Summary:
After getting expelled for a fight gone wrong from his last school, Jaune Arc is transferred to another school in Bullworth, New England. Already, it's full of sadists and sex pest teachers, and things are about to get worse. Unfortunately for Jaune, he catches the eye of many influential students who want to use him for differing purposes, some good... and some very bad. Can Jaune survive his senior year at the toughest school in the states, and what types of friends and enemies will he make along the way?
Chapter 1: Prologue: Welcome to Bullworth
The Dam: Bullworth, New England
7:49 AM
The Dam of Bullworth was there, in all its faded glory. The sounds of the continuous river stream hit Dudley's ears as he stared at the view of Bullworth. Cigarette in mouth, he took a long drag before-
SMASH
A glass bottle was smashed. Dudley was mildly annoyed and turned to see his companion, Dee, smashing another glass bottle with his baseball bat. Dee threw up another bottle in the air, his eyes now containing a focused glint as he swung the bat. The glass bottle broke immediately upon impact.
"Heh, get fucked," said Dee, a grin on his face as he twirled the bat in his hands.
"Very mature, so cool, wow," clapped Dudley, very impressed with Dee's immense skills.
Dee flipped him off as he loaded up another bottle in his hand. Dudley put out the cigarette with his cowboy boots as he walked over and laid on the dam's railings as Dee swung into another bottle.
"You know," began Dee, wiping the sweat off his forehead, "I still can't believe Shay is having us patrol around here. It's a fucking dam. I mean, this isn't a place I would want to hang out at. How else am I gonna fuck a fat bitch here?"
Dudley only shook his head at his friend's immaturity.
"Come on, bro. You have to think about the bigger picture, not..." He trailed off, looking at Dee as he thought of the proper words. "Your preferences. Besides territorial politics, there are new batches of freshies at that academy. New kids equal larger numbers," explained Dudley.
"Okay? That means I can introduce them to this bad boy," said Dee, holding out his signature baseball bat in the air, as if it were King Arthur's Excalibur.
"Even if you did, you seem to forget: the Greasers are on our ass. Shay hates that animal, Taurus, and if they get more members, then the next big rumble is not gonna go in our favor," replied Dudley, his face becoming much more serious. "Especially after what happened to him... Taurus is going to be on the warpath."
Dee snorted as he plopped next to Dudley. "Yeah? Not like we're gonna get anybody in this shit town all excited to join our crew... especially a group of dropouts like us."
Dudley sighed. "Ya know, I miss the old days."
"What, back at the academy?"
"Yeah, like... not the people there. Fuck those faggots. I missed doing Chemistry, man… I was good at that," opined Dudley. He looked down at the rushing water with a pensive look on his face.
Dee nodded in agreement. "Oh yeah, you were. Really stood out amongst those geeks you hung out with. Too bad they were sneaky pieces of shit when you got expelled."
"I oughta stick my boot up Nolan's ass. Motherfucker sold me out and stole credit for my invention."
"Right, right he did that, which one was it again?"
"The Spud Gun," Dudley began. "That was my magnum opus… but I did perfect the Stink Bomb as well. Got extra credit for weaponizing a friendly version of tear gas," explained Dudley, a small look of nostalgia in his features.
"Yeah, you were always the best at that kinda stuff," admitted Dee. He rubbed Dudley's back in a show of support.
Dudley looked at him with appreciation, giving him a small smile.
"You were also good at baseball, back then," said Dudley. "One of the best sluggers in the New England area."
Dee scoffed.
"Yeah, was. Now I'm just here, wasting it away because of that bitch," growled Dee.
Dudley didn't say anything, but he pulled out his pack of cigarettes and offered it to Dee. Dee decided to take one.
Dee wasn't normally a smoker, but sometimes when stressful times like these happened, he would enjoy it occasionally with his friend.
When they were attending Bullworth Academy, Dee was a jock and Dudley was a nerd. Based on the school's hierarchy system, you think these two would never get along as they do now. However, due to the machinations involving "She Who Must Not Be Named," their current predicament landed them here. Watching over a dam... with no one else for company but each other.
Despite their complete differences, the two got along well when they both looked past their clique days. Besides, they were accepted by a much better clique, one that accepts the dregs and rejects of this town. In a way, Dee and Dudley were able to find themselves in this town that is Bullworth, amongst the ones rejected by the "Other."
8:01 PM
New Coventry, Bullworth
The grey skies cast over New Coventry like a blanket, but it didn't provide warmth to its citizens living there. Blue-collar workers woke up to go to work, while one Adam Taurus walked down the street.
He was a slightly tall young man with sunglasses on his stern face. He seemed to have remnants of burn marks on the right side but they were covered up by said sunglasses. His hair was red with black streaks and the leather jacket he wore was also black, but underneath was the standard uniform for Bullworth Academy. What stood out about him was the bull horns that protruded out of his head. They stood proud as if Adam had nothing to hide about them.
The Faunus wasn't alone, as he was surrounded by other leather jacket-wearing students of his age. One particularly pretty girl stood out on his right side, holding his hand. Her hair was black and long enough to reach her back. She had piercing amber eyes and a pair of cat ears on top of her head. She wore a leather jacket too, but with the Bullworth uniform slightly modified. She wore black leather pants, as well as black flats for shoes.
Adam let out a frustrated sigh. "It's bullshit, Blake. We have to sit here, living in the garbage can of Bullworth, while those stuck-up Preps live in their fancy houses. Their ivory towers..." He growled to himself. "It's not fair and you know it."
Blake looked down at the ground for a moment, contemplating how to respond. She took a deep breath to try and compose herself, before looking up at her boyfriend.
