Fuck.

Of course, today had to be my birthday.

Thank you, very much thank you world for this gift of a day.

I really appreciate everything that my birthday has given me today. Fucking love it.

But I refuse to wallow in self-pity anymore. I can’t afford to stay down, not when that bitch is still there. Summoning every ounce of determination, I plant my palm firmly on the ground, pushing myself up. It’s a struggle, my muscles protesting against the effort, but I manage to rise to one knee, pushing past that obstacle.

The pain flares anew, a sharp stab that steals my breath away. Clutching my chest, I grit my teeth against it, refusing to concede any ground. With a grimace, I force my body to focus on the figure before me, my attacker, who seems to take her sweet time in her approach.

She still has that very pissed off expression, feeling vindicated for punching me. “Well? Nothing to say?”"

Fucking blondie whore.

“Thief? I fucking bought-” I start, my voice rising in anger, only to be interrupted by a violent fit of coughing that doubled me over in suffering. Collapsing to the ground, I groan in frustration. I could even feel the misery. “I bought that bike, you fucking psycho!”

Yes, that’s a big fat lie, because sure as fuck won’t admit to this blondie that I actually did it.

And I pray with every little hope and strength left in my body that it works, that my lie is enough to convince her.

Which it does. It fucking does!

The raging beast before me comes to a stop, her expression shifting from rage to irritation. It is almost comical how her anger seems to deflate, replaced by a look of annoyance. For a moment, she simply stares at me, her blue lilac narrowing in suspicion.

Using that small escape from imminent danger, and with my regeneration working overtime, I manage to push myself back onto one knee with relative ease this time. I meet her piercing eyes, raising one hand in a pleading gesture. “I swear that I bought it…. I-I was looking for a cheap bike… and one asshole dressed very stupid sold it to me!”

Yes, I’m using that fucking scammer as my scapegoat. Karma is a bitch, isn’t it?

The stupid blondie before me places both hands firmly on her hips, leaning forward ever so slightly, with a scrutinizing look. But I only cough again and spit on the floor.

No blood, that’s good to know.

And taking another look at her, which shows doubt in her expressions tells me that she is buying it. Although she will take the bike, which sucks, but it is much better than getting all my bones in my body broken.

“Sure, I believe ya.”

YES.

“Buuuuut why do you work for that Junior guy, huh?”

In that deafening moment, I can almost hear the shattering of all my hopes and dreams, causing my ears to flatten against my head in a futile attempt to shield myself from the incoming shitshow.
“Well... shit,” I mutter under my breath, resigned to my fate.

It’s all the confirmation she needs. Anger ignites within her once more, her lilac eyes turning into red. Her teeth bare in a primal display of her intentions as she charges toward me, her fist cocked back, ready to deliver a blow aimed squarely at my face.

Except she is a fucking idiot to let my regeneration work without interruption.

With the worst of the pain subsiding, I seize the opportunity at the last possible moment. As her punch inches closer, I lunge forward, my hand shooting out to intercept her gauntlet-clad wrist. With a swift yank, I exploit her weight and momentum to my advantage, leveraging the force of her attack to propel myself upright in one fluid motion.

Not wasting a single precious second, I take a heavy step back, my muscles tensing as I prepare to make my escape. With a powerful leap, I propel myself as far away from her as possible, the distance between us increasing with each passing moment. Glancing back over my shoulder, I watch as she staggers several steps, struggling to regain her footing before finally steadying herself.

She whirls around, showing the same pissed off expression from before.

However, I have already called my weapons and raised my stance, with both hands armed with my brass knuckles in front of me.

Now I have a fighting chance.

“Name’s Yang, by the way.” She announces, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips despite the anger reflected in her eyes. “Nice to beat you!”

The fuck?

A string of small explosions tear through the air as the girl now named Yang unleashes a relentless barrage of gunfire from her gauntlets, of course, a mecha-shift weapon.

“Motherfucker!” I curse, my instincts kicking into overdrive as I leap away just in the nick of time, narrowly escaping the blast zone. I watch in misplaced awe as each shot leaves a scorching mark on the pavement, while others create a small crater.

As I hit the ground, my gaze instantly locks onto the fiery blonde, now unleashing an unrelenting barrage of punches. Each strike is accompanied by explosive shots blazing through the air, the crimson projectiles hurtling towards me at alarming speeds. A surge of panic rises, but one thought is clear: I cannot let a single one of those shots hit me, not even once.

Plenty of motivation to turn and run as fast as my legs can carry me. But I barely cover any ground before her shots are thundering all around me, forcing me to abruptly drop and slide across the concrete to avoid the incoming barrage. The projectiles scream past and slam into the building wall with a deafening impact, sending debris and thick clouds of smoke billowing out, quickly engulfing me.

