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Hey! You have a second?"
I was about to refill my third cup of coffee for the day when Rita from juvenile division shoved me a blue folder.
"You have something for me?" I must have muttered that under my breath because she just glared at me. What I probably meant by what I said was I found it incredulous that they have anything for me at all.
"Chief needs you to talk to those two." She was pointing to the blue folder in my hand. With that, she turned around and went back to her desk.
I just let out a sigh and went back to my own desk after refilling my coffee mug. I glanced at the clock and it's almost 5 in the afternoon. I slowly sipped my coffee and opened the blue folder.
My name is Alex Rose, PhD. I work part-time with the NYPD. I don't carry a badge since working at the 19th Precinct was not my day job. I am a Psychologist and I teach Behavioral Medicine at NYU. I have always been interested in criminal investigation but have not found any courage to join the police force myself. I prefer to work behind a desk to give my own psychoanalysis on some cases. Not that they needed me a lot but the extra pay was nice and I got to do something else rather than be home alone watching movies on my big screen T.V.
Most of the cases were straightforward. I just have to review a suspect's testimony and to give my opinion if it was credible or not. I would say that I did enjoy this type of work especially when they asked me on rare occasions to sit behind the one-way mirror in an observation room. Or like tonight, when they have asked me to interrogate suspects myself. This must have been a routine case or they would not have asked me to do it.
I started reading the first page on the folder. Two teenagers were separately arrested after fleeing a crime scene. They were brought in for questioning about a school incident. Both of them were suspected arsonists in a school explosion.
I didn't realize that my own view on life was about to go overboard in one night.
And this is..."
The scene changed to a "Breaking News" broadcast. A frog faunus was moderating.
"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a special news bulletin. A noodly human boy is on a destructive rampage running backwards across the city of Vale!"
CHANGE LOCATION
CITY OF TOKYO
UNKNOWN LOCATION
POV
Hey! You have a second?"
I was about to refill my third cup of coffee for the day when Rita from juvenile division shoved me a blue folder.
"You have something for me?" I must have muttered that under my breath because she just glared at me. What I probably meant by what I said was I found it incredulous that they have anything for me at all.
"Chief needs you to talk to those two." She was pointing to the blue folder in my hand. With that, she turned around and went back to her desk.
I just let out a sigh and went back to my own desk after refilling my coffee mug. I glanced at the clock and it's almost 5 in the afternoon. I slowly sipped my coffee and opened the blue folder.
My name is Alex Rose, PhD. I work part-time with the NYPD. I don't carry a badge since working at the 19th Precinct was not my day job. I am a Psychologist and I teach Behavioral Medicine at NYU. I have always been interested in criminal investigation but have not found any courage to join the police force myself. I prefer to work behind a desk to give my own psychoanalysis on some cases. Not that they needed me a lot but the extra pay was nice and I got to do something else rather than be home alone watching movies on my big screen T.V.
Most of the cases were straightforward. I just have to review a suspect's testimony and to give my opinion if it was credible or not. I would say that I did enjoy this type of work especially when they asked me on rare occasions to sit behind the one-way mirror in an observation room. Or like tonight, when they have asked me to interrogate suspects myself. This must have been a routine case or they would not have asked me to do it.
I started reading the first page on the folder. Two teenagers were separately arrested after fleeing a crime scene. They were brought in for questioning about a school incident. Both of them were suspected arsonists in a school explosion.
I didn't realize that my own view on life was about to go overboard in one night.
And this is..."
Grabbing another file from a growing list of them, Ruby flicked it onto the screen and sighed at what she found.
"Another tracking problem. Awesome."
Shaking her head, she skimmed the case notes and copied the relevant details into a search function. Once done, the computer did the rest - sending inquiries to millions of data feeds around the city before bouncing back with a response. While waiting for those results, she turned towards another screen and double-checked her numbers and exhibits for later today.
Everything had a process by now. Incoming case requests, outgoing information, witness preparation - no matter what the patrol officers and detectives brought her, she was prepared for it. Sometimes, a little too prepared.
Hearing two knocks on the door to her lab, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled while waving one of her favorite people inside.
"Hey Yang!"
"Hey Ruby."
With the same easygoing smile Ruby remembered from when they were kids, Yang crossed the room and leaned against the corner of the desk. Her street clothes and loose, blonde ponytail suggested a lowkey day on the job, but Ruby knew better than to believe the mirage. Behind that relaxed demeanor was one of the most competent members of the police force.
"How's it going in here?" Yang asked while crossing her arms over her chest.
"Oh, you know..."
Rather than provide a full explanation, Ruby waved at the computer screens covering one wall of her office - ten in total, but she was thinking about adding at least two more soon.
"Hard at work, as usual," Yang filled in.
"If you'd stop bringing me things to do, I wouldn't have to work so hard."
"If people would stop breaking the law, I could stop bringing you things to do," Yang teased while waving her prosthetic arm over one of Ruby's many scanners. A small light embedded in the metal near Yang's thumb blinked as the two devices briefly connected, and several files showed up on Ruby's computer moments later.
"Unfortunately, I don't think that'll ever happen."
Which is why you brought me more work," Ruby joked before using her gloved hand to grab the files and open them on one of the screens.
"Be honest though - I'm your favorite detective."
After pondering that comment long enough to make Yang pout, Ruby smiled and shook her head. One of the best parts about her job, besides helping people, was working with her sister. With Yang being one of the police department's detectives and Ruby in charge of the technology lab, they collaborated on any of Yang's cases that involved tech-related questions. Considering how integral technology was in their lives these days, that happened often.
