Well, here we go..

Chapter 5: Not in Kansas Anymore

"There is no point in using the word 'impossible' to describe something that has clearly happened." -Douglas Adams

...Get him onboard, now...

...Head trauma's not severe, but his vitals...

...Said he hadn't eaten in two days...

...Wound on his arm, it's bleeding again...

...Stay away from the light!...

...Jacob, please, hang on...

...

...

...

*sip*

Ozpin was not a man for dealing with unexpected variables. While certainly he had his fair share of moments where he may have expected what should have been unexpected, most would say he tended to stick to a plan much to his own detriment.

"Glynda, a moment of your time perhaps?" he called out as he sipped his morning brew; Gods knew he would need the morning caffeine intake.

He could hear her long before he could see her, Ozpin had enough of an opportunity to mull things over for split second. This year's students were already a fascinating bunch; There was Ms. Rose, whose very presence was irregular and unexpected. She was a remarkable fighter, more than capable of wielding her weapon with ease. It was no surprise to find she was the offspring of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, both students of his from days gone by; The silver eyes were dead giveaway in regards to who her mother was, and the uncanny determination he had no doubt was Taiyang's blood in her veins.

Speaking of the Xiao Long lineage, there was Ms. Rose's sister, Yang. Hot-headed, stubborn, brimming with fury untempered. Her fighting style complimented that temper of hers, kickboxing combined with the power of those gauntlets would do more than just drop her enemies like rocks. Her Semblance was also quite symbiotic with those two; what else would work well with the ability to take a hit and dish it back twice-fold?

Then there was Ms. Belladonna; He had talked with her previously, and from that small conversation he already could tell she had a lot she was hiding, a lot of baggage. Whatever it was, Ozpin hoped that she would open up to someone about it. On a side note, he had wondered when she would let people know she was a Faunus, or even if she would.

And to round off Team RWBY, there was Weiss Schnee; a curious individual. She was a Schnee, heiress to the biggest Dust mining company on Remnant, yet she was here at Beacon learning to be a Huntress. What would compel her to take the most dangerous career path available to her? And for that matter, why Vale; Wouldn't Atlas Academy be closer to home? Unless perhaps she was avoiding something at home...

Team RWBY. A curious lot indeed.

On the other hand, there was their sibling team, Team JNPR. Jaune Arc, only son of the Arc lineage, here at Beacon. On the one hand, it was no surprise that an Arc would take up the Huntsman's path, since they have been for the past century. Besides that, Mr Arc already showed great leadership potential, as was seen throughout the Initiation. On the other hand, his combat skills were mediocre at best; Hell, he didn't even have his Aura activated before the generosity of Ms. Nikos gave him that edge.

Speaking of which, Pyrrha Nikos was certainly a cut above the rest. 4-time regional champion back in Mistral, master markswoman, a master of melee as well, clearly she was destined for greatness. Outside of her combat skills, she seemed to be a gentle girl, humble, friendly, composed and collected. She would no doubt make many friends, and maybe a few enemies, while she was here.

Then there are the other two, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie; honestly he couldn't talk about one without the other. Bubbly, exuberant Nora Valkyrie, the heavy-hitter of the team and by and large a fascinating individual. Her partner Lie Ren, however, was the complete opposite of her: Silent, contemplative, obviously trained in lightning strikes and guerrilla style combat. It was even more fascinating to hear that the two of them had lived on their own up until now. What happened to their parents, Ozpin wondered, that would leave them in such a position.

Team JNPR. A diamond in the rough if I ever saw one.

Of course, there are a lot more than just the new students to be concerned about; Amber's condition is stable for now, but that sudden deterioration last week was too close for comfort. It may be time to take drastic measures...

He sipped from his mug again, the black roast coffee settling his nerves ever so gradually.

And then there's this Jacob fellow.

Ozpin had seen this... man, if he could call him that, stumble about in the forest just as the Initiation had been underway. Glynda had wanted to halt the test so that he could be escorted out, but about that time they saw him snuff out a Beowolf with two shots and then outsmart another two. So they kept watching.

He met up with Ms. Nikos and Mr. Arc, took an Ursa's bite to his arm-again, Glynda insisted he be escorted out, only this time for medical help-but even then was raring to go.

Helped them locate the temple, though that did annoy Ozpin, and cleaned up a Deathstalker with five shots. Granted, it was easier shooting at point-blank range to kill practically anything, especially in a softer part of a Grimm.

