Edited as of (6/20/18)

PB: Da-Awesom-One

SCARRED

-Joel Ambrose-

'Nice try!'

I reacted the instant I sensed movement, dispatching my first robotic foe with a decapitating strike from Circuit, twisting with motion as I sent two knives hurtling through the air to strike at the pair of AKs trying to sneak up on me, burying them to the hilt in their chests.

They had barely managed another awkward step before sparking wildly, overloading as I ran my Sparkthrough them with a confident grin.

'Everything seems to be working so far...' I mused, snatching one of the robotic bladed limbs charging after me, flipping the owner onto the ground, before sending another quick shock to keep it down for good. 'Must be some kind of new model. It seems even easier than before to guide the current. Or maybe that's just me...' I'd have to arrange more time to properly gauge my limits later, especially with the new semester coming around.

Training, exercise, anything to calm me down right now as I straightened up, signaling the staff member on duty, a very enthusiastic Professor Port, for another group.

'What the hell happened to you, Jake?' I readied myself, twirling Circuit in my hand as more drones were lifted into the arena, these sporting a combination of close and long range.

'Was this my fault, the Fang's... or did you always feel this way!?'

I split my staff into connected twin daggers, one blade clutched in my offhand, the other spinning in a circular pattern on my right side at the end of a long silver coil.

'If I'd stayed...'

The spinning blade lashed out like a serpent as I leapt forward, piercing the closest AK through the face plate in a shower of crackling voltage. I halted as the others raised their arms, the blades affixed to their arms shifting into automatics.

With a burst of Aura, I tugged the blade back along with the still-twitching remains of the drone, holding it up as an impromptu shield, and bracing behind it as the others lit up my position with a hail of stun rounds.

'These things are getting better at coordinating. Atlas must've brought along upgraded software,' I noted, charging forward with a roar as round after round clattered against the drone shield. I crashed into my closest attacker with a crushing tackle, and tore my blade from the face plate in a hail of sparks as I sent both wrecks to the ground in a heap.

"That's two..." I spun around just as one moved to stab me in the back, catching the blade with the coil, using its own weight to bring it to the ground, where I finished it, grabbing it by the head, and twisting it off with my Semblance-enhanced grip. "Three...!"

The others fell within seconds, one with a charged blade through its chest piece, and the other falling broken and sparking from a flurry of heavy Aura-fueled blows, limbs snapped at the joints. Satisfied with the workout, I took a deep breath, wiping sweat off my brow as I collapsed my weapon.

Looking around, I noticed my session had drawn a fair number of onlookers. Some were cheering for an encore, others just stood there intrigued, or nodding approvingly. Ever since the start of the new semester, I'd noticed a definite shift in attitude amongst other students in regards to me, especially after the little media storm that had popped up in the wake of the Trapper attack.

Even some of the Faunus students, much to Kaplan's chagrin, were coming up to me with words of thanks, or requests to train and share fighting techniques, which I was more than happy to provide. There were still dissenters, however, if less than before, and the popularity did have its fair share of drawbacks...

"Well, well, well! Looks like you're feelin' better!" I glanced over my shoulder as Ben stepped up onto the arena, clapping his hands together loudly. "Glad to see ya back at a hundred percent!" He glanced around at the scattered mechanic remains. "Y'know the school's probably gonna start billin' us pretty soon if you keep breakin' their stuff like this, right?"

"How many Scrolls have you and Max lost or broken between the two of you, again?" I shot back, trying to ignore a huddled group of girls whispering amongst themselves, shooting me - or parts of me - furtive glances.

'Not again...'

"Ooooh, looks like Psycho's got himself a fan club," the sniper grinned, clapping me on the back. "I'd watch out. Blondie might get jealous." He winked at them, sending them into a fit of excited giggles. "You should train in your combat gear next time. Gives 'em less to ogle at."

He gestured to the sweat soaked tank top and shorts I was sporting. I would've done just that if I still wasn't sore from the surgery, the incision marks only having just finished healing completely, but still tender to sudden contact.

"Probably should..." I muttered in annoyance, pushing past him on my way to the locker room. "But still, it's not as if Yang and I have been very subtle with what we're doing. Dinners in the cafeteria, dates to Vale... You'd think they'd get the hint and lay off."

"You're still the man who took down a big, scary Trapper, 'member? Albeit with some help."

"A lot of help," I corrected, stripping off my shirt, before dumping the contents of a water bottle over my head, savoring the feeling of cold water on irritated skin. "Yang's the real hero. I was just the last one standing after the fight, and barely, at that."

"Still doesn't change the fact that you did win, and gained a bit of fame on the side. Add in the fact that you're athletic, and not half-bad lookin' - friendly opinion on my part - and it's no wonder you've got admirers."

He shrugged as I shot him an angry scowl, stepping back over to the door to peer out at them.

"If anything, datin' a girl like Blondie only makes ya seem more attractive to some of 'em. Feminine psychology's kinda weird like that..." he sighed, before looking back over his shoulder as I slipped on my school blazer. "So, on another less fun note, was it the Atlesians who fixed ya up? We missed you in trainin' today."

"Sort of. Turns out my little brother's working closely with them on security for the festival, among other... things. Seems he managed to pencil me into his busy schedule to fix up my limiters for me."

