Flushing out the SCP a bit more.
The four found Rainbow waiting outside. Half leaning on her car fussing with her scroll as if waiting. Catching sight of them she waved cheerfully to the group. "Hi-O, hay! Change of plains f-today. Just about everyone is going to the beach party tomorrow, so. If you want. You need to do your private classes today. We'll do the private classes first. They only take a few hours to learn, then it's just practicing. After that we will do your Mnemonic class. That one can take all day. Or go fast depending on the people in it." She opened the door to the car ready to get in. "So I'm here to drive you four. This part of your class is a ways out of town, its kind o dangerous for the population so that's why the drive."
As Rainbow took the drivers seat Rubys team glanced at each other and did a collective shoulder shrug before heading for the car.
"Well this was an interesting morning." Complained Blake as she settled in.
The group was taking in some of the sights driving through the town. It seemed everywhere you looked something was being built or improved on. The road's were wide, paved, and Rainbow seemed to drive like there was no speed limit.
Ruby found herself fidgeting in the back seat unsure about this whole situation and had to ask Rainbow why this final class was considered dangerous? The first class to her was extremely dangerous. "Blake and Weiss nearly drown." Ruby reminded her.
"But you didn't die." Rainbow countered. "In these advanced classes you can. So, back out now or go through with it." She stated as if she didn't care which way they went. "We do all we can, and other then damage and loosing one grim were oh and none, but these Grimm your going to be exposed to are the more dangerous ones. They can make you do stuff. Like break down the barriers keeping you separated from them. We have contingencies true. Shock vests, limited exposure, bullet resistant plastics, and pressed steel drop walls that are reinforced. But sometimes hunters are strong enough to just blast through all that."
Rainbow went on explaining the safety measures a long list that only stopped as they approached a concrete checkpoint attached to a double twelve foot tall chain link fence. The second fence was a good fifty feet from the first. A double roll of barbwire rested atop each barrier looking more like sections of razorblades then barbed wire. A Large yellow diamond shaped sign saying. Danger: Electrified. Was posted every twenty feet. Beyond all that was a towering wall of concrete with various sized weapon emplacements running along it every hundred feet.
A black arching sign over the roadway next to the checkpoint had printed on it in large white letters. SCP 002. Under that in quarter sized words were. Secure Contain Protect.
Only when they came to a stop did a guard exit what looked like a bunker. "Hay Sunshine." Greeted Rainbow. "Got four." Handing him a clipboard she waited. The man decked out in thick armor with a helmet that had a red slit for seeing took the offered clipboard and went into the bunker, closed and locked the door and picked up a landline phone talking into it for a bit before coming back out.
"Checks out." He said giving the clipboard back. Then bent eyeing the four through the red slash on his full face helmet. "You sure about this? They feel,,, kind of soft." Rainbow nodded with a hand motion to them. "Isaacs family and friends." "Good luck." He said giving a curt nod before he waved them in.
He went into the guard post closed and locked the door. Then pulled some kind of switch. One gate rolled back. Pop up road barriers as tall as there car sank into the road giving them a clear path to the second gate. Once the first gate was closed the second opened and the road barriers beyond sank into the road.
"Anyone as uneasy as I am?" Asked Blake, as they passed the thick wall she saw a concrete pillbox with a large caliber twin gun emplacement, pointed at them.
"Security." Rainbow explained. "Our training grounds are here. Also. It's bad enough having some of the more dangerous Grimm, we have to worry about this woman's worshipers too."
"Worshipers?" Asked Yang. She wanted an explanation. Yang looked to the side as they passed what looked like a track and field combination that had about twenty people in brown track clothing formed up in a box like grid T posing with five gallon buckets in there hands.
"Think about it. What would you call someone who can control grimm and is for all intent and purposes immortal?" Rainbow answered. She let them chew on the idea before turning down a side road heading to what looked like a long row of large tall storage building's shaped like aircraft hanger's each with doors every hundred feet or so.
"Question." Weiss declared. "How was this place constructed so quickly. This base is massive."
