Author's note: This starts out around the same time as A Cursed Life but will eventually go beyond. It will answer some questions left from Simone's story.
Chapter: 1 The Rabbit In The Hat
A girl was strolling through the frozen street's of Atlas holding a little scepter of sorts. She was about 5'6" with pale skin and dark circles under her eyes. She also had red 'stitches' along her lips with a big x at one corner. The scepter was silver with a clear ball at the end held by claws. The other end was a spike with some blood on it. Anyone still on the street on this frozen night immediately hid upon seeing her. She was wearing a white top hat with a black ribbon. She also had on a white long coat with white trouser's and combat boots.
She was humming a tune cheerily as she walked the streets. After a while some shadowy men come out of nowhere all wearing hoodies and hooded jackets. "You killed Kyle..." One of them said as they surrounded her. "Oh? was that his name? Well don't worry you will be joining him soon." She said going from smiling to a wide grin. One of the men was behind her in a flash but the second his hand touched her a massive amount of electricity was sent coursing into him.
He collapsed to the ground smoking and hoodie on fire. Suddenly the orb became filled with electricity as the girl chuckled. "What the hell did you do to him?!" One of the men yelled at her before charging. She just swung her scepter around hitting him in the head. In the moment of impact his brain with fried with electricity. Then the claws released the orb and it started shooting around smashing into the other men as they attempted to dodge, flee or attack her. One who got to close to her got the spike to his chest. The last one was running as fast as he could. But the girl just sent the orb rocketing after him. Just before he could turn a corner the orb smashed into his back.
The ball returned in a flash as the girl tossed a small device to the ground. When it turned on it produced an intense light. The bodies all burned away in moment's between the fire and the light. Then she retrieved the device and tossed it to the one who almost got away. She wiped the blood from her scepter on her sleeve as a car drove up alongside her. She climbed in the back next to a old man in similar attire also all white. "I see you have been hard at work miss Hatter." He said as she found a bag with replacement clothes. She changed right there clearly not bothered by the old mans presence.
When she was finished she started to flip the scepter in her hand. "Those were mostly half vampires lost in the pleasure's of there new form. Only the one they called Kyle was any effort to kill. But he still couldn't even put a scratch on me. When will I get to fight a real vampire and not just one of these pseudo vamps?" She said as she brought her free hand up to her face and ran her finger's over her stitches.
When they arrived at a large military base they were immediately waved inside. They then headed down into a underground parking garage. They headed in and walked by soldier's and slayer's. When they reached there destination they headed into a conference room filled with high ranking slayer's. Hatter took a seat beside the old man as the meeting seemed to start. "Now that slayer Madeline Hatter has arrived this meeting can start." One of the people said as a big screen lit up.
It had a graph showing how many vampire's have been sighted over the years. "As you can see vampire activity has rose sharply in recent years. There are even reports of vampires in Vale. Which as you know was declared 'vampire free' after the last purge." She said pinging parts of the graph she wanted to highlight. "Any idea why there has been such a sharp increase?" The old slayer asked before Madeline yawned loudly.
Everyone turned there gaze to her some clearly annoyed. "Why am I here? I am not some high ranking slayer. If I was you wouldn't be sending me out to hunt vampires so often." She said with little regard for courtesy. "You are here because you have more confirmed vampire kills then anyone we know of." The woman said but then one of the science officer's cleared there throat's. "That is not entirely true there are the 'special assets' we have in the vault." He said as everyone went almost silent.
Then general Ironwood spoke up from a screen that suddenly came to life. "Assets which should have been destroyed decades ago... But we may be able to make use of them. For now how about we unfreeze the youngest. According to the file she was more manageable. But to be safe lets assign Hatter to be her handler." He said before the screen went dark. "Well then Hatter why don't you come with me? We will get the asset out." The scientist said leaving with Hatter before anyone could really object.
When they finally arrived in the underground vault the scientist walked deep into the far back. There he opened a hidden door to an outdated lab. The only thing of note inside was a few pods that still seemed to be drawing power. They headed back to them and the scientist went to one and started inputting commands. After a few minutes the machine started to vent gases. "This is asset 12 the alchemist aka Ambrosia" And when the seal finally fully released he cautiously opened it.
