Back again. Sorry for the lateness of this chapter, family issues came up, but they are now resolved and the regular update schedule is back, so enjoy the sixth chapter of Bloodbound!
Previously, on Bloodbound…
"Rubies, are you alright?"
"Good question." Ruby grimaced as she held up her Scroll. "I hope you three are ready for some crime because we just got our first assignment from Cinder Fall."
Currently, on Bloodbound…
Neo tensed at her leader's words, a harsh feeling coming over her at the mention of that woman's name. Taking a calming breath, she decided to get the worst of what would come next over with.
"Okay, so what's the assignment?"
When Ruby lifted worry-filled eyes, Neo felt her throat clenched. Speaking slowly, as if not quite believing the words coming out of her mouth, Ruby told her team what the night will bring.
"Cinder wants us to assassinate Blake Belladonna," Her eyes flickered down to the Scroll. "Oh, and frame it on Beacon."
The silence that followed could only be described as taut, as if the entire world was keeping quiet to avoid spilling the secret of what has just been spoken. Finally, Crimson sighed.
"That's my cue, I guess." He made to turn away, but paused at the last moment and turned back to Ruby. "Unless, of course, you want to take this one?"
She thought about it, running the risks through her head before shaking it. "No, despite how much it pains me to say this, you were right about Crescent Rose. She's loud and flashy and not really suited for killing a person in bed. You, on the other hand…"
"Am perfectly suited for quiet kills." Crimson finished, nodding his head. "Right then, I can't use my cleavers if we are still trying to keep a low profile, but I can work without them." He clapped his hands before rubbing them together as if trying to warm them and walked over to his bed. "Welp, no sense in putting the deed off. I'm thinking of framing those idiots we beat up in the forest, the ones that all got shoved onto the same team."
"Team CRDL." Skyler supplied, having memorized their fellow first-years and their teams because that is what one just did if they were a criminal at Beacon. "As I recall, their leader was going on about something involving 'Faunus freaks' before we beat the bigotries out of them."
"Yeah, those guys, I mean, they're perfect!" Crimson looked over to his teammates as he lifted a huge duffel bag off the floor and unzipped it. "Any objections?"
"Nah."
"Not really, no."
"Let 'em burn."
"Great!" The assassin pulled a set of clothes out of his duffel bag before withdrawing a white mask that some madman shaped to resemble the Creatures of Grimm. Ruby cocked an eyebrow.
"Is that a White Fang uniform? Why do have a White Fang uniform?" She raised her hand. "Nope, actually, better question. Why are you going to wear a White Fang uniform?"
"Because in the off chance Belladonna or any of her teammates wake up and see me, I rather they see some White Fang member instead of, you know, me." Crimson gathered the outfit in his arms and turned towards the bathroom. "And you know, given Belladonna's past, the whole vengeful Fanger thing makes sense."
"I never said-wait, what?" Ruby face scrunched up in confusion. "Back up, what about Belladonna's past? Why would the Fang care about a huntress-in-training?"
The assassin paused in the doorway of the bathroom and sighed, chucking the clothes and mask in before turning back to Ruby. "Well, color me disappointed, Red Leader. Tell you what, though, sometime tomorrow, remind me to give you a history lesson of the soon-to-be-deceased Blake Belladonna and her lovely family."
"Morbid and confusing, but sure!" Ruby waved her fingers mockingly. "Well, off you go, put on your fanatic uniform and go kill people."
"Oh, what would I do without your insightful orders, my glorious leader." Crimson rolled his eyes as she shut the bathroom door, the rustling of clothing coming a moment later. The three other members of Team RSNC stared at the door for just moment longer, all with varying expressions of bewilderment and vexation at their more eccentric teammate, before Ruby decided to get the less gory parts of their new assignment taken care of.
"Hey, Skyler, can you break into CRDL's dorm room and steal some incriminating evidence we can use to frame them?"
The thief shrugged, the silk of his pajamas rustling. "Sure, I'll be back momentarily if everything goes well. Try not to get caught while I'm gone."
