Krieg liked these bullheads, he liked to fantasize about piloting one... then taking it for an explosive joyride. Oh Well, maybe one day. Many of the other passengers were giving him strange looks, whether it was because he was a head taller than everyone else, he was shirtless, in a mask or because he had made his presence known the only way he knew how.
"THE LIVER POISONS MY SKIN IN THE MOSH PIT!"
Those present around him looked at him in his bizzare attire and after hearing what was just spewed out of his mouth? They were going to keep their distance. Upset by this, Krieg decided to search for friends on another part of this flying contraption. He had hoped to find Ruby, she was nice to him, even if it was just giving him a cookie and a compliment on his favourite axe. But she was nowhere to be found, this made him anxious. He thought she was going to be here, she was invited by the same guy wasn't she? He knew he shouldnt have tuned out most of that conversation.
It wouldn't have made much of a difference. Don't worry so much, we'll see her again soon.
"A RAZOR ACROSS THE HEART TO SILENCE THE DRUMS?!"
Yeah big guy.
Picking up a voice from the a screen in the ship, Krieg saw a very strange looking lady, almost like she was... drawn? Called Lisa Lavender.
"In other news, sightings of the Masked Murderer being seen across Remnant have ceased, although none have come forth to claim any of the many bounties placed upon him, the bounties being placed on him by the ATLAS and Mistral governments and none other than Jacques Schnee himself for the Psycho's frequent attacks on Schnee mining facilities. This spike of inactivity has left many to believe that the killer has gone into hiding. The authorities encourage any and all civilians who see this man to contact their nearest Huntsman or Huntress and to avoid his attention at all costs. Many people have claimed see this man butcher bandits, members of the white fang and on occasion GRIMM while screaming obscene phrases toward those he is fighting, he leaves no survivors of his attacks, always going for the kill in a grotesque display of viscera. We will report more as new information arisas."
Well, we should've seen that coming.
"GOUGE OUT MY EYES AND FILL MY SKULL WITH BACON!"
After the Bullhead landed, Krieg was of the first people off of it. He was in search of his friend, he knew she'd be alright, but he liked her company. She didn't treat him like a freak as soon as she saw him, and while she didn't seem to like his gore talk, she also wasn't driven away by it. So, he performed the tried, tested and true method of... wandering around until he found her. Needless to say, he never found his way out of the courtyard, too many people to move around, he wondered why he couldn't just swing his axe around and remove some of them the old fashioned way.
Because of the deal we made, that's why.
"A CONTRACT BOUND TO MY FLESH!"
Oh right, the deal. Well, he could still think about it though. Over his thoughts and the bustling of the people, a large explosion made itself known somewhere in front of him. Well... Ruby could wait right? it's not every day he finds a fellow explosives enthusiast. One of his favourite things about finding stuff that just went boom is the fact they always left a lovely smoke trail to follow.
"THE EASE OF THE HUNT"
He mused to himself, as he hastily made his way to the site of the explosion. upon reaching it, there were two girls, one covered in soot. It was strange though, one of them almost looked like–
"THE RED DEATH STALKS THE SHADOWS OF MY MIND!"
Searching for the source of the shout, she couldn't help but smile at the Psycho's presence. Even if she couldn't understand a word he said. Hopefully, she began the conversation.
"Hey there, I don't think we got each other's names the last time. I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose."
Excitement at a friendly face... mask? Was evident in her demeanor as she held a hand out for the Psycho to shake. Reaching for it, he began growling and twitching his head as if he was in some sort of immense pain.
Ok, go time. Keep it simple. Say, I. Am. Krieg
Before finally, through gritted teeth and a voice like shredding coals.
"I...AM...THE BATTLE THAT RAGES IN THE PIT OF SALTED BLOOD TO DROWN THE FLIES THAT FESTER IN MY GAPING WOUNDS!"
No! That was so close!
Ignoring the voice, Krieg brought his attention back to his red friend, vigorously shaking her hand, in some cases actually lifting her off of the floor.
Alright, the introduction was a bust. We can still salvage this. Just don't say something gross and it will be fine.
"THE SKY'S BURNING WOUND CRIES IT'S BRIGHT TEARS FOR THE MAGGOTS TO THRIVE IN IT'S BLISTERING GAZE!"
