A/N: Well, this was another story I wanted to put out. It's kinda just been at the back of my mind, waiting to be put down into words and given form. Hopefully I can make a story you guys/gals enjoy, and I'll try my best to make my dreams for this story a reality. But, I guess the only way to make that happen is to: "Keep moving forward." And with that, let's begin. ~
Disclaimer: Obviously, I do not own RWBY or any other independent properties that I allude to other than my own characters and ideas; those are mine and mine alone, nobody else's. That is all.
"A child once asked me why I had my pocket watch, if what I was using it to keep track of was something important. I'll never forget that moment as I looked at her, feeling my entire body quake as I gazed upon her pure and innocent face. In that moment, I could only answer her with a simple, 'Yes' as a tear ran down my face. Once she had her answer, she simply closed her eyes and beamed up at me with that ever-sweet smile of hers, one which would continue to haunt me until my final task was complete. In truth, I was using it to keep track of time until the world would be safe enough for her."-A promise to the unborn.
(Prologue-Inversion, 1st person Account)
Well, there are a lot of things I could say here: I could talk about myself, about life or even the state of the world in general. I could speak about a lot of frivolous, meaningless things, but I could only grab one's attention for only so long. So, I suppose it's best if we get the most relevant question out of the way first: Who am I?
Well, I was, and am, just like anyone else and came from humble beginnings. I was born in an average hospital, in an average town, to an average family and life was generally good. Sure, it had its low points, some worse off than others, but it was what it needed to be and I dealt with it. I had the average experiences anyone else had: friends, family and foes alike, and like anything else they all made me into the person I am now. I was a fan of a great deal many stories, whether it was literature, visual media (I.E.[or E.G., not quite sure] television, web series, etc.) or even web-literature, a.k.a. Fanfiction and the like. And like anyone else, I preferred, or even revered, some stories over others and those often became my greatest inspirations, creatively or fundamentally.
Anyways, life went on as usual, and then it didn't. One day, my life was normal. The next, my life as I knew it was gone forever, but that's a pretty cliché thing for any type of protagonist/deuteragonist to give and say, isn't it? But, we all gotta start somewhere.
Since that day, many things have happened: some good, some bad and some just kind of that particular sort of ugly where it just makes you cringe for even just thinking about it. But, all those events are another story entirely. And perhaps, someday, you'll stumble upon it.
For now though, let's check upon the events that happened immediately afterwards and continue where the previous series of events left off: Where I, as an enthusiast of this tale, was given a way to enter into one man's world, his dream and ultimately… his final life's work.
Thus, knowing this world that he made, through the choices made for and by me so far, I was able to transcend the limits of my old life to continue on into another, and thus found myself in a new world entirely, with new abilities, people and details to explore, some of which I would know in foresight but even I only knew so much going into it all and would only be able to do so much. But, I was going to do my best to keep my footing here, even as I landed feet first, figuratively speaking, into this remnant of hell.
And thus, we find ourselves recovering from the end of one tale and into the uncertain beginnings of another…
(Prologue-Present, Location-Cliffside Forest, 3rd Person P.O.V.)
It was dark out, the shadow of night claiming this side of the world while the light of dawn rose elsewhere, bringing about the start of another day for somebody else far, far away…
In this dark forest, the cold embrace of winter was ever-present as snowflakes fell, continuing to cover the ground with more and more of its icy essence.
In the monotony of this frigid weather, the silence of the forest was soon replaced with the sounds of trudging feet as a figure walked through the snow-laden forest as they made their way home, their business in this place concluded.
The person continued to walk through the forest before entering into the open expanse of a clearing, its size fairly impressive by all standards.
Though, it would soon become apparent that this person was not alone this night.
For, in this land, dark beasts of nightmares existed and thrived. Their only purpose? To destroy. Nothing more, nothing less. And for this instance, that truth would not change.
Coming out of the literal woodwork, Werewolf-esque creatures wandered out of the forest surrounding the clearing and encroached upon the figure's position before stopping some distance away, silently evaluating their prey. Meanwhile, the person halted in their trek at the creature's arrival, their red cloak flapping in the wind as they unflinchingly observed the foes before them.
A few moments passed and all was still. Then, three of the creatures leapt towards the figure, aiming to tear their target to ribbons.
In the distance, a white-cloaked soul who'd silently been tailing the trudging wanderer tensed, prepared to move forward to aid the red figure. Though just as he was about to act, he stopped, noticing that the other figure had already begun to act.
Where there had once been a red-garbed figure was now nothing but air and Rose petals, the wolf-like creatures crashing into one another after their failed attempt to rush their target. The creatures quickly stood up as they tried to find their quarry, looking around the area in confusion, though by then it was already too late for them.
In the sky above the clearing, the red figure, now identified as a young girl with black hair that reddened at its ends and wearing a red and black outfit, twirled in the air for but a brief moment before pulling out a curious invention.
From behind the back of her belt, she pulled out a dark, metallic device, which quickly expanded in a single moment into a much larger form, becoming a weapon of some sort. Its function, unclear.
Then, she aimed along the sights of the weapon… and fired.
Down below, one of the creatures was killed instantly, most of its head now missing as it sizzled away amongst the snowy ground.
A moment later, the girl landed, firing twice more at the creatures nearby, killing two of them swiftly before leaping away and altering her weapon once more.
It was now apparent that she held a red, mechanical scythe…that also doubled as a gun.
So with that, the battle continued between the two sides; the creatures charging unyieldingly towards their target, more of their kind coming to aid them, and the girl acting swiftly in response.
Once again, we come to the other side of the clearing, a person in a white cloak stood observing the battle since its inception, ready to act in case anything went awry but ultimately understood that the girl would be just fine. The creatures that were scattered throughout the area ignored him entirely in favor of attacking the graceful figure that was cleaving through them and their brethren.
