CHAPTER 1: AFTER THE FIRST FLAME
It was a cold and rainy evening, a figure was running from a thick column of smoke. Behind him was a huge fire, one caused in an accident. He could use this to his advantage, to escape, find safety from the screaming behind him. He ran for many miles, soaked from the cold rain, but with lights in the distance. He saw a huge city, sighing with relief that he may find help. The rain had stopped, but it was dark yet. He needed to find shelter for the night, and dry off from the rain and sweat. He wandered the streets into a shady looking area, hoping he would find protection here.
He walked into a bar, pulling his hood down to expose his soft brown hair and orange highlights. He stopped to try and warm up, hearing the sound of bass as loud music played just ahead of him. He took a deep breath as he walked forward toward the noise, soon finding himself in a room with many people dancing to the beats that vibrated through the floors and walls.
"Okay Alizarin, hopefully there's someone here who can... fix this..." He said to himself as he approached the bar.
The bartender looked up at Alizarin, his expression a bit shocked from the sight of the soaked and partially singed teen. "Can... I help you?"
"I need shelter, maybe a safe house or a bodyguard... I will pay as much as it takes."
"This is a night club kid, not an inn."
"Can I stay for a bit and warm up then?" Alizarin growled.
"Fine, just don't scare our customers away."
Alizarin sighed, sitting down at the bar. He had no idea what he was going to do from here. He was only safe as long as he had cover, which he knew wouldn't last long if he didn't come up with a plan soon. He sat there, hands clutching the sides of his head as he started feeling a stinging pain in his sides, burns from what happened a few hours earlier. He could barely focus on what was going on around him, barely noticing a blonde girl walking up to the bar until she spoke.
"Strawberry Sunrise, no ice. Oh, and one of those little umbrellas."
Alizarin seemed taken by surprise, this girl was quite lovely. He watched her closely, not too impressed at this first glance, but compelled to see if she had more to offer. She seemed to be talking to the owner, a man she called Junior, and showed unwavering confidence when talking. The way she carried herself seemed to intrigue Alizarin, he had never seen someone so confident before.
What this girl did next had Alizarin at the edge of his seat; she had Junior in a state of weakness, literally by the most sensitive part of his body. It didn't last long, as a bunch of armed thugs came rushing to Junior's aid, ready to shed blood at command. She let him go, but followed him onto the dance floor with a wide smile.
"What the hell is her deal? She have a death wish or something?" Alizarin said to himself.
BAM! Junior flew across the room after a sudden punch to the face, drawing everyone's attention. Most everyone else had started running away, leaving the girl and all the thugs alone on the dance floor. The display that followed had Alizarin rethinking his question, literally none of the thugs could touch this girl. She flew all over the room while dodging bullets and causing more damage than even he would be willing to pay for, even destroying the DJ's table without a second thought.
Then a pair of girls walked onto the dance floor, twins from what Alizarin could gather. They seemed able to put up a better fight than the thugs before them, but even they couldn't stop the blonde from practically using them to destroy the place. Then Junior stepped back in, and didn't seem to care about collateral damage as he fired rockets at the blonde. He was definitely strong, knocking the girl back quite a bit. She got back up, and her hair appeared to literally be on fire.
This was almost impossible to believe, even for Alizarin. This girl only seemed to get stronger with each blow landed on her, and she didn't show any signs of injury. She even destroyed Junior's weapon with little effort, and knocked him clean out of the building just for having some of her hair in his hand. The whole fight ended just like that, and Alizarin couldn't believe his eyes.
He regained his senses, running out to the door to follow this girl. He was moving as fast as he could, hoping to catch her before she left. "Wait! I need to talk to you!"
The blonde turned around, surprised to see Alizarin. "Huh? What do you want?"
"Yang, who's that?" A second girl asked, her silver eyes glistening in the lights around her.
"My... My name is Alizarin Drago, and I need your help!"
"My help? With what?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.
"A terrible man is after me, I need a place to lay low, and a bodyguard. I'll pay whatever price you demand." Alizarin's eyes burned with fear, which was also made apparent by his shaky voice.
"Calm down, you look like hell. I can help, but you'll need to explain everything." The blonde grabbed Alizarin's shoulder, trying to calm him down. "First things first, I'm Yang. And that's my sister Ruby."
