A/N: Hello again, my readers. Time for an update!
I'm surprised that someone actually voted already for the poll. Even though I challenged you to vote in the first chapter, I didn't mean to actually do it now... I mean, you haven't even known Liel's personality yet.
Regardless- I'll respond to the reviews:
Osheana259: I think I made myself clear by saying that I dislike OCs. The only reason why Leliel is even the main character is because this story is about her. I'll consider it though, and I'll take your review as +1 for OC in the poll.
XxxCrimsonSnow: Although I appreciate how you like my OC so far... I need you to comment on the story as well, Crim. Make sure of that next time~
Guest: Pretty optimistic, aren't you? Too bad you are in for a surprise...
Lonessa 8D: I was expecting the readers to be thrown off by Liel's actions, she was designed to be unnerving and unnatural, after all. And yes, I love to pair Adam with someone of the younger generations. Anyway, I'll take your vote as +1 for Merc and Neptune!
Malfre C: Something tells me that you dislike description paragraphs. Oh, and yes, Leliel Blith is a Meaningful Name, check out my profile and you'll find out about it. About the Black Trailer, why yes, it just has a lot of potential to go wrong (and be used for fan fic). Liel IS supposed to be difficult (but not impossible) to predict, so good for me. Thanks for the song, haven't listened to it though.
Telstra Roensell: You are the first one to ever comment negatively on me so thanks! Monty seemed to like us to analyze and focus into the subtleties of his stories, I do not know whether or not I'm actually copying that, though. Your comment about deconstruction has nothing to do with this story, though. I haven't added elements of that yet.
Now that's over with, time for the next chapter, "Phantom Sights"
Leliel was pissed.
A few meters ahead of her, the dreaded huntsman of Ozpin's -Qrow Branwen- was holding the body of a woman, probably the Fall Maiden, Amber. A white horse, probably belonging to the Maiden, also stood by their side.
There was only one conclusion she could come up with. Cinder had taken the Maiden's powers. Probably not all, judging from the Maiden's uneven breathing -which indicated that she was still alive- but that was still enough to subjugate the White Fang.
I was late...
Leliel's original plan was to save Adam Taurus and his best subordinates from Cinder's clutches, help them escape to Mistral, and inform the White Fang's true leader about the threat.
That would allow the Angel to insert herself within the global body of the White Fang, while still granting Cinder -who was her ally, for now- the army she needed.
Although unlikely to convince Adam to work with her, it didn't matter as her actions would at least pique the interest of the mysterious leader -whom she knew, anyway- and that was good for her to establish further connections.
That's how it was supposed to be...
But because of her conversation with Adam and his pupil a few hours ago, the possibility of establishing connections with the White Fang forces in Vale now was not low. The way it was, Leliel could actually personally relate to Adam himself and his subordinates.
They could actually become my allies, not just pawns...
That way she could take control the White Fang forces in Vale for Cinder's plan, and establish a sure way to contact the White Fang leader for her own plan. That was what Leliel wanted to tell the fellow Salem apprentice.
But she had taken the Maiden powers now. And that overconfident bitch would definitely refuse my way of doing things!
That control freak hated the term 'allies'. She thought of herself as a queen. One that didn't need 'allies', only 'pawns'. Cinder wouldn't even dream of allying herself with the White Fang once she had the powers to just take control of them.
"Huh..." She scoffed. What does she think she is? She is just another pawn...
Leliel could just murder Cinder and proceeded it her way. But opposing her, no... opposing her master now was not wise. The Angel was not yet prepared to fall from her grace.
There isn't an option here... I'll just have to move forward with the plan. Hopefully Adam would be smart enough to move his forces and escape.
The Angel gritted her teeth. It was frustrating. When she couldn't take the most efficient method possible... it was annoying as all hell.
Leliel was lucky she had her hood on... otherwise the huntsman and the horse in front of her would notice her radiating eye-sockets, courtesy of her Semblance.
Why was her Semblance active? Because she was enraged.
I hope you don't disappoint me, old man... Leliel took a deep breath, calming down her emotions and deactivating her Semblance.
"Qrow Branwen..."
"Huh?"
Qrow turned over his head over his shoulder. About twenty meters away behind him, someone -who was not there before- called his full name.
The man frowned as he set his sights on the girl. She appeared suspiciously similar to one of his two nieces. Clad in a black, hooded cloak, and sounding like a young girl. Barely in her teenage years as well, he supposed.
"Who are you, kid? How do you know my name?" The scarecrow asked.
In response, the black riding hood took off her hood.