Giving a shrug Rainbow explained a bit. "Semblances mostly. Most people have construction like semblances. Earth, shaping, that kind a thing. We buff em up, ya know, aura, strength, manipulation, and fine manipulation."
"There hunters?" Weiss asked. Rainbow shook her head.
"Just regular people, we make a point of opening up everyone's aura here and teaching any who want to too explore there potential."
"Why? Do you not understand that many can and will turn to a life of crime?!" Weiss was just appalled at the carelessness of activating common peoples auras. "Training is needed if for no other reason to learn how not to kill people."
"You do realize that these are non combat ability's. Any hunter that leaves our boot camp is more then a match for any civilian. To add you have seen our version of the Vital Festival? Those are not hunters. There entertainers. As far as crimes go. Well. I've seen Vale its filled with crime. Here? Anyone killing someone, just because they got mad or drunk? Well if they don't run they will usually wind up dead within the day. So, self preservation? Responsibility?"
Weiss was about to debate more when Rainbow interrupted. "Were here." Rainbow declared. "This one I think will be for Yang. The guy is a bit, well. You'll see." Exiting the vehicle they fallowed Rainbow.
They entered into a wide open space. Dark rafters high above. Spartan save for a series of chains that hung from the ceiling. There length vanishing up into the gloom. Just a bit from the hanging chains was a concrete walkway built over a pit. The kind you would need for car maintenance. The walkway had a red patch in the middle of it and was wide enough to have one person abreast on it. There were three doors at the far wall. And the place smelled odd
"Hay! Thumper!" Rainbow yelled. "You awake!?" At the far end the middle door opened. Thumper was a large man who had grown out as well as up. "Just a sec!" he called out wiping his hands then grabbing a shirt. He was well built with a thin layer of skin covering his muscles. Quickly putting on the shirt as he walked towards them. "What ya got for me today." He started to ask then stopped and stared.
"Crap. Rainbow, what did I say about….." Rainbow with a chopping wave of her hand cut him off. With the other hand made a motion to team RWBY.
"I would like you to meet Isaacs sisters Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long, there team mates Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna."
"Fuck." He said scratching his head exasperated. "Ok, you." He pointed to Yang. "You're the only one here that looks like they have a chance." He pointed to the walkway. "Stand on that red mark and don't move from it."
Rainbow tensely whispered to Yang. "Don't question, a lot of these teachers are eccentric, in high demand, they will not take any lip or delays. So move."
Gritting her teeth Yang walked onto the walkway and stood on the red mark. "Ok, now what?"
"First face me." Yang turned, waiting. "Survive." Thumper told her with his game face on, and yanked on a chain. Above there heads gears clacked.
Yang felt the wind before she saw what was coming from the dark above. She had just enough time to brace. Two large taller then Yang hammers more like logs shod in iron came together on each side of Yang with a boom.
"Yang!" Ruby yelled moving forward as an arm wrapped around her upper body holding her tight. Blake found Rainbow hanging on to her arm to keep her from aiding Yang. The whole team was shocked by the brutal event. You could not see Yang. The hammers were just inches above the walkway and she was between them.
A flicker of yellow between the hammer's seemed to crackle. That was all Ruby needed to see to know her sister was all right. The hammers exploded outward and Yang walked towards Thumper. Her hair and body alight with excess energy and eyes red with murderous intent. As Yang reached the end of the walkway the hammers slammed together with a thrumming air blast tossing Yangs glowing hair in front of her.
"Wow." Breathed Thumper. He blinked and shook his head to clear it. "Ok, Ya, I'll train her. You three he pointed at Ruby Weiss and Blake with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Go. Leave. Find a husband. Have kids. I'm training a warrior." He gleefully declared. Yang stopped, a bit taken aback by his words. She shifted and crossed her arms still glaring not sure if she should go with it or pummel him and call it a day.
"Hay." Began Weiss just before Rainbow grabbed and spun her around. "Don't say a another word, just leave or Yang will not be able to train, ok?" Whispered Rainbow her voice an intense growl as she almost pushed the remaining group out.