And then he was knocked unconscious by a Beowolf tackling him as he saved Jaune from getting attacked from behind.

Suffice it to say, a Bullhead with Glynda and him onboard was soon after on its way to pick the teams and the stranger both up.

By the time they had arrived, Ms. Rose had managed to kill the Nevermore with help from her partner, as made evident by the rain of feathers. Suffice it to say, it was already evident by then the teams would work well together.

In regards to the stranger whom they discovered was named Jacob Muller-an odd name as it bore no resemblance to any color-it was a miracle he managed to come out with as little long-term damage as he did. His eyes opened on and off throughout the ride back to Beacon, but Ozpin knew that the combination of the concussion, the weakened state from the lack of food and the massive wound on his arm were forcing him into a recuperation mode. He may very well be alright, but his body would be trying to reconvene and consolidate what energy it had left. Once they had arrived at the school, the medical staff took over the task of tending to him. 3 hours later and the report had come in that he was stable and that the concussion that had knocked him out miraculously spared him any major head trauma, at least according to the CT scans. Alongside that, the Ursa bite on his arm had stopped bleeding and would begin to heal in time. Strangely, Ms. Rose and Ms. Nikos had been insistent that they should be informed when he comes around. Ozpin knew the blood of the covenant was thicker than waters of the womb, but so soon? Something about this boy-he hesitated to call him a man-must have resonated well with those two.

"Professor?"

"Hm? Oh, my apologies Glynda, I was just pondering something."

"It's that boy, isn't it," Goodwitch assumed with a huff as she came to a stop next to his desk, "Something about him is puzzling you."

"Indeed. Tell me, how likely is it that a random civilian could just waltz onto school grounds in the middle of Initiation without even realizing it?"

"Suspiciously high odds, if you ask me."

"You think he's... one of them?"

"I'm never one for coincidences, Professor."

"I agree Glynda." Ozpin reached for the school's intercom system, paging for the infirmary wing office. "Nurse, has Mr. Muller begun showing any signs of stirring?"

"Oh, well I just checked in on him, and Ms. Rose is here to check on him for Team JNPR, said that they'd be along shortly. It seems he's coming around this time."

"Thank you, Nurse, Professor Goodwitch and I will be along shortly to meet him in person."

The intercom clicked off, and the office returned to its silent state.

Ozpin decided another sip of coffee was in order before he would head out to confront this boy. "I suppose we'd better hurry; if what Mr. Arc said is true, that boy is liable to scarf down whatever is offered to him. Goodness knows if Nurse Claiborne's cinnamon crumbles will survive long enough for the rest of us..."

...

...

...

Wh... where am I? That was the first thing to enter his mind.

The second was the excruciating pain in his head.

It was as though his head was on the receiving end of a howitzer cannon. After he let out a pained groan, it was at this point he began to notice that the rest of his body was equally sore. The lights were dimmed, wherever he was, so his retinas were spared from an early reintroduction to the sun. Wherever he was, it was chilled to the level he tended to find comfortable for sleep. Whoever turned down the temperature he had to thank later. On the air he couldn't smell anything of note, though his mind wished to tell him otherwise; For a split second, his mind wanted to tell him he was back in his upstairs room, his family making up breakfast while they let him sleep in for a change, and his boss wasn't calling him in at 7:00 in the morning. Any moment now, his little brother and dad would open the door and in would come the family dogs, hopping up on the bed and showering him with slobbery dog kisses.

But something in his mind said he wasn't home. This wasn't his bed, this wasn't his room, this wasn't his house.

"Hell on a hang-glider, my head..."

"Easy, Jacob," came a voice. It was feminine and vaguely familiar, though he was too groggy to really put a name to the voice. "You've been out of it for almost a whole day."

"God...I had the strangest dream... that I landed in a... faraway land... met a group of heroes..."

"Well... you're all safe and sound here in the Beacon infirmary."

"...Beacon Infirmary?"

The next thing he knew was the sound of curtains being drawn back. Sunlight assaulted his eyes like a Blood Angel Death Company; painfully and relentlessly.

His eyelids were practically welded shut, but he refused to be blind to the world around him. He forced his eyes open, and was immediately aware he was in the farthest thing from his room.

