A headmaster's life is never boring, but neither interesting. Concepts such as "wasted time" are never applied in this job. When not dealing with an endless pile of paperwork, a headmaster takes responsibility for everything that happens to his students, much like a parent takes responsibility for a child. Being the headmaster of Beacon is even harder. Making sure that Huntsmen-in-training receive everything they need to be the future defenders of humanity can be quite stressful.

Ozpin knew that. He also knew that trouble would start the moment Vale's councilmen requested a discussion with him. They barely started and he already got a headache.

A newspaper appeared at the bottom right side of the screen. The cover was clearly visible, as was the large black letters of the title, followed by the picture. The title read: "LOCAL LIBRARY SET ON FIRE: WHERE ARE THE HUNTSMEN WHEN WE NEED THEM?!"

"Do you mind giving us an explanation Ozpin?!" One of the councilmen requested furiously. "Why your Huntsmen failed to find and arrest the culprits?!"

"More importantly," Another added "explain why one of your students was seen leaving the burning library!" One of the pictures portrayed Braylon coming out of the library, clearly refusing to comment. "One of your students really was there, but they failed to do their job. We want to know why."

Ozpin sighed. The situation was beyond ridiculous as were their accusations. How could they know what he was or wasn't doing there? He wanted to point it out, but then he reminded himself that people in power don't like criticism. Nevertheless, he had to defend his student.

"I am sure this was a situation that required more than one Huntsman-in-training. I doubt he had the means and ability to stop the culprits alone."

"Is that so?" One of them replied. "Then why were more than fifteen bodies found inside the library? Some of them even carrying weapons?"

"Maybe the headmaster is right. If so many carried weapons, I doubt a first-year student could do anything to stop the inevitable."

"You are defending this?!"

"Would you, at this student's age, be able to go against so many people in a burning building? I thought so."

"Ha! I guess I couldn't expect anything more from a man who truly believes people saw a giant robot in Mazon's District fighting against a kid."

"Many reported the same story. Why I shouldn't think that something really happened there?"

"Many junkies and drunkards and criminals, mind you."

"Something that could have been prevented."

"Like the recent disaster in the Industrial District?"

"Another thing I would like to discuss with the headmaster." A voice interrupted the conversation. "Headmaster Ozpin, can you please explain the… incident… that happened yesterday at Beacon Academy?"

Ozpin definitely needed a cup of coffe.

The morning with Professor Oobleck marked the start of the next day. Many students would usually meet their friends with a smile on their faces while some would complain about their need to sleep at least two more hours. This morning was different. The cheerful ones became sad, even scared, when they began spreading the news about a certain student who died in the most horrifying way possible.

Braylon wasn't among them. His hands held his head as his mind kept coming back to that corpse and its state. He was so deep in his own thoughts that he failed to register the class at all. This was no coincidence, his mind repeated, there was no way. It seemed like the multiverse tried its best to stop him from concentrating on his primary objective by sending every problem imaginable in his way.

He knew what caused that Faunus to die like that. No explanation he came up with seemed plausbile, apart from one he was hoping it wasn't true. There was nothing he could do to push those thoughts away and coming back to them just made his anger grow stronger and stronger.

"He is alive! This is no coincidence! First Odatron, then this…!" He cursed mentally as one of his fists slammed the table so loudly it echoed through the room. "Fucking Hellingen!"

"Mister Braylon!" Oobleck shouted, gaining his attention. Every head was turned towards him. "I know the death of Miss Scarlatina is terrible for all of you. But please try to refrain from breaking the furniture. If you have something to say, then feel free to do it."

Anger began rising to dangerous levels. He needed to vent it all out.

"I couldn't care less if some soulless animal died!" Silence and gaping mouths followed after his statement. "Do you know what really grinds my gears? It's how you Huntsmen are so worthless! You can't eradicate the Grimm, you can't make your kingdoms better and now you can't even stop murder in your own schools!" He moved his index finger to the crowd. "Look at these poor fucks! Ninety percent of them will get killed the moment they leave Beacon! They are useless! They are cannon fodder! A waste of money and time! Rather than doing something to prevent crime on the streets of Vale, they sit on their asses all day! They won't even move if someone doesn't say "go!"!"

