Log Entry 3
Date: 8/17/80
It's been a few weeks since Danton's capture. And good god has it been irritating. Ozpin was right. The media found out about me, and they pestered me non stop. It was simply surprise interview after interview, talking in front of a camera constantly. God, it made me want to tear my hair out. On the bright side, business started booming. I guess some people wanted to have a famous person working for them.
Thankfully, the media thing died down last week, so I've just been here working on cases. Gotta pay the bills somehow you know? That and I've been training even more now. You know, I feel like I've forgotten to do something, but for the life of me I just can't remember... huh.
Anyways, after I'm done here, I've got an appointment to make. Thanks for being here buddy.
Michael
(Addendum: Michael has shown an amazing rate of higher learning. Might have him work on more complex magic soon. For now, simple steps involving elements will have to suffice. Also, recently discovered an old ritual that might be able to strengthen Michael even further. Do not know how many forces Salem has at her disposal, so it is best to be prepared. The ritual mentioned is vital. It could be of some use for us. As much as Michael does not want to admit it, we need more strength. It will be the only thing we have on us in extreme cases like Reed. Janus)
I let out a breath, trying to keep it cool. My hands were gripped tightly. Okay…. I got this. I got this. Then someone clapped my shoulder.
"Hey Mike. So, how's it feel?" Midas asked me, gesturing to the steering wheel in my grip. He grinned, noticing my look. "You like it." He told me. I didn't say anything, just nodding and grinning. I was checking out this old car that he had offered me, considering the fact that I... didn't exactly have any mode of transportation besides walking and public transport. Imagine my surprise when I found out Midas had this bad boy in storage.
I took a deep breath, getting a feel for the car. I didn't know what it was called here, but in my old world this would have been a 1970 Ford Mustang. It was painted a cool black, had a manual transmission, had four doors which I don't even think exi and was in very good condition. It was just like Mom's car. I shook my head, pushing back the memories. I can reminisce later. Right now, I just want to drive. Midas hopped out, turning to me.
"Take it for a spin! Go on!" He told me, grinning and shutting the door. Heh. That's all I needed to hear. Thankfully we had found an empty lot, so I could drive as much as I pleased. I revved the engine, a grin plastered on my face. I tore through the lot, driving around in circles. I whooped, rolling down the window on my side. I wasn't gonna stick my head out, I just wanted to feel the air on my face. Oh man I missed this!
"Yeah!" I yelled, finishing off my drive with one last drive around. Parking the car, I hopped out. Midas stood there with a grin on his face.
"So... you want it?" He asked me. I nodded, smile still on my face.
"Hell yeah! How much?" I asked him, reaching for my scroll. Midas shook his head. Oh here we go again.
"Take it. I don't need it, and you probably do." He told me. I shook my head. This guy was too nice sometimes.
"I have money. I ain't just letting you give me this. Here, 100,000 lien." I said, waving my scroll. Now before you say anything, I was basically offering him twenty grand in Earth money. I'm not just gonna let him give me this thing. Midas sighed.
"Alright you persistent bastard. I'll take it. Now go on, I need to get back to work." He told me, handing me some documents. Glancing over it, I saw that it was just the stuff I needed to show this was my car now. Jackpot. I smirked and pocketed the papers.
"Thanks Midas. I owe you one." I told him, hopping into my car. Time to do some errands. First on the list: Stop by Smelts of Heaven. I need to get some work done. Wait a minute... damn. Almost forgot that my guns were at the shop. Good thing that it's on the way. Less time to waste.
Let's see... inventory check time! Clothes? My ever stylish coat is looking fine as ever, my gloves were on perfectly and my boots were shined. Claymore? Stored in the back of my car. Revolver? Strapped to my back. 10 mil? Strapped to my right shoulder. Dart gun? On my hip. Twin Colts? In their respective cases and unloaded. Knife? Strapped to my leg. Alright, looks like I'm good to go!
Thankfully with my car, what would have taken me a good twenty minutes only took me five or so. Parking outside of Smelts of Heaven, I reached to my backseat, bringing out my Claymore case. With that strapped to my back, I went to the trunk and brought out the Colts. Good. I went inside, making myself known.
"Hello? Anyone here?" I called out, already knowing the answer. A red blur shot out from the back, resting behind the counter.
