After an hour into their flight, Clark had asked Qrow a great deal of questions about this world, Remnant.

Grimm, aura, dust, semblances, faunus, kingdoms. Clark had a lot to learn, but at least he now had a good grasp on the basics of this world. The books in the library had helped, but they often assumed that the reader already had some basic knowledge and wouldn't bother to explain certain topics. Talking with someone made it a lot easier.

The huntsman had been rather patient with him, giving him answers no matter how ignorant he must seem. Although there was no way to avoid the strange looks he gave him.

After Clark had finished asking questions, the huntsman began. "Okay Clark, I think I deserve some explanations now."

This is what Clark had been afraid of. How much should he reveal? He'd already chosen to keep much of his powers hidden, but his nature and origin were different.

"That's fair." Clark hesitated. "First thing you should know is that . . . I'm not human."

"You're a faunus?"

He shook his head. "No, not that either."

"Then . . . what are you saying?"

"I'm an alien."

All that could be heard was the wind rushing outside the walls of the Bullhead.

"You're actually serious." Qrow stared at him. "You can do some pretty amazing things kid, but-

"I can prove it." Clark added. "Take some of my hair and test the DNA if you want."

Qrow narrowed his eyes. "Alright, if you're that confident, then we will. What else should I know?"

As the flight continued, Clark told him about where he came from. His best guess was that this world was in another dimension, and that his technology had malfunctioned and brought him here. He even showed him the Kryptonian crystal and explained about the dangers of the phantoms that the people of this world had mistaken for geists.

"And these phantoms, they're still out there?" Qrow asked.

"At least two, but they'll probably be laying low. To capture them, I'll have to wait for them to do something obvious." Clark's jaw clenched at that, but he had no other option. It wasn't as if he could just go up to people and start touching them with the crystal. Besides, if the phantoms saw him approach, they'd probably run away.

"If what you're saying is true, then you're from a world without Grimm, right?"

"Yes."

"Really, what's it like?" Qrow asked with mild curiosity.

Clark realized that the huntsman didn't believe him. Which was fair, even Clark had a hard time understanding the series of events that had brought him here.

"Well, the human population is in the billions. And unlike here, they've spread out and settled pretty much the whole planet."

Clark paused before adding. "As far as I can tell though, the people aren't much different from the ones here. They act the same, feel the same, think the same. Although we don't have aura."

"'We'?" Qrow narrowed his eyes. "I thought you said you were an alien, not human."

"I am an alien." Clark insisted. "But I was raised by humans."

The situation was strange for Clark. He'd spent his whole life trying to hide the fact that he was a super-powered alien. He'd never thought he wouldn't be believed after he showed a few abilities.

Qrow didn't ask any more questions. Saying he wanted to mull over what Clark could do and what he told him.

It wasn't much longer before they approached Beacon in the late evening, and the red-hued sun lit up the stone towers magnificently. Clark hadn't exactly expected this when he'd heard about the school, but he was impressed. The school was built into a cliffside where several rivers gathered and went over the edge as waterfalls. Ornate statues and gardens decorated the courtyards.

"Wow." Clark looked out the window and stared. He eagerly examined it with telescopic vision.

"Yep, that's Beacon. You can't help being impressed the first time you see it." Qrow told him.

"And there are more schools like this around the world? Training people to fight the Grimm?"

"Three more with the same level of prestige, one in each kingdom." Qrow answered. "There are plenty more prep schools that people go in as kids though."

The pilot landed the Bullhead and the two of them got off. As they did, Qrow's scroll rang.

He answered it. "Yeah, Oz, I'm here with the kid. The Bullhead just dropped us off."

With super-hearing, Clark listened to the headmaster's response. "Good, however, there is still some time before James arrives. Considering this young man's abilities, I thought it prudent to inform our ally."

"Okay, so how long until he arrives?"

"Perhaps an hour or so."

"So what, we just wait around till he gets here?"

"If you wish, yes." Ozpin replied. "Although perhaps he would enjoy becoming more familiar with the academy."

"Gotcha, call us when he's here."

"I shall."

