Chapter 1

Welcome to Remnant

I can honestly say that I've never really been a fan of surprises. The occasional good surprise was fine, even welcome, but 95% of the time surprises are the herald of something bad happening. By their very nature they caught you off guard and left you scrambling to find a solution to a problem that you weren't expecting.

But even taking that into consideration this was on a whole other level. I was so surprised by what I was seeing that my mind felt as though it was filled with static and my body felt numb. Absently I noted that I was showing symptoms of going into shock, but I couldn't bring myself to care. My attention was focused on something more important.

'That is the shattered moon from RWBY.' I think, bewildered. True to my fragmented thoughts, the shattered moon is shining serenely above me, oblivious to my inner turmoil. 'What- How- How am I seeing this?'

Okay let's just take a step back and think this through. There has to be a logical explanation for this. There has to be. 'Right, of course.' I thought sarcastically. 'A perfectly logical explanation as to how I'm seeing something that shouldn't exist outside of a story!'

How did I wake up here? That's the first question I need answered right now, considering it shouldn't be possible. I'd been at home, doing some research when I'd suddenly felt lightheaded. One moment I'd been fine and the next I was collapsing. Except that I don't actually remember hitting the ground. I had started to fall and just never stopped. The only thing I can recall after that is a mix of light and pain.

After that I'd woken up here, in a dingy back alley in the middle of who knows where. 'Small mercies.' I thought. 'At least I didn't appear in the middle of a crowd.'

The next thought I had hit me so hard that it felt like a physical blow. Somehow someway I was in the show RWBY, on the world of Remnant. So what did that mean as far as Earth was concerned? Would I be able to go back or was I cut off from it forever? Or was I wrong about actually being on Remnant and this was really just an incredibly vivid dream?

I must not have been thinking all too clearly because instead of testing this theory like a rational human being I did the first thing that came to mind. I slapped myself as hard as I could.

Probably not the smartest move on my part but I was a little desperate. When the pain to my cheek faded and I opened my eyes to see that nothing had changed and I knew that this wasn't just some dream or hallucination I felt the urge to do something that I hadn't since I was a kid. I wanted to cry, to scream, to give an outlet to all the emotions building up inside me.

So that's what I did.

The next few minutes are hard to recall. I was lost in my own little world of grief and sadness as the realization that everything I had ever known and loved was gone. It took a while to sink in, that I might be stuck here and that I had no way of knowing if I would ever be able to go back. The only thought that gave me any relief was that everyone I had left behind was alive and well, small comfort though it was. I would never be able to see them again, so they were as good as dead to me either way.

When the tears finally stopped falling and I had screamed myself hoarse I slowly pushed myself to my knees and stood up. After a while the pain in my chest had receded into a dull ache and I was able to think more clearly. For the first time I was able to take a proper look at myself and take stock of the situation. I rubbed my eyes with back of my wrist, trying to wipe the tears away.

At least my clothes didn't look to out of place. Blue jeans and a black shirt with shoes the same color. Hardly the height of fashion but at least they were practical and shouldn't make me stand out to much. Standing around here wasn't going to get anything done so I steeled myself and stepped out into the street. After glancing back and forth I was surprised to see the roads were completely deserted. It must have been later than I'd first thought.

'Well at least that explains why no one came running when I'd been crying my eyes out'. I mused. A flash of pain, brief but sharp, rose up but I pushed it down. For better or worse I was stuck here and standing around moping wasn't going to solve anything.

As I started walking I noticed something else that I hadn't registered at first. My body felt weird. I didn't know how else to say it but something felt off. Like my hand-eye coordination was slightly out of wack or like my legs weren't quite long enough to match my usual stride. I glanced at my arms they looked normal enough, if maybe a little scrawnier than I remembered.

I walked alongside the rows of shops, the sidewalks illuminated by translucent streetlights, trying my level best to ignore the strange sensation, hoping it would go away on its own. But when I'd gone a couple of blocks and the feeling persisted I figured that enough was enough.

