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Menagerie pt. 3.
Loyalty, honor, and duty. All three were different each with their own drawbacks but sometimes they were traits held by the least likely of people. To have loyalty was not to be selfless, even the most selfish of people had something or someone that they put above themselves. Honor was simply a code to live by that kept someone from crossing the line or an excuse for why they were defeated. Duty was following the orders of those worthy without flinching. He would always stay true to his version of the three, he would never allow himself to forget that he was a soldier. His King chose the path that they would walk, and he followed his King. One did not have to be a good person to have all three traits and he was not a good person. He was an assassin, a sadistic torture expert who took pride in his work. He would never become anything different than what he was.
Menagerie was not his home, so he didn't care if it burned to the ground. These people were not his own nor did they belong to his King, so he didn't care if they died. All of his people were already making their way to the desert where the evacuation airships were located; it was finally time to make their move. The only three still mixed in with Sienna's people or those that his King discarded were Yuma, Trifa, and Ilia. The bat and spider were only there to ensure that Ilia followed his orders. He had no trust in the chameleon.
Sneaking into the Belladonna mansion was easy considering the battle currently going on. For him, it was child's play to vanish into the shadows, but he was an assassin. The knives on his arms were nothing compared to the sharpness of his King's blade. Tonight, these people would feel that sting, and if nothing else it would upset the balance of power between Ghira and the White Fang. Everything would go according to plan; once enough discord was sown between the two parties his King would take the stage. This was the moment their plan truly began.
Walking into the bedroom of the girl his King was so interested in, he wasn't expecting her to be waiting on him. Or she would've been if he'd given her a few more moments, instead, she was in the middle of putting on her combat gear. The dagger strapped to her thigh was the only weapon he could see on her body; however, he wasn't foolish enough to think she was defenseless. Throwing a glance in his direction she pulled her black tank top down but made no move to reach for the armored mesh that usually went over it.
"You're not going to let me finish are you," she asked with a half-smirk that reminded him of a predator.
Shaking his head, he offered her an amused glance before his hand snapped out throwing a knife in her direction. It was more of a courtesy than anything else. She dodged his knife easily before unsheathing her dagger. Abandoning her scythe, she vanished into a burst of petals that made him smirk. She was going to attack from behind he could feel it.
Spinning on his heel, he blocked her strike. The heat emanating from her blade caused his eyes to narrow; she was using fire dust. Clever girl. He kicked her away watching her bounce off the wall to attack him again. Her attacks were predictable, but he wouldn't let his guard down. Every move was meant to disable not kill however that style was not enough to beat him. The girl was strong he could feel the force behind her strikes, but she was holding back. If she kept that up, then he might accidentally kill her. His King wouldn't approve if he ripped out her throat.
Skidding to a stop, she seemed to consider something before rolling her shoulders. Glancing around as if to make sure no one was watching, she shifted changing her stance to something almost completely different. The look in her eyes changed as well becoming warmer as a wild expression crossed her face. Now, this was interesting. Instead of vanishing, she lunged at him disregarding her semblance in favor of catching him off guard. Blocking the weapon, he wasn't expecting the fist she drove into his stomach. Stumbling, he felt a bit of excitement. Seeing her about to draw back he decided to make his move.
Catching her wrist, he lashed out cutting a line across her collar near the vein he knew was there. Letting her go he wondered if she would handle this dose of poison just as well. With the way her heart was pounding, his poison could spread through her body much faster than earlier, and considering that he'd already poisoned her earlier it would be nearly twice as strong. This wasn't enough to kill someone, he knew from trial and error how much he would need to kill someone her size. He simply wanted to see how she would react.
Pain flickered across her face as she raised a hand to touch the long cut. The knowing expression on her face was accompanied by a bitter chuckle before her aura flared healing the cut. Dropping her hand she kicked off the ground hoping to catch him off guard. Instead, he sidestepped letting her flow past him; landing beside the dresser she picked up her hairpin before straightening. She didn't hesitate to launch herself back into the fight nor were her movements slower than before. Hovering on the edge of using her semblance she moved faster than normal while conserving her aura.
