Author's Note: this story is a part of the RWBY Superhero Universe, but this is a fresh, stand-alone story with a new character, so feel free to hop in if you haven't read anything in this series yet. Enjoy!
The wind came from the east, causing the trees to gently sway. The moving leaves composed a quiet little song – an emotion that couldn't be captured in words, let alone a picture.
The waves crashed on the beach. Soon the tide would settle for the day, and the ocean would be a motionless stretch of blue until morning came again. A pity. Not that it wasn't pretty either way, but there was nothing quite as mesmerizing as the comings and goings of the ocean.
The flock would be making its appearance any time now. A dozen birds, or more, if she was lucky. As usual, they wouldn't stay for long. The twilight always brought them to this part of the beach, but by the time the moon was clear in the sky, they would be long gone.
It was a tight window. The sun was going down, the ocean was settling, and the birds were just flying down from the sky.
They made their landings on the sand, some skirting the receding waters. A select few chose the trees as their perch. One of them, a vivid red dove with brown wings, landed on an oaken branch. It skipped down the branch, pecking the wood restlessly, until its beak closed around the stalk of a flower – a blooming lily. It started to pull, and the sun reflected on its crimson feathers…
Click. Click. Click.
The bird flew away, accompanied by the rest of its flock.
Velvet lowered her camera and took a step back, biting her lip nervously. She would have rejoiced, if she didn't know how easy it was to butcher a picture. Any photographer worth her salt knew to first take a moment to pull the mind back from that state of deep focus. Only after that was done could you reliably judge your own work.
The quality of the photos varied, as was expected. A couple of them were a little on the blurry side, and in another, a bad angle had failed to capture the bird's movement as she had intended. But overall…
Overall, she'd accomplished what she'd set out to do. Days of meticulous planning and preparation, and in the moment of truth, everything had worked out. She had made everything work out.
Velvet smiled.
This is what she had been born to do.
VELVET SCARLATINA
SNAPSHOT
"These are beautiful, Velvet." Mister Oobleck pushed his glasses up as he examined the photos. "Breathtaking, truly breathtaking. And you said this was one afternoon's work?"
"Yes. Well, no. Not technically, sir," Velvet said, rubbing her arms anxiously. "I did a lot of research, and took some trial photos before the birds flew in, to test the light and… and stuff. I didn't want to mess everything up." She tilted her head a little, her ears folding atop her hair. "I-I suppose it wouldn't have been that big of a problem, I could just come again tomorrow for another try, and the next day if I still didn't get it right. But…"
"But you wanted it to be perfect on the first go," Oobleck said, smiling knowingly at her. "Many artists are like that. Some I've met won't settle for anything less than perfection, and they'll drive themselves to the brink in pursuit of it. That isn't a problem with you, of course. You seem to have knack of getting things right the first time."
"That's because I haven't showed you any of the photos I've messed up, sir," Velvet said.
"I have a feeling there haven't been many of those."
Velvet forced herself to stop fidgeting and smiled at him. She could tell by the look on his face that he wasn't just humoring her. He was honestly impressed by what she'd shown him, and that meant a lot to her.
Bartholomew Oobleck had been a tremendous journalist and photographer before he'd settled down in Emerald Hills and become the editor of the Forest Ink. His earlier work had been one of Velvet's greatest inspirations, and when she'd gotten the opportunity to work under him, she'd been ecstatic.
"Tell me, Velvet, what's the meaning behind all these photos you've been taking lately? I've been happy to offer you my critique, but now I realize I've never asked what your end goal is," Oobleck said, folding his hands on his desk. "If you intend to publish them, I would be more than happy to assist you with that."
"Oh, I don't know, sir. I just like taking pictures, I guess. And these projects help me hone my skill with the camera," Velvet said. "Although… N-nevermind."
Oobleck raised his eyebrows at her. "Do go on."
"I was thinking that I could maybe gather all of them in a collection. Like… like an album of sorts? I-I don't know if I'd publish it, sir, but…" Velvet shook her head. "It's silly, really. I don't think anyone would be interested in my… hobby."
Oobleck dragged his chair back and stood up. He walked around his desk to stand beside her, and Velvet lowered her head a bit, only to glance at him nervously as he laid a hand on her shoulder.
"You give yourself too little credit, Miss Velvet Scarlatina," he said. "I believe one day, you will set the world on fire with your art. But you will never get to that point if you don't put yourself before the world. You cannot hide in your own shadow forever."
Velvet swallowed dry. Her shadow wasn't even big enough for her to hide in it, she thought.
"I won't allow you to waste your potential. I simply will not!" Oobleck said. "Continue taking these photos. Finish your album, and make it perfect. I will finance its publication." He linked his hands behind his back and raised his head, looking at her over the tip of his nose. "Do that, or I'll fire you."
Velvet gasped. "S-sir?"