A little unsettled I looked around for something I could use as a mirror before my eyes landed on a particularly reflective shop window. As I strode up to it my reflection became clearer and clearer, and I started to deny what I was seeing harder and harder. When I was only a few feet away I slowed to a stop and took a long hard look at my reflection.

"Holy shit…" I muttered as I stared into the semi-reflective surface of the window. It seemed like a perfectly legitimate response, because staring back at me was the face I remembered from almost a decade ago!

I was actually in my early twenties but the face staring back at me looked to be about 15 or 16 at max. I had thought that I looked a little scrawnier than usual but it didn't even cross my mind that this was the cause!

And it wasn't just my age that was different. At a glance my face matched my memories almost perfectly but if I looked closely I could see a few subtle differences. My cheekbones were a little higher and my jawline was thinner, giving my face a more angular appearance that was framed by locks of short faintly spikey hair. Hair that was once dark brown but that was now coal black, through and through.

However the biggest change was to my eyes. Before they had been a dull blue bordering on gray but now? Now they were pure silver.

It took a moment for that to sink in. When it did, it was all I could do to keep myself from hyperventilating. I knew what the significance of having this eye color meant on this world.

"Great…" I muttered. Just what I needed. Remnant was already filled to the brim with creatures that wanted me dead, and now I had a giant target painted on me!

I gave my appearance a last once over and bit back a sigh of frustration. It wasn't just that I looked so young it was that I looked soft as well. No maybe soft was the wrong word, but I definitely looked like I still had some filling out to do. I had been a late bloomer and if that was any indication then it would still be ages before I hit my growth spurt. 'Again.' I thought bitterly.

Unable to hold my sigh back any longer I filed this away as one more thing I can do absolutely fuck-all about, and turned away from my reflection and kept walking. The slightly off feeling followed me but now I knew what was causing it. My de-aging, or whatever the hell had happened to put me in the body of a teenager, had knocked more than a couple inches off my height throwing off all my subconscious motions. Simply put it was like puberty all over again, only in reverse. Or something like that.

My new look aside, what exactly was I going to do now? I was moving but more for the sake of moving than anything else. I had no destination in mind and no real clue what I should do. I ran my fingers through my hair as I tried to come up with a halfway decent plan.

Unfortunately it turned out that coming up with a plan was easier said than done. I'd been walking around for a while now. Long enough that the sun had risen several hours ago and the city had long since woken up.

Vale, and at least I'd learned that this was Vale for all the good it did me, was not altogether different from any other city I had ever seen. Shops lined the streets, people went about their business, nightclubs and the like were closed until evening, and there were a thousand other things that wouldn't appear out of place in any city on Earth.

But that's not to say that there weren't any differences. Holograms seemed to be almost commonplace, being used for everything from signposts to streetlights. When I looked up into the sky I could occasionally see an airship flying over, far closer to the ground than a plane could ever hope to travel. And there's no forgetting the kid who raced past on a Hoverboard.

I shook my head forcing myself to stop thinking about Remnant and its parallels, or lack thereof, to Earth. I had much more pressing concerns at the moment. Not that I'd been having much luck coming up with any ideas on that front anyways, but still.

All of a sudden a sound at odds with the hustle and bustle of the city drew my attention. I couldn't quite place it but it had sounded like shouting, only more uniform. I couldn't be sure so I cocked my head to the side trying to hear where it had come from. I strained my ears trying to listen for it, half convinced that I had imagined it, until a moment later I heard it again, coming from a few streets over.

Logically speaking I knew that I should avoid whatever was causing it. I kept telling myself that I had enough to deal with and that whatever this turned out to be would only bring more trouble down on my head. But for some reason regardless of the thoughts going through my head I still found myself walking in the direction of the commotion, the shouts growing louder with each footstep.

