Author's Headnote: Sorry for the long wait, AC Broke and it was hard to write given the room I write in has turned into a Sauna.
RWBY: Festival of Blood: Second Blood
Ruby Rose/Roxy Tudor:
Aura Status: 36%
Thirst: Ravenous
Semblance: Parasitic Petal Burst
Weapons: Crescent Rose, Slice of Life, Penny
Licensing: None, Illegal huntress
Party Relations:
- Raven Branwen: She doesn't seem to like Ruby's Optimistic and high moral view on the world.
End of Main Character Status Report
Mistral Wilderness, April 9, Sunday, 10:00 PM, Random Cave Entrance
Ruby isn't really getting anywhere closer toward Mistral, especially considering she has to turn right back around to this cave every single time she tries to... and train jacking is a terrible idea, given the grim sensors are gonna mark her as hostile... so, travelling by train is a terrible idea... and there's no fast vehicles nearby for her to travel to... and she tried petal bursting, but that's gonna drain her aura and the chances of making it to Mistral before sunrise on that rate is slim...
And it should go without saying, her flask is empty...
Meaning, that her arrival to Mistral has a slim chance. She's so close... mostly living off of the passerby White Fang mook.
The sun's down, meaning that it's safe to explore the outdoors again. Hopefully a vehicle comes by for them to hijack. Hoping to hijack a vehicle? No... this isn't how Ruby to view herself. Living under an alternate persona, forgoing all of her morals just for some meger goal. She does not believe the ends will justify the means. What good is it to stop a great evil if another great evil takes it's place? She must not give in to the selfish desires.
But the thirst for blood... it's making it hard to think, the six months of vampirism has taken a toll on her, she enjoys the taste of blood... but her empathy denies her the chance to taste it whenever she desires...
Ruby breathes heavily and rapidly... she got out Crescent Rose and proceeded to use the blade to cut her own arm open, and then drink the blood from that. So desperate to taste and to drink... and the fear of losing control... it's making her a bit crazy. Raven had witnessed it...
"What the hell are you doing?" Raven asked, then proceeded to restrain Ruby.
"Have you lost your self-control?" Raven scolded.
"I need blood!" Ruby yelled in a complaining tone.
"Obviously... can't believe you're already losing it. How long have you been a vampire?"
"Since October."
"Seven Months? Damn... and this is the first time you stabbed yourself to drink blood?"
"Yes?"
"Let me tell you something: it doesn't work. If you were hungry and tried to swallow your own saliva, it would come back at your mouth, anyway."
"Oh..."
"Yeah. Now go find some random scoundrel to drink from before I kill you out of self-defense."
Alright, alright...
Ruby had exited the cave... hoping to find someone to drink from... at this point, she no longer cared who.
Mistral Wilderness, April 9, Sunday, 10:11 PM, Mistral Valley
The 500 miles between her and Mistral. The time between makes it impossible to pass by without a faster means of transportation. Raven is lucky since she doesn't have the sun killing her.
Though, she can't run that fast without her aura depleting... and she fears what may happen if that were the case...
Come to think of it, her aura never depleted once during her time as a vampire. Which is good... since she's vulnerable to death in that way... well, dead dead... since she's technically alreay dead. Body's cold, no heartbeat and all of that. However, what keeps her going on is her fear of what happens when she dies, since she was briefly dead for like a couple of hours during her transformation... she's afraid of what awaits her on the afterlife, should a thing exist...
And it looks like her luck is about to turn around for her, as she sees a car going by... in which she jumps in front of the road, and then jumps onto the car, she then changed into a rat form and snuk in the car and popped behind the backseat. She hates doing this, but it's the only option she has. It's better to use it to her advantage than to just become feral and killed by Raven.
Random Car, April 9, Sunday, 11:33 PM, Mistral Wilderness
Ruby, no Roxy... is in the backseat of the car, in her human form, she got Crescent Rose in rifle form, and pointed the gun at the driver.
"Gah, don't shoot!" the driver pleaded.
"Give me the car."
"Alright, alright, just don't hurt me..." the driver said, moving from the seat, in which Roxy had gotten into.
"Forgive me." Roxy said, knocking the driver out, before drinking her blood. Though, she didn't drink enough to kill him.
This action has made Roxy only disgusted in herself. But it had to be done... It seems fate has other plans for her, having her become a monster. No matter how hard she tries to resist. She's disgusted by herself for having to this, now she's at the wheel, not knowing how to drive, it seems she's about to learn the hard way. She got her foot on the petal and floored it, rushing to Mistral as fast as possible.