Qrow widened his eyes. The girl's face looked somewhat like Ruby... and Summer when she was younger. She even had silver eyes. How? After Summer, Ruby should be the only one with those...
He didn't have any time to think further as the little girl continued.
"You'll know how. And I will also tell you who I am... but not here. I'll do it in front of your boss."
Qrow was instantly alarmed. The man turned turned around and faced the girl.
"Do you even know who my boss is?" He frowned.
The girl in front of him only raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"Why are you so secretive about his identity? It's obviously Ozpin." She replied nonchalantly.
So she knows. Qrow narrowed his eyes.
Ozpin's conspiracy consisted of the leaders of academies and the few huntsmen that were carefully selected by Ozpin. Any additions of new members needed an universal agreement from all of the circle.
So if Qrow didn't recognize her on sight, that meant the girl was not part of Ozpin's circle. And to know not just Ozpin, but also himself, meant that she was not just a pawn... but an actual enemy.
The old crow gently put the Fall Maiden's body on her horse's back, before speaking to the ride.
"Hush. Go away with your owner. I can find you later."
As the horse complied and ran off, he turned to the girl once more.
"Listen, kid. I don't know what you want with Oz, but if you are working for the Queen, I advise you should stay put and let me arrest you now." Qrow said threateningly.
You can talk with Oz after that, for interrogation.
Much to his annoyance however, the girl didn't even flinch at his threat.
"Or you will...?" She replied in a mocking tone.
"I will still arrest you. Maybe with a few broken bones, though." He finished.
The girl burst out in laughter. Qrow could feel his patience thinning at that.
"What's so funny?"
"Heh heh heh! Why should we fight, Qrow? I wish only to talk with Ozpin."
"Then shut up and put down your weapons. Did you really think I will bring you to Ozpin just like that?"
"Of course I do. After all, you are a huntsman and his trusted confidant. Not a brute."
"That's nice for you to say, but it's our job to hunt people like you." Qrow's patience was at its limit.
The girl smirked. "So you are saying... I have to let myself be captured to speak with a headmaster of a combat academy. Isn't that illegal?"
"Quit the chatter," Qrow grabbed the hilt of his sword, "and decide. Do you want this to end peacefully, or not?"
"I don't want this to end, if I'm being honest." She chuckled.
The girl's cloak radiated with darkness, and released a cloud of bright orange- Volcanic Dust.
Qrow watched in surprise as the released Dust slowly transformed into a black, curved sword made from obsidian glass.
Immediately recognizing the blade as a katana, the gleaming black blade's length was about half as long as the girl was tall. Considering she was as tall as Ruby, the blade was nearly 80 cm.
What? Did she just create a sword from Dust?
That was not something you saw everyday. Dust were extremely difficult to manipulate with Aura, so to produce a weapon made from Dust or their residue without using some sort of weapon mechanism practically needed telekinetic Semblance... or a Maiden's powers.
If this girl was actually a Maiden... he wouldn't stand a chance.
The key word there was 'if'. Qrow readied the greatsword in his right hand. Still a theory.
"Let me tell you something, Qrow. In this situation, you are incapable of defeating me. I'll comply if you want to stop." She said cheekily.
"We'll see about that. Come, kid." Qrow replied in a challenging tone.
He watched as the little girl wielded her katana's hilt in both of her hands at her side, ready to thrust forward.
It's practically telegraphed. This is not going to be difficult, then. The experienced huntsman prepared to counter.
The next moment.
The blade's tip was inches away from his eyes.
Qrow widened his eyes and dodged at the last second, earning a cut on his right cheek in exchange.
Ow, hot, hot! The huntsman winced as his cheek was burnt by the volcanic sword.
The girl's speed was far quicker than he had thought. How did she move that quick?
Qrow turned around quickly, and found as the girl was almost twenty meters behind him. Her cloak was still glowing black, and was windswept.
I see... so her cloak is a Multi-Dust Carrier Action Cloak. It seemed to be equipped with blades throughout its edges, as well. Even though it belonged to the enemy, Qrow had to admit that the design was impressive.
That cloak was using Wind Dust. The girl was using wind gusts to accelerate her movements.
...Skilled. He had to take back his earlier statement. This one was not going to be easy, indeed.
She didn't seem to be a Maiden, though. Those demi-goddesses wouldn't need a weapon that complicated.
"Hmm... as expected from Qrow Branwen. Not many can survive that blow without some serious injuries." She turned, grinning at him.
"Huh. So I am the first?" Qrow asked.
"Not exactly."
The girl ran toward him, to which Qrow responded by firing the shotguns on his sword at her. Unfortunately for the huntsman, the girl covered herself in her cloak and blocked the shot.
