Let's go!
Arc 1 - Chapter 5
The giant Grimm sat perched upon the rock as it stared at them hungrily, blood and drool dripping from its slightly agape maw.
Hei and Roman stood petrified, and Neo looked ready to flee at the first chance she got. Ruby meanwhile clung to Hei with a confused expression which turned into one of understanding as she finally gazed upon the Grimm.
"Well… I'd say it was nice knowing you Hei, but honestly?" whispered Roman, "Fuck you for dragging me into this mess."
Hei ignored him, opting instead for, "Don't move a muscle."
It wouldn't have mattered if they ignored him since the Grimm was that close anyways.
"Ruby. Tell it to back away," he whispered.
"I can't," she complained in her high-pitched child voice.
The Grimm let loose a low but steady growl, leaning forward slightly.
"Uh, Red? Not the answer any of us want, nor need, to hear," panicked Roman.
"He's not listening!" Ruby grew frustrated and squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she shook her head.
The Grimm opened its mouth fully and let forth a low, but louder, growl in a single breath.
"Ruby, you need to calm down," instructed Hei.
"If it's tied to your emotions, you're only making it angrier."
"Well, I'm trying!"
The Grimm roared viciously and snarled at them.
"Well, try harder!" Snapped Roman before turning towards Hei.
"Suggestions?!"
The Grimm reared up to full height upon its hind legs atop of the rock and let loose a bloodcurdling howl that sounded unnatural and horrifying. Like a true monster.
"Yeah. Run!"
That was all Hei got to say before the Grimm pounced with all of its might.
"Neo!" Screamed Roman as the Grimm crashed into the small mute.
For a second, Roman's world slowed down as he watched an expressionless Neo look in shock as the Grimm's vicious claws made contact with her flesh. Her body shattered into a million pieces like glass.
"…!"
Neo was nowhere to be found, and the Grimm seemed just as confused as Roman briefly was that there was no flesh to be torn asunder.
Roman was quick to realize the ploy at hand, however.
Leaping over the top of the rock from behind which the Grimm was perched nought but mere seconds ago came Neo.
Clutched each hand were a pair of stiletto knives, their long sleek, needle-like blades glinting in the sunlight.
The Grimm didn't even think to turn around, and thus remained unaware of Neo's attack. At least until the blades buried themselves within either side of the nape of its neck.
It jerked forward and let loose an angry roar in surprise, and possibly pain, but it had no time to react to the small nuisance that was Neo as she used its broad back as a platform for which to spring forward into a frontal flip over it.
Her weight, however little it was, was enough to unbalance the Grimm and it stumbled forward with an unsteady gait. For good measure, Neo spun the heel of her foot so it came crashing down onto its snout, driving its snarling maw into the snowy ground.
With an elegant grace befitting of a ballerina, she landed several paces in front of it before summersaulting several more times to a safer distance.
Roman wasted no time and was quick to practically drag Hei away and down into the ditch. Ruby, clinging to Hei, had no choice but to follow. However, the hill-top was steep, and instead the pair found themselves suddenly rolling down-hill into the pit of bloodied corpses below.
Ruby let loose a cry of surprise and pain as her injured shoulder was jolted.
That cry was enough to get the Grimm's attention, and ignoring its own pain if it even felt any, it perked its head up to lock its predatory gaze with Roman's nervous eyes.
It didn't take long for Roman to clue that the thing probably didn't take kindly to him shoving a recovering Ruby, its summoner, down the ditch forcefully.
"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me with my luck," he drawled in disbelief as the Grimm angled its body to face him, taking forth several quick strides which turned into a full on four-legged sprint.
"Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!"
Roman ran to the left to dodge it in a panic, and just as it was about to reach him, it's foul breath practically touching the back of his neck, it let loose a howl of pain before stumbling.
That didn't stop it from throwing its claws out madly, one of which unfortunately caught the back of his jacket and cut right through.
Roman let loose a pained yelp, but ignored the pain in favour of his life and keeping his distance.