Once outside and the door closed Rainbow leaned into the door with a huge sigh. "I forgot I'm dealing with kids." She grumble.
"He was more then insulting." Weiss huffed.
"Rainbow nodded. "Ya, he's like that. Yang will be the first female he's ever trained."
"So he's also a womanizer?" Blake asked. Rainbow shook her head.
"It's more complicated then that, but for you, yes he is." Rainbow seemed to dismiss the event and said in her normal chirpy voice. "Now I think Blake should be next. Get in the car, the place is about a mile down the road."
As they drove past what seemed like fifty or so copy and paste warehouse's, some of the doors they passed had warning labels on them. Fire. Explosive. Ice and the like. One had SCP symbols flanking the door and one above. The door was iron with rust streaks just beginning to form. As they came to an intersection she turned right.
"Blake yours will be that building next to the endurance track. Then I'll drop off Weiss then Ruby." She stopped the car and got out next to a long domed building with simple propped open with a stick air vents on the roof. A middle aged man was sitting outside smoking a pipe. A Faunas for any to see with bright red skin and a prehensile tail, with a spade or heart shaped at the tip. He watched the group approach still puffing.
When they were within talking distance and before Rainbow could introduce them he stated. "I know each of you, I fallow the news." Then he asked. "Which ones the teleporter?" Rainbow indicated Blake with a slight motion. "Ok, let see it." He told Blake.
"I don't." Blake started before Rainbow cut in. "She leaves a clone behind like a shadow when she ports." The mans black eyebrows went up reaching for his hairline. Then he stood approaching, watching her intently. "Ok, port." He told Blake.
"I…" Blake didn't get to finish as the mans hand shot out. The pip stem aimed for her eye. Blake blinked to the side as her double took the blow and had her weapon drawn. "Ok, it's passive, we can fix that." He told her. Blake let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and re-sheathed her sword. This man put her on edge, not just theses actions, something else made her wary, apprehensive and she didn't know why.
"What? Your saying Blakes semblance can be changed?" Weiss was all but sputtering at the idea. "That makes no sense, no one in the history of Remnant has or can change a semblance."
"Pifff. Shows you what you know, have you even read any of those reports Grimms Bane has put out? Or are you just a kit, knowing more then the teachers." He seemed to judge Weiss for just a moment. "Truth be told I hardly consider you an adult." Red responded. "Look, its like this. Semblance is a power projected by ones personality or beliefs. It's all in your head, and because it's in your head you can change it, modify it."
"Rainbow." He said turning away from Weiss. "Blake looks penniless. I want payment up front." Then he looked over his shoulder at Blake his words sounding a bit harsh. "Lose to bow. Belladonna."
"Now see here I have had enough of these impudent people!" Declared Weiss.
To everyone's surprise Weiss vanished with a thump of compressing air.
"Stay in the car!" He yelled.
To Weiss it was like the world shifted and she was settling in the back set of the car they came in. She was just too shocked to do anything save blink. Then she heard his words. With a frown she exited the car intent on retribution. Rainbow was franticly waving her arms behind the faunas back. Gesturing for her to stay put. With a grumble Weiss reentered and sat down. Waiting, quietly fuming.
The red skinned man watched Blake a bit before saying. "I'll get ye to do that too." Then he confronted Rainbow. "Payment first, who's bankrolling her?"
"Um. Uh. Me?" Ruby said a bit nervous. She dug out the card Rainbow had giving her the day before.
"Come." He said abruptly heading for the door as he knocked out the ash and tobacco from his pip. Inside he had Ruby slot the card into a cash reader then marked the amount.
"Twenty thousand!" Ruby gasped. "I don't have that kind of Lien!" She protested. "I'm not going any lower." He said firmly.
"Red, Red." Rainbow interrupted. "She doesn't know." The man blinked. "What's not to know. She's Isaacs sister, right?" He countered confused. Rainbow sighed shaking her head. "I'm never doing this again." She vowed somewhat angry with herself.
