Edited as of (10/22/18)

PB: Da-Awesom-One

"…" – Spoken

'Italics' - Thought

(Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or its characters, they belong to Monty Oum of Rooster Teeth Productions, and those characters you see not from the show, like the main character, are my own OCs for the purpose of the story. Enjoy) - Mojo1586

ARRIVAL

-Joel Ambrose-

'...Gods, I hate this dream...'

(Four Years Earlier)

"Come on, how much longer is this gonna take?" I whispered in an exasperated voice as the councilman droned on and on in the same boring monotone he'd sustained for the last hour or so, much to everyone's disbelief. "I've only got a week off from lessons, you know."

My mother sighed wearily in the seat next to me, shaking her head as she tucked a strand of long, chocolate brown hair - same as my own - behind her ear, and smoothed out some wrinkles in her simple black dress, before turning to face me with stern violet eyes. "Joel, this ceremony's big for your father. Don't slouch, and..." She reached out, grabbing at the knot I'd made of my tie, "...learn to straighten one of these things out, will you? It's a tie, not a noose."

"They actually wear these things in the Kingdoms?" I said with a grimace, the commotion drawing more than a few whispers and chuckles from the surrounding audience of the hall. Patrice Ambrose didn't care for such things, she never had, though sadly her son found it difficult to emulate. "Really? Why?"

"It's the fashion there and is growing more popular by the day. Rather more comfortable than all the traditional glitz and glamour at least. Don't you agree?"

She motioned to a couple arrayed down the row from where we were situated, garbed in said traditional 'glitz and glamour'. The gentleman's chest a riot of corded braids and puffed lace beneath a hard ruddy faced jawline bolstered by woolen coats, his partner faring little better in what seemed to be maybe half a Beowolf's weight in furs and a tightly laced corset laden with several silver pieces of finery glistening with a fresh coat of sweat.

"I think we both got off rather easily. Be thankful."

"Er...point taken. But seriously, though, is it supposed to go on this long?" I grumbled under my breath as the man started on some tangent about honor, duty, and... the weather!?

'Don't even think he even remember what he's going on about at this point!?'

"It was actually supposed to be done half an hour ago, I think," she smiled, working out the knot into some semblance of neatness, finishing with a final tug to my dark coat. "Just bear with it. Here, look at Jake." She gestured next to me, where my little brother was sitting down, silently gazing at the speech behind a pair of tinted glasses. "He's not complaining, is he?"

"That's 'cause he's asleep." I said with a grin, waving a hand in front of his face, only to unsurprisingly get no more a response than a quiet snore. "Want me to wake him up?"

She briefly considered the notion before letting loose a resigned groan, leaning back into her seat as she shook her head. "No, leave him be... Frankly, he has the right idea." She then inched her head up to look around the podium, as if looking for something. "Someone should be... Ah, there we are!"

As she spoke, an attendant ran forward, shepherding the aging official away from the podium, much to the relief of everyone present.

A portly fellow in a pinstripe suit of similar Kingdom make and balding dark hair stepped forward, rubbing two meaty palms together. "Thank you, Councilor, for that uh... riveting speech. I'm sure no one here will soon forget it." He then coughed into his hand before continuing. "Now, as you all know, we are here to honor the efforts of Bastion's Policing Force, the noble Seekers, whose tireless efforts, alongside those of our Huntsmen and Huntresses, have led to the recent capture and imprisonment of yet another foreign White Fang terrorist cell attempting to gain a foothold in our beloved city!"

At that, applause arose again, this time a little more genuine, and not out of professional courtesy. He paused for a second, letting the cheers that had started up quiet down before continuing.

"Special commendation for this fine victory goes to the man responsible for leading the initiative. A soul whose service and unyielding determination has helped to make our city a safer place, and will not go unacknowledged, an honor to his Blood. So ladies and gentlemen, please join me in giving a warm round of applause to Bastion's very own Sergeant Thomas Ambrose!" The man smiled widely, clapping after gesturing back as my father stood up from his seat behind him, straightening his dress uniform and crimson sash nervously as claps rang throughout the room, running a hand through his trimmed black hair, gleaming amber eyes that matched those of his sons beaming as he stepped forward confidently. "Our city needs more men like you standing up for its protection, Uin Ruhun!"

"Uin Ruhun!" The stones of the hall reverberated with the sound of dozens of throats declaring the same in unison. For the pride of the city, they gave thanks for this soul's service, and they gave him their best showing at least on the surface.

"The honor is mine, sir!" Thomas bowed his head humbly as the clapping died down. "But it was a team effort first and foremost, and the assistance of Bastion's Huntsmen was most appreciated." He glanced over to where his family was seated, shooting his wife a quick lopsided grin that she returned with a fair share more grace.

"That may be, but as the man who put it all together, your superiors and I felt you deserved a fitting reward! Congratulations on your promotion... Lieutenant!"

Everything else, even the councilor's boring speech, was worth it to see the shock on Dad's face as applause rose again from all corners of the room, standing on their feet to recognize the man's achievement.

"I... T-thank you, sir! I-I don't... I don't know what to say!..." he stammered out weakly as he shook the mayor's hand.

"Say 'yes' so we can all finally get to the food already." That got more than enough sentiment from the rest of the audience, if the laughter was any indication.

A short time and a few unscheduled press photos later found me sitting at a pristine white table, watching my parents socialize about as hundreds milled about the extravagant ball room set aside for the award banquet.

They both deserved a party; a chance to relax and let loose after months of stress during this whole investigation.

'You guys have earned it.' I smiled proudly as Mom caught Jake trying to sneak off, dragging him towards the dance floor by the ear with playful enthusiasm.

"Is that...? No... It can't be! Joel Ambrose! Hello, my boy!"

I spun around in his seat to see the man who had saved the Hall from that speech and had congratulated his father clearing his way a wall of clockwork cameras and dignitaries, bright pink eyes fixed on his target. He was accompanied by a small girl with similar dark hair streaked liberally with blue, who was looking back at me from behind a pair of horn-rimmed glasses with the same eyes as her father's.

"S-Speaker Corbell!" I leapt up clumsily with a fumbled salute across my chest, almost falling out of my seat in my haste. "I-it's good to see you, and... Nat! Hehe, I-I didn't know you were gonna be here." I waved nervously at the girl, who smiled back warmly, if a bit hesitantly herself.

"Please, none of that 'Speaker' business tonight! 'Nathaniel' is just fine; let's not stand on ceremony, here," he corrected me with a false serious finger waggling. "Natalie's been filling me in on your progress at Aegis, but she didn't mention just how big you were getting!" The man clapped me on the back, looking me up and down. His daughter, meanwhile, just shrugged behind him, shooting me an apologetic look. "Taking after your father and grandfather in that regard, I see. Good on you!"

"With how small I was, I had to be due for a growth spurt at some point," I laughed nervously, scratching the back of my head awkwardly. "But, uh... yeah. Things have been going well so far..."

"'Well?' Only a Second-Year, and already racking up quite the kill count!" he went on, his grip like that of iron on my shoulder. "Just like your mother. A future Hero of Remnant!"

"It was just a small pack of Beowolves, sir. Nothing too special," I shrugged. "Anyone with proper training could've managed it."

"Well, that's a pack more Soulless monsters than I've ever hunted, eh? Why, you must tell me the story of how you...!"

"Calm down, Dad," Natalie interrupted pulling him off me, grabbing hold of my arm in the process. "You two can catch up later. Joel, let's go dance."

"Yes, yes, of course!" Nathaniel chortled. "Enjoy the festivities, you two. It is your break, after all!" He winked at me slyly before adding, "Just keep your hands where I can see them, alright?"

"DAAAD!" she shrieked, face reddening as she pulled me away into the throng of people on the dance floor, at least for enough that his ears would not hear us. "By her blood... Sorry about him... Dads, am I right?" she muttered quietly as she guided my hands into position.

"He's fine!" I laughed, desperately trying, and failing, to remember how to waltz as we started moving. "My dad's just as bad with that sort of thing." I cringed as my foot accidentally stepped on hers, which would've been fine if it didn't happen again a moment later... And again soon after that. "Ack... Ah, sorry. Still a little awkward at this..."