A few minutes later the source of all the noise was before me. I wasn't sure what I was expecting but this certainly wasn't it. There were hundreds of people gathered together in the streets some with picket signs some without, but they were all angry and clearly protesting something.

Not that it mattered because I was far more interested in the people doing the protesting than what they were protesting against. They all had an animal trait of one form or another. In other words, they were all Faunus. 'That's what this is about.' I thought. 'It's a peace rally for the Faunus.'

Now I was doubly sure that I shouldn't be here. Sure I believed in equality, strongly even, but I'd been on Remnant less than a day and I had my own messed up situation to deal with. The best case scenario here was that they'd protest angrily for a while longer and then slowly disperse to return to their homes. In the worst case… this could get very ugly, very fast.

But even if everything did go smoothly that didn't change the fact that there were hundreds of Faunus here who were all angry and on edge, along with a growing group of spectators, both Human and Faunus, milling about the outskirts of the rally. And that wasn't even counting the people dressed in uniform along the edge of the streets. I knew Remnant had its own version of the police and I hoped they were just here to help keep the peace.

Still I knew a bad situation when I saw one. This crowd was a hairsbreadth away from turning violent and I didn't want to be anywhere near it, if and when that happened. But just as I was about to make my escape I heard something from the other side of the crowd that made my blood run cold.

I didn't see what caused the sound but I could recognize the sound of a gunshot anywhere. Everyone, protesters and spectators alike, froze in their tracks. For a split second you could have heard a pin drop. And then the crowd erupted in a deafening roar.

'Oh you have got to be kidding me!' I thought in disbelief.

All of a sudden the Faunus attending the rally seemed to split in two. Half of them charged the police line while the rest seemed to be in shock, a feeling I could emphasize with. Some of them, the smart ones, turned around and started running but most looked like they didn't know what to do.

But seeing the police starting to arrest the offender's appeared to rouse the rest of the crowd into action. Those who hadn't already run off joined the fighting, turning things into an all-out brawl.

'Well I've seen enough.' I sprinted for the closest side-street, determined to not get caught up in the chaos unfolding around me. But before I made it I heard a high pitched scream break through the sounds of fighting and turned my head trying to find the source of the noise.

There, out in the crowd was a little girl, maybe 10 or 11 years old, who looked like she'd been knocked to the ground in the confusion as the adults around her ran off. Before I could think whether or not it was a bad idea I changed directions and made a beeline for her.

She had short brown hair and a second set of ears on her head, although I didn't bother trying to figure out what kind. She must not have heard me coming because she was still huddled on the ground. Without warning her I grabbed her arm and put my other around her shoulders, forcing her to her feet. "Hey kid, c'mon get up! It's not safe here."

She blinked at me owlishly, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. "Huh?"

I bit back an angry retort before I had a chance to voice it. Whoever she was, she had no way of knowing this was going to happen. This wasn't her fault she was just young, scared, and in over her head.

Without letting go of her I started running, making sure to lead her away from the fighting. She stumbled a bit as I started moving but quickly got her feet under her and followed without complaint. I kept a firm grip on her hand until we had made it a couple blocks away and the sounds of the rally-turned-brawl had faded into the background.

I turned to her and gave her a quick once over while we both caught our breath. She looked unhurt except for a scrape on her knee from where she'd fallen.

"Why- Why did you help me? You're a human." She asked between breaths.

I wanted to answer her but I had no clue what to say. By rights I shouldn't have even been there. Why I stuck around until things went from bad to worse was a mystery to me.

Besides there were bigger issues to deal with at the moment, so instead of answering her I asked a question of my own. "Do you have anyplace safe to go?"

She looked at me uncertainly before responding. "Yeah I do. I have a friend who lives around here."

"Do you think you can you make it there on your own?"

She puffed out her cheeks in childish indignation. "Of course I can! I'm not a kid!"