"But you're only my favorite because everyone else is so demanding," Ruby teased, earning a chuckle from Yang before focusing her attention on the bits of data on the screen. "What're you looking for?"
"Anything suggesting our vic wasn't the angel everyone says she was." When Ruby's brow rose, Yang shook her head and sighed. "That's the only thing I have to go on right now. Either she was up to no good or her very-distraught boyfriend did this."
"How many times have we seen this before?" Ruby mused while searching through Yang's data.
"I know...and I know everything points to him, but I just can't help believing him."
Even though Yang looked somewhat distressed that she believed a man accused of killing his girlfriend, Ruby smiled at the screen.
Everyone teased Yang about being a bleeding heart, but she believed because her intuition told her to believe. By now, Ruby knew better than most that Yang's intuition was almost always right. So, where other detectives would give up and build a case around locking the jealous boyfriend away, Yang searched every nook and cranny for a way to acquit him.
"So you brought me everything you know about her," Ruby surmised after speedreading the file. The information in front of her built out the victim's life in as much detail as Yang could manage, including everything from work reviews to names of best friends in elementary school.
"Everything I've got so far, yeah."
"Ok, I'll run it through a few programs and see if anything pops up." After thinking through the course of action, Ruby nodded and turned back to Yang. "It might take a couple days, but I can do it. No problem."
"Thank you."
Yang looked so grateful, Ruby felt guilty for considering it such a trivial request. To her, it was the same old work she'd done thousands of times before. To Yang, it was a possible lead in an important case - Ruby needed to remember that.
"Anything to help," she replied with a smile this time. "Maybe this angel is actually an angel."
"That's the hope."
While Yang chuckled at the thought, Ruby pushed the case documents into a new file to be analyzed later. Digging through people's lives got mundane after a while, but the department only employed a few people capable of creating the search functions to do the job. As one of those 'few people,' most of the requests came to her.
"What's wrong?"
Blinking away from that thought, Ruby gave Yang a curious look.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean what's wrong?" Yang repeated before tapping Ruby's shoulder - a kind, patient gesture she'd used since they were kids. "I know when something's up with you, and something's up with you."
By now, Ruby knew lying to Yang was pointless - she was a detective; she could spot a lie a mile away. The problem was that Ruby didn't know what was wrong. Why did she feel so restless or unsatisfied lately? Work was the same, life was the same. Nothing had changed.
Maybe that was the problem?
"I'm not sure," she answered honestly. "Sometimes, I just feel...I don't know. Bored or something."
"I literally just asked you to track down every bit of info on a girl who, for all we know, was a drug kingpin. How is that boring?"
"It's the same old stuff," Ruby explained with a wave at her computers. "Search for this, debug that, fix this - it doesn't feel like a challenge anymore. The only challenge is finding enough time to do it all."
Was her problem overconfidence? Because she knew she could accomplish whatever she set her mind to if only she had infinite time. Where was the challenge? Where was something that stumped her and forced her to learn?
"Don't you have a case today?"
Knowing where Yang was going with that, Ruby sighed and said, "Yeah..." And didn't you invent something for it?"
"But that wasn't hard!" she argued before Yang made her point. "Just because something's never been done doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means that...no one's had time to figure it out."
When Yang smiled and shook her head, Ruby puffed out her cheeks rather than argue any further. Her dad and Yang raised her to believe that anything was possible, so she believed anything was possible. If given enough time, she could do whatever was asked of her. But what should she set her mind to? Work had been the answer for so long that she didn't know what excited her outside of that.
"You and Blake are geniuses," Yang replied with a shake of her head. "How are the two most important people in my life so smart?"
"Blake's the genius." When Yang just chuckled, Ruby nodded. "She is! I don't know how she does half the stuff she does."
"You're both incredibly smart, gifted people. I'm lucky to have you in my life."
From the look in Yang's eyes and the way she ducked down to meet Ruby's gaze, Ruby knew she just lost that argument. She always lost when Yang pulled the sentimental card.
"We're lucky to have you in our lives too..." she grumbled, much to Yang's delight.
"That's what I like to hear. But if you're really bored, do I need to find something more challenging for you?"
"I dunno...I guess I'm just a little restless and...questioning things."
At the moment, Ruby couldn't describe how she felt any better than that. Thankfully, she didn't have to, as Yang set a hand on her shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.
"You do great work here," Yang said, her eyes willing Ruby to believe her. "I'm so proud of you, Dad's proud of you, and Mom would be too. But if you need a break, even just a few days, maybe that'd be good. Help clear your head and find some...perspective."
"Maybe..."
Perspective was something Ruby alternatively thought she did and didn't have. Through her near-constant connection to the internet, she had a good grasp of what was going on around her. But her life? Her life felt the same from one day to the next, with the only deviations being the functions typed into her computer or the names and faces taking up her screens.
"Maybe," she repeated with a little more certainty.
Maybe this was just a phase. Maybe it was a momentary bout of boredom. Maybe work would get busy and she would forget all about it.
"Let me know if I can help, ok?"
As usual, Yang offered to help. And, as usual, Ruby felt better just hearing the words. That restless feeling might not have magically disappeared, but she knew that she had her sister's support through anything. If she ever figured out how to deal with this...whatever this was...she could talk to Yang about it.
"I will," she promised. "But I should probably get ready for that case..."
Understanding the unspoken words, Yang nodded and pulled Ruby into a warm, reassuring hug. "You're a rockstar," she whispered before squeezing Ruby's shoulders and backing towards the door.
