AN: Hey guys, welcome back to another installment of Dead Man Walking! I've got quite the list of new people aboard this crew, and I couldn't be happier! Shoutout to Mylax, Grimm Knight, Mindscape-v2903, Slisor, Decus777 and xanothos for favoriting/following the story, you guys rock! Let's get to it!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or any songs and books that make an appearance within the chapter.

Jackson awoke, finding himself lying on his back, staring up at a grey sky. A few droplets of rain had fallen on his face, which was what had originally woken him up. Propping himself up on his hands, he looked around to see where he was, and he knew this place all too well.

He laid in the middle of his village, smoldering houses all around him. Pillars of smoke had risen from the houses, and corpses littered the streets, some of them merely skeletons with flabs of flesh still attached, and others torn into two or more. Blood stained the ground, and clothing was torn beyond recognition. Jackson could barely muster the strength to stand and look at the destruction around him.

Walking around, he saw everything he had ever known in shambles. Corpses of friends scattered in every direction, the house he lived in burned to the ground. Even his mom and dad, gone.

All of these painful memories were cut short when he heard the whirring of Bullheads above him, blowing air in every direction. Once the Bullheads landed, Special Forces began to flow out of them, inspecting the village with their weapons raised.

"Listen up men!" The Commanding Officer shouted. "I want every inch of this place searched, leave no building untouched, no stone unturned!"

"Sir yes sir!" They all responded in unison. They spread out, determined to figure out what caused this. Soon, troops began to reach his position, but instead of stopping to speak with him, they simply walked past him, not even noticing his presence. He was a lingering spirit, standing in the remains of what was once a happy community.

"reMemBeR JaCksOn."

The voice was dark and distorted, something out of a nightmare, and it came from right behind him.

Turning around, he saw himself, but very different. His skin was inhumanly pale, the veins and arteries visible had turned a sickly black. His eyes were completely black, and his irises were blood red. His Aura outline had gone from red to black as well, but there was something different about it. It didn't just outline his body, it was emanating from his body in a gaseous-like form, like a dark smoke.

"tHe trUtH LiEs iN yOur mEmoRieS jAckSoN," His doppelganger said. "aLl YOu nEEd iS A LiTtle puSh." He smiled, and showed off his razor sharp teeth. Sticking out a hand to his side, his Bowie knife appeared out of thin air, and without hesitation, he stabbed it into Jackson's chest, piercing one of his lungs.

Jackson gasped loudly, the pain and shock overloading his system. But before he could do anything, an even worse sensation plagued his body. The darkness that was seeping from his copy had made its way into his body, and began to spread at a rapid pace. It infected his body, and tainted his soul. The pain he felt was unbearable, he tried to scream, but nothing would come out. Soon, he began to feel tired, the pain too much to handle, and he was swept into the darkness, but not without some departing words.

"yOu mUsT RemEmBeR..."

Jackson awoke rather harshly as he gasped loudly, sitting up rapidly and breaking out into a cold sweat.

'What the fuck was that thing?" Jackson thought. 'He looked just like me, but way different, and he hasn't shown up in my previous dreams.'

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

Jackson looked to his right, and found the alarm on his scroll going off like crazy. Once he took a look at it, it showed it was 7:30 am. Sighing, he tapped the screen and disabled the alarm.

'It's gotta mean something, but now's not the time,' Jackson thought. Getting out of bed, he began to change into his uniform, preparing himself for Ms. Goodwitch's class, he's sure she'll be absolutely delighted to see him if their last conversation was any indication.

February had come to an end, and March has begun. The sun has grown brighter, and the flowers have begun to bloom. Overall, things seem to have gotten brighter and more positive. After holstering his revolver and retrieving the things he'll need for today, he was out the door.

Stepping out into the hallway, he was adjusting his tie when he heard Team RWBY's door open as well. He turned to them and saw they were all dressed properly and seemed rather well rested. He smiled and waved at them, and the team noticed. Weiss waved happily, Blake acknowledged the wave with a nod, Ruby kind of looked away and waved as well, and Yang just glared at him.

Jackson could tell Ruby was still flustered about last night, so he wanted to set things straight. "Hey guys, can you give me and Ruby a moment to talk? We'll meet with you guys in the Mess Hall."

Weiss complied, Blake just followed Weiss, and Yang was more hesitant about it, but after receiving the thumbs up from Ruby, she left as well. Once they left, Jackson turned to Ruby, looking at her expectantly.

Ruby finally decided to face the music. "Look Jackson, I didn't mean for that kiss to happen, I just got really excited about getting to fix your gun, and it just sorta happened. I hope it didn't make things weird between us."

Jackson stared at her for a while, only making Ruby more nervous and guilty/embarrassed. Once it seemed like she was about to crack, Jackson smiled and let out a laugh, pulling her hood over her head.

"Haha, I figured that's what happened, I just needed to be sure. Plus, you look like a little kid who knew they got caught and are about to cry, and I wasn't gonna pass up that opportunity."

Ruby threw back her hood and looked at Jackson with a pissed look. "That's not funny!" Ruby exclaimed. "I really did feel bad about doing that!"

"And you looked absolutely adorable while you felt that!"

This only angered/humored her more, and resulted in a pout from Little Red. Jackson chuckled. "Come on, let's catch up with the others," he said. Ruby nodded and began to resume their walk to the Mess Hall.

"So because you're a 'Firearm Enthusiast' as you put it, I can safely assume you've fully dismantled my rifle, correct?" Jackson asked.

"...Maybe," Ruby responded.

"And what's the damage, Ms. Rose?"

"Well, the inner mechanisms are rusted and worn greatly," Ruby said. "Probably would have blown up in your hands if you tried to fire it. And the spring in the magazine has gone to crap, unable to properly feed the gun, but that's not really an issue, just buy new magazines. However, there were some key components in the inner workings of the gun that practically crumbled in my hands, and my hands are dainty and precise.

"I can get it fixed easily, I just need the pieces necessary to get it up and running," Ruby said.