The kick he landed to her stomach almost made her scream, but she shoved it down. It didn't matter if her body was burning, she was still stronger than he knew. She wouldn't lay down and die. Thrusting her hairpin at his neck she knocked away his knife in a movement that caused him to grin. He knew now why his King was so interested in this stubborn girl. The feather in her hair glinted as she twisted into a movement that forced him to lean back.
She reminded him of a wild animal cutting loose for the first time to hunt. Every movement was controlled in a way that wasted no energy however they were just wild enough to show this wasn't a strategized fight. This was a girl that thrived in battle just like his King, they both loved the chaos and pain that came from fighting like this. The wild grin on her face never faded even when his blade left a bloody line across her arm; her aura healed the attack just as quickly. She wasn't hesitating despite getting hurt so she wasn't afraid to die.
Power, determination, and enough recklessness to throw away her inhibitions. She might be human, but she had the spirit of a wolf. Every bit of power in her strikes was accompanied by a flawless speed that made it seem like she was dancing. Catching sight of the way her tongue darted out to lick her lips, he wondered just how far he could push her. What exactly were her limits? Thrusting his knife at her chest he was expecting her to dodge, instead, she bypassed sanity and caught his blade. The dagger she'd tossed away clattered to the ground as he choked. Blood hit the ground as she twisted the hairpin impaled in his shoulder.
Pulling his knife from her grip he ignored her hiss of pain as he took a step away from her. This girl was dangerous. Gripping the hairpin, he didn't hesitate to tug it from his shoulder while she watched him with heated eyes. She didn't care that her hand was bleeding or that she could've lost a finger, the bloodlust rushing through her body was too strong for her to think about such trivial things. These were the moments she lived for. Right now, there was no one that she needed to protect nor was there any reason for her to hold back. She could do whatever she wanted without challenge or hesitation. All she desired was to fight.
Shaking her hand, she registered the blood hitting the ground as her aura healed her wound. At the moment, she had about half her aura left so using her semblance was a no go if she was going to keep fighting in this reckless way. Shifting she bounced on her feet ready to try and grab him by the neck instead the rapid thud of footsteps reached her ears. Viper cut his eyes to the left as Sun rushed into the room with his staff held above his head. It was only for an instant, but she saw rage rush through those blue eyes then the snake was blocking Sun's attack. Her hairpin was clutched in his hand as he held off the monkey faunus easily.
"What are you doing here," she snapped as he was shoved away by the snake faunus. Stumbling Sun, glanced at her only to pale at the blood on her body.
"Blake sent me."
She didn't need help however telling him that would do nothing to make him leave. Catching a flicker of silver, she reached out snatching her hairpin out of the air before it could impale Sun's neck. Twirling the weapon between her fingers she tilted her head silently asking if Viper wanted to keep going. She could fight all day.
"We'll play again some other time," he said with a sadistic chuckle that caused Sun to shiver. If anything, the monkey faunus seemed more terrified when Ruby smiled and nodded. Grinning at the girl, he said, "piece of advice; Ilia has no intention of allowing Blake to live. Move quickly if you want to save the cat."
Stepping back, he vanished into the shadows with a speed that made it seem like he teleported. his warning was strange, but she had no time to decipher his motives. He was still close by, but their battle was over for now. He had no reason to warn her much less to care about what happened to Blake. It was likely that this was some kind of trap; well springing traps was fun. Threading her hairpin into her hair, she picked up her dagger before shrugging her shoulders. Having Sun pat her back felt like he was stabbing her, but she ignored it. The battle wasn't over yet. It was time to go meet this Ilia person.
"Where's Blake?"
"Um..."
