Chapter 9: Forty-six & Two

I'd just like to clarify something quickly so that everybody here understands what I'm doing with this series, and where I am going with it, so just to clarify, I have only watched season one of RWBY, the reason as to why, is due to the fact it only got worse as time progressed, I only really cared about the school time within Vale, the second the Vytal Tournament and subsequently the fall of Beacon and Vale occurred, I stopped giving a shit, I didn't care about Pyrrha's death (cuz her voice actor was a bit naff), Weiss was taken by her father, Blake fucked off, Yang is broken, and all that's left is RNJR, and I don't really like that concept, it's not that I don't like these characters, anyone who reads my other series will know that, however the fact they are outside of civilisation, just sorta fucking around going towards Anima, bores me as a concept, so guess what, reader?

That ain't fuckin' happening.

While I am aware of the betrayal of Lionheart, the death of Ozpin, the abject bitchiness of Raven, the over-protectiveness of Taiyang, the presence of Salem, Tyrian, Cinder, Neo, and all of the villianous fun-bunch, Most of the shit that occurs within the series that I didn't like, can fuck off.

So, The Vytal Festival collapse won't be happening, I'll be preventing that, but the question is, what level of damage will occur before the attack is stopped? Will no damage occur, will Vale fall but Beacon stand, Will Pyrrha still be killed in a selfish act of Martyrdom?

Who knows?

I have other plans as well, I think I may have to take some dark, and make it into a light-bulb, in order to get this to work correctly.

I also plan to have some of our good, turn to the dark. I don't know who, I don't know how, but it's likely to happen.

So tell me, reader...

Are you Prepared?

Ethan, The Prepper, alongside Professor Ozpin, who was currently seated much like the other people in room, his arms fiddled into a bizarre shape, a lone mug strewn sideways on his desk, now devoid of the usual muddy brown substance which fuelled him. The stresses of the school year, and perhaps whatever the fuck else is going on in Vale, or anywhere else in the geopolitical sphere, must be getting to him, and hard, judging by his hair, usually styled and matted into place by heaps upon heaps of gel, now flops around the man's head like a rabid dog foaming at the mouth for more prey to gnaw on down to the bone.

"So, this is the man you have told me all about, The Prepper, good to finally make your acquaintance." Ozpin said, in a slightly bitter voice, his teeth seemingly grinding on one another, creating a sharp, distinct screeching noise which seemed to only aggravate the man who made the noise.

"The pleasure's mine mate, a friend of Ethans is a friend of mine."

"Right, shall we get down to business?"

"I suppose we shouldn't waste any time, Ethan said you guys don't have the walkers we used to have, you have these fuckin' beasts instead, Grimm, right?"

"Yes, we have the Grimm as our main scourge."

"Well, I request I am given a budget to set up a security system, cameras, automated turrets, gas systems, nail bombs, all that other security stuff that would be used to contain or stop Grimm, or any other kind of intruder, since I'm sure some bollock will try it."

"Well... while we have our hunters in training, who can protect themselves, civilians are supposed to use Beacon as a shelter upon the onset of a Grimm invasion, so your... advanced security system would certainly help us devote more manpower towards the elimination of the Grimm threat."

There is a pregnant pause, complete silence reigns over as Ozpin appears to inner monologue himself to near death, his facial expression splaying into different emotions multiple times per second, debating within himself.

"Very well, you will be given a budget, a rather sizeable one at that, and I suppose I'll have you lead it with additional technicians and students prepared to assist in development should you request it."

"Well, that's fuckin fantastic!"

/

John had near immediately set out to work on the security system, to which Ethan gladly assisted in the creation of, every single dorm room had to be fitted with a standard issue, as well as the corridors, the halls, and basically any other room in the complex. After visiting the majority of the dorm rooms in the school, and setting them up with little to no fanfare, there was approximately 3 rooms which contained less than accepting members within.

The first was a second year team, CFVY.

Ethan chapped away at the door, with noticeably less power held within the strikes than normal, the absolute chaos of returning to London once more was much more than a draining experience, it seemed as if Ethan had just waded through his own personal hell for the second time, as well as his own private nirvana, a grim reminder than Ethan could be act like a rabid animal, devoid of anything beyond basic motor functions, a reminder Ethan found slightly too difficult to swallow.

The door was answered by a girl, her long hair swaying slightly from the wind of the door opening, with her bunny ears following suit...

Wait just a fuckin minute...

...Bunny ears?

Guess you see something new every day.

"...Y-yes, what do you need?" The strange girl stuttered out.

"I'm here to set up security systems, every room in Beacon is to get them set up."

"Oh...c-come in then."

Ethan slowly shuffled into the room, carrying a small rucksack carrying all of the supplies required for the setup, clanking with each step.

Ethan immediately got to work on the systems.