"Your brother? Thought ya said he was workin' with the SDC? Or at least in their buildin', anyway."

"Yeah, I did, too. Turns out the good General Ironwood brought the whole party down from Atlas with him," I said in a mock cheery voice as we left the gym, trying to ignore the stares. "We had a great time. We caught up, had some drinks. It was nice."

The sniper glanced at me before shaking his head. "Ice Queen's right. You do suck at sarcasm. So how'd it really go?

"How do you think?" I replied bitterly, scratching at my hair in irritation. "Started off awkward as hell, and ended with us angrier at each other than ever. It's been months since I've seen him... Don't know why I expected anything to have improved." I flexed my arm, applying a bit more Aura to take the edge off.

"Sorry to bring it up. Reika ran off somewhere, and I thought she might've been lookin' for ya." A flash of worry crossed his face as I shook my head. "Oh well. Not like this isn't a favorite habit of hers. Probably just messin' around on the roof somewhere." He shrugged his shoulders before glancing back at me. "So your brother... You wanna talk about it?" Ben asked nervously, laughing awkwardly.

"Nope," I said simply, signaling an end to the topic.

"Ah. Good talk, then."

"Though I do want to ask you about..."

"The food fight?" he blurted out, chuckling to himself. "Right, that... Welp, RWBY started it... Or was it JNPR? Bit of a split on who to blame, exactly, but I can tell ya we didn't get involved. At least until your moody rage bomb of a partner took some soda to the face, and sent everythin' flyin'. Thankfully, the Witch sorted everything out before it got too outta hand, and no one got hurt. Nothin' they couldn't laugh off, anyway."

"That's nice to hear, but I was talking about earlier, when I asked you about the Co-Leader position."

"Oooh, so it's a 'position' now, and not just some dumb idea you had?" He picked up his pace, holding out his arm to stop me. "If you're plannin' on dyin' anytime soon, why not just make Bitch the leader? She actually seems to want the responsibility!"

This was just getting childish, and I was way too tired to put up with it. "Ben, we both know why that wouldn't work. Nothing against Max, but she's too hotheaded, and definitely way too emotional. You, on the other hand, I could depend on to get both her and Reika out of trouble if something happened to me."

"If this is some of that 'you not wantin' the position makes you the most qualified' bullshit, I'm gonna deck you, Psycho. I really am!"

I groaned, running a hand down my face, before pushing my way past him. "No, actually. I'm choosing you because you're the most qualified, idiot!" He tried to speak up, but I shut him down with a harsh stare. "And you can bitch about it all you want, but contrary to what you seem to believe, I'm not planning on dying anytime soon. It's just prudent to have a back-up plan. Besides, Yang would never forgive me if I let something like that happen after all the effort she spent getting us together."

I grinned, the blonde's smiling face fresh in my mind. 'Least now I don't have to worry about ruining her hair with just a hug...' I thought to myself, remembering one disastrous incident where Yang practically tackled me as I made my way out of class, causing me to shock her on reflex by accident. 'They're still patching things up from her rampage...' I shivered despite myself.

"Ugh, if you say so..." Ben groaned, scratching at his shoulder irritably. "But you're the one tellin' Max 'bout this! Your choice, your responsibility if she blows up." I nodded blankly, before catching sight of Ruby sprinting her team's dorm room in a hurry on an intercept course for a trio of students in Haven uniforms. "Careful, Rosie!" my teammate cried out, darting forward with a burst of Aura and his Semblance, just managing to catch the girl before she crashed, the girl's legs a comically moving blur as the sniper held her at arm's-length. "I thought we talked about this!? Ya need to look where you're runnin'!"

"Um, sorry!..." the girl said awkwardly, looking at both us and the trio in surprise before Ben plopped her back down on the floor. "Thanks for the save."

"Yeah, thanks..." the mint green-haired girl Ruby would've bumped into spoke up, nodding her head towards Ben in gratitude before looking down at the hooded Huntress. "Your friend here's right. You should probably watch where you're running next time. Someone could get hurt."

For a moment, I felt something was off. I'd had a feeling I'd seen this girl somewhere before, or heard her voice...

Ruby nodded apologetically. "Um, well, I'm Ruby! Are you new to Beacon?" she asked, trying to save face.

However, it was one of the girl's companions who answered her, causing us all to look back. It was a tall pale girl with long flowing dark hair, and eyes the color of flames that seemed to draw you in the longer you looked at them.

I'd seen beauty before, looks that made your heart stop... 'But this girl takes that, literally...' I glanced out of the corner of my eye at Ben, who I noticed was similarly stunned and at a loss for words. 'That's a first.'

"Visiting from Haven, actually," she said, stepping forward to face Ruby, who stared back at her blankly.

"Ooh! You're here for the Festival!... But exchange students have their own dormitory," Ruby inquired, pointing off towards nowhere in particular.

"Y-yeah," I spoke up, trying to ignore the slight hiccup as I spoke when, that girl's eyes rested on me, flashing ominously in the dimly lit hallway like torchlight.

