Chapter 2: Bullet Time

RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. All other mentioned franchises belong to their respective owners.

(December 16th, 2020). So yeah, I decided to go back and write on this site again. Sorry for the lack of updates overall, I'm getting close to my last couple of terms at uni, so it is getting rather difficult to put aside time to write. I'm only really starting up again because I feel like I need to.

On the topic of this story, this is probably not going to be one of my more "popular" ones, if you can even call it that to begin with. I am purposely going for that "edgy"/ "dark" vibe as those were the kinds of stories I enjoyed reading for a while. While it will be cliché, I want to try and have a little fun with this one. I won't be surprised if this one doesn't get as much attention as my other ones. The other problem I have is that this one went through a bunch of rewrites before I settled on a concrete idea.

I plan on writing my Chapters more often on my Twitch Page. I plan on using the platform more often and I think it will be a good way to interact with you guys and have you ask questions as well as maybe find a twitch audience for myself. While I don't have a schedule ready now, I will most likely be streaming twice a week. Probably Wednesday evenings and Friday afternoons both in EST. Wednesdays will be dedicated to writing a new chapter for an upcoming story and Fridays will be dedicated to reading a story. As the gap between story chapters can be large, I will most likely stream more on Fridays than Wednesdays. In terms of Friday's events, it will most likely be a toss-up between reading aloud a story I am following or read ones that you guys can give suggestions…within reason of course.

After my emotional outburst and the shit-show that was my current situation, I wasn't really pleased with being trapped in this world. Oz asked me some basic questions, and I answered them with as much venom as I could muster. I couldn't really tell from his stoic expressions if he was ever once angry at me. I told him I would like to have a new name for this world, he asked me what I want to go with. I thought about it for a few moments.

"Sinna Styx." I told him.

"Any reason for that choice?" he asked me.

"I feel like it's fitting. Not many people of this world are going to get the last name, so people will just call me Sinna." I responded with a shrug. He typed the information into his desktop computer. While he did that, I felt around in my pockets to see if anything carried over from the travel, and I realized that I had something in the pocket of my jacket. I pulled it out and it felt like my phone, but it seemed to have transformed to look like the Scrolls I've seen in the show. Well that's odd. I fiddled with it for a bit discovering how to open it. Its semi holographic display had what looked like a passcode feature. I furrowed my brow. There's no way that carried over. I typed in my old phone's passcode and it suddenly opened, much to my shock. It had a couple of blank areas that looked like the spots where the owner's information would be. I looked up to see Ozpin staring at me.

"It looks to me like you already have a Scroll. As I just finished your information, minus a profile picture, I can sync it with what I have here." I handed him my Scroll and he pulled out a device that looked like it would allow for wireless syncing, but he received an error message. "That's peculiar."

"Hmm? Does it not work?" I ask.

"It doesn't seem to be." He responded more to himself. He handed it back to me and I immediately began fiddling with the settings. "I can get you a new Scroll."

I shot that down immediately. "I would not like a new Scroll. This…feels…familiar…"

"How so?"

"I think this is actually my phone. As if my forced arrival caused the merging of technology." I explained as I browsed through the contents and I nearly dropped it in shock. To my amazement, all my old music was on here. On the verge of tears, I frantically dug around in my jacket and jeans and felt a pair of wireless earbuds with me. I gripped them a fist and pulled them out. I gazed longingly at the simple in-ear sport style pair. What felt like a sacred ritual, I carefully placed them in my ears, I tapped the music icon on my phone and found out that even my playlists made the journey. I picked Ow My Feelings by Periphery and the music overwhelms my senses with a sense of nostalgia and euphoria. I began drumming my fingers to the strum of the guitar and just as the vocals are about to kick in, Ozpin's cane slams into the ground startling me.

"While I understand that this is important to you, I need to be able to sync the information. If I am unable to access it, perhaps you can."