I had to fight to keep my face serious. "Good. Then go there and don't leave until everything settles down, alright?"

She hesitated for a moment before nodding up at me. "Okay."

She started running down the street but after taking only a few steps she stopped and turned around, refusing to meet my eyes.

"Thank you. For helping me." She spoke so softly I almost couldn't hear her.

I nodded and smiled in what I hoped was an encouraging manner. "Don't mention it. Now get going."

She gave a shy smile in return, before turning and bolting. I made sure to keep an eye on her until I lost sight of her around a corner.

'Okay, that's her taken care of.' Now I was the one who needed to get out of here. I hadn't done anything wrong, I knew that. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that wouldn't stop anyone who had seen me from drawing the wrong conclusions. So I ran as fast as I could, hoping to put some distance between me and the riot. Unfortunately it wasn't fast enough.

Before I had made it another block I heard someone running behind me. I glanced over my shoulder and paled when I saw a police uniform. I tried to go faster but my body still felt off and I ended up tripping over my own feet. I started to get up before a weight pressed against my shoulder blades pushing me back to the ground. A moment later my hands were wrenched behind my back and cuffed into place.

I was dragged to my feet and marched towards a police car parked further up the street. 'I guess it's true.' I thought bitterly, ignoring the cop as he started reading me my rights. 'No good deed goes unpunished.'

When we got to the police station the cop stepped out after cutting the ignition. He walked around to where I was sitting in the back seat and opened the door. "Okay kid, you can either walk or I can drag you. What's it gonna be?"

For a moment I hesitated, a part of me wanting to make his life a little harder. Misery loves company and all that. But it was a petty thought, a small one at that, and a moment later I got out of the car a little awkwardly, what with my hands still cuffed behind my back, and turned to face the officer. "Lead on."

"Smart choice." He smirked a little as though he had achieved something.

"This way." He said, grabbing my arm roughly and leading me into the station. 'If you were going to manhandle me anyways why'd you bother asking?' I thought angrily, but didn't voice my opinion. It was probably standard procedure, or something like that to make sure I wouldn't run off.

After a few minutes I was led to a room with a table and a set of chairs, illuminated by a single overhead light. One wall was also mostly taken up by what I assumed was a one way mirror.

He led me to the table before un-cuffing me. "Sit down and don't go anywhere. Someone will be in to talk to you in a few minutes."

Without giving me a chance to respond, he turned around and left the room, leaving me by myself. I sighed a little and went to sit down. This day just kept getting better and better.

I suppose this was actually a good thing. I was in a messed up situation that if someone had told me this time yesterday I was going to be in I would have told them that they were insane. Or drunk. Possibly both.

Anyways, the point is that I needed help. I had no money and nothing to my name except the clothes on my back. I didn't have anywhere to go and didn't know where my next meal was coming from. In no way shape or form did I want the kind of help they'd offer, but there's that saying about desperate times and what they entail so I'd make do.

After all, I looked 15 so Remnants version of Social Services would probably send me to live in a foster home or something along those lines, if I was lucky. If I wasn't? Then who knows what was going to happen to me.

For now, all I could do was sit here and try and get through the rest of the day. Thankfully I didn't have to wait very long. A few minutes later a new person entered the room, one that didn't look like a cop. At least he wasn't in uniform, but rather he was wearing a brown business jacket over a white shirt and black pants.

Without preamble he strode across the room and sat down in the chair across from me. "I'm the detective in charge of investigating the incident that occurred during the rally so I'm going to have to ask you a few questions."

'Pleasant fellow.' I thought. I nodded to show I understood.

"Alright then, straight to business." He took out a slim white device that he expanded into a tablet. "First question: What's your name and what were you doing at the rally?"

Right, he wanted to know who I was. Simple enough. I opened my mouth to speak but snapped it shut a moment later, my eyes going wide.

Without even bothering to look up from his tablet he said, "Look kid, this'll go a lot easier for you if you cooperate. Now c'mon, answer the question."

