I always liked to go stargazing. It helped me think. Stargazing isn't my only interest of course but it's fundamentally related to what happened to me. One moment I was out on a clear night staring at a full moon and the next I was staring at a cracked moon much closer than it should be. There was no puff of smoke or fade I was just looking at one image than another.

My immediate thought was that the moon was hit by a meteor or something. I then took a moment to make sure it wasn't coming any closer before taking a look around. Of course, I expected to be sitting on the steps my father made on the front of the house. I found that I was on a bench overlooking a body of water.

I thought it more productive to find out where I was rather than focusing on any of the other thousand questions I had at the moment. My brilliant plan was to check my phone using google maps. I had no signal nor wi-fi, so I endeavored to find a map or store or sign to direct me.

I found no sign and couldn't find a map but I did find people. They were dressed weird but seemed to be regular people living life as if the cracked moon was normal. It was tempting to go up and ask for directions but social anxiety said otherwise. I continued down a road looking for a possible landmark denoting anything of value.

I found a recognizable landmark in the form of a small shop at the end of the street. Illuminated by light in the darkness of the night I read Dust till Dawn. Then the panic had set in.

It didn't last that long compared to how long I have been on Remnant. Since that first day, I've managed to not die. The first few days were rough, but I'm a capable person. After about a week I landed a few odd jobs around vale. I figured any dust shop or dock job would be dangerous so I mostly stuck to other things. The time frame did seem to be volume one or so from as far as I could tell.

After the second week, I was able to rent an apartment. The owner of the building, a raccoon faunus, seemed suspicious of a lonely kid who was obviously homeless paying over the counter. I deflected any questions I got in the most polite way possible, a shrug.

The room was dirty but the streets were worse. The room did have a bunch of sci-fi fantasy devices like a microwave that used dust. I thought it was cool, though I'm sure low grade in relation to the rest of the world. There's also a shower and laundry. It feels great to be clean again.

At the moment I'm currently thinking about my next course of action. Beyond money, which I just paid for a month's stay with almost everything I had, I haven't made any sort of plan. I have no interest in heroics personally and huntsman training sounds awful. That coupled with the fact I definitely don't have an aura or any combat experience makes me at the worst constantly in life-threatening danger. I reflexively shudder when I think about my very possible demise by nightmare monsters that literally smell fear. A big question is how to avoid this possible demise and I think there are two ways I can play this, smart or brave.

If I play this smart I get out of vale and go either to Minstrel or Atlas. I wouldn't last in the villages that are constantly threatened by grimm or bandits. I don't think a human would be very welcome in Menagerie. Finally, Vacou has been described as almost lawless and without a semblance, I wouldn't stand on fair ground from the beginning. If I make it to Minstrel or Atlas I'm sure I could find some way to thrive, eventually, though I'm sure to travel there safely would cost an exorbitant fee. I could also look into any of the cities like Argus though Argus honestly might be the only non-capital with walls.

If I try to play brave I go directly to Ozpin or Qrow or really anyone in the know and sell out. This would, first of all, put me in a very safe place being under the watchful eye of an immortal who technically might have control over all huntsmen in existence to some extent. That is only if he believes me without suspecting me of working for Salem. There is nothing I could say to him to prove both I know what I know and Salem didn't just feed me this information without accurately predicting the future which I don't know by heart. On the plus side, if he does, believe me, I could stop a lot of deaths. If I were really brave I could sell out to Salem, but that didn't end well for Lionheart so that's option z.

I weigh the two paths against each other in my head for a while. I realize that the fall of Beacon doesn't happen for a while so I have time to decide. I'll sleep on it for now.

I don't decide after I wake or the day after or even the day after that. It's a worrying thing. I figure that I should keep my current position at the moment and wait for an opportunity. If an opportunity doesn't present itself before the beginning of the vital festival then I'll leave. I also decide that telling people would put a needless target on my back.

When I wake up in the apartment it's the first moments of true calm I've had on Remnant. With most of my money spent I begin working more odd jobs attempting to save enough for transport to another kingdom. It's during this time I come into contact with the first person I recognize, Junior.