"I know you're frustrated, Adam, but are you really sure this is the best idea?"
Adam stopped in front of the Tenements, the Greaser hideout in New Coventry. Pulling away from the rest of the clique members, he stepped into an alleyway, motioning for Blake to follow him. Blake obliged, watching as Adam approach a window on the side of the derelict building. He opened the window to climb inside, turning around to offer Blake a hand. As she climbed through, Blake quietly thanked him, before Adam closed the window behind them.
As the two stood in the dilapidated wooden building, Adam leaned against a wooden beam with his arms crossed. He looked at Blake, his sunglasses hiding the look of disdain behind his eyes.
"You don't get it, Blake. Those rich assholes took everything from me, starting with the Schnee Shipping Company. You know this."
"I do... Adam, I do." Blake let out a sigh. "Listen, Adam, I don't like them either. But... are you sure this is the right decision? An all-out war against the Preps?"
Adam shrugged. "Why not? We're stronger than those trust fund pussies. I have no doubt that we could take them. They're nothing without their trust funds."
Blake looked around nervously for a moment, hoping that another Greaser would come through to cut a line through the growing tension in the room. To her misfortune, however, no such thing occurred.
"Adam... I just don't think this is the right call. Not this early in the semester, at least... couldn't we prepare a bit more, first?"
Adam shook his head. "No can do, Blake. You know as well as I do that this battle is inevitable. Better to get rid of those snobbish pricks sooner rather than later. Besides, it's not like we're declaring war against the entire academy. As long as the astronomy dorks and the roid heads stay out of our way, then they'll have nothing to worry about."
He paused for a moment before he let out a defeated sigh. "Besides, Blake... I think this is the only choice we have."
Her eyes widened for a moment. She noticed Adam's shoulders slump slightly as some of the rigidity of his posture faded. Feeling a bit more confident, Blake stepped closer to him, reaching out to gently place a hand on his arm. He looked up, the glasses on his face hiding the fear in his eyes.
"Adam... is this about what happened? Because that wasn't your fault. You were just trying to help us."
"I know it's not!" Adam pulled away from her, stomping away a few feet. "Maybe I was trying to do the right thing, maybe I wasn't. It doesn't matter, Blake! It doesn't take the pain away."
Blake's eyes widened at the anger in his voice, as she reached to hug her left arm to her body. She hated when Adam got emotional like this. However, in this case, she at least understood why.
"Adam. You never talked about what happened."
He chuckled darkly to himself. "What's to talk about, Blake? Those punks in Blue Skies took something from me. Something I can never get back. All because I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."
He grumbled under his breath before he yelled and slammed his fist against the wall. Blake jumped slightly as his fist went directly through the wall's cheap drywall, punching a hole through it.
"But what makes them so special? They're just like us! Outcasts, rejects, castaways! Yet they treat us as the enemy, too! And, and..."
He felt his lip trembling against his will. It was at that moment that he was extremely glad that he was facing away from Blake.
"This is the only choice we have, Blake. You have to understand that! We can't move into Blue Skies. Those Townies are way too dangerous. The only option right now is to take on the Preps, and then see what happens from there."
Blake stayed quiet as Adam ranted. She wasn't entirely sure what to do; when Adam made up his mind like this, it was difficult to persuade him to change it. However, Blake knew that what he was planning was dangerous. An open war between the Preps and Greasers would not go well, especially this early in the semester. The last Rumble in New Coventry got a lot of people hurt on both sides. Blake had no love lost for those Aquaberry sweater-wearing snobs herself, but she knew this wasn't the right call.
Her resolve to protect her other clique members ultimately forced her to take action. So, she stepped towards Adam and, with an assertiveness she wasn't used to, reached out to tightly grip his arm.
"Adam," she said in a firm tone. "You need to show me."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do. I'm your girlfriend. If I can't help you through this, no one can." She stayed quiet for a few moments as Adam's body began to slightly shake. He let out a quiet sob, which made her eyebrows raise slightly in concern.
"Adam... please. I'm not going to judge you. It wasn't your fault."
He cried for a moment more, before he let out a shaky sigh. He slowly turned around to face her. Adam's hand was shaking wildly as he hesitantly reached up. He was half convinced he was going to accidentally snap the frames in half as he went to pull the sunglasses off his face. When he did, what Blake saw made her audibly gasp in surprise. Her amber eyes widened as her heart threatened to burst out of her chest.
Blake knew Adam had suffered damage to his left eye but she didn't know how severe it actually was. Where Adam's eye once was, there was a dark red burn mark that scarred his face. Where there was once a fully functioning blue iris, there was now an incinerated mess, a dark red scar with black bruise marks. Blake thought she had been prepared for what she would see but she hadn't been prepared to see such blatant facial mutilation.
Adam's eye was completely gone, and his face was irreparably damaged for the rest of his life. His right eye, still perfectly healthy, closed in shame. However, that did not stop some residual tears from coming through anyway.
"Adam... what did the Townies do to you? This is..." she put a hand over her mouth as she resisted the urge to retch. She didn't want to make Adam feel more ashamed than he already was but the viscera was enough to elicit a physical reaction. "T-this is horrible!"
Adam took a few more seconds to try and regain his composure. Now that Blake saw him for who he truly was, there was nothing left to hide. He bit his lip as he went to sit on a dusty crate. Cobwebs stuck to his pants but he didn't even remotely care.
"Blake. You remember the mission, right?"
She nodded immediately. "Yes. You went into Blue Skies to see if we could try and take over some more territory. New Coventry is not only poor and run-down but it's rapidly becoming overpopulated. You thought that looking elsewhere for expansion would be the right way to expand our influence."