Back with the girl, she had just finished another volley of attacks against the beasts, but their numbers were still far too high for comfort and at this rate it would still be some time to eliminate these creatures. Fortunately for her, she had a way to speed things up.
Pausing for but a moment, she dropped her weapon's now-empty magazine and loaded in another before pulling back the bolt of the weapon to load her weapon. And with that her assault began anew.
Launching into her attack, she became nothing more than a blur of red and black. Each and every one of her attacks turning the enemies around her into minced-meat; limbs flew into the air as her attacks cut entirely through her enemies, leaving red rose petals floating from the exposed wounds of the creatures as they dissolved into ash and smoke where they lay. Each and every one of them.
Soon enough, her barrage ended as the last of her enemies finally fell. And in conclusion, the girl idly struck a pose, her scythe behind her back, shells from her fired shots falling onto the ground all around her like metal snowflakes. Red rose petals drifted gently to the ground in the wake of her unique ability, giving the snow-laden earth another color other than black or white. Meanwhile, snowflakes continued to fall, painting the scene with a cold, crisp beauty all its own and accentuating the calm yet deadly serenity the girl seemed to exude all at once in this moment. Behind her, the moon continued to shine, outlining the girl with its simple, radiant glow.
Moments later, more growls were heard and several more creatures came out of the area of the forest behind the girl. Turning around at the sound, the girl's face went slack with incredulity.
"There are still more!? Why can't I just catch a break already!?" She whined, her voice filled with the high-pitch of adolescence found amongst most teenagers. She took a moment to sigh tiredly before reloading her weapon with a new magazine, dropping the spent one onto the ground with a loud clank.
Aiming down the sights of her weapon, she was just about to fire it when…
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The distinct sound of gunfire rang out from far behind her in quick succession, each of the ten shots fired meeting its mark on the skull of each of the monsters, causing each of their heads to snap back from the force of each bullet; each of the beasts starting to vaporize from the bullet holes in their heads and disintegrating on their own as their bodies ceased to function.
Startled by the unexpected sight, she turned around only to see the distant form of a figure dressed in white, crouched with a rifle in their hands, the barrel of the gun still smoking in the cold air around it after firing its volley of shots.
Standing up from his crouched position, the figure reloaded his weapon, swapping out the empty magazine as he generated another to replace it. After taking a moment to chamber the bullet, just in case something unexpected were to happen, he leant the weapon against his shoulder, the rifle of the barrel facing upwards into the sky as he stood idle in the frigid conditions of this cold and desolate place.
The two people faced each other from both sides of the large clearing, neither of the two making a move to close the distance between them. A couple moments later the palpable silence amidst them was broken when the girl spoke up.
"Umm, thank you, I guess?" She said in an uncertain tone. Peering up at him behind the hanging bangs of her hair and past the crystalline snowflakes marring the air between the two. "Um, so, what are you doing out here? It's pretty cold out, do you need help finding your way back home or something?" She said timidly, her voice easily carrying out across the silent clearing.
Hearing this, the man only gave an amused, lighthearted chuckle before he went on to answer the young girl. "You're welcome, and don't worry about it, little red. Just kind of got lost, but I can find my way through on my own. I was in the area when I saw all these Beowolves coming through here and just came by to see if you needed any help, but it looks like you handled things here just fine by yourself. Nice moves by the way." He complimented, waving a hand as he gestured to her at his last point.
"Oh. Um, thanks." She said, tucking some of her hair back from her face as she blushed slightly from the compliment, though some of it could have been attributed to the frigid air around her. "So, who are you? And are you sure you don't need any help finding a town or something? It's pretty dark out, y'know?" She inquired innocently while unintentionally giving him a bashful look that would make most people's reservations about her whittle at its mere presence.
"Thanks, but I'm fine." He laughed. "As for who I am, well… I'm nobody, just a traveler, really. Anyway, I should get going; Got stuff to do, people to meet, things like that. I'll see ya around sometime, alright? Take care." He said, waving a hand over his shoulder as he turned around to leave.
"Wait, seriously? You're going to leave, just like that without even giving me a name? That's so unfair!" She huffed in agitation while stomping a foot into the snow in visible annoyance and impatience.
"No need to be so upset, Ms. Rose. I'm sure we'll meet again soon enough." He grinned softly, continuing to make his way out towards the end of the clearing and into the darkness of the forest beyond it.
"Wait, how do you know my name? Who are you?!" She said, starting to run as she prepared to use her previously displayed semblance to catch up to the mysterious man.
"Relax, I'm just a friend. There's no need for you to worry. Anyway, it's about time I get going, so I'll leave you to continue on your way back home safely. Until next time, little red…" He said, turning to her a giving her a gentle smirk to quietly try to rest her concern. Subtly, he began reaching for something in the pocket in the inside of his cloak, ruffling it as he looked for the object he so desperately hoped he still had with him in this lonesome place.
"Wait, hold on!" She said, putting away her weapon before using her semblance to enhance her speed dramatically, red rose petals floating and falling in her wake as she closed the distance between her and the man in mere moments.
Only a couple feet away from one another, the man finally found the device in his pocket and with a quiet, metallic click he suddenly shimmered into an after-effect for but a moment before disappearing entirely, leaving no trace of him as he all but vanished in the snow and wind of the world around him.
"Huh, where did he?... Hmph!" She asked once she reached the spot where the mysterious stranger once stood, only to find nothing but empty air and snow. At this sudden development, she grumbled in frustration and kicked lightly at the snow at her feet. After cooling down for a moment, she turned in another direction, deciding to finally head on through the forest towards her home. Hopefully her father or sister, if she was there, would know why he would be out here or what he might have been looking for. Then again, she didn't really need any more reason to rush out of this place considering she was quite literally freezing alive and would soon become a Ruby-sicle if she didn't hurry home anyway. And so with that, she quickly made off into the cold darkness of the world, intent on reaching the tender, warm light of home at long last.