Hatter stood there impatiently but once she could see inside she went still. Inside the pod was a small girl about 4'5", scrawny and was missing her right hand. Her skin was sickly pale and her hair was white. She was also a rabbit faunas with long blood red ears. She was completely nude inside the pod and looked a bit starved. "Is she really a vampire?" Hatter asked as she crossed her arms seeming a bit underwhelmed. "Yup I am glad she is alive these pods would kill any human." The man said before the girl suddenly came falling out of the pod.
She was on her hand and knees gasping for air. But she fell to the ground silent again. "Damn she needs blood bad. We will have to hope she can live till we get some." The scientist said heading for the door. But Hatter went to the girls side and lifted her up into her lap. Then she presented her wrist to the girl who immediately bit into it. "There you go drink but not to much or I will have to kill you." Madeline said as the scientist looked at her in horror and disgust.
The girl stopped not long after she started. She slowly took in the sight of Madeline staring down at her. "What the hell are you doing?!" He yelled as Madeline helped the girl to her feet. "Lets just get you some clothes little one." She said as she helped the girl through the lab. "I am likely the oldest person you have met. Don't speak to me like a child." Ambrosia said as they entered the main vault.
There she stumbled away from Madeline and over to a large trunk. She yanked it open after a few tries and looked at the content's. "I see you have kept my stuff. Well some of it anyway." She said in her strange accent. "You don't give order's here. In fact I am pretty sure I can give you order's. I am your handler." Madeline said as Ambrosia scoffed and grabbed a old long coat putting it on. It was a dusty old red slayer coat.
She also grabbed a slim gauntlet and strapped it to her stump. "Whats with the glove?" Madeline asked as the scientist came over. "My father cut it off for defying." She said heading for the vault door with the very uncomfortable scientist. "I should have just done this myself." The scientist said as they left the vault heading into the slayer's HQ above. The meeting had ended and the old man was waiting outside the lab.
After a day of testing and paper work Ambrosia was finally set up in a self contained room. The door was sealed and the walls reinforced. She laid in the small cot in the corner of the room making the gauntlet finger's twitch. "Damn him." She cursed before throwing the gauntlet into the wall. It just clattered to the ground harmlessly.
But outside her room in the lab the scientists were reviewing the old files on her and her family. "She really is some kind of vampire invalid. She is almost more hopeless then a human. But what is this ability they keep mentioning in the files?" One of them asks as the lead scientist suddenly slams a file down. "What the hell is this nonsense?! Nothing this suggests about her semblance could possibly be true!" He says clearly angry about something he read.
Then Ironwood comes in eyeing the man as he approaches the discarded file. When he opened it he started to read the page about her semblance. "Her semblance allows her to draw out 'mystical' quality's in otherwise mundane substances. She can even use multiple substances to create more intricate effect's. However do to her unstable vampiric aura any misstep can result in a explosive reaction. Thus we have dubbed her Alchemy in honor of the ability she alone inherited from her father." He read to the room of scientists all of which looked skeptical. "We will just have to have her demonstrate this semblance tomorrow." Ironwood said as he looked at the security feed of Ambrosia's room. "Right of course sir. We will send you the result's as soon as possible." One of the scientists said as Ironwood left.
Ambrosia stood up as Madeline walked into her room with a scientist. "So they want to see your semblance. Just tell them what you need and they will get it." She said as Ambrosia took her time stretching. "There is a trunk in the vault I need it. As well as something able to heat up a large cauldron. I will also need a knife and some clay." She said before walking out into the lab. "This place is very... sterile." She said as she looked around she did not even know what half of the stuff was. Madeline walked up beside her and handed her some clothes. She quickly dropped her old coat and put in the white shirt and pants. Then she put her coat back on and found her way to a seat. She waited as everything she requested was gathered.
When they had finally gotten her some clay she tossed it into the cauldron she pulled out of the trunk. It was hanging above a large burner and already had some water in it. "Alright hand me the knife as this heats up." She says turning the burner on to it's highest setting. When Madeline handed her the knife she took it and immediately cut her own arm over the cauldron. They all then watched in horror as her blood flowed into the cauldron.
Madeline though peaked into the cauldron. Ambrosia grabbed a long metal spoon and used it to start stirring the mix. "Someone bandage up my arm." She said as she continued to stir the mix that was starting to bubble and mix. A scientist was cautiously approaching with a first aid kit but Madeline took it from him and set about bandaging Ambrosia. "Once it has been fully mixed I will be pulling the clay out. I will have a short time to give it form." She said as she kept at mixing it watching intently.
