Hey guys, I decided to write this chapter before the next chapter of another story of mine because that one is currently undergoing a Poll that needs to conclude before I continue writing that story, so Destiny Fated Black is now being (hopefully) updated sooner than usual.
Thank you all for those reviews last chapter, they really were a welcomed treat.
Beta: CrowSkull
Destiny Fated Black
Chapter 12
After that little fiasco at the docks, I made quite a name for myself. But that didn't save me from meeting… that...
The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the city of Vale was active. A man, wearing a black hoodie trimmed with red and with the hood over his head walked casually on the sidewalk crowded with people while whistling a simple tune. If his hood was down, things might have been different. For instance, instead of walking casually he would most likely be sprinting for cover if his hood was down. His name and face were known to the whole kingdom now, and so even the most average Joe would be able to recognize him if he walked around with his face and snow-white hair on full display to the world.
The tune he was whistling slowly faded away into nothing as he heard the sound of a public television was still reporting a White Fang dust raid on the docks of Vale that happened about four days ago. Apparently, so much dust was stolen that many dust shops had to file in for bankruptcy, and what little dust was available was being put under heavy Atlesian military guard and some types of dust have become even more expensive than cars.
Yeah, the whole damn Atlesian military was here. That was yet another thing for him to worry about. The General and headmaster of Atlas Academy himself was here as well, which made things all the more interesting. Cinder didn't seem worried though, and as long as they didn't start a manhunt for him, he wasn't going to be too worried about it either. Honestly, he was more worried about the other assassins if they were going to try and send another to try and kill him. Hopefully, after what he did to Cobe, they learned their lesson and were going to leave him alone. If only this was a perfect world...
He stopped walking when he heard the voice of the General speak through the TV, along with some of the other civilians around him "The White Fang stole millions in lien of dust during the night of what has now been dubbed 'The Fang's Heist', and have mysterious been absent in their activity in the recent days. Please, if you see or know of any sign, even the smallest amount of direction will do wonders for my soldiers and me in keeping your kingdom safe from terrorist threat. There is a cash reward for any and all factual information."
He snorted and kept moving forward. As if that was going to be enough to get people to snitch.
"Also, the man known as Marcus Black," He stopped suddenly at the sound of his name. "The man who brutally assaulted four hunters in training and disabled one such Ruby Rose, a prodigal upcoming huntress attending Beacon here in this very city, by stealing her semblance with his. He is also suspected at playing a large part in the downward spiral Vale is plummeting down." A picture of the man popped up on the screen, he remembered it from the moment he escaped in the Bullhead in that one robbery a bit over a month ago. There was also another picture of him when he was younger… back when he attended Beacon. "If you see this man, do not approach him or make any attempt to apprehend him. He is a known assassin for hire and considered to be hyper lethal. He is also number one on the most wanted list in both Vale and Atlas for the crimes he has committed in this city, and the murders of many politicians and relatives of the Schnee family in Atlas and also the crimes against Mistral and Vacuo. Together, we can combine our forces to capture and make this man face justice-"
Marcus tightened his hood around his face with the strings of the top and disappeared back into the crowd and kept moving forward. There was no reason for him to be surprised, after stealing Little Red's semblance, breaking the blonde's nose after smashing her face against a steel container, nearly killing the two faunus and getting the heiress of the SDC her weapon stolen and whatever wounds Neo gave her was more than enough to get him on the wanted list. He would have been surprised if he wasn't already on it after everything he's done over the years.
Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he let his son kill him back then, Mercury wouldn't be on any list, and he could count the amount of people on one hand who knew that he even existed and most of them were dead. He probably would have gotten picked up by Cinder straight after though, so in the end, he would just be swapping one master for another. Things would have been different surely, but it was pointless to think about them now. Mercury was dead by his own hand, branding him a killer in more than one meaning now. First patricide, then filicide. He didn't know which crime was considered worse in the eyes of the general populace. Either way, they would call him a monster.
"You're… not… a monster-"
Marcus killed that memoir of a thought before it could begin to distract him. It wasn't his fault the stupid girls didn't stop fighting. He gave them plenty of chances to back off and get out of there. But they just kept coming over and over. Even when he threatened to kill one of them, the idiot would keep fighting. She got her pretty face busted and broken for it, and still the stupid girl with the cat ears aimed her gun at him despite knowing that it wouldn't do anything as long as he had an aura. At that point, he knew that if he didn't do anything shocking that they would just keep coming, and poor little Ruby was just perfect for that.