"Don't forget it!" she added before waving and heading to her own office near the front of the station.
After Yang disappeared around the corner, Ruby sighed and let her shoulders slouch. She didn't let herself dwell on the feeling for long though. Instead, she turned back to her computer and formulated a plan to organize the information Yang left her.
Normally, she started with the victim's last-known appearance and worked backward from there. Once she had a couple years of data, she built a web of relationships and set up searches for every connection, seemingly-important or otherwise.
Realistically, the victim could have been nothing more than a typical twenty-something about to finish college and move on to her career. But if Yang suspected this case didn't have a typical answer, Ruby needed a nontypical approach. The easiest way to do that was by assuming the victim was a criminal mastermind covering all of her tracks; now, Ruby's job was to uncover them.
If she stayed late tonight, she could hopefully get Yang answers sooner rather than later. Before that though, she had to go over the results from a previous search and, most importantly, prepare for her upcoming testimony.
She was actually excited for this testimony, mostly because she created a program to confirm some important evidence. Now she could discuss her findings in front of a judge, remote jurors, and the defense. Even though her work was only a small part of a much larger case, her answers could go a long way in putting a criminal behind bars.
Pulling up a copy of what she sent the prosecutor last week, she browsed the numbers one last time before locking her computer. After spending so long working on this particular case, she had most of the data memorized by now, which should go a long way in making her look credible on the stand.
She still remembered how nervous she'd been for the first case she presented in front of a judge. Fortunately, Yang had spent the better part of three weekends coaching her on what to expect, and she filled the rest of her free time watching replays of other trials. That first testimony resulted in a successful conviction - an incredible feeling that proved this was what she wanted to do with her life.
Today, unfortunately, she intimately understood the phrase 'you win some, you lose some.' Not every trial went according to plan, and not every case could be won. Over time, she'd accepted the failures as learning opportunities, and testimonies as a routine part of her job. As such, she felt very few nerves while leaving her office and heading to the courthouse.
The downtown police department was just one part of the Justice Center - a sprawling collection of buildings that included the police station, detention center, and courthouse. To reach the detention center or courthouse, one had to pass through the station.
Whenever visitors questioned the layout, Yang explained that officers acted as both servants to the public and gatekeepers of Vale's justice system. As such, didn't it make sense for the police station to be the first building someone entered and the last they left?
A more logical explanation probably existed, but Ruby liked the thought of serving the public and the law at the same time. Plus, the proximity of the courthouse and detention center kept their processes running smoothly and allowed expert witnesses, like herself, to participate more regularly in cases. If she had to leave the station and catch a ride across town whenever she appeared in court, she'd never have time to finish her cases.
The shift between the police department and the courthouse still felt too sudden to her, but that was what happened when one building was built decades after the first. The detention center was even newer, which was nice for patrol officers marching entry-level criminals back and forth. It must be a hassle to stop at the security checkpoints every single time though...
"Hey Ruby," one of the security guards greeted her as she reached one such checkpoint. "Got another case?"
"They never end," she said while waving her bracelet over the scanner, transferring her police credentials to the screen in front of him. Once her information cleared the protocols she'd personally written, he waved her through the body scanner and nodded when it didn't make a sound. It never made a sound, so she didn't know why she always expected it to go off.
"Good luck."
"Thanks!"
After sending him a quick wave, she crossed the courthouse atrium just beyond the checkpoint. Attorneys, family members, and friends filled the cavernous room, but the atmosphere remained hushed, as if no one wanted their conversation overheard.
Every inch of the room was monitored, so everything they said was recorded anyway. The hidden microphones picked up the softest of voices, so these whisperers were only hiding their words from each other, not the police. Most people knew not to divulge confidential information within the walls of the Justice Center, but Ruby was still surprised by some of the conversations she discovered.
Making it to the right courtroom and finding the trial already underway, she slipped into the small seating area reserved for witnesses and scanned the room to get her bearings. The judge sat up front, as usual. The cameras were on and broadcasting to the jurors. The lead prosecutor, an experienced attorney named Noah, stood near a desk on the left side of the room. The defendant and his attorney sat at the desk on the right while waiting for the next part of the case to begin.
The reason why Ruby had prepared so much for this particular case sat at that desk - the defense attorney, Weiss Schnee.
Known by a variety of names around the department, none of them very nice, Weiss was every officer's worst nightmare. With her striking, ice-blue eyes and long, pristinely-white hair, which she sometimes pulled into a tight ponytail and sometimes pleated in a perfect braid, she was equal parts beautiful and unforgettable.
But beauty alone didn't explain how she built a career of making the police look incompetent. Her razor-sharp intellect set her in a class of her own, putting most of Vale's defense attorneys and the department's prosecutors to shame.
If you were arrested, you wanted her representing you - if you could afford it. If you were doing the arresting, she was the last person you wanted to see listed as the defense attorney.
Noah needed to be on his A-game today. Otherwise, Weiss would tear this case apart.
Since Ruby was only brought in to talk tech, she had no idea how it was going so far. For all she knew, they were already losing. In that case, it was up to her to bring the odds in their favor. Alternatively, maybe the department was already winning, and her testimony was more of a formality.
Considering Weiss' presence, Ruby doubted the police were winning, so she had to be as convincing as possible. Thankfully, she loved talking about technology with anyone willing to listen.
"Councilor," the judge said after several minutes of recordkeeping. "Please call your next witness."
When Judge Brown waved to the side, Noah turned around and caught Ruby's attention. Your Honor, I'd like to call Ruby Rose, chief of technology for the Vale Police Department."