"I'm perfectly serious," Oobleck said. "You are an excellent photographer, truly one of the paper's best assets, but I won't have a defeatist working under me in any capacity."
Velvet grabbed her camera hanging from her neck and pressed it to her chest for comfort. She couldn't afford to lose this job. She needed the money, and the experience, and… Would Mister Oobleck really fire her over this?
She frowned. Why was she freaking out about the job, of all things? That wasn't what really mattered. Oobleck was right. She was an excellent photographer, and she was just getting started. If she refused to embrace the path laid out before her, then she might as well throw her camera in the trash and forget about photography altogether.
"O-okay," she said, nodding firmly. "I'll finish my album, sir. Thank you for your support. A-and you don't need to finance anything, sir, I can-"
"I insist," Oobleck cut her short. "You'll pay me back by following your dreams." A moment passed, and he gestured towards the door. "And by doing your actual job, of course."
"Right!" Velvet exclaimed. "I've already got my schedule for the week, sir. The museum opening, the rally downtown… I'll have it all covered, sir, I promise!"
"Outstanding." Oobleck smiled. "Don't let me keep you. Go shine bright, my girl."
By the time Velvet arrived home, the confidence Mister Oobleck had sparked within her had fizzled out completely and left her a nervous wreck. The guards gave her a cursory glance as she entered the lobby, the only acknowledgement she ever received from them. She looked up just in time to see the elevator starting to close and put a spring on her steps, making it inside by the skin of her teeth.
She pressed the button for the seventh floor and started to retreat into a corner, only to notice that there were other people occupying that space already, an old married couple she recognized but whom she had never talked to. Velvet mumbled an apology, and the old woman gave her an empty smile, while her husband threw her a much dirtier look. She pressed herself against a wall and counted the seconds until her stop.
The doors opened, and she almost tripped over her own feet in her haste to exit the elevator. She didn't need to look back at her neighbors to know their reaction - she could practically feel their eyes drilling holes into the back of her neck. Flustered, Velvet all but ran to her apartment door and fumbled with her keys until she found the right one.
Finally entering the apartment was like taking a breath of fresh air. The lights were already on, but Velvet barely registered that as she left her backpack and camera at a table and promptly fell on the sofa in the living room. Clutching her chest, she turned to face the ceiling and closed her eyes, the silence soothing her speeding heart…
"Well, look who's home."
Velvet held back a groan. Hearing her roommate's voice after a long day of work was always a blessing and a curse. Talking to people was difficult, especially when she was tired. But Coco was different. Having known each other for years and becoming close friends in high school, they'd gotten very comfortable with how to communicate with each other – Coco with her dry, no-nonsense attitude, and Velvet with her… not talking very much at all.
"Hey, Coco," Velvet said. "Sorry I'm late. I would have called, but I…"
"Forgot," Coco completed the phrase for her. Having come from the kitchen, she walked around the corner and cast a reproachful look at Velvet, before turning her eyes to her own nails and dropping unceremoniously on the sofa beside her.
"Yeah." Velvet sighed. "Sorry."
"No need. I figure you had a good reason for running late," Coco said. "You catch your birdies, then?"
Velvet nodded faintly. "Yeah. Oh, and I made a stop at the paper to talk to Mister Oobleck. That's also why I'm late."
"Hmm." Coco looked up from her nails. "Can I take a look at your pics? I know I'm not a world-renowned photographer, but these eyes know true art when they see it." She leaned back, tapping the side of her skull. "Hence my room's many mirrors."
If it were anyone else asking to see her photos, Velvet would have made up some excuse and scurried away at the first opportunity. Not because she was afraid of people criticizing her work, but because she just didn't trust most people to give an honest opinion. Luckily, Coco was always truthful with her, sometimes brutally so.
Not that anyone else had ever been interested…
"They're in my backpack. I left it on the table," Velvet said.
Coco groaned silently and got up to retrieve the backpack. While she walked away, Velvet fiddled with her fingers, anxious at the silence. She should probably be saying something. Anything!
"Uhm, h-how was your day?"
"Same old, same old. Classes were kinda boring," Coco said, far away. "Although, we're getting into actually designing products now, as part of the final project, and one of my classmates thought that yellow, green and magenta was a good color combination for a clothing line. I don't know what classes she's been taking for the last four years, but it made for a good laugh."
Velvet gave a little laugh. Was that supposed to be bad? It sounded bad, but she never had any idea what Coco was talking about when it came to her studies. Velvet and fashion went along about as well as… Velvet and anything that wasn't crippling anxiety, really.
"Found 'em."
Coco came back to the living room with the photos in hand. She shuffled through them, appraising them silently, and Velvet became short of breath as she waited for whatever judgement Coco laid upon her.
"These are good," Coco said finally, returning to the first photo. "Very good. You really have an eye for these things, don't you, Velv?"