I went over to his desk and analyzed the settings in my phone. Strange, there doesn't seem to be any kind of settings that would allow a normal sync to occur. I turned over my Scroll-phone in my hands to look for any kind of ports that I could use instead. Unfortunately, I couldn't find anything. I tried holding it up to the light to see if I missed anything, but I still feel like I couldn't find anything. Frustrated, the device suddenly made a notification sound, and then Ozpin's information synced onto my phone after a short while. Confused, I looked over everything and it all was there. "How the f-"

"Curious." He mused. I turned to face him.

"What?"

"You mean you didn't notice?"

"No." I said with genuine confusion for what felt like the first time today.

"Well, your black aura briefly surged around the palm of your hand and the data transfer was completed." Ozpin calmy explained. I processed his words.

"But I don't have an aura. How would it work?" Ozpin said nothing. "Is the aura activated by my Semblance? What even is my Semblance?" The las question was more to me than to him.

"We can find that out together." Ozpin started to say. "We have a full week before the new year starts, I would like to use that time to give you time to understand what your abilities are as well as answer questions of a more…delicate manner." I obliged with an audible grunt.

"Fine." I followed the Headmaster to the elevator, and he picked the middle area. It's better to keep my mouth shut. I get free room and board. But there's going to be a shit tone of things I need to consider and learn about before I dive deep into this. Or at least until the school goes to shit.

Arriving in a room placed down a hall, it was small yet simple. A twin-sized bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. I placed my hands in my pockets.

"So, what's going to happen now?"

Ozpin considers the thought. "I will personally train you. I have an area in mind where we can train you to our heart's content. You will be shot at and you will be expected to have an increased reaction time."

I laughed. "Do you have any idea how impossible that sounds?"

"You can't be killed by traditional means. It's a wonder if you can even permanently die at all. Perhaps this will give us more detail into the innerworkings of your abilities. I will also be transferring some money over to your account and add a map of the Shopping District. I do have some matters to attend to, but I will return in an hour." I nod.

The bed itself, while not the largest thing, it's comfortable enough for me to fall asleep. I can hear the chatter of passersby and I wonder just what I will be learning. The kinds of things I'm going to have to deal with are not going to be great for me. If I have to go through that whole team-thing, I just hope to not be the leader. Way too much pressure and responsibility. Now, when it comes to Ruby and friends, I wish I could just avoid them entirely. I don't want my revenge quest to be involved in whatever they are meant to do. But interacting with them will be an inevitability. If not from them, then from my possible teammates. But I don't think that being friends is a bad thing. That reminds me, I never shared a room with another person, especially three. I hope they can tolerate me.

My Scroll suddenly vibrates. I open it up to see a message from Ozpin.

[Apologies, Mr. Styx. My work has vastly increased. It will most likely be another couple of hours before my availability. I have temporarily given you access to the school's facilities for the time being. Please feel free to grab yourself something to eat in the meantime. If I am unable to meet you in time, please head over the elevator and hit the fifth floor.]

I sighed. "Well, at least I can explore for a little bit."

Getting up from my bed, I considered taking my headphones with me. I shake my head. I'll be fine. I open the door and I am greeted by a young woman. She appears to be around my age, give or take a couple of years. I was only a head taller than her. Her pale complexion brought out her medium length red hair. I noticed a pair of orange fox ears. Her golden irises captivated me.

"Uhhh…"

"I was wondering what I was picking up from around here. I didn't expect anyone to be in here." She got really close to me all of a sudden. I couldn't look away from her. She smelled nice.

"Who…" I took a step back and she only stepped closer.

"So, you're the source of it." She said vaguely.

I was confused. "The source of what?"

She tilted her head to the side before smiling. "Nothing. You're beat red by the way."

I got defensive. "So, what if I am? Social contact isn't really common for me. Especially this close." She giggled as she took a step back. Her hands in the pockets of her Demin shorts. I only now noticed she had a black short sleeve crop top with a red design of what looked like runes.

"Well, I can tell you my name, but you'll have to catch me first!" I was about to say something before she ran off.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I don't…what? I peered around the corner and she was already gone. It was then I finally noticed the empty feeling in my pocket.

