New Beginnings in Unfamiliar Arms - Volume: 0

It had been a couple of days since Raven had taken me from Merlot's laboratory. Now, I found myself in Raven's tent, placed in a makeshift baby cradle that swayed with each creak of noise. Occasionally, Raven would enter the tent.

She had just returned from what was probably another raid. As she glanced down at me, I could sense her deep thinking. But at this moment, my stomach rumbled loudly, reminding me of the helplessness [Damn it, I am so hungry and I can't just get up and eat, this tiny body sucks, it's frustrating being a baby. I could go for some tacos right now.] But, an idea came to me, about a way to get Raven to feed me.

Raven begins her nightly ritual of shedding her battle-worn armor and Vernal steps into the tent to discuss a guard shift.

"Raven, you think we should rotate the guards near the west perimeter tomorrow?" Vernal asked in a low voice.

And just as Raven was about to respond, I let out an unexpected wail that caused them both to jump in surprise. Their conversation was interrupted by my sudden and forceful cries.

Raven looked at me with an annoyed expression and said, "Well, it seems someone's feeling rather vocal tonight"

Raven scooped me up into her arms, cradling me gently as she cast a look at Vernal.

"What's wrong with the brat?" Raven asked trying to figure out the reason for the baby crying.

Vernal, appearing slightly surprised, "I'm not sure. Perhaps you might know, given that you have experience with a child," she responded.

Raven shifted her gaze to me, her expression was thinking. "I did have Yang, but I haven't spent enough time with her to fully grasp how babies work."

I snuggle next to her breasts, trying to get a good feel. [I'm in Heaven.] I say enjoying myself. I claw at her shirt trying to make her notice I'm hungry.

Vernal nodded in understanding and said, "Um perhaps he is hungry."

Raven, holding me close, responded, "Well, we'll figure it out. It's been a while since I had to deal with babies."

Raven noticed me clawing at her shirt and realized what I wanted. She adjusted her position, offering me her breast. I latched on, instinctively nursing. [Some good things do come with reincarnation] I think while sucking.

As I fed, I let out a gurgle and mumbled, "Damn, these feel good," snuggling even closer to her breast.

Raven had a stern tone. "You better not get any ideas, brat," she warned, her gaze firm as she looked down at me. "I'm not, and I never will be your mother."

I continued sucking, not caring for what she said, and taking enjoyment for however long I could do this until I grew.

Raven's fingers gently brushed against something on my head as I nursed. Curious, she unwrapped the blanket from around me and discovered a small, weathered name tag. It read "Bell."

She paused for a moment, studying the tag, and she asked, "Bell? so that's your name, Brat." She gazed into my silver eyes "You will be useful for the tribe."

7 years later

It's been seven years since I was brought into the Remnant. Back then, I was just a baby, and Raven was taking care of me. But, like all good things, my time being breastfed had to come to an end, which, honestly, kind of sucked. Life in our bandit tribe is okay, nothing too special, and the lack of entertainment is a real downer.

I started attending school, although not your typical school. It's what we call "bandit school," where all the kids in our tribe, including me, get our education from a teacher named Mrs. Hazel. She's an interesting character who decided to embrace the bandit lifestyle, and Raven saw potential in her to educate the youth of our tribe.

Things were pretty easy for me in bandit school at first, given my past education that went up to high school level and a few AP classes under my belt. I quickly rose to the top of my class, acing every test with a perfect score.

Then, Mrs. Hazel decided to challenge me by moving me up a few grades. unsurprisingly, I kept acing everything, and at this rate, I might just finish my Remnant general education in a year or even less. But then, things took an interesting turn when Mrs. Hazel introduced a new subject: dust education.

This was where it started to get tough. The course delved into the intricacies of how dust worked, how to handle it, mix it correctly, and even how to weaponize it. All of this was a real challenge, but to my surprise, I found that I could grasp these complex concepts quickly and with great clarity. It was like my new body came with some supercharged intellect, perhaps I also got Peter Parker's IQ.

