A/N: Chapter 57 of REKT. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or teams of RWBY, they belong to Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. What I do own are the characters and teams of my OCs: REKT, GTSY, KACE and DAZE. I also claim Ingrid, Teo, Reina's parents and aunt as well.
Special thanks to the reviewers and to the readers who Fav/Alert this story, I really appreciate it.
Chapter 57: Sailing on the Sea
Somewhere out on water...
The salty breeze did little to calm Blake's nerve, the faunus gazing out forlornly into the vast blue liquid as she leaned against the metal railing. Sometimes she wondered how the line between sea and sky could blend so well, giving off that subtle sense of an illusion. A couple of times her eyes allowed her to see the blurred outlines of the coast of Vale, and a sense of remembering the night Beacon fell made her apprehensive and unnerving. The ship, named The Pride, cruised along the coast as it made its way southward towards her destination.
Her feline ears twitched as the breeze gently tickled them and she sighed. It's been five days since she left the port, Beacon long behind her. Her scroll hasn't notified her of any new messages, though she doubted she'll receive any because communication was down. With Gambol Shroud strapped tightly against her back she still couldn't fight back the urge that someone is watching her. At first she speculate that she was hallucinating, that she was just hearing and seeing things. Still, it wasn't surprising that she would still have lingering thoughts of what had transpired.
Shaking her head, she turned away from the view and allowed her legs to lead her back to her cabin. Other passengers, faunus much like herself, spoke to one other with smiles on their faces. When Blake glances at those kind of expressive emotions, she felt so out of place. She felt as though she had no right to feel the same way, and her fingers dug painfully into her own arm as she attempted to quell her rising feelings.
Conceal your emotions...don't let them know just how horrible you feel. You ran away, you left your teammates after you made sure they were safe. You don't deserve to be happy... She internally berated herself, avoiding eye contact whenever and all possible. Once she accidentally made eye contact with one of the children, and she just didn't have the heart to frown so a fake smile appeared; the parents weren't too far off, watching her next moves carefully. Once she was out of the spotlight, she almost burst into tears because of how angry she was. Coming up to her designated room for the trip, she turned the knob and allowed herself in. Shutting it closed and slumping against the hard wood material, Blake closed her eyes and took nice but shaky breathes.
I'll make it my mission to destroy everything and everyone you love.
Starting with her. Let's get your partner's attention.
"...god damn it..." Tears pricked near the corners of her eyes and she hastily wiped them away before they could fall. No matter how hard she tries, the words Adam echoed that day continuously assaulted her; they rose up when she least expected, reminding her of their strong influence over her. Her skin felt so unclean, unsanitary and tainted. She even scrubbed her flesh raw in the washroom in hopes of removing the nauseating stench.
Walking briskly towards the restroom she was hit with a wave of nausea and nearly doubled over. Golden eyes widened with terror and fear, her chest felt very constricted and it wasn't because of her clothes. Lifting up the toilet seat and hunching over bowl, her stomach began to heave whatever content it contained. Bile burned her throat and she waited until she felt comfortable moving. Pulling the lever and hearing the flushing do its job, the faunus rose shakily to her feet and began to wash up.
Why must you hurt me, my darling?
Blake froze on the spot, the coldness of the water ever present against her hands. Slowly lifting her head with water dribbling down her mouth, she swore Adam was staring back at her. His mask was covering his glowing red eyes and the prominent sneer on his face sent a shiver down her spine.
You and I were going to rule the world together. We were going to show the humans just how wrong they were when they decided to pick a fight with the faunus race.
"Please...get out of my head." She whimpered, leaning over the sink with hands grasping the side and knuckles pure white. Sweat began to roll down her skin and she squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the voice would stop harassing her. "Please...please..."
Admit it, Blake. You are nothing more than a sniveling coward. How an ex member of the White Fang turned into a pathetic weakling is beyond me. You made a huge mistake trying to oppose me, a mistake that cost your partner a part of herself!
"Stop reminding me, you bastard!" She screamed, opening her eyes and pointed a shaky finger at the mirror image. Without her bow, her feline ears can be seen laying flat against her head. "How...How could you say such things to me...after what you done..."
Heh. You're reminding yourself of what happened. In fact, I'm not even here. I'm just a fragment of your imagination. You manifest your deepest fear and warped reality. Raising a hand, the mirror Adam lunged forward and Blake felt the air rush out of her lung. Glancing down she could have sworn she saw the red blade sticking out of her stomach, the same area where she had been stabbed back in the school. Can you feel it? That phantom pain?