It as a strange feeling, as if she were looking not at my face, but at my soul; judging me. Even her smile unnerved me, too. Unlike Yang's, whose smile lit up a room and made my heart swell, hers put me on edge, as if I were staring down a rabid Beowolf.

'Actually... I'd probably take the Beowolf at this point. At least that's something I know.'

I couldn't resist the urge to slightly narrow my eyes. "Students here for the festival are being housed in the dorm just east of here," I confirmed.

She nodded, while the third student, a boy a few inches shorter than me with silvery-grey hair, moved past her, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Thanks. We must've just been turned around," he said casually, cocking his head towards his friends. "Our bad."

"Happens to everyone, right?" Ben said with a dry laugh.

The boy glanced over at him then down to his artificial arm with a sly smirk. '...The other girl was an unknown oddity, but this guy right here? Reads like a book. Bloodlust...'

I bristled under his touch, his hand jumping slightly as a small shock ran through it, causing him to look at me with a flash of anger and careful confusion.

'He's dangerous.' I stared him down, narrowed eyes fixed on his, until he lowered his gaze.

"Thanks for your help. Maybe we'll see you all around," the beauty said as she moved past Ruby, nodding her head at the Huntress, before swaying her way down the hallway, followed by a scowling silver head.

The other girl, however, had stepped in front of me, crimson red eyes examining my face closely.

"Um... Did you need something else?" I asked somewhat awkwardly as the girl leaned closer with a curious smile on her face.

"No, just wanted to get a measure. Those news teams definitely didn't do you justice," she sighed, giggling at my expression as she skipped after her fellow students, waving back to us just as she rounded the corner out of sight.

"Well, that was... bracin'." Ben fell back against the wall, chuckling to himself as he scratched at his shoulder, before smirking back at me. "Now that there's a woman ya don't wanna cross. Along with another one of your fans, Psycho. Aren't you popular nowadays?"

I couldn't help but join in the laughter, clutching at my side as I fought to get the shakes out of my system.

"Joel..." I paused, seeing Ruby staring at me, cheeks bright red and puffed up angrily. "You aren't thinking of cheating on Yang, are you!? I saw the way you were looking at that other...!" I burst out laughing even harder this time, ruffling the girl's hair much to her protest and waving arms, trying to bat my arm away, "J-Joel!? Ack, s-stop it! I'm serio...! Ah!"

"Hahaha, sorry!..." I said to the small girl, giving her a reassuring smile as I leaned down to her level.

I'd always been on good terms with the diminutive Huntress as a fellow leader and friend, but since saving her sister and in light of our relationship, I'd started seeing the girl more and more as a little sister. 'Hopefully, I don't screw this one up, too...'

I pushed the traitorous thought aside quickly. "Just because some random girls start showing interest, beauties included..." I winced as Ruby karate chopped me on the forehead, with a muttered "hi-yah" for the joke, "they still have nothing on your big sis, and how she makes me feel."

Ruby nodded before patting me on the head, standing tall as her small frame would let her. "Well, that's great to hear, because if you were thinking about it..." Her teeth flashed, forming a truly wicked grin for such an innocent face, "then my sweetheart and I would need to have a little chat with you. Understand?"

"Perfectly," I nodded, leaning back up quickly before I found myself minus a head.

''Huntress...' Right. Sometimes it's way too easy to forget that.'

"Great! Now, I need to run and grab my board game from the library before it closes. Then I had something important I wanted to talk about with your team..." She looked around the hallway, before whispering just loudly enough for us to hear. "It's about Torchwick..."

-Jacob Ambrose-

(Frontier City of Bastion, Aegis Academy Induction Ceremony - Approximately 5 Years Ago)

"Jake, sit up!"

I looked up wearily from the blue and green tiled floor of the auditorium, having spent the last hour absently trying to judge how many tiles of each color there were by the estimated size of the room and the dimensions of each square.

'Somehow that's more appealing than this speech could ever hope to be... Starting to think I'm pretty close to getting it right, actually.'

I turned to face my mother, who sat next to me, already in the process of waking up Dad, who sat on my other side, from his stupor. "They're starting the ceremony. Joel will be up soon if they go by the usual order. Pay attention."

"...They haven't even started?" I gaped at her, looking towards the ornate stage where an elderly councilman, Bastion's link to the other Kingdoms, stood droning on and on about honor, the role of Huntsmen in modern society, and et cetera to the incoming students assembled at the front.

'This is just annoying... Idle time is wasted time. You'd think a city famous for its Huntsmen would understand that.' I thought I could make out Brother sitting next to his friend, Natalie, her blue-streaked hair sticking out even from this distance. 'From the looks of it, he's not finding it much more entertaining than we are.'

Behind the councilman himself sat the assembled staff and dignitaries of the city. The recently elected Speaker Nathaniel Corbell, Natalie's father, and my grandfather, Kenneth Ambrose, stood out from the others. The Official saw me looking his way, and waved subtly, flashing me a pained grin.

"He sure likes to hear himself talk."

"I'm not arguing that..." Father patted me on the shoulder, earning a stern look from his wife. "But it's important information if you look past all the long-winded bits. Your brother's taking a big step forward today."