"You think so?" Velvet sat up, rubbing her hands restlessly, before she realized how awkward that must look and rested them on her thighs. "T-these aren't all that much, y-you know. Just, uh…"
"Just awesome? Or, just works of art?" Coco looked at her pointedly. "Or, just - I can go on and on all day. Just take the compliment, Velvet."
Velvet sighed. "Thank you."
Satisfied with herself, Coco handed over the photos. Velvet looked over them thoughtfully. They were good. Excellent, even, she supposed. Mister Oobleck had said so, and Coco now too, so what reason did she have to think the contrary?
"Did your man-crush like them?" Coco asked casually.
"He's not my man-crush, Coco, he's my boss! That's just gross," Velvet complained. "A-and I don't know why you always have to specify the man part…"
Coco grinned. "Because I like to watch you squirm, honeybuns. Why do you have to make it weird?"
"You're the one who – oh, whatever," Velvet grumbled. Coco was the only person who could get her flustered like this – and not in the usual, Velvet way, but the I-can't-believe-we're-friends way. "He did like them. He even offered to finance my a-album thing."
"Your album thing?" Coco repeated in wonder. "So you're actually gonna go through with that? For real, this time?"
"Yes…" Velvet said, and frowned at the obvious doubt in her own voice. She sat up straighter, then spoke again, much more firmly. "Yes, I will. I'm going to finish my album, and I'm going to publish it." She paused. "And people will love it."
"Wow. Look at you, Miss Powerful Woman," Coco said, nodding her head approvingly. "It's about time. I always told you, Velvet, that working in that dingy little newspaper is not the life for you. You are meant for much, much more! I wouldn't be your friend otherwise, now would I?"
"Thanks?" Velvet said unsurely. "And the Ink isn't a dingy little… whatever. I-I'm proud of my job there."
"I know, I know." Coco patted her shoulder. "But still, my point stands. So, where do you go from here? You gonna find more birds to click-click, or what?"
"No, I already did that. Now, I need to diversify. Emerald Hills has a lot of great places to shoot at, but I think I've exhausted pretty much all of them," Velvet said, getting excited despite herself. "Remember that trip I told you about?"
"That Emerald Forest hike thing?" Coco looked at her sternly. "The one I had to convince you to take?"
"Yeah, that one…" Velvet said shamefully. "It's next weekend, and I think I'll have plenty of opportunities to build my album there. They say that about fifty or sixty percent of the forest is still undocumented, so…"
"That's great," Coco said. "Not the forest, of course. You couldn't pay me a billion Lien to set a foot in that place. Yuck. But you do what you gotta do. And if you need anything, you know you can ask."
Velvet nodded. She appreciated Coco's support, but she didn't think she would be asking anything of her if she could help it. She already felt bad about paying only a third of the rent, and Coco always paying for the groceries, and any apartment repairs, and…
Best not to keep thinking about all the ways she depended on Coco.
"Meanwhile," Coco said, standing up. "I have a lil' birthday bash to go to. You wanna come along?"
"A birthday party?" Velvet bit her lip. "Uhm…"
"There will be booze. And dancing. And lots of people. Basically, everything you hate," Coco said.
"Why are you asking me, then?" Velvet asked. Sometimes it really seemed that Coco liked to watch her suffer.
"Because, if I don't invite you, you're gonna spend the rest of the night cooped up in your room, like you do every night," Coco said. "Now if you still do that, it'll be your choice, and I won't have to feel guilty about it."
"Oh. That makes sense, I guess," Velvet said. "Uhm, whose birthday is it?"
"Dew's. The blonde from my class, with the dainty princess look. You've met her," Coco said. "She's lovely, really, except for the fact that she's a vile bitch."
Velvet frowned. She definitely remembered Dew. Her, and all her friends. "I don't know, Coco. We don't really know each other… I'm not sure Dew would like me being there."
"Oh, please, she'd love it if you came. Dew loves everyone. It's her defining character flaw," Coco said. "You'll have a great time. And if you don't, you can always skedaddle back home. If anyone says anything, I'll clock them on the nose."
Velvet fidgeted on the couch. Parties of any kind were not her forte, but with her plans to advance her career, she was discovering a new well of confidence inside her. And she couldn't deny that Coco had a point. Spending all her time either cooped up at home or wandering around taking photos wasn't healthy for her. She had to get out sometimes.
Besides, how bad could a little birthday party be?
Worse than anything she could have imagined, as it turned out.
Velvet didn't know why she had to be taught this lesson every time. She just hated birthdays parties. Any gathering of more than six people was a stretch of her comfort zone. Meanwhile, Coco's comfort zone seemed to encompass the whole city of Emerald Hills. Probably the whole of Vale, actually.
Just… God. The flashing lights. The sweaty bodies and their terrible, sweaty odors. The music! Her ears, all four of them, could barely handle it. She was pretty sure another hour of this would make her impair her hearing for life.
