A Path to Wonderland

Chapter 1: Stray

Okay, how to start this off? Well actually I've probably already ruined it with such an interesting introduction... Ugh. Right, so I should make this clear right now; I am currently sat in a bloody cell, eating an old disgusting cheesy sandwich. They obviously couldn't even be bothered to spare me an at least decent meal here, but that was hardly a surprise. Oh well, I might as well just use the extra time to start at the beginning, so to not confuse any reader.....of the future that is. It's no doubt my life will soon end, either that or James will finally take that stick out of his arse long enough to realize I'm missing. Either way, this book will probably be cemented in history at some point. Anyways, on forth to the story at hand I suppose...

There I was, sat on an annoyingly uncomfortable chair, the type of chair where one leg couldn't quite touch the ground as the others could. It was the type of chair that would make a loud bang on the stone flooring, alerting the two men clad in white Atlesian Uniforms, who stood at the door, to look over and shoot me a glare every time I so much as shifted. The Military surely wasn't necessary to fend of little old me. Or at least they shouldn't have thought so, but of course, it seemed they were here anyway, though it was a given, seeing as we were in the city of Argus, so despite the city being ran under Mistral's command, it was also under heavy 'protection' from Atlas' own Military. A trade between the two kingdoms that only really brought a bitter feeling to my stomach.

The Military, or as I'd personally recalled them as 'dirty pigs' seemed to have quietened over time, the woman from earlier having left a couple hours ago. Their annoying chiming in had already given me a headache, so I was both glad for the silence and yet also unnerved by it. Not that it truly mattered anymore, seeing as I was about to become the newest prisoner in Argus for what may have been the rest of my life and nothing and nobody was going to change that. Funny thing is, I could have escaped this fate pretty easily if I had wanted to. Though, as it were however, I had not cared for what would happen to me. After what had happened last night, I no longer had anything worth living for. The one thing that had kept me kicking, screaming and fighting for the past few years was now gone. Yet now I lived without a reason for doing so.

Of course, it didn't seem that life's plans were particularly on my side, in fact I'd like to think life just loved to screw with me as much as possible. My bandaged ears perked up as I heard the door opening, revealing an unfamiliar old, tired man who was accompanied by a slightly younger looking woman. "Perfect, two more idiots to 'talk' with me about last night. Surely you've all realized my story won't change just because a new face arrives to ask me the same boring questions." I said, as the old man had seated himself on the chair opposing mine. He seemed to have studied me as we sat there, face to face.

"It's...amusing that you think I am here to interrogate you." He replied calmly.

I raised an eyebrow at his response before replying with a small snarl, "Oh, am I wrong in assuming that? Because frankly I find myself in an interrogations room no less."

Seeming truly amused at my attitude, he nodded with a chuckle. "Well my apologies for disappointing you, but I am not here to question you for your actions. Instead I would like to offer you a chance to escape this troublesome fate and continue fighting for something, Miss. Pha-"

I didn't wait a second more for him to elaborate before I cut in, swiftly giving him my answer. "Not interested. I have already fulfilled my purpose for living, so I really don't care what happens to me anymore..."

"Oh, is that so? You kill one of Atlas' finest inventors and his team and the, all of a sudden, you're happy to throw your life away?"

I had snapped at his words, the cuffs having attached me to the table, restraining me to sitting as I tried to stand. I grunted in annoyance when the woman's weapon, a simple riding crop, had came down, slapping my wrist. I had shot her a glare, settling back into my seat. "I got my revenge by killing the bastards who destroyed my life and took my sister from me. She was the only thing I had and yet they hurt her and ran off with her! I made them suffer for what they did to me and my only family."

The blonde woman, still having stood next to the man, simply offered a small sigh, before she had remarked with a notable tone of distain. "What a shame that a child such as yourself would be so foolish as to throw her life away over some petty 'revenge'."

"Oh fall off the high horse, old hag! If all you're going to do is launch lectures at me, then please do me a favour, grab that silly cane of his and beat me to death because it would surely be much less of a headache than your nagging voice in my ear could ever be!" 

The old man, whom had still not introduced himself at the time, decided to interrupt our rather short argument as he stood. "Then please, allow me to put this in a way that may appeal much more to you. Miss, tell me, would you rather die of old age in a prison cell, or would you rather die knowing you've helped many more stray souls like your own, or your sister's?"

"My si- Tsk. Old man, I assure you it doesn't bother me how I die, but....ugh. I suppose if I had to choose one, I'd pick the latter of the valid options." I had suspected that to be the exact answer he wanted, much to my distaste. I had decided to just speed up the progress, allowing him to get to the point so I could have quickly refused his offer.

The man smiled and had looked to the woman gesturing to the door. I raised an eyebrow when she left as I looked to him, listening intently as he began his speech. "My name is Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, a school designed to train students for the sole purpose of defending Humans and Faunus alike from the terrible monsters known as Grimm. I am already well aware you won't care at all to fight such creatures, nor do you have any reason to want to protect others from them. However, I do believe I could offer you a place to exist and a reason to fight. All that would come of it is the promise of you joining my ranks."

"Your...ranks? You mean to say that after killing some corrupted Atlas inventor I get...a proposition to teach a bunch of brats to fight?"

"Your file showed me quite a lot about you, Miss Phantoms. You graduated three years early,at the top of your year from Atlas Academy. That is indeed not an easy feat,especially when you have an ill younger sister to earn for. You had three unauthorizedjobs outside of the Academy, one even being that of a babysitter. MissPhantoms, you obviously have a skill for teaching and looking after others. Not to mention that last night's events clearly proved your ability to fight. I would rather have a skill like yours be homed and used for a more suited roll of a teacher than a criminal."

Ihad blinked, opening and closing my mouth. I must have probably looked like afish to him back then, because Ozpin had chuckled once more, nodding. "I shalltake that as a yes. You'll be happy to hear that a friend of mine will betaking you on. A James Ironwood, of Atlas Academy."

Iremember all I could do was gape at the man. I'd thought my files would havebeen destroyed after my criminal act, yet there I was, sat in front of anannoyingly persuasive man, the type of man who stood with such an unwaveringaura. The type of man that could figure out a person just with one look. If itwas wisdom, or merely experience on his side, I definitely couldn't tell backthen. All I knew then was that, as the woman walked back in with paper work inhand, this man had played me hook, line, and sinker.