"Hi, it's nice to meet you." Ruby smiled.
"You said your name is Alizarin?" Yang smiled.
"Y-Yes I did. How much should I pay you for your help?"
"Don't worry about it for right now. We'll take you to our place in Patch for now." Yang grabbed Alizarin's arm, pulling him toward her bike.
"Yang, what about Dad?" Ruby sounded a little worried. "He might get the wrong idea."
"I'll explain everything, with Zarin's help."
"Wait, my name is Alizarin..."
"Relax, you look like you need rest. Let's get you to a hotel for tonight, we'll head to Patch first thing in the morning." Yang mounted her bike. "Climb on."
"What am I going to hold onto?" Alizarin asked, looking rather confused.
"Me."
"What? No, that doesn't seem appropriate." Alizarin turned slightly red.
"Would you rather walk?" Yang smirked.
Alizarin thought about it for a moment, sighing. "I guess it would be faster to ride with you."
Ruby looked a little worried. "What about me?"
"You can hold on to Zarin" Yang smiled.
"Just be careful, I'm not exactly in pristine condition." Alizarin motioned to his right side.
"What happened? Do you not have aura?" Yang frowned.
"If I did, I would be feeling loads better right now..." Alizarin winced from the burns on his side.
"Let's get him or... her to that hotel, then maybe we can activate his or... her aura." Ruby said somewhat firmly, confusing herself with Alizarin's appearance much to his clear annoyance.
Yang nodded, pulling Alizarin onto her bike and letting Ruby climb on. When they were ready, Yang sped off through the streets of the city. She took a few corners that made Alizarin nearly fall off, which in turn also scared Ruby quite a bit. Some of the harsh corners made Ruby grip Alizarin tighter, his burns hurting a making him groan from the pain. When they arrived, Alizarin nearly collapsed from the amount of pain he was feeling, prompting Yang to pick him up and carry him bridal style.
"H-Hey! Put me down, I can walk!" Alizarin yelled, trying to wiggle free.
Yang ignored Alizarin's demand, holding him tighter as she brought him and Ruby inside. After getting into a room, Yang set Alizarin on one of the beds with a smile. She sat down in a chair next to the bed, looking at Ruby.
"Hey sis, mind getting something for us to eat?"
Ruby stood straight up, nodding. "Sure, I won't be long."
As Ruby left, Yang looked at Alizarin. "Don't see too many girls like you around here, you feeling alright?"
Alizarin gave Yang an annoyed glare. "First of all, I am not a girl. Second, I feel like hell."
"Sorry, you just look so... soft."
"Yeah, you wouldn't be the first to think that." Alizarin sighed.
"So what's your story? How did you end up like this?"
Alizarin looked at Yang with a frightened look. "My father... he had been firm in the past. But this isn't what you'd call a warm relationship. Father was... abusive towards me, he would beat me and say that I'm trash... all so he could activate my Semblance."
Yang's eyes widened. "That's terrible! Did he know you had no aura to protect you?"
"He didn't even care, and my body is a burned up mess because of it."
"What happened to activate your Semblance?" Yang put her hand on Alizarin's shoulder.
"Father was giving me another beating, hoping to trigger something. When I finally had enough he kept hitting me. I got so scared and upset I... kinda exploded."
"Exploded?" Yang couldn't believe her ears.
"Yeah, my body just kinda caught fire and... I blew up the house." Alizarin sighed sadly.
"You made it out of there at least." Yang smiled.
"Barely, I can't even control my Semblance. I could have killed myself back there."
"Then we can teach you to control it." Yang said with a confident nod.
Alizarin glared at Yang. "I just need you to focus on protecting me. Nothing more."
"Well, I think we should train you. And that means I'm gonna activate your aura. It's technically considered protecting you right?" Yang smirked.
Alizarin sighed. "Whatever, I guess you can."
Yang nodded, resting her hands on Alizarin's chest and forehead. Her hands started to glow brightly, as did Alizarin's body. His wounds started to heal on their own, even when Yang pulled away. It was like a cool feeling washed over him, making the burns disappear before his eyes. Alizarin seemed amazed by how fast he healed, but tried not to show too much emotion in front of Yang.