He slipped out the door, leaving Neo and Ruby alone, thinking about what was to come. To Ruby, it was something that must be done. To protect Neo and Roman from Cinder's flames, Ruby would have killed a thousand students. For Neo, it was much the same, she valued her life and the lives of her family more than any number of others, but the act of appeasing Cinder left dark emotion festering inside of her.
Why does Cinder even care about some random student anyways? What does she have to gain? Neo bite her check in disquiet, the entire situation not making any sort of sense to the enforcer. Not for the first time, the worry of what Roman had gotten them all into when he sold away his soul to Cinder Fall crept over her.
"Hey, it's alright." Ruby's soft voice caused Neo to break out of her grim thoughts and the shorter girl looked up to see a smile filled with comfort and warmth. For a moment, Neo forgot her troubles with the world and contentment filled her at the mere sight of that smile.
"W-what?"
Ruby pointed to Neo's cheek. "You bite your cheek when you are really stressed about something, and with all that's happening, I guess you do have a lot to be stressed about, but I know it will be alright." She placed her hand on Neo's shoulder. "Whatever Cinder has planned, we'll get through it together, I promise."
"Ruby…" Neo took a deep breath. "Ruby, I-"
"Man, I really do look good in anyth-oh, damn it!"
The girls whirled around to see a visibly upset Crimson Shard, dressed in the fatigues of terrorists and framed by the light of the bathroom, looking in between the two of them.
"Oh, if only I had waited another five minutes." He whispered in what Ruby was bewildered to find to be anguish.
"What are you talking about?" Ruby's confusion only grew when, at her question, Crimson's expression grew emotionless and he walked towards his duffel bag with a huff.
"Nothing, I meant nothing. Forget I said anything. I'm going to go kill a person now." Pulling a long dagger out of his bag, he turned back to them and strapped on the Grimm mask that he had held in his hand. "How do I look?"
Ruby eyed him. "Like a vicious fanatic, ready to hand out some White Fang justice." She offered a thumbs up. "So exactly how you're supposed to look. Nice dagger by the way."
"Thanks, the guy I stole it from made it himself." The assassin strode to the window and unlatched it, allowing the night wind to stir the curtains. "Close the window behind me, but don't latch it. I'll be coming in the same way I'm going out."
He crawled out, into the blackness, and turned back to his teammates, mask a dull smudge of bone-white. "Wish me luck."
And like that he was gone, as if he had simply dissolved into darkness.
Walking over, Ruby shut the windows with a gentle clack before turning back to face Neo who, for some reason, had a blush on her cheeks. "I'm going to go take a shower, if Crimson gets caught, deny we ever knew him."
Neo smiled faintly at the attempt of humor, though Ruby could tell that something was bothering her and nodded.
"Not a problem, I'll help Skyler frame CRDL when he gets back, you go unwind."
Ruby smiled. "Thanks, Neo. Be careful, okay?"
"Hey, I'm always careful." Putting up another smile, Neo watched as Ruby chuckled before disappearing into the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind her with a firm click. As soon as the shower water started running, the smile dropped from her face and Neo walked slowly to her bed in the corner of the room and sat down upon it, burying her face into her hands a moment later.
Damn it, damn it, DAMN IT! Why is saying it so hard?
Crimson would use a lot of words to describe himself. Pretender, observant, smarter than most everyone gives him credit for, and also downright hilarious.
But one word he would never, under any circumstances use to describe all that he was, would be moral. It simply disappeared when he first took money to erase a life. And so, when he stood above the sleeping form of Blake Belladonna (Gods both above and below, didn't that make him sound like a serious freak.), his dagger held high, he knew that the word moral would once again escape his grasp.
What he didn't expect, however, was the word stealthy to take leave of him for the evening. Because as he sliced the dagger downwards towards Belladonna's throat, all he stabbed into was a feather-filled pillow. The image of the Faunus vanishing from existence as the cold steel past through it.
Damn shadow clones!...wait, what?
He was not given time to regret his forgetfulness as he was kicked in the back with the force of a hammer blow, launching him over the bed and crashing into its neighbor. In a flash, he was back on his feet and facing down a very angry-looking, very armed, Blake Belladonna.
Oh, that's not good.
