Mornings. To some they were the start of a brand-new day, a way to start fresh and live life to the fullest. To others, they were simply another start in an otherwise monotonous and miserable existence. However, to Professor Cyrus Ozpin, mornings were a time for coffee and contemplation. A time to reflect on the past, a time to contemplate the future, to calm the mind and relax with a steaming hot cup of divine smelling ambrosia brewed from only the finest and purest beans on the market.
But like all things, there were exceptions to this. As the gray-haired headmaster reviewed documents and video files recorded from yesterday's initiation that currently cluttered his desk and monitor. He would be lying if he didn't feel that this year's batch of initiates peaked his interest, starting with the young Miss Rose and her actions the previous day. He was impressed with how quickly the young huntress took control of the situation and led her fellow initiates to what was undeniably, a victory.
He had expected remarkable things from her hoping she would excel when placed in tough environment. Her recklessness was something he anticipated given her age. However, this also brought him to something he could never have predicted. The boy. The one who had appeared with Miss Xiao Long, when the drones and cameras he used to track each of the students picked up on the rather explosive blonde's scroll signal and managed to catch up to her. He was surprised to see him being dragged along behind her as she trekked into the forest.
Although he figured it was only a matter of time before this happened. He a had known about the mysterious boy's existence for nearly seven years after all, after students began reporting things like wallets or small tools being lost while in the forest or feelings of being watched or followed. The rumors persisted over the years until it was confirmed via a single one-hundred-twenty second loop of the blue haired boy dropping in front one of the initiates and startling the poor boy enough to cause him to faint. With the wild child removing the boy's armor then fleeing back into the treetops. That was three years ago.
Ozpin tried to observe the boy more and if possible, bring him in out of the wilds but every party and search group he sent on "routine Grimm population control" found nothing but empty traps, remnants of campfires and the occasional fresh kill frustrating the experienced huntsmen of Ozpin's inner circle to no end.
"We're being outsmarted by a damn brat for dust's sake!" they would shout, often at him during his normally peaceful mornings.
To which some of the other's mainly Professor Oobleck or Port would point out that this is the boy's native/natural habitat, if he doesn't wish to be found...he won't be. Which usually ended the meeting there.
But now, he was here at beacon…. granted not in the state he had wished but beggars can't be choosers. And currently with the condition the boy was in, all he could do was wait for the Beacon medical staff to do what they do best.
So, until then, he would simply continue to review the records he had on hand and enjoy his morning coffee. Time crawled by as the only sounds that echoed through his office was the constant grinding and ticking of the Beacon Clock Towers gears and cogs.
Five minutes turned into ten, ten into twenty, and after thirty minutes the sound of his personal elevator arriving broke the monotonous ticking, snapping the headmaster out of his focused stupor. He looked up from his stack of files to see the door opening revealing a rather tall woman with short tied back blonde hair. She was dressed very professionally with a white buttoned blouse that was coupled with a black skirt and leggings. At a glance it would be easy to mistake her for some sort of secretary, although calling her that to her face would most likely get you sent flying across the room. She promptly exited the elevator, her heels clicking on the hard floor beneath, her eyes fixed on the tablet in her arms while more files were held underneath.
"Ah Glynda good morning, I take it from the paperwork there's news about our young friend?" Ozpin said taking another sip from his coffee cup.
"Dr. Shelly managed to stabilize him late last night. But she said that she was amazed that he was still alive, given how much blood he had lost by the time we got to him." Said Glynda Goodwitch her eyes never leaving her tablet. "But according to the report she gave it raises more questions than we initially thought."
"Oh?" Ozpin said raising an eyebrow. "Please do elaborate."
With a few button presses on her tablet, copies of the boy's medical report appeared on Ozpin's monitor. Page after page of records and test results flooded the screen, each one looking more detailed than the last. In truth, the rate at which they appeared on screen was a bit overwhelming. But it was nothing he wasn't used to, paperwork was par for the course when running a prestigious academy.
Once the last of the files loaded Glynda began her debrief.
"We know almost nothing about him, but I'll review what we have so far. John Doe, real name: unknown."
"I believe Ms. Xiao Long called him Beo when they arrived at extraction." Ozpin interrupted. Cold green eyes rolled in exasperation behind a pair of glasses before she continued.
"Estimated age: seventeen. Place of origin: Unknown, medical history: Non-existent. He doesn't appear on any sort of missing persons database in any of the four kingdoms, and isn't registered well, anywhere he's in every sense of the word a ghost."
"What do we know?" Ozpin asked scrolling down on his own copies.
"We know is that he is Human, and if the reports that we have gathered over the years and the recent footage from yesterday prove anything, then the young man currently in our ICU is the Man-Grimm of the Emerald Forest. Quite literally it would seem." Glynda said pulling up footage of yesterday's initiation.
They both watch as the small drone followed the azure haired youth while he led the horde of Beowolves away from where the now formed teams RWBY and JNPR were making their stand. And continued to watch as he began to shift into that sub-human form. Soon after that the feed cut out as something slammed into the small drone. Most likely a Beowulf.
"In all my years I've can't recall ever encountering a semblance quite like that one." The headmaster said breaking the silence.
"Indeed, however as you'll see in Dr. Shelly's report its far from the strangest thing about our new guest." Glynda said as she continued to read the good doctor's report. "Upon arrival at approximately 4:30PM, patient showed no visual signs of consciousness most likely due to shock caused by blunt force trauma to various places on the body as well as a massive amount of blood loss (see appendix A-A5 for expenditures), along with visible signs of physical trauma in the form of lacerations and bruising located on the arms, legs, chest and back areas."
"Expenditures?" Ozpin said flatly.
"We'll review those later if we go over them now we will be here all day."
"Very well, please continue."
"Ahem, after nine and a half hours of surgery, patient was finally stabilized and has since remained unconscious. It is unknown approximately when he will regain consciousness however, I suspect it will be anywhere between six hours to at most a week." Glynda continued. "Upon further examination in regards to the patient's physical condition outside of the trauma, we estimate that approximately eighty-one percent of the patient's body mass is comprised of muscle mass with two percent being fat tissue."
