Hello everyone. I'm a new writer on this site and this is my first fic. I would love it if you guys have anything to say about this story concept I have. If there's any constructive feedback, please put it down in the reviews section and I will do my best to get to you ASAP. Without further ado, let's begin.

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to RWBY.

The door of the quaint apartment slowly creaked open and a man stepped in. Dressed from head to toe in clothes that otherwise wouldn't turn any heads or look out of the ordinary, this man was about as average as the phrase "average joe" could get. However, look beneath the surface and you'll find someone who is extremely unique. Special in his own way, those who don't know him or barely do simply regard him as another person trying to make a living in this uncertain and volatile world. But those who do know him well would say otherwise.

Sadly, it would seem that all he has now in his life are strangers.

The man took out his wallet and started counting his cash to see if he had accidentally dropped any while he was buying food earlier. To his relief, he didn't lose any money or worse, his debit card.

As he took out his debit card, he looked at the name on it; Bryan Windsor. Sighing, he realized that it had been a long time since his parents were around. He really missed mom and dad…

Flashback…

The Windsors were never wealthy but they had a heart of gold. No matter whoever approached them for aid, they would always lend a helping hand. Be it money issues, food shortages or just need someone to talk to, they would be there and happy to help. They brought over the same mentality when raising their son, Bryan. They instilled values of compassion and righteousness above all else when teaching him. Soon, it was apparent that Bryan was just as kind-hearted and helpful as they were.

However, the same could not be said for the majority of the community that the Windsors lived alongside. They didn't care about values such as "compassion" or "honesty". All they cared about was money. While the first few people that the Windsors helped were really struggling and had problems, the rest that came for assistance simply wanted to take advantage of the Windsors' kindness, each one greedier than the one who came before them.

Or that's what Bryan thought.

Bryan was always the suspicious one, even as a young boy. Being less naïve than his parents meant that he had a keener eye and learnt early on how to discern if someone was lying. He knew that majority of the people who came for aid were faking it and all they wanted was money or freebies. But every time he pointed it out to his mom or dad, they always smile, pat his head and say, "I know" before helping that person.

It always confused him to no end, why would his parents help those who they know were just basically vermin trying to hustle them for cash? Well, he got the answer to that question when his curiosity and frustration boiled over.

After seeing both of his parents give away some money to a shady old man, Bryan decided that he had enough of seeing his parents getting taken advantage of, he approached them and asked the burning question.

"Mom, dad. I have a question."

Seeing the frustrated look in their son's eyes, they immediately knew what he was going to ask, but decided to play along.

"Why do you guys willingly help them? Are you so blind that you have no idea that they're lying to you both just to make a quick buck? We're already struggling as we are and they don't deserve our help!"

At this, his father raised his hand. Fearing that he might have gone too far or hit a nerve, Bryan braced himself for a slap.

However, what came wasn't a slap, but more of a pat on the head. Smiling, his dad kept rubbing his head softly and asked, "Well, what do you define as someone who "doesn't deserve our help" ?"

"W-well…people who obviously can't take any form of hardship at all and have to resort to others to support them! For example, take the people who always ask for money. They always come here, grovelling at your feet, hoping to take advantage of your kindness and score some cash off you when they can just find a job out there and earn their own money!"

Sighing, Bryan's mom lowered down until her eyes met his and asked him a question, "If they could do that, why would they need to ask us for money ?"

"B-because they're greedy and lazy! Plus, dad got a job, so why couldn't they? It's just work in the mines, there's no need for any sort of qualifications or social standing!"

"Dear, you might not know but there was only one vacant job slot left in this entire city years ago when you were born, and it was being a miner. Everyone caught wind of this, including your father. Trust me when I say, all of them had the intentions to work. They all rushed over to the job recruiting area in order to secure that job and finally earn a decent living. I don't know if it was just pure luck or sheer willpower, but your dad got there first and so he got the job. It's been years since then, but there haven't been any more job openings in the mines or anywhere else. The residents here, including those who you deemed "lazy" and "useless", are actually men and women who had great drive and ambition. But I guess…after your dad got the job, the rest of them got dejected and had their ambitions and drive crushed. What you deem as laziness is actually hopelessness. To them, our help doesn't fuel their greediness, rather, it fuels their will to live."

Looking away sadly, she continued after a short breath, "I understand how you feel and your reservations to helping so many people. But you have to look at the bigger picture. In this dystopian world, nothing is black and white. In order to survive, these people would resort to anything, including robberies or even kidnappings. We help them so that they would hopefully refrain from straying down that path. If we did not help them, we would've been robbed or even worse, murdered."

After hearing what his mom said, Bryan immediately started to feel tears swell up in his eyes and hugged his mom. "I-I'm so sorry! I d-didn't know…"

Softly chuckling, his mom returned the hug before softly whispering, "It's ok sweetie. What matters is you know why we do what we do. Remember, you should always help someone who's in need. But don't blame yourself if they don't help themselves after all you've done for them."