It was cruel but she didn't bother to smother the giggle at his confused expression. Well, it seemed she would have to hunt down her teammate. Moving toward the door she didn't bother to grab her scythe or pull on the rest of her outfit. She had no desire to have blood get on her jacket. Vanishing in a burst of petals, she rushed through the hallways hoping to catch sight of her teammate. She knew that Blake wouldn't want her to interfere in her fight but she didn't care; she still wanted to fight. It was a selfish urge that most would've ignored; she had no desire to ever ignore what made her who she was. She was strong because she loved battle, not the other way around.
Her aura was flowing from her body like water from a broken glass, but she didn't want to stop. The urge to fight, to feel that rush of bloodlust was too strong. That was why she didn't hesitate to kick the brown-haired girl away from her kitten. Skidding to a stop as Blake made a shocked sound, she smirked gaining a shiver from her teammate. Getting a good look at her teammate, Blake suddenly wished that she had any other person as her leader; Ruby's insanity was on clear display.
Ruby was covered in blood. It clung to her skin painting it a copper color as she bounced on her feet. She didn't care that she was injured or that her aura was almost gone, she had a threat to dispose of. Before Blake could say anything, the reaper was moving with a grace that contrasted her messy appearance. The shock on Ilia's face turned to anger as she blocked Ruby's dagger. Responding to the brunet's sneer with a taunting smirk, she flipped away when electricity bounced along the girl's weapon.
Even without using her semblance, the reaper was stronger than the faunus. Tilting her head, she allowed the girl's blade to pass her face giving her an opening to punch her in the face. Ilia stumbled barely getting a chance to straighten before Ruby was kicking her in the stomach. Falling to the floor she growled with gritted teeth.
This was the girl Viper wanted her to kill, and if she failed, he would kill her. She was one of Adam's most trusted companions, there was no way she could let herself fail. Besides this wasn't simply a job, from what Viper said, this girl was important to Blake that made her a threat. This girl wasn't worthy of being in Blake's house nor was she someone that her Blake should even be around. Ilia was the one who loved Blake, not this girl or that blonde; she was the one who would stay beside Blake. There was no reason for this redhead to even be around her wonderful Blake. She had loved the black-haired angel for years no one else was good enough for the feline faunus.
It was bad enough that she'd had to share with Adam for years but now another redhead was here trying to get in her way. If she had enough time, she knew that she could make Blake love her; there wasn't a doubt in her mind that she was the right person to win Blake's heart. No one would stand in her way especially not some human. Pushing herself off the ground she lashed out sending her whip tearing in the girl's direction. The taunting whistle she got in response was enough to cause her teeth to grind. Before she could realize what was happening another fist was impacting her spine sending her face-first onto the floor.
Why wasn't she fast enough? There was no way this girl was stronger than her; she should be able to hit her. Starting to rise she gasped as a foot landed on her back. Looking over her shoulder she faltered at the dark amusement swirling in those frozen silver eyes. The smaller girl was enjoying this that was the only conclusion that she could come to. She had to kill this girl now before she lost her chance. The foot dug deeper into her back causing her to cry out as her hand clenched around her weapon. Even with her aura almost full, it didn't keep her from feeling the pain. Twisting she forced the redhead away from her or that's what she thought.
Wrapping her hand around the brunet's neck, Ruby pinned her to the ground as her dagger pressed against the girl's chest. The only issue was that Ilia's weapon was pressing against the skin of her abdomen. The only thing ensured here was mutual destruction but neither of them were willing to lay down their weapons. They were both stubborn enough to kill themselves just to win this fight. That was why she didn't press down. Her aura wouldn't withstand a blow like this at close range. Raising an eyebrow at the seething faunus she allowed a small smirk to tug at her lips.
"Ruby stop!"
The desperation and pain in Blake's voice caused both their eyes to flicker to the black-haired girl. Ruby knew without a doubt that Ilia would kill her if she let her go it was written all over the girl's face. Her teammate's golden eyes were filled with anguish that she hated but letting go might kill her. From the panic she tried to hide, Blake most likely knew that too. The sane thing to do would be to squeeze until Ilia passed out, but this was Blake. Her teammate was the entire reason that she was here in the first place.
