"I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING, AND IN RETURN, YOU GAVE ME NOTHING" father roared at the top of his lungs as soon as a crash resonated in the room across from a little boy's room. Whom in question cowering under his bed clutching his stuffed Grimm beowolf puppy.
"It's okay, dad just had a bad day at work, nothing to worry about. Mom will set it straight" a little girl no older than 14 said to the boy as she locked the door and blocked it off with a chair.
"I want mommy, I want my mommy!" The boy cried as he curled in on his stuffed Grimm. "Grimm aren't the real monsters-" he heard the door explode inward and a silhouette of a man holding the hair of a woman, she tried looking up but was too weak from the man's assault, she was bleeding from her mouth and nose, her left eye was swollen shut and missing a few teeth.
"People are the monsters" the girl said, conjuring up a silver and milky white barrier.
"Time to teach your son a real lesson" he growled.
"Leave my babies alone!" The woman screamed before the father stomped on her face, breaking her nose.
"I WILL KILL YOU" Cole roared, sweating and yet felt chilled to his core from dread and rage.
Ilia crashed through the door panting frantically trying to find the dangers in Cole's room holding lightning lash in her left hand camouflaged black but went back to normal seeing zero danger.
Cole calmed as soon as ilia came, but hadn't registered it till she'd placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Hey, you okay?" She asked sitting on the side of the mattress to face him
"I'm fine, just a nightmare" he replied grabbing his hand and held it and squeezed anxiously.
"You're a terrible liar, I'm technically a nurse yknow, I can see it all over your not-so-pale face that you feel like crap"
Cole took in and let out a huge breath to calm himself and held out his human hand, silently asking for help out of bed.
"It's late, so I doubt anyone is awake" she said grabbing him by the side helping in walking him through the hallway towards the kitchen.
"What about Rachael, she's bound to be awake" he whispered thinking she had neighbors who heard him.
"She knows about it, but I told her that I was taking care of it...plus she needs to rest after using so much to fix you up" she smiled watching him sit at the bar counter.
Ilia absorbed the feelings wear off from Cole as he watched her plop a few lumps of brown in a white mesh bag and put it in a metal kettle.
"White fang or nurse you always loved strong and cheap coffee" he remarked, smiling tiredly.
Ilia took his dry humor with a smile and left the comment hang in the air, so she could take it in and appreciate the fact that Cole was alive, and after three years was ultimately the same person still. "I'm glad my skills aren't taken for granted," she quipped at him, smiling seductively in a joking manner.
It successfuly got a low chuckle from him, and he would have had a follow-up on that, but sometimes it's never that lucky to have for long.
"Technically, she's still a student" Rachael piped up, startling ilia and Cole, the latter flinched in his seat while the former threw a knife at the droid only for her to catch it by the blade and smiled like it didn't happen. "Plus you aren't any better master, you went from being in one family to the next"
"Rachael, stop" ilia interrupted.
"It matters little ilia, he's Technically by all accounts dead in the eyes of remnant, so he's a new man in a way; he was weak before this, we made him stronger"
Cole bowed his head at this and climbed off the stool not saying a word, limping out the door and closed it as gently as possible.
The air went stiff and cold at the lingering emotions she'd ripped out of Cole. "And you're supposed to be his support when he has none" ilia stated poring the strong and bitter drink in a sealable bottle with honey and slipped the rest in the fridge for her cold brews in the morning.
"Master sigma-" ilia slashed the droids drink from her hand, shattering the cup and cut off her sentence at two words.
Her eyes brimming with sadness and anger she coldly said, "his name is Cole, not sigma; human, faunas or otherwise he's a person, not master, not subject sigma, he's Cole fucking valentine"
Standard protocol for this situation called for her to stand up, hold up her hands as to show surrendering and said in a way to convey her remorse and worry "woah, woah, I meant no disrespects. I'm his servant and I call him that because it's what I'm programmed to address his as such, are you well miss amitola?"
"Stay here, I'll go get him and I better not see you anywhere else but your room when we get back"
"You don't have judication of me miss, nor do you have command over me, so i-" ilia interrupted her by wrapping her whip around her neck.
"If you are in here when we get back I promise you'll die" she glared coldly.
Without a second, she'd already walked out and called out to Cole before the door had closed.
She contemplated what scenarios she could think of, but the smarter one was to just do as she had been asked after making some snacks as an apology.
"Cole, Cole where are you?" Ilia yelled at the dark streets hoping to find him and talk to him, she knew something was wrong when he woke up at 2 in the morning, but this was different. He was in pain and easy to push too far towards his darkness."the light in his heart is dying, but not dead. He isn't totally beyond helping, so I'll talk to him...or even listen to him while he's venting"she said to herself speed walking through the small town.