Flashing a big smile, his dad hugged them both.

"Wow, with all those inspiring words, I could've sworn you were 10 years younger, you cute little angel." He said to his wife, teasingly.

"Oh shush you, not in front of our kid…" She giggled, brushing his hand away from her shoulder.

Turning to Bryan, he said, "Your mom's right. You should always aim to help when help is needed. Don't be discouraged if there's no progress, that isn't your fault. But one more thing you should learn is, to never back down in the face of adversity. The world is a dangerous one and there's danger almost everywhere. But you should never, ever give up on any dreams you have just because of the environment. I personally believe, no matter where you grow up in, you always have the potential to do great things in life and achieve any dream you have. So, you should always fight for your dream and ambition. Don't ever lose sight of what matters and never give up. If you are unsure about yourself, just know that we are always here with you and we love you, no matter what."

Smiling, Bryan managed to choke out between tears, "Thanks mom and dad, I love you 2 too."

"That's the spirit, now go wash your face up, it's almost time for bed."

"Will do!"

Over the next few months, Bryan slowly changed his viewpoint on the people who approached his family for help. No longer did he view them as pests who leech off his family, but rather people who just wanted to survive this hellhole of a world. Soon, he began helping the very people he once despised and they started viewing him as a kind, helpful boy. They even talked highly about him to his parents, something that made Bryan embarrassed and shy as he was a very modest boy and not at all used to being complimented.

On his 11th birthday, his parents threw a party for him and got him a big cake. But what surprised Bryan wasn't the cake, but the gift they got for him. It was the first time that he ever got a birthday gift and needless to say, he was surprised when they presented a small box to him.

"I sincerely apologise for not being able to purchase any gifts for you for the last 10 birthdays. But we finally managed to get something for you. I hope you enjoy it, junior."

Overwhelmed with excitement, he tore through the wrapping and opened the box. Inside, it was a belt studded with black gems with a metal buckle in the shape of a cross that's adorned with the same black gems. Needless to say, Bryan was shocked to have received such a gift.

In disbelief, Bryan asked, "How did you even buy this? There's no place here that sells a normal belt, much less this!"

Scratching his head awkwardly, his dad chuckled, "Well…I got the belt from a friend of mine who smuggles things into the mine from time to time. It was missing its buckle, so I took a piece of iron ore I found in the mines and some carbon in order to make some steel. Once I had the steel, I forged it into the shape of a cross. As for the black gems, I managed to accidentally mine out some onyx ore and I just used that. Your mom also advised me on what you liked and helped me throughout the entire thing. Happy birthday, son."

Hugging both his dad and mom, Bryan shouted, "I love you both so so much! Thank you for the gift! I promise I will study hard in school and get good grades to make you both happy!"

"I'm sure you would now run along. Your mother and I have something to plan together."

"Ok!"

Rushing off to bed, Bryan would put the belt neatly on his bedside table. As he drifted off to bed, he had one, singular thought.

Dad and mom are the nicest people to ever exist. I wish they would be with me forever so that we can have so much fun in the coming years…

Unfortunately, his life was going to come crashing down, fast.

A day after his birthday, Bryan's dad and mom went out for their anniversary dinner. Having saved up enough money, his dad planned to bring her out to a fancy new restaurant. However, as they were returning home, they got run over by a drunk driver. By the time paramedics arrived, both of them had already died.

When neighbours came to break the news to Bryan, he was in instant denial. As he rushed to the accident site, more and more tears kept streaming down. He kept wishing that it wasn't true, that it was a case of mistaken identity, that his parents were still alive, happily eating with one another. When he reached the accident site, the paramedics were hauling the bodies away on stretchers. Bryan took one good look at them and instantly confirmed his fears; they were indeed his mom and dad and they were dead.

Seeing the ambulance go off into the distance and the crowd around him dispersing, Bryan collapsed to his knees and looked into the sky. In despair, he shouts.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Flashback end…

Opening his eyes, Bryan realised that he had been standing up for quite some time now, remembering the events from 8 years ago. After his parents had died, he was presented with a will that showed that his father left the house and his inheritance to him. Despite knowing that he would have money to keep him afloat for a while, he decided to play it safe. He quit school and enrolled in night school. During the daytime, he would take on odd jobs ranging from cleaning someone's house to working in a construction site. Night class would teach him whatever he missed out on school and extra skills too, such as engineering and cooking just to name a few. In his spare time, he would practice karate as a means of keeping fit and remembering his father, who was an avid karate practitioner.

After eating a quick dinner, Bryan had the notion that he was forgetting something. Looking at the calendar, he soon realised that it was his 19th birthday. He proceeded to treat himself to a cake and make a wish about leading a fruitful and happy life. After all that, he took a quick shower and promptly went to bed.