Just as Madeline finished Ambrosia tossed the spoon to the side. Then she reached in and pulled out a red ball of clay. She placed it on a counter and started to shape it.. When she was finished it was a 8 inch featureless figurine. She stepped back from it and watched as everyone stared at it. Then it suddenly started to move seeming to look around. "Come." Ambrosia said to it as she headed over to the trunk.
The figurine jumped down to the ground and followed after her. She picked it up and put it on her shoulder before looking back to the trunk. "I assume you still use blessed silver?" She asked as she rummaged around in the trunk clearly looking for something. "We use silver." One of the scientists said getting a scoff from Ambrosia. "I see you need my help more then I thought. Here slayer use this on the next vampire they send you to kill." She said tossing a slim long sword to Madeline who catches it and pulls the blade from the scabbard. It was clearly silver but it almost seemed to radiate some kinda warm glow.
Ambrosia became visibly uncomfortable the moment the blade was drawn. "Silver cant even compare to 'blessed' silver. It's like comparing a training sword to a real one. Sure you can kill someone with it. But this is designed with the sole purpose of slaying vampires." She said as Madeline put the blade away. "Well I will be heading out tonight why don't you join me?" She said while strapping the blade to her belt.
Madeline and Ambrosia walked the frozen street's of Atlas as a blizzard forces everyone inside. "You seem to handle the cold well for a human." Ambrosia said as they found there way to there destination. "My semblance makes my body produce electricity inside itself. Which tends to create heat. Basically I am both charging up and keeping myself warm." She said in reply as they found themselves at a hotel.
The moment they walked in it was obvious something was wrong. There was no one in the lobby but all the lights were still on. They slowly walked further in till they got to the first room. The door was open and inside was a small pile of bodies. "They were drained of most of there blood. There are likely a lot of vampires here." Ambrosia said as they continued further in room after room was left open with drained bodies. Once they got to the third floor they heard screams from above. Madeline immediately ran off as Ambrosia just continued searching through the building.
Madeline came charging into a room on the top floor as she drew the blade. Vampires suddenly came swarming around her from all over. They were all looking nasty ears elongating and skin cracking. Madeline just slid the blade through the first vampire to charge her. The blade vaporized the creatures flesh as it touched it. The rest of the vampires all started to scream and roar as they attempted to swarm her but she just fried them as they touched her.
Ambrosia found a single man sitting in a dark room a couple of drained bodies next to him. "What are you supposed to be?" It asked in a deep slightly monstrous voice. It's eyes glowed blood red as it watched her. "I am Ambrosia chained and collared of the slayer's. Right now your servants are being massacred by the slayer holding my chains. She is using a 'blessed' silver blade." She said as the figure starts to laugh.
Ambrosia throws the knife from earlier at the figure but he just grabs it out of the air. "Your nothing but a vermin waiting to be crushed. And don't worry I will kill this slayer of your's once I am done with you." He said suddenly behind Ambrosia but the clay figurine jumped onto his face immediately. Next thing he knew it exploded and the ground gave way. He plummeted through each floor as debris from the floor's above came crashing down on top of him.
Madeline was finishing off the last vampire when suddenly there was a loud explosion from somewhere below. Then the building started to collapse straight down. Madeline focused all her aura on her barrier as she was buried in rubble. When she finally woke up she managed to move the large piece of rubble on top of her. She then climbed down from the rubble and stumbled into the street. "What the hell happened?" She asked as she looked around.
Ambrosia was standing over the vampire master looking disappointed. She was also clearly injured as she had a metal bar sticking out of her side. "I thought originals were supposed to be tougher then this. But look at you barely able to move. Oh well your heart is intact so I guess it is fine." She said taking the knife back from him. He started to laugh but ended up coughing up blood. "I may be an original but I was only a foot soldier. My superior's have more power in there pinkies then you have in your whole body." He said laughing some more before she started to cut into his chest.
