I know it's been a long time but I'm back also there will be more updates soon this time promise (for real this time) I'm still a bit stuck on what to do for my other story though. :C Anyway enjoy as it's quite the long read especially compered to my other chapters though I thing the Colab chapters are still longer but whatever this chapter has over 4.5k words so enjoy there may also be another update in 2 hours if not then tomorrow, also warning I did use Chat GPT for some parts of the story tell me if you can spot were and you can have a Teddy-bear.
In a similar room there is a tall sandy blond haired 21 year old man reading a letter that was written by his brother, even if they weren't related they both considered each other brothers.
In the room there is a bed with a living shadow as if a nuclear bomb had gone off. Sighing, the man pulled out a cigarette, lightened it and took a drag, he also grabbed the other letters and left the apartment.
The police that the man had called arrived, "Sir are you the one that called?" The man was wearing a large military green coat with fur lining on the edge of the hood. It was the same colour as his hair. He had on his left wrist a fire starting bracelet that is mainly used in emergencies. The colour was lake blue matching his eyes, it was also his brother's favourite colour.
"Yeah I'm the one that called the room that you need to check is room 21, also you might want to send a detective whatever happened in there… let's just say it's going to make the scientists go crazy like… rats trapped in a rubber room."
"Hmm, alright but we're going to have to check it out ourselves just to make sure also we'll need to question you on how this happened and if you know anything." The older officer going back into the police car so he can talk to the higher ups in private leaves the younger officer to keep watch of the man.
Once the older person leaves the man speaks again "Mate, listen, I don't have the time for this, so I'll just give you my number and you can call me whenever you're ready."
The younger officer, not quite knowing if he should keep the man here or allow him to leave, simply accepted the card and stayed quiet allowing him to just leave with nobody trying to stop him.
The older officer leaves the car only to look around and say "Where'd he go?" "Uuuummm he left sir.?" making it sound more like a question.
"I know that Dimp but where?!"
"Uuuummm, that way. I think"
"Dammit OFFICER SUMMIT WHERE DID HE GO!" Came the reply of the easily angered old officer who has no patience.
"HE WENT NORTHWEST SENIOR OFFICER SIR!" The clearly frightened officers said however the older officer angrily yelled back "ARE YOU CALLING ME OLD!"
The man misreading the younger officer's name as officer dipshit continued to laugh as he walked down the path making him look like a madman.
After handing the letters to where they belong he returned home, the front yard had a lot of things kids and maybe even some adult would find entertaining from a somewhat big sand pit and a broken down swing-set then closer to the house there were a adult sized trampoline and a deflated child's swimming pool on opposite sides of the path that lead to the house.
This house where the man has lived for most of his life brought back many childhood memories looking at the trampoline. It brought back a painful but looking back incredibly funny with the words of his friend making him smile slightly.
On the trampoline two 7 year old children are fighting with exaggerated movements however the fun stopped when the older of the two yelled "Jump, Jump KICK!" extending his leg the younger child decided to jump higher and spread his leg resembling that of a star jump.
The problem with him jumping is that as he was starting to fall the extended leg began to raise as the older child jumped one more time doing a 'Jump, jump, kick, jump' this resulted in the two boys crashing into each other with the extended leg colliding directly into his nuts while being completely unable to stop it as he had both arms extended to the side with is body in the stance of a star jump making him defenceless.
This attack was so great that when the collision happened the two boys stayed in the air for a solid second. This was a result of both the boys' rise and fall.
Reflectively closing his legs he continues walking, after hours of signing paperwork and legal issues from the sudden acquisition of all his friends' stuff thinking that it would be a good idea to have a look at all the items tomorrow he heads to bed.
When opening the bathroom for his midnight piss however, it causes something that he has never seen before. Although he has imagined it he never thought it could come true.
Remnant in the morning around 10 o'clock in Signal academy after the first lesson which lasted 2 hours students in class 21 were waiting for the teacher with one student even sleeping and the boy next to him was about to fall asleep as well.
"Zzzzzz" the 7 year-old boy with pale skin that seems delicate matched with his blond nearly whiteish hair and the eye bags under his closed eyelids that shows his clear tiredness reminded people of the soft morning sun shine on freshly settled snow however the slightly visible scarring around his hand showed that he's not new to hard work, the scars resemble that of burns.