With her turn on the stand having arrived, she stood and walked to the front of the room. Everyone's gazes followed her to the witness stand, but she didn't look their way. Instead, she saved a small smile for Judge Brown before making herself as comfortable as possible in the uncomfortable wooden chair designated for her.
From there, she looked straight at Weiss and the defendant - a well-heeled man wearing an expensive suit and polished shoes. Considering she knew his life inside and out by now, he wasn't her primary concern. No, her concern right now was Weiss. Mainly, what would Weiss say or do to discredit everything she was about to say?
"Ruby, please state your qualifications," Noah asked while motioning towards the camera broadcasting to the jurors.
This was the first part of every testimony, but she still hadn't gotten used to bragging about herself. The jurors, however, needed to believe she was credible.
"I've been the lead technology analyst of Vale PD for the past three and a half years," she replied, same as always. "I graduated from Vale University's Technology Innovation Program. I'm CIMA, FLO, and PIR certified, which...basically means I can talk to any computer."
While Noah nodded at Ruby's spiel, Weiss regarded her with an unflinching, unintimidated gaze. But she could probably claim to be an all-powerful deity and Weiss would still imply that she didn't know what she was talking about.
"Miss Rose," Noah addressed her in the business-like tone he always used. "You searched public databases for evidence of Mr. Donahue's actions on the night of November first - can you explain what you found?"
"Yes." Leaning forward, Ruby kept her eyes on Noah and prepared her explanation. "Because he used Jace Face -"
"Objection," Weiss interrupted. "Conjecture."
When Judge Brown nodded, Ruby shook her head and started over.
"Because we think he used Jace Face," she corrected. "A general search was inconclusive - there were over three thousand hits in a four-block radius. Fortunately, not many people can afford his shoes."
"By that you mean...?"
"His shoes are expensive," she stated matter-of-factly before pulling up one of the visuals she'd created. "Per the manufacturer, only three hundred pairs of his particular size and style have been made, and only two hundred and sixty-four of those were sold."
"So very few people in Vale own those shoes."
"Exactly."
Getting into the best part of her explanation, Ruby started to get excited.
"Searching holomasks didn't work, but I found a shoe print." With a wave of her hand, an image of the shoe print projected on the screen beside her. "This was left on a small patch of dirt within three feet of where the crime occurred."
A map displayed next, showing exactly where the print was found.
"Does that shoe print belong to him?" Noah asked.
"In my opinion, yes, absolutely." Moving to the next screen, which showed her results, she took a deep breath and explained. "He surrendered his shoes at intake, and we scanned them. I uploaded that scan and created a program mimicking the prints someone his size and weight would make with that particular shoe. It was a perfect match."
Her last exhibit was the shoe print generated by her new program compared to the shoe print left behind by the culprit. Every piece of data matched perfectly.
"So that's his shoe print located at the scene of the crime," Noah prodded her.
"Yes. And since it had rained the night before, it couldn't be more than a day old."
"Interesting," Noah replied while turning towards the jurors. "So you found his shoe print, from the day of the crime, near the scene of the crime, when he claims to have never set foot in that area. To me, it sounds like he had motive, and he was there when everything happened."
The words weren't meant for her, but she nodded anyway.
"Thank you, Ruby," he added before walking back to his desk and sitting down. "No further questions."
"Councilor Schnee," the judge said a few seconds later. "Your witness." When Weiss stood up, Ruby took a deep breath and straightened her posture. The easy part was over - now she had to defend everything she just said.
"Just to make sure we're clear," Weiss began, her icy-blue eyes never leaving Ruby's. "You didn't positively match a holomask with my client."
"No, but -"
"What you did match was a shoe that could've been worn by any of two hundred and sixty-three other people?"
"I matched the shoe print to him," Ruby corrected. If she didn't hold her ground, Weiss would steamroll her in a heartbeat. "That's what my new program does. It measures the wear patterns on the bottom of a shoe then incorporates personal details such as weight, height, and gait. It doesn't just match prints - it matches the depth, density, and impression pattern of that specific print and the person who made it."
"When you say this is a 'new' program...just how new is it? Did you create it specifically for this case?"
The way Weiss posed the question made that sound like a bad thing, but Ruby couldn't exactly refute the answer.
"I did."
"So you invented a brand new program...and we're just supposed to trust that it's accurate?"
"It might be 'new' as in not available to the general public, but that doesn't mean it's inaccurate." Turning back to the screen, Ruby motioned to the test results she showed before. "I ran a million samples using thousands of different shoes and test subjects - it created a perfect match one hundred percent of the time."
"A million samples..." Weiss mused. "Tell me - how many tests did a program like Match Hunter do before it was widely accepted by the market?"
They only did three hundred thousand," Ruby answered, recalling the number from a technology summary she'd read. "That's the baseline for DTA approval as long as you have no failures. If you have under ten, you still only need to do six hundred thousand. I did a million."
Weiss briefly paused while working through that information and, for a split second, Ruby's heart froze in anticipation of a swift-yet-brutal rebuttal. Instead, Weiss spun on her heel and returned to her desk with a curt, "That'll be all."
"Thank you, Miss Rose," Judge Brown directed Ruby's way before nodding that she could leave. Testimony complete, she gladly hurried out of the courtroom and made her way back to the police station.
She felt alive right now, as anyone should after surviving Weiss' onslaught of questions. And, surprisingly, that went better than expected. Hopefully, the jurors agreed that a million successful tests were more than enough evidence that her new methodology worked.