"Alright," Jackson said. "Well you know more about this weapon than I do, you can order whatever parts and pieces you'll need from Vic, and just tell her to send the bill to me. Give her my scroll number when you call her so she can send it that way." Jackson was about to leave it at that before he remembered something important. "Oh and Ruby, try and keep it as close to the original please. I'll make any changes I want to it myself, so you don't have to bother with it.

"One last thing," Jackson said. "Remember how the scope was cracked? Don't bother changing that out, I'll be keeping that on."

"What?" Ruby asked. "But why?"

Jackson looked back to when he first found it, the scope cracked and the sight in the center glitching out for only a moment, but it was still able to get the job done.

"It's my own little way of reminding me about something," Jackson said. "It may be cracked, but it can still get the job done."

Ruby was about to speak, but thought better of it. Silently nodding, they walked the rest of the way in silence, Ruby in thought, while Jackson was humming a song.

Gym Class Heroes - Stereo Hearts

'My heart's a stereo,

It beats for you, so listen close,

Hear my thoughts in every no-o-ote,'

Ruby immediately picked up on the tune he was humming, and she began to sing along:

'Make me your radio,

Turn me up when you feel low,

This melody was meant for you,

To sing along to my stereo,'

Jackson was surprised that Ruby knew the song, and was even more surprised to find out she was an amazing singer, he might even go as far as saying she would give Weiss a run for her money.

'But don't tell Weiss that, please.'

The surprise singing caused Jackson to stop humming and stare at Ruby, who also stopped singing and shrunk into her cloak, feeling rather embarrassed about her musical outburst.

That is, until Jackson smiled and pulled out his scroll, tapping the screen and playing the song they were just singing, with Jackson picking up where Ruby left off. (Y'all might want to pull up the actual song so this part will fly by faster.)

'Gym Class Heroes Baby!

If I was just another dusty record on the shelf,

Would you blow me off and play me like everybody else?

If I ask you to scratch my back could you manage that,

Like it read well check it Travie, I can handle that,

Furthermore, I apologize for any skipping tracks,

It's just the last girl that played me left a couple cracks,

I used to-used to-used to-used to-now I'm over that,

Cause holding grudges over love is ancient artifacts,'

Ruby's embarrassment disappeared and in it's place came happiness and partial relief, soon she began to sing along as well.

'If I could only find a note to make you understand,

I'd sing it softly in your ear and grab you by the hand,

Just keep me stuck inside your head like your favorite tune,

And know my heart's a stereo that only plays for you,'

Jackson and Ruby continued to sing either one at a time or as a duet in some portions, continuing like this for the rest of their walk.

WBY were already sitting at a table with their food before Jackson and Ruby had arrived. Both had set their stuff down and went to go get breakfast. Ruby came back with pancakes, whipped cream and some strawberries, while Jackson just had a cereal bowl of oats and almonds.

They sat down, and before he began, Jackson decided to properly greet the remainder of Team RWBY. "Morning guys," Jackson said.

"Good morning Jackson," Weiss happily responded.

"Morning," Blake said, engulfed in the book in front of her, and a thick one at that. Yang didn't even respond, she basically ignored the greeting.

Jackson remembered what he said to himself in the forest, and was about to act on his resolution, that is, until he did a double take on Blake's book, and was immediately interested.

"Hey, is that The Name of the Wind?" Jackson asked.

Blake was torn from her reading, surprised that Jackson has heard of the book. "Um, yeah," Blake responded. Blake hasn't really come across any avid readers during her time at Beacon, and Jackson was someone Blake would never have suspected to be one, since The Name of the Wind was a hidden literature gem.

'That, or everyone here doesn't read unless it's for a grade, except for maybe Weiss."

"I love that book!" Jackson exclaimed. "How far have you gotten into the story?"

"I've only just started," Blake responded. "So far, I'm at the point where Kvothe has only just started to talk about his life after the journalist showed up."

"Ah, so you have yet to read about his ridiculous journey," Jackson said. "It's one of the coolest and craziest I've read. I'm currently waiting on the third book in the series. Tell me when you finish the book, I want to see what you thought of it."

Blake smiled. "I'll be sure to find you when I finish." Blake certainly had her doubts about Jackson, especially after his first impression, but she's starting to warm up to him, knowing she now has someone she can talk to about some books that isn't connected to an assignment.

'There we go, I'm on the right track,' Jackson thought. 'Now I need to figure out I can fix things with Yang. Out of all of Team RWBY, she's the one I need to worry the most about.'

Before he could continue his train of thought, some new people sat among them, and Jackson only knew them as Team JNPR.

"Hey guys," Jaune said.

"Hi Jaune," Ruby responded. Jaune and the other three had sat down, each with their own tray, one of them containing a massive stack of pancakes.

Eventually, the one called Jaune looked his way, and acknowledged him. "Hey, I remember you," he said. "You were the one with the initiation yesterday. Jackson right?"

"That's what they call me," Jackson responded. "And you guys are Team JNPR, my other assigned team."

"Yep, that's us." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Jaune Arc, the leader. It's cool to meet you in person."

Jackson took his hand in a calm manner. "Likewise," Jackson responded. 'I hope his leadership skills are top-notch, because so far, I don't see much of a warrior in him.'

"And I'm Nora Valkyrie!" The orange-haired girl exclaimed. "It's so awesome to meet you, especially after meeting your furry friend! Can I ride him? I promise I won't break him like the others!" She was a being of pure energy, moving her body in all directions, whether she spoke or not. And while she seemed fun and silly, she immediately put Jackson on edge when she referred to Beanie about riding him and trying to not break him.

"N-No, sorry Nora," Jackson replied. "Beanie isn't a toy, and I would rather keep him in one piece, and intact."

"Awww," Nora replied. She folded her arms and pouted. "I just met you and you're already no fun."

"Now hold on," Jackson said. "You just so happened to have picked a subject that I take seriously. I haven't turned into Weiss yet."

The table burst out into laughter, even Yang smiled a little, although it looked like she really wasn't trying. However Weiss didn't seem to appreciate the joke.

"Jackson, I've already got four people picking on me," Weiss said. "I don't need one more."

"Regardless," Jackson said, "There's Jaune, Nora, *turns to Ren* and you are…"

"Lie Ren," he responded. "But most people refer to me as just Ren. I usually keep Nora in line, before anything can get out of hand."

