Chapter One: Little Red pwns the Wolves

Inspiration:

[All time Low – Hello, Brooklyn]

[Sleeping with Sirens – Tally it up, Settle the Score]

Track list / Songs mentioned (in order):

1 – [Shoot from the Hip – A War in your Bedroom]

2 – [12 Stones – Bulletproof]

[Offline]

It was a pretty slow evening at the club with only a couple sitting in the corning making cow-eyes at each other and three other customers, but their shift didn't end till ten when the next band would come in. That was usually when things started to pick up at the club; no surprises there. Their band wasn't exactly well known and they were all still in collage which only left them with the weekends to really do anything, unless they wanted more detentions for uncompleted assignments. The last-minute homework rush always left her tired and ever-so-slightly homicidal. I still have to start that geography essay for tomorrow.

She would have growled if she wasn't trying to make sure her voice didn't crack from over-use while she was singing. The guitar strap was also slipping down her shoulder which made it slightly difficult to hold it.

I want your nails scrapping down the back of my neck

I've got a burning in my chest, it's calling for your thighs

This is me and you, you and me for the first time

I've been waiting

You've been dreaming of everything I'm talking about

She glanced at the clock as Rene took over the singing; there was only thirty minutes left. She'd survive. Plus, the next song usually gave her mood a kick-boost because, really, guitars were her forte no matter how much she liked singing.

Suddenly the sound of glass smashing into glass drew her attention while her left hand kept moving across guitar neck. Her gaze swept past the glass tiled dance floor towards the corner where the couple stood arguing, the girl standing between her boyfriend and a third person who sat in the seat across from them, looking quite bored and empathetic actually.

She rolled her shoulders as the song came to an end. Not her business really; unless it came to a fist fight. Then she'd join in.

The amplifiers thundered the opening rift out and she lost herself in the music before growling the lines out in an almost breathy voice.

The Blood Is In The Water

The Cuts No Longer Bring

Me Down

Don't You Even Bother

I've Seen Enough To Take

You Down

Blaine settled into his seat, nursing a drink. He had chosen this part of the club because the only people that occupied it was the couple in the corner whom he expected to leave him alone. Seemed he was wrong, he thought as the burly man slammed his bottle into the glass table and started spouting off about keeping his eyes of his girlfriend. He snorted and lift his brow; he glanced at the too short skirt wearing girl covered in a clown-mask face of make-up. The guy could keep his middle-schooler girlfriend. Unfortunately, they both misinterpreted it and a blush rose on the girl's cheeks, clashing horribly with her make-up while her boyfriend's expression darken further. He sighed as the girl jumped in front of him as if to protect him and the couple disintegrated into arguing.

Ridiculous.

He got up and moved to the bar. The couple were still locked in their fight and the two other costumers were on the dance floor, leaving it empty.

He hardly got to relax now with his extra job as a home tutor and it had been a long time since he last came to the club, although nothing had changed from then. Apart from the music, he supposed.

Usually, he didn't really like rock music, hated it in fact, and it was surprising they weren't playing electro-house or hip-pop but the low, whispering –but feminine- voice and mesh of drums and guitars pulled you to listen. They were good, but he didn't recognise them.

There was something that drew his eyes to the lead vocalist. He felt like he'd seen her somewhere before but couldn't put his finger on it. He didn't recognise the combination of deep carmine red hair and big green eyes or the delicate, elfin even, face. He did, however, recognise the petite build despite that fact that it was covered in a white vest, black cargo trousers and triangle scarf, but that was a rather vague description.

Shrugging, he turned back to his drink.

[Online]

The wolf pounced, sharp two inch claws striking for its prey only to be sent flying back with a sharp kick and sliced in half with a clean cut. The unfortunate wolf's dissected body lay unmoving on the forest floor, the two halves lying close together but not close enough to hide the show of layered muscle tissue, greasy fat, severed nerves and bone all encased in a thin coat of blood which had not stopped dripping and staining the grass beneath. It was a gruesome death but in comparison to the various mutated and maimed figures of its fellow wolves scattered about the small clearing, it had a tame ending.

The lone figure that stood alive in the clearing was a pale androgynous player dressed in black trousers and sleeveless vest under a red cloak that match her hair and eyes.

