"When I say the word Faunus what do you think of?"
A twenty one year old woman got ready for a ball that was to be held with some of Vale's most prestigious men and women. It had been a few weeks since she got the invitation and she was the first Faunus ever to be invited. She danced as she put on the little black dress that matched her french braided hair.
"You probably think of it as having additional ears, or a tail, or even horns. But for me it's a covering over the fact that you are aura sensitive. I know I could be arrested for my admission that I'm aura sensitive, but that's why I must speak out…"
She stepped out of the bathroom, her black cat ears twitching as she did. In her living room sat a tall man with red hair and bull horns.
"You ready, babe?" He asked; getting up.
The woman blushed and nodded, her left hand adorned by an engagement ring. Both of them stepped out, her heels clicking on the sidewalk as they left; a soft melody to many a person that they were on their way to have the time of their lives.
"I was born in the slums, just before the extermination that killed my family. Like many children I escaped via the 89th service tunnel that lead to the 18th Ward; a muddied cesspool where homeless people came to die."
The couple got in their car and proceeded to start driving. The city looked like a wall of light as windows on the tallest skyscrapers were converted into the largest TV screens in the world. Her fiance, Adam, turned on the radio and their ears were greeted by a live radio broadcast.
"Tensions rose to an all time high in the 30th and 29th wards mere hours ago as news broke out that Aura Sensitive terrorists broke into Vacuo's state building today and brutally murdered their parliament. As I speak Inquisitors are lining the streets of the 15th, 17th, 16th, 20th, and 18th wards; or more commonly known as the "slums". Now we have to just wait and see what will
happen, but I know without a doubt that our prayers tonight go out to our brothers and sisters in Vacuo. May God pun-"
Adam turned the radio off as he saw his fiance physically disturbed.
"I survived for years on the charity of others, feigning confidence, when deep down I was just a little girl desperately crying for mommy. Then one day I him, the Shining One."
The woman watched the buildings go by, her thoughts of the memories flying by like snow. Some of them choking her up and the others bringing a smile to her face.
"He had killed two homeless men and was devouring their flesh. He had clearly been driven mad from starvation, but something else was happening as well. He was devouring their semblances as well, and spoke in their voices; I would know they were my friends. It was at that point I knew what aura sensitive ment and I saw how dangerous it was for mankind. Thus I broke my silence and admitted what I am so that I could save humanity."
Her mind was brought back to reality as she felt the car begin to slow down drastically. She turned to Adam.
"Hey, what's going on? Is the car alright?" she asked.
Adam reclined back in his seat as he put the car in park, "Have you ever done something you know you'll live to regret?"
"Huh? You know I have, we're getting married for God's sake." she replied.
Adam shook his head, "We're not getting married."
The woman looked devastated, "W-What?"
"We're not getting married, because I turned you into the CCAS." Adam admitted; opening his door.
Two police sirens wailed down the road, and in the blink of an eye a SWAT team descended upon the car. They grabbed Adam and lead him away from the car, as a police helicopter arrived overhead. Inside the car the woman covered her mouth with her hand and cried; the makeup she did for that special night getting smudged and ruined by her hand and tears. The car door was jerked open by the SWAT team and she was pulled out by her hair. She screamed through sobs as she was drug across the asphalt and thrown down, like one would do to a broken chair when throwing it away. Her knees, elbows, hands, and some of her back became chafed and started to bleed.
She tried to push herself up, "No… please."
She was pushed down by a boot on her back; and froze when she heard the sound of around nine cocking mechanisms pull back. The whole area fell silent and soon the void was filled by a single pair of footsteps.
The man the footsteps belonged to looked to be in his mid-fifties, with salt and pepper hair.
"I quickly learned, however, that humanity was flawed and had already been lost."
He stopped and just looked at the woman.
"Captain Lance, what do we do with her?" a officer asked.
He spit on the ground next to her, "I don't feel like taking another prisoner who will just die after they give up information. Just kill her."
"Yes, in truth, the Aura Sensitives weren't the only ones to die in the extermination. Basic human decency also died, thus Humanity forfeited their right to live."
The officers took aim and were about to fire, until they heard a high pitched sound. They all looked around in confusion until they saw their captain fall forward.
"Captain Lance!" they yelled, running towards him.
They looked at the back of his neck and found a feather sticking out of him. The then looked towards the direction of where the feather came from and gasped when they saw a multitude of people standing down the road; a tall woman with green hair was standing in the middle of them. Her eyes were covered by a black mask that went down to her nose; a smirk adorning her pink lips.
"It's the Librarian!" One officer announced.
"What the hell is she doing in the 13th?!" another asked.
The Librarian pointed behind the officers and when they turned around they saw Ruby standing behind them, most of their men at her feet either dismembered or knocked unconscious. The bleached jawbones of her mask shining like porcelain in the light. The police helicopter swung around and it's snipers took aim at Ruby. She turned her head towards the helicopter, her silver eyes barely registering an emotion.
"We have a confirmed sighting of the 20th Ward's Lockjaw, firing when ready." the sniper radioed.
They never got farther than that radio transmission as a missile was fired from an adjacent building. The helicopter erupted into a gigantic fireball before crashing on the side of the overpass. The pilot jumped out of the burning wreckage; flames all over him. He collapsed as he screamed and burnt to death, his body smelling like an overly done steak. The wreckage fell off of the overpass and landed in the river below.
Ruby walked up to the remaining officers, her hand on her katana's hilt.
"I believe you have something that belongs to us." she said; looking at the raven haired woman.
The SWAT team gasped, before falling down. A tornado of pages swirled behind them and Librarian appeared, blood covering both of her hands.
"We're out of time. Kill her so she doesn't get interrogated by the CCAS." Librarian instructed.
Ruby squinted her eyes, "That wasn't the plan. The executives will be more than displeased."
"You bastard child, have you forgotten that they trust my judgement; or are you trying to avoid killing like you have been for months?" Librarian accused.
Ruby's eyes steeled, "Fine, you better leave. I'll kill her and make it back in half the time it would take with people watching and talking to me."
Librarian opened her mouth to protest, but she shut it and just nodded. As their men retreated and the Librarian disappeared into a cloud of pages, Ruby, picked up the woman by her neck.
"No wait, please." she pleaded.
Ruby stood her up against the guardrail and pushed her foot into her stomach. She then drew her katana and put it to the woman's neck. She resumed her sobbing and tried to get out another plea, but was silenced by a question.
"Can you swim?" Ruby asked.
"N-No."
"Well, then now would be a good time to learn." Ruby kicked her off the side of the overpass. "Because, I refuse to have your blood on my hands."
"In was in that moment of falling in slow motion that I finally saw the world for what it really is. The world is cruel, and the strong devour the weak. I'm so tired of being weak!"
The woman's body splashed into the waters below; flooding her nose and lungs until she almost lost consciousness. However, she was fished out mere moments later by Adam. He pulled her from the water and laid her down on the beach.
"Oh God, hold on baby!" he yelled; beginning to give her mouth to mouth.
After what seemed like an eternity she started to cough and coughed up what looked like a gallon of water. Adam wrapped her in a hug once she was done.
"I'm so sorry. I messed up so bad." he said; beginning to sob.
She reached up and cupped his cheek, "It's okay. I forgive you."
Adam let out a happy laugh, "Thank you, I thought you would be-"
He was cut off by a chomping sound and soon felt a warm liquid on his neck. He suddenly couldn't breathe. Adam looked down and saw a piece of meat between his fiance's K9-like teeth, the meat used to be throat. He started to gag as she stood up and spit what she had in her mouth into the water.
"Damn, I guess I'm a better liar than I thought." she said; walking behind him.
She kicked him into the water and whispered into his ear.
"You fucked up…babe."
With that she left him to die, her bare feet getting cut on the gravel. Compared to everything else that happened her though, it felt quite nice.
"The events of that night happened over a year ago now; as if I could forget. I stand here now on a barren road, with only one goal in mind. To find the girl who saved my life that night."
The woman ran her hand through her now purple hair, and gently touched the black bow that covered her cat ears. On her right arm was a tribal tattoo of a red dragon, and on her back was cleaver/katana/pistol weapon she stole off the body of a Inquisitor she killed.
"My name doesn't really matter anymore, in truth, but I'll humor you."
The woman crouched down and pulled out an old newspaper clipping that showed a picture of the "20th Ward's Lockjaw". It was dated the same day as when she supposedly died.
"My name is Blake Belladonna, and I am alive… But also dead."