"Just let me lead," she replied with calm smile. I, for one, had no problem with that, busy as I was trying to avoid her toes. "How is it that you can fight so well, but something as simple as dancing's beyond you?"

'Simple...?'

"No idea. But hey, I'm making the attempt, at least."

I spared a glance back towards my parents, still talking with what must have been friends from Dad's work. Thomas arm in arm with his compatriots, raising a half dozen generous glasses between them, his wife looking on with weary glee and tired acceptance.

I then returned my focus on the very pretty girl in front of me, wearing her strapless silver dress, layered with delicate scroll work that, if anything, only added to her... I felt my cheeks redden.

"Y-you look nice!... I like the dress," I added quickly, hoping my blush wasn't too visible.

"Thanks!" She looked down, blushing slightly. "...You look good, too."

'Wait... She's blushing... That's good, right?'

We danced around for a few more minutes, chatting amicably about classes and the like, before heading out to a deserted table on the edge of the room. On the way, I reached over to the side, grabbing some food off a passing Faunus waiter's tray, and missing the cross look he shot me.

"Enjoying the party?" I asked.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Could've done without the speech at the start... but I think it's come out alright."

I then recalled that her shoulders were also bare, and how close she was... 'Focus!'

I leaned back in the chair next to her, stretching out my sore feet. "Thank your dad for me, will you?" I hesitated for a second, frowning to myself and looking away, before turning my eyes towards her again and continuing. "I know I've been a bit scarce since the hunting trip... Things have been pretty hectic lately with those White Fang and my parents..."

"It's alright," Nat sighed. She was leaning against my right shoulder now, I realized.

'When did...?'

"I did sort of dropped that on you without warning, didn't I? I thought I might've scared you off, to be honest..."

"It wasn't too much of a shock, looking back." I could face down a charging Ursa, yet this was somehow more terrifying. "We were fast friends. I helped you learn to manage your Semblance, and you never gave me trouble over my family legacy, or how I needed to 'live up to their glory.' Match made."

My arm was over her shoulder now. I could smell her perfume at this point. It clouded my senses. 'Sweet... Some sort of flower, maybe?'

"You know... I never did get a proper answer." She had taken off her glasses, and her face was now dangerously close to mine all of a sudden, her pink eyes staring deep into my own blue.

'When did that happen?'

I chuckled nervously, but felt a confidence in me that was making me braver. "You sure you wanna hear it here? In front of all these people?"

She giggled at that. It was a sound that I found I enjoyed. "It's rude to leave a girl hanging, Joel."

"Well, that's no good..." I grinned, extending my left hand to her cheek, and leaning forward, drawing her closer...

All of that ended a second later when I wound up pushing her down with me as an explosion blew through the room in a sea of multi-colored flames, roiling Dust, and frightened cries that split the air.

Shattered wood flew into the air in all directions, twisted metal screaming...

(Present)

"Ah!" I was jolted awake as the armored van ran over another pothole, sending my head crashing into the steel wall lining the back, shocking me into awareness. "Argh...tysh ed...Blast it...!" I muttered a low curse while rubbing my head gingerly. Having to lean forward awkwardly to reach the bruised area, as the chain linking my handcuffs to the floor didn't have much slack.

The itchy gloves and coveralls they had me wearing didn't help, either.

'Ugh...Thought I was past this...'

"Finally awake, are you, savage?" one of the armored officers said dryly, looking me up and down. "We were gonna wake you up earlier, but it looked like you were having such a nice dream."

I sighed fitfully, leaning back against the hard juddering wall. "Thanks... I think. Usually starts well enough."

"We're only a few minutes out from Beacon," the one seated beside me - the one in charge, judging by the sergeant's patch affixed on his shoulder - said gruffly, chewing on the end of a thick, thankfully unlit cigar. "You'll be their problem soon enough, Ambrose."

"Aww, but you all have been such great company!" I said sarcastically, jingling the chain on my cuffs at them. "And to think I actually believed we were bonding a bit, coming together as friends..."

"Shove it! It's 'cause of you the bruises on my ass have bruises!" the one sporting a short mohawk across from me spat out, glaring at my way. "Damn Huntsmen... Have to put their stupid school in the middle of nowhere..."

"I don't see why I couldn't have just been transported by air like the other new students. I mean, I was the one that volunteered to attend, after all." I gestured to the van at large, cutting off the man's whinging before he could gain momentum. "It's not like you're forcing me to do this."

The sergeant chuckled softly. "And let you on an internationally-rated airship, just so you can escape, and be well on your way to Vacuo within hours? Not a chance,Trapper."

"Nah, Vacuo's waaay too hot for me. Too many sandstorms... Though, I do hear Mistral's got great weather this time of year. Those floating islands do sound pretty...!" I winced as Mohawk kicked me in the shin hard. "Joking; I'm joking!... You guys do realize that to take that airship, I'd have to take on dozens of highly-trained students, security, and learn how to fly something of that size all at once, and unarmed? Aren't you guys giving me just a tad too much credit?"

"Better more credit than not enough." The sergeant looked down at his watch, flashing a signal to his men. "Never do know with you Trappers. I've heard the stories..." The truck came to a slow stop, finally settling with a long hiss. A few seconds afterwards, a series of thumps rang out from behind the door. "Answer back!" the sergeant ordered Mohawk.

He nodded, replying back with his own prearranged series of knocks, slamming his fist against the doors. It was all arranged beforehand: a knock and an answer. If they did not get the right series of knocks in time, then the doors wouldn't open. I guess the guy managed it, because the door opened after about half a dozen clicks, blinding me as light poured into the confined space. Another click and a rattle followed that, as I felt the chain holding my cuffs fall to the floor.

"Move!" A gloved hand pulled me to my feet, and shoved me out the door roughly, sending me stumbling onto a neat cobblestone avenue.

I had to blink for a few seconds to clear up my eyes. Months of low light had taken its toll, though the view was definitely worth it. I couldn't help but whistle at the impressive sight of Beacon Academy looming above me, its ramparts reaching high into the clouds.

"Whoa... Definitely bigger than Mom made it out to be," I muttered, thinking back to faded pictures that had failed spectacularly when it came to capturing the sheer scope of the towering, castle-like structure.

"...It all does seem rather larger than life, doesn't it?" a calm voice spoke up from behind me. I turned around to find a pale middle-aged man with tousled gray hair and glasses, sporting a black suit, a black buttoned vest with a green undershirt underneath, and an ornate-looking cane in hand looking back at me from my left side.

'Someone hasn't changed much...' I rested on the balls of my feet, watching calmly as the great Professor Ozpin, himself - Headmaster of Beacon Academy and living legend - made his way towards our group with a steady gait, looking quite the same as he had a month before when he'd first come to see me about this little offer of his. 'Hard to believe he runs all this...'

Standing a few steps behind him, however, was an unfamiliar woman with light blonde hair tied back in a tight bun, but with a curl hanging down the side of her face. She was chatting with the driver, probably wondering if I had been any trouble to them during the trip.

She was nice-looking, if in a mature, professional sort of way. Bright green eyes behind a pair of ovular glasses, and wearing clothes that, frankly, looked more at home in an office setting than at a Huntsman Academy... Well, aside from the black and purple tattered cape she wore across her shoulders.

What drew my attention almost instinctively, however, was the object hanging off at her thigh. It was a holster that was too out of place to be anything but some sort of weapon, though what it was, exactly, I couldn't quite make out.

'A Dust Mage, maybe?... She doesn't seem like the melee type. Not in those heels...'

"I'm sure this all must be a little jarring for you, especially after what you've been through these past few months," Ozpin suddenly said, drawing my attention away from the Huntress.

The sergeant strode towards him and saluted. "Headmaster? Sergeant Johnson of the Vale Police Force. We've dropped the prisoner off, as per your instruction."

"Thank you, Sergeant, for you and your men's hard work. I know it can't have been an easy trip," the man replied, nodding to each of the assembled men in turn. "I'll be sure to make a note of this to your superiors after things are settled here... Now, would you be so kind as to remove Mr. Ambrose's bindings?"

The man's statement got some of the other men to look startled. I even heard a few gasps slip their mouths.