[System Notice: Jinx has killed Monster: Wolf, Jinx's experience has increased to XXX/XXXX]

Crouching amongst the butchered carnage and searching for any sellable items, Jinx was left oddly untouched by the red clumps of flesh and mashed intestines and yet the scene was alarmingly more unsettling than if the petite figure was covered in blood; a statement that nearby newbie players would support after seeing the display. Later on, it would also be claimed that through an unexplainable phenomenon, the avatar of a player who died inside Second Life would roam the forest in search for new blood to paint the ground crimson while remaining untouched by the gore itself; not that Jinx would care about it in that near future, exactly like how she didn't care to move away from the slaughtered remains when she called out "System" and spent the next twenty minutes arranging her unspent skill points.

It would not be until later on that Jinx realised that standing in a clearing of mauled bodies for twenty minutes, still and statue like was not a good idea.

One moment she was analysing her stats and reading over the new abilities she'd unlocked and then the next, all she could see was some green grass screen.

Did the game crash?

[Pounce successful, Jinx HP – 45]

…What?

It took her a moment to register the unforgiving claws tearing into her back and legs, and hear the all too familiar howl. She scowled, cursing herself for forgetting that the game environments didn't pause when accessing stats and inventory.

Feeling the animal press down further on her back, she deduced that it was about to go in for the kill but the moment it reared its head back to gather momentum for its attack, she quickly pushed up, dislodging the creature from its perch and rolling to the side. Swiftly she pivoted around her left arm, simultaneously rotating to face the creature and levering herself into a defensive stance while her right hand unhooked one of the long daggers on her belt and flung it in the direction the creature stood.

It howled as the dagger lodged itself in its thigh and Jinx drew five of her throwing knives, eyes already assessing the creature for weak points.

Werewolf. Higher level than wolves. Probably boss of area.

It tenses its arms. Then, with a slight thud, it plants them into the ground, and coils back. It springs forward.

Runs on all fours. Stands on hind-legs. Knee joint bends back, supports upper-body, two weak points.

Two knives hit the werewolf. Its hind-legs shudder as its mid-way through its jump.

Primary attack most likely its fore-legs/arms and claws, shoulder joints flexible, two weak points.

When it lands, it carefully leans on its fore-legs before it puts weight on its strained hind-legs and pushes off again. Another two knives hit the werewolf but it does not falter.

Legs movement hindered. Thick skin, vitals protected. Large snout and mouth, therefore larger teeth, secondary attack.

It is sailing through the air, its last bound gathering force as it descends for a pounce to pin her to the tree behind her.

Eyes, unprotected, two weak points.

She only has one knife drawn now, so only one hits. It doesn't stop the attack.

She pressed her back into the tree and slides down the bark. Her hand unsheathes her long sword. The werewolf hits the bark. Its claws are trapped in the tree above her. She slashes the sword across its chest as she rolls out from under the tree. It slices through the heart.

For a second the werewolf's remaining eye widens, almost popping out of their sockets before the light fades in them and closes. The creature slumps to its knees, driving the daggers further in and its hind-legs fold in on itself.

Damn, that was close.

[System Notice: Jinx has killed Monster-Boss: Werewolf, Jinx's level increases to 30, Jinx has received Monster-Boss item: Claw Dagger x1]

Jinx sighs, closing her eye for a minute before reclaiming her knives.

After casting some low level healing spells on her back and teleporting back to the City Tempus with a scroll, she decided to head towards the pharmacy to restock her mana-potions.

Wasn't it near the North gate?

Despite the fact that the city was small compared to other towns in the region with only six streets leading from the city centre and only four types of buildings (barring the rows of houses on sale for players), she still spent thirty minutes wandering down and across the empty Streets of the city. It was actually rather strange that there wasn't one player walking around Tempus.

It's also annoying that there's no one I can ask for directions.

Resigning herself to walking around aimlessly in attempt to find an NPC, she growled, damn directions, damn City, damn mother-fucking werewolf for making me use all my mana-potions!

It wasn't till she collapsed on the side of a dust track that looked like the place where she first started, did she hear to faint hum of chatter and laughter. Groaning, she pulled herself up again, not believing she actually missed them before.

All this trouble for some directions, damn it!

