A/N: Well, I've finally gotten around to rewriting this. The plot I had before was barely connected, full of stuff I shouldn't have written, and made no logical sense... So yeah, this attempts to make up for that and actually sets up my story much better. Some of it is the same, a lot is different, so please be sure to read it over and have fun, those of you who read the original prologue. If you haven't, and you're new here, welcome, you aren't missing anything of import because of this reboot.
P.S.-To those of you who have reviewed before, you won't be able to on this chapter because Fanfiction reasons. Later.
Proloque
C
I have to get away, I think as I hide from the guards behind a stack of crates. But getting away undetected will be nigh on impossible. All of the security guards are Faunus, so they have the advantage over me in sight and likely hearing. This will take time.
I peek over the crate to see the guards turn around a corner. I take a breath and silently make my way over to the door, staying close to the wall. I freeze as another guard makes a sweep of the area, not moving a muscle, being careful to breathe lightly. He passes through the area without seeing me, somehow.
I continue my trek, making it to the door. I open it quietly and peek through, before passing through it, seeing nobody. I close it silently, before turning and making my way swiftly down the hall. I make it to the next room of the complex and, seeing nobody, I quickly pass through it and out the side door of the building.
I breath in the chilly air, looking for any guards, before dropping quietly to the ground, trying to avoid the gaze of the group only a few hundred feet away. I breathe quietly, and quickly realizing they're all busy playing a game the cards I managed to get them and laughing amongst themselves.
I smile gently as I watch. The guards themselves are not bad people, but my father runs our business terribly, using our resources for terrible purposes, and now, the guards will only work against me.
Not intentionally, however if they see me, they will report my presence under the assumption that it is for my safety, as it's always been. I've always been subject to secrecy because of my, condition.
I shiver at the thought. I'm certain my father at the very least suspects I know what he's done, and if I'm right, he'll be calling Savannah in to speak with me. I've never been good at keeping anything from her.
I stand and silently run to the next building, skirting its edges. Only a few more I have to pass by, unfortunately this one will be the easiest to get by undetected. I swiftly make my way along the wall, and turn around the next one, and see the gate, only a few hundred meters away. If I manage to get out of the complex, then I'll be able to meet up with the people who I've managed to contact so I might escape.
I run along the side of the buildings not on the street, so as to avoid most of the patrols. I stop and quietly slide down a wall beside a generator as two guards come around the side of the building. They walk within two feet of where I am, and I hold my breath, hoping my heart won't be heard.
Thankfully, these two are not a type of hearing type Faunus. That would've ended my escape right here.
I creep slowly along the buildings after they turn back to the street. I make it to the final building, trying to figure out a way past the group of guards there, before one comes up behind me.
"Neporra?" He whispers. I whirl, eyes wide, to see Alex Crescent, one of my best friends, a Wolf Faunus.
"Alex!" I whisper, my heart beginning to race as my eyes widen in panic.
"What's going on?" He whispers, catching onto my distress, crouching next to me. "What's going on? Why are you out here?"
"Please, Alex," I begin to beg the Faunus. "I can't be caught. I've got to get out of here!" He hesitates, gazing deeply into my eyes, attempting to seek reason out of my mismatched eyes.
"Do you believe that you are in danger?" He asks. I nod, even if it's not quite true. He looks at me again. "Okay. I'll cover for you." He looks over my shoulder. "Your sister is out tonight, so you'll need to watch out for her. Be careful."
"Hey, Alex!" A voice comes from the street. "What's the hold up?"
"Taking a wee, Chris!" He shouts back. I hear Chris mumble something I can't make out, likely more about how Alex once more proves Faunus are more animal than human. The two of them always clash over it.
"Go. Now." He orders. I nod and give him a small grateful smile, before turning and quietly looking at and around the gate. I take note of the tower next to the gate, and weigh my options, before charging it once the guards look away, managing to scale the steps next to it enough to leap over the wall.
I land with a thump, taking off in a low run towards the tree line. I hear some chatter behind me, but ignore it in favor of continuing on my way. I make it and immediately rise to my full height and begin running. A minute later, a loud alarm begins to wail from the complex.
