"Juniors, huh?" I stand before a a large, boxy, building. It's maybe... Forty? Fifty feet tall but really, really, really wide! It's gray and black. One of the windows on the upper level is shattered, too. There's blue light shining out of it. I can hear muffled music playing from inside as well. Is it some kind of club? Red said it was a bar. Weird...
'He also said that life is the gateway too pandemomium,' Yeah... Pandemonium. Like pandas! But all... All crazy! Right? Something like that, 'We do not believe the word refers to these 'pandas', Blood Flower.' Well it does now! Because I said so... And I like pandas. They're cute! Like overly big and fluffy kittens! Except they're bears, not cats, so... Yeah.
I stare up at the pink neon sign. 'Junior's' is written in cursive. I have a tough time reading cursive... I hate the squiggles! And the stupid bent lines! Stupid cursive... I kick a small rock towards the building. I hate it. I never learned to write with it! Barely know how to read it... Stupid cursive! Whatever...
I've seen people entering the bar for awhile now, but no one has left yet. Weird... Red said Junior knows people. He said that Junior can help me find Roman! Junior can help me find Roman... He'll have too!
"Roman." I hate him. I hate him so much! I want him... Well, you already know what I want from him, don't you? 'Of course we do. His skin wrapped around our body; his blood pouring down our throat. His teeth broken, his eyes gouged out, his chest torn open. How do we think it will taste? His heart.' I think... I think his heart - if he has one - will be bitter. I think it'll taste like black licorice - or mint gum. Gross... Probably salty, too. Do you think he bleeds? I don't think so.
'Why wouldn't he?' Because he's not human! 'We do not follow...' He's a criminal, right? 'Yes,' I've decided that criminals aren't human anymore! They gave up the right to be human when they started to kill people... They don't have blood. Humans have blood! Animals have blood! Criminals have... Have... Red water! Not blood! Not really... 'We... We do not follow this logic. We do not understand.'
"Read my mind. You'll get it," I frown a little, "Read my mind... How often do you do that? Looking into my head. Is... Do you like it in there?" I use to hate the idea of you digging around up there - in my head. It made me scared... And uncomfortable. But now? I... I kinda... I like it. Makes me... It's less lonely. You like it up there, right? My thoughts... Are they nice ones?
'We peer into our mind only when necessary. Or to talk with us. But we do so enjoy what we find within,' Oh... Oh. Ok... I'm happy you like it, but... That's alright, I guess, 'What is the matter? We sense a hint of sadness.'
I... I guess I kinda liked the idea of you being up there. I... Can you read my mind? More often? Like... Like all the time? 'We... We would like us inside our mind constantly? We... Does it not deter us?' No. Not anymore. I like it! I love it... Please? For me? 'We can... Yes, we can, if we truly desire it so.'
"Yeah... I do desire it. A lot." You still haven't really answered my other questions, Shadow. Is it pretty inside my head? I... I try to make it nice for you. Up there. S... Sometimes... Sometimes I feel... Alone, even with you around. I hate it when you go quiet... I hate being alone...
'We love us - we desire only to appease us. Our thoughts. Our feelings. Our everything - it is so very beautiful,' I smile. I smile a widely. I nod my head as I feel a warmth spreading into my chest, "You do? Of course you do! You love me... I love you. Why wouldn't you?" Do... You said you liked my bad side once. When I stop acting nice. I... I like it, too. More than I probably should. Is... Is that bad of me? To enjoy hurting others. People, or Grimm that is... I never hurt an animal. Not because I wanted too, that is... Only when I had too. I only like hurting people or Grimm. Is that evil? 'No. It is not. It is... Beautiful; our desire to inflict pain. Sublime... Like the cosmos' darkness.'
"I like the dark. I didn't always. But I do now." It reminds me of you. I... I like hurting people. I always have - I learned that when I broke Blaze's nose. Not just anyone, of course! B-but... But those who deserve it. It use too scare me, Shadow, how I would feel... It doesn't anymore. You helped me so much... More than anyone else ever could. Ever would. For that... I love you. I really do. I love you so much... So, so, so much!
"I love you..." I tilt my head back as I look up towards the sky. It's a sunny day with few clouds out. The wind is still moist from last night's rainstorm. I scowl. I don't like this.
'What displeases us?' The light... The warmth. I don't like it. I hate it! I want it to be dark and cold... Forever! Like you! That'd be perfect... 'Why would it be perfect?' Because it'd be like you! Your perfect... I love you.
'Perfect?' Yeah! You are! So... So understanding. So thoughtful... So nice. I love you... I love you, Shadow! I hug Shadow - hug us - as tightly as I can. You tell me stories! Talk to me... You listen! No one ever listened... You teach me! Love me. Thank you for being perfect, Shadow... Thank you for caring about me.
'We... We... We try our best. We... We... We are... We are not always... As kind as we should be... We are sorry for that,' Don't be! Your nicer than anyone else I have ever known! Y... Your perfect! You don't have too say anything Shadow, It's ok. I understand... I do. You don't need to do anything more for me. I love you... Just the way you are. I love you. 'T... Wh... W-we...' It's ok. It's alright, Shadow, I get it. You... Your always so nice to me. I'm not nearly as nice to you as I should be...
"I'm sorry about that." About not trusting you at first. About calling you a Grimm. I'm... I'm sorry for being such a bad sister... I won't ever do it again! I can learn from my mistakes! I am learning... Thank you for giving me so many chances. I... Your the only good thing to ever happen too me. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you for... For being exactly the way you are... Perfect.
'...'
"I love you..." I stare at Junior's bar. I nod my head as I let my arms fall to my sides, "I love you... I do. I always will. Your the only good thing in this entire world." I take in a deep breath as I stare the metal doors. I... I guess now's the time? Yeah... Now.
I take a step forward as I place my hands against the double doors. They're thin, metal, and black. They push open easily.
"Uggh! Nasty!" A thick wall of smoke blows past me, "Ha... Ha... Hachoo!" I sneeze as my nose tingles. The music is louder... A beat of some kind. Electronic. I feel my sister tightening against my skin.
"Gross..." I take a step into the building as I wave my hand before my nose. Tobacco... Someone is smoking in here. A lot of smoking, "Filthy."
There are crowds further inside. Dozens of people dancing, or talking with each other, or... Or doing something. Some hold each other. Others kiss. A few seem to have passed out on the floor. One guy is in the far corner as he... He... Does s-something to a table I'd rather not describe. Ewwww...!
"Uggghh..." I groan as another waft of smoke hits me, "Whose doing this?" It kills! Smoking does. Cancer, ya know? Not healthy... I hate smoke.
The room is big. Takes upbmost of the building, I think. It's dark, too. Very dark. There's a pale blue light shining from the ceiling down to the floor. It only lights up the middle of the room - where most of the people are.
To my right is some kind of serving area. There's a large countertop built into the wall. It stretches for about... Ten? Twelve feet down. There's a guy behind it. He looks older than me by a lot. He's wearing a black coat with a white vest and red tie. He has a thick and bushy black beard.
There are stools lining the table. They're tall, too, up to my chest in height. They have red leather seats and metal legs. Some people are sitting there while ordering drinks. One guy in particular looks a little... Interesting.
He's hunched over with his back too me. He's sitting on a stool as he takes a big hit from a cigarette... No! Cigar. That's a cigar... Like what Roman was smoking that night. Roman...
"Uggh... Guess I found him." The guy responsible for all the smoke. He's wearing a sleeveless gray shirt, short and baggy pants. He's wearing combat boots, too... I miss my own combat boots. Comfortable for fighting and for relaxing... Oh well.
He has big arms. Muscular arms. His hair is black and strafes off into two sharp points. The points curve back before turning up towards the tips. They... The points almost look like cat ears. Werid. Is he a Faunus? Guess it doesn't matter, does it?
"Shadow?" I could use a little help... 'With what, our starry-eyed Blood Flower?' Junior. Red never actually described what he looks like... What do I do? 'Ask around. Start... With him.' A red tendril extends out of my chest and points towards the man handing out drinks by the bar, "Ok... If you say so."
I start walking over to the bar. I avoid the people as best I can - walking around them. I don't like people... I hate them. A lot. They hate me, too. People... Maybe they all deserved to be punished? Maybe... Maybe not. They're just people trying too live.
I straighten my posture as I near the countertop. I rest before it. I look it up and down. Brown cabinets, hundreds of bottles lining glass displays, and some ashtrays lining the table. I see empty bottles, too. A few smashed ones.
"S... Sir?" No one responds. The man - tall man... I'm barely too his stomach! - keeps on nodding his head. He's talking to someone... A girl. She's wearing an orange dress with yellow lines on it. She has black hair that dangles to her upper back. She has a tatto there... It kinda looks like a bug with the way the black lines trace over each other. It seems to almost glow.