"Hnnnng!" She winced and stumbled back, her hand immediately covering up the scar running along the side of her stomach out of reflex. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, the scarred tissue continued to serve as a permanent reminder of the stabbing.
No matter how hard you try, you'll always imagine my blade penetrating your body. There will be no blood because you already spilled it back then. However, I'm looking forward to spilling some more and next time...the blood won't be coming from you. Your friends, your teammates...perhaps your parents...everyone you love and cherish, I'll spill their guts right in front of you. I'll make you watch their slow deaths.
"Go away...get out of here! Leave me alone!" Mentally counting to ten and removing her hand, she took a deep breath and gazed back at the mirror. Adam's image has disappeared and she was staring at herself, a trembling and scared girl who had seen a ghost. The echoing words disturbed her like an irritating mosquito buzzing in her ear, and she hated everything about herself. More importantly, she hated letting Adam get underneath her skin, hated how he sneaked his way back to her, hated how her past emotions conflicted with her current feelings.
Letting out a disgruntled noise in the back of her throat, she left the bathroom and sought shelter in the bed. Sliding into the sheets, she couldn't help herself from thinking back to the memories of her first year, in particular the moment she lowered her book to see an approaching blonde with the friendly lilac colored eyes. It was strange to say the least since the faunus took comfort in her books instead of relying on others, but there was just something about the blonde that perked her interest.
That spark of interest led Blake to personally hunt down the mysterious blonde huntress within the Emerald Forest. Something within her practically led her by the nose to the point where she found herself lending a hand in decapitating an Ursa. Yang was there for her, and as the two of them progressed throughout their years at Beacon, Blake found herself very comfortable around the boisterous blonde. She found friends in Ruby and Weiss, although she had very bumpy occurrences in the latter. But the person she placed her trust into was Yang.
Yang, the girl who once said that the faunus was a lost cause. Yang, the one who pulled her out of her sleepless, delirious state when she tried to go after Roman. Yang, the girl who confided her abandonment issues the day before the dance. Yang, the girl who saved a dance for her and turned her head with that body hugging dress. Yang, the huntress who is not only a big sister to Ruby but is always there to lend an ear for her teammates.
The one who fought tirelessly side-by-side with Blake as a dependable and trustworthy partner. The one who wasn't afraid to leap head-first into the beak of a Giant Nevermore. The one who would take a bullet without hesitation. The one...who saved Blake from her ex, a man the faunus tried to not talk about if she could help it. However, that one night was all it took to shatter everything. Yang was hurt. Yang was destroyed. Yang, who was once loud and proud laid on the ground unconscious...defeated. Yang meant a lot to her, anyone could have seen that. And Adam saw it as clear as day, which was why he hurt Yang. He didn't kill her, oh no he made sure of it. If he wanted to, he could have easily turned the blonde huntress into a plaything; toying with her until she was literally dead at his feet, and Blake stomach the thought.
That would be the first and last time...I won't let anyone else experience the same thing Yang went through. Never again. "...I'm sorry...Yang..." The faunus whispered over and over to herself as she came back into reality, drawing the blanket in tightly and folding her body into a ball. She didn't feel warm at all, in fact she swore she felt a bit colder. She wrapped her own arms around herself, her body shivering and shaking uncontrollably as her tears began to fall against the pillow. "I'm so sorry..."
On top of the ship...
"She doesn't seem to be faring very well, if her body language and demeanor are any indication of such..." A cloaked figure spoke, looking over at a similarly covered companion. They took refuge on top of the control room where the captain of the ship was, able to hold conversations without anyone detecting their presence. "Not only that, but she's becoming paler and paler; she might become a second Weiss, and I'm sure one Weiss is enough to handle already. Hopefully by the end of this, the sun would tan a bit."
"I'm sure by the end of this trip, we're all going to be tanned." The other one replied without humor. "Stinks that we never thought of bringing sunscreen."
"Luckily for you, I thought ahead and managed to grab these cloaks."
"More like swiped them off the vendor's table, right? You're practically good at that kind of things, Sun."
"Pah! Never underestimate the greatest stow-away in history!" Sun flaunted his muscles from underneath the cloak, his eyes twinkled mischievously. His tail made itself known, twitching with excitement that amplifies his feelings. "By the way, I was surprised with how fast you caught up with me. Blake was making her way to the boat by the time I came up to the docks."
"Comes in handy when you know Ruby's uncle, Qrow."
"Huh?! That huntsman with slick black hair and drunken red eyes?" Sun gaped with surprise, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Oh man, I've heard about that small debut he and Weiss' sister did near the gate of the school; it helps when a lot of students whip out their scrolls and started video-taping the fight. Wish I was there to witness it first hand."