Rainbow lightly griped Rubys shoulder to get her full attention. "It's simple. This is your bank account card from your family's account, here in Mavideniz. Isaac with what he has done has made millions. Ok. Heck. Here's an example, your father loves that log cabin of his so much that he's flying it to the new homestead, now that's a cash dump. What I'm saying is you're a millionaire. This is pocket change." Rainbow stressed to a shocked Ruby.
"But, you gave Isaac an aircraft. Because he was poor." Ruby earnestly reminded her. Rainbow sighed then recalled what she did in her head before she snickered. "Yes, the aircraft. It was a thank you." She calmed herself a bit to continue in a more serous tone. "He spent almost all he had at that time for that Memorial to the fallen. He alone, land and all, paid for it. Also another reason I gave the aircraft was to keep him from exposing himself to possible attack on a public transport system."
"That was almost a year ago. Ruby. Please understand we have thousands of active hunters here. Hundreds of millions of Lien a month are going through Mavideniz, just in the hunts. Now commerce is flowing and small business are being built. Isaac leases the land he owns, and a lot of buildings are on that land. The city is practically built on Isaacs starter property."
"But." Ruby protested. "Kids can't own….."
Rainbow shushed her with a finger on her lips. "Yes, here kids can and do work for a living. If they keep up with there education they can and do own whatever they can afford. Isaac is one of three kids who have passed all their classes. Now to get back to the trunk of the tree. We had to relocate the labs and SCP 002 because of the growing town. So add the iron mine, the foundry, dam, and two dust mines that he partly owns or fully owns and that's just what I know of. So, what I'm saying is if Isaac is not doing anything he makes after bills hundreds of thousands a month. I'm sorry this was not explained to you. So now. Do you understand?"
Ruby mulled it over before giving the card the ok to purchase the class. "Yes, but I can't help but think that school is simple compared to this place."
"Oh, you better believe it." Agreed Red. "What Beacon does. What all the Academy's do is simple by the book, by the law, stamped out hunters." Pride started to color Reds voice as he put in plain words. "We at Grimms Bane take what you have and show you that you have no limits. We show you how to make variations on your semblance."
"That's why you say Blake teleports?" Asked Ruby. The Red Faunas nodded. "Why the bow? Can't she wear it in class?"
Red looked down before shaking his head. "No, its not what your thinking." When he raised his head his face had changed, he looked sad. "She doesn't remember me but I remember Blake. When we were in the White Fang. Back when her father was running it. Times were rough but we were making slow headway. Blake was beat up a few times, we all were one time or another, but she was just a kit then." He sighed angry at the memory. "Humans." He spat. "Then after someone set fire to our camp outside Mistral. That. That killed a bunch of people. We think some Puritans set the blaze. Maybe The Sons of Man." Red sighed and seemed to shake himself from a bad memory before continuing.
"Blake, after the dust settled, she went all quiet. Sienna Khan with backing from the members took over, have to say, it was bad. Emotions were all over the place. Ghira and Kali left, I left, and Blake stayed." He looked at Blake for a bit before quietly saying. "Your nothing like you were." Blake actually took a step back her hands twisting at her untied bow. Her worried eyes shifting away.
Like something had died in him Red heave a sigh anew turning to face Ruby. "That's why the bow. I hope to rekindle that fire she had back then by giving her the confidence that no one can touch her if she doesn't want them too."
Ruby watched Blake for a bit before realizing she was making Blake uncomfortable. So she turned to look up at the faunas simply called Red. "Ok." Deep in thought Ruby left the building finding Rainbow had somehow slipped out and was waiting in the car with Weiss.
She opened the rear door getting in. Weiss was frowning and looked like she was going to say something Weiss like but she stopped seeing Rubys face. As the door closed Ruby said in a tired voice. "Lets go, get Weiss to her class."
