Ch 3: An Unexpected Offer

Richard's POV

Richard moved through the forest silently carrying his fallen comrade dodging the White Fang patrols being sent out into the woods. Finally after walking for hours he reached a small ruin circular ruin with 12 empty podiums circled around a center symbol.

"This seems as good a place as anything to stay."

He quickly went to work gathering wood and making a small fire on the center of the ruin and building a crude stone shovel. He then walked to the largest tree he could find and started digging a small but deep whole cutting through the roots with his sword. Once he was finished he gently placed the body of his friend in and filled the whole back in keeping his weapons to remember him. He then took his sword out and inscribed a small memorial into the tree:

Here lies George Dragon-Heart

Stout as an ox, loyal as a pet and fierce as a dragon

Cut down by the White Fang before he could fully realize greatness

May his name be remembered and his legacy carried on by his teammate and friend.

R

Before leaving Richard looked to his left and found a solitary rose growing the sunlight on the edge of the glade. He silently walked over took it and re planted it in the middle of the grave. He stood there paying his last respects until suddenly a voice appeared directly behind.

"Hmm well you seem to have had quite an unusual day."

Whirling around suddenly both swords extended Richard found himself standing face to face with a peculiar thin man with white hair and round glasses.

"Hmm you sit here mourning the loss of a friend and wondering where your path will lead you next."

"I haven't put much thought into it considering the fact that I've spent the last 7 hours running for my life in a forest infested with Grimm while trying to avoid a group of highly organized criminals with the tracking abilities of wolves."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Well if I had to take a guess based on the amount of middle aged men that would causually walk up to a mercenary in the middle of forever fall forest I'd say you were the head master of Beacon Academy, Professor Ozpin."

"And do you know why I've come here to this remote ruin in the middle of the forest."

"Probably to ask if I wanted to enroll at beacon and kill Grimm for a living after graduating from your school."

"And?"

"Considering the fact that I have no food, no shelter, and no one left go to, I guess the best option would be to accept and make this life worth something."

"First semester begins in two months I'll see you then."

Without another word he turned and walked towards a stern looking blonde woman with a wand at her side.

Astonished at the sudden turn of events Richard went over to his fire and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning he decided to make his way to town to check his bank account and get ready for his new life. He quickly found a path that led to his bustling new home of Vale. He quickly went to the nearest clothing store after seeing the 10,000 lien transaction successfully made to his account and bought a small yellow bandana to cover the now permanent scar on his check from the White Fang. He went to a little inn in the middle of town and purchased a room to stay in until he started at beacon, took a shower and left to explore the city. After a quick stop to pick up ammunition for his weapons he noticed a little girl in a red hood leaving the store at the same time he was. As he held the door for her he couldn't help but ask her:

"What's a teenage girl like yourself doing in a high impact weapons store?"

'Oh, nothing really just picking up ammunition for this." She laughed pulling out a high caliber sniper rifle that doubled as a 6 foot scythe.

"Woah forget my asking then, you seem like you can handle yourself."

"How about you what weapons do you have?"

"Well I have two custom broadswords that can change into .45 caliber M1911 pistols."

"Wow that's so cool, can you do any awesome moves like moving at super speed and firing grappling hooks."

"I can use my semblance to become stronger and swing them pretty quickly, by the way I never caught your name and what you were doing in Vale?"

"My names Ruby and I just came here to visit my older sister Yang, she's attending Beacon next year and just moved her last night."

"Well Ruby it's a pleasure to meet you. My name's Richard by the way I'm also starting at Beacon next year. hope to see you and your sister around one day."

"You don't have to wait she's walking towards us right now."

He looked over to see an extremely energetic blonde making her way over to them.

'Hello, Ruby who's this, your new boyfriend you've met today?"

"Well I wouldn't say boyfriend more like random strangers striking up a conversation. I'm Richard by the way. I'm attending Beacon in a few weeks."

"Oh really that's crazy. I'm going to Beacon too. Well we better get going Ruby I'll see you at Beacon Richard."

After spending the rest of the day walking around familiarizing himself with the city and enjoying the atmosphere Richard walked back to his little hotel room and quickly fell asleep.

That is when the night mares began. Painfully reliving every moment of his ordeal with the White Fang he would wake up in a cold sweat screaming in the middle of the night.

This continued for weeks until the day came that he had to report to Beacon for his first day of class. Arriving at the airship he made his way inside looking for a place to sit down and wait for the trip to end. As his eyes were scanning the ship his jaw suddenly dropped and he quickly made for a bench at the edge of the ship as he noticed the familiar sight of a black bow covering the ears of a woman clad in black.

"How in the hell did that Faunus from the base manage to sneak her way into Beacon?"

"Looks like my past isn't disappearing that easily today. Now let's see what this Faunus girl is really up to."