[hider=Beard of Evil] “You know Robert, I’m not sure if this is a great idea,” Shiro said as he made sure the chains were secured before jumping back onto solid ground. “What are you talking about? I finally figured out what my semblance is after all these years. I need to know what its limitations are,” the boy in question replied. “Back me up here, Oswald.” “Uh uh. There’s a reason I’ve been over here sitting in the corner on my scroll. I do not want to be involved when this thing goes South.” “Abel?” “I have to side with Shiro here, Rob.” “Trad? Come on, don’t you have any pent up rage for how bad of a leader I’ve been?” “Actually, I’ve been pretty alright with your leadership, man. If you want, I could give Grane a call. This does seem more like something of his expertise.” “No, no, no. He doesn’t come up until test number 37.” “Which test are we performing right now?” Lucas asked with a quizzical look. “13.” “Listen Robert,” Gren said as he walked into the room with his team’s pet ferret perched on his shoulder, carrying a box filled with some of the most dangerous weapons he could get his hands on. “As much as I’d love to test all of these weapons out, a live target was never my original intention. You really should consider calling this off. I mean, just look at yourself.” “What?” Robert asked as he took in his surroundings again to see what the big deal was. There he sat, suspended over Beacon’s swimming pool that was filled with [url=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNDhkVNWgAAu4XX.png]flesh rippers[/url], upside down in a wooden chair that already appeared to be splintering, asking for his friends to shoot at him. All of this just to test whether he can use his bad luck semblance to somehow survive. “Come on, my aura will totally protect from anything serious.” “You have one of the weakest auras out of everyone in the entire school! There are students at Signal that could probably survive a hit better than you, boss,” Shiro said, attempting to talk some sense into the redheaded idiot. Before a reply could be given though, a certain young cat faunus burst through the doors of the gym. “Guys, you won’t believe it! The cafeteria is actually selling real- Um, Robert? Why are hanging upside down?” “Hey, Emi. It’s just a science experiment me and the guys are working on. No need to worry,” he replied to Emerald. “Huh. Anyway, the cafeteria is currently serving real pizza! Not the kind they always serve that tastes like cardboard covered in melted plastic, but actual pizza from Big Brutus Pizzeria!” “Wait really? Hurry, someone cut me down so I can get a slice!” “No time, Robert. We’ll try to save you some when we get back,” Oswald said, leading everyone out of the gym and toward the cafeteria. “But it’ll be cold by the time you get back. And I can feel the blood rushing to my head already.” “Should have thought of tha...” Oswald shouted back, his voice already far enough away that the team leader only could only make out the first few words. Now alone and still hanging upside down with no way to escape, the boy soon realized how bad of a predicament he was in. “Well this sucks.” Without any warning though, a sudden bright light appeared at the water’s edge and a young man stepped through. “Aha! My Dimensional Exploration A-something Device works! Now I can begin using it to take over other worlds too, and add to my empire!” The figure then turned around to face Robert to reveal himself to be… another Robert, but with a sick goatee and moustache! “Prepare other- What the fuck?” “Hey, watch your language. We’re at a school after all,” the original said, glaring angrily at the doppelganger. “You know I came here to capture or kill you so that I could take your place and slowly begin making my way up the political ladder before eventually gaining control of this world’s entire nuclear arsenal and using it to threaten the entire world with armageddon... but you seem to have completed the first step of that plan for me. Thank you.” “You’re welcome?” The devious one of the two Roberts then made his way to the metal bench that the chain suspending the boy was connected to, unlocking it and slowly lowering him. "What are you doing?" "Well I don't have any reason to kill you since you've already trapped yourself for me, so I don't see why I can't make blending in a bit easier for myself as well as torture you psychologically as you watch me take over your life. Here, take this." Reaching over the side of the pool, he plugged something into the real Robert's visor that caused him to begin seeing what the mustachioed villain saw on his own pair. "Now, unless you want me to kill your friends and classmates, you will give me all the information you have on them as I meet them. And don't worry, I promise I'll be back to let you down in a few hours once I find a proper broom closet to leave you in." "You won't get away with this. They'll see right through you and then kick your butt," the team leader said defiantly. This only brought on a smile across his replacement's mouth as replied back, "If your intelligence is any indication of what I have to look forward to, I think not." [hr] The evil Robert walked through the doors of Beacon's cafeteria, taking in the sight of the many students getting their lunches. His eyes scanned each and every student, investigating them for any obvious signs of weakness and strengths that he could take advantage of. Deciding to start with those nearest to him, he chose the couple enjoying a pizza together to his right. "Who are those two? They seem... somewhat infatuated with each other." "Oswald and Sapphire? Yeah, they finally hooked up a few weeks ago after a lot of goading from the rest of us," the real Robert replied through his own visor's microphone. "Hmm. Newly in love... Love tends to cloud people's judgement, leading to irrational decisions. Take out one and the other will either be to devastated to keep up their defense or lash out, leading to the same result. The scar under the male's nose indicates that he probably has difficulty protecting his face from forward