"Hey, buddy, you can't sleep here."
A voice spoke as I did my best to ignore it and get some much-needed shut-eye.
"I'm serious, pal, move it!" A hand grabbed my shoulder and tried to shake me awake.
If I had been more aware, I might have questioned what some random dude I didn't know was doing in my apartment. Instead, I rolled over in hopes he would take the hint.
Or at least I tried to. What actually happened was I rolled and then felt the brief freedom of open air before the hard ground tried to break my fall. A valiant yet wasted effort that resulted in me slamming my shoulder onto the hard concrete with an 'oof' escaping my lips.
The voice sighed as I rolled onto my back with a groan. My eyes slowly opened as the impact was more than enough to wake me up. What greeted me was the open night sky and a tall man in a blue uniform standing above me.
"How's it goin'?" Was my eloquent greeting.
The man raised an eyebrow. "Now that you're awake, a good deal better."
Yeah, awake… outside. Wasn't I in my house when I passed out? What the hell am I doing here?
"Uh, can I ask a possibly dumb question?" I asked as I got off the ground.
The policeman shrugged in response. "Sure, but you still can't sleep here."
I glanced at the bench I'd apparently been snoozing on, noting that we were in some kind of Central Park look-a-like.
"Oh, yeah, sure. Anyway, where am I?"
That caught the cop off guard, as he seemed surprised by my question. "...Vale. Central Park, to be exact."
"...Uh-huh," I said slowly. Veil? What kind of city name is Veil?
I looked around and quickly found the cityscape bordering the forested area. Prominent skyscrapers stand proudly all around.
I didn't live in any city. Hell, I didn't even live anywhere close to one! Was I kidnapped? No, that didn't make much sense. Even after drinking as much as I did, I would have woken up from a lot of movement, at least I hoped I would.
"Everything ok, kid?" My acquaintance prompted.
"Uh," was my intelligent response, "Yeah, I think so…"
A straight-up lie. I had no clue where I was or how the hell I got here, but I wasn't about to tell the guy saying I was in 'Veil' about my issues.
"Well, in that case, if you want a place to sleep, I'd recommend the shelter on the corner of 3rd and 5th."
And now he thought I was homeless, which, until I figured out where I was and how to get home, I guess I was. I even looked the part.
"Thanks, I'll be sure to check it out."
With a nod, the policeman continued on his patrol. Now, my first order of business is to figure out where the hell I am.
It took a few minutes of walking to escape the park I'd found myself in. What greeted me upon my exit was a city in the middle of its nightlife. Where I lived, the streets were usually deserted at night. Here, however, the night seemed to be just as active as the day might be, but maybe that was just my lack of experience with city life talking.
As I observed the night owls going about their day - or night, I guess - my hands sunk into the pockets of my worn hoodie just for my right to clash with a solid object.
"Shit, that's right," I muttered as I withdrew my hand, now holding my phone in its grasp.
I turned it on and typed in my code but stopped when I noticed the lack of bars at the top of the screen. No service? In a city? The hell!?
My thoughts halted as I remembered my interaction with the lawman before.
"...Vale. Central Park."
My head slowly turned as I turned my gaze upwards, my eyes locking onto the arched sign above my head.
"Vale Central Park," I whispered in disbelief. Vale… not Veil.
I immediately glanced at the various shops and people around me, observing what I'd missed moments prior. Shops advertised various merchandise from Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo. A woman walking down the sidewalk huddled into herself, her horns a glaring feature. A man walked by me, a see-through cellphone-like device held to his ear.
This is… This was…
As if to confirm my unfinished thought, an aircraft that was most certainly a Bullhead passed over. While it was still a reasonable distance from the tall buildings, that didn't stop its form from being illuminated by the light pollution.
Then, it finally sunk in for real. I'd been isekaied. Into the world of RWBY!
"Hehe…haha… HAHAHAHAHA!" Laughter burst forth from my lips, laughing like a madman and drawing the attention of people who now likely thought I was on drugs.
They wouldn't be entirely wrong, as I was high on adrenaline and dopamine! I knew what being isekaied meant. I'd read the fanfics and knew how this worked.
I thrust my hand forward and shouted, "STATUS!"
In a good amount of isekais into fictional worlds, the main character usually had some busted bullshit ability. In the case of many fanfics, it was The Gamer ability. And boy, was I ready! Those hours spent fantasizing about this moment hadn't gone to waste. Now, it was my time to shine! To get power! Money! Women! A whole harem! The world and all its riches were mine for the taking! Move over, Salem! There's a new player in town!
As soon as my Status window appeared, I would begin my journey of badassery, babes, and bombs.
…
Any second now.
…
Maybe it hadn't heard me? "STATUS!" I bellowed louder.
…
"Mommy, what's that weird man doi-"
"Just keep walking, sweetheart, don't make eye contact."