Back at the edge of the clearing, an old crow looked to-and-fro in the two directions the figures left in while it sat atop a decrepit but otherwise nondescript-looking branch. It stayed perched like that for a few moments longer before extending its long, black wings and took flight, disregarding the falling snow around it as it flew away into the pitch-black night sky, disappearing from sight.
A fair distance from the clearing, a certain man in white deactivated his device and reappeared in the normal passage of time and took a look behind him over his shoulder in the direction of the clearing. Sighing to himself, he activated one of his armor's divine enchantments and spawned several pairs of wings on his back before he launched himself into the sky, on his way to find his next destination as quickly as he could. Well, within a reasonable course of time, at least.
There was still so very much for him to do, but there was no way he was going to miss this event; And there was absolutely nothing anybody could do to stop him.
(A week later, Location-Stadium)
A young girl with a scarred left eye, long white hair, a white dress and white and red boots walked out onto a stage while soft music played in the background as people clapped and cheered at her arrival. As she stopped center-stage, the clapping and applause faded away and for a few moments there was nothing but the silence of anticipation.
Then, the slow, melodic tones of a piano filled the air, acting as the background music for tonight's performance. And with that, her beautiful, wondrous voice filled the air as she began to sing the piece known as: 'Mirror, Mirror'.
Mirror! Tell me something…
Tell me who's the loneliest of all.
And while the final note of the intro part of the upcoming symphony rang out across both the stage and into the arena as she continued to sing magnificently to the crowd before her she also recalled a fairly recent memory, one in which she faced off in a battle against a large, autonomous suit of knight-like armor.
Mirror. Tell me something.
Tell me who's the loneliest of all.
As she continued to sing, the crowd was non-the-wiser as to her train of thought. As time went on, her singing still remained flawless, her recollection seeming to grant her clarity and focus in her current task.
Mirror. What's inside me?
Tell me, can a heart be turned to stone.
A brief pause occurred, the otherwise silence of the moment being filled with the rapid flurry of high notes from a Piano; though, whether the musical tones heard were made from an actual instrument being played in the background or were simply a recording had yet to be revealed to the general audience.
For a couple, brief moments after the small piano solo had wavered there was silence. For a couple moments, nobody dared to even breathe, afraid they would miss whatever dramatic action occurred next; and what they young singer did next surely did not disappoint.
Through the dark, tense silence that pervaded the area, the entranced audience was both suddenly surprised by and awarded with the sudden appearance of one of the girl's signature parts, where she further displayed her sheer musical range and talent as she operatically sung to the crowd before her; though the part itself only did last for a minute, as well as being momentarily split with another brief interlude of silence, it was still quite the impressive display indeed.
Mirror, mirror. What's behind you?
Save me from the things I see.
I can keep it from the world,
Why won't you let me hide from me?
And it was soon realized that at least some of the performance did indeed have to be artificially supplemented as while the young girl in white did sing the primary vocals of the song, these subsequent lines of the song were supplied or accentuated by the addition of a background chorus which sang in tandem with some of the parts of the main singer.
Mirror, mirror. Tell me something.
Who's the loneliest of all?
I'm the loneliest of… aaaaalllll…
Soon enough, the performance at hand, as well as the one in her mind, seemed to come to an end. The battle in her mind concluding as the suit of armor crumbled to shards of ice at its defeat and the live performance reaching its ascending, final note before fading away entirely.
Then, the song and memory were over, and the crowd cheered and applauded all around her, waking her from her inner-musings. Focusing on the present reality, she opened her eyes and looked around the area briefly, almost as if she had now just acknowledged the presence of the audience before she looked up into the open/glass ceiling of the inside of the structure they were all in and into the face of the moon; part of the moon appearing to have crumbled away at its edge. While the reason for the moon's state was, as of now, unclear, the cause of such an event may have more than likely been supernatural.
After looking back to her present audience she bowed her head politely at their applause of her performance, just now recalling the etiquette which had so thoroughly been ingrained within her. And with that, she curtsied to the crowd before her as the curtains were loosened and began to close around her. A couple moments later, the two large pieces of fabric collided, obscuring the young performer from sight and thus signaling the concert's conclusion.
Soon enough, the crowd stood up and began to make their way to the exits as tonight's performance ended, intent on returning to their homes and away from tonight's frigid weather.
Sitting in the very back row of the theatre, all alone as far as anyone could tell, a familiar white-garbed man continued to slowly clap in appreciation of the performance before he too stopped clapping along with the crowd. With the show concluded, the man stood up and stretched after sitting for so long before he too made his way to the exits, parting through the crowd as he left.
Once he exited the stadium, he walked off into the shadows before disappearing from sight, using his signature ability to hide himself from wandering eyes as he once again took flight and disappeared into the starry night. Yet again heading to another significant location he had in mind while he was in the area.
Though, while this next visit would certainly not be as regal as tonight's performance, it would surely be just as significant.
(Some days later, Location-Transport Route)
Two people stood atop a cliff as they overlooked the rail-way below, red trees filling the valley around them as they continued to wait and observe.
One of the figures was a man dressed in a floral black and red patterned trench coat and red and black hair. Between them, it seemed he was the higher ranked of the two, but that remained to be tested.
Meanwhile, the other individual, a young woman with light-complexioned skin, was garbed in a black and white outfit and had long, flowing black hair, adorned with a small, black ribbon. Currently, she seemed to be taking in every detail of their wayward mark, trying to find primary and alternative means to infiltrate, gather and exfiltrate what they came for. Idly, though, she also began to plan for something else which would soon come to bear if everything went according to plan.
And, as if on a silent queue, a train whistle broke through the air and the figures were off, sliding down the steep cliff-side towards their goal and launching themselves aboard.