Qrow hung up and explained to him that they would wait for someone else to arrive.

"Come on." He waved him over before taking a sip from his flask. "Let's see how good my memory of the place is."

\\\\\

Ironwood stepped out of the elevator and into Ozpin's office. Glynda was present as well, since she was the only other staff member at Beacon who was part of Ozpin's circle.

"Ozpin, it's good to see you again after so long." He went up to him with a wide smile and they shook hands.

"Glynda." He gave her a friendly nod, which she returned.

"Hello old friend," said Ozpin. "I'm pleased that you managed to arrive so quickly."

"Well, I'd actually planned to come regardless after the second semester started."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Ironwood looked at him in surprise. "You can't be serious Ozpin. Torchwick is bad enough, but he's not much more than a common criminal. But the dust he's stealing? And the fact that he's now working with the White Fang? The people of Vale need my help."

"And is there any reason why you could not offer your aid from Atlas? After all, you have many responsibilities as both general and headmaster."

"The Atlesian army needs my leadership, and Vale's council can trust me to provide security for the Vytal Festival."

"James," said Glynda. "Did you just say your army?"

"How else will we show these terrorists that the people of Vale won't stand for their wanton crimes? When they see my airships, they'll know that their actions will no longer be tolerated, and the people of Vale will know that they're safe."

Ozpin sighed. "I'd hoped that by now you'd have realized that the heavy-handed approach isn't always the best one."

"I know that subtlety has its place Ozpin, but this requires force."

Glynda stepped in between the two of them. "Enough, I know you two well enough that this will go on for far too long. We can discuss this later, for now, we have a new ally to consider."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

"Very well, we'll talk about this at another time." agreed Ironwood. "This young man, are you sure he can do what Qrow says he can? Qrow is good at what he does, but he does like his drink."

"Qrow knows better than to indulge himself on missions," answered Ozpin. "He's thoroughly tested this man's abilities. However, you can do so yourself if you're not satisfied, as he should be arriving shortly."

At those words, the elevator dinged and opened up. Qrow entered, followed by a young man in a red jacket and jeans. He looked around at the machinery in Ozpin's rather large office, many people did so when they first saw it. Then, his eyes traveled to the three seated at the desk. Briefly glancing at each before forming eye contact with Ozpin.

"Greetings Mr. Kent," Ozpin began. "I am Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon. My colleague here is Ms. Goodwitch, a teacher at this school, and this is General Ironwood of Atlas."

"Nice to meet you." Ironwood stepped up to shake his hand. The young man had a firm grip, and he could tell that there was strength there. But to the extent Qrow had reported? That still remained to be seen.

"Your arm . . ." Kent looked down at Ironwood's hand in realization.

"Hm? Yes, it's prosthetic," Ironwood took off his glove to show him.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to stare."

"It's fine young man." Ironwood waved his apology away with a slight smile to show he wasn't offended.

Ozpin spoke. "Now, Mr. Kent, Qrow here says you can do some incredible things. Would you be willing to use your gifts to assist us?"

"That depends, what do you need assistance with?"

"Why, I thought it obvious. I have no doubt that someone like you could kill Grimm in droves and save many."

The young man shifted, almost as if he was uncomfortable at the thought. "These Grimm, are you sure that they're actually soulless? Isn't there a way to save people without killing the animals attacking them?"

Ironwood noticed that his confusion was mirrored by Glynda and Ozpin. Qrow, however, didn't seemed surprised in the slightest.

"Grimm are no mere animals," said Ozpin. "They're soulless, they lack even the potential for aura, and their only instincts are to kill humans. Even in captivity they die, the only way to stop them is to kill them. Otherwise they'll attack innocent people."

"According to Clark here," Qrow patted the young man's shoulder. "He comes from a very very weird place. Wasn't raised in any of the kingdoms at least, so he doesn't know much."

"And where would this place be?" asked Ozpin.

"I'm not from Remnant," Kent said. "To be frank, I'm an alien from another dimension. And I have proof."