Neo charged up behind the Grimm, both of her stilettoes buried into its back and hind leg from where she had thrown them.
The Grimm turned its head around to face the direction of rapidly crunching snow, and let loose an angry howl as Neo's foot connected with its jaw, sending its head snapping up from the sheer force of her kick.
A vicious scowl adorned her face as she attacked it with a flurry of kicks, before spring boarding backwards in a backflip.
She spared a concerned glance at Roman who clutched his stomach, hunched over with a faint trace of blood running from his mouth.
"Good work, Neo," he cheered weakly.
She took in his state with wide eyes.
His back was gouged, with red slowly seeping through and staining the torn material that was his jacket.
He knelt down on one knee in the snow.
"I think I need a second… to catch my breath," he panted, before letting loose a bloodied cough.
"Damn this hurts."
Neo saw red, and she directed her furious gaze back towards the Grimm that was now circling back around with her stilettoes protruding from its fur.
Hei groaned in pain as he lay in the ditch. He could feel something wet soaking into his back, and after a second to muster the strength, he craned his neck.
Coming face to face a gruesomely decapitated woman's corpse was enough to jolt him upright, an action he was quick to regret as pain lanced through his injured hand and shoulder.
"Argh! Shit."
Ruby let out a gasp to his right, and looking at her quickly, she was in a similar pained state.
"Urgh. Hey, kid. You alright," he slurred.
Why are caring about her right now? Or even at all? He slowly chastised himself.
Ruby's eyes were wide open, in a catatonic state, as she stared right at him with a trembling frame.
No. Not at him. At the corpse next to him.
He glanced slowly back to the corpse.
It was the headless woman.
"Mom…" choked Ruby weakly.
Oh hells… Realised Hei.
Ruby, who had been struggling to stand upright, collapsed to her knees in despair, tears flowing down her face freely as she stared at her mother, Tyrian's carnage bloodily glistening in the sunlight in all of its visceral detail.
Neo was sent flying backwards from a single mighty swat of the Grimm, and by sheer luck, she only sported a couple minor cuts and bruises.
She tumbled in the snow, but was quick to reorient herself as gracefully as possible.
The Grimm roared with renewed vigour and energy.
Neo quickly glanced towards Roman, who was struggling to support himself. Despite the pain, he forced himself to stand.
"Is it me, or does our friend there seem more antsy than before?"
Neo glanced back to the Grimm, bracing herself for a charge that never came.
Instead, the Grimm was staring intently at the ditch where no one was visible. It lumbered forward with a menacing growl.
Roman's eyes widened in horror.
"Oh shit… It's going after Hei!"
Neo took a look at Roman's panicked expression, one glance at the ditch, and finally one back at the Grimm.
Neo could feel herself starting to tire, but that didn't stop her from running to intercept the giant Grimm, even in her weaponless state.
Roman forced himself to hobble towards Hei.
He spared a glance at Neo, and her firm expression followed by a nod told him she would do what she could to keep the Grimm at bay.
God, he hated being so powerless and weak compared to everyone else. However, he had come to terms with it being his lot in life, and so focused on the here and now, and what he could actually do to help.
And right now, he needed to get to Hei.
Neo pulled something out from a pocket, and the reflection of blue light revealed it to be an Aura Crystal.
She put it in her mouth and bit down full force.
The crystal shattered, sending chunks everywhere as brief glow of pale blue light erupted. The glow quickly encapsulated Neo for a brief second before vanishing.
What followed next was the materialisation of several Neos; all optical illusions.
The Grimm quickly grew confused however when one of them charged forth and attacked it.
It swiped a paw, only for Neo to shatter into glass while the real one appeared by its side and threw a quick kick into its head.
It tanked the blow and swiped a paw at her in an attempt to carve her up. She dodged.
Roman silently thanked her distraction and, with great effort and pain, shambled over in a pained jog to the ditch to find Hei.
He was easy enough to spot, as was Ruby.
Both were hovered over a corpse; one of many. Ruby, however, was distraught while Hei tried to stand up.