Sitting on the first empty chair she'd found in a corner of the nightclub, Velvet took her cup of soda and guzzled down half of it in one go. This was one of those times she wished she drank alcohol. Perhaps then she could draw some enjoyment from this hell. But then she remembered the social disaster that she already was when sober, then imagined herself under the effects of alcohol, and she was very glad she stuck to soda.
Soda. God, what was she, a child? No wonder no one was even vaguely interested in her! Everyone else had no problem letting go a little, and here she was sitting by herself like some sort of-
"Velvet, you're imploding," Coco said, appearing before her all of a sudden. "You have imploding-face. Get ahold of yourself."
Velvet lowered her cup to her lap and shook her head fervently. "I-I'm not imploding. I'm just fine, p-promise!"
"Yes, of course, I am thoroughly convinced," Coco said dryly. "You sure I can't get you anything, like maybe a clean path to the nearest exit?"
"N-no! I told you I'm fine, Coco!" Velvet replied, raising her voice so Coco could hear her over the music. Though maybe she raised a little too much, judging by the looks the people around them threw her. "I'm having fun…"
Coco looked at her pitifully, as if she just didn't know what to do with her. Entirely out of her control, Velvet found herself fiddling with the strap of her camera around her neck.
And there it was, another reason why people avoided her! She was the weird girl who brought her camera everywhere, even to a party, like a baby with a security blanket. She might as well buy herself a baby bottle so she could drink her stupid soda from it without risking spilling it all over-
"Alright, you're having a major crisis. I think I'll just leave you to it for now," Coco said. "I'll be back in half an hour. Text me before if you decide to leave."
Coco started to turn, but the sudden appearance of a tall blonde stopped her from leaving. Velvet felt her stomach make a trip to the other side of the planet as she recognized Dew Gayl, the birthday girl, and her troop of similarly top-model-looking friends behind her.
"Hey, Velvet! Coco told me you were here!" Dew squealed, taking Velvet's hands and holding them, a radiant smile on her lips. "Thank you so much for coming! This day wouldn't be the same without you!"
"O-oh? T-thank you," Velvet said. "I mean, h-happy birthday! You look older – I mean you look so pretty!"
"Thank you! You are so kind!" Dew said. "Hey, me and the girls are going to dance. You wanna come along?"
"N-no, thanks," Velvet said. "I'd love to, but I'm, uh, kinda exhausted. I've had a long day."
Coco raised a disapproving eyebrow at her, and in response, Velvet pretended she didn't exist.
"That's fine, I totally get that," Dew said, and drew a little closer to Velvet. "But you've gotta promise you'll show me your photos later. Coco's told me so much about your art, I'm dying to see it with my own eyes. 'kay?"
Velvet's eyes widened. She looked for Coco, but she'd conveniently vanished.
"Okay…" Velvet said, hoping her voice was drowned out by the music.
"Great!" Dew clapped her hands. "We'll talk later!"
Velvet replied to Dew's smile with one of her own, up until the blond vanished into the crowd. As soon as she did, Velvet jumped from her chair and bolted it out of the club.
"Stupid! I can't believe I'm such a – arrgh…!"
Velvet was so angry, she could kick a rock. A very large rock. A rock so large no one in their right mind should ever kick it, even if they were as angry as she was currently.
She shouldn't have run. Dew was probably just being kind, showing interest in an acquaintance's work, but Velvet just had to have assumed the worst, as always. It wasn't like Dew was going to laugh in her face, even if she didn't like the pictures. No one was that tactless and cruel.
But if Velvet was wrong, and Dew did laugh in her face…
Only one thing was certain – Velvet's disappearing act had done far more damage to her already terrible reputation than staying put and indulging Dew ever could have. And the cherry on top was she'd probably made Coco look stupid, too.
Sometimes she thought she would be better off just burrowing herself a hole in the earth and hiding in it until she grew old and died. But then again, that might have some slightly racist undertones to it, so perhaps it was best to keep drudging on through life one day at a time…
Taking a deep breath, Velvet made a sharp stop and looked around. She'd been so desperate to get away from the party that she hadn't paid any attention to where she was going after she left the club. She didn't know what direction she'd gone in, only that it definitely wasn't the way back home.
At least she hadn't wandered into any bad parts of town. Just the contrary, the neighborhood she found herself in looked to be fairly prestigious. The smallest house she saw was still easily five times the size of her childhood home.
This was definitely not the kind of place a lone faunus girl should be wandering around in the darkness of night. Nervous, Velvet fished out her phone from her pocket, deciding to call a ride to get herself out of there as soon as possible. She was a little short of cash, but needs must.
But maybe she ought to get clear of the area first, for safety's sake. Velvet put her phone away and turned around, walking back the way she'd come. Once the houses stopped looking so much like royal castles, then she could call her ride.
