Author's Note: Took a bit longer to get out than I thought, but managed it in the end. And what's this?! A Review?! At last, some constructive criticism and a few pointers! I wonder what kind of valuable knowledge this reviewer would provide?!

...

...Nevermind

But still, thank you SilverstormXD for reviewing! It brings me pleasure know I am portraying my SI right XD.

Anyway, enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter 4: Getting Your Bearings

As a child, I dreamed a lot. Still do, actually.

In my dreams, I saw great wars being fought between men and monsters. Saw cities of glittering gems rise up from the void of my mind and reach out to the stars within the sky. Saw the legends of old being told in magnificent brilliance, every detail shown in great clarity. I've seen the rise of heroes, the fall of empires, the deaths of immense monsters, the fulfilment of forgotten promises, all of it rising up from the void within my mind.

But something felt wrong here, in this familiar place.

I floated within the sea of darkness that my mind held, oblivion stretching out into infinity all around me. There was no sense of time here, no direction or feeling. It was as if I was stuck in one moment of time, a blink in eternity, suspended in an incomprehensible place that no other mortal, past, present, or future, would ever know. I might as well have been blind, deaf and mute here, being unable to do anything out of my own will. I treated this as any other dream, and waited for new tales to begin, for new heroes to rise and new empires to be built and crumble.

And when none of that came, I grew scared. Fear rose up within me, slowly like the rising tide, and I had to fight down the urge to panic. What happened? Where were my dreams? The tales, legends and stories I had grown up with in my youth? Did I run out of dreams? Were there no more legends to entertain me whilst I slept?

Suddenly, the darkness I had once loved as a child suddenly appeared less and less welcoming. There were… Things, within the dark. Bad things. Things, I had grown to fear in my childhood and even into adolescence. I wished I wasn't here, now. Pleaded, even. I didn't wish to wait and see if the dark did indeed hold horrors or if it was just another tale told to frighten children. I didn't want to be here.

A cold feeling began to settle itself inside my gut, as the darkness around began to shift. Began to move. They appeared from the darkness slowly, one at a time. Figures, forms distorted and devoid of all features, mere outlines of things that were shaped like humans but weren't. They struggled and pulled themselves out of oblivion, stumbling on nothing, standing on nothing. There a few at first, no more than a handful, but more came. More pulled free from oblivion, joining the first few wordlessly and just… Stood there. A thousand empty forms and featureless bodies, watching me with eyeless faces, breathing through nostrils that weren't there. I had the strangest feeling that suggested they were waiting. For what, I wondered?

"For the right time."

I jumped and spun round, coming face to face with… Myself?

"That is not now, not yet."

I worked my mouth, trying to say something, anything. What did he mean by 'right time'? Was there a timer or something?

Eventually, I managed to force out one question out of the many in my thoughts.

"Who are you?"

The other me smiled. It looked sad.

"Who else?"

Before I could react, move or even say something, other me had raised a hand and pushed forward-

Falling.

I was falling.

The darkness shifted, allowing me to see the crowd of faceless forms and blank bodies tracking my descent from their position in the infinite void.

I felt the darkness shift, felt it move, felt it surround me with its cold embrace and squeeze-

I woke up on a shaking bed attached to a metal wall by two chains, feeling tired, my body aching all over and a massive headache. My vision was blurry, obscured partially by a bandage, partially by the headache, and it took all my strength just to move my head and look around.

I was on a bed, I realized. Bandages covered every inch of skin on my chest, hands and legs, a large wad of cotton and gauze pressing onto an area below my stomach where I had been impaled on. A throbbing ache pulsed from under the wad, and I winced at the sharp pain that came when I tried to move. My hands looked more like mittens from how thick the bandages wrapped around it were, and my legs and feet weren't faring any better either, with how thick the bandaging was down there. An IV was connected to the crook of my elbow, and a clipboard with a paper full of words too blurry for me to read hung over the bed's headboard. A thick wool blanket had been draped over me, worn and well used, reeking of disinfectant and other hospital chemicals. The temptation to resume sleeping was overwhelming, but I resisted. I could sleep later, for now, I had to think.

I let out a breath and gingerly let my head rest on the pillow. Memories of the clash between myself and the Alpha Beowolf came to mind, and I grinned despite myself. It was stupid and there must've been at least several other ways I could've done what I did, but still, I had to admit that it must've looked badass. Crazy, dangerous and awesome.