"Hei!" He started to come down the slope carefully.
"That bastard is seriously tough! And really pissed of right now! Neo is struggling to get through its hide."
He reached the base of the hill and rushed towards Hei.
"Come on! Neo's buying us time so we can get you out of here!"
Hei grasped his extended hand to help hoist him up.
"There's not time," he groaned.
"We're in no state to run. Neither of us."
Roman was about to protest, but quickly ceded the point with a frustrated sigh. He glanced at a catatonic Ruby.
"I don't know what happened, but it's really pissed off right now! Like, more than it was earlier."
Hei grimaced.
"I think it's tied to her emotional state. It appeared because she felt threatened. When you pushed us down the hill, she got absolutely terrified."
Roman nodded in realization.
"And that monster can sense it, and so is going into a frenzy... Do you have any idea on how we can stop it then?"
"Besides getting her to stop it," Hei gestured to Ruby, "I've no idea."
"Dammit Hei! Neo's going to get killed out there if we don't do something! Don't make this for nothing, Hei!" He snapped.
Hei clenched his teeth helplessly. The Grimm roared as it fought with Neo. Until, he had a sudden epiphany.
"It might not be," coughed Hei.
"Well, spit it out now!" screamed Roman.
"I dropped something that might be able to kill it," he blurted.
Roman stilled.
"What? What did you drop?!"
"I'll explain later. Just go to where I was shot with the arrows! I dropped it there. It's like a crossbow. Bring it back to me and I can load it, and with it, kill this son of a bitch!"
"Is that the thing that sounded like bloody thunder going off!"
"Yes! Now quit wasting time! I'm going to try and calm the kid down so that Grimm will hopefully be more passive and manageable for us."
Roman spared a stern glance at Hei.
"This better work!"
With that, he ran, or rather, tried to run back up the hill. His back stung something fierce, and he could feel the cold air on his exposed wounds as blood seeped freely.
As his head came into view over the hill near the boulder, he glimpsed Neo and her glass illusions currently occupying the Grimm's attention.
He so desperately wanted to rush over and help Neo, but he knew that between the two of them, Neo was a much better fighter and, unlike him, had an affinity for Aura Shards.
He cursed himself and his blood for holding him back and making him so weak.
Pushing aside his fear and regrets, he stumbled to the hill summit and quickly found where Hei had been shot.
The large indentations in the snow, the pools of blood, and the obviously half mangled headless corpse were the biggest indicators for where he needed to look.
He quickly ran over, ignoring the pain.
He slid into the snow on his knees when he reached the spot, and started to despair.
Where is it, where is it!
His hands rummaged through the snow and blood, searching for anything that might resemble a crossbow.
Nothing.
Shit shit shit!
Normally he tried to maintain his composure, but Neo's and his life on the line, so he felt he could be forgiven for feeling a tad rushed and stressed as he searched desperately for what this mystery tool was.
After what felt like a painful eternity rummaging through the snow, he felt fear and despair begin to really set in as defeat loomed.
And then, his hands grazed against something unnaturally shaped hidden in the snow.
His hands dug quickly and grasped hold of something, and hope soared in his chest.
With desperation, he yanked the mystery object free.
His hope died when he finally got a glimpse of what it was.
"This is supposed to kill it?!"
He held a tiny wooden frame no longer than his forearm up. It had a curved wooden handle and grip much like a crossbow. However, instead of a draw string and arms, it had a singular metal pipe.
"Fucking hell, Hei. If this doesn't work, I'm going to haunt your soul in the afterlife," he growled.
Standing up with renewed vigour, he clutched the strange weapon tightly to his chest like a lifeline before making his way back to the ditch.
He reached the edge and saw Hei holding Ruby's shoulders and speaking to her.
The Grimm behind him roared, and when he turned to look, his eyes widened in horror.
The Grimm had smashed the last illusion of Neo and found the real.
With a violent bat of its clawed arm, it threw Neo towards him, blood following her in the air. She crashed into the snow mere metres ahead of him, and a cursory glance revealed her arms were all cut up in an attempt to block its strike.