"W-wha...!? S-sir, I must protest...!" Johnson started, but a quick far-off glare from the Huntress present silenced any misgivings quickly enough. Relenting, he instead nodded to Mohawk, and gestured towards me. "Private, uncuff him!"

The man moved forward slowly, hand on a thin baton hanging off his belt. "No sudden moves, murderer."

I just shrugged at him, holding out my hands expectantly while giving him a small grin as he undid the cuffs. When they were gone, I spread my arms widely, stretching out my sore muscles, working out the kinks in my back that had accumulated during the trip, before breathing in the clean air of Sanus in blissful contentment.

Unexpectedly, he then leaned toward my right ear. "Don't get too comfortable. I know I'll be seein' you again real soon," he sneered just loudly enough to avoid being overheard. I massaged my knuckles, nodding along absently as he pulled back.

As soon as I saw his body relax, I lashed out with an open palm strike with my right, catching the unsuspecting guard fully in the face, and snapping his head back with a loud *crack.* The man made to grab for his nose with a shocked squeal before I followed up with a sweeping leg kick that sent him to the ground hard in a choking heap. As he gasped raggedly for breath, my heel wound up on his windpipe, applying gentle pressure to it slowly...

I would have likely continued, but the simultaneous clack of weapons being drawn gave me pause. I noticed laser sights dotting my clothes, the other guards in position around me having their fingers on the trigger. The woman, on the other hand, had a short riding crop in her hand, held loosely to the side like a wand or sword.

'Huh... So that's what it was...good to know...'

I raised my hands up slowly, backing away from the whimpering guard, who gulped for air gratefully as I removed my foot from his neck. "Sorry... Guy kinda deserved it. He's been spitting in my food for months, thought I wouldn't notice." The guards hadn't dropped their weapons yet, but that didn't surprise me much. They'd always been skittish around me...

"Stand down, Sergeant!" Ozpin evenly called out while stepping forward, bringing his cane down with a loud *clap* on the stone pavement. "Collect your man, and be on your way... You have my sincerest apologies. We'll be sure to cover whatever medical expenses he may require."

Johnson, having taken his eyes off of me, sighed, before moving forward, dragging the private to his feet. He shot me a last minute glare over a shattered nose before making his way back to the truck along with the rest of his men. I kept my eyes on him even after he'd entered the truck, looking away only after I was sure it was departing peacefully.

'Old habits die hard, I guess...' I chastised myself inwardly, wiping my palm on my thigh.

"And as for you, Mr. Ambrose..." the Headmaster started, glancing back at me sternly. "I'd prefer it if you could avoid repeating such actions in the future. Unsanctioned acts of violence will not be tolerated at this establishment... Do I make myself clear?"

The air suddenly felt somewhat colder as the man narrowed his eyes, a tightening pressure gripping my lungs. Still, I didn't know what was more intimidating: his glare, or the cool, even way he'd addressed the warning. Either way, both were more than a little unnerving, and enough to send a chill of panic down my spine.

"Right... I-I understand, sir," I spat out quickly, giving him a short half bow in the traditional instinctive manner I'd thought long forgotten. "I recognize my error, and will be sure to correct it."

The professor returned the nod, his expression finally relaxing. He gestured for me to follow him. I did so, and the woman with him followed behind me. It was likely to make sure I wouldn't try to escape.

As if I'd want to, even if I could...

I followed him into one of the buildings inside the massive campus, leading me through winding corridors, and more than a few flights of stairs.

Eventually, he ushered me into a large, darkened room with no windows, and a metal desk with two chairs spaced in the middle. It looked frighteningly enough like an interrogation room, albeit lacking the chains, or barely-concealed stains I was used to.

Ozpin entered after me, taking a seat behind the desk while dropping a large pile of folders he'd taken from his blonde aid, or whatever she was. I recognized a few of the files as transcripts and personal information, which likely concerned other incoming students. The one I saw plainly was those namely belonging to a... Ruby Rose, if I was reading that right.

She looked rather young, so she must have been some sort of prodigy for the Headmaster himself to be taking interest. I took the seat across from him unprompted. The woman then placed a glass of clean water in front of me, which I greedily gulped down a second later.

"Joel Ambrose. Eighteen years of age." the woman read methodically off of her Scroll in a measured tone as I nodded. "Born within the Frontier Settlement of Bastion to a Thomas and Patrice Ambrose. Former attendee of local Aegis Huntsman Academy with high marks before being caught up in a terrorist attack instigated by the White Fang that claimed the lives of both parents, and nearly one hundred others, including the city's Speaker and Kingdom representative, Nathaniel Corbell."

I must have tensed rather noticeably, because she paused for a few seconds before continuing.

"You were reported as 'missing' shortly afterwards, but later resurfaced as an agent - or by the common term, 'Trapper' - of the Red Hand, a radical pro-humanist group formed by victims of similar attacks dedicated to eliminating the White Fang and its members by any means necessary..."

"Want me to finish that for you?" I spoke up, cutting her off before she could move on. I earned a sharp "tsk" from her in the process, my manners less than stellar. "I'm guessing something along the lines of 'willingly surrendered himself to Kingdom custody, promising information on the Red Hand in exchange for the full pardon of one of his accomplices,' and 'given a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole...' That about sum it up?"

"Now, now, Mr. Ambrose. She's merely stating facts for the record. She doesn't mean any offense and there's no need for rudeness... Now then, let us get straight to the point," Ozpin started affably. "As you know, I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of this Academy. This woman here is Glynda Goodwitch, my aide in charge of student affairs, and one of your instructors for the foreseeable future."

"I know. I've heard the stories, even in other Kingdoms. You two are legends here in Vale." And just about everywhere else, truth be told.

"And we've heard a great deal about you, as well," the older Huntsman replied as Glynda placed a steaming mug of coffee in front of him. "I actually knew of your mother; I don't think I mentioned that the last time we met. Patrice was both a fine woman, and a remarkable Huntress." He took a quick swig, seemingly unaware of my clenching fists. Me and my temper... "She didn't deserve to meet her end in such a way..."

"...Thank you, sir, but I didn't come here to discuss my mother's... passing..." I remarked, a note of bitterness entering my voice. "I think I'd prefer to get to the matter at hand."

He said nothing for a brief moment, but then nodded in assent. "As you wish. Glynda, please fetch the boy's effects, will you?"

"Right away, Professor." She adjusted her glasses, giving me a harsh glare before leaving the room.

"...You'll have to forgive her," the older man excused. "Professor Goodwitch was one of those against the idea of bringing you here. She feels that it's too dangerous to place you amongst the student population."

"It's alright... Not like I can't see where she's coming from. A perfectly reasonable reaction, in my book."

"To be quite frank, many of those who know of this decision are against it as well," the Professor continued. "It took many of my connections within Vale's Council - as well as more than a few other promises to acquaintances in other Kingdoms - to arrange your release from prison after only a mere five months."

"Which begs the question: why did you choose to go through all this trouble just so I could attend your school?" I responded calmly, body tensing slightly. "Not to sound ungrateful, but it still seems rather odd to me."

"...I've always been a man who believed in second chances, Mr. Ambrose, as I'm sure you've gathered from our last meeting. Your abilities, if what we have on you is to be believed, are extraordinary for one your age, the possibilities endless. I believe that such talent is better spent facing the Grimm, saving lives, and doing good, rather than wallowing inside a jail cell, wasting away. Before this, however, I do have some more questions of my own that I wish to ask you... If you'll allow me?"

"...Ask away."

"Why did you surrender yourself to the Kingdom governments, and, now that you're here, will any Faunus students be in any danger because of you?"

I contemplated the question, taking a few seconds to sip on any remaining water in my glass, as well as working out how I would describe my answer, seeing as it was obviously critical to me staying here.

After thinking to myself for almost a good minute, I took a deep breath and answered him. "I won't go into specifics..." I started, staring into the man's face, and trying to meet his gaze. "I've done a lot of terrible things in the name of vengeance... And it was vengeance. Not 'justice,' or any other excuse the Red Hand might tell you. I left because I realized that at some point I'd become the very thing I was fighting to stop."

The words were bitter, delivered through gritted teeth as a feeling of shame welled up in my chest. But they came nonetheless, an improvement of sorts...