I quickly get back up, squinting and waving away the hazy veil trying to find Yang’s position. After that attack, she won’t stay put. I know she won’t let this chance go.

As the smoke slowly clears, I finally spot her silhouette just before she fires her gauntlets, propelling herself straight at me like a missile. Her fist is cocked back, blonde hair whipping behind her as she closes the distance in a blink.

That’s when survival instincts take over, my body reacting with unnatural agility, throwing itself into a violent, arching backbend. I contort in a way I never could have consciously achieved. But it’s just enough to let Yang’s punch scream past a hair’s breadth from obliterating me, her blazing gauntlet grazing my clothes and the very tip of my nose with a scorching caress.

She misses her mark entirely, but the blonde brawler doesn’t miss a beat. Her boots skid and grind against the concrete as she forcefully stops her momentum before she gets too far.

“ARGH STAY STILL!” she roars, her eyes burning with frustration. She slams her fists together with an ominous clicking sound. And then a controlled explosion goes, propelling her into the air.

Instead of leading with a punch, the angry blondie tucks her legs and spins like a blazing tornado. I watch in horror as she plummets toward me, right boot extended for a devastating downward kick - a tactic I know a little too well because I’ve used it way too many times against hordes of smaller Grimm.

Also, that it can literally split my skull if I don’t fucking move away.

Despite my terrible position, I let myself crumple backwards, hitting the pavement hard with a pained grunt. Panic fuels my movements as I tuck and roll, Yang’s meteor kick smashing the ground mere inches from where I was a second ago.

I scramble back to my feet, spinning to face the impact crater. And she stands in the center of the blast zone, one boot planted in the fractured road. A rising cloud of dust and smoke erupts outward, pelting me with stinging shrapnel, forcing me to raise my arms to protect my face.

How the fuck does she have that much strength to begin with?

To my ever unlucky self, the surprise of that attack causes me to inhale a lungful of the thick dust cloud. Causing me to descend into a violent coughing fit and form a fist to hit my chest multiple times to expel everything.

As the smoky haze begins to dissipate, I catch sight of Yang standing amidst the rubble of her own making. Her hands move to the belts slung low across her hips, and with a casual flick, she tosses them up in the air. My eyes widen in realization as those belts unfurl, revealing rows of shotgun shells neatly lined up.

With a sweeping arc of her arms, her gauntlets expel a torrent of casings. The empty shells clatter and bounce around her.

She is fucking trying to reload.

And I cannot allow that to happen.

My mind races for a solution until I commit to a split-second decision. Snatching up a chunk of debris and flinging it towards Yang with all the strength I could munster on my right arm.

The rocky chunk flies through the air at incredible speed, connecting with a loud thud against her forehead.

“Ow! You asshole!” she yells in pain, clutching at the spot where it hit and losing her focus, which causes the belts with ammo to fall straight to the ground and fail to reload weapons. Fact, she is immediately aware as she hears the clicking noise of her bullets scattering everywhere around her. “Shit.”

I can’t help but smirk in triumph as she scowls. I quickly grab another piece from the street and aim for her mouth. But before it can reach its target, Yang catches it effortlessly in mid-air and crushes it into dust between her fingers, keeping the same scowl on her face.

Instead of feeling intimidated, I feel something stir inside me. Washing my entire body as I raise my fists once again, more than ready to fight head on.

“Bring it on, bitch,” I taunt with a vicious grin.

She narrows her eyes in determination, a smirk curling on her lips as she charges forward. Without the help of her mecha-shift weapon, she relies solely on her body to close the distance between us.

I quickly sidestep as she throws a punch to my jaw, feeling the breeze of her fist whizz past where my head was moments ago. In return, I deliver a direct hook to her ribs, making her grunt in pain. But before I can even prepare for a second hit, she plants herself firmly and goes for a wide swing at my head.

As I try to evade her attack, I realize too late that it was a trap. She lands a direct knee to my stomach, knocking all the air from my lungs.

Before I could even recover, her hook connects with my left cheek, sending my body skidding across the very rough surface of the broken street. The searing pain makes my teeth grinding together as my body finally came to a stop.

If it wasn’t for my aura protecting me, I’m sure her punch would have scraped off some skin off my face.

With a deep growl, I push myself off the ground, glaring at my opponent as I rub the stinging side of my face. But I refuse to let that slow me down.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in my jaw from her previous punch, I charge forward, going head on against my problems. Prepared for any traps she may have set because I can’t give her a moment to breathe or else she will reload her gauntlets and overpower me completely.