She was almost clear of the neighborhood when a low whizzing noise caught her attention. Velvet stopped in her tracks, folding her ears slightly, and looked around curiously. Was that a car? But there didn't seem to be any vehicles out at this hour…
She was probably just imagining things. Her nerves always did that to her. Velvet shrugged and started walking again, but not a second later, the noise happened again, and this time she noticed a flash of light accompany it at the corner of her vision.
Just a little further along the street she was on, the road split and descended into an underpass. That was where the light had come from.
Velvet kept on walking – making an executive decision to ignore whatever was going on there – but the underpass was on the way she was going, and she couldn't help but let her eyes stray towards it. Before she knew it, her curiosity had gotten the best of her and she'd crossed the street, and she was now on the upper side of the underpass.
The lights continued to shine from somewhere along the road, reflecting off the walls in mesmerizing fashion. They blinked at irregular intervals, and they were not always the same color, sometimes blue, red, yellow… It was rather breathtaking.
It could make for a good addition to her album.
"You cannot be serious," Velvet whispered to herself. She took a step back, fiddling with the strap of her camera. She could just imagine Mister Oobleck typing out tomorrow's headline. Young Faunus Girl Dies Of Bad Decision-Making.
Hopefully, she would make the front page.
Biting her lip, Velvet stepped around the corner and followed the road down. She reached the underpass' threshold and continued past, sticking close to the wall – as if that would do her any good. She kept her hands firmly on her camera, prepared to snap her picture at an instant's notice.
The blinking lights stopped before she found their source, leaving her enshrouded in the dimness of the underpass' lighting. Velvet cursed silently, thinking she'd lost her chance, but then a voice reached her.
"And that's just the small stuff, boys. What, you thought I was playing things up? Nah, this is some serious firepower right here. The real deal."
Velvet frowned. Something about that voice was familiar, in a very bad way. A hairs-standing-up-on-the-back-of-her-neck way. That was probably her cue to turn back and pretend she'd never seen nor heard anything.
But her curiosity was stronger than her good sense, so Velvet continued on, step by step, now actually pressing herself to the wall and hunching over to make her profile smaller. She wished she was wearing a hoodie she could try and hide her ears, as they made her silhouette all the more noticeable.
"I'll show you something else," the stranger spoke again. "This one's kinda small, and ugly as all hell, but it can do some damage. Sound familiar, Russel?"
"Haha, very funny," someone mumbled, while two others laughed over him.
Velvet's breath caught in her throat. She knew who was up ahead now, she was sure of it. And she knew she really should have turned back.
A blue glow filled the underpass. Further ahead, a pick-up truck was parked in the middle of the road, and gathered behind it were four boys around Velvet's age. They all wore black and brown leather, and their hairs were done in a slick fashion. It was such a funny contrast, Velvet would have laughed out loud, if she weren't so busy having a panic attack.
Her eyes were fixed on the boy in middle, the apparent leader of the group. He was bigger than the rest in many ways, standing a full head taller and having much broader shoulders. Between his hands he held a sphere-like object, the source of the blue glow. It lit up his face, revealing a smarmy smile.
Cardin. Cardin Winchester. Suddenly Velvet was transported years back, to a time where was confined in darkness, and her ears throbbed and burned with agonizing pain, and a sickness in her stomach stole her breath away-
"Well, are you just gonna hold it?" one of the other boys said, the one with the blond hair. Dove Bronzewing. The one who used to hold her arms behind her so she couldn't fight back. "Or are you gonna actually do something with it?"
"I could toss it at you, if you want," Cardin said. He threw the sphere up in the air, and caught it again, sneering as Dove backed away in fright. "It's a grenade, you dumbass. I'd love to show it off, but I don't wanna bring the ceiling down on us, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it's some powerful shit."
"Powerful how? Is it Dust?" the smallest one said. Russell Thrush. He always had the cruelest laugh.
"Well, yeah. But lots of stuff uses Dust nowadays. We're not in the bronze age anymore, boys," Cardin said. He held up the grenade, inspecting it closely. "I think it's some special combination of Gravity and Fire. It doesn't just blow stuff up, it holds stuff together, and then…" He looked at the ceiling, like he was searching for the right word. "…It vaporizes it, or something."
"Nice," the last boy said, nodding appreciatively. Sky Lark. He had never been very original when it came to tormenting her, always following Cardin's lead, but he'd always made it up with his enthusiasm. "What else you got?"
Cardin turned back to the truck and put the grenade back in a black steel case. Velvet frowned, temporarily setting aside those painful memories as she took notice of the volume of boxes on the back of the vehicle. She didn't know what was in them, but if they all carried stuff similar to that grenade…
What in the hell was Cardin Winchester doing with all of this?
"Oh, trust me, I got us a lot of toys to play with. But sorry, boys, we can't play with them here," Cardin said. "I couldn't bring out the big guns tonight. I mean, nobody can really touch me in this town, but it pays to be safe. Wouldn't want the wrong people to see me hauling this stuff around…"
"So what's the point, then?" Russel said, crossing his arms. "You got a big haul of SDC stuff, great, but what are you gonna use it for? Decoration?"