There was military and slayer personnel all over the place. Some medical personnel rushed over to her and started to check her over. "What the hell happened here?" General Ironwood said as he glared down at her. "I honestly have no clue there was an explosion somewhere below me. Ambrosia is probably dead." Madeline said when suddenly some more rubble shifted and Ambrosia stepped out looking fine. Though she was covered in blood and dust.
Some soldier's immediately surrounded her weapons at the ready. "The vampire leading this group set off a bomb. I interrogated him before ending his life. He was a very old vampire. But he was likely acting on the order's of another vampire." She said as Ironwood slowly approached her with a disgusted look on his face. " How are you unharmed?" He asked getting a sigh from Ambrosia. "I drank his blood which gave my body a boost of vampiric regeneration. Now if that is all I would love to finally get some food. And some normal blood dark vampire blood tastes like shit." She said sounding incredibly cranky.
Ironwood looked about ready to shoot her when Madeline limped in and placed a high tech metal collar on her. "Lets get out of here before you piss anyone off anymore." She said leading her off to a car that was waiting for them. Once inside Ambrosia immediately started messing with the collar till Madeline grabbed her hand and pulled it away. "I suggest you stop messing with it unless you want to be poisoned. The people back at the labs sent it with them when they came to pull us from the rubble." She said as they stared into each other's eyes. "I see so now I am to be collared like some beast." She said with disgust as she looked away but Madeline grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look back at her eyes. "Says the blood sucking monster that looks like a harmless child." She said as she started to lean closer and closer.
Ambrosia was making a larger version of the figurine the result's being a mannequin sized autonomous extension of her will. "Finally finished! My hand is in pretty rough shape though. Oh well it should not take to long to heal." She said as she made her puppet move around her makeshift 'alchemy' lab. "How about we work a new gauntlet? You be my hands." She said grabbing the iron ingots she got from the lab techs. She tossed them into the cauldron and had the puppet sprinkle in some ice dust.
She then cut her arm again and let her puppet mix everything together. She then reached her stump in and focused on the molten metal. Then suddenly the metal formed into a glove as her stump touched it. She winced for a moment till it rapidly cooled even collecting frost on it's exterior. She smiled at the gauntlet and made it move then she touched a cup of water and watched as it quickly froze. "Dust always produces the most marvelous effects." She said as Madeline came in with some bags of clothes.
Ambrosia took them and changed into a black turtle neck sweater, black pants, black combat boots. But as she changed Madeline caught sight of something weird. "Did I just see a penis on you?" She asked looking a bit confused as she watched Ambrosia put on her coat again. "Yes I have male genitals. I also have female genitals. I was hiding it when we met. Even I can use vampiric illusions for that much. Maybe I will tell you why someday. Maybe not." She said heading for her cot as the puppet started to clean up her work space. "Well whatever I will go get us lunch. I am still on mandatory rest after that incident." Madeline said as she heading out the door.
It had been a couple weeks since the hotel collapse. Ambrosia and Madeline were walking through the streets of Atlas in the night. The slightly red clay puppet following behind them. Madeline handed the silver blade to Ambrosia who took it with her fake hand. "You can wield that with your metal hand right? I don't need it personally. I prefer my scepter though I may be willing to let you remake it." She said with a strange grin on her face.
Ambrosia rolled her eyes and strapped it to her side as they walked. "Lets just find this vampire." Was her reply as they were quickly nearing the area the vampire was believed to have been hiding in. They then split up some looking through alley's and peaking into building's. Then Madeline started to laugh as she launched her orb into one building. A vampire managed to slip out and started running away with super speed.
Ambrosia sent her puppet chasing after it at shocking speed. It quickly overtook the vampire and cut off it's escape. It fought with the vampire on equal footing as Ambrosia slowly walked over. When she arrived she drew the blood drawing the vampire's attention. "Are you this this things master?!" The vampire demanded before charging Ambrosia out of desperation. But she just cut through the vampire as if it were paper. "She couldn't even outrun this puppet. She must have been recently turned." Ambrosia surmised as she put her dazzling silver blade away. Madeline came up beside her having crushed the other vampires.
They sat in Ironwood's office across from his desk. "The vampire activity in Vale has been increasing at an alarming rate. So I think it is about time we look into the matter. You two will be infiltrating Beacon as part of a second year team. The other two member's have already been chosen. And Madeline if Ambrosia should do anything to harm the mission or any non vampires kill her." He said waving them away immediately after finishing.