However, something caught her off guard.
"Hey there, did you intend on leaving me behind?" Raven said, sneaking up from behind her.
"Gah!" Roxy screeched, swerving the car.
"Didn't your sister teach you to drive?"
"No, she did not?"
Raven sighed. "Well, too late to change seats now. But hey, this is the first time you committed grand theft auto, congratulations." Raven said, condescendingly.
"I'm not very proud of my actions, I've become a hypocrite." Roxy retorted.
"We're all hypocrites in the end. The pot may call the kettle black, but the kettle is still black."
"Don't try and make me feel good about myself. My team would hate seeing me in this state. Yet again, they'd all likely have a lot of words for me to say... assuming that Weiss and Yang are still alive..."
"Yang's still alive."
"How do you know?"
"Semblance, I know where she is right now, she's in a Haven Academy dorm, sleeping."
"Got it, so... avoid Haven Academy unless we really need to go there."
"What, why?"
"I don't want my sister seeing me. It's better for her to think I'm dead, anyway."
"And why is that, are you afraid of her? Or are you afraid of her seeing what you've become?"
"Both. She already knows about my condition. But right now, I'm stooping so low to the people I used to thwart."
"All for a good cause!"
"The ends never justify the means!"
"I see. So, even if someone has the best intentions, their actions matter more to you?"
"I believe that actions speak louder than words or ideas. If they're willing to commit malevolent acts for their cause, then they themselves are malevolent, no matter what they're fighting for."
"So that's how you see the world, and you see yourself as a common thug? No longer untainted from perfect morals?"
"That's how you put it..."
"Well, if you're already beyond redemption, may as well go all the way..."
"What? Kill everyone I see? Are you mad?"
"If that's your definition of all the way, you've got something going on in your undead head of yours."
"I ran away from my home; I've essentially turned my back on my friends."
"Ya, you get it. You hate yourself and you're filled with regret. But there's a reason why you did so..."
"Yes, and you know why."
"I still say it's a dumb reason, running away after killing someone?"
"I've made it clear that I have tried to avoid killing people, and often trying to spare or save their life."
"From the sounds of it, you really aren't cut out for the huntress gig. The only monsters in this world aren't just the grimm. Many are people. The sooner you know this, the better. Almost became one myself."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you once you drink enough blood to restore your aura to 100%, you're going to need it."
"Why is that?"
"I just want to help you get rid of your reluctance of killing. And trust me, you won't have an ounce of empathy for these people."
"Whatever, can we just get to Mistral first? The sooner we arrive there, the better."
"I couldn't have said it better myself."
The car was driving to Mistral, the glass in it means she's protected against the sun as she drives to Mistral. The problem is Mistral is in a mountain, and there's only one entrance. Which means she's going to need some identification. Which means she'll have to wait by the entrance until night and then bird mode flies her way around the mountain. And then land somewhere inconspicuous. From there, she'll have to figure out more about Cinder. Of course, she needs to stay away from Yang at sight range.
City of Mistral, April 11, Tuesday, 10:11 PM, Mistral Undercity
Roxy had managed to bird mode fly her way to the undercity last night. It's buried deep from all the development that very little natural sunglight reaches here. Which means she'll have to make her base of operations here. In addition, this place is crawling with misguided individuals. Those too down on their luck to make it for themselves.
She feels bad for the people down here... thankfully, from all the jobs she's been doing, she'll be able to rent a room at a hotel down here for as long as she needs it. A lot of what she's doing is moving around, not standing in one place...
She began resuming to take up jobs but limiting herself to the city. She'll need to wait until the time is right until she could break in the academy... Roxy quickly shuddered... she's more and more growing disgusted in herself.
The disgust only grows more and more as she goes on, living with the deeds she's done. Well, not living per say. She hates this.
And she's just standing outside with her hand on her head, overthinking everything.
Well, until she got slapped back in the head.
"Still feeling guilty I take it?" Raven asked.
"I still have a conscience." Roxy retorted.
"Nothing wrong with that, you simply just put your moral standards too high for your predicament. How did you survive from consensual drinking, anyhow?"
"Can we have this discussion inside?" Roxy asked.
"Oh ya, talking about this stuff in public's a bad idea."
Roxy and Raven had head inside the local hotel. For to discuss her condition further.