Jackson nodded, thankful there was someone to keep Nora under control. All that left was Pyrrha.

Before Pyrrha could speak, Jackson spoke up first, "Wait a minute, you're Pyrrha Nikos, right?"

Pyrrha's smile faded somewhat and she slouched over, lowering her hand. "Yeah, that's right," Pyrrha responded.

"I remember seeing you on the news," Jackson said with genuine interest. "Four-time Mistral Champion, on the cover of Pumpkin Pete's cereal, I don't think there's anyone that doesn't know you."

"You'd be surprised," Weiss said. "Jaune here didn't even recognize her when they first met. He only figured out her status when I had to tell him she was on the cover of Pumpkin Pete's."

Jackson looked over at Jaune, absolutely dumbfounded. "How?"

Jaune sheepishly shrugged. "Well, when you live with seven sisters, you don't have much time to watch the TV."

Jackson didn't want to pursue it any further. Instead, he looked back over to Pyrrha and held out his hand. "Regardless," Jackson said. "It's great to know that I have a highly experienced Huntress-in-training in the team. I look forward to working with you in the field Pyrrha. Plus, it'll be great to get to know the real Pyrrha Nikos, rather than the one they show on TV and cereal boxes."

The latter part of his statement surprised her, and made her considerably more happy. Instead of getting to brag about working with a legend, Jackson seemed genuinely happy to work and interact with her like he would anyone else. Pyrrha took his hand and shook it rather excitedly. "I look forward to getting to know you as well Jackson," Pyrrha said. "You seem to be a welcoming fellow."

The table conversed among themselves, save for any interaction between Jackson and Yang, and continued to do so until the bell indicated them to make their way to their first class. Little did Jackson know, a group of mischievous individuals glared at him from afar, still angered from their less-than-ideal confrontation yesterday evening. But they, at least one of them, will be given an opportunity to settle it (at least temporarily) quite soon.

Team RWBY and Jackson made their way to their first period class, which was Professor Port. During their way there, multiple students had greeted Jackson with waves and smiles, most of them first year students like him. It seems his corrupted companion shot him up the social ladder, and while Jackson smiled and waved at them in return, he felt weird and unsettled being the center of attention for it. People had gone from treating him like another face in the crowd to some sort of celebrity among them. He never wanted popularity, he just wanted to introduce Beanie, so he didn't feel so alone in the forest and got the chance to meet others.

After wading his way through the gathering crowd, Jackson was soon able to regroup with Team RWBY at the entrance of Port's classroom. He wished he could go back being just another face.

"Looks like you have followers now Jackson," Ruby mocked. "When are you gonna bring back your star attraction?"

"Ha ha, real knee-slapper there Red Riding Hood," Jackson deadpanned. "I don't like this, just so you know. And I plan on speaking with Ozpin in regards to keeping Beanie on campus."

"Hold on," Blake said, sounding slightly fearful. "You mean to tell us that you want to keep your overgrown canine, COMPLETELY made of darkness, in our backyard?"

"In a nutshell, yes," Jackson replied. "You've all seen how well-trained he is, plus I know Oobleck and Port would absolutely love it. Oobleck would observe Beanie with a burning passion, and Port… actually, I don't know what Port would do with a Grimm that isn't out for the blood of humans and faunus."

"Pfft, he'd probably use him to fight against students in some kind of hand-to-hand," Weiss remarked. "Pretty ridiculous right Jackson? Jackson?" Where Jackson once stood was merely a cloud of dust, as Port's door was thrown wide open, rapid footsteps and a voice screaming out all they could hear.

"PORT PORT PORT PORT PORT!"

"*sigh* Me and my big mouth," Weiss muttered. She and the rest of Team RWBY went running in after him.

Port was organizing the various items he had on his desk, as well as polishing his blunderbuss/axe when Jackson came running into his classroom, Team RWBY taking up the rear.

"Jackson my dear boy!" Port exclaimed in his signature joyous baritone voice. "What brings you into my classroom so early?"

"*pant* *pant* Give me a second Mr. Port," Jackson said, his voice ragged. After a moment, his heavy breathing calmed down, and Jackson was able to speak properly. "I wanted to talk to you in regards to Beanie."

"Ah yes," Port said. "Your Grimm companion. A creation of darkness with a heart of gold. What would you like to discuss?"

"Once I finish with classes today, I wanted to speak with Ozpin about what we can do in regards to keeping Beanie on campus," Jackson said. "If he were to agree to such terms, do you think you could find some kind of use for Beanie in your class? without weapons, of course."

The question threw Port for a loop, but after recovering, Port had put some thought into it, and soon a lightbulb turned on. "Lad, this just may just work out in both our favors," Port said. "I've always wanted to teach young minds how to handle a Grimm encounter when caught without their weapon, but alas, there is a vast difference between training for an encounter and a real-life scenario. I could never put one of my students against a Grimm unarmed, regardless of how much faith I have in their quick wits and abilities. "However," Port continued, "Now that we have a seemingly conscious and tame Grimm, my dream could soon become a reality! If Ozpin agrees to house the Grimm on school grounds, or in the outskirts, I shall be more than happy to have your companion in my class. One-on-one, Mano a Mano! Reminds me of my days as a young and ambitious Hunter. I was on a mission for the City of Vale to check the perimeter for any Grimm, however, I never would have thought that I would come across a full pack of beowolves! I was able to vanquish most of them, but the remaining one had caught me off guard and disarmed me! I was forced to combat the Grimm with my bare hands, the battle lasting hours! He put up a noble fight, but with my quick thinking-"

"Um, maybe you should save that story for later Mr. Port," Jackson said. "You shouldn't waste such an interesting story on only five students."

"Haha, if you insist," Port said. "But I must say it is one of my finest tales yet! But be warned, Ozpin is not an easy man to convince. He did not get to where he is today being a pushover."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jackson said. "Thank you Professor Port." As soon as he finished, the bell rang, and students began to trickle in and take their seats. Jackson and Team RWBY proceeds to do the same. Once everyone was seated and ready, Port took center stage.

