Chapter 15: Vengeance
Blake was already on the road, when the sound of a motorcycle approached from behind. She quickly hid behind a tree, but risked a glimpse as Yang rode past on Bumblebee. Standing there, right off the road, Blake came to a decision, I don't know where she's off too, but when I meet her, I'll have to tell her that I'm going back home.
She stepped back onto the road, and then checked her pockets. The tingle of lien awarded her search, I've just enough to get back to Vale and get aboard ship. She took a deep breath, and rambled on.
"Is this a cliché romance moment or what?" Yang said as she and Nick separated from their embrace. He took a step back and shrugged. She gazed into his eyes; they held the recognition of a distant memory, like she reminded him of someone he once knew. "c'mon," she said, walking past him, motioning for him to follow, "We need to talk." He sighed and followed.
She led him through several buildings, ending up in the dorms. Without even thinking, she took him up through the halls and into her old dorm. Opening the door, Yang took a moment to see the state of her and her teammates' beds. Ruby's had crashed into Weiss', but hers and Blake's still stood.
"I thought you wanted to talk," Nick finally said, "Not–" She turned to him, eyes crimson; he stopped his statement short. "I seriously doubt it's a coincidence that you, of all people, were there when I… wasn't strong; you supported me, comforted me… but also knew what I was going through," she said. Nick nodded, and she continued, "I don't know who you really are; you simply walked right into my life from little more than a story."
He walked in and shut the door, "You're right, on all those accounts," he said. She turned away in a huff. He looked on, running a hand through his hair. She sighed, "You're the most mysterious man I've ever seen." He leaned against the door, putting his hands in his pockets. She turned to him, "And now you tell me of this curse," she glanced down at his hands, "I just don't understand!"
"You're not the only one," Nick replied. Yang looked at him, confused, "What?!" he looked up, deep into her eyes –now back to a beautiful moon-sparkling lavender. "I cannot Live, I cannot Die," he said, "I want to know who the hell I am." She blinked twice, shaking her head unable to think of anything to say. "The mark is upon me," he continued, "and this mark of pain brings fear."
An awkward moment passed; the silence between them heavy with restless anticipation.
"I, uh, well," Yang started, "I'm glad you held me up when I, uh, fell." He nodded, and she asked, "But you knew where I was going when I left, didn't you?" He wasn't given time to respond before she shot off another question, "How did you know I'd be going back?" he sighed, "because I did the same thing when I lost my leg: I couldn't just move on, I had to bury it first." "You did have that look in your eyes," she said, "like you had been in the same pain I was in." She looked up, seeing him grimace. I guess I shouldn't push him any further, she thought, but he's seen me cry, I should tell him that I can be strong.
"when Ruby's mom died, I realized I had to be strong for the both of us," she said," even after I found out about my mom…" She paused, her face darkening and eyes turning red for a moment. "I still needed to be strong, be brave because Ruby depended on it. I was just a little Kid, but since then very few people have seen me in tears…" He looked up at that.
"Now I can't really be a huntress," she said, shaking her head, "after what happened at Vital, everybody looks at me like I'm a monster…" she looked up at him, "I hope you're not one of them when I say that I nearly decapitated my opponent." His eyebrows moved up slightly, Yang saw that, thinking, great, he sees me as–
"You're no monster," Nick said, interrupting her thoughts, "just hot headed." He glanced to her golden locks, remembering what they did, "so to speak." She reeled from that, "How can you say that! I was put under house arrest in this very room for shooting Mercury's leg after he was down!" he rolled his eyes and said," something like that was going to happen in that gladiatorial festival eventually, it just so happens that it involved you; and if it wasn't you and this Mercury, than it would've been someone else." She blinked in awe. "Look, what I saw", she stated, pulling out her scroll, "and what everyone else saw were two different things. To me, after I defeated Merc, he sprung up and lunged at me; I defended myself." She pulled up a video and walked over, holding it out for him, saying, "but the video says otherwise." He pushed himself off the door and took the scroll, playing the scene of Yang, standing over a fallen, silver-haired boy; then using her gauntlets –of course she'd have a pair– she shot him in the knee. Nick didn't really react, handing Yang's scroll back.
He stepped back as she put her scroll away. She looked deep into his eyes for some hint of awaiting wisdom; what she saw was almost a deep admiration for her. "Alistair," she said, trying to reach the warrior of renown, "I know you're someone who listened to people, but from what I see in your eyes every time you look at me, maybe it's time for someone to listen to you." He shut his eyes and turned away. Yang could tell that she reminded him of someone, someone once close to him.
"Who do I remind you of?" she asked. He sighed and said, "You remind me of my big sister." Her eyebrows shot up at that, "You have a sister, an older sister?" "We… drifted apart long before Shanot," he said, "Just one of the things I've had to bury." Is he talking about his trauma? she wondered. He was about to say more, but she beat him to the punch.
