A/N: I realize that I haven't been working on Kill La Back, nor Fire Team RWBY, but school, more specifically finals tore apart my schedules for writing. Now that summer has started however, I am able to actually write now, instead of being constantly monitored for my grades.
This was curiously enough, created while reading through a few other Touhou Fanfictions, also as a stress reliever, and I suddenly thought about how the Touhou Fanfics that I've read only introduce a few original characters, perhaps even only one, yet I hadn't found anything about a large collection of humans entering Gensokyo at any one time. And thus I present to you an idea, one that probably will be shelved due to other stories.
A tower.
An attic.
A prison for the unfortunate souls to be placed within.
As the man sat upon a simple bed, he stared at the target that he had been sent, yet ultimately failed to kill. Conversing with the young child, one may ask themselves why the man and youngish child with wings were talking.
Remilia Scarlet, better known as the Scarlet Devil, had been politely interrogating the latest assassin sent after her.
She cradled a broken right arm in a cast, while several wounds showed up all across her body, slowly being healed by her regenerative powers. Even her wings bore burn marks as well as slight gashes within, while slowly healing scars covered her left arm. Her red dress had been replaced, however her mop cap that had always adorned her head full of dark blue hair had numerous gashes scattered within the material.
The man, with a high featured face, long dark hair, piercing green eyes and a pipe nestled between his lips, was adorned with far worse injuries. He bore large jagged scars all across his body, while burn marks covered his arms and parts of his face, giving him the appearance of a corpse. Large areas of his metal body had melted, the previous cybernetic augmentations melted down to unusable levels. It was obvious that the man was a cyborg, the only question was by how much?
As Remilia spoke out against the man's words, she said,
"I am but a child. Didn't you think to weaken your blows?"
"Against you?" Says an Irish voice, emanating from the man atop the bed.
"Why madam, I've trained children far younger than ye how to kill and their kill counts are in the dozens already. I can't underestimate children anymore because several of those kids became, or were my soldiers. I wasn't the only adult teaching them mind you, since most of them have already grown up under my tutelage, and continue to serve as soldiers, medics, engineers, all those professions. But it was my organization, more like squad though, we aren't many, that kept them, that trained them, that uses them." His voice was grave, low yet filled with a friendliness that was quite joking.
"Shouldnt you be considered a war criminal by most of the world then?" Remilia asked, amused by his choice of words and accent.
"Hahah! You're a bright one madam! Yes, I certainly am called a criminal, one who uses children to do my dirty work. The man using illegal technology to further my goals, my power, and my strength. I experimented on them but first experimented on myself to test the augmentations effects. One could hardly accuse me of being a coward who experiments only on others. No, I jumped into the fray with them, heading out to the front lines to fight. Not being the cowardly mastermind behind the scenes but instead the willing general who fought alongside his lower ranked troops. One who could inspire the budding squad to rise up and become the reapers I always envisioned. So you see, children are just as dangerous to me as adults, sometimes even more so."
Laughing at his passion for his organization, one that interested her quite a bit, she remarks,
"You're quite the curious man mister Reaper. But why go after me with your soldiers first? Is that not cowardly?" Testing the waters, she hoped to see the man's reactions. What she heard further delighted her.
"I refused to take a chance against an enemy which I only knew to be a vampire. Aye, I tried the old legends of sunlight and wooden stakes and silver. But I brought much more, as you already know-" He was cut off.
"Advanced weaponry. The likes of which I've never even heard of, much less seen." Remilia interrupted, remembering just how effective the technology had been.
Chuckling, he continues, "Old and wise as you may be-"
With a jolt of surprise, Remilia exclaims with confusion, "You could tell even as I look now?"
With the patience of a monk, the man continued as if he hadn't been interrupted, "Your demeanor was enough to tell me that you were old. I still call you madam because you're quite strong and I respect you."
Continuing, Remilia comments on another event of interest,
"I'm surprised at your tactics. Most of those glory or justice seeking warriors met me head on, seeking to kill me in an honorable method."
"All living beings cannot simply experience everything and I was willing to bet that even as old as you are, that none of them were truly military. Oh sure, the churches crusaders and glorious heroes try. But never professionals. From what information I gathered, they all charged in bravely yet foolishly. I chose to lure you into a killzone." He explained, quite cheerful even with his current predicament.
"Those bombs hurt quite a lot. I'm impressed." Remilia grudgingly admitted. Those explosives had certainly been painful to deal with.
"Hah! I went so far as to launch a MOAB on top of you! You're much tougher than I thought before to have survived all that with naught but a few injuries. Then again, you destroyed most of them."
"Including flying and land machines that created steel rain."
Nodding with annoyance present on his face, the man muttered,
"Aye. The church has far too much men and money on their hands honestly... This was a job I didn't like, too many other variables to deal with, and all those third rate mercs... But the costs were expendable. I may have used quite a few warheads, but it was refunded once they thought you were dead."
His demeanor went back to a mix of both gratitude and happiness.
"Thank ye kindly for playing dead by the way." He said with a bow, as much as he could.
Amusement lacing her voice, Remilia responded, "It was the least I could do to the first mortal to almost kill me. Yet, even with your talk of logic and how you hoped to kill me with tactical firepower, you still charged at me with two swords. What hope was there in such a foolish endeavor?" She finished with confusion.
Sighing, the man closed his eyes and took a moment of silence. When he answered, he said, "Soldiers are supposed to be expendable. This always is, and always has been the nature of warfare. But, these children have been with me for many years, especially the adults now. Few as we may be, we stand at a squad at most, these former child soldiers have grown with me. I couldn't let you kill them. I hoped your previous endeavors against humans would allow you to be honor bound, or perhaps mischievous enough to humor me and my attempt to kill you. I was right, and my soldiers escaped."
"I must commend your agility. Not many have had the speed to even land a glancing blow, much less the stab wound you inflicted."
"Thank you. I do try my best."
All the pieces fit. This man was exactly the person she was looking for to further her goals. Much as it was true that she preferred magical beings to mortal ones, these soldiers had interested her. Their technology and tactics, adapted to deal with opposition in entirely different fields than what she was accustomed to intrigued her, and for once, Remilia found herself curious as to what these mortals could achieve.
"Reaper, how would you like to work for me? Considering that the Christian Church has most likely realized that I am still alive due to their not finding the body, how would you and your squad like to join us in Gensokyo, the land of Fantasy? We do after all plan to move there shortly, and your platoon of soldiers may prove quite useful."
Taking a moment to consider the request, the man grinned before saying,
"Hah! I think I could do with a bit of magic in my life."
As he raised his head as much as he could, a grin split his face as he said to Remilia,
"Let me introduce myself again then. The name's Alexander Dalton. It's a pleasure to work under you, Mistress Scarlet."
Remilia grinned in response, saying,
"Welcome aboard, Reaper."