After a whole hour of searching she was getting scared, the town was at best ten miles long and six or less wide, so it should have been easy to get to Cole or find him. He wasn't a speed type, so it didn't make any damned sense to her.
She brought out her scroll to see if there was a drinking place close by and low and behold a karaoke bar came up half a mile away, so she made her way there without a problem. Opening the front door, she was greeted to a crowd so massive all the seats were taken so most had to stand to watch random performances.
"Hey ilia, here to drink or sing tonight?"a clerk asked, smiling wide.
"Just need a drink for my nerves, a friend of mine is out in the town, and I'm looking for him" ilia replied grabbing a glass of her usual without asking for a drink.
"Well, I wish you luck." The clerk smiled as she handed her a key card and added, "Just in case you want to do some singing, just use this and enter a song."
Waving her off, she pocketed the card and sipped on her drink, watching everyone live in the moment like always. The crowd was riled up more tonight than her usual time here, unfortunately she didn't care, she needed to find Cole and talk to him.
"Thank you everyone for coming; first time this happens, so let's hope the performance is up to your liking. Ten people will come up and sing one song, so after it's over you all are to vote on your favorite one and the winner gets to take the woman of the hour to dinner of his or her choosing; enjoy the show and vote while you eat and drink your fill okay?"
With that, the first person stepped up, gave his speech for a few moments and sang. This went on all night till the last person of the night walked up to the mic and said, "I may be a bit drunk, but I'm not here for some easy fuckin chick, I just want to vent; enjoy it or not, I don't care"
Ilia shook her head, hoping the liquor was hitting her, but she swore he was familiar to her. His hair, voice, bandaged arm and even his body language was familiar.
Ilia seized the opportunity and sprinted backstage and swiped an extra mic then stood be hind him, but she faced the band.
A band wheeled their instruments on stage behind him, and the lights turned dim, but just enough to see the faded Visage of the seven on stage.
"I am not dead to this world"
Instantly, his choice in song switched from uplifting to hardcore and dark in the form of Salem's voice "sweet and handsome sigma, you've had a hard life. Make it known my love; your heart desires to be heard, and tonight it is mine"
Agony surged through him, but vanished just as fast. When it happened Cole's body lit up like a neon sign as the music fired up, his eyes and scars were what had made it obvious and by the feeling of the opening portion of the song, Cole had a point to make tonight, no matter how it ended he was going to be heard.
Surviving the game
-skillet-
Cole
To be more than a conqueror
You have to learn to enjoy the pain
If you want to survive the game
Cole spoke the last two words like he'd been possessed, but it was ignored when the band exploded -so did a torrent of lightning into the ceiling giving off a lightshow for fun- sound that filled cole with so much emotion that they just let it all out like he had all those years ago at beacon.
Cole
You can try to defeat me
You don't know it's the pain that'll feed me
And I'm gonna take back what you took me for
Taking advantage of this ilia jumped in next to him mic in hand and joined in alongside him.
Ilia
'Cause I was born for this
Cole
All the bones that you're breakin' (breakin')
You pretend that you're the one that can save me (save me)
Now I'm takin' it back, it was never yours (never yours)
Ilia
I'm fightin'
cole
Fightin' for my focus
Give the pain a purpose
Light the fire inside
Feel it come alive
Ilia
(come alive)
cole
Show 'em what I'm made of
Victories for the brave ones
Who never bowed a knee
When it's do or die
Ilia
(do or die)
Cole
One more time
Survivin' the game, I can be unstoppable
Gonna walk through hell, gonna shake the walls
Survive, survivin' the game
Ilia
(survivin' the game)
Cole
Livin' the impossible
I'm the champion, indestructible
Ilia
(survive)
chourus
Survive, 'cause I'm survivin' the game
I can be unstoppable
Gonna be indestructible
I can be unstoppable
Gonna be indestructible
cole
All the liars around me
Like the wolves of the walls, they surround me
In the face of the fear, I keep standin' tall
Ilia
'Cause I will conquer this
Cole
I come out like a lion (lion)
I was born to be demon-defiant (defiant)
And I won't ever let this kingdom fall (fall)
Ilia
I'll show 'em
Cole
Show 'em what you're made of
Victories for the brave ones
Never bow the knee
'Cause it's do or die
Ilia
(do or die)
cole and ilia
One more time
cole
Survivin' the game, I can be unstoppable
Gonna walk through hell, gonna shake the walls
Survive, survivin' the game
Ilia
(survivin' the game)
Cole
Livin' the impossible
I'm the champion, indestructible
Ilia
(survive)
Cole
Survive, 'cause I'm survivin' the game (game)
I am more than a conqueror
The past behind me, life is ahead
I'll take the way of the warrior
I walk alone, no fear to the death
Cole and ilia
One more time
Survivin' the game, I can be unstoppable
Gonna walk through hell, gonna shake the walls
Ilia
(survive)
cole
Survive, survivin' the game
Ilia
(survivin' the game)
cole
Livin' the impossible
I'm the champion, indestructible
Ilia
(survive)
Survive, 'cause I'm survivin' the game
Ilia
(survive)
cole
Survivin' the game
Ilia
(survive)
cole
Survivin' the game, livin' the impossible
I'm the champion, indestructible
Ilia
(survive)
cole
Survive, 'cause I'm survivin' the game
Ilia
(survive)
cole
I can be unstoppable
everyone
Gonna be indestructible
I can be unstoppable
Gonna be indestructible
[end of song]
After the song ended, the crowd erupted in cheers and chanting *One! More! Song!* but as soon as they had the host had been trying to silence them for a full five minutes, but it wasn't working, so Cole held up his arm and gestured to them like a concertmaster and everyone went from screaming to quiet murmurs.