She welcomes my attack with open arms, stepping back and raising her fists, a smirk forming on her lips as she locks eyes with me. Despite the back of my mind screaming to back down, I continue my aggressive pursuit, aiming for her pretty face with a direct hit. She moves swiftly, blocking my punch with her right arm while simultaneously throwing an uppercut towards my chin with her left hand. And there is no doubt in my mind that if it connects, I’ll be knocked out cold… or die.

Time seems to slow as her fist comes upward, leaving me feeling utterly helpless. In that moment of desperation, a memory of Neo’s agile fighting style flashes through my mind. Her graceful movements, always flexible and acrobatic, inspire a sudden realization. Prompting me to act and try to imitate even just a little.

With a swift drop of my weight and a twist of my body, I narrowly avoid the incoming uppercut. I feel the rush of air as her fist whizzes past where my jaw has been just moments before. Though Yang’s eyes widen in surprise, she wastes no time in continuing her assault. Pivoting on her heel, she launches a roundhouse kick aimed squarely at my ribs.

Thinking fast, I leap into the air, using her extended leg as a springboard. With a firm grip on her shoulder, I propel myself high above her, effortlessly avoiding her kick. For a brief moment, I hover in the air, watching her attack meet nothing but empty space below.

As gravity acts, I descend back to the broken street, landing behind her. Without a moment’s hesitation, I seized my new chance. With Yang now standing precariously on one leg, I swiftly drop down and execute a sweeping kick, taking out her last remaining support.

“WOAH!”

The force behind my kick proves more than sufficient to disrupt her balance, sending her crashing onto her backside. But I refuse to let up. Maintaining my focus, I channel the momentum of my spin kick, using my hands as points of support as I transition seamlessly into a flying kick. My boot connects squarely with her stomach, sending her body hurtling through the air.

Letting my body move by instinct, I land on my feet and immediately sprint towards her anticipated landing spot. Anticipating her trajectory, I position myself strategically, readying a punch. Just as she begins her descent, I unleash a powerful blow, striking her squarely in the chest mid-air.

Instead of sending her flying and crashing uncontrollably across the rough floor, like she fucking did to me, I adjust my strike. At a deliberate angle, I drive her downwards, aiming to bury her into the broken street below. A technique I have picked up through my many fights in Vale, a move designed to incapacitate.

The force of the impact buries her torso in rubble and debris, effectively trapping her.

Slowly, I straighten myself, shaking and hissing as my hand throbs with pain. I haven’t anticipated using that much force to incapacitate her, but I couldn’t afford to underestimate her. Taking chances was a luxury I couldn’t afford in this fight.

A terrible but terrible mistake on my part to even relax.

My declaration of victory proves premature as Yang’s arms break free, seizing both of my legs and delivering a powerful kick directly to my chest. The impact sends me sprawling backward, the force of her kick amplified by my dwindling aura reserves.

The pain radiating from my chest is far worse than before. Unable to suppress a groan, I curl into a fetal position on the cold streets, my hands instinctively clutching and hugging my abused chest. At that moment, everything else fades into the background and I pray for my regeneration to fix me as quickly as possible.

“Gotta admit, I didn’t expect that.” I manage to hear her say as I wheeze, cracking open one eye to find the fucking bitch looming over me. She rolls her neck with a cocky grin.. “Buuuut it won’t work a second time.”

Before I can react, she grabs me by the collar of my shirt and hurls my body against a nearby wall. A sharp gasp escapes my lips as my back absorbs the full impact, leaving me sprawled on the hard floor, struggling to draw breath once more.

Amidst the haze of pain, my ears twitch at a distinct clinking noise, jolting me back to the present. With great effort, I lift my head just in time to watch Yang finish reloading her mecha-shift weapon.

Dread settles like a weight in the pit of my stomach, mirrored by the sinking sensation in my ears. My worst fear materializes right before me as Yang fixes her gaze on me once more, her fist clenched as she prepares to unleash another barrage.

And here I am, hurting and completely exposed.

And I don’t really know what to do. I am still recovering to even try to get away, and trying to block her would be an instant loss.

My options are running out until a thought hits me.

My gladiator class!

‘CLASS CHANGE’

The command is given and both my brass knuckles vanish from my hands, replaced by my sword and shield that materialize in their place. Without wasting another moment, I put up my shield as explosive shots rain down on me, bracing myself for the barrage of bullets.

I grit my teeth and push forward, straining against the weight of my shield as it absorbs blow after blow. Each impact threatens to knock me off balance, but I hold on tight and kneel to increase my stability.

