Authors note: Hello dear readers, I hope the last chapter was satisfactory, it was the longest chapter to date, and oh my god, was it a pain. The app refused to separate half of the paragraphs when I'd hit enter and space them accordingly. It made me want to throw my phone :p. but regardless, I think it was kinda not my best chapter, but that's because im not super great at writing the in-between character stuff, which is like 90% of what stories are. Also, I'm so sorry this chapter took so long to come out. i got adhd brain and got distracted by DMC peak of combat for about 4 weeks, so my b
comments:AidenValdovinos3: Can't reveal that yet, but soon, but congrats on figuring out where this might be going :)
Anyway, it's time to get on with initiation, which means more combat and our favorite Red Clad hero getting a partner :p
Chapter 11: A Hellish initiation
"RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" A voice screamed as my eyes shot open. I turned and looked to where it came from, noticing my surroundings as a very damp looking room. On a wall, ancient looking runes began to glow and change faster than i could get a glimpse of them. Suddenly, they disappeared, and the room went black, only to light up in blinding white light.
A giant statue like being ripped a whole through the fabric of reality with its bare hands, seeing this I feel myself stumble back a few feet. "A gate has been opened, #!@%, you're not getting away, this is where you will die!" An ancient sounding voice called out to me. I see the being start to crumble its white stone-like shell and be overwhelmed by the sight of thousands of molten hands shoot out.One reaches out quick as lightning, and I jump awake, punching the first thing in front of me, that being a girl with orange hair.
"Owwee!" she let out as she was sent flying into an unfortunate blond boy. "ooomph!" the blond haired boy said. The dark-haired guy next to her looked shocked at his friend being sent flying. Taking a second to catch my breath, "My bad, but maybe dont stand too close next time you try to wake me," I say casually as I walk by the girl left in a heap.
Twenty minutes and a hot shower later, I see Yang talking to the dark-haired scaredy cat from yesterday. "I dont know what it is, but you need to be careful around her, I get this evil ominous feeling when im around her, like im surrounded by killing intent," she said, looking seriously at my sister. Yang gave her a look and said, "Im going to pretend you're not insinuating that my little sister is evil, and move on with this conversation."
"Yknow you do need to check your surroundings better," I say, making my presence known to them. The dark-haired girl, whose name still eluded me, did what she'd been doing since I met her, fell over into the fetal position, and Yang lit up in a smile. "So why do i scare you?" I ask nonchalantly. "I dont know!" she said, close to crying. Yang over this situation just grabs the almost sobbing girl's leg and drags her to the cliff face for today's Initiation.
My walk next to my sister and the strange girl was interrupted by another familiar voice, "Ruby, wait up!" Wiess cought up and put an object, a gently blue glowing dagger, into my hand. "Not that I dont like gifts, but what's the occasion?" I ask, looking into the cool eyes of the abalaster haired girl. "Well, yknow how I can telleport, its so I can home in on you when initiation starts, I dont really want any other partner," Wiess said bashfully.
With our walk coming to an end as we reached the cliff where some of our classmates were already on the... im gonna guess launch pads. "For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." said Ozpin. "Now Miss Goodwitch and I will be on stand by, but this is a real combat scenario. You can get hurt, so do your best." he continued. "Your objective is to grab a relic and get to the end of the other cliff face and find a partner in that time, who shall be determined by eye contact... yes, Miss Rose?" he stated and then asked why I was raising my hand. "So i can't do this blindfolded?" I jokingly asked, trying to lighten the mood. "Afraid not." he stated
"With that out of the way, be careful... oh, and learn to fly." With that, he tapped his cane, and much to the shock of the other students, especially a certain blonde dude, were all sent flying in different directions. My coat tails opened and glided a bit before slamming into a bird and splattering it to feathers. "Flock off feather face!" I felt compelled to say as it spun twords the ground disoriented. As I neared the ground, I broke my fall by throwing my sword into a tree and grabbing it, causing the tree to split in half. "Cmon, im not that heavy," I joked.
I walked for a little bit before I stumbled through some bushes and came upon Wiess, making eye contact and sealing our partnership. "Well, it looks like I didn't need your gift this time," I said with a smirk on my face. "Hmmph, last time I try to do something nice for you," she said coldly. We both stared at each other for a second before we both started laughing a little. After walking for a little bit , we heard a roar come out of the dense forest. A pack of beowolves had made themselves known. "Hey, looks like we've got company you think if there's enough of them that we might break a sweat?" I asked while drawing my sword. "I doubt it," Wiess replied, pulling the hammer of her weapon back. Dashing forward at incredible speed, I lob off the head of the nearest beowulf, Wiess took aim of the one closest to my right and blew a hole in its chest cavity with the revolver function of her sword. Seeing their comrades get torn to shreds, three of the creatures rushed twords me at top speed and lunged at me simultaneously. I smirked and drew Ivory in my off hand, lighting them up before they could touch me. Another loud roar was heard, and the rest of the remaining pack hunched over in apparent fear and backed away as a particularly large alpha beowulf made its presence known. It roared again, and this time, the small frys seemed to stand taller, ready to try and rip us to shreds, Wiess moving at speeds that made her a blur, even to me, appeared to the side of the lunging creatures resheathed her weapon to her side. A soft click was heard, and the beowolves fell to the ground in pieces.
