Honorable mention goes to the guest that left a review on chapter 2 on 4/19/17.

You….actually hit the nail on the head there. I remotely based the rifle off of an AR-15 chambered in .308 (I'm used to calling it an AR-10), there's a 4x12x40 scope on the top rail, think something similar to an m110. As for the engraved bear head in the stock…..Brilliant idea!

I hope you enjoy this chapter, feel free to ask any questions that arise!

After a solid two more weeks Jackson was in top physical shape thanks to Yang, and Blake had taught him everything she knew. His fighting style had developed into a hit-and-run technique that required stealth and surprise to work effectively, yet he also could hold his own in a direct fight.
His only rough spot was transferring from gunpowder to the use of Dust as a propellant, which produced more recoil, but also propelled the bullet at a higher velocity, meaning he could crack through armor just as easily as Ruby could with her high-caliber sniper rifle. But it just didn't feel like it was enough, and so one day at breakfast he approached Ruby with an idea.

"Hey Ruby, you want to help me out with making a new weapon?"

The brunette is instantly excited, even without knowing what the design is, and Jackson slides a few drawings across the table to her. She scrutinizes the drawings, looking between them for a minute while the grin spreads across her face.

Finally she slides the pictures back to him and stands up. "Well what are we waiting for?! This is going to be AWESOME!"

Jackson laughs before he finishes his coffee and stands up, grabbing his tray as the reaper jumps up and disappears in a puff of rose petals.
Everyone at the table laughs and he walks out of the cafeteria, heading for the school forge.

When he gets there he finds Ruby already putting the rifling in the barrel, and he sets about making his new weapon.

The manufacturing of the weapon doesn't take long, with Ruby's help a job that would have taken several days was reduced to three hours, who knew the girls hyperactive nature made her perfect for working two milling machines at once? The parts were all made and assembled in a steady fashion, and the only thing left was to test it.
Ruby leads him to the testing room, and he places the weapon in the box specially designed for testing weapons, and they step out before pulling on a lanyard. The thunder of the weapon indoors makes Jackson wince, but he quickly walks in and checks the internals of the gun before hefting it and grinning. "It works!" He cheers, giving Ruby a high-five.

"Of course it works! I helped you make it!" Ruby teases, looking at the gnarly serrated blade on the scythe. It was very similar to her scythe, but it took her own thinking one step further, placing a 14.5mm rifle inside with the handle, much like Crescent Rose, just bigger and more powerful.

[A/N: First person to guess the rifle I'm referencing gets honorable mention in the next chapter!]

"I used to use a scythe for the harvest every year, so I've got a general understanding of what and what not to do." He explains as the weapon folds up into a storage mode, stolen from Crescent Rose like nearly the entirety of the weapon, with the exception of the larger rifle and the longer serrated blade.

He walks into the blade testing room, fully deploys the scythe, and gives the weapon a swing at a dummy. He grins like a madman when the blade quietly whistles through the air and cleaves the practice dummy in half at the waist.

Ruby just stares at the matte black weapon in awe as he twirls it over his head once before cleaving two more dummies in half, her mind reeling at what it could do to a Grimm, or even worse a person.

Finally satisfied he folds the weapon up and places the built-in sling on his right shoulder. "So what do I owe ya'?" He asks, turning to face her after kicking the decapitated head of a dummy across the room.

"Oh nothing! You and I are going to go Grimm hunting so we can field test." Ruby chirps as she innocently skips out, leaving him to himself.

"Well then. Might as well start cranking out some ammunition." Jackson mumbles before walking over to a box of cartridges and placing them all on a conveyor belt, which fills them with a pre-measured amount of Dust and then crimps the casing around the bullet before dumping the loaded round into a large bin. This reloading machine could handle everything from pistol calibers to grenade launcher shells, and Jackson made good use of it, loading a hundred or so rounds in half an hour before calling it quits and packing the ammunition into a wooden crate, which he nails shut before carrying it out, towards his empty dorm room.


On his way he runs into his old chaps from a couple weeks ago, team CRDL, and they form a barrier in the hall between him and his dorm.

"'Scuse me fellas, I'm gonna need y'all to move. Dangerous ordinance coming through." He calls as he walks closer, ignoring the fact that they all have their weapons.

"Don't worry about it. Because we're not moving." Cardin crosses his arms and stands firm.

"Well, I'm not stopping, so move or we're gonna have problems feller." Jackson tries to push through, but the crate is ripped out of his hands and a blow to the stomach makes him double over, followed by a blow that hits his aura, but still knocks him down.