I wanted to answer him, I really did, except there was one little problem.

I couldn't tell him my name because I didn't know what it was.

Ozpin looked through the one way mirror at the young man on the other side. A friend in the police department had called and informed him of the afternoon's events. And while he was saddened by yet another peaceful rally turning violent he was not displeased by the appearance of such an intriguing youth.

"No ID, no birth certificate, no hospital or dental records and his fingerprints aren't on file anywhere." The officer next to him shrugged his shoulders. "As far as the system is concerned he doesn't exist."

It wasn't an unusual situation all things considered. With the number of settlements outside the four kingdoms it was not unheard of for a child to be born without documentation.

"So we switched to Vale's security cameras to try and find out what he was doing at the rally in the first place." The officer continued, headless of Ozpin's musings. "And what we found doesn't seem to make any sense."

'And this is the real heart of the matter.' Ozpin thought. Out load he asked, "May we see what you've learned so far?"

Once the officer nodded Glynda stepped forward, scroll in hand. "If you could, please upload the necessary file's to my scroll."

"Of course Professor."

A moment later her scroll gave of a soft beep indicating she had received a message. She quickly found the message and opened the first file, holding her scroll so that both she and Ozpin could view it. Her scroll showed the entrance to an ally. Together they watched as the young man staggered into view looking disoriented. After a moment of shaking his head he looked at something off screen and went pale as a ghost.

Ozpin had to exercise great control to keep himself from laughing as he watched the boy slap himself. Glynda had no such reservations and openly chuckled at the display. But their mirth was short lived.

The recording lacked audio but they didn't need it to understand what happened next. A few moments later he fell to his knees and then to all fours. And while they couldn't hear anything they could see the pain he was in. He pounded the ground with his fists, headless of the pain and the tears that rolled down his cheeks were clearly visible.

Some minutes after his shoulders stopped shaking he slowly got to his feet wiping away the tears as he did so. He seemed to look himself over for a moment and then started walking. The video ended when he stepped off-screen.

Once the first file reached its end the officer continued explaining. "Someone was sent to search the area to make sure but all they did was confirm what we already knew. There's only one way into and out of that ally." He scratched his chin in thought. "It's almost like he just popped outta thin air."

Glynda scoffed. "There is always an explanation. Has anyone questioned the boy yet?"

He nods his head. "Yeah, for all the good it's done. He hasn't said a word since we brought him in and he's refusing to answer any questions. We were hoping that the two of you might have more luck."

Ozpin nodded at the explanation. He had something of a reputation for helping with cases outside the norm like this one.

The officer started tapping his scroll a few times and a moment later a second beep sounded from Glynda's scroll. "After he calms down he starts walking around aimlessly. The cameras around Vale only cover so much of the city so we lose sight of him a couple times but approximately six hours later he arrived at the rally. Which, thankfully, was covered."

Ozpin nod's at him to show he heard his explanation as Glynda opened the second file.

At first he is nowhere to be seen, the video instead focusing on the rally itself. It showed the situation escalating, but there was no sign of the boy himself. Moments before the video ended they finally saw him. He quickly ran in near the bottom of the screen and stopped near the downed form of a young girl caught in the crossfire. After a few seconds passed he led her away from the fighting, quickly disappearing.

As the video ended Glynda spoke up. "Do we have any idea who the girl is?"

The officer shook his head. "No clue. She disappeared before we caught up to them."

Ozpin hummed in thought as he turned back to look at the boy, who had yet to move.

He had been told of what had happened, and now had seen it for himself, but he couldn't shake the feeling that they were missing something. There were too many questions for his liking, and only one way to get answers.

He spoke quietly as he turned to Glynda. "Well I suppose it's time we meet him for ourselves, now isn't it?"

She nodded in reply. "Yes, I suppose it is."

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door. A few seconds later a deputy slowly entered the room, looking unsure of himself.