I lost my grin as I felt the aches on my body return full force. Awesome though it may have been, it wasn't worth getting my hands, legs and chest torn up. It must've been hell for the medics to patch up, but they did a good job of it at least. I'll have to thank them later.

I raised my head and looked around. The room -no, compartment more like- was small and cramped, with barely enough room to fit three people at any one time and with very little in the way of furnishing or comfort. The interior was lit by a small fluorescent bulb and there was only one door that lead inside, with one small window on the not-so-far wall. The walls themselves sported spots of rust here and there, the paint starting to flake off on some places, and did I mention how the room was shaking? Not violently but enough for me to know that wherever I was, it was moving. I looked at the window and saw it was dark out. So it put me at least a few hours after the fight with the Alpha Beowolf.

Where was I? A hospital of some sort? Was I occupying someone else's bed for the time being, at least until I got back on my feet? If I did, then what'll happen next? I'm on Remnant, nowhere near Vale, let alone Beacon Academy, and I had next to nothing but the clothes on my back. Which must've been cut into ribbons, if the cuts on my chest were of any indication. What'll happen next? Will whoever picked me up cast me out once I'm healed? Will I be on my own, outside the Kingdoms where Grimm were everywhere? What about Cinder Fall and her plans for world domination or whatever the hell she's planning? Should I join Beacon and the help the girls there? Could I stop something bad from happening? Did I even want to?

I exhale loudly through my nose and calm my thoughts, cast out the panic. No, before all else, I need to stay calm. Panicked thoughts won't get me anywhere and it'll just be a waste of time. Before I do anything further, I'll need information. Where am I, who was it that rescued me, what do they want and most importantly-

Footsteps.

My mind went blank and panic rose from my gut. Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, someone's coming! What do I do, what do I do, what do I-

I closed my eyes and put on the best sleeping face I could, which was easy enough as I was tired and closing my eyes threatened to make me actually fall asleep, fighting hard to keep the panic from making me do something stupid like lash out and scream. The creaking of a door and multiple footfalls on metal told me that people had just entered my room and the panic I worked so hard to quell came back with a vengeance. I prayed it didn't show on my face.

"How is he, doc?"

I recognized that voice. It belonged to the man who admonished 'Alex' for taking too long and addressing him by his familial title and not his on duty one.

"He'll live." A feminine voice I did not recognize said. "I think. Maybe." Well, that doesn't sound comforting. "I can't tell with so many cuts. It'll be a while before he wakes up, though. Poor kid lost a lot of blood, mind, so we had to do a transfusion and some minor surgery to patch up the more serious cuts and the hole going through his stomach. But he's a tough one, I'll give him that. Most boys his age would've passed out from the pain or just go limp and let someone else move them. Maybe he's a hunter-in-training, or he's related to one?"

"Can't be." The man denied. "Why would a Hunter-in-training or even a relative to one take a caravan to wherever it was he was going and not an airship or a Bullhead?"

"Maybe he doesn't like the air? Or maybe he's undercover," the other person, the doctor I assumed, said. "An assignment from the academy he's attending, perhaps?"

"No, it can't be." The man replied. "I know Hunters. They work in teams, four people per team, I think. No Hunter except the really good ones go out solo, let alone a kid as young as him."

"Maybe he's on a solo assignment?"

"Too dangerous for just one student, don't you think?"

"Well, how else do explain him killing an Alpha Beowolf then? And alone at that?" I heard a faint rustle. "Most of our guys, even the best ones like you or York, can't even get close to one of those monsters to land a clear shot, let alone jump on its back and not get turned to Atlesian Cheese."

"The Beowolf's back was turned, it didn't see him, didn't smell him, it couldn't hear him over the sound of us shooting it, the kid got lucky when he jumped on and when he shot his gun, the bullet coincidentally hit the thinnest part of the Beowolf's skull."

"That's too many coincidences to be just luck, Frank." Frank? That was the man's name?

"Life is full of coincidences, doctor."

"…We'll see." A pause. "Did you at least find out who he is, yet?"

"No, and that's got me worried." 'Frank' said. "Simmons is very through when he lists names. That's why I made him responsible for civvie transport. He triple checks everything to be sure, I've seen him do it. If the kid really was a passenger and not some stowaway, the his name would've been on the list he keeps in his scroll."

I felt the panic that had been steadily subsiding rush back full force. If they found out I wasn't on the list-

"A shame he died, then." The doctor said, voice low. "He was a good man, Simmons. Are you sure we can't go back for his body? He deserves to be buried, at least."

"Odds are, the Grimm must've already eaten it. And that's if the fire hadn't cremated the remains."