Why do I bother?
Ruby was confused again, shaking off her vertigo from the rapid shaking. After correcting her stance she looked at the Psycho with a nervous chuckle.
"Not too great at the whole talking thing yet huh? WHICH IS FINE! Y'know, because we all get nervous and stuff when meeting new people and when you're nervous you find it hard to say the things you want to and–"
The speed at which she had begun talking had increased to the point where the madman couldn't understand a word she was saying anymore. And people called HIM crazy.
"You complete dolt!" a whiny voice came from behind the Psycho.
Wait a second, don't we know that voice?
Turning to face his insulter, he came face to to face with snow white. He couldn't tell where, but he could've sworn he saw her before but just couldn't place his finger on it.
Ok, you've got another shot at an introduction. Here, try this one. Hi, my name is Krieg, what is yours?
"DON'T EAT THE APPLE! HER KINDNESS IS POISONED! WHERE ARE THE MERRY MIDGETS!? THEY NEED TO KILL THE WICKED QUEEN!"
Ok, not even close. Are you even trying?
Looking up at the Psycho, the girl scoffed at his ramblings before returning to her rant toward Ruby.
"This is exactly the type of thing i was talking about!"
"I'm really, really sorry."
"what are you even doing here?! Aren't you a little young to attend beacon?!"
"Well, I, Um, I-"
"This isn't your ordinary combat school, it's more than sparring and practice you know. We're here to fight monsters, so watch where you're going."
She huffed, crossing her arms and looking away. Krieg had half a mind to take his axe to the side of this girl's head for talking to his friend that way. But, just as his saw began to spin... The Voice.
Don't you dare. I will put up with ALOT of your madness, but I WILL NOT stand for this!
Sometimes... Krieg really hated The Voice.
"Hey, I said I was sorry princess" Ruby said, now quite fed up with this arrogant girl. Krieg felt a small twinge of pride in his new friend for sticking up for herself. Now all she had to do was swing that death stick she carried and Krieg would be a happy man.
"It's heiress actually" A new voice came from the side. Again, Krieg could've sworn he knew this one from somewhere. He didn't know why, but the sight of this one irritated him to no end.
We need to stop hitting our head. I know we have seen this girl before.
Krieg agreed as the conversation continued.
"Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee dust company one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world."
And just like that she lost him. These people do an awful lot of talking for a place where they were meant to be fighting monsters. Seriously, when would the monster slaying begin. There is only so long he can go without an all out, as he calls it, TEA PARTY!
Hang on... Schnee. Where have we heard that name before? I know we went to those mines and... I don't even want to think about it, but I could've sworn that name meant something else. Can you remember anything?
"HOW CAN FISH SWIM IN A DRIED UP RIVER?!" He called out in sorrow.
I guess not. I'll keep working on it.
A prodding sensation on his shoulder brought him from his daze and away from The Voice's recollection. Looking down, he saw Ruby, joined by a new blonde guy. Very scrawny, and very timid once the last eye of the Psycho locked onto him like a rabid dog searching for a piece of meat.
"Hey there big guy, you kind of... zoned out for a second there."
"I DUG INTO THE FLOWING FLESH PIT!"
Ruby, wasn't even going to try to understand that one. She just gave a nervous chuckle. "Oh! Have you met Jaune yet?" She asked while holding her and out as if to present him to the madman, trying to alleviate the growing awkwardness between them.
Once again fixing his bloodshot gaze onto Jaune, he would try this introduction thing one more time.
"I WANTED MY MEAT RARE! THESE STAKES ARE EXTRA CRISPY!"
Now it was Jaune's turn to be confused, what did steak have to do with it?
Leaning into Ruby to get in whispering distance, but also not turning his back on the half naked death machine, Jaune asked
"Is he going to eat me?" his voiced his concern as quietly as he possibly could.
They were lost. Krieg was glad he wasn't alone this time. He gets lost alot, he didn't know how. One second, he is where he should be, the next, he is somewhere else.
Ruby and Jaune had finished showing of their weapons, and Ruby haf asked to get a better look at Krieg's. The madman in question was more than happy to oblige.