What if I'm supposed to say something else? I tried "Menu!", "Profile!", "Player!" as well as others, yet nothing worked. I didn't have The Gamer at my disposal.
But did this mean it was time to throw in the towel? Fuck no! I knew I had something awesome, something that allowed me to show everyone who the real main character was! Like, Like, super strength! Yeah! That must be it!
I raised my fist high, aiming it at the sidewalk at my feet. Doing this was bound to cause a commotion and maybe a bit of chaos if I didn't understand the limits of my most definite superpower, but I needed this to show what I could do, what I could become!
"HULK SMASH!" I roared as I brought my fist down with the force of a meteorite.
'The Club'. The hottest and most popular place in Vale for young people to drink, dance, and hook up. For Hei "Junior" Xiong, it was his pride and joy. A place he wouldn't give up for anything, even for all its flaws. One of which is the type of clientele it sometimes attracts.
They would be closing in only a couple of hours, and Junior thought he'd be able to get through the night without any weirdos or drunks giving him a migraine. Fate had a sense of humor as he ended up with a mix of both.
Junior did his best to ignore the sniffles and avoid eye contact with the customer in front of him. Sadly, he couldn't do so forever when they requested another drink.
"Anut'er wun, plez."
Normally, Junior would do the responsible thing and cut the guy off, but… the guy looked like he really needed it.
His new customer wore a dirty old brown hoodie, the color doing nothing to hide the stains it had accumulated over what was likely years from the wear and tear on it. Ripped jeans and old shoes with the sole on the right one held in place by duct tape didn't do this guy any favors in not looking like a hobo. The cherry on top of this poor schmuck was the bandage wrapped around his right hand, dyed with a bit of red.
Junior sighed as he grabbed the empty glass and let auto-pilot take over, a mistake on his part, as the words he'd specifically been avoiding up to this point spilled forth.
"What's got ya down, kid?" He mentally kicked himself as soon as he said it.
"Oh, ya know," He didn't, nor did he want to. "I juz, thot I wuz finally gonna get evreething I wuntad. Mon'y. Power. Womens. A wholes harem of 'em. Bu' nope, I gots nuthin' buts a busded hands. At least wun of da ladies near'by wus an off du'y nurse, so… yay." He finished unenthusiastically as he lazily waved his bandaged hand.
Junior snorted. Money? Power? Women? Join the club. Every guy who wanted to be a big shot usually had those goals, with some actually having the means. Some had the strength and power to pull it off, others used looks to their advantage, with just about all of the above having the intelligence to use those abilities wisely.
This guy though? While his body wasn't overweight by any means, he wasn't exactly built either, not quite lanky, but not far off. As for his looks and intellect? With shoulder-length brown hair and blue eyes that didn't seem to hint at any sort of intelligence, this guy was destined to be a dreamer, someone who shot for the stars yet didn't know how to build a rocket.
"Big dreams," Junior replied, hoping it would end the conversation there, just to realize his guest wasn't the only one dreaming big.
"Yup! I wuz gonna hav like," The man brought up his good hand, raising a finger as he rattled off names, "Neo, Cinder, Glynda, Raven, Blake, Yang, the works!"
Junior just grunted noncommittally in response as he handed the man a fresh glass of liquid fire. "Regardless of your dreams and sorrows, this is where I cut you off."
The customer frowned as he sipped his drink before sighing, "Okay, H'w much?"
"Thirty-four lien."
The young man nodded and reached for his pocket before freezing, "Did you say lien?" He said a lot clearer, suddenly sobering up instantly.
Junior frowned and glared, not liking what this was already implying. "Yeah, lien. Money. One of the things you were babbling about wanting."
"Well, uh," his new headache stuttered, "I might not have that, heh." He chuckled nervously.
Junior's eye twitched. After listening to this idiot babble on about the dreams he would never achieve, he wouldn't even get paid for it?! Like hell!
"MILTIA!"
Seconds passed before a beauty clad in red approached from the stairs to the left of the bar.
"What?"
Junior jerked his head to the broke hobo. "Toss this guy out, make it rough."
Miltia glanced at the now wide-eyed guest before a feral grin spread across her lips. Usually, Junior would just have one of his guys take care of it, but after his night was ruined, he felt particularly vindictive. Miltia would already rough up the guy, but now it might be a bit worse after explicitly telling her to do so.
Junior expected the man to panic, apologize, or even beg not to get an ass beating. So he was surprised when the man's eyes widened in what looked to be a realization before speaking his most insane thought yet.
"Sometimes, when a character gets a new OP power, they can't activate it on their own. It can instead trigger during intense situations!"
At that, the man grew a cocky smirk on his face, and a gleam overcame his eyes like he suddenly didn't view the quickly approaching Miltia as a threat. The woman in red halted her advance as a look of confusion spread across her face, a similar look growing across Juniors.
The man stood from his bar stool, brushing the nonexistent dust off his clothes with his good hand, and locked eyes with Miltia, who stood only a few feet away.