He nodded slowly. "Yes... I did. But I was wrong, Blake. I was so wrong." He rubbed his forehead for a moment, his body still slightly shaking.
"Adam, it's okay to feel emotional about this. This is a serious matter."
"Yeah, well, that doesn't mean I need to cry like a fucking pussy!" He grit his teeth as he looked at her. He wasn't mad at Blake herself; rather, he felt a murderous rage towards those who had robbed him of a part of himself.
"You're not a pussy, Adam. I would be very concerned if you didn't feel strong negative emotions towards those who attacked you. Even hatred."
She walked towards him, leaning down slightly to get on his level. She stared intently into his eyes... er, eye. She gently gripped his chin with her hand, forcing him to look at her.
"I hate them too, Adam. Whoever did this to you... they will pay, in due time. I promise you that."
Adam looked at her for a moment, a bit surprised. Then, without thinking, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a tight embrace. Blake let out a small gasp of surprise. It wasn't like Adam to be so physically intimate. However, the fact that Adam started crying loudly into her shoulder told her that this was no ordinary occasion.
She returned the hug, wrapping her arms around his back as he broke down. Every now and then, she would gently rub the hair on the back of his head or rub circles on his back to try and calm him down.
"Adam... it's alright. Whatever those men did to you, they can't and won't do it again. You're safe here. Safe with me."
He continued to cry, sobbing audibly. It was then that Blake once again noticed the emptiness of the Tenements; however, this time, she was glad no one was there to see Adam in his current state. She knew that his pride would not let him live with such a public display of emotion.
She continued to hold him for a few more moments, before pulling back to look at him again. Her nervousness and hesitation from earlier had faded as she looked at Adam intensely.
"What did they do, Adam?"
He gulped, staying silent for a moment.
"It was dark... I didn't see how many Townies there were, but there were a lot. At least five guys. They surrounded me, said I was trespassing on their turf. They were right, of course. I knew that going in. I was ready to fight but... they were too much. They surrounded me and knocked me unconscious."
He stood up from the box, turning away for a moment. Even though he knew that Blake now saw the real him, he still felt a tinge of shame at his disfigurement. He didn't want Blake to see him as the incomplete person he felt he was.
"When I came to, I was chained to a post in the old Schnee Shipping warehouse." He chuckled to himself. "Ironic, isn't it, Blake? The warehouse belonging to the same company that fucked over my father and my entire life. Where else would something else utterly horrible happen to me?"
The Schnee Shipping Company... Just hearing the name made Blake growl under her breath. She had her own gripes with the "SSC," as it was commonly abbreviated to. However, she knew that Adam hated them even more than she did. While Blake hated many of their practices and their CEO, Jacques Schnee, Adam had a personal vendetta against them. Granted, she didn't know all the details.
She shook her head. Their animosity towards the SSC was not important right now. What was important was hearing the truth.
"And then what did the Townies do?" As soon as she asked the question, Blake hesitated a moment, feeling she should say more. "Y-you don't have to tell me the graphic details if you don't want, Adam. Whatever you feel comfortable wi-"
"Branding iron."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "W-what?"
"It was a branding iron," he nodded, more to himself than to Blake. "That was what they used. They knew I couldn't escape and wanted to teach me a lesson. Not just because I go to Bullworth but because I crossed a line with them. A line that should never be crossed."
Blake was spared the gory details, but she at least knew enough now to have a pretty good idea of what happened.
"Well, thank god that they didn't do more, or kill you! I still hate how they just... just left you there like garbage! You could have died!"
She clenched her fists and grit her teeth. She hated them... hated them for what they did to Adam. She thought to herself then and there that her pledge to get revenge was not an empty one. She would do anything she could to make those dropout fuckers pay for that what they did to him. That was a promise to not just Adam, but also herself.
Despite her growing rage, Adam didn't seem affected, instead laughing to himself. "Yeah, well... I guess I should be used to that at this point. Faunus, Greaser, and now scarred... the hits just keep stacking against me, Blake."
He turned around, rubbing away some lingering moisture on his face with his elbow, before giving her a resolute nod.
"Which is why going against the Townies is the wrong call. I think we're much better off trying to expand into Old Bullworth Vale instead... which means that we need to fight the Preps."
"Okay, Adam... I hear you," she answered truthfully. She did agree that the Preps would eventually be their target. "But... could we wait a bit more to plan this out? I'm sorry what happened to you but I think your anger is clouding your judgment."
"So you want us to just... wait? Not do anything while those inbred fuckers have everything we can only dream of having?"
She shook her head. "No, Adam. We're not going to do nothing. We're going to play the long game."
"The long game..." Adam clicked his tongue in annoyance. "You know, that reminds me a bit of what that bitch said to me at Bullworth a few weeks back."
Blake's brows raised. "What bitch?"
"Ah, nothing," Adam waved her off. "Some crazy chick came to me a few weeks ago, talking about some plot she had to take over the school. But... get this: she was a Prep." He laughed. "Wasn't hard for me to tell her to fuck off. I mean, how stupid of a bitch do you have to be to think a Prep and a Greaser could ever work together? Hell has a greater chance of freezing over than that bullshit ever happening."
Blake opened her mouth to respond but stopped. To be honest, she had no idea what to say. A Prep approaching a Greaser for an alliance made about as much sense as a wooden firefighter suit. They had been hated rivals as long as Blake could ever remember; if any plan was formed, it would be a plan like Adam was considering: one to take down the other clique.
"That makes no sense, Adam."