attacks. Best to aim for him first than the female. Next." He then turned to the next group of students that he saw. "What about them?" "Sapphire's teammates: Shiro, Abel, and Gren." "And who's the leader?" "Sapphire." The mustachioed villain began to stroke his beard in deep thought on his plan for Team Swansong before replying, "They're eating separately, showing signs of distrust with their so-called leader. A possible exploitation. The cat faunas also seems rather clumsy considering how many times he's spilled his beverage in the last minute alone. Sloppy. The other two seem very large, most likely relying on brute strength over speed. Best to dodge their attacks and wear them out before striking for the chinks in their armor." Robert let out a small chuckle, prompting his evil duplicate to become wary. "What? What do you find so amusing?" "I just think it's funny how you seem to be completely underestimating them, especially Gren." "How so?" The boy became silent as he realized his mistake, giving out more information that could have been used to backfire the plans of his other. "Tell me now or the first person who decides to leave for the restroom will find a blade in their back before they can even zip their fly down." "Gren's semblance allows him to control friction, meaning he can slide across the ground at lightning fast speeds or cause you to be stuck in place so he can absolutely wail on ya." "Hmm. The only option is a sneak attack then. All that armor probably makes feel safe and secure. A shot to the back of the head, especially from me, someone he most likely sees as a friend, should be able to bring him down with little problem. Still, that should warrant him a top spot on the list of those to take out first." At that moment, a redheaded girl suddenly appeared in front of the evil-doer, pretending to be assessing its value. "You're losing your edge Robert, you didn't even notice me swipe this away from you," she said with with a wide grin before handing it back. "Nice beard by the way. Makes you look older." The evil doppelganger seemed unphased by the thief's antics though as he pulled a familiar hat out from behind his back. "Thank you for the compliment in my appearance, but I think you may be missing something in your own," he said, spinning it on the tip of his finger with a look of triumph shown clear across his face. Back at the gym, the real Robert looked amazed as he began to ask, "How did you-" A solid form of a shadow would suddenly collide with the face of the more dishonorable version of the boy while Diamond retrieved her head apparel. "Hat's off-limits you bastard," she said, her words full of venom as she went to join the rest of her team. Rubbing his jaw where the pain was most prevalent, the scoundrel spoke into his visor's headset with an equal amount of malice. "If you laugh, I'm coming back there and cutting off your foot." "I didn't say anything," Robert replied with a wide smile as he held back his joy. Besides the threat, the only thing keeping him from becoming hysterical was the knowledge that he would have to apologize to her once he was finally free. Spotting Team BASL, especially the scantly-clad Amy, Evil Robert's expression changed from one of pain to a crafty grin. As he approached the table, he held a hand up to his visor to press the earpiece of it closer so he could more easily hear. "Who are they?" he asked, the tone of his voice making the question sound more like an order. "Ben's the guy obviously, Amy is the one that's wearing the outfit that shows off more skin than fabric, Sangue is the one with one arm, and Lauren's the one who has the darker complexion of the four," Robert replied. Seeing that his counterpart was approaching the group unlike the others who he kept at a distance, he asked, "What are you?" "You'll see," was the only reply he gave before leaning against the edge of the table and greeting the team. "Hey guys. You wouldn't mind if I sat with you would you?" Amy was the first to reply as an almost sinister smile crossed her lips and she rose from her seat to invade the newcomer's personal space. She always loved how uncomfortable Robert would get whenever she even slightly flaunted her sexuality. "Of course you can Robert, as long as you don't mind me taking a seat on your lap." Now to wait and watch him squirm. Of course, this wasn't the young hunter she knew and this version of the boy was a lot more confident and cocky. "Sure thing babe, just try not to squirm too much or you might make it a bit uncomfortable for yourself," he replied with a wicked grin. Taken by surprise from the usually virtuous Robert, Amy took a couple steps back as she tried to understand what had just happened. Her confused face with its wide-eyed expression brought out a few laughs from two of the three onlookers, even Sangue showed signs of a small smirk. The vile version of Robert then sat down just as he had asked, taking Amy's seat and forcing her to take a seat next to him since she felt too uncomfortable to actually proceed with her offer. He didn't care, there was another woman at the table he had his eye on, specifically the one-armed swordswoman sitting across from him. In his mind, someone who was able to be accepted into such an organization despite such an obvious disability must make her a very dangerous opponent indeed. The similar hair color might have also helped too, he always did have a thing for fellow redheads. The perceptive Lauren seemed to notice where the young man was staring though and immediately tried to divert his attention away from her friend and teammate. "So when did you start growing that 'stache? I didn't even notice it yesterday during Albion's class." Robert completely ignored her though as he continued to focus on Sangue, who had now realized she was being watched and had become visibly uncomfortable. His violating eyes seemed to inspect every inch of her body before he finally said something. "Nice dress, but I think it’d look better crumpled on my be-" he began before a sudden punch across the face from Lauren cut him