"How?" The Faunus hissed, so low that Crimson had to strain to hear it. "How are you here? Did Adam send you?"
Instead of actual words, the assassin decided to let his dagger do the explaining. Can't have anyone recognizing my voice, after all.
The clang of metal on metal and the grunts of fighting filled the dorm room, and Crimson knew that his job had just gotten much, much harder. The arms suddenly wrapping around his neck from behind and the sound of war cries driving home that fact.
"Get away from her!" The voice that Crimson recognized as Ebon Winters', the Grimm Rider, yelled right next to his ear as her arms tightened around his neck. Crimson rolled his eyes behind the mask. What is this woman's obsession with jumping on things that could kill her? It's NOT healthy!
Throwing Winters off his back into the incoming strike of Belladonna's weapon, Crimson leaped back as the two huntresses-in-training collided with the meaty thud of metal meeting aura-covered flesh, but his retreat turned sour when he practically landed in the arms of the other half of Team EWBY.
Oh, crap.
Dodging a punch thrown by Winters' blonde, emotional friend, Crimson sliced his dagger across her face only to feel the blade dulled as it struck aura instead of flesh, he growled as he was forced to dodge another punch. Gah, this thing is useless against aura! What was I thinking?! Oh yeah, I thought stabbing an asleep and defenseless Hunter student would be easy. Stupid of me to assume THAT!
Preparing to take another leap for Belladonna, Crimson suddenly found himself unable to move his feet; a quick glance down revealed the reason why. Spinning under his boots like a snowflake made of black ash, was a glyph.
Oh, COME ON!
Snapping his head upwards, he made eye contact with a girl dressed in a pale nightgown, with a hair like a winter breath spilling down her back and a sword clutched in her hand. With eyes like cutting shards of ice, Weiss Schnee glared at the figure dressed as a terrorist.
So, you're Weiss, uh? Wow, he wasn't kidding about you hating the White Fang, just look at that glare.
Sensing his eyes on her, even with the mask he wore hiding his face, Weiss's glare sharpened and her voice grew harsh with unadulterated loathing as she spoke.
"Yang, if you will."
Crimson narrowed his eyes as the blonde leaped at him, fist ready to plow into his face. Yeah, no.
Suddenly a strange feeling washed through the dorm and Yang seemed to slip on the edge of the rug just as she was about to beat her opponent down, instead of that outcome, she went sprawling into Weiss and they went down amidst the sounds of pain and surprise. As soon as the two hit the ground in a flash of aura, the glyph underneath Crimson vanished, leaving him free once again.
He didn't waste the opportunity.
So, I'm abandoning the assignment, beats fighting four armed Beacon students with a knife, I'm out!
When Team EWBY finally stumbled to their feet, the only trace of their assailant left was an open window, letting in the night air. Rushing towards it, Blake peered out, looking for any trace of bone-white in the inky gloom, but finding nothing. Behind her, she heard Yang asking the most obvious and yet the most dreaded question Blake had ever heard.
"Okay, anyone want to explain what the White Fang was doing in our dorm room?"
The huntress-in-training turned around to face the rest of her team, Yang stared cluelessly out the window, Weiss looked to be still on edge, her knuckles straining against her skin as she clutched her weapon at her side, her breath coming out in harsh and uneven pants, Ebon just looked confused and worried, as if too many questions and not enough answers were running through her mind, Blake could more than relate.
But, unknown to the rest of her team, just one single question burned in Ebon Winter's mind like an unquenchable fire. She had been the first to awaken and see Blake and the White Fang member clashing blades, she had been the only other to see the assassin's true target before the team stepped in to fight the attacker off, she had seen why the White Fang member was here at Beacon, in their dorm room.
But she could not for the life of her, figure out why the White Fang wanted to kill Blake Belladonna.
When Ruby stepped out of the bathroom, freshly showered and ready to turn in for the night, she surprised to say the very least to find a frantic Crimson Shard rushing around their dorm room chucking his dagger to a frazzled Neopolitan.
Oh, well, THIS doesn't bode well for our assignment.
"What is going on?" She hissed under her breath, casting a wary eye at the door as if expecting to hear people on the other side trying to knock it down. "What happened?!"