"Good morning students!" Port bellowed. "I hope you all enjoyed your three-day weekend, well, most of you. And today I have a surprise for you all!

"As a Grimm Studies teacher, it is my duty to teach you young minds everything there is to know about the Grimm, from old information to new discoveries constantly being made. Weak points, the most effective methods for defeating each type of Grimm, and so on.

"Yesterday however, a breakthrough discovery has occurred. For the first in all of human history, a man was able to not only take the Grimm, but has turned it into a companion. MR. WESSON!" All eyes turned to him, suddenly put on the spot.

And he was just ready to fold.

"Yesterday, Mr. Wesson introduced to us his friend, Beanie, and we were all awestruck at the sight. Jackson, if you don't mind, I'd like you to tell us how this all began, how Beanie became a friend, rather than an enemy. And spare not a single detail!"

"Uhhhhhhh-"

The whole classroom erupted in cheers and encouragement/peer pressure, dying to know how this was even possible. Try as he might to dissuade them, his attempts were in vain as they continued to chant, even RWBY and JNPR.

"Tell us how! Tell us how! Tell us how!"

"Alright alright!" Jackson exclaimed. "I'll tell you all how it happened." The class began to cheer.

"HOWEVER," Jackson interrupted, his booming baritone voice hushing the crowd. "Just because I did it, this doesn't mean you all should go out and try to recreate the results. It's dangerous and extremely stupid. Be happy with the one you have right now."

While most of the crowd had no intentions of doing any such things, a few groans and boos could be heard from the crowd, one of them in particular coming from a member of Team JNPR.

"Wonderful!" Port said. "The stage is yours, my boy." With that, Peter Port walked off stage and took a seat among the crowd, just as eager, if not more so, to hear Jackson's tale. Jackson stood up from his seat and took the stage.

"*ahem* This story takes place two years prior to my admittance into Beacon Academy. What you are about to hear is 100% true in every aspect, whether or not you dare to believe this to be so." Jackson took pride in his storytelling, even as a child he made his stories seem like a grand affair, as professional and interesting his mind could perceive. And thus, we dive into the story of Jackson, and his tale of unexpected partnership.

Deep in the Emerald Forest

Two Years Ago

Thirteen-year old Jackson was carefully moving through the forest eyeing his surrounding carefully, bow in hand, and arrow at the ready.

"I was a younger and inexperienced child, full of curiosity and uncertainty in regards to what lay among the trees. At the time, I had a rather impressive set of skills concerning my old but trusty recurve bow, able to cover about 40 yards comfortably. However, in regards to my revolver, I still wasn't able to properly handle it without it flying out of grasp at the pull of every trigger. So, for the time being, it was holstered away, making a mental note to practice with it more.

"Whether or not I was able to properly handle the damn thing, it would have been unfit for the current situation, for you see, I was on a hunt, a hunt for elk. Although the forest have been ravaged by Grimm for as long as mankind can remember, elk and other wildlife have been able to hold their own, and have surprisingly flourished in the rich flora and fauna, but the same couldn't be said for some other wildlife.

It was one of the first of many hunting expeditions I would take during my time there, and boy was I terrified. I was alone, and unaware of my surrounding, so I had to be extra careful when making my way through shrubbery."

A hand went up in the crowd, which belonged to a girl with long brown rabbit ears, and an accent in her speaking. "Why were you alone in the forest with outdated weaponry?" She asked. "Weren't your parents or some sort of guardian with you?"

'Oh fuck,' Jackson thought. 'I forgot none of them know the truth. Quick, think!' "Um, the reason for the old bow was because I had practiced with only that bow in particular," Jackson said. "Plus, I lived in a rural village at the time, and the only things we used were what we made with our own two hands. We didn't accept any outside help, especially from Vale. We were a proud group, and we didn't take pity, at least that's how we saw it. As for the lack of adult supervision, I, uh, snuck out of the village to go hunt. I wanted to prove that I was just as capable as the other men in my village, and that I should be able to accompany them on their hunting trips."

The rabbit Faunus nodded, seeming to understand his "explanation".

"And while I was able to bag a kill, I got much more than I bargained for."

"After what seemed like hours trekking through the forest, I finally caught a break." Out about 42 yards, he spotted an elk casually grazing the field, unaware of his presence. Going down to a crouch, young Jackson slowly made his way closer to the elk, so as to make it easier for him to hit.

"At about 35 yards, I stopped. I didn't dare move an inch closer. Lest I wanted to scare it away, I was just fine at my current distance. This was my first time actually having to shoot an elk, so I was obviously very nervous. Taking a moment to compose myself, I prepared my bow for a quick and clean kill."

Pulling back the bow string, he relaxed his body, taking a deep breath and letting it out. His hand relaxed, letting the string go and sending the arrow streak through the air, screeching toward its target.

Bullseye.

"My training kicked in, and the calculating part of my mind took over. When I came back to the real world, I witnessed the elk take a handful of steps, before collapsing in a heap. Silently congratulating myself, I practically ran over to my prize.

"However, my accomplishment would soon leave my mind, for I heard a growl and a whimper not far from the carcass. My curiosity getting the better of me, I pulled out another arrow from my quiver and made my way to the disturbance. As I got closer and closer to the source, I could hear swipes and small yelps, which only fueled me to find it even more. When I finally pushed through some shrubbery in front of me, what I saw drained the color from my face and paralyzed me from the waist down.

"Standing before me was a large beowolf, but not an Alpha, at least, not yet. And quivering before it was a small ball of fur, trembling and whimpering at the beast towering over it.

"Now something should be noted. Due to recent Grimm studies I've done in the library, it's known for Grimm to turn on their offspring, more so if the offspring comes from a rival Grimm. My only assumption is that the parents were killed and dissipated, thus the lack of any other adult Grimm in the immediate vicinity. Something else that should be mentioned. At birth, baby Grimm have very few of the signature traits people would see in a Grimm encounter. No bone plating, no spike, the only thing that they retain at birth are the glowing red eyes of Grimm as a species. At the time, I didn't know any of this, so all I saw was a big scary monster about to snack on a poor defenseless pup. The truth wouldn't hit me until much later. Moving on.