As for Weiss, it was obvious that she'd smelled blood in the water as soon as she heard the word 'new.' Fortunately, Ruby had learned from past mistakes - and past beratings from the sharp-tongued attorney - and recalibrated her work. These days, she didn't tackle any case with the intention of only convincing the jury - she had to convince Weiss to back down too.
Easier said than done. Today, however, she'd succeeded, and that felt pretty damn great.
"How'd it go?" the guard at the security checkpoint asked while she repeated the process from earlier, this time to re-enter the police station.
"Went awesome!"
With a big smile and wave, she walked through familiar halls with wings on her feet. Even though she wasn't excited about her other cases at the moment, she would ride this wave of triumph for as long as possible. When Yang walked into the hall in front of her, her smile only grew.
"Hey Yang!" she called out to get her sister's attention. After just one look, Yang laughed and fell into step by her side.
"Wow, you look chipper."
"Because I just schooled Weiss Schnee." When Yang's brow shot up, Ruby nodded. "She thought I didn't do enough testing, but I did three times the required amount."
"Why'd you do three times the required amount?"
"Because I knew she'd fry me if I didn't."
While Ruby grinned at the successful strategy, which Weiss had apparently never seen coming, Yang chuckled and shook her head.
"So she makes you better at your job? Never thought there'd be anything good about her."
After patting Ruby's shoulder, Yang motioned that she was heading out of the station before walking that way. Ruby, however, thought about that statement long after Yang left.
That was true, wasn't it? Everyone knew Weiss was a great attorney, so they had to be better; otherwise, their work was ripped to shreds in front of the jurors. No one knew what made her so good - although Ruby overheard some crass speculation around the department - but she had an uncanny ability to find and exploit weaknesses. Even the most ironclad arguments weren't safe, as she'd dismantled more than a few 'open-and-shut' cases before.
Responding to her questions without jeopardizing the prosecutor's strategy was almost impossible. Listening to her unravel an argument was horrifying and mesmerizing at the same time. And being strung along a line of questioning with no idea what trap it led to would stir apprehension in even the more sure-minded people.
It was a challenge, but that only made finding ways to succeed feel like a greater victory.
After thinking about that for another moment, Ruby smiled and headed back to her office. The items on her to-do list weren't nearly as exciting, but she felt rejuvenated enough to get through everything.
Maybe there was one good thing about Weiss Schnee, after all.
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The scene changed to a "Breaking News" broadcast. A frog faunus was moderating.
"We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a special news bulletin. A noodly human boy is on a destructive rampage running backwards across the city of Vale!"
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The room was pitch-black, so much so that even without the blindfold, Orimura Ichika wasn't sure if he could see his fingers. That is, he wasn't sure if he could see them had they not been tied behind his back. However, the ten-year old Japanese boy's thoughts were surprisingly not focused on his current situation. Instead, he was thinking of his sister, Chifuyu Orimura, who was in Germany at the moment, participating in the Second Mondo Grosso IS tournament. He paid no heed to the fact that he was bound, gagged and blindfolded, nor did he even seem to care that he was even kidnapped in the first place. His only thought was 'I hope Chifuyu-nee wins again
When Ichika opened his eyes, he could only see blackness. He started to panic uncontrollably. Fear struck his heart, he was still restrained as he tried to sit up. Only to be held down by his wrists. Ichika heard a wolf whistle and a pair of hands reached for his head and removed a cloth that was covering the young Orimuras eyes.
Ichika saw Ludvig with a sick smile plastered on his face. Looking around, you could see multiple scientists entering things onto computers and writing notes on clipboards. Ichika's eyes hurt immensely as if they were drilled and stabbed until there was nothing left to poke at. As if the sun was blaring light directly into his eyes.
Even closing them did little to soothe the pain. "Hurts doesn't it kid? Can't believe you and Bodewig survived. Well, she's still a defect. But we have you! A perfect specimen, a male that can pilot an Infinite Stratos too!" Ludvig laughed and clapped his hands together.
"What did you do to me!? Where is Laura!? I swear to god if you hurt her in any way!" Ichika pulled on his restraints which started to groan in protest. The steel starting to bend and came close to snapping. Ignoring the pain in his eyes to find Laura he nearly broke free when Ludvig answered
"Relax kid, Bodewig is fine. Better than you at least. She didn't get both of her eyes replaced with an Infinite Stratos boost unlike you though. We kind of stabbed you in the eyes." Ludvig gave a hardy laugh. To which Ichika tried to roll his eyes, only to find it extremely painful to even try and move his eyes.
"I can tell..." Ichika looked downtrodden. And in a rare and surprising act of pity Ludvig gave Ichika a pat on the back. Although painful, it still surprised the young soldier.
"Sorry kid, even I wouldn't do this to a kid. But Harrison, oh the things I would do to that Bastard." Ludvig went off on a rant about how his boss, the man who ran the facility was breaking the green-haired man's ass over training kids to become soldiers.
You know when someone's back is pressed against the wall and everything seems hopeless, and then that person has to pull off something amazing to survive'? Well I'm in that situation right now and I haven't done anything amazing yet! My current situation I have been kidnapped knocked out and currently tied to a metal post. I actually know why I've been captured my sister is an I.S. pilot which in this day in age is as important as being an Olympic athlete maybe more. What's an I.S. you ask? Well I'll explain that later assuming I get out of this. My name is Ichika Orimura by the way totally average guy no particular skills of any sort. But I do have one thing that everyone seems to underestimate about me I am resourceful not that I had many situations where I needed to use that trait, but hey no time like the present.