The relief that washed over me at the news of someone's death felt deeply unsettling.

"A shame, then. How's Alex coping?" the doctor asked, switching topics. "I heard the kid gave her a through shaking after he saved her."

"He did," 'Frank' growled and I felt fear well up inside me. "She was scared out of her wits, but I have to admit she had it coming. I've told her so many times, not to stop and look when you're running. But does she listen? No, and look what nearly happened to her." he sighed. "If it wasn't for the kid…"

"Is she…?"

"I told her to go to her bunk and wait until news came from you." He sighed. "She was looking a tad guilty with herself. Why, though?"

"Maybe it was because her father bashed the head of the boy who saved her with his gun?" the doctor said airily. "Or maybe it was because she dug her fingers into one of his cuts?"

I fucking knew it!

"She what?"

"Her fingers, in one of his cuts. It must've been agonizing for the kid, having someone forcibly open his wounds like that and making it deeper, even if it was an accident." Accident or no, I demand recompense! "Then there's you almost bashing his head in. Did you really have to do that, though? I'm sure anyone else would've been angry too if someone jammed their fingers into an open wound."

"He was shaking her! I thought he'd gone crazy and started strangling her or something, so I reacted!"

"You gave him a concussion."

"I didn't know!"

"Right. You didn't." I could feel the dryness in her voice. "Still, I think he deserves an apology from the two of you at least, don't you agree? He did save her life after all and you almost bashed his head in…"

"Right, right." He sighed. "I still don't like him, though. And if he does anything to her again-"

There was a loud smack and when the doctor spoke again, her voice was cold and low. "No threatening my patients."

'Frank's' voice was low as well, and scared perhaps. "Sorry."

"Good. Now get out, I've got to change his bandages again." A pause. "Tell your little girl she can visit him tomorrow, if he wakes up then. And would it kill you to remind her to bring the supplies here when she gets the chance?"

"Right, right." There was a soft metallic creak. "Goodnight, Genevieve."

"That's Doctor, to you." There was a sound of rustling fabric. "Now out with you!"

There was a soft click when the door closed, then the sound of footfalls on steel fading away in the distance. Once, I was certain 'Frank' had left earshot, I felt hands begin working on me, gently pulling away the blanket and removing the bandages.

I tried to keep the discomfort out of my face, but I feel I might've let a few twitches through. I've felt my fair share of pain before, even while I was working as a trainee chef, but there isn't a pain like having bandages and sticky cotton wads removed from wounds that littered the surface of you front and legs. The best way I can describe it is like having to remove a band-aid from a particularly nasty cut somewhere on your person. A lot of blood would've been caked up on and around the cut and the band-aid, so when you pulled it, the blood sticking to it would also pull on the skin its caked on.

Not entirely uncomfortable if it's just a small cut, but when it's a series of cuts on the front of your body, the feeling is magnified greatly. It didn't hurt much, mind you, but it was still a bit uncomfortable to endure.

"You poor thing." I heard the doctor whisper. "It won't last much longer now, I promise."

True to her word, it wasn't long after that she secured the last bandage and covered me up with the blanket again. I felt something brush against my forearm and heard the soft click of the door closing, followed son after by the fading footfalls of a person walking away.

I waited for a bit before deeming it safe enough to open my eyes and look around. The blank steel walls of the compartment greeted me, no different than they were a few minutes ago. I remained quiet for a few moments, ears straining to hear anyone else approaching, then let out a breath and started calming down. Then I started thinking.

So, I got two names now; 'Frank', who was most likely the father of the girl I shook up after she dug her fingers into one of my cuts, and 'Genevieve', the physician who worked to save me after 'Frank' knocked me out for scaring his daughter. A part of me felt guilty for doing that, scaring a girl, I mean, but then another reminded me that the girl I scared was also responsible for inflicting massive amounts of agony onto my person. I suppose that's recompense enough.

'Frank' also said something about a caravan. A convoy. To where? Was this a military convoy, tasked with delivering supplies and other some such things? But the way the other fighters were dressed, in a mishmash of countless colours, armor and using a variety of weaponry, I don't think they belonged to a formal military of some kind. Except Vacuo, perhaps. That place often struck me as place for the informal Maybe they were mercenaries? Private Security Contractors? If so, then who exactly did they work for?

