And some more still...

Chapter 61:

"Do you want to know something? Something that no one but my adoptive mother and adoptive brothers really know? Namely the reason that the Fall Maiden vanished." Cinder said as she delivered another punch as hard as she could across the sobbing woman's jaw. She couldn't help but feel a schoolgirl type giggle wanting to come out as she could see Summer's head just lulling to the side as she tried to play dead.

Cinder however was far wiser than the woman was giving her credit for. But the fact was she knew how much a body could take of her punching before the person would succumb to them. It was a little funny because she hadn't seen someone doing this to her for a long time. All she did know was that it was going to be one of the funniest things she could see.

"You need to try a lot harder if you think that you can fake like you are dead to me." Cinder said as she slammed her fist into Summer's jaw again sending her sprawling onto the floor. "As I was saying. The reason the Fall Maiden vanished from the world was because I found a shivering baby. She was so cold that if I was even a few minutes late she wouldn't have made it. The doctors and nurses all said that even with how I found her, the odds of her survival were very low. And all this time later... she is the perfect example of a daughter."

Spitting the mouthful of blood into her lap, Summer just took a deep breath. "Why are you telling me this?" Summer begged for an answer as Cinder just chuckled as she bent down to stare into Summer's eyes.

"I told you. I want to make you suffer in a worse hell than the one I'll be sending you to. Sometimes the worst pain you can put someone in is emotional. Physically you've been punishing yourself for being a complete moron. Emotional though... I don't think you've done enough for what you deserve for nearly killing Ruby. Not to mention torture is like nine tenths talking. Something no one really tells you." Cinder said as she could see the woman just glancing upwards.

"She is my daughter." Summer said as Cinder just chuckled shaking her head as she picked up the gun again and quickly cocked it before squeezing the trigger again to fire a round into Summer's forearm.

"That just makes it worse for you. You might have birthed her... something I would have given my entire empire to have that privilege. But you certainly aren't a mother and you certainly don't deserve the right to call Ruby your daughter." Cinder said as she could see Summer still screaming in pain. "I want you to think about how much you've lost. How much you missed out on." Cinder said as she placed the gun back on her desk. "Are the sleepless nights awful and worse when she was younger and not to mention every time I heard her cry because she broke some meaningless tripe like the actual 'View of Auvers-sur-Oise'... something that is meaningless. Or worse, the few times she actually hurt herself." Cinder said as she walked behind Summer where she started to gently stroke Summer's hair before she wrapped it around her neck and began to pull just to cut off her airways.

"God where those nightmares are the worst. Her actually hurting herself. I mean me and my brothers were discussing literally torturing and killing a fourteen year old teen boy just to get one guy to come out of hiding and just hearing her scream... you would not believe the four of us have killed many many people before." Cinder said as she started to slacken up just to hear the woman gasping for air. "But no matter how much I wish... I can't take the pain away from her. I can't take her very real nightmares that you've caused." Cinder said as she gently tapped Summer's bruised cheek. "All I can do, no matter how long it takes me, is making sure everyone dumb enough to harm her is going to suffer. You should have seen the duo that raped her a few months ago. Dear god did they scream. And that was only after a couple of hours. God was that fun. They got a moment of fleeting pleasure from my baby girl... and I made sure that they paid dearly. One of them died in agony as he tried with his body still bound to keep his pathetic guts inside." Cinder said with a smile.

It was at the stage where Cinder wasn't sure if she could hold back long enough to not kill Summer. Especially because she did promise Salem that she would be notified if Cinder did find Ruby's biological mother. Or at least whoever abandoned her, leaving her for dead.

"But they, while they did try and kill her kind of... didn't do anything nearly as bad as you did. I mean at least they had the decency to drug Ruby enough to where even to this day she isn't one hundred percent sure it happened. But you... she knows you did. She has been in therapy for a long time because of it. She even had a near break down simply seeing your eyes. The only thing she remembers." Cinder said as she picked up the letter opener that had been resting on the bookshelf in the corner. "Gods if it didn't cause questions, I'd gouge your eyes out and make sure you were alive long enough to stay in more misery. As those eyes that had caused her to constantly scream every time she has a nightmare... of your eyes staring down at her... would be vanquished from this world. I'd even force you to eat them."

"Why..." Summer pleaded as she could see Cinder just staring at her with a bit of anger in her eyes. Like she was a cat angry that its prey was dying.