"Every raw instinct within me was screaming at me to run, let nature take its course, to save myself and avoid a confrontation. But my heart said otherwise. If I had let that poor thing be killed when I could have done something, but instead ignored it and went on with my life, I'd never live with myself.

"Being the young idiot with a death wish I was two years ago, I acted quickly and drew back the arrow, the knot in my stomach getting tighter and tighter with each passing second. Finally, 'HEY!' The Grimm took its attention off the pup and stared directly at me, turning its body towards me in the process and giving me a bigger target to hit, and at this point, I needed all the help I could get. I finally fired, and miraculously, I hit my target. Just not very well.

"The arrow ended up being jammed into its right shoulder, and it howled in pain, glaring daggers at me. Completely forgetting about the pup, the beowolf began to charge at me. My hands were shaking wildly, so I couldn't pull another arrow out of the quiver, let alone ready another shot. My only other option was to dodge.

"Thankfully, the shoulder the arrow landed on was to its dominant arm, so as I rolled to the left, the beowolf swung with its right, and yelped in pain as it did so. And while it helped me a little bit, it brought up another predicament.

"Because the fight suddenly turned close-quarters, I wasn't able to use my bow efficiently, which only left me with my revolver, which had a good chance of flying out of my hands once I fire off a shot. My situation hadn't really improved.

"I was fucking terrified. Here I was fighting off a Grimm practically twice as tall as me, with no real effective way of taking it down. Doubts were clouding my mind, I bit off more than I can chew, I just dug my own grave, any negative thought you can think of, went through my head two or three times. Not only that, but it was my first time dealing with this kind of scenario, no prior experience, no advice, nada. Some of you are thinking, 'How did he get out of it?' Hell, I didn't even know what I was gonna do. I was waiting to see what I'd pull out my ass just like you guys." This got a positive response from the crowd, as laughs and chuckles came from the audience. "Just as the beowolf was getting ready to swing at me again, I had an idea. It was an insane and stupid one, but it was the only one I had. Plus, it all went according to plan, there would be no possible way I could miss it." Pulling out his revolver, he steeled himself for his batshit crazy plan. Aiming it at the beowolf, he waited.

"Holding my breath, I watched as the beowolf charged me with bloodlust in its eyes. I had to still myself so I could have a chance at killing it as quickly as possible. It got closer and closer at an alarming rate, to the point I was damn near ready to bolt and leave the pup for dead." Soon, the beowolf was upon him, and opened its mouth wide open to chomp his head off, a fatal mistake.

BANG!

"I shut my eyes and pulled the trigger. It fired and flew out of my hands, and sending me onto my butt. A moment passed where I was trying to figure out whether I was dead or not. After a few seconds, I finally opened my eyes, and for the first time in the last two minutes, I let out a ragged breath.

Lying in a heap was the beowolf, the top half of its head blown to bits, already beginning to dissipate. "Knowing the Grimm was taken care of, I looked over to where I last saw the pup, and surprisingly enough, it was still there. It stared at me, although I couldn't figure out if it was curiosity, fear, or a mix of both." Jackson attempted to approach the furball, but it backed away and whimpered/growled at him. However, if he moved away from it, it would follow him, but at a safe distance.

"Just from where I was, I could tell the pup was horribly malnourished. Its figure was concerningly thin, I could even make out the ribs through the fur. How it managed to stand and walk was beyond me. At that point, I knew what I had to do. I began to make my way back to my kill, occasionally looking behind me to see if it was still following me. Thankfully, it followed me back to the elk carcass. I was about to pull out my revolver,

"And I realized I left my revolver where it landed after the shot without bothering to pick it up." *Crowd laughs and chuckles*

"After going back to retrieve it, I made my way back to the carcass, and changing my revolver to the Bowie knife component, I skinned the elk and cut off a slab of meat from its thigh. I tossed the slab at the furball, who immediately backpedaled from the meat. After a quick inspection and sniff, it immediately dug in, forgetting I was even there.

"I saw this as my chance. Slowly and carefully, I began to make my way towards it. I made it a good distance, but then it finally noticed, growling and tensing up. It threw me off for a moment, but I was determined. I continued to close the gap between us, moving slowly and making sure anything I did wouldn't provoke it and cause it to attack. It finally had a meal to eat in God knows how long, it would rather die than give up this meal, which is what it would escalate to if I screwed up.

"After a long and laborious process, I was within arm's reach, no sign of relaxation in the pup. It hadn't made any move against me yet, but it'll take less than half a second for this to go south. I had gotten this far, I wasn't about to back out now. Reaching out, I placed my hand on its head, scared shitless as I did so. There was a moment where it still growled, baring its teeth, but made no move. Seconds felt like hours, and finally, it stopped growling and returned to eating the meat.

"It wasn't until that moment did I realize I was holding my breath the entire time this occurred, because I let out a large shaky breath, my knees suddenly weak. Almost immediately after, my legs soon gave out, and I plopped down on my butt, hand still on the pup. It continued to eat as I just sat there, petting its little head. At that moment, a connection was made.

"Grimm are raised in a brutal and unforgiving environment. They are starved, attacked, and sometimes abandoned to fend for themselves. It's what makes them the way they are now, the creatures of Darkness that know nothing other than survival and murder, attracted to negative emotions. But with the pup, it was different. It was never meant to be loved, properly fed, or rescued. Because of that one act of generosity, I derailed the path he was supposed to follow. One small light can extinguish a darkness a hundred times bigger than it."

"Heh, you're lucky I came across you when I did. Don't worry little buddy, I'll take good care of you."

"The pup finished up his meal and looked back at me with a smile on his face and his tongue stuck out happily. I couldn't help but smile at the sight, I even chuckled as I continued to pet him."

"You need a name pal. Now what kind of name would fit for a furball like you? Fluffball? Nah, too cutesy. Fido? No, too stereotypical. Hmmmm… I got it! Beanie!"

This got a response from him, as he barked happily at the sound of it. Henceforth, the ball of evil fur was now referred to as Beanie. Jackson definitely did notice the beady red eyes he had, but he paid no mind to it at the time. From there on out, they became companions, man and animal, darkness and light. With their relationship, it seemed like anything truly was possible.