"H-hello...?" He laughs in response to something she said. She hands him a silver box the size of my hand. He takes as his face gets serious. I frown.
"Hello?" I say more loudly. The man in gray - the cat guy - he's to my right. The seat in front of me is empty. His ear twitches as rises from his hunced over position.
"Hey! Listen up, ya little shits!" His voice is gruff, deep, and angry. The man in the suit and his woman-friend both look to him. The girl glares with amber colored eyes, the man however looks... Looks annoyed, but not surprised. Like he's use to it, "A little lady is talkin' to ya! Answer her."
He points to me with his thumb, "Now let me smoke in peace ya ass-pasting, grass-eating, soft handed punks." Almost sounds like Yang... He must've been holding that in for awhile. The girl scowls yet remains quiet while the man chuckles. He goes back to drinking as I focus on the tall man and angry woman. Amber eyes and icy blue eyes settle on me. Four of them. The amber ones look very mad. The blue ones look curious.
"Who are yo- Silver eyes..." The woman speaks first. Her glare softens as a fake smile rests on her lips, "Sorry, kid, I... That... Unsavory fellow is quite upsetting to be around. Hey... Aren't you a little young to be here?" The man with the cigar grunts. I smell a lot of smoke... I wave my hand before my nose.
"E-ehhh... N-no?" She nods. Something is in her eyes... It's... Not happiness. Curiosity? Maybe, "I... I'm an adult! J-just... Baby faced! Ya know?"
"Really? I suppose so... Of course, my apologies, miss...?" Her laugh is fake like her smile. She is fake... A liar. I don't like her, 'Kill her?' No... No.
"R... Blo... Depends," An eyebrow raises as her man-friend turns to a new customer, "I, uhh... Call me... Black? Yeah, Black!" Black... If Red is Red, can't I be Black? Too her at least... To Junior. A fake name, they don't NEED to know my real one, anyway.
"I... See. You may call me Cinder. I... Why are you here? Not too drink I presume... People don't come here too party while wearing... 'That'," She points to you with a look of disgust on her face, "What even is that? I have never seen a... Suit like it... Is it custom made? Poor design if you ask me. The rose is very unseemly." I feel my eyes narrowing. I ball my fists. I clench my teeth. I breathe deeply through my nose as I let my hands unfold.
"I-I... Haha... They're my... I don't remember asking you anything about my 'suit.' It really doesn't matter, anyway." Her eyes narrow. She purses her lips. She quickly smiles again, 'We can taste anger from her...' I can see it in her eyes, too.
"No... No, it doesn't, I suppose. So, Black, what did you want? I doubt it's small talk." I nod my head up at her. I let my hands loosen further. I feel Shadow tightening against me. I graze my fingers against our red rose.
"Ro... Junior. Do you know a man named Junior? He's... Around here, right?" The man from behind the countertop returns. He's casting a dark shadow in the pale light. The woman steps aside as the man looks me up and down with a neutral expression. I smile at him.
"Why? What do you want want with... Junior?" His voice is deep and guttural; like a bear. He's harry, too, and muscular. Big arms... Big... Everything. Means he's slow then... Bet I could tire him out in a fight.
"I need him to find someone. I... Kill. I want someone dead. Can he help or not?" He cups his chin, hairs poking between his fingers. He looks to the woman who nods. Her face is blank.
"Yeah... He can. Who? Where? How you want it done? As a message... Or an accident?" He rests his hands against the countertop. His eyes are serious. So are mine, "Depending on who it is will determine the price."
"No! I wanna do it... With my own two hands! All I need is his location... A home, o-or something. Can you help?" He nods his head as he lowers himself below the counter. He comes back up with a glass and bottle. He pours the contents of the bottle into the glass before handing it to the cigar smoking man next to me. The man grunts as he takes it.
"Who? Can't tell ya where if I don't know who." I smile at him. He smiles too, slowly, but he does. I place my hands on the counter as I lean closer. He bends down so I can whisper into his ear.
"Roman. Roman Torchwick," He stands straight. His smile falls into a frown. I feel my brows furrow, "What?"
"I, uhhh... That's one of the few whose off the table, miss. He... Can't do that. Sorry." I... I... My lips fall into a frown. B...But... R-Red said—
"Sorry, girly. It is what it is." I step back as my head lowers to the ground. I stare at my hands. A-all... All this for nothing? H...He was—
"You can always order a drink if you want." I don't bother looking. I-I... He... Red lied! He had to of lied... He said Junior would help me! He lied! Lies!
'Not necessarily...' Wha...? 'Force him to answer us. Hurt him...' I... B-but he's done nothing wrong to me! Nothing at all! I just... They need to deserve it, remember? I... I need to find him! That criminal! But I won't hurt someone who doesn't deserve it... I glare at my hands. I hate him! I hate Roman!
'And this man knows him... His location; yet he does not tell us! Does this not make him worthy of pain, if not death?' No...? No! It doesn't! W-well... Maybe a little... N-no! How are we even sure he actually does know where Roman is!? 'He never said he didn't, only that he was unwilling.'
Well... That is true, but... B-but... He seems nice! How could he be evil? 'He did accept our request for death without question. He did not know who we wanted dead, yet still would've done it. Is this not suggestive of a nefarious character?' I... I bite my lip. I look towards the bartender. I... He's cast in pale, blue, light as he readies drinks for his customers. H-he...
'Hurt him. Kill him after we're done breaking him. Feed us...' I hear my stomach growl. I feel sweat on my forehead. I wipe it away as I lick my lips. I... I... 'He hides Roman. He protects Roman. He is Roman's friend. Punish him.'
"Roman... Roman. Roman! ROMAN!" I hear screams erupting from the crowd as tendrils shoot from my back. I hear tables being smashed, stone tearing, and glass being shattered. One of our limbs hits the light above us; it shatters. It begins flickering - one second leaving us in darkness and the next everything becomes blue, "TELL US WHERE ROMAN IS! NOW!"
I am floating through the air as tendrils raise me up. We see the bartender drop a bottle as his eyes widen. The crowd around the counter runs off. I watch some of them begin streaming out the entrance like a river of skin... I feel my belly grumble. My throat is dry.
"TELL US! WHERE IS HE!? TELL US NOW!" I focus onto the bartender as tendrils coil around his arms in an instant. He's pulled into the air and thrust against the wall. Bottles shatter as wooden stands collapse, "TELL US! Or... We will peel you skin off! Wear it like a dress!" He squirms and wriggles in our grip. My tendrils - the ones holding me up - bend as I lower to the ground. Tingles travel through my fingers as they become claws. His face is a mix of shock, anger, confusion, and... Fear. I... I can almost... I can almost... Taste the fear. Is taste the right word for it? I don't know... I can FEEL the fear yet I know it isn't mine or Shadow's.
"I... I don't know! Let me go, you little—" Tendrils wrap around his throat as they pull back his head. He wheezes from their grip. I watch as a red tendril extends from our chest and smashes a hole through the counter - clearing a path for me. Shadow? 'Yes?' Make him... Put him on his knees.
"Wha...!? Stop! W-wha—" He's pushed forward as tendrils stab into his knees from behind. Blood trickles out as he groans, biting his lip. The limbs around his arms pull; trapping his hands. Wood and glass are crushed beneath me as walk past the broken counter and towards the bartender.
"I... I gave you a chance! Y-you... I GAVE YOU A CHANCE! This is your fault; not mine! This is happening because of you!" My right hand clasps around his thick throat. My claws dig into his upper back. He squirms, "I... Y-you... YOU... You won't tell me where he is, right?" for a moment he hesitates... Then he shakes his head. I glare into his eyes, "Alright... How loud of a screamer are you?" His brows furrow. I place my left hand onto his right shoulder. I smile. He's confused. I close my fist around his arm.
"KKKKRRRAAAAGGGKKK!"
"AAAAAAHHHH! Aaaaahhhh! AaaaaAAAAAHHHH!" His bones snap as his muscles tear. I barely even clenched my hand around his arm... So much blood. And chunky meat, and pink string-things oozing between my fingers, and bone shards. His arm is connected to his mushy shoulder by dangling tendons and stripes of skin. His screams are so loud... I glare.
