Cecil

The doctors had told him to get plenty of sleep, but they never specified when he would need it. He stayed in the workshop after Weiss had left. Evidently, she had forgotten that he wasn't allowed to be in there alone. Perhaps the information about his past he had shared had given her something to think about besides the fact that he wasn't supposed to be alone.

The Razor, as he had dubbed it, was coming along beautifully. He had perfected the length and sharpness, and it was proving to be a dangerous weapon. The one problem is, he lacked control. Back home, he could use magic to control the weapon, but he was not a magical person. He would need Riken to help him with it, and Riken was back home. In his late hours of research, he had found articles on neural linkers, something that could link metal to one's brain. While it was primarily used in prosthetics, Cecil theorized he could use it on the Razor to get more control and perhaps even upgrade it. His schematics allowed the Razor to operate as a whip, but if he could link it to himself, he could straighten it into a very sharp rapier. But without Riken, he lacked proper control, which left the second option. He put everything back in its place, set up the laser cutter to prime his next project, and then carefully placed the Razor in a case before wheeling back to his room. It felt good to stretch his legs. Settling into his bed, he opened his laptop and began his master plan.

He went onto the internet. He went onto a website called Touch Bionics, and he looked at their "contact us" page. And then he called them.

"Touch Bionics."

"Hello, I am a huntsman who recently lost a limb to grimm."

"Oh, I am so sorry, Sir. We sell a variety of prosthetics for huntsmen and non-huntsmen alike. Where are you located?"

"I need a right arm. My wingspan was about 6 ft, 2 inches, but I lost everything past my right shoulder. I live in Vale, near Beacon Academy."

What he heard next was music to his ears.

"I'm terribly sorry sir, but we are lacking in parts due to recent grimm attacks. However, we have another shipment going to our main base in Vale. The shipment will be there in a few weeks, and then it will only take a few days to assemble it. After supplies have arrived, would it be alright for you to come in for measurements and potential surgery? I also should tell you that prosthetics are very expensive."

It was so convenient. The stars surely did shine upon Cecil. The few weeks would give him just enough time to fully recover before he could… 'retrieve' the part he needed.

"Money is no object. Thank you very much. Do you have a more precise time frame? I must model my hunts around that time, if possible."

"Yeah, shipments run every few weeks to get here from Atlas, and another 1 week to assemble an arm after you get your measurements."

"Excellent. My next few weeks or even months are looking rather busy, and I don't use that arm much, but I will definitely call you when I'm ready for it. Thank you!"

He hung up. He had multiple weeks to recover and build his plan. He closed his laptop with a smile and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

Cecil woke the next morning and prepared for classes. He had actually gotten ahead of his classes while he was in the hospital, so he spent most of his time designing his weapons. He had three in mind - one was almost complete, one was in the works, and one was more of a fun idea than an actual weapon. The Razor had been refined to perfection and rested in his room. He had added in all the wiring and motors he would need to link it to his head. However, he needed the neural linker in order to finalize it, and he had no idea how he was going to get one. He had looked into it anonymously, but found it was essentially impossible. As class let out, he waved away the ever-eager Ruby who was offering to study with him, and instead, went back to the shop. Without him asking, Weiss joined him again. She didn't have much to work on, but he appreciated the company none the less.

"I still have a lot of work to do. You don't have to be here you know, Ice Queen."

"I can study in here without the constant noise of Ruby and her sister."

"Suit yourself, IQ. Fair warning though, I'm using the machines."

By this point, the blades he had diligently designed were fully cut. He set to work tempering and soldering the metal until he was satisfied with their toughness. While he had supplies in the Blackwagon to make weapons out of creature parts, metal was much easier to work with. He could bend and unbend it with minimal consequence, unlike the sharper parts of various monsters. Setting the axe heads aside, he pulled a case out of his backpack. Weiss leaned over to see it, but immediately began looking at her own work with great interest when he caught her staring.

The Razor slithered out of the case, sharp as ever. It was easily one of the most lethal weapons he had built. Getting parts to build this kind of weapon without the technology of Remnant would have proven to be extremely difficult back home. It glinted with a dangerous black tint, and in the right light, it would seem to be a lighter purple. It was still incredibly sharp and dangerous. However, today, his purpose was not to make a weapon. It was to make a work of art. He picked up the laser carver and begun carefully carving words into the handle and blade itself. No one would see them except for himself, but it gave the weapon a more personal touch. Placing the goggles over his eyes, he set to work.

"A hunter who flies and runs away lives to hunt another day."

"Mind your manners, then burn their fucking house down."

"Live, my son."

Words that he had kept him alive would be immortalized in an object destined to kill. He began carving his triumphs as well. The symbol of the nakarkos, now slain by Cecil. The symbol of the deviljho, now slain by Cecil. But he did not just carve his fights. He carved the symbol of the scribes who always watched over him, he placed his own symbol in. With the last bit of space on the handle, he inscribed the sacred song in the language of his home. There was some space he intended to leave blank on the blade. However, something seized him as he hastily put down three more words. Even Cecil didn't fully understand them, but he knew them from somewhere.

"Blind. Morningstar. Bravery."

Before he could even think about the words, they were already on the blade. They must mean something important to him if he put them down, so he shrugged and left them. Cecil melted down silver and carefully laid it inside the many carvings before freezing it quickly. Evidently, Weiss had already left. The sun set gently outside, bathing the shop in its warm glow. The pure silver shone a fiery red in the light as he placed the Razor back into its case. He rolled back to his bedroom, still attempting to figure out how to get his hands on a neural transmitter. He would need either people with connections, or he would need an army. The only person who had potential to get him connection was IQ, and she was out of the question. He simply refused to manipulate her like that. Which left the second option - an army. And thankfully, he knew how he might get one. In the silence of the night, he left his wheelchair behind and wandered back to the Blackwagon. He looked around, searching. Evidently, it had gotten a bit dusty while he was gone. Tariq was going to kill him, but Cecil would burn that bridge when he got to it. First, he picked up the glowing, pink crystal that sat in the corner. It served no purpose other than entertainment, but it had soothed him through many nights. Pocketing it, he picked up the sacred book of Rites, placing that into his jacket as well. Scrying for a few more seconds, his eyes finally fell on his prize. He examined up the green gem which rested on the table. The strange symbols glimmered, and he picked it up. As he did, the world around him seized.