"Professor Ozpin? We, ah… we have what you asked for." The deputy said as he held the plate of cookies awkwardly.

I didn't bother looking up when I heard the door open for what must have been the tenth time in the last few hours. People had come and gone without my ever acknowledging them and I doubted that this time would be any different. They probably thought I was deliberately ignoring them but right now I couldn't bring myself to care.

I couldn't remember my name. It was such a small thing in the grand scheme of things. I mean how often does the average person stop and think about their name? For all that I'd had the same one since the day I was born losing it shouldn't have had such an effect on me. But in light of all the revelations that I'd gone through today this was the straw that broke the camels back, as it were.

The understanding that my name wasn't immune to what was happening to me was what really did it. I had been taken from my home and placed on a world that shouldn't have been real. I was cut off from my friends and family and would probably never see them again. Everything I had ever strove to achieve had become meaningless in the face of this new reality I found myself in. Every single thing that connected me to my old life was taken from me. Even my name.

The door closed with a soft click, a far cry from the slam that usually accompanied it. Two sets of footsteps slowly approached me, stopping a few feet away from the table. After a few seconds pass in silence one of them starts talking.

"You are a most interesting young man." The speaker was male, soft spoken, but had the tone of voice that told me he was used to people listening to what he said. But what I found far more interesting than what he was saying was the fact that I recognized the voice.

My curiosity had always been insatiable and for the first time in hours it managed to break through my apathy, and I looked up at the familiar sound of my latest visitor's voice already knowing who I would see but not knowing why.

And there he was just as I'd thought. Or there they were I should say. Ozpin stood in front of me his cane in one hand, a plate in the other and just behind him was the unmistakable form of Glynda Goodwitch.

Maybe he recognized the look of recognition on my face because a moment later he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you know who I am?"

"You're Professor Ozpin, the headmaster at Beacon." I spoke before I thought, realizing a second too late that I didn't have any way of explaining just how I knew that.

A pleased look passed over his face at my admission, and he nodded in greeting. "I'm sorry to say that I am unaware of your name."

The same feeling of despair welled up in me again but I pushed it down. No matter how screwed up the situation I was in, I wouldn't be able to do anything about it wallowing in self-pity.

A shaky confidence in myself restored I looked back at Ozpin unsure what I should tell him. I mean, what could I tell him? That I remembered everything except my name? For all that it was true it didn't make it sound any less crazy.

But the silence was stretching and I had to say something. "I don't have a name."

Glynda scoffed, showing just how much she believed me, while Ozpin looked intrigued. "If you don't have a name, then what should we call you?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "It doesn't matter to me. Use whatever name you want."

I almost didn't catch it but at my words a look I couldn't decipher flickered over Glynda's face. It was there and gone so fast I wasn't sure if I'd actually seen it.

Ozpin, on the other hand, looked as unflappable as ever. "Well, I suppose we can come back to that at a later point."

He stepped forward placing the plate he was carrying on the table in front of me, revealing a plateful of cookies. When I saw them I was reminded that I hadn't had anything to eat since my arrival and had to stop myself from stuffing my face. In the end I settled for grabbing one and slowly eating it.

Seeing as they weren't saying anything I took the opportunity to ask a question of my own, one that I was actually quite curious about. "Why'd they send a Headmaster to question me?"

The corner of his mouth kicked up in amusement. "I am here because the police do not know what to make of you, and quite frankly, neither do I."

The look of amusement in his eyes faded as he continued. "Your every action seems to contradict the last. You rush to the side of a complete stranger offering help and then flee the scene. And yet, after you were apprehended you cooperated fully."

He gave me a knowing look. "Or at least you did until they started asking questions. But you don't seem to be having any problem answering mine, so was it a mistrust of the police that caused your earlier silence?"

What was I supposed to say, that I was freaking out earlier and hadn't even realized I was being questioned? I reached for another cookie and didn't say anything. It was easier to let them draw their own conclusions.