Landing atop the train, they entered through a hatch on one of the sections, trying to be as discreet as possible while they carried out their task. Once inside, they noticed they weren't the only ones on this train; robots lined along the walls of the train-car they were in, sensory lasers scattered throughout the interior to alert and awaken the machines in case of any disturbances or miscreants, ones which they had unwittingly triggered upon their entrance into the carriage. And thus, the robots were awakened and the battle between the two sides began.
The fight between the two clashing forces was almost unfair, the robot's defensive programs being no match for the skills and experience of the two saboteurs. The battle continued to go in the duo's favor… that was until they reached the train-car housing their prize, a substance known only as: Dust. Once there, the battle began anew with the appearance of a much bigger threat to the two intruders, a spider-esque robo-tank which was tasked with guarding the train's precious cargo against any and all trespassers, which in this instance was the two Faunus.
The fight with this much more dangerous foe took to the open space of the open-roofed platforms further along the train. To face this overwhelming menace, one of the figures was tasked with the role of being the distraction while the other charged their own unique semblance and finished off the automaton in one quick, powerful counter-strike as he reflected the machine's own attack back towards it.
With the defenses cleared, they were both safe for the moment to continue their operation, but only one would stay true to their mission that day.
As a result of a conflict of interests between the two, one of the figures, the girl, chose to leave behind her association with her once dear friend-turned-terrorist and severed their ties, literally, as she slashed the lock holding the two train cars together and drifted away from him, both physically and associatively.
With that, she left behind her old life of crime in the hopes to create a future of her own making, one that she could actually come to appreciate and be proud of. One free from all this blame she had placed upon herself…
On a distant cliff, a figure overlooked the whole proceeding through the scope of his rifle as he laid prone on the ground, hiding him from sight, mostly; his white cloak contrasting strongly against the red and black forest around him. Not that he was trying particularly hard to stay hidden in the first place.
Thus, with the events here concluded, the figure stood up and tucked away the rifle in its holster on his back. He took a minute to appreciate the serenity of the forest around him before raising a hand and leaving the palm face-up. After a moment of waiting, a red leaf fell from one of the nearby trees and carried itself along a gentle wind current before a moment later it found itself landing in his palm.
Taking a few moments to scrutinize the leaf in his possession, he then tossed it up into the air and allowed the wind to take it away to its next destination, the leaf joining others of its kind as it went off to parts unknown. A gust of wind blew through the small clearing, sweeping away more red leaves as they traveled along the unseen winds flowing all around them.
Then, the man was gone.
(Sometime later, Location-Vale, city)
The sound of footsteps echoed along a road as a pair of feet walked at a casual pace, carrying the body they belonged to towards its destination.
Along the road, a row street lights was active as the darkness of night encompassed itself over the city of Vale, the time of day showing that it had been some time since sunset and nowhere near the rise of dawn.
Car horns and sirens sounded off in the distance as a figure garbed in white walked along the sidewalk of the road, his destination in sight at last.
A couple of minutes later, he stood outside of the establishment, looking at the sign above the doorway as it simply read, 'Junior's club', accentuated by its neon lighting and the dull sound of club music coming from inside.
'Hmm, not very original. But I guess the neon grabs your attention well enough, I suppose.' He thought casually, personally he was never really one to criticize these sorts of things, considering it hardly concerned his interests at the moment, but regardless he focused back on the task at hand as he entered through the doorway of the club.
Once inside, the man both felt and heard the beat of club music playing, this song in particular a remix of the song known as, 'I Burn', a song he vaguely recalled in his time passing through one city and to another on his way here. The man paused once he was inside the club, evaluating the layout of the building as he looked around.
On the dance floor, an unremarkable crowd of people danced to the rhythm of club music playing around them, the DJ booth above the dance floor operated by a man wearing a suit along with a large dark-red bear head. How the man was able to see out of the mask and do his job so effectively was a mystery all in itself.
Continuing to survey the room, he noticed the guards/henchmen posted all along the walls and booths scattered throughout the room, some of them turning their gazes to the new arrival before looking away and continuing their silent vigil of the club; all of the men were dressed in a uniform which consisted of black suits, red sunglasses as well as the occasional cap or hat, though why they would wear shades indoors at night was a complete mystery to him.
Deciding to ignore that final musing, chopping it up to just being a part of the uniform…or ego, the man caught sight of the bar and made his way towards it.
At the bar stood four distinct individuals, the bar and individuals themselves being flanked by more security personnel as they observed the people on and around the dance floor and club.
Two of the people by the bar were women, twins from the look of it, who each wore outfits with contrasting color schemes.
One of the girls wore an outfit consisting of a red dress, gloves and boots with black detailing. Her hair was shorter than her sister's as it held a feather in place by her ear, while her neck was adorned with a necklace as well to complement her appearance.
The other girl, however, wore a white outfit in a similar style as her sister's, but differed in the fact that she wore a white scarf around her neck as well as a bow on the front of her dress, her hair flowing down her back to her waist while her sister's only went slightly past the shoulders.
The other two individuals, excluding the henchmen, were both male who both greatly contrasted in appearances when compared to the other.
From his position, the traveler saw that the man on the left seemed to be wearing a white coat with a red lining and a grey scarf along with a pair of black pants and black shoes. On his head he wore a black bowler hat which had a red band with a small feather. As the man shifted his head to and fro as he dealt with the other man, it seemed that his orange hair seemed to cover his right eye while his left eye seemed to be outlined with black eyeliner and in his hand he seemed to be holding a grey cane with red detailing on either end; this man was known as Roman Torchwick, a criminal mastermind infamous for his numerous robberies and shady dealings all throughout Vale.