"MY SPINE TINGLER SINGS A SONG OF BITTER SCREAMS!"
He yelled with pride, holding his axe for the pair of them to see. It's blade spinning furiously, aching to rip into the flesh of another being.
"Whoa" Ruby said with awe ignoring the part about screaming, instead, getting lost in the rhythmic hum and spin of the blade, making sure to take in every detail that she could, while it's design was crude and looked haphazardly put together, she could not think of how the blade spun with no obvious method of energy transferal. She'd chalk that one up to dust. "Oh! Can it turn into a gun too!?" She asked, desperate to see all the axe had in store.
This girl and weapons. She's almost like you... only sane.
"THIS SPOON IS NOT A SPORK!"
"Uh, ok? It's still pretty cool though." she beamed.
Jaune looked more than uncomfortable at the thought of being at the receiving end of such a grizzly weapon.
It didn't take long after that, for them to reach the assembly area, where all of the new students gathered together for, what Krieg had to guess at, was a colossal waste of time. He had gotten split up from Ruby and Jaune at some point, he didn't know how, they were there just a few minutes ago and already... he missed his red friend. He had tried to search for them but people kept getting in his way, giving him strange looks and making mean comments about him. Hitting himself in the face with the blunt end of his buzz axe was all he could do to stop himself from rampaging until he found her again. He was about to strike himself yet again until The Voice caught his attention.
Hey, the old guy is up on stage
"THE ANCIENT ONE HAS RISEN FROM HIS MURKY PUDDLE TO TEAR OPEN OUR EARS TO HIS SIREN SONG" he mumbled to himself, getting strange looks from those around him. Many of them even backing away.
"I'll... keep this brief. You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy. In need of purpose. Direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only take you so far. It is up to you, to take the first step."
If THAT was brief, Krieg would've hated to see the extended cut.
As Ozpin walks from the stage, the mean axe stealer, who Krieg has since learned is called Glynda Goodwitch thanks to a fancy recording he saw on the flight in. Steps up to the microphone amd explains to those present where they will be staying the night and that their initiation will begin the next morning.
Weird, did something seem... off, about him to you?
"THERE AREN'T ENOUGH GUTS TO BURY THESE STAINS IN" He muttered to himself, not quite sure what The Voice was getting at.
The new arrivals all gathered in the ballroom, where they would be staying the night, ready for the morning's initiation. But there were a few things missing not that anyone really noticed it... but, Beacon's resident Psycho noticed.
"WHERE. IS. THE. BLOOD?." He growled, to himself in a sitting with his knees to his chest in a far back corner of the room, rocking back and forth, his buzz axe resting comfortably across his knees.
"EMPTY MINDS FORGE DULL NIGHTMARES" his voice sounding more like the snarls of a savage wolf rather than a psyhopathic man.
He couldn't take it anymore, he had to go. He didn't care for a location, he just needed to feel it again, that primal feeling in his guts. To breathe in the air of death around him after piling up the bodies. Standing, he stomped his way through the ballroom toward the main door. Several people were unfortunately caught between him and his mission and were unceremoniously removed from his path, when any wanted to raise an objection to his behaviour, one look at the axe he always carried with him was enough to silence them.
Ruby saw him leaving and wanted to go after him, but she was dragged along by her sister to meet with the dark haired girl from...
Dammit, I know that we know her from somewhere!
It didn't take him long to get out of the main building and back into the courtyard. Looking around for something, anything to keep his mind off of how boring it was here. Was this how it was going to be everyday? He didn't think he could cope with it. He needed to kill something, he didn't care what.
Looking around, he turned to an area that had not been built on and began running as fast as his legs could carry him until he reached the edge of a cliff, overlooking a forest. He knew there had to be something, anything to maim here, even if it wasn't particularly tough. So, taking a few steps back, he gained a running start, picking up speed as he reached the edge before jumping with all of his might into the darkness of the forest below.
"IT IS TIME. TO. FLAY!" His voice echoed as gravity finally took hold of him.
Overseeing this act of lunacy, Ozpin watched from his office as the Psycho leapt into the darkness with no hesitation, obviously eager for a fight and likely wouldn't leave until he got one.
Glynda, standing beside him, started the conversation.
