A/N: Well. I feel bad that I haven't updated in a while, Soap's side of things is taking a little longer than originally expected.
So, as a sort of compensation, I thought that I would hold you over, and create a little bit of excitement with a teaser from Sarah and Blake's side of the upcoming events.
PLEASE NOTE: This teaser has several references to the Bible and Christianity; in fact, this fic was originally inspired by the book of Revelation in the Bible after I asked myself a question of "What if?..." (that's a story for another time.) So, with that said, please know that while I, myself, am a Christian; that does not mean that I will try to force my religion on you. Your life, what you do with it and what you believe is your decision. Not mine. So please - for the sake of the story, entertainment, and my sanity as well as your own - just think of any references that I make as something that I made up.
PLEASE NOTE 2: Any and all contents that are included in this teaser, and anything posted after Ch. 18 really, are subject to change as nothing is set in stone.
Also; DISCLAIMER: I do not own RWBY. There is/was a reason why I never really bothered to describe what any of the canon characters looked like and that is that if you are reading this, then you have an interest in RWBY likely from either, watching one/some of the trailers or watching the actual show which also means that you should know that I didn't make it. It was made by and belongs to: Rooster Teeth and the, now late and great Monty Oum. (No disrespect is meant by that statement to anyone.)
Sarah and I looked at each other and subconsciously spoke to each other, "We should follow them and make sure that they don't kill each other." She said to me, moving towards the door.
I followed close behind.
...This is only a teaser; you'll get the rest when the actual chapter comes out...
We managed to slip into the sanctuary and get behind one of the pews near Soap and Niri without them noticing.
"Alright Niri, you managed to get me alone. What did you want to ask me?" Soap asked politely.
Niri was sitting down, in a pew, a small distance away from Soap, staring at the ground. When she spoke, she spoke quietly, but possessed a lot of intensity in her voice, "Have you ever heard of a city named 'Cado Angelus'?" She asked.
Soap's face looked worried for a split-second, but quickly replaced it with a neutral expression, "I have. Though if I remember correctly, some sort of tragedy hit it 12 years ago and effectively wiped it off the map."
I reached out to Sarah beside me, "What does Cado Angelus mean?" I asked.
"It means Fallen Angel." Sarah explained. "Now be quiet and watch and listen, you just might get some answers to your questions."
I nodded and turned my attention back to the center of the room.
"Why?" Soap asked Niri.
"They say that the person that killed the city had the appearance of a demon; something I can attest to personally. But what I want to know is this: 12 years ago, did you kill my family along with the rest of Cado Angelus?"
"No." Soap stated simply, looking away.
"LIAR!" She yelled at him; her semblance amplifying the percussive force tenfold.
This was very painful to me and Sarah, both of us being faunas. We clutched at the sides of our heads. When we both finally recovered, it was rather apparent that we missed some dialog.
"...me." Soap said, sounding a little annoyed.
Niri reached back behind her and pulled out her lute turned sword and pointed it him.
Soap still just stood there calmly, waiting for her to move.
"I will fucking kill you!" She said as she approached him menacingly.
"Why?" Soap asked simply.
Niri stopped in her tracks and stared angrily at him.
"I would suggest covering your ears. Niri is about to flare her semblance again." Sarah said to me as she covered her ears.
I quickly followed suit.
"WHY!? ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS!?" She screamed at him, amplifying the force of her yell with her semblance. A visible shock wave could be seen moving across the ground from the shear force of her yell.
Soap was still standing calmly across from her.
"Why?" Soap asked again.
He received no answer. Instead, she pointed her sword at him and began to charge.
"AHH!" She yelled as she rushed him, sword ready to strike him.
When she reached him, she swung.
The blade connected and sent Soap staggering backwards.
When I saw this, I tensed and started to reach for my own weapon but was stopped by Sarah. "Wait and watch." She commanded in my mind.
Begrudgingly, I withdrew my hand from my weapon.
After he regained his balance, he faced her and stared at her, emotionless.
"Why? Because you slaughtered my family and friends!" She yelled at him.
She rushed him and was on top of him in an instant.
She knocked him to the ground and stood over him menacingly with her sword against his neck, ready to kill him.
I yelled at Sarah in my mind, "Shouldn't we do something?!"
"No. This is their fight, not ours." She replied. "Just watch, you'll understand."
I turned back to the fight and watched.
"Well Soap, or should I say Chris Gunnel? Just how do you think that you'll manage to convince me that you didn't want to kill them?" She said expectantly.
