Chapter 2: Aftermaths and Beginnings

And here we are with another chapter! Now, I've seen the reviews so far, and I'd like to take the time to clarify a few things. Namely, Psycho Mantis' powers on Remnant.

In this story, Mantis has been reverted back to his child self's form from MGSV when he was sent to Remnant. However, he still retains his memories and personality from MGS and MGS4 as well as how to use and manage his power. Now, as we've seen in The Phantom Pain, Mantis as a child was highly receptive to the wills and emotions of others, such as Volgin (the Man on Fire) and Skull Face despite the fact that his gas mask is supposed to block those sorts of things. Case in point during MGS, when he as an adult was unaffected by people like Solid Snake with clearly high willpower and determination like Skull Face and Venom Snake. So, in these circumstances, Mantis has a mix of these attributes: Since he is physically a child again, his mind is more receptive to the emotions and feelings of others like in MGSV, but since he still has his adult mind he can safely sense and determine who and where they are coming from without being overwhelmed and taken over, as well as still being able to read people's minds and manipulate them.

Also, since he's not from Remnant, Mantis will not be getting or unlocking his own Aura, and he will ESPECIALLY not be getting a Semblance! His psychokinesis is pretty well established in both MGSV and MGS/MGS4 to be powerful and efficient enough as it is. Speaking of which, as some of you may have noticed, his psychic powers are not quite as strong as they were in TPP yet also clearly stronger than in MGS. Well, there's actually a good reason for that, both in and out of canon, which I will be exploring in future chapters. For now, though, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Metal Gear or RWBY, because if I did then Metal Gear Survive either would've been way better or just never have existed at all and Pyrrha would've handed Team CRDL's asses to them way harder. They belong to Konami and Rooster Teeth respectively.


"I hope you realize your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady," Ms. Goodwitch stated as she paced in the dark room. Near her, Ruby sat downtrodden at the desk, listening somberly to the teacher's words. "You put yourself and others in great danger." She continued with a stern tone. However, Ruby seemed to have a few words of her own.

"They started it! A-And that masked guy handled himself just fine!" She pointed out, though her voice lacked any real confidence. Glynda ignored it, however. She knew the girl obviously had well-meaning intentions, and despite her recklessness, she also proved quite courageous in standing up to and combating several armed thugs and a wanted criminal on behalf of the frightened Dust shop owner. However, well-meaning as she may have been, she still could have gotten that old man and any onlookers caught in the deadly crossfire, including that strange boy that had somehow gotten mixed up in all this.

That strange telekinetic boy… She'd been wanting to find out more and locate that child ever since she saw him take down the Bullhead. Not only had he proven himself just as strong, if not even more adept in combat than young Ruby, but he had also shown rather worrisome behavior. For one, his clothes: a gas mask and straitjacket. What on Remnant was a child doing wearing such wear, not to mention alone on the street? Ruby at the very least had a reason for being out so late: Looking at various weapons magazines and Dust supplies. That… floating boy, on the other hand, seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The fact that he had then disappeared right after he took down the Bullhead led them to a startling conclusion: The boy had been involuntarily committed to an institution and used his Semblance to escape and was now at large, using a gas mask to attempt to hide his identity. Of course, there were several holes in this conclusion, namely that he appeared fully capable of fighting off clearly skilled opponents and seemed to have no health issues whatsoever at a glance, mentally or physically. That, and there had been no report of an escaped child thus far, and certainly not one as dangerous as this boy clearly was. Unfortunately, Glynda hadn't had time to research it nor ask young Ruby Rose about it yet, and was now forced to wait until her superior arrived to handle matters.

"If it were up to me…" Glynda began, pushing that thought away for later and keeping her eyes on the tablet screen in her hands, "You'd be sent home with a pat on the back…", Ruby's face filled with hope, "… and a slap on the wrist." She finished, staring coldly at the girl before rapidly whipping her riding crop down to the desk, intentionally missing the young girl yet still driving her point home considering Ruby's flinch. With a sigh, Glynda continued in a disapproving yet resigned tone.

"But… there is someone who would like to meet you."

With that, a tall man with aging silver hair and dressed in a suit and scarf of varying shades of green entered the room carrying a glass of milk and a platter of cookies. As soon as his bespectacled eyes saw young Ruby looking at him curiously, the first thing he noticed… those eyes.

"Ruby Rose… you…" He began, staring intently at her, "… have silver eyes."

At this, Ruby looked at him a bit uncomfortably, shifting her gaze away somewhat. 'Um… ooookaaaayyy…'

"So…" The silver-haired man began again, "Where did you learn to do this?" He asked, gesturing to the screen Goodwitch was holding. It was displaying footage of Ruby taking on the goons from earlier, dispatching them with ease.

"S-Signal Academy." Ruby answered nervously. What did this man want from her? The man's eyebrows lifted up, "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?" He asked, his tone and choice of words made it seem as though he personally knew someone who worked there.

"Well… one teacher in particular." Ruby clarified, fondly remembering their training together.

"… I see." The man stated. Saying nothing else, he pushed the platter of cookies into the table. Ruby only took a few seconds to reach forwards and grab a cookie. Then another, and another, the treats seemingly vanishing into her mouth.

"It's just that I've only seen one other scythe-wielder of that skill before; A dusty old crow." The man said, his tone seeming to imply something else.

"Mmhm! Thash muh unkul!" Ruby tried to say, her voice muffled by the several dozen cookies crammed past her lips. She quickly downed the treats and wiped her mouth, "Sorry! That's my uncle Qrow!" She said again excitedly, "He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing…"

The man listened to Ruby with a surprising amount of intent, only stopping to sip some of his coffee. Glynda watched off in a corner, crossing her arms in disapproval but knowing enough to put her trust in the man sitting across from Ruby.

"And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?" He inquired at one point. "Well…" Ruby began, her eyes taking on a surprisingly serious yet still childish gleam, "I want. To be. A huntress." She stated simply, saying all she needed to. The man, however, seemed to want to dig deeper.

"You want to slay monsters?"

"Yeah! I only have two years of training left at Signal… and then, I'm going to apply at Beacon! See, my sister's starting there this year and she's trying to become a huntress… and I'm trying to become a huntress cuz I wanna help people! My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, 'Ah, well, I might as well make a career out of it!'" She explained. In the back of her mind, even she knew how basic it sounded, but it had been more than enough for her to train and study her butt off to become as skilled as she was now, to get into Beacon and do what she could for the world. There was no way she could dare to think about backing out.

"Well, I mean, the police are alright," Ruby continued, not wanting to make any unwanted implications, "but huntsmen and huntresses are just so much more romantic and exciting and cool and really, GOSH, you know!?"

Glynda was not amused. Whatever concerns or oppositions she had to this one girl's views, however, were kept quiet. After a few seconds of a healthy pause, the silver-haired man spoke again.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked calmly. There wasn't an ounce of arrogance nor assertiveness in his tone; Just a simple question, nothing more. Fortunately, Ruby seemed to pick up on it.

"You're Professor Ozpin." Ruby answered simply and proudly, "You're the Headmaster of Beacon."

"Hmph… hello, then."

"Nice to meet you!" Ruby greeted back happily. She didn't expect for his next question, however.

"Do you want to come to my school?" Ozpin asked graciously. While not expecting it, Ruby definitely had an answer to it. Leaning forwards and feeling excitement bubbling up within her, she opened her mouth.