It was the mantra that she'd always repeated but this time she couldn't say with certainty that her teammate wouldn't hurt her. Jaune had already cracked the faith she had in her team this order was threatening to shatter it. However, this was Blake, her kitten. One of the people most precious to her, she hated seeing that look of anguish directed at her. As much as she wanted to pretend that Blake was a fool, she knew that her teammate was one of the smartest people she'd ever met. Blake was well aware of what she was truly asking for, yet she asked it anyway.
"Are you sure," she asked keeping her emotions from her voice. A sane person would roll their eyes and disregard the black-haired girl entirely; Ruby had never been sane. Watching her teammate nod rapidly, she couldn't stop the chuckle from leaving her lips. With a smile, she didn't feel she shifted.
Let go and Ilia would try to kill her. Blake was too far away to stop her but the feline faunus was the only one in the room. If she let go, she might die. If she didn't, then she might lose Blake. Despite choosing to stop chasing the faunus, she never wanted to lose Blake. Maybe it was the fact she didn't fear death, but she let go. Letting her hand slip from Ilia's neck, she stood allowing Thorn to drop to the ground. The sad accepting smile on her lips didn't change even as Ilia launched herself off the floor. The pain of her aura shattering wasn't enough to make her cry out, but Blake screamed.
Viper moved from his place on the rafters as her hand left Ilia's neck, his order to the brunet was absolute. Ilia wouldn't hesitate, nor would she consider the outcome of her actions. Landing silently, he reached out stopping Ilia from running her blade through Ruby's body. Clenching his hand around Ilia's wrist he didn't care that she was shocked at his appearance, he was more concerned for the redhead he was holding up. Keeping his arm around her shoulder, he sneered as Blake finally came to her senses. Ilia struggled trying to jerk herself from his grip, the fear on her face only fueled the rage burning in his gaze.
How could someone so talented in battle be so foolish? Releasing the brunet, he felt Ruby flinch as the blade was pulled from her body. Biting her lip, the girl refused to cry out as Ilia fell to her knees. Slowly easing the reaper to the floor, he sent a cold glare at Blake when the girl tried to approach; it was enough to make her freeze in place. His poison coupled with the wound was not something Ruby could shake off, she needed a hospital. Gritting his teeth, he reached for the sash of his robe and tugged. The blue silk fell easily into his hand before he pressed it against her skin causing it to turn dark purple.
"Why are redheads always so damn reckless?"
She giggled at the words despite how cold she was. Flickering her gaze from the man trying to save her to the horrified gaze of her teammate she felt something strange. Blake wasn't going to help her, just like the faunus refused to help Cardin. Oh, gods Cardin was going to be ticked. Barely two weeks had passed, and she was already bleeding out; he was never going to let this go. A gentle hand combed through her hair causing her eyes to return to Viper who was honestly the last person she'd expected to help her.
Her body felt heavy, she'd felt this before. Keeping focused on Viper she could see his mouth moving, most likely to insult her, but she couldn't hear him. Part of her wanted to go to sleep; to see Anubis, yet she didn't want to die yet. Not without at least finding somewhere she belonged in this world. Her eyes felt heavy, surely a few moments of sleep wouldn't change anything. Closing her eyes was like flying, it was nice. Something hot pressed against her lips falling into her mouth before pain rushed through her body; it tasted of copper. The startled cry that left her was echoed by the liquid vanishing.
Forcing her eyes open, she saw something red flow down Viper's wrist. Her body was numb as she watched him lean toward her, the dark glint in his eyes was a challenge. He was daring her to stay alive; she never backed down from a challenge. A sharp scream reached her ears as her aunt rushed forward from a portal; the woman's semblance was kind of pretty.
Hi guys, sorry this chapter took a while. Anyway, Next chapter is back to Atlas. What did you guys think of this chapter and the Menagerie arc in general?
Stay safe and have a good day
- Shyla