He's realized I've left. Now I have to hurry. I think as I up my pace to full on sprinting. But that was much faster than I anticipated, I expected to have at least twelve minutes after vanishing before being found out. It's only been eight. In any event, it's no time to think on these things.
I run for about ten minutes, before I hear something that nearly makes me panic. I look over my shoulder just as I race out of the edge of the forest, to see four Bullhead airships.
I turn forward and continue sprinting forward, fueling my muscles with Aura, even if it's wasteful with my level of Aura control.
"Lady Neporra, please stop! Your father is worried about you!" The pilot of one says over his outside loudspeaker. I ignore it and keep running. I hear one land swiftly behind me, and then the sound of running feet reaches my ears. I then see the other three moving forward past me.
"Lady Neporra, please halt!" One of the runners cries. I glance over my shoulder to see the ones dropped off all have swords over their shoulder, and they're closing the distance very quickly. I look forward, and see the town come into view about half a mile away. "Lady Neporra, you know that your condition is dangerous, please return with us!"
I ignore them and keep moving my legs as two of them arrive next to me, reaching out. I jump and do a spinning split, kicking the both of them in their heads, sending them off their feet before landing running again. I nearly stumble as several shots ring out, landing in the ground near me. I look up to see a new Bullhead with riflemen inside of it.
"Lady Neporra, we have permission to use force, please, come peacefully!" The others behind me call. I don't respond as I continue running, drawing my blade off of my back in a flash of motion, a thin slash of white energy leaving the blade and impacting the flying craft, sending it veering away. I sheath my sword again, before noticing the force ahead of me, and plant my feet, skidding to a halt.
There are at least twenty other guards spread out before me. I hear skidding behind me, and turn to see four other guards. I glance around again, confirming my prior count as a slight headache forms, my Semblance taking its toll.
Six in each carriage, two pilots, one pilot left in each Bullhead. I think as I back away from the ones behind me. Seven from each, except one who only dropped off six. Twenty five guards. Possibility of reinforcements from the one that I took down low, but there. Also a possibility of Sa-.
"Hello, Sister," a cold and calm voice behind me says. I stiffen, before turning to look at my sister. Dressed in simple black dress pants and a light yellow dress shirt, with a sympathizing look on her face, even as her eyes survey not for the large broadsword on her back, longer than she is tall, one might think she's present to take me home peacefully..
"S-Savannah." I reply, stuttering a bit.
Savannah Crux. My older sister, who taught me everything I know about combat.
"What's the matter?" She asks as the guards surround the two of us. "Are you not happy living in the safety of father's complex?" She tilts her head and gives her mock concern look. It's so good one has to have known her for years to realize it's false. "Maybe you found out about father's habits?" I stiffen, and her calculating gaze catches it, prompting her to sigh. "I see. Capture Neporra, she is clearly not in her right mind," she orders.
The guards rush me, and I jump up, fueling my legs with Aura to propel me even farther up, glancing down as the guards charge, calculating.
Twenty five guards, converging at the same time. Faunus, better vision in this dark. Most have melee weapons, three have pistols, short range effective. Three from behind immediate threat. I observe before grabbing the hilt of my katana over my left shoulder and drawing it, holding it above my head, before landing.
I twirl around, and kick the three behind me successively, almost too fast to see. They fly back and land. I duck beneath the sword that tries to hit me, and punch the guard on the neck, dropping him, before doing a circle slash, taking out seven other guards.
Eleven down, fourteen left. I analyze. From behind, four.
I flip up backwards above the swords trying to stab my back, and look at the guards, before slashing their thighs, disconnecting their nerves, once again making me wonder why we haven't unlocked their Aura's.
I land, and roll to my left, avoiding the shots from the three behind me. I jump up at them and quickly slice through their weapons before kicking them across their faces, sending them off their feet. I turn to my right, and see the final seven standing beside Savannah.
I take hold of my katana with both hands, and begin to charge my semblance.