City of Mistral, April 11, Tuesday, 10:11 PM, Undercity Hotel Room
Like all things in the undercity, the hotel room isn't very nice... and it looks like something is living in there. And not human. Apon closer inspection, it's a rat! She quickly caught the rat and drank from it.
But ya, the bed is just a mattress older than her. There's no other furniture other than a bunch of lawn chairs, and the floor is absolutely dirty. In addition, the bathroom only has a toilet, no sink, no shower, no bathtub.
Absolutely disgusting place. But that's all she can afford without drawing attention to herself.
The name of the hotel in question is called 'The Rotten Mule', and she's in the fourth room.
She had sat down on one of the lawn chairs in the room, Raven sat in the other.
"I believe that... everyone has some good in them. So, it'd be a waste to kill them." Roxy said upright.
"That's why you don't kill? Because you don't want them to end their life known only as a common thug?" Raven asked.
"Ya..."
"That's a highly respectable opinion. However, it's not entirely true. There are some folks so deep in the dark they can't be dragged out even if you tried. It'd be better to just outright kill them."
"You can't just say that!"
"Of course, look at you, two nights ago, you stole a car and drank the blood from an innocent without consent. Your hands are far from clean."
"I'm not proud of it."
"Look, you can't be the model huntress you want to be anymore. But I'm not telling you to kill everyone who attacks you. There's a middle ground. You can spare common thugs and minor crimelords all you want. But when it comes to enemy vampires and Salem's thugs, don't let a single one of them live."
"Why is that?"
"A common thug or a minor crime lord won't be a threat if you incapacitate them, they'll come back same as ever. But when it comes to them, they'll come back, prepared to know your every move, making each following fight harder until you draw your last breath."
"I see..."
"Look, it may be hard to get you to betray your 'no-kill' morals you've inherited from your parents. But sometimes, taking a life to save others is necessary."
"That seems moralistic of you."
"Seems about right, when I was about your age, I was raised that this world was one where the strong survive and the weak die. And that it's the duty of the strong to kill the weak. However, when I was about to approach an early grave at seventeen when someone saved my life from a yakuza attack on my home. They told me 'all life has a chance to grow strong, you simply need to help them get there'. Who are they? Don't really know, chances are they're dead by now, given I'm seventy-one right now."
"Is Raven even your real name?"
"Nope, and neither is 'Qrow' my brother's real name either. We both used to change our names often to avoid suspicion. And by the time your father passes away, it'd be time for me and my brother to pick new names for ourselves. And it's a habit you need to pick up as well, you'll have to ditch the name 'Ruby Rose' from yourself fast, considering that people think you've died. Not to mention you're going to cause a stir up if people find that said individual is alive here."
"So... you're more experienced in this stuff? So, have you ever fallen in love?"
"Ooh, Ouch. Straight to point there, Rox."
"Rox?"
"Your name is Roxy Tudor, is not?"
"I suppose so..."
"Then I suppose you're going to have to get some identifications and a new scroll soon. Along with some changes to your face, you still resemble your initial self. But back to the point... ah yes, her..."
"Who?"
"Some young girl I've met when I was twenty-two. She was ten, but it-"
"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"
"What?"
"I get you were in the body of a child at the time, but you were WAY more mature. So I'm gonna stop right there."
"Oh ya, that was fair, it was only a crush anyway. Wonder where she is, now?"
"NONONONONO!"
"Relax, I was playing with you. If you want my honest opinion, turn her or let her go. It'd be better for you."
Roxy paused. She loves Blake, she still does. But as much as she wants to be with her forever, she'll have to let her go and be happy with someone else. Well, she already accepted that, but having someone else say it is well, it gives her doubt if she'd make the right choice.
"So... you're curious on who I'm having you slaughter?" Raven asked.
"No, not really..."
"Then you're in for a surprise. You will object at first, knowing you and how your father raised you."
"I suppose I will. I don't find myself a person who'd ever willingly take a life... if I was fully aware, chances are I'd still see their faces in my sleep..."
"And I'll respect that. Now come on, let's go get your ID and scroll. The hair is nice, but you can't wear those sunglasses always, so I'm gonna take you to do some work..."
"We're strapped for money!"
"Which is why we're going to attack one of the Yakuza headquarters beforehand... don't worry about the power vacuums, crime families like those gone will make this place better anyway."
"Which one?"
"Steel Hawks, they're quite a bunch of pricks anyway, can't fight them alone. You can't fight a whole crime family headquarters alone, you got to need at least one other."
"Why is that?"