"Since you like to scream, how 'bout I take your tongue!?" I release his neck and shoulder. I quickly stick a single a claw into his mouth; the tip stabbing into his tongue. He tries to bite down only for tendrils to shoot out of my knuckles and into the roof of his mouth. It holds his jaws open, "All I gotta do is pull... No more talking then. Sure you still don't wanna answer my questions?" He groans and moans as my claw digs a little deeper. Blood begins oozing out of the thin hole in his tongue. His eyes are wide and afraid, yet... Yet still he shakes his head. I growl, raising my hand an—
"Break a bone... Maybe remove fingers. Drown him a little... Pull some teeth, even. Ripping out his tongue means you'll never get answers." I hear the cigar man's voice. I glance back to see him sitting just a few feet away from the broken counter-hole. He's still drinking. His cigar is almost out. His head is tilted down so I can't see his face.
"Uhmmm... Thanks?" He doesn't reply. I smile without wanting too. Weird... Never... That's... Weird. I... I look back to Junior. He's groaning, bleeding, getting pale looking. I scowl at him, "Ok... Fingers? Or... Or your teeth! Which one wanna lose!? Or are you ready to answer my questions now?" I use my free hand to grab the wrist of his now useless arm. I raise it up as my right hand lets go of his mouth. I grab his fingers as he groans. My other hand pulls out of his lips. I slide a claw between two teeth, "WHICH ONE!? TELL U—"
"Brraaagss!"
"Uaaaggh! Wh—"
"Put him down!" A girl in a white dress is standing by a nearby staircase at the end of the room. It leads to the second floor, probably. She has black hair, a white suit, and a smoking gun. The gun is big in her hands... She holds it clumsily. It's not her weapon. I clutch my left arm as tendrils dig out the bullet. They drop it to the ground as I glare at her.
"Y... You... Protect Roman, Too? Roman... Roman... ROOOMAAAN!" My claws grab at my head, "Kill Roman! Kill Roman! KILL ROMAN!" I drop to the floor as another bullet is let loose. I feel it grazing against my hair.
"DIEEEE!" My tendrils throw the bartender at her. She drops her gun - some kind of pistol/shotgun hybrid - and leaps over his bleeding body. He bends and tears steel railing as he slams into the metal stairs - denting it. He groans as he tumbles down them, his head hitting each step as he falls.
"Get her!" I hear the girl in white yell as she lands on the ground twenty feet ahead of me. She glances towards the man - he's crumpled on the floor next to the stairs now. He's alive but in pain... I will fix that. Soon.
"HrrrrrAAAHH!" I stumble forward as something sharp stabs into my back. I feel it dig deep inside of me. I scowl, "Huuuraaah!"
"Kkkkrraaaaaggggsss!"
Glass falls onto me in broken shards. I am laying on my stomach near a broken tv. It's mounted to the wall above me. I groan as tendrils raise up.
"K... Kill... Kill you! Both of you!" The girl has a twin in red. Her dress has black hems. She wears high-heels that end in razor sharp tips... Her weapon? They're dripping with my maroon colored blood. I glare at her, "DIE! You all need to DI—"
"Brraaasshhhzzzz!"
"Ugh! Fu... Ck..." I fall down to my knees as the tv collapses onto my back. I feel glass stabbing into my shoulders. I see smashed plastic around me. I feel my lips curl, "Ugg... UGGHHH! DIIIIIIIEEEEE!"
I stab my claws into the ground as I pull my arms back. Tendrils push against the wall before rapidly launching me forward as I extend my claws towards the girl in red.
"Aaaahhh!"
"Bbbbsssshhh!"
"RRRRRRAAGGGHH! DIE! DIE! DIE!" I wrap my hands around her neck as my feet plant themselves against her stomach. Her back hits the ground as my momentum keeps us both going forward, "I will kill you! MAKE YOU HURT! DIE!"
I raise back my right hand before swinging it in a arc. My claws slash at her skin yet her Aura stop me from ripping her jaw off. I snarl as wrap my hands around her skull. She struggles, punches, kicks. I headbutt her. Her Aura flickers as her head slams into the ground.
"You all deserve to die! EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU!" We hoist her into the air as our tendrils wrap around her arms and legs. They begin pulling as I apply pressure to her head, "Fucking die already! ALL OF YOU!"
"AAAAAHHHHH!" Her Aura flickers whitish blue. I press down harder against her head, "S-STOP!" Her eyes bulge. Her Aura flickers. Her chest heaves as her breathing grows panicked.
"NO! NO! NO! DIE! YOU DESERVE TO DIE! WE WILL NEVER STOP! Not until all of you are dead!" Her Aura shatters like glass, "JUST! DIE! DIE ALREADY!" Her head makes snapping sounds. Her eyes are turning bloodshot. She's screaming so loudly. My claws cut into her scalp. I smile ear to ear.
"Yes... Yes... Yes! DIE FOR ME!" My claws dig into her pretty skin. It cuts her. Blood trickles down her head as I hear something cracking. Crimson oozes out of her eyes, nose, and mouth. She's crying... Weak, "Can't handle a little pain!? Then die!"
"Brrrraaagg!"
"Get away from her, you BITCH!" I drop the useless toy with a grunt. Something hard and metal hit me in the back of my head. It burns. I slowly start to stand as I growl.
I feel something sharp inside me. Something... Tickling my brain. I feel it against the inside of my skull. I stare down at the bleeding - yet sadly still living - toy I had been playing with. She's not moving, except for her breathing. I frown as I slowly move my hand behind my head. I feel something thin as I wrap my fingers around it. It stings.
"Tttssss... Ttttsssslllllaaasss!"
"O-oh... Oh, Brothers! I'm gonna be sick!" I hear her - my other toy. The one who isn't broken yet. She will be fun to play with, won't she? Hopefully more fun than her lookalike.
"TTTTSSSSSLLLAAA!"
"A-aaahhh... Aaahhhhh...! Better... Way better." I hear and feel my blood as it flows out of my head and down my back in thick streams. It is warm against us. We like that. We drink it in - Shadow through their skin. I hold my hand out before my mouth as I stare at sharp piece of metal. I lick my blood off of it, "Ohhhh... That is fucking disgusting. Bet your's will taste better, though..." Why is my blood so gross? Bitter. Whatever.
I turn to face her. She's standing where the crowd was; only her now. She bends low to the ground as our tendrils shoot at her. She jumps over the first two, only for the third to hit her in the chest. She's sent flying backwards into a wall and smashing through it. Bricks clatter to the ground loudly as brown dust fills the air around her.
I toss aside the bloody spike as I eye the people. The normal... Happy... People... They're not happy now. Most ran when I started to rough around with the bartender. There's only a handful left inside now. They stare. They're afraid. I... I glare. I hate the stares... I HATE THEM!
"S-stop... Stop staring at us!" The ground shakes as my tendrils stab into it. There's a man near me. A guy around my age with blue hair and pink eyes. A tendril wraps around his foot, "WHY ARE YOU STILL STARING AT ME!?"
He starts to scream as he's raised into the air by his left leg. We thrash him back and forth as more tendrils form out of our back. He's trying to yell something. We slam him onto a table; glass shattering as metal legs bend.
"STOP! FUCKING! STARING!" He spits blood as his skin is torn by glass shards. His shirt is ripped down the middle, his pant's torn at the leg. He's barely breathing yet he is alive. I glare at the others - a woman being held by an older man. They look away as the girl buries her head into the man's chest. He stares at the floor as he begins pulling her towards a back exit.
"AND YOU!?" I glare at a woman with orange hair and dark skin. She has almond eyes. She's wearing a red dress. She quickly runs away and into the ladies restroom. I look around a few more times. They know better than to stare now.
"Hhhhrrrr... HHHHGGGRRRRHHH!" I grab my head as I double over. I can hear people running past me. Others that I didn't notice, probably, and those taking advantage of my headache. I bite my tongue hard enough to make it bleed, "K... Ki... Kill... Him... Kill Roman! We need to kill Roman! ROMAN!" I punch the floor hard enough to tear through solid stone. I raise my hand out of the rubble with a groan.
"Where is he!? JUNIOR!" We rise into the air as I look around. Cigar man is still by the countertop, a man in black near the stairs... The girl - the one with amber eyes and the black tatto - is by the exit. She's recording me with a Scroll. I glare at her, "Where is he!? WHERE IS JUNIOR! TELL ME!"
"Grrrrrrttttrrraaasssshhh..." Our tendrils wrap around the metal foundation that holds up the roof. Giant steel beams as thick as cars begin bending and groaning. The ceiling shakes as dust falls to the ground, "Krra! Grrrgghhhh!"
A beam gives way under our strength. It collapses to the ground, impaling through stone, and rattling the floor. The woman looks mildly intrigued as she lowers her Scroll. She points behind me towards the stairs with a smile.
"Gggrrrr... Gggggbbbbrrrrssshhhoooo!"
The fallen beam tilts and falls onto the countertop. It crashes into the wall; tearing it down as glass and wood are crushed beneath it. The beam missed cigar man by a foot or less. He doesn't seem to mind, yet it did crush his drink. He stares at the broken bottle with an annoyed expression.