The shots rain down around me, some missing entirely and hitting the building behind me. The resulting chaos sends pebbles and debris raining down on my head and back, adding to the mayhem.

But suddenly, everything goes quiet. The explosions stop, and the only sound is the soft patter of debris falling around me. Taking a moment to catch my breath, I slowly stand up from the ground.

My clothes are covered in dirt and grime, and I’m sure it will be bitch to fix them, although it would be perfect to increase my neglected weaver job. And as for myself, I quickly realize that something is wrong with my arms. Raising them above my waistline took immense effort and left me gasping for air. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat just trying to keep it there.

Maybe trying to block explosive shots wasn’t the best idea after all.

In a matter of seconds, the results of this clusterfuck begin to dissipate, revealing Yang in the midst of finishing her final reload for the shotgun gauntlets.

How did she even fit that many, anyway?!

“How did you survive that?” Her surprise is evident at first, but it quickly shifts to suspicion as her lilac eyes narrowed, focusing on my new set of weapons hanging from my arms. “Wait, you were using brass knuckles just now...”

That moment of realization dawns upon her, both a wrong but also a correct assumption, and her eyes turn red. “SO THAT’S HOW YOU FUCKING STOLE MY BIKE!”

In a fit of rage, she stomps the ground beneath her boot, causing a small explosion and igniting her hair into flames. Her arms and legs are also engulfed in fire, making her look even more dangerous than before.

My gut twists as I realize that she is even more powerful than I had thought.

“Oh, fuck me...”

With a fierce battle cry, she charges towards me at full speed and leaps into the air, preparing for a blazing incoming strike.

I brace myself, pushing through my exhaustion and strengthening my muscles as I prepare to defend myself. Watching her close the distance, I raise my shield and ground myself firmly at the right time. The impact of her punch sends shockwaves through my body, but I can only clench my jaw and stand my ground.

But Yang is persistent. After the first punch didn’t have much effect, she followed with a second, and then a third, and even a fourth, unleashing a relentless series of blows, each one more powerful than the last. Despite the pain throbbing through my body, I still manage to keep my guard up and block every single one of them.

Just when I think I have her under control, a moment to actually think how to counter-attack. However, she unexpectedly jumps and slams down with both fists, shattering my newly bought shield in my grip. Though I narrowly avoid getting hit, the impact sends me tumbling backwards. My ears ring as I try to regain my balance, shaking my head to clear it.

I stare at my shaking hand in disbelief and then back at her; her face still contorted with anger.

Seriously, how does she have that much strength?!

All I have to defend myself is a sword that I haven’t had much practice with against someone who clearly has years of experience in hand-to-hand combat at hunter level. I take a deep breath and steady my nerves as I raise my weapon in her direction, challenging her to make her move.

With a savage grin, she eagerly accepts my invitation and charges at me once again. But my body is already in motion, instincts taking over as I swing my sword to deflect her lethal punch and shatter her forward momentum. Drawing upon my experience from sparring with Jeanne, I use my slight advantage to kick her chest before driving into her with my shoulder, attempting to bring her down.
To my dismay, my attack doesn’t go according to plan; she stumbles backwards and frantically flails her arms to avoid falling. But this gives me a perfect opportunity, and I press on with my offensive, executing a double slash that she barely manages to block with her gauntlets. Then I swiftly step forward and deliver a powerful thrust to her chest that she is unable to block, although her aura absorbs most of the damage.

However, I notice a yellow glow emanating from her body as it flashes several times, giving me a glimmer of hope. We are both close to breaking each other’s aura, and one decisive blow will end this mess of a fight.
And I am determined to be that winner.

Pressing the attack once more I swing my blade at her, but instead of blocking, she gracefully dodges to the side and counters with a swift punch to my stomach. The force knocks the wind out of me and I double over. Before I can recover, she grabs my arm and twists it mercilessly, causing me to cry out in pain and release my grip on the sword.

And feel my hopes die when my weapon clatters onto the broken road.

Desperation starts overtaking me as I frantically struggle to break free from her vice-like grip, while I watch how her free arm prepares to land the decisive blow, knowing that if that ever connects then it will be game over for me.

But just as all hope seems lost, a surge of clarity pierced through my mind. And can hear it screaming at me to use my inventory, anything that could turn stacks in my favor.

And out of desperation, I wish for something, anything, to stop her. A wish that materializes in the form of a white bag made of sturdy paper with a strange symbol. But at this point, I couldn’t care less about what’s inside that white bag.

Without thinking it twice, I fling the bag towards her face and it explodes upon impact, releasing a thick cloud of white powder. Some of it enters my mouth and nostrils, and I quickly realize that it’s flour.