"As for your other question... no, I've never hated the Faunus. Never blamed them for what the White Fang did, unlike some of my former comrades. If anything, I thought the organization started to lose sight of the difference, which was another reason to leave when I did." Most Faunus would probably share my views on the White Fang, if less extreme, come to think of it. "But I swear to you, sir... On whatever shred of honor I have left in me, they will not have any trouble from me. Not purposefully at any rate."

I leaned back in the chair as the blonde professor reentered the room, carrying a cloth bag under her arm this time. I accepted the bundle with a polite "Thank you," smiling internally as her expression softened somewhat.

"...A passable answer," the Headmaster said with a warm smile. "Your weapons and equipment are all there, along with what personal effects you had with you at the time of your surrender," Ozpin noted, pointing at the large bundle with a free finger, tapping away at a desk-mounted Scroll with the other. "We took the liberty of obtaining a new set of combat gear for you to use. For anonymity's sake, of course."

"I appreciate it. The mask would've turned a few heads, I think," I quipped, but was surprised when Goodwitch produced a silver metal half-circle with a green triangular gem-esque screen, and held it out to me.

"Place this on your neck in the most comfortable way you can," the older Huntress ordered curtly.

I hesitated for a second, before taking the half-circle in my hands, and bringing it up to just below my Adam's apple. Suddenly, I drew in a quick intake of breath as the circle latched onto my neck. The thing stretched until it completely encircled my neck, each seam blending in perfectly, and leaving no indent visible, with the green triangle in the middle.

"W-what the...!?" I clutched at the strange device as it conformed to my neck's shape, almost drawing on my Aura right then and there. "What's...!?"

"That's a tracking collar designed with Aura-enhanced prisoners in mind," Goodwitch explained, keying in some figures to her Scroll. I noticed a few bio-metrics pulsing rhythmically in time, just as soon as I felt vibrations coming from the green triangle. "It's powered by your own Aura. The collar relays a signal directly to our Scrolls, giving us access to your current location and medical status, and allowing us to keep a better track of you." She glanced up as I kept fiddling with it awkwardly. "It's nigh-indestructible, even with a Semblance like yours. That collar will only come off if we take it off, or if you... Well, I'm sure you understand the idea."

"All in all, I would advise against making any sort of escape attempt while that collar's still functional," Ozpin added, setting aside his mug, and leaning forward to rest his chin on his hands. "Not that I think you will, mind you, but it can't be helped."

"What, is there a bomb set to blow off my head if I try to leave without permission?" I asked as I poked at it with a careful finger, the strange device already feeling light as air, and warmed to my temperature. If I'd had my eyes closed, I probably wouldn't even notice it. "...There's not, is there?" I asked a bit more unsurely.

"Nothing so barbaric..." Ozpin assured as he gave me a reassuring grin. "If you do try to escape, we'll merely send Professor Goodwitch to collect you... in which case, I'm certain you will wish the collar had an explosive in it."

I glanced up at the bespectacled woman, shivering slightly at the implication. 'Note to self... don't screw with this woman...'

"...Ah... I'll keep that in mind."

"Excellent! Then let me be the first to welcome you to Beacon Academy, Mr. Ambrose!" He stood up and held out a hand towards me. I took it, but was surprised at how strong his grip was. "I expect great things from you, Joel. I look forward to working with you."

'...Well, this day hasn't gone as badly as I thought it would,' I thought lazily as I stepped out of the locker room shower, staring at my reflection in the steam-fogged mirror for the first time in what felt like months...

Actually, it had been months.

I ran a hand through my short-cropped, stark white hair, blue eyes watching as I pulled a razor from the kit Ozpin had given me with the other hand. I quickly shaved off what dark stubble had built up over the last few months. Once that was finished, a quick peek at the Scroll sitting on the counter next to me indicated that it was almost noon.

"Other students should be showing up pretty soon..." I sighed, pulling out the gear the Professor had provided.

Aside from two sets of the standard Beacon uniform, Ozpin had provided a pair of grey jeans, a blue t-shirt, and a short-sleeved black hoodie, along with a pair of finger-less gloves and combat boots.

'Black, huh?... Suppose it'll do for now.'

I also found a collapsible blue ballistic chest piece, along with pairs of knee and elbow plate pads that I strapped on over the outfit. I did a few quick punches and stretches, finding that the armor did little to restrict my own movements, and would actually help, considering my fighting style. Last, but not least, I pulled Storm Circuit out from the side pocket, staring down at the nearly two-foot long Double Bladed Ballistic Staff, before tracing the weighted silver ridges spaced evenly along its length.

The weapon had served me well enough against the White Fang. I could only hope it would handle Grimm just as effectively. Strapping the weapon to my back using a thick sheath, I also slid two small rectangular dispensers at my sides on each hip.

Feeling satisfied with my appearance, I left the bathroom, making my way through a small garden just outside of the main building. Looking out towards the front of the campus, I watched as the fleet of airships neared the school in tight formation, before turning towards the others that had already landed, the sound of distant chatter fast becoming apparent.

"Been a while since my last first day of school... Feels like a lifetime ago..." I muttered under my breath, reminiscing on my earlier days in Aegis, before shrugging as I made my way towards the nearest airship docking station. "Might as well look like I came in with everyone el...!"

*BOOM!*

A loud explosion rang out from the direction of the station along the main entrance way, where the rest of the First-Years were docking.

A twinge of panic shot through me, echoes of a similar sound ringing through my head, along with brief flashes of images that I recalled in painful detail. Images of fire, burnt wood, and screaming metal. Of bodies writhing in pain, on the floor, others unmoving. Of an imposing figure standing before a helpless woman, aiming at her as she tried to plead for her son's life.

'No... No, not again!'

I shook my head briskly, my hand reaching for my weapon before I began moving towards the direction of the explosion. Aura fueled every leaping step, lightning fast adjustments to my course seeing me twisting and ducking nimbly past more than a few confused students before many had even noticed my approach, feet pounding until coming to a stop just outside the main boulevard.

"Where!? Where did...!?" I murmured, opening up my senses, frantic eyes darting about, fingers twitching along the length of the compressed staff, drumming against the cold blue steel...

There were indications of scoring on the pavement, but from the signs of it, I realized that whatever the explosion had been, it had been very light. Likely a small Dust explosion, or weapon misfire.

"...Oh..." I sagged slightly in embarrassment, making sure to put my weapon's compact form back in its sheath, shoulders slumping, yet silently breathing out in relief. It had been five months since I'd left the Red Hand behind, but it seemed that a lot of the old habits were still ingrained in me. Explosions were rarely a sign of anything good, after all.

'Old habits do die hard...'

Still, a part of me was curious about whether or not anyone got hurt. It was a bad omen if the school year started with some terrible tragedy. Unfortunately, there was no sign of anyone who might have been involved, or might have seen what had happened.

No one... except...

"You there! Up in the tree!" I glanced up at where a girl sat up amidst the branches reading a book, her face flickering with barely hidden surprise. No doubt she thought herself quite well hidden, which she had been. Whoever she was, she had some real skill.

She had a very light complexion, as if the sun rarely graced her presence, with long, wavy, ebony black hair, complete with a black bow on the top, which seemed to stand out, if only because it was the most unassuming part of her attire. Aside from that, she had a black buttoned vest with coattails, along with a white undershirt that exposed her midriff. On her legs were a pair of white shorts and dark colored stockings. They started with the color black at the top, but faded steadily into violet as they ran down her legs, and depicted some sort of white flower emblem. '

'Not as flashy as most Kingdom-trained Huntresses these days, I suppose.' What really caught my attention were the eyes, however. They were amber-colored, but slightly tinted upwards, like that of a cat's, almost glowing in the shadow cast by the overhanging branches.

"...You noticed me?" she asked, sounding genuinely impressed and wary in the same sentence.

'Definitely a ninja, this one.'

"I have pretty good ears," I replied, walking up to the base of the tree, tapping the side of my head lightly. "Do you know what happened here, or at least see it? Heard the explosion, and came running as fast as I could."

"'Came running?'" she said, a note of amusement in her voice this time. "Not a lot of people just 'come running' towards explosions."

