reviews and comments are much appreciated. Until next time, keep dreaming.