He tries to get up, but someone in the group plants a boot in between his shoulder blades, forcing him to the ground. A painful tug on his ears forces him to look up at Cardin, a flame of hatred flickering in his eyes.

"That's the reaction I'm looking for, go on, get mad. I'm your master now, you answer to me alone. Understand?"

Jackson can't bring himself to laugh, so he does the next best thing; he spits in Cardin's eye.
The bully growls in irritation and releases his ears before standing up. Jackson braces for the beating he knows is about to follow, and he's not disappointed. Cardin kicks him in the ribs, and when Jackson doesn't respond to that he takes a more direct approach and kicks Jackson in the face, giving him what will surely turn into a black eye later. Then Cardin makes his mistake, he kneels down in front of Jackson to get in his face. "Ready to be a good little animal and listen to your master?"

"Go fuck yourself." Jackson growls back.

Suddenly a blow from the side sends Cardin flying into the wall, and Jackson seizes the moment, using his superior strength to roll and throw off Dove, who had been standing on his back to keep him down. When Dove lands next to him he wastes no time jumping onto him and laying into his face with several punches, which easily knocks him unconscious. Jackson jumps up and gets ready to deal with the others, but the only person left standing is a rather fashionably dressed woman with a square handbag.

He looks around to find the rest of Cardin's team unconscious on the floor, and quickly retrieves the crate of ammunition.

"Well, I don't believe we've met before. Thank you for helping me out, my name's Jackson." He holds one hand out and she firmly shakes it. "Name's Coco, nice to meet you. What did you do to get the attention of these lackeys?"

Jackson hefts the crate and nudges Cardin with his foot. "They tried to pick on me a few weeks earlier, but I had my rifle on me and turned the tides without starting anything. Or so I thought."

Coco hums an acknowledgment before smiling. "I gotta admit, you've got spunk, even when you were pinned you didn't give up. If my team didn't already have four people in it I'd ask if you wanted to join."

Jackson chuckles and grins, he'd been told he had a lot of things, but never spunk. "Thanks, but I don't usually like working in a team, it's just who I am, the same could be said for not giving up."

He waves Coco along with his head, and they continue down the hall towards Jackson's dorm, talking on the way.

"Yeah, Faunus traits seem to affect them more than they think, no offense."

Jackson chuckles. "None taken, to be entirely honest this whole being a Faunus thing is new to me. I woke up in the emerald forest a few weeks ago, then Yang and Blake found me and I was passed out in the infirmary for a week. It was only when I woke up that I found out that I had Faunus features."

Coco gives him a skeptical look. "So you have no memory of your life before you woke up?"

"Quite the contrary, I remember exactly what I was doing before I passed out. I was hunting a grizzly bear I'd nicknamed Scarface, and like a complete idiot I forgot to load a round in the chamber."

Coco gives a dark chuckle. "And how'd that work out for you?"

"Well, I got mauled. When I woke up I was in the emerald forest. So I've got three theories. One, he hit me hard enough to somehow teleport me onto Remnant. Two, I've died and been reincarnated. Or three, I'm still in that canyon, and this whole experience is just my brain making bleeding to death seem as pleasant as possible in my final moments." Coco shoots a sideways glance at him, and he chuckles. "I know, sounds crazy, but those are the only explanations I can think of."

He stops in front of a door marked with a simple slash mark on the wood, and unlocks it before pushing it open. "Welcome to my humble abode, it's not much, but it's all I have." He adds as he plops the wooden crate down on the floor and pushes it under the bed.

"To be honest, that first theory sounds like the most plausible. I mean, you got mauled by a scarred up bear, and then you end up in Remnant with scars all over and a pair of bear ears? That sounds like an awfully big coincidence."

Jackson nods as he puts his new scythe up on a pair of hooks in the wall. "My thoughts exactly."

He slips his chest rig over his head and cinches it down, the pouches now fully filled thanks to a dozen twenty round magazines that he'd made with Ruby's help. When he's done fitting the webbing he grabs his rifle out of the corner and closes the bolt before slapping a magazine in. "Well, I think I'm gonna go get some range ti-"

Suddenly the PA system squeals to life.
{Mr. Jackson, please report to the infirmary immediately. Jackson report to the infirmary immediately.}

Coco looks surprised, but steps out of the doorway. "You should run, it's really urgent if they call you to the infirmary. I'll lock your room up."
He nods and sprints out, his rifle held in his hands so he can move faster.

When he reaches the infirmary he finds Ozpin waiting for him, down the hall a bunch of teachers face a closed door aggressively. "Ah, there you are. We appear to have a similar case to yours, this young woman was found in the emerald forest earlier this morning, however she seems to believe that we experimented with her, and so she's been very uncooperative. Since you may be able to relate with her I would like you to see if you can calm her down."