Including the terrible ones.

"And that's how I found him and had him as a friend. Over the next two years, he'd hide in the outskirts of my village, and I would occasionally sneak off to play with him. It became more difficult after the first few months, where I'd found out exactly just what I had saved, bone plates being a clear sign. Regardless, I still did what I could to take care of him, feed him and give him water, until he reached the point where he was fully capable of taking care of himself. Once that happened, I was afraid he'd leave and wander the woods, always at risk of getting killed by the village's scouts or nearby Huntsmen. But miraculously, he stayed, and then I knew we had something special. Even through all these years, I know he won't be ever leave my side."

Jackson swore he heard a few sniffles from the audience, especially from Port. But none of them were tears of sadness, everyone had smiles on their faces, even Yang had one, though hers was barely noticeable. Jackson nodded his head and returned to his seat, Port taking the stage soon after.

"That was a wonderful tale," Port said, his voice somewhat squeaky. "I can't thank you enough for sharing with us Jackson. What you have with your Grimm pet is truly remarkable."

"Thank you Mr. Port," Jackson said politely. "I'm just glad he now has a potential place to roam around freely, without being a target in the eyes of others."

"Indeed," Port responded. "Well, it seems as though Mr. Wesson's story has taken up all of class. There will be no homework today, we will resume class tomorrow. Dismissed."

Everyone gathered their things and left the classroom, RWBY waiting for him at the door. When Jackson reached them, they all had ranging smiles, Ruby with the biggest of them all, Weiss with a moderate smile, Blake with a small, almost hidden one, and Yang had a neutral face, neither negative or positive.

'Well, it's better than a Yang that's glaring daggers at me.'

"That was a great story Jackson!" Ruby exclaimed. "Your deep voice made it sound like a professional performance!"

"Heh, thanks Ruby," Jackson said, slightly uncomfortable at the praise. "It's nothing really, I just remember it like it was yesterday. Anyone can tell a good story."

"You'd be surprised," Weiss mumbled under her breath, recalling all the stories Ruby would tell them, using childish hand motions and silly noises in her stories.

"So Oobleck's next, right?" Jackson asked.

"Yep," Ruby responded. "Worst part of the day, in my opinion. Too much information, too little time."

"Well, let's see what he'll do," Blake said. "Hell, he might even have Jackson tell his story again." The rest of Team RWBY and Jackson chuckled at her joke, soon reaching Oobleck's classroom. Walking in, they saw they weren't the first ones there, a handful of students scattered about the classroom.

Taking their seats, they waited as the room filled up, not taking long, surprisingly. One everyone was present and accounted for, Oobleck dashed onto the stage, ready to give today's lesson.

However, the world has a twisted sense of humor.

"Goodmorningeveryone!" Oobleck shot out in less than a second. "I had originally planned to use today to review some events during the Great War, but history was made recently, and I simply CANNOT ignore such a revolutionary discovery. MISTERWESSON!"

The class turned to face him, once again the center of attention.

"Yesterday evening, you presented us something none of us could even begin to comprehend as a possibility, you showed us a Grimm, one that happened to be your companion."

Jackson's eyes widened as he realized where this was going. Meanwhile, Blake shrank behind her book as the rest of her team glared at her for her jinx, Jackson even threw a look at her, but one of shock more than anything.

'Goddammit Blake.' "*sigh*, Here we go again."

Beacon Halls

After Oobleck's Period, and Jackson's 2nd Vocal Performance

After repeating the storytelling for a second time, Jackson and RWBY began to make their way towards the Mess Hall for lunch, until Jackson remembered his punishment.

"Ah, crap," Jackson sighed. "I just remembered I have to serve detention for yesterday's incident. What class is after lunch?"

"We have Combat Class with Ms. Goodwitch," Weiss said. "Which, coincidentally, is the same classroom where detention is being held."

"In that case," Jackson said, "I bid you all adieu." Without another word, Jackson changed course and headed for his punishment. After wandering the halls for a bit, he finally found his destination, and headed in. Although it was nothing like he'd thought it'd be.

Instead of a brightly lit classroom with color and coziness, it was rather dark, lights only shone on the stage, everything else a dark shade of grey. Nothing about this room was a safe environment, then again, students are put against each other to see who can win in a fight, the only time it's a valid option to settle a dispute.

Taking a random seat, Jackson sat down, just as Glynda arrived. Upon setting eyes on him, her mood went from mild annoyance to outright anger/disgust. In her eyes, Jackson was nothing but a risk and a liability, more so than the other students. Not even his first week here, and he injured three students, prior to his admittance, brought a high-class Grimm onto school grounds, and semi-severely injured another student. And his punishment? Spend an hour in her classroom, and think about what he did.

"Hello Ms. Goodwitch," Jackson said in a somewhat cheerful voice. Glynda didn't even respond, she just shot a cold look at him.

It looked like things weren't going to go well, until the doors swung open to reveal a certain blonde brawler.

"Yang?" Jackson asked, surprised she'd be here. "What are you doing here?"

She took a seat next to him. "*sigh*, I was going to lunch for the rest of my team, and we came across Ozpin who kindly reminded me of my detention time," Yang said. "So, here I am, serving my sentence."

"And how long is said sentence?" Jackson asked.

"Like two or three days," Yang said. She also shot a look at him, making Jackson thankful looks didn't kill. "Keep in mind, you're the cause of my detention, direct or indirect."

Jackson flinched as he heard those words, because whether or not he liked it, her words held some merit. While Yang was let off easy compared to Ruby and Blake, Jackson was still trying to make amends with Yang, but she still holds a grudge against him. Well, it's only just the two, now's as good time as any to confront the tension.

Jackson began, "Look Yang-"

But wasn't able to continue, as the door flew open yet again. Once Yang and Jackson saw who set foot through the door, both made a face at who it was, none other than Cardin Winchester. He walked in, and saw Yang first, which caused him to smile and waltz over, in an attempt to be charming.

"Hey there sweetheart," Cardin said. "What's a pretty little thing like you doing in a place like this?" It was only until just now did Cardin notice Jackson was right next to her, and his smile went from a smile to a nasty snarl. "Hey, you're the asshole that busted my nose yesterday!"