"I don't know what you see in that thing Ozpin. It is clearly deranged, a creature that cares only for gore and the thrill of combat. You have read the reports on him, over 300 confirmed counts of some of the most horrific murders seen in centuries. From bandits to White Fang to mercenaries to government officials, several ATLAS officers and who knows how many more we can't yet place on him. Before video evidence was finally taken of him, it was believed that GRIMM were the cause of these attacks, not a Psychopath with one of the crudest designs for a weapon i have seen in years. Ozpin, he is a danger to everything he is around, just look at his most recent rampage. I can only hope Miss Rose never finds out what happened that night and thank the Gods that she didn't witness what he, no, it did. It has no restraint, no conscious. I would go as far as to say it doesn't even have a soul."
Ozpin remained still, taking a sip from his mug before activating a surveillance camera near Krieg, just in time to witness him gripping a Beowulf's head with both hands before tearing it in half, laughing madly as he did so before ripping his axe from it's side.
"I'M THE LUMBER JACK AND YOU'RE THE TREE!"
His axe in hand, he got back into the fight.
"Glynda. Take a look at this man. You see a Psychopath with no hope of redemption, murdering the masses to quench a never ending bloodthirst. I see a broken man with a shattered mind, trying to make sense of the madness of our world while we don't even attempt to understand his. We cannot possibly know what is happening within his mind without being broken ourselves. He cannot have always been like this, there must have been an event in his life that forced his mind to think the way it does to protect itself, a breaking point, if you will."
As Ozpin continued, Krieg managed to find his way onto the back of an Ursa, digging the fingers of his left hand into it's eyes as his right hand drew back his axe before swinging it into the creature's throat, not exactly caring for finesse after the blade got stuck on the creture's spine, he yanked the axe back and forth until he could tear away the last pieces of the throat.
"A SPOON FULL OF SUGAR HELPS THE MEDICINE GO DOWN!" He roared in a sing song voice, cackling to himself. Before throwing his beloved weapon at one of the smaller Beowulfs that had pounced toward him, only to be met face to face by the spinning teeth of his buzz axe. Using this momentum, he grabbed his axe from the still falling head of the Beowulf before rolling along it's back and charging into the denser parts of the forest looking for more things to fight.
"I hope to help him, heal him." Ozpin continued as Krieg made his way out of surveillance range.
"What if you can't?" She wanted to believe in Ozpin, but from what she had seen of Krieg, in person and on records made of him, she was not sure. "What if nothing can be done for his mind?"
Ozpin took a moment to think, staring into the dark forest the Psycho now battles in before speaking up.
"He is a speeding truck with no breaks Glynda, if we cannot fix the truck or even stop it. Then all we can do is steer it away from as many innocents as possible, because I fear the truck may still wish to paint it's grill with the guts of the... not so innocent."
The morning came, Krieg had been awoken from his terrible nightmare of puppies and kittens and all other sorts of fluffy adorable things. Looking for the source of his interupted dreaming, he saw a bird, resting on a tree branch above him. Cawing at him, taunting him.
Huh, since when do ravens have red eyes?
"A PALACE OF PAIN FOR THE PERVERSE POULTRY!" He roared, throwing his axe as hard as he could at the raven. Seeing the approaching death, the bird took off immediately, leaving the axe to sail right past it and into the distance.
Good going genius, now we're stuck in a forest full of monsters with no weapon because you couldn't let a stupid bird off the hook.
"RIP OUT YOUR TONGUE AND PEEL YOUR EYE CAPS FOR THE MEAT SHANK!" He growled to The Voice, before making his way in the general direction of the axe.
The morning was a long one, who knew he could throw so far? After the last couple of hours of searching, Krieg began to lose hope of ever seeing his trusted axe again. He and it had many good times together, mostly involving him swinging it into something he wanted to turn inside out.
Maybe we went past it?
"THE TREASURE LIES AHEAD!"
If you're sure I guess
And sure he was... mostly. He would find it, he always did in situations like this. It's like... the axe is bound to him somehow, they may part ways for a time. But they will always be reunited. Finally, escaping from the trees, he came to a clearing. In front of him stood very old looking stone structures. As to what they are and who built them, Krieg didn't care. He was much more interested in his axe that was embedded high up in one of the pillars of the structure.