The man Roman was talking to was wearing a white shirt with a black vest over it with a red tie along with black gloves and blacks pants. Looking at the man's face, it seemed that the man had a moustache/beard combo which was the same shade of black as his short and orderly hair. Compared to the lanky stature of Roman, he was fairly tall and well-built in physique, fitting the description of a club bouncer more than anything; this man went by the name Junior Xiong, who was the manager and owner of the club if the few plaques adorning some of the walls of the club could be believed.
With the evaluation over and done with, the man made his way to the bar, uncaring of the stares of the guards on his back as he walked past them.
Approaching the bar, he passed by the four people, the two girls giving him a cursory glance as he stepped beside them as well, until he came to a stop at the counter of the bar. Taking this new vantage point to eavesdrop on the nearby conversation, the man leaned on the bar's counter, keeping his head down to avoid meeting the gazes of any wandering eyes nearby.
"…we have a deal then, right? A few of your men come with me to carry out an…operation I've got planned and you'll be well-compensated for their services. Well, as long as they do their jobs right, anyway." The suave, collected voice of who could only be Torchwick spoke out, smiling broadly at the man in front of him as he tried to convince Junior to send the resources he'd need for this new yet important venture of his.
"Fine, we've got a deal. But no fooling around, I need these guys for the club and it's a hassle dealing with whatever aftermath you leave behind if you fail. Now this job of yours, will-"
"Would you like something to drink, Sir?" The bartender suddenly asked, wiping down the bar while staring at the man in front of him dispassionately.
Ripped from his meddling of the nearby conversation, the man faced the bartender and took a moment to mull over his decision before calmly responding with:
"Yes, could I get a Strawberry Sunrise? No ice please… Oh! And it comes with one of those little umbrellas, right?" He asked, suddenly recalling a key detail of the night that he was sure to beat himself up for later for nearly forgetting. At this statement, he made a gesture with a couple fingers as if he were grasping something the size of a straw as he mentioned the mini-umbrella and luckily for him, he got a quick nod of affirmation from the bartender.
"One Strawberry Sunrise coming right up." The bartender responded, his voice carrying a peppy tone as he started on the order.
A minute passed in which the bartender mixed the customer's drink before serving him; while the man waited, behind him the entrance to the club started to open.
"Okay, so that'll be twenty Lien for the drink, sir." The bartender informed, leaning against the counter as he waited on the payment for the drink.
"Sure, here you go." The man responded without issue, while the sisters nearby looked at each other with raised eyebrows and visibly surprised looks, unable to believe anybody would pay the outrageous prices of this place but not bothering to do or say anything about it, they did almost consider this place home after all; no need for them to take away business if it could be helped. Regardless of the two's inner thoughts, the stranger handed forward a rather nondescript bill of money to the bartender.
"Thank you, sir. Let me know if you need anything else." He stated, depositing the money behind the counter and handing over the drink to the customer. With the order finished, he went about back to his task of wiping down the bar, a habit he learned to keep the hard way since his first week working under the slave-driver that was Junior.
"Will do." The traveler replied before looking down at the drink now in his hands, idly using the little orange umbrella to swirl around the contents of the glass as he waited. He just hoped it wouldn't be too much longer until the event of the night came to be. As he thought this, the entrance he previously used to get in shifted, someone else strolling on through the passage and into establishment.
Behind him, a girl with long, magnificent blonde hair and a revealing brown outfit with two golden gauntlets entered through the entrance of the club, surveying it much like he did earlier. Noticing the bar, she made her approach as the deal between Roman and Junior concluded.
"Pleasure doing business with you." Roman said as he tipped his hat at the man before turning away and leaving.
Junior turned back towards the bar and stepped up to it before leaning on its counter, standing next to the twins who were on his left (the cloaked man being to the left of them), leaving a space open on his right which was soon occupied by a certain bodacious blonde.
As the blonde approached the bar, Junior noticed the girl at the edge of his vision before turning to the twins and waving them away from the bar as he dealt with the girl.
"Strawberry Sunrise, no ice…oh, and one of those little umbrellas." The blonde ordered, to which the bartender nodded and started working on the order.
To the side, a certain customer chuckled lowly in amusement.
"Aren't you a little young to be in this club, Blondie?" Junior asked as he faced the girl.
The girl laughed lightly before responding with, "Aren't you a little old to have a name like Junior?"
Encroaching on the girl slightly, he gave her an intrigued but dangerous look, as if she had just stumbled upon a secret that many would have killed to keep. Strangest of all, at least in his mind, is why this girl of all people would come looking for him, and for what, exactly?
"So you know who I am? You got a name, sweetheart?"
"Yes, junior. I've got several. But instead of sweetheart, you can just call me sir." She said before promptly squeezing his…um, unmentionables, painfully, causing Junior to squeal in anguish.
Still maintaining her grip, she said, "People say you know everything. Tell me where I can find her and I'll let you go." She demanded before bringing out her scroll, a cellular/smart device, and showing him a picture of a mysterious, majestic-looking woman.
He took a brief look at it before turning his gaze back to the girl who was, for all intents and purposes, holding him captive. "I've never seen her before. I swear." He pleaded in a strained voice.
"Excuse me?" She asked irritatingly, increasing the grip on the man's family jewels.
"I swear, sir." He corrected, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity by not crying out in spite of this emasculating moment.
Encroaching upon the two, dozens of guards within the club formed up alongside the two conversing individuals, ready to take action against the girl threatening their boss.
Undaunted by the guard's presence, she comment on the situation. "Hmm, looks like we have an audience. This must be kind of embarrassing for you, huh? Awkward."
"Listen Blondie, sir. If you want to make it out of this club alive, I suggest you let me go, now." He pleaded, still with a strained voice.
Conceding to his request, she released the grip she had on him, causing him to exhale audibly in relief.
Getting up from his hunched position, Junior responded to his treatment by the girl. "You'll pay for that." He said, pulling out a pair of red sunglasses from the inside of his vest and putting them on, beginning to walk away from her.