Rainbow nodded starting up the car. Ruby felt like she wanted to cry. Just from thinking about the way most people treat faunas and all the things that may and had happened to Blake in the White Fang. Back what? Eight, twelve years ago, but she kept quiet knowing fully that some things are best left unsaid. If Blake wanted to talk about it, that would be on her. Not others forcing it out of her. Ruby whispered almost mumbling "I hate growing up." Ruby shifted her eyes to the window just as she heard Weiss moving closer to her.
"Weiss? Let her be for a bit." Said Rainbow. The timing was like she had been reading the Schnees mind. It was a short quiet ride before they stopped just at the edge of a small wood. "Ok. Weiss, your up." Rainbow told her.
Weiss didn't move. "I, my father discontinued my funding." She whispered. Ruby with a grunt shouldered her door open. "No problem." She stated getting out. "And no. Like Blake I do not want you to pay me back, or be beholding to me for this. You're my partner and my teammate, we live or die depending on our training. This will give us an edge." Ruby wanted to say with the war coming, but, emotionally she was tired of it all.
Weiss who was partway out stopped to stare. "Ruby?" Her voice held all the questions she wanted to ask.
"Ruby shrugged. "Your worth it." She half smiled. "Come on, lets see what kind of a nut job works here." Weiss watched her becoming more worried by the second. Then like a switch was thrown her feet started moving, quickly walking to catch up.
Rainbow stayed in the car as Ruby and Weiss left the sidewalk and moved onto a cobblestone path into an artificial wood.
"Princess!?" A voice boomed. Weiss stared at the owner of that voice that had just come around a tree. "Uncle Erbst!? Weiss cried confused and happy as she rushed to him. The man after the impact hug picked up Weiss and held her out to spin her about before pulling her in for a tight hug before setting Weiss down. "By the Broken Moon! Girl! You have grown!" He half yelled holding her hands. "When I was told If I worked today I would be in for a real treat. I had no idea." He gave her another hug. "It's so good to see you again Princess." Weiss having not heard her pet name in just under a decade blushed.
Ruby stood watching the two feeling her emotions tilting to the other extreme. "So this is what it's like to be completely confused." She thought. Then giggled.
Yang Xiao Long
Yang exited a side door from the dressing room. Thumper had her change into track and field gear and she had to use what was at hand. "What's with the granny panties?"
"There cotton. Get used to them." He gruffly replied. "Now lets start off small by showing you a aura pulse. Once you get that down we'll work on compressing it, then Harding."
Yang stood still as he approached. "Hold up your arm out and feel what I'm doing." As she did Yang immediately felt his aura, it crawled up his arm into his hand and flared. "Ok, now you." He told her.
"Wait, wait." Said Yang frustrated. "You got to do more then that. I need to know how to start this." He blinked for a bit then sighed. "All right."
"Remember, you asked for it." He stood behind her and pressed up onto her back holding her arm up with his. "Ok. Now feel this."
"Poor use of words." Thought Yang. She did feel the start and flow as his aura moved and tried to mimic the flow and movement. They stood close, repeating the progress for almost five minuets before Yang did it. He backed away.
"Ok, good, now do it without a crutch." Thumper told her watching closely as Yang replicate his teachings. "Great." He almost bellowed and nodded his approval as Yang though slow to do it copied him. "You keep practicing that. I'll get you something to de-bark." He walked away heading for the third side door.
Yang closed her eyes and moved her aura, not in a hurry, just getting the movement right. A bit of time passed. She kept going even when she heard him coming back.
"Ok. Yang. Get that sweet ass over here." He said thumping down a full sized road barrier onto a heavy stand. "Gona show you how to strip the concrete off this thing, right down to the rebar." The joy in his voice was evident. Yang decided he loved this part, or was it just teaching in general.
Still she was a little. Miffed by his words but remembering Rainbows warning as Yang walked over. "Ok, put your arm next to mine. Then fallow my movements."
Swinging her arm with aura he made a motions like his was hitting the concrete block. Stopping just a half inch from hitting it. Each time his aura flared. Then he backed away. "Ok you do it, slowly."