Eventually Raven started my training.

Raven was really pushing my training to the max. She'd set me up with a Katana and was relentless whenever I messed up. It was like, "Fail, and you'll work twice as hard," kind of deal. But I was getting the hang of it, not just the physical stuff but also the whole discipline thing.

Still, during all this training, I couldn't help but think what am I gonna do with my life in Remnant. I mean, it's a whole different world from Earth. I might join Ozpin or do my own thing, and I was left wondering what my true purpose would be in this place.

2 years later

Meeting Qrow was awesome – that guy is just awesome. He's got this knack for bringing me some tech from Atlas, but there's a catch. He only coughs it up if I can manage to annoy Raven. And guess what? I'm all in for that challenge. I mean, what's the fun if you don't push some buttons, right?

So, here's the deal – I've taken to calling Raven "Mom" just to mess with her, and she can't stand it. It's like my little way of poking the bear. I've even started pulling some Spidey moves by sticking to the ceiling and giving her the slip, making her hunt me down. One time, I even webbed her weapon to the floor, and she was stuck for a bit. She didn't think that was too funny.

As for my weapon, I'm working on this cool project using the tech parts Qrow brings. It's a set of robotic spider legs, but I've only managed to build one and a half legs so far. So, I've been rocking Raven's old katana that she used back in her Beacon days. It's got some history to it, which I dig.

Now, Qrow occasionally swings by with some Atlesian textbooks in math, science, history, and dust. That stuff keeps me pretty busy when I'm not training with Raven. And speaking of training, I've already wrapped up my general education, and I'm way ahead of the curve in my studies.

4 years later 

I'm thirteen now, and finally, the day has come when Raven decides to unlock my aura. We're in her tent, and she calls me over, "Brat, come here." I obey and approach her.

"It's time to unlock your aura; you've earned it," she tells me. Excitement bubbles up inside me, and I can't help but ask, "Wait, why haven't you unlocked it before, Mom?" Raven visibly bristles for a moment, a vein popping on her forehead, but then she composes herself and explains, "Because you've managed to defeat every bandit in this tribe, except for me and Vernal, without even having your aura unlocked. That deserves recognition, and it's time you had it unlocked."

I can't contain my joy at the news. Getting my aura unlocked is a big deal. Raven further emphasizes its importance by saying, "To further your growth in the tribe, you must have your aura unlocked. It'll make you stronger." She reaches out and touches my chest, reciting the chant to unlock my aura. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder protect thee," she finished the chant.

As she completes the ritual, I can feel a surge of power coursing through me. It's an incredible sensation.

After unlocking my aura, Raven looks at me with a serious expression and says, "Now that you've got your aura, be prepared for your training to get even tougher." I nod, taking in her words. She means it, and her expectations are higher now that I've crossed this milestone.

2 years later 

It's been two years of intense training under Raven, and I've come a long way. She pushes me to my limits, and it's clear that I've become a versatile huntsman, honing my skills in combat. But I knew there was more to me than just traditional fighting techniques. I had to figure out how to incorporate my faunus abilities into my unique style, inspired by Spiderman. Webs and acrobatics have become my thing.

Though I still wield a katana, my pet project, the robotic spider legs, is now 80 percent complete. I'm itching to get my hands on some serious tech to finish them. The cool thing is, I don't need web shooters like Spiderman. My webs are organic, and let me tell you, it's a blast using them. There's a certain satisfaction in webbing people up, just like in the comics.

In our bandit camp, I've claimed one tree as my own. It's my treehouse, made entirely out of webs. Whenever some of the other bandits tick me off, I'll stick them up onto my giant web and jokingly threaten to eat them. Most of the bandits enjoy my quips and jokes, and I've managed to make friends with some of the Faunus here. They initially thought I was a human, but once they realized I was a Faunus, they found me intriguing. Arachnid-type faunus like me are pretty rare, and unfortunately, they tend to get a bad rap due to Tyrian Callows.