"And the other seventeen percent?"
"...Scar tissue. "Glynda said almost grimly. Her brow furrowing as she brought up photos of the many scars that rested on the boy's body.
Ozpin studied each of them intently. Some looked old...perhaps almost as old as the boy himself. There were almost too many to count ranging from small and mundane to deep and life threatening. Carved and cleaved into his flesh by the Grimm that dwell within the Emerald Forest.
"Interesting. Is there anything else of note?" Ozpin asked while continuing to browse his copies of Beo's medical reports.
"There was one other thing. Page thirty-two section A." Glynda said pulling it up on her tablet. "According to preliminary blood tests there are...oddities in his DNA and RNA strands, most notably this." Glynda continued as a small diagram appeared on screen.
"This enzyme was found his bloodstream specifically his white blood cells."
"And its purpose?" Ozpin asked
"We're not sure yet. Victoria hypothesizes that it has something to do with his auto-immune and nervous systems, that allows him to consume blood and other fluids without getting sick or causing his body to reject them. Whatever it is, it seems to be connected in some way to his semblance. Which brings us to her next point, which is his aura. Or lack thereof to be exact."
That last bit caught Ozpin's attention. An active semblance but an inactive aura? Normally the semblance manifested after the aura in an individual was unlocked.
"To say that is odd would be a gross understatement, does she have any clues as to why that might be?" Ozpin asked while formulating his own theories.
"The only explanation that I could think of and she seemed to agree with me, is that it has something to do with biological nature of his semblance and the enzyme in his bloodstream, But nothing concrete. Ozpin, how are we going to handle him when he wakes up? He's not even a citizen of, well anywhere let alone a student here."
She had a point. What were they going to do with this young man? As far as the world was concerned he didn't exist. On top of that there was his background to be considered. Living in isolation for what could possibly have been his entire life would make adjusting to life among civilization nearly impossible if not handled well. But perhaps there was something he could do to help with that.
A smile came to the black and green clad professor at the prospect of his solution, however he simply needed time...and of course for the boy to wake up.
"We shall deal with that when we come to that, however there may be a solution. Until then we need only to wait." He said as he closed out Beo's files and reached into his desk pulling out a copy of the Beacon Academy Charter. It slammed onto his desk with a loud thud from the sheer weight of the seemingly endless pages within its binding.
Glynda sighed as soon as he began sifting through the pages of that dusty old book, magnifying glass in hand.
"Ozpin, I hope you're not doing what I think you're doing."
"I can assure you Glynda it is merely research." Ozpin said with his usual calm. However, his right-hand huntress knew better. The only time he drugged up this old tome was to either find a loophole around a regulation he didn't like, or to prove a point. Sometimes both at once.
"Right." she said flatly. "In the meantime, is there anything else you need me for now?"
Ozpin thought for a moment. "Yes actually, could you please have Ms. Xiao Long, and Ms. Belladonna come and see me after their first class today there are things I wish to discuss with them regarding their...companion's situation. A few minutes apart would be preferable."
"Very well sir." Glynda said as she walked away and towards the elevator the doors closing with a hiss leaving Ozpin alone, the rest of his morning his to spend with his coffee and plenty of things to contemplate.
How long? How long had he been running in this seemingly endless, deep, red almost black void? What was he running from? Was he even running away from something or was he trying to get somewhere?
However, no matter how far he ran, Beo didn't feel like he was going anywhere. How did he even get here? Where was here? He stopped for a moment to try and see into the void.
He saw nothing. The air around him felt cold, while the ground beneath his bare feet felt warm and sticky. The stale taste of blood hung in the air, making it difficult to breathe while Beo fought the urge to continue running.
He tried once again to look out trying to find anything, but his eyes were met with nothing but the swirling and shifting void. Slowly it became harder and harder to breath as his head began to spin and ache. Beo fell to his knees, clutching his head with one hand while the other held him up above the thick blackish muck.
His eyes opened slowly and saw something slowly appear as the shallow liquid settled. Slowly he saw the faint outline of a figure as it began to come into focus.
The first thing he noticed was its eyes. A gleaming and piercing red stared at him from beneath a pale white bone-like mask over its shadowy figure underneath the muck. The shadow didn't move. It just...stayed where it was. mirroring Beo's movements and position. neither one moving forward. When he moved his hand it did so to, when he tilted his head, the shadowed did the same.
Slowly the Beo began moving his hand down towards the shadowy reflection, curious as to what this creature was. It seemed eerily familiar despite the only solid detail about it being its eyes, it wasn't quite Grimm, but it wasn't human either.
The shadow did the same slowly moving its hand to meet his on the other side of the mud. Its shadowy form flickering slightly as it moved closer. The gleaming red eyes watching him carefully from the other side.
Just as Beo's hand was about to meet the surface the shadow's hand shot up through the muck, its form flaring violently as a snarling mouth of teeth opened where its jaw would be. Its shadowy claw-like hand latched onto Beo's wrist. Beo tried to rip his hand free of the shadow's vice like grip but the more he resisted the stronger the creature's grip became as it began pulling Beo down towards it.
Out of instinct Beo began to try and drive his free fist down into the shadows face but was only met with whatever invisible force that was keeping them separated. Again, and again he struck the sludge covered ground only to come to the same conclusion. The trapped hand met the ground and slowly began sinking beneath the surface, the sticky copper colored muck felt warm on Beo's hand has panic began to set in.
Beo reared his fist back in one more desperate attempt to do something, anything to escape. He slammed his fist down on the ground with every ounce of strength he could muster. The impact echoing and resounding through empty space.
And there was silence as the echo faded. Before a sudden and resounding CRACK broke the silence like a thousand mirrors shattering all at once. As fractures began to spread and radiate outwards from where Beo' fist made contact. A blinding white light began to shine through the cracks. The shadow flared once more as it tried pulling Beo through the cracked ground.