"Place is heavily guarded. Even me being mostly vampire won't cut it, my body has its limits, and so does yours."
"I think we may need to get more people for that. However, knowing your skills, I think the two of us may do just fine."
"I suppose I'll consider it."
"Trust me, after the things I tell you they've done, you won't hold back."
"Lead the way, then."
Steel Hawk Yakuza Headquarters, April 12, Wednesday, 12:01 AM, Front Entrance
Raven always preferred brute force it seems. Since they're charging in the headquarters, which is one of the large buildings in the lower-mid districts. Said building is exactly four stories tall. It's fairly obvious that they make their presence announced to anyone nearby. The building is quite newer in design compared to the rest of the buildings in the city. Likely built sometime just before the great war, but was abandoned after it.
The interior looks modern, despite this. With a clerk at the front, for who knows what reasons. Said clerk is a woman in her late 20's the security has yet to be seen, though. Roxy sees that there are cameras everywhere.
Raven approaches the clerk.
"We're here to see Mr. Eoduun Nalgae." Raven said, with an intimidating tone.
"My apologies, but he's not expecting a visitor." the clerk responded.
"Well, it's an uninvited entry, so you best not get in our way unless you wish to join him."
"Ya... right... I just pressed the silent alarm button, so... it was nice talking to you."
Raven sighed... and Roxy readied herself for combat, as a bunch of combat mechs pop out from nowhere. Roxy unsheathed her scythe and used the scythe to begin cutting them down in a reflex, even without using her semblance, Roxy is capable of reacting to fast speeds. The mechs were an older Atlassian model, skull head brand. And the rifles were from ten years ago. So... couldn't really stand much of a chance. Roxy had in a switf twist of her scythe, disposed of the mechs with ease.
"Is mechs really the best they can do?" Roxy asked.
The clerk jumped in fear, and cowered. "Please, don't kill me. I'll let you through the building, just let me live!" the clerk begged.
"Spare her, no need to kill someone who's unarmed."
"Alright fair point, not like she could rat us out, who is she gonna call? The police? The other yakuzas? They won't come to aid them here." Raven said. "Go, before I change my mind." she added, pointed toward the clerk.
Said clerk began fleeing the scene with a look of fear.
"One thing for certain, nothing will convince me to take the lives of unarmed civilians." Roxy stated.
"Don't blame ya, waste of effort. Only a psycho would willingly kill innocents." Raven retorted.
"Anyways, let's clear house."
The two of them had then proceeded to enter toward the center of the building. Which means: the second floor and on the way up the stairs.
Steel Hawk Yakuza Headquarters, April 12, Wednesday, 12:13 AM, Second Floor
As mentioned, they reached to the second floor. On their way there, they have only encountered mechs. Guess they really like to use automated work.
The room they are in is rather quite large. With the modern look and tiles and all of that, it's rather empty, too. Such a shame to not use this room for something... unless, the use is in the emptiness.
Suddenly, the elevator beeps. And a bunch of actual Yakuza mooks come in. Though not from the elevator. The all came through downstairs... and from the elevator, a man wearing a different outfit. Whereas most of the Steel hawks wear a mix of white and red suits, his suit is mostly black with a white tie. He also bears a robotic right arm. He appears to be somewhere in his late 50's (And no, it's not general Ironwood, readers). His hair is mostly grey and his muscles are on the larger end. It's obvious he's no ordinary member.
Said man in the elevator in question is likely the leader. In which he then claps his hands.
"Welcome, welcome. I'm glad you spared the intern, saves me time for hiring." the man said.
"Uh... you're welcome, I guess?" Roxy said, confused.
"You sound confused, do you not know who you're fighting?"
"Don't mind him, his bark is greater than his bite." Raven said.
"I recognize that voice. Somewhere when I started this gig and before I became the boss. I was tasked to raid some bandit camp, it went back horribly. But I always remember hearing the voice of a girl, fleeing for her life. That was thirty-five years ago."
"I thought every single one of those mooks were killed, how could there be any survivors?" Raven said, out of reflex.
"It was a miracle on my part. But from what's coming out of your mouth, you must be that girl. Tell me, how did you age so well?"
"It's a family secret..."
"Family secret, huh? Same one from the Moon Dragons, or is it a different flavor of grimm crawling up your skin?"
"You know?" Roxy asked.
"You can't snoop around Moon Dragon business without learning their secrets... chances are, they've sent you to get rid of me... oh how much that old Shogun wants to have a monopoly on power..." the man said.
