A Note From The Author:
There is no easy, clean way to write an epic multiverse story that covers all the bases. Especially when a fanfiction writer of my skill level is tackling a project as massive as Paradigm of the Rose. That said, I am trying – this collection of short stories is my attempt at introducing you, the readers, to a few of the characters of this epic story in a simple, easily digestible way. I'm currently planning to have 8 chapters, but if more come to me, then I'll just create another collection for those. All of the stories contained herein are meant to be prequels of sorts, as these events are taking place before the characters' involvement in the main story of Paradigm.
Another fantastic writer within this fandom, The Layman, is helping me to flesh out this universe. A fair number of the OCs in this collection were his own creations, and he has graciously allowed me to absorb them into my own narrative. In fact, two of these chapters were actually written by him, and I'll make note of each as they come (for those of you who don't know The Layman or his work, go read Distorted Mirror Images; it is absolutely worth your time).
Anyway, enjoy!
(Quick warning: strong language near the end of this one)
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The moon shone brightly.
The elderly man barely noticed.
He walked with purpose, not daring to dawdle or linger in front of any shop windows, yet not resorting to running at full speed. Running was for the lower class, after all. And besides, it would also draw attention to himself. And that was the last thing he needed right now. The leather heels of his hand-crafted shoes made soft impacts with each step. His handbag changed hands whenever one side or the other became too tired to hold it.
All around him stretched the cold, dimly lit avenues of Veil, a city in the grip of the night. Faint lights flickered and danced inside the canisters of the gaslamps. Horse hooves clomped and echoed from nearby streets as the massive beasts traversed the cobblestone roads, most hauling luggage carts or carriages like the one he should have been in right now. Beggars and vagabonds lined the alleys like old decorations that no one wanted to throw away, while the shop owners and peddlers did their best to ignore the filth. A few of these called for his attention, hoping to sell him some of their wares, but he ignored them all. One even cursed at him as he passed, but the man had far more important matters to attend to than threatening to destroy the livelihood of a peasant.
If only that damned carriage driver had turned up…!
He slowed down for a moment, certain he was being followed, but a quick look around revealed nothing. He was the only man out walking this evening, and even with the light from the gaslamps to illuminate the street, it was dreadfully dark out here. He hated being out after dark.
Alexander Sterling wasn't afraid of the dark, per se… but he knew what sort of beings found solace within its embrace.
He quickened his pace, following the usual road at a speed far too slow for his liking but as quick as he could manage on foot. Left, left, right, straight at the crossroads, and soon after he arrived at his destination; a nondescript building made to perfectly blend into the surrounding neighborhood so it would escape detection. Much like himself. He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, moving quickly to find the right one for the first door. It opened with nary a creak, which meant the maintenance workers had done their job to keep the hinges oiled. Good. He moved inside and pulled the heavy iron portal shut behind him, effectively sealing himself off from the outside world.
But he wasn't safe just yet.
Sterling moved through a short hallway, keys still in hand, as he passed through a second door, equal in size to the first. This one, too, allowed him through with no resistance. Beyond this second door was a small room with two security robots, both of whom held up scanners. He placed his bare hand on one while gazing into the other; his handprint and retina pattern allowed the third door to open, which led to a staircase that led deep underground.
It was a very long walk for a man his age, but there was no safer place in the entire city. Nobody could bypass all of that security in order to reach him. Nobody.
At the bottom of the staircase sat his bunker, for lack of a better word, though at first glance you'd never know it. Rich, blood-red carpet lined the floor, with a desk and chairs of dark mahogany placed in the center of the space. A luxurious king-size bed sat in a corner, with the softest cotton and silk sheets money could buy. The room was cool but not too cold, and brightly lit to decrease the number of shadows one could hide in. And the entire space was open with no dividing walls, to avoid giving any intruder a place to hide. Granted, no one could even get in here to hide, but you can never be too careful.
Alexander closed and sealed the door behind him as he entered the room, placed his coat and bag by the bed and took several minutes to examine the entirety of the space for any disturbances. He knew exactly where everything was meant to be, even taking time to leave small hairs wedged into the openings of drawers and cabinets to let him know if anyone might have searched the room.
It might seem excessive for a chamber so well-sealed, but he'd heard some fantastic stories about this city.
You can never be too careful.
Satisfied that the room was fully secure, Sterling allowed himself to settle into his chair and relax. He pulled a bottle of aged whiskey out from his desk and poured himself a drink. Thoughts of today's business ran through his head for a few minutes before he imbibed, and then they were gone. Sweet silence.
He blinked. Now it was too quiet. The air handlers should have been running, but… it was getting warmer.
The vents.
Alexander bolted up from his chair and pulled the one bookshelf in the room aside, quickly bending over to examine the vent cover. It was only a small opening, but again… he'd heard some fantastic stories.
The cover was undisturbed. The screws at each corner appeared more scratched up than when he last checked, but that could have been a trick of the-
Shnk!