Yang mimicked him a few times before he stopped her. "No, no, no." He made a movement with his hand. "You got to snap your wrist, and close the hand into a fist at the last second, as you burst." He had Yang mirror him until he was satisfied.
"OK, hit the block, just like I showed you." Yang mimicked him and to her amazement without hitting it took a small flake out of the road barrier.
"Oh, Ya!" Yang cheerfully batted at it with each hand making chips fly. With aura amplifying her strength she could have busted this block, but this way only a fraction of energy was needed. "This is easy." She declared.
"Always is, it's just, ya know, who would think to do something crazy like that with there aura. I'll set up the next uplift for you, should be done in an hour or so. Until then keep stripping that thing." Yang nodded happily as he walked by. "Have fun kido." And slapped her on the butt cheek as he walked past.
"HAY! Asshole!" Yangs reflex response was quick as she turned to pound him. Stupid jerk looks surprised, did he think I would stand for this. Yang thought as her haymaker started to land.
A white flash blotted out her vision: Yang was turned partly around and staggered. That felt like getting hit by Neo that first time. Yang thought as she caught her balance turning to face him.
"Get out you idiot." Thumper told Yang. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"No problem. You think I'm going put up with someone slapping may ass with out permission? Get grimed." Yang was so mad she flipped him off and was almost yelling.
Thumper stopped in mid anger. You could almost see the wood burning. Surprised as he realized something when her words settled into his head. His face started to redden. "Oh, shit! Ya. Uh, I did do that. Ya. Uh. Sorry? Crap. Ya, just a, this sounds lame, but I teach sports when not doing this. Crap, ummm." He made a truly shy shrug of his shoulders hands up and pleading. Getting redder as he spoke. "Reflex? Always gave, students, ah, and the little tikes a swat on the bum to get em….. Crap." He seemed to think a bit. "Now I'm feeling like a pedo on top of everything else." He stood still for a few seconds before giving Yang an imploring look and asked. "Just, how red? Is my face getting?"
Yang watched him getting more and more flustered and she had to admit she was amused by it, until it was too much, she started laughing. "Scarlet." Yang laughed back. "Oh man, you slapped my butt on a reflex?" She started laughing even more.
Thumper stood there taking her mirth for a bit before mumbling. "Uh, I'll, just, you know, set up the next exercise." He was nervously running his fingers through his hair as he quickly walked by. "Just keep doing what your doing." He all but gushed out picking up the pace.
Yang watched him her glee cooling down at the ridicules situation before turning back to her bark-stripping. Then she hit a dark though. Don't know which is worse. That. He slapped my ass. Or the fact he did it without being sexual about it. Yang made a Phththhh noise before settling down to work. Getting her aura, energy release, and movement down. Yang gleefully nodded to herself as a rhythm settled in and started going after it like a kid with a new toy. Without touching the thing and with a growing grin started sending shards, then chunks of concrete all over the place.
Blake Belladonna
"How ya doing kit?" Asked Red as the doors closed.
Blake sighed. "You didn't need to tell her."
"Oh yes I did. You can't keep things like that down. I remember hearing you and Ghira fight, and it was all over the camp by the time your Dad and Mom left."
Blake stared at him a few seconds before she turned walking for the door with Red silently fallowing. Outside Blake looked up and down the road while Red took his seat, pulling out his pip and tobacco. "They went that way, try the trees, that's where that Schnee hives up." He advised her.
"You don't care, really? Do you?" She all but scoffed at him. Red shrugged.
"You're paid for, half price I may add, and your an adult now. So why should I interfere in how you want to mess up your life." He countered. "I can teach you, or not."
As Blake started to move Red added. "Shame what happened to your sister. You staying with the White Fang for revenge, well, it broke Ghira and Kali's heart's, but, you know them, pacifists to the end. Sadly. And you know. They loved you too much and would never force their wants on you."