I settled back into my bed and closed my eyes, preparing for sleep. I have a feeling that tomorrow's going to be a long day…

I woke up from my dreamless sleep to three unfamiliar faces. Well, two since I technically saw the other male occupant of the compartment save me yesterday, dragging me to safety. The man, a balding middle aged fellow with closely cropped blonde hair and fierce green eyes, stood with his arms crossed and wore a used tactical combat vest. His mouth was set into a frown, scowling as my eyes met his. I assumed he was 'Frank'.

The other two occupants were a bit easier on the eyes. One was a middle aged woman, with brown hair and a pair of glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, who wore a faded white lab coat over a dark tank top, a pair of worn pants and heavy looking boots. I managed to make out the outline of a gun strapped to her thigh under her lab coat. So even doctors were armed on Remnant, huh? For some reason, I wasn't surprised.

The last person I noticed was the emerald-eyed angel. Well, not so angelic looking, now once I got a better look at her. But I'd be lying if I said she wasn't pretty. And the way her eyes glowed and the way she smiled at me made my heart skip a beat.

"He's awake!" the girl cried. "Hey, how are you feeling? Does you still ache anywhere? Do you need anything? Water or medicine or-"

"Easy girl." The older woman put a hand on her head. "He just woke up. Let me look him over first, then the two of you can ask him all the questions you want."

Ah, great. The Q&A session. Might as well get on with it. Brain, don't fail me!

A few minutes pass with the good doctor running a check up on me. The bandages were holding up, none of my wounds had reopened or shown any signs of infection, and I was more or less okay. But she checked the bandage around my head and I heard her grimace.

"Something wrong, Evie?" the girl beside me asked her elder, earning a disapproving look from the male.

"It's doctor." The woman replied. "And… Yes, there is."

I felt the color drain out of my face and caught the alarmed looks on the faces of the other two.

"It's nothing serious," she hastily amended. "Just that… The kid might have some holes in his memory when you ask him your questions."

"Holes?" I spoke up. "What do you mean?"

"Here," I felt her prod one of the more painful spot and winced. "Sorry, here and here are where the more active parts of the brain are. They work in storing memories, specifically recent ones."

"They're bruised." The younger girl said.

"They sustained damage." The doctor elaborated, sending Frank a glare. "Severe damage at that. Which means his memory may not be accurate. Hell, I doubt he'd be able to remember anything from a few days ago." I saw the male facepalm and felt my eye twitch. It was your fault this happened, dipshit! "Yeah, not much use asking him about recent events when you've bashed the memories out of him, Frank."

Yes! A plausible excuse to utilize my awesome bullshit skills! Quickly, before they change their minds!

"What happened a few days ago?" I asked, genuinely curious. Okay, mostly curious since I didn't know how long I've slept and what happened in that time.

"We were attacked." The older man pulled his hand off his face. "Beowolves. Grimm. They ambushed the Bus you were on and sent in veering off a cliff. Do you remember that?"

"I…Think…?" That's what happened? Holy shit, Remnant's deadlier than I thought.

"So, then my dad and I drove Bertha after you guys and sent me out to look for survivors!" The girl said, cheerfully. "I found a few on the ground and sent them to Bertha and spent some more time looking for more. When I didn't find anyone, I thought there weren't anymore so I doubled back and then I saw you stumbling through the smoke and shot the Beowolf that was stalking after you, then you shot the Beowolf that went after me! Then I carried you out and-"

"Alex." Frank said exasperatedly. "Breathe. Please."

"…I remember that." That girl has a big pair of lungs to speak that long. "Then I was fighting something…"

"The Alpha Beowolf." Frank clarified. "You killed it. Alone."

"I did?" It's still amazing to hear someone else say it than to actually say it to yourself. "How?"

"That's what we want to know." Frank took a step forward, his eyes never leaving mine. "Who are you, really? And don't lie to us either, we can tell if you are."

Okay, play your cards carefully here man. These good people helped you when you were wounded and bleeding. Lying to them won't help you much and not telling them anything is just asking for trouble. Tell them the truth. Or at least a truth they'll most likely believe. Let's see…

"I'm David Cinza." I start slowly. "I'm from… Uh, what was the last place you stopped by?"

"It was a small town somewhere to the west, close to the Polithium River." The doctor said. "Kritan or Kartine or something?"

"Kritan! Yes, that's it." Okay, build it up from there. "I've been getting bored of that town lately, just the same view everyday doing the same things over and over, so I decided to go travelling. Expand my horizons. Maybe go to one of the Kingdoms and look for a decent job there. Ya'know, start over."

"You're going to Mistrall?!" Alex cries, shushed immediately by her father.