"I agree, but that's why I told that girl to piss off. Luckily, the little princess was smart enough to take the message."
He stayed quiet for a moment, before letting out a defeated sigh. He reached down towards the crate to pick up his sunglasses, putting them back on. He slowly nodded at Blake.
"Alright. I don't like it... but I hear you. We'll hold off on the fight with the Preps for right now... but when we do go after them, there will be hell to pay."
Blake let out a relieved sigh, before she smiled softly at him. "Thank you, Adam."
He nodded, before approaching her and taking her hand in his again. "Now, we should probably get to school. I personally couldn't give a shit about it but Neil has a new car he wants me to work on in the shop today. That'll be interesting, at least. Can't have the boys worrying too much about us, either."
The two of them went to exit the Tenements. Adam opened up the window, and after a few more seconds, the two of them were outside once more, walking down the streets of New Coventry. Once again, the handful of Greasers fell in line behind Adam and Blake.
"Well, Adam, I hope you have a good day today," Blake said honestly to her boyfriend.
Just as Adam opened his mouth to respond, a white limousine zoomed past them. Unfortunately, in doing so, it kicked up a massive puddle of water from the rainstorm earlier that day. Blake yelped in panic, releasing Adam's hand before she dodged back, not wanting to get her clothes wet.
Adam, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky. He found himself drenched in water. He let out an irritated growl, as he heard cursing from his crew behind him.
"You know what, Blake? I changed my mind. Fuck going to school today."
Blake watched the limousine as it disappeared like a white snowflake in the distance. She looked in the opposite direction for a moment to see where it came from.
"Hmm... looks like it came from Blue Skies, but there's not really many wealthy people from there. I wonder who it could be?"
"Whoever it is," Adam started impatiently, "they better hope I don't find out."
The Limousine
The Limousine was, well, "very fancy" to put it. The seats were rich, expensive full-grain leather with a white steel interior that felt cold and lifeless. One Willow Schnee held a margarita in one hand as she callously ranted in front of her two children sitting across from her.
"Your father's a pig," said Willow, sipping on what could be her third margarita.
Whitley was a young fifteen-year-old boy with a pale disposition, with white hair neatly combed, and pale blue eyes. He wore the Bullworth Academy Uniform, which consisted of the standard blue vest. He also wore a rather expensive pink shirt underneath, buttoned up with a blackened tie, aquaberry khaki slacks, and black dress shoes that were clearly shined to perfection. He almost looked like one of those porcelain dolls meant to be shown off rather than someone seen as his own individual.
Whitley was uncomfortable but didn't dare show it on his features. That would be a sign of weakness, and his mother would chew him up horribly if he even showed a sign of displeasurement. Instead, he let his eyes turn to look at his older sister next to him.
Weiss Schnee didn't look like she wanted to be here. Her arms and legs were crossed, showing her current mood of having to deal with their drunken mother this early in the morning. Weiss had the same white hair and eyes but wore her hair in a ponytail.
Unlike her brother's more humble clothes, Weiss preferred to wear top-of-the-line material. She wore an Aquaberry sweater vest, the brand's trademark look of alternating diamonds of light and dark blue shades standing out. Beneath it, she wore a white blouse, as well as a skirt which matched her top. She wore light blue loafers with white socks that reached a few inches above her ankles. Around her neck was a silver necklace in the shape of an apple.
She let out an annoyed sigh. "Mother, could you please at least try not to be totally wasted on our way to the academy?"
Her mother let out a chuckle; despite sitting across from the two of them, the smell of alcohol on her breath was potent enough to reach them. Willow shook her head.
"My apologies, Weiss, but this is... my way of relaxing." She took another sip of her drink. "It helps to take my mind off of that stupid oaf of a father you have."
Whitley looked down at the floor for a moment. "But... you're still mentioning him."
"I'm sorry?" The Schnee matriarch looked at her son inquisitively.
He avoided his mother's questioning gaze, finding a strange interest in the floor of the limo. "N-nothing, Mother."
Weiss looked at her brother with a familiar look of disdain, before she facepalmed. "Honestly, Whitley. You need to grow up. If you're scared to stand up to Mother, what hope do you have of ever becoming a man yourself? Of ever becoming more than a miniature version of Father?"
When her little brother did not respond, Weiss let out another annoyed sigh. "Typical. Just typical. Leave it to me to be the only person with the capability of improving this tarnished legacy of ours."
Willow hummed for a moment. "Hmm... I don't know, Weiss. Winter seems to be doing rather well for herself. Apparently, she has a nice setup in Vice City, working in the military for that Ironwood fellow. I hope she's doing well since she abandone-"
Willow trailed off before she could finish her sentence, instead opting to trace the rim of her glass with her finger. "Have you called her recently, Weiss?"
"No," Weiss answered in a short tone. "I haven't had time to. I've been too busy studying. The Bullworth entrance exams are rather difficult, you know. Especially if you want to be the best, like I am."
Weiss looked out the window as the limo passed under the bridge of New Coventry, driving through Bullworth Town proper. "Not that you would know anything about that, Mother. That would require you to take an interest in my life."
Despite the harsh words, her mother didn't seem to be perturbed in the slightest, as she took another sip of her concoction. "Well... your own husband telling you that he doesn't care about you whatsoever can put a damper on a person's spirits. I just hope that, in spite of that and all your grievances with me, you too can make something of yourself."
The Schnee siblings seemed a bit surprised by that, as Weiss' defensive posture faded for a moment and Whitley's eyes widened in surprise. However, that moment evaporated just as quickly as it began, as their mother slammed down the glass. It shattered against the cupholder next to her, shards of glass tumbling down into the cupholder and the seat itself.