In mere seconds, Oobleck appeared close to Braylon. He adjusted his glasses and said: "Mister Braylon, I'm sure you heard the story of Mountain Glenn, correct?" Braylon didn't answer. "Mountain Glenn was this kingdom's first attempt to expand its borders. Many brave Huntsmen and Huntresses chose to help in every way they could. The colony prospered under their eye. The first Grimm appeared several months later, in numbers that could be dealt with. This went on and on, with Grimm coming in larger and larger numbers. One day, the Grimm came again. This horde was so gigantic that it was impossible to come out victorious without heavy losses. Do you know what those Huntsmen and Huntresses did?" Again, Braylon was silent.

"They gave their lives so that civilians could run into the safety of the subways. They died so others could live. I won't deny the fact that these sacrifices could have been avoided. But this is the harsh reality that everyone who decided to be a Huntsman must face." He turned to the crowd. "I am positive these students know of the dangers they will face once they graduate. They are the embodiment of hope that kept humanity alive on Remnant for so long. Some, unfortunately, will use their skills for themselves. That always happens. But others will keep their promise, for they feel empathy for their fellow man. They want to protect the weakest among us and for that, I will always be thankful. Thank you, students. You have my sincerest respect."

Braylon scoffed, standing up. "Their sacrifices mean nothing to the big picture, just like the extermination of Grimm. The enemy is still out there and its coming for us all. And none of you are able to see it until it is too late." He went for the door. "Not that people need salvation. Not many, at least. Those worthy will be safe from danger. Everyone else will find out that death isn't their ally."

Braylon's fist went through the wall. "What the fuck am I doing?!" He wanted to scream, to tear his mouth away from his body. Yet another situation where his rage almost put the whole operation in danger. The more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. It was beyond normal to feel such a strong emotion seemingly without a cause. His mind wanted him to unleash this rage on the first person he came across. But when the picture of that dead Faunus suddenly flashed in front of his eyes, it was satisfied with another punch to the wall.

"So help me God, if I get my hands on that bastard…!"

The fresh dose of tranquilizers his PDA prepared didn't do miracles, but it gave him a possibility to take a deep breath and close his eyes. The cursed emotion was still there, now easier to ignore. Telling himself to focus, Braylon reached the Forge, where he was greeted by the same man from the first time, not exactly happy to see him.

"Look who came back." He grumbled. "Whaddaya want? I'm kinda busy digesting this hangover and shit..."

"I need to build a new weapon and modify something from my equipment. But first, I need your help with something."

Gray went behind the counter, sighed and waited. Braylon materialized the weapon he received as payment and held it in his hands. Gray whistled.

"Got this weapon as a payment for helping a man with something. Can you tell me what it is?" He asked as he gave it to Gray. It was cylindrical in shape and strongly resembled a laser gun from his reality, painted in black and orange.

"Son, this is a shoulder mounted Dustthrower. One of the newest on the market. See this tiny red button here? You push it and a this black cylinder will come out from the left side. This is where you put Dust canisters, I'll give ya few empty ones later. This baby can use many types of Dust and each will have different effects, so experiment a bit. It can also turn into a flaming sword to burn any dumbass that comes too close to you."

"Good. Good." Braylon nodded. "Now for the project I had in mind."

"Shoot."

"I need a rocket launcher that can be used like an assault rifle. Like, you can fire these tiny grenade-rocket hybrids and-"

"Just shut the fuck up for a second." Gray raised his hand. "You have any blueprints? That kinda shit?"

"...no?"

"Then forget about it. I can't help ya if I don't know what I'm doin'."

Braylon shrugged. "I can draw it down."

"You can?"

"Sure."

"And it's Dustless?"

"Yep."

Gray smiled. "Kid, you sure know how to make this old fuck happy."

"You don't look old."

"Not important now."

Braylon took a pencil, several rulers and lots of paper. Even with such a work, where precision was a must, his brain began swimming into various thoughts, the most prominent being his recent encounter with Odatron and the Faunus' death. He needed to remove those right away, so he started a conversation.

"Can I ask you something?"

"You just did."

He ignored the joke. "Are you from Vale."

"Yup."

"Thoughts on this kingdom?"

"Meh. Tall buildings… diverse culture… shit like that."

"Diverse culture?"

"Folks like coming here on permanent vacation. It's one of the safest kingdoms out there. Besides Atlas. Nothing's like Atlas."

"And people like it?"

"Depends."

He sighed. "On what?"

"On whether you like your neighborhood being called Little Atlas one year and Mistraltown the other."

Braylon chuckled as the conversation suddenly dropped into silence, only to restart few minutes later, after he decided to write down what changes he wanted on his Shield, with a brief instruction manual.

"Gray."

"What?"

"You ever heard this story about the Maidens?"

"Would be surprised if I didn't."

"Can you give me a brief summary? I think I forgot some parts."