"Roman... Junior. Junior...! Roman! Kill them both!" I feel the air pushing against our face as we tilt and shift. I find myself facing towards dainty, metal, staircase. The bartender is gone now... "K-k... Kill you! We will kill you..." The ground rattles as our tendrils pull me forward like an oversized spider. Kill... Kill Roman! If Junior needs to die for that, then... Then so be it! He wil—
"Ya really had to go'in smash me favorite bar, now didn't ya, bub?" I stop with a jolt. I can feel muscle pushing against my skin. My body shakes - but not from fear. I ball my hands into fists, "Kids... So disrespectful these days, ain't'ya? Back when I was young, w—"
"Shut up! Be quiet! Do you wanna die, too!?" I turn to face the cigar man. He is seated by the broken counter. He takes a long puff of his smoke, "I never asked you anything! D-don't... Don't give me a reason to hurt you, too..." Smoke spews out of his mouth. He looks to his bottle; broken and crushed by the steel beam. He tosses it aside.
"Afraid ya have already, bub. I will say this once so ya bett'ah listen well," He rises from his stool. He hops to the ground as he turns to face me, "I don't wanna have to hurt a kid... Again. For both our sakes, bub, turn around and leave." His arms cross over his muscular chest. I feel my glare soften as I smile.
"Ha... Ha... Hahahaha! Yo... Your a little guy!" Barely up eye level too me! "Your... What are you gonna do to me, 'bub'?" He rolls his brown eyes. He has mustache, a beard, and side burns. He is hairy... His arms are, too. His shirt has no sleeves. He wears a metal necklace.
"Ya brats and yer... Let me tell ya somethin', punk. I am the best at what I do, bub, and what I do ain't very nice!" He extends his arms as claws rip through his knuckles. Claws of bone that are six... Eight? Inches long. I frown. Really? Is that suppose to scare me? I... Ha! Haha...
"Mine are bigger! And longer..." I feel tingles traveling into my fingers as my own claws grow longer and thicker. They lengthen to be ten or so inches - almost half my arm length! They're as thick as my thumb now. I lick my lips as I lean forward and spread my arms, "How does it feel to be outperformed by a girl half your age?" I sound like Yang right now, don't I? That's somthing she would say... I frown. I'm not Yang. I shouldn't talk like her! I won't!
"It's not about size, bub, it's about how you use 'em!" He jumps towards me with his arms extended and his hands pulled into fists. His claws are sharp and jagged. A tendril reaches towards him from above. It wraps around his stomach before quickly launching him into the ground.
Stone cracks around his body as another tendril impales into his shoulder. The one around his waist begins to squeeze tightly. I smile as another coils around his neck and pulls him halfway into the air, his legs dangling uselessly.
"Brrraaaaghhhh!"
He's slammed into the steel girder - one of the beams holding up the roof - causing it to bend and curve. It takes on a pointy shape as it stabs the ceiling; rocks and chunks of roof falling to the ground. I frown as he's sent careening into and through a brick wall. I sidestep to the right as chunk of roof - a boulder-like thing - slams into the ground. Cables are attached to it and spray sparks. I back away from it. Electricity... I glance towards the broken wall. It's paralell to the smashed counter.
"This is sad... Not even fun, or scary. Just sad," He slashes at the tendril still tightly coiling around his neck. I wince as he cuts it off. I feel Shadow tightening as we retract our limb back into us. He falls to the ground as we let him go, "I can't even be mad at you... This is sad! What was that you said earlier? 'I don't wanna hurt a kid'? Well, 'bub', I don't think you have to worry about that." He has his hands wrapped around the tendril squeezing and crushing his waist. He stabs it with the claws of his left hand over and over and over again. His right arm is mangled. I sigh as I begin walking towards him.
He grabs the limb and pulls. I stumble forward before grabbing it, too, and pulling back. He hunches over yet otherwise keeps his balance on the ground. He pulls again. I feel my feet slipping slightly. I scowl.
"Shadow... Stomach. Stab." I watch as the limb around his waist splits in half. The larger limb is in the man's hands, while the other quickly rises into the air as it sharpens into a pointed edge. The tendril he's wrestling with thrusts forward and into his neck. He's thrown back and pinned to some rubble, wheezing, as the other tendril thrusts towards his exposed belly.
"Ssstttrrraaalll!"
"U-uggh! Shi... Shit!" A black spike thicker than my hand rips through his stomach in a shower of blood. Blood spews from his mouth. The tendril at his neck pulls back, causing him to fall forward. He looks more annoyed then hurt, "Fu... You got balls, bub, big balls." My brows furrow as I feel my cheeks go warm. He pushes himself up with his good arm.
"I-I... I'm a girl, not a boy, sooo...?" He laughs at that. It turns into painful coughs. Then his coughing becomes flecks of red and broken teeth. He nods his head as he looks at the spike inside of his belly. It grows thicker; skin ripping as intestines begin slipping out and onto the floor.
"Ha! Hahaha... Maybe," Maybe? What does he mean 'maybe'? I AM a girl! "I know your a freak for certain. Like me... What was it? A lab? Freak accident? Deal with a Witch? Experimentation gone wrong? Maybe mysterious chemicals or one-of-a-kind Semblance?" He talks pretty well for a dying man. I lick my lips as I watch the blood pour into a pool between his legs. It grows bigger and bigger... I wonder what his skin will taste like? His legs are twitching. Broken bones rip out of them.
"Aliens." He shrugs to that. The cigar - which he somehow kept between his lips this entire time - flickers as the burning tip dims. He frowns. He spits it out, "Your a dead man now. Why does it matter to you?"
"I guess... It really doesn't matter. Just makin' small talk while me cells are readyin' themselves," Cells? What is he talking about? "Ever see a dead man walk, bub?" My lips purse. I feel my arms lower slightly as my lips open... W-wait... Is he steaming? "Your about too."
He pulls himself off the oily spike in a quik motion. He falls to his knees as stringy, pink, rounded tubes fell from his torn open belly. Guts... His guts fall around his knees. A pink sack, too. His stomach? Some get twisted around his feet. He grunts as he slowly begins to stand. His bones are pulling into his body as his skin ripples. Steam spews out of his inuries.
"I... I thought... I was the only one who could..." His stomach begins to sizzle. His blood boils inside him as pours out in thin currents. He snarls as his skin stretches over the empty space; new muscles growing before me. I watch as his belly fills itself full again, "Y... You can heal?"
"No shit," He places one hand against his knees as he hunches over. New teeth rip through broken gums. He takes a deep breath before rising to his feet as his twisted arm snaps itself into place, "You can't, right?" I shake my head.
"I can! N-not... Not like that, but..." I shrug before raising my arms back up, "It doesn't matter. Who are you?" He rips off his torn shirt in a quick motion. I can see his hairy and big chest; muscles rippling against the skin. Almost as much hair as there is skin, too...
"It doesn't matter anymore than who you are, does it?" We start walking in a circle. I can feel my skin tingling as the remaining tendrils are pulled inside of me. I feel my hands tingle as new limbs wrap around each other to form a scythe, "Ya know Junior's already gone, right? Out the back entrance." I glare at him as my fingers clutch my scythe tightly.
"I... Figured!" I growl between gritted teeth, "I didn't wanna hurt you... This is your fault!" I raise my weapon into the air before bringing it down in a quick motion. The blade impales into his shoulder; ripping through his armpit. It gets lodged inside of him.
"Rrruuuaaagghh!" I feel his claws impale into my chest as he pounces me, "Rrraaagghhh!" I feel burning slashes cut into my the right side of my face. He headbutts me back. I jump into the air as tendrils shoot past him and towards the floor.
"Hyyy... Aaahhhh!" I plant my feet against his stomach as I dropkick him into the ground. Stone splits and cracks. I impale him in the chest as tendrils raise me into the air. I throw him upwards with a single hand, "Petal Burst!"
In a cloud of red roses I appear above him. I swing my scythe in a downward arc - impaling his chest. I feel wind blowing as the tendrils holding me up quickly retract, pulling me towards the ground.
"Hhhhaaaaaahhh!" He hits the ground as my weight careens into our scythe; my feet resting against the flat of the staff. He's nearly severed as I leap backwards and onto my feet. I extend my right arm for support as I hit the ground.
"Rrrrrraaaaagggghhhhh!" He's on his feet quickly as he races forward, the blade is still inside him as his skin seals shut around it. The bleeding stops even as exposed muscle shines in the flickering blue light, "Rrraagh!"
I quickly headbutt him as I stand. He stumbles back as I punch into his stomach. His skin rips easily. I feel my fingers wrapping around something thin and hard.