Jackson looks nervous, then he shrugs and nods before following Ozpin over to the door. "Anything I should know?"

"Well, she does have a handgun of some sort."

"Oh lovely. Well here goes nothing." He leans his rifle against the wall next to the door and pulls his wallet out, holding it in his left hand as he raises his hands. He gently slides the door open with his foot and as calmly as he can yells "Friendly coming in! Don't shoot!"

He slowly inches forward, keeping his hands raised as he walks further into the room. Once he gets into the room he stops when he sees the girl, her long brown hair spilling out on the bed under her as she calmly stares over the barrel of an M1911 with slitted golden eyes, the .45 caliber barrel seeming as big as a golf ball while he stares down it. "Easy, I understand you're confused, scared, maybe a little pissed off, but let's talk through this before you shoot anyone alright? I'm here to clarify some stuff that I've been informed you took the wrong way."

She holds her aim, remaining silent.

"Alright, I'm gonna sit down if that's alright, I've been on my feet all day. If you could kindly point that lovely nineteen-eleven elsewhere, that'd be great." He walks around to the side of the bed and sits down, leaning forwards in the chair.

"So, can I get a name to work off here? My name is Jackson."

She pulls her pistol close while keeping it aimed in his general direction. "Amelia. Just call me Amy."

"Well, nice to meet you Amy. Where you from? I'll tell you if you tell me."

She hesitates. "I-I'm from Bend, Oregon."

"I've been there a few times, I'm from Tillamook, born and raised there."

"Really? My sister used to love to go to the cheese factory. She'd always eat too much ice cream while we were there."

Good, he'd broken the ice, now all he had to do was figure out what type of Faunus she was and how she ended up here. "Yeah, I did that a few times too, always regretted it, but hey what the hell, it's good ice cream." He chuckles at the memories.

"So uhh, where am I? I was told I was in Vale, do they mean that little town up in the northeast corner of Oregon?"

"Same name, but no, sadly. I've gotta answer your question with a question. What happened to you before you ended up here?"

She eyes him cautiously before answering. "I was in Texas visiting friends and I got bit by a rattlesnake far away from the house."

Jackson hums in acknowledgment and leans back. "You know, I was in your same position a few weeks ago. I had been hunting an old grizzly and forgot to put one in the chamber. I fell asleep in my blind and he walked right up to me, scared the daylights outta me, and he knocked me out. Next thing I know I wake up in the forest near here, bleeding and hurting like hell."

"Then...how are you up and about?"

"That's one for the headmaster, I don't fully understand it yet. But...this is going to sound weird, could you open your mouth for me? I've got a theory..."

She gives him a skeptical look while he pulls a flashlight out of his pocket, but shrugs and opens her mouth. Jackson turns on the flashlight and shines it around, the beam comes to rest on her canine teeth, which seem to be longer, sharper and thinner than they should, and the top two seem to have small holes in the points. "Yeah...that's what I thought..." He turns the flashlight off and leans back in the chair, placing the flashlight in his pocket before pulling his driver's license out and handing it to her. "That's what I looked like before I got mauled. Notice any differences?"

Amy looks between the card and Jackson. "Well for one you don't have any scars, and you don't have those ears...those ears are fake...aren't they?"

"Nope! One hundred percent genuine bear ears." He wiggles them for emphasis as he takes his license back.

She stares at the top of his head, dumbfounded. "B-but that's...that's not possible." She pauses and opens her mouth to say something else, but shuts it just as quickly. She nervously dances her fingers in her lap while tapping her index finger on the slide of her pistol. "Can...can I...touch them?"

Jackson takes a deep breath before answering. "It's a big sign of trust for a Faunus to let someone touch their ears, but I'll say yes because I trust you. However, you've gotta do something in return to show you trust me."

"L-like what?"

Jackson points at the pistol in her hand before holding his other hand out, palm-up.

She hesitates for a few seconds before placing it in his hand.

He curls his fingers around it, grabbing it by the grip with his right hand before pressing the magazine release and racking the slide, rendering the weapon empty of ammunition before pocketing it in his webbing and leaning forward, putting his ears within arm's reach.

Amy slowly reaches up and brushes her fingers through the soft hair, the ear twitches and she quickly withdraws her hand, eliciting a chuckle from Jackson.
"You can be a little more forceful, I don't bite."