I try to feel around behind me before cutting myself on what I think is glass, well it's a sharp pointy object and I'm tied in rope. Time to go. I quickly saw off the rope and get and that's when I notice that my head is killing me, they probably hit me over the head with something over the aftereffect of a knockout drug...geez, it feels like both.Bleary blue eyes open at the sound of metal clanging. Jaune Arc, age seventeen, looked around the room he was in. It was dark, dank, and very dreary. All he had was the cot he was on and a toilet and sink, but even that was terrible. The cot was made of straw and the blanket was moth ridden, barely protecting from the cold. The sink gave out terrible water that wasn't even safe enough to drink. Heck, he wasn't sure that it was clean.
It was still better than eating with hands that had touched his butt.notice something in the corner it's a gun, a G36C if I remember correctly I pick it up, if the guys who kidnapped me are still around here I'm going to need something to defend myself not that I plan on killing someone, I'm middle freaking schooler for crying out loud! But still if they have one laying around I'm pretty sure there are others who have guns and won't hesitate to kill me. As it stands now I'm so totally screwed.
I go out into the hallway of the room and began searching for an exit I have an idea about why they are doing this I just hope I'm wrong. It wasn't long before I came across the room with people and few
Ignoring the trainer, Ichika leaned back and let the darkness of sleep consume his mind.
But that didn't matter for the moment. No, what mattered right now was his captors coming in.
Getting to his feet, Jaune prepared himself. Even with what little Aura he had, braced himself as two metallic men entered, Atlesian Knights-2000's. However, instead of the white or grey color that is usually associated with Mantle's security force, these were colored black with a stylized M on it.
"Fellas," Jaune greeted. Sure, his bravado would usually get him hurt even more but he was just so tired of their shit. He braced himself with his Aura as a fist collided with his face. One thing the blonde had figured out was that even with the small amount of Aura he could recover during this torture, it was enough to put up more than a decent shield.
So when the metallic hand collided with it, he may have felt the impact but it was the robot that had a dented fist. However, because he flared it around his face the second one got his stomach making him lose his focus. Spittle came out of his mouth, as he was forced onto his knees and a third punch connected to his face this time.
The beating went on for a few minutes before his bruised body was dragged out of the cell and tossed onto the ground. "Jaune!" a feminine voice called out. His unbruised eye looked above him as someone gently grabbed his head. It was a woman who looked so eerily like his former partner Pyrrha. Red hair, green eyes, soft worried eyes.
"No, that's wrong. Pyrrha lost those," Jaune thought to himself. "I hadn't noticed until my expulsion but Pyrrha lost those caring eyes."
This one was Atalanta Nikos, the younger twin sister of Pyrrha Nikos. And much to her own words, the forgotten child. The two had met during the last few days at Beacon. When his dream fell apart, she had supported him in any way she can.
Namely, because she was so baffled as to why her loving sister would betray his trust and affection for his bully instead. Yes, Pyrrha had suddenly had fallen in love with Cardin Winchester, much to the bafflement of those around them. That was a big blow to his pride and joy. Jaune thought that they cared for one another. It seemed like it was only one-sided on his end.
That was when he met Atlanta. She was there to visit for the Vytal festival under her parents' request. Safe to say she was not happy, both at her sister's actions and her being there only to be ignored again. So for those last few days, it was Jaune, Atlanta, Nora and Ren that hung out. Pyrrha was too busy with Cardin to even join them in their farewell activities for Jaune.
Then of course on the Bullhead back home had been hijacked by some people. They didn't say who they were but that they were on a detour. The said detour took them into the Land of Darkness and the whole ordeal started.
A man with a mustache that can only that could only be matched by Prof. Port had stood before them. He didn't give his name but did say what would happen.
They were test subjects to a very dark experiment. Those who resist would get tortured even more than those who didn't. Of course, those who were Hunters were beaten down as an example. Legs broken, as was their arms, it was to make sure the people would not fight back.
Jaune didn't do that for a single reason. Atlanta was with him. He would have shown some anger at the whole thing if he was on his own, but there was someone with him on this trip. He didn't want to risk it.
"Jaune," Atlanta said to him holding his head. Her voice bringing him back to the present.
"You shouldn't be helping me," Jaune replied as he slowly got up. "Last time you did, they beat you up even more." He gently pushed the redhead away but she refused to move.
"Jaune they can't do any worse than what they've been doing to me," Atlanta replied as she stood near him. "Thankfully they haven't done something that is....unspeakable." The redhead frowned. "I'm surprised no one had been raped for this."
"Seems like beatings, druggings and whatever else they do to us," Jaune frowned. His tired blue eyes looked around and saw that rogue robots stood at attention, guns at the ready. From what he learned, they didn't want to kill any of them. Broken and bloody yes, but not dead. However, there was no limit to what they can do to hurt them.
More clanging could be heard and Jaune looked up. From the ceiling, tiny droids dropped down, placing tiny rations and plastic bottles of water in front of them. At least these seemed cleaner than the ones that water pumped into their rooms. He took the tiny piece of bread, protein and whatever else was in that bar of nutrition.
He took a couple of bites before turning to Atlanta who had already finished her bar. Jaune held out his bar to her while drinking his water. "Take it," the blonde said. Green eyes turned to him and she frowned.
"You need to eat too," she replied. Jaune carefully placed it into her hand.
"You and I both know that I don't need that much," he replied. "I haven't needed a lot for a long time."