Whitley and Weiss jumped in surprise at the sound, before their mother continued ranting. Her hand was now slightly bleeding from a small cut from the glass, yet she either didn't notice or didn't care.
"You don't understand. Everything is your father's fault! You don't want to admit it, do you? Why do you think he was so willing to let the two of you go to Bullworth?"
She stayed silent for a moment. When neither of the two answered, she pressed the issue. "Whitley."
The boy gulped nervously as her mother looked at him. "Yes, M-mother?"
"I asked you a question. Why do you think your father, being the controlling and overbearing jerk that he is, was so keen to let the two of you go to Bullworth?"
Whitley thought about her question for a moment. She was right; it didn't make much sense to him. It would be far more logical for him to keep them under close watch back at Schnee Shipping Company headquarters, grooming the two of them to take over the company in the future. Instead, the two of them were on their way to one of the most famous (or, depending on who you asked, infamous) boarding schools in the country.
"I don't know, Mother. It doesn't make sense to me."
Willow frowned at her son before turning to Weiss. "Weiss? Do you have any idea?"
She scoffed as if the answer was obvious. "Of course, Mother. Obviously, in preparation of us taking over the company, Father thought it was best to send the two of us to Bullworth. An academy which has a notorious reputation for being difficult, both academically and on a day-to-day basis. Toughening us up into strong men and women, that will be able to handle the difficulties of the world easily. Or, at least... making one of us stronger. It seems rather logical to me."
She snuck a glance at her brother, who she noticed had retreated into his shell again, twiddling with his fingers absentmindedly as he stared out the window. "Of course, this might not be as obvious to those who are... less qualified than me."
Willow nodded her head, and after a moment, she did something that not even Weiss expected. She laughed.
"M-mother?" Weiss started, her eyebrows raising in surprise at the strange response. Yet their mother continued to laugh as if she had just heard a rather funny joke.
She took a few deep breaths to calm down before she shook her head. "Oh, amazing. All of that preparation and studying for the two of you, yet you both couldn't be more wrong if you tried." She looked at Weiss for a moment. "Actually, at least your brother is wise enough to admit when he doesn't know something. You, on the other hand, enjoy claiming to be right even though you're just as clueless as he is."
"Excuse me, what is that supposed to mean?" Weiss glared at her mother. "It's easy to say that Whitley is wrong, since he always is, but who do you think you're talking to saying that to me? I am the true heir to the Schnee legacy. The only one capable of salvaging something from the mess that Father has made. You dare insult me?"
"No," Willow responded, in a calmer tone than Weiss expected, considering the fact that their mother was currently in the middle of one of her raving drunk moments. "It is not an insult. It is merely the truth. The reason for your father's decision is not what you think."
Whitley looked up at her, hesitantly. "Then... why? Why would he send us here?"
"The same reason he said what he said to me on Weiss' tenth birthday," Willow crossed her hands, resting them on her knee as she leaned forward slightly. As she did so, the limo all of a sudden felt rather claustrophobic to the two teenagers. Whitley retreated into his seat slightly, as Weiss stared at Willow, uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry to tell you this but I feel it's important that I be honest with you two. Your father isn't sending you here for your own benefit. Your father is sending you here because you are objects. Everything you accomplish and learn here is just another pedigree to add to his docket. Another prize to be won. You two are not his children but rather his greatest assets. Your successes are his successes. Everything you accomplish here comes under his directive and control."
Willow shook her head, leaning back again. She let out a defeated sigh, looking away momentarily with a glazed look in her eyes.
"None of us are anything to him. We are merely assets to his business, tools to use for his own legacy. The sooner you two accept that, the better you'll be."
The ensuing awkward silence stretched for about half a minute. The two siblings said nothing. Like plenty of their family dinners and shared gatherings over the years, silence was something they were used to. An uncomfortable feeling of tension and apprehension filled the air, as all three of them didn't want to look at the other two sitting in close proximity to them.
After about a minute, Weiss finally scoffed. "That's ridiculous, Mother. You're clearly drunk."
"Am I?" Willow chuckled. "You know what, you're right. I am drunk, and I plan to get even drunker." She pressed a button on a nearby console, pulling down the window separating the passengers from the driver of the limo. "Oh, Klein?"
"Yes, Madam Schnee?" A strong, male voice returned earnestly, as Weiss managed to sneak a view of the butler in the front. He wore a grey bowler hat on the top of his head, and a black vest over a white button-up shirt. The hat covered what little remained of the man's hair, yet his large ginger mustache could still be seen in the mirror.
"I broke another glass again," Willow whined, in a tone not too dissimilar to a child. "We need to stop by Yum-Yum Market after we drop the kids up to pick up some more booze." She looked at the blood on her hand for a moment. "Oh, and maybe some bandages, too," she added in a strangely calm tone. "I guess I lost my temper again."
The man stayed silent for a moment. Weiss may have been mistaken but she could've sworn she saw the man's eyes dart up to the mirror for a moment, seeming to look at her for a moment, before shifting to look at her brother. However, if Whitley noticed, he showed no indications that he had.
Then, Klein looked back down at the wheel as if nothing had happened. "...understood," he answered hesitantly. "It's as you command, madam."
"Thank you, Klein," she responded, smiling smugly to herself before she pressed the button to raise the window back up. Before she knew it, the sight of one of the only people Weiss felt she could trust was once again obscured.
"Isn't it great? To have someone like Klein, I mean," Willow began. "No matter how fucked up I am, mentally, emotionally, and physically, he's still as loyal as ever!" She laughed. "No wonder Father was such close friends with him."