"Thank you for having us, but I'm only giving you all a single song for tonight" he said apologetically, handing off the mic to the host.
"Cole, wait a sec-" she tried pleading for him to explain what happened, but his grip was ironclad.
Not even two seconds before he left the stage, the entire band rushed him ecstatic and talking over each other, but Cole gave no response before leaving the building with ilia tailing close behind.
A door behind the building swung open and scared off a few rats and raccoons. Both of them walked toward the bus stop, neither spoke for a while until ilia couldn't take it after half an hour.
"Are you upset I was on stage with you?" She grabbed his left hand, but he pulled it away.
"Don't touch me...please don't" he said, voice cracking from his attempt to hide his pain.
"I'm sorry" she replied softly
Sighing exasperatedly he sat on the pavement "look, ilia I'm not confident how to say it but honest and quick to the point, I may have come back, but I just escaped hell and tonight Rachael pushed and cut a delicate nerve"
Ilia sat near him but not so close to anger him further as she smiled, "Adam was the same way"
"In what way would you mean by that?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"Adam, was a big fan of concerts and drinking so when he had his bad days he partied like he'd die the next day" Cole smiled at that and huffed softly to accentuate a laugh.
"Ilia, I'm sorry for disappearing for so long, I didn't mean for all this to happen to you all" he lamented as the bus driver stopped and let them on.
They took their seats as soon as the bus drove off, and both practically fell on their seats. "Look at the present and keep moving forward, the past is a lesson not a sentence, leave it where it deserves to be" ilia sat up and gently punched his shoulder.
"I just feel bad about it; when I ran from beacon, I was framed for shit I never said, I got you arrested and now that this reaper guy is around everyone is suspecting me for Blake's death"
Ilia flinched at that part and looked at him when he tried to reach out to her, as soon as she had done that she saw the hurt in his eyes. "You couldn't have done it, you've been gone." As soon as the bus stopped at a stop and like a bullet she took off and ran off the bus in the direction of her place, Cole not too far behind called for her.
Ilia barged through the door panting and ripped the drawers off their rails, threw things on the floor found nothing and repeated this while muttering "where is it, damn it where'd I put the fine" which grew in volume.
"Ms. Amitola, mast- uhm Cole, where were you, and why are you dirtying your floors?" Rachael was ignored by ilia but not Cole, so he answered her, "we were at a bar, she's looking for something -obviously- and I'm pissed with you still so shut up and pack our necessary things for another -but hopefully-more stable road trip or piss off back to the hole I put in the ground"
Rachael jumped to action and began packing as soon as the bags hit the floor in Cole's room. "Cole, I am sorry for upsetting you" she announced but was ignored.
While the three of them were packing, a woman sat out the window watching them wearing a camouflaged suit and goggles with gear for various uses.
"Baron, I see them"
"What are they doing?"
"Packing up and planning on leaving, I don't understand it"
"I pay you to guard and watch, not understand why or think"
"Just sayin, he needs rest, and he's on the move again."
Hearing a beeping from her ear, she huffed angrily but did nothing but watch. "This job is the worst; why is he so damned important!" She growled, but she'd not get an answer because Cole had used his Grimm arm like a whip and sliced her in the stomach by accident when she jumped back, but fortunately, her body fell into a dumpster truck and drove off leaving glass on the road, not even blood was seen after he broke the window.
As for baron, by extension reaper and lilac, nothing could prepare them for who was looking into the attack at beacon...hell, they knew, about the repercussions thanks to reaper kidnapping Weiss Schnee.
Admittedly, reaper was terrified of baron, but his confidence masked it when he saw Weiss being cared for by the nurse who was previously caring for lilac, but she was fine health wise.