"More than anything…!" She whispered quietly yet full of excitement and aspiration. Ozpin looked to Glynda. She said nothing and averted her gaze, clearly not happy with what she knew Ozpin had planned. Like before, however, she didn't object to it. Not verbally, anyway.

"Well, okay…" Ozpin said with a smile. Ruby felt her eyes widen excitedly. Ozpin stood up and reached out a hand to her. "Ruby Rose, I personally welcome you to Beacon Academy."

The next thing anyone knew, Ruby turned into a red blur and practically leaped on top of the desk, snatching Ozpin's hand and shaking it like a piggy bank.

"OHTHANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOOOUUUU!" Ruby shrieked, smiling so widely it threatened to tear her face in two. Both Glynda and Ozpin visibly winced at the intense volume of Ruby's voice, though if she noticed she didn't care.

'I JUST GOT ACCEPTED INTO BEACON BY PROFESSOR OZPIN HIMSELF! Oh my Oum, oh my Oum, OH MY OUM! Yang's gonna flip when she hears about this!' Were the only thoughts in Ruby's mind, followed quickly by mental images of her standing in heroic poses over defeated corpses of giant Grimm while men, women and children and thanked her profusely while she insisted it was merely her duty.

"Ahem…" Ozpin cleared his throat, getting Ruby's attention and recovering from her outburst surprisingly well, "I believe, in that case, that there is only one more issue left to discuss." He continued. Ruby tilted her head in confusion. If she'd just been selected to attend Beacon by the Headmaster himself and the thugs she'd defeated were behind bars (Goodwitch had seen to that herself), what else was there for her to talk with them about?

Seeing the confusion and slight nervousness on the young girl's face, Ozpin attempted to soothe any fears, "Don't worry, it's nothing that could get you into trouble. We just wanted to ask what you know about…" He gestured for Glynda to come forward with the screen again, "… this individual here."

Ruby looked to Glynda's screen and widened her eyes. On the screen was a still image of that red-haired boy, wearing a black unfastened straitjacket, no shoes and, of course, a dark gas mask with lifeless, orange-tinted lenses that seemed to stare at everything and nothing all at once. In the image, he was hovering threateningly in the air over Roman Torchwick's downed figure after blowing him off his feet with his own flare, the iron ladder floating menacingly behind him under the power he exerted. Ruby shuddered slightly; She'd hate to be on the receiving end of his fury after seeing what he was capable of.

"Um… 'what do I know'?" Ruby asked. Ozpin nodded, "Correct. We are to understand that this individual aided you and Ms. Glynda Goodwitch here in combating the criminals in that Bullhead and bringing it down. However, there is little to no information regarding this young man, and we were wondering if you had anything to say regarding him."

Ruby stopped to think. What did she know about him?

"Well, for one thing, he's definitely one of the strongest non-huntsman I've ever seen! He could make a ladder fly off from its hinges and use it to deflect a fireball like a bat hitting a baseball without even touching it! After seeing that… I would guess that his Semblance is psychokinesis. Y'know, the power to move stuff with your mind?"

Ozpin nodded in understanding. It would certainly explain his being able to stop a flare discharge mid-flight and tear a solid iron ladder straight from his hingers without ever using his physical body.

"Psychokinesis… what do you have to say, Glynda? You were witness to the majority of the event, yes?" He asked. She nodded, taking a step forwards. "I have to agree with young Ruby. He displayed incredible power seemingly using only his mind alone, such as forcefully altering the course of Roman's Dust discharge before it could hit Ruby, as well as possessing enough skill to perfectly counter and deflect an incoming incendiary attack using the earlier-mentioned ladder. In fact…" Glynda seemed a bit hesitant, "I would estimate his telekinetic capability to be even beyond mine."

Ozpin raised both eyebrows in intrigue. Glynda was known throughout Beacon for her telekinetic Semblance that, when channeled through her riding crop, could effortlessly re-build destroyed school property by telekinetically reattaching the many broken pieces so seamlessly that it would be as if no damage had ever even occurred. For her to admit that a child was superior to her in that regard…

Ruby nodded, "Yeah, whoever trained him must've done a really good job! From what I saw, he could move around the super-tiny air particles to make huuuge balls of lightning and wipe out a big area if he wanted to!" She added, stretching her arms out to either side to emphasize how large his attack had been, "I've never seen anything like that before! And… um, I think he could teleport…"

The entire time, Ozpin had been listening to both accounts very intently, soaking up all the information he could and using a notepad to store it just in case. So far, they'd gathered that this child was definitely an experienced fighter with some degree of training, although by whom was completely unknown. This boy was also clearly knowledgeable of his own power, able to focus his psychokinesis to the point of manipulating even the weather and air itself to shoot down ships as large as a Bullhead, or even larger, if he made a serious attempt to. He also appeared to be quite reserved, having disappeared right after the air vehicle was taken down before authorites could question him and apparently hadn't engaged in back-and-forth conversation with neither Ruby nor Glynda during the battle. His strange attire only furthered the mystery, and it all pointed to this powerful child being, in some way or other, completely dependent on himself and alone in the streets of Vale.

If that were true, it would be very bad news. Not because he was merely a lone child left to fend for himself, because it was quite clear he knew how to handle himself against skillful opponents. No, the danger lied in the fact that he was clearly powerful enough to fatally injure any civillian, criminal, officer or any non-hunstmen who attempted to confront and/or abduct him. With all that in mind, there was just one thing left to ask.

"Well… did he give a name for himself?"

Both Ruby and Glynda put their hands to their chins, thinking. After several moments, Glynda shook her head, "I don't believe so. I was too preoccupied with apprehending the suspects during the confrontation with Torchwick in the Bullhead to have paid attention to anything else."

Hmm… clearly, whoever this was wanted to lay low. Just as Ozpin was about to move on from the question, Ruby abruptly exclaimed, "Oh, wait! I think I remember! He did give a name! … I think…"

Ozpin leaned forwards intently, "Are you sure? What and when did he say it?"

At this, Ruby averted her gaze slightly, "Well… it was during the last few moments we saw him before he left, but… right when he finished that super cool lightning bomb attack and threw it at the Bullhead, he called himself… uh… oh yeah, Psycho Mantis! Yeah!" She finished. "Hmm… that's a weird name." She added as an afterthought.

It certainly was, Ozpin agreed. He didn't seem to have any faunus traits, and he seemed to be fully functional in terms of mental and physical health. It almost sounded like a codename. He brushed that thought from his mind, however; No child would be involved in any military, regardless of their combat prowess. Ozpin looked at the photo once again. To his surprise, when he looked carefully, the drooping sleeves of the jacket combined with the position of his raised arms almost did make him look like an actual praying mantis, ready to strike. Perhaps he was trying to imitate a superhero of some sort?

"Psycho Mantis… In any case, thank you, Ruby. We will be looking more into this, and will need all the information we can find in order to track this boy down." Ozpin thanked her. Ruby frowned nervously.

"Um… if you don't mind me asking… what are you going to do when you find him?" Ruby asked. She hadn't even gotten to know the boy at all, but she felt a twinge of sympathy and gratitude to him for helping them in combat. If she had gotten into trouble for merely stepping in against Torchwick's goons, how much trouble would that boy get into for downing an airship in a populated area? Granted, no one had gotten hurt (except hopefully the people onboard), but still…

"Don't worry, Ruby. I can assure you this boy won't be facing punishment for his actions tonight." Ozpin assured her, "We just want to make sure he isn't in danger, as there is reason to believe he is all on his own out there. If anything, we would like to potentially recruit him to Beacon to study alongside you, if you wish.