'He's either a cook or a blacksmith and from how the scars look old he has an aura so that's why there's no new scares or he got those scars when he was younger.' thought the boy sitting next to the sleeping blond who was about to fall asleep himself.
This boy with his black hair that was actually just dark brown his eyes resembled hot chocolate almost in a star like pattern in both eyes, he was wearing the basic male Uniform of black pants and a light green blazer with a light blue tie and light creamy white long sleeve shirt although there is no dress code as the students can wear whatever they want as long as it's formal but for combat lessons they can wear anything… Get your mind out of the gutter, these are kids!
As the noise of kids chatting slowly drifted into white noise his eyes began to drift asleep allowing him a moment of relaxation from the constant paranoia, with Vi leaving earlier this morning after waking him up he didn't know how to feel after all they were similar even if Vi didn't know about his rebirth they were still pretty similar it's just that she was a transmigrater and now she's home…
As the boy was just starting to sleep he was suddenly and quite violently awoken by the sleeping blond punching him in the side of the face causing him to fall onto his left arm his right arm however was in the air searching for something to grab however he just ended up backhanded the blond boy causing both of them to fall thankfully in opposite directions.
??? P.O.V
Being suddenly backhanded after waking up never feels good, I should know as it just happened along with the feeling of having six years of life shoved into my brain luckily my aura? Things stopped it from leaving any permanent damage.
Laying on the ground for what feels like six years was also extremely awkward as the boy who I just remember punching when I was violently placed? Yeah placed feels right, when I was violently placed into this body is now staring at me and is probably wanting an answer.
"Alright tuff guy you better have a damn good reason for punching me." He then started cracking his knuckles, giving me an unspoken message of what he would do.
After thinking in my head for a few more seconds I've also realised I can think faster than usual, then I decided to tell the truth and doubt he'll believe me anyway after all it's a crazy story.
Slowly putting my hand up I say "look I doubt you'll believe me considering I'm as confused as you but basically my name is Lewis Smith though I guess its Lewis Ironsmyth now… basically I was going to the toilet for my midnight piss like usual however when I opened the door there was this weird portal thing then I got sucked up… pause… and somehow ended up here." After my explanation there was a long pause before I was violently, again, pulled up and dragged into the bathroom.
At this point I was starting to panic and worry for my life considering we're in the same stall and he's got me pinned to the wall "HEl-" he covered my mouth and now I'm starting to truly panic… NOW HE'S REACTING FOR HIS PANTS!!
Edgar/Edward's P.O.V in the bathroom and is reaching towards his pants.
'Alright Edward don't panic just reach and grab you're gun then you'll be able to neutralise this fucker then all you have to do is leave Signal and go to a different school and change you're identity and everything should be fine…'
'HE'S GOING TO PULL OUT HIS CO– WAIT IT'S A GUN… THANK GOD I'LL BE FINE!!' Thought lewis as he's relieved, Edward however has no clue what Lewis is thinking as he's too busy lost in his thoughts.
'Best to question him first so I would know more besides he might be… If Vi was able to get on my timeline? Worldline? Universe? Dimension?... What ever if she was able to do it then who says others can't which just means more problems for me, Fuck!'
"Alright fucker now you're going to tell me everything about your self and about this portal and who you were before got it." I said while placing the gun under his chin with the handle resting on his collar bone, the other gun was transformed as a knife and is resting on his ribs.
After a very long explanation from Lewis and realiseing that it was my Lewis the absolute greatest fucking friend ever I started crying having lived here on Reminent and being the only reincarnated person and realising that I couldn't talk to anyone about who I truly I'm hurts especially when I wouldn't even be able to fully trust anyone, not even Ruby as I've come to the realisation that secrets never lasted forever in the RWBY show and it's how you deal with it that mattered.
Putting away the weapons while holding back the tears I opened the bathroom door to make sure nobody was here and they wouldn't listen in on our conversation, then something I didn't expect happened.
While my back was turned towards Lewis he took this opportunity to punch as hard as he could at the back of my head, maybe trying to knock me out? Thankfully my aura was still active and managed to block his attack otherwise I would have been unconscious.
"Fucks sake Lewis-" haveing to stop my speaking as Lewis continues his attack with is usual combos from his upper-cut a he attacks the opponents legs to the fake opening he always the opponent to see before attacking again.