Blake spun to face Red, every word she spit out was frustrated pain. "I was a kit! Hardly twelve! Ecanatia died alone in that fire! And the humans were responsible! And. And. They just wanted to leave!" She yelled. Red rolled his shoulder and nodded.
"A lot of good people made a lot of mistakes that month." He agreed. "So why did you finally leave em? Get your fill of blood?" Red asked lighting his pip.
Blake stared. The interview she and her team had started running through her head. "Nno, it wasn't like that. I wanted…." Blake trailed off knowing that even if it wasn't her directly, her actions did, had killed people. Just like Weiss had. Red puffed indifferently on his small pip one eye closed, face scrunched as the slow wind wafted smoke into one of his eyes.
"Ya, we all get that way, one time o another." He agreed lowing the pipe as he looked up watching the sun. "Just never ends, does it?" He sighed looking over at Blake. "This place, lot's better then any I know, even got hate speech laws, well, its really more like an attitude here, but still."
"I read some of the trials." Blake said darkly. Blinking as she looked about Blake realized she was standing next to him. When had she walked back?
Red scoffed. "Aint half the dead, lots a people don't like there kind."
"Vigilantism?" Asked Blake. Red snorted in an unspoken -you're a fool-. "Challenges girl. Here were allowed to kill each other. All nice and civilized like. Good release valve. Yet when I think about it, well. It was that kids idea, he's dangerously smart that one. And, just so ya know. No Purest or believer will say no to a challenge from an animal or an animal lover saying there wrong. Or that there gods are horseshit." He batted out his empty pip before standing. "Well? You willing to learn so you can stick it too them?"
"You, you never really left the White Fang. Did you?" Blake asked and told him realizing he was talking about killing these people in mass.
"Oh, I left. Sienna was too wishy-washy for me. I just." Blake watched his face darken as he spoke. Hate real hate came off him like a road shimmer on a hot day. "I wanted blood girl. Blood for what had been done, and I got it."
Again his demure shifted. It seemed he became tired or maybe regretted. "It's. Just after a while. Ya start seeing that most people. They just want to be left alone, you know, get on with there simple lives. They don't hinder, but they don't help. That's true for each side, if there is a side. Now get this. Isaac thinks hate groups like that use it as a justification. To him it's a poor excuse for bad behavior." Red softly said in a chuckle. "And he's supposed be the insane one?"
Blake blinked anew. Surprised again, they were inside the building. She looked quickly about. "I, I didn't feel, anything. Movement, nothing." She almost shouted.
Red started grinning. "Ya, now girl, do you want to learn? Because I can show you just how thin reality truly is and to say what Isaac once said. I'll show you just how deep the hole in your mind goes."
He walked to the center of the large room before facing Blake. "First, and don't let this dissuade ya. Teleportation is moving reality, all of it. You are the center. Everything else moves. To get yourself where you want to be. Once you understand that, range, objects, people are not a problem."
"I just leave shadows." Blake countered. Red smirked. The walls around them shifted, moving away at all angles.
"You run, right? Ya ever try to get one of them shadows of yours to move? Course not, why would you?" Red was the only other thing around them now everything else had reseeded into black.
"Where are we?" Asked Blake looking about even the floor was black now and not concrete gray. Red gave her the most evil of grins.
"Between places, this is where I loose most of my students, here you will learn to return to our reality, or you will stay here, or in where ever you land." Then Red was gone.
Blake stared in disbelief her eyes widening. It was like a blow in her mind realizing what he had done. Her heart started beating then thumping in her chest until she could hear the blood flowing by her lower ears. He, left me? Memories, forgotten until now came crashing down, he had been she recalled gruff, even harsh, but never to her or Ecanatia. You're an adult now. Her mind whispered. Your nothing like you were. His words beat at the back of her head. "This is where I loose most of my students." Blake panicked and started running in the black void, hoping for an exit, a light, someplace out of the dark.
Something snapped, in her body, in her mind, like a quick migraine, a fracture or shattering that started in her head before splitting her body into shattered glass shards. Or was it the world shattering around her?