What is the point of this place?
"SKIN THEIR BACKS FOR MY BLOODIED BIRTHDAY!"
I know you don't care, but still. Doesn't this place seem, pointless? And what is with those small podiums? Was something meant to be here?
They could wait, Krieg wanted his axe and by the Gods he was going to get it. Climbing the pillar, he cared little for the chips and scratches he was making on it, so long as it didn't fall on him, he was fine with it. Finally getting to a good height, Krieg gripped his axe tightly before pulling backwards so that they could reunite properly...
The axe did not budge.
"A BLEEDING HEART IS TORN TO PIECES IN MY STOMACH!"
Frustrated by this, Krieg placed his feet in front of him, pushing with his legs and pulling with his arms, all with the hope of freeing his beauty feom it's stoney prison. After using all the might he could muster from such an awkward angle, the axe was freed from it's confinement as Krieg unceremoniously dropped to the ground, landing on his back. Standing up and dusting himself off, he gave his axe a large hug, humming happily to himself before a strange noise, invaded his ears. It was feint at first, a slight thumping noise coming from somewhere in this distance. Until it got louder, it was coming towards him, and those thumps weren't footfalls either, they were the beating of wings. Giant wings. He took off like a bullet to find a better area for the upcoming battle, larger trees, a cliff, a wall, something that could give him an advantage. A shadow loomed over him, the creature was upon him. Turning to face it, he was snatched up by the creature's talons before it took off higher into the sky.
Earlier, eight of the remaining students managed to make it back to the cliff where they were launched from earlier. Despite this, Ruby could not help but wonder where her strange speaking friend had gone. Did he leave already? She hoped not. Did he die?! She hoped that even less.
"Hey sis! What's got you looking so down? We did it, and you were awesome doing it!"
"Thanks Yang, but I'm just worried about this strange guy I met is all."
At this, Ozpin's ears picked up as he used his scroll to find a wandering Psycho without his buzz axe. Humming to himself, he kept a close eye on the screen while listening intently to the conversation behind him.
"You met a guy!?" Yang asked, excitment already overflowing. "Who is he? Do i know him? What does he look like? Is he cute? Why are you only telling me this now?" her rapid fire questions fried the poor reaper's brain as she tried to find answers to the onslaught of curiosity.
From over Ozpin's screen, all present heard a phrase so bizarre, so violent and so crazy that it caught the attention of all people present.
"SKIN THEIR BACKS FOR MY BLOODIED BIRTHDAY!"
"I believe, I can help answer those questions, Miss Xio Long." He said, turning to the group with a smirk. Walking toward them, he showed them what the cameras were picking up.
"I would like to introduce you all to a man I personally invited to attend Beacon for the coming years. Very little is known about him. What little we have is mostly speculation, rumour or otherwise cannot be trusted due to coming from his own mouth. What we do know for the facts are that he suffers from a strange case of Psychosis I have never seen before, always speaking in aggressive and visceral language. He is exceptionally good with his axe. And his name, is Krieg."
"Finally" Ruby exagerated an exhale "I was trying to ask his name yesterday but he said something about flies and wounds and salty blood and blech" she made a mock wretch, sticking her tongue out to exaggerate. Earning a chuckle from her sister.
"Miss Rose, I think you will find he told you exactly what you wanted to know. In his own way of course." Ozpin replied with a smirk, confusing Ruby.
A noise brought their attention back down to the screen. Like grinding stones.
There he was, high up on a pillar desperately yanking on what looked to be a war crime on a stick that was embedded into a pillar. His voice was clear coming through the screen.
"A BLEEDING HEART IS TORN TO PIECES IN MY STOMACH!"
"Well, he seems very... um." Pyrrah tried her hardest to find something nice to say about the nut job losing a game of tug of war to a stone pillar.
"Out of his mind?"
"Completely crazy?"
Both Blake and Weiss asked respectively.
"Uh, guys?" Jaune nervously got the group's attention, as they noticed him pointing toward the forest. "Is he going to be alright?" They took notice of a fast approaching Nevermore locked on to his position before swooping down, seemingly grabbing something before taking off into the sky again.