They were guided to a air ship where there stuff was waiting even the puppet. "You will be dropped off in Vale. From there head to beacon and present the headmaster with this scroll. And remember not to tell anyone about you true purpose. Not even local slayer's. We suspect they may be corrupt." A woman said handing Madeline a scroll as she glared at Ambrosia. When they got on board they found a couple of other girls sitting around chatting.
One of them talked super fast and was incredibly energetic. She had tan skin and green medium length hair. Her eyes were hazelnut and she wore a standard slayer uniform. The other one had dark blue hair and had darker skin. She wore a skirt and blouse and was holding a cup in her mechanical left hand. "Oh hey you must be the Mad Hatter! Oh and is that the mystery companion we have heard nothing about? She seems kinda young. Is she any good at fighting? Has she ever seen a grimm? Here let me get you both a cup of coffee. Unless you don't want coff-" She said at a mile a minute until the other girl cut her off.
Ambrosia immediately stepped closer and bowed slightly. "I am over 200 years old my name is Ambrosia. I can fight decently well if I have to. I have seen plenty of grimm throughout my life. And if you still want to get me coffee I would appreciate it." She said as the two girl watched with blank faces. "Okay." The hyper one said immediately zooming off and then returning with a couple of mugs of coffee.
Ambrosia took her mug and poured some blood into it from a metal flask. Madeline though turned down the coffee. "Neat to finally have some idea how old you are. Why don't you tell me the specifics some time?" She said as she walked with Ambrosia to a free part of the couch. The girl in the skirt glared at Ambrosia as they all sat on the couch. "I see you drank the fruit punch. Don't worry I am basically a vampire invalid. I doubt I could beat you even with my puppet." She said as the puppet comes into view dragging a few heavy duty trunks behind it.
Madeline sudden laid down resting her head in Ambrosia's lap. "If either of you get out of line I will crush you like an ant. So don't worry either of you. Now Ambrosia how about we go find a room. I am sure this will be a long and boring flight and I could use some sleep." Madeline said as she reached up and tapped Ambrosia on the nose. "Fine puppet follow us." She said jumping up causing Madeline to fall to the ground.
The two girls watch them leave one in disgust and the other in curiosity. "Well those two are as strange as I have heard. What do you think of them Ingrid?" The hyper one said in her signature super fast manner. "I find them repulsive." She said before immediately leaving. "Oh well bye Ingrid! See you later!" She shouted after her friend before setting off to do her own thing.
When they finally arrived in Vale they got out and loaded into a truck. "So since I am the team leader technically I would like to make sure we are all on the same page. Our objective is to confirm vampire activity and discreetly look into it. As well as looking into suspicions of corruption in the local branch." She said as she drove the truck. "Right and I have the scroll to give Ozpin the headmaster of beacon." Madeline said as she sat next to Ambrosia who was slathering something on her face. "By the way what is that you keep putting on your face? And how are you seemingly fine in the sun?" There hyper leader asked as they were nearing there destination. "It is basically sun block that can protect even me from the sun. I am one of the few capable of making. But that said it does not last long in direct sunlight." Ambrosia said right before Madeline picked her up and put her in her lap.
Then she started to 'help' rub the slime into Ambrosia's skin. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Ingrid says glaring at the back of there heads. "Just helping out our special team member so she does not blow our cover." She says in a silly voice clearly just doing whatever she wanted. "Which means she is just doing this to make you and me uncomfortable." Ambrosia said as she watched them pull up into a unmarked building.
There leader lead them out into the building where a severe looking man stood among weapon cases. "You the team I am supposed to arm?" The man asked as he pulled a cigarette from his mouth. "Yup I am Cedar leader of this team. We need weapons that wont look out of place at beacon. We were told you would have some choices for us?" She said as the man put a couple of cases on the tables. "Just speak up when you find something you like." He said as he opened the cases.
They spent hours picking out weapons. Madeline just messed around as she planned to keep using her scepter. Ingrid made a 'smart' choice after a dozen cases. But Cedar and Ambrosia were being picky as they looked through case after case. "Ooooh this looks interesting what is it?" She asked as she looked at a high tech box with a strap. "It is basically a portable small arms locker. More pistols then you could need. Also knives. Just so you know I have no idea how it works." He said before making a knife pop out.