"Damnit Lewis it's me. Edward now. Will you. Please. Stop attacking!" That finally seemed to have gotten his attention as he paused for a second then went back in a combat stance and started asking me questions.
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
"How can I believe you after pulling a gun to my neck!? And if you were truly Edward then tell me something only he knows."
"Fine, there was that time when we were playing in the field and threw your dad's keys into the fields and it took us and a group of others forever to find it and when we did find them it was already near midnight." That seemed to have calmed him down as he walked towards me with his arms out for a hug.
Accepting the hug I couldn't help but comment "Your punches still hurt." Referring to his punch at the back of my head considering I was able to dodge and block his combo.
Timeskip performed by E#**#* using "#)#"#"+-++"#"/#"6'#**: In the classroom where Edward and Lewis were sleeping.
Edward and Lewis sat in their usual seats, half-listening to their teacher as she droned on about laws and regulations—the dos and don'ts for Huntsmen and Huntresses. The teacher's voice was a low murmur, an almost inaudible backdrop to their wandering thoughts.
Lewis, as usual, wasn't too bothered by the lecture. His mind was elsewhere. 'How do they expect kids to remember all this?' he thought, mentally rolling his eyes as he continued to listen. 'If you choose to become a civilian, you can't use your aura or semblance unless it's for self-defence.' Yeah, like anyone's going to remember that in the future.
Edward, on the other hand, was grappling with something far more complicated than his classwork. His thoughts were a tangled mess of doubts. Should I tell Lewis about the future? The question had been eating away at him for a while, a constant thought that's always at the back of his mind. If I can't tell him, then who can I trust? But... Some secrets are better left untold. Only one person needs to know. His hands clenched in his lap, fighting the urge to spill everything.
Meanwhile, in a different classroom, Ruby's teacher was giving the same lecture, but she barely seemed to notice her students. She was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to care much about what the class was absorbing. After all, they were just kids. What harm could they do?
What the teacher failed to notice, however, was the subtle, cruel bullying Ruby was enduring. The whispered comments, the pointed stares, the occasional giggles—none of it escaped Ruby's notice, but she had grown used to it. Her pale silver eyes, a rare and unusual trait, made her an easy target. The teacher, however, didn't see any of this.
While Ruby sat silently in the corner at her desk with shoulders hunched, the teacher continued, oblivious to the bullying that was happening in her classroom only making Ruby think even more 'I thought that if I finally have a friend then all of this would stop but I guess, I really am a useless… failure.'
Ruby tried to keep her head down, pretending to pay attention to the teacher, but the whispers were constant like knives stabbing into you. Every time someone looked her way, her stomach twisted. She wished she could just disappear, but no matter how hard she tried to ignore it, their attention only seemed to grow longer, more insistent as if testing her patients.
In the other classroom, Edward's gaze briefly flicked towards Lewis. He could see the resemblance between his Lewis and this new one, even if no one else was able to see the slight changes, the Lewis he knew would never be able to sit up this straight for so long or be able to pay attention to this teacher's boring lesson for so long, the Lewis he knew would have been swinging on his chair with his legs on the table not giving a fuck about what anybody thought… though I guess we haven't been in touch for a while especially during our teenage years so he could of changed, this new Lewis still had some similar traits like the constant leg shaking and the closing of the eyes with his head tilted back as if resting his head on his arms along with the finger drumming on the table matching his heart beat.
Lewis, however, was oblivious to the quiet judging from Edward. His mind was still focused on the teacher's endless lecture. He shifted in his seat and nudged Edward with his elbow, whispering, "Do you think we'll get graded on this? It's all so boring... Who even remembers the rules for Huntsmen and Huntresses anyway?"
Edward, startled by the sudden interruption, nodded absentmindedly and looked back towards the board. "I guess we'll find out when the tests come around," he murmured, but his attention wasn't on the lesson. He kept glancing back at Lewis, his internal struggle only growing with every passing minute.
But then, the bell rang, signalling the end of class. The students packed up their things and filed out of the room, some chatting among themselves, others retreating into their own worlds. Ruby in her classroom was one of the last to leave, quietly slipping out the door, her eyes cast downward as she walked trying to forget all the horrible thoughts but only succeeded in pushing it down containing it in a small imaginary box.