Using her ears, she drew closer to the voices and realised that it was actually coming from a crowd whom were cheering for some reason. It seemed that they were gathering around some kind of stage, all pushing to get to the front. The crowd were so caught up in their fight for the front that no one bothered with the young girl being pushed back and roughly shoved into the ground.

Some people.

"Are you alright?" She asked, pulling the girl up, who began dusting off her shorts.

She tried to smile from under her bobble wool hat but the way she fiddled unconsciously with her scarf made her look nervous. "I'm fine…"

The girl seemed to be fourteen judging by her height. She wore a loose brown t-shirt that reached half way to her knees with a thin belt that stretched over the fabric and a red cotton scarf wrapped around her neck which hung down to the bottom of her shorts.

"… If you're sure…" Not my place to pry if she doesn't want to talk. "Anyways, can you tell me which way the pharmacy is?"

Reindeer–as Jinx mentally dubbed her from the Reindeer picture on her hat - frowned in thought, tilting her a little. "Isn't the nearest one in the City Tempus?"

Jinx blinked. "Aren't we in Tempus right now?"

"No, we're in the Battlement-Arena on the border of Piscari, the fishing village. Piscari doesn't have a Pharmacy though."

"What? But I was in Tempus just a few…" …a few sixty minutes ago…

Reindeer raises a brow, as if reading her mind. "Er… Nevermind. How far away are we from Tempus?" Jinx asks instead.

"I think it's a twenty minute walk." …Damn it. And I just used my last teleport scroll.

She sighs, running a hand through her hair and mumbles. "No point in going back just to get a few mana-potions."

"You could win a batch of mana and HP-potions in the green-ring of the tournament." Reindeer points to the left end of the stage behind us, though her eyes drift over to the other end. "Since you don't fight another player in the green-ring, you only lose Reputation Points and not any of your items if you don't win." Her eyes are still fixed on the right side of the stage.

Looking over to the green-ring, Jinx noticed that there were hardly any players there while everybody was gathered around the red-ring on the right. She had to fight down the urge to crackle when she saw that the monster in the green-ring was a werewolf. Jinx didn't quite wipe the sadistic smirk off her face, however.

"Thanks Reindeers"

Oops.

"Reindeers? You're going to start calling me names after I just helped you?" Tearing her eyes from the werewolf at the annoyed voice, Jinx expected to see an offended expression, instead she saw the girl blush bright pink across her cheeks while both hands tried to pull her hat over her forehead. "Don't think that I like that name! And don't think that I want your gratitude, either!" Reindeer said angrily, yet the goofy smile and spin-dance proved otherwise. "I'm not happy about it at all!" She declared, beaming as she led the red-head over to the platform.

The type that can't hide their emotions, huh? She thought, sweat-dropping.

The stage was elevated above the crowd with each ring on either end and two bulletin boards floating over each one, listing the participant's username and class.

By the time Reindeer had led Jinx over to the platform, some spectators from the red-ring had started whispering and throwing the two sniggers as they assessed them and found them lacking.

"Skinny actually thinks-"

"-against a Monster-boss?"

"-even Blaze couldn't-"

Geeze, if you're going to gossip like old women, you might as well do it properly.

Jumping up to the platform seemed to draw more incredulous stares from the crowd. Jinx just glared at them.

Just as she was about to challenge the werewolf, something shoved her out of the way.

"Scrawny, this arena isn't for newbies."

The man was tall and lean, towering over her easily. He had quite handsome features; strong jaw, spiked black hair, piercing red eyes –a tribute recognised him as a fellow demon- and a cold voice but his asshol-ery attitude just made him a bigger target. An archery, dagger and other sharp-pointy-things target.

A bulging vein popped from her forehead as a vicious smirk planted itself on her face. Her hand snaked out, grabbing the asshole's collar from behind and flipped the man over her shoulder, sending his legs kicking into the air before landing painfully on his front.

"Don't worry, after I'm done skinning wolfie, I'll pwn you like a boss." She smiled down at the asshole before turning the cruel smirk to the werewolf.

His eyebrow twitched.

He couldn't believe the crazy bastard just judo-flipped him.

Well, no-one could say that he didn't warn him, although he would admit that he could have worded it better. But honestly, he was fed-up of the overconfident newbies, high off their first few victories, that came over to the Battlement-Arena and one glance at the starter-pack equipment (not even the class armour you get after completing the class quest) and the miss-matched blades strapped to his belt, Blaze could tell he was a newbie. And that wasn't even counting the petite stature nor that fact that he looked more like one of those vain models rather than a warrior.