"And you're the meathead that tried to club my pal into next week," Jackson retorted.

"What did you say?" Cardin asked, anger evident in his voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry, can you not understand? Let me dumb it down for you," Jackson said. "You were a big meanie to my friend, and I did not like you trying to hurt him."

Cardin was fuming. He stomped over to where Jackson sat, and he stood up to face him. Cardin had a few inches on him, but that didn't discourage Jackson from facing the thick-headed brute.

"Keep talking shit buddy, and soon you'll be a goddamn stain on the floor," Cardin threatened.

In response, Jackson laughed in his face, shocking Cardin and pushing him that much closer to the edge. "Please, I've seen Corgis with a bigger bark than you. Hell, they most likely have a harder bite too." Yang snickered behind them, trying her best to contain herself. That did it for Cardin.

In an instant, Jackson was hoisted into the air, courtesy of Cardin. Even in this sudden turn of events, Jackson didn't seem fazed in his attempt to show off his strength.

"Oho, you fucked up now pal," Cardin said. "It'll be a miracle if you survive the beating." No sooner that he said those words did a knife appear at his throat.

Jackson smiled as he held his bowie knife at Cardin's neck. While it's encouraged to keep your weapons in your locker, Jackson refused to do any such thing, always keeping it at his side in its holster or tucked in his pants. "I'm ready to meet my maker," Jackson said. "How about you hotshot?"

"That's enough!" Glynda exclaimed. "If you two wish to settle a dispute, then you are more than welcome to prepare a sparring match next period." Glynda couldn't deal with both of them at once, she'd rather have them settle it themselves in the ring. If Jackson has any decency/common sense, he'll back off and leave Cardin be should he lose. Should Cardin lose the match…

Well, what are you gonna do?

Cardin smiled at her proposition. "Yeah, let's settle it in the ring," he said. "I'll get to use my mace to clobber you to a paste. Maybe then you'll learn your lesson."

"I wish I could say the same," Jackson said. "But your skull's probably too thick for any point to get across, no matter how many times I try to bash it in."

Cardin had to try really hard to not sock Jackson in the face, lest he wants to add another few days to his already month-long detention.

"We'll see," Cardin said, taking a seat across the room from them. Jackson returned to his own, Yang looking at him skeptically.

"You sure you can take on Cardin?" Yang asked. "Don't get me wrong, I get to see one asshole go down one way or another, so it's a win-win for me either way. But it'd be better to see High-and-Mighty over there get de-throned by the new kid."

"Please," Jackson said. "It'll be a walk in the park."

"Only time will tell, Jack," Yang said, drifting off into a silent slumber. "Only time will tell…"

45 Minutes Later

Combat Class

Cardin, Yang, and Jackson all waited in their respective seats, waiting for everyone to arrive to get this show on the road. Cardin and Jackson had already changed into their gear during detention. Both were waiting impatiently, Cardin more so of the two. Eventually, students, Team RWBY included, began to fill up the class, which made the two contenders more fidgety. Once everyone was seated, Glynda was finally able to begin.

"Welcome everyone," Glynda said. "Today, we have an event scheduled between two students.

"If you remember yesterday, Mr. Wesson brought his 'pet' to present to you all. In the midst of the excitement and confusion, a scuffle occurred between him and Mr. Winchester. As a result, Mr. Winchester was sent to the infirmary for a broken nose. Now they wish to settle their dispute in the ring. Please step up to the stage."

Jackson and Cardin took that as their cue and stood up, shooting a look, and made their way to the stage, each one on either side of it. Cardin was overly confident in himself, as his posture looked relaxed and loose, a smirk visible on his face. His mace had the capability to put him out of the fight if he uses it right, especially with the red Dust crystal implanted in it. Jackson could tell this man was a tank, a heavy-hitter, able to take a hit, but slow as hell in a fight. Jackson didn't wear heavy armor like Cardin had, and was flexible in his hoodie. He was quick, and his stamina really impressive, after all, three years of running from Grimm does that to you. All he has to do is keep moving, and wear him down over time, unless he has to end it in an instant.

"Ready? BEGIN!"

Without hesitation, Cardin charged, dragging his mace behind, hoping to bash him like a game of whack-a-mole. However Jackson could see him coming from a mile away, and with a side-step to the right, the mace smashed into the ground right next to him. Taking advantage of the temporary distraction, Jackson dashed into Cardin's bubble, and socked him in the gut.

An audible oof could be heard coming from Cardin, but it didn't have much of an effect on him, the most it did was piss him off. Ditching the mace for the moment, he attempted to grab Jackson with his bare hands, but he was a slippery one, and he managed to slither his way out of his grasp, putting some space between himself and Cardin, his back facing Jackson.

Seeing this as an opportunity, he pulled out his revolver and fired off all five shots. In his haste, he only managed to land two shots, the other three near misses. Regardless of accuracy, the two shots took off a fair portion of his Aura, according the the Aura bars above the ring. Jackson remained in the healthy green, while Cardin's depleted into a sickly green.

Infuriated by this turn of events, Cardin ripped his mace out of the floor with little effort, and faced Jackson, who was in the middle of reloading in his revolver. Hey may be a jackass, but even he knows when he's in trouble, though he'll never admit it to anybody. It's time to turn up the heat.

Pressing the button on the handle of his mace, he activated the red Dust crystal in his mace, ready to wreak some havoc. Cardin charged Jackson once again, but instead of going the full distance, he stopped ¾ of the way, and swung. It wasn't until what happened after did Jackson realize why.

A literal line of fire barreled its way towards Jackson, and he was able to die out of the way, resulting in partial burns, but it's better than ending up a charred corpse. What surprised Jackson more was Cardin continued to fling fire at him, and in quick succession. Jackson was forced to go on the defensive, dodging and weaving the attacks, each one whittling away at his Aura over time. Eventually, Cardin let up on his fiery assault, and resulted in Jackson's Aura diving into the yellow.