“ARGHHH!” With a cry of surprise and pain, Yang stumbles backwards and lets go of my arm. She frantically rubs her eyes and coughs uncontrollably, the flames that had engulfed her body vanishing in an instant. “My eyes! M-my eyes!”

And it becomes my last chance to fucking win this.

‘Class change!’

My brass knuckles reappear in my hands, and I immediately act on instinct, drop-kicking her with all my might.

The force is enough to send her flying back, her head hitting the unforgiving floor with a thud. Yet her aura only flickers instead of shattering as I was hoping. A bad sign that she can still get up and keep fighting. And I wouldn’t even let her get up from this one.

This is my final opportunity to end this once and for all, and I don’t have any doubts

Frantically standing up, I clumsily make my way towards Yang’s fallen form and reach for her collar, but her eyes suddenly snap open, exposing those red, murderous orbs.

“OH CRA-!”

But it’s too late as both of her hands clamp down on my arm, trapping me in place. With a sudden burst of speed, she headbutts me squarely on the nose with a sickening crack.

A world of true agony is the only thing I can see.

Stars dance in my vision as the force of the blow sends me reeling backward, but she lets go of my arm and I finally lose my balance, collapsing onto the streets.

But my mind is only focused on the explosive pain across my face and the metallic tang of blood in my mouth, trying and failing miserably to muffle my screams. And the fact that I’m still in a fight becomes irrelevant.

Suddenly, a pair of hands seize hold of my shirt, yanking me upright with unexpected force. Reacting on instinct, my hands shoot out, gripping onto those hands trying to support myself. Through tear-blurred vision, I catch a glimpse of Yang’s enraged expression, although it loses part of that menacing look as her face and hair are painted with the flour.

But at that point I can’t do anything else, and without my aura this will actually hurt really bad. I just close my eyes and resign myself to whatever happens next.

“VPD GET DOWN!”

“Eh?”

The punch never lands, as a booming voice echoes through the area, causing me to slowly open my eyes. I see multiple blue and white cars surrounding us, with officers stepping out and pointing their weapons at us.

“HANDS WHERE I CAN SEE THEM!” They yell.

“Wait!” Yang lets go of me, and I fall backwards onto the ground before turning around to face the officers surrounding us. “He is the bad guy, not me!”

“I SAID GET DOWN!” The officers continue to shout orders while Yang tries to explain, but they are not listening as they start approaching with their weapons ready.

“HEY ASSHOLE JUST LISTEN TO ME!”

“SHE IS RESISTING!”

“PACIFIER!”

The word rings out, echoing in my ears as I lie on the ground. I see something small hit Yang before her body goes limp and collapses to the ground, twitching and convulsing in pain. As my vision clears, I notice a wire connected to an electricity source hooked onto her chest, coming from one of the cops that somehow closed the distance with us noticing.

“PACIFIER!”

Again? But to… motherfu-

A scream escapes my lips as my body begins to convulse uncontrollably. The pain overrides any lingering sensations from my broken nose as I am rendered helpless on the ground.

I whimper miserably and curl into myself.

“HE IS RESISTING!”

Piece of-

And everything goes dark.

-Police Station- Taiyang Xiao Long-

Taiyang had an open mind. But sometimes that wouldn’t be enough to take in everything the world could throw at him.

And one such occasion was that he never expected his family trip to Vale would end up with him going to the police station, when everything that he had planned was to enjoy a short weekend vacation with his beautiful daughters and buy them gifts.

In truth, Taiyang couldn’t feign complete surprise at the turn of events. He knew his eldest daughter, Yang‘s very… explosive and stubborn personality, and in a city like this it would have happened one day if not today. One bad comment and a big fight, with plenty of collateral damage.

For years, Taiyang had mentally braced himself for such eventualities, ever since his old teammate and friend Qrow had woven himself into their lives. As both mentor and miscreant to his daughters, he had imparted invaluable lessons alongside his penchant for mischief.

Yes, he was prepared, or so he believed.

What he wasn’t prepared for, not in the slightest, was the dreaded call informing him that his beloved and innocent Ruby had been taken into custody by the police department.

And if that shock wasn’t enough, it was followed by a second call confirming his worst fears: Yang had also been arrested.

Arrested. Not detained.

Arrested

The word echoed in Taiyang’s mind. It wasn’t just a misunderstanding or a minor infraction. His daughter had crossed a line that led her straight into the hands of the law.
Was he a bad father? Had he failed in his duty to guide and protect his daughters?

Of course, Taiyang had his share of problems and regrets, especially when he failed his family those first early years when suddenly Raven abandoned them but he has been doing his very best to provide for his family after recovering from those dark times.

