Quick notice, if you find something grammatically incorrect in the story or I write something counter-intuitive, message me where it is and in which chapter so can fix it. You'll be helping me out and improving the reading experience for everyone. Any ways, here is chapter four!
Chapter 4: Changing Views
The next morning, as David stirred from his slumber, laying in an alley on a mattress, he felt like something was different. Not different like something bad was happening that he couldn't see, but merely feel. Instead he just felt like something was…different. Then, he realized it was the way he woke from his sleep. He wasn't in a cold sweat, bolting upright in panic from some new nightmare conjured by his mind. Instead, he slowly woke up, content with a good night's rest. 'When was the last time that happened?' he questioned jokingly, 'Way back when I would wake up, get prepared for the new day and head out to Signal.' The thought brightened his sour heart, bringing a smirk to his face as he reminisced the memories.
As he started walking around the city, he thought of the interaction with his mind. 'Something's changing, the memories don't bring headaches any more, quite the contrary. Also, that was actually some well needed rest that I got, uninterrupted by some crazy dream.' As he pondered this he noticed something. He heard a cry for help, closely followed by voices filled with scorn. He turned in the direction of the noise to find two guys, young adults, pushing around a young female wolf faunus, her black hair tangled and mated. 'What the…? Those little punks, does nobody in this entire universe know kindness!' So, he strode up to them.
"Gentlemen, what appears to be the problem?" he inquired, keeping his anger in check, for now.
As he spoke, they turned to him, releasing their grip slightly, looked him over and blew him off, one saying, "Get lost, this is none of your business."
"But I believe it is until you explain why you are doing what you are doing," he said, adding a little venom into his voice at the end.
"Look buddy," the first one continued, "if you think you threaten me, you're wrong, possibly dead wrong if you get what I mean." He finished the statement by brandishing a switch blade in his hand.
"Can't we just be civilized men and just leave the woman alone before we both do something we regret. Today is a fine day and I would hate to spoil it so early in."
"Why don't you walk away before that and forget about this. It'll just be easier."
"Sorry, but I have a thing against people like you, people who just cause trouble because they want to feel superior over others. Well, might I say, that just makes you lower than those you oppress."
"Why you," the first one growled, taking a swing at David.
'Well, I tried reasoning,' he thought too himself casually. Then, springing into action he kicked the man's hand causing him to drop his blade. The attack caught him off guard, allowing David to bring his other foot to kick the man's jaw, cracking it. The impact caused the man to fall over onto his back.
"Ow, that hurt you little prick!" is what David thought the man said. It was a tad difficult to understand, taking into account the cracked jaw.
David ignored him, instead turning to the other man, who still had his hands on the girl's shoulders. He began walking towards the pair, causing the man to release his grip, raising his hands up and backing away from David. 'Smart man,' David thought.
Turning his attention to the faunus he gazed at her. Not a piercing, menacing gaze, but a more calming gaze. She began profusely thanking the man who had just saved her, saying that the two others had grabbed her and had threatened her, saying she was worthless. Amidst her rambling David put a finger to her lips, saying, "There's no explanation needed, those guys were just being jerks. Trust me, they won't be hurting anyone else," he began gazing at the man who had been holding the faunus, "Am I clear or do I need another example?" The man began furiously shaking his head in a no response. "Good, now," he turned to the faunus, "get going. Good luck and safe travels."
After that little mishap, David continued to his original destination. He finally felt like he could, after so long. The place where he once was a pure soul, before the storm that ravaged his life. He was headed home.
His childhood home had been nothing special, a small house, able to fit four comfortably under normal circumstances. However when two residents are a hunter and huntress, it could accommodate three just fine. As he looked over the house, he realized it was completely unchanged. There was no mold or any structural damages. 'Well it should stay that way, it's a good home that once housed great people.' As he opened the door, he realized how unchanged it truly was. Everything had been kept exactly as he had left it the day he left. Which meant that the place was torn up like a dust cluster had exploded in the centre of it. Dents had been carved into the wall from him throwing violent punches into them. He had a dark side, he already knew that, but he looked at the dents and realized how bad it could be if he lost control of his temper. 'Damn, those guys back there are lucky they even had jaws after that,' he thought, looking back on his anger at the time. He knew his temper could be a little… excessive at times, but he didn't realize how bad it actually was. 'Well, there's another thing to put on the agenda of things I should improve. I wonder how the rest of the place is,' he thought as he continued to explore the house.