"Get her, quickly!" She yells, and I hear her draw her sword. I hear their footsteps draw close and continue charging my semblance, even as Savannah begins charging her Aura into her sword.
I open my eyes to see them all about to strike, and I swing my sword, releasing the shock wave at them, varying it so that the majority is focused on Savannah, throwing all of them, including my sister, back. I stagger as the punishment for my attack strikes me. They land heavily, Savannah landing on her feet, having blocked my attack with her blade. I gasp and fall to my knees, losing my grasp on my katana, trying to regain control of my body. Savannah stands from her crouch and begins walking towards me, before looking up, surprise coloring her face.
I feel a downwash around me.
What's going-? I begin wondering before Savannah begins levitating, shock and anger coloring her gaze as she's flung away, making me feel a mixture of worry and relief. But who, who did this?
A figure drops down next to me and picks me up.
"Come on, young one. Time to go." I hear a female voice say, before she carries me and my katana onto her airship. She lays me down, and I manage to see blond hair and green eyes before passing out…
L
"You must be prepared to do anything uphold our family name, Lavender," my sensei says as I sit there, head bowed slightly. "You must prepare for the harshest of combat, and must be willing to stand with the warriors that our family has always given birth to. Are you prepared?" I look up at the black haired man, who stares at me with blank red eyes.
"Yes, sensei," I reply. He nods, and the doors around the room open.
"Then escape, and make it to your ship in time to depart. Everything you need will be waiting on the airship. Now, go!" He shouts as he closes his eyes, before ten armored warriors appear around the room in each of the doors. He closes his eyes, and I know that I'll not see him again for some time, if I pass this test. My ears twitch as I let some of my worry bleed out, before hiding it behind a confidant smirk.
"Yes, sensei." I repeat before grabbing the handle of my longsword on the ground, rising with it in my hand. I look around the room and grin wolfishly at each form around me. "Fifteen minutes. Piece of cake." I crack my neck and rush the left side of the room, which is closest to my exit strategy and closest to my destination.
The four warriors there ready their blades and swing at my sides, and I slide beneath them, before firing my pistol, propelling my blade into them, throwing them out of my way. I rise running and slash through the thin walls, bursting into the next room, which is only one wall from the outside.
It's also filled with more warriors. I brandish my sword and swing, only to be stopped by six blades against mine. I grin before pulling my arm back and clocking all of them in one go, before firing my gun again, propelling me into a spin that takes out several more of them.
I duck beneath the next blade, and do a perfect uppercut into the offenders jaw, knocking him into three of his comrades. My grin widens and I slice through the thin wall and jump through, racing down towards my ride outta here. I hear the remaining warriors running after me, and slice through a few big trees, leaving them in my wake for them to scale.
I laugh and make it to the small town, which has its entire population on the sides of the road currently. Everyone was told that I'd be fighting my way to the airport, and nobody is stupid enough to get in my way, some do cheer, however. I make a dash through the streets, leaving all my pursuers in the dust.
Ten minutes left. I think, checking the timer sensei gave me before the test. I manage to get to the airport in time, only to see an unnerving sight.
"Lavender!" He cries, grinning. "It's good to see you!" I look at Cerulean in hesitation for a few moments before grinning fiercely.
"Nice to see you, big bro." I say, leveling my longsword at him, preparing for a real challenge. After all, he's resting his spear on his shoulder. I can only assume he's my final test. "You here for the test?" He gives me the same wolfish grin that I have right back to me and levels his spear at me.
"Let's dance." He says before he jabs at the air. I dive out of the way of the burst of air, and come up running at him. He jabs again, and I jump over it, before landing and launching myself at him, swinging my sword. He blocks it, before twirling his spear, forcing my blade away, and trying to strike me with it. I duck beneath his attack and slice at his arms.
He blocks again, and then headbutts me back, causing me to stumble a moment, before I slice through his next air blast with an Aura coated blade. I growl as I regain my balance and look at my timer.
Eight minutes. I've got time.