On a more personal note, hitting puberty again is a real bummer. Those teenage hormones are just plain weird and gross. Sometimes, I'll look into the mirror, and I can't help but appreciate how much I've changed. I'm pretty tall for my age, taller than most, with striking silver eyes, black hair, a nice face, and some solid muscles. In my previous life, I was just a skinny dude with an okay fashion sense. Now, when I look at myself, I realize this is probably everything I ever wanted to be. It's a strange twist of fate, but I'm embracing it.

1 year later

The bandits were huddled together in the dimly lit combat arena, their anxiety palpable as they scanned the area, frantically asking, "Where is he?" One of them couldn't contain his panic and yelled, "There he is!" As he pointed upwards, he was suddenly swept off his feet and disappeared, leaving the rest of the group in shock.

Fear rippled through the remaining bandits as they gazed upward, searching for any sign of their elusive adversary. "Shit, he's gone!" one of them exclaimed, trying to make sense of the situation. But before they could react, another one of their comrades was lifted into the air and swiftly removed from the scene. Now, only five remained.

The tension continued to mount as one of the bandits, growing increasingly nervous, yelled out, "Show yourself, coward! Where are you?" Suddenly, a voice emerged from behind him, sending a shiver down his spine. "Behind you," it said, causing him to leap away in alarm.

Before he could react, the first bandit found himself face to face with their elusive foe, who donned a black ninja costume with stark white lenses. Panic set in as one of the bandits began to fire rounds of ammunition, while the rest launched into a frenzied attack against the mysterious figure. The combat arena had transformed into a battleground of chaos.

The ninja moved with incredible agility, effortlessly dodging all the bullets fired by the panicking bandits. In a fluid motion, he webbed up the gun of one of the bandits, ripped it from the startled individual's grasp, and swung it around before hurling it at the same bandit, rendering him unconscious.

As the rest of the bandits closed in with melee weapons, the ninja continued to demonstrate his extraordinary prowess. He gracefully dodged and leaped over their attacks, countering with speed and precision. In a flash, he webbed up one bandit, then delivered an uppercut, launching her into the air. He then shot out webs to slam her into another bandit, effectively taking both of them out of the fight.

With finesse, the ninja launched a web at yet another bandit, web-striking him and delivering a series of swift and powerful blows. Meanwhile, the final remaining bandit attempted to sneak up behind the ninja, preparing to strike him from behind. However, the ninja has heightened senses, and he swiftly moves, causing the sneaky bandit to inadvertently strike his fellow, leaving them both dazed.

As the ninja turned around to face the last standing bandit, the fear in the bandit's eyes was evident. Without hesitation, the ninja executed a well-timed roundhouse kick, and the final bandit went down, leaving the combat arena silent.

Vernal made her way into the arena, her steps determined as she approached the ninja. She informed him, "Bell, Raven's asking for you." Bell took off his mask, then raised an eyebrow in curiosity and asked, "I'll head right over, but do you have any idea what my mom wants?"

Vernal shook her head slightly, a hint of uncertainty in her expression. "Not sure, but it sounds serious. You might want to be cautious and avoid calling Raven 'mom'," she advised, her tone conveying the seriousness of the situation.

Bell, ever confident, simply shrugged and replied, "Don't worry big sis, I got this." With that, he turned and headed towards Raven's tent, anticipation building as he entered. The air was heavy with intrigue as he wondered what urgent matter had called him there.

As Bell stepped into Raven's tent, he spotted Raven engaged in a conversation with Qrow. Their voices were low, and they seemed to be discussing something of importance. The tension in the room was palpable, and Bell couldn't help but feel a hint of anxiety creeping in.

Raven suddenly turned her gaze towards him, her piercing eyes locking onto his. She broke the silence by saying, "Bell, we need to talk."