I see... Understanding the versatility of his opponent's weapon, the huntsman quickly closed in and slammed his sword at the black riding hood, but the girl only took a leap away to avoid the earth-shattering attack.
"...?"
That's weird. When using her cloak for defense, she shouldn't be able to see him.
Mid-air, the girl spread her cloak and slashed her sword, sending a crescent-shaped wave of fire at him. Qrow dodged the attack and decided to return the favor by firing another shot at the girl.
However, despite landing with her back turned at him, the girl stepped to the side and avoided the attack completely. Again, without seeing at all.
"..."
Before Qrow could decide his next move, the girl again approached him at high speed and attacked him first with her katana, forcing Qrow to block it.
As their swords clashed, the huntsman could practically feel the little girl's strength. For someone her size, matching him in a blade-lock was completely absurd.
Definitely not a normal girl.
As the two of them quickly retreated to regain their footing, the girl threw her sword at Qrow, forcing the huntsman to deflect it. The girl then used a blast of wind to propel herself forward, preparing to attack Qrow with the blades on her cloak.
Damn!
He only managed block the consecutive attacks that followed afterward. As the girl slashed, swiped, twirled, and stabbed with her cloak's blades in rapid succession, the huntsman was slowly pushed back.
Qrow countered with a swing, but the girl only leaped and landed a kick square on his face, pushing him even further back.
"I told you, Qrow. My offer to stop this fight still stands." She said, smiling.
The girl then took a leap back, and picked up her dropped sword.
Qrow only glared at the little girl as his sword's gears began to move, transforming the weapon into its scythe form.
"Humph. This is just the beginning."
As the shotgun barrels on the scythe rotated to face upward, Qrow wielded the scythe over his shoulder and fired, propelling him toward the girl.
The girl leaped high to avoid his assault, and Qrow watched as the girl swung her sword downward to send another wave of fire his way.
Smirking, the scythe-wielder countered the blast with a swing of his weapon. With the rotating shotguns' powerful recoil and his own immense strength, the force of his swing was able to slice the fire storm in half, hitting the ground to his sides.
As the girl landed a few meters behind him, both of them turned around and fired at one another with a shotgun blast and fiery wave respectively. As the projectiles clashed, the subsequent explosion prevented Qrow from seeing his target.
Qrow readied his scythe, already expecting the vicious little girl to continue her assault, but surprisingly, as the dust from the explosion settled, the girl didn't make a move.
The huntsman was a bit surprised. The girl was able to strike him without seeing and without giving him any chance to catch his breath. Why did she suddenly stop?
...Oh, I see.
This little girl didn't use her eyes. She was using echolocation. That explained everything. She didn't see his attacks coming- she heard it coming.
The explosion just now had blinded her, if only momentarily. Echolocation could only be disturbed by a sudden and significant change in frequency or volume of sounds.
Qrow had to admit, he was pleasantly surprised. Aura can enhance one's senses, some crazier than others. Blind huntsmen and huntresses were rare, but not unheard of, and this was the first time he ever faced one down in a battle.
Then the silver eyes must be fake. Damn, they are very convincing.
The huntsman smirked. "Are you blind, little kid?"
If the girl was surprised, her expression didn't show any signs of it.
"...It's that obvious, huh?"
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not mocking you here." Qrow said honestly. "You must be a damn good huntress to be able to fight with just hearing alone."
"Are you trying to flatter me?" She asked with a neutral tone. "You are not going to continue fighting?"
"Let me tell you something," Qrow chuckled at the ironic echo, "if you are relying on echolocation to sense me, then I can stomp on you flat. Give up now."
With my power, that is.
Much to Qrow's surprise, the girl actually widened her unseeing, yet expressive eyes- She was curious.
"Can you really?"
"Don't say I didn't warn you."
The huntsman leaped, and in that instant, his human form disappeared.
As he transformed into a crow, Qrow flew toward his target.
For some reason, the girl didn't respond to him at all.
That's only logical. When he morphed into his crow form, Qrow could manipulate his Aura to minimize the sound he produced. In other words, he was almost completely silent when he became a crow. That way she wouldn't be able to see him coming.
Even if she tried to speak or produce other sounds to detect him, his small size would slow down the girl's reaction time, while Qrow was an incredibly fast bird. He could reach the girl before she could react, then transform back and kick her ass.
Which was exactly what he was doing now.
Transforming back into his human form right in front of his target, the girl only managed to gasp in surprise and covered herself in her cloak as Qrow swiped her aside with his scythe, knocking her off her feet and throwing her several meters away.