I jump to avoid his next strike, and lash out with my foot, trying to hit him. He blocks it with his forearm, and then slams me in the side with his spear. I grunt as I fly to the side, hitting a wall. I groan as I stand, only to blasted in the face with his air blasts. I fly through the wall and cry out as I land in the street.
"Had enough, little sis?" He asks, walking through the hole in the wall. I stand up and look at him, my vision a little shaky before focusing again.
"Not even close." I reply, brandishing my sword, before activating my semblance, creating a clone of myself to my left. We charge my brother, and he slashes at the air, sending out a wave of wind. I jump over it, twirling, while my copy ducks beneath it.
We arrive just as he swings at my copy. It intercepts, and I swing for his chest. He gets the shaft of his spear in the way, and my copy brings back her fist and clocks him in the face. He grunts and stumbles. I glance at the timer again.
Six minutes.
We charge him again as he gets up, before swinging from both sides. He drops beneath it, folding his legs so his feet are beneath his otherwise flat body. I jump just before his spear sweeps the ground, knocking my copy off its feet.
I kick him in the face from the air, causing him to momentarily loosen his grip on his spear. I land and manage to kick it away from him, and level my sword at his throat. He blinks, looking at my sword, then at me. He grins.
"I like how you've improved since last I came by. Good job, little sis." He compliments.
I breath heavily as my clone dissipates, leaving me drained. "You, went, easy." I say between breaths as I remove my sword and fall to one knee, my sword dropping from my hand.I take in several gasps and try to stay conscious as the effects of my semblance take effect.
I sit there a moment, before my brother scoops me up in his arms and walks me over to the airship, before setting me on the ramp and running over to retrieve our weapons.
"Ah, Ms. Maddox, is it?" One of the crew asks. I look up to see a middle aged man with light blue eyes and brown hair smiling at me. "Welcome aboard. You've passed your test, it appears. Your uncle will be most pleased. Please, Mr. Maddox, help her up and follow me." I feel my brother's arm slip under mine and around my waist. I look at him in surprise, as I hadn't even realized he had gotten back. He helps me into the ship, and down into a small private room on the ship.
"Hello, Ms. Maddox, welcome aboard, and I hope you enjoy your flight and your subsequent arrival at Vale, and on to Beacon!" A green haired man says incredibly fast, taking a sip from his mug. I look at him. He has a white shirt with a high collar and a yellow tie, tucked messily into his into his green pants. "It is a pleasure to meet you." He says a bit more slowly.
I look at my brother. He winks me and sets me down on an open chair and props my Lazuli against my chair, chuckling.
"Have fun at your new school, little one." He says, before kissing the top of my head. I give a noise of protest, prompting him to chuckle again.
Then he departs in a burst of wind, a single moment there, then gone the next.
"If you don't mind Ms. Maddox, I'm afraid I must leave you alone for now! I have papers I must complete," He says before leaving in a blaze of speed.I shake my head before closing my eyes and letting exhaustion take over me.
R
I watch the man closely, not making a sound. The man I'm stalking tonight is an ageing man. His mostly black spiky back hair has a few shots of gray in it. He wears a dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, black dress shoes, and a red cloak. I form three daggers in each hand and throw three around his head, boxing it in as he calmly tilts his head, preventing the small nick I'd intended from happening.
"If you want to get out of here alive, you'll drop your Lien," I order from the shadows. "All of it." He turns to look at me, and I see his red eyes squinting at me. He takes out a silver flask and takes a swig, before capping it again and pocketing it. He looks at me again, sizing me up calmly.
"Listen kid," He begins, obviously drunk, but present enough. "I don't know who you think you are, but you don't want to try and rob me. Won't end well for you" My eyes narrow and I throw another dagger at his head, going to shave some of his hair as a lesson. To my slight surprise, he tilts his head only just enough for it to miss.
I growl and form four knives in my right hand, before throwing them at the guy, aiming for his limbs. He jumps above them, and grabs the half blade on his back. To my surprise, it extends to a full one before he whips it off and swings at me from above.