"Guess I'm 'not a lot of people,'" I shrugged, scratching the back of my head, thinking I might as well try for friendly banter. It was the first day, after all, and most students would probably make friends with new faces. And that's what I was now, wasn't I? A student. "And it seems like you do know what happened. Mind sharing?... For curiosity's sake..."

"...Some young girl in red was getting a lecture from Miss Weiss Schnee, herself, about the dangers of Dust when she sneezed. It set off some of the Dust powder she was waving in her face." The girl's eyes looked me up and down, settling on my face for maybe a second, before she turned her gaze back to her book, a flicker of amusement in those eyes, though none of it touched her expression. Perfectly schooled indifference. "She stormed off afterwards, while the exploding girl went somewhere with another boy. They're probably all at Orientation by now."

"...Weiss Schnee!?" I responded, mentally cringing at the harsh surprise in my tone.

"Yeah..." she answered, looking back at me with an arched eyebrow. "You know her?"

I quickly shook my head, doing my best to sound convincing. "No! I-I mean, no more than anyone else. I just... Uh... I'm just confused. Isn't she from Atlas, and a Schnee? What would she be doing in a place like Vale?"

She merely rolled her eyes, looking back at the book in her hands. "Your guess is as good as mine. I didn't exactly ask."

"Mmm," I nodded with a hum, before frowning as I realized something else. "Wait... Orientation's going on now!?"

"Yep."

"...Oh, crap!" At that, I quickly spun on my heels, ready to head for the Amphitheater, before stopping and looking back to her curiously. "Uh... Don't you wanna start heading for Orientation now, too?"

She shook her head at me, never taking her eyes off of that book. "Don't worry. I'll get there on time."

"...O-kay..." I relented, about to make my way to said destination, before looking back at her. "Say... you got a name?" I inquired of the girl in the tree, thinking of being polite. She had helped me out, after all, and she wasn't looking at me like some nutcase... yet.

"...Blake," the ninja supplied, flipping a page absently, glancing down at me again curiously.

"Blake, huh? My name's Joel... Guess I'll be seeing you around, then?"

"Seems likely." My fellow student returned to her book immediately after that. I knew enough about women to know that this meant she was done talking, and thus went on my way.

Still, I at least got a name from a total stranger, and without her threatening to fight me on the spot. Progress, at least as opposed to what I was used to... Still, my thoughts then focused on her response to my first question.

Weiss Schnee... The heiress to the Schnee Dust Company was here at Beacon?... The Red Hand had done a job for her father about a year and a half before I'd surrendered. It had involved me acting as her bodyguard. Despite spending a few months around her, the girl had barely said a word to me, apart from orders and insults. A bit arrogant, that one, if I remembered right.

The most meaningful conversation we'd ever had had basically gone along the lines of "You fight pretty well, Miss Schnee," followed by "Why are you talking to me, creep!? Just do your job!"

Not the most entertaining task I'd ever been assigned...

'And now she's here, of all places...' I mused to myself, thinking of Atlas and their own prestigious academy. '...Gotta wonder why...'

'So loud... So many people...'

My ears were bombarded by the voices of many students as I entered into the Amphitheater, and it wasn't just the sound that overwhelmed me.

Various peoples of different races, sizes, appearances, and genders stood before me, each either talking amongst others, or minding their own business. Trying to get over the nerves in their own way, no doubt. I briefly craned my head and gave a quick scan of the room, my height serving to aid me, and was thankful to see I hadn't missed anything too important, yet recoiled slightly at the sheer size of the crowd. So many people, jostling about...

'Seeing as I've spent most of the last few months with only myself as company, I guess that's only to be expected.'

...Then again, the place was extremely crowded... Just like the ballroom had been that day...

Letting out a low snarl, I shook my head roughly, before letting out a deep breath. 'Nothing's gonna happen, here. It won't...And nothing will happen if you let this stop you!' I mentally coached myself.'You chose to take this chance. To make things right. So pull yourself together, and do this, Ambrose!'

Taking a deep breath, crossing my arms to hide and tone down the shaking of my hands, I began walking into the crowds in earnest.

"Uh, excuse me... Sorry... Pardon me..."

I weaved through the sea of people with careful purpose after giving myself a moment to get a hold of myself. No use startling my new peers with a little close-up display of my "gift" just yet, after all. I stopped somewhere towards the front, hanging back a bit, and breathing out in relief. Shooting a glance up at the stage proper, I saw a microphone there, but no actual sign of anyone actually going to speak, or give any sort of address.

'I wonder what's taking them?... It wasn't some extra stuff about me, was it?...'

Looking to my left, I arched an eyebrow. I saw what looked to be a a blonde girl carrying a girl with black hair in her arms before dropping her to her feet. It was kind of silly, like something one would see in one of those morning cartoons.

The girl that had jumped on the blonde girl's arms looked pretty young, actually, sporting a black dress with crimson accents. A red hooded cloak was fastened to her shoulders by cross-shaped pins, and a silver brooch depicting a rose emblem was fastened to the right side of her the belt around her waist. Her black hair was tipped with red highlights, and she had... Silver eyes?

That was something interesting...

'Huh... She looks rather... familiar.'

The blonde girl with her was not as young as her, and much more... physically developed, her outfit only serving to highlight that fact. She had a tan leather jacket with puffy sleeves, and a yellow crop top underneath with an emblem on it, and a orange scarf over her neck. She also wore black shorts underneath a leather skirt, which displayed a fiery heart emblem, and a blue one, with knee-high brown boots. And her hair... Calling it "blonde" actually seemed something of an insult, her mane practically shining like spun gold. Certainly eye-catching, to say the least.

All in all, the two girls certainly stood out, but imagine my surprise at just who the two were cringing away from.

'So she is here...' I could make out that white off-center ponytail and overbearing Aura of hers anywhere. It seemed she was holding out something to them... A pamphlet? 'What the...?'

I slowly averted my gaze. She wasn't paying attention to me, but I didn't see the point in tempting fate. I wore the same mask used by all Trappers in my days as her bodyguard, so there should have been little to no chance she would recognize me. Regardless, the healthy sense of paranoia in me won over.

'Gonna be very hard to kill those old habits...'

It was probably rude to listen in, come to think of it. Of course, it was hard not to, loud as they were, even in this mess.

"...think you two got off on the wrong foot!" the blonde girl was saying, trying to cut the tension that seemed to be building between the younger girl and the Heiress. A valiant effort, but if this was the Weiss Schnee I was familiar with... "Maybe you two should start over and try to be friends, okay?"

The red hooded girl perked up that. "Yeah! Great idea, Sis!"

So she and the blonde were sisters? Huh. Could've fooled me with how different they looked from each other.

The girl extended her hand. "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby. Wanna hang out? We could go shopping for school supplies!"

I glanced to the side at that. 'Ruby... The girl from that file?' I saw that the smaller girl, indeed, was the same girl in that file Ozpin'd had on him when he interviewed me earlier. 'She looks so small... Hard to imagine her going up against a Beowolf.'

Surprisingly, Weiss put hands up, and looked excited at the hooded girl's suggestion. "Yeah! And then we can paint our nails, and try on clothes, and talk about cute boys like tall, blonde, and... scraggly over there!" She then pointed her thumb over to some blonde kid wearing white armor on his shoulders and chest.

"Oh wow, really!?" Ruby cried, excited at having gotten through to her.

I, of course, knew better. 'Nope.' The heiress said as much a second later, deadpan snark heavy in her tone. 'Polite as ever, I see.'

I was just about to go about my business when, suddenly, the blonde girl spoke up again. More importantly, she said something that caught my attention.

"Hmm... Dunno about tall, blonde, and scraggly, but I certainly wouldn't mind talking about tall, stark, and built over there."

'...Hold up a second... She's talking about me, isn't she?...'

And it turned out that she was, indeed, looking right at me.

Blondie had inched towards her little sister, nudging her shoulder, and gesturing towards me without even an attempt at subtlety. While the younger one looked at me in confusion, the blonde girl was more certain and sure of herself when she looked at me. Specifically, she knew whereto look at me.

My arms, for example, exposed for all to see, including the pale scars criss-crossing lean corded muscle. Not that she seemed to mind, perfectly content to admire and appraise in equal measure.