She took my Scroll! I broke into a sprint and made a right before running down the hall to the left. I looked around for any sign of her. Some students were giving me looks, but I ignored them. I could be at this all day! But at the very least, she wouldn't have access to the contents. I slowed to a jog and went down another lengthy hallway before stopping to catch my breath. There were less people around here. She could be anywhere. I suddenly felt something crash into my back, pinning me to the ground. I strained my neck to see the culprit, but they were just out of my field of view. Their weight shifted.

"You'll have to do better than that." A feminine voice whispered suggestively before breathing into my ear, causing me to shiver something fierce. She got off me and it was indeed the same girl from before. She teasingly swayed her hips at me before running off, a devilish grin on her face. I quickly got up and chased after her. She was extremely quick, and she seemed to have some acrobatic skills as she frequently parkoured everywhere. My years of avoiding human contact back in high school allowed me to bob and weave around students who wouldn't get out of my way. I noticed we were coming across some large double doors, and it was at that moment where a random student ran into me.

"Bro, what the heck! Watch where you're going!"

I ignored him and ran into the room. Slamming the doors open, I realized I was in the cafeteria. Lots of people were staring at me. My eyes darting around the room, and then I looked up at the ceiling to see the girl in the scaffolding fiddling with my Scroll.

"Oh, fuck me!" I grumbled. I noticed her ears perk up. She looked down at me.

"I might take you up on that." She called down to me. My eyebrows shot up. I got really flustered then.

"Stop! Stop it with that!"

She laughed. "What's wrong? Not much of a flirt?"

I started to get frustrated. "Is that what this is to you? A game?"

She started to hang upside down by her thighs. "Aw come on. You looked really pissed when you were walking around. You needed some…motivation." I pinched my nose. "Tell you what, since you have such tight security on this, if you can get me down from here, I'll give you your Scroll back." I looked at her quizzically. She pouted. "Oh, what's with that look? Don't trust me?"

"You didn't exactly give me the best first impression."

"I promise I'll make it up to you!" she replied.

"Will you stop it with that!"

She blew raspberries at me before swinging back up and perching herself on the beams.

I had no idea what I could do to even get up there. That's way too high. I looked around at some of the students, and some were murmuring. Those who I locked eyes with wouldn't hold their gaze for long. I sighed. I suddenly thought of something. Let's see if this works. I jogged back to the entrance before sizing up my plan. This is going to hurt if I fuck this up. I focused my energy into my legs and broke off into a sprint. Once I got into my desired position, I pivoted to the right before leaping with all my might. I saw the look of surprise on her face and she reached out a hand to catch me. She was gripping me tight. I tried to use my weight to pull myself up and it wasn't long before she pulled me up. Her breathing was heavy.

"How much do y-" I immediately grabbed my Scroll from her hand and backed to the other side of the support beam. She looked from her empty hand to me. Smiling. "Not bad. Using your Aura like that. Risky move. You're lucky I was in a good mood. You weren't going to make that."

I gripped the beam even tighter. "Then why even help me? What's even your deal?" She giggled again.

"My name's Leila." She got dangerously close to me again. I couldn't meet her gaze.

"I'm Sinna." I muttered.

"Cute is what you are."

"You really need to stop." I threatened.

"Oooo~ is that a threat? Kinda hot, not gonna lie." She is enjoying this too much. I let out an audible groan and she laughed while giving me some space. "But to be serious for a moment. I do hope I get to see you around more often. It was fun hanging out with you." I glared at her. She stuck her tongue out at me. "Oh, come on, you liked it too." I grumbled out a response. "Anyway, catch you later!" She playfully winked at me before effortlessly jumping down before disappearing down the hall.