But never in his wildest dreams had he imagined himself standing outside a police station, faced with the daunting task of retrieving both his daughters, one from custody and the other from jail.

He would have to call Qrow for help, or maybe try to use his connections to fix everything. But before that, he was dead set on having a long and serious conversation with both Yang and Ruby about the consequences of their actions.

So with a deep sigh, he crossed the station automatic doors and made his way to the main desk.

“Good evening, I’m here to pick up my daughters Ruby Rose and Yang Xia Long.”

The lady behind the desk, her glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, paused her typing to regard him with a measured gaze before returning her attention to the screen.

“Your identification, please.”

Taiyang nodded, familiar with the routine of bureaucratic procedure. He reached into his pocket and retrieved his ID, handing it over without problems.

The woman’s fingers danced across the keyboard, the only sound in the room the rhythmic tapping of keys as she inputted the necessary information. After a moment, she slid a clipboard and pen across the desk towards him.

“Sign here,” the woman instructed, pointing to the bottom of the document with a stern expression.

Taiyang accepted the pen, his hand moving almost mechanically as he scrawled his signature across the dotted line. He didn’t bother to read the fine print; his sole focus was on completing the necessary paperwork as quickly as possible so he could leave with his family.

“And here,” she prompted again, indicating another spot on the page.

He signed that as well and handed the documents.

He trusted that the system would be lenient with Yang, considering it was her first offense. Surely, they wouldn’t be too harsh on her or his wallet.

“Please take a seat. Your daughters will be released after the Headmaster is done,” the woman informed him matter-of-factly.

That was fine, probably just a couple well intentioned warnings…

Taiyang’s brow furrowed in confusion at the mention of the headmaster. “Wait, Headmaster... Ozpin?!”

What had they done?!

-Police Station- Ma’iq Rakhan, the unlucky cat-

Have you ever been shocked?

Not by accident, but when one motherfucker fucking shocks you because he wanted to.

It sucks, it sucks ass.

It even left some burn marks in my clothes. Dried blood? Sure, it will be a bit hard, but I can eventually scrub it off. But I cannot fix burn marks. Now I will have to buy a new set of clothes… again.

And don’t get me started with the police force who were total assholes, although they were also total assholes to the bitch responsible for this mess so it is a point in favor to them Either way, I’m asking a favor from Neo to beat up one of these assholes, because fuck them.

Pushing away any other thoughts, I turn my focus back to the present and my predicament. Here I sit, trapped in a dark room with only a single lightbulb dangling above me for illumination.

To make matters worse, my hands are cuffed to the wooden table in front of me, rendering me immobile. The cuffs aren’t too tight, but it’s still a shitty feeling to be restrained like this. I never imagined I’d be arrested… or detained, whatever they want to call it.

On the bright side, since the cuffs aren’t THAT tight, I only need to wiggle my hands a bit and I can touch them. Maybe there’s a way to break free from them by storing them in my inventory...but by doing so I could bring even more problems on me, which are the last thing I need. Letting out a heavy sigh, I lean back in my chair and stare at the black ceiling above.

This is incredibly boring; being stuck here with nothing to do or anyone to talk to. I scan the room once more, hoping to find something new or interesting, but it’s still just a dark and lonely space.

My stomach grumbles, reminding me that I haven’t eaten anything for a while. But it’s not really a problem since my inventory is stocked with food that will never spoil and stays fresh.

As I look around, I sit up straight and summon a loaf of bread into my hands. I try to take a bite, but the sound of chains on my cuffs jingle. So, I lower myself down and take a decent bite from the bread.

It’s not exactly delicious, more like plain and tasteless. But in my current situation, it will have to do to keep the hunger at bay until I can escape this place. Or maybe Neo will finally realize something is wrong; after all, she was very clear about wanting me at the warehouse early and I am way behind schedule. Maybe she has flooded my scroll with angry messages.

The thought of checking my scroll makes me nervous.

I take one last bite of bread and swallow it.

Bread alone is not enough to satisfy my taste buds. I long for butter or jelly, even a slice of ham would do. Anything to add flavor to the dull and tasteless bread.

I let out a frustrated sigh and slump back in my chair, feeling incredibly bored. They can’t keep me here forever, right?

Maybe they are having trouble with Yang? I wouldn’t put it past her after knowing how bitchy she is, probably raising another fuss and all the police force piling up on her, creating a mountain of people inside the station. It would be a fun scene to watch.

However, my thoughts are interrupted as the door finally clicks open, bringing in a burst of light and causing me to turn in that direction. A man enters with a tray in his hands, breaking the monotonous atmosphere.