In the brief seconds since the initial breaks the ground suddenly shattered sending Beo into a head over heels free fall into the blinding light below. He felt violent and turbulent winds begin to whip his body back and forth like a ragdoll as his eyes adjusted to the brightness Beo was met with a bright blue sky, as he began to fall faster and faster Beo looked down and saw a vast green canopy begin to draw closer and closer as he fell.
As he fell, from the corner of his eye Beo could see the shadow flare angrily once more as it began to launch itself down towards him at a rapid pace. Its form dashing down in an almost zig-zag pattern as if it were bouncing between two invisible pillars. As it closed it Beo watched as it began to grow as the ground below got closer and closer. Before his body made impact, the shadow let out a guttural shriek as it reached out and darkness swallowed Beo whole.
After that everything felt...fuzzy Beo saw flashes of images, but they came and went too quickly to be able to discern anything. the air felt cold, like falling face first into an icy pond during winter. He could hear the distorted and guttural snarls and shrieks of whatever creatures were stirring beyond the dark haze that was just beyond whatever was blocking his vision. Slowly his vision began to return to him, and as it became clearer and clearer. Beo saw, hundreds of deformed and bloodied Grimm, of all types festering on the forest floor below as Beo looked around and found himself suspended between two massive blood-soaked trees. Shrouded in what Beo assumed was the shadow. One by one the beasts below stopped ripping into whatever it was that they each had gotten their claws into and looked up towards him.
Within seconds the nightmarish beasts howl in what could have been pain or rage, Beo couldn't tell but one thing he could see was the swarm of decomposing creatures begin to close in on his suspended and helpless form. The closer they drew Beo felt fear begin to creep its way to the forefront of his mind, while the panic began to set in as Beo tried to fight his way out of the shadow's bindings in a fruitless attempt to escape.
As the beast's clawed their way up, the rotted trees and the shadows enlarged form Beo's were suddenly blinded by a beam of bright light in the distance. Without thinking he began to struggle once more against his shadowy restraints, feeling the bindings become looser and looser before finally he clawed his way out and fell onto the slimy and rotting forest floor.
He didn't bother looking around or back, as his body began to move on its own speeding across the blood-soaked floor towards the nearly blinding light, behind him Beo could hear the shadow scream once more in unison with the seemingly undead horde of Grimm.
The closer he got to the light, the more his skin felt like it had been set aflame. The heat searing into his flesh traveling up his arm and through the rest of his body. He squinted his eyes trying to shield them from the intense light. As he continued to sprint into the blinding light, everything, the pain, the howling, the shadow's screams of rage. They all suddenly stopped. As everything around Beo was consumed by the light.
The first thing Beo felt as his eyes snapped open was the sheer amount of pain that seemed to be emanating from his core as he quickly let out a sharp gasp and began violently coughing as if his lungs had been starving for air. As he struggled to catch his breath, his maroon colored eyes darted around the...well he didn't know what to call it, wherever he was it wasn't like anything he had ever seen before. The closest thing he could compare it to was a cave with no entrance. And rows upon rows of small cylindrical suns keeping the white walls illuminated.
Beo suddenly sat up, the pain in his side throbbing in an almost rhythmic manor.
What happened? How did he get here? Actually, where even was here? The more he tried to think the more his head hurt, he tried to focus on what he remembered last but everything felt fuzzy. Like looking through a fog. The last thing he remembered was the one-eyed Beowulf and the massive pack. What else? Everything else felt like a blur, a whirlwind of blood, fur and teeth. And then nothing. Wait no that was wrong not nothing. A voice, a familiar one but whose was it? He knew, but right now he couldn't place a name to the voice.
He tried moving off of...actually what was this thing? Some sort of elevated bed? But immediately after his bare feet touched the smooth unfamiliar floor and tried to move away he felt a sharp pain in his his arms like it was pulling against something stuck in it. As he fell from the bed and onto the slick, cold floor. Whatever his arm was tethered too clattering to the floor with him. Beo looked down and saw the tubes and wires connected to tall shiny metal poles next to the strange bed.
Following the lines up the pole Beo saw a clear pouch at the top as well as a few strange looking boxes with glowing lines and scribbles on a black background. What they did he didn't know but he knew one thing,he didn't enjoy having this thing in his arm.
It didn't take him long to simply pull the end of the tubes out of his arms and yank the wires from his chest, painful as it was. Slowly getting to his feet Beo tried to get a better look at the strange room he was in. His eyes squinting in the bright artificial light. The walls were a pale and untarnished white like freshly fallen snow, with a rectangular metal frame on the wall, scribbles written on it is various colors across from the bed. In one of the corners near the ceiling there was a strange boxlike...thing that was the best he could describe suspended in place. Wherever he was it wasn't the forest. It wasn't home.
Slowly Beo felt his heart beat faster and faster as the creeping feeling of panic began to set in. The fog over his memory wasn't helping any either. To make matters worse, as soon as he stood to his full height. Beo realize that all of the gear he had was gone, replaced by a thin, loosely tied very uncomfortable sheet that only really served as a cover. Other than that he wasn't wearing anything.
Beo tried to take a step towards what looked like an exit. Only to immediately stumble and nearly fall face first onto the floor. He shook his head in frustration as he clambered back to his feet. It took him a second but slowly he once again began to move sluggishly over towards the cracked door that was near the bed.
Behind the door was a small room, with two white stone looking...things planted on the wall and floor. The one on the floor was more rounded and filled with water why...he had no clue. Drinking water perhaps? Stranger than the water bowl was the thing with the shiny metal handles and knobs on it. Hanging above it Beo saw his reflection staring back at him. However unlike with the still pools of water that rested at the end of the stream by his grotto the image was almost unnaturally clear.