I dive to the left, throwing another dagger from my left hand, trying to throw him off. He blocks it, and barely allows me a breath after he lands before attacking. I jump over his blade, twisting my entire body in midair to avoid it, only just getting my entire body out of the way by a few centimeters. I land and form three more daggers in my right, throwing them before jumping backwards.
I look at the man as I land. He grins at me without a scratch on himself, easily twitching his blade to deflect my attack. I grit my teeth and decide to take it up a notch. I dispense with my daggers and create a short sword, which I level at him with my left hand. He lets out a grunt and smirks, taunting me.
I charge him and slash. He blocks, before pushing my blade away, and using that force to try and hit my legs. I jump a full 360 body spin above it, and try to hit him while landing. He leans back out of the way, taunting me with a grin. I clench my jaw, trying to keep the annoyance off my face.
I swing again, and he puts on a shocked face as he sidesteps by a few inches. I jab at his head rapidly, and he dodges as he did previously, only on the last one, I cut his cheek. His eyes glow for a moment before he sweeps upward with his sword. I barely get mine in the way, before I'm suddenly lifted up off the ground into the sky.
What the-! I think before the man appears above me, arm extended behind him, preparing to strike again. Crap! I move my sword in front of me again, only for him to strike hard enough to blast me into the ground.
I cough as I rise up.
That last hit, took out my Aura… I think as I watch my sword vanish. My Semblance is out. This is an impossible win. I hate it when they're right, I grip my side, not allowing the rock currently embedded in it to cause me to cry out as I begin to limp away at a jogging pace.
"Hey, kid." The guy calls. I look over my shoulder at him as I halt, mentally cursing my foolish decision. His blade is still drawn, but his face is different. "Come on. You don't need to stay here. You're pretty damn good for your age, so I might be able to help you, if you want. Come with me. I can get you a home, and people to treat that side." I narrow my eyes, before clutching my head.
No, not now. Not now! I screech at it as my head pounds multiple times, my carefully crafted cage bending as it struggles against me.
Give it to me. Let me win this. It urges, dark desires sweeping through my mind, images of death, killing, oh how sweet it could be-. I shake my head violently, dispelling the notion, and look at the man, doing my best to not betray my inner struggle.
I jump, flipping upside down, kicking my legs, releasing the catches on the mechanisms. My two daggers spin as they are launched upwards, the metal glinting in the moon.
I land on my hands, and push off the ground, to get back on my feet, ignoring the blistering pain in my side, and catch my daggers as they come down, keeping my eyes on the man, assuming a defensive stance, displaying my intentions. He sighs.
"You don't learn." He mutters, before sheathing his weapon, and charging faster than I can keep with. I try to protect myself, but the foot connects with my head to fast for me to counter. I feel myself lift off my feet, and hit the ground, vision fading as my daggers ring against the ground. "Oz will want to meet you." I hear before I black out.
C
I blink as I see the airship.
I didn't expect them to come. I think in surprise. I am, after all, the son of one of their enemies. Surprising. Now when will the people following me-.
"You won't escape." A dark voice behind me says. I whirl to see Geoffrey, my father's number one henchman, and his most ruthless soldier. "I'm sorry, were you hoping to escape your birthright?" He asks mockingly, drawing his specialized handgun, before grinning maliciously. "Sorry, Charlie. You're not getting away that easily. Master Blackadder is most displeased with you."
He and his men draw their blades. I breathe to calm my nerves and grab my tonfas off my back, and whip them off, twirling them around once before ending with them in line with my arms.
"I'm not going back." I reply steadily, belying my nervousness. "And you can't stop me, even as strong as you are, Geoffrey. Not now, not ever." He smirks cruelly and his men charge at a signal. I breath in before the first reaches me, slashing swiftly, barely projecting the move. New recruits for the elite corp, then.
I swing my left tonfa out, allowing it to spin in my grasp, hitting the man's ankles, breaking it despite his swift block, my power overriding his defense, before using the other to block one of the others blade. I spin my tonfa back into position next to my arm and punch a third in the stomach, sending him back unconscious as I shove the second backwards. I dislike fighting against my father's men, mainly for the fact that they must provide for families, but here I must push off my own hesitation.