"Well, it looks like your friends are all tuckered out. I guess it's just me and you now, fido," I said smugly to the alpha of a now dead pack. It didn't have any witty retort. Instead, it growled and charged me. I waited till the last moment and flipped above it with both of my pistols pointed at it, "Jackpot." Letting loose enough ammo to supply the Atlas military, I reduced the monster to dust.
"Well, that was boring he could've at least tried to hit me," I said, looking boredly at the dissolving corpse. "At least you got to fight the big one, all i got was a bunch of small fry," Wiess said, also displeased at the lackluster fight. With that out of the way, we made our way north twords the end of the test. Our walk was yet again interrupted by a loud squak. I looked up and said," Well, looks like that bird from earlier called for its mama." Wiess looking at me strangely asked, "What bird?" I just waved her off jokingly. "Well, i guess we fry this bird, eh?" I asked. "I prefer roasted," Wiess said, drawing her sword.
While our heroes fight an overgrown chicken, let's pay attention to the area around the relics for now. "Blake, for the last time, my sister isn't going to kill you, but i might if you dont get a grip," Yang Xiao Long said, long, having grown tired of her partners efforts to convince her to get a different team. "Im serious, I dont know why, but it feels like I walked into a group of Ursa majors whenever im around her," Blake said. "Look, I dont know what your problem is, but you need to -" Yang started to say but was cut off by a large set of claws swiping at her hair.
"...Fuck off!" Yang yelled, taking all of her anger and frustration out on the ursa minor that happened to stumble upon her at the worst possible time. Letting loose a punch that would rip a lesser grimm in half upon the small bear like monster, Yang turned it to a disolving black blob in just a second "I swear to all that is good in this world, if someone says anything or something happens in the next ten seconds Im going to kill everything I see," Yang said flames dancing around her angrily.
Ten seconds go by, and the entire forest is still. On the eleventh second, all hell broke loose, a loud girlish scream was heard as a blond boy came flying in head first twords the tallest tree. He slid down comically, saying, "Ow." Immediately after he made it to the ground, an orange headed girl came riding in on a ursa major. When she got closer to the relics, she said, "Woah... when i say woah... I mean WOAH!" and hit it on the head with a large hammer, turning its head into paste. She then turned to a tall looking guy and started excitedly talking to him. Then, a really tall red head came sprinting in the clearing with a large deathstalker chasing her heels."... I know I asked for ten seconds, but you couldn't have given me longer," Yang said with twitch in her eye. "Uh... Yang?" Blake said. "What now?" Yang asked back. Blake didn't say anything more but instead just pointed tword the sky. No, let's check back into our young heroes.
"Yknow i gotta say, this was kind of a smart idea, but we both know we're faster than this thing, so why?" Wiess asked. "Look, just because im faster than something doesn't mean I dont wanna ride it," I yelled back over the wind. Looking down from the giant nevermore both Wiess and I were riding i saw the relics and my sister. "Well, it looks like this is our stop," I say, giving Wiess a manic grin. I pull out Rebellion and stab in directly into the giant grimms skull. It immediately goes limp and into a down spiral, turning into dust as it plummets. As we were falling, an extremely large group of smaller nevermores swarmed around us. I spin both Ebony and Ivory out and jump, shooting in every direction that wasn't at Wiess.
Both of us landed on the ground with black dust exploding around us as we hit the ground. "Well, I've gotta say not a bad flight, though the service sucked," I said, waving the dust away from my face. "Definitely not fist class," Wiess said. "Ruuuuuby!" Yang yelled. I suddenly looked like a deer cought in headlights, "uhh, Yes Yang?" I said. "That was... awsome!" she said, giving me a large hug that i was quick to return. "So who'd you get for a partner?" I asked her. She just gestured behind her to the twitchy, but upright this time bow wearing girl behind her.