He could probably see with almost perfect clarity every cut, scrape, and scar that had marked itself on his body over the years. However what caught his eyes were the amount of bandages wrapped around his head and around his neck. Before he could inspect his condition further there was a sudden noise from the other room. Acting purely on instinct Beo ducked behind the door and peered through the small space between the frame and the door.
Walking in from the far side of the room was a young woman, older than he was by maybe two or three years, wearing a simple set of white nurse's scrubs and carrying a small clipboard. Her eyes gazed up for a moment and then back to the clipboard before quickly back to the now empty bed as the small piece of wood fell from her hands clattering to the floor.
"D-doooocccctooooorrr!" She shouted as she ran out of the room disappearing from Beo's sight.
Almost as soon as she left the room. Beo made a dash for the open door and into the connected corridor. The only noticeable difference Beo could pick out was how much more narrow it was in comparison to the room. Other than that everything from the lighting to the off white coloring of the walls and the unnaturally sanitary smell in the air was extremely similar.
"Gone! Pricilla what do you mean gone?!" A voice suddenly shouted out from further down the corridor. Without thinking Beo took off down the hall in the direction opposite from where the voice came from.
His bare feet hitting the cold floor with each step. Whatever this place was it felt unnatural, he didn't like it. He wanted to leave, he wanted to go home, his head still ringing and aching with each passing second. As he turned around another corner he heard more voices coming from the hall in front of him as two more people rounded the corner in front of him.
"Are you sure Doc Brown said he was missing? Like not in the room at all?" said the one on the left, he was taller than Beo was, with short brown hair styled in what looked like a small bird's nest.
"His page said the patient in room 213 is missing so we need to find...him…" said his friend his eyes locking on Beo as he began to tap his friends shoulder and pointing. "Uhhh."
"Shit! Its him! DOC HE'S OVER HERE!" the brown haired one shouted as they both lunged towards the wounded woodsman.
In the split second it took Beo to react he dashed to the side and shoved himself into the side of his attacker, launching the brown haired man into wall. Without wasting a second Beo slammed his fist into the second one's stomach causing him to double over with the air leaving his lungs. Before Beo grabbed his head and slammed it into the wall. His unconscious body slumping against the off-white wall.
As Beo took off once again further down the hall, his mind racing as he tried to find the exit. The pain in his side didn't help any either if anything that mixed with the headache and unknown surroundings just sent his mind into overdrive as panic and fight or flight instincts took over. As he ran a few more people, some much older than Beo tried to restrain him only to be met with the same type of ferocity he gave the two in the hallway.
After a few minutes, a loud and blaring sound rang out from seemingly everywhere. As lights mounted on the wall began to flash in a bright and rhythmic pattern.
Beo tried his best to navigate his way through the maze like corridors and evenly placed identical rooms like the one he woke up in.
He didn't know why but it seemed like no matter where he turned he was either met with a dead end or more people dressed like the two from before.
Each time he encountered them he either ran in the opposite direction or steam rolled through them before they had a chance to react to the barely clothed and bandaged woodsman. Running down another hallway Beo was met with another man, larger, dressed in a deep blue looking uniform with a similarly colored hat. Almost as soon as their eyes met the larger man pulled a short wooden club from his belt.
"Kid we don't wanna hurt you. So let's not do anything stupid." He said while inching closer to Beo. His words however fell on deaf ears as Beo tried to dash past him only for the man to body check Beo back and swing at him with the club. "Dammit kid."
Beo was at a disadvantage, he could hear the shouts and footsteps of the other guards quickly approaching him. With a thousand things running through his head, Beo did what he believed to be the logical.
In a flash Beo tore off the flimsy gown that draped over him, Dashed forward and threw it over the guard's face, blinding him before driving his fist into the man's nose. A sickening and wet crunching sound resounded as the man fell to the floor. Blood beginning to show through the thin cloth as the man lay there groaning in pain wondering what just happened.
While Beo grabbed the fallen man's small club and dashed off towards where he thought an exit might be. As he ran into more people there reactions were….well they were very different to the ones from earlier. Instead of immediately shouting and running towards him there was a brief moment of hesitation mixed with confusion and another expression that he didn't recognize. From what he noticed before he took advantage of the opportunity was a noticeable change in the color of some of their faces. some went a lightish red others looked like they wanted to throw up.
But that split second was all he needed before he pushed past all of them striking them all in the head with his small club. It went like this for a while Beo carving a path of unconscious bodies through the white halls and corridors before he came up to a large clear opening that gave him a view to the outside of the cave or wherever this place was, it wasn't all that different from the smaller ones that were opened up on some of the walls however none of them were big enough for him to fit through...even if they were when he glanced out he saw that they were too high up for Beo to jump down without killing himself.
Which is why this opening was perfect for beyond the clear surface that blocked his path. Beo could see a large and healthy tree, its branches spread far with green leaves swaying gently in the early morning breeze.
"There he is!" A sudden shout broke his concentration as Beo turned to see another handful of similarly dressed people wielding clubs and crackling batons closing in from behind him.
Beo looked between the group of frustrated looking people and the see-through barrier separating him from the outside. He didn't have to think twice about what he did next. As the cornered berserker let out a bloodcurdling shout before smashing through the barrier, the glass shattering and adding fresh cuts to his still healing body.
Scurrying down the tree and landing on the grass below and dashed off into wherever these outsiders had taken him.
The guards didn't have too much trouble picking up on his trail. All they had to do was follow the apparently naked and heavily wounded boy as he carved a path across the campus and towards the center green.
Mornings, to some they were a time to relax and get ready for what the day might have in store. However, for a one Yang Xiao Long, early mornings were used to get the lead out and sometimes quite literally beat your frustrations and stress out of you through a tough early morning workout regime. Well in a way it was relaxing.