Once again, Ruby felt giddy with excitement. One day, she could find herself studying with this boy and finding out about his cool powers!

'Well, he's a bit creepy-looking and kinda short, but still! It'd be so cool!' She exclaimed to herself, conjuring mental images of seeing the boy juggle large Grimm in the air or attach molten scraps of metal to each other to magically POOF! overly complicated weapons into existence using his psychokinesis. 'Wherever he is, he's gotta be kicking butt!'


Mantis trudged through the dark, damp alleyways, keeping a hand to his forehead at all times. As much as he hated it, he decided that the most efficient way for him to recover from using so much energy was to not use his power unless necessary. Which, unfortunately, meant he was forced to use that vile and pathetic motion known to humans as walking. Since he spent so much time simply floating and hovering around using his power, his legs had slowly gotten weaker over time from disuse, something that was now coming back around to bite him in the ass. It was so bad that he even limped every ten steps or so, the feeling of the cold ground on the soles of his bare feet alien and incredibly uncomfortable.

'How humiliating…' He groaned inwardly, the dull pain in his mind only now beginning to waver, although at a rate so slow he could barely even tell. Not that he was going to try to keep tabs on how it was going, he figured his powers would recover when they recovered. He stepped out onto the sidewalk, simply deciding to randomly turn left. He soon attracted stares from other citygoers, not that he could blame them; To onlookers, he was a lone child wearing an unfastened straitjacket, a creepy gas mask, and was limping down the street while clutching his head like some homeless drunk. If it weren't for the fact that it would hamper the recovery of his powers, he'd either erase their memories or just turn them into mindless zombies. Just when he thought it couldn't get worse…

*Grumble, rumble!*

'… You have got to be kidding me!' He cursed internally, realizing he was hungry. Since he had no money, or even any idea on how currency functioned in this world, he had no way to pay for food.

Not that he was actually planning on honestly paying for his food right now anyways.

Fortunately, it appeared that the written language here was the same as Earth's. Feeling himself get adjusted to walking on his physical legs, Mantis felt his limp gradually disappear and allowing him to look around without worrying about suddenly toppling over. Mantis was already able to see numerous shop signs, though none of them seemed like they sold food. As far as he could see, there were just clothing stores, thrift shops, and stores selling… "Dust"?

'Oh, please don't tell me that these humans can somehow make a living off selling each other loose dirt.' Mantis thought dryly, feeling his already-low respect for this world plummet. Sighing, he continued on his way, keeping his eyes open for either a way to obtain free food and/or some form of money to purchase said food just in case.

*CRASH!*

"Hey! Get outta here, damn dogs!" An angry voice called from within an alley right next to him, followed shortly by angry snarls and yips by the aforementioned dogs, who, seconds later, barreled straight out of the alley and onto the street. In his smaller state, Mantis was nearly run over by the stampede of rottweilers, collers and a great dane, flailing his arms wildly about to keep from falling over and potentially causing more damage to his head.

"Gah!" Mantis nearly got downed by a great dane who brushed past him, "Watch it, shitstains!" He hissed at the fleeing canines, shaking his sleeved fist at them as they went. He knew it was immature, and only confirmed to a casual observer that he was just a child, but between having to stop using his powers for now and being reverted back into his child self's body, he was pretty upset. He took a step in the direction he'd been originally going in but was stopped when the owner of voice that yelled at the dogs emerged from the alleyway.

"Hey, kid, you okay?" The voice asked, its tone indicating a middle-aged man. Mantis turned around to see said middlep-aged man. He was wearing a white shirt under a black-and-burgundy top over it and light grey pants. He had a rather muscular frame, matched with cleanly cut sideburns. Like most others, he visibly flinched when he noticed Mantis' unusual attire. Much to his own disgust, Mantis decided it would be best if he played the "scared-and-alone-helpless-child" act again.

"U-Um… y-yeah… th-thank you." He stuttered, takinga few pointers out of Decoy Octopus' book and feeling his own inner voice screaming at him for daring to stoop so low. It wasn't like he had much other options, however. The man nodded, still wary of his strange appearance.

"Good… uh, what's with the getup…? Do you know where your parents are?" He inquired, glancing around the area. Mantis' mind raced, searching for a possible answer.

"Er… I'm in disguise! Y-Yes! Th-this is an outfit my friends dared me to wear!" He tried to improvise, waving his hands in the air in front of him and making other child-like motions in his best attempt to come off as a regular kid dressed in a straitjacket and gas mask. The man quirked a brow at his answer.

"… Your friends dared you to wear that?" He asked unamusingly. Mantis sighed, "Do you think I would wear this of my own accord?" He pointed out. The man opened his mouth to retort, but quickly found Mantis' point.

"Eh, true that, kid." He conceded with a small smile, prompting Mantis to nod and turn to walk away. Before he could, though, the man spoke again. "Uh, hey! If you don't mind my asking, er, where are your folks? Are they… letting you wander around this time of night?" He asked softly, obviously concerned at the prospect of a young child wandering the city alone at night.

'… Dammit…' Mantis cursed in his mind, not having an answer ready for that particular question. Keeping up the façade, he averted his gaze every now and then, "Um… I don't really have parents… they've gone away." He answered in his best scared-child's voice. 'Well, it's not a total lie…' He smirked internally. The man's eyes widened in concern.

"Oh… what happened…?" He inquired in a gentler voice, which Mantis thought impossible. At the same time, he was starting to aggravated from the questions. "Um… they just left one day, and… didn't come back." He supplied, trying his best to actually sound sad.

"… I'm sorry to hear that…" The man replied in an honest voice, lowering his head apologetically. That really grinded Mantis' gears; How dare he pity him!? Not only were humans greedy and lustful, but they also just loved to shower their useless compassionate feelings on those who just befallen tragedy and could use actual help rather than mocking shows of sorrow and sympathy! Not that Mantis needed someone to defend him, of course, but it was insulting beyond belief! Taking in several deep breaths to calm himself, Mantis diverted his mind to how to further answer the man's questions without drawing suspicion.

Luckily, the man seemed to interpret his anger-filled breaths as hollow ones of sadness and loss. "So, then… do you have a place to stay, kid?"

That threw Mantis for a loop. He briefly accessed his still-recovering power reserves, just enough to be able to sense a person's outer emotions and feelings. To his surprise, there wasn't any sign this man was trying to abduct or otherwise plan on luring him into a trap. Seeing where this was going, he shook his head.

"N-No, mister. I thought I'd try to find some money one the sidewalk for food, b-but… I can't find any…" He answered somewhat truthfully. He truly didn't have a place to sleep comfortably, and had also failed to procure any currency to purchase anything in this world. Instead of yet another question, the man took a slight step forwards and reached a hand out towards Mantis, much to his confusion.

"My name's Tukson. I know we've only just met, but… would you like to stay with me for the time being?" He offered. Seeing Mantis' startled body language, he added, "Don't worry, I promise I'm not one of those sick scumbags who target children."

Sensing no ill intention – yet – Mantis reached a hand out and grabbed it as best he could with his hands in the tight sleeves of the jacket, shaking Tukson's hand graciously. Seeing that the supposed child had a least some trust in him, Tukson offered "Do you want me to phone the police or-?"