"I told you why. Maybe that is why your relationship with Tai is so strained and was even strained long before the attempted killing of an infant." Cinder began with a smile as she tapped Summer's cheek again. "You seem to just not listen too well. Sure you hear, but you don't listen. It is because you are all kinds of stupid. And I don't mean the trying to intimidate me at my own home. I mean what you did to my daughter before I adopted her."

"She isn't your daughter."

"And way to make yourself seem even dumber."


"Just... don't make her do something stupid Ruby. And we both know you have that kind of power. I mean I went from an A plus student with aspirations of becoming a teacher to a woman with a criminal record for vandalism, a minor pot addiction and into all kinds of kinky sex things. I actually had to talk Pyrrha into letting me choke her a bit. She isn't that big a fan of it. Not compared to you at least. She is totally into wax though."

"Don't tell me that... I'm going to get dirty thoughts of your girlfriend and I don't want to be that woman. Not to mention... Blake is super cute and has admitted she finds me hot and you know how I am a sucker for a woman who really means that." Ruby complained as she and Reese had been standing at the door.

"Yeah... that is the fastest way to get into your panties... that and possibly saying you have great enough hand strength to choke a bitch out and love cuddling afterwards." Reese spoke as Ruby nodded her head in agreement. "Seriously... I get the choking is your kink. And cuddling is the bomb. But what is with the self esteem issues? You are without a doubt one of the smartest women to exist with the type of clean conscience that puts nuns to shame. I mean sister Maria even confessed to us she has been in trouble with the law and even served a jail sentence for attempted murder. And then there was sister Cordovin... with her arson charges... and misappropriation of military equipment. And then mother superior with her possession charges. And Neo really shouldn't be given free reign of the police station just because of her late Mother." Reese spoke as she raised her fingers to count off the list of charges that she could remember Neo looking up for a laugh.

"Because my biological Mom tried to kill me, I'm prone to doing super stupid things that put me in great harms way for no other reason than me not wanting to ask the waitress if something I'm allergic to is in the dish... or I forget to do something like placing the face shield on properly. Not to mention you've met my family. Everything I do is perfect... and mix that with being somewhat self aware of the fact that I'm god awful at everything I do... except on a model rocket level." Ruby said as she just looked at Reese who shook her head. "On a far more serious note than why I rightfully hate myself at points... can you seriously talk to Yang about her step mother... you know without making it seem like you are fishing for information for me?"

"Ruru. You are a perfectly fine woman who any sane woman who can get past how murdery your family can get will be head over heels for you. And you should know me by now, I can get information pretty easily. At least from people like Yang... or Em... or Neo... anyone but you really. Not from you not telling me, but from the fact I can feel my brain fry when you talk about some obscure law for rocket's. Like Godwin's law." Reese said as Ruby just glared at her. "Was I even close to a real law name?"

"Not for rockets. But an argument yeah. You got it one hundred percent right. Godwin's law is about how the longer you argue or debate the more likely mentions of fascism will be brought up and the person will proceed to lose credibility. Literally the only solid law rocket engineers need to remember is like Newton's laws of motion, and need to remember the how dense an energy source is... and by extension how dangerous some things are." Ruby mumbled as she could see Reese's mind just developing a thousand yard stare of a lack of understanding.

"I've got literally nothing. Heard up until 'literally' and after that it went to static. I'm going to work under the assumption that I got close enough regardless. Now this isn't you getting ready for your date. Now go on... hot girl wants you. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"You mean like respect my mother?" Ruby countered as Reese simply laughed and waved Ruby off. "Right I'm leaving. And try not to leave marks visible on Pyrrha... I don't think my mind could handle the thoughts that would come because of that... it would without a doubt fry. Like seriously... she is super hot."

"With a piercing and I'm not talking about her ears." Reese said as Ruby just looked at her with confusion before realisation dawned onto her. "I'm just messing with you Ruby... or am I?" Reese continued with a laugh as Ruby started to blush. "Now get going you scamp. I need to make sure there are some candles in here. I think we might have used them. But I do know that we do have burn cream which is what matters." Reese said with a smile as she could see Ruby gently pulling her hoodie up a bit to cover her lower face.

"I'm so going to tell Pyrrha that you are talking about what you two do privately to me..."

"Go ahead. She seriously has had a few wet dreams of you two being subs with me being a mistress. And what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't try and make her dreams a reality."

"I so need to smack you."

"Kinky."

"Bad Reese!"