"Yeah, so Qrow helped me catch up to you before the boat set sailed. From there you know the rest of the story."
"Maaan, you seem to meet the interesting characters. Maybe I should stick myself to you more often, heheheh! I jest I jest!" Sun chuckled, his tail twitching back and forth with eagerness. "Although...how long must we continue to conceal our presence? It's kinda stuffy and hot...I should be use to it since I'm from Vacuo."
"As much as I would like to agree with you and ditch this attire, we cannot reveal ourselves just yet. Besides, it's not every day I can chill out a boat. It feels pretty nice." Kairos sighed and leaned back till she was staring up at the sky. Taking a huge breath, she exhaled slowly till her body relaxed, the tension within her muscles becoming nonexistent. "Slow and steady wins the race as they say. I don't remember the last time I could rest like this."
"What's weird is that she hasn't caught us yet...we've kept in mind how much Aura we let loose." Sun said as he followed her example, leaning back and folding his arms behind his head. "Well I mean...I guess she can't perceive Aura on that level."
"The only person we know who interacts with these 'signatures' is Reina. None of us can do it no matter how hard we tried or how many days we train. However, we don't necessarily need to hone that skill because isn't it true that faunus have their natural instincts?"
"Huh...I never thought about it that way. Maybe because it is just a second nature for me..." The monkey faunus mused, digesting the words that had been said. "All I've ever known is to survive, using any means necessary. I've done what I can to continue to live...even if it brought trouble to others. But, ever since I met Neptune and the other boys of my team, I realized that I can truly be myself."
"You think so?" Kairos looked over at the male, lazily blinking her eyes once. There was just something magical about the sea breeze, soft rocking of the boat and the warmth of the sun on her skin that makes her want to doze off.
"Of course! It's just not fun if I can't be myself! Neptune would agree if he were here, but I couldn't possibly drag him because of his fear of water." He exclaimed, a smile immediately making itself known on his face. "If I can't be true to myself, then... I might as well have been a fool all my life."
"A fool huh..." She wondered and turned her attention back to the vast sky above. Watching the clouds breeze past, she let out a small laugh, and said, "Guess I fit right into the category like a comfortable sock."
"Oh? How so?" Sun questioned, but he didn't get a quick response. Instead, he received a steady paced breathing pattern which indicated the sleeping faunus beside him. Cracking a foolish grin, he too found himself lulled to sleep.
Meanwhile back in Atlas...
"Hmmmm...do you think it's a tight fit?"
"Nah, you are looking fine and fresh." Flynt replied as Timber looked at himself in the mirror. True to his word, the archer slipped out of a make-shift bungalow hidden away on the Schnee estate early in the morning and joined the jazz player. Today they were on a quest for new clothes. They tried various places, ranging from prices to clothing style. Flynt made sure to stay away from pricey areas, keeping note of preferred preferences and finally narrowed it down to two places.
"I'm really liking this leather blazer...but the long sleeves kind of restricts movement in the arms." To show what he was talking about, Timber moved his arms and they looked either stiff or jerky. "Is there perhaps one that's sleeveless?"
"Not sure if sleeveless is the fashion trend around here, given Atlas weather and all." replied Flynt. Even the store attendant shook her head with agreement with the statement. "Our summers aren't exactly hot either, so the length of the sleeves are either elbow length or goes all the way."
"Then, may I try on a similar style? Perhaps elbow length would be a better choice." Timber asked, slipping off the blazer and handing it to the attendant. Bowing her head in acknowledgment, she scurried away to rummage through the merchandise, leaving both males to their own devices. With the settling silence, Timber couldn't help but let his mind wonder back to everything that had transpired.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Flynt quipped twenty minutes later. He had watched the other huntsman carefully, almost pinpointing the various emotions that flashed behind the eyes.
"Heh...Penny..." Timber mused humorlessly, hating to be reminded of the android. What's worse is that he was in the very land where Penny was created, and knowing that she could never return made the hurt even more prominent. "I see what you did there..."
"I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean it in that way."
"I know..." The archer quickly wiped away the moisture that threatened to come out of his eyes. A part of him wanted to just let the waterworks flow without hindrance, and a part of him chastised the thought of crying inside of a store. "It's just...the wound is still raw."
And it's only a matter of time before it heals, if it were any other wound...but the loss of a friend, that hurt will never go away. Flynt released a sigh, knowing all too well how his fellow companions have dealt with the war and loss. When he came back to Atlas he was greeted by his father, who was extremely overjoyed watching his son fighting in the tournament. There was not a moment the older male tore his eyes from the screen, cheering for his son.