Although lately instead of working out her frustrations by beating the ever-living dust out of a heavy bag. Yang found that going for an early morning run around the campus to be just as effective if not more. As she tightened the laces of her running shoes and zipped up her white tracksuit jacket. And began to run, headphones in, whatever music she had playing quickly became background noise as her thought drifted to the events of four days ago
Just how tall was this damned elevator shaft? Yang wondered as she stood impatiently in the elevator car as it climbed up the seemingly endless heights of Beacon tower. It didn't surprise her when Professor Goodwitch told her to report to the Headmaster's office after the first official class of the semester, given what had happened the day before during initiation.
She hadn't been allowed to follow Beo to the hospital something about him being in critical condition or something along those lines. She didn't argue with the medical staff when they met them at the bottom of Beacon cliff. Sure, Ruby and the others had questions as to what happened to Beo, but she didn't think that telling them that he turned into some sort of hybrid Man-Grimm monster and had literally torn those Beowolves to shreds with his bare hands, would be the best of ideas. At least at that moment.
As she finished her thoughts the elevator came to a sudden stop as the door slid open to reveal the grandiose and nearly pristine headmaster's office. Or at least it would have been had it not been for the massive stacks of paperwork, books and charters strewn around room.
At the far end of the room sitting behind a cluttered desk was the grey-haired headmaster of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin himself. His head down and eyes focused on the massive book in front of him. While his free hand was jotting down notes off to the side. As soon as the elevator doors closed the grey-haired man looked up and smiled.
"Ah Ms. Xiao Long, thank you for coming. Please have a seat." Ozpin said gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his desk. "Now it is not exactly a mystery as to what it is I called you up here today."
"It's about Beo right?" She said flatly as if stating the obvious. The Headmaster gave a half smile and nodded his head slightly.
"That among other things." He said bringing up something on his desks monitor. "This is a timeline based on data we collected from your scroll's gps signal as well as the monitor drones that were locked onto said signals."
As Ozpin said this, Yang watched as a map of the Emerald forest appeared on screen and began filling up with a collection of multi-colored paths, points and video feeds. She could clearly see her first crash encounter with Beo connected to a yellow line moving towards another points...one she couldn't help but grimace. As she watched a small portion of their fight with the Widow before the feed cut out, the route also stopping and not picking up them again until they reappeared in front of a upside down Blake, according to the
"Obviously we are missing some information, mostly involving the five hours before you and "Beo" as you call him met with Miss Belladonna." The professor said before taking a sip of his coffee. "Unfortunately, the drone we had tracking your movements was destroyed in the encounter with the Burrowing Widow. Along with the GPS in your scroll. So if you would be so kind as to fill in the blanks as best you can."
Yang sat for a moment stunned as she watched some of the other footage on the timeline. She watched as Beo ran through the forest, pursued by an overwhelming number of Beowolves. Before stopping and engaging them, she watched in silence as the blue haired woodsman bit into the neck of one of the smaller wolves and began to shift into that….thing, that monstrous cross between human and grimm. The feed cut out when Beo threw one of the corpses into the drone.
"Miss Xiao Long." The professor said snapping her out of her stupor. It was still surreal seeing Beo change like that, It wasn't like she hadn't seen what the blood did to him but watching the actual transformation...it felt unnatural, she really couldn't describe it any other way.
"Sorry, I mean what's there to say? You guys already have everything I know I mean aside from...that bit." She said pointing to the loop of Beo's transformation. "After squashing that good for nothing bug I passed out and the next thing I know I'm in a cave." She continued telling Ozpin most of what happened in what was obviously Beo's grotto. As best as she could remember, omitting a few details of course...mainly anything having to do with a certain incident involving mushrooms and the fact that she saw the end off Beo's rampage.
"Hmmm I see, and after he gave you this antidote is when you ran into Miss Belladonna?"
"Pretty much. Okay so you've asked you questions, now it's my turn." Yang said eyes fixed on the bespeckled headmaster.
"Oh? Really now? Well then ask away." He said his eyebrow raising slightly.
Really? Just like that? No attempts to dodge her questions? No elaborate lie about why if she knew the real truth about certain subjects people could get hurt.
"Oookay." she started cautiously. "Where's Beo? I mean I don't even know if he's alive or not. He was in pretty rough shape when we reached the extraction point yesterday, and it was hard enough trying to get everyone off my back this morning about how he got hurt that bad."
"A simple enough question. Currently our young friend under the care of the Beacon Medical staff, unfortunately due to certain circumstances I cannot tell you the exact details as to where he is exactly." Ozpin said taking another sip from his coffee mug "I can however tell you that he is stable however is currently unconscious and unfortunately we have no way of knowing when he will regain consciousness."
Well at least he was alive. Honestly, she wasn't expecting Ozpin to tell her where he was being kept and all. But the way he said it made her wonder how much did they really know about Beo?
"Wait so you can tell me he's okay, but you won't tell me where my partner is? I think I have a right to know." She said. Trying to act as blissfully ignorant as possible. She knew why yesterday Blake's name had been called at the official team assignment ceremony. The others were a bit confused Ruby especially since she had introduced the berserker as her partner.
"I think you and I both know why that is." The professor said coyly motioning to the clip of Beo beginning his blood rage.
"Fair enough" She sighed. Honestly, she knew that wasn't going to work. Well no use in trying to play dumb. She thought as she took a deep breath. "So, what are you planning to do to Beo then? He isn't a student, and I'm pretty sure that people won't really like the idea of him just walking around Beacon if they knew about his semblance."
Ozpin looked at her like he had been waiting to hear that very question.
"I'm glad you asked that Ms. Xiao Long. Given Beo's circumstance I hope you would agree that something like this be kept a secret." He said pausing a moment. Wait did he intend to keep Beo away from everyone? Sure, just throwing him into Beacon would be insane on so many levels but still, she opened her mouth to say something before the professor raised his hand and continued. "I don't necessarily mean his existence and status as the 'Man-Grimm' just the nature of his semblance since it could lead to...discomfort among the fainter of heart, also if certain things play out in our favor I would trust that you will assist us in his, how should I put this? Integration?"
"Um, I'm sorry Integration?" She asked trying to process his answer. One question at a time Yang, one question at a time. She thought to herself.