'Definitely a big step.' Joel had been wrapped up in Grandpa Ken's special brand of hell for the last few months, training in the city's outskirts in preparation for his chance at today. 'Attending one of the most renowned Huntsman Academies on the face of Remnant. The chance to gain fame and fortune by throwing himself against the monsters of the world. Who wouldn't want that?'

Any sane person, I would imagine. But Mom and Grandpa had been Huntsmen for years - decades, in Grandpa's case - and they seemed content enough with the life.

I sighed in relief as the councilman was finally dragged aside, with Grandfather taking his place, the large man standing above us all, looking out at the sea of young faces beneath him.

"Thank you, Councilor, for that... invigorating speech. Truly memorable." He nodded to the man as a round of scattered claps rose up from the more polite in the audience. "Now, on to why we're all truly here..." He waved an arm at the assembled students, as a woman pushing a cart laden with scrolls joined him at his side. "As Cahalrym, as Headmaster, Commanding Officer of Aegis Huntsman Academy, and proud defender of Bastion, let me be the first to welcome a new generation of Remnant's protectors. Huntsmen and Huntresses; future heroes all!" Cheers and applause roared up from the crowd at the words.

'Short and to the point. Best speech ever.'

"Please step forward... Aaron Agrona!" An enormous brick wall of a student got to his feet, and began making his way up to the stage. Carefully bred Frontier genetics clearly evident in his height and bearing.

'The norm around here...' I thought as I watched him and the Headmaster shake hands, standing almost at equal height with each other, before the next one made his way up.

This one and many of the other new students had similar builds, all muscle and size.

"Michelle Aldrich... Joel Ambrose..." Compared to the other students, Joel looked to be skin and bone. All lean muscles, and a head smaller than the first boy had been.

"That's him!" Mom was up on her feet now, cheering wildly, while Dad let out a loud whoop. The rest of the hall, however, had gone silent, as the now-thoroughly embarrassed young man walked down his row and into the aisle. "We love you, honey!"

He waved back at her, a nervous grin on his face, before quickening his pace, beaming as Grandfather presented him with a scroll and shook his hand.

"...So that's the new Ambrose, eh?" a gruff voice muttered behind me. "Scrawny one, isn't he? I swear, they'll let anyone that can swing a sword in these days."

"Well, what'd you expect? The line's been decaying for years now. Kenneth's son couldn't make the cut. You expect the spawn of that to be much better, Scion or no? Even with a woman like Patrice's genes, you can only go so far from nothing," another voice replied laughing.

"Indeed, a disgrace to the blood, raised among the common stock."

I felt my fingers clench so hard it hurt, sneaking a look over my shoulder to see just who it was that was speaking. Two older men sitting a few rows back, Huntsmen, judging by the swords on their belts, and the haughty air of superiority practically wafting off of them and the way they spoke, not seeming to care who heard them. Bastion was advanced in many things, but a Frontier City was a Frontier City, and tradition put Huntsmen above the common man.

'Especially the wealthy and/or connected ones...' I seethed angrily. Barbaric, most of them. No thought given to a person's merit beyond the strength of their Aura, and if they can fight worth a damn. 'Joel has as much, if not more natural Aura than any of them down there, so now they're picking over his size. Real mature.'

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Mom shaking her head, a sad smile on her face, while Father just stood there staring at Joel as he left the stage, practically glowing with pride, but a vein in his neck told a very different story.

"I heard Patrice had two sons. The younger one at least looks as if he has a bit of Kenneth in him. Is he in training?"

"Hardly. Didn't you hear? The boy's Aura was tested recently," the second man laughed loudly. "Apparently, it was pitiful! Not even worth the trouble of cultivating at all. Useless!"

I was shaking as my parents let out another loud cheer for Natalie, the small girl scrambling out of her seat, tripping slightly on her way up. 'Smart girl. Surprising that she wants to be a Huntress so badly.' I suppose having the option, though... 'Not as if a small part of me doesn't wish the same...'

"Just bear with it..." Patrice whispered under her breath. "They're not worth the trouble."

"So that's one Huntsman, at least," the first one piped up again, slapping his knee loudly. These two must be important if no one had said anything yet. "And what a sight he is. More a toothpick for the Soulless, than a proper meal. Little fnadlr probably begged Ambrose to cheat him into the system. How else do you explain it?"

"You know, it must be a real shame..." I said loudly with a shrug, drawing the eyes of everyone in the vicinity, "having to resort to bad mouthing others with more potential than either of you've ever had just to make yourselves feel superior in retirement. It's just sad to anyone with half a brain, really, though I guess that's asking too much."

"W-what did you say, you little cur!?" one of them shouted, getting to his feet, staring down at me in a combination of anger and disbelief. "What did you say!?"

I felt Mom's hand tighten its grip on my shoulder, willing me to stop... but I was having the time of my life. Grandpa was just rattling off names, so obviously we weren't disturbing anything yet. "Huh? Are your senses dulling along with your brains in your old age? You two obviously heard what I said, or you wouldn't be angry in the first place, would you?"

"You...!"

He put a hand of the handle of his sword, making to draw it, but froze, shivering as he looked over my shoulder, mouth open dumbly. His buddy wasn't doing too hot either, paling until he was white as a sheet. I followed their eyes, and saw that both Mom and Grandpa were glaring at them, eyes blazing.