Edward, seeing Ruby in the hallway, felt a deep sense of unease settling in his chest. He hesitated before following her into the hallway, feeling an unfamiliar weight in his chest. The words he had been wrestling with for so long suddenly felt heavier. He could still remember the first time he saw Ruby—her eyes shadowed with sadness from her mothers funeral, with the rain resembling the tears in her eyes and right now he was getting the same feeling from Ruby.
Lewis, oblivious to the atmosfear he had already rushed ahead to catch up with some of their classmates. Edward's gaze lingered on Ruby's retreating figure for a moment longer before he sighed and hurried after her, knowing the pain of isolation she was feeling.
Ruby had stopped in the hallway, leaning against a wall, her face hidden behind a lock of her messy black reddish hair. Edward approached cautiously, unsure of what to say he knew the wrong word could worsen the situation, but he felt like now was as good a time as any to start.
"Hey, Ruby," he said softly, trying not to sound too forced but it came out more creepy.
Ruby flinched slightly as if expecting someone else, but then turned to face him. She forced a smile, though it didn't fool Edward who was used to wearing fake smiles. "Oh, hey, Edward. What's up?" Her voice was almost too cheerful, a clear attempt to mask whatever she was feeling.
"I... I just wanted to make sure you're okay," Edward said, his words tumbling out before he could stop them. "You don't look okay."
Ruby stiffened, but her eyes softened. She wasn't surprised by the question—no one ever really asked her this question, especially in school. "I'm fine," she said quickly, her words a little too quick. "Don't worry about me."
Edward frowned. He didn't believe her, but he didn't want to push. Instead, he stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You don't have to pretend, you know. You can talk to me if you want I… I know how you feel I've been there."
Ruby stared at him, a mixture of surprise and confusion in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but then stopped herself. For a moment, neither of them said anything. The air between them felt thick with unspoken words. Slight traces of tears started to gather at Ruby's eyes, not used to having such support so she didn't know how to process it, but the moment was interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching.
Lewis appeared in the hallway, his hands stuffed in his pockets just like on earth. He grinned at finding Edward but paused slightly when noticing the girl next to Edward making him remember when Edward had the same expression and although he could help the girl now he could tell what she needed now was a distraction so when she's feeling better the questions can truly begin. "Come on, Edward, we don't want to be late for lunch." then looking at Ruby asked "You okay?"
Ruby quickly wiped away any trace of vulnerability and tears then forcing a bright smile. "Yeah, just fine." Then focusing her gaze at Edward said "Go on, enjoy your lunch with your friend… I'll be fine!"
Edward, knowing what Lewis is trying to do, continued their unspoken plan "Oh right you two haven't met yet, Ruby this is lewis, Lewis this is Ruby I'm sure you two would make great friends."
Lewis looking at Ruby was still dealing with the surprising resemblance from someone he knew from earth but had more important things to deal with "As Edward has said I'm Lewis, Lewis Smith-Cough- sorry I meant IronMyth, Still trying to get used to that. Anyway nice to meet you, now how about we go and get lunch before it's too late." saying that he offered a hand toward Ruby with Edward doing the same, making him reminisce about their first time meeting each other, where Lewis also offered a hand of help.
Ruby, unsure of what to do simply simply accepted the extended hand of both Lewis and Edward while looking at both of the eyes of Lewis blue eyes or Edwards brown ones she couldn't quite remember as the tears she was holding back were finally released and resulted in blurring the faces of her newly made friend and her first true friend.
When they arrived and got their lunch the silence that followed felt heavy, but not in the way it had before. It was different now, more like a shared understanding. Ruby's eyes lingered on Edward for a moment longer, as if searching for something. But when their gazes met, she quickly looked away, her fingers absently tracing the edge of her tray.
Edward didn't know what else to say, so he just let the silence settle between them. The tension from the earlier exchange hadn't quite disappeared, but it felt less oppressive now. In some way, trying to help Ruby had lifted a small part of the weight from his chest. But it also brought a new, nagging feeling—What if I can't help her when it matters most just like..?
Lewis, still aware of the drama that had unfolded, plopped a large forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth and looked between Edward and Ruby. "So... what are we doing after school today?" he asked, completely shifting the mood with his carefree tone. "I was thinking we could hit up the training grounds—see if I can finally land a perfect throw. I swear, I'm just a hair off every time." He said remembering and using the memories of the boy's life.