"Yes, integration, our young friend here has far too much potential to simply be tossed into a system that would simply have him struggle to cope with the change in environment, what I'm hoping for is the opportunity to have him adapt to civilization in a more controlled environment."
"I guess that makes sense, but why me? I mean sure, I'm the best people person I know just ask me." She said, there were a few reasons she could think of that would make sense why. She was still a student after all.
"It only makes the most sense given Beo's circumstance. We don't know how long he has been living in isolation and every attempt we made previously to find him were met with failure." Ozpin said. It didn't surprise Yang much, given how easily Beo moved through the forest yesterday, he was definitely the type of person who wouldn't be found if he didn't want to. " We have tried countless times, to locate him. And you be it by fate or luck, it doesn't really matter, managed to not only run into him, but establish some level of trust."
He wasn't wrong. Although Beo didn't really have much choice in the matter, she did jump the gun a bit not that she would ever admit it. So, she didn't dwell too much on it, she could see what he meant.
"But I have the shrinking feeling that no matter what we decided you would have gotten involved once more one way or another." Ozpin added. Yang chuckled at that and shrugged.
"You're not wrong there. Okay then, I'll play ball. Don't really know what I'll be doing but hey no matter what happens, he's a good guy at the end of the day and I've got his back. Also, uh just one more thing."
"Yes?"
"What exactly am I supposed to tell the others? I mean Blake knows that I met Beo before her only a matter of time before she figures out that somethings up. And by eventually the others too." Yang asked as Ozpin turned off the monitor.
Almost as soon as she finished that sentence, the sound of the elevator door sliding open rang across the office. When she turned Yang saw the black and white clad amber eyed huntress who technically was her partner.
"Hmm I believe we were just getting to that, ah hello Miss Belladonna please have a seat we were just discussing matters that relate to you as well." Ozpin said as Blake made her way across the room.
For whatever reason the bow clad girl looked nervous. Maybe it was the whole situation of being called into the headmaster's office on the first day of class, or maybe it was the heights.
"What does headmaster?" Blake said walking up to the desk and taking the seat next to her's. Before Ozpin said something that was probably going to segue into the topic at hand Yang decided to be a bit more blunt.
"Basically, bout how you're technically my partner cause Beo's the Man-Grimm." There was silence for a good thirty seconds as Blake processed what She just heard. Yang was about to say something else before the black-haired girl put her palm to her face and groaned. "What? Did I just blow your mind? I did, didn't I?"
"Yes, wait no, no, it's just when I think about it…. it's so obvious how did I not see it sooner." Blake said starting to chuckle a bit. "Everything makes sense now."
"Ahem" the professor interjected. "Ladies if we could get back to the matters at hand?"
That was four days ago, and after she and Ozpin had caught Blake up to speed on almost everything, still keeping the nature of Beo's semblance on a strict need to know. For obvious reasons, she trusted Blake but when she asked Ozpin about why he didn't fill her partner in on Beo's actual nature he simply said that it was "Best not to rock the boat too much" whatever that meant.
All of this coupled with the fact that the attitude of a certain stubborn white-haired heiress. Made the tension in the shared dorm room almost unbearable. The fact that Ruby had been named as leader, didn't sit well with Weiss. And she voiced it at nearly every opportunity. It was enough to drive a girl mad.
As she continued her run the drums from whatever she was listening to setting her pace, it was still somewhat early so there weren't many other students roaming the campus yet. However, the closer to the center pavilion she got Yang began to notice more and more students peeking out of windows or stopping in their own morning routine to look at something going on near the center green further down the road.
Normally she wouldn't have paid any attention to something like this, she would have just continued with her run however when she saw a group of Beacon security run past towards where everyone was gathering, stun batons drawn and sparking. Well that got her attention.
Taking out her headphones she jogged over to the closest person she saw.
"Hey uh any idea what's goin on? "She asked.
"I don't know for sure but what I heard was something about streaker running across campus."
A streaker? Honestly, she didn't expect that sort of hazing to happen so soon, she couldn't help but wonder who was the poor sap who got roped into pulling a stunt like that.
As she moved closer to where the crowd grew larger and more crowded she couldn't help but overhear certain thing that caught her attention.
"Holy hell! Look at him go!"
"Why he all bandaged up?"
"never mind the bandages look at those scars! nasty I almost want to throw up!"
Suddenly a somewhat familiar scream rang out from the center of the crowd. Silencing everyone. Followed by the sound of wood striking body along with the sound of what could have been shock batons, followed by another bloodcurdling scream. Yang pushed her way closer to the center of the crowd. As the sounds grew louder and more intense.
Finally reaching the center of the crowd, Yang's jaw nearly dropped at what she saw. Standing there in the middle of all of this chaos, looking battered and bandaged was Beo. Tufts of blue hair poking out of the bandages wrapped around his head. His hand gripping a small club like his life depended on it. Eyes wide with panic as he glared at the crowd of people around him and the guards closing in.
However, what caught Yang's attention the most wasn't how Beo was fending off a group of Beacon's trained and experienced security team, nor was it the guttural shouts that Beo was letting out or the scars that she was somewhat familiar with. No what caught her attention almost immediately was what she didn't see before in his grotto.
If she were to say that the rest of Beo's physique impressive would have been an understatement. As her followed his scars across his sculpted chest, his abs moving in time with his labored breathing.
But she had seen those a few days before, what she didn't see before were his legs. Strong, toned and scarred, almost as much if not more than his torso. Her eyes unconsciously traced the myriad of scars up his legs and too...well hello sailor. Yang couldn't help but think as her mind went temporarily blank at the sight of Beo's...assets.
Another one of the Man-Grimm's shouts shook her out of whatever temporary lecherous stupor she was in. Looking around briefly it most likely did the same for a few of the other girls in the crowd hell even some of the guys.
Refocusing on her banged up and bare-naked buddy, she was just in time to see Beo sink his teeth into the arm of a officer who must have tried to put him in some sort of hold.