Meanwhile, the girl continued to speak to him, acting as if nothing had happened at all. "Oh Junior, I was just playing with you. Don't be so sensitive." She cooed in a playful manner. "Come on, let's kiss and make up, okay?" She recommended.
"Huh?" He asked, confused by her sudden change in attitude. Looking at her, she appeared to be at least somewhat genuine in her offer. Guessing he had nothing to lose, he affirmed her with a simple, "Okay."
Then, both of them leaned in to one another to share a kiss, though just before the moment of truth, the girl interrupted it with a powerful punch, launching Junior into the air and through one of the glass pillars scattered throughout the room and sending him into one of the counters surrounding the dance floor; meanwhile, people inside the club started to flee the area, not wishing to risk themselves being on the receiving end of the unknown woman's fury.
At the impact site, Junior sat in a daze with small hearts circling around his head. As he tried to look up from his seated position to get a better grasp of what exactly just happened, suddenly a metallic canister rolled off a counter beside him, landing on his head and knocking him out cold.
Angered by the woman's actions, the security guards of the club turned to face the girl responsible and rushed towards her as they brandished their respective weapons.
As it became obvious that a fight was inevitable, the girl loaded her weaponized gauntlets, both of which were named Ember Celica, as she prepared for the battle ahead of her.
Meanwhile, the man from before was still seated at the bar, watching the imminent fight whilst leaning back on the bar behind him. On the counter beside him his drink sat there, untouched.
As the men encroached upon the girl, she launched herself into the air and slammed her fist into the ground, causing it to ripple around her in a seismic wave which traveled to and knocked over the men around her while also setting the ground around her ablaze.
With that, the brawl at the club had officially begun.
The fight between the girl and the henchman continued to escalate as more and more went to face her, though her superior strength and skill allowed her to best them at every turn and soon enough there were no more left to face; she even faced the club's DJ as he fired his tommy gun at her, defeating him with relative ease and launching him to the dance floor and at the feet of two new and unexpected opponents.
Approaching the dance floor were none other than the twin sisters Melanie and Miltia Malachite, both of whom were also conveniently hired to guard the club, from time to time. Though, unlike the men before them, these two girls both had fairly adept fighting skills, though they both differed in styles, respectively.
"Melanie, who is this girl?" Miltia asked her sister.
"I don't know, Miltia, but we should teach her a lesson." Melanie responded in kind, strolling up to stand beside her sister.
With her previous fight finished, the blonde girl reloaded her shotgun-gauntlets as she prepared herself to fight against the sisters below her.
The fight between the three was fast-paced as the twins fought against the blonde with their preferred fighting styles; Miltia using her clawed gloves to fight while Melanie seemed to exclusively use her sharpened heels for the battle.
But soon enough, the twins themselves were put out of commission by the blonde intruder, unable to handle her massive onslaught and dealing only negligible damage to her in turn.
Then, as the battle between the three concluded, the two sisters limping away from the area in defeat, a final contender made his presence known.
Striding up from the shadows of the club, Junior approached the blonde on the dance floor, totting a large rocket launcher all the while and stopped at the top of the stairs above her.
"You're gonna pay for this." He stated simply in a no-nonsense tone before firing a volley of rockets at the girl, each of them approaching her from varying angles.
Seeing them approach, the blonde simply dived to the side to avoid the initial volley, preparing to face any more attacks he would launch at her.
A moment later, Junior fired another volley at the girl, though this time she stood her ground and fired shots from her gauntlets at the rockets, intercepting them mid-flight and causing them to detonate in a series of small explosions around her.
Seeing that his rocket attacks proved useless, Junior launched himself towards the girl, changing his weapon from a rocket-launcher to a large metal bat and swinging it at her as he approached her position.
Landing a few successful strikes at the girl and knocking her through a table, Junior stood across from the girl on the dance floor, waiting on her to make the next move.
Standing up from the onslaught of attacks, the blonde could only grin as she activated her own unique semblance, which set her golden hair alight and strengthened her attacks considerably, and charged towards him; However, though her strikes would become more powerful with every attack she received, her endurance in itself would not increase with her ability, thus essentially she become a glass cannon.
Seeing the girl approach him, Junior launched a blast from his rocket launcher, which was swiftly dodged, and prepared to counter-attack the girl with his bat.
Continuing her charge, the girl unleashed several devastating punches to the man, knocking him to and fro as he tried to fight back, to no avail. Eventually, she cocked her right fist back before sending it towards her opponent. Meanwhile, her eyes changed from a soothing lilac to an angry shade of red as the fight went on.
The powerful punch met its mark and sent him airborne, Junior righting himself mid-flight and standing across from her on shaky knees. Holding his Rocket-bat in one hand and a few strands of the girl's precious blonde hair in the other, he looked at the hair curiously before he turned his gaze back towards the girl.
As the girl noticed what the man now held in his hand, her entire demeanor changed from being merely determined seriousness to blazing fury in an instant, the sudden change causing her to light up the space around her in a brilliant flash of flames while also creating a powerful shockwave in the process.
With unrestrained fury, she charged towards him and launched a devastatingly powerful punch towards him, the colors of the space around her paling in comparison to the intensity of her furious, red eyes.
Then, fist met face in a climactic explosion, savagely launching Junior through one of the windows of the establishment as well as shattering all the glass of the windows beside it.
Sprawled on the ground outside of the building, Junior could only moan in anguish before succumbing to the cold embrace of unconsciousness. Meanwhile, a certain red-cloaked girl stood above him as she observed the after-effects of the blonde's final attack.
Looking up from the battered form of the man, the girl in red and black looked up in surprise before questioning the blonde girl before her. "Yang? Is that you?" She asked curiously, tilting her head to the side.
Jumping out of the building, the blonde couldn't help but be surprised by the unexpected arrival of a familiar face.