Ironwood was the first to respond, but instead of to the young man, he looked to the huntsman beside him. "Qrow, is this some sort of joke? Because if so-

"Hold your horses Jimmy," interrupted Qrow. "He didn't tell me until the Bullhead ride here. He can do some pretty amazing things, but I don't really believe his story either. He says he has proof though, let's hear him out at least."

"Very well," agreed Ozpin.

"You can't seriously be considering this." Ironwood turned to his old friend. "He's obviously insane."

"I'm inclined to agree headmaster," Glynda added. "It's a very far-fetched story."

"Excuse me, I'm right here." The young man said. "And I'm not crazy. If you test my hair, you'll find I'm not human or a faunus. And I have a piece of the alien technology which brought me here, you can let your scientists examine it if you want." He held up a shield-shaped crystal with a strange S on it.

"I think I've heard enough," answered Ironwood. "This is a waste of time."

"Wait." The young man disappeared. The next instant, he was by the elevator. "At the very least-

He reappeared in the spot he'd last stood. "My abilities are real. I'm bulletproof, even without the aura you people use. I can lift cars and outrun bullets without semblances. Don't you at least want my DNA to find out how I can do that? What you find will validate my story."

Ironwood's eyes were wide in shock, and he saw that Glynda's were as well. There were some who could increase their speed with semblances, Specialist Schnee came to mind, but this level of speed was astonishing.

Ozpin, damn him, was still calm. Although even his unflappability was tested, as his eyebrows were slightly raised.

Meanwhile, Qrow displayed a smug smile as he patted the young man's shoulder. "Yep, that's what the kid can do. By the way Clark, didn't you want to ask Ironwood something?"

"Yes. Sir, I'll need your help getting home." Kent said. "This world has more advanced technology than the one I'm from, so I'd hoped that you might have ways for travelling to other dimensions."

"We have no such technology." Ironwood answered. "And it seems rather strange that our technology would be more advanced than your homeworld's."

"I live on a world of humans, sir. My biological parents sent me there after my birth world was destroyed."

"That's a rather elaborate story."

The young man sighed. "I know how it sounds, but it's true."

"Supposing it was, why not use your own device to return home?" asked Ozpin.

"It brought me here when it malfunctioned." Kent explained. "I'm not familiar with how to use it or how it works, so I can't depend on it yet to bring me home. Is there really no way you know to travel between dimensions? Does magic exist here?"

"You believe magic exists?"

Kent bit his lip, and answered. "I know how this makes me sound, but yes. Back in my world, I've encountered people who use magic."

"Actually, I do possess some magical knowledge that may prove useful."

"Really, great!" Relief filled the young man's face.

Ironwood glared at Ozpin. A belief in magic didn't prove that Kent was sane. From the looks on Qrow and Glynda, they didn't understand Ozpin's reveal of magic either. What was he thinking?

"Um, before that," Kent said. "You should know something. There are creatures here from my world, dangerous ones that only I can deal with. I'm going to need up-to-date news of the area I arrived in, where those loggers were, to find them. I'm not familiar with Remnant either, and I'll need time to learn about this world."

"Then I believe I can offer further assistance," answered Ozpin. "You can be given full access to our library, and a few teachers may be able to give you private lessons. As we're in the middle of a break, it shouldn't prove too inconvenient to them. You can also be provided news of Highwood and nearby towns."

He turned to Glynda. "Ms. Goodwitch, could you show Mr. Kent to one of our spare quarters? One meant for teachers, as it may be troublesome if the students spot him next semester."

"Understood. If you would follow me Mr. Kent." Glynda headed to the elevator.

"Thank you headmaster." The young man said before leaving. "I really am grateful."

\\\\\

The teacher's rooms were a few floors down from the top of the tower, so it wasn't long before Clark and the blond teacher exited the elevator.

"Excuse me," he asked. "I left my luggage down on the first floor, can you wait for a moment? I'll be quick."

"Down the hallway." She directed with a riding crop, and Clark couldn't help giving it a strange look.

"Thank you."

In a fraction of a second, he zoomed down to the kitchens where he'd stored Mary's stew and his backpack. It took him the same amount of time to go back up the stairs.