"Thanks I guess."
"You feel better?" Yang smiled.
"Yeah, not covered in burns anymore I guess." Alizarin sat up and examined his body a bit.
"After you eat you're taking a shower. You've been out in that rain and you smell like smoke." Yang stood up, turning the heater on next to Alizarin.
"How? I don't have any soap or shampoo."
"We'll get you some, you just worry about getting your rest." Yang stood up.
Just then, Ruby came back with an armful of various foods, a smile on her face. "Yang! I got some food!"
Alizarin sat up, his stomach growling. "Anything good?"
"Yep, eat up!" Ruby nodded, munching on some cookies.
Alizarin grabbed what he could, sitting down and eating like he hadn't in days. This was a bit of a surprise to Ruby and Yang, as they looked at Alizarin with concern. It didn't seem to bother him at all, this meal was his first in a few days, and it made him feel a bit better. He turned to see Ruby and Yang and noticed they were staring, which made him blush slightly.
"What are you staring at?" Alizarin glared at them.
"Nothing, just a little surprised at your appetite." Yang chuckled.
"Shut up, you try not eating for half a week." Alizarin scowled.
Ruby's eyes widened at this. "Huh? What do you mean? Were you poor?"
"You're not even close. Father was... abusive and barely let me eat if I didn't make him even remotely happy."
"But why would he do that?"
"My best guess is... lust for power I guess."
Yang put her hand on Ruby's shoulder, smiling gently. "Sis, it's probably best if you don't bug him too much. He seems pretty sore about it."
Ruby nodded. "What should I do then?"
"Let me handle him, I've got this. You can do what you like." Yang smiled.
Ruby smiled, hopping on one of the beds and giggling as she bounced. Alizarin rolled his eyes as he leaned against the wall, his thoughts clouded with the day's events. He kept thinking back to when he had destroyed his home, about how much distress he was in. He shuddered at the thought of his father and what he was doing before the blast, all the beating and verbal attacking. He remembered wanting out, wanting to be free and safe, and remembered feeling all that heat and frustration building up. All the running and getting soaked from the rain, with seemingly no hope in sight.
Then he looked at Yang and Ruby, feeling that maybe he had a chance to try and change things. His first priority was ensure his own safety, but maybe it wasn't a bad idea to get to know these girls. He didn't feel like he was in any danger around them, though he didn't quite trust them yet. He seemed lost in thought as Yang walked up with some soap and shampoo.
"Hey Zarin, you can get washed up now. I already have a hot shower going for you." Yang smiled.
"Eh? Oh sure... thanks I guess..." Alizarin nodded before taking off his glasses.
Upon entering the bathroom, Alizarin undressed and stepped into the hot water. At first it was too much, but he learned to enjoy it rather quickly, since it was more than he got before. He took his time to enjoy the heat, scrubbing his hair and body clean of the filth that covered him before. He took a look at the markings all over his body, scars and bruises from all the abuse that he wanted to keep hidden from the world. He felt nothing but sadness and weakness looking at himself, feeling like he was nothing more than a whipping post for everyone's enjoyment. He felt he needed to distance himself from his problem, and that Yang was the person to do this.
Soon Alizarin turned off the water and got dressed in his tattered clothes from before, walking out with his hair wrapped in the towel. He stopped in his tracks the moment he heard Ruby giggling.
"What? Why are you giggling?" Alizarin gave Ruby a look.
"Oh, no reason." Ruby smiled, a comic book in her hands.
"Oh, you read those?" Alizarin's expression softened.
"Yeah, sometimes. One day I want to be like the heroes in the books, always there to save the day and never ask for anything in return."
"Really? That's... actually pretty nice."
"Thanks, I still have a way to go."
"I wish I had that outlook on stuff like that, life hasn't been terribly forgiving."
"It'll get better, you just have to believe it will."
Before Alizarin could say anymore, Yang walked in with blankets. "I got extras!"
"Extras? Why?" Alizarin was getting irritated by Yang's energy.
"For you Zarin! Can't have you catching a cold!" Yang beamed.
"Umm, thanks I guess..."