"Don't bury it, it won't go away." She blinked, "Alistair –Nick, I want to know what happened before Shanot; before you're christened a wolf." He tensed, drew a deep breath, and was going to not tell her, but he was tired of sowing mysteries, and he did something she didn't expect.
"Aw, screw it to hell!"
He turned to her and explained, "The legend you know, the adventures of the Four Wolves, is only half the story, the half relevant to Remnant." She took a moment to process that, and rolled her eyes. "You're kidding! Let me guess, you were some lovesick farmer boy who ran away to seek his fortune, learned to fight, befriended a giant, a pirate, and another warrior, travelled across the land only to find his sweetheart fell for another."
"No."
She looked at him in mild surprise. "'No?' then what's been bugging you lately!?" His whole muscular frame tensed, as he ordered his thoughts and memories. "Long ago, there was a war I fought in. one day, I led my team into a… city. We got double-crossed. The only way I could see my team getting out of there if I stayed behind; the thing was my close friend –practically a sister to me– opted to stay as well."
He walked over to the window, sighing. Yang climbed onto her bed, shifting around trying to be patient. He turned from the window, "Her name was Cynthia, we all called her Synth." His eyes glazed over as he continued, "I can't even remember the name of that colony… but it earned the title I gave it.
"We were taken as prisoners of war. They interrogated us, shaved our heads, beat us to a pulp, and tortured us. Then, when they saw that we weren't gonna talk, they no longer saw us as prisoners. They…" He choked. Yang started, thinking, what kind of war is this? He collected himself, and she saw the burning anger in his eyes. "They regarded us as mere playthings; it wasn't exclusive, we were used by both sexes." He looked deep into her eyes as he said, "After weeks of torment, I cried out loud, broken. I didn't ask for salvation, or escape; I asked for vengeance, and I received it sevenfold."
She sat there, completely enthralled, but his next statement caught her off guard," For what they did to me, to Synth, to everyone there, in judgement I called the city…" He grit his teeth, the anger and pain seeping from the past, "New Gomorrah."
He sat huddled in his cells corner, naked, scarred broken, stuck to the floor by his own dried blood. His tears dried up long ago, but he still cried. He didn't know what time it was, he didn't even know if Cynthia was alive. All he knew was that his captors would be back anytime, bringing their hideous cravings.
Finally, Nick gave up; he bowed his head and prayed, "Adonai, before I die alone, let me have vengeance." Suddenly, the scraping sound of the cell door jarred his ears. A guard stepped in, alone. Nick watched through his peripheral vision, as he stepped closer, licking his lips and muttering to himself. "Mm," the guard said as he caressed Nick's right arm and the tattoo therein. Nick didn't react; he was too weak and malnourished to do anything. The guard pinched Nick's bicep, saying, "unh, still strong." The guard reached down, and Nick still didn't move.
Then an Idea formed in his mind, and Nick was filled with enough strength to tear apart a lion. As soon as the guard touched him, Nick launched his knee between the guards legs full force. The guard staggered back, voice no more than a high-pitched gargle.
But Nick kept moving, snatching a knife from the guard's belt. As the guard soon got his wind back, Nick lunged at him, sticking the blade through his temple. He gave it a twist and a wrench, and then let the brain-dead corpse fall.
He worked fast, stripping the guard of his uniform and leaving him in the cell. The guard hadn't fully closed the door, and Nick slipped out and locked it behind him. He looked up and down the subterranean corridor; no one saw him. He moved on, urged to the next step of the plan: find Synth.
He stealth-fully walked from corridor to corridor, from one level to another. Acting "casual" when he passed another guard. Then someone unlocked a cell door near him as he passed. He stopped and turned around, seeing a stocky, uniformed woman with metal-grey hair exit. She was followed by two scantily clad guardswomen; Nick had been visited by the trio before, and he knew their way with "prisoners", he had the scars to prove it: The infamous Fairy Hardcastle and her Nymphs.
He was going to move on, when he heard the sobbing from inside; I know that voice. The trio walked past him without even a glance, the only comment to him was, "She's all yours." Before the cast iron door fully closed, Nick stopped it with his appropriated boot, and slipped inside. She had stopped crying, now wearing a blank, empty stare at the wall; not even looking at him. He just stood there, nearly breaking then and there from the sight. "Do with me as you will," she said in a hollow voice, "just get it over with."
Cynthia…
She was huddled up against the far wall, scarred, broken, hollow, naked. He walked up to her, took off his tunic, knelt down, wrapped it around her, and tenderly, gently embraced her, whispering two words in her ear, "plyushevyy medved" she immediately grabbed his shoulders and held him at arm's length, staring into his face in the florescent light.