It turns out junior owns a lot of side businesses and I've been, unknowingly working for him a lot. How I caught his attention, I have no idea. I was cleaning for this old dude when said old dude told me his boss, Junior, wanted to talk to me. That lead to a conversation about who Junior, which of course I already knew but keeping appearances demanded I didn't, was and now I'm in a club that I'm too young for waiting for a guy that I'm afraid of.

The two twins approach first followed by a bunch of what I'll call mobsters. They don't say anything to me they just gather around a few actually drinking seemingly nursing recent wounds. I guess the yang thing happened recently and has made him cautious. A few more uncomfortable minutes of waiting and the man himself shows up. He doesn't have his bat rocket launcher as far as I can see. He walks slowly with purpose, I assume he's trying to intimidate me.

He sits across from me which is the bar side before beginning to speak, "You are a hard person to contact, kid. Call me Junior."

He extends his hand and I shake it cautiously replying, "Tristan."

He smiles and squeezes far too tight, "Sounds foreign, I like it. Listen, kid, I like to keep tabs on the goings-on here in Vale and you have flown very far under the radar despite the fact you have been working for me for like a month."

He pauses and I don't know what to say so I stay quiet before he continues, "I'd like to know how you got into Vale without anyone, specifically me, noticing."

I imagine having a secret passageway would help a criminal like Junior. I'm definitely not going to tell him the truth.

I begin to lie, "Well you see" then I'm interrupted with an "If you try to lie to me I'll know and nobody will be happy about what happens after that." As he nods his head toward some of the goons who draw their weapons. They have hatchets, bats, and the like.

Now more nervous I begin speaking with my arms around my chest, "I woke up in an alley and can't remember anything before that."

The amnesia lie was one I cooked up very early on and thought was one of the least convincing things I could have come up with.

To my credit, it makes Junior pause for a moment before saying, "An amnesiac, well as it so happens my boys are great at helping people remember things."

He then snaps his fingers. Two of the mobsters grab my arms while another gets a bat. I try to struggle but am have malnutrition and weak even before that. As the bat boy begins to wind up the doors to the club open with a bang as I see Roman Torchwick and Neo walk in.

Roman says, "Now Junior I hate to interrupt but it seems you forgot something when I hired your employees. Don't scam Roman Torchwick!"

Junior looks past me, "I didn't."

Roman chuckles, "The goons that lost to a child would beg to differ. Now here's what's going to happen. You're going to repay me or Neo here is going to have a field day."

Junior snaps his fingers signaling his underlings to draw arms, "I didn't scam you and You're outnumbered. Now get the hell out of my club."

Roman exhales, "That's what I get for being merciful. Neo if you will."

Neo in response attacks. It's impressive to see this in real life. Neo expertly ducks, bends and weaves out of the way of every attack. I'm let go as the two holding me are drawn into the fight. Neo is batting people away with the umbrella.

One of the goons with an axe swings it far too slowly and Neo catches their arm. In the next second, she takes the arm and bends it in a way that should not be bent. The goon screams and most of the other combatants back up.

Junior who so far remained out of the fight in order to keep me from running draws his bat bazooka thing. He aims right at Neo who is distracted with one of the twins.

I see him line up the shot and begin to fire. My body acts without thinking as I shout, "Look out!" then kick the weapon. It isn't knocked out of his hand but the shot goes long into a row of tables.

Junior turns to me and grimaces, "Should have stayed out of it."

He lifts the giant club and I begin to scramble away. Neo still dealing with goons is too far away to help not that I think she would.

As he brings the bat down he is shot by a red flare knocking him into the bar. I look to see Roman who says, "Favours for favours, kid."

I nod and skitter away from the people. Between me and the exit is the fight of now the twins and Neo. Neo is dodging blow after blow but eventually one of the sisters hits Neo in the jaw. The offending twin laughs but the illusion cracks away revealing that the twins to not have damaged Neo at all.

Neo now behind one twin roundhouse kicks the one who was just punched the illusion. The girl goes down with a crash as she hits the floor. The lone twin looks on with a frown as Neo approach step by step.

It's finished quickly as when the twin goes to kick Neo she grabs the twin's leg and just breaks it with a flick of her wrist.

Just as Neo begins to draw the blade from her Umbrella Roman says, "Hold on Neo. They're beaten enough right now. As long as Junior pays double what he already owes me nobody has to die here."

From behind the bar, I hear, "Take the money and go!" as he tosses a bag of lien out.