"There's this old fuck that never left his house, kinda like your average basement dweller. Four women come to visit him. First is all meditation and shit like that, second's a tree hugger, third tells him that outside world won't kill him and fourth that he should be thankful for everything he had. In return, the old fuck gives them great powers to "share with others". The end."

"Master storyteller, no doubt..." Braylon rolled his eyes. "Ever thought what would happen if this story turns out to be true? At least some of it?"

"Thinking about such shit goes beyond my paycheck, son."

"Yeah..."He insisted. "But what would happen?"

"People would go apeshit, that's for sure."

"Really? Why?"

"You imagine telling an engineer: "Sorry, but we don't need ya to fix that precious farming machine we hired you for, because we have this girl here which can do a much better job with the snap of her fingers"?"

"Guess that makes sense."

After adding the last details, he gave the papers to Gray. The man made some unreadable faces before settling for a frown.

"Damn. You plannin' a war or somethin'?"

"I'm ambitious."

"Ambitious?" Gray looked at Braylon. "You want a ragbag that's part assault rifle, part rocket launcher and part grenade launcher. And here's gods-knows-what, but you were so nice to write it down like I'm a retard. Ambitious is puttin' it lightly."

"Better get to work, then."

"Couldn't agree more. But that's gonna cost ya."

"I have money."

"You better fuckin' do. Come back for a few days. It should be done by then. If not, fuck it. Wait some more."

Just as Braylon was about to turn around, there was Ruby who came in. The two surprised each other, but while Ruby showed it, he didn't. After greeting him, she came to the counter and asked Gray a ticket for the firing range, along with some ammo for her weapon. Braylon waited for Ruby to go away then returned to the counter.

"There's a firing range?"

"Yep."

"Give me a ticket too. Please stop smiling. It's nothing like that."

"Sure. You kids have fun. But you better pray to your fuckin' gods that I don't find stains there."

Braylon showed him the middle finger as he reached the firing range. Opening the door, he saw Ruby taking aim and pulling the trigger. After the third shot, he came closer. His PDA started playing "20th Century Blues" by Noel Coward.

"Hi."

"Sup." Braylon took his revolver and fired nonchalantly at the target, making it look like he had something to do. He noticed how Ruby stopped firing. "If there is something you want to ask, then go right ahead."

"Oh, um… How's… your day?"

"Awful. Too busy doing homework all night."

There was some awkward silence as Ruby coughed.

"Hmm… about… what happened back in the class..."

"Yeah?"

"You… didn't really mean that… right?"

Braylon holstered his revolver and took out the Energy Pistol.

"Ruby..." He began. "What's your reason for becoming a Huntress?"

"I used to have books about heroes and their cool adventures, how they helped people and..." She trailed off. "How they wanted to make the world better."

"Who would have thought."

"Oh, you should have seen me back then! I was so garbage but then my uncle taught me everything I know about my sweetheart, which is a really cool sniper rifle and-"

"Ruby."

"Sorry." She laughed awkwardly.

He decided to holster the Energy Pistol and then turn to her.

"Not to offend you, but that is a pretty naive reason to become a Huntress."

"It's not!" She puffed her cheeks.

"You know there is no such thing as heroes, right? They don't exist."

"They do!"

"And who are they? What's their name?"

"They are Huntsmen and Huntresses. People out there who fight for those who can't!"

"I bet they do it because they love people so much and definitely not because it's their job."

"You are wrong!"

"How do you know that?"

"Because if they wanted money, they could choose a better job than this!"

He looked surprised. "Where did you get that from?"

She folded her arms. "I'm younger than everyone here. But I am not stupid or "naive". Is thinking positively a crime now?"

"Guess not."

Neither Ruby or Braylon moved their eyes away from each other. It was almost a contest, a battle of the minds, we could say. Though we can wonder what kind of a battle can exist between two teenagers.

"What you said wasn't nice."

"World ain't a nice place."

"Not if people like you keep making it ugly."

"Come on..."

"Would it kill you to be nicer? Where is the Braylon I met?"

"He is still here and he isn't going anywhere. As for your question, being nice won't change reality. Folks need to get facts without sugarcoating things."

"Like the way you did?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because violence is the only language most people accept to learn. I have yet to see one team out there who did some work beyond studying. Don't know, maybe finding some criminals or killing some Grimm. You know, actively trying to change things "for the better" as so many like to preach?"

"I know you are wrong. And my team is going to prove it to you!" Ruby took her weapon and walked out of the firing range. Braylon stood there for a few moments, before realizing he forgot he had a book to read.