It's him! My Plyushevyy Medved! He's come to rescue me! She held him for a moment; not believing her eyes, then ran her fingers across his whip-scarred chest and through his three-centimeter long hair –a little longer than hers. He gently reached up and held her hands, then helped her adjust the too-large tunic. He braced her arms and helped her up. He didn't say anything more, but she understood him: Time to go.
They stealthily raced down corridors and up several levels. Suddenly they found themselves in a huge cavern, filled with several dwellings –most brick-and-mortar houses, some prefab shelters. The thing was, the "streets" were of the city were filled with people. Thankfully, Nick led them into the service alleys. As they were about to cross a street, a troop of armed guards passed their way. They ducked out of sight, back into the grungy alley.
Soft moans drew their attention down their side alley. Two women were on each other, on a couple of crates and a trash can. Synth ducked out of their line of sight, but Nick just stood there. One of the women looked up –Nick guessed she was in her early thirties— and said, "Wanna join?" her partner giggled at the idea. He simply returned to the street. After a moment, Synth followed. They made their way from the cavern, but instead of heading up, they went down. Synth took note when they passed a placard, "Radiation danger: entering reactor facility." What is he thinking?! She thought, we need to get out of here!
They entered a room with several locker lining the wall, at the end were some Rad suits hanging on rack. Nick took one off and started putting it on. Synth didn't know, but he was drawn to something old, something long forgotten that lay beneath the colony; he didn't know anything more than that. The crazy thing was, no one else was there.
Synth took a suit of her own and put it on. Maybe he's sabotaging the reactor, she thought, then she asked, "What are we doing?" he turned to her, emptiness in his eyes, and said, "Synth, you don't have to partake in this, you can escape." He told her about his compulsion to find something and activate it. "I'll go with you, Yankee," She said.
They entered the reactor, and crawled through several ducts. Finally they saw it: a half-buried cylinder, snub-nosed with a handle embedded at the top and a dust covered sign on the side. They walked up to it, Nick knew this was it. Synth brushed the dust off the sign. She grabbed his arm. "Do you know what this is?" she asked, "Nick, do you know what this will make us?" he grunted, "I am prepared to take the consequences." She looked on as he reached for the arming handle. Then she stopped him, "wait, if we do this, we do this together." She reached with him, pulled the handle up, rotated it a quarter turn, and then set it back down. Suddenly a display popped up above the sign on the cylinder, counting down from thirty minutes.
29:59:00...
29:58:00...
Nick and Synth looked at the countdown, glanced at each other, and ran back through the ducts. They didn't bother to shed their airtight Rad suits when they left the reactor.
The inhabitants thought they were chasing each other as they ran through the cavern; some of then laughed as they passed. They entered a lift and headed to the surface. They both looked for the vehicle bay, finally finding a hangar filled with dune buggies. Amazingly only one worked and had enough fuel to get them away, and they roared out of there like all get out.
Fifteen minutes later…
Nick stopped and they got out. They were on a plateau overlooking the colony. "This desert is horrible," synth said through her intercom, "those… those –calling them animals would be an insult to Rats and vermin." Nick took a moment to watch the city, then turned away, saying, "Let them burn." Then the desert was engulfed in the light like a second sun. Nick and Synth drove away. After a moment, they were in the shadow of a mushroom cloud. The duo drove on, both victims of this inhuman war.
Yang didn't speak for a while, regarding the man in front of her in a new light. "I set the desert on fire, and turned it to glass that day," he said, turning back to the window, "ever since then, that decision has haunted me." Something moved in the tree outside, drawing Nick's attention. That looks like a crow… wait, it's bigger, and its tail's different… He scowled as he realized who it was, so that's his sister.
A noise down the hall made him sharply turn his head. Footsteps… two of them… and a very familiar rustle… He glanced back out the window, she was gone. He walked over to the door and waited, listening. Yang watched him with almost confusion. He's acting weird, she thought; maybe his memory was too much for him. He smiled and said to her in a whisper, "I think you have a Visitor." He quickly opened the door, and a red-caped girl flailed, and then fell forward. "Ugh!" she said when she hit the floor. Another sniggered and said, "you dunce."
Yang jumped off her bed in surprise, "R-Ruby?!"
"Hi Yang," Ruby said, picking herself off the floor, "We came to find you." Weiss stepped into view and waved.
A/N: So is anyone else sour to their stomach? My poll about the questionable rating of this fanfiction is up on my profile, so go vote now!
not so much action in this chapter, I'm afraid.. hopefully next chap I'll get a little more in there. Also, if you hadn't noticed I've drawn some original cover art! It's not great, but I like it...
As to the reviews:
KnightSpark: PM initiated... Enlightenment achieved Y/N?
GamehunterMC: well, here's more character development for ya! maybe things are opening up that should remain closed?
thanks to all of ya for your support, your liking this work, and your time reading! It makes me glad that you like this work!