"What did you do in Kritan? Were you a Hunter?"

"Wha-No! No! Not at all!" I waved my bandaged hands in front of me. "I used to be a cook. I worked in one of the restaurants in town before I got fed up and left."

"Then how were you able to use a gun like that?" he pressed on. "No cook can shoot that good."

"I was part of the town guard." I said, surprised at how easily those words came out. "They trained us on how to use guns in case of a Grimm attack. Small towns like Kritan don't have protective walls like the Kingdoms, so we had to at least know how to defend ourselves in case the Grimm came."

"So you're not a Hunter?" Frank's shoulders relaxed.

"No, no. Just a cook." I confirmed.

"Dad!" Alex smacked her father on his shoulder. "Stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

"Alex, you know how I feel around strangers." He reasoned. "I just wanted to-"

"I'm old enough to look after myself, dad." She pouted. "You don't have to keep looking out for me like this. It's enough that you rarely let me out to help fight off the Grimm, but would you even keep me safe from the guy who saved my life?"

"Alex, you know I'm doing this for your sake."

"How is stopping me from talking to other boys for my sake?!"

The doctor cleared her throat before the argument could escalate. "Could the two of you take you heart to heart somewhere else? I have a patient here who needs his rest."

"In a minute" Alex pointed at me. "You said you were going to one of the Kingdoms. Are you headed to Mistral?"

"Uh-" I hesitated, a bit overwhelmed at the previous talk and now then sudden change in topics. "I-I was thinking about heading to Vale. Since, ya'know, that place's been looking rather nice lately. With the new influx of jobs and all…"

"Vale?" the doctor piped in, pulling the now excited girl back with one hand. "Isn't that a bit far to start over?"

I had a bad feeling about this… "Uh… What do you mean, far?"

"As in another continent far, kid." She elaborated. "You'd need to catch a cross-continental airship from Mistral if you'd want to get to Vale, seeing as it's on another continent. But why go so far anyway? Mistral's just as good as Vale; the weather's nice, the people are good, and I've heard the economy's coming along great over there." She rubbed her chin. "Come to think of it, we're a few months away from the place, aren't we?"

"Are we heading there?! Are we? Are we?!" Alex was practically vibrating in place.

Frank's face scrunched in thought. "Oh, what the hell." He sighed. "We'll stop by there to restock and drop the kid off. We haven't been to one of the Kingdoms for two years anyway. Might as well."

Alex squealed and hopped in place, amusing the other two adults in the room. I, on the other hand, felt something cold and heavy settle at the bottom of my gut.

Mistral?! "Oh." How the hell did I wind up a continent away from Vale?! "That's, uh, great. Yeah. Nice." Unbelievable! Now what am I supposed to do?! What was the point of sending to this place if I couldn't meddle with the main story, which for all I know, must be happening as we speak! And a few months away, how wonderful! I don't even have any money or any other clothes to wear! This is just-

"Hey," Alex said. "What's with the long face?"

I blinked. "N-Nothing! It's just, well…"

"It's just…?" she led on.

"It's just that…" I bit my lip. "I... I kinda lost everything in the accident."

All three occupants in the room blinked. "Lost everything…?" Frank said.

"My scroll and my luggage." I sighed. "I don't even have a single Lien on me now, just my empty gun…"

My face fell. Great. Just one thing after another, isn't it? I wonder how long I can survive out there with an empty gun and a hospital gown? Probably a day or two, depending on whether or not Grimm find me or I die from environmental hazards. Ah well, it was good while it lasted. I managed to kill an Alpha Beowolf though, so there's that. At least I managed to do something worthwhile in the time I was here…

"…Actually," Frank said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "David, was it?"

I nodded. "One of our cooks was on the Bus that blew up and he didn't make it." I nodded again, feeling suspicious of where this was going. "Since you don't have any Lien on you and you have experience cooking-"

"You could work off the Lien you owe by cooking for us and earn some of Lien of your own!" Alex finished. "Right, dad?"

Frank grimaced. "I suppose he could…"

…I take back what I thought about you being a dipshit, Frank.

"Well, this aught to be good." The doctor grinned. "Maybe we'll be having some decent food for once and not those cooked MREs York usually makes."

"Yuck! I hate those rations!" Alex stuck her tongue out. "I'd rather eat rocks than those horrible things!"

"I see we're all in agreement here." Frank spoke, his voice resigned. He turned to me, face set into a professional frown. "When can you start?"

I took in the looks of everyone present, and grinned.

"When can I get out of this bed?"