Turns out that was the wrong thing to say, as she quickly reaches up and grabs one of the ears before giving it a firm tug.
"OW! Not that forceful!" Jackson yells, and she snaps her hand back to her lap.

"They're real...I-I'm sorry...I didn't think they were attached..." She hangs her head in embarrassment and eases herself into a sitting position, she pulls her hair around and puts it over her shoulder. With it all together Jackson notices a familiar pattern of different colors in her hair, a pattern that belongs to one of the deadliest snakes on the west coast. "Hold up. Look at your hair. See the diamond pattern?"

She looks down at her hair, and she too notices the pattern. "You're kidding. What does this...just...what?"

Jackson pulls his signal mirror out of a pouch and hands it to her. "Your upper canines, look at the points, Amy, you're a rattlesnake Faunus."

She opens her mouth and looks at her teeth in the mirror. When she notices the holes in her teeth her eyes go wide, and she closes her mouth, plopping the mirror in her lap. "Well...can't say I expected this. These are permanent right?"

Jackson nods and takes his mirror back. "From what I've been told yes. Can I call the headmaster in here? He knows much more about this."

"Please do, this is really confusing."

Jackson stands up and walks over to the door, sliding it open a bit to nod at Ozpin before grabbing his rifle and returning to his chair.

"Here's your piece back, now that we're on good terms." He takes the pistol out of his webbing and hands it to her, holding the barrel. She gently takes it and places it in a backpack next to the bed.

Ozpin walks in and sits down in a chair next to Jackson, his trademark cane and mug in his hands. "Good day to you both, I'm needed for clarification I presume?"

Jackson explains what they discovered and Ozpin precedes to elaborate for the next half hour before inviting Amelia to attend Beacon, at a nod from Jackson she agrees. "On one condition. I get to be in his team." She points at Jackson, and Ozpin smiles.

"Of course, I was planning on doing that anyways. Since you are well, the doctor will be by shortly to discharge you, and you'll be returned your weapons."

She smiles and throws the covers off her legs, revealing a tail that looks exactly like a western diamondback rattlesnake, complete with a rattle on the end.

"Wow, that's...really cool." Jackson's impressed, she actually got some really cool features, all he got were ears and some gnarly scars.

"Thanks I guess? It feels kinda weird, but I guess I'll get the hang of it."

Ozpin keeps his smile as he stands up and moves over to the door. "I shall leave you two to it, enjoy the rest of your day."

Jackson snaps a salute his way. "Thank you sir, you as well."

Ozpin leaves and closes the door behind him, leaving the two Faunus in the room.

Amy swings her legs out of the bed and stands up, her tall, thin, yet muscular frame built for speed and agility more than strength.
Her tail wraps around her waist as she stretches, and the rattle buzzes, giving both of them goosebumps.

"That sound scares the shit outta me." Jackson admits, giving a shudder that travels clear down his body.

"Me too, but it could come in handy."

Jackson sees her grab her street clothes from the bedside table, and stands up to leave. "I'll be outside the door, you want me to give you some time to process everything?"

"Would you please?"

"Sure thing, I'll knock when the doc gets here."

He walks out and closes the door before flopping down in a chair next to it with a pained groan

"So what's the deal?"

The voice makes him jump, and he looks right to find Yang walking up.

"New girl. She's getting put in my team, since she went through the same deal that I did."

Yang sits down next to him and pulls out her scroll. "Really? Is she a bear Faunus too?"

"Nope, she's a rattlesnake Faunus, one of the most deadly vipers back home. I gotta admit her features look pretty cool."

"I don't think I've ever heard of a snake Faunus, that'll be interesting."

Jackson nods and looks down the hall, where a doctor is holding a couple papers as he walks towards them. "Well, she certainly played the part. She didn't want me anywhere near her until I proved myself to be friendly."

He stands up and intercepts the doctor before he can enter. "Hey doc, she's changing, those her discharge forms?"

"Yes they are, if you could give them to her that would be great." The doctor hands him the papers and quickly walks off.

Jackson knocks on the door and it slides open, revealing Amy in a pair of jeans, tan work boots, a white T-shirt, and her hair in a ponytail, making the diamond pattern even more noticeable.

"Alright! Where's my shotgun and my vest." She holds her backpack on one shoulder.

Jackson doesn't have the answer, but thankfully Yang does. "Probably in the armory, follow me!" She jumps up and starts walking down the hall.

Amy looks to Jackson from her spot in the doorway. "Can she be trusted?"

"Yeah, she's one of the people who saved me from bleeding to death."

She shrugs and starts jogging to catch up to the blonde, who is already halfway down the hall, leaving Jackson to catch up with her.