Chapter 1: Welcome to Death City

In the flatlands of Nevada, Claire Underwood sped through the desert on a green ATV. The Native American girl wore a baseball cap to cover her head from the eerie smiling sun and its rays, a long sleeved yellow shirt, and blue shorts. Her white sneakers were dirty from the dust. She wore a small backpack, inside a change of clothes. As she drove, she recalled the last conversation she had with her uncle.

"I don't want to go Uncle! Why can't I stay here with you and Auntie?" Claire asked her uncle with sadness. She watched as they packed her backpack with food and drinks and clothing for the long journey ahead. Her uncle put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at his sincere, smiling face. In his eyes she saw sadness, but he did a good job of not showing it.

"Oh Claire, you know if we could have it our way you could. But this was your parents' dying wish. When you hit your 15th birthday, we had to send you to Death City."

"But this Death City place isn't even on the map! And why would my parents send me to a place called DEATH City?"

"I'm sorry Claire, but I do not have all the answers. They said all your answers would be found there. All you have to do is find the academy; they call it the DWMA."

Claire's uncle put something in her hands. It was a simple bronze bracelet, with a teal gem in the middle.

"It was your mother's. I figured she would want you to have it. Listen Claire, I know just as much about this whole plan as you do. But whatever they had in plan for you, I have the utmost faith in their judgement. And I trust you that you will carry it out. Just…. Just be sure to call every now and then, ok?" Her uncle finished, tears forming in her eyes. While her uncle tried to hold back tears, Claire didn't even bother, and began to bawl. She had never seen her uncle cry, and the stress from so many things happening at once began to get to her as well. For a few long minutes, her and her uncle stood there and cried their weary hearts out. It was her uncle who broke the hug first, and led her to the green ATV, the one she got her birthday.

"She tricked out with all the cool gadgets. You should get to Death City in no time."

"Thank you, uncle. For everything." She gave her uncle one last hug, and then hopped on the ATV. She revved it up and left the driveway of their sleepy little home in the middle of Wyoming. She didn't dare look back.

Her reverie was snapped as she approached her final destination: Death City. The cartoonish town was much bigger than she expected. She slowed down to take in the sights. The cobblestone roads were bumpy, but she didn't mind. She was much too busy taking in the new environment. She noticed what appeared to be regular humans passing by, taking care of their own lives. It was a relief that it wasn't a monster town or anything, but her uncle had told her to look for a school. The DWMA he called it. So where was it?

Suddenly, her stomach growled. Claire parked her ATV in a nearby alleyway and found a small diner. It seemed pretty normal on the inside, a few tables and booths set up for costumers. She decided to sit at the counter, and ordered a turkey and cheese sandwich with the works. As she ate, she thought of her next course of action. She had to find this DWMA place quick.

As Claire bit into her sandwich, she sensed another presence. She swiveled around in her seat to her left and spotted another girl eying her. She looked to be about her age, with tanned skin and short red hair. She wore a dark red hoodie and jeans. Her fierce blue eyes seemed to the complete contrast of Claire's own soft hazel eyes. The girl got up and sat next to Claire, never removing her gaze.

"Can I help you?" Claire asked, starting to get uneasy.

The question seemed to snap the girl out of whatever she was thinking, "My bad. It's just that I've never seen you around here before. Plus you seem kind of lost. Are you from out of town?"

"Yeah. Just outside of Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I'm looking for a school here."

"Oh you mean the DWMA? Are you applying?" The girl replied, now excited.

"Well, I guess. My parents just said to come here and look for the school, so I assume they want me to apply."

"Awesome! A new student. The school's closed for today, but I'll take you to Lord Death first thing tomorrow if you want me to."

"Lord Death?"

"Yup. The head honcho around here. He created this city and the Death Weapon Meister Academy."

"The what now?"
"Wow, you really are from out of town. Listen, it's getting late. How's about you crash at my place tonight, and tomorrow we get things straightened out. You got here on a ride, I presume?"

"Yeah, my ATV's parked outside."

"Awesome. I'll explain as much as I can on the way back to my house. Follow me."

Seeing as how she really didn't have many other options, she followed the girl out of the restaurant and boarded onto her ATV. A few minutes later, the pair ended up in front of the girl's apartment. She led Claire inside. It was cozy, with purple walls and a burnt orange colored wood floor. The girl said Clair could sit on the couch for now, and she did. The exhaustion from riding all day crashed onto her as she laid down on the soft couch. The girl reappeared, now dressed in a pair of sweatpants and slippers. She still had on her hoodie. In her hands were a pair of pajamas and two cups of hot chocolate. She gave the pajamas and the cup to Claire. They sat in silence for a while, enjoying the quiet and the rich taste of the hot chocolate.

Finally, Claire spoke up, "Thank you. I truly appreciate the hospitality, Ms…"

The girl chuckled. "The name's Melina. Melina Steiner. And yourself?"

"Claire. Claire Underwood."

"Claire. Pretty name. I like it. So Claire, what brings you to Death City? Obviously not the sights."

"Well, my uncle told me that I should come here when I turned 15. He said my parents wanted me to come here. It was their dying wish. The only problem is that I don't know what I'm looking for here."

"Sounds to me like your parents were alums of the school."

"Really? They never talked about a place like this."

"I don't want to push too, but when did your parents die?"

"When I was around 10."

"And they didn't tell you anything about the DWMA? Interesting… Well the past is the past, am I right? You're here now, and tomorrow you'll be a student! Just stick with me, missy. You're going to love this place. The first order of business is simple: Are you a weapon or a meister?"

The look Claire gave her let Melina know that she had no idea what she was talking about.

"Perhaps I should Ol' Death take that one tomorrow." Melina yawned. "Well I'm hittin' the hay. You can sleep out here or I have an extra room if you want to take that one for now. See ya in the morning." And with that, Melina hopped up and scooted onto her room, turning the light off behind her. She left Claire in the dark living room with just her thoughts and the furniture. She still didn't know what to think of the girl. What she felt towards the girl wasn't love, or even a liking just yet. But she knew she needed this girl to help her, and she shouldn't let Melina's kindness slip past her. She had a feeling she was going to be here for a while, so the more allies she made, the better. She turned to her side, and closed her eyes, drifting into a well-deserved deep sleep.

In the distance, a lone wolf peered through the window, staring right at the sleeping Claire. It began to growl, sensing that it had found its prey.

"So, she actually made it. Shouldn't be surprised; an Underwood never knows when to give up…" A tall woman appeared beside the red-eyed wolf. She was incredibly tall, yet still slender with prominent feminine features. Her body was covered in a coat made of wolf fur, the head of the wolf covering her head like a hood. She was naked under the coat aside from the wolf skin garments covering her chest and crotch. She had long, jet black hair, and red eyes like the wolf. She knelt down and caressed the wolf's back, calming it down.

"There, there, my sweet. We will hunt soon. But you must be patient. What good is prey if it does not provide a good struggle? Our little deer here is just out the womb, barely knows her way. We will wait and watch her grow, become stronger. And when the time is right, the hunt will then begin. And it will be splendid." She rose again and began to walk away. The wolf shot one last look at the sleeping Claire, and proceeded to follow.

A/n: Hey guys! So after a long time away from fanfiction to get my life together, I'm coming through with this experimental project. I've been watching a lot of anime lately, so I have a few new ideas for stories in mind. Also, let me know which anime you guys like to watch! Leave your recommendations in the reviews! So far this summer I've watched Deadman Wonderland, Gurren Laggan, Kill La Kill, Fairy Tail, Soul Eater, Death Note, and Psychopass!