"Your father."
Weiss looked to her left in surprise, seeing that Whitley had spoken up. He was looking directly at their mother, with an intensity that was not like him.
"What was he like, Mother? Before he passed away."
Willow stayed quiet for a few seconds, before she closed her eyes.
"He was a good man. A man who always tried to do the right thing. He wasn't the best businessman but he had the best interests of the common person at heart. He founded the Schnee Shipping Company to help provide goods at a reasonable price to all, and pushed for reasonable wages and working conditions. Not the best business practices, of course, but he didn't seem to care about that."
However, just as quickly as her vulnerability appeared, Willow's eyebrows furrowed down in anger as she scowled.
"At least, he was a good man before he made the biggest mistake of his life! Trusting that selfish son of a bitch to take over the company after he passed, because he was a good businessman!"
Willow gripped the seat cushion with her hands, her digits whitening from the intensity.
"Jacques," she said the name with pure venom, as if it were a slur. "That asshole. He stole my rightful inheritance right from under me. And that stupid, ignorant old man let him do it."
As Weiss heard her mother speak of her father with open hatred, and her grandfather with resentment, she felt rather grateful as she looked out the window, and saw water below the bridge. Once the limo passed over the bridge, she could barely see the sight in the distance of a giant black gate, in between brick walls. The walls might've been red at an earlier time but due to age, they instead seemed to be a more faded orange color.
Still, she knew from all the catalogues and her campus visit where they were.
"Bullworth," she said before letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank god."
"Oh, finally!" Willow clapped her hands together in silence, as if her rant had never occurred. "I was wondering when we would arrive. Make sure you two get all your stuff out of the limo. You wouldn't want to leave any of your precious materials, now would you?"
Weiss ignored her mother as the limo slowly ground to a stop in front of the academy. Without another word, Weiss immediately opened the door to exit the limo. She headed towards the back of the vehicle, popping the trunk to get her belongings out.
As she did so, Whitley remained in the car for a moment longer. He gave his mother a hesitant look. He reached for the door handle but before he opened it, he stopped. His hand gripped the handle but he couldn't bring himself to leave just yet. Instead, he cleared his throat before looking at his mother.
"Mother... I know this isn't who you really are. You used to be different. Kind, caring... loving. You don't have to be this... distraught forever. There's still time to change."
Willow let out a disappointed sigh as she shrugged her shoulders, shaking off his words like they were nothing. "Whitley, I was broken a long time ago. The least you two can do is not let your sperm donor do the same to you."
She reached forward to place a hand on his shoulder. Whitley enjoyed the gesture, although his mother's palm was cold to the touch, and the scent of alcohol wafting over his face was so strong that it almost made him gag. Despite that, he resisted the urge to do so, simply for the fact that he enjoyed the attention she was giving him, since it wasn't something he was used to.
"Go, Whitley. Don't worry about me. I was broken a long time ago... but you haven't. You can still do something with your life." She squeezed a bit tighter. "So do it. Become something. Both of you. You and your sister are the only hope left in my life, but you shouldn't do it for me or for your father. Do it for yourself."
Whitley gasped in surprise at her words. Despite the fact she was inebriated beyond belief, there was a clarity in his mother's eyes and words which was unlike her. Or rather... unlike who she had been for years. It reminded him of who she used to be.
Whitley nodded. "I will, Mother. I, um... I love you."
The drunk woman smiled, leaning back in her seat. "I love you too, son. Now, go ahead." She smirked. "And, try not to let your sister's... prickliness get to you too much."
Whitley opened the door to step out of the limo. As he did, he heard the sound of Weiss and Klein talking with each other. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he approached the back of the vehicle. Klein was helping Weiss unload her belongings, which consisted of a handful of giant, white suitcases. Whitley had no clue why his sister needed so many things to go to school. It looked like she was going on a massive business trip instead of going to school.
Yet, in spite of that, he had always admired his sister's resolve and dedication. She seemed entirely focused on the matter at hand, directing Klein with the luggage as if it was a life or death matter, because to her... it probably was.
Whitley slipped past the two of them for a moment, reaching in to grab his backpack. He packed very light compared to his sister, grabbing the dark blue sack and pulling his arms through the straps to rest it snugly on his back. He then walked towards the entrance of the school, waiting patiently on the sidewalk. He looked up at the faded walls in quiet contemplation.
When the last of Weiss' luggage was unloaded, Klein shut the trunk and carried the giant suitcases to the sidewalk. Weiss followed slowly behind him, her hands clasped in front of her skirt in a dainty gesture.
"Thank you, Klein," she said, a small and (very rare) genuine smile on her face. "Your help is appreciated as always."
The man laughed. "Nonsense, Miss Schnee. I'm merely doing my job."
"You say that," Whitley interjected, turning around to approach the man. "But you know that it means much more to us than that, considering..." he looked at the limo. "Well, considering."
The man placed a hand on each teen's shoulder, one on Weiss' left shoulder and the other on Whitley's right. He smiled warmly down at them.
"It is my pleasure."
"Klein?"
"Yes, Miss Schnee?"
Weiss looked back towards the limo for a moment, swallowing an unexpected lump in her throat. "Can you... will you look after her, please?"
"Of course," Klein answered with unshakable resolve, a serious look in her eyes. "My loyalty has always been to the Schnee family, first and foremost. The true Schnees, not those who claim to be. I watched your mother grow up from when she was a young child, after myself and your grandfather served in the war together." A nostalgic look fell over his face.
"She is like a daughter to me. I would never dare to abandon her." He looked back at Weiss with a smile. "You know, you remind me of her. How she was when she was your age."