"I just can't catch a break, can I?"

Leaving the Forge behind, he went towards his room. The most visible change in the atmosphere was the presence of groups of students everywhere he looked. Not one single person, man or woman, was alone. It was obvious; that was their answer to the crime that happened last night. They probably thought that staying in groups would save them from sharing the same fate as the Faunus. Fools, all of them. If they knew the cause, they would be on the next Bullhead for another kingdom.

Braylon paid no mind to what Ruby told him, just like he paid no mind to the hateful glances of other students. Why should he accept the words of some pampered, privileged brat? She didn't know things he did. She never spent one day on Pandora. Therefore, her opinion was utterly irrelevant. Like everyone else around him, she was busy with entirely pointless things. Who could ever care if some soulless xeno playthings had rights or if the Grimm would attack? There were bigger things at stake, a bigger picture of things. It was a shame that only he was capable of seeing it, yet knowing that doing anything to change it would, like everything else, be a fool's errand.

Still, he had hope, although it often led to disappointment. That hope was all it took for him to return to his room and start reading the only book he was able to save. The doorknob was wrapped with his fingers when a voice made him stop.

(Super Danganronpa 2 – Despair Syndrome 1-11)

"Hello, Monocriffe. Long time no see, old buddy."

"Cardin." Braylon frowned. "What do you want?"

"Oh, come on! I can't even talk to you anymore?"

"Is this guy for real? What. Do. You. Want?"

Cardin chuckled. It was one of those chuckles that told you how they had no fear of you.

"Nothing much, honestly. I just thought you wanted to hear the latest news, you know?" He said. "About the death of that Faunus? That same Faunus you defended from little old me?"

His hand threatened to rip off the doorknob. "Why should I care?"

"Yes. Why should you care, Monocriffe? I mean, she could have been a legend in the world of Huntsmanship. Someone who would inspire future generations. But now she is dead. So, so dead."

"If you are trying to provoke me, then I have some bad news for you."

"Provoke you? Hahaha! What would I do that? You speak as if you got something else to loose."

Unable to hear Cardin any longer, our Vault Hunter opened the door. "We will speak again, Monocriffe. You can be sure of that." The grin Cardin had on his face made the hairs on the back of Braylon's neck stand erect, only to drop when he closed the door loudly. "Bah, weirdo." He returned to his safe haven, his own private kingdom, untouched and clear of curious eyes. After stretching his arms and legs, he took the book and sat down on his bed.

Most pages were yellow or had yellow stains on them. What puzzled him was the font. It wasn't printed, but written by a hand. There were, in fact, some books in the library that were written by hand, making him think they were one of a kind. But this type of handwriting was… odd. Each page was written differently, yet all of them shared some similarities. One page would, for example, look like someone tried to write the letters so perfectly that it was almost excessive. Another would be messy, with emphasis on some words and lines of ink on others. Were there different authors? Or one moody author with a drunkard for a muse?

Some pages also contained drawings. Each was so precise, so full of details, that it was stunning. Certainly the work of a very talented individual. However, even with his vast knowledge he could hardly understand what he was looking at most of the times. He wasn't even sure if they were related to those pages he was able to decipher. There was a portrait of a strange-looking woman in a black dress with equally black eyes, something that resembled a wasteland with floating islands and crystals, a giant door, machines with strange mechanisms, symbols, a glowing figure on a road with three question marks above its head. The list goes on.

At one point it was clear he wouldn't get anything if he just continued making theories or trying to comprehend the artist. Flipping through pages, he stopped at one where the writing was nice enough to be readable, although somewhat damaged.

The co-founder of O … Solutions was a certain Maron B. who was later … after she was found locked in a closet. When you think of this company, you might imagine a philanthropic CEO with a staff that shares the same trait, as the public is led to believe with the so-called "humanitarian aid". But its many accountants conveniently leave out the loss of … and the disappearance of … in Lien. And what to say about the man himself, … , or, as he prefers to be called, "the Hermit"?

According to my source, the Hermit returned to his home at 10:30 PM, where he found … with documents that proved how all the money he invested into the company was stolen from more than two thousand bank accounts, only to disappear two days later. If the documents were to be believed, this money was used to build O… Solutions from scratch, as well as three daughter companies. This wouldn't be strange, until you find out that each company was specifically tailored to provide services for their home kingdom and never made any attempts to spread into other kingdoms, despite the economic benefits. Not only that, each company went into a real estate frenzy the very moment they were deemed operable and autonomous, buying specific pieces of land in each kingdom, which was kept as a secret through countless falsifications, stacks of Lien and red tape. Sounds familiar?