"Enough, care to explain why you outright butcher civilians outside the capital?"
"Me? I did not such thing personally... but as for the reason, it's our territory, we can do whatever we want."
"You're a monster!" Roxy retorted.
The man grabbed a gun, handgun, heavy caliber. And shot Roxy in the stomach. Roxy survived, but there's a huge hole in her gut.
"My my, that should have killed you. Unless the pot has just called the kettle black." the man said.
"But the kettle is still black."
"Doesn't matter! Practice what you preach! You sound like one of those holy knights in the yee old days from Beulleodeu's time."
"I don't massacre civilians out of want!"
"Yet you feed on them like the parasite you are. I'm a monster, a murderer, sociopath. And I'm honest with yourself. Yet you, you surprise me. I get the feeling you're the heroic type, and here you are, something worse than me."
"That's not true! Do you think I chose to be like this?"
"And yet you're willing to co-operate with it, despite everything. Why even the mother of a silver-eyed girl said she'd rather take her own life than become like that..."
And then suddenly, Roxy snapped.
"What. Did. You. Just. Say?" Roxy asked.
"though, said mother was killed the next day, poor little Summer Rose was alone with her father. Must be tough growing up without a mother, and from the sounds of it, she was better off." the man said.
Roxy grabbed her scythe... under beneath the scarf and sunglasses was a face of rage... Roxy is trying her best to keep her cool.
"Summer Rose, you know, I was spying on her ever since the day I killed her mother. Seeing the tears wept from that girl's eyes. She promised that she'd have her revenge. What a shame, I was hoping for the day I'd fight her, to kill her the same way I've killed her mother. How pathetic. People say Summer Rose was a great huntress and all, but to me, she's nothing more than some pathetic, sorry coward."
And just like that Roxy had activated her semblance and used Crescent Rose to stab through the man's heart. The man could be heard coughing.
"Tell me your name, that's all I want to know before I see the life taken from your eyes, monster!" Roxy demanded, in a tone of rage.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm Eoduun Nalgae, head of the Steel Hawk Yakuza." Eoduun said, followed by some coughing. "You're quite dense, just like Summer..." he said, before dying... as the life is faded from the eyes... she has killed someone. This time, she bears no regrets. The rage has cooled, and instead of pulling the scythe, she finishes the slice, cutting the body in half.
"If you value your lives, it's best you lay down your weapons and leave." Roxy demanded.
From the response, all the mooks had complied, leaving in a hurry and rushing down the stairs in a rush. They're also keeping quiet.
"Impressive. Didn't know you had that in you..." Raven said, surprised.
"Didn't know, either." Roxy responded.
"Guess your mother is a sensitive topic for you."
"I guess it is..."
"Anyways, what do you want to do here? Steel Hawk Yakuza is no more. Wanna loot or...?"
"Eh, we could crash here. This is a great place to set up shop, chances are their equipment is still here. And for once I want to sleep on a mattress that isn't just more bed bugs than mattress."
"Agreed. The place and the stuff in it is ours now. Mistral law enforcement won't bother much since they won't dare go near someone who basically took down an entire crime syndicate with a single swing."
"So... I'll be feared?"
"Yep, basically."
Roxy paused a bit... she's becoming more and more like the people she had portrayed like a villain. And yet, she doesn't hesitate. She now sees that killing doesn't really matter... being that there are monsters that take shape in human or faunas. She won't hesitate to strike them down. She also fears if she doesn't restrain herself, she'll become something far worse than what she wants to stop.
"Now, who is it you wanted me to kill?" Roxy asked.
"I lied. He was the guy, did some digging up about Summer. I would have done this with your mother if she had come back. Guess my effort's not in vain, after all." Raven said.
"So... you knew about him this whole time?"
"Ya, I didn't want to tell you directly, I'm afraid that you may have lost your cool and then you'll just commit a massacre."
"Why do you care, then?"
"Eh, gives me a bad reputation, if my would-be pupil starts killing left and right. That means less jobs for me."
"I see..."
"Anyways, wanna go and hunt some stragglers in the building? Chances are you're getting thirsty."
"Alright, wouldn't hurt... I guess..." Roxy said with some pause. Raven does have a point; she is getting a bit thirsty.
Author's Footnote: Once again, sorry for the late upload. Would have updated sooner, but ya... see the headnote for that... so, what do you think? Glad to see this has a new chapter? I sure am. I was hoping to get Ruby out of this twist in this story. She won't hold back anymore, now. Anyways, see you next chapter.