"I believe this would suffice for you, there were a few I found in the back. Sorry it took me awhile!" The sound of the assistant broke through their solemn silence, and she looked at them both in confusion, her arms holding onto a couple pieces of clothing. "Umm...did I interrupt something between you two?"
"Just catching up on a couple of memorable moments." Timber told her pleasantly. Smiling in return, she proceeded to help him adjusting to the new blazer.
"While you're getting suited up I'll go ahead and tell you about this job that I think will be a great fit." Flynt flicked through somethings on his scroll and smiled. "A friend of mine owns a hunting business, which in turn gives the restaurant we were eating at their materials needed to make dishes. Lately, with the scarcity of Grimm, hunting game should be a piece of cake right? Well, one of their best hunters hurt his arm and can't catch game."
"That's where I come in, right?"
"Pretty much. I figured it's the perfect job since you're already comfortable with a bow. The one thing I'd avoid is blowing up the target, so they'll provide you with a normal bow and actually arrows."
"I haven't used a practice bow since I was young." Timber smiled as he remembered his childhood. His father would drag him out to the practice range and teach him everything there was to know about the weapon. Sure he hated the very early hours followed by days upon days of vigorous training, but deep down he was grateful for the conditioning.
"I can see the gears moving in that head of yours. It's not a bad option, think about it this way: You help with the business and you'll be paid with how much you catch. Not to mention you'll be getting a chance to train. I don't know how long you intend on staying in Atlas, but during that time I'm positive you would want to stay as sharp as possible."
"...yeah. That sounds like a wonderful idea." Timber nodded and looked at himself in the mirror once the assistant took a step back. Turning his body 360, he looked pleased with his new clothes. He switched out his burnt and rugged casual attire for a pair of khaki pants, and a nice pure white buttoned shirt. Over the shirt he donned the blazer, noting the emblem for Atlas stitched on the left side of his chest. The feathers, a homage to his heritage, stayed within his slightly longer silver hair as well as the pair of combat shoes over his feet. I have to find a way to get a haircut soon, this shaggy mess of hair isn't cutting it.
"Awwww yeeeeah, now that is what I'm talking about. Looking real good." Flynt made some finger-guns with giddiness, definitely pleased with what he was seeing. Bidding goodbye to his old clothes and dumping them into the donation box, Timber waited till the jazz player negotiated the payment process before removing the tags.
"Thank you once again for doing this for me." Timber said once they left the store, fingers mindlessly fiddling with the straps dangling from the blazer. "I know no amount of saying that could ever express my gratitude."
"My friend, we've been through this. But I really appreciate being reminded of my usefulness once in awhile." The jazz player paused as something shiny sparkled in the corner of her peripherals. He turned his head to see a long trope of Atlas soldiers marching down the street in the opposite side. "Oh now that's a common sight, not that Headmaster Ironwood ever runs out of those types."
"Hmmm?" Timber glanced over to see what the other huntsman was seeing. "Protection protocols for soldiers?"
"The students normally see these drills on the way to the Academy. It sends a sense of peace and protection, understandably for most of the civilians. You'd feel it too, the concept that the more soldiers there are...but, all those mechanical beings are just targets for our enemies to destroy."
"If that method isn't effective how come Ironwood isn't switching to another option that would be more efficient and effective?"
"Honestly, it's all about the lien. As long as he gets a steady stream of lien from a reliable source...well, he can do whatever the hell he wants. Lien makes the world go round." Flynt replied, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. "Although it's probably the fact that he holds two chairs on the council."
"By any chance, have you ever met the other members of the council in person before?"
"Actually no one has ever seen the faces besides our headmaster. Our library shields the students from delving too far into that subject, even the databases containing material pertaining to it are kept out of our reach. Not only that but the members just connect with one another via the CCT Tower. Without a strong connection, I have a hunch that daily meetings aren't convenient at this time."
"Daily meetings?"
"Neon and I sometimes walk pass our headmaster's room on our way to class, hearing him either arguing or setting up measures with the council. We try not to eavesdrop, but knowing Headmaster's voice he has a hard time toning it down. Most of the time it's just adult chatter, but lately..."
"What is it?" Timber questioned, noting the hesitation in the voice. "What's wrong?"
"Nah, forget it. Must have been my imagination." Flynt laughed, slinging an arm around the boy's shoulders. "In the meantime, why don't I introduce you to your new boss and get you started on your job. You won't regret it!"