The man screamed in pain as Beo tore a chunk of skin off of his forearm and spit it out after being released from his grasp. The panic in Beo's eyes growing worse with each passing second. Yang could see them darting around the crowd as well as the unfamiliar surroundings. She knew that Beo was tough, but part of her couldn't help but feel sorry for him. But her moment of sympathy quickly faded as his eyes hardened into that dangerous nearly emotionless focus.
Before Beo did something more reckless than he already had or before the guards found themselves on the wrong end of Beo's teeth, Yang dashed forward and did what she believed to be the most logical thing do in a situation like this.
"Okay big fella fun's over." She said as her hand wrapped around Beo's pointed ear and pulled...hard
She heard a yelp in pain as she looked down and saw his pair of maroon eyes hard and focused shift to meet her a snarl on his face before his eyes softened a bit at the sight of her. His face wincing in pain from the grip on his ear. He grunted and struggled for her to let him go but the glare that she was shooting him quickly killed any of the adrenaline that was keeping him going. She could make out the various comments and jeers coming from the crowd ranging from the expected "What the hell is going on!" to the more abstract ones like "I wouldn't mind being that ear right now."
One thing was for certain though. All eyes were on her and Beo now.
"Miss what do you think you're doing?" one of the guardsmen asked approaching slowly with his stun baton draw. "You're interfering with official security business, now back away from the escapee and-"
"Listen I'm not gonna blame you for doing your job but I've got this okay?" Yang interrupted as she looked back to Beo, who now was crouched on the ground gripping his heavily bandaged side. "Geez Beo, I don't know what you did but you sure do have a knack for getting yourself into trouble...never thought I would actually hear myself say that" She continued while unzipping her jacket and throwing it at Beo's feet. Eliciting a few catcalls and whistles from the crowd in the process thanks to the tight fitting black tank top underneath.
"Who do you think-" the guard began before getting cut off by another voice this one more carrying more authority than Yang's earlier statement.
"I believe that's quite enough." came the cold voice of Professor Glynda Goodwitch from behind the crowd of security guards. Her Blond hair tied in its usual tight bun and her cold eyes glared at seemingly everyone from behind her glasses.
"Professor Goodwitch we were just-" The guard began.
"I've been well informed of the situation up to this point Mr. Aegis. You and your men are to return your posts. As well as deal with your injuries." Goodwitch said coldly turning her attention the students gathered around. She paused for a moment and looked at the tablet in her hand. "And if I'm not mistaken you all have class soon, I suggest you all forget this and head to class."
Almost in unison nearly every student present turned tail and began heading back toward the campus proper, a few mutterings about what they had just seen or about how Goodwitch was the last one they wanted to anger.
After most of the crowd had dispersed, security included. The professor turned her attention to Yang and Beo who after some slight confusion involving Yang's jacket had since tied it around his waist covering up his lower half for the most part.
"One quiet day is that so much to ask." Goodwitch muttered under her breath as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Well Miss Xiao Long I would like to say that it's a surprise to see you in this circumstance, but I had a sneaking suspicion that you would somehow get tangled up in this mess."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang said looking back at Beo who just stood there with a confused look on his face clutching his side.
"Nothing. Now what to do about this mess. We really were not expecting him to cause such a catastrophe when he regained consciousness." Goodwitch said after sighing. "I suppose the Headmaster would want to have words with the two of you please follow me."
"But professor what about class?" Yang said coyly.
"I would suggest that you do not press your luck Miss Xiao long."
"Fine, fine sorry. C'mon Beo...hey Beo you okay?" she said while turning around and seeing Beo gripping his side as he fell to one knee. The bandages on his side stained with a bright red. "Woah hold on there you just woke up no passing out so quickly!" Catching Beo as he fell unconscious once more.
"He most likely tore some of his stitches in his little parade around campus. Honestly the only thing keeping him awake until now was most likely pure will power." Goodwitch commented.
As Yang stabled Beo on her shoulder once more, she couldn't help but chuckle at how much trouble he had stirred up in such a short amount of time. Well it could have been worse, at least Beo didn't kill anybody...wait.
"Hey Professor I have a few questions." Yang said as she followed Goodwitch towards the medical building, the unconscious Beo snoring carelessly on her shoulder.
One quiet morning. Was that so much to ask? Glynda Goodwitch thought as she sorted through the mess of paperwork, dealing matters ranging from damage reports, personal injury reports, noise complaints, and even one form requesting physical therapy due to multiple fractures and bite marks.
All thanks to that boy. She understood why he acted as he did. It was only natural that someone raised by wild beasts would himself act as such. However, it still didn't change the amount of paperwork that was being piling up. Thankfully though in the seven hours since the boy's antics she had managed to settle most of the problems that arose. Namely the matters of property damage. In earnest she was somewhat relieved that Miss Xiao Long had interfered when she did. Seeing how a familiar face seemed to calm the Man-Grimm from his panicked state. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone, but her presence did make things go a bit smoother for what it was worth.
The elevator came to a stop as the doors slid open revealing Ozpin's grand office, the cogs beneath the floor moving in a consistent rotation. The headmaster himself stood with his back facing her, looking out across the academy's campus. A file in one hand and his usual coffee mug in another.
"So, how is our young guest this afternoon?" He said not turning around.
"Thankfully after this morning's escapades along with some assistance from the Maintenance staff, most of the damage done to the hospital's ICU has been repaired. Luckily all that was really broken was the fourth floor bay window and some dents in the drywall."
"And Beo?" Ozpin continued.
"Currently, he is being held in one of the academy's higher security medical observation rooms after having some of his injuries restitched. Miss Xiao Long kindly offered to keep him company while we sorted out the mess he made. I also arranged for some of his things to be returned to him mainly certain articles of clothing namely the Beowulf skin he was admitted with. This is a temporary solution of course since we can only appease his sense of familiarity for so long." Goodwitch continued.