"I always wanted a Dust rifle to hang in my bedroom," Sky mumbled to himself.
"It's not me who's gonna use it. Well, I am, but… You gotta look at the big picture, man," Cardin said. "You know how people are these days, with all those Grimm pricks going around. Everyone's wondering when they're gonna show up all their house to eat their children or something. And they don't wanna depend on those stupid skirts to save them, so…"
"You're gonna sell all of this off," Dove said. "Don't you have enough money already?"
Cardin took one of the cases and slid his hand over it, his face twisting into a scowl. "Not me. It's all my dad's money. I'm gonna build my own empire now, without his help," he said. "We'll see who's gonna be bossing who around, then."
He clapped his hands and spun around to face his lackeys, cracking a smile again.
"But what's an empire worth if you don't have friends to share it with?" he said. "I'm not gonna make you choose now right now, you can have all the time in the world to make the right choice… But I think I already know how you're all gonna answer. So, who's in this with me?"
"You can count on me, brother," Sky said readily. "We're gonna make this town ours."
"Just this town?" Dove shook his head. "Why stop with Emerald Hills? Way I see it, we have the means here to establish ourselves way past that. I'm talking national level here."
"Trust me, I plan on going as far as we can, and more," Cardin said.
"Well I'm in, obviously. Sounds fun," Dove said.
They turned to Russel, who simply shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, what else am I gonna do with my life?" He nodded at the truck. "Now get back to the showing. If we're gonna make a fortune, I at least wanna know what we're gonna be selling. Just for curiosity, you know."
Grinning, Cardin started shuffling through the cases, deciding which one to open next.
Velvet inched back slowly, not believing her own eyes and ears. She knew better than anyone how abhorrent of a person Cardin was, but she'd never imagined that he would fall this low. He'd made high school hell for her, quite literally, but even that paled to what he was planning on doing now.
There was a reason this kind of weaponry wasn't available to the general populace. If everyone had even the most basic of Dust rifles in their homes, then the Grimm wouldn't be the biggest danger to society anymore. People could be hateful, and narrow-minded, and downright stupid. Who was a better example of that than Cardin Winchester himself?
Velvet hated to think what might happen to Emerald Hills if Cardin got what he wanted. But what could she do to stop him? She doubted the police would do anything about it. The Winchester family was quite influential in Emerald Hills. And she, well, she was just… her. Jumping off a tall bridge would do her better than speaking out against the Winchesters.
But maybe… Maybe she could bring this higher than the police? What Cardin was doing here was a very serious crime, the kind Beacon would be very interested in hearing about. And she could enlist Coco's help, too! The Adels weren't nearly as influential as the Winchesters, but they were nothing to be sneezed at either.
Oh, God. She wasn't seriously thinking about doing this, was she? She didn't need to do anything. Someone would do something about Cardin, someone far braver and more capable than her. And what had anyone in this town ever done for her that she should risk her own skin for them?
Velvet pinched her forehead, took a deep breath, and counted to ten. Jumping on the dancefloor didn't seem such a bad idea anymore.
Careful not to make a sound, Velvet grabbed her camera and raised it. With trembling hands, she aimed it at Cardin and his gang. He was showing off a Dust cannon now. One click, and she had her photo.
Good. Great! Now you can run for the hills!
But that wasn't enough. Cursing her conscience, Velvet kept observing as Cardin showed off more of his arsenal to Russel, Dove and Sky, fearing every second that one of them would turn and notice her. For every weapon Cardin brought out, she took a photo, and soon she had a dozen of them.
That should be enough, yes? No. If Cardin could somehow claim that wasn't him… It would be preposterous, but he might get away with it nonetheless. She needed something else to tie him to the scene.
The truck! But Dove's leg was in the way of the license plate. BCN-3842. She could go back, but then it would be too far away for a clear picture. Slowly, Velvet inched forward, step by step, until she could see the plate. She raised her camera again, and clicked.
A whooshing noise filled her ears, and a green light blinded her momentarily. Surrounded by smoke, Velvet jumped to her feet, coughing as the gas invaded her lungs.
"Shit! That one's unstable!" Cardin yelled, and she heard him drop something on the ground. "Are you guys alright?"
"We're good! Woah, that was scary!" Russel exclaimed. "And awesome! Do it again!"
"Shut up, man! We're lucky we're all in one piece!"
"I think you hit a wall," Sky said. "There. Jeez, that's a lot of damage – wait, is there someone-"
Velvet stumbled out of the smoke, and as her vision cleared, she saw the four boys staring right back at her. For a moment, they remained that way, Velvet wheezing with her camera in her hands, while Cardin and his gang looked on, engines spinning inside their heads.
