I awoke to an annoyingly loud high pitched whistle, held by Ruby, already dressed in her school uniform, "Good morning, Team RWBY", she announced joyfully.

"What in the world is wrong with you?" Weiss' voice came from the floor, apparently falling out of her bed at Ruby's whistle.

"Now that you're awake," she continued, ignoring the question, "we can officially begin our first order of business."

"Excuse me?"

"Decorating", Yang's voice was the next to be heard as she and Blake, both in uniform, clutched a handful of miscellaneous objects and suitcase respectively.

"What!?"

"We still have to unpack", as Blake finished saying this her suitcase opened and spilled its contents on the floor, "and…clean."

Ruby's whistle sounded again and knocked Weiss to the floor as I stumbled around, hands trying and failing to cover both pairs of ears. My unpacking consisted entirely of placing several sets of clothes in a wardrobe and drawers and ammunition in another special draw. After changing into Beacon's uniform, ' I hate uniforms ', I took a quick glance at the timetable, Grimm Studies with Professor Port, I proceeded to the door and opened it as quickly and quietly as I could before sneaking out and talking to the others, "See you in class". I was halfway to my class before I realised something very important, 'I don't have a class today, at all, that was Ruby's, and how I got Ruby's timetable is anyone's guess, it was just there' I face palmed in the middle of a hallway, earning a few looks and giggles before trudging back to my room. I was forced to press myself against the wall to avoid the stampede that was Teams RWBY and JNPR before opening the door to reveal the room completely decorated, books, curtain with a slash mark sewn up, and posters, as well as a painting of a red forest scene. "What the actual shit?" I voiced out loud as my eyes soaked in the image of the beds, they had been transformed from four individuals into the strangest, and admittedly skilfully improvised, bunk beds. One pair was supported solely by a handful of books under the legs and the other was suspended from the roof with several pieces of knotted rope over its second.

I found my timetable, double checking I did in fact own it, before sighing at the lack of classes today, 'Guess I'll catch some sleep, thank you Ruby,' I added to my thoughts sarcastically, ignoring the beds and sitting down in what I had now dubbed the Sleep Corner.

I found myself walking through a town with other Faunus.

"When I grow up I'm gonna join the White Fang", Maya, an antlered Faunus piped up.

"Me too." Riley, a portly reptilian agreed, slit eyes moving around focusing on many different things at once. "How 'bout you Fang?"

"I dunno, might try and get into a combat school, blend in, help people, that kind of thing".

"Combat schools, full of racists," Marcus, Maya's brother, said, venom in his voice, he punctuated this by spitting on the ground in disgust, "Why do you want to help them? The moment they find out what you are they'll turn on you."

"How are they going to find out?" Maya pointed out, "his ears are always down". This time her voice was slightly different, sounding angered at how easily I could cover up my Faunus heritage.

The figures dissolved into smoke and I was suddenly lying in bed at my house, hearing loud noises coming from outside the door I slowly opened the door and peered through the crack it made. I let out a soft gasp as both of my parents and sister were lying on the floor, barely moving, with men and women in white with white masks resembling Grimm creatures standing over them. One of them heard this, a woman, and stalked towards the door, I stumbled backwards as her boot connected with the door, splintering the wood and cracking the doorframe. "We got another one," she called, "and he looks human" dragging me by the neck out of my room.

The man in charge, evident by his larger face mask and bigger build, "What do we have here?" his voice sounding like gravel in a blender, "Kidnapping humans are you?" he grabbed hold of me and kicked my father in the ribs, hard.

"Why are you doing this, we haven't done anything to you?" My mother's voice was soft and strained.

"Shut up!" His large boot connected with her head and a cracking noise indicated her neck was broken.

"NOO!" I struggled to free myself from the iron grip of the man in a vain attempt to run.

"It's okay, we won't hurt you, the White Fang said Faunus only." He took off the mask and flashed a smile; this was soon gone as he signalled the others "kill the rest, that should give them more support".

He forced me to watch as they were brutally slaughtered, the last thing I remember as I was knocked unconscious by the woman who found me was a woman bending down, taking off the mask and spitting on my sisters motionless form, muttering, "Filthy animal, all of your kind are freaks."

'I will hunt you down and kill you if it's the last thing I-'.

I was shaken awake by Ruby and, opening my eyes, the rest of the team, mirroring her concerned look, "Are you okay?" Ruby asked

"Yeah, that sounded pretty… intense", Weiss spoke up, thinking of the right word.

"I-yeah, no, I'm fine, sorry if I woke you'. I began before I was cut off by Ruby.

"I don't think nightmares are something to push away, you need to talk about it."

"I would rather not."

"Yang," the person in question looked at her sister, "grab him".

As her arms came in contact with me I jumped slightly and made a backtracking motion before realising that there was a wall there.

"I used to be like this, remember Rubes, jumpy, easily startled; finally we learned that it was because I kept my anger bottled up." She kneeled down and looked straight into my eyes, "You need a vent session, help relieve stress."

I shook my head at the idea, "Guys, look at me, I'm fine."

"He certainly does not look it." Blake offered her input.

Weiss sighed irritably before making her way to her bed, "Why do I have to be teamed with all the freaks."

Her words caused a small growl to escape my throat, causing her and the others to look in confusion. I lowered my gaze to the floor as Yang and Ruby shared another concerned look, exchanging hushed words and nodding before Yang walked closer and whispered in my ear, "You're a freak." She drew out the last word and stepped back judging my reaction.

"I know what you're trying to do." I stated softly, "It won't work; I refuse to harm those close to me."

"Well then", Ruby began, "Weiss, Blake, Yang, we shall have to visit the doctor, for our teammate."

"That won't be necessary, I-" I sighed, "I'll have my quote-unquote vent session tomorrow, after classes are finished, OK".

"Great," Weiss spoke up again "and now that's settled, can we please go to sleep, some of us have classes tomorrow."

"Uh, Weiss-" Ruby said, "we all have classes tomorrow".

"Then go to sleep".

Our youngest member and team leader looked at me, concern clouding her features for the third time tonight; I nodded at her and closed my eyes as she began walking away