No more speed semblance for her now. He supposed that she had to hate him now. She relied on it a little too much from what he was able to notice. Without it, she must feel incredibly sluggish. Her mobility with that large scythe of hers had to have been killed now, and judging from the way she was speaking so slowly and being dizzy once he took it away, her body naturally became accustomed to it and over the years engraved it as a natural bodily function of just being that fast. That's what she gets for being so naivé into believing that there was actually some hope for a monster like him. She made the same mistake her mother did…
He sighed as he pressed his back up against the wall of an alley he stepped into, right beside an open window into a not very well known restaurant. He raised a hand and snapped his fingers twice, and then knocked on the windowsill once.
"Finally," Emerald's voice said and the sound of a chair scraping across the floor was heard as she scooted closer to the window. "About time you came, what the hell took you so long?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe the fact that I am the most wanted man in the whole goddamn world might have done something to the pace I walk at." Marcus sassily replied. "Good to hear that you missed me Grass, how's Beacon?"
"I hate it," Emerald groaned, obviously annoyed. "I can't even step out of a classroom without feeling like someone was watching every step I take. And everyone is so… nice. Ugh, it makes me sick."
Marcus snorted. "Is it really that bad?"
"Yes, yes it is. Did you really have to hurt me like that before? They think you are going to come back and finish the job now and I have stupid white knights trying to protect me."
"If I didn't make it believable, Branwen would have been able to tell that we were faking it. He knows how I fight, and how I don't really show any mercy." He snickered at the thought. "If you want me to say sorry, I can pretend to mean it."
"Don't bother," Emerald audibly sighed through her nose. "You really made yourself known out there. I doubt any of them even know who Cinder is at this point, and after what you did to that girl and her team Beacon is up in arms looking for you."
"I didn't notice…" Marcus sarcastically remarked. "How are those girls now, you talk to them?"
"Only because Cinder told me too… I had to visit them when they were brought in the hospital, they were all in bad shape. Why are you asking?"
"Just curious, tell me what they said and how you think they feel," Marcus said.
Weird, especially coming from a man like him. But Emerald supposed that it wouldn't hurt to tell him. "The cat faunus thinks everything that happened is her fault, she wouldn't come out from under the covers and kept sniffling. Weiss had a huge blow dealt to her pride, and she is now short a weapon thanks to Neo, Yang is has a severe grade two concussion and is still unconscious but will eventually recover. Ruby… Well, I never thought that girl could cry so much. She was the least injured, and I heard that she is trying to get used to living and fighting without her semblance by training with her uncle, but if your goal was to make her depressed and break her spirit, I think you managed it."
"Hmph… it wasn't." Marcus said flatly. "Why did you call to meet with me here?" He asked next, moving on from that topic.
"Cinder wanted me to tell you in person how things are going in Beacon right now, I couldn't call because she thinks some scroll lines are being monitored by Atlas now. You are probably going to have to take on a mission to infiltrate Beacon pretty soon." Emerald explained quietly.
"Do I now?" Marcus asked, turning to look in the side of the girls head. She didn't look back, too focused on trying to look natural.
"Yes. She said she would do it herself, but since you have so much infamy right now, she wants to keep that illusion that you are the one running everything." Emerald explained. "She also wants to meet up with you again pretty soon, it's been a while since you two last saw each other."
"Just a few days," Marcus said, no big deal really. Cinder probably already understood that he needed to lay low after escaping the docks with Neo and Roman. "I'll see her tonight. Get the mission details from her."
"Good," Emerald said. "I have to go now, my partner has come to pick me up?"
"I noticed," Marcus said as he saw a flicker of glass shards burst out from within the alley he was standing in. Neo was in Beacon as well now, under a disguise as a cute little black-haired girl with pigtails. Heh, he pitied the poor kid who thought he would try his luck with her. "See you later then."
Emerald didn't respond, and he assumed correctly that Neo showed herself already. If Emerald knew whether or not that was Neo, he didn't know nor did he really care. Most likely she knew, Emerald wasn't stupid enough to get fooled by an illusion when her own semblance was entirely based around setting illusions on people. And Cinder wouldn't let Roman do something so dangerously rebellious either.