"She saw us," Cardin said. "Get her!"
Velvet turned and run. She heard the stomping of the boys' feet right behind her, more frightening than any noise she'd ever heard before. She saw the end of the underpass, and beyond it the night sky-
Russel came in, kicking the back of her knees and bringing her crashing down to the ground. Instead of bracing her fall with her hands, Velvet turned to the side to protect her camera. Her shoulder hit the asphalt, and her arm erupted with pain.
"She's down!" Russel screamed.
Velvet grabbed her arm, soundless gasps escaping her lips as the pain rocked through her. Someone's legs passed her, and when she looked up, she found Cardin staring down at her furiously.
"You! You just had to go and nose around where you don't belong you, did you? I'm gonna teach you not to-" He paused, his face lighting up with recognition. "Holy shit. I know her." He looked around at his buddies. "You remember her, right?"
Russel and Dove looked lost, but after a second, Sky spoke up hesitantly. "The charity case…?"
"Yeah! Vel, Vel something… Velvet! That's the name!" Cardin smiled. "Hey, Velvet! Long time no see, eh?"
Velvet whimpered, her eyes brimming with tears.
"Oh, I'm sorry about Russel. If I'd known it was you, I would have told him to stop," Cardin said. "Jeez, it's been years. You're so much taller now. I mean, for one thing, your ears aren't half your size anymore!" He laughed warmly. "Wow. We had some fun times together back in school. Although… I guess I wasn't exactly friendly with you back then, huh?"
Velvet bit her lip. "P-please…"
"Hey, don't cry. I'm sorry, alright? I was terrible," Cardin said. "But I'm not that person anymore. I'm all grown up. See?"
He offered a hand. When Velvet didn't take it, he grabbed her wrist himself and sat her up, patting her shoulder gently where it had hit the ground. The rest of the boys looked at each other and spread out a little, grinning silently.
"Wow! It really has been years since we last saw each other. Must have been graduation day, right?" Cardin said, crouching in front of her. "And look at you now. You're a woman! How weird is that?"
Velvet covered her head with her hands, uncaring of the pain it caused her to move her arms. "P-please, can I just g-go…? I didn't see anything, I s-swear."
"Velvet, buddy, come on. We're just having a chat, no need to get all stuttery on me," Cardin said. He looked at her camera, and though his smile didn't fade, she saw something change in his eyes. "You're still all about that, huh? The whole photography thing. I never got it, but hey, if that's your jam…"
He edged closer, and Velvet felt her heart thumping faster inside her.
"I heard you were so good, it got you a scholarship," he said. "Is that true?"
Hesitantly, Velvet nodded. If she humored him, maybe he'd let her go.
"That's weird, 'cause I used to go to Emerald University – before it got boring – but I never saw you there. How come?" Cardin asked.
"I… uhm… I l-left. It was just, you k-know… A little much?" Velvet stammered.
"Didn't feel right, I guess. Like you didn't belong." Cardin's smile widened. "I get that. Not personally, of course. I was too good for that place. With you, it was the other way around."
Velvet opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a strangled sob.
"Oh, hey, I'm not saying that's the truth! It's just what I'm getting from what you're saying," Cardin said, waving his hands amicably. "As far as I'm concerned, Velvet, you're great. They're worse off not having you there."
He gave her cheek a little rub and nodded. Velvet smiled shakily – then screamed as he pulled back his hand, balled it into a fist, and buried it in her stomach.
"Hah! So easy! You haven't changed at all!" Cardin chortled. "You really thought I was going to be nice to you? Are you really that stupid?"
He got up and kicked her in the chin, and Velvet fell on her back. He swung another kick, this time at her hips, and she doubled over in pain. Her head exploded with pain, as if a nail was being driven through the back of her skull, and over the ringing of her ears she heard the other boys' laughter and jeers.
"God, I missed this! You were always so fun to mess with!" Cardin said. "Say, where's your friend? You know, the bitchy and butchy one. I guess she's not around to protect you anymore!"
Velvet turned to glare at him. "When Coco hears about this…" she croaked. "She's going to destroy you."
"No, she won't," Cardin said, his voice dropping dangerously. "You tell anyone about what you saw tonight, and I'll destroy her. Got it?"
Velvet's eyes widened. After what she'd seen, how could she not believe him? If Cardin wanted Coco hurt – if he wanted her dead – then he would get his wish.
If that happened…
"I won't tell," Velvet whispered. "Please."
"I know you won't." Cardin crouched next to her. "But just to be sure…"
He grabbed her camera, and ripped it from her neck strap. He got up, turned it over in his hands, and smiled at her. Gleefully, like he was in a stage play, he raised it high over his head…
"No! Cardin! Cardin please please please DON'T-"
…and dropped it. The camera hit the floor next to Velvet' head, and she watched it shatter into pieces in front of her eyes.