There was nothing else interesting about the house. That was because the house had remained surprisingly untouched since he left. There was the basic things here and there, expired food, a few mice, but mostly preserved as it had been. But David wasn't here to reminisce over the past. Instead he was here for the one thing he had always thought of getting from the old building, but never actually could find a time to go and retrieve then damn thing. He attempted to open a door, resulting in its hinges coming loose and falling off. 'Better add rot to the list of things wrong with this building.' As he let the door fall from his grip and produce a solid 'thud' as it hit the floor, he inspected the room. It was a plain square room, like many others in the house, however this one was special. It housed a large reinforced steel safe. The strong box stood against the back wall ominously. However David didn't care for the safe itself. He wanted to claim the contents of the safe for himself. He walked up to it and looked the massive box over. It was 6 feet tall and just as wide. The walls of the safe were three inches thick, meaning nothing short from a massive explosion would dent the box. However, David didn't need to break the box open; he just had to type out the key code into the keypad of the safe. As he put in the code, he remembered what his father had told him.
"When you're older, if you are ever in danger, come here and grab what you need. We won't question why you need it. Just be careful and you won't need it. Promise me you'll stay safe," those were the words of his father and from David's viewpoint, he was most certainly in trouble. As he finished the memory the safe made a satisfying 'clunk' sound. He gripped the handle and pulled open the door. The safe door swivelled open to reveal its contents. The contents were quite spectacular actually. A single bolt-action rifle, equipped with a variable zoom scope, infra-red vision and was capable of firing a variety of ammunition including high-powered, armor-piercing and the grandest of them all, dust coated penetrator, all of which was in the safe as well. 'Thanks dad, I think that this will do me well for my new line of work. Then again, it would have been helpful before…' David cut himself off, 'No, don't think about that, that's the past and that's not who you are not any more. Then again the past always somehow comes crawling right back to me.' He began pondering his past intentions. 'Why was I so naïve, thinking that things would change without taking initiative? Why was so short-sighted about what I was truly doing?' He found himself answering his own question, 'I was blinded by grief and anger. Angry that I was powerless, angry that I couldn't change what was happening. That won't happen again. Never will I be that shell of a man again, doing whatever I'm told to without thinking.'
After grabbing the sniper rifle, David took one last look around the house, just in case he had missed anything. He walked into his old room and looked around in the drawers for anything he may have missed. As he opened the drawer of his night-stand, he found a small box. This box held a lot of memories. It was an ornate box, with golden trim covering the cyan paint in intricate patterns that swirled across the. He opened the box to find a tiny figurine in a leaping pose, standing on a pedestal in the centre. He looked at the box, the music box his mother had given him on his tenth birthday. He forced back a tear of joy with a sniffle of the nose. 'How in the name of dust did this survive, in such pristine condition?' he thought to himself as he began to twist a small key on the side. After twisting it three full times, he let it turn in the opposite direction, allowing a harmonious melody to fill the air. The small, gentle notes filed his mind, seeping into the dark recesses of his mind and put them to ease. He felt truly at peace, allowing his mind to wander back through time. He remembered having fun with his parents during sunny days and huddling up to them on stormy ones. All his mind could find was good memories, never daring to dredge up a bad one. But throughout the memories he could only think of himself and his selfish nature. 'No matter how hard I tried I knew they weren't coming back. But I ignored that and all the good in my life, instead choosing to push everything in my life into a dark corner. I wasn't thinking right. But now, I'm a different person. Now have a real attainable goal. I have friends who I can trust on and who trust in me. I may be a darkened soul, but there's still a spark of hope inside. And even the smallest spark can turn into a burning passion. That's what I'll do. I tainted my name and the name of my parents, but I'll work to make it pure once more. All those who I've wronged, I only hope that they can forgive me for me sins.' At the end of the monologue David heard a faint whisper in the depths of his subconscious tell him, "All in good time my boy. Don't let us down."
As David stood inside the house that was once his home, he realized that the day was Saturday. Tomorrow was the day he'd finally start to change his ways. 'All will be well, now that I'll finally be making a difference. But is this really what is meant for me?' he began questioning himself, 'Of course, this is how I'll change my life. I will never be what I was before. That is a promise I can make. But then again, how many promises have been broken in the past. But everything I have done, whether I like it or not, I had a reason to do it at the time.' With a flurry of thoughts racing in his mind and a setting sun streaming sun through the windows, David went to his old bedroom and decided to take one final rest in his home. When he would wake a new chapter in life would begin in his book of life.
A.N. So, in the next chapter David will finally be going to Beacon. Hurrah, let the trumpets sound. But, in all honesty, these first few chapters were just character building for David. Also, they were used to create plot points in the story that I will be filling in future chapters. And by future I mean heavily in the future. I don't know how long this will go on for, but then again many other fanfictions have numerous chapters. But, I'm just rambling on about different topics. In conclusion, basic character building is over (only took damn near five chapters), David heading to Beacon and more cliffhangers, just like every chapter thus far. So I hope you enjoyed, reviews appreciated and if you think others might like this story, tell them about it. Unless you don't want to or don't have friends (if either one is you then you are in my boat as well). But, hope you come back to read the next chapter. I'll see you again, hopefully...