"Hey Mike! Good to see ya!" Lily said, beaming at me. I chuckled, setting down my cases.
"Hey Lily. How's the shop doing? Anything good?" I asked her, looking around. She nodded rapidly.
"Yep! Sales are getting better every day, I'm learning more, and to top it all off Mom just made a good deal with Beacon!" She told me, hopping from one foot to another. She went on and on, and I let her. Lily loved to talk, so I let her do so. Honestly, it was rather adorable to see her so excited. She was in the middle of telling me about a new gun she was working on when she blanched. "You... came here for something didn't you? And I've been distracting you haven't I?" She asked, sighing and rubbing her eyes. I waved her off.
"It's fine, really. Look, I just need your help with these." I told her, chuckling at her attempts to stop herself. I brought up the Colts, opening their cases. Lily's eyes widened as she started to examine the guns with clear interest.
"Where... where on Remnant did you get these?" She breathed out, holding the silver Colt in her hands. I chuckled. She loved these things apparently. That meant they were good.
"Got them from a friend. So... what can you tell me about them?" I asked her. Her eyes roamed across the guns in her examination.
"The barrels for both of them have a polygonal rifling, which means they have better range and accuracy. Each of the magazines have been modified so that you can reload at a rapid pace, hence the drop mag. Most of the parts that the guns use were forged in Atlas, all of which were from a prominent arms company set there." She rattled off. Huh. Well... that's pretty good. I think. Then Lily's eyes widened. "Wait... why exactly did you bring these here? They're in perfect condition." She said, still holding the silver Colt. Heh, she's not wrong. I nodded.
"You're right. But I didn't come in to repair them. I came in hoping you can help me customize them." I said, a grin hitting my face as I saw Lily's expression morph. First was shock, then hesitance, then pure joy. Oh this is gonna be fun.
"Of course! Come on! We have a variety of options for you to take on!" She told me, setting the Colts into their cases and passing them to me. She shot off to another section of the store, damn near beaming all the way. I was able to catch up to her, noticing that she was standing next to a bunch of machines. "So, here's what we have available right now! We can get a new grip in place, some new internal components, maybe a new slide, oh oh how about a making it into a transforming weapon!" She told me, showing off the various parts. Oh boy.
I moved my hand, covering her mouth and cutting off her babbling. "Lily? I know this is something you really love to do, but I need you to breathe. Okay?" I told her, hoping she would catch her breath. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. I raised an eyebrow, looking at her. "Better?" I asked her. She sheepishly nodded, and I removed my hand. I gave her a small smile. "Sorry, but you told me to let you know if you started to ramble." I told her, grinning and rubbing my head. She shrugged, still smiling.
"It's fine! Really!" She told me, putting down some of the tools. Then she cleared her throat. "So then, how can Smelts of Heaven help you today sir?" She asked in her most professional, snotty voice. I snickered slightly, then it turned into full on laughter. Lily joined me, and we just stood there laughing for the better part of five minutes.
I wiped my eyes, still smiling. "In all seriousness, I just want to engrave these things. Figured that it wouldn't hurt to name them. Besides, I've gotten tired of calling them Colts." I told her. She nodded, eyes lighting up.
"Alright, that's simple enough. So, I've got an idea of what to do here. I need to start up the engraver. This'll take a few minutes." She told me, flipping a switch on one of the machines. Okay then. I took the Colts out of their cases, setting them aside. Lily took out a small notepad. "So, what do you want on your guns? A symbol? The names? Something else?" She asked me. I nodded. It took a while, and more often than not involved me wanting to strangle Janus, but we finally came to an agreement.
"The second one. For this one, I want to call it Lux." I said, pointing the silver one. Then I pointed to the black one. "This one I wanted to call Umbra. Think that could work?" I asked her. She hummed, scribbling in her notepad. Then she showed me two pictures.
"So I can do this two ways. I can have it engraved along the barrel of the guns, or I can have it engraved on the grip. Which on would you prefer?" She asked me, showing me the images. Huh. I pointed to the drawing of the barrel.
"That one. I'm liking that one more. Seems like the more practical option." I said, grabbing the Colts and handing them to her. Lily smiled.