"Neo!"
He threw the weapon down the ditch to Hei who fumbled to catch it whilst he ran forward, his legs straining through the snow as he reached into his belt to pull out a small knife.
It was tiny, with the blade only being as long as his thumb. It was more a utility knife rather than something intended for battle and violence.
But with Neo laying vulnerable and exposed in front of him as a giant Grimm bore down on her with intent to finish what it had started, Roman was willing to expand the knife's uses.
With a frantic and desperate scream, he charged forwards towards the Grimm as it rushed towards Neo.
Just as it was about to reach them both, Roman leapt and tackled into the beasts side, the weight of his body knocking it off course.
They both crashed into the snow, and Roman quickly wrapped his whole body, arms and legs included, around the monsters body. He narrowly avoided its snapping teeth, and with a furious war cry, he brought the blade into its belly.
He stabbed it over and over, thrusting the blade in and out repeatedly in a vain attempt kill it.
The blade penetrated into its hide with ease, and black fluid, presumably its blood he hoped, oozed out.
It roared, but didn't show signs of faltering in its warpath for more blood.
"Die you mangy mutt!"
The Grimm finally pulled itself upright onto all fours, and like a wild bull, thrashed its body around in an attempt to buck its grappling rider off, all while spinning around so it could angle its gnashing teeth to rip his flesh asunder.
Roman clung on for dear life, all while continuing to shank the monster prison-style.
Neo wearily clambered up onto her feet, and as soon as her eyes landed on Roman riding the Grimm, she panicked.
However, she was weaponless. Her stilettoes were still embedded in the Grimm, and all of her attacks had done nothing to slow it down.
The Grimm, having had enough, gave one last buck and roar, before deciding if it couldn't shake a pestilent Roman, it would instead crush him between its own weight, and that of the giant rock near the ditch.
The one Neo was directly in the path of.
It didn't care. It charged forth with a roar and barrelled right through Neo, sending her flying over the hill top and down into the ditch with Hei.
Hei briefly glanced at Neo as she came tumbling down the hill to rest in the bodies. Bloodied, bruised and battered. But still alive. At least, so he hoped.
C'mon! Useless fucking thing!
With shaking bloody hands, he finished pouring the… gunpowder? Was it called? Down the metal pipe.
What's next?! What's next?! The rod! No, the pellet! Then the rod.
He quickly fumbled around his pouch to pour a metal pellet the size of a small pebble down the barrel.
His fingers nearly dropped the pellet, slick with blood as they were.
The Grimm's angry panting could be heard steadily approaching, as was the crunching of snow due to heavy footfalls.
As soon as the pellet was in, he reached and pulled a thin metal rod out from underneath the pipe and inserted in the wooden chassis.
Vigorously, and with a hint of desperation, he shoved the whole rod down the pipe. He could feel resistance as the pellet was packed down onto the powder.
The Grimm reared its head over the hill and gazed down upon Neo and Hei. Ruby's sobbing was what finally got its attention, and of course, the fact Hei was right next to her. It snarled as it gazed soullessly at him.
It was no ordinary animal. It didn't have emotions. It didn't reason, and it didn't feel pain. It existed solely to do one thing. Kill.
Hei started to crawl back slowly, which was hard to do while on his back with a wounded shoulder and hand. It was already a struggle and a half to load the damn flintlock.
The thing reared back, readying itself to pounce.
He only had one chance. One shot to end this, and with his unsteady aim and the sheer range it was at, he was going to have to take a risk.
With his good arm, he reached for his club, grasping the handle and yanking it out just as the beast pounced.
With a ferocious roar, claws outstretched and mouth agape, it landed with its full weight on top of Hei.
Whether through sheer adrenaline-fueled desperation or some secret inner power locked away, he brought the club up. Right into its snapping teeth.
It was the only thing that saved him from having his face literally ripped off.
Teeth snapped shut around the hardy material, sending cracks down its whole structure.
With brute strength, he staved the Grimm off with one hand, its claws buried around him in the snow.