There was no way he'd beat the seven-foot beast. The guy barely came up to his chin.

"Monster-Boss: Werewolf VS Priest: Jinx" The system announced before flickering on the bulletin board.

He lifted a brow, Yep, I knew it, one of those vain models that use their abilities to heal their precious faces each time they get a wart. He then remembered the judo-flip but shook his head. Even if he was actually a proper fighter, everyone knows that priest are practically useless offensively.

The other spectators seemed to share his opinion as they began guffawing out loud, a few wiping imaginary tears from the corners of their eyes.

"Shut up!" The crowd's laughter died at the sudden cry.

A small girl with a woollen reindeer hat stood by the side of the green-ring, trying to glare but looking more like a pout. Realising that she had everyone's attention on her, a light blush stained her cheeks before she stammered. "I-it's n-not nice to laugh!"

Blaze could just see the fangirls fawning over the little girl.

"Awww! She's so cute!" Looks like I wasn't wrong, he sighed.

"C-cute?" The girl started trembling, Perhaps she didn't take well to being called cute? "Assholes! You think that's going to make me happy?" He sweat-dropped, She sure looks pretty happy…

Looking around, he pitied the small girl for unknowingly attracting more cooing girls; she was going to be crushed by the warrior and knight class fangirls. Knowing the horrors himself, he sympathised.

It wasn't till hearing the gurgled howl that they remembered the fight in the green-ring.

The werewolf was on its front legs, back legs severed, head bend up as if in mid-bite but stopped by the long-dagger stabbed brutally down the creature's throat.

The priest did not have a drop of blood on him.

Is that guy really a priest?!

He realised he must have accidently said that out loud when the priest's red eyes narrowed at his own red eyes and growled a challenge at him.

All he could think of was the sudden realisation that the guy was a demon priest.

A Demon. Who is a fucking Priest.

The hell?!

She almost forgot about the asshole before he spoke out.

Jinx sighed contently, soft smile warring with the grisly sight of the werewolf's mutilate corpse. She did not notice the crowd's shivers at the sight. High on the adrenaline rush, she twisted her head slowly towards the asshole, wide grin and intense eyes bearing down on the soon to be mashed-meat. Trembles once more broke out amongst the audience, Is he some kind of devil?!

[System Notice: Jinx challenges Blaze in the Battlement-Arena Tournament.]

So the asshole's name is Blaze, huh? …Nice to know…

Rightly fearing for his health and sanity, the newly identified player Blaze did the only reasonable thing he could do in his situation. Which was run like hell. Which was also, funnily enough, the same action the crowd took as well, leaving Jinx and Reindeers standing in a dust-cloud from the rush. After the cloud cleared, it took to two a second to realise just what had happened before Jinx formed a popping-vein on her forehead and an uncontrollably twitching eyebrow. Oh no they didn't. An unholy gleam soon entered her eyes.

"Um… Jinx… You're kind of scaring me now…" Reindeer whispered, awkward smile on her face.

If the crowd were still there they'd be asking how the little girl wasn't scared before then.

Jinx however, ignored it in favour of sprinting at a demonic pace after the fleeing coward, werewolf corpse still speared on the dagger she had yet to let go of.

Reindeer just sighed, pouted and mumbled a, "Wait for me, why don't you." before chasing after the red-head.

Up ahead, Jinx had been steadily catching up to the asshole, red cloak fluttering behind her. The crowd, in a smart decision, veered off from the path Blaze had been running on leaving said player to grit an angry, "Traitors!" over his should before catching sight of the demon-priest ploughing through the foliage, heavy load not at all hampering it's speed.

Blaze's only warning was Jinx's already terrifying smirk stretching further to reveal rows of shining white teeth and two pointed canine fangs, before he was on the ground with the breath knocked out of him.

[System Notice: Jinx: Victor]

Fuck. I forgot to decline the challenge. System probably accepted it automatically after twenty seconds.

Blaze shifted uncomfortably, trying to push the other player off his back. Damn, who knew this guy could be so heavy.

"That's because I'm not, you asshole!" He craned his neck to the left where the he-demon stood, glaring murderously.