Each dorm room required a discreet camera hidden as a smoke alarm, a nail bomb, a large caliber turret which should be enough to dissuade, immobilise, or kill any Grimm presence, and finally, the absolute glory that was a fuckin grenade launcher, loaded with flash grenades to blind the beasts, which apparently had great effect on them, with one measly grenade able to stun the beast for multiple minutes, unlike the few seconds it affected people, who could use that time to escape or kill the beast.

Ethan began his setup by attaching a steel railing to the ceiling of the dorm room.

"S-so, what's this for?" The girl questioned.

"It's in case of a Grimm invasion, since Beacon gets used for civilian shelter, each room will have automated defence systems in order to ensure that all manpower can be diverted to the Grimm effort, rather than protecting civilians in Beacon."

"Ah, I see."

Ethan reached into his bag, grabbing at a small cylindrical object. He yanked it from the bag, slowly mounting it to a ceiling railing.

"What's that?" The bizarre girl questioned.

"This? Well, it's a nail bomb, a way to clear a room if the room gets flooded by Grimm, you know, as a backup in case the other methods aren't working, this thing can puncture pretty much anything besides aura, so it should shred Grimm like paper." Ethan explained, his face contorting into a slight pensive look.

The girl let out a grunt of approval, before beginning to wander around the room, seemingly hating the awkward atmosphere splayed throughout the room like a plague.

Ethan managed to set up the nail bomb with minimal issue, however he still had two more things to set up.

The turret and the grenade launcher.

As Ethan pulled the various parts of the turret out of his bag, he turned to the bunny eared girl.

"So I'm from outside of the four continents, so I just gotta ask, what's the white fang? I keep hearing the name everywhere, but I have no idea what it's about."

The girl turned to me, with shock seeming to seep from her core, however there was one other, very familiar emotion in place...

...fear.

"Relax girl, I ain't got no problems with you."

The girl calmed herself slightly, before explaining what the white fang where to Ethan, who looked thoroughly confused, as well as annoyed.

"...Um, you look a bit mad."

"So these white fang, they are racial terrorists?"

She nods.

"Seems like I'll need to deal with them... but later, right now I got turrets to build."

Ethan completed the security system, and left swiftly, but stopped himself at the door.

"...What's your name?" Ethan asked, his curiosity feeling strangely insatiable.

"Velvet."

/

Next was CRDL.

Instead of opening the door, the furious Ethan kicked the door through with his foot.

Cardin, Sky, and Dove all jumped from their beds, scared out of their minds, while Russell, who had just managed to get back into the room today, merely lowered his scroll from his face, before raising it back up, going back to his business.

"Right fuckos, mind explaining to me why you didn't come through the portal with us?"

"...Well, there was a... horde of Grimm that came, just after you all went in, so we had to hold them off."

"Oh, bullshit. Don't fuck with me Cardin, or I will drag you to the nearest train track and tie you down to them, cut off your balls, shove them in your mouth, break every bone in your pathetic excuse of a body, and them I'll make sure every person you love laughs at you as you wallow in agony, just as a train runs you over like the shit you are."

Cardin looked genuinely mortified at the connotations, the look within Ethan's eyes clearly showed that he meant business.

"All three of you head down to the gym, get on the treadmills for four hours, no rests, and if I come down there, and I see you slacking in the slightest, I'll fucking kill you, and then I'll go for your families, are we clear?"

Nobody answered, the silence covered the room like rainclouds over Metro City.

"I said, ARE WE CLEAR!"

"...Crystal." Dove muttered quietly, before disappearing out of the room, alongside his other teammates.

The only exception was Russell, who was still sat on his bed, staring very deeply into his scroll.

Ethan began to set up the defence system, much to the ignorance of Russell.

Ethan managed to set up the system in record time, before turning back to face Russell.

"What's got you so buried in that thing?"

Russell looked towards Ethan, his eyes flickering through pain and nostalgia, a bizarre mix, but still one that required attention nonetheless.

"Oh... You know that guy I was talking about, the one that... got killed by Grimm a couple years back?"

Ethan nods.

"Well, his name was Hervis Daubeny, and he... well, his family contacted me, I got a bunch of messages, they all say that it's..." tears began to leak from Russells eyes, nonetheless, he continued to speak. "They say that it's my fault he's dead."

Ethan didn't want to even think about it.

How vile, how despicable did you have to be to accuse a man's best friend of killing him?

Ethan didn't want to admit it, but he had a soft spot for Russell, he had gone through worse than him, at a younger age than he, if Ethan was a walking mess, Russell was very good at hiding the mental bruises lathering his psyche like syrup on pancakes.

"How many?"

"What?"

"How many messages did they send you, Russ?"

Russell stayed silent for a pregnant moment, an indecisive look marring his face.

"368." Russell mumbled.

368.

368.

368.

368 messages sent to Russell, basically calling him a devil, all in one day?