Lucky, perhaps. But it bought him a second. A chance.
It bore its weight down onto him, and the club was ready to give, so with all of his remaining strength, he shoved the barrel of the flintlock right into its right eye, uncaring of any damage he was causing.
His shoulder burned an excruciating pain as the muscles were pushed beyond their limit and threatened to cave.
And then he pulled the trigger.
Nothing.
His eyes widened comically, and he instantly cursed the old man.
You son of a bitch! Wait, the metal bit's down!
He had forgotten to cock the… HAMMER!
Straining his thumb, he pulled the metal flange down, and was rewarded with an audible click.
The Grimm swayed and bucked in an attempt to dislodge the barrel crammed into its eye, but Hei pushed with all of his might.
With a mighty roar, he pulled the trigger.
Smoke and powder blew back right into his face with an almighty bang and flash. However, in the briefest of moments before he collapsed back in exhaustion, he witnessed bone-plating, black flesh and a stream of black fluid explode out the back of the Beowolf's head like an erupting geyser.
Its head jerked back, and the silver glow in its flesh began to fade as its life ended.
It collapsed in an unceremonious heap atop of Hei's chest, and he suddenly struggled to breathe as the air was knocked from his lungs under its weight.
Its bloody mouth rested mere centimetres from his face.
If the thing was still alive, then he was well and truly powerless to stop it.
He was physically spent, wounded, and now? He couldn't breathe.
He gasped and choked for air, and just as his vision began to fade, Roman's voice could be heard.
"We got you, Hei!"
The Grimm's body was rolled off of his own, and he greedily sucked air back into his lungs with a loud gasp.
"Is it… Is it dead…?" He gasped in between large gulps of air.
Roman glanced at the motionless monster.
"Yeah. It's dead. Holy shit…." And with that, Roman let himself fall down onto his butt in the snow while he nursed his chest and arms.
Neo collapsed down next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulder for comfort while her other clutched her ribs.
"You said it Neo. That was fucked."
Neo shot a look up at Roman's tired face, and before he could react, she delivered a light smack to his cheek.
"Ow! What the hell?!"
She pouted angrily at him.
"What was that for?"
She just glared at him, and after a moment of guessing, Roman sighed in defeat.
"Is this about me riding the Grimm?"
Her glare only intensified, and with a silent huff, she turned her head away from him with a jutted chin.
"I hold no regrets Neo. I did what I had to."
He let out a relieved chuckle before slowly allowing himself to fall backwards into the snow, the cold soothing his wounded back.
She slowly looked back at him with a frown.
"I know I promised you I'd let you handle any fighting. But I also am not gonna let you get chomped alive if I can help it."
Her frown softened, and just as she placed a hand tenderly on Roman's own, a sob from Ruby caught everyone's attention.
Ruby was knelt over a woman's corpse. A headless one.
"Ah shit," hissed Roman as he struggled to sit upright with Neo's help.
"What are we gonna do about her," he glanced at Hei frantically. Neo's gaze hardened as she looked at the small girl.
They had been warned by Hei about Ruby being capable of summoning Grimm, but none of the three quite expected this whole mishap to occur the way it did.
Roman flinched as he looked at Ruby with newfound apprehension, while Neo tensed her muscles, ready to fight and protect Roman again. And Hei? Hei felt conflicted.
All the proof was there. She had summoned the Grimm. The same one that nearly killed them all.
He had the justification, and he had the means as he spared a glance at the flintlock.
"Who's that…?" asked Roman, gesturing to the dead body in front of Ruby.
Hei closed his eyes and sighed.
"That's… her mother."
Roman felt his eyes widen slightly.
He let a low sad whistle escape.
"Guess she wasn't lying then, huh."
Hei frowned. No, she wasn't.
Which begged the question. Should he go through with his plan?
He was already about to until the bandits sprung their ambush.
And yet, looking at her sob over her mother, Hei felt sick.
He stared at his bloody hands, and then back at her.
"I'm sorry," sobbed Ruby as she finally spared a glance at the three of them.