Suddenly, the entire room felt somewhat charged as the Huntsmen standing took a seat again, bowing his head apologetically. I grinned at him cheekily, until I was forced back into my seat, a vice on my shoulder.

"Agh, Mom!"

"Sit down! You've said quite enough!" she hissed, voice cold as I realized the entire hall was staring at us. "Continue please, Lord Cahalrym! I have the situation handled." Grandpa nodded back to her, and went back to reciting names, attention slowly drifting away from us back to the other students. "Really, Jacob... I expected better..."

"You heard what they were saying! How could I...!?" I started, but a quick look from her was enough to make me lower my voice for fear of what would come. "They were talking about you, too... And Joel..."

"As they have every right to. What does it matter what they believe?" she said in a hushed tone, staring me full in the face. "It isn't your fault, or anything you or Joel have done. They're merely venting their frustrations at your grandfather by taking it out on the rest of us. The Ambrose name has never been a very popular one around the higher-ups, considering some of us are too outspoken for our own good."

She stared at me pointedly, before pointing down to where Joel sat, shooting us nervous glances as he tried to split his attention between us and the ceremony.

"This day, however, belongs to your brother. He earned his spot, and nothing those trumped-up fycdac monkeys say can change that. He chose to take their abuse when he decided to become a Huntsman, and worked his hardest every day to shove it back in their faces with every success. And this is only the beginning for him."

She wrapped an arm around me, and ruffled my hair playfully. "But don't let yourself think everything else they said was true, either. Joel has his own path, and you have yours. You don't need to be a Huntsman to help people, especially with a mind like yours." She tapped my forehead with her finger.

'...She's right,' I realized, looking back at the Huntsman I'd just humiliated, his eyes drilling into my skull, filled with hate. 'I can help people, even if I can't use Aura. Police, military. They all get by...'

...Get by... Yes, that was the problem. Man had to depend on the Huntsmen to save them. The rest of us regular men and women could only act as glorified meat shields against the Grimm and "get by."

"...But I could stop that..." I murmured to myself, even as the entire room exploded into rounds of applause for the new students. "I could help create a world where anyone could defend themselves and their loved ones from danger, regardless of how much Aura you were born with...A world where everyone has a chance, and good Huntsmen like my mother and grandfather don't have to put themselves at risk, while bastards like this sit here lording over the rest of us over how great they used to be..."

"Anyone change the world with enough will, Jake. Just wait. Your time will come."

At those words, the world seemed to shift. The enormous room morphed into a smoking ballroom. Mom was in a tattered dress, hovering over me, glowing with Aura as she told me to stay awake, blood in my eyes.

A dull thump and a heavy weight collapsed on my chest, while a man with horns stood above me with something smoking in his hand, followed an inhuman scream of rage splitting the air as a large shadow tackled him...

(Present)

My eyes snapped open, jolting me back to reality as I raised my head up from my position at the foot of the infirmary bed. The girl I'd caught sneaking in the vents still laid there unconscious, but, thankfully, breathed steadily, it seemed.

I quickly scrolled through the logs to check if anything new had come up I the few minutes lapse. Thankfully, however, it seemed Allison had kept things going smoothly, and the new AKs would be ready for tomorrow after all.

'Ironwood will be pleased. All they have to do is kick and pose.'

I'd been pulling near constant all-nighters for weeks now, making sure everything would go perfectly. It was the reason why I've been passing out so easily lately every time I sat down, or leaned on something for too long. But at least it was done.

Unfortunately, now that left me time to dwell. It was never a good thing to let a brain like mine sit idle for too long.

'I start dredging up the past again, and there's no good for anyone in doing that. Just time wasted on something frivolous, when it could've been spent doing something productive...'

It was all Joel's fault. Just the thought of him was getting under my skin like a bad rash. "Idiot..." I muttered, turning back as the girl began to stir slightly, eyes darting down to scan the personal file Allison had retrieved from Beacon's records, before peering down at the ornate ceramic Grimm mask on the bedside table beside her.

"Well, now isn't that a coincidence?"

-Reika Murasaki-

Pain... That was the first thing I felt as awareness slowly came back to me. My muscles were sore, tensing with every slight movement, despite the space beneath being surprisingly soft and comfortable...

'A bed?... No. If I got caught, it's probably a cell...' My eyes opened into slits, soft lights beating down from above, air circulating steadily through the room, and leaving a slight chill on my face...

'...Wait, my face!'

Ignoring all thoughts of pain or discomfort, my limbs shot to my face, heart stopping as I realized it was bare, fingers worrying at the edges of the scars and soft pale skin. 'The mask! Where's...!?'

"Whoa! Easy!" My eyes focused as I finally took note of where I was. I was lying in a bed, wearing a thick hospital gown in the middle of some kind of unfamiliar medical facility, deserted except for... "Look, I know this is probably disorienting, but you need to calm down. You're still not fully recov...!"

I didn't give him time to finish speaking, Joel's brother or not. I'd caught sight of my mask and lunged for it, pushing him aside like a rag doll as I quickly went to work on the straps. I breathed out a sigh of unbridled relief as I got it firmly back into place, heart rate dropping steadily, before pain shot through my limbs as the adrenaline went with it, leaving me gasping for breath slumped against the edge of the bed.