Weiss' mouth was agape at his words, but Klein didn't notice as he turned to look at Whitley. "And you, Master Whitley. You have much more in common with your grandfather than you might believe."
Whitley's eyes widened in surprise at the words. He was always used to being compared, rather unfavorably, to his father. To hear someone compare him to Nicholas was rather flattering... especially coming from Klein.
"The point being," Klein continued, "is to not let the expectations of the Schnee name defeat you. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that the two of you are destined for great things... both here at Bullworth and beyond. Not because of your last name, as your father would have you believe, but because of who the two of you are as individuals."
Saying nothing more, Klein wrapped his arms around the two, pulling them into a tight embrace as if they were children of his own. The two returned the gesture, each burying their head into one of his shoulders as they wrapped their arms around his torso. It was an amazing feeling... one they weren't used to. One that the two of them wished could last a lifetime.
However, time was not such a forgiving mistress, and after about a minute, Klein slowly pulled away from the two of them.
"Now," he continued, business as usual, before he looked at Weiss. "Miss Schnee, this luggage is set for Marigold House, correct?"
"That's right," she nodded. "Would you be so kind as to assist me, Klein?"
"Of course. It would be my pleasure, miss." He gripped the handles of two of the suitcases as he approached the gate. On cue, a man approached the gates from behind. He had brown hair, fairly bushy eyebrows, and light blue eyes. He was dressed in a dark blue prefect jacket, with a white dress shirt under it. A blood red tie was nestled between the collar of the white shirt, barely visible due to the vest. He wore dark brown pants, and black shoes.
"Greetings, sir. I am Clover Ebi, head prefect of Bullworth Academy. Allow me to show you to your destination."
Weiss went to follow Klein and Clover, but before she could, she was stopped by the sound of her brother's voice.
"Weiss."
She let out an irritated groan, turning around to face him. "What, Whitley? Can't you see that I'm busy?"
"You think the Preps would let me into their clique with you?"
Weiss stared at him in disbelief for a moment, blinking her eyes in confusion. Then, she smiled, before letting out an amused laugh.
"You? Of all people?" She shook her head, throwing her ponytail over her shoulder in a haughty gesture before looking down (figuratively) at her brother. "Are you serious? What would make you think they'd take you in?"
"Well, I am a Schnee." His cheeks began to burn a bright red as he saw his sister look at him with barely disguised disdain, as if he were beneath her. "Surely that has to count for something."
She rolled her eyes, placing her hands on her hips. "Whitley, Marigold House and the Preps only accept the best of the best. How can you expect to be the best when you're not even the best in your own family?"
She shook her head, either not registering the humiliation she was giving to her brother or simply not caring. "Let's face it. You'll never match up to me. I'm smarter, more talented, and unlike you, I'm not a loyal dog that follows Father around like a newborn pup."
She turned around, not even willing to look at him anymore.
"Face it, Whitley. You're not ready for that type of privilege. You're probably not even ready for Bullworth. I know Klein believes in you, but..." She shook her head, letting out a disappointed sigh. "Well, he's too nice. He sees the best in you but he overlooks your weakness. The best thing you can do here is not get yourself killed. With how weak and timid you are, you should consider that a victory."
Then, she sauntered past the remaining luggage on the sidewalk to head towards the gate. Before she passed through them, however, she turned around to glare at her brother once more.
"And Whitley?"
"Yes, Weiss?"
She looked him over from head to toe one last time, before staring straight into his eyes. Her ice blue orbs pierced right through his skull, as if she was looking through him rather than at him.
"Stay out of my way."
Then, without another word, she walked calmly through the gates and out of Whitley's sight.
He sighed, approaching the brick wall and leaning against it. In the past, such vitriol might have gotten to him. However, over the years, he had gotten used to it. He had a neglectful mother, a manipulative father, one sister who left them the first chance she got, and another who couldn't see him as anything more than an imitation of their father. The feelings of isolation were familiar to him, even though he wished they weren't.
In most families, the firstborn son was a sign of status, especially for a family as prestigious and wealthy as the Schnees. However, Whitley had quickly learned over fifteen years of life that he was instead just the black sheep of a tarnished dynasty.
He let out a tired sigh, resting his head on the back of his hand. He hadn't even gotten to his dorm, and he already hated it here.
JOCK'S CLUBHOUSE
The Jock clubhouse was occupied by Ted Thompson, who diligently worked out by himself. His eyes squinted as he bench-pressed with a focus only a dedicated athlete would display.
Ted was so engrossed in his workout that he failed to notice two individuals entering the clubhouse. They waited idly while the jock finished his reps. Ted finally set the weight bar back in its place as he got up from the bench seat. As he looked around, he finally noticed the other two students in his room.
"Oh, it's you two," sighed Ted, as he got up to grab his towel and wiped the sweat off his brow.
"Is that any way to greet a friend?" said the girl in a sardonic tone, while the girl next to her slightly squinted her eyes at Ted.
Ted sighed again and turned to look at the two girls. Both were pretty in their own ways. The one with the mocking tone was slim and dark-haired. Her eyes were the color of amber, like flames that kept spreading everywhere. She wore an aquaberry sweater vest with a white buttoned shirt underneath with a tartan skirt and black stockings with brown flats. The other one was dark skinned but had minty green hair styled in a bob and red eyes that glared into Ted's baby blues. She wore the standard Bullworth uniform but her sweater sleeves were rolled up, while white athletic sneakers completed her outfit.