Ambrosia continued looking through cases as Cedar played around with her new toy. Eventually she found something that caught her eye. "Now this is interesting." She said as she lifted some kinda high tech bow out of the case. "Oh that is some kinda prototype energy bow. It has a setting to let you shoot bolts with your aura in it. Or you can just use up it's fuel cells. The fuel cells use dust allowing you to change the bolts up by switching fuel cells." The man said as he placed a satchel of fuel cells on the table.
Once they had plenty of dust ammunition and spar parts loaded into the truck they continued. They had all changed out of there slayer attire. Madeline was wearing a color swapped version of her typical clothing. Ambrosia just took off all the slayer stuff from her long coat.
They soon loaded into a large bullhead that took them up to beacon. It dropped them off out front as some student's gathered to see what was going on. The puppet was doing most of the heavy lifting as the team was only carrying there weapons. They walked straight through the crowd as the crowd gave them weird looks. Many of them clearly found the puppet very unsettling.
Especially the faunas who quickly back away. "They could be problematic faunas can tell vampires are not normal. Plus blood was used in making the puppet. They can certainly smell that. Last one I saw was in chains. I guess things have changed for them." Ambrosia quietly said as they quickly headed into the main building. "We will have to discuss some recent history. Also is that the real color of your ears?" Cedar asked as as they got into the elevator and headed up.
When they reached the top they got off and walked part way into the room. The man on the other side of the desk spun around and took in the group before him. "Well you certainly are an interesting bunch. I hear you want to transfer here from the Atlas school. I have already been sent your records and they are quite impressive. However I am curious as to why you want to transfer here in the first place." He said between sips of coffee as he watched them all intently.
Madeline stepped forward and placed a scroll on his desk. "It is a pleasure to meet you by the way." She added with a smile before her team joined her by the desk. "You are certainly an odd assortment..." He said as he turned to look at Ambrosia. "That is certainly true sir." She said bowing slightly from the back of the group. "It mentions that you are in need of a refresher course on recent history?" He asked still looking at Ambrosia as she opened her eyes and smiles towards him.
He just stared into her glowing purple eyes as he waited for a response. "I had some issues with my last history teacher." She said dropping her smile as she stood up straight again. "I see. Well I can assure you our history teacher is a great man." Ozpin said as Madeline stepped in front of Ambrosia. "So how do we proceed?" She asked watching Ozpin as much as he was watching them. "I would like to speak with each of you separately." He said as he started to go through the scroll.
Ingrid gave him logical answer's never straying into anything to personal or emotional. Cedar talked his ear off and asked him as many questions as he asked. However Madeline never really answered any of his questions and even ignored a few. Especially the more personal questions. And Ambrosia mostly just sat there as they stared at each other. "I have some concerns but I will allow you to start classes. However I want all of you to meet with me or Glenda from time to time." He said as a tall platinum blonde walked in. "These are the transfer students?" She asked giving them all a look over. "Yes could you show them to there room?" He asked as they left his office.
She nods and joins them on the elevator. When they get to the bottom they rejoin the puppet. "I am guessing this is you unsettling thing?" The woman said as Ambrosia stepped over to it and seemed to give it a silent signal. "Indeed I crafted it with my semblance." Ambrosia said as they headed out to the dorms. The woman Glenda as they quickly came to know lead them to a free room across from another second year team.
As the puppet was busy stacking the trunks in a corner Ambrosia was standing in the hall way. "That man was annoyingly observant. I need to avoid him as much as possible. You should too." She said to Madeline who shrugged and leaned back against the wall. Suddenly Ambrosia turned to the door across from them and glared a bit. "Show yourself or leave." She said in a serious tone. A faunas girl with brown hair and brown rabbit ears opened the door and stepped out.
She nervously avoided looking at them by looking at the ground. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit. One I don't take kindly to." Ambrosia said as she stepped closer to the nervous girl. "I-I'm sorry I was just-" She started when a girl in a brown sweater with sunglasses and a beret stepped out alongside her. "You will leave her alone." She said stepping between the girl and Ambrosia. "So long as she keeps her nose out of my business she is fine. I don't like people. Especially those who meddle in my business." Ambrosia said before turning around and heading into her own room. "Goodnight I will join the cranky little bunny." Madeline said with a smile.
End Of Chapter