"Tried to tell you..." the boy groaned in annoyance, before glancing at the mask more closely. "So it was an issue of comfort after all." I tried to focus through the pain as the younger Ambrose picked himself up off the floor, adjusting his glasses. "The matron suggested keeping it close just in case. Good for me, it seems. The rest of your gear is in the other room. You can pick it up once you're cleared to go, and we've determined you haven't seen anything confidential, or left anything behind."

'Cleared to go?' I looked around the room, confused. 'But I snuck in here. I broke into a secure military airship, and they're just going to let me go?'

"Reika Murasaki. Yes, we've already accessed and gone over your Beacon file. Member of Team AMBR, led by Joel Ambrose," the tall man said in a flat tone whilst holding up a watch, a small holographic screen springing to life just above its surface. "Not too much on record, but from what we can see, you aren't a threat to anyone currently on the ship, or our interests. Likely, you're here just looking out for your team's leader, correct?"

I hesitated slightly, but nodded. I wasn't sure if I was confessing to a crime, or answering a simple question.

"Thought as much... Well, you may or may not be aware of this depending on how long you were listening in on our talk, but my name is Jacob Ambrose. I'm Joel's younger brother." He bowed his head towards me in greeting. "I hope we can get past the whole awkwardness of my assistant stunning you like that earlier." He scratched at his head awkwardly, similar to how Joel would sometimes. "We've had assassination attempts in the past by White Fang agents, so tightening security measures was unavoidable. Can't afford the luxury of being too discerning in a situation like that."

I tried to sit up again, but halted as my limbs screamed in protest. The large boy shook his head. "I'd take it slow at first. The electrical current you took would be strong enough to put even my brother down for a spell, and he's pretty resistant. That you were only out for a few hours, and not hurt worse is... actually pretty astonishing, to tell you the truth."

He looked at me expecting a response. 'I guess normally you would respond to an apology.' I blushed underneath my mask, pointing to where my mouth would be, and shaking my head.

His eyebrows rose, before he took a closer look at my file, nodding in understanding moments later. "So it's like that, is it? My mistake..." he sighed, grabbing up his chair and sitting down with a weary groan. He really was massive. At least a head taller than Joel was, and bulky, rather than lean like his brother. "Terrible first impression, I know. I don't really spend a lot of time interacting with others much while I'm working, at least in person, anyway. I guess I must be a bit out of practice." He took out a small Scroll from his pocket and passed it to me. "Use this. Just type out any responses you might have... Or I suppose you could nod or shake your head, if that makes you more comfortable."

I stared down at the interface, a pit in my stomach. I'd gotten pretty good with grammar and writing since coming to Beacon, but I was hardly proficient to carry out a long conversation like this.

"So, now that we can communicate, I'd just like to say that on behalf of myself and the medical staff, we're deeply sorry if we passed some sort of personal line with your mask and the scars." He gestured to my face with an apologetic expression. "Your breathing was pretty shallow when I brought you in, and the nurses said it could interfere with your air flow. Despite it being for your health, however, it still wasn't fair to you."

I narrowed my eyes, drawing Aura away from the healing just long enough to read his own with my Semblance, looking for some sign of deceit. The results were shocking, to say the least. The boy barely registered to my senses.

If I had closed my eyes and went by this sense alone, I was slightly ashamed to admit I probably might have overlooked him as some plant or small animal. Emotions strangely dulled somehow.

The feeling was... disconcerting, but from what I could feel, the boy was truly sorry about what had been done.

"Why?" I typed out slowly, unfamiliar with the device.

I had a Scroll of my own, but that was just a carry-around key to my room, or paperweight to me for the most part. I usually just followed my teammates, a teacher, or my Semblance if I needed to get somewhere or find someone, and the call and text features were understandably worthless, considering my communication issue with my voice and literacy.

"Why am I acting so sorry, you mean?" he looked down at the floor, taking a deep breath before looking back at me. "I think it's because I wouldn't want someone to see my own scars in a similar situation, though they are a bit easier to hide, I'll admit."

He reached toward his collar, loosening the tie he wore and a few buttons, and pulling aside the top of the collared shirt to reveal a web of burnt tissue and scarring extending from the right side of his neck, as well as down a good portion of his upper body.

"Remnants of a White Fang terrorist bombing that went off a few feet away from me. Blew off my right leg, and put me in a coma for a month, along with leaving a little above forty percent of what remained like this." He sorted out his appearance, before giving his leg a hard tap on the knee, the sound of metal ringing out audibly. "Point is, I understand the feeling of wanting to hide it, as well as the looks some people give them."

I nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about. There was a reason I wasn't showing off my face to everyone, even around Ben. I gave him a sympathetic look, a relieved smile crossing his features before shifting back to brisk and businesslike, activating what looked to be a compact Scroll inside of his watch.

"Okay, now, for the sake of security, I do have to ask you how much you heard of Joel and myself's conversation. Were you following us the whole way, or did you come in towards the end, just as he left?" I nodded my head at the latter. Ambrose nodded, letting out a sigh of relief as he typed out a small note, and sent it on its way, before getting to his feet. "Good. So, if there's nothing else..."