"A little help please," a strained but kind sounding voice let out to my left. It was then I noticed the girl running around franticly trying to put distance between her and a large deathstalker. I looked at Wiess and asked, "You want it?" She nodded and drew her weapon. She then moved in a speedy blur at the overfed arachnid. "Hmmmph, weak," she said as she sliced the tail off of the deathstalker in one slice. The creature no longer focused on the redhead, shrieked an insectiod sound, and charged my partner at a fast speed, pincer drawn and ready to crush her, though it never got a chance because when it struck near her a large blue ethereal sword stabbed straight through its claw. Unable to escape, and without its greatest weapon, it swung wildly at Wiess until its life was put to a screeching halt when Wiess fired her weapon directly into its eyes saying,"Jackpot."
Wiess now walking away from the now disolving monster and within ear shot smiled at me and said, "Yknow your catchphrase seems odly nostalgic." I smirked, "Well you did good, so I'll let you have this one, but find your own saying," I said. "Thank you for the help... I dont think I got your name?" The red head asked. "No problem, it's Wiess, and you are?" My partner asked back. The girl looked a little shocked for a second but quickly smiled and said, "Pyrrha."
"Well, that's all and good, but I'm tired and would like to get this over with, so let's get our relics and scale the cliff," Yang said. Wiess and I grabbed one of the chess pieces and started walking twords the cliff till we heard a loud scream. It was the dark headed girl, "Blake!" I think I heard Yang yell. She fell to the floor and threw up and had the most horrified look on her face pointed at the forest to our right. Suddenly, the wind violently picked up, and the sky got dark. I felt the weirdest sense of deja vu as the sky started to thunder. The air, at the drop of a hat, went still.
A bright flash of thunder hit the ground, sending trembles throughout the clearing. I looked at Wiess, who seemed just as confused and nervous as I did. Another bright flash appeared as runes started to pop up around the area, rapidly changing faster and faster. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" A roar came out from nowhere and everywhere at once. Suddenly, three red glowing eyes apeared in the sky, "Im finally free after two millenia I will finally rend this world... and no blood of sparda is here to stop me."
For some reason, I felt my blood boil and anger corse through me like I've never felt before. Wiess, however, had broken into a cold sweat. "Wait, I feel it, the bastard who sealed me away, you!!! You have something of his!" The monster said. I somehow felt its gaze on me, like a sinister feeling rolled throughout every cell of my body. "You'll die for what he did!" It said. I felt terrified at this claim aimed at me but confused at what it could be talking about. "Now I must leave, I have much to prepare, Cerberus, deal with them," the monster said.
The sky stayed dark, but the eyes disappeared. A huge creature started to form out of the rune markings. Wiess and I look at each othe and nod while this is happening, "Yang I need you to listen to me now, that thing is out of yours and everyone elses league grab blake and run to the end of the initiation, make sure Oz doesnt send anyone as this is beyond his people," I say looking coldly serious. "Ruby, I have no idea what the hell is going on right now, but we all need to run. That thing is huge, and I dont think even you can handle it!" Yang yelled over the wind while picking up her unconscious partner, not noticing a little black bow sliding off her head. "Yang, GET OUT OF HERE!" I yelled, my eyes turning yellow and slitted. With that, Yang looked shocked but nodded meekly and said, "Just... dont die," and left with everyone else following suit.
"Wiess can you zone this thing with your gun and daggers, I'll stay up close and keep it off you," I said, getting a nod in response. The forrest erupted in a roar, sending shockwaves and ice around the area. "Sparda! I smell your blood!" The three-headed dog snarled while looking at Wiess and I. "Well, fido, I didn't know you could talk, know any other tricks?" I condescendingly asked. "YOU MOCK ME!" It yelled, the air turning colder. "C'mon boy, why dont we go play fetch? C'mon, I'll give you a treat," I replied while motioning as if to call a dog. "RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAA!" it screamed and shot ice out of its three heads. Wiess and I split up before it could hit us. I sent a bunch of bullets screaming out of my guns at the icey armor that adorned its head, while Wiess shot summon sword after summon sword at it, but it didn't do much but crack the armor. "Wiess keep it pinned im gonna get closer to it!" I yelled to my partner as I teleported to it, sword drawn in a downward slice. When it connected, it bounced off in a show of sparks. The creature took a swip at me, but I got out of the way with a minor cut to my arm.
Wiess sent a whole cylinder of her bullets twords the creatures head, but it just swiped them out of the way and charged her before she could recover knocking her against a tree. Before it could capitalize on her downed state, I grabbed one of the loose chains attached to its back and yanked it back. "Piss off, you overgrown chihuahua!" I yelled, using the chain to throw it twords the forest.
"What the hell do we do, my gun nor my daggers can hit through its armor, and your sword bounced right off?" Wiess asked, looking disgruntled at being hit. "I dont know, I could try and use quicksilver, but it's so draining, I'll be vulnerable when I get out." I replied while ripping the cut part of my coat's sleeve off. "Alright, try and bring me into it, and we can try to blitz the damn mutt," Weiss said.
"rrrrrRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Cerberus growled, shaking the forest under its Rage at being thrown. Charging as fast as a strike of lightning, the beast reached its clawed paw out to take our heads off, only for the world to stop at a snap of my fingers. "C'mon, I can feel its will fight my control hit the damn thing with all you've got!" I yelled while spinning my guns out and firing as many bullets as I could, leaving them floating in front of the giant hound. "Right!" Wiess replied, sticking her sword in the ground and focusing her attention on summoning as many summoned swords as possible, making a wall of blue glowing blades pointed at the beast. Believing I'd shot enough bullets at it, I tried something new, grabbing my blade in a reverse grip I growled sending some energy into it, "DRIVE!" I shout, sending my blade and energy forward in a red arc at the beast.
"Step away from the attack," I called out to Wiess, who nodded. With a snap of my fingers, the stillness of the world faded into an array of chaos and explosions, with a screaming roar of pain the beast went down in a plume of smoke. Falling to one knee in exhaustion, blood ran down my nose. Wiess sighed in relief and gave me a kind smile. I smirked and gave her a thumbs up.For ten seconds, the forest was quiet and peaceful. For ten whole seconds, it seemed we'd won. That was quickly proven untrue on the eleventh second, rising with a loud grunt, Cerberus stood back up and yelled," FEEEEL MY FLAME!!!" The world and forest exploaded in fire as the beast shed its icey armor only to be wreathed in flame. Wiess was sent careening into a tree by an exploding fire ball. The beast charged as fast as I'd ever seen. It moved at her claws drawn, and my world became dark, my last cognitive words calling out for my partner.
"Y'know kid, that was a ballsy move using quicksilver to that effect, stupid but ballsy," a familiar voice called out to me as I opened an eye. "Tony?" I mumbled grogily. "The one and only," He said. "Where... what... Oh God, Wiess! she's gonna die! You have to send me back now!" I yelled. "Whoa slow, you're roll kid, she's fine for now considering she hasnt been hit yet," He said. "So send me back, I have a plan, if i stop time agai-" I was cut off. "No can do, you try to use that power right now it'll kill you and I can't have that considering you die, I die and If that happens... we've got too many things to do to be dead," Tony said
I stopped to look at his glowing eyes for any lie but found nothing but a strange mirth in them. "Then what am I gonna do? She's my friend and innocent, I cant- no I won't let her die if I can help it!" I yelled, standing up and looking directly at him seriously. He gazed into my eyes for a moment, a moment that felt like hours.
He then gained a mirth filled look and said, "That kiddo was the right answer, now Ill help you save your friend, but before that," he said, and then his formed brightened intensely, before dimming back down his form having changed completely, he looked like a guy in his mid to late fifties with white hair and blue eyes, a scruffy face and a dingy red coat like mine but looking way more worn.
"Kid, we'll talk more about what's going to happen later, but you need to draw your sword," he said. I looked at him apprehensively but did as he said, the comfortable handle sliding into my hand. "Now hand it here," He motioned with his hand out. I, still reluctant, gave him the blade. He held it with a nostalgic look on his face, "Now sorry, kiddo, but this is gonna hurt," He said. Before I asked what he meant, he stabbed the blade straight through my chest, all the way down to the guard.
"GRAAAAHHH!" I let out and fell to the wet floor of my mind. I was fading out of my mind when I noticed the skull on the blade grew horns and opened its jaw. "When ya' send the beast back to hell, give him my regards," Tony said as I faded into the real world.
The world around me exploaded into red lightning and wind, a wave of power threw the three-headed dog away from Wiess. "Round two, ya mangy mutt!" I yelled, noticing my voice came out differently than normal, almost warped, but it didn't matter. I felt like I'd just had lightning injected into my viens, and I'd take a thousand caffeine pills. The creature roared angrily at being denied its kill again and charged at me. I smirked and charged right at it, my sword drawn in front of me.
When it got in range it swiped its paw at me as fast as it could move but it looked like it was moving through molasses to me, I met its paw with a strick from Rebellion and in that one clash took its arm of at the ankle. The beast roared in agony and reared back its head. It wasn't fast enough to escape me as I jumped up and took off one of its heads with a clean blow. Cerberus, now afraid, tried to escape and turn tail. I stabbed my sword into the ground and drew my guns, which began glowing an ominous red and let out a distorted word, "Jackpot."
Before the big dog could move another inch, it was lit up and turned to swiss cheese by barage after barage of gunfire. When the smoke cleared, it laid dead for good this time. I holstered my pistols and sword and felt that power go dormant inside me, waiting to be used again. As the beast started to break up into pieces of red matter, it shone a bright light that shrank into a smaller hand sized form before shooting to my open hands.