Then, one day, each kingdom declares they are going to build an academy specialized in "training the future protectors of Remnant". Like this. Out of the blue. With what, though? The war ended recently. No kingdom had sufficient funding for such a thing. Everyone was busy rebuilding themselves. You might remember that day. Here, in ... So many politicians, so many aristocrats. All making it look like it was a team effort. Bullshit. Every idiot that dug as little as I did would understand from which way the wind blows.

So years pass, the companies run out of money and the academies are built. Rather expensive-looking academies, considering that ... All of this is swept under the rug. New generations don't even know who the Hermit was. So why am I writing down all of this? What is the point? Here is where it gets confusing.

I am sure you remember how this war started. The official story is already widespread, so I am not going to bother to mention it. But I know the true reason, even if I don't have evidence for it. Remember those …? It is said that each represents a gift given to humanity by the Brothers. If someone gets all of them, they would be powerful beyond reason. I knew people who knew … Now they are either dead or laughed at. When I asked them about it, they were reluctant to say even a word. One of them told me: "Those are gifts that became curses." Another claimed they touched the … and that "they knew the whole truth". You had to see the way they cried.

You know the kingdoms were always greedy for power. Try to imagine the will it took for each of them to build what they have now. The sacrifices they had to make. Why would they now give it all to someone else? In the end, what matters to someone is only themselves. It is the nature of things. This temporary peace will only last until they all regain their strength. Then history will repeat itself, with only one difference: there is now a new player. Think about it. Why are there four academies? Why not two or five? Just four. Even the Maidens ceased to exist. Why, that sounds like a coincidence.

Don't ask me where they are. It is a well-guarded secret and something tells me that Ross Bramblespin is neck-deep in secrets. This much is obvious. But I can tell you this; the end of the war, the academies, Hermit's disappearance, all of it has a connection I am unaware of. Naturally, every piece of evidence that proves my point will be destroyed or hidden and this will be waved off as one giant conspiracy theory. You will not get any other letters from me. Please, keep this book. You know what to do. As for why I am writing all of this, it is because I want people to know the truth that is hidden in this giant pile of shit. But I fear something much worse. My nightmares are becoming worse and worse. If they come true, then the Grimm will be the least of our problems.

That felt disappointing. Sure, it was nice to know the background, providing it is even true, but nothing truly helpful for his cause. Braylon started thinking. If one of the Maidens is inside Beacon, as the voice claims, then it is only logical that other three are hidden in other academies. What better place than a school full of Huntsmen, the best warriors Remnant has to offer? Not that it mattered to him, he was going to reach the Maidens one way or another. The future of Remnant depended on it.

It was amazing how he enjoyed staying on Remnant, despite its obvious flaws. Pandora was a speck of salty dust compared to this planet. He didn't have to worry what would he eat or if bandits would try to kill him. Peace was something Remnant gave generously. There were no nightmarish cities like some planets had back in his reality, no corporations that measured how much oxygen you were allowed to breathe. Almost nothing tied him to his home, except his colleagues and even they weren't something special. They just jumped on a bandwagon and went on.

But Remnant… it was a paradise compared to anything he ever saw. Dangerous, yes, but still a paradise. Locals probably had different opinions. He didn't care. A Vault Hunter could save this reality from destruction and demonic chaos? Excellent. He was willing to fight with legs and teeth if he had to, which is why he went on Remnant's version of EchoNet. Braylon wondered if they had their own version of the dark web.

New item acquired!

Vulcan

- "Don't try this at home." (Different ammo gives different effects, can only be used on Remnant, doesn't do Explosive or )

- Flamethrower mode: Primary fire and Secondary fire (Primary is normal attack, Secondary is special)

- Sword mode: attacks are affected by the ammo (fire Dust will set the sword on fire and will burn deal bonus Incendiary damage)

- Fast ammo consumption (Sword mode continuously consumes ammo while active)

NOTE: I am not going to describe the different effects for each Dust type because that would be lame. It will be revealed through the story.

Arsenal:

Pistol: Unforgiven, Energy Pistol

Shotgun: Striker, Orphan Maker

Assault Rifle: Ajax's Spear

Rocket Launcher: Nukem

Sniper Rifle: Omni-Cannon

Energy Weapon: Fornax, Vulcan (Remnant Only), Excalibastard

Shield: The Bee

Artifacts and Class Mods: Song of Malevolence

HWM: Holo Sabre, Holo Ripper, Holo Claw