"Faunus are practically good at hearing you when you're about to stab them," Crimson said as he also threw his White Fang mask at Neo, revealing his frustrated snarl to the world. "But long story short, I messed up and am now in the process of destroying evidence, now move."
And with that, he shot past Ruby and into the bathroom, the door swinging shut behind him. Ruby turned back to Neo who was shoving the Grimm mask and dagger into Crimson's duffel bag, a mix of concern and fury on her face.
"Two days, Ruby, we've been at Beacon for a grand total of TWO days and THIS is what happens! This is insane, this is legitimately insane!"
"I'm more worried about what Cinder will do to us when she hears he failed." Ruby's eyes were still wary, as if she excepted their dorm room to be wreathed in dark flames at any moment. "It's not like we can try again with everyone on high alert."
And it was true. Even as the two spoke, they could hear the sounds of movement and voices filling the hallway outside their door, all drawn by the sounds of a failed assassination. The dorm room door creaked open and Skyler slipped inside, his eyes confused.
Keeping his voice low, he turned to his leader in puzzlement. "It is just me, or are professional assassins not supposed to draw that big of a crowd?"
"Crimson messed up," Ruby said shortly, gesturing to the bathroom door. "He's, uh, disposing of the evidence as we speak."
"Oh, fantastic." Skyler shook his head and walked over the trash can next to one of the desk, taking a white handkerchief of out of suit pocket, shaking out the thin strands of hair that were in its linen folds. "Guess I waltzed around CRDL's filthy bathroom for nothing."
"I think we have bigger problems, like Cinder and who's going to tell her about tonight's fiasco." Ruby shuddered just thinking about that suicidal job and Skyler and Neo did not look like they were quick to put their own lives on the line either, nobody wants to be the one who tells the evil boss they failed. Suddenly, an idea popped into Ruby's head, a wonderful, and safe, idea.
"All in favor of making Crimson do it?"
"Aye."
"Let 'em burn."
"Great!" Ruby clapped her hands. "Glad we could get that cleared up without bloodshed, I'll break the news to our dear teammate as soon as he gets out!"
As if on cue, the bathroom door swung upon to reveal Crimson Shard, dressed in a ratty sweater and even rattier pajama bottoms, his hair flat and still dripping with hairspray-scented drops of water. Not recalling him bringing his nightwear in with him, but not really wanting to question it too much, Ruby stepped forward with a smile. The assassin immediately went stone-still and his eyes turned wary.
"What?" In that one word, Crimson revealed exactly much trust he had in his teammates, that is to say, none at all. Ruby rolled her eyes, smile fading along with her usual good cheer.
"Okay, Mr. Paranoid, calm down. We are just going to make you call Cinder to tell her what happened tonight." Like her words meant nothing, Ruby pulled out her Scroll and flicked it open, holding it out for the assassin to take.
Crimson stared at her for a solid minute before speaking.
"You know; this is why I don't trust you people. Why do I have to be the one to tell your boss we failed?"
"Because you're the one who screwed up." Neo crossed her arms, looking hard at her teammate. "Now, come on, get to it."
"Awfully bossy for a partner." He grumbled as he took the Scroll from Ruby's outstretched hand, quickly flickering through it to find Ruby's contacts which only had five listed. Geez, this girl needs to get out more, oh, hey! Nora's on here…best not mention that to Neo. Shaking his head to clear it from the images what his partner might do if she ever found out, Crimson's eyes landed on the final contract and he took a quick breath to prepare himself for what must be done. Tapping on the messages tab, Crimson sent what may simply be disappointing news or his own death warrant to his new, temporary, boss.
Mission failed. Resistance greater than expected. Element of surprise lost. Do not suggest another attempt. –The Assassin, Crimson Shard.
That was reasonable, right? Surely Cinder Fall could see that and be forgiving?
Oh, who am I kidding? The way this night has been going for me, I'll be surprised if Fall doesn't hunt me down and shoot me. With that happy thought, Crimson handed back the Scroll only for Ruby to back away, arms up as if she was surrendering to enemy soldiers.