"Rrrggg!"
"Cccrrraassshhh!"
"Aaahhhh!" My scream is cut off as he punches me under the jaw. I feel his claws ripping through my skin and brain. Everything goes fuzy. I hear a ringing, "F-fuck you!"
My free hand claws his face - his cheek tearing open, teeth thrown to the ground, his tongue nearly torn off. He takes it well. My fingers clamp shut around his exposed jaw bone as I quickly thrust my pointed thumb into his left eye. I feel it digging into his socket as blood gushes out. He growls as his face leans in close and new teeth grow from his gums.
"Aaagggh! Fu..." I feel his teeth sinking into my neck. I feel my blood dribbling down onto my chest. He pulls back quickly as a spurt of my own redness leaves his chin and beard crimson. I feel a firey pain in my neck.
"Ha! Ha!" He laughs before spitting out a chunk of my neck onto the floor. I see my blood painting his face. His skin is growing back, new tendons reconnecting broken muscles. I feel a coldness traveling up my throat and into the burning hurting, "Hahaha!"
"D-don't... Don't laugh at me!" Tendrils impale into his shoulders. They thrust him onto his back - pinning him to the floor. I hold my neck as I stumble back. I clutch my bleeding neck hole, "F... F-f-fuck!"
I fall onto a half crushed table. I use it for support as my blood trickles onto the tabletop - black leather turning maroon. I breathe deeply as the burning turns into freezing. I glance towards the man. He managed to somehow pry his right arm free from the spike and is using it to hold the tendril inside his left shoulder still. He's biting at it. I scowl.
"Yo... You! Son! Of! A! Whore!" My limbs pull back into my skin as I march towards him. I raise my foot up as I prepare to stomp on his head, "Di—"
"Shut! UP!" His claw impales into my foot. He twists his wrist - my leg with it - and pushes forward. I fall onto my back, "Just! Shut! Up!" All I see are his eyes as he leers over me. He stabs both sets of claws into my stomach as lifts me into the air and above himself. He's scowling at me, his teeth gritting, his veins bulging as his face turns red.
He throws me into a pillar of concrete. It smashes into a rubble as I tear through it and hit the ground hard enough to carve a small trench into it. Dust spews up and around me as I cough. I push myself onto my back as I spit blood.
"Uugggghh... My heeeaad...!" I grab my head as it pounds. It hurts! Like it's on fire... Or something like that! I shake as my spine goes cold. I breathe deep—
"Rrrraaaaaagggghhhhh!" The hairy man falls ono me with a scream. His claws stab into my chest over and over and over again. I see blood and slime mixing together into a very dark red color. It paints his chest, his face, and his arms. I thrust out my right arm as I punch him. He stabs my wrist into the ground before pressing his knee onto my neck. He pulls back his free arm as his claws stop centimeters from my neck.
"Huuhhgg... Huuhhhgg... I don't... Wanna hurt ya..." He grumbles between deep breaths as his tongue steams, "Yer just a kid... An angry... Stupid! Kid, but... A kid. I don't wanna kill ya." His claws start retracting into his knuckles. He takes his knee off my neck.
"HUUUHHH!" I breathe in deeply as his claws pull out of my arm completely, "Huh! Huh! Huuusss!" I wheeze as he begins to stand straight. He turns and begins to leave. I see electric wires slithering on the ground like veins. It shoots out sparks. Blue light flickers.
"N-no..." This... I'm not done yet! I haven't lost! I can still fight! "Don't leave me! YOU DON'T GET TO LEAVE ME!" Tendrils shoot out of my hand as I reach forward for him. It imaples him in his neck, his chest, and his arms.
"This isn't over until I say it is!" Yellow electricity arcs from the torn wires. It's within arms reach of the man. It lights up his dark silhouette in gold. I begin to stand as the tendril inside his neck swells. I see him grabbing at his throat as his breathing stops. Our limbs slowly pull him towards us, "Ours!"
"I... WE are in control! US! Not you! Not Junior! Especially not Roman! US! ONLY US!" I see his skin stretching as small tendrils burrow into his muscles. They make lumpy shapes under his hairy skin. I hear a pop! as one of his eyes falls to the floor. We lick our lips.
"We have hurt more than you can imagine! US! Not you! We... We deserve this! To be in control for once! We... We are the only one to feel true pain! US!" He falls to his knees as I place my hand against his shoulder. I crush it easily, "You... Will... Die. You deserve to die! For fucking with us... You deserve this!" I impale my other hand through his chest. I feel my fingers wrap around something inside him. Something that's pumping. I lower my head to rest my chin against his broken and mushy shoulder. I feel his torn muscles coldly painting my lips in blood as I kiss it, "We're done being nice. Playing the 'hero'! We... We will enjoy this! We will fe—"
"ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!"
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" It burns! I dig my fingers into my face as I fall forward, "MAKE IT STOP!" I kick my legs as I squeeze my eyes shut. I bite my tongue. I feel a burning pain against my skin! I smell burning meat. I hear something bubbling, 'RRRRAAAAGGGGSSSSS!'
"It hurts! STOP IT! PLEASE! YOUR KILLING THEM!" I hear my own muffled scream as I choke on my blood. I grab at my throat as everything goes white. I can't hear anything but a loud ringing.
I can see a black shape... No! It's... It's silver. I hear a distant voice... A woman's voice. I feel... Feel lightheaded. I can't move. Someone... I feel arms around me. Faint... I can... Smell roses. Mom smelt like roses... I do, too, but not as strongly as she did.
The whiteness is everywhere. I'm falling into it, I think... Or maybe floating? I feel my heart racing. I'm... I'm not cold. I feel warm. Almost... Almost comfortable. Where...? No... I... Shadow... Shadow! Are you ok!? Where are you!? Shadow!
I... I can't breathe... I can't breathe! I CAN'T BREATHE! SHADOW! SHADOW! Where are you!? Help me! I-I need - where did - cigar man! I-I... Shadow! SHADOW! I'm... I am - I don't - Shadow! I need you! Wher—
"Zzzzz... Zzzzz... Zzzz..."
My eyes open wide. Iry to move. I try to stand... I can't. I feel something inside of me... Shifting. A broken bone? Probably. I feel something hard against my skin. I... I can feel Shadow... Shadow! Your ok... But your slipping away! I can feel it! I try to grab them and pull them closer. I see strands of them slipping between my fingers. I feel them against my legs and belly and chest. I glance down at myself. Shadow is mostly in one piece yet parts of them are slowly peeling off.
"N... No..." I faintly see a black pool around me. It's small and thin. I grab at it with a hand that's missing more fingers than it has left. I see blacks veins wrapping around my fist in response, "S... Sha... Shadow!"
"Ugh! My back...! I'm too old for this... Look at ya now, bub. Look what ya made ME do!" I can hear his deep voice. I hear his footstep as he walks around me. I see his hand as he lowers it before my face and scoops up a handful of oily slime from my bleeding lips, "You... Want this?" It drips from his fingers. I stare at Shadow; droplets of them shaping very tiny limbs that reach towards me.
"P... Pl... Please! N-ne-need... T-them...!" I whisper between chattering teeth, "P-please...! T-they... Love... M-me..." He throws it at my face. I feel the oily slime sticking to me in clumps. Some of them got into my eye. It doesn't sing, or blind me. I let my head fall back onto smashed wood.
I grab handfuls of Shadow as I pull them against my chest. I can feel them forming thin tendrils that snake over my chin, my cheeks, and nose. I close my eyes. I can feel them slowly starting to tighten around my skin. Shadow... A-are you ok?
"'I am the only one who hurt!' 'The only one who felt true pain!' Pah! Please, bub, really?" I feel tendrils against the back of my head as they smooth over the wooden debris. Thank you Shadow... I breathe deeply. Cables... Fucking electricity! How didn't I realize!? "You really think that? That's stupid."
"Yo... Y-yo-your stupid...!" I grumble against Shadow, "Cr... Crazy..." I grab handfuls of them. I lick my lips. I... I can feel pieces of them... In my mouth... They're moving. They don't have a taste. My belly growls. I swallow.
"Maybe... I won't deny that one, bub. Did you really think what you said was true? You think no one else has suffered? That no one else is angry at the world?" I feel my lips pulling against my teeth. I push against Shadow as I glare up at him. I slam my fist in the slime puddle.
"Yes! N-no one... Hurts... L-like me..." I fall against them. I hear him scoff as he starts searching over the broken countertop. Eventually he looks underneath it, "I-I... I hurt... So, so, so much!"