"N-NO!" Mantis yelled, surprising himself and Tukson with the volume of his voice. The last thing he wanted was to get involved with the authorities. Mantis was no fool, he knew there was a likely chance that he would get punished by the law for taking down such a large airship in a populated area. After facing off against two clearly combat-skilled criminals, he did not want to risk standing out any more than he already was.

"… Uh… are you sure? I live right—" Tukson was interrupted by Mantis waving his arms in a "no" fashion. "Yes, I am sure! Y-You see, m-my parents were… involved with some very bad people with lots of connections… I know I said my friends dared me to wear this stuff, but it's also to make sure they don't recognize me… If they find out where I am…!"

Tukson took a few moments to take it in. To Mantis' surprise, he seemed to accept it, shrugging his shoulders as if he understood. "Ah. Well, if that's the case…"

He walked around Mantis and up to the door to the building next to the alley he emerged out. Taking out a key ring, selecting one of the keys and using it to unlock the door. He opened the door, a bell chiming from above the frame.

"Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade; Home to every book under the sun." He proudly stated with a calm smile, and Mantis finally noticed the large sign declaring the building to be a bookstore owned by the man. Still sensing no suspicious signals from the man and realizing he was faced with little options, Psycho Mantis chose to accept the man's hospitality. "Thank you…" He uttered hesitantly, not quite used to people offering him genuine help.

Walking through the open door and into the warm shop, he immediately glanced around. Just like the sign said, there were many books housed on shelves, categorized by the specific type of book and shelved accordingly. At the back of the room was a desk with a call bell, cash register, several stacks of – what else? – books, and a few binders. Behind that was a set of doors that seemed to lead into a hallway that turned right, though Mantis couldn't quite tell due to the dark windows.

Taking in the sight of so much literature and the warm atmosphere compared to the cold night air outside, Psycho Mantis almost didn't hear Tukson close the door behind him. Walking past him to the desk and opening the doors that led to the back, Tukson gestured for Mantis to follow him, stepping inside and walking through first to try to make sure Mantis knew he wasn't about to try anything. Mantis already sensed he had no ill will yet, but he decided to let him go ahead and do it anyway. Entering the back door and following Tukson, he turned right to walk through a short corridor. Straight ahead was a room that seemed to be Tukson's office, as there was another desk with filing cabinets near it as well as several important-looking documents and papers strewn about. The corridor also turned left just before that, and that was where Tukson was leading Psycho Mantis. Upon rounding the corner, there was a staircase leading to an upper story.

"Just head up and head through the first door to your right; That's the room you'll be staying in for now." Tukson supplied simply and helpfully at the base of the stairs. Mantis passed him and did as he instructed. When he reached the top, the walls turned from dark grey to a light lavender, and there was another corridor that led left and right. Following Tukson's suggestion, Mantis turned right and found a simple plain door. To his dismay, it was of a lighter lavender and… had children's stickers on it?

'Has this man been taking in other children from the street?'

Brushing that thought aside, Mantis grabbed the doorknob as best he could with his hands in the jacket's long sleeves and opened the door. Upon entry, he immediately made out the room's size; about 12x10 squared feet and had dark purple walls. In the corner nearest him and to his left was a white dresser with a small mirror framed above it, and in the corner directly adjacent to it was a lamp whose lampshade had white and purple stripes. In the corner next to it was a medium-sized bed with purple sheets and blanket over the mattress and a fluffy light grey pillow, along with a small desk that had a few children's crayons and a small stack of what he presumed to be Tukson's own books on it. On the other side of the bed was a small window that could be opened and closed easily and quickly, allowing Mantis a method of escape if need be. Finally, in the corner just to Mantis' right was another bookshelf, although only about half as wide and tall as the ones in the bookstore area. Taking a peek, he quickly noticed that the majority of them were either Aesop's Fables-esque stories, children's fairy tales or comic books not too far off from the ones on Earth.

"Like it so far?" Tukson suddenly appeared from the doorway, leaning on the doorframe and might have startled him if it weren't for Mantis seeing his shadow approach from behind. Turning around to face him, Mantis put on his helpess child façade once more.

"So… are you sure you can let me stay here?" He asked with honest levels of surprise. He truly hadn't been expecting anyone to lend such aid to a child out on the street; He'd seen enough of humanity to know how vicious and cruel they could be. Just like how fruits and vegetables can go bad, though, he knew that some were definitely worse than others. Tukson took less than two seconds to respond to his question.

"I wouldn't have brought you in if I wasn't, kid." He said simply with a shrug. Mantis was already sick of being called a "kid", and it was only his gratitude to this man for letting him spend a few nights and the knowledge that he had to limit his power usage that stopped him from outright attacking and brainwashing him. Luckily, Tukson also seemed to tire of calling him "kid".

"Say… you got a name I can call you by? I can tell you don't quite enjoy that. And frankly… neither do I." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head. This time, Mantis wasn't quite sure how to answer that. He wasn't sure he wanted to tell him his codename, as that would undoubtedly sound off. At the same time, though… he did not at all want to remember his original name.

"… Call me Mantis." He finally decided to use part of his codename. Seeing Tukson raise a brow in confusion, he quickly added, "My family always taught me to pray for what we had. I would do it so much in public that my friends would say I looked like a praying mantis. They kept pointing out, I kept doing it, and after a while, they started to call me 'Mantis'."

Once again, not a total lie. During his actual youth with Liquid as teenagers, the blonde-haired then-child soldier had always teased Mantis about how whenever he lifted his arms into their signature pose during battle, his elongated jacket sleeves drooped off from where his fingers ended, thus making him resemble an actual praying mantis unfolding its forelegs when hunting prey.

The part where he mentioned family almost made him throw up a little in his mouth, however.

Tukson, however, seemed a bit confused at something. "Wait, so… you're not a faunus?"

"… Er… no…" Mantis replied carefully, not fully sure of how to respond.

'What on Earth is a faunus!? I'll need to find several suitable history books or websites in order to come close to understanding this world!' Mantis shouted in his mind. Tukson stared at him for a few seconds before accepting his answer and shrugging his shoulders, "Eh, suppose it doesn't really matter." He stated, then checked his watch.

"Well… it's quite late now… you should probably get some rest." Tukson pointed out, showing his watch to Mantis. It was 10:45 PM, quite late indeed. And, if Mantis was being honest, rest was something he very much needed after that day's events. "Thank you, Mr. Tukson! Thanks so much!" He exclaimed in a happy tone, turning around to approach the bed and steadily got into it, lying down on the mattress and surprised by the strange comfort level the bed provided.

"Heh-heh… well, we'll talk more in the morning, Mantis. But, for now… sleep tight, kid. Good night." Tukson said softly, stepping out of the room and gently closing the door, shutting off the lights. Mantis waited about thirty seconds, listening to his footsteps head back downstairs. After he counted half a minute and could tell without using his power that Tukson was far enough away, he immediately got up and punched the wall as hard as he could.

"Grragh!" Mantis growled and grunted, partly from sheer frustration and partly because his knuckles and fingers hurt pretty bad hitting the solid wall, "Goddamned child acts! Damn it to Hell!" He swore, breathing heavily in an attempt to suppress his rage and disgust. It was one thing to be in the body of a child, but to force himself to physically behave like one made him feel like a worthless maggot crawling in muck. He, the greatest psychokinetic in the world, forced to whimper and stutter like a traumatized kid!