Our eyes locked together for a heartbeat, curious lilac meeting cautious blue, and, of all things, she winked at me, showing off a wicked smirk as she played with a lock of spun gold. I coughed, feeling some slight heat touch my cheeks, but only out of bashfulness... I think.

Clearing my throat, I looked back over to them, nodding at them with a polite if slightly awkward smile, before looking away.

Of course, she still had to comment on it. Of course she did. "Awww, tall, built, stark, and bashful. Hehe, what a cutie."

I could only groan slightly at that. 'I really have to get used to other people again, and fast.'

Thinking to myself, I looked around the room to see the students around me, and I meant actually look at them. They were all different, many easygoing, some serious, others anxious, and a fair majority excited for what was to come. That much was clear.

All of these were a far cry to what I experienced when I first entered my old school, Aegis Academy. Then, we actually held a ceremony for those that were admitted in, "honor" this, "glory" that. Whereas here in Beacon, it was just some assembly without the pomp and needless fanfare.

'And yet... it still feels right,' I thought, slowly in the process of uncrossing my arms. 'To be around actual people my age again. Normal people, acting like teenagers... It's... kind of nice...'

"Move!"

And just like that, my positive observations were cut off as someone - a girl, judging by the pitch of the voice - shoved me roughly aside, moving past me in the most direct path to the front, those startled students left in her wake be damned, for all she cared.

'So much for kids my age being friendly...'

Glaring back indignantly, I saw a flash of auburn hair, as well as what appeared to be a pair of extra ears atop her head as well... A twitching pair of dog ears. A Faunus.

That alone sent a chill through me, much to my own displeasure, frustration, shame, and anger. My hands twitched almost reflexively towards my belt, heart pounding like thunder in my ears...

'Get a hold of yourself, Ambrose!' I quickly crossed my arms again, trying to ease my growing anxiety.

"H-hey, you mind!?" I called after her, annoyance apparent in my voice despite my best efforts. A few of the closer students even backed away quickly, giving us some distance.

Before I could speak further, she cut me off with a sharp snap, and a very obvious middle finger right to my face. "Shut it, asshole!"

Gritting my teeth in anger, I was about to tell the rude girl off when a loud screech echoed from the stereos throughout the room, which was a rather unpleasant sound for one with ears like mine, and enough to leave both me and the Faunus girl, to my vindictive impulse, cringing noticeably. A loud cough, the type used to clear one's throat, caught my and everyone else's attention, making us all look to Professor Ozpin, who now stood on the stage behind the microphone. Glynda Goodwitch was standing right behind him to his left.

"I'll... keep this brief," he began, tilting the glasses perched over his nose upwards. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge. To hone your craft, and acquire new skills. And when you've finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."

I narrowed m eyes in curiosity as I listened to his speech, focusing on his words. In my case, my skills and craft were already pretty honed. If anything, this was more rehabilitation than anything else.

'And a sentence...' I reminded myself morosely, tugging on the collar on my neck lightly. 'With an arrangement I probably... No. That I don't deserve...'

His next words caught me slightly off guard, if only because it was somewhat having the opposite effect of what he should have been trying to convey, just like back home. "But I look amongst you... and all I see is wasted energy in need of purpose; direction."

If he was hoping to gain everyone's undivided attention, he certainly got it with that. Oration skills could use some work, though...

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far... It is up to you to take the first step..."

With that, he stepped away from the mic, indicating that his speech was over. Goodwitch then walked up to the microphone. "You will gather in the Ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your Initiation begins. Be ready... You are dismissed!" With that, throngs of people already began to move out of the stage.

Meanwhile, I stood there, watching the two adults leave the area, before glancing down at my right hand, flexing it experimentally.

'Wasted energy... That's all I've really been these past few years, haven't I?' I thought to myself, staring directly into my hand as I unclenched it, before twisting it around to look at the forehand.

A spreading pool of blood... Three bodies, with my hands over the chest of one of them... Tiny bear ears, and pleading eyes...

My face cringed, closing my eyes and knuckling my forehead with a low hiss, keeping my emotions in check. When I opened them again, I was still in the Amphitheater, and there were still students leaving... I wasn't there.

"Count to five... Inhale. Count to five... Exhale."

Taking a few deep breaths, I swallowed a gulp, and exhaled from my nose. 'The first step... I've already made it.' I then looked down at my hand again. 'But... will I be able to follow through with it this time?...'

Night had fallen pretty quickly after that, and I soon found myself camped out in the ballroom along with the rest of the First-Years. Certainly wasn't easy, especially seeing where we were, and how packed it was... But I'd managed to make myself pull through it, arms crossed the whole while.

I was laying down on the bare floor over a blanket provided to me by the staff, wearing a loose long sleeve that I'd awkwardly pawned off another student, as well as some shorts, using my lone duffel as a pillow. From what I'd gathered from a few of the other students, we needed to complete some sort of Initiation activity the next day, or we wouldn't be able to stay at Beacon.

'Which basically means I'll go back to prison if I don't pass... Yay.' I groaned as I sat up, feeling my joints pop with a languid stretch.

At the rate my thoughts were bothering me, not to mention certain snores my ears picked up despite the earbuds I was wearing, sleep wouldn't be happening anytime soon. Shame, too. This was probably the best bed I'd had in months.

Randomly scanning my surroundings, I then noticed a bit of candlelight shining at the other end of the hall through the corner of my eye. Curious, I decided I might as well investigate it, seeing as I had nothing better to do, after all. I stood up, and made my way across to that area, carefully stepping over any sleeping students.

I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face reading by the candle in a black yukata. "Oh, it's you."

The ninja girl from earlier looked up from her book, arching a wary eyebrow. "Hey... Joel, right? You aren't following me, are you?"

"Nope. Just a weird coincidence, with a bit of curiosity on the side, I swear," I explained. "...Blake, was it? Sorry, but it was a bit loud where I was, and I noticed the candle light." I motioned towards the strange source of illumination. "Wanted to see if it was quiet enough to listen to my music... Kinda is, to be honest." I frowned when I realized something from the slight shift in her eye. A tick that could've been annoyance, or a curiosity all her own. "...Buuut if it bothers you, I can go somewhere else. I don't mind."

"...No, no, it's alright," she murmured after thinking to herself for a few seconds. Blake then gestured to the empty spot a few feet away from where she sat. "Just don't make too much noise, okay?"

"Thanks. I won't, promise," I nodded with a small bow, before sitting down gingerly, pulling out my new Scroll, along with the pair of earbuds that had come with it. Switching on one of the tracks I had downloaded a few hours before, my head bobbed to the steady beat and thrum before I knew it, falling into a steady rhythm. My own little meditation, just as she flipped page after page.

We spent a few minutes like this in peaceful silence.

In prison, it had been, for the most part, just me alone in a cell, with nothing else to do but exercise and brood for hours and hours on end. Still, even that got boring after a while. It did teach me that you didn't have to speak to someone to appreciate them, though. Sometimes, just having people be present was enough.

A light tap on top of my head broke me out of my reverie, startling me, and making me tense visibly. I raised my crossed arms up on reflex, holding them in an "X" position. I was poised to defend myself, adrenaline flooding my system in an instant, body running on trained instinct. When my mind finally caught up with my reflexes, I then blinked wildly as I tried to register what had disturbed my peace.

Looking up, I saw that blonde girl from before - the one with the wild mane of hair, which almost seemed to glow in the dim light now that I saw it up close - standing over me in her sleepwear. Well, she had been leaning forward, her hand outstretched, but had taken a step back at my reaction. I couldn't blame her, though. She was looking down at me with those now slightly startled, lilac-colored eyes. Her sister had been talking with Blake about her book, and had let out a surprised little yelp.

'The girls Weiss was terrorizing earlier... Shoot.'

"Whoa, there, big guy!" the blonde girl assuaged, somewhat breaking me out of my observations, and holding her arms out in a mitigating manner. "Someone's a bit jumpy today. Didn't mean to startle you."

"Um... Uh..." I just stared back and forth between them dumbly, before fully snapping back to reality, and lowering my arms.

"...Are you alright?" Blake asked, a concerned look crossing her face. "You kind of freaked out there for a moment."