"Ready." To her, it must have seemed as if he'd vanished and reappeared with a backpack and a bowl.

"Very . . . impressive." She answered before going down the hall at a brisk pace. "Come, your room is this way."

Normally, he wouldn't have shown off like that. But these people doubted him, he needed to at least show that his powers were real. It would make it easier for them to accept the rest of the truth.

He'd thought the blunt approach would make him seem more certain and believable, rather than slowly leading up to it and seeming hesitant. But his confidence had just resulted in them thinking he was crazy.

Once they reached his room, she opened the door with a ph- a scroll, and they entered a fairly average living room. She explained that furniture was already provided, as was a TV. There was also a kitchen, small dining room, bathroom, and bedroom. It was the size of a decent apartment. The pantries were empty, but he'd be given money for food soon.

She continued to explain more specifics. "If you forget your scroll, you can unlock the door by inputting the code 9340. You will likely be informed tomorrow of when our teachers will be available for your lessons. You may visit the library tomorrow morning as well, just show the librarian your scroll to enter. If you need to contact one of us, I've already input myself, Headmaster Ozpin, and Qrow as contacts on your scroll. Do you have any further questions?"

She'd been pretty comprehensive about his living arrangements, so Clark only had one. "Do I have any neighbors?"

"No, we have more than enough rooms that the teachers are rather far apart from each other. Although I do ask that you refrain from making loud noises, such as music, as it may still disturb them."

He nodded. "Okay, just one more. What do you think of me? I know the general thinks I'm crazy, but what's your opinion?"

She crossed her arms. "I have seen some very strange things in my time, but your claims are very hard to believe. You claim to be an alien, but even so you do not strike me as insane." She paused for a moment. "I trust Mr. Branwen's assessment of your abilities, and at the very least, your speed is genuine. Regardless, I believe you could do much good."

He smiled. "I won't disappoint you ma'am. And you'll see I'm telling the truth."

"I suppose." She still didn't believe him. "I shall be making my leave now, good night Mr. Kent."

"Good night ma'am."

Once she left, he unpacked his things. He'd already placed Mary's stew in the fridge, so he just neatly put his clothes in the drawers in the bedroom.

He went back to the kitchen, he wasn't hungry, he'd just done so out of a routine of getting three meals a day. He checked the time, it was about nine pm. He hadn't eaten since lunch around one, but he wasn't the least bit hungry.

He'd noticed that ever since he'd lost his powers briefly last year. After they'd returned, he didn't get hungry anymore, and whatever food he did eat didn't leave his body. He still liked the taste, but he felt guilty when eating, other people actually needed it after all. The only time he did so was to ward off suspicion.

He didn't really have much to do, so he turned on the TV. Out of curiosity, he looked for a news channel, a purple-haired woman was on screen, apparently it was Vale's local network.

"-beries have continued, along with more sightings of White Fang in the city. This is especially concerning as the Vytal Festival is only a few months away . . ."

It was similar to how the news was shared on Earth, but he lacked the context for a lot of the events. He turned it off soon after, and went to bed. Toiletries were already provided, so he was able to wash up before sleeping.

In bed, he held the crystal in his hand. "Jor-El, can you hear me?"

No response, though honestly that wasn't odd for his biological father. He looked the crystal over with his X-ray vision. No change. Its components were too complicated for him to understand, but he'd remembered it's internal structure.

It probably wouldn't get him home anytime soon. Even if Clark had been desperate enough to try to recreate the malfunction, he didn't have any kryptonite. The headmaster had said magic might help, and magic had been involved with the stones which had formed the crystal seed for the Fortress. He didn't know whether magic here was the same as the magic back home, but it was his best hope.

He put the crystal on the drawer by his bedside, and looked up through the ceiling into the headmaster's office. The three of them were still up there, probably discussing him. The thought of listening in was tempting . . .

'No, I've had enough of eavesdropping.' Listening to the scroll calls had been bad enough, he wasn't going to disrespect the headmaster's hospitality by spying on him.

He tried his best to go to sleep. The nearby city was louder than the farm back home, but he managed to put his super-hearing under control.