In truth the boy was lucky that he didn't tear more than just stitches in his side. But in the end it didn't really matter. There were, after all much larger problems to deal with.
"So, I take it that the reason you called me up here was to share whatever outrageous solution you came across in the past four days?" She said trying to hide the exhaustion in her voice.
"Ah Glynda you know me so well." Ozpin said turning around and taking a sip from his coffee. "The solution I found in the academy's charter is a thin one to say the least. Tell me Glynda how familiar are you with the probationary student doctrine?"
The probationary student doctrine? That was Ozpin's game? Originally the doctrine was put in place as a way for the headmaster to allow exceptionally gifted individuals to attend Beacon when they would otherwise be unable to due to things like criminal record, or financial status under the condition that they follow a strict set of rules or be ejected from the academy no questions asked. It was a doctrine not often used and was hardly ever successful hence why it hadn't been implemented in nearly fifty years.
"I'm familiar. But what does that have to do with Beo? He doesn't necessarily fit the criteria for that program, and since he clearly does not even have the slightest concept of rules aside from maybe survival of the fittest, by those standards he would be ejected immediately." Glynda responded still puzzled why he brought up the archaic implementation.
"You are right, of course. I only asked simply because the solution I found is, believe it or not similar in spirit albeit less harsh." Ozpin taking another swig from his mug. "In all reality its closer in its wording to the regulation that allowed the young Miss Rose to attend the academy. It is called the ward program."
Now that one she had never heard of. If it were anyone else, Goodwitch would have thought he was making it up. But since this was Ozpin she knew that he was genuine. Did he have his eccentricities? But he always made sure that no matter the endeavor he was about to get himself involved in he was the most knowledgeable in the room on the matter.
"I'm not familiar." She said.
"Neither was I in fact until two days ago. The ward doctrine at its core is a more formal form of nepotism. By taking a gifted individual usually an orphan or displaced youth regardless of age or background and allowing them entry and education by means of registering them as a ward of the academy or one of the faculty." Ozpin began. At this point Glynda wasn't sure where he was going with this. A ward of the school? How would that admit the boy.
"Obviously this was created at a time where families sending their children off to be adopted by establishments of prestige was a more common practice but in this case, I believe it fits our young guest just fine." The grey-haired professor said with a smile.
"That still leaves several factors. Who have you consulted about accepting him as a ward? I doubt you would do it and Doctor Shelly and Oobleck are more likely to constantly question the boy rather than show him how to adjust, and Port would most likely forget that he knows nothing aside from the forest. Not to mention housing, scheduling. With a majority of the faculty already working on several projects and active hunts with the higher-level students." Goodwitch responded. While Ozpin's grin only got wider.
"My thoughts exactly, now who do we know that could manage all of that on top of their busy schedule?" Ozpin said while placing the file on the desk and sliding it over to her. "Housing shouldn't be an issue there are several rooms that have been marked for storage in the more secluded areas of the first-year building, they can easily be repurposed."
It was then that something in Glynda's head clicked as she looked down at the file in front of her.
"No. Absolutely not. What makes you think that I would agree to take on this uncontrollable young man as my ward?"
"The fact that if you don't I would have to impose the Paramour Pool onto you again this year." Ozpin said taking another sip from his mug, it took almost all of her willpower to not use her riding crop to smack it out of his hands and lecture the seemingly level-headed headmaster about the danger of his whims.
"You were going to have me do that anyway." She said flatly while sighing.
"Not untrue. Well then let's go with the fact that I sign your checks and you will be compensated accordingly."
"Cyrus." She growled, very seldom did she use his first name, but he was truly pushing his luck on this matter.
"Glynda, jokes aside the reason I'm asking this of you is because I trust you the most to handle this matter in the most professional way. That and I feel it would be best for the both of you."
She sighed in defeat, she should have expected this from him. She was experienced in many fields of teaching but this, this was something else entirely it would be like raising a child with the body and abilities of quite possibly one of the most dangerous individuals alive. But at the end of the day she supposed it could not be helped.
"Very well, Ozpin you win I'll teach the boy. But do not complain about my methods." she said picking up the file and walking back to the elevator door "I plan to start tomorrow." She said as the elevator door opened once more.
"I wouldn't expect anything less." She heard Ozpin say as the door closed.
Opening the file, it was filled with all sorts of forms regarding policy, releases, medical forms, fees, and records. But the one that caught her attention first was the boy's personal information sheet. She snickered at what Ozpin has decided on when it came to his record.
From that day on, the Man-Grimm of the Emerald Forest had a new name. Keeping in the tradition of Vale's naming scheme, It was no surprise where Ozpin got the inspiration from. Written at the top of the sheet in bold type was a simple but memorable name.
Beo Cobalt.
Well that took much longer than I thought it would and I apologize, Life kinda got in the way of my writing and I couldn't find the time to write as much as I wanted too. But I do actually have a big announcement regarding the story going forward. Starting after this chapter I am going to be working on a backlog of chapters that I can release monthly so you guys have a set time frame to expect the next installment in Beo's escapades, Now this doesnt mean that I have the backlog done. Gods no, I'm just saying that by the time the next chapter is published I will have that backlog done so I can work on the further parts of the story.
So! I leave you now with the knowledge that I will be working on a steady stream of content for all of you to enjoy it will just take a while fear not i'll post progress report maybe an updated Q&A since i lost a lot of that file and just now recovered it. But I hope you all are enjoying this story and Happy belated new year here's to a productive 2018 don't forget to leave a review and thanks a bunch to everyone who's been helping me sort through my thoughts (You know who you guys are)
Also in case some of you are wondering about the rating change that is because upon reviewing some of the arcs I have planned I just want to be safe in regards to the sites rating system doesnt mean its coming anytime soon but I think you will all be able to see why eventually.
Anyway hope guys are enjoying the story thus far and please feel free to leave a review and any questions feel free to send me a message or leave a review.
Anyway this is Amouren, Signing off (for now)