He stepped off the wall and started walking in the general direction of another White Fang safe house to hold up in until night arrives over Vale. The problems just kept piling up, sure, he'd probably be able to handle it. The police and Qrow were already after him, plus the other assassins still with the organization, the only difference here now was that Atlas' military was looking out for him too, and after the docks, so was Ozpin and his students along with whatever amount of huntsman he had in his care.
Infiltrating Beacon though? Hm. That definitely sounded like a train of nostalgia waiting to go off the rails. He wondered what Cinder was going to have him do there.
Ruby swung her scythe, but couldn't use the momentum for her favor and stumbled, tripping over the dulled blade of her own weapon.
"Ruby…" Qrow shifted his sword back into its neutral state. "Maybe you should take it easy."
"No!" The young girl screamed as she lifted Crescent Rose with the strength she still had and swung it again at her uncle. Qrow easily dodged it, there wasn't even a motion blur with the weapon this time. It was just so slow… so unlike what he could have ever thought of Ruby. "I have to keep trying," She stated, tears threatening to spill in her eyes as she held the scythe shakily in her hands. "I can't give up… I can't…"
"Ruby…" Qrow didn't know what to say. But he was angry, not at his niece but at the man who did this to her, the one who put those tears in her eyes and made her too slow to even swing her scythe-like she used to. Marcus Black stole Ruby's speed semblance, he actually did it. Though he didn't expect the after-effects to be this merciless and brutal.
Ever since Ruby woke up after losing her semblance and passing out at the docks, the first thing she did next to making sure her teammates were okay was drag her uncle with her to train. Though her stamina was even worse now than it was when she had her semblance in the first place, she still tried and trained on for grueling hours. She stumbled, tripped, struggled, and was easily ten times slower than she was before. She was like the average person now, except even slower than that even. Ruby became so reliant on her semblance, and since she was able to maintain that speed during combat he never did think to teach her how to fight without it. It made him think that now it was partly his fault for what he is watching right now. His niece suffering and crying because she can barely train much less fight. She already had the odds stacked against her being the youngest Beacon student in history, but now…
"Rargh!" Her high pitched voice yelled out as she wildly swung her scythe again. Qrow was able to deflect it sloppily with the back of his hand. He had a sad frown on his face.
Crescent Rose bounced off the ground, and Ruby struggled to pick it back up, and with sheer determination and tears spilling down her face, she swung it again. This time, Qrow caught it, and the sweat on her already emotionally weak hands made her slip off the handle and trip over herself, banging her head on the floor. Her now sick-looking pale red aura flared.
"Ruby!" Qrow let go of the scythe and let it clatter to the ground as he slid to comfort his niece. "Are you okay? Sorry about that."
Ruby pushed her crying face into his chest. Qrow felt the tears flow like a waterfall out of her eyes and get absorbed into his shirt. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her.
"Uncle Qrow…" She sniffled brokenly, Qrow felt his heart shatter. "Can I… Can I still be a huntress?" she asked, desperately hopeful and terrified.
"Of course you can…" Qrow assured her. "My semblance doesn't help me so I practically fight without it, if I can do it, I know you can too."
"R-really?" Ruby mumbled into his shirt.
"Yeah," Qrow wiped a tear from his eye and hugged her closer. "Yeah…"
He couldn't say it, not and watch as Ruby became even more depressed. At the rate she was going at now, she wasn't going to get better anytime soon. She was looked at by Ozpin himself, and with his years of experience in… everything, he deemed that she lost more than her semblance, but a piece of her being. Her soul. The only thing keeping her in Beacon right now was because of the fact that she had silver eyes, other than that, there was no form of recovery treatment that could get that piece of her soul back. Unless the one who stole it in the first place returns it.
"I'll make sure he pays for what he did to you, Ruby," Qrow swore through his teeth. It was like losing Summer all over again, but this time she was alive to suffer even longer. "I'll force him to give you back your semblance, and then I'll kill him. He'll face his crimes head-on."
Ruby tightened her grip on his shirt, pulling herself deeper into his embrace.
"Don il hm…" She mumbled incoherently into his chest.
"What was that?" Qrow asked as he tilted Ruby in a way so that her mouth wasn't pushed up against his chest.
"Don't kill him…" She said, looking up so that her bloodshot silver eyes stared into his red ones. "Don't kill him." She repeated before she pushed her face up against his chest again.
Qrow was shocked, but more than the anger he felt he instead felt sorrow. Ruby really is just like her mother. Even after all he's done, even after he practically admitted to her that he was the reason her mother is dead, and even after he brutally picked apart her team and nearly killed one of her friends, she still. Still. Didn't give in to any dark thoughts that most people these days would most certainly give in to for vengeance. Despite everything, he laughed. Marcus won the battles so far, but the war is far from over.