He paused for a moment before asking his next question. "How did you find yourself at the Faunus rights rally?"

I gave a quick laugh. "Just bad luck. I was wandering around Vale and heard a commotion. Went to see what was going on."

"Who was the girl you went out of your way to help?"

Another shrug on my part. "No clue. Never saw her before that moment."

At that he raised an eyebrow. "And why did you bother helping someone you'd never met before?"

"What do you mean why? She needed help, that's why!" I wasn't a saint but I couldn't ignore something like that happening right in front of me.

Ozpin and Glynda shared a brief look before he turned back to me. "I just meant that someone in your situation-"

My nerves, already frayed, snapped at his implication and before I knew what I was doing I was on my feet, slamming my fist into the table so hard I left a dent.

"And what do you know about what I'm going through?!" I roared, my voice echoing around the small room.

Ozpin didn't react, but Glynda had retrieved her riding crop and was holding it threateningly. For a second I wanted her to use it, if for no other reason than so I would have someone to lash out against. But my anger burned hot and fast, fading a moment later. I sat back down with a sigh, running a hand through my hair.

"Sorry." I muttered. "It's just… I've had a bad day, alright?"

I hadn't had a chance to really think about everything I'd lost since I realized where I was and it was clearly still affecting me.

After a few seconds Ozpin started speaking again. "That's quite alright. I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to offend, or imply that I understand what you're going through."

"But it's clear you don't have the best history with the police. Generally speaking, people with such a history tend to avoid drawing attention to themselves." He was speaking carefully now, taking his time to decide what he was going to say.

I paused to think about my own response, because I obviously wasn't in the best state of mind right now. Honestly I just wished I could just sit and think for a few days. I was still upset and I wanted a chance to grieve in my own way. I wanted to be left alone to try and figure out what was going on.

But I had to say something so I finally settled on, "I didn't think it would draw any attention. If anyone else had seen her they would have helped her just like I did. It was nothing."

Before I had even finished speaking Ozpin was shaking his head. "Helping someone is never a small thing, least of all when your actions may have saved another's life."

I didn't know what to say to that so I opted to say nothing.

Ozpin sighed. "You're not very good at accepting praise, are you?"

More silence on my part. The dent in the table was starting to look mighty interesting.

"Alright then you don't have to answer me. But I have something to say and I would like to request that you at least hear me out."

I still didn't bother saying anything but raised my head, looking him in the eyes to show I was paying attention.

He stared back, his expression unreadable. "You are a remarkable young man. You experienced an extremely traumatic event and yet you are able to look past that pain, accepting it rather than dwelling on it, enabling you to come to the aid of those around you. Regardless of your past whatever it might be, you have a good heart. Your actions today make that abundantly clear."

"But when I look at you all I see is wasted potential. The path you have been set upon is drawing you further into the darkness. But it need not be the path you walk the rest of your life."

I gave him a flat look. "This is a nice speech and all, but where exactly are you going with this?"

At my words Glynda stepped forward, a scowl on her face, but before she had a chance to say something Ozpin raised his hand stopping her. Was I being rude? Probably, but I had reached the end of my rope a while ago and just wanted this day to end.

"The way I see it, you have a choice to make." He took a long sip of his coffee before setting the mug back on the table. "You can stay in police custody where you'll be treated fairly, officially entered into the system, and then be sent off to live in an orphanage, a ward of the Kingdom."

Pretty much exactly what I figured would happen, then. "So what's behind door number two?"

Ozpin steepled his fingers and smiled. "Have you ever heard of Signal Academy?"

AN: So here we are another story to work on when I'm in the middle of two others, but I couldn't help myself. Ever since the end of Volume 3 I've had RWBY on the mind and it just wouldn't go away. So rather than trying to force myself to work on my other stories I decided to just sit down and write this, if only to get it out of my head.