Swearing under his breath, he got out of bed and walked up the to the mirror on top of the dresser. He carefully reached behind himself and, carefully undoing the straps holding the straitjacket to his back, removed the jacket and slid it off his arms and letting it fall to the floor, leaving himself shirtless. To his utter discontent, he could plainly see the small, slim and weak physique of a young adolescent child in the mirror. No longer was the tall, fit and, most importantly, adult body carrying his previously bald head, but was instead a young, weak and slightly emaciated kid's form with wavy red hair. He couldn't have been any more than 5'1" in this body.

"Why… why has this happened!?" He seethed, trembling with anger as he glared at his own reflection. The entire time, he had to force himself from trying to use his power to prevent own his abilities' recovery and made it clear that he was dangerous to both Tukson and anybody within range. To have to stoop so low as to pretend to be a lowly, innocent, weak, ignorant child…!

The mirror suddenly cracked from an invisible force, distorting Mantis' reflection. Panting heavily, he put a hand to his forehead, feeling the predicted pain spike through his skull.

'Damn it… this thinking will get me nowhere. I can only rest for now… I must read up on this world's history and properties when morning arrives if I am to survive here.' He planned in his mind, walking slowly back to the bed and practically collapsing on top of it, only partially pulling the blankets over his body. Without taking too long at all, Mantis succumbed to his only-now apparent exhaustion and fell asleep.


Neo smirked as she beat yet another level on her Scroll. Sitting on an empty barrel in front of a warehouse, she'd been waiting patiently for Roman to return from his latest heist. Her smirk quickly fell, however, when she checked the time on her Scroll's clock and glanced around for any sign of him or their superior.

He'd been gone longer than he should've. She wanted so badly to just take a few looks around, but their superior had specifically instructed her not to leave her post until they returned. And as much as she may have wanted to, Neo knew better than to disobey.

Suddenly, a sewer lid near her rattled sightly, several knocks sounding out in a specific order and volume. Recognizing the code, Neo eagerly hopped off the barrel repeated the code herself, signaling the all clear. She then tossed the lid aside and jumped back to allow the people inside the step out. Instead of emerging like a normal person, a young woman wearing a red minidress with ashen black hair suddenly blasted up and out of the sewer entrance, firing small bursts of fire from her palms and feet. Landing on the ground and using one hand to soften to landing, Cinder stood straight up, almost seeming regal in her posture. Neo gulped nervously, seeing Cinder's eyes more flaming and angered than she would have liked.

"Move, Roman." Cinder ordered coldly with a displeased frown, walking calculatingly into the warehouse. Within a few moments, two smoking, burnt gloved hands raised from the sewers, shakily lifting up the owner of said hands, Roman Torchwick himself. To Neo's shock, he looked badly injured, with severe burns covering most of his body, soot and ash piled on his hair and several parts of his clothes and hat burned off to reveal the burned tissue and incinerated hair underneath, respectively. He struggled just to stay on his feet, coughing puffs of smoke every few seconds.

"*Cough!*, *Cough!* Y-Yeah, yeah…" He coughed weakly, stumbling forwards as a result of one of his knees' profuse bleeding and forced to use his cane to walk. Neo rushed forwards, helping Roman along into the warehouse after Cinder.

"You." Cinder ordered to several White Fang goons who weren't busy packaging Dust and/or weaposn into crates like their brethren, "Take Roman to be treated for his injuries."

Knowing better than to question how Roman got so badly burned and injured, the grunts stepped forwards and helped escort the crime boss to the makeshift infirmary in the warehouse. Neo followed after them, wanting to ensure that Roman was properly taken care of, but then she heard Cinder's quiet yet held-back voice.

"Neo. Resume your post immediately." She ordered scornfully. Neo stopped in her tracks and lowered her head somberly, watching the men escort Roman to the back before obeying Cinder's orders, trudging outside. Cinder stormed off deeper into the warehouse, not sparing any glances at the uniformed faunus working hard around her. She paced herself, breathing deeply to soothe her anger and unclenching her fists. She then proceeded through several ID locked doors and hallways, eventually finding her temporary quarters of the warehouse they were currently in. Inputting her ID and password into the digital lock next to the door, she waltzed in and immediately headed to the back of the room. She didn't even bother looking at the plush couches, dark red carpets, beautiful golden lamps and queen-size bed that were only accessible and used by her and her only. Cinder stopped in front of a painting on the back wall. It depicted a burning forest, with large plumes of smoke rising into the sky and blocking the bright sun, with animals fleeing the woods and some of them even ablaze themselves; Bears and moose thundered between the thick, fiery foliage, foxes and a pack of wolves attempted to dodge collapsing trees while birds attempted to soar between the cloud of ash above them and the inferno below them.

" Oh, Ancient Messenger, I wish to speak to the Empress." Cinder uttered, closing her eyes intently. Immediately after she finished, the painting slid upwards on the wall, revealing a small hatch just behind where it normally was. The hatch opened, and a small, red tentacle reached outwards. Cinde stepped back to give the entity room, and as she watched, more and more of the red tendrils slithered out. Eventually, a spherical, pitch-black body with bony armored plating emerged, floating in the air with its tendrils drooping underneath it.

"… Salem, I am here to report." Cinder stated simply, tensing herself. The dark coloration of the Grimm's round body shifted into a translucent red.

"Speak." A feminine yet dark and cold voice replied, raw power and malice emanating off its tone. Cinder readied her voice.

"We… We were unable to acquire the 500 kilograms of Dust we wished to obtain from the robbery… We were intercepted and forced back…" She answered, struggling to keep the fear from her voice. It would not do to show fear. A few seconds rolled by before the voice on the other end spoke again.

"What happened? Did Qrow return to Vale already?"

"No… a huntress and two young ones destroyed the Bullhead in which me and Roman attempted to use to retreat." She answered, bracing herself.

"… Who were these two youths?" The deadly voice asked simply. Cinder stopped herself from sighing in relief; She wasn't upset… yet.

"A young girl with silver eyes wielding a scythe… she may possibly be related to Branwen." Cinder reported, recalling the encounter she'd had with the scythe-wielding huntsman.

"And… what of the other?" The voice inquired, seemingly interested. Cinder's breath hitched in her throat, emotions rising up as she recalled the battle.

"… a young boy wearing a gas mask with the ability to manipulate and control the environment, seemingly using the power of his mind; Psychokinesis, in other words. He was the one who brought down our Bullhead almost singlehandedly, and with almost no visible effort on his part." She stated, struggling to hold in her shame. Cinder had always been confident in her power, both influentially-speaking and in terms of combat. She could have easily have taken that huntress and silver-eyed girl, she was sure, judging from the fact that the child didn't seem to have awakened her power yet.

That boy, on the other hand, was a different matter entirely. Cinder had met and fought with and alongside many skilled and lethal foes over her lifetime, each deadlier than the last. However, never in her years had she seen such a young child wield so much power so efficiently and skillfully. She gritted her teeth in anger, insulted by the fact that she, someone with decades of peak combat training and ruthless ambition and carefully-built skill, had been chased by a mere boy who just happened to have been born with such strength.

"… Who is this boy? Have you any clues as to his identity and location?" The voice pressed on, growing more interested and intrigued by the minute. Cinder took a few seconds to remember what she could.