It was, just as the voice had said, an infirmary, though a bit large and grandiose for a place where the wounded and sick would go to heal, at least in his opinion. There were dozens of beds, each well-equipped for the observation of patients. It was strange though, he seemed to be the only person in the facility, at least in regards to patients. All curtains sans the one just opened were closed, plunging the room into a tone halfway between nighttime blackness and early morning sunrise. He however was front and center to the sun's rays; the angle of the light told him it was around 9:00 in the morning, give or take an hour.

As his eyes scanned the room, they laid to rest on another figure in the room. She was clad in what he could only describe as a red tartan skirt, a white blouse with maroon trim and thin red bow, a brown vest with gold buttons, and a maroon blazer with a gold trim. She wore brown shoes and full length black stockings; Jacob felt as though he was looking at a Catholic schoolgirl.

But the long red cape clasped to the blazer told him this was no Catholic schoolgirl.

She turned around, and Jacob's heart skipped a terrified beat.

Fair skin, black hair ending in dark red highlights in an asymmetrical bob, silver eyes, petite nose-

Silver eyes.

Ruby Rose.

Jacob suppressed the urge to scream.

...This is a really long fucking dream. And it's starting to get old fast. Alright, brain, wake up damn you!

"Hey, hey, easy there," Ruby cooed, grabbing hold of his hand. It was a gentle grasp, warm and comforting, like the smile that had arrived on her face; that adorable smile he found so endearing that he normally couldn't resist the urge to smile along with. Right now, however, was not one of those instances.

Mainly because he was more focused on the grasp she held on his hand.

...I can feel her pulse.

...I can feel how warm her hand is.

...This isn't a dream. I don't have the brains to get this level of detail in a dream.

He looked down at his arm, where he had been bitten by the Ursa. Sure enough, there on his arm was a gauze wrap, old blood forming the distinct pattern of a bitemark.

That wasn't a dream either. That actually happened... I was in the Emerald Forest.

I'm not on Earth.

I'm on Remnant.

I'm IN RWBY.

"Hey, Jacob, are you okay?"

Once again, his eyes met hers, and this time his mind couldn't help but get lost. His cognitive functions were running on all cylinders at the moment, trying to process the fact he had essentially become the subject of a bad fanfiction. At the same time, part of him was taking in every detail, of the room, of the facility, even of her.

"...Mr. Jacob?" She waved a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his analytical stupor.

"Huh? O-oh," Jacob started, realizing his faux pas almost too late. "Sorry... Ruby."

Her hand squeezed his ever so gently, as if to subconsciously confirm that this is real, he was here with her right now. "You had us all worried for a bit there. That bump on your head looked really bad."

"Bump on my... oh, right, now I remember. The Beowolf..." Jacob's mind began retracing the steps of the canonical timeline, piecing together what he could. "Did you guys get that Neverm- No, wait, that's a stupid question, otherwise we wouldn't be here."

Ruby beamed brightly, the pride evident in her eyes; of course she took the great bird out of the sky. Hell, she probably did it in the exact same way as in the show proper.

"I presume you were the one to kill it, Ms. Rose?" he said with a sly grin. A cute blush tinged her cheeks as she revelled in the appraisal. "Well, I did get off a pretty cool decapitation on it... I mean, I was all like..." From there she broke off into a string of onomatopoeias and chopping hand gestures trying desperately to simulate her slaying of the Nevermore. It didn't matter though, he remembered how it went down in the show; Weiss throws Ruby via slingshot construct, gives her anti-grav glyphs, Ruby runs up the cliff, off with its head.

A chuckle escaped Jacob's throat as he watched her adorableness coalesce. It was enough to shake Ruby from her temporary bout of self-obsession. Double-taking for a brief second, her blush returned only this time with embarrassment as the culprit.

"Uh, right, well, you get the idea."

"Right, right..."

They sat in silence for a few seconds as the awkwardness returned. Muller's head was still reeling from the shock of his predicament, but he had buried it deep in his mind to set loose later in solitude.

The sound of a door opening announced newcomers to the room.

Muller couldn't even begin to register the surprise in his mind when Professor Ozpin rounded the corner with Glynda Goodwitch hot on his heels.

Well well, if it isn't the Wizard of Oz...

"Ah, Ms. Rose," Ozpin called out, "I trust our patient only just woke up right now."