His mind went back to another revelation that came about in the last few weeks He finally understood why his mother and sisters treated him just out of arms reach. A single Scroll call had broken him of his delusions of family.
Saphron had told him, that after running away, his family finally felt at peace. That with his leaving, the rest of the Arcs felt happy. When asked why Saphron stated the obvious.
He was shocked to hear the disdain and dismissal in her voice. When he called his other sisters and mother, they didn't even speak to him. The Arc matriarch was the same, no words were spoken. When he tried calling his father, Jaune had felt hurt that he wasn't there to help out the situation.
It made sense as to why he was always given less food when his father wasn't there. Why they seemed to not like him and they belittled him. It also explained why he was treated more like a girl than a boy. It seemed that the women in his family did not like him.
Now he'll never get to know. Jaune was sure he would die here.
Back in reality, he felt Atlanta take his portion and gave a small smile. She began to nibble on it as she sat on the dirty floor in this prison. Jaune wished he could do more for the people here, but how could he? The actual Hunters were being beaten, what can he, a failed academy student do?
A few minutes later they were herded back into their rooms, where the next phase of their day would begin.
The would-be hero was barely able to gain any Aura from the rest he had during breakfast, nor the food. He wouldn't be able to protect himself as he did this morning. So when three of the Errants, yes he'll call them that because those things were no longer knights, entered he was given a harsh beating.
He could always feel his Aura take the first hit but immediately go into the red after. He would be on the ground as the metal men would rain down punch after punch, kick after kick onto him. They even threw him around and beat him into the ground.
He was pretty sure that he had lost a couple of teeth. Not to mention the either cracked or bruising ribs, his broken left arm, and once again swollen eye. The young man didn't even have the energy to drag himself to the cot after that.
So he laid there on the dirty stone floor, dreading the next part of the day. It only took moments before Jaune fell unconscious from the pain.
He awoke to the sound of skittering and some growling. The blonde could feel his Aura having kicked in again as it slowly started to mend itself. However, that didn't matter. The thing in his room didn't need to hurt him physically.
No, this Grimm attacked its prey mentally.
"No...please no..." Jaune begged, but like the robots, the Grimm didn't care. Having no strength, he couldn't even get up. "I hate Ansi."
"And they hate you as much as we do," a voice called out. He focused on the person standing off to the side. Standing there was none other than his older sister Saphron. She had a smirk on her face as she leaned against the wall.
"You're not real...go away..." he said. "They're not real."
"We're very much real Jaune," a second voice said. He saw Pyrrha standing there, in a pretty red dress. The one she showed off to him that she would be wearing to the dance. The one where he was originally going to go with her until all of this just threw a wrench in his plans. The love of his life was squatting, giving him a teasing view up the dress but showed nothing. "And you know it. You know how no one cares."
"Shut up," Jaune tried to block out the voice, but it was a futile effort. After all, this was all in his head.
"No one cares for the poor Vomit Boy," a third voice continued. The last one was his former best friend, Ruby Rose. The one who threw him away as soon as Pyrrha revealed her love for Cardin. The one who left him with a hurting heart.
"It's not real," Jaune repeated to himself. "It's not real." He felt someone touch his face, but he knew it wasn't happening but this was worse than the beatings.
"You will never be enough Jaune," Ruby whispered into his ear. "Never a good enough friend."
"Never a good enough lover," Pyrrha laughed as she pressed a heel into his chest.
"And never a good enough brother," Saphron grinned as she towered over him.
"Shut up..." his voice had less bite to it and his breath hitched. Even after all these days, this was his biggest fear and pain.
"You are just never enough," Ruby told him. "You'll always be a loser."
"A loner," Pyrrha continued.
"And a leftover no one wants," Saphron taunted. Jaune was panting and tears were going down his face.
"Please stop," Jaune begged. "Just stop it." He wanted to curl up into a ball, to hide away from all of this, but he was too hurt to do os.
"Why don't you just give up Jaune," Ruby told him. "You have friends."
"You don't have a chance at fucking anyone," Pyrrha laughed as her hand dragged itself against his stomach. Going closer and closer to his crotch but never get there.
"And your family has no fondness for you," Saphron mockingly cooed.
"Just give up." The three women chanted. "Give up. Give up."
"Your evolution from those mortal shells," Salem grinned. "To become a new kind of Grimm." Everyone started shouting, at her even in their fear. "Behold and be born!"
As she spoke the clouds parted and the slightly bright sky darkened. Everyone looked up as they saw the fractured moon eclipse the sun.
Jaune felt his chest hurt and felt the sensation of falling. Or was he falling? Because in the next moment, he was on his knees and it felt like his insides were being torn apart. Next to him, Atlanta was screaming.
Or was it him?
He was pretty sure it was both, since his throat felt like it was on fire. His eyes were all blurry as he slowly collapsed even more. Jaune could hear some odd chanting coming from somewhere. And then the damn scuttling and growling.
Why were the Ansi here?
More and more shouting filled the air as the eclipse loomed over them.
The hallucinations reappeared once more. Ruby, Pyrrha, and Saphron all surrounding his form. Upon seeing them, Jaune felt something...break. Looking down he saw purple cracks appearing at his chest. Slowly, the began to spread.
"You are nothing," the three said in unison. Jaune grit his teeth and clenched his fists. The cracks went from his chest down to his abs, slowly wrapping around his body.
"I don't understand why mom and dad even had you," Saphron sneered. Jaune yelled in pain as the cracks covered his legs and arms now, slowly getting more and more closer to his head.