"Okay." He said, rubbing her back. "I won't kill him. Just hurt him a little bit. Can I take a hand at least?" Ruby giggled against his chest, he laughed in return. "I'll take that as a yes, maybe I'll use that to give you back your semblance." She giggled some more and slumped her fist against his shoulder.
"Excuse me…" A hesitant militaristic feminine voice said.
Qrow looked over his shoulder to see his most beloved Atlesian Specialist, Winter Schnee, dressed in her usual uniform except that she did not wear the coat that came with it. Leaving her arms and shoulder bare. She looked at him and with her eyes told him that she would leave if he wanted her too. Qrow sighed and nodded his head, going back to Ruby.
"I have to get back to work kid, go see your sister." He said, patting her head. Ruby nodded against him and stepped away, shifting Crescent Rose back into its dormant state and went off in a different direction. Not wanting to let the specialist see her tearstained face.
"You chose a bad time," Qrow said as he wiped his face of any sign of tears and faced Winter. "It's a little early to scold me for drinking, I haven't even touched my flask yet."
"I am not here for that," Winter assured him.
"Then what do you want?" Qrow asked, all business for once. Winter hid her surprise and was quick to get straight to the point.
"My sister was injured at the docks as well," She started. Qrow took a few steps closer and was able to see that Winter's face was also stained lightly with tears. That's right, her little sister nearly lost her life and was living in pain at the moment, not to mention she lost her sword. That would be enough to make even Winter lose character and break down. "The man who is responsible for it, you know who he is personally, do you not?"
"I do," Qrow said after a few moments. "A long time ago, me and him used to be friends. Not so much these days. But I don't think he was the one who attacked your sister."
"She told me who it was," Winter said, scowling. "Some strange girl wearing the colors of an ice cream flavor was the one who nearly took her. But to get to her, I would have to get to him first."
"Yeah? And you thought coming to me was a good idea to get on that?" Qrow laughed.
"No, actually. I am here to recruit you."
"Recruit me!?" Qrow burst out laughing. "It's a little late for me to become a Specialist ain't it? Besides, wouldn't an outsider bandit be a bit of a poor choice to hire?"
"Not to become a Specialist you fool," Winter growled lightly. "General Ironwood has tasked me with offering you apart in a… off the record manhunt."
Qrow eyed her up and down warily, and then smirked. "That so? I'm listening…"
Winter continued. "The General believes that headmaster Ozpin is not doing enough for the security of Vale. Especially when it comes to one such Marcus Black. But since his name is too famous and the headmaster would know if he's planned anything, he has placed it onto myself to find and recruit a small and skilled task force to hunt down Marcus Black for capture or elimination. He gave me Brigadier level authorization for this mission… you were the first I came too."
"Heh," Qrow smiled. "Well, count me in right away. I'm definitely down to hunt the man that nearly killed my nieces and their teammates and stole one of their semblances."
Winter smiled, and for once it wasn't forced when it came to Qrow. "I counted on your eagerness. I hope what you may know about the man may come be beneficial."
"All I can tell you is that he's dangerous, more dangerous than either of us probably. He's crazy smart too, and he's never going to be in the same spot for too long. Guy's been an assassin for longer than some of these kids have been alive, he knows his stuff." He leaned forward. "Which means that doing things the Atlas way isn't going to cut it here."
Winter smirked back. "I don't plan to."
"Good. Because I read those old reports you know, Marcus played you all like a damn fiddle. I mean, seriously, just because the guy has white hair doesn't mean he is a Schnee."
Winter sighed. "Unfortunately, he is technically related to my family."
Qrow widened his eyes. "Since when?"
"Since over a hundred years ago before the Great War," Winter said. "Long ago, before the Schnee's ever created the dust company that we are now, we were a militaristic family. Nicholas Schnee, my long passed great grandfather, lead the assaults and was a General much like General Ironwood is. During that time he… met a woman. Things happened, and the first-ever Black was born. Nicholas refused to accept the child as his illegitimate son and cast him away with the mother because of how poor and unknown they were. Even branding them with the surname Black to serve as a constant reminder of their low class and to set them apart from the Schnee name."