"… 'Psycho Mantis', I believe, is what he referred to himself as during the skirmish. However, there wasn't any visible evidence that he is actually of faunus descent, and he appeared to have fled the scene as soon as our airship was destroyed.." She answered. "'Psycho Mantis'… I see. Cinder…" The voice on the other end began, instantly prompting Cinder to tense up, "Our plans do not change. We will be moving to Phase 2 at the planned time, but you must be extra cautious from here on. This child is clearly powerful and, even worse, is aware of the power he possesses; Do not let anything stand in our way. If you can locate him... do not attempt to engage him."

Cinder was taken aback. This so-called 'Psycho Mantis' was stronger than any other child his age on Remnant, possibly even as strong as Cinder herself! Now her master wanted to keep him alive?

"Why?" Cinder asked softly, "This boy could bring down legions of White Fang soldiers… why spare him while he is young and not yet at his peak?"

"It is precisely because he is powerful that we must not kill him… yet." Her master persuaded, "If we can… persuade him to join our cause, to bear his strength down upon our enemies… it will make achieving victory that much easier. And if things go the way we plan to, you yourself will also achieve great power. Therefore, combining the Maiden's power with that of this young child's will make us nigh unstoppable."

Cinder opened her mouth to try to argue, but paused. It was a valid claim… if the boy were to join the White Fang and agree to combine his power with Cinder's goal to claim the Fall Maiden's power, victory would be all but assured. To simply confront and kill him would mean wasting all of that power Cinder witnessed during their confrontation.

"… Understood. I'll spread orders to gather our resources when planned, as well as help speed along Roman's recovery." Cinder affirmed.

"Excellent." Her master's voice said simply. With that, the tentacled Grimm's round body faded back to its original pitch-black color, slinking back to the hatch in the wall and closing it using one of its tendrils, the painting above it sliding back into the place and covering it up. Cinder took a deep breath, calming her nerves as she turned and gently sat down at one of the red-orange sofas in the room, propping her head on her elbow, thinking deeply. Planning.


The bright early sun invaded Mantis' window like an enemy army, and the sounds of cars honking in the streets and people chattering below finally awakened the sleeping psychic. With a groan, Psycho Mantis wearily blinked his eyes open and sat up in bed, stretching his arm out to one side. Upon glancing at his small, thin arm, he was dismayed to realize that he was indeed not dreaming or hallucinating.

He was still reverted back to his child form.

"Well, great… still a stupid child." He complained, getting out of bed and quickly losing his sleepiness; Working in a highly-disciplined special forces unit like FOXHOUND meant having the ability to quickly wake up at any given time to fight and kill without any disadvantageous exhaustion or sleepiness. Pausing in place, he put a hand to his forehead and focused.

'Hmmm… Ah-ha! Yes! My powers have recovered!' He cheered internally, no longer feeling the migraine he had gotten yesterday from overexerting his powers. This, of course, must've meant that his psychokinesis was back in working order. Breathing a sigh of relief, he realized that all that was left was what to wear, since he understandably hesitant to put on his straitjacket again even if he was going to leave his arms free.

Still shirtless, he was about to awkwardly partially put on his straitjacket again when his eyes spied a small pile of clothes neatly folded on the dresser in the room. Cautiously walking up to it, he quickly noticed a note on the clothes.

"Dear Mantis,

Figured you might want to wear something a bit less suspicious and more comfortable.

Tukson."

Sighing in relief, Mantis looked through several tops before finally deciding on a plain hoodie with pockets at the bottom and colored black with horizontal dark grey stripes. Putting it on, he was a bit annoyed when it was clear that the hoodie was a bit big on him, as the collar easily touched the chin of his mask and the sleeves reached past his wrists to the point that only his fingertips were visible even after folding the wrists of the sleeves back. However, it was the closest thing in the pile Tukson left him to the trenchcoat he wore back with FOXHOUND, and it allowed him to stretch his fingers in the sleeves. And besides, looking in the mirror and seeing the combined appearance of the hoodie with his black gas mask, it did still make him look somewhat intimidating and off-putting without looking like an escaped patient.

No matter what, though, the gas mask stayed. Social norms be damned.

Finally, glancing to the floor, Mantis found a pair of dark red and black sandals that, unlike his hoodie, fit him perfectly. Testing the feel of his toes in the sandals, Mantis felt satisfied at his new outfit.

'Well, then… let's see just where in Hell that old ghost sent me.'

Mantis opened the door to the corridor outside his new room and, retracing his steps, walked downstairs past the office he'd seen yesterday.

"Hey, Mantis! Finally awake, huh?" Tukson called from his desk inside said office, having spotted Mantis coming downstairs and waved at him, "I see you got my gifts. Do they fit well?"

Mantis outstretched his arms, once again testing his hoodie. Although he couldn't get any more than his fingers to be visible from the sleeves, it still felt comfortable.

"Yes… thank you, kind sir." Mantis said graciously with a nod. Tukson stood up, setting aside whatever papers he was working on for later. "Of course, kid. Can't just let you walk around in something uncomfortable." He replied. Walking past Mantis to the main bookstore area, he gestured for him to follow, "Well, come on. If you're going to stay here, we're gonna have to lay down some ground rules."

Shrugging his shoulders, Mantis followed, ready to accept most of the standards Tukson might impose. He headed into the room where Tukson operated the bookstore to find the man in question standing near the desk preparing something. Sensing Mantis behind him, Tukson turned around and handed the psychic a cup of warm coffee.

"Want some?" He kindly offered, partially because he wanted to see Mantis finally remove his mask, having gotten the feeling that he slept wearing it. However, instead of removing his mask to drink, the coffee literally levitated from the cup and formed a floating puddle mid-air. Ignoring Tukson's stunned expression, Psycho Mantis telekinetically manipulated the airborne drink and slowly moved small portions of it through the air filter of his gas mask, sipping down the coffee with a delighted sigh.

'Ah, yes… Good to have you back, my power…' Mantis thought to himself as he moved the rest of the coffee back into the cup, "Thank you, Tukson. I needed that." He thanked politely with a nod.

… What? He could be genuinely polite when he sees fit!

"… Uh… is that your Semblance? Telekinesis, or…?" Tukson asked awkwardly after that display. Mantis held himself back from sighing in disappointment, hoping he'd get a more shocked reaction. Looking back on the fight he partook in between the fiery-eyed woman, red-dressed girl and riding crop-wielding woman, it seemed as though these things were a regular occurrence in this world.

For some reason, though, when he thought that, he felt a bitter twinge in his heart. Knowing that he needed to behave his best here, he quickly shoved that thought down.

"Actually, psychokinesis." Mantis corrected, "I can move things with the power of my mind…"

'… As well as enter your thoughts.'

Tukson suddenly stumbled back, bumping into his desk and nearly spilling his own cup of coffee. Panting heavily, he looked all around him until his startled gaze fell on Mantis. Even though he couldn't see his face, Tukson could just feel his smirk under his mask.

"… You just talked in my head." Tukson said, narrowing his eyes slightly. It wasn't a question or a guess, it was a blunt statement. Mantis chuckled.

"My powers are quite versatile, as you may have guessed. With enough… influence, I can even control people to do as I please." He stated with pride. Tukson stood straight up again, fixing his shirt as it had wrinkled slightly.