“I hope I haven’t kept you waiting too long, Mr. Rakhan.” The middle-aged man walks calmly towards the table, carrying a tray with two cups which he places on the top. “This isn’t quite how I imagined our first meeting would go.”

His words cause me to furrow my brow in confusion. I can’t recall ever setting up a meeting with this old man or even meeting him before...oh wait. A cold shiver runs down my spine as I remember making an empty promise back in the Emerald forest to that Qrow guy about meeting with the Academy’s headmaster.

I hope he doesn’t resent me for leaving him hanging.

The headmaster calmly pulls out a chair for himself, but instead of taking a seat, he reaches into his pocket and takes out a key.

He studies me for a moment before speaking. “Those must be uncomfortable,” he comments as he moves closer and releases the cuffs with the key, allowing them to drop onto the table.

I instinctively begin rubbing my wrists, relieved to be free from the restraints. They weren’t overly tight, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t uncomfortable, unnerving even.

He picks up one cup and places it in front of me, then takes the other for himself. I raise an eyebrow at him before looking down at the drink in front of me.

The man merely chuckles and takes a sip from his cup. “It’s just coffee,” he reassures me. “You must have had a long day.”

Fucking asshole.

“Are you fucking with me? Because sure as fuck you are doing a good job of pissing me off.” I growl, not caring about showing blatant disrespect towards the headmaster of Beacon. He had started it after all.

But he remains unfazed, maintaining his calm expression. “I can assure you that those were not my intentions. I apologize if it came across that way.” With his apology given, he finally takes a seat on the other side of the table.

I continue to glare at him for a while longer, but since he doesn’t say anything else, my anger begins to dissipate and I let out an annoyed sigh as I take another look at the hot beverage in front of me.

I realize that I am actually quite thirsty and decide to give it a try. Tentatively, I pick up the cup by its handle and bring it closer to me, taking in its scent before finally taking a curious sip. My ears twitch involuntarily as I taste the coffee, struggling to describe its flavor - it’s not exactly bad but not great either. Maybe bitter is the right word?

It is pleasant to a degree, and it suddenly makes me feel more awake, but that taste hanging in my mouth is discouraging.

I don’t like this coffee.

Which results in returning the cup back on the table and pushing it away.

“Not a fan of coffee, I presume?”

I shake my head. Perhaps I might try again if I am the one who made it.

“I see. That’s unfortunate. I can get you some tea if you would like.” He offers, but I try to be polite and decline with another shake of my head. I am sure I can endure a little longer without a drink.

But I will chug down an entire bottle of water when I leave this stupid place.

“Let’s move on to the reason for your presence here,” he clears his throat and adjusts himself into a more professional posture. “You are facing multiple criminal charges, including disorderly conduct, destruction of property, resisting arrest, assault, battery, disturbing public orde-”

“WHAT?!” I jump from my chair, slamming my hands against the table. “I DID NOTHING!”

Those are bullshit charges! Those bastards fucking know those are total lies!

However, Ozpin maintains his tranquility as he raises a hand to his right, making me look in that direction and find a woman with light blonde hair dressed in a formal attire who has a very displeased look on her face.

Then he lowers his hand.

“And I believe you. Which is the reason I took my time to personally review your case and gather all available records about you before I could make a judgment and start to clear all those criminal charges. Which, if I might add, were completely fabricated.”

A wave of relief washes over me, easing the anger that had been boiling in my stomach.

“It was unfortunate to discover that the sergeant who arrested both Ms. Xiao Long, and yourself had a rather… questionable record when it comes to faunus.”

“Of fucking course,” I growl, slumping back in my chair with my arms crossed. The thing that I expected from these bastards ended up happening. What a beautiful thing is being totally correct in your prejudice.

“I would like to apologize on their behalf for their conduct. And assure you that this was nothing, but an isolated incident.”

“They fucking shock me, twice. And unlike that psycho blondie, I didn’t have aura.” I snarl. Yang must have had it easy with the little aura she had left.

The headmaster sighs. “I understand your frustration, Mr. Rakhan. That’s why the sergeant has been suspended without pay for a week and will undergo mandatory reeducation. We cannot tolerate such actions from our police forces, who are meant to protect the citizens of our Kingdom.”

Somehow… somehow hearing that makes me feel better, actually. Just slightly better, because that asshole is getting punished.

“Moving on, I’d like to talk about your altercation with Miss Xiao Long.”

“What is there to talk about?” I throw my hands up in frustration. “She attacked out of nowhere, shot me, and broke my nose!”

I point at my now-healed nose and the remnants of dried blood on my shirt. It may be fixed, but it doesn’t change the fact that she broke it.