"Eh, wha...? O-oh, sorry..." I apologized, blushing slightly, running a hand behind my head as I looked back to all three of the girls. "I kinda got wrapped up in my music. It's... Well, it's been a while since I've been able to just sit back and enjoy it." I eyed Blake and shrugged. "Lost track of things... Sorry."

The raven-haired girl nodded, seeming to accept the excuse, while our blonde guest examined the pair of us, flashing me another one of those appraising looks before smiling at me. "Sooooo, anyway, my name's Yang. Yang Xiao Long! And thiiis..." She indicated the girl next to her as she hauled her out from behind her, the girl letting out a small squeak of fright from the action, "is my little sister, Ruby Rose. Nice to meetcha!"

I nodded at them briskly, before exhaling and stopping. I then smiled politely, and extended my hand to the blonde. "Hello, Yang. My name's Joel. Joel Ambrose." She extended her own hand and knelt over slightly to shake mine. I then moved it towards Ruby. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Ruby." The young girl in question looked as if she'd rather be somewhere else as at the moment so long as it wasn't here, but she nodded and shook my hand with a small smile.

"So... are you two friends?" Yang piped up suddenly, pointing between me and Blake. "I'm sorta trying to help this one out a bit." She clapped her sister on the back, almost throwing her off her feet.

We glanced at each other quickly before I answered for us. "Not... exactly. We just met today. I suppose 'acquaintances' is more accurate." Blake nodded in agreement, eyes darting back to her book.

'Thanks. Abandon me to do all the talking, why don't you?'

"Really?... Huh. I thought you two might've known each other. Y'know... like some dom-sub thing you guys got goin' on, or something," she explained while grinning evilly and pointing towards her neck.

I reached up, face dropping upon remembering the tracking collar I was still wearing. I'd actually somehow managed to forget it was there, funnily enough. "I-it's just jewelry!" I said quickly, blushing lightly. Blake remained stonily silent, face suddenly buried in her book, though I noticed more than a little red there, too.

"Yang! You just can't say that to people!" the smaller girl said frantically. "It's rude!"

"Really? My bad!" Yang laughed loudly, patting Ruby on the head, and ruffling her hair playfully.

"...Anyway, Joel, this is the girl you were looking for earlier," Blake said, indicating Ruby, who jumped at suddenly being put on the spot.

I blinked in confusion, before recalling our first encounter. "Who? The girl who exploded?"

"DOES EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THAT!?" Ruby cried out, making me jump, cringing and reaching for my ears as her face now matched the color her highlights. "IT WAS AN ACCIDENT! BUT SHE STILL YELLED AT ME, EVEN AFTER I READ THAT STUPID PAMPHLET SHE GAVE ME!" She was getting louder, almost to the point where the entire hall was going to wake if this kept up.

"Well, Ruby, Yang... It's been a plea...!" Blake tried to calm her down. However, before she could finish...

"What is going on over here!? Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep!?" an annoyed voice called out as a white-haired girl, long hair hanging down around her face, wearing a faded blue nightgown, stormed towards our group, pale blue eyes glaring daggers at us. I didn't really need the snowflake symbol on her upper right chest - the logo of the Schnee Dust Company - to know exactly who this was. The crooked scar across her eye that I now saw, however, threw me for a loop, as it hadn't been there when I'd left all that time ago.

Aside from that, and a few other barely-noticeable changes, Weiss Schnee hadn't changed much in the past one and a half years, it seemed. I turned away slightly, trying to stay out of her focus, though, thankfully for me, her attention seemed to be fixed on the pair standing before us.

"OH, NOT YOU AGAIN!" Yang and the heiress screamed simultaneously while Ruby tried to keep the peace. Well... keep Yang from ripping off the heiress' head, by the sound of it.

"...So, uh, I'm gonna call it a night." I nodded goodbye to Blake as she set her book aside with a sigh, reaching for the candelabra as I stood up. "Thanks for letting me hang around. Hope I wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all. Wasn't your fault." Blake blew out the flames, plunging the room into darkness, making Ruby cry out a last minute shriek.

I made my way back to my space, doing my best not to laugh, and failing badly.

(The Next Day)

"You! White hair, by the locker!" a commanding voice called out from over my shoulder as I tightened the last strap on the chest plate, giving it a firm rap with a closed fist before cringing at the call.

Perhaps the voice was talking to someone else, maybe? Hopefully?... I pulled at a strand of white hair from my bangs, sighing wearily. 'Yeah, not likely...'

"Hmm?" I looked over to see Weiss stalking towards me.

'Here we go...'

She had changed to an attire that I was more familiar with: namely her somewhat impractical "combat dress" that she'd used for her training sessions. She was wearing a pale blue, long sleeve vest, with red on the inside, and frills on the end of the sleeves. I couldn't see it, since she was facing me fully, but I knew that there was a white Schnee Crest on the back of her vest. Underneath it was a similar pale blue thigh-length skirt - a skirt, no matter what fancy name she gave it - with her Multi Action Dust Rapier attached to her left hip.

'Still wearing heels to a fight, I see...'

Not that I had much of a problem with it, seeing as she could obviously more than handle herself, even with the impractical footwear she wore. Her hair was no longer hanging loosely, having instead opted for the usual off-center ponytail held together by a fancy little tiara.

She also carried a thick binder and pen in her arms, a serious expression on her face clear as day. I pulled Storm Circuit out, slinging it on across my back before shutting the locker, quickly turning to face her with my arms crossed.

"Are you... talking to me?" I asked while feigning ignorance, pointing to my chest as the heiress stopped in front of me, standing to her full height, and trying to look imposing and official. Admittedly, the effect was a bit lacking, seeing as I was still more than a head above her, easy. And that was her height whilst wearing her boots. She was even shorter without them. And then there was the lean bulk...

"You were the boy hanging around with that one girl last night. The one talking to those annoyances, correct?" she stated more than asked, icy blue eyes staring into mine like daggers. It was unlikely that the girl remembered me from a few short conversations over a year ago, but it still had me on edge.

"If you mean Blake, Ruby, and Yang, then yeah, I am. Joel Ambrose," I greeted hesitantly, leaning back against the locker trying to look at ease. "Did you, uh, want me for something?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. My name is Weiss Schnee, heiress of the prestigious Schnee Dust Company..." She opened up her binder, turning to a fresh page with a pen primed in her free hand. "It's common knowledge that students at Beacon are placed into teams of four for the length of their time here."

...Really? I hadn't known that... Aegis Academy didn't usually bother with teams until towards the end of Graduation. Huntsmen squads, I recalled, usually favored around four or five afterwards, however, so I supposed the Kingdoms were just getting it out of the way early. Teammates, huh?... I hadn't considered that.

"I've already secured Pyrrha Nikos as a teammate, and am currently evaluating other students in this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," she finished haughtily.

"Pyrrha Nikos?"

"Yes. Pyrrha Nikos. Top of her class at Sanctum, renowned for winning the Mistral Regional Tournament for four years in a row, setting a new all-time record. She's widely considered to be one of the most successful up-and-coming..."

"Oh, right!... Hey, isn't she that one girl on the Pumpkin Pete's box?" I remembered the commercial playing a few times back in lock-up during my trial. There was a larger focus on advertising it here in the Kingdoms than back in the Frontier, that was for sure.

Television was such a weird thing. Why waste money on all those distracting effects?...

"...Yesss... Yes, she is..." Weiss answered, though it almost sounded like a growl. "She and I will be partners."

-Weiss Schnee-

'And from there, our partnership will be one that generations will look back on with reverence! Students will be talking all about the smartest girl in class and her partner, the strongest student in class. We'll be amazing! We'll be untouchable! Celebrities among the students! They'll all line up just to grovel at our feet! We'll...!'

-Joel Ambrose-

I found myself arching an eyebrow as the heiress suddenly snapped her binder shut and looked to the side. I could somewhat make out her face, which, oddly enough, looked almost like that of a mad scientist.

'She's doing it again...' I thought to myself. During my time as her bodyguard, there were a few times when she got a good idea, and often over-romanticized it in her head. Thanks to the mask I wore, she didn't know that I saw when those moments happened. Though, honestly, seeing how she spaced out...