Luck for me when Roman grabs the bag he curb stomps Junior rendering. every one but myself, Roman, and Neo unconscious.

Unlucky for me Neo appears to communicate something to Roman then points at me.

Roman responds, "Don't know. Do whatever you want to him." She thrashes me before knocking me out cold. I try fighting back, but Neo is a trained killer and I've never been in a fight.

I wake up in a cell. Assumedly I'm at a police station as I see a desk with a badge on it. I look around the room but don't notice anyone.

I'm kept waiting for the better part of an hour before two men in police uniform enter the room. They notice me immediately.

One sneers, "You kids are all the same either wannabe huntsman or no good troublemakers."

He grumbles under his breath as I'm left to wonder what exactly he means. The two men are approaching my cell.

The other officer says, "We're going to take you in for some questions if that's ok."

I motion around to show that I have nowhere else to go. The officer that isn't grumbling continues.

He says, "Very well, we were unable to identify you so could you give your name and background?"

I answer quietly, "Tristan," I pause still unsure my name not having a colour background would raise any flags, "Christopher."

He writes down the name before the other man in the room announces loudly, "That doesn't sound like a real name, kid. You better hope we don't find out your lying."

This feels like a bastardization of the bad cop, good cop routine. Also, how would you know if I was lying.

The 'good' cop then asks, "And background." Continuing after I stay quiet, "Anything from residence to immediate family."

I say quietly, "Orphan and until recently homeless."

That's what I am now an orphan. I wonder if they're relieved I'm gone. No kid hanging around to drain funds.

The cops to their credit let what I say hang in the air for a quiet moment or so. The 'bad' cop is the one who breaks the silence.

He says, "Enough of these technicalities. We have video evidence of your meeting known former criminal Hei Xiong otherwise known as Junior. All we need to know is if you're working for him."

Technically yes, but I answer with, "No, sir."

It's a good thing I'm great at lying less I be incriminated by association.

The cops stare then 'good' cop sighs, and asks, "Then why were you meeting with Junior?"

The best lies include the truth, "He thought I knew a way to smuggle stuff into Vale."

'Good' cop writes something down, "And how were all people in the room incapacitated?"

I ask quickly, "The cameras didn't show the fight."

'Bad' almost says something before stopping himself then saying, "The cameras were tampered with both the audio and most of the video were deleted. All we got was you talking with Junior."

I assume that's because of Roman. I answer with a complete recap of the fight.

'Good' cop says, "So this incident really had nothing to do with you?"

I shake my head.

The cops nod to each other before one says, "Kids all yours Ozpin."

No.

A grey-haired man enters the room.

Hell no.

A blond woman with witch accessories closes the door behind herself as she follows. They sit down across from me. I say nothing.

Ozpin chuckles, "The last child we met like this couldn't keep her mouth shut, but it seems like we'll be having trouble getting this one to speak."

I offer a polite smile to what I think is a joke. Glynda scowls at the immortal.

Ozpin coughs awkwardly, "Well onto brass tacks I suppose. Do you know who we are?"

I nod, "You're from Beacon. The headmaster and assumedly a teacher."

Ozpin nods, "Very good. Now surviving a brawl that left several high ranking criminals either dead or crippled is no small feat, young man. There is also the issue of you possibly being targeted by Roman or Junior. So I have prepared to make you an offer. I'm aware you may not have an interest in becoming a huntsman, but I see some potential in you and frankly, we're short one student for an extra team. You'll get a free education and free place to stay should you choose to accept. So do you want to attend Beacon Academy?"

I stare for a few moments which in retrospect might have been weird. I never considered this a possibility nor do I want to seriously consider this. I'm not a fighter and if I was I'm not on even the lowest level of huntsmen in training. But, I don't think it's really safe for me now that Junior wants me and Roman knows me. I'm also pretty turned on by a free bed. And, I always planned on pursuing a higher education.

Screw it open-door philosophy, "I'll go on one condition. I need a weapon."

Ozpin smiles a coy smile that honestly makes me want to hit him before saying, "That can be arranged."

Authors Notes

My attempt at doing an isekai RWBY fic. I tried to make the main character not a self-insert mary sue but I've never claimed to be a great writer only a sub par one. Anyways a review is also appreciated. I hope you enjoyed chapter 1.