off. "Whydotheyalwaysgofortheface?" "What the fuck Robert!" she shouted as the impact threw him to the ground. "I don't know what the Hell's caused you start acting like a humongous creep, but you're not getting away with trying to make a move on Sangue!" As she began to approach the twisted antithesis of the redhead hunter, her expression began to calm and she asked, "What's gotten into you? If it has something to do with Priscilla you don't have to keep it to yourself. You have friends you can talk to about this." "Priscilla?" Back at the pool, the real Robert's eyes went wide with horror as he whispered to himself, "Oh no." [hr] The sound of a heart rate monitor beeped rhythmic in the Evil Robert's ear as he looked down at the pink haired girl before him. His captive twin had explained the story to him on the way to Beacon's infirmary. How the two had been dating for a several months. How she and his first team mysteriously disappeared one night. How she had been found unconscious at a refinery that had been swarmed by Grimm. How she had been in a comatose state ever since with no signs of her waking up any time soon. "So what you're saying is that she's weak." "What?" "She has little to no chance of ever waking up. She was taken out by a small pack of Harpies. And she's now taking up valuable resources to keep her alive when those resources could be instead spent on other, much more useful members of society. She doesn't deserve to continue breathing the same air as me," the twisted reflection of Robert replied as he made his way to the side of the bed where she was connected to her life support, hand reaching for the plug. "No. No! No!" Robert cried as he began to struggle in his chair, trying to squirm out of the chains. This other version had crossed the line. Not only was he about to take a life, it was going to be the one person he cared about most in this world and would not stand for that. He was going to get out. Leaning back and forth in his chair, the young hunter was able to start swinging himself over the deadly pool he was suspended over until he was finally able to reach the edge. Then, cranking his semblance up, he caused the wooden chair to suddenly break, freeing himself from his own deadly trap and sending him falling to the hard ground. He ignored the pain though and quickly rose to his feet, his face filled with determination, before taking off towards the school infirmary. "Don't worry, I'm coming Priscilla," [hr] The twisted, mirrored version of Robert stood over Priscilla's bed after having just pulled the plug on her life support. Soon another weak link would be erased and humanity will grow stronger because of it. Or at least it would have if not for one obstacle. Robert. Suddenly the boy rushed into the hospital room, lunging at his evil counterpart and sending the both of them out the nearby window. Both young hunters would slowly rise back up to their feet, their clothes and skin covered in shards of glass but neither willing to surrender to the other. Both of them had a mission, an objective, a goal and they weren't going to just roll over and accept defeat. With a enraged shout, the two began their fight. The more malevolent of the two would strike first, his bracers extending into blade form and cutting through the air towards his opponent. He had hoped to be the first to react and end this quickly so he could return to what he had been in the process of doing. Robert's own blade would suddenly eject from it's sheath though to deflect the attack, sending it harmlessly to the side. His left hand then balled into a fist before going for an uppercut. It slow. With the blade on his other bracer giving him a few more inches of an extended reach, Evil Robert stabbed into Robert's shoulder, stopping his attack right in his tracks. "That's your problem. You hold yourself back. You aim for non-lethal strikes. You don't have the guts to take a life do you?" With teeth clenched in pain, the injured boy replied, "Six." "What?" "I've taken six lives. John Fallson, Marian Fallson, Scarlet Fallson, Greyson Ortega, Daniel Dalton, Delta Snow. Now seven because of Priscilla. They're gone because they got too close to me. I'm dangerous to anyone who spends too much time around me. That's my semblance. Only recently did I discover it." The boy gripped the blade that had been stabbed into him, cutting the palm of his hand as he struggled to pull it out against his counterpart's strength. "And since you're me, I don't think there's anyone closer," he finished before thrusting his head forward, breaking his attacker's nose with his forehead. Jumping off of Robert and clutching at his bleeding olfactory nerves, the doppelganger transformed his weapon to its ballistic form before taking aim at the redheaded teen and firing a single shot. With no more options, he kicked his semblance into maximum while raising his arms in a protective stance. The 10mm bullet ricocheted off of his bracers, spiraling toward the building the two had come from, bouncing off the wall, before finally finding itself embedded into its shooter's skull. The fight ended almost as quickly as it had begun, all thanks to a bit of bad luck. [hr] [u][b]Epilogue[/b][/u] Robert would immediately return to his girlfriend's room in the school infirmary, only to find her still alright. When he had crashed through the window earlier, it had gotten the attention of a nearby nurse who had saved Priscilla's life. The next day would be spent apologizing to his friends and classmates for everything his alternate universe-self had done, telling them all of the outlandish and strange story of what had happened. If not for the fact that the nearby morgue now had an almost exact duplicate of the redhead boy kept in cold storage, they probably would have never believed him. Considering the circumstances, things had turned out pretty well for the boy. With this Evil Robert's ambitions, who would have known when anyone would have put a stop to whatever master plan he had concocted. The fact that he had been the only casualty of that day was a miracle in and of itself. [/hider]