Drowning was a good word to use for what she was feeling. It was the closest thing she could think of to describe the odd sensation that she had never felt before. She could not breathe, but it also felt like she didn't need to. She felt like herself, but also like somebody else. Who was she anyway? She didn't know, not anymore. She did, at one point know who she was, but now, it felt like a long time ago, or was it? Perhaps it was only minutes, or maybe it was days, or maybe she was wrong and never knew who she truly was. Or, was she always this person, and was the other one, the one she thought she might have been, the person she had never known? Another thing she didn't know for certain. What she did know was her purpose. To protect, to obey, to kill if need be. She was a weapon, he had always told her that much. Human, faunus, just words to her, words that did not represent her in any way. She was a weapon, and that's all she was ever going to be. She had to believe that, for if the man told her, it had to be true. His words were always true. He would never lie to her, not him, not to her.
Scarlet eyes opened briefly as the spell of drowning lifted swiftly, and she felt as if her lungs had finally begun to operate once more. She looked over and saw a man with a violet eye, white hair, and a pleased expression on his face. In his hand was a needle, connected to a long clear tube, which was then connected to a machine. This machine carried her medicine, medicine in which she needed, according to this very man. She was ill, he said, and what he said was always true, of this, she had no doubt. Black and crimson veins ran up and down her arm, starting at the point of entry for the long, silver needle, and they soon faded back into obscurity. She had brown hair, long, and naturally stained with red, making it appear as if she had doused it in blood and never washed it. It fell around her drowsy, innocent appearing face, and she heard the man cackle softly.
"Wake up, my dear, it's time to play a bit."
"Play?" she asked him.
"Oh yes, darling, play. I have work that needs to be done, and you will be the lead on the job, understand?" he asked.
"Of course, Doctor. What are the rules?"
"Simple, dear, the rules are to win, by any means necessary. I have hit a bump in the road, and I want you to flatten it out. We have other things to attend to first, however. Wake up, get dressed, and hurry with the preparations to move. Help your siblings out with the heavier loads before finalizing everything."
"Yes, Doctor, right away." said the girl, nodding her head obediently.
She rose from her reclined chair, and despite the chill in the air, her naked body felt no cold from it. She had a thin frame, though there were some curves to be seen. She would be eighteen, she thought, at least. It was hard to remember what her age was, or that too might have been something she never knew. It was trivial anyhow, so she continued on mechanically climbing from her place of rest. She found her dresser of clothes, simple attire, really. She pulled out her items and slithered into her gear. It was a skintight suit of some leathery material. Her top and shorts were a single piece with short sleeves, highlighting her figure, and stopping short at her thighs. She then shrugged on an additional top piece to the suit, giving some plating along the chest and abdomen for added protection, though she doubted she would ever actually need it. She then pulled on some metal bracers over her hands, which contained small openings in the bottom and top, as well as grooves along the entire bracer that seemed to be minuscule tubes with particles of something swimming inside of it. The bracers also had leather, fingerless gloves attached to them, and some buckles to help fasten them to her forearms. Next, she slid her feet into some leather boots, black in color, and also carrying a place for a vial of some kind along the heels.
The girl tied her messy hair back into a tail before grabbing her final bit of gear, a black, hooded coat, one that draped down to her knees, which she quickly pulled on. Afterwards, she followed the doctor from the room, preparing to follow her orders without question, or any thought of what it was she was actually told to do, as she always did, and as she would always do.
Afterword:
Well, that's the end of the first book. For any and all that read it all the way through, I thank you immensely. I hope there was something worthwhile in this, be it the characters or the story, or anything else. Also, for any that might be wondering about this story's placement in time, I have it set around ten or so years before the first episode of the show, though I don't have an exact length. Again, to any of the people who made it through this, thank you for reading, and thank you for giving something that isn't about the canon cast a chance. I like doing original work in existing worlds, I feel like it offers a bit more of a fresh take, and it provides me with a bit more freedom while writing, not restricting the semblances or weapons or personalities that are available in any way. Still, despite my personal feelings, I know people like stuff with the original cast, enhancing the world that exists instead of just adding new things to it, so I appreciate anybody that put up with it to make it to the end. One final time, thank you, and I hope you enjoyed the read.