"That proved to be a mistake. As the child grew after the conclusion of the war, the mother became vengeful, using her skills to train the boy into becoming a lethal killing machine. Coincidentally, this boy was also named Marcus. Marcus Black." She explained.
"Wait," Qrow placed a hand on his forehead and sighed. "So Marcus, the present Marcus, is part Schnee?"
"Partly," Winter confirmed. "He is most likely a distant cousin or an uncle, though I doubt he knows it himself and if he does it would be safe to assume he doesn't care. The only thing that makes him look like a relative to us is his white hair."
"And I also assume this isn't public knowledge," Qrow assumed. And assumed correctly.
"No," Winter sighed. "That part of Schnee history was never written. Neither was the true cause of Nicholas Schnee's death."
"So he didn't die in a mining accident?"
"No, his death was no accident, but an assassination. During his funeral, however, those fatal battle wounds were hidden and the coroner signed a contract never to reveal how he truly died. Even in death, my ancestors refused to bring light to the Black family's existence." Winter revealed. "Over time, the grudge faded into history. They got their revenge after all. I didn't even know of this until recently, when General Ironwood saw to it personally that I know who the man who nearly caused my sister's death was."
"If it got out now nobody would probably care," Qrow said. "The Blacks are known assassins, and you Schnees are painted as the good guys to most of the world. Cousins or not, they are eventually going to be eradicated. Marcus is the last Black out there as far as I know, and I doubt he managed to start a family."
"I do not and will not consider them family, not after the numerous crimes they have committed against my family. Even if it was my great grandfather who started this feud, they are the ones making it worse." Winter said, balling her hands into fists at her sides.
"I get ya," Qrow nodded. "I do, and I doubted that you'd feel any connection to Marcus at this point. But like I said, there isn't much I can tell you about him. The last time I had a conversation with him was over twenty years ago, and I only met him two times before recently…"
"What were those recent times?" Winter asked.
"One was those times in Vale, and the other was…" Qrow gripped himself tighter as he crossed his arms. "When he returned the body of my partner to her husband after he killed her."
"I… I'm sorry to hear that," Winter said, hanging her head.
"Don't be, wasn't your fault." Qrow refused to let that memory torture him. "Anyway, who are these other people we'll be working with?"
Winter accepted the change of topic easily. They both needed it. Thinking about Marcus only brought disdain. "Besides you and me, no one. But I have some ideas."
"Want some advice?" Winter looked at him strangely, he took that as a yes. "Whatever you're thinking, don't do that. I have a few guys that could help us."
Winter scowled at him. "These friends of yours also drunks?"
"One of them is," Qrow answered with a shrug. "But the others are alright. Trust me, them plus us is all we're going to need."
Winter looked at him warily, but after a few moments, she sighed through her nose and nodded her head. "I'll allow it, but if the General asks, it was your idea."
"Indeed it was," Qrow said as he dialed a number. After a few seconds, the person on the other line answered.
"What do you want Qrow? I'm sorta busy with the whole mysterious disappearance of the White Fang thing."
"Hey Seth, make this a group call with Mackie and Verdant, I have another job for you guys and it involves a certain guy named Marcus Black."
A few tense silent seconds of time passed. Then two pings sounded off from the scroll.
"We're listening…"
The meeting spot was the same as always, the same couch that he had been subtly threatened on now held Roman taking up the entire seat with his arms spread across it as if he was holding two women at his sides. He wished that was the case. Instead of women, there were two empty spaces, and the only woman in the room was Cinder. If he tried to get into that, then Marcus would genuinely be impressed. At least until he got burned to death.
"Ah, Mark!" Roman greeted him boisterously, Cinder set down the bottle she was holding to acknowledge him. "It's been a bit, how's the wife and kid?" The smirk he wore as he asked that told Marcus that he knew full well that they were dead.
"Still dead." He said without any true anger, not really caring for the implied disrespect. That was just how Roman was. But if he was anyone else, he would have killed them on the spot. "You called for me Cinder? Sorry it took a bit, had to lay low after the field trip that was the docks."
"Your absence is acceptable, and perhaps necessary." Cinder said as she turned around, that same smirk was still stretched across her face. "You more than did well enough, I would say that you have surpassed my expectations for you."
"I aim to please," Marcus replied unenthusiastically.
Cinder found that amusing and chuckled. "Roman dear, leave us."
"Sure thing," Roman stood up, gave Marcus a two-finger wave, and left the room without even looking back. He was all bravado and put on a cocky face, but down under that defense mechanism that guy must have been terrified, and he didn't blame him. Cinder was not a force to be reckoned with.