I jump back to avoid the shots fired by the fourth, and duck beneath the fifth's swing, before swinging my right tonfa, hitting the man on his chin with the blunt part of the end, forcing his head back instantly and knocking him out.
I block the second's sword once more before slamming my already extended tonfa into his calf, shattering his Aura and it. I knock him out before the pain hits him too hard. I dive out of the way of the bullets coming my way from the remaining three henchmen, before twirling both tonfas long sides out away from my arms, before slamming the hilts together, connecting the two. I point the ends at the henchmen with guns and fire twice, striking them and making them stumble. I disconnect my tonfas and charge them, swiftly landing blows across their heads and sending them into unconsciousness.
I look at Geoffrey as I twirl my weapons again, aligning them with my arms, and taking a ready stance before him. He snorts, before charging, leading with several shots with I evade. I duck beneath his first slash, and fire the rifle on the end of my right tonfa, propelling it at his face. He ducks, and tries to shoot my stomach, only to meet my blocking tonfa, causing me to flinch from the force. I draw back my right tonfa, and swing again at him. He twists out of the way, fluidly striking at me after coming out of his spin, following the strike with multiple shots.
I raise my left arm, barely jarring as his blade strikes my tonfa, as I duck beneath his shots. I lift my other arm and fire again as he ceases, aiming for his face. He backflips once before bringing his sword into its collapsed form, twisting down into a pistol. He fires several times in tandem with his other handgun, and I block or evade as possible, my arms feeling slightly numb at the end of it. When he stops, I bring my tonfas in line with my arms once more.
He scoffs again and extends his blade again.
"You're delaying the inevitable." He says.
I look into his eyes and concentrate, silently thanking my father for hiding my greatest strength at this moment. When he freezes, I rush in, pulling back my arm, then firing my tonfa, smashing it into him, sending him through a few wall.
I shake off the light dizziness using my Semblance leaves me, and sheath my tonfas on my back again, rushing through the open air towards the Bullhead. My feet slam against the hard concrete, hoping against hope that Geoffrey will just stay down for long enough.
I slam into the ground as a force impacts my back, a thundering crack of a gun resounding afterwards. I groan and stand, turning around in time to spot a flash multiple buildings away and flinch to my right, just barely escaping with a graze from the shot. I curse and grab my tonfas, beginning to run backwards, keeping my eyes open to any other snipers, while doing my best to evade the shots I know of.
"CHARLIE!" A roar causes me to flinch as Geoffrey appears in front of me, his sword splicing the air before me. I shout in shock and bend over backwards, barely evading an attack which would likely have killed me. "You really think you're some hot stuff, don't you? Well, here's the ugly truth, I'm not the number one for nothing!" His blade flashes again, his Semblance obviously active as I turn my bend into a backflip, kicking his chin and coming to my feet, flying towards the bullhead as fast as my feet will take me. "GET BACK HERE YOU FAILURE!"
I keep running as Geoffreys radio squawks loudly, a line of dialogue being spouted which I fail to discern in my panic.
"But, sir-," Geoffrey begins to object, as I continue running. He replies again, his footsteps falling away, just beyond my range. I ignore him and keep running. The door of the bullhead opens just before I reach it, and I jump in, and find myself caught by a white haired man with glasses and a green coat.
"Welcome, Mr. Blackadder. That was quite a showing, if I may say," he says as we take off, the door closing, and the lights coming on. "I'm Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon." He releases me and steps back.
"Nice to meet you." I reply, grinning and extending my hand, gratitude for the man freeing me overflowing. "I'm Charlie." He takes my hand and smiles back.
"I can honestly say I didn't expect to get a letter from you, the son of the foremost crime lord of Vacuo, so." He begins, taking a seat and hiding his mouth behind a cup of what smells like coffee. "Why don't you start from the beginning."
"Well…" I begin, rubbing the sleeve of my hoodie.
Well, hoped you liked it, hope it made more sense to all of you. Later!
~Boyy2k