"You stupid. Asinine. Waste of space, apprentice!" Baron accentuated everything with fists connecting to their target, and its name was reaper's face. Reaper hit the ground and coughed up spit and vomit soon after baron kicked him in the gut.
"I took what I was owed, nothing more than a woman-" reaper got a retort to his face via a bloodied boot.
"You fucked up kidnapping a schnee, you are far past retarded, and I'm too pissed off to explain why; you are to stay far away from that woman, and I'm going to make sure you do" Baron pulled him to his feet and dropped him in a chair with an ice bag and stomach medicine.
"Baron, I need to get my arm from Tony, in ten minutes I'm leaving, so why am I here?" Lilac asked, downing her third glassful of vacuian bourbon with strawberry wine.
"Because foxy" he turned to her and took in and let out a deep breath "because if I'm in here with him alone I'll kill him; we need him for the future so he can't die"
Lilac rolled her eyes and walked out with her cocktail "waste my time with that child is why nothing gets done" she said, leaving without another word.
"I'll send for your arm just keep him here" he called out slamming the door.
Weiss felt a wave of anxiety vanish as soon as baron explained that she'd be far away from reaper and living in the room with lilac had made it easier, but everything reaper had come in like he had made her blood freeze. Moving to baron's room had been terrifying because reaper was in there waiting for him, but when their eyes locked he advanced on her hugging her but unlike most hugs she's been given his were vile and toxic to her; he made her feel nauseous.
"Please tell me he's not coming near me again" Weiss said dejectedly hugging her comforter to her chest watching baron's movements.
He didn't initially answer her, but after he checked his office for hidden objects and pushed a bubble of electricity into the room, he let it disperse then sat at his desk. The lightning she saw and felt was a bit biting and harsh, it didn't hurt so that was comforting.
"Lilac and myself are escorting you everywhere to protect your life from him; wound like his is in the head, so it's not like I saw this outcome happen" with that she stood up walked over to the man and looked at his eyes watching him type out paperwork and drink for about a full minute before he looked at her and glared. "Rude to stare ms.schnee, did you forget that as a huntress?"
She sat in the chair in front of the big desk and said, "you just...remind me of him, is all"
"We may share eye defects but reaper's no son of mine" he whispered coldly.
"No, no. I meant Cole valentine; his eyes were green and blue...but, yours are orange and red; total opposite but all too familiar" taking a closer look at him her eyes widened "who are you to him. Why have you not let me go?"
Grabbing a pen from his desk he pointed to the window, "you want to wander the grimmlands be my guest, I have to warn you though" he signed a few pages and put them in a folder then placed them in an envelope. "Reaper will get his clawed hands on you. And you're beyond protection since Grimm wander the entire continent all around us."
She looked out the window and blood drained from her face, seeing red, black, and purple all around the plateau that housed the warehouse.
"It's like the air is-"
"Covered in blood..." baron mumbled as he walked up to the window beside her, "yeah it really doesn't inspire any hope for the individuals who wander in and die soon after"
Weiss walked over to the couch and hugged her knees, shocked at the state of how screwed she was...but fortunately, it didn't last long. She stared off as she asked, "so what about my abduction. Remnant won't just ignore my disappearance"
Baron groaned after downing a fifth glass and said "we aren't exactly what you'd consider locateable, more like we're unnoticeable and untouchable out here" he turned to his desk pressed a button and said "and as far as reaper is concerned you're untouchable, just don't push his buttons"
As he'd said that, lilac opened the doors and scooped the huntress up and wordlessly carried her out.
"Let's go talk over dinner; pretend that you're sleeping and slow your breathing and heart rate"
Weiss did as asked and heard the one person who was promised to be kept away from. "I can look after her lilac"
Dread gripped her like an ice-cold vice grip, but forced her breathing to the shallowest she'd ever done and went as limp as her body allowed. 'Please get away from me' she thought in fear.
"I will remember that lilac" reaper replied condescending to her.
"I hope so because I'd kill you if you touched her, you sick fuck" she bit back
"You're not as strong as you claim; she's awake, so there's no point to hold her like I should be" he spat. "She'll be mine soon, so best hope you're secure in your room"
After he rounded the corner, Weiss flailed in lilac's hands and pushed her away shaking like she'd been caught in a snowstorm. "Am I even safe here!?"
She tried to answer, but she ran before she could get a word in as she chased her down and took her to her room then slammed the doors closed.
"Weiss, you are safe here; mother's promise you won't be harmed"
Hearing that, Weiss looked her way and asked tearing up "what do you know of being a mother, you never had kids. You don't know what-"
"Oh my gods!" she exclaimed, closing in on Weiss and looked around with caution and said in her ear. "Cole is my adopted son; he has my name because when I found him, he needed a family and I gave him a home.