Jackson couldn't afford another hit like that. He can evade melee attacks just fine, but that Dust crystal of his was a whole different story. If he wanted to beat him, he'd have to end this, and quick. Looking back at Cardin, he was already charging him once again, and the glowing red crystal didn't indicate anything good. Now relying on raw instinct, Jackson pulled out his revolver once again, and fired off all five shots. This time however, he wasn't as quick to fire off every bullet, and as a result, four of the five landed on Cardin, two in the chest, one in the shoulder, and the last one on his forearm. While the incoming fire didn't stop Cardin, it did derail him from his original course, stumbling and wavering to the right. Checking the Aura bar, Cardin's Aura had dropped significantly, dropping into the yellow, and dangerously close to the red.

Jackson had him by the ropes, and Cardin was well aware of it. He was getting desperate, and decided to put everything he had into one last attack. Steadying himself, he activated the Dust crystal one last time, and covered the remaining distance between him and Jackson.

Jackson wouldn't be able to reload his gun before Cardin closed the gap, he was close enough as it is. He also noticed that Cardin wasn't slowing down, which meant that he intended to use his mace and bash him into the ground, the glowing crystal signifying a fiery inferno. He wouldn't be able to dive to the side without having his legs crippled, and dashing backwards would most likely result in him flying through the air due to the blast wave, and of course he couldn't go forward. That only left one reasonable solution.

Putting away the revolver, Jackson pumped some Aura into his hands, and prepping himself, he caught the mace mid-slam, putting it to an abrupt stop, and surprising Cardin. His state of shock didn't last long though, as he now began to put force into the mace, essentially trying to push Jackson down. And it appeared to be working, as the applied pressure forced Jackson down to one knee. At this rate, he'll be pinned to the ground.

'Well, desperate times called for desperate measures.'

Going against his better judgement, Jackson activated his Dust gloves, and sent an electrical current through the mace, and into Cardin, who immediately let go of it before he knew what he was doing, essentially disarming himself. However, something else happened, something his better judgement was probably warning him about.

The Dust crystal began glowing, brighter and brighter as each second passed, as well as the ferocity of the shaking of the mace. The crystal was reacting violently to the electrical current Jackson put in the mace, until it reached a point where the Dust crystal exploded, engulfing Jackson and Cardin in a plume of fire.

Students, as well as Glynda, instinctively ducked and looked away from the explosion, feeling the heat wave hit her and the front row of students. When the smoke cleared, both Cardin and Jackson laid on their back, thrown back from the explosion from each other, Cardin's mace lying on the floor in front of the first row of students, missing the crystal. Jackson had his clothes burnt with holes in his hoodie and pants, while Cardin had scorch marks on his armor plating, as well as some soot on his face.

Glynda checked her tablet to see how this played out, and what she saw came out to be very close. While Cardin had the lower Aura, he was farther away from the explosion than Jackson, who had a higher Aura at the time. Even after careful analyzation, Glynda just couldn't determine who had won.

"Game! Set!" Glynda announced. "Tie!"

"What?!" Cardin exclaimed. Before he could continue, he could hear laughter coming from in front of him, which turned out to be coming from Jackson.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Jackson said, throwing his fists into the air, whooping and hollering as he did so. Picking himself up, he brushed himself off, and examined his gun to make sure nothing bad had come of it from the explosion.

"Perhaps next time, Mr. Winchester," Glynda said. "There'll be more opportunities in the future."

"No!" Cardin screamed. "This ends here, and now!" He stood up and ran towards Jackson, hoping to catch him off guard, and deal a concussive blow with his fist. But it didn't work, his loud stomps had alerted Jackson, and he had enough time to turn the tables on Cardin.

Dodging the swing, Jackson went low and was able to wrap his arms around Cardin's waist, and pulled him to a hard stop. Once he did, he used his legs and back to pull Cardin up and over his body, performing an Atlesian Suplex on him.

"Up and over Buckaroo!" Jackson said, as he slammed Cardin into the ground behind him.

Hard.

Upon impact, the weight and force of Cardin made cracks in the floor appear, and putting Cardin out of commission.

"Game! Set!" Glynda exclaimed once again. "The winner is Jackson Wesson!"

Team RWBY erupted in cheers, and the rest of the class followed suit, either impressed by his display, had an intense dislike for Cardin, or a mixture of both. Jackson walked over to where Cardin laid on the floor, and looked down at him.

"How's it feel to have your ass handed to you by the new kid?" Jackson asked. "Better luck next time." As he began to make his way off the stage, he could hear grunts and the sounds of feet. Jackson sighed. 'This bastard doesn't know when to quit, does he?'

Sure enough, when he turned around, Cardin was back on his feet, just barely, and was about to swing a punch at him. However in his current state, the swing was sluggish and way off. Cardin stumbled forward as he missed, and fell to his knees. Pulling out his revolver, Jackson fired off two shots at Cardin's legs, rendering him unable to stand back up.

Students aren't given live rounds during combat matches, God no. Instead, they're given dummy rounds before the match begins, rubber bullets instead of copper. While it doesn't penetrate the skin, it is able to simulate a gunshot wound beautifully through the pain given upon contact.

Once incapacitated, Jackson began to walk away, until he felt something grab his leg. And lo and behold, it was Cardin, the most stubborn bastard Jackson's had the displeasure of meeting.

"This...ain't...over...yet," Cardin grunted. Jackson has had enough at this point. Looking over to Glynda, he looked for any sign of approval from her, and she acknowledged it with the slightest nod, enough for him to notice.

Silently thanking her, Jackson tossed his revolver up, and caught it by the barrel, the pistol grip facing inward. Without a moment's hesitation, he pistol-whipped the shit out of Cardin across the face, finally knocking him out.

Holstering his weapon, he shook off Cardin's hand, and walked off stage, feeling good about his fight.

He hopes he'll get to do it again in the future.

AN: Ayyy, this came out in a timely-ish manner! Hooray! There really isn't much to say here, only that I'm so grateful for you guys following and favoriting either me or the story. It means so much to me that you guys are enjoying my story. Really, it helps me find the drive to keep doing these chapters with new people being interested in my work. Follow, Favorite, and last but certainly not least, REVIEW! Enjoy your day/evening, and I'll see you guys next time!