"Do you REALLY think that I wanted to kill them?" He said louder and rather angrily; his semblance flaring.
He managed to push her off of him.
She backed up, unsure about his question or what was happening, "…uhh..."
Just then, he threw something at her.
She ducked as the object neared her and lodged itself in the wall behind her.
She turned around. Above her, stuck in the wall about five feet above where her head was when she was standing, was a knife.
The knife itself was very ornate and decorated with swirling and skull designs; it almost looked as if the blade was forged from...darkness.
"He wasn't trying to hit her." I heard Sarah's voice say in my head.
"Wha-? Then what the hell was he doing?" I responded back.
"You'll see."
When Niri's eyes met the blade, they widened in fear.
"That blade is the same one that was used to kill your family and friends." Soap said, anger thick in his voice.
Slowly Niri turned around, weapon drawn and ready to fight for her life. I think she was surprised at what she found.
Soap was sitting down, chuckling slightly, "You know, it's funny. People that learn of our pasts, Sarah and I; they think that Sarah's the monster."
"…" Niri didn't move.
"But in reality, I'm the real monster. I've killed hundreds of people and I've watched more than that die. Hell, I wiped an entire city off the map except for you and four others." He activated his semblance and burnt off his gloves.
Niri still didn't move, her eyes were fixed on Soap; specifically his hands.
He held up his hands for her to see. Even from here, I could see the mangled flesh of his hands as they met the artificial light of the bulbs in the ceiling.
Niri observed them with caution and wonder.
"Why do you think that I avoid using my weapon when I can, huh? That thing that controlled me, that demon; it gave me immense power. Even after Summer rescued me from it's clutches, I could still feel it's power inside me and I feel it every time I reach for my weapons. Each time I draw them, I'm afraid that I'll lose control and I'll hurt the ones I care for."
Niri still just stood there.
"Life is precious. You know that right? You've only got one shot, one opportunity to make sure that the legacy you leave behind, is the one that you want people to know. I didn't want this. I didn't want any of this; but it wanted me."
He chuckled softly again and turned his attention to the cross that hung above the stage, "You know, the way of life I behind had a saying. It went something like this: 'And thus I lower myself to lowest that I can possibly go so that I might ensure that none experience what I have. The lower I go, the harder my life will become. But when I'm stranded in the deepest valley and I've gone the lowest I can, the only direction I can go is up; all I have to do, is keep moving forward. If I somehow manage to get ahead of you along the way, you keep moving too; I'll meet you there."
"Even after that speech, do you really think that I'm just going to let you go? I've been hunting you for the past 12 years."
"You're not the first; so have many others." He replied.
"You've committed hundreds, if not thousands, more crimes and you still slept soundly; I'm not just going to let you walk. You have to pay for you're sins you know." Niri asked him.
His face hardened and he looked Niri straight in the eyes.
She looked away uncomfortably and backed up further; her face still showing anger.
"What makes you think I haven't, huh? Every single night when I lay my head down beside Sarah's, I see the face of every person that I've killed, innocent or no."
Niri's face changed from one of anger to one of confusion. "I...uhh..."
I could hear Soap's voice waver as he started to tear up, "If you think for even a moment that I've slept soundly over the past 12 years; you'd be wrong. I've paid for my sins, a hundredfold; every single day I get up and shoulder the guilt of the countless kills in my name." Soap said, outright crying now. "I remember every single one of their names, their families, their jobs, everything. Every single time I told myself that it was their time and another paycheck that would ultimately help me survive. People say it gets easier as time goes on; well it doesn't." He took a breath. "And you know what? I regret almost every single one of them."
"Almost?" Niri said, tensing up at the word. "Which don't you regret?"
"My very first. The ones that I made in the name of survival after witnessing my family get executed in front of me."
"..."
"Look, I'm sorry. I know that you came here for Sarah. If you can't forgive me, then at least remember why you showed up." He stood and turned toward the pew that Sarah and I were hiding behind. "Blake, Sarah. I know you're there; come on out and go. Goodnight." He said.
"Where are you going?" I asked quickly.
He said nothing.
Still in tears, he teleported away to an unknown location.
Niri turned and looked at Sarah. "Sarah. I..."
"No. You've done enough tonight. Go. We'll talk about this later; right now I've got a fiancé to calm down."
A/N: A lengthy teaser for sure. I hope you enjoyed.