"Oh, hey sis." The newly identified Yang responded casually, her irises reverting from their previous red coloring to their default shade of lilac in an instant.
"What are you doing here?" The girl in red asked/ lightly-demanded as she put her hands on her hips.
Sighing as she hunched forward slightly, Yang could only respond tiredly with, "It's a long story."
"She came, she saw, she conquered." A voice replied distantly from behind her.
"Well that's a simple way of putting it. But yeah, basically…wait, who said that?" Yang asked, turning around to the direction the voice came from. The girl in red also looked over Yang's shoulder only to freeze as she recognized the approaching figure.
Exiting the club with a drink in hand, the same white-cloaked man strode up to the two girls before stopping a couple feet away from Yang. "I did. Nice fight by the way. But don't you think you were a little rough with Junior here?" He said, nudging said individual with his foot, causing the downed man to groan lowly through his unconsciousness.
"After what he did to my hair, he had it coming! Besides, the guy was a thug. I mean what kind of a guy hits a girl, right?" Yang asked, meanwhile her sister still stood shocked at the sight of the man in white.
"Hmm, point taken. I'll try to stay off your bad side then. Oh, did you want a drink by the way?" The man asked, handing the girl the drink he ordered for her earlier, knowing the calamity she was sure to bring upon her appearance at the establishment.
"Umm, sure? But uh, how do I know that you didn't drug it or something? Not that I'm ungrateful for it or anything. But still, gotta at least ask about these things, you know?" She shrugged nonchalantly before scrutinizing the contents of the beverage in her possession.
"Well, for one, I'm not the type of guy to do something like take advantage of a girl or poison somebody; If I have an issue with you, you'll know. Besides, why would I want to do something to jeopardize your image of me? I mean, do I really look like the kind of guy that would do something as low as that?" He asked rhetorically, but seeing the blonde's unbelieving stare, he sighed aloud before adding: "Look, fine. I get it, you don't trust me quite yet or whatever. So, I guess if you really don't want it, I guess I'll just keep this delicious Strawberry Sunrise all to my-." And with that he started to tilt the drink ever-closer to his lips, but before they could get within an inch of his face it was snatched away in an instant by a familiar, yellow-gauntleted hand.
"A Strawberry Sunrise?! Well, why didn't you say so earlier!? It's my favorite!" Yang suddenly blurted out, claimed drink in hand, raising it at the end of her statement like it was a triumphant prize earned at long last.
Chuckling, Gabriel look at the blonde-headed warrior with mirth, looking at her once-suspicious face now filled with glee at the prospect that she was able to get at least one thing she'd wanted tonight, even if it was the lesser of the two.
"Heh. Well, glad I could help make your night after everything that happened. But, I guess I have my own stuff to do right now, so I better get going. I'll see the both of you around sometime. Take care."
And with that, he turned on his heel and made to leave on his way. Though, before he could take more than a couple steps away, something stopped him in his tracks.
"Wait!" A high-pitched voice yelled out from behind. Turning around to face the source of the voice, the man's concealed, dark eyes met with the silver ones of the girl dressed in red.
Meanwhile, Yang decided that she had no real reason not to trust the guy and decided to take her chances and took a sip her drink, smacking her lips and nodding slightly in approval to herself as she savored the sweet flavor of her long-awaited drink.
"Yes?" The stranger asked, curious to hear what the younger girl had to say to him.
"It's you, isn't it? The guy I met at the forest the other day?" After he nodded at her answer, she went on. "What are you doing here with Yang? Do you two know each other?" She asked him, casting a curious glance to the both of them.
"Nope."
"Nah."
Both the man and Yang responded, simultaneously looking at each other for a moment as they both noticed the brief moment of synchronization before dismissing the event as a coincidence and looking back to Ruby.
"I suppose I just came to enjoy the music and show while I was in town. But no, I've never even met Yang until now and she certainly doesn't know me, it was just a bit of fortuity that we got here during the same night is all."
"He's telling the truth, sis." Yang clarified before turning to face the guy. "Though I do have to ask, why didn't you run away with everyone else? Were you enchanted by my charming personality or were you more interested in something else?" Yang teased, battering her eyes mock-bashfully at him while leaning towards him, unintentionally giving him a good view of her cleavage.
"Nope, not quite. I was just having fun seeing you go to town on those guys." He said, maintaining full eye contact with her, not daring to give her an excuse to come after him if his attention went to anywhere else aside from her face; besides, after what she just had to deal with just minutes earlier, she deserved more than having some stranger ogle her; she at least earned that much.
"Humph, you're no fun. Oh well." She sighed, straightening up and adopting a more conserved stature before turning to the side to speak with the other girl in the group. "Well sis, I've gotta get going. Did you need a ride home or anything?" She asked her sister, gesturing to her parked motorcycle, Bumblebee, down the street.
"Umm, no. I'm okay." Yang's sister replied, shying away at the mere mention of the vehicle. Then again, who wouldn't? Considering how Yang tends to drive and all. "Besides, I kinda wanted to talk to this guy a bit and see what he was up to around here. Then, I guess check out some stuff at one of the stores or something."
"Need me to stick around in case he tries anything?" Yang said, punching a fist into her open palm for emphasis.
"Nope, he seems okay. I don't think he'll do anything to try to hurt me. Besides, I think I can handle him if anything were to happen." She said, patting a certain, compact-size device at her side for emphasis.
"Well, if you say so. I'll see you around, Ruby. Later …?" She paused as she looked at the man, waiting for him to fill in the blank of her unsaid question.
"Gabriel, the name's Gabriel." He supplied, not sensing any real need to evade the question.