"Why were you and Joel fighting?" I typed out slowly, screwing up my face as I tried to sound out the word in my head, like I'd practiced with the Professor. I expected no reply, but instead he just frowned, seemingly debating how to answer.

"That's... a bit of a sensitive topic, at the moment. I can't go into any great detail with someone I'm not sure of. Aside from that, however, I guess it was, for the most part, stress and anger on my part, as well as a difference of opinion..." he responded, sitting down in the chair again, chin on one palm while the other tapped away at his leg. "Has Joel... mentioned me much to you and your team? You didn't seem surprised when I told you my name."

"Not a lot," I admitted, clearing the board quickly. "He thinks you hate him," I wrote awkwardly, avoiding meeting his gaze. His eyes were eerily similar to Joel's, only a bit darker, more stolid.

Jacob raised an eyebrow, but said nothing at first, instead leaning back in the chair with a creak as he glanced at the ceiling. "Yeah... He probably would believe something like that... Not like I did much to dissuade the notion today." He looked back at me sadly, suddenly looking very tired. Exhausted, even. "Well, I can tell you this. However it might have sounded to you, or what he thinks, I can't say that I hate Joel. More like I was disappointed at first, and now... Now, I don't know what to make of him."

I could remember Joel shouting about life, some sort of army, the soul... 'What kind of argument were these two having?'

"You have to understand that Joel and I, despite how things may look now, were actually quite close growing up. A byproduct of where and how we lived."

I stared at him for a few seconds with a confused gaze, before he elaborated further.

"Neither of us were 'social butterflies,' or had a lot of friends growing up for various reasons. Our grandfather was a big time hero where we grew up, and he was either hated or adored. The man was practically a legend in the Frontier, if a bit controversial for some of his views and policies. Joel and I were the legacy of his only son, who had failed to become a Rhidan, a Huntsman like his father, and a respected Huntress, who was too daft to get out while she could still find a decent match. At least, that's how the city of Bastion, or the upper class that lived in it, viewed us." He said it so bitterly, face darkening as he clenched his hands into fists. "Completely false, of course. Thomas Ambrose was a better man, by far, who acknowledged his limits, and joined the police afterwards so he could still help others. Mom met him while they were in Huntsman Academy, and married him even after he left, despite her 'friends' protesting that she could do better."

"Why?" I asked, confused as to why their father not being a Huntsman, or any of that other stuff, would even matter. People quit all the time. It was a hard life, and not everyone could make the cut.

'If anything, that makes what he did afterwards even more admirable.'

"Where we grew up, being a Huntsman meant you were nessescary; a hero. One's skills could take him to the heights of society, where legacy and the appearance of glorified 'honor' was paramount," he said sarcastically, his fingers resuming their rhythmic tempo on his leg. "It was a different culture from the Kingdoms, by far. Normal citizens did the majority of the work, but it was the wealthy and the powerful - the Huntsmen as you'd know them - that ran the city, and they made sure you knew it too. If you couldn't serve, or weren't from some big family name or position, then you weren't as important. That our father, despite his upbringing, messed up was deemed a shame to them, and something they judged Joel and I harshly on when we were born. And by her blood, did they have fuel to burn with that fire..."

He chuckled darkly under his breath, holding up a finger between us.

"First off, you have Joel, who, despite how he might look now and his lineage, grew up rather small and sickly. Hardly the image of the 'proud' and 'mighty' protector the city tried to portray. The other kids sure took advantage of that."

He held up another finger. "And then you have me, with barely any Aura to speak of. It also didn't help any that I was literally the smartest person I knew growing up." He shrugged at the skeptic expression I gave him. "What? Being humble just ends up bringing more attention to it, and makes you sound even more like a fool in the end. Do you know many ten-year-olds that knew more about the underlying physics of Dust use, and the applications of mechanical engineering after a few months of studying their way through about half a library, and a few old research texts left over from when Atlas first encountered us, than most experienced Huntsmen or engineers did. Even going so far as to create a more efficient Dust battery capable of powering electronics and small vehicles at the age of eleven simply because he could?"

As arrogant as the question sounded, there was not one trace of conceit in his voice. Rather, it merely sounded as if he were just listing off a simple fact. Even his face didn't change much, no smile or flash of pride in his eye. Still, I was surprised he wasn't winded from that long sentence.

"Suffice it to say that it didn't exactly go a long way towards making me popular with kids my own age, so a lot of the time it was just me and my brother looking out for each other. Even after we grew older and things changed, Joel found people that he could count on in his new life, and began making a name for himself as a Huntsman-in-training, while my ideas and designs began to find more and more acclaim after people started to realize they actually worked. Atlas, especially when word reached." He waved a hand at the room, before tugging at his uniform wistfully.

"So what happened?"

"The White Fang and their 'war for equality' happened..." the younger Ambrose spat out, even angrier than before. "They attacked a celebration honoring my father for taking down one of their smuggling rings. A pair of White Fang infiltrators set off a bomb in the middle of the dance floor, killing dozens, including Dad, and injuring me before going on a rampage, killing those that survived. The only reason I'm here today is because Mom... she used what she could of her Aura to keep me alive... at the cost of lowering her defenses... One of the Faunus saw what she was doing, and..."