Using the camera to zoom in, they could just barely make out the shape of Krieg, swinging his axe into the Nevermore's talons in hope of cutting them off. Struggling to get a good wind up before the strike.
"THIS LITTLE PIGGY WENT TO THE MARKET!"
He shouted, finally cutting off one of the more troublesome talons before hoisting himself up onto it's foot and climbing up, wanting to reach it's back. It was to his surprise when the Nevermore merely reached down to the Psycho and plucked him up with it's beak, throwing him into the air above it, mouth wide open for his decent.
"I'M READY FOR A SPINE TINGLER!"
Was the last they heard from him before the beak closed around him.
Time seemed to slow for the Huntsmen and Huntresses in training as they watched the strange man get eaten alive. The Nevermore, seeing more prey, began a swift course for the warriors. They readied their weapons, they did this once. They can do it again. Just as the first shot was about to be fired, the Nevermore reeled it's head back, screeeching to the sky as the GRIMM'S blood gushed out of it's mouth like a geyser. It's flying became erratic, flying back and forth, up and down. Before finally, it could bare no more and slammed it's torso into the cliff. This bout of suicidal intent threw the warriors off guard, as it used it's wings to hold on to the cliff. A cracking and tearing noise could be heard, and it was clear that this bird, should've chewed it's food as the spinning blade of Krieg's buzz axe broke through the monster's back, followed by an armoured hand gripping the edge of the cut before pulling the rest of himself out. Now standing on the back of the slowly disintegrating beast, Krieg looked to all those present on the cliff before raising his axe high and yelling.
"I POWDERED MY COCKATIEL FOR THE RIBCAGE SLAUGHTER!"
Later, in the hall where Ozpin gave his original speech. Krieg could be seen at the back of the crowd, facing away from the stage and staring at the walls as the rest of the students focused on the stage during Ozpin's announcement of the teams.
You don't want to know who is staying and who is going?
"SCRAPE MY MIND OF THE WORMS!"
Y'know, Ruby might be kicked out of–
"I'LL NAIL YOUR TONGUE TO YOUR LYING TEETH!"
Fine, jeez.
That would shut The Voice up for a while. Ruby was far too good to be kicked out of a cesspool like this.
Krieg barely paid attention to what the old man on the stage said, only picking up the final parts.
"Due to a miscalculation on the school's part. There seems to be an extra initiate, one who fights with a ferocity and tenacity unlike I have ever seen before. I would like to introduce to you all, Beacon's first one man team. Consisting of, Krieg." Ozpin's voice echoed out over the speakers. But to the shock of everyone, no body went up to the stage. Nobody even made the attempt, confusing all in the room, aside from Ozpin. He should have known the Psycho would not be interested in formalities.
Ruby was nervous for her masked friend, she scoured the crowd looking for any sign of him. Until there, at the back of the room, she saw the Psycho still staring at a wall and from what she could tell, was probably shouting at it. Using her semblance to speed over to him, she proceeded to not so stealthily whisper yell at him.
"Krieg! What are you doing!? You're supposed to go up onto the stage!"
"I AM WEIGHED DOWN BY THE BLOATED FLESH LUMPS!"
"First of all, ew. Second of all, that's no excuse to skip out on the ceremony. Now come on!"
She encouraged, taking him by the hand and swiftly dragging him to the stage. Where he deeply glared at the audience, that now looked upon him.
"Krieg." Ozpin began. "You are the first one man team in the history of Beacon. This being the case, we have provided you with your own room, it should be to your liking." Ozpin spoke with confidence, with the tone friend would use. They were NOT friends. He still thought Krieg was a freak, the mad man knew it.
"Do you have anything to say? You are a one of a kind afterall."
Thinking for just a moment, he figured he may as well thank the old man for at least giving him a roof over his head.
"STRAIGHT THROUGH THE ANUS!"
End of the chapter!
That's another one done. Sorry this one took a bit, longer. I was reading up on Schizophrenia and the Schizophrasia that it causes so I could improve Krieg's speech a bit more. Let me know what you think and if you know of any helpful in depth articles I'd appreciate it.
As always, feel free to comment, ask questions and let me know how I can improve to make this story as great I can.
See you in the next one,
Have a great day/night.