"Later then, Gabriel." Suddenly, Yang leaned forward towards him once more, looking infinitely more stern this time. "And just for the record: if you do anything to my sister, I will break you! Alright, see ya around!" She added cheerfully after the not-so-subtle threat, acting as if the former had never even been said at all, but the words continued to ring true within the young man's mind as he watched her head towards her bike, mounting it and pulling on her yellow helmet and goggles from one the bike's hidden storage compartments.
"Bye, Yang!" The newly identified Ruby yelled out to her sister as she pulled off a quick wheelie and sped off into the city. Once Yang was out of sight she looked over to Gabriel, only to see an empty space where he once stood.
'Wha- Hey, where'd he go?' She thought to herself anxiously, wondering where the stranger could have gone in the short amount of time she had kept her attention off of him.
Looking around frantically, she finally caught sight of him as he walked down the road they were on, heading further into the night-life of the city.
"Wait up!" She yelled, hurrying after him to try to catch up.
Slowing down a bit, Gabriel was finally rejoined by Ruby as she matched his pace and started to walk along backwards with him, giving him a curious look. "Where are you going?" She asked.
"I'm heading over to a dust shop further in town. There are a couple things there that I need to look into by the end of the night, but I'm not quite sure where it is." He answered in an honest tone, casting a brief look over to Ruby before looking back to the road they were on and trying to navigate his way around the city.
"What's the place called? Maybe I can help you find it." She suggested, shrugging unsurely as if emphasizing the point.
"It's called: 'From Dust till Dawn'. I've heard it's a nice little place and that they sell music albums, weapons magazines and Dust, obviously. Did you want to tag along?" He asked, turning his head to look at her.
"Oh yeah, I know that place! I was planning on going there anyway since it's one of the only shops that's still open. Come on, I'll take you there!" She said as she turned around to get ready to rush into the city ahead before pausing in her spot as a thought suddenly popped enter her mind, a fundamental one at that. "Umm, what was your name again?" She asked as she suddenly turned to face him.
"It's Gabriel, Gabriel Van Helsing. It's nice to be properly introduced." He stated, the both of them stopping to shake hands.
"Gabriel? That's a nice name, if a bit plain. My name's Ruby Rose, you know, like the color? Anyway, it's nice to finally have your name. And you know, it wasn't very nice not telling me it the first time we met." She pouted, her nose scrunching up at the action.
He sighed, scratching the back of his head with his hand before answering. "Yeah, I guess it was pretty rude of me to do that. I'm sorry. I didn't know it would really bother you."
"Well it did and I'll only forgive you if you answer me one question: Tell me how you knew my name when we first met." She questioned, fixing him with an unflinching stare.
"…Back then, when I said that the reason I was out there in the forest was because I got lost… that was a lie. Truth is…I was trying to find something, something very precious to me. I had just arrived in the forest when I caught a glimpse of your red cloak. So I ended up following you, trying to figure out why you would be in a place like that and I ended up following you to that memorial stone on the cliff overlooking the forest. You looked so sad when you saw it but at the same time you seemed to almost… draw strength from it; whoever the stone was for must have meant a lot to you. So, when you left I decided to see who it memorialized and found the name: 'Summer Rose', along with a small inscription written below it. So, I figured they were close to you and that you might have shared their surname; like a sister or something. I know it was a bit weird that I made that connection but I really didn't much else to go on. And, in the end, when you ended up at that clearing and I heard all those Grimm closing around I stayed around to make sure you would be okay, but it seems you were more than strong enough to handle anything that forest could have thrown at you." He hesitated, wondering if the next question he wished to ask would be a bit too much and that maybe he should just leave that topic to rest where it lied or risk asking her about it anyway in the hopes of better understanding her. Then, after several tense moments of inner-deliberation, he made up his mind on the matter. "But, I'm curious… Who was she to you, Ruby?" He asked, trying to sound polite in the wake of what was sure to be a very personal question. He only hoped she wouldn't take it the wrong way.
"She…she was my mom. I lost her a long time ago when I was still just a baby. She was a huntress and my dad said that one day she went on a mission and… never came back. Now, that stone is all that I have left of her." She said quietly, trying to hide the sadness in her voice, but ultimately failing as a couple tears began to fall from her eyes, forcing her to look away towards the ground. Both of which he instantly noticed.
"Oh geez Ruby, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to bring back those kinds of memories for you, I really didn't…" He tried to apologize, reaching a hand out and lightly laying a hand on her shoulder, hoping to provide her with some measure of comfort.
"It's okay. She's gone and has been for a while now and nothing I can do can change that. I just… I just try to visit her every once in a while and try to keep her memory alive by trying to become a huntress." She took a moment to wipe her eyes quickly before turning her face back towards his, her features resolved. "That way I can save people and there won't be any more people who have to grow up alone like I did! Though, I really shouldn't say that. I mean, I still have my dad and he's pretty awesome, so I guess it wasn't so bad!" She amended, her voice filling with renewed vigor and assurance as she smiled at the thought of what she still had in the end with her family; she knew that because of them, she'd never be alone.
"Hmm, yeah." He said, nodding thoughtfully. "That's very admirable of you, Ruby. And I'm sure that wherever your mother is, she would be very proud of you."
"Yeah, I like to think so too. But, thanks for saying it anyway. I really appreciate it." She said, giving him a grateful smile.
"No problem, Red. But, um, anyway, shouldn't we be going to that store now?" He asked, pointing off into the city ahead.
"Ah, yes! Come on, let's go!" And with that she bounded away down the road towards one of the intersections, waiting for him at the corner of the sidewalk; the seriousness of the previous discussion seemingly forgotten.
Chuckling as he caught up to her, they both walked off into the night, talking about casual matters and their observations of the city around them as they made their way to their destination at last.
And on this night, the story of two legends began.
A/N: Well, that's that. I hope you guys enjoyed this and I look forward to seeing where the story will lead in the future. So, until next time, this is The Brutal Legend, signing off and logging out.