"Okaaay... So, Weiss...!"

"Miss Schnee!" she corrected quickly, cutting me off. I blinked in bewilderment. That girl had gone from her reverie back to her harsh approach within milliseconds.

"...Miss Schnee..." I amended evenly, holding up a placating hand. "Let me get this straight... You want to interview me to see if I'm good enough, by your standards, to be on your team. Yes?"

"Was that not clear?"

I shook my head, shooting her an amused grin. "No, no, I get it. So, uh, when do we do this interview? The Initiation's in an hour."

"It's already started," she said icily, hand already scribbling frantically on the piece of paper, muttering under her breath. "Observational skills are somewhat limited. Asks questions..." She gritted her teeth at that last one. "What school did you attend before coming to Beacon?" she asked suddenly, shocking me into action.

"I attended Aegis Academy in the Frontier City of Bastion a while back. Ever heard of it?"

"Of course." She sounded as if she were offended I would even ask such a question. Judging from what I've seen of her, she probably was. "Subject has attended well-known, if fringe Combat School. Likely possesses requisite skill for position, but must account for Aegis Huntsmen's lack of willingness to act in Kingdom groups, or in a command structure..."

"Subject, what...?" I began to ask before being cut off by another quick question.

"Do you have difficulty following orders from a superior?"

"Depends on the superior, I suppose."

"Subject is unsure of answer..."

"Alright, can you stop with that 'subject' talk for a minute!?" I interrupted her, now visibly annoyed. However, I yelped shortly after as she smacked the tip of my nose with the end of her pen, before continuing to write.

"Aggressive and irritable when generalized... Will have to be rectified if selected...?"

Her eyes narrowed suddenly as she leaned in close to me, pulling my hand away from the nose I was nursing. "...Have we met?"

My heart froze, but I kept my face calm, crossing my arms, and trying to give her a look of honest confusion. "I don't know what you're talking about," I lied quickly, giving her an innocent smile. "Not even sure how that'd be possible. Born in society on the fringes, remember?"

"I'm not sure... It's just, I could've sworn..." Weiss muttered, leaning back as I breathed an internal sigh of relief. "No matter. Now, back to the next question. Have you ever...?"

She was stopped by Glynda Goodwitch's voice ringing out over the loudspeaker."Would all first-year students please report to Beacon Cliff for Initiation? Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff, immediately."

"Welp, gotta go! Good luck on Initiation!" I said quickly as I darted past her, making my escape while Weiss was distracted, ignoring her frantic calls for me to come back.

"Hey, wait a minute! You still need to answer...!"

"By her blood, please don't let me end up on her team!..." I muttered, running pell-mell towards the cliffs, and trying to ignore the fact that if I didn't pass this test, my world would go back to being a whole lot smaller.

"For years, you have trained to become warriors," Ozpin spoke as he faced all of us assembled students lined up along the cliff on a series of stone platforms. "And today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of teams," Goodwitch continued, holding a Scroll in her hand. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... Today," she noted, staring intently at each of us.

The news sent a flurry of excitement rippling down the line, save for maybe one small squeak from Ruby. To be honest, I didn't much care who my teammates were. I'd adjust and move on, no matter who I was paired with.

'Getting paired with Yang or Blake might be nice... Maybe Ruby, too, if she's okay with it,' I thought to myself, glancing quickly over to the girls in question, before looking away. 'As long as it isn't Weiss.Don't think I can stand that higher-than-thou attitude for very long...'

Judging from what the Headmaster was saying, the first person I made eye contact with in the forest would be my partner for the next four years. From there, it was just a matter of getting past the Grimm, and retrieving a relic from a temple at the northern edge of the forest. The whole "instructors will not intervene" thing was a bit sketchy, though not unexpected. In fact, it was a small callback for me, annoying as it was. Aegis had been full of sink or swim assignments when it came to Grimm hunting.

"Are there any questions?" Ozpin asked after finishing his speech.

A blonde-haired boy in white plate armor, and pretty casual clothing besides, raised his hand, trying to get his attention. "Yeah, um... Sir?" he said weakly, moving forward slightly.

"Good!" Ozpin finished, ignoring the young knight completely. "Now, take your positions."

I felt a slight rumble in the platform beneath me. Realizing what was about to happen, I crouched down quickly, grabbing some dirt and running both of my hands across it, before letting the grains fall between my fingers. Then, for the first time in five months, I drew upon my Semblance purposefully. I grinned widely as the world suddenly seemed so much clearer, more vibrant, and my body pulsed with raw energy, hair standing on end. Blue arcs of electricity sparked to life across my body, kicking up dust, and sending the students on the platforms next to me leaping backwards in alarm.

'Oh, I missed this...'

I noticed Goodwitch staring at me out of the corner of one eye as a red flash emanated from one of the screens on her Scroll.

'So she's gonna be keeping an eye on me, huh?... Alright then, let's give her a show!' I thought gleefully as the platform jolted upwards, sending me flying through the air. The forest flashed below me, growing steadily closer.

'LET'S GO WILD!'

-END

-CODEX-

The Frontier- A common name for lands considered outside of a Kingdom's influence or protection, the dragon continent on the upper left of Remnant acting as a prime example. Treacherous weather, hostile Grimm, and hosts of other dangers plague the region.

Despite these challenges and against all odds, settlements popularly referred to in the Kingdoms of Remnant as "Frontier Cities" were re-discovered in the wake of exploratory efforts. Established by the region's fierce inhabitants and bound by their own cultures, language, and traditions, these communities established a foothold. Walled off and well-defended, these sites represent Mankind's will to stand against and take back Remnant from the tyranny of the Grimm.

Bastion- The oldest, largest, and wealthiest of the Frontier Cities for its silver and Dust mines, both of which are great assets against the Grimm. Bastion has stood strong for generations in hostile territory long before the Kingdoms re-established contact, fighting Grimm and nature alike. It is a beacon of hope that represents the notion that Remnant's reclamation is possible. Situated farther in the Frontier than most, and surrounded by Grimm-infested forests that tower overhead, Bastion, as a result, has developed a culture well and truly apart from that of the Kingdoms.

Wealthy families descended from its founders, large business owners, and its defenders, the Huntsmen and Huntresses, stand at the top of society just underneath the elected Mayor and Councilman, who act as the city's link to the Kingdoms, as well as run the city's affairs. Above them, however, in matters of defense, stand the Master of the Guard, who commands Bastion's militia of stalwart defenders, and the Headmaster of Aegis Academy, the city's version of Beacon or Haven, who commands the Huntsmen and Huntresses that patrol their borders. With the proximity to the Grimm and the danger they represent, skilled Huntsmen are treated almost like celebrities, becoming household names to its citizens, and popularizing Aegis.

Aegis Academy- The sole Huntsman Academy in the region, and one of Bastion's most famous landmarks, Aegis stands simultaneously as one of the most well-respected and most demanding Huntsman Academies on the face of Remnant. It recruits qualified persons at the age of fourteen, though with the harsh trials placed on Initiation, most hopefuls train for a lengthy period even beforehand in preparation. The school acts as a primary and secondary school. Due to Bastion's traditions, the school has a tendency to focus more on personal performance and glory, encouraging harsh competition between its students in an attempt to push them to do their best and stand out. These practices makes the school rival even Beacon in its reputation for creating superior Huntsmen with greater individual skill, but with often limited team effectiveness as a result.

-OC Voice Cast Introduced this Chapter-

Joel Ambrose - Max Mittelman

Patrice Ambrose - Kate Higgins

Thomas Ambrose - Nolan North

Nathaniel Corbell - Frank Welker

Natalie Corbell - Mae Whitman

A/N: Hey everyone, this is a sort of alpha story I'd been fleshing out alongside Lost Memories, New Horizons but never really wrote anything for it until recently and if it gets a good reaction I'll continue it alongside the other story. It'll feature the same OCs and created locations but with different backgrounds and in Joel's case, different abilities so if you see similarities they are intentional, like an AU to my AU. I do not own RWBY, its characters or storyline, all OCs are mine or other's influence.

The language spoken in Joel's hometown is a bastardized mix of FFX's Al Bhed for those wondering. Mostly ceremonial at this point.

Enjoy.