"Well, if you can do all of that, how are you on the run from a bunch of folks after your head? Couldn't you just… I dunno… toss them over a cliff?" He suggested calmly, getting over his shock quicker than Mantis would've liked. The psychic took a few seconds to think up an answer.

"… Trust me, if they were that weak… I-I would've taken care of them already." Mantis intentionally stuttered, using a bit of his "helpless-and-innocent-child" persona. It worked; Tukson bought it, wincing sympathetically at his sad tone.

"I see… well, if that's the case, I really can't just let you out for those guys to find you." He stated, crossing his arms. Mantis raised his brows under his mask in surprise.

"You're… not going to ask who I'm running from?" He asked. Tukson just shrugged, "Let's just say I've… got my own experiences dealing with the wrong type of people. Experiences I'm not too comfortable sharing just yet. And if I'm not willing to tell ya… why should I be asking you to spill your guts?" He said quietly, clearly not having fond memories.

"Oh… well, thank you for that." Mantis replied honestly, relieved that he wasn't going to have to make up and entire story explaining what he was doing alone on the streets at night. Tukson merely waved it off.

"Don't mention it, it's just the polite thing to do. Now, anyways… I believe we need to discuss some grounds for you if you're going to stay here with me. This is my roof, which means you follow my rules." He stated, his tone getting a bit more serious without arrogance, which Mantis was glad for.

"Number 1: If you're going to live here, I'm gonna need you to work for me in the bookstore. Nothing big, just helping me shelve new books and cleaning and counting the money in the register and the like." Tukson explained calmly, leaning back against the desk.

"I have to assume I won't be paid in exchange for being allowed to stay here?" Mantis inquired. Truthfully, he didn't care whether nor not Tukson was willing to pay him, since he could always just hypnotize him into giving him any amount he wanted and disappear now that his powers had recovered.

"No, you will not." Tukson affirmed, though without any hints of sadism or cruelty like what Mantis expected, "I'll still be the one paying for our food and other necessities. Now, number 2: Curfew."

Mantis inwardly groaned.

"You only go out with my permission, understand? And if I do give you permission, you are to be back here by the set time I say. I close the shop at 9, but I don't mind you staying up however long you like so long as you keep it down at night and can do your tasks efficiently when I open at 7." He stated, his voice calm and humble. Mantis was saying and doing nothing but listening and nodding to prove he was listening, but inwardly, he was fuming.

'Dammit! Not only do I have to behave like a child, I also have to take orders like one for no money!'

Make no mistake, Mantis was very much grateful for being allowed a place to stay and without being charged. However, he was so accustomed to people paying him for his services – usually something to do with his psychic prowess – that the concept of working for free was totally alien to him. He knew it wouldn't be a big issue in the long run, however, since he was more than smart enough to not look a gift horse in the mouth. If this was the price he had to pay to have a roof over his head, fresh food and clean water, he'd be willing to bear it.

… For now.

"And number 3…" Tukson's voice suddenly grew slightly colder and threatening, "Don't ever use your Semblance on my customers."

Mantis tilted his head in confusion. He wasn't the least bit scared or intimidated, but rather curious about how serious Tukson seemed about him using his powers on anyone in the shop.

"The people that come into my store are the ones who gives us the ability to buy food, water, clothes and other necessities. For one, they come here to exchange my books for their money of their own free will. Frankly, I don't want to have to resort to hypnotizing innocent people into just giving us money. And trust me, I know how bad some people who walk in here can be, and I can't tell you enough how many times I hoped they'd get run over by a trucl. But, they still put money in the register, so I don't care how rude, condescending or arrogant anyone who comes to buy my books may be; I hear you broke someone's arm or made them brain dead, you'll have to deal with me, kid. Understand?"

Aaaaand that was where Psycho Mantis was seriously considering drawing the line. Taking free orders from someone paying for his food and keeping a roof over his head? He could deal with it, he'd let Liquid give him orders during their time in FOXHOUND, after all. Leaving the bookstore with permission only and be back by a certain time? Mantis was never fond of the concept of getting fresh air or getting out in general anyway. But reigning in his power to stop from injuring any deserving assholes he may come across? Could he really do that?

'… What a foolish question.' Mantis internally sighed, 'Of course I can do it. There's no other way.'

With a reluctant nod, Psycho Mantis agreed, "Yes, sir, I understand."

Tukson gave him a small and only somewhat-noticeable smile, but Mantis could sense his satisfaction and moderate happiness, "Well, alright then. You're getting off lucky today; it's Sunday, the one day of the week we're closed, and that means you get to relax 'till tomorrow."

Mantis visibly brightened, "So… would you mind if I read some of your books?" He asked, wanting to know more about this world he was in. What better way to learn than by reading? Tukson shrugged.

"Sure, knock yourself out. Just don't damage them, and—"

He was interrupted by Mantis suddenly hovering up into the air and flying past him, touching down on the ground and telekinetically lifting several books into the air. Startled, Tukson whirled around to see that Mantis was already flipping to the chapter section of two rather large novels. He smirked, mistaking Mantis' desire to learn about the world for a passion towards reading.

"Well, I'll be in the back if you need me, Mantis. Remember to put those books back in their places when you're done with them!" He called over his shoulder as he left the room, headed back to his office. Before he totally disappeared into the corridor, however, he poked his head into the room.

"Oh, one last thing…" He said clearly, prompting Mantis to turn to him attentively, "Don't call me 'sir'; Makes me feel old." He added with a friendly smile before leaving. Mantis breathed an audible sigh of relief.

'Thank God for that! It'd be truly low to have to refer to him as being actually above me!' Mantis mused. Turning back to his new collection of books, he looked them over one last time.

The books in particular were a mix of history books, biology textbooks, travel brochures and technology magazines; All the general information of this world contained in the thick pages. Telekinetically taking a stool from one of the corners and sitting down with his coffee, Mantis began reading through the first book he'd found.

"Let's see… The Study of Aura & The Soul…"


During her training to be a huntress, Ruby had gone through many endurance challenges and trials purposed to test her will and determination to battle the dark creatures of Grimm.

However, no huntsman academy teacher could have ever trained her to survive one of Yang's legendary hugs.

"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister's coming to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" The buxom brawler exclaimed, holding a squirming Ruby in a bear hug.

"Pweash… S-Shtahp…!" Ruby whimpered, struggling for air in her sister's powerful arms. "But I'm so proud of you!" Yang said giddily, releasing her sister and jumping from excitement.

"Really, sis… it was nothing." Ruby sighed tiredly. Yang, evidently, had a different view.

"What do you mean!? It was incredible! Everyone at Beacon's gonna think you're the bee's knees!" She countered, gesturing around the room inside the airship they were travelling in.

"Yeah, I don't want to be the bee's knees, okay? I don't want to be any kind of knees!" Ruby cried, feeling both embarassment and nervousness creeping onto her, "I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees!"

Yang seemed perplexed at Ruby's hesitation. "What's with you? Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I'm excited! I just… I got moved ahead two years; I don't want people to think I'm special or anything." Ruby stated somberly, fixating her gaze on the ground. Yang walked around and wrapped a gentle arm around her sister's shoulder.

"But you are special." She stated, her voice sounding softer and more motherly, and Ruby nearly cracked a smile. Before either of them could talk any more, however, a holographic screen popped up near the center in the side of the airship.