Ruby gave a small, forced laugh. "Sure, that sounds good." But her voice lacked the usual enthusiasm, and she didn't meet his eyes. Instead, she poked at her food some more.
Edward, sensing the growing discomfort, shifted in his seat. He felt like there was something more to the situation than just the teasing. He wasn't sure what, exactly, but he could feel it in his gut. Is this really just about her eyes? Or is there something else going on?
He glanced at Ruby, then back at Lewis, who was still excitedly talking about his plans. "Actually," Edward interjected, "maybe we should head over to the training grounds a bit later. Ruby, you okay if we give it some time? I know you've got a lot going on with the classes, so—"
Ruby's head snapped up, her eyes wide, and for a moment, Edward thought he had said something wrong. But Ruby didn't seem angry—more like... surprised. "Oh, no, it's fine," she said quickly, her voice far too bright to be genuine. "I just... didn't expect it. That's all."
Edward wasn't convinced. There was more she wasn't saying, and that feeling in his chest wouldn't go away. Something was wrong, and Ruby was keeping it to herself. He wished he could reach out more, but he didn't know how to, he could use the approach he used on Lewis but Ruby needed a more gentle approach.
Before he could say anything more, the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. The usual chaos resumed as students began standing up and gathering their things. Ruby quickly stood, her tray now empty, and gave a small, tight smile to Edward and Lewis.
"Thanks for... you know," she said softly. "I'll see you both later, okay?" Edward nodded, though he didn't quite know what to say. "Take care, Ruby."
As Ruby left the table, Lewis shot Edward a curious look. "Man, what was that all about? I swear, you two are like, the definition of awkward sometimes." Edward didn't answer right away. His eyes lingered on Ruby's retreating form, the way she kept her head down as she walked toward the exit.
"You know something's up, right?" Lewis pressed. "I mean, you're usually the one to catch on to these things yet even I'm able to see it so what's going on with her?"
Edward glanced at his friend, but his thoughts were elsewhere. He wanted to tell Lewis everything—the things he knew, the things he was afraid of, and maybe even the things that could change everything. But how could he explain any of it without sounding insane? How do you tell someone about the future and that was in an anime?
Instead, Edward forced a tight smile. "She's just... going through some stuff, probably bullying and her home life isn't that great as well, at least they're starting to care about her now."
Lewis narrowed his eyes, clearly able to tell that Edward was keeping something secret. "Yeah, well, you two should talk more. And... you've been kind of distracted too. Everything okay?"
Edward hesitated. The weight of the secret he carried, the things he couldn't say, were making it harder to even think straight. But he managed a nonchalant shrug. "Yeah. Everything's fine. Let's get to class."
The rest of the school day passed in a blur. Edward couldn't focus on anything. His thoughts kept drifting back to Ruby and the strange distance that had settled between them. There was more to this than just the family problems and school bullies.
He couldn't shake the feeling that Ruby was hiding something, something that went beyond the mockery about her eyes. What if it's not just the eyes? What if there's something else? he thought. He wanted to help, but he had no idea where to start.
Finally, the bell rang for the end of the day, and students spilled out into the hallway, ready to head home. Edward quickly packed his things, deciding he needed to do something. He couldn't just sit on the sidelines anymore, waiting for things to get worse. But as he stepped into the hallway, his thoughts were interrupted by a voice he hadn't expected to hear.
"Edward!"
He turned to find Ruby standing by the door to the exit. She looked hesitant, almost as if she was waiting for something.
"Ruby?" Edward asked, surprised. "Are you okay?"
Ruby nodded, though her expression was uncertain. She bit her lip before speaking, her words coming out slowly, as though she was trying to decide whether to say them or not.
"Can we talk?" she asked softly, her eyes meeting his. "I... I think I need to tell you something. Something I've been hiding."
Edward's heart skipped a beat. For a moment, he was unsure if he should be excited or scared. Ruby was opening up to him—finally—but what was she going to say?
Thanks for reading and sorry for the cliff hangers that I've been using so much tell me what are your thoughts of this new development especially with the introduction of Lewis. Also really sorry for the long break it's just hard writing original stuff especially when the show doesn't tell us much about Signal so I was doing research though some stuff will definitely be things I've made up also warning next chapter contains lots of... ha cliff hanger now BYE!!