As he was about to doze off, however, he heard a faint voice calling for him.

"Bryan…"

Opening his eyes, Bryan caught sight of a glowing orb floating above his bed. Turning around, he decided to get more sleep-

"A glowing orb ?!"

Now fully awake, Bryan sprung up to see the orb floating above him, spooking him more and more as the seconds passed. After a while, he had the brilliant idea of conversing with the orb.

"Uh, hi ?"

"Salutations, Bryan Windsor, last of the Windsors."

"Y-you can talk ?"

"Of course, I am a deity after all!"

"A deity? What are you doing here then?"

After giving out a guttural sound which Bryan assumed to be laughter, the orb spoke, "Bryan Windsor, last of the Windsor line, I come to you with a proposition."

"What would that proposition be ?"

"I've seen your heart, your desires, your dreams and I can safely say that you are the purest being to exist on this godforsaken planet. You possess great potential and abilities, coupled with your personality and characteristics, make for someone who deserves to make his mark on the world. Sadly, this planet has treated you with contempt, taking away those who you love and leaving you with naught. I propose to bring you to another world. Another world where your mission will be to help people to defeat a great evil that threatens their existence."

"Another world? Do those even exist?"

"In your universe, no. But in another universe, yes. As a deity, I can look at all the different universes and their inhabitants. This one, in particular, I know you will like. So what say you, Mr Bryan Windsor ?"

Contemplating on the offer, he decided to prod further.

"Can I have more information regarding this world and details on my mission ?"

"Certainly, Mr Windsor. This world is called Remnant. It has a rich and vibrant history, although not as long as your world's. In short, your mission is to stop an ancient evil, Salem and her legions of dark undead called Grimm. These Grimm are heartless, emotionless monsters who seek to destroy humanity. They are attracted to negative emotions such as fear, anger, envy. You won't be alone in this mission. There are inhabitants in that world whose goals align with yours, thus you must help them too. In particular, aid the girl with silver eyes. There are many more things to learn in this new world, but I figured that it would be better if you learned about those things on your own, instead of listening to me about it. So, what say you, Mr Windsor? Would you embark on this journey to help save this planet from extinction?"

"Well..this certainly is a monumental task, something I've never done before. But if there's one thing my folks taught me, it's that I should always help those in need, regardless of the complexity. So yes, I accept."

"Very well! Oh and before I forget…"

"This world has another important aspect. Auras and Semblances. Auras are a manifestation of one's soul. They come in different colours and help the user in many different ways. Auras generally serve as extra protection against attacks, though they can only block so much before giving out. They also help to send shockwaves of force which allow the user to send projectiles flying at dangerous speeds towards any opponent. Additional purposes are healing, extrasensory perception, climate resistance and finally aura unlocking in which you can unlock someone else's aura."

Taking a deep breath, he continued.

"Semblances are more like specific abilities that are most of the time, unique to the individual. Rarely do 2 people have the same ability. Semblances are fueled by aura, so activate it for too long and you'll get drained quickly. For your case, your semblance is "Mastery". What it does is it allows you to learn and master any fighting style you see. Be it you watched a video, read a book about it, or saw someone demonstrate it, you'll be able to use it flawlessly. For now, you have only mastered 2 fighting styles, Muay Thai and Karate. Both of which your mother and father practiced respectively. But with the upcoming battles in Remnant, I trust you will acquire more styles. Also, I maxed out your potential, and now you have exponentially more strength, speed and agility when you arrive in the world of Remnant as compared to you now."

Forming a portal, the orb said, "Well, this is where we part ways. Your journey begins, Mr Bryan Windsor! Make new friends, new enemies and always remember your mission!"

"Will do….Uh, I don't believe I caught your name, sir ?"

"Oh, just call me G."

"Will do, Mr G. See you."

With this, Bryan walked through the portal and it closed behind him…

…And that wraps things up for the first chapter. It might be a little long so let me summarise the MC to the best I can.

Name: Bryan Windsor

Age: 17

Height: 6'0

Strengths: Fighting, information gathering, memorising things quickly, hard-working

Weaknesses: Water (He can't swim), precision tasks (sewing for example)

Semblance: Mastery

Description: A generally affable and shy boy who has absolutely no knowledge in interacting with those of the other gender, he would not hesitate to help anyone in need, granted that the person who needs help is someone who needs it. Born in a dystopian version of earth where ways to earn money legally are very limited and the majority of its inhabitants resort to crime just to stay alive, Bryan has found it hard to make his mark on the world and day by day, he slowly loses his ambition on changing the world for the better. That is until, he meets G, the enigmatic deity who sends him on a quest to save the world of Remnant. Knowing that this is his chance to make his mark on a world and do what he always preached, he graciously accepts…

That's all for today. I hope you guys stay safe from this pandemic and remember to stay indoors!

Toxilius, out.