"Ugh, uh huh, sorry, Cinder." Though Ted didn't sound too sorry for not giving Cinder the proper greeting, the girl next to her stepped up a bit and gave Ted a withering glare.
"Is that any way to speak to her? You give her the proper respect she deserves, you muscle-headed thug," barked out the girl.
"Emerald… please. Ted was working out, and we interrupted him. You know he takes this very seriously," said Cinder. While her face looked calm, her eyes told a different story, and Emerald stopped herself as she stepped away from Ted.
"Y-yes, sorry Cinder," Emerald said, looking down to avoid Cinder's burning stare. Cinder turned to look at Ted with a plastered look of false friendliness.
"So Ted, how have you been? It's our first day of senior year-" began Cinder.
"Cut the crap, will you? It's obvious you need something from me," interrupted Ted, taking off his workout shirt, revealing a tank top that showed off his impressive physique, wiping off more sweat as Cinder looked rather hurt by his statement.
"Why, Theodore, I would never ever ask you for anything? Aren't we friends? Friends would never speak to each other with that tone of voice," pouted Cinder, but Ted didn't fall for it.
"If we're such good friends, I don't think I ever remember getting so much as a hello from you from all the years I've known you," rebutted Ted, as he picked up a clean t-shirt. "And don't call me Theodore. I'm not one of those fucking nerds."
Cinder walked up to him, mischief in her eyes.
"Oh, Ted…" said Cinder, as Ted turned to look at her as she got close to him. Her manicured nail started tracing his chin slowly. "You want to be on the top of the school, but at the same time, you can't think about your friends? Don't friends look out for each other?"
Cinder's fingers started to trail off slowly to Ted's chest. The jock moved slightly as he was getting uncomfortable. Emerald was lapping up the sight of Ted Thompson, leader of the Jocks and one of the toughest kids in the academy… now reduced to being uncomfortable by the slightest bit of touching from Cinder. She felt a tinge of jealousy, although she wasn't entirely sure why.
Cinder then used her fingers to move Ted's tank top, which revealed small but visible scarring as if someone had thrown a bottle at his chest.
"Oof, see what they did to you?" Cinder's voice was now a whisper. "Besides, it's only one small favor I ask of you. You act as if you're sacrificing an arm for me," quipped Cinder. Her finger still playfully traced around Ted's chest, who quickly regained his tough exterior as he grabbed her fingers.
"That's enough, I get it," growled Ted. He wasn't in the mood for Cinder's mind games. "What is it you need from me now?"
Ted let go of Cinder, who looked surprised at first but went back to her usual alluring self. Emerald, on the other hand, looked rather unpleasant at seeing Ted "manhandle" Cinder and went to grab a nearby small dumbbell-
Then, a large hand stopped Emerald from picking it up. She stopped to look and saw Damon West glaring at her.
"I think you overstayed your welcome," said Damon calmly, as he hoisted up Emerald by her arm. Emerald squealed unconsciously.
"L-let go of me, y-you!" struggled Emerald.
Cinder had a look of amusement on her face while Ted walked past her as he approached Damon.
"Alright, alright, let her go-" began Ted.
Emerald immediately reacted; she hoisted her left leg and kicked Damon in the face, causing him to let go to reach for his chin. Emerald backflipped off him and landed like a ninja.
Damon only rubbed his chin and gave Emerald a glare. He then began to walk over, but Ted stood in his way.
Cinder snapped her fingers, and Emerald stood still as Cinder walked over and grabbed her by her collar.
"I apologize… Emerald is a little too loyal for her own good. We can discuss this another time, perhaps?" said Cinder, as she held Emerald like a child who was caught doing something they weren't supposed to.
Emerald looked scared but didn't say a word as the two exited the clubhouse. Damon only crossed his arms as he leaned on a nearby wall.
"Whatever she has on you cannot be this bad. You can't let this bitch be up on your shit like that," said Damon, watching Ted putting on his letterman jacket. "You sure everything is okay, bro?"
"It's whatever. I'm not that scared of her. Besides, I get some kind of reward outta this," said Ted before swinging his backpack onto his shoulder. He went to exit the gym, as Damon followed close behind.
It was the first day of Bullworth Academy, and it was already evident that the year would certainly be interesting.
Notes:
Thank you for reading! This is a Bully x RWBY fic that has been in the stages for a while now. After plotting it out for a few weeks, myself and my friend, MikeMarlow, finally began writing this about a week and a half ago. Inspiration hit, and after two decent writing sessions, this chapter 0 was the result. This is definitely a prologue chapter, setting up some important characters. Other characters will be introduced later in similar fashion, since they couldn't all be shown in this chapter (or else this already decently long chapter would be gigantic). Needless to say, expect to see other important RWBY characters scattered throughout the cliques of Bullworth.
As I mentioned, this work has two authors: myself (WeissQueen) and MikeMarlow. We're still working out the details, but the tentative idea right now is that I handle the bulk of the story writing, while Mike will handle the action scenes. He is very knowledgeable in different fighting styles and techniques in ways which would completely fly over my head. While most of this chapter 0 was written by me, I would not expect that to be the case when we get to the fighting and heavier stuff, so stay tuned for that.
Bully is my favorite game of all-time, and RWBY is one of my favorite shows, so I'm really excited to write this. I hope that you are just as excited to read it! As always, any comments or thoughts are greatly appreciated. Next chapter, we shall meet our main protagonist.
Mike only has an AO3, so please feel free to give him a look here: /users/MikeMarlow/pseuds/MikeMarlow
And here is my AO3: /users/WeissQueen1718/pseuds/WeissQueen1718
And of course, shout out to the homies in the White Knight Discord server.
- WeissQueen