"I'm sorry, Jaune, but...I love Cardin. I never loved you," Pyrrha taunted as an illusory Cardin appeared and she draped herself on the bully's shoulders. He couldn't see it but his eyes had turned red. Next to him, Atlanta was very much the same. Flecks of white bone began to appear around his face.
"Jaune, stop talking to me," Ruby said before turning away. He couldn't feel his throat any more at this point. Jaune couldn't even think straight. Why did everything hurt? His body, his heart, his mind? Why did everything hurt!?
"You are hereby expelled Mr. Arc," a vision of Ozpin said as he remembered the day that ended his dream. His goals, his ambitions, everything came crashing down with those words. Jaune gasped as he felt something from his back.
"What the point?" Jaune thought to himself as the pain was about to overcome him. "Why try to fight? Nothing I did mattered? Maybe...maybe this is my end? There is no hope. Nothing for me? Why should I go on?"
Jaune felt himself falling deeper into his mind, as the darkness was swallowing him. There was no point in continuing, everything was hopeless after all. Especially for a nobody like him. "Why did I even think I had a chance to be a Hunter?" As he was about to be swallowed by the ever-encroaching shadows, a speck of gold shined before him.
"A Hunter?" a voice asked, sounding jovial. It sounded familiar and warm. "Why did I become a Hunter? Is that what you're asking son?"
"Dad?" Jaune thought as he stared at the golden light.
"Yeah, dad! Why did you become one?" a younger voice asked. Th-That was his voice! "Is it because you want to kill Grimm?"
"No. I don't want that Jaune. While it's part of it, killing Grimm is not what I want to do as a Hunter." The voiced sounded so sure and so bright? Didn't his father...didnot his father hate him too? Wasn't that the reason he didn't pick up the phone calls?
"I want to help create a world, one that cherishes love and peace above all else." Jaune saw the smiling image of his father, a man in his thirties at that time with short blonde hair and a beard. "Your mom and her family may think it's a stupid dream but...I want to make a world where my kids would be accepted and be happy."
"Really?" a young Jaune asked before pouting. "Mom and my sisters don't seem to like me very much." His father...Louis...was his name, smiled at him.
"They'll come to love you soon enough son," he said kissing his forehead. "Be patient with them. They don't want you going down the same path I and my family do, they love you but they are very scared for you."
Now listen here Jaune my boy," an old man said to Jaune. He was even younger then, as he looked up at...Charles Arc. "Never lose hope, my child. In this world, only hope and willpower that will push us through the darkest of times. To inspire these feelings in others, that is what it means to be a Hunter."
"Gramps? I...I remember this one! I was crying and Grampa Charles told me stories about his adventures Hunters and the people he helped. It was what made me want to be a hero in the first place!"
The golden shine grew brighter.
"Who's picture is that Grandpa?" the young Jaune asked. The grey-haired man was looking at an old photo.
"This? It's my father, Karl Arc. He fought in the Great War all those years ago. He didn't want to fight but he did anyway," Charles sighed.
"Then why did he?" Jaune asked innocently.
"As stupid as it sounded, he fought to end the fighting," Charles sighed in the memory. "He wanted to make a paradise for the world alongside his associates. Sadly, his dream couldn't come true. Humans and Faunus didn't understand each other, and they still don't want to try. The same goes for humans and other humans. But...he helped all those he can. My father was a hero."
"Wow! Great-Grandpa was a hero!? I want to be one too!" Charles laughed.
"Maybe when you're older I can teach you some things?"
"That day never came because he died. But our lineage...full of heroes." The golden glow that he saw was now bright. "Damn it! I can't just lie down and not do anything! I may be turning into a Grimm but I'm not going to give up damn it! My great-grandfather, my grandfather, and my dad wouldn't give up right here. They'd fight to the end. So I'll do just that. If I'm going to die, I'm doing it on my terms!"
From the balcony above, Salem frowned. While yes the experiment was a resounding success, it was not what she expected. She wanted more people like her. Not these...humanoid Grimm. Alas, she may have to wait until another batch to try different things. After all, she had new toys to play with.
"It seems like most of them have turned my Lady," Merlot told her. "Only a few are left, while those have are inspecting their new bodies."
"That is good. I shall speak to them when they are all done. I shall show them their place as my warriors. Anywho oppose me shall be terminated and turned back into the Essence," she replied.
"Of course, my Lady." He was about to continue when Salem paused and her breath hitched. The feeling she got was something she hadn't felt in a long time. It was a pulsating energy that made her hair stand on edge and her own corrupted heart to quicken.
She could feel magic oozing off something. No, someone.
Her red eyes landed on the blonde who was shouting in pain, only for the process to stop. The large wings that had erupted from his back covered his form as a golden light shone from him. "What is happening?" Merlot asked, very confused.
Salem didn't respond. Instead, she kept watch. She was wondering what was happening with that being there, why he suddenly had magic and Aura. She wasn't the only one, the red-haired girl who was next to him was entranced by the golden light. From the wings, a scaled claw reached out and grabbed the woman's hand her cracking form was picked up by the being that stood before them.
No words were said as he suddenly jumped up and flew away at a breakneck pace. "Damn." Merlot said as he watched the two beings fly away. "They'll be dead by morning without a stabilizer. Those would have been a dragon and a chimera. I'm sorry for such failures, my Lady."
"Chase after them, I want the boy alive," Salem said a grin on her face.
"My Lady?" Merlot asked.
"I think...we may have found the one I am looking for." After all, the draconic looking kept his blue eyes. An interesting development if she did say so herself.
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TO BE CONTINUED