"Oh, no you don't, Zombie Boy. You're keeping that until she replies, in case it explodes or something."
"Once again, thank you so much."
Silence filled the dorm room, the sounds of people in the hallway dying down to a mere murmur before fading off entirely. So when the ping of the Scroll sounded like a chime of doom, the entire team couldn't help but flinch.
And when Crimson read the new message, he flinched again. "Ooh, someone is not happy."
Turning the device around, he showed his teammates the fourteen words that seemed to blister with heated anger, even though a screen of glass and Dust.
This is the last assignment you fail, make sure of it or I will.
"Is anyone else getting the mental image of our dead bodies?" Skyler asked as he slowly backed away towards his bed. "Because I am getting some very graphic mental images of our dead bodies."
"Actually, that went a whole lot better than I thought it would." Ruby rubbed the spot between her eyes as it started to ache from beneath her skin. "I was expecting more death threats and death in general."
"I'm just confused on why she wanted Belladonna dead." Neo had decided that Skyler's idea was a good one, and collapsed on her bed. "I just can't figure any of it out."
Ruby held up a finger as she fell backward onto her mattress. "Ours is not to question why, ours is but to do and die…or, in Crimson's case, fail miserably."
"You can go shove your scythe right up your-"
"Goodnight, Zombie Boy."
Cinder Fall was not happy.
No, no, that was too weak to describe what she was feeling.
A bone-melting rage that made want to slaughter half her lackeys as an example and then rip off a few limbs off the survivors just to make sure they got the point? Maybe, but still a bit puny to really capture the absolute fury that scorched her heart and made her stomach boil.
Inept scum! Do they think that this is a game? Do they think failure is acceptable? Cinder seethed as she paced the long walkway of the warehouse, the air around her simmering with heat. Her two most loyal subordinates Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai stood some ways back as to avoid being caught in the crossfire of their boss's murderous intent.
"Something's really her up into a frenzy this time," Mercury observed safely from the top of a shipping crate. "I think this might be worse than that time we failed to snatched the Maiden powers."
"Has she killed anybody yet?" Emerald leaned against the same crate, keeping Cinder in the corner of her eye, watching for any threats that may pose a danger to her boss, not that Emerald could actually do anything useful if someone that could rival Cinder Fall appeared, but she liked to think it was the thought that counted. From his perch, Mercury peered off into the gloom of the warehouse.
"Nope, don't see any puddles of people or piles of ash anywhere."
"Then this isn't as bad as that. Remember those Fanger grunts?" Emerald craned her head upwards as Mercury suddenly chuckled, a cold reminisce gleam in his eyes. "I'll take that as a yes."
"Emerald. Mercury. We're leaving. There has been a change of plans." The sound of their rather rageful boss's voice drove all traces of ease out of their minds and bodies and they hurried to take their places on Cinder's either side. The stale air of the warehouse being replaced by the chemical rank that filled every crack and pore of Vale's warehouse distract as they walked through the warped doors.
"The assassination of Blake Belladonna has failed." Cinder's words caused her two lackeys to glance at each other. She had been very adamant on killing the ex-White Fang member and framing the death on Beacon Academy, something about cementing to her cause the loyalties of a certain overly-obsessive, horned whackjob. But due to either poor planning or poor execution, that plan fell through.
Mercury and Emerald decided to blame poor execution, to say it was poor planning would have implied that it was Cinder's fault. Gathering her courage, Emerald spoke up.
"So, what are we going to do now?"
The woman was silent for so long that Emerald began to fear that she had overstepped her bounds and Mercury would have to sweep her ashes off the ground. But just as she was about to start apologizing profusely, Cinder spoke.
"Now, Emerald, now we know that that team of Roman's thugs are not absolutely loyal to me. Now, we know that they think they can fail and not even realize the full extent of their mistake. Now, we show them the error of their ways." A smirk born of cruelty twisted Cinder's lips. "Call Roman and his brats, I think it's time for a little staff meeting."
Again, sorry for the lateness, but the issues are over now. I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed this story, you guys are amazing! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and I'll see you in the next chapter!
Next Update: 2/3/2019