"I didn't mean for you to get hurt. I tried to get him to stop, but he wouldn't listen to me."
Ah. The Grimm, realized Hei.
Roman looked over at Hei awkwardly, clearly expecting him to take the lead on this.
"I…" he winced in pain.
"Look. I can't say this is an easy matter, Ruby. And there's no denying. Your… summon? Definitely caused some sore points for us all."
"I didn't want that to happen! I just wanted you to be safe," she blurted before her voice turned to pleading.
"Please, believe me," she whispered sadly, pleading eyes staring back at them all frantically.
Hei observed her with a measured glance for what felt like an eternity. Until…
I can't do this. I can't kill a kid.
And that's all she was, in the end. Just a scared, frightened little kid. One with an inherently dangerous ability, but a child none-the-less.
He slid the flintlock back into his coat and left the nearly shattered club to stay behind in the snow.
He had spent the entire day debating on his course of action, and killing her was ultimately not going to be it.
"Let's help you send off your mum, Ruby."
He forced himself to stand up, pushing through the pain of his injuries.
"We shouldn't leave her out here for scavengers to desecrate. And then we'll take you home."
Ruby looked at him with tears in her eyes.
"Home? With… with you guys?"
Roman shot a glance at Hei.
"You sure about this? I'm all for helping a stray kid. I said so myself, but you weren't kidding when you said she could be dangerous. We got our collective asses just handed to us. You really want to bring that risk home?"
"It's not going to be a risk," replied Hei.
He slowly shambled over to Ruby and knelt down, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"It's like you said, Roman. She's just a kid. And the whole purpose of the orphanage is to help those that society refuses to accept. We'll help her. So this doesn't happen again."
Roman bit back a curse.
He wanted to protest, but ultimately decided against. He was too tired and sore to bother.
"Whatever, man. I just want to get some sleep. Damn kid had her pet put me through the wringer."
As Hei consoled Ruby, he couldn't help but question.
Is this the right decision?
Ultimately, only time would tell.
What he could say with absolute certainty, however, was that killing a kid didn't wash well with him.
He just needed to make sure that by refusing to kill this one, he wasn't inadvertently going to end up harming all the other kids he had duty to.
Again, however, only time would tell….
Author's note:
I'm not sure how to feel about this chapter. Not in terms of what it contributes, but rather my execution. Especially the end? However, part of improving is being able to produce a chapter under a deadline so, I'll leave it as is and hopefully learn from the experience.
Part of the issue I suppose stems from the fact that this chapter was actually meant to be part of the last, all in one chapter. But, like I said last week, time constraints forced me to split this chapter. And really, I don't regret it as it did let me focus on specific aspects rather than try to rush through and cram it all in one? I guess. I dunno. What's done is done.
Without getting too spoilery, next chapter will look at exploring a lot of what has occurred as well as finally giving some proper background to the world and events this AU is currently set in.
The reason I have abstained from revealing to much thus far is that I want to introduce everything in a way that feels more natural, like we are exploring the world through Ruby and co and learning alongside them. To me, it makes it feel much more engaging and compelling, rather than doing a 3rd person info-dump. I can also use next chapter to give some proper resolution to this chapter's ending as:
a. I don't have a lot of time to produce this chapter before my set deadline
b. I'd rather use next chapter to focus on such thought processes and worldbuilding.
Which brings me to my next point. Next chapter might be a bit delayed.
I still plan to hopefully get it out on the 28th August, but I'm still in the middle of setting up my PC in spare time and dealing with issues. Ugh. Windows. Thanks Microsoft!
However, it might be delayed an additional week until the 4th September.
So, next chapter ideally 28th August, but if I struggle with time (I am pretty busy right now sadly), it will be delayed until 4th September. If that is the case, I'll try to post a note, but if I fail that, then expect 4th September.
I'd rather not rush through the next chapter, so if it means pushing back a single week so I can get myself fully sorted, then it will be worth it.
Thanks for reading thus far, and see you next update ;)