"That's all I need. Come on by tomorrow and I'll be done with them. Is that alright?" She asked me, pushing some more buttons on the machine. I nodded.
"Yeah. That sounds fine. How much?" I asked her. Lily shook her head. Nope. I ain't taking charity. "Look, just because we're friends doesn't mean you can't charge me. So how much is this gonna cost?" I asked once more. Lily shrugged.
"I was gonna say no charge because this would be good experience for me. I haven't done much engraving, so this'll be fun!" She told me, smiling brightly. Oh. Well I guess that makes sense. I nodded.
"Alright then. If that's what you want then go ahead." I tell her. Then I heard the door in front open. A person walked in by the sounds of things. There was some excited squealing, but it was muffled. Ignoring that, I turned back to Lily.
"So, quick question. Is your mom in? I have something I want to do with my sword." I told her. She shook her head.
"Nope. Today's her off day. But you can stop by tomorrow. I'll have your guns ready, and Mom can help you out." She told me. I nodded. Not like I was doing much tomorrow anyway.
"Fair enough. I'll just get some ammo then I'll be out of your hair." I told Lily, letting her work on my guns for a bit. Walking out of the back, I could make out a figure who made me freeze.
She was a girl who had black hair with red highlights, wore mostly black clothing, and wore a red cape. On her back she had a large metal red block. Two silver eyes gazed around the store. Ruby Rose. Oh shit. Huh, what are the odds of that? Well this is a weapons shop so... whatever. I shrugged and walked over to the ammo. Just don't make a big deal out of this and you'll be fine Mike.
Let's see... I didn't need 10mm, that one was thankfully fine. Actually come to think of it, I really only needed to get .45 caliber rounds. Thankfully I found a few boxes. Nice! Then I felt a tap on my shoulder. Turning around, I saw Ruby looking up at me.
"Uh... excuse me? Can you pass me those please?" She asked me, pointing up. Following her finger, I noticed a box of .50 caliber rounds. I shrugged.
"Sure. How many boxes do you need?" I asked her, reaching up.
"Oh just four or five!" She said excitedly. I obliged, getting the boxes and passing them to her. Damn, these things had a bit of weight to them.
"There you go kid." I told her, walking to the counter. Thankfully Lily was already in the front, so I didn't have to worry about waiting for her.
"Find everything you needed Michael?" She asked me, glancing at the boxes and scanning them. I nodded, paying for the ammo and putting it into a bag.
"Yeah. Like I said, I just needed the engravings, plus these. I'll see you later." I told her, giving her a small wave. With that I was about to walk out of the store. At least that's what would have happened had Ruby not gasped and damn near appeared in front of me.
"You're Michael Galloway! I saw you on the news!" She squealed, hopping from one foot to another. I blinked, trying to shake off the shock. Right. Forgot about that part. I recovered quickly, nodding and smiling at her.
"Yep. That's me. Something I can do for you miss..." I trailed off, playing that I had no idea who she was. She blanched, turning red. Behind her, I could see Lily was trying to hold in her laughter.
"Right! I'm a complete stranger who just approached you all of the sudden. I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose!" She told me, sticking out her hand. I chuckled and shook it.
"Pleasure to meet you kid. So, what can I do for you?" I asked her, setting my boxes of ammo down. Ruby seemed a bit dazed that I was talking to her, but she quickly shook it off.
"Right! So... I'm a really big fan of yours! I saw you on the news a while ago, and that was sooo awesome how you took down that hunter." She said, smiling brightly. Huh. Didn't think I was all that impressive. I shrugged.
"I mean, I don't think that I did all that much. It was mainly Oracle and another hunter that did it." I told her. She shook her head.
"Nope! I heard from my Uncle that you put up a heck of a fight! I mean, you're untrained and you helped take down a trained hunter!" She said, grinning excitedly.
"And who exactly is your uncle? Was he one of my clients?" I asked, feigning ignorance once more. She shook her head again."
"Nope! His name's Qrow. And he's all..." She trailed off, doing small karate poses. Heh. Cute. I snapped my fingers, suddenly 'remembering' him clearly.
"Red cape? A bit disheveled? Giant sword? Loves his drinks? Smells like a bar?" I asked, listing off what I definitely knew about Qrow. She grinned and nodded rapidly.
"Yep! That's him! He told me how you were all like 'You're not getting away this time.'" She growled, trying to imitate my voice. Heh, Qrow was singing my praises apparently. I smirked.
"Yeah... I guess you can say that. Wait... what's that on your back?" I asked, pointing to Crescent Rose. She beamed and Lily was visibly grinning.
"This is my baby! Check it out!" She told me, unfolding Crescent Rose. I moved out of the way of the admittedly large blade, watching it unfold.
"Holy shit." I muttered, looking at the weapon in awe. It was one thing to see it on screen, it was another to look at it in person. "You... you made this? You're going to be a huntress or something?" I asked her. She nodded proudly.
"Yep! I wanna help people, so I needed something to do. So Qrow gave me a few tips, but I did most of the work myself. It has this and a sniper rifle mode!" She said, switching it into it's gun mode. I hummed.
"That explains the rounds then." I said, looking at the gun. Then I blinked. Wait a minute... isn't she supposed to be shy and all that? Why did she approach me? Guess it wouldn't hurt to ask. "So, did you just want to meet me?" I asked her. Ruby paused, apparently trying to gather up the courage to tell me something else.
"Well... that and...canIhaveyourautographplease?" She blurted out. Huh. Well... that's a first. I shrugged.
"Sure. Why not?" I said, reaching into my coat to grab a pen. Looking up, I saw that she had a small notepad in her hands. Heh. She was prepared. Not bad. She handed the notepad to me and I took it. Figured I should leave her a message.
'To Ruby Rose, who I had the pleasure of meeting today. Good luck with your path kid. It won't be easy, but I have faith you'll get there.
Michael Galloway'
I gave the notepad back to her, flashing her a quick smile. She was beaming, holding the notepad to her chest.
"It was nice meeting you Ruby. Hope we meet again." I told her, giving a wave to Lily and walking out the door. Well that was fun. Then I heard grumbling.
'Michael... it's time.' Janus told me. Oh...right. Forgot about that. Heh. Time to head to the office. Hopping in my car, my mind wandered to what I needed.
'Some of your blood is vital for this procedure. Another thing we're going to need is a rough gem of some kind. A few angel feathers. Finally we will need... a couple of dragon hearts .' He muttered, listing off the necessary items.
'Eh... how the hell am I going to get that last two again?' I asked. Janus didn't respond, simply taking control of my right arm and bringing up my scroll. Then he pointed to a single name on it. Orion. With that, he let me have control back. Gah! I hate it when he does that. Shaking my head, I called Orion.
I was met with the sounds of screeching, along with gunfire.
"Hello?" Orion said, sounding slightly out of breath.
"Uh... is this a bad time? Cause I can call back." I told him, ready to hang up. I heard a cackle, then a rather unpleasant squelching sound.
"Nah, it's fine. Just cleaning up a loose end. What's up?" He asked me. I chuckled sheepishly, trying to word this correctly.
"Uh.. Janus and I were talking. We're trying to do a spell, so we need some components." I told him.
"Alright! What'd you guys need?" He asked, the sound of a moan calling out near him.
"Oh... I need some dragon hearts. Is that gonna be an issue?" I asked him. I heard a few roars in response.
"Ah, does it matter what kind of dragon?" He asked, sounding a bit sheepish. Hmm. 'J? Does it?' I mentally called out.
'Nope. Just as long as it's a dragon and not a drake. That's the only thing.' He said, going back to his mutterings.
"Nah. Just not any drakes alright? Oh, and we're gonna need a rough gem. Think you can manage that?" I continued, parking my car in front of Morningstar. Figured I should come here instead of home.
"Gem? Sure. I got hundreds of those. Anything else?" He asked, the sound of jangling catching my attention. Best not to ask where he was getting these things. Let's see... hearts, gems... oh.
"Uh... Angel feathers." I mumbled, nearly forgetting that last one. Orion coughed.
"Can... can you repeat that?" He said, clearly not hearing my correctly. I sighed, rubbing my eyes.
"I... I need angel feathers. Not sure how that will work, but it's what I need." I said, cringing and waiting for his response.
"Oh. I'll send Allison. Don't worry about it." He told me, hanging up. Oh boy. That...wasn't a good sign. Stepping out of my car, I walked into the office, closing off all the blinds. With that out of the way, I just had to wait. Normally I would take a bit of some kind of alcohol, but with my blood being necessary for this thing, I figured it wouldn't be a good idea to indulge myself.
A flash of light caught my attention. Lo and behold, there she was. Allison appeared, clad in a suit like always. She gave me a small grin.
"Hey. Orion said you needed some items?" She said, holding up a few bags. All of them were bloody, each in different sizes. I nodded.
"Yeah. Thanks. Just put em right here." I said, bringing up a tray, gesturing for her to set them down. After she did, she pulled out a small ruby.
"This gonna work?" She asked me, tossing it in my direction. Catching it, I inspected the gem. Then Janus took control. Great! This again! It was pretty obvious that he took over, mainly because Allison flinched slightly. Then he spoke, his voice echoed just like it did when we spoke.
"Hm... it's in good condition. A rather impressive rough cut. This will do just fine. Now..." He paused, trying to find the words. Then he sighed. "Screw it, kid take over." He said, shaking our head. I groaned, clutching my head.
"Fuck. I hate it when he does that." I growled. Then I looked up at Allison. "Say... is there anything that hints that Janus takes over? Could be useful down the line." I said, rubbing my eyes. Allison chuckled.
"Your eyes. They turn red when he comes out. Could be useful for intimidation or something like that." She said, pointing to her own. Then she quirked an eyebrow. "What exactly did you need? I gotta admit, it's hilarious to see the two of you toss the question back and forth like that." She said with a grin. I sighed, mentally cursing at not having a drink for my nerves. Here we go.
"We... need... angel feathers. If it's not to much to ask or anything." I said softly, hoping not to offend her. Allison shrugged. Wait what?
"Sure. It's not that big a deal. Now, tears are another manner entirely. But feathers? Sure." She said, taking off her suit jacket. Oh boy. I quickly turned around, trying to give Allison some privacy. I heard a bit of rustling, then a sigh. "You can look now Michael." She told me. Looking back, she was clad in an undershirt... with her wings visible.
Now, this would probably be the time where I would say that they were perfection incarnate, that no words could describe them at all. But I'd be lying. Allison's wings were... beautiful and haunting at the same time. One held solid white feathers that looked so soft that silk would pale in comparison. It held an air of confidence and bristled in anticipation. The other wing was the exact opposite. It was tattered, with blackened wings that molted in some places. It was a bit lower than the other wing, seemingly subdued. Both twitched every now and then, the black wing dropping a few more feathers on the floor. I stifled a gasp, looking at the black wing.
"If... you don't mind me asking..." I trailed off, one hand wanting to reach for the wing. I stopped myself in time, simply looking at them. Allison gave me a tired smile, almost as if she had gotten the question before.
"Let's just say... the war took something from most of us in heaven." She said, stroking the now curled wing. Then she shook her head, the melancholy in her eyes fading, and the fire that had been dimmed returning. "Besides, this one won't do you any good. You'll need some of these." She said, plucking some feathers from the white wing. She set them gently on the tray as well. "So, that all you gonna need?" She asked me, flexing and letting her wings slowly curl, before finally disappearing. I shrugged.
"Yeah. Just need some of my own blood and I'll be set." I told her, rolling up my sleeve. Let's see... I pulled out a knife, ready to slice my hand. Allison groaned.
"What the hell are you doing?!" She asked, looking at the knife aimed at my hand. Crap. Guess she doesn't agree with this method.
"Uh... getting some blood?" I said hesitantly. She growled, putting her jacket on. Then she stomped forward, tearing the knife out of my hand.
"You... you absolute moron! Honestly, do you know what a cut like that would do to your hand? There's who knows how many nerves in this thing! If you slice even one of them incorrectly you could damage it permanently!" She snapped, tossing my knife into a wall behind her.
"Hey! Watch the walls! That's money right there!" I said, walking over to where the knife was. Pulling it out, I sighed in relief. It didn't go through that much, so at least nothing permanent. The clinking of glass caught my attention. Turning around, I saw Allison setting up a few things. Needles, vials, disinfectant. Huh. "Uh... is that all for me?" I asked her. She was engrossed in her work, but still nodded.
"Yep. How much blood do you need again?" She asked me. I walked over to a small glass bowl I had brought out earlier, simply holding it up. She nodded. "Right. A couple of vials. Come over here please." She said, gesturing to a chair next to her. I sighed, taking my shirt. Honestly, the one day I wore a long sleeve. Allison looked me over.
"Huh. You've bulked up quite a bit since you've gotten here. It's impressive really. Now then, let's get that blood." She said, twirling a needle in her hand. You know, I should be worried, but I'm not. I took a seat, waiting for her to start. I brought up my arm, focusing on talking to Janus.
'So... what's the deal here again? What am I supposed to do?' I asked him. I heard a sigh.
'Of course you've forgotten. It's fine, it's a slightly confusing process. The first thing we need to do is put down the sand we got a few days ago. Simply add enough for a triangle. Then add your blood along the lines, mixing it into the sand. Once that happens, place a heart on each corner. With that out of the way, hold the rough gem in one hand and the feathers in the other. Sit in the middle of the triangle and say the incantation. With that, we'll have what we need.' He said, finishing off his rant/explanation. Huh. Okay then. Looking back, I saw that Allison was done drawing blood, and had quickly wrapped up my arm.
"Huh. That was quick." I said, shaking my head. Allison shrugged.
"I'm trained. Trust me, this is nothing." She told me, packing up the equipment. "So, despite the fact that you've got better healing from Janus, I want you to stay hydrated and eat a hearty meal. Something with protein will work. Oh and Ethan sends his regards. Said he appreciates that you're willing to do this." She told me, putting on her jacket. I nodded.
"I do what I can. Just make sure he doesn't get too hurt alright?" I told her, looking over the supplies. Allison nodded.
"I'll try. Catch you later Mike." She told me, snapping her fingers and disappearing in a flash of light. Heh, that's always a neat trick. Gotta find out how they do that someday. I sighed, finally ready for the ritual.
Walking over to my closet, I took out a few small sandbags, moving them over to the backroom. Then I brought the hearts, gems and feathers, placing them to the side. Grabbing the sandbags, I opened them, slowly pouring them out. Finally I was able to get enough out to make a triangle. Grabbing the vials of blood, I gently poured them out, letting them mix into the sand. Granted it was a bit odd to pour out my blood, but I got over it quickly. Finally I finished. I walked over to the bags, opening the smallest one. The smell got to me slightly, and I gagged. Jesus! These things stink! Ho boy. I took a deep breath, trying to not vomit. I didn't have any gloves right now, so I just took a leap. Reaching inside, I gingerly grabbed the heart and placed it in one corner of the blood triangle. Funny enough, it was the size of a human heart. It took a good five minutes, but I was able to place the other two down. Granted it took me longer because the other bags had hearts three to four times the size of the first one.
After setting them down, I took a deep breath. It was time. I could hear Janus muttering.
'Get the feathers and the gem. I'll pour out the necessary magic. You just have to hold the items and summon some flame. You can do this. Trust me.' He said, the ambient energy around us getting stronger. I nodded, wiping my hands of the blood from the hearts. I grabbed the feathers, finally getting a feel for them. They... were soft. That was all I could say. I wish I could be more descriptive, but that's the best I could do at the moment. I placed the feathers in my left hand, grabbing the gem in my right hand. I moved, careful not to disturb the sand. I sat down, closing my eyes.
'Now, call upon the fire and say this exactly like I do. A corde autem igne in lutum pallidus: et lux in rubrum sanguinem meum. Catullus Da mihi fortitudinem, et visiones opus.' Janus said, his voice echoing in my head. I nodded, breathing deeply. I focused, seeing the image of flames slowly form in front of me.
"A corde autem igne in lutum pallidus: et lux in rubrum sanguinem meum. Catullus Da mihi fortitudinem, et visiones opus." I repeated. God I hope that I didn't screw up that phrasing. Janus hummed. 'Open your eyes. See the results.' He told me. I complied, finally opening my eyes. A small ball of fire had formed, swirling around and slowly getting larger. The triangle began glowing purple, and the hearts had began to smoke. Suddenly the flame in front of me changed, the color changing from orange to purple. Then it expanded, shooting out in various directions. It struck the hearts first, igniting them. With each heart that caught fire, a line on the triangle did as well. Finally the whole triangle had caught fire. The gem was glowing brightly in my hands. The feathers began to float, the angelic energy in them glowing white with particles surrounding them. It occurred to me that I was actually floating a bit off the ground.
Suddenly the corners of the triangle lit up, shooting beams of light to the center, specifically at me. I let out a cry, my arms and legs felt like they were burning. I could see so much around me, hear so many things. My senses flared, overwhelming my being. Then darkness hit me.
Images flashed before me. A clash of steel, the fall of rain. Two men stood, armed with blades of might. After they had clashed for what seemed like a lifetime, they stopped. One spoke up. I could barely make out some of the words.
"We are the sons of..." As if trying to reason with the second figure. I couldn't hear anything else, and the figures charged again.
I woke up with a groan, clutching my head. What the hell happened?
"I believe I can answer that." Janus told me. I looked behind me, seeing him sitting on that same stump.
"That all you do now?" I asked him, standing up. He shrugged.
"It's the easiest thing to do. Unless of course you want to help me sort through these while we speak?" He asked me, snapping his fingers. Suddenly I was flying, cast into an endless void. I could hear screaming, both human and not. Images of flayed bodies, beings of nightmares filled my vision. I let out a yelp, suddenly landing on my ass. I glared up at Janus, who hadn't moved at all.
"What the fuck was that?!" I roared, standing up. Janus sighed, red energy shifting in his hands.
"I... the ritual you did had an unexpected outcome. It was supposed to give you more power, but it helped me as well. I...I'm remembering stuff. More images, more magics. Nothing concrete yet, but it's still something. Let's just say I've been busy while you were out." He said, clenching his hands into fists. I growled.
"That's fine and all, but that doesn't mean that you can just drag me into them like that. What the hell were you thinking?!" I asked him again, ready to punch his lights out. Janus sighed.
"It's been a long day. I'm... sorry. I just didn't expect that to happen the way it did." He said, rubbing his head. What?
"What's that mean?" I asked him, fatigue suddenly hitting me. I stumbled a bit, taking a seat next to him. I hissed, rubbing my right hand. Wait... why does my hand hurt? I didn't cut it or anything. Looking down, I gasped. That... was different. It had... changed. Where there once was a regular human hand, was now something...different. It was now black, with rough scales, and claws where the fingers used to be. I looked up at Janus, who shook his head.
"I'm... so sorry. The ritual I found wasn't to power up someone. It was a ritual used to make a man into a demon. Thankfully the transformation was partial, and the ritual itself was incomplete. I... I'm so sorry." He told me, covering his face in his hands. I could see tears falling. Damn it. He hasn't had it easy, especially since his memories were still fragmented. Not to mention all this happened... I stood up, flexing my new hand. It was unexpected... but in Remnant where I could be killed like I was nothing I needed power... I needed strength. And if this was how I was going to do it it... well it worked. I patted Janus on the shoulder.
"Look... you made a mistake. It happens. I don't blame you. In fact... this might help. We'll figure this out together. Just... don't blame yourself. I knew there was going to be a risk, and it paid off." I told him, examining my hand. Janus slumped his shoulders.
"Just go Michael... just go... I'm sorry." He said, waving his hand. With that, the world around us faded.
I woke up, taking a large gulp of air. Well... that was new. He's never kicked me out before. 'J? You there?' I mentally called out. Nothing. I groaned, closing my eyes and rubbing my face with my left hand Jesus... why the hell is it so bright? And what was that ringing noise... god that smell too... I shifted around, using my right hand to keep rubbing my face. Christ I have a headache...
I froze, feeling the claws scratching me. Opening my eyes, I saw my hand had definitely changed. Then it finally hit me. I wasn't human anymore. At the very least, this was going to be an interesting life now. I should have been freaking out or something... but this world had enough to justify what I did. One way or another, I was going to be drawn into the war between Salem and Ozpin. I just had to be ready.
Sitting up, it finally occurred to me that I should probably hide something like this. I mean, I really don't want to attract attention to myself anymore than I already did with Reed.
Standing up, I checked my surroundings. The circle, hearts, and blood had all vanished. The ruby had fallen to the floor, and it wasn't a ruby anymore. It was... okay I swear I know the name... it's just drawing blank for me. Ah, it'll come back to me later. Where was I... oh right! Well, now that everything's clean, I don't have to worry about any major messes. I moved to grab the gem-amethyst that's it! Damn, can't believe that slipped my mind. Anyways, I grabbed the amethyst and walked out of the room. Then I fell to my knees. GAH!
I clutched my head, trying not to scream in pain. I growled, glancing to the right of me. I could see a mirror I had set up a while ago. Right now it was helping me figure out what was wrong. My eyes were shifting from blue to red fiery pits. My face was stuck in a snarl, fangs beginning to extend from my teeth. I put my hands to my head, letting out a single cry. A voice echoed in my head. Not Janus'. It was... different...worse.
'Power... That's all that matters... give in. It's the only way. You wanted power... embrace it.' It was dark... tempting. It called to me. But images flashed reminded me of why I wanted to the power. Images of Lily...Scarlet... Allison... Orion... The other Outsiders... 'Leave them. They don't matter... you only wanted power... didn't you? Let go of your friends...They'll only slow you down.' The voice continued. I growled once more, finally getting the strength to stand up. My vision was going in and out, my breathing had become rapid. Fading... I can't... can't go on... Then something snapped, letting me regain my thoughts.
No... I can't let whatever this is win.
'I WON'T!' I mentally shouted, pushing the voice away. 'HELP! JANUS! PLEASE!' I pleaded, trying to stay awake. It was a pathetic attempt, but it was more than enough. That finally got his attention. The pressure building up in the back of my head eased up. 'Get away from him!' Janus shouted. The pressure got faded a bit more, but it was still there. 'Michael... breath. It hurts, I know... but you need to focus. Focus on where the pain is coming from.' He told me, sounding strained. As much as I didn't want to, I managed to get my breathing under control. I could... feel whatever it was...clawing at the back of my mind. Then I could finally see it.
It was a black figure, reptile like with scales, wings and a tail. Curved horns sat on it's head. Almost like a dragon of some kind. It had four limbs, two arms and two legs. Five claws adorned each hand, and large talons helped keep the thing standing. Then I saw it's face. I recoiled at the sight, my legs buckling under unimaginable pressure. I knew the face staring back at me, even with the glowing eyes, the snarling fangs, and the roar coming from it's lips. It was me.
The image suddenly stopped, and I gasped. I stumbled forward, catching myself before I fell. I was still growling, looking back at my reflection. Have... have to get calm. Breathe...breathe... I closed my eyes, ignoring the voice in the back of my skull. My eyes had stopped shifting and the fangs began to retract. Great... so I'm guessing that this was going to be a thing now. 'J? You have any ideas what just happened?' I asked, hoping it was him this time.
'...Yes I do.' He muttered, obviously deep in thought. 'I know exactly what this is. After I ejected you, I did more research. The transformation was more successful than we anticipated. Your very soul is now connected to demonic energy. The reason the spell worked like it did was due in fact to the anger you've hidden deep down. It manifested after all these years... into a demon of it's own.' He told me.
I sighed audibly, shaking my head. I have a feeling I know where this is going. Magic and anger can lead to quite a few things you know. "So what you're saying is..." I trailed off, speaking aloud for the first time in a while.
'Yes. This demon... is you. Or at least, what you could have been. It's that dark side that all humans have. Yours was just given form.' He said, the image of the scaled body still etched in my mind. Knowing my luck, that wasn't going to be the last time I had seen that demon was it? Well... I might as well accept this. I was still staring at my reflection, noticing that it twitching a bit. I smiled, teeth bared and all. My eyes had shifted, looking like pools of magma now.
"Well... while this is unexpected... but still... maybe this is what I needed. Besides... what's a little risk, right?" I asked Janus, still grinning at my reflection. Time to see what else this demon did to me.
An: Hey everyone! So... A lot happened in this chapter. I hope it's not too much, but what do I know? Hope you guys are enjoying the story so far. Michael's far from done with his adventures and journey, trust me. The ritual was just the beginning. After this... well let's say he's in for a ride. I gladly take suggestions, so please don't hesitate to give me some. Until next time, Read, Review and Enjoy!