"It's a shame, really," He monologued, his voice oozing smugness, "I can only use my left hand, but I guess it's only fair. Even I don't know my special power, and I can't promise your life if you insist on challenging me. If you back out now, I'll allow you to be the first to join my harem. Then again, if you live, you might be begging to join anyway. So, what will it be, Miltia?"
"If you clean the dishes we have and what will be coming later tonight, we'll consider your debt paid in full, got it?"
I nodded as Junior finished his explanation, my head pounding from the motion, the cause of which I couldn't place between the alcohol or Miltia's right hook. The black eye I held a frozen pack of peas over was definitely from the latter.
"I said, got it?"
"Yeah, I got it."
Junior grunted. "Good. If you need anything, just ask one of my guys when they come through or get one of us, and don't even think about running."
With his piece said, Junior gave me a final look before returning to the bar.
A sigh escaped my lips as I frowned at the commercial-style sink, which was filled to the brim with dishes, mostly glasses. It reminded me of the first job I got back in high school, the bitch work of cleaning up after people having a good time. And here I was, doing it again in a world that should have been mine for the taking! This is bullshit!
The door creaked open, the boom of music gaining an entryway to lay siege to my eardrums, as a man in a black suit with red shades walked in and set a couple of empty pint glasses next to the assortment of dishes. He didn't even spare me a glance as he left.
Another sigh escaped me as I tossed the packet of peas to the side and rolled up my sleeves. "Guess I'll get to work."
The job was just as annoying as I remembered it being, but at least I could listen to some music while I worked, as muffled as it was through the walls. It helped make the time pass as before I knew it, the flow of dirty dishes slowed before stopping, and the music eventually ceased.
I squinted as hot steam slammed into my face as I opened the dishwasher, collecting the last handful of cleaned glasses and setting them aside. The door made a creaking sound that I'd become familiar with as it was opened, another one of Junior's peeking in before locking eyes with me.
"You done?" He asked.
"Just finished."
He gave a quick glance at my handy work from the past couple of hours, giving a quick nod in what I hoped was approval. "Alright, Junior said you can go."
"Wait!" I called as he made to leave. He stopped and gave me an inquisitive look. "I was wanting to talk with Junior… if that's ok, I mean."
He thought for a moment. "He's at the bar." With that, he turned and left.
I nodded as I exited the back and made a beeline to the bar. Sure enough, Junior was behind the bar doing an audit from the looks of it, as several of his uniformed goons were busy cleaning the place. The Malachite sisters watched from above, Miltia fixing me with a glare when she spotted me. Understandable, given that I told her she would join my harem, which I regret now that I knew I wasn't all-powerful.
I frowned at that reminder. As far as I knew, I had no cool power or ability. I should have aura at least, right? I mean, you just needed a soul. And while I wasn't a super good guy, I was far from a monster.
I put those thoughts away for later as I arrived at the bar. Junior didn't even look at me before speaking.
"One of my men should have told you that you can leave."
"Well, I was actually wanting to talk to you, if you got a sec."
The mob boss ceased his current task with a sigh of resignation. He looked me in the eye as he leaned onto the bar. "It'd better be important."
"It is! I was wondering if I could have a job?" I requested with what I hoped was a confident smile.
"Get lost." He replied as he made to get back to work.
"Wait, just hear me out."
"I don't need a permanent dishwasher."
"That's not what I want!" Dishwashing? Fuck off! Powers or no powers, I'm not gonna spend my time in a fictional world doing what I already did before!
"Then what do you want?" He asked pointedly.
I hand shot out as I pointed at the nearest goon. "I want to be that!"
The guy I singled out pointed at himself in confusion.
Junior also looked perplexed. "You want to be Richard?"
"What? No! I mean, I want to be a goon! I know you work on the less-than-legal side of the law, and I want to join!"
Junior raised an eyebrow as he looked me up and down. "I can't tell if you're a cop or just stupid."
"How about ambitious?"
"No, stupid works because you're definitely not a cop."
That sounds like an insult in some form. "Look, I'll be honest, I've got nowhere to go so if you give me a chance, you won't regret it."
I can eventually work my way up if I get hired as a goon. And what happens when you become an upper tier in a mob? Money, baby! And with money comes women. I can still have my dream, maybe not how I wanted, but beggars can't be choosers.
Junior sighed again. "Fine, kid, I'll give you one shot."
He stuck his hand out. "Hei Xiong, everyone calls me Junior, but starting today, you call me Boss."
My hand clasped his, a wince escaping me at his bear-like strength.
"Happy to be here." It wasn't a lie, even with no powers, Remnant was still a world full of opportunity. "Call me Ethan."
This is a rough draft that I wrote a while back. Thought I'd post it as it crosses my mind time and again so I thought "why not?", I might update, I might not. Leave a review to tell me if you liked it or not. Thanks for reading.