"What were you two talking about?" Marcus asked as he moved to take the warm seat that Roman left behind.
"Just some things about placing Neo with Emerald in Beacon," Cinder said as she sat across from him on a nearby seat, turning her body to face him. "As the official records say, Team CNEM has lost the male member of their team in a training mission accident, and so far their leader has had trouble traveling from Mistral to Vale and will be arriving shortly."
"Wonder what happened to the M of that team," Marcus said with a snigger.
"Sometimes I do as well," Cinder said, feigning sadness. Marcus laughed. "I do hope that you and Emerald were able to meet and speak."
"We were," Marcus nodded his head. "She told me what needed to be said, and left when she needed to. You have plans to send me on a mission to infiltrate Beacon and do something, right?"
"I do," Cinder confirmed. "I wanted to speak to you in person about it for reasons you should already know. I would do the job myself, but it seems you've fooled all of the world into thinking that you are the one and only mastermind behind our plans in Vale. Whether you've done that by accident or on purpose matters not, this turn of events has changed some minor details of our plan."
"And I assume sending me to Beacon was one of them?"
"Correct." Cinder nodded. "Ordinarily, I wouldn't want you entering Beacon at all. But I wouldn't want to risk revealing to Ozpin and his men that there is someone else involved with you and your plans." She said that last part with air quotes. "Your mission will be simple, on the day of an upcoming dance for the students of Beacon, you will use the night's darkness as cover and infiltrate the CCT tower in order to plant a virus I had one of my associates cook up for the very purpose of painting Atlas in a very bad light."
"Yeah? And how is this virus going to do that?" Marcus asked, curious.
"It will show some classified footage of what really happens in those dust mines ran by Atlas and the SDC. If all goes well, it may spark a second faunus war." Cinder explained with a smirk. "With that distraction, Atlas may be forced to pull out as to not instigate violence, or at the very least get blamed for the creation of the White Fang."
"You'll be surprised at how oblivious people will pretend to be," Marcus pointed out. He felt that there was something more to it, but it wasn't his place to try and demand anything from Cinder. Not now at least. The mission seemed harmless enough. "But it would definitely stir up a storm in this city."
"Indeed it will," Cinder held up a modified scroll, and handed it to him. "Take care of this, if you lose it my associate and I would be very upset."
Marcus took it and stuck it into his pocket for safekeeping. "I will, don't worry. Tell me some details. What happens if people get in my way?"
"Kill them," Cinder shrugged. "This is technically a stealth mission, but if they want to believe that you are in charge, then we shall let them believe that and solidify their ideas. If anyone gets in your way or tries to stop you, kill them. Even if it's a professor or student of Beacon."
"Hm…" Marcus hummed. Well, it wasn't like there was any point to trying to stay hidden anymore, his name was now known worldwide. "Alright, so this is a stealth mission but not really, and all I have to do is stick this in a computer?"
"Simple, is it not?" Cinder asked cockily.
"It is…" Marcus eyed her flatly. "Sounds almost too easy actually."
Cinder chuckled and leaned into her chair. "Darling, if I really wanted you gone, I would do it myself. No one else would be able to do so otherwise and we both know how our last spar went."
He remembered it all too well, it was literally scarred across his chest what happened the last time he tried to fight Cinder. He could be able to beat or even kill her if she wasn't a maiden, but it was too late now. She was just too powerful.
"Which reminds me of something," Cinder's smirk grew ever wider. "I did say that once you return to me after the mission I gave you to protect Roman and the White Fang at the docks, I would introduce you to Salem, did I not?"
"You did…" Marcus confirmed. There was no reason to try and put it off, not and piss off whoever was bossing Cinder around. This had to be done sooner or later, and ever since he found out that this supposed Queen of the Grimm existed, he was doomed to meet her from the start.
"Well, now is a better time than ever." Cinder said. Pointing up and to a wall about ten feet from where they were sitting.
Marcus hesitantly followed where her finger was pointing and looked for anything that she wanted him to see. At first, he saw darkness and a bit of light coming from the moon, but then a red orb of sorts started to glow in the dark. Marcus' eyes continued to widen as the orb transformed into some kind of floating jellyfish type of Grimm, and slowly descended down to hover about four feet off of the ground. The barbed tentacles of the monster hanging down to scraped against the floor. Marcus snapped up to his feet and turned with a creeping sense of fear chilling down his spine. He's never seen a Grimm like this before, and it made it all the more creepy that the jellyfish-like creature made no move to try and attack him. Simply hovering closer to him in what he thought could have been a non-hostile manner.
