Wake Up As Ozpin

Ozpin sat in his office, staring at his desk.

Something was wrong.

No, not just wrong—off.

Like an itch in his brain, a familiarity he couldn't explain.

He tapped his fingers against the wood, thinking.

Step Ninety-Five: Identify the Problem.

His memory was fine. His cover was intact. The festival was approaching, his bullshit quota was at an all-time high, and yet—

This wasn't the first time.

His fingers froze.

Pause.

Wait.

He had already had this thought before.

A sharp knock at the door nearly made him jolt.

"Come in," he called, masking his unease.

The door creaked open.

A red cloak. Silver eyes.

Ruby Rose stepped inside.

Ozpin blinked.

Step Ninety-Six: Process the Deja Vu.

"Uh, hi, Professor Ozpin," Ruby said, shifting slightly. "You, uh, wanted to see me?"

Pause.

Did he?

He checked his scroll. No notifications. No scheduled meetings.

And yet—he had already had this conversation before.

He remembered it clearly.

But that wasn't possible.

Step Ninety-Seven: Do Not Panic.

"Ah, yes," he said smoothly, stalling. "Please, have a seat."

Ruby sat, looking just a bit confused. "Sooo… what's up?"

Ozpin steepled his fingers.

Step Ninety-Eight: Test the Waters.

"Miss Rose, have we had this conversation before?"

She blinked.

"...Uh, no? I don't think so?"

His fingers twitched.

Step Ninety-Nine: Now You Can Panic.

---

Step One Hundred: The Fractured Timeline Theory

After Ruby left—none the wiser to his internal breakdown—Ozpin immediately started digging through his records.

He checked his previous meetings. His messages. His schedule.

There was nothing.

No duplicate logs. No missing time. Nothing.

And yet—he remembered.

Not just talking to Ruby.

But Pyrrha. Qrow. Ironwood.

Conversations that had already happened—before they happened.

Step One Hundred and One: Consider the Impossible.

Ozpin turned toward the massive hourglass in his office.

He had always avoided thinking about it.

The relic of Choice. A tool that should have granted him power, yet remained inert.

Or did it?

Step One Hundred and Two: What If It Never Was?

He approached the hourglass, staring at the swirling sand.

It had always been there. Watching. Marking time.

A pulse ran through his skull.

Flashes.

Conversations repeating. Words spoken twice. Events slightly out of order.

This wasn't just déjà vu.

Something was wrong with time itself.

Step One Hundred and Three: Do Not Freak Out.

Ozpin slowly sat back down.

Alright. He needed to be smart about this.

Step One Hundred and Four: Gather More Data.

---

Step One Hundred and Five: The Next Test Subject

There was only one other person in this school who might subconsciously notice something like this.

Jaune Arc.

Why?

Because Jaune's brain operated on pure instinct.

(And also because if reality was breaking, it would probably start with him.)

Step One Hundred and Six: Casually Investigate Without Raising Suspicion.

The next morning, Ozpin "happened" to run into Jaune outside the cafeteria.

"Ah, Mister Arc," he greeted, offering a polite nod.

Jaune straightened immediately, nearly dropping his toast. "Oh! Uh, h-hey, Professor Ozpin!"

Ozpin studied him. "How have your studies been progressing?"

Jaune blinked. "Uh… good?"

A pause.

"Wait, didn't we have this conversation already?"

Pause.

Ozpin's fingers twitched.

Step One Hundred and Seven: We Are So Screwed.

---

Step One Hundred and Eight: The Bigger Picture

Ozpin returned to his office, shutting the door behind him.

Alright.

This wasn't just him.

Jaune—who had the awareness of a brick—had noticed something was off.

That meant this was real.

Step One Hundred and Nine: What Do We Do About It?

He turned back to the hourglass.

The Relic of Choice.

…Or was it?

Because if it was doing something—if it was actively altering time in small ways—

Then that meant he wasn't just reliving moments.

It meant the entire timeline was unstable.

Step One Hundred and Ten: Accept That You Might Be Trapped in a Loop.

Ozpin exhaled.

Right.

Step One Hundred and Eleven: Find a Way Out.