He made a shooting motion with his hand, a sad look in his eye.

"Would've finished me off if Joel hadn't gotten him away from me... When I woke up, the nurses told me that Joel had activated his Semblance, and used it to kill the one he grabbed, before authorities busted into the room and shot down the other one... Hell of a thing to wake up to. Then, when Joel came to see me, he was... different..."

"I am sorry," I keyed in, nodding my head towards him. He nodded absently, glancing at his watch as a message flashed across it. I thought I heard him mutter something under his breath, before pushing it off the screen.

"Don't be. Unlike my brother, I made my peace with it long ago. It was a stupid, senseless act of violence that ended with the perpetrators' deaths, and helped no one. Joel was the one who took it too far... Though, I have to say, it does feel nice to talk about this with someone without any sort of degree," he exclaimed, stretching out his arms as he cricked his back. "It's true what they say about filling the silence: it all just comes out at once. Anyway, I'm certain you know how the rest of it went. Joel runs off with our friend Natalie to join the Red Hand - something I argued against profusely, by the way - leaving me to fend for myself in a city of vultures picking at the corpses of those that died for any bits of power they could. Didn't hear or see any sign of him until his trial years later, and by then, we had little else to say to one another."

"And you never hated him for that?"

"Of course not. Trapper, terrorist, or Huntsman, he's still my brother, even if I have to do my part to rid our name of the mess he's caused it..."

He got up and hobbled to the door, a bit shakily due to the leg or his own weariness, before pausing abruptly to look back at me.

"...You've known him for a few months now, haven't you? Lived alongside him. You're even willing to infiltrate the most dangerous ship in the Atlesian Airfleet to have his back... Why?"

I thought about it for a moment. There were many viable answers to that question, after all. Joel was my Team Leader, and, more importantly, my teammate. It was my duty to look after him. I owed him for doing his part to help me adjust to Beacon and my new lifestyle. He'd probably do the same thing in a heartbeat, without even thinking...

"He's my friend," I answered, staring him full in the face, brilliant violet meeting dark blue.

Jacob stared at me for a few seconds, before nodding and grinning broadly. "My brother was always a strange one... Indecisive, sarcastic, and always down on himself..." he said slowly, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door frame. "But if the need arose, he would change in a heartbeat, and become this figure that could inspire and lead. Someone you could depend on to be there for you... That was the Joel I used to know before the White Fang and the Red Hand ripped him apart, and spat back the terrorist he became... But if what I've heard and seen is true... then perhaps there might be hope after all..."

He bowed deeply to me before righting himself, a serious expression on his face. "Thank you for that... But when you see him again, could you do me a favor and pass on a message for me? He left before I could let him know."

I nodded hesitantly as I stretched my limbs, relieved to find that most of the aches and pains had disappeared for the most part, allowing me to stand up from the bed.

"Let him know that whether or not he's changed, even if he's more Huntsman than Trapper now... if he attempts to get in the way of the world that I, General Ironwood, and the rest of Atlas is trying to build... he will be crushed without mercy or remorse, brother or not... A pleasure, Miss Murasaki. Truly." He left me alone in the room with that, metal door sliding behind him.

I couldn't help but feel a cold shiver run down my spine as I gathered my equipment, changing quickly as I felt Strike Lotus' comforting weight beside me.

'He's more like his brother than he even realizes,' I thought to myself, remembering the determination I'd seen in his gaze, and how his Aura had felt at the statement. 'He meant what he said... Nothing will stop him...'

To see such a will in someone probably only a few months younger than myself was terrifying. To feel the true weight of it using my Semblance was even more so.

'Ambrose, what on Remnant have you gotten yourself into?'

-END

-OC Voice Cast Introduced this Chapter-

Young Jacob Ambrose - Debi Derryberry

Kenneth Ambrose - Doug Cockle

A/N: So I in no way had any idea this chapter would be this long, it started for the most part as an attempt to give Jake some reason for being the way he is but I'm not sure if I pulled it off the way I intended. Anyway sorry if it wasn't too exciting, this was more of a sort of build up chapter leading into the whole Vale bit which is definitely going to get a bit crazy to say the least given all the different perspectives and action I get to work with so look forward to that in the near future.

To the guest reviewer: Yes I believe a soul is a soul as well despite where it comes from though I can understand the thoughts of those that PMed me giving their own opinions on the matter. Some of the discussions got very deep and I'm actually amazed at the split. (Though most everyone seemed to unanimously agree that if I hurt Penny I burn, real soul or not)

Also just a note for the story, I've gone back and added little codex segments at the end of my earlier chapters (1, 3, and 5 at the moment I believe) that have a bit of info about some OC bits of the world like Joel's home Bastion and the Badlands where Reika and Ben grew up. It's mostly just flavor bits and I'm still looking to see if I should add more.

As always thanks for your support, the next chapter might be awhile with finals coming up but I'll do my best. - Mojo

EDIT 5/1/2015: Yeah so I realized I don't have LMNH, my other story, nearly as well planned out as I thought and am taking some time off to mull over ideas which means I'll likely be working on this one for the most part as it's where most of the drive is at the moment.