"No need to fear, Marcus Black." A pale white face, just as white as her hair, appeared on the orb facing him. Her eyes were a piercing red color, the sclera black, and the pulsating veins in her face spoke of Grimm's corruptive energy. That was her. That was the Queen of the Grimm.
She was real and looking right into his eyes.
"Cinder has told me many good things about you," The Queen said, smiling warmly at him. Marcus felt his body perspire with sweat. "You have been a good little pawn in this little war of ours, and have done much for my star pupil. Your skills especially have caught my attention. You have enough of it to defeat even a maiden in battle, and in the process saving Cinder's life as well."
"I… I-I…" Something within Marcus prevented him from running or attacking the Seer before him. From the corner of his eye, he could see Cinder smiling at him.
His eyes widened when he realized why he couldn't move. That parasite thing that she put in him when they first met was doing this to him somehow. He could feel it crawling around under his skin and paralyzing his muscles, forcing him to stand nice and still in front of the most dangerous creature in the world.
He never felt more vulnerable and helpless in his life.
"Cinder tells me that when she found you, you had just finished killing your own son," The thing told him. "Is that true?"
After a few moments of fighting against his body's actions, Marcus gave him and nodded his head. With Cinder there to confirm, he couldn't hide that sin from the Queen.
"I see," Like the monster she was, she found that particular sin of his impressive. "Not many humans these days are willing to go to such lengths in punishing their children. You have certainly found a keeper Cinder, I dare say you two would make a perfect match."
"Not just yet, my Queen," Cinder bashfully giggled, giggled, and flicked her hair over one shoulder. "Not until after I reclaim the full power of the maiden, at least. But the idea certainly has come to mind on several occasions."
"W-who…?" He managed to say through gritted teeth. He felt something push through his veins.
"I am Salem," The Queen said, smiling. "I am the Queen of the Grimm, and have lived a very, very long time. I've seen enough that nothing hardly surprises me anymore. But as I look at you here…" The Seer floated closer to him. Marcus grit his teeth harder and bit back a scream. "I see nothing but yet to be untapped potential, even at the age you are at now."
Suddenly, the effects of the parasite wared off and he fell down to one knee, his pure white aura flashed and he felt the urge to pass out. But through sheer determination, he refused to.
Salem let out a sound that suggested that she was even more impressed.
"Ah, it is so very rare that someone is able to resist their own natural instincts. You really do have potential."
"What do you want from me?" Marcus asked, glaring back with his black eyes.
"We want you to work with us, join us." Cinder placed her hands on her shoulders. He looked up and saw her now glowing orange eyes looking down at him. "You are wanted for capture or elimination all over the world, even if I let you go now, where would you go? Living out your days in Vacuo could work, but could you live such a demanding life for so long? When you get old and lose your ability to continue fighting, can you still take care of yourself? Could you even live with yourself after all that you've done?"
For some reason that last one really hit close to home for Marcus. Memories from the past once again flowed through his mind. The death of his brother and teammate, him murdering his father, everything that happened with Summer, and what he did to her daughter even. Shutting his eyes tightly, he forced those memories back from where they came. The past was the past, and he had to move on with his life. No time for regrets.
"She is right, and you know that," Salem said, Marcus found himself compelled to look back into her eyes. "You have nowhere to go, your only solace is with us. Join me, Marcus Black, and I will reward you with everything you could ever desire."
Suddenly, the tentacles wrapped around his arms, shoulders, and face. They didn't squeeze at all, nor did they hurt. But it was enough to surprise him to the point where he grabbed his knife and cut the tentacles off. The Seer hissed in pain, and he was about to follow his instincts and kill the creature entirely. But a pair of freezing hands cupped his face before he could do so.
Her hands were going through the orb, as if she was using it as some sort of mode of transportation. The moment her skin came in contact with his cheeks, the effects of the parasite came back and froze him in place. He couldn't even sense anything that he could steal with his semblance from the skin to skin contact. It was like Salem didn't have anything to steal in the first place. There was no soul within her.