Her scream died in her throat. Velvet felt herself falling, like a hole had opened under her, and she plunged into the bottomless dark. Everything burned.
"No evidence," Cardin said. "That's what you get for intruding in my business. And it's just the beginning, so don't go getting any ideas."
"Check if she has a phone," Dove piped up. "Might have taken photos with it too."
Cardin reached down and whisked her phone from her pocket, snickering at her total lack of resistance. He dropped the phone on the ground, and Sky walked over and stomped on it.
"Alrighty. All's taken care of. Now just go back to your little hole, stay quiet, and your troubles will be over," Cardin said. "Let's clear, boys. Someone might have heard that blast, and I don't wanna be here when they come investigate."
He walked away, followed by his lackeys, all of them laughing like they were having the time of their life. A minute later, she heard the noise of the truck speeding away.
Velvet stared at the fragments of her camera, and felt herself die.
The door to the apartment was unlocked. Velvet shuffled in lethargically, and bowed her head as the bright light of the living room stung her eyes. She stood there for a moment, silent, unmoving, until she remembered that it wasn't a great idea to leave the door open behind her, and turned to shut it.
No sooner had the lock clicked, Coco came from the kitchen, wide-eyed and with her phone in hand. She dropped it and ran to Velvet, all but throwing herself against her. Velvet winced, the weight on her arm renewing the pain.
"Velvet! Oh my God, I was so worried!" Coco exclaimed, stepping back. "I was just about to call the police! Where were you, did something happen?"
Velvet opened her mouth, then closed it. Her eyes fell to the floor between them. "I got lost on the way home."
Coco blinked. "You got lost? Are you serious?" Her eyes narrowed with anger. "I told you to text me if you were going to leave without me! You… You could have just called me, and I would have come to pick you up. You've got to be joking, Velvet, I know you're – but this is another-" She stopped, her face going blank as she noticed something was missing. "Velvet. Where's your camera?"
Velvet bit her lip. She mumbled something, she didn't even know what, and shrugged powerlessly.
"Velvet, what happened? Tell me the truth." Coco put a hand on Velvet's shoulder, and gasped as Velvet winced and retreated from her touch. "Holy shit, did you get mugged?"
"Y-yeah," Velvet whispered. "I got mugged."
"And they took your-" Coco shook her head. "Here, sit down."
Coco gently pushed her to the sofa and sat her down, then left for the kitchen. She returned seconds later with a glass of water in hand, which she quickly handed to Velvet.
"Drink," Coco said, and Velvet obeyed wordlessly. The water went down her throat like ice. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"
"N-no," Velvet stuttered.
"Velvet."
"They shoved me, and I fell on my shoulder," Velvet said swiftly. "But it's n-nothing big. I'm just fine, Coco."
"You are most definitely not fine, Velvet! They hurt you! I can't believe they hurt you!" Coco hissed. She sat down beside Velvet and grabbed her hand. "What did they look like? Were they anyone we know?"
"I don't remember."
Coco looked at her incredulously, and Velvet couldn't help but feel ashamed. Of course Coco would see through her lie. She knew how good Velvet's memory was, especially when it came to remembering even the most minute of visual details. That was part of why she'd been such a great photographer.
Had been.
"Velvet, you have to talk to me," Coco said. "I know it's scary, and you're probably freaking out right now, but you have to keep yourself together, just for now. If we're quick, the police can probably trace the guys that mugged you, maybe even recover your camera-"
"The camera's gone," Velvet said. "Please, Coco, I don't wanna talk about it. I don't wanna talk to the police. It happened, it's over. Right now, I just wanna lie down on my bed."
She stood up, and Coco looked up at her with such pity, Velvet was forced to turn away. They were silent for a moment, before Velvet walked away, heading to her room.
"Velvet. Wait," Coco called after her, and Velvet came to a stop. "We'll figure this out tomorrow. Everything will turn out okay. I promise."
Velvet didn't look back. Coco meant well, Velvet knew that, but nothing she could say would make things right. Velvet wasn't sure anything could make things right, ever.
Props to anyone who guessed Velvet was next.
So, this story will be a little different in a couple ways. First, it will be a bit shorter. Of course, short is a relative term. My initial plan (which was rather ludicrous) was for a three chapter long story, which evolved into four chapters... And then the first chapter was way too big and I split it into two. So, you'll be getting five chapters of Velvet instead of the usual eight to ten.
Second, I've already written most of the story before posting the first chapter. The idea was to have it ALL written by this point, but I'm terrible and things tend to be more complicated when you get to them, but whatever. So that might come across in the story, or it might not. It'll be like a fun little experiment! You can also expect an actually consistent schedule this time throughout the entire story - one chapter every ten days. (I'd do it weekly, but I got other stuff going on, sorry)
And as bonus, you get Chapter Two already. Cheers!
(oh and I'll give anyone who figures out this chapter's Easter Egg a virtual cookie)
-Zeroan