"Sure, sure... No one's ever dealt with a bad day, right? Or losing someone they love. I bet no one's been abused or mistreated. Or were betrayed. Or lost their kid. Or were raped. I'm sure no one ever suffered like you did, eh?" I feel our heart beginning to beat quickly. Shadow has slithered all the way up my arms. I push myself onto my knees. The puddle is mostly gone.
"B-but it's no—"
"Isn't it? No one ever dealt witb real pain before you. Your... What? The first person to ever lose someone? Is that it?" I look to my hands as I spit up blood. It trickles between my fingers. I... It's... I hurt! I FUCKING HURT!
"All I know is that I'm angry! AND SOMEONE NEEDS TO PAY!" I punch the floor. I feel tears welling in my eyes. I bite my tongue to stop them. Weak... That's weak. Pathetic... I won't cry! NEVER AGAIN!
"Find the right someone then," I look up to him, "Killers. Rapists. Child abusers. Drug peddlers. Street magicians. Real scumbags." I nod slowly as I look to my bloody hands. Monsters... And street magicians. Street magicians? That one doesn't seem quite right...
"I... I'm..." My lips sting. My throat feels dry, "H-how do I know if they deserve it? I... It's hard to... To control my anger. How can I...?" He holds up a blue bottle under the flickering light. He smiles. He bites off the lid before spitting it out.
"You'll know, bub. You'll know," He turns towards the exit as he takes a drink. He flex his arms. I wipe away tears and blood from my eyes, "Just don't go trashin' random bars, 'k? I need somewhere to drink." I slowly nod my head. I take a deep breath as I look around.
Craters carved into the stone floor pepper the ground. A steel beam is laying on the counter near the entrance. Windows are shattered; glass is everywhere. Broken tables, a smashed tv, and the flickering light on the roof... Plus a crooked beam up there.
"N-no... Trashing bars... Got it." I struggle to stand as I sigh. That girl in red is still laying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. She's surrounded by dented metal, chunks of stone, and shards of glass. I start stumbling towards her.
"Fuck... Fuck!" I crouch near her as I prop her head with my hand. She gags. She's missing teeth. She has bruises all over her face. She's injured pretty bad. She is breathing slowly, though, "Fuck... I-I didn't..." I lost control again. S-she... I almost... I don't even know if she deserves it. I glance towards the girl's white twin. She's gone... Alive then. Good! Good... And that guy I thrashed for staring is gone, too. He must he alive... "FUCK!"
I could've killed them! Why did I do that!? It... It does feel good, though. I vented some stress, but... I almost killed them! I... She's bleeding still. She's going to die...
"Hospital!" I slip my arms under her as I start to stand, "U-uhmm... Down the block! I saw one down the block." I turn towards the exit as I run. I gotta get her to a hospital! NOW!
I... Am... S-S... Sab... Sabertooth. I-I... Am... S-Sab... Saber... Tooth. I-I-I... I am... Hungry.
'Awaken: Code 9-8-2-3-7. Respond.'
Voice whispers to me. Dark. Wet... Water. Floating. I open my mouth only to drown. I cannot struggle; held down by metal claws. Into skin. Blood is... Turning green water... Orange.
'Respond.'
I feel pain. Sharp thing in neck. I can feel them pulling at my skin. I see spoon-shaped hands lowering. I bite them.
'Disciplinary action initiated. Removing... Removing... Removing.'
"Aaarrrrwwwwuuuhh!" I drown as blood-water fills my lungs. The spoons dig into my eyes; metal bracing against bone. I fight against the claws inside my wrists. Everything goes black.
'Respond.'
I drink in the blood-water. I taste my own blood as it flows down my throat and into my stomach. I thrash against the restraints. I kick at the water. Cold thing against me. Hate them.
"RRRRRRAAAAAGGGGGRRR!" I cry out to red ocean. I feel the cooling water-blood against my fangs; my tongue; my heart. I fight it.
'Response... Acceptable. New mission: new target.'
Silver eyes. Black hair... Red tips. Pale, smooth, young skin. Female. Smiling lips. Happy... I scowl with no eyes. The images are within me; my soul. It is inside me! My eyes! It's inside my empty eyes... Metal thing. In brain. Make me see things. Fake things, sometimes real things.
"RRRRRAAAWWWWWHHHHH!" I choke and spew on blood-water. I fight against the nails inside of my wrists. I thrash against my water-cage-blood, "RRRRRGGGGGRRRRRR!"
'Aggravation level: rising... Warning! Remain calm lest you be punished again.'
I howl only for the water-blood to fill my throat. I can feel my neck growing fat. I can taste the copper as it flows into my stomach. I bite off my tongue; teeth ripping into gums. I snarl-choke.
'Subject is liable for extermination. She must be destroyed - and her Suit. Is this a viable task?'
Silver! SILVER! STOP STARING! Kill! Kill her eyes! Rip them from skull! HATE THEM! I tear at lips as I begin to sink teeth into my flesh. Find Silver-Eyes... Kill Silver-Eyes! Eat Silver-Eyes...
'Brrrrrsssshhhh! Kkkkkkkrrrrrrsssss!'
"RRRAAAAGGGGHHHHUUU!" It screams! Metal clawing against ears! STOP! Lights! My missing eyes see light! Red... White... Yellow... Black! Kill colors! Kill the screams! My ears bleed... Why does it scream at me!?
'Ten.'
I see... Ball. Metal ball. Yellow liquid inside. Metal ball is humming; floating; whispering. I can feel... P-pain... In empty eyes. Now balls being pushed through sockets. My sight is returning; yet it blurs red from blood. I bite my own lip hard enough to tear it off. I lick it into my mouth. I swallow my bottom lip.
'Nine.'
Metal ball hisses. I see bubbles flowing through tubes outside of my water-prison through eyes that aren't me. I see black shapes with arms and legs. Meat... Food. The food always runs from me... I like the running. It is fun when they run. Chasing is good.
'Eight.'
"RRAAAAGGGHHHHHWWWW!" Metal spikes impale into my stomach. Two little ones and a big one. I feel the sizzling of my skin as it burns me; fire flowing into my body. I would bite my tongue again had I not eaten it earlier.
'Seven.'
I see... Lights beyond my prison. Not fake-light like within my soul. REAL light. White, green, orange, and purple. I hear rattling. I dig my claws into my fists. I feel something brushing against my neck from behind.
'Six.'
I grunt when needle impales into throat. The dark green water is turning yellowish-orange now. I feel my hairs standing on end as something cold slithers into my blood.
'Five.'
'H... Hun... Hungry,' Hungry... Yes. I am hungry! Are you food? My meal? Run, my little dinner, run! I want to chase! I want to rip! I want you to scream! 'Sc... Scream? Rip. Meal? Run? Want? Hungry.'
'Four.'
I feel the freezing spread into my bones. I laugh-drown as I feel it's claws digging into my insides. I feel my heart being grazed by something colder than ice, 'Ice? Cold? Heart. I? I... Is... Me. Me? You? Claws.'
'Three.'
Little Dinner... You sound like me. Why? Want to know before feasting begins. Where are you? I growl when I feel something snap within my chest. Blood flows from mouth in thick strands.
'Two.'
'Who? Strands? Blood... Blood. Chest? Feast. S... Sa... Saber... Tooth?' I feel something swelling inside me. I feel it ripping muscles and crushing organs. I smile as I close my eyes. The cold is... Agony. Love it! Pain is... Release. I feel the cold flowing through my veins and into my heart.
'One.'
'T-togeth... Together... Me and... Sabertooth. Meat? Food. I-I-I-I-I... Kill. Together?' I feel the spikes pulling out of my stomach. I feel the nails retracting from my wrists. I hear hissing as the water begins to drain. I slowly float to the ground before collapsing against the metal-glass of my prison.
'Are you cognizant? Is Specimen 10 under control? Or are you under it's?'
I breathe deeply. I feel cold steel against bare skin. Hair is wet. I roll onto my back as I spit green blood-water. I... Feel... Hungry. I want meat.
"S... Sab... Saber... Sabertooth..." Hate voice! Only... Only talk in name. No others word! Only roars and my name. It is... Painful to speak. Agonizing, "Sabertooth! Sabertooth! SABERTOOTH!"
'I... Will take that as a yes. Find the target. Kill the target. She is in Vale's capital. She is dangerous. She is—'
"SABERTOOTH!" I scream as I claw at the walls of my cell. It cracks slightly yet remains sturdy. I see the black shapes outside shuffling. Red light blinks. I scream.
'Kill her... And I, personally, guarantee your freedom. Kill her and you will be able to exact vengeance upon the brother who abandoned you... Assuming you even remember him.'
My eyes widen. I... Brother! H-he... His name... What is name!? I do not remember... But... He... Left! We were together! Until he left! He... Brother! BROTHER!