"Oh, Professor! I, uh, may have sorta accidentally woken him up." Ruby muttered as she nervously rubbed the back of her neck.

"Ah, it's alright," Muller groaned as he attempted to shift to a more upright position in the bed, "I've slept in enough as of late." The response to his shifting was a sharp pain shooting up his back; He must have pinched a nerve or something.

"A fine sentiment if I've ever heard one," Ozpin replied with a faint smile on his face. "Ms. Rose, could you let Team JNPR know our friend is awake? I know Mr. Arc and Ms. Nikos would be delighted to hear he's awake and coherent."

"Oh, sure! Okay, be back in a minute!" And like that, Ruby Rose was out the door and gone, a light flurry of rose petals dancing in her wake.

Red like roses fills my dreams...

Muller mentally batted away the opening chords to "Red Like Roses Part 1" and attempted to focus on his new visitor; the head of the Ozluminati as the FNDM tended to call it.

At that moment he noticed that Ozpin had taken a seat in a wooden chair next to the bed and was eyeing him with an unhealthy level of curiosity.

"...So," Jacob sighed.

Ozpin simply sipped his coffee as he always did.

"You're Professor Ozpin, headmaster of this school, right?"

Ozpin provided him no answer, and just kept staring at him.

...Is he... trying to size me up? Trying to read me? Does he know something about me?

"...I presume this lovely lady is your second-in-command." All he got was a scathing glare from Glynda. Ouch, Good Witch of the North my ass.

"Tell me, Mr. Muller, do you know what you were doing in the Emerald Forest?" Ozpin's question carried a slight tinge of concern to it, as though he was expecting to hear something he wouldn't want to hear.

"I, uh... I honestly have no clear answers to that. All I can remember is... Well..."

And that was the kicker; of all the times for him to actually forget something, his brain had to pick now. He swore that his last memory back home was... driving to work, early in the morning... or was it staying up late with a friend to coordinate a multiplayer campaign on PlanetSide 2?

"Perhaps some mild retrograde amnesia?" Ozpin suggested. A bright spot of hope manifested in Jacob's mind.

"...That would explain the blanks." At least Jacob was good at acting a part provided to him, on a silver platter no less.

"However that may be, you trespassed on Beacon Academy property. I'm afraid that as soon as you are well, you will have to be escorted out and returned to civilian life, whatever that may be for you."

A cold grip chained itself to Jacob's heart. "W-wait, wait, is there no way I could stick aro-"

Ozpin raised his hand to silence Jacob. "I'm afraid that would be against school policies. While you are a relatively competent marksman as was evident with your fights in the Forest alongside Teams RWBY and JNPR, individuals without prior Huntsman training are usually not permitted to attend."

Didn't stop you from letting in Ruby and Blake, Jacob growled in his own mind. Wait, COMPETENT marksman!? I fucking downed 6 or so Beowolves with no training; competent is insulting at this point!

"I do apologize, but I must attend to other matters. Have a good day Mr. Muller." Ozpin got up to leave, with Glynda following close behind.

Shitshitshit, Muller screamed internally, Think of something, anything!

It was at that moment that part of his mind reminded him of the words of Gabriel Angelos, Chapter Master of the Blood Ravens Space Marines of the Dawn of War games. The creed of the whole Chapter:

Knowledge is Power, Lord Angelos' voice played out in his head, Guard it well.

And he had just the tidbit to work with.

"I know about The Maidens and Salem!"

Ozpin halted in his tracks.

Silence hung over the room like a death shroud, threatening to choke the life out of the very air.

The words hit home after about 20 seconds of heart-pounding fear.

"Excuse me?"

"I know about The Maidens, I've heard of your opponent Salem, and I know about Amber the Fall Maiden."

Ozpin slowly turned around, revealing the curious half-scowl he held on his face. He thinks his security's compromised. He thinks I'm a spy for Salem.

Oh fuck, he thinks I'm a spy for Salem.

"Look, before you jump to any conclusions, I'm not some spy for the Grimm-wannabe bitch, okay!?"

"Oh? Tell me then, how do you know all this? Tell me how this isn't something you conjured up in your mind while you were out cold. And even if it is the truth, how do I know I can TRUST you?"

A question he had been anticipating Ozpin to ask; To make Jacob doubt his own validity, to make him falter in some way to give Ozpin an opening. He wouldn't let The Wizard of Oz win this round.