This family truly was despicable.

"I know that it's difficult Russ, but I need you to ignore it. People... People like to blame someone who can't fight back, and unlike the Grimm who maimed him, you can't or else, you get arrested. People such as them are gonna burn soon Russ, and we get a choice..."

Russell turned his tear-filled gaze over to Ethan, curious as to his point.

"...We get a choice, a choice on their fate. Eventually the day will come, where the white fang, or the Grimm, or somebody, comes to their door, wanting to take their heads, and we get the final say, do we show mercy to the sinners and save them, or leave the pigs to their fate? After all, they made the bed, now they must shroud themselves within the bed's suffocating sheets, and allow their handiwork to choke them out like a noose."

Ethan stopped for a second to refill his chest with air, after spewing so many words in one sentence.

"So Russell, what will you do? Will you stoop down to their level, or will you rise above their childish ways?"

Ethan left the room swiftly, leaving Russell with his melancholy replaced by questions, ones that would take a long time to answer.

/

Finally, was RWBY's dorm.

Oh, it was Ethan's favourite place to be, no sarcasm in that statement in the slightest.

Ethan knocked on the door, and after several long, stagnant seconds, the door creaked open slightly, with Ethan coming face to face with a single blue pearlescent iris.

Weiss.

"Ethan, what is it?" mumbled Weiss, clearly tired from the excursion from earlier that day, and understandably so, trudging through the sewers for hours, alongside all of the sprinting from the Grimm horde.

Ethan noticed the confusing silence of the RWBY dorm, a bizarre state of affairs for the team, usually it was the loudest place in Beacon.

"I'm here to setup a new security system for Ozpin."

"Oh... Will it be loud?" Weiss questioned, in a tone slightly too cute for someone so hot-headed and cold in demeanour.

"No, It will only take a few minutes."

"...Come in then."

Weiss shuffled slowly back to her bed, dropping onto it with a short, quiet thud.

The rest of the team appeared to be sleeping in their beds, bizarrely including Blake, whom Ethan thought would be a night owl, if anything.

Ethan immediately began work on the systems, however once he had set up the nail bomb and turret, Weiss rather noticeably started mumbling to herself.

"...Why does everyone hate me?"

It was a mere whisper, and likely a phrase not uttered for Ethan to hear, or anyone else, it's likely that she forgot Ethan was even there, since he was being as quiet as humanly possible.

"What?"

"Huh?"

Weiss looked extremely confused at the appearance of Ethan, who gave up his work on the grenade launcher immediately, shuffling over to Weiss' bed.

"I heard what you said, that isn't a very healthy outlook on life, Weiss, I thought you would know that."

"But it's true."

"Bullshit, you wouldn't have a team if everyone hated you, you wouldn't be here if everyone hated you, surely your family must..."

Weiss seemed to curl back into herself at the mention of her family.

Oh no.

"Weiss, look at me."

Weiss froze for a few seconds, shaking slightly, however eventually she looked in Ethan's general direction.

"Weiss, if your relationship with your family is bad... well, fuck them, If they can't accept you, then why the fuck should you bother with them? If they ever come crawling to you asking for favours, remind them of what they have done, whatever it may be, and then shun them, give them the cold shoulder that they deserve."

Weiss seemed to mull over the information, however eventually nodded, but then stated "If it was any other family, that would work, but here, it's not that simple."

"Weiss, your family owns a mining company, right? Well, what's so different?"

"I'm supposed to be the heir to the company, my elder sister is in the military, and my younger brother is too naïve to do it, so it falls to me."

"That is simple, Weiss."

Weiss looks towards Ethan, now facing him directly in the eyes.

"Weiss, they still have your younger brother, and if he's naïve now, I'm sure they can teach him otherwise, it doesn't have to fall to you, you could divert it to someone else, a subsidiary that you trust, anybody else willing to do it. Please, listen to me Weiss, there's no need to get so worked up on your family's petty power squab-"

Ethan is cut off, as a pair of slender arms wrap around his stout waist, the arms unable to reach each other because of Ethan's sheer width.

Weiss was hugging Ethan.

A sight so bizarre, that nobody was meant to see, and nobody ever would see, besides the two of them.

That is, if Blake hadn't awoken during the conversation.

"It's alright Weiss, you don't need to worry about the fuckers, alright?"

Weiss let go of Ethan rather begrudgingly, and nodded in his direction.

"Good... You get some sleep now, you look about ready to pass out, just remember what I said."

This was a side of Ethan, one rarely seen, one that Weiss and Blake didn't know he possessed.

And to be entirely honest, Ethan didn't know he had it either.

However, if he could help the people who gave a shit about him, then it was worth it, regardless of the changes he went under.

Slowly, but surely, Ethan was slowly returning to humanity, his monstrous side was becoming more dormant and sluggish with each day.

To Be Continued...