"Arrgghhh!" The girl winced as she hit the ground.
"How's that? Still want to continue fighting?" Qrow asked.
Contrary to his expectations, the girl slowly stood back up.
"Heh... that was painful, Qrow. Did you travel through space or something?" She asked, smiling.
"Not even close," Qrow chuckled. "and answer me, before I actually break your bones."
"I said it, Qrow. In this situation, it's impossible for you defeat me." She said, sounding even more confident this time.
Qrow began to lose his patience. "Very well then. You leave me with no choice, kid."
As the girl charged at him, Qrow only took a leap backwards before transforming into a crow.
I guess I'll end this now. The crow flew upward, before performing a 180-degree turn and dived downward, gathering momentum for one, last scythe slash.
However, what Qrow saw the next moment completely destroyed any sense of security he had.
The girl chased him down. With her cloak spread like wings, and a sword in her left hand.
Her silver eyes were gone- replaced by a deep, glowing purple irises.
What!?
Qrow immediately transformed back into human form and used his scythe to block the girl's sword, but the force of her swing threw him to the ground.
Forced to drag his scythe on the ground to slow down to a stop, Qrow watched as the little girl landed on the ground gracefully.
How? The huntsman had predicted that the girl's cloak could achieve flight, But there was no way she could chase him like that, especially with her echolocation rendered ineffective.
Qrow examined his opponent once more. However, this time, the girl's eyes actually returned his gaze- and she smiled at him.
The huntsman connected the dots. "...You can see me."
"Considering you are kind enough to show me your power... perhaps I'll repay your kindness." The black riding hood replied cheerfully.
The girl pointed her katana at him.
"I call my Semblance 'Phantom Sight'. I can't see a thing without it... but I can see everything with it."
Qrow raised a brow. "Everything?"
"Hmm..."
The girl turned at the forest at their side.
"It seems that horse isn't too far away..."
The intelligent scarecrow widened his eyes. "What the-"
The girl ignored him and leaped high, spread her wings, and flew toward the forest.
Oh goodness gracious fuck! Qrow transformed into a crow and pursued the girl.
The Maiden!
"Heh..." Leliel chuckled, seeing the futile efforts the little bird was doing behind her.
He was hoping to stop her from reaching the Maiden... obviously, he would fail. She would reach her first, considering their roughly equal speed.
Too bad we have to end this now... The Angel lamented.
The fight was more amusing than she had expected, Qrow Branwen was definitely one of the strongest huntsman she had faced yet.
Heck, she even had to use her Semblance. Phantom Sight was not a particularly powerful Semblance, but it was more than just an ability for her. It allowed her to enjoy the most joyous moments in her life- to be able to see.
It was almost dream-like... it's almost as if she had a second pair of eyes, one that could travel around her without being inhibited by physical space, and see through everything in its phantasmal sight.
The effects? No one would be able to catch her off-guard when it was active. And no one ever escaped her once she used them.
It had been such a long time since I used this against someone strong...who was it last time? Was it her dear sister? But she knew her sister was tough. That was totally expected... she shouldn't count. Hmm...
"Oh, there it is."
The Angel descended upon the forest, and landed on the running white horse's head, causing it to shriek in surprise.
Setting her sights on the comatose body of the Fall Maiden, Leliel grabbed her by the neck and leaped off the horse, holding the Maiden down on the ground as she put her sword on her neck.
Leliel watched as the pursuing crow turned into his human form and landed on the ground.
"...Little bitch." He cursed.
Leliel smirked in response. "I told you from the very beginning that in this situation, you can't defeat me. Did you really think I was overconfident?"
"Kuh..." He scoffed.
"Now, will you take me to Ozpin? Unless you want this woman to die, that is."
Qrow turned his gaze to the comatose Amber in her hands, frowned, and glared at her once more.
"...You will regret this."
"Oh," Leliel snickered, "We'll see about that."
And... done! Sorry, it actually took me a week to finish chapter 2. How do you think? Please review~
I still don't expect any of you to actually vote, considering only about 10% of Liel's personality is revealed at this point. But if you want to vote regardless, I'm not stopping you.
I probably need to say, in the last A/N I said you may vote for more than one person, its meaning goes both ways: You can vote for more than one character, and you can vote for a threesome. Or foursome. Or some-some.
I would prefer it to be someone outside of OCs, team RWBY, and Adam though, if possible... but if you wanted to vote for either, I won't stop you. This fic's purpose is to hone my skills, after all.
Thank you for following the developments of "Nightmare Angel" so far!
Note: No song for this chapter.