"Because you need all the help you can get; You need boots on the ground to help you in whatever way you can to keep this secret war of yours under lock and key."

Silence again.

"And you're gonna need those same boots on the ground if things come to a head."

For a solid minute, quiet hung low over them both as they read each other, studied each other. He must be gauging if I would reveal the truth to the public... Which isn't a bad insurance policy.

"...A curious individual you are, Mr. Muller. Tell me, with how you handled yourself in the Emerald Forest, while you may have no formal Huntsman training, I take it you've had some combat training? Perhaps militia training?"

Jacob let slip a bemused scoff as his heart rate began to slow back to a normal speed. "Where I'm from, combat happens anytime, anywhere, to anyone. If you think you're gonna go through life without coming to a scuffle then you are a delusional fuck or absolutely dumb as a sack of rocks." Probably sound like an Atlesian to him; Then again, Earth half the time makes Remnant look like a playground for kids.

Ozpin exhaled a breath he had obviously been holding in, allowing his demeanor to relax ever slightly so. "A wise sentiment. I can see there is the capacity for great things in you, Mr. Muller, especially as a Huntsman. Perhaps it would be a wiser move to train you here. After all, you are aware of the war we fight, and hopefully you understand the severity of it as well."

Muller's brows furrowed as he nodded in conformation; This was a fight bigger than any one man. Theirs was a fight for the future of a whole planet, an entire civilization, and there could be no mistakes. This was bigger than Jacob could have begun dreaming about being, but that was no less daunting to him than choosing which Space Marine Chapter to play as at his local Warhammer meetups. Crazy? Yeah. But I wouldn't want it any other way, right?

"There is the slight problem that if you were to attend this academy as a student you would need to be part of a team and there are no more spots formally available."

"Right, right, four-man fireteams as it were. Promote cohesion and teamwork amongst future Hunters-er, Huntsmen and Huntresses. I know the drill, but I honestly don't know how we could-" Ozpin's outstretched hand shushed him again.

"That being said, Headmasters are on occasion known to take on additional students sans teammates if circumstances arise. I see great potential in you, Mr. Muller; potential that has been wasted up until now. And I think it would be a great boon to you."

"...What are you saying?"

Ozpin's hand stretched out, looking for another hand to shake. Jacob's hand in particular. A raised eyebrow from Ozpin said everything he needed to know: Do you want to come to my school?

More than anything, he heard his mind's voice echo Ruby.

Jacob's hand met Ozpin's in a firm embrace, and the bargain was struck. Jacob couldn't help but smile as Ozpin affirmed what he had thought was the deal.

"Welcome to Beacon, Mr. Muller."

In the back of Ozpin's mind, the gears and cogs were metaphorically turning as he studied his new protege. Perhaps he had been too jumpy in regards to this kid; While certainly he knew the truth about the Maidens and Salem, perhaps he was simply well-informed and wanted to help. Perhaps here, under the guidance of the professors he could rise to the new challenge presented to him.

But you're hiding something still, aren't you Mr. Muller?

The sound of the door opening again informed him that Ms. Rose was back, even before she shouted to let them know. "Hey Jacob, I'm back with friends!~"

Muller's eyes focus on something behind Ozpin-no doubt Ms. Rose and her compatriots-and the faintest echo of surprise flashed across his eyes. Something must have shell-shocked him. Opzin turned around to see who had come with Ruby.

"Ah, Ms. Nikos, Mr. Arc, glad to see you could stop by. I was just welcoming Mr. Muller to our Academy..."

"Knowledge is Power, Guard it Well" I say! (Trust me, that's gonna be a recurring theme throughout this fic.)

Alongside working and studying for Finals, this has been an interesting chapter to write. I bounced back and forth between what I would do for it, but I decided to have my confrontation with Ozpin sooner rather than later. Also, honestly, I couldn't think how the back and forth would go between the two of us, so I decided to play the blackmail trump card to secure my foothold.

Also, there are a lot of references to films and shows throughout this chapter. Can you guess them all?

Next chapter we get to see the aftermath, the setup, and who and how someone will awaken my Aura, and not in that particular order! Also, expect music to be referenced in future chapters.

If yo have gotten this far and are enjoying the fic, thank you for reading this, it means alot to me, I hope to hear from you guys on how to improve and how to make this fic better, and I'll see you all... in the next chapter. Buh-Bye~!