“I understand. However, I have also heard her side of the story which presents a slightly different version of events. Could you please clarify some details for me?” He takes a sip from his coffee before placing the cup back on the table and locking eyes with me.

I think for a moment and there is no reason not to tell him my side; after all, he has proven himself to be a decent person by going through so much trouble to help me escape those assholes. “Fine.”

“Excellent. So I’ve been told that you stole Miss Xiao Long’s motorcycle. Is that correct?”

Yes.

“Of course not! I bought it from some guys somewhere close to the slums.” I lie, but the old man gives me a skeptical look, prompting me to elaborate. “It was cheap, okay?! There was nowhere else I could afford a bike.”

“This seller, can you describe it to me?” He asks after a moment.

Payback, you fucking bastards.

“Well, I can’t remember much, but he had very flashy clothes and had long hair tied in a ponytail. I don’t know who he wanted to imitate, but he looked like a clown. Either way, he sold me that bike for eighty-five thousand lien.”

Maybe I can even use the headmaster to take back my money, a very long shot, but doesn’t hurt to try.

“Ah, I understand now. You were the unfortunate victim of a common scam. They sold you stolen goods and then let you take the blame when the rightful owners traced it back to you,” he comments, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Rather common tale, bad people taking advantage of others.”

“I don’t see any other explanation.” I scowl, crossing my arms and looking away. “Fucking assholes…”

“That would make sense with what I’ve discovered. Your story does have some credibility and I’ve found the documentation for your motorcycle license and new license plates.”

I almost choke at this revelation. I have never done either of those things. And there is only one person who actually told me to try to get those things. What a beautiful and fortunate coincidence.

Neo, I love you so much. I will make sure to buy a lot of ice-cream when this is over.

“But you possess a storage semblance, which raises some questions.”

Shit, how does he know about my inventory?

Then again, Yang could have mentioned it when she gave her wrong side of the story. But they still think it’s a semblance, so I’ll just go with that and figure out how to protect myself.
I shrug. “Yeah, it’s limited by size, though. I can only store things the size of...those big moving boxes that carry stuff.”

“Oh? Boxes you say?” That seems to catch his interest. “So your semblance limit is equivalent to a large crate used for storage in warehouses?”

It’s an odd question, but I nod in agreement.

“Yeah, that blondie just assumed wrong because I changed weapons mid-fight. If I could store something bigger, I would have stolen a car or something.”

“Interesting. So for the last question.” He says, leaning closer with a serious expression. “You were accused of working with a well-known criminal gang boss, Junior Hei Xiong. A criminal head who has a grudge against Miss Xia Long after some incident at his club.”

That was enough reason for that bitch to try to beat me up.

I think for a little while about how to respond and let out a sigh, dropping my shoulder and rubbing the back of my head.

“Well, what else could I do?” I say ambiguously, causing him to raise an eyebrow again. “For someone like me, what other job could I possibly get? I was unfairly fired from my previous job for reasons that you can already tell, so when that Junior guy was looking for a new bartender at his club, I took the opportunity because no one else would hire me. Sure, he’s a criminal, but who cares? I’m just serving drinks at his club and he doesn’t discriminate. The pay is good, so why should I care about what he does?”

“That’s certainly a different perspective.”

“So?” I ask, expecting this whole question games to be over soon.

“With all the information you’ve provided, I can come to the conclusion that this whole ordeal was simply a misunderstanding,” he says slowly, as if choosing his words carefully. “Miss Xiao Long was understandably upset about having her bike stolen, but her actions were irrational. She should have contacted the proper authorities instead of taking matters into her own hands and escalate this problem.”

A surge of relief washes over me. “That’s great! So can I leave?”

But that feeling is short-lived as the headmaster’s expression turns apologetic. “Unfortunately, not yet.”

The woman moves swiftly, taking her place behind me as she stares at me down with a hard expression.

“What? I already told you everything I know! And you said it yourself, it was all just a misunderstanding!” I shout, shaking my finger at the man in front of me.

”Yes, the previous incident was indeed a misunderstanding. But this new one is not so easily explained." He stands from his chair and clasps his hands behind his back, staring at me with a different expression. “You even admitted that your semblance allows you to store crates, which coincidentally are the same size as dust containers, and we have collected visual evidence of the use of this particular semblance.”

His words hit me like a ton of bricks, and I freeze in place as my heart skips a beat. The woman behind me throws pictures onto the table, and I can’t help but flinch as soon as I see them.

In each photo, it’s clearly me but wearing a disguise, sending the dust straight to my inventory.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Shit…SHIT.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT.