Welcome back. Big note at the end with explanations for those interested, possible way off future plot spoilers in there though. I'd still recommend reading it to those interested, after all the story isn't set in stone
Disclaimer: I don't own anyrhing besides my changes to the story, the design of the main character, and his personality.
"Is this really necessary old man?"
Ren couldn't help his grimace as yet another dose of blood was drawn from his shoulder. That had been the fourth time in the past hour and he was beginning to grow annoyed at the constant pricking. Sure he was now a revenant but that didn't mean he was immune to pain and he most certainly didn't want to find out if his newly revived body was capable of suffering from Anemia.
"This is all for a good cause Kagami." A wizened man, garbed in a lab coat and glasses hovered over him. "A revenant who doesn't suffer from any memory loss is an anomaly. Not only that but the very structure of your blood code is quite fascinating. It'd be a waste not to get any viable samples should you perish on the battlefield."
"Wow, talk about a vote of confidence." Ren chuckled. "Don't think I'll fair well in battle?"
"Quite the opposite actually. The average revenant wouldn't be able to keep pace based on these results; however, you're up against the Queen." A almost demented smirk crossed the man's face as he spoke. "You're a mere baby lion in the face of a raging tsunami compared to her. She is the peak of human evolution, a scientific marvel. I predict you'll be dead within a week."
Ren grunted in acknowledgement. He had seen what she had been capable of first hand. Even with his empowered body he doubted he stood much of a chance. Even so, that didn't mean he would give up.
"If only that damned Gregorio hadn't taken such a personal interest in you. The data your body contains would have been extremely useful to my research." The old man gave a sigh, deflating into himself. "I suppose these blood samples will have to do. Aurora should be competent enough to extract any notable data from you even out on the front lines."
"Aurora's on the front lines?"
"Not as a fighter obviously. Gregorio wouldn't let me conduct my research in peace if I hadn't sent someone as well versed in revenant biology as myself to the main camp. The only person worth their weight around her was my own apprentice, what a waste of her potential…" He seemed to grumble to himself for a few moments. "…that aside, do be sure to take good care of yourself Kagami. Your body could prove very useful to me should you come back alive."
"……I really think you should rephrase that." Ren shifted uncomfortable at the almost obsessive way he was being looked upon. "This is exactly why everyone calls you a creep Mido."
Present Time
The city was a labyrinth.
Ren couldn't help but frown in frustration as he fiddled with his tight gas mask. He and Io had been traveling for nearly an entire week and yet somehow it felt like they had barely gotten anywhere. Between the ruined buildings, other wreckage, and their distinct lack of memories it proved rather difficult to make any real headway on their journey. It certainly didn't help that the duo had to stay on guard or else they'd run the risk of the ever present Lost getting the drop on them. Dying wasn't exactly something that he felt comfortable doing. Obviously they'd just reform as long as no damage was inflicted to the heart but the idea of willing throwing himself into the jaws of death didn't sit well with him. Maybe it was pride or perhaps even a deep rooted fear but nothing would kill him if he had anything to say about it.
'We can't go on like this for much longer.' Ren shot an subtle glance towards Io. His fellow white haired revenant always insisted that she was doing just fine but he had slowly picked up on her telltale signs of exhaustion. The muffled intakes of breath, the slight shaking of her ankles after any long drops, the lower way she held her bayonet; none of these details escaped his inquisitive gaze for very long. 'We need to find somewhere to set up for the night. I'm not doing much better myself.'
Revenants didn't need sleep. That was one of the first things that Ren had noticed over the course of the week. However, that was not to say that they could go on forever without any repercussions. Going without sleep meant that they required a greater amount of blood to sustain themselves. He was no professional but he figured it had something to do with their senses being stuck in overdrive due to being on high alert. They had been rationing the filled sack of blood beads Ren kept tied to his hip but it was only a matter of time before they ran out and as luck would have it, the alternative wasn't much easier.
It was no understatement to say that Lost infested every nook and cranny of these dilapidated streets. No matter where they went the damn beasts seemed to be lurking just out of sight. On their first night the two revenants had believed themselves to be safe only to awake to a growing horde of the blood hungry fiends. Their survival could only be attributed to Io's slowly improving aim and his quick wit. Since then they had remained on the move, only taking short breaks here and there but that routine would only be viable for so long.
Taking a quick glance around Ren concluded they were in what could have been a residential district. There were a number of tall apartment buildings, rusted cars, and hastily packed bags littered throughout the area. Eventually his eyes settled how small, somewhat ruined apartment building that was slightly tipped over. It would be dangerous but if they manage to clear out a floor there was a chance they'd get a night of peace as long as they took turns keeping watch. The miasma wasn't particularly thick in this area either so that was something.
"Io. I think we can spend the night in that building." Ren spoke up, his voice slightly distorted by the gas mask. "Stay close to me and be prepared to fire your rifle."
"Understood." Io nodded and picked up her pace, trailing closely behind him.
The two entered the darkened structure and peered through the darkness with the ease of an apex predator. The entrance hall was empty, void of any signs of life. There was a single frozen form of a Lost behind the desk but it wasn't active at the moment. Ren opted not to go near it, there was no point in attacking something that was virtually harmless to them at the moment. He would have gone room by room but a faint reddish-white light at the end of the long hallway caught his attention. Giving a single nod to his companion, Ren headed off towards the light. It didn't take long for him to make out it's source.
Sitting just beside the opening of some sort of cave system was a small plant. Strangely enough it looked relatively similar to the spring that he had purified when he had first come to. It seemed almost corrupted or at least that's what Ren thought. The darkish red blood dripping off of its shriveled up bud, giving it that ominous red glow that had drawn his attention.
"What is this?" Ren muttered as he kneeled down to get a closer examination of the mysterious vegetation. What kind of plant grew indoors or even glowed for that matter?
"This is a mistle. They only grow within the vicinity of blood springs and serve to lighten the miasma released by the Lost." Io explained. She had come to over to look over his shoulder, curiosity clear within her eyes. "I believe this one has been corrupted by the blood of the Lost."
"Blood springs huh…" Ren rubbed his chin in thought. He had no doubt what Io said was true. She seemed to have an innate understanding of things concerning revenants or rather him specifically. There was also certain bits of information she had picked up when she was tracking him down.
If this thing only grew near blood springs then perhaps this cave led to one. Not only that but perhaps it was made of the same material as said springs. If that was true than maybe he'd be able to purify it. It couldn't hurt to try.
Unclipping his mask, Ren yanked the stuffy thing off and brought one of his fingers up to his mouth, biting it open with ease. He could have used his sword but he didn't very much like the idea of using something he has been using to kill the Lost on himself. He sincerely doubted revenants could get sick but the sight of the corrupted plant was more than enough to make him think twice about doing something so careless. Not to mention there was a good chance the blood of the Lost could accelerate their progression towards frenzying. Either way his teeth would have to do for now.
He held it over the plant, allowing his blood to leak onto it. The results were quite pleasing.
A blinding white glow enveloped the plant and persisted for a few seconds. Once it died down the plant's bud began to open up and gain a more healthy appearance. Their was still something strange about its whitish color but it was more calming than anything these.
"hmmmm…" Ren took a deep breath. It was hard to describe but it was as if the very air around them had gotten lighter. Not only that but his bloodlust hadn't grown in the slightest. "Amazing."
"It would seem this plant is not dissimilar to a blood spring." Io pointed out after taking off her own mask. "Lost should be deterred from coming here due to it's purifying properties."
"Even so, we should clear out this floor just to be safe." Ren stated while hooking his gas mask to his hip. This plant clearly had some powerful effects but he'd rather be safe than sorry. Io offered no protest, simply preparing herself for the coming battles.
It didn't take them long to clear out a majority of the apartment building's first floor. Most of the Lost were killed by a silent stab from Ren before they could even put up a fight. The ones that did manage to get in strikes were quickly knocked off guard by a few quick slashes from him then a finishing shot from Io to disperse them. In no time at all they had entered the final room. The sight that greeted them was somber to say the least.
Surrounded by empty cans of soup and water bottles were two skeletons. One clearly belonged to an adult or perhaps teenager while the other was that of a child's. Sadly enough what really caught his attention was the simple black handgun within the skeletal hands of the older one. Ren grasped and examined it, pulling out it's magazine. It was near full, only missing two bullets. That little fact combined with the holes in their skulls was enough to provide insight into what had happened here. These two were likely running out of food but the older of the two decided it was too dangerous to head outside.
"A quick death over starvation…" Ren muttered while putting the gun's safety on and slipping it into the back of his pants. It wouldn't be much help against the Lost as it wasn't designed to fire ichor laced bullets but could prove to be a useful distraction against weaker foes.
"Why would humans wish to kill themselves?" Io asked, hovering just over his shoulder.
Ren shook his head. He understood the logic. Normally humans stood no real chance against any of the Lost wandering around nor any revenant that'd just use them as a sort of blood bank. Based on the lack of rust on the handgun he had picked up this had happened recently. It was commendable that they had even survived this long. Humans could get sick, needed a lot of sleep, had to scavenge for both food and water. They definitely had it rough.
Yet on an emotional level Ren just couldn't wrap his head around it.
How could someone possibly bring themselves to not only commit suicide but kill someone close to them as well? Where was their pride? Their sense of self-preservation? Or even just hope? He could never bring himself to do anything of the sort. Hell even knowing that he'd reform Ren was against willingly throwing himself into a situation that'd he didn't think he could handle. Io would be left alone and would likely end up enduring the same fate.
Did that mean he was weak?
…
'-really….Queen will kill you.'
'No!' A steely determination entered Ren's dark brown eyes. 'Suicide is the cowards way out.'
"They were pushed to their limit and gave up hope." He answered after a brief silence. He came to stand and led Io out of the room. "Lets get going."
Minutes later the two revenants could be found in one of the many rooms that they had cleared out, more specially the one closest to the recently purified mistle. As a precaution they had barricaded the door to the small room as well as the windows so they'd be able to rest with a better measure of security. Ren allowed Io to take the dusty old bed while he opted to sit against one of the walls, prepared to spring into action should the situation call for it.
"Ren…" The white haired revenant glanced up towards Io. The woman had taken off the spikey hood that she kept over her head. Somehow seeing her neck length hair sway freely brought out some sort of strange feeling from within him. Nostalgia? Happiness? Regret? Placing the feeling was near impossible but he was sure that he must have known Io at some point. What other explanation was there? "…what is hope?"
"Hope." Ren muttered the word thoughtfully. What exactly was hope? A thing, a person, or perhaps something more? He didn't know but there was one thing he did understand about it. "Its something that keeps you going even in the darkest of times. The thing you fight for."
"Fight for?" Io repeated. She tilted her head, her amber eyes shinning with curiosity. "Then what is it you fight for?"
Ren grimaced. He didn't know how to answer that question. Even just thinking about it made him feel lost. Cruz knew who he was, of that he had no doubt. She hadn't told him everything but still, he knew he could trust her, some part of him instinctively understood that. However, that didn't bring him any comfort. Save humanity, how the hell would he do that if he didn't even know who he was? More importantly, why should he put himself in danger to help strangers? Human or not. Io herself was a different matter entirely. While it may have only been a week the numerous skirmishes the two found themselves in had formed a bond of trust. Their shared cases of amnesia certainly played some role in that. The nagging feeling at the back of his head whenever he looked upon the woman couldn't just be a coincidence.
"My memories I suppose. I want-no I need to know who I once was." Ren gave the only answer he could. "After that I'm not sure."
"….." Io closed her eyes. Ren couldn't help but find the look of quiet contemplation cute. "Then I will assist you."
Ren raised eyebrow at the girl's declaration.
"I do not understand what this hope is that you speak of but I know it is my duty to help you along your journey." Io opened her eyes revealing her golden orbs. Their usual emptiness was accompanied by a faint light. "I will do what I must to ensure you recover your memories."
"Io…thank you." Ren cracked a small smile. The weight he hadn't even realized had been bearing down on his heart lightened in response to Io's resolute words. "I will do the same for you. Perhaps then we'll understand the connection we share."
With that said the two fell into comfortable silence.
Same time
Location:???
Louis Amamiya didn't put much stock in rumors. With all the dangers teeming within the Gaol of the Mist one false move could easily mean death for both revenants and humans alike. While a revenant would simply reform there was no telling what precious memories might be forgotten in the process. He himself had been the victim to such a thing; hardly capable of recalling any personal details of his time as a human.
This was one of the many reasons he had completely ignored the emerging rumors of a dried up blood spring suddenly sprouting out new blood beads. It was hardly the first time a claim like that had been made and certainly wouldn't be the last. It was not uncommon for more…morally ambiguous revenants to spread false stories like that to get the drop on those gullible enough to believe it. Over the week those rumors had escalated so much so that even a certain merchant had brought up to him. Even then Louis had been reluctant to check it out, despite the possibility it'd aid in his research. The idea that a dried up spring had suddenly been brought back to life was simply impossible. He had made various attempts to induce such a reaction but all of them had proved fruitless. He was hardly the arrogant sort but he sincerely doubted that there was someone who had figured out some sort of concoction to revive the dead springs. So Louis had been content to focus on his own research of the springs even with the ever advancing miasma.
Then it happened. A government patrol had made their way towards this rumored spring. That was all it took for Louis to finally decide that this was more than a mere scheme to enslave or rob other revenants.
The provincial government or Silva's dogs as some liked to call them had very limited contact with other revenants. Besides enforcing their admittedly unfair, in Louis' opinion, tax of blood beads on any group they could find they spent most of their time holed up at their headquarters or launching expeditions to locate more blood whether it be from surviving humans or beads. They didn't usually waste time with gossip or other nonsense which meant they had to have some concrete proof of this supposed spring. Perhaps a recon unit or reliable information broker. The latter was rare but there was certain information worth paying for in the Gaol. Either way it was time to act.
He was sure they wouldn't mind a lone revenant tailing them; after all, what they didn't know couldn't hurt them.
That Night
Location: Ren's Mind
"Hey Ren." A faint voice called out to him. "You in there?"
…
"Come on and get up already, I didn't drag you here so you can sleep." The voice got louder but he tuned it out. "You asked for this."
Ren's eyes shot open as a sharp pain assaulted his side. The revenant was immediately greeted by the satisfied face of none other than Cruz herself. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had been the culprit behind the sudden assault on his person.
"Was that really necessary?" Ren questioned, not even bothering to rise up from the soft grass. It was definitely a step up from the wall he had been propped against before he fell asleep.
"Nope." Cruz responded with a smile, adding a slight pop to her words. "Now get up before I kick you again." Ren briefly considered ignoring her but ultimately decided against that course of action. It was obvious from the mischievous look in her eyes that she'd follow through with that threat of hers without a hint of hesitation. Rising up to a sitting a position, he spared a single glance around the field. It hadn't changed at all since the last time he had been here but even so there was something bothering him.
"How exactly did I get here?"
"I called you here." Cruz answered proudly. "I've been trying for awhile but it never worked before. I wonder why it worked this time…"
"Maybe its because of the mistle?" Ren offered his own thoughts.
"I doubt it. I don't really know what those things are but they shouldn't have anything to do with your mind-actually you might be on to something…" Cruz rubbed her chin in thought, giving his suggestion some consideration. "Maybe it actually has more to do with the state of your mind than anything else. This is the first time you and that Io girl have been safe enough to sleep comfortably and according to her it keeps your bloodlust from growing out of control. That probably isn't a coincidence." Ren nodded in agreement with her assessment. It certainly made some sense. Well as much sense as this odd situation could make anyways.
"Wait, can you see the outside world?" Ren asked after realizing exactly what she said.
"Something like that." Cruz chuckled nervously, looking everywhere but directly at him. "The technical answer would be no but who cares about the details. I'm not really looking out of your eyes or anything."
Ren raised a single eyebrow at her, more than a little suspicious about her sudden anxiety. "So how exactly do you know what's going on then?"
"I was sorta, kinda, maybe looking through your memories." Cruz admitted. "Don't be mad! It just so boring sitting here doing nothing all the time and I thought I'd take a peak. I'm sorry!"
"That makes sense." Ren said with a shrug, this was his mind after all. "So is it like some kind of movie or something?"
"Hmmmm…I don't think that really does it justice. Its more like I temporary become you; your thoughts, emotions, all of your senses sort of merge with mine while I'm looking into your memories." Cruz explained. "Think hyper realistic virtual reality."
"My thoughts?" Ren repeated.
"Every single one." Cruz gave him this odd smile. One that he could only describe as…perverted. "Even the spicy ones about Io."
"I've never thought about her like that." Ren denied the accusation with a deadpan expression.
"But now you will, you can thank me later. Maybe you two will give me some interesting memories to look at later." Cruz let out a small giggle.
"So I have a pervert stuck in my head?" Ren said to himself. "Fantastic."
"Jokes aside, you don't really seem that angry." Cruz pointed out curiously. "Doesn't it bother you that I can just see all of that? Most people wouldn't exactly thrilled about this sort of revelation."
"Maybe? I don't really know. It doesn't really feel wrong to me." Ren offered another shrug. "Didn't you say you're a piece of me now? Maybe that's why it doesn't bother me. Besides I can't really blame you." The white haired man stretched as he finally came to stand, staring up at the metallic maze above. "The entire time I was in there it felt like I was trapped even if I didn't fully realize it at the time. So yeah, I know exactly how you feel being stuck here."
"Hmmm." The two remained in subdued silence for a few moments before Cruz broke it. "Does that mean I can watch if you decide to get down and dirty with-"
"Shut it perv." Ren immediately cut her off getting a laugh from Cruz. He rolled his eyes at her antics but couldn't help the small smile on his face, something about this just felt right. Like they had know each other all their lives. Shaking those thoughts away Ren decided to address the elephant in the room or rather In his head?
"I doubt you brought me here just to reveal that you're a degenerate. What'd you need exactly?"
"I take offense to that. I may be, no I'm definitely one of the biggest perverts around, but I'm no degenerate." Cruz gave him a mock glare, seemingly taking pride in her title. "Anyways, there was something important I wanted to talk about."
"What's up?" Before Ren react he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a harsh bop to the top of his head.
"That stunt you pulled with those two revenants was beyond foolish. You realize that luck is the only reason you're still alive right?" Cruz carefree aura was completely overtaken by stricter one. "You should have just gone along with them so you could recover your strength or at least take them off guard."
"I'd rather die than slave away for worthless trash like that." Ren sneered, surprising himself with the sudden burst of anger.
"Why am I not surprised. Prideful even without your memories." Cruz shook her head. "Don't you realize that if that revenant's gift had struck even an inch closer to the left it would have damaged your heart?" Ren remained silent, turning away from her glare. "Eventually you'll need to let that pride go Ren. Everyone is depending on you."
...
"Fortunately it seems your recklessness paid off this time." Cruz released a heavy sigh as she calmed down, getting Ren's attention. "Do you remember what I said about your blood code?"
"Broken and all that." Ren muttered, still not quite meeting her gaze. "Something change?"
"When that…air bullet pierced the two of you some of his blood leaked into your wound." Cruz explained. "As you know by now revenants are very blood oriented beings. Most would have simply cycled out or overpowered the foreign code when it entered their system to protect their own but as I said before you don't possess a specific code anymore. For simplicity's sake let's just say that little fact left the parasites within you hungry so instead of just destroying the blood they stripped it of it's code to adapt it as it's own."
Ren rubbed his chin in thought. He was no professional but that didn't quite make sense to him. If one were to compare it to a typical human blood types wouldn't that make something of an O? Shouldn't all codes be harmful to him?
"I know what you're thinking, I thought the same thing too once." Cruz messaged her temples as if it pained her to try and wrap her own head around the whole subject. "All the specifics just kinda flew over my head when Aurora tried to explain it to me. Just don't forget you're not a human anymore Ren, not all the typical rules apply to you."
Aurora.
Ignoring the slight pain that name summoned, Ren got back on topic.
"So you're saying I took his blood code?" Ren clarified.
"Yep." Cruz answered with another pop. "Not really the strongest blood code around but it's got some useful abilities."
"You can tell what sort of abilities it has?"
"I'm amazing, I know." Cruz grinned at him as golden light appeared behind her. In the blink of an eye a number of white needles formed, all poised to strike at whatever was unfortunate enough to be the object of her ire or in this case, person. "Up for a little practice?"
The Following Day
Location: With Io and Ren
'This cave is massive.'
Ren couldn't help but grow slightly worried as he and Io navigated the damp area. It felt like they had been walking for hours but without the sun he had no concrete way of knowing if that were actually true. Fighting in this place was an absolute nightmare and likely would have taken a huge toll on the duo had it not been for the abundance of blood beads tied to Ren's waist. The abyss like darkness was bad enough but combine that with narrow pathways, long drops, and groups of the Lost. It didn't take a genius to figure out just how difficult it was to fight under these conditions.
'Maybe we should pull back.' Ren considered, sparing a glance towards Io. For once she was faring much better than him, having maintained her stamina by providing ranged support. He didn't want to risk her being pushed off the edge of these slippery paths and into the seemingly endless pit below. 'We might have to take our time and map this place out, it's nothing like the city.'
Putting that decision at the back of mind for now, Ren focused on the opening before him. With a single glance he could tell this room was different than everywhere else they had seen so far.
In actuality it was less of a room and more of a spacious opening, kept stable by various naturally formed pillars. There was a way to head even deeper on the far side of said opening but he had this sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't be as simple as making their way over there. His ears could pick up the faint patter of water dripping from the sharp rocks above. Though the ground wasn't exactly slippery in here the water was still noticeable.
For now it seemed safe.
As he turned to speak to Io the white haired revenant felt his ears twitch in response to a strange sound. His head instantly snapped towards the source only to catch sight of a black blur leaping over him.
"Io!" Without missing a beat, Ren rushed forward and blocked the slash that had been aimed at his frozen companion's neck. The attacker used him as a stepping stool and kicked off him, back flipping through the air. He didn't even give them the chance to gather their bearings.
Before their feet could touch the ground Ren was upon them. The slash he aimed towards them had been blocked but the force behind had been powerful enough to send them sailing straight through the air. In a surprising show of ability they flipped once again, landing on one of the many pillars and somehow keeping themselves in place despite being upside down.
'A revenant.' Ren analyzed their would be aggressor. She was a girl, likely around the same age as him, with blonde pigtails and large green eyes. While the gas mask she wore hid her mouth, it did nothing to conceal the glare she was aiming down upon them. The black lightly armored trench coat she wore concealed most of her clothing though that was hardly the most interesting thing about it. What really caught his attention was the metallic bladed tail extending from the base of it. That appendage was responsible for keeping her suspended in the air, having wrapped itself around the pillar.
"Put down your weapons and hand over your blood beads." The girl ordered. The jet black bayonet she wielded was already zeroed in right on Ren's head, her finger on the trigger. "None of us want any unnecessary bloodshed."
"You're making some dangerous assumptions." Ren retorted as he prepared his sword to block any incoming shots. "We don't have any blood beads."
"Don't try to lie to me! That bag around your waist can only be filled with one thing." Her green orbs took on a dangerous red hue. At the same time the barrel of her gun began to glow a ominous dark purple. "Just hand it over and we can go our separate ways."
Ren spared a single glance in Io's direction, sure to keep the blonde in his sights. Fortunately it seemed Io had taken cover behind one of the many pillars, meaning he didn't have to worry about her for now.
In a burst of speed Ren took off running straight at the girl. She was just as quick, firing off her first shot the second he had taken a step towards her. The first was easy to dodge but Ren found himself struggling to stay ahead of the barrage of ichor fueled shots. He didn't know if it had to do with the weapon itself or a difference in skill but the speed of her bayonet completely outclassed Io's. Despite that he managed to reach the pillar she was attached to and punch right through it with his free hand.
Recognizing the attempt to bring her down in range of his sword, the girl reacted quickly. With ease she unfurled from the pillar and bounded to the next like some sort of animal, already firing her next set of bullets.
Ren rolled out of their path, this time using cover while he once again closed the distance between them. As he dodged a shot aimed for his head, Ren thrust his arm forward and a ball of wind burst forth headed straight for her. The blonde's eyes narrowed and she leap away from that pillar expecting it to be left shattered. Instead the ball redirected itself, tracking her every twist and turn through the pillars. She had gotten so distract by the man and his gift that Io had completely slipped from her mind. At least until a well aimed shot shattered the pillar she had just landed on, sending her straight towards the ground.
She hardly had a moment to think before Ren was upon her.
Ren stepped past the girl's guard and went for a thrust towards the girl's midsection. She managed to maneuver out of the way but still ended up receiving a long gash along her side. The girl gritted her teeth and lashed out, a series of powerful bullets flying from her weapon. At this range it had been impossible for him to dodge all of them. One of them managed to pierce his left shoulder and the girl was quick to follow up with a kick packed with enough power to send him skidding backwards. Ren wasted no time in firing off another ball of wind as she leaped behind one of the pillars. He wouldn't let her escape that easily.
This time the girl had learned from her mistake, immediately firing off her own ball of ice at his gift, forcing the two to explode and send small shards of ice flying in every direction.
'This was a mistake.' The girl thought while placing a hand on her slowly healing side. 'I need to make an opening an escape.'
She peaked from the pillar she had retreated behind only to come face to face with Ren, her ball of ice having given away her position. She ducked and his blade sailed harmlessly over her, imbedding itself in the pillar. Taking advantage of his stuck weapon she shot her tail forward, intent on piercing his chest. The girl's heart sunk when she noticed the victorious smirk on his face. Before her mind could even comprehend what had happened the white haired revenant seemingly devolved into a haze of white and red particles. In less than a second he had reformed behind her, his hands seizing her wrists. She tried to shake off his grip but quickly found that her physical strength was no match for his. Within moments Ren had her disarmed, forced to the ground, and a foot on the base of her metallic tail effectively limiting the control she had over it.
"You were surprisingly difficult to take down, by myself I probably wouldn't have stood much of a chance." Ren complimented the struggling girl's skills, more than a little impressed at her agility and speed. "So tell me, are you just plain stupid or were you driven to this by hunger? It would have been far smarter to stalk us and wait for a better chance than to engage in a head on confrontation."
…
"You were pretty desperate for these blood beads, even more than I expected. Why exactly do you want them so badly?" Ren questioned. If she had been put up to this by another group of revenants against her will he'd reconsider killing her.
The blonde revenant once again remained silent, never ceasing her futile struggle to squirm out of his hold. That silence was broken by a scream of pain when the white haired revenant tightened the grasp he had on her wrists even further, threatening to break them.
"I'd rather not do this to someone who barely looks like they're out of the teens so I suggest you cooperate." Ren warned her. "Why were you so desperate for our blood beads?"
"We were starving, okay! I haven't hadn't any beads in over a week and time was running out."
"That explains why your wound still hasn't fully healed yet and why you barely used any gifts during the battle." He seemed to weigh her words for a moment, his eyes drawn towards the blood gathering at her side. "Who's this we? Are there more of you hiding further in?"
"No, I'm alone."
"Then who's the we?" He asked a bit more forcefully clearly not satisfied with that answer. Ren had already gestured for Io, who had come out of hiding, to keep a vigilant watch of their surroundings. "Don't go quiet again or I will break both your wrists."
"My…my little brother. He needed blood beads so I went out to find some. I-I never wanted to hurt anyone but I just couldn't sit around and let him die." The girl revealed, her composed voice now filled with fear and desperation. Her struggling had completely ceased and she seemed to be on the edge of either breaking down or a violent lash out.
"Is that right?" Ren muttered to himself, a skeptical look plastered across his face. She seemed genuine but there was no telling if she was a good liar or not. "You came from further in right? Did you see any blood springs?"
"O-one." She answered immediately. "But it was all dried up. That's why I had to attack the two of you."
"Hmmm."
Against his better judgement, Ren grabbed ahold of her bayonet and released the girl from his pin. She instantly jumped away and that tail of hers curled around her petite form protectively.
"Here." The girl just barely managed to catch something Ren had thrown her way. Her eyes widen upon seeing the decent sized blood bead that now sat within her hands.
"Why-Why are you giving this to me?" She ignored the growls of her stomach in favored of trying to understand what was happening.
"I'm not giving you anything. You're going to help us but you can't do that if you're half dead." Ren explained his sudden show charity with a shrug. "You will take us to that spring and in exchange you get some blood beads."
"Didn't you hear me? It's dried up. What could you possibly gain from going there?"
"That isn't your problem." Ren deflected the question. Sighing he pulled out six fully grown blood beads, all of them easily bigger than the one he had tossed her. "Once we reach the blood spring I'll hand over these blood beads and we can go our separate ways. It's a good deal considering your situation, I doubt you can afford to say no."
"You're serious?" She remained unconvinced. "That amount of blood beads that size could easily last months and you're just giving them away to get to a dried up blood spring?"
"Isn't your brother depending on you?" Ren shot back, growing impatient. "If you're so suspicious toss the bead back and we'll be on our way."
"I….I'll take you to the spring." She decided. He was right after all. There wasn't enough wiggle room for her to even reject such an opportunity. "But it'll take over a day to reach."
"That's fine. I'll also be keeping on to this until we reach the spring." Ren used the strap of her bayonet to wrap it around his chest. "Stick close to my friend Io and don't try anything. If something happens to her I'll be holding you responsible."
The intense glare he sent her way more than got across his message. If she so much as laid a hand on his fellow white haired companion then he'd kill her, brother or not.
That was a frightening thought.
Sometime Later
Despite her reservations about not having her weapon, the young revenant found that she didn't much need it.
Ren and Io fought like a well oiled machine, hardly even needing to exchange words to understand what the other had intended to do.
While the man's speed itself wasn't a match for her own it was his unparalleled reflexes that really made him shine. Attacks that would have hit her we're easily deflected or avoided at the last second. Combine that with his strength and the clever use of those two gifts he had used against her and it wasn't hard to see why most Lost didn't pose a problem for him. Then there was the girl. While she didn't shoot with as much frequency as the blonde would have her aim still remained true; ending any that survived Ren's initial assault while also using other shots to stop ranged attackers. Her healing gift as well as the other support orientated ones were also capable of keeping Ren in top form.
With these two around she probably just get in the way of their teamwork but even so, the blonde couldn't help but try and think of a good argument to get her bayonet back.
"Hmmm." Ren slowed to a stop as they entered a room that was not dissimilar to the one they had initially fought her in. It was much smaller with only a few pillars but was otherwise identical in appearance. "We'll take a break here for now."
He led them towards one of the far corners that would keep them out of view yet still provide them with enough visibility to get the drop on anything that might approach them. Ren was quick to lay down his weapons and slide down to the ground, not really bothered by the cave's eerie atmosphere. Io followed after his example, sitting right next to the man. That left the blonde the odd one out, as she glanced around for a suitable place to sit.
Eventually she decided to simply make her way next to Io who seemed to regard her curiously.
"You have been staring at Ren." Io pointed out with a tilt of her head. "Do you require something from him?"
"Oh, I, um…" The blunt question took the girl off guard. In all her life she didn't think she'd ever met someone who could look so curious yet sound so apathetic before. "Its just….is he always so unapproachable?" If Ren could hear them he didn't show it.
"Unapproachable?" The girl repeated, clearly confused by the description.
"He seems a bit…cold, like he doesn't enjoy talking."
"Ren….is Ren." Io responded. "If you speak to him I am certain he will answer."
The girl held back a snort at that. Evidently this Io girl clearly didn't understand the position she was in. In Ren's eyes she was probably nothing more than a desperate thief and desperate people couldn't be trusted. She knew that well enough from her own experiences with revenants. She highly doubted that Ren had any intention of entertaining any questions from her, let alone an entire conversation.
Ironically enough, it was the man himself that proved her wrong.
"Your tail." Ren suddenly spoke up, getting their attention. "Was that some sort of gift?"
"Tail?" She repeated in clear confusion. It took her a moment to realize exactly what he was talking about. "You mean my Blood Veil."
"Blood Veil? Is that the name of it?"
"Not exactly. Blood Veils are armor that were created specifically for revenants. The two of you are wearing one now actually." The blood gestured towards Io's spiked hood and tatters hanging off Ren's torso. "The both of you must have suffered from a lot of memory loss to not even realize that."
Ren hummed in acknowledgement while looking down at the sorry excuse for armor he was wearing. He could hardly see this thing being able to summon something like her tail. Io was hardly any better, examining the tails of her hood curiosity.
"How exactly does armor have anything to do with your tail?"
"Blood Veils are also weapons. Each one is capable of using different types of abilities, that's what I've been told at least." She looked down at her own trench coat. "This is the only Blood Veil I've ever used so I'm not sure about yours."
"So what? We just put some ichor into our armor and it'll morph into a weapon?" Ren inquired.
"I believe that's the basic idea. The Blood Veil should handle the actual process automatically."
Despite his skepticism Ren closed his eyes and gave it a try. The possibility of being able to use a weapon like that tail of her seemed far too useful to simply pass up. Unfortunately no matter how hard he tried nothing seemed to happen. Meanwhile, the complete opposite was true for Io. Both he and the blonde jumped away in surprised when the ends of Io's hood stabbed into the ground and a gathering of sharp blades sprouted out around her, forming a protective circle.
'Holy crap.' Ren thought in amazement while staring at the blades. Those things would have no trouble impaling anything unlucky enough to have been in their range.
"This feels odd…" Io muttered while tilting her head. This was a distinct disparity between the innocent look on her face and the collection of weapons now surrounding her. After a few moments the blades receded and her hood returned to its normal state, the only evidence of what happened being the holes in the ground.
"Good job Io. It's looks like that'll be useful if anything manages to close in on you." Ren praised, his mind already working overtime. "I guess this Blood Veil of mine is too damaged to work."
"I've never heard of one being permanently damaged." The blonde added in her own two cents. "Their built to be directly connected with the wearer. That's the reason why it reforms and heals itself."
Ren hummed. That didn't bode well at all. Whatever caused him to lose his memories must have been pretty bad and considering that revenants were only truly in danger when damage was inflicted upon their heart…that didn't exactly leave much room for speculation. The fact that there was also a pair of scars sitting exactly where his heart would be on his chest and back suggested that someone or something had pierced him. A gift or weapon perhaps? Either way Ren was ninety percent sure he should have been dead. The more he thought about it the more his whole existence didn't make sense.
He didn't have a blood code, his blood was capable of reviving springs, an attack directly to his heart hadn't reduced him to dust. Let's not forget the fact that there was some girl in his head that was far too knowledge to be a simple hallucination like he had first thought. Either he was really lucky or Io was right when she said he was different than other revenants. Whatever the answer, Ren had a lot of thinking to do.
"Well I guess I'll just have to stay on the lookout for a new Blood Veil." Ren shook his head before turning towards the blonde. His suspicion was still present but at the very least he was grateful for the new piece of information she had given them. "Thanks for the information…"
"Mia." She caught his silent question. "My name is Mia."
"Mia huh…you already heard our names but I guess proper introductions couldn't hurt. I'm Ren and this is-" He returned to his position beside his fellow white haired revenant, unperturbed by the small holes all around her. "-Io." Ren gave the now named blonde a small nod before seemingly reverting back into himself, a thoughtful look on his face
Mia blinked, taken off guard by his civil attitude. While it was a far cry from friendly, it was clear that he had no intention of making their time together unbearable. Perhaps sticking with these two wouldn't be so bad.
"So it really was revived."
Louis observed the blooming white tree in fascination. As much as he would have liked to get a closer look and a physical sample Silva's people had already set up around it, warding off any revenant in search of blood beads. As skilled as he was Louis preferred to avoid confrontation with the government, they weren't exactly the most forgiving group around not to mention he had a tentative agreement with one of their members, an unprovoked assault wouldn't end well for him or the others back at base. For now he'd settle for this discrete vantage point hidden in the ruins of an old building beside the spring.
'I'll need to slip in and get a sample before I leave.' Louis thought while crossing his arms. 'Otherwise there will be no telling what caused this phenomenon.' None of the government's people seemed particularly interested in the details surrounding it. Ever since they arrived all they had done was strip the tree of its blood beads in timed intervals. It was foolish and selfish.
Hopefully he'd be able to recreate such an event or at the very least find the root cause of it.
The End
To my Friends: Be grateful I still made time to participate.
To everyone else: Surprisingly a decent bit of people seem to enjoy my sorry excuse for a story. Like I said before, don't get your expectations high for a great story or perfect writing but I am happy to see this managed to entertain some people. No one should expect another chapter any time soon, that fact that this one came out literally months later should tell y'all why that would be a mistake. The only reason I chose a code vein story to rise to my friends challenge would be the distinct lack of them I can find. You know what they say, sometimes when you want something done you gotta do it yourself. That being said I definitely encourage you guys to write your own stories if this one isn't to your liking or is taking too long to update, this site is for anyone and everyone willing to write after all.
Ramblings aside I guess I should also say somethings real quick that might be brought up. Possible spoilers ahead as these are plot points. I don't often respond to reviews so I'm taking care of this now.
First, not even Cruz's memories are perfect. So if some things she says or does doesn't make complete sense that is likely the reason. I was also trying to add a bit of flair to her personality since we see so little of her in the game. I happened to find the idea of calm collected Louis being endlessly teased by Cruz back when they were humans amusing so I was like why not. That won't be the only aspect to her personality but I'm not the perfect character builder though so let me know what you guys and gals think.
Second, Ren won't use that handgun very often if I'm being honest. Ammunition is a problem, practicing his aim, maintaining it; all sorts of issues come up with that. Like our good friend Yakumo it'll either be used for threats or when he's disarmed. Maybe Coco will be able to supply ammo.
Third, vestiges will indeed be in the story. There was a person who reviewed about it some months ago( you know who you are, hope you're enjoying the story. sorry for the wait) referring to the main characters vestige location. I won't say much about it but I can tell you that even if it's location is the same(not gonna pretend like I've written and made every choice up until that point in the story) the reasoning behind it will actually be concrete. I have a lot of angles to go from considering he has established relationships with Karen, Aurora, Jack, and even his sister. Speaking of his sister, that brings me to my next point.
Fourth, the fate of his Ren's sister is completely undecided but I can guarantee she will at least be involved in his memories. I have various rough drafts but a lot of content could easily be cut out. For example, I've written a version of this chapter where Ren killed Mia and one where she even managed to escape. The point is, while I have general drafts concerning the biggest plot points this is still a hobby I'm not taking that seriously. Depending on my mood things could easily be scrapped which is why this chapter is only now releasing. Killing Mia definitely would have been a major waste but keep in mind that while Ren is hardly evil, he isn't exactly a hero. That goes double for him right now considering his lack of memories. He doesn't have a hero complex or anything of the sort, I think Louis' own guilt brings enough of that to the table. He still has morals imbedded within his person obviously but Ren won't be...say Naruto who always sticks to those morals. Sometimes you gotta bend them to get things done. I'm hoping to emphasize that aspect of his character in the coming chapters.
Fifth, I'm thinking about making a list of all of Ren's gifts at the end of every chapter. Not important now considering he only has one blood code with only two gifts but make no mistake, Ren will undoubtedly become overpowered in this story. Having access to so many different codes and a person to train with inside his own mind is kind of a recipe for it, especially after he collects the relics. Anyways let me know if you guys are interested in the list, if not I'll just make it a personal think to keep track of all his abilities.
Finally, is a bit of a warning. This story might never be finished. I really want everyone to understand that, including my idiot friends. This is a hobby as I keep saying. I'm not out to improve my writing or anything like that, this is stress relief and me getting the ideas out of my head onto paper(digital screens?). Plain and simple. Could easily drop it to write something else(been playing a lot of genshin impact recently) or just never write anything again, who knows. Don't know why but things don't translate over perfectly, bunch of weird double spaces and minor things. ignore it.
Actually this is the final thing for real. Politics and all that unnecessary crap aside, I hope everyone is staying safe and doing something to stay happy during these times. I don't think I really needed to explain why I said that.
Peace out everyone who bothered reading all of this crap.