Yang smiled brightly as she set up Alizarin's bed for him, humming the song from the club. Alizarin watched Yang as she moved around the bed happily, admitting to himself that she looked quite lovely. Especially with her long, flowing golden hair and her beautiful lilac eyes. As she was getting ready to finish up, Alizarin caught himself staring down, right at...
Alizarin shook his head a bit, trying to clear his mind. In doing so, he shook the towel loose from his head, covering his face. He tossed the towel to the side, leaving his hair a mess. He tried fixing it up with his hands as best he could, having no brush of his own. Yang saw this and chuckled lightly.
"Need a brush? I'll go get you one." Yang walked out before letting Alizarin answer.
Alizarin sighed and fell onto the bed. He pulled out the only other he'd taken in his escape: a black cylinder with lines of red light running across it. The light seemed to pulse and the whole thing radiated heat all on its own. As Alizarin stared at it, he recalled how much it meant to him; it was a family heirloom that he felt did not belong with his monster of a father. It was a warhammer from the Great War, named Forgemaster. Alizarin's reverie was cut short by Yang's reappearance.
"Guess who's back!" Yang exclaimed with a big smile.
"Must you yell?" Alizarin moaned, mildly annoyed.
Yang ignored Alizarin's question, handing him a hair brush. "Here, you'll look better after you use this."
Alizarin shrugged, taking off his glasses and brushing his wet hair to the side as he looked around. He noticed that the room looked rather well kept, quite possibly expensive. This didn't really make him feel too comfortable, a little worried about keeping hidden from his father in such a high profile room. He sighed, putting the brush off to the side and laying down in bed, looking up to see Yang.
"What did you want?" Alizarin grunted.
"Just checking on you. Going to bed?" Yang sat on the bed next to Alizarin with a warm smile.
"Yeah, I'm exhausted."
"Well, don't be afraid to give me a tap if you need anything."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks."
Alizarin rested his head on the pillow as Yang walked off to take her own shower, his mind once again clouded with the burning thoughts of before meeting her. He wanted to forget it happened, but the pain was fresh in mind. His mind was clouded with worry, so he curled up under his covers and closed his eyes tight. Eventually he drifted to sleep, only to be met with nightmares.
He woke up early the next morning, hands shaking and covered in sweat, his breathing ragged. He looked around the room, the dim lighting of early sunrise peeking through the window. He sat up and stretched a bit, putting his glasses on so he could see better. One last observation of the room, and he noticed that Yang was missing. He didn't like this one bit, feeling unsafe and open.
He stood up and stretched, reaching for Forgemaster as he made his way to the door. He activated Forgemaster and kept it close, his mind now running wild with thoughts of where his bodyguard could be, thinking maybe his father got past her somehow. His movements came to a halt as he heard noises outside the door, and he prepared to swing the massive hammer when he was suddenly greeted by familiar blonde hair instead of what he was expecting to see.
"Oh, morning Zarin! Good to see you're awake!" Yang smiled, unfazed by the giant hammer being held high in mid swing.
"Gah! Yang!?" Alizarin tumbled backward, falling onto his back.
Yang laughed a bit, helping Alizarin to his feet. "Sorry, I was giving Dad a call. Had to let him know about you."
"Oh fun..."
"Relax, Dad's not that bad. I'm sure he'd be happy to help."
"I guess I'll trust your word on this for the time being. So are we headed straight to Patch?"
"After we make you look decent, which means we're going clothes shopping!"
"Oh boy..."
"It won't be bad, plus you need new clothes."
"Okay... I'll give you that." Alizarin sighed.
Ruby sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Why are you talking so much? It's super early..."
"Sorry, I was calling Dad. Plus we're gonna go shopping with Zarin." Yang smiled.
"Shopping? Yay!" Ruby hopped up and down excitedly.
"Yeah! Get up and dressed we have an early start ahead!" Yang cheered.
Ruby jumped out of bed and hugged Yang, then ran into the bathroom to change. When she ran back out, she wore a big smile that seemed to light up the room. She grabbed her weapon, and looked up at Alizarin.
"So we're shopping for new clothes for you?"
"Well I can't exactly go around in these anymore..."
"That's right! Now come on, let's go!" Yang smiled widely, pulling Alizarin's arm.
"W-Wait! Don't pull so hard! I can walk by myself!"