Blake found light, heard tires screeching. Saw a black car. Breaks locked and sliding up to her, blue black smoke from tires billowing around the almost sideways vehicle. Turning Blake stumbled going down and catching herself on one hand, gathering her legs she jumped to get out of the way. The world shattered like glass around her.
A cold wind slapped her in the face. Wind and snow almost howled around Blake as she landed on ice and snow. The harsh wind was stealing the warmth from her hands and body. Standing slowly Blake found herself on a mountain side near the top. What did you do to me! She screamed. She started shaking in the freezing cold. I have to find shelter. She knew if she stayed out here too long even aura would not save her and right now despite her best efforts it was only blunting the effects of the cold. Her first step to get off the ledge the ice broke under the weight of her feet. She fell. She felt a blast of air.
As the car came to a sliding stop two men in black business suits exited. One on each side. They were nondescript wearing sunglasses. One was dark skinned the other an almost light brown. "Did I just see?! A cat girl.?" He almost shouted to the other. The lighter skinned one was more logical then surprised giving his views. "Displacement of some kind. Appeared, moved, and then vanished. But yes, a cat girl." The driver reentered the vehicle. "I'm calling this in." He grabbed a simple mike pressing down on the send. "Central we need a forensics team here. We have a possible Spatial distortion at our location."
Blake felt a branch break before she landed with a thud. Blinking the snow and ice out of her eyes. Trying to get her breath back. It was warm. Birds of all kinds sounded in her ears. Her eyes focused seeing the trees then the large house she lay in front of. No! Menagerie? Blake realized she was laying on her parents doorstep. The door started to open. "Hello?" Came Kalis voice. "Is someone here?"
"Nononono!" Blake eternally screamed, she was not ready for this. This time the world felt like it spun as if she fell through the ground. When her mind cleared she lay in a warehouse looking up at the ceiling. Exhausted and breathless. "Oh? Found your way back? Nice one kit." Red told her. "Now, lets work on control. Then how to maneuver."
"I really, really want to kill you. Now." Blake gasped at him. Red laughing crouched down next to her. "Chocolate?" He offered. Blake swatted at the offered bar. Red easily moving it out of her reach. "You, you left me, in the dark, alone! You asshat!" Blake struggled to get up finding she was only able to rise to a sitting position.
"Ya really need this." He again offered the chocolate. "You need to replenish your adrenal gland. This does a pretty good job of it." When she took the unwrapped bar he waited until she started eating it. Red started to explain what he had done. "I never left you kido. I did leave your sight. Fear or panic if you will I found helps out my students to squash the mental blocks they built up throughout their lives. Most describe it as a shattering of the world, or spinning into the black." He stood walking away from her. "Which was yours?" Blake didn't answer she kept eating finding the sugar really did help.
"Kali!" Ghira called out. "Is someone at the door?" He found Kali leaning on the partly opened door, staring at the ground. Seeing the look on her face large man knelt rubbing her back. "Kali?" The small elderly Asian woman turned her head. "I. Heard a thud, and I thought, I thought I saw." She looked up at the large man with confusion and worry on her face. "Blake." Ghira felt tears filling his eyes as he embraced her. He hated to have to remind her, but sometimes, like today she had to face what happened. "Kali, she died, trying to save Ecanatia from that fire that took so many lives."
Ghira could feel her head nodding, and could hear her soft sobbing at the harsh memory, unwanted, yet returned. "I, I know, but she looked so much like, like how Blake would have looked at her age, and she was wearing those cute cosplay cat ears." Nodding Ghira looked up at the palm tree. Pointing at a broken fawn leaf. "She must have been up there, probably going to jump onto our roof."
Kali turned into him snuggling in deeper relishing the comfort he gave. "Poor thing looked so scared, she practically vanished she ran so fast."
Well, that's enough for this one. I don't like to post less then 5k words or more then, and leaving a cliff hanger, is, annoying. Guess that's why this is taking so long. Add that some of the people I'm trying to write about are way, way smarter then me.