I should really stop saying stuff out loud.

In retrospect, he should have expected the, "Yeah, you really should, asshole." that was sneered in his direction.

"Is asshole the only insult you know, retard?" Wait… if the he-demon in over there… His eyes widened. …then what the hell is on my back?!

After slowly turning his head around warily, he promptly wished he hadn't.

"You crazy bastard!"

"Watch what you say, asshole!" *Thump*

Reindeer arrived to the small clearing to be greeted by the sight of… well, she was sure what to make of it really.

Jinx seemed to sitting on the werewolf corpse he dragged along while grinding his foot into the back of Blaze's head, forcing it into the ground. Blaze, was trapped under the still bleeding corpse.

"Um… Jinx?"

Perking up from the sound of Reindeer's voice, Jinx paused momentarily. "Yeah?"

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just grinding his face into the dirt." He answered, casually as if commenting on the weather. "You wanna have a go? It's kinda relaxing actually."

She sweat-dropped. "I-I see…"

Luckily for Blaze and Reindeer, Jinx was soon distracted by the conveniently timed: [System Notice: Player Jinx select x1 reward item from Player Blaze's inventory.]

"Wait, I get a prize for beating the asshole up?"

"Yeah," Reindeer answered, Jinx listening surprisingly attentively, ignoring the cold, "Who are you calling an asshole, bastard?!" from Blaze. "-when you enter a tournament battle against another player you have to put up an item as a reward for the other player, otherwise, if you lose, the they get to look through your items and pick out anything from there."

"Wow, you sure know a lot." "You idiot, it's in the instruction manual."

A slow blush spread across Reindeer's cheeks. "Idiot! You think a compliment like that is going to make me like you!" She began to beam and fiddle with her scarf. "No, it definitely doesn't!"

Turning away from Reindeer's mini-dance, Jinx scrolled down the list of items in Blaze's inventory before coming across the [Pet: Transforming Reindeer Beast]. Meh, it's ironic, she thought as she saw Reindeer through the corner of her eye, the Pet's egg slowly materialising into her hand.

[System Notice: Jinx has received Pet: Transforming Reindeer Beast]

For some reason that snapped Reindeer out of her trance and her eyes began to widen.

Reindeer paused for a minute, frowning at the floor in a distracted manner. Warring emotions crossed her face before she seemed to decide.

"J-Jinx?" She swallowed, gathering her courage. "Um… If you were going to sell that egg, not saying that you would, I mean, I-I… How much would you sell that Pet for?"

"I dunno." Jinx shrugged, unsure of where the seemingly random question came from. "Why? Do you want it?" Receiving a pleading gaze, Jinx handed the egg to her. "Here."

Reindeer stared at the egg for a minute before turning wide eyes toward her. "A-are you giving it to me?" At Jinx's nod, Reindeer's eyes begin to water. "-for free?"

Jinx just nodded, "Yeah, why not?"

Reindeer's cheeks warmed. "Thank you" The gratitude in her words was almost overflowing. "I actually lost it in a tournament battle a while ago… It's why I was there earlier."

Jinx blinked before putting two and two together and arriving at five.

"You asshole!" She slammed a kick to the side of Blaze's head. "I can't believe you would con a little girl out of-"

"Oi! I won it off Thunder, so don't pull the blame on me, bastard!"

"Lying asshol-"

"Um… Jinx, he's right. I lost my egg to the player Thunder, so you can stop kicking him."

Jinx stopped before throwing a suspicious scowl at Blaze. "I'll let you off the hook this time, asshole."

"As if you can talk!" he snorted. "But, as I'm the mature one here-"

"Silly asshole." She laughed, petting the immobile player's head patronisingly. "Why they hell would you want to be mature? That's like saying you want to be sane."

Reindeer sweat-dropped and Blaze glared frostily from under the werewolf.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship.

AN:

Yep, I just shamelessly ripped off One Piece's Chopper for Rixel / Reindeer's Personality.

I also hope it's better than my previous version of the story because when I re-read it, I cringed.

And yes, Red / Jinx is Little Red Riding Hood.

Here's a list of the other fairy tale stories that I used for my characters:

Snow White

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Hansel and Gretel

Alice In Wonderland

[Hansel and Gretel should not be a difficult one to figure out... from the summary.]