"Are you absolutely positive Blake? There is no shame in not going on a date with her. I mean... there has got to be more people out there. I mean I could over look the whole lesbian relationship thing if that is what you really want... but why are you swearing off men? I really liked that blond boy you were dating briefly for a while there... what was his name?" Kali said as she gently tapped her chin as Blake just took a deep breath and began to rub her eyes.

"I'm not swearing off men Mom. I'm bisexual. I like both. Sun was just a complete tool who was more concerned about becoming a, and I'm quoting him here, 'professional stowaway on cruise ships' with no cares about getting serious beyond occasionally going out for some drinks and doing other adult things I'm not going to talk to you about." Blake began as she just shook her head and took a deep breath. "And yes Mom. I'm sure I want to go on this date with Ruby. Ruby herself is harmless. I mean I've heard countless stories about how Ruby is the sweetest person to ever exist. I get you are worried about her family... but notice how it wasn't Cinder herself. It was her right hand. Which was just a reminder call."

"How does that not terrify you Blake? I could over look following after Sienna... largely because you wised up. But how can you seriously not feel like this is all kinds of dangerous? Seriously... I'd rather you being a drunk driver." Kali said as Blake just shook her head as she grabbed her bottle of water.

"Because Ruby isn't her mother or her family. Plus she is really really hot. That and I can't stress this enough but she is someone who is universally known as one of the nicest people despite her family." Blake said as she cracked the seal as she simply stared down at her mother. She knew that it was going to be something crazy really to cause herself to want to harm Ruby regardless of who her family was. "Mom. Seriously relax. Ruby is a perfectly fine woman. You even said so yourself."

"Yeah for other people to date. People I wouldn't care about if they died. I care about you though Blake. You've got no idea what her mother is capable of if she really is the Fall Maiden. She was famous in your father's and my days for doing countless horrendous things to people. And not only did she do them... she would intentionally cause as much damage to the surviving family as she possibly could. Once she kept a man alive long enough with explosives inside his chest and set them off when he was surrounded by cops. And that was according to your Dad's math when she would have been sixteen. And she would have just gotten cruller and cruller as time went on."

"Mom... no offence, but once again Ruby isn't her mother. That is like if Ruby was told not to date me because of how you were when you were a teenager. Or Dad. Which according to the videos Nana has shown me... you are not the same as you were. Who is to say that Ruby's mother isn't just like you."

"I never tortured people so bad that they actually wish for their own death for hours upon hours before they finally succumb to their injuries."

"Mom. How many times do I need to say is happening, and I still do want to go on the date with Ruby. We are literally going to go on a walk... get a meal and just talk. I don't want to mess with her eyes too much. They are a lot more sensitive to light right now. At least according to the likes of Yuma who I ran into Friday. So... just relax Mom. Everything will be fine." Blake said as she gently hugged her mother who had started to seem like she was going to lock her in a room and make up some lie to tell Ruby. "Seriously Mom... I'll be fine. You just need to seriously relax. I'll be home tonight." Blake said softly as she glanced out the window where she could see Ruby just walking up to the doors.

"Fine... but this conversation isn't over yet. We are having a very serious one when you get home." Kali said as she practically stomped out of from behind the counter and into the staff room as Blake just shook her head gently as Ruby came up to the counter.

"What is with the glasses? I thought you would have been wearing sunglasses..." Blake asked as Ruby just smiled faintly and smiled at her.

"These are an old thing used for people who have photophobia. They actually do help... at least blocking light on the red spectrum of light... and most of the ultraviolet spectrum in small amounts. Would do nothing if it was a really sunny day out." Ruby explained as Blake just shook her head gently. "But in like a week's time I should have healthy eyeballs." Ruby continued as Blake just smiled at her.

"Well, tonight I just plan a simple meal... and a walk. I know some pretty cool areas around here that I always found to be breathtaking and have always wanted to bring someone to them. And I figured that the idea of a movie isn't a very pleasant one."

"I mean... I don't think I've ever been brought on a date that was a movie... or even a dinner. My first girlfriend was when we were in a catholic boarding school... and I met Neon at a rave. And then after that... it was mostly drugs, sex and us reading books as we cuddle."

"With your mother... I don't imagine she is very fond of the whole drug thing... and what type of books do you like to read."

"My Mom is fine with a lot of drugs... at least from other people doing them. She doesn't mind me doing weed. But any books. If I didn't want to be an engineer... I would have gone towards English as a degree." Ruby said with a smile as she leaned across the counter to give Blake a chaste kiss, just enjoying how she was surprised. "That is for kissing me while I was blind."

Author's Note:

And here we are. Yet another chapter is done.