There was no pain, but all at once his legs lost all their strength. Sterling fell to the floor, quickly finding it difficult to draw a breath… and it was finally getting colder, but not in the way he wanted… and there was… something sticking out of his neck… glinting with blood… … …
Alexander Sterling collapsed like a sack of potatoes onto the rich, blood-red carpet. Now it would be a darker shade in one spot.
Yes… all the security in the world isn't enough to stop your own shadow.
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She released her Semblance and shimmered back into view, wiping her knife on her cloak. She breathed in the acrid smell of fresh blood, felt the bodily warmth of her target fading, and smiled. Good thing the guy walked so slow… made it easy to stay right behind him. Although, if he'd had even one biometric scanner in place, she'd have had to knife him in the hallway instead.
Now he could be entombed in his own bunker. The corpse would likely start rotting long before anybody could get in and take care of it. She also carefully corked the bottle of whiskey and tucked it into her pouch. For later. Not like he'd miss it, right?
Ruby Grace carefully searched the body and retrieved Sterling's keys, letting herself back outside. She didn't need his hand or eyeball for the trip out, which was almost a shame. The security robots took no notice of her, exactly how they'd been programmed last week when Fox hacked into them. Trivia had done well tweaking all the doors to close a fraction of a second more slowly each time they were used, so the man would never notice they'd been tampered with. Alexander Sterling never had a chance.
All Ruby had to do was memorize the layout of the complex, then figure out the timing of his walk, and the rest was child's play.
In due time, the assassin emerged back into the city and breathed in the cool night air. She felt the gentle kiss of the misty breeze on her face and arms, the caress of the wind ruffling her hood and pulling at her cloak, almost like it wanted to drag her into a corner and claim her as its woman. And on a night like this, she might actually let it; her groin was already throbbing in anticipation, her face hot.
Damn… horny tonight, eh? Better get a wank out before the next mission…
[Ruby Grace, report]
Figures. Damn Belladonna had no sense for reading the mood of the night. Ruby pushed the button on her earpiece, "All done here, Boss. Gave the old man a new blowhole."
[You locked the door behind you?]
"Don't I always?"
[Two words: Haven University.]
"That was one bloody time! You really gotta stop bringing that up, love."
[I will when the Mistralian Authorities finally call off their manhunt for us. You damn near blew our cover for all the world to see; I have a hard time letting go of something like that.]
"Plenty of shrinks out there who can help with that, Boss."
[…]
"Now if there's nothing else, I have another matter to attend to… … … a matter that's 6' 2" with a 9-inch di-"
[Save it, agent. I'm sure you're just as backed up as Trivia and Ilia, but first get back to HQ for debriefing. And no rides this time… you can walk.]
"Well it is a lovely night for that-"
[Get here after sunrise, however, and I'll have a punishment ready. Belladonna, out.]
"… … …Well fuck you too, ya cat-eared cunt." Ruby Grace cheerfully ended her conversation after hearing the click of the line disconnecting. Ruby continued grumbling to herself as she nimbly leapt up the side of the nearest building and onto the rooftops, "Tellin me my own business… I've half a mind to drug your drink and send in the Browns to keep you occupied… though you'd probably enjoy that, crazy twat…"
The air suddenly changed, grew heavier, as the smell of water reached her nose. Ah, the weather was about to turn. A storm was coming. And by the feel of the air, it was probably bringing some lighting and strong winds with it.
Good. Damn city could use a good power-washing.
Ruby Grace waited for the rain to start before running again, the sound of the sky-water hitting the rooftops and chimneys illuminating the landscape for miles around. It was one of the few times in her life where she felt like she could actually see.
She darted forward, every step firm and unyielding, as she leapt high into the night sky. Into the embrace of the cold darkness that gave birth to her.
She was already a part of the night. If it wanted to make her its woman, then so be it.
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Designation: Remnant-2424 (Night World)
Type 3 Pre-Modern World
Class 4 Population – 80/20 HF (Human/Faunus) Ratio
Grimm Threat NOT DETECTED
Environment: YELLOW
Integrity: GREEN
Culture: YELLOW
Dust/Aura: YELLOW
Deviation from Standard: 13.09 %
Special Note: While an overall stable world as far as structural integrity is concerned, readings indicate that criminal activity after dark is higher than most other worlds I've scanned. If ever I decide to visit, I should probably send Rain ahead to make sure it's safe.
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Author's Note: I have no intention of giving away all of my assassin's trade secrets; a simple look at one of her 'jobs' will have to suffice. Ruby Grace is a character that probably has far more complexity in my head then I could ever successfully translate to the page, but I'll leave that for you all to decide. She's probably also the closest to "morally gray" that any of my OCs will ever get. For now.
Next chapter: We visit a fantasy world straight outta Grimm & Grottos. Kinda. All I know is it has elves…
=^..^=