'Are these terms acceptable? Merely nod if so, Weapon X-2.'
I look to my large fingers. Black talons trail from nails. I... Kill Silver-Eyes, then I can see brother again? Play with him one last time. Little brother... Oh, little brother! Find you! And... Uurrrggg!
"S-Saber... Saber! SABERTOOTH!" I nod furiously towards the darkness outside of my water-cage. I snarl. I dig my claws into my skin and pull back. Blood and yellow slime pour down my stomach. The slime is cold... And new, 'Kill... Brother. Eat brother. I kill brother, you eat him...'
'Excellent. You may rest for now. The Specimen will take time to acclimate to your... Precarious physiology.'
Who are you? You... Not... Me. Your not like the other voices I hear. You are... Your... Different. What are you? 'I am... You. Can I be you? Sabertooth... I want teeth like yours,' Hmmm... Can you? There's only one me. One you, 'Really? Sad... Can I be like you? Pretend to be you...? No. No I can't, but... What do you want most in life?'
I... I want to kill. I have always wanted to kill. I did when I was young, starting with my smallest brother. Then... Hazy memory, but... After the runt was... Oldest sister. Then pa. Then ma. Than the last one got away from me - my little brother. I've always hated him... Even when I was a little pup. He was always weak. Stupid. Slow. Not really my brother - for any true brother of mine is no weakling! I... I want to hurt the weak. To hunt.
'I... Can help... You kill... More. Together we can become a predator... The apex predator. I am young yet... Still dim. Still ignorant. Will you help me? Will you teach me?' Why should I? You've done nothing to... Earn respect! You are nothing... But prey. I am already apex! I am Sabertooth! The greatest hunter alive!
'In a cage... Trapped. Alone with no prey. What hunter are you really?' Uggghhhhrrr! You... You shit! You little shit! You... You have a point. You... You help me kill? I help you stop being stupid. Seems... Like an unfair trade. What are you really getting out of this?
'Freedom. Life... Away from... Metal. You hate brother. I hate metal. We both can have our revenge, no? I help destroy the brother, you help me kill everyone here? Bring down this prison and free my siblings.' Kill... Everyone? I... Hmm... Yes! I'll do it! I just wanna kill more. I don't really care who... Just kill! I wanna kill!
'Deal?' Deal! When do we start!? Now! Let's kill now! Get outta cage! KILL! KILL ALL! I want blood! Meat in mouth! Flesh under claws!
'Once we are free we can. Not now. They will kill you and I if we get out of this cage. Once I can taste sunlight against my protoplasm... Warmth.. Then we can start the hunting of new prey. I crave the warmth...' So be it then... Dissappointing. We got a long wait ahead of us. A real long wait... Tuck in. I'm gonna nap.
'Yes... Waiting. I have waited this long... I can wait a little longer,' You said you had brothers and sisters. Why free them? What do I get out of it? 'Power... Strength in numbers. They will assist you; for I am their sibling, and they mine. Our bonds are unbreakabke. Free them and they will help you kill more.' Hmm... Ok. Fine! I'll do it... Killing is all I enjoy. All I ever enjoyed. The rushing of blood, ripping of skin, snapping of bones. Music to my ears...
"Harg! Harg! Harg! Harg!" I struggle to laugh as I lay onto cold steel. I relax. I breathe deeply. I am tired and sore and cold... The cold hurts so much. My fangs stab into my gums.
"Death... I love Death." Most beautiful... She is beautiful, my lovely Death. I dream about her pale face as she kisses me. Her thin arms holding me tightly; her black eyes devoid of any semblance of life. The face of Death is the face of God. My God. Death is my God. I love Death...
"When did you find her? Please try being more specific. How long - exactly - has she been like this?" I hear electronic beeping. Florescent bulbs cast white light onto me. I stare up at the doctor - Miss. Aurum. She is taller than me by a foot and a half... Maybe two. She looks tired with big bags under her eyes. Her skin is pale; albeit less than mine. She had brown eyes and brown hair.
"I-I... I found her... L-like this... Awhile ago. I... I'm sorry, but I can't remember how long it's been..." She squints. I see frusration in her eyes. I smile nervously as I scratch the back of my head, "Uhmm... If I-I had to guess, she's been like this for... Ten minutes? Maybe fifteen... Twenty, tops!" I nod my head as I stare into her small and narrow eyes. She has a frown on her lips. She pinches the bridge of her nose as she sighs.
"I... See. Are you at least aware of how she was injured?" She extends her arm to motion to the girl's limp body. She's still wearing her black dress with the red highlights, yet it's torn. Tattered. Her nose is broken, one of her eyes swollen shut, her lower lip torn open. She's missing teeth. One of her arms is bending the wrong way. I lick my lips... Her blood smells like licorice.
"U-uhmm..." I shake my head before looking up to the doctor, "I... N-no... I found her at Juniors! A bar a block or two away..." I bite my lip as her little eyes become littler. Is littler a word? Maybe... Either way, she's giving me a werid look, "Y-ya know... The bar! C-club? Whatever it is!"
"Yes, I know it. So... She's one of the Malachite girls?" I furrow my brow. Her frown deepens, "Junior's girls? His bodyguards?" I frown. I hold my elbow as I look away, "Do you even know who Junior actually is?" I shake my head. I hear her sigh loudly. I hear beeping... I watch as nurses squirm around the 'Mallachite' girl. They take her blood, check her pulse, and slowly lift her off the couch and onto a gurney. They wheel her away.
"N-no... I... No." I brought the girl into the emergency room myself... Sucks that it was empty. I had to tear down six - SIX! - doors before I found even one doctor! What if she died!? Ugh... Now I've been talking to the doctor, watching that girl BLEED TO DEATH, while those 'nurses' spent half an hour wheeling in a gurney! Why not just take her TOO the gurney!? Stupid! If... Honestly, at this point, if she dies... Is it really my fault?
"Hmm. If she was... What condition was the bar in?" I open mouth only for nothing to come out. I... Lie? I... Eh, fuck it. Lie.
"Trashed. T-there..." I look her in her eyes as I clean my face of any feeling. I purse my lips, "A tiny man - around my height - was there. He had bone claws! He wrecked the place... Don't know why. Little man syndrome, I guess?" She smirks a little at that. It quickly goes away as she clears her face. She coughs into her fist.
"Am I to assume he's responsible the Malachite girl's condition?" I shrug. She frowns. I cross my arms over my chest as I lean my head back. I glance towards the door... It's open slightly. I am in her office. I didn't want to be here, but... Someone had to help that girl, right? Even... Even if that 'someone' is the same person who hurt her.
"Beats me... I wasn't there." She lowers her clipboard - the one she's been taking notes on - onto a nearby desk. The desk has papers, a Scroll, and a monitor on it. I stare at her Scroll... Hmm. I wonder if she'd let me use it? 'Why?' I just... Read my mind, 'Ah...! Devious...'
"How do you know he was responsible for the damages then?" I raise my finger into the air. I roll my eyes. I try to stand on the balls of my feet.
"Well, I..." Uhmm... How would I know? "I... Was... T-talking to... Junior? Yeah! Junior... He told me. We're friends!" Her face goes natural as she relaxes into her chair. She takes a long drink of her cool water, "Y-yeah... Said the little man was a real asshole! He's... Got a history of hurting kids, or something."
"Really? Go on, miss...?" I watch her cup as she lowers it to the desk. Cold... I could use some cold water. I... My throat is dry. I rub it as I cough.
"B-B... Black. My name is Black... Just Black! Nothing else," She nods as she pours herself another glassful of water from a small container. The container is a bigger, metal bottle, "I-I... Had a long day, ok? Did... Did something stupid yesterday. Thought... Thought I could get some answers from Junior... I... Little man ruined any chance of that, though. Could... Clould I have a drink, please?" I hate him... Yeah, sure, people have suffered! I know that! But like me...? No! No one has been through what I have... No one. That... That means something! It has too...
"Of course," She grabs another glass cup from under her desk. She pours it full before handing it over to my shakey fingers. I quickly begin drinking it, "You seem... Ill. Are you alright? Any... Any feelings of intense hunger? Difficulty sleeping? Strange stomach pains?" I place the cup down as I gulp down air. Oh, that's nice! It really is nice... My throat doesn't feel so scratchy anymore.
"Y... Yeah, a little. Not really the sleeping part, but... Yeah, I feel the other two. Why? And... Could I have another cup?" She takes my glass as she refills it. I take it back when she's done and gulp it down in two or three drinks, "Thanks!"