"… The robbery was headed by nefarious criminal, Roman Torchwick, who attempted to escape the scene of the crime in a stolen Bullhead. Before he could make his escape, however, it wa destroyed and shot down to the streets as a result of the effort of huntresses who happened upon the robbery, as well as an as-of-yet unknown adolescent child reportedly said to have a psychokinesis Semblance. Although no fatalities or injuries were reported and the Bullhead having been destroyed, authorities have found no evidence that Torchwick perished in the incident and are still on the lookout." The news reporter Cyril reported. The screen showed Roman's mugshot, his confident smirk and sneering eyes showing no fear or alarm at having been arrested at the time of this mugshot being taken. He was clearly right to have been confident considering he had apparently managed to break out. Then, to Ruby's surprise, the screen opened another image, this time one of a photographic picture showing the floating telekinetic boy she'd fought alongside the previous night.

It was different than the one Ozpin had shown her, as it appeared to have been taken by someone standing in the balcony of one of the buildings that the Bullhead crashed near since the street that Ruby and Glynda were standing on wasn't visible in it. A rising cloud of smoke and ash could clearly be seen on the left side of the picture, and although the destroyed wreck wasn't visible, a fiery orange glow from underneath where the smoke cloud was coming from proved it was there. The picture was then enlarged and enhanced to focus on the top right corner, and everyone in the airship could now clearly make out the image of a young adolescent boy with wild and unruly bright red hair partially silhouetted by the moonlight, wearing a partially fastened black straitjacket and a gas mask with orange-tinted lenses, all the while somehow hovering in mid-air. His head and body were leaned back and his arms were spread out to his sides, giving the impression that he was laughing proudly at his destructive handiwork. Many of the would-be students began murmuring and gossiping between themselves, usually either commenting on his outfit, what his potential Semblance could be and/or where he came from and if anybody in the airship recognized him. "If you have any information on Roman Torchwick or this young child's whereabouts, please contact the Vale Police Department." Cyril finished before handing the floor to Lisa Lavender.

"Psycho Mantis…" Ruby muttered, staring at the image of the familiar boy. As excited as she was to enter Beacon, she still could not stop thinking about this so-called "Psycho Mantis". Now that she really paid attention to his appearance, she noticed that the way he held his arms up in the air with his outstretched jacket sleeves drooping down reminded her of an actual praying mantis with its extended forelimbs raised in front of it. Unfortunately, she had spoken loud enough for her sister to hear her.

"Aw! Does my wittle sister have a secret rendezvous planned with her dark vigilante?" She teased with a cheshire grin. Ruby's face instantly became as red as her namesake, pulling herself away from Yang and shaking her head and hands in front of her furiously.

"Y-Yang! O-Of course not! We only worked together for, like, three minutes, and then he just… I dunno, disappeared without saying anything!" She exclaimed, looking anywhere except at her sibling. Yang chuckled at her sister's reaction.

"You sure? He probably could've given you his number in less than three minutes. Plus, he's definitely got that cool and mysterious vibe goin' on, and he could probably help you make all kinds of weapons and upgrades with his Semblance... don'tcha think?" Yang continued. Ruby's face suddenly changed to that of a faraway look at the thought, imagining what it could be like working together with Mantis.

"Ohmygosh, I know, right? His gas mask looks so creepy but so cool at the same time, and we could probably wipe out a hundred Ursai together with our combined awesomeness and amazingness, and help me make my baby Crescent Rose so much stronger and deadlier and—YANG, stop it!" Ruby finally caught on, blushing furiously. She honestly didn't hold any romantic feelings for the boy at all, and Yang knew it; She just loved to tease her still-growing sister in any way she could.

"Well, if you ever do see him again, you better tell me so I can meet him! If he's as strong as you love to keep saying, we could have an awesome practice match!" Yang grinned, punching her fists together. Ruby had boasted and chattered all night about the strength of this so-called "Mantis" after she'd been sent home, and if he was truly all that powerful, then Yang wanted badly to test her might against his. Some might say it would be wrong for her to fight him since he was clearly younger than her by one or two years, but then again, so was Ruby, who was a force to be reckoned with in her own right.

The entire time they had been talking, the news continued on to Lisa Lavender's report on a peaceful faunus protest that had been turned violent by the involvement of the White Fang. Before the report could get too in-detail, however, the report was cut short by a different holographic image appearing where the video had been playing. A figure appeared in the holograph, whom Ruby recognized from the night befoe as Glynda Goodwitch.

"Hello, and welcome to Beacon." Glynda's holograph stated without any trace of an actual warm, welcoming tone, "My name is Glynda Goodwitch, ("Oh." Yang said, wondering who she was) you are among the privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy."

"Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future hunstmen and huntresses, it is your duty to uphold it. You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and now, it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world." She finished, an air of warning yet also comfort in her voice. Within seconds, her holographic image vanished, allowing the students to look out the window it and the news report earlier had been blocking. Upon glimpsing the view outside, Ruby immediately felt overtaken by the beauty.

"Oh, wow…!" She muttered, leaving Yang's side to get a better view. Pressing her hands to the glass, the young reaper was astonished at the amazing sights below, "Look! You can see Signal from up here…!" She said excitedly, hearing Yang walk up to the window besides her, "… I guess home isn't too far after all." She stated with a nostalgic tone, happy yet somewhat sad to leave Signal and everyone still in it behind. Yang stepped up behind her sister, planting a comforting hand on her shoulder, all previous thoughts of the young psychic gone for now.

"Beacon's our home now." She said simply. Ruby smiled over her shoulder at her, the pressures and weights on her shoulders dissipating.

"Uggghhh…" A masculine voice off to their right moaned. Glancing over, they saw a blonde young man wearing a black short sleeve hoodie with a diamond-shaped chestplate with white spaulders and black sneakers, as well as currently trying to desperately hold in his breakfast. The young man hurriedly rushed past the two girls, keeping his palm plastered over his mouth, clearly suffering from motion sickness.

"Well… I guess the view isn't for everyone." Yang commented, making sure she and Ruby gave the scraggly blonde a wide berth.

"Eh, it was a good moment while it lasted." Ruby replied, staring back out to the bright skies above and the warm sea below.


A/N

And that's it for this chapter! Sorry this one was devoid of any real action and just had talk and exposition, and I know, I said I was gonna make Loose, Released, Freedom my priority. However, I did not expect for this story to get so many views and visitors in the first few days! Seriously, at this rate, this story is proving to be more popular than my first ever was in the first day! So, if this is what you guys want, then who am I to deny y'all?

Feel free to leave a review about your thoughts, I want to make sure I get this story right. For those concerned that Psycho Mantis might be going soft anytime soon just because of some hospitality and kindness, don't worry; If I were going to write a story like that, I definitely wouldn't have chosen a character like Psycho Mantis. Again, I will not be giving Mantis an Aura nor a Semblance, 1) He isn't from Remnant and thus wouldn't have the same traits that Remnant humans have that allow them to use Aura, and 2) He's strong enough as it is, as demonstrated in MGS1 and MGSV. It'd be like giving Godzilla the ability to go Super Saiyan. Just no.

"Agreed. Now, shut up so I can keep reading in peace, this 'Dust' is getting far more interesting by the paragraph!"

Fine, just don't give yourself a papercut, shrimp.

"Oh, you little-!"

Aaaand that's my cue to leave! Have a good one, peace!

EDIT: Fixed some errors.