"I look forward to meet you in person. Do continue to impress me, and remember this." Her eyes glowed red, sending chills throughout his entire body. "Never forget who you truly serve…"
Then it was gone. Her hands disappeared and the Seer was nowhere to be seen. He had control over his body once more, and he took a cautionary step back. The frost like sensation on his face lingering for many moments before it even began to recede. His black eyes were wide and lips peeled back in anguish. After another few seconds of confirming that she was really gone, he finally took a breath once his vision began to darken.
"She certainly has a way of introductions," Cinder said, smiling down at him. Her hands were still on his shoulders, they were blazing in comparison to how Salem's felt. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you unless you give her a reason to. Between you and me, I believe that you are already among our ranks." Her hands moved away, and the clicking of her heels echoed around the hideout as she made her leave. "Do keep up the good work darling, I look forward to our future together." She said before leaving him in the room alone.
Marcus immediately got up and sprinted to the nearest bathroom, and let out all of the food that he ate that afternoon. Most of his stomach acid going with it. When he was finally finished, he moved away and saw a mirror. What he saw was himself, but it was more than that. He saw all of the sins of his past coming back to haunt and torture his mind, his hair, the color of purity, shifted around his face tauntingly and his black eyes were as dark as he felt his soul was.
He stumbled closer to the mirror and caught himself on the sink. Leaning over it and spitting out what was left in his mouth. His mouth burned, his muscles had a sense of soreness that he has never felt before. But the pain came more in force through his mind.
"I'm hopeless." He said to the reflection. "You're a monster, you have no other choice."
"You're wrong," Another voice in his mind stated, it wasn't his. "You always have a choice, no matter what."
"It's suicide," He told the voice. "I can't, I'll just throw in my dice with them."
"Is that what you really want though?"
"I want to live."
"What is life as a slave?"
"A life."
"Not the life that you want, not the life that they wanted for you." The voice countered. He groaned, they weren't wrong there. "You think you can do this, but you can't."
"I know what to do," Marcus argued.
"You do," The voice agreed. "But will you do it?"
"Yes… I mean no… Ugh!" Marcus slumped his forehead against the glass mirror. "I know what I want, and nothing can change that."
"You're not a monster, Marcus."
"Shut up!" Marcus shouted into his reflection. "Stop haunting me, you're dead. Dead! I saw you die with my own eyes."
"I am dead," His reflection changed, behind him something moved, he wanted to turn and confront it but he knew it would disappear the moment he looked to see what it was. "But yet you still remember, and you never forget." Her face became visible over his shoulder. Summer Rose smiled at him in the reflection. "You can't forget, because I'm a part of you now, I always have and I always will be. You took my semblance after all, and so a piece of my soul lives on within you. Just like so many others."
Dozens of voices started speaking all at the same time. They screamed at him, tortured him. The voices of the huntsman and huntresses he'd killed, the voices of some of the targets he assassinated, and even the voice of his own son, asking him why he killed him when he could have done something so much more. It was enough to drive a man insane.
"SHUT UP!" Marcus shrieked as he slammed his fist against the mirror, it shattered into a hundred little pieces, but there was a big enough piece that remained on the wall that had a pair of silver eyes staring at him. "Shut up…" He said weakly, hanging his head. "Why… why are you doing this to me?" He asked the voice brokenly as a drop of blood trickled down his face and off his nose into the sink and mess of broken glass shards.
"I'm not doing anything," The voice defended herself. "You are doing this to yourself."
Marcus fell down to his knees.
"You're not a monster, Marcus." He laughed manically. He knew that there was a smile on her face without even looking.
"I am, I stole your daughter's semblance," Marcus argued.
"That still doesn't make you a monster."
"Yeah…" Marcus shook his head and laughed out loud. "Crazily enough, I am actually starting to believe you."
The voices faded away.
In that silence, Marcus reached into the pocket he very rarely goes into. When he pulled out the picture, he saw his family. During a time where they were happy. His wife, Olivia, and their baby boy, Mercury. Neither of them knew what was coming at that time, but they were happy. Ignorance was bliss.
Once that ignorance ran out, they both died for it. One of them by his own hand.
"Nothing is ever easy…" He said as he wiped the blood off his face and activated his aura to heal him. Then stuffed the photo back into his pocket.
"That's just the way life is though, ain't it shorty?"
In the back of his mind, he knew she would agree.
Well then, that happened. Whew, I am getting back into the swing of things with this chapter being written in just a day. I am glad I am still able to write like this, and I love how I was able to portray into words what I had in my mind. I only hope you all see it that way as well.
Please review and let me know what you think of the story.
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