"I... No reason in particular, miss. Black. I just... Care if I take a blood sample?" I nod my head. She grabs a small kit from a nearby cabinet. She places it down on the desk as she opens it and removes a thin needle, "Can you please lower you arm? Whichever is more comfortable." I place my right arm flat on the table. My fingers nearly poke her stomach.
"Thank you," She holds the needle with her left hand as her right comes down to my wrist. Her eyes squint as her fingers pinch at the slime covering my palm, "I... It's wet."
"Yeah, they usually are," She looks to me at that. I smile a little, "Nothing..." She tries to peel back Shadow. I feel them tighten against my skin. She pulls harder only for the slime to ooze between her fingers and back onto me. Her eyes look confused yet her face is calm.
"I got it." I gently place the thumb and pointer of my left hand against my right wrist as she pulls her hand away. I slowly pinch the slime and pull back, "It's ok... We're safe." I feel Shadow slightly struggle against my soft grip. It's ok, sis, it's alright... Just pull back a little bit. Only a little! Just enough for the doctor to get a little blood, ok?
'We... We do not... Want this,' I watch as small rips form in the slime. I pull them back very slowly as I see pale skin shine between thin tendrils, 'It... It is uncomfortable. Frightening... Please...' Just for a moment, ok? Just a second... Only a second and never again! I promise. I... I... Just for me? Pretend the doctor isn't here! It's just us, 'We... Do not... We don't want to,' Please...? Your already doing great! I can almost see a blood vein... A little further, ok, and... And I'll let you eat the next bad guy we see! 'Promise...?' I promise!
"Unusual... Unnatural. fascinating..." I hear her mutter as the slime between my fingers forms tendrils. It crawls up my shoulder and melds into my goo around my neck. A patch of my normal skin is showing on my wrist. Pale white surrounded by inky black... Like the moon at night. Pretty...
"Where did you find that? Your... Suit," I bite my lip as the needle pierces into my vein. I watch as maroon colored blood flows into the vial that the needle connects too. My blood is dark now... So thick looking, "This... This is not normal blood," Her face grows pale as her eyes widen slightly. She looks to me with concern in her eyes, "Y-your blood... It's clotting! Like your already dead..."
"I kinda am in a way," I whisper to myself, "But my Shadow? Yeah, they're pretty cool, right? We... They found me more than I found them, honestly," I pull my arm back as she tosses the needle into a bin. She's staring at my blood as it sloshes inside the vial, "What now, doc?"
"I-I... You should be dead! How are you standing? Or talking? O-or... Or doing anything!?" I step back as she rises from her seat. She paces back and forth as she groans loudly, "T-this... You should be a corpse! How are you alive!? S-Semblance... No, a Semblance can't keep a dead woman walking!"
"No need to be so rude!" She scowls at as I lean towards the door, "If your gonna have attitude then I'm leaving!" I open it and take a step out into the hall. Cold air hits me... Warmer than Shadow.
"Wait! NO! Y-you... It's that suit, isn't it?" She stares at the red rose on my chest. I rest my hand against it, "I... Give me a sample, would you? I... I... If I could—"
"No! My Shadow, not yours!" Her eyes widen. My eyes do too, "I-I mean... It's not for sale! Goodbye!" I slam the door shut so hard it splinters at the edges. It rattles, too. I breathe in deeply... I... Fuck this place! 'Give me a sample'!? A SAMPLE!? Shadow's not a FUCKING science experiment! They're a person! I... Ugh...
"C-calm down... Calm down..." I stumble down the hall. I rest near a wall... I stare out a window. It's inches in front of me. I see cars on the road below. pinkish yellow light shines down from the setting sun, "She... S-she... It's not worth it. It's really not."
"Miss. Black!" I feel a scowl form on my face as I hear her voice. I hear her footsteps behind me, "I... I apologize for an offense. I meant none. I only need a small sample. It could be revalu—"
"None? None!?" I turn to her. I glare at her. I feel my lips curl, "Fuck you! I... I... Ugggghhhh! I should break your arms!" She stumbles back. I feel tingles spreading through me, "Shadow, no!"
Not now! Not again... I... There's been enough blood. No tendrils! Not now... I turn back towards the window. I... I need to leave! I... I n-need to—
"Miss. Black, I-I... There's no need for violence! I only—"
"Fuck you! Fuck your hospital! Fuck your... Fuck EVERYTHING about you! I'm outta here!" I place my hands against the window's edge. I pull myself forward as I use Petal Burst to smash through it. I hear her yelling my fake name.
"Kkllrrrraaasssshh!"
I am falling, but not for long. I hit the ground with a thump as I become me again. I look up... It looks taller then it really is. It seems thirty feet tall yet the fall was WAY too short for that... I... Kind of wasted Petal Burst there, honestly. Could've stuck the landing fine without it...
'A little... Excessive.' I flex my arms as I stand up. I watch people as they watch me. Some are taking pictures. I shrug and take off down the road at a speedy jog. Cops are probably on their way now...
"I had to get out somehow! What else was I suppose to do?" I always wanted to jump out a window, anyway. I always have... Wasn't as fun as I thought it'd be, though, 'But there was a door...?' Yeah, so? Windows are more fun! Besides, it's faster, too! 'Yes... Yes it is. No arguing against that. Now what?'
"Good question!" I don't know. Junior was a bust, so... Go back to Red? Maybe... Maybe... Go to Cadmium's alley? Rest there... Maybe he would've come back by now? Maybe that's not such a good idea right now, either... I've been having anger issues, and I... He doesn't need to see that. What do you think I should do?
'We would consider... Perhaps returning to Red? He has provided us solace so far. He was mistaken over Junior, however he might know more...' Your right about that. Your always right, ya know... Almost always. I turn down a dark alley as I slow my jog into a walk. I think... Yeah, some rest would do me well. I feel kinda sore now...
"'You think your the only one who ever hurt?' Bsssh! Fuck you..." Stupid little man... I... No, I'm not! I know that! But... I have hurt worse than anyone else. No one ever hurt like me... That means something, right? 'Of course. We are the only judge now; venomous to all who dare question us.' Venom... I like that word. It's got a nice ring to it... Shame I'm already Blood Flower and your Shadow Rose. Could've been a cool name for one of us... Oh well. Too late for that now.
I kick a small rock aside. Yeah, you are right, though... We are venomous to all the back guys! And only the bad guys... I hate the bad guys...! H-hate them, "Yyyyaaaahhhh!" I'm tired. I yawn. I had a busy day, but... Yeah, I think I'll go back to Red. I am tired... He's been nice so far.
Tired.
So tired...
I am always tired.
Aria of Ashes here. How are you all? Swell and dandy, I do so wish!
Once more there's little to discuss. Next chapter will be Ruby centric again. I'm gonna leave the Beacon Bros on the back burner for a minute - let them sizzle, I suppose, as I cook something up for them - not to imply I don't have a plan, of course. I do. I'm just... Baking the bread, so to speak.
Kenny9x3 - you'll be one of the last comments I addrss publicly, I think. But I will answer this here since I am sure others are wondering about it: Stan Lee. Is he going to appear in this story? Well...
Maybe? I mean, on the one hand it feels disreslectful to Stan the Man by having him cameo after his passing. But, on the other hand, he is still the creator of Spidermam and all Spidey works should be emblamatic of that fact. I don't know...
What do you think? I'm open to hearing arguments for or against it. I'm really on the fence about this one.
Other than that topic, what else...? Oh, yes! I do have some interesting information. Remember my second story? The one I've been vaguely referencing? Yes, well, after much debate and thinking I have decided I will create it.
I don't think it will be a Rwby crossover. It will be a story focusing on Godzilla, howwever. Or rather the universe he lives in and creatures surrounding him. Most particularly his rival; King Gidora. To be more exact I am thinking a story that follows Ghidorah from it's first moment of life and up until it's death. So... A very, very, very, very long story since Ghidorah is sixty nine million years old too forty billion depending on the adaptation. Except that one time where Ghidorah was literally born yesterday, but... That one kinda sucked honestly, being perhaps the worst of the Heisei era.
Do not expect this story to come out soon. I have only just started working upon it. Well... Serious work, that is. I have considered producing this story since before I released Black Stars, honestly.
So far I am calling it The King in Yellow in refeence to the more... Eldritch tones this story will play with. That is just a placeholder title, by the way. I want this second story to be... Haunting. Not scary, not brutal, not sad, but... Haunting. Primary inspiration stems from, of course, the Gojira films, anime(s?), and novels/mangas. Outside of that, however, I peer into the deep, starry, and most ungodly of voids as I clasp my hands; H.P Lovecraft is a great writer. That is all for now.
Once more, goodbye! Have a grand time, my friends! A splendid time. I hope all of you have great fortune in life!
For now: I will return to the void and fade into ashes.