I rested myself against the support beam before removed my glasses while pinching my nose. She is quite the handful. I can't tell how serious she is about what she says. She gets under my skin too easily. I gotta keep my guard up around her. I sighed. She is going to make me feel all kinds of awkward. I found myself smiling. She did have a point though. I am in a better mood…wait, was she following me earlier? For how long? I shook my head. Worry about that later. Now I need to find a way to get down from here. I gazed down at the various onlookers. I was too nervous to ask for help. I wonder if I can do that one thing again? Let me try it. I focused energy around my body to act like an armor. I started to lean to the side, but immediately realized my mistake. I swore as I tried to scramble back up, but I lost my grip.

I groggily came to and saw Ozpin standing over me, and some students were around as well.

"Welcome back, Mr. Styx."

I groaned. I tried lifting myself and pain shot up my back. I looked around to see that I have landed on one of the dining tables. I reached for the back of my head, and although I felt a sharp pain, there wasn't any blood.

"Did I hurt anyone?" He shook his head. "Good." I slowly get up and I feel like I want to die. Even though it wouldn't do me any good.

Soon after we came to the fifth floor, and I admit I was impressed. It was a massive room blocked off by a single door with what looked like a keypad.

"This room is only accessible by myself and you. Simply scan your Aura into the keypad, and it will register you." I nodded. The room itself was surprisingly dark. There weren't a whole lot of lights in here. "So, when do we-?" I heard a gunshot go out. I looked down to see a large hole in my chest.

I woke up on the ground, a major pain in my chest. "OWWWW." Ozpin seemed to be taking notes.

"Four hours. I wonder if that can be improved…" He says as he points the gun at me again.

And so, for the next several hours I would get repeatedly shot, die, and resurrect. It is within these several hours that we learned a few things. Every death I had reduced my resurrection time by a few minutes; this also depended on where I was shot; it would get to a point that I would not even feel the bullet itself. However, one thing that didn't get answered was the nature of the black aura. While it was clear that I had not Aura, as the black aura wasn't as effective as a shield; it was probably tied to Death himself. I had completely lost track of how many times I had died. My initial frustration turned to determination which turned to triumph when I dodged a bullet. Ozpin and I concluded that different types of weapons have their own counter of sorts. They would most likely have their own method of death as well as how long it would take to resurrect. I stretched myself onto the floor, sweating profusely.

"I think we will call it for tonight. We have learned a lot today. I will use a different weapon to test some different methods. Also, think about the kind of weapon you want to use." I gave him a thumbs up. I could hear him walking away.

"Headmaster?" Ozpin stopped. "I'm sorry for my behavior. I know that you are only trying to help, even if it's not the best. But I want you to know that I will punch you in the face for this."

"I will hold on you to that, Mr. Styx." I was left to my own thoughts as Ozpin left me alone. I slowly sat up and rubbed my eyes before stretching. I cracked my neck as I left the now what I would dub Grinding Room.

I noticed that it was starting already nighttime. My stomach roared at me. As I made it back to my room, I saw a gift-wrapped box with a note attached to it.

[Hey. I couldn't find you around for the rest of the day. You didn't show up in the cafeteria either. I don't know what exactly you like, but I figured a simple sandwich would be enough. Only a couple of days left until the year starts. Looking forward to hanging out with you. ;) Leila]

I couldn't help but smile. I don't know what it is about me that has her so interested, but I guess it's not so bad. I could at least add death by food poisoning to the list.

I locked the door behind me before pulling out my phone and looking at some pictures of my family. Smiling sadly.

(March 30th, 2021) Yikes. So, the reason why I haven't been active these past few months is because I am finishing up my time at university. It's been rather chaotic as of late, and I will always, ALWAYS appreciate the feedback and patience that you guys have. I don't want to take any of you for granted.

While I do have around a month or so left of uni. I also need to really buckle down and get shit down. Maybe when I'm done with uni I can get back into this, but I can't 100% guarantee that.

So here is the roadmap for next story updates:

Team DRGN (Dragon) Ch. 3

RWBY: The Hunter from Earth Ch. 17

The White Demon Ch. 7

The White Knight's Shadow Ch. 4

See you guys next time! Peace!