289The Story Continues
This is a sequel to Ego Homini Lupus: I Am The Wolf. It is recommended you read that story first before continuing this one.
In a forest, far in the outskirts of Vale, not a sound could be heard. Fallen snow decorated the ground, as a gentle wind blew through the trees. The tranquillity would be comforting, were it not for the disturbing lack of the sounds associated with natural wildlife. In fact, it was so quiet that you could hear a pin dro- "WHERE THE FUCK IS THIS THING?!"
No birds scattered from the sudden yell, as it's source suddenly made itself clear. A young man trudged through snow with a scowl on his face. With dirty blonde hair that was tied back behind his head in a short ponytail, and two wolfish ears that flicked to and fro atop his head, Crue Cullen was not having a good time.
"Fuckin' snow. Getting in my god damn shoes! OI! MASSIVE FUCK-OFF GRIMM! WHERE ARE YOU!?" He cursed, bringing a single foot up and out of the freezing foot high snow. He pulled his cloak closed tightly, desperately regretting his decision to remove the sleeves.
The emerald cloak came to his calves and did very little to ward off the cold. The rest of his clothing didn't do as good a job either. An asymmetrical white shirt, the right side completely ripped off covered very little, as did his black jeans that were torn in places.
A short brown leg harness with a holster that currently held a rather large handgun wrapped around his right leg. Crue shook his hands and blew on them, before realising the futility of trying to warm hands that were covered in metal and leather.
His two emerald gauntlets were ice cold thanks to the weather, and not doing much to improve Crue's mood. With a growl he marched on through the snow. Idly, he reached up to his face and pulled slightly at a dark eyepatch that covered his left eye and some of that side of his face. His right eye, a steel blue, frowned as he fixed the new addition.
A reminder. He told himself. A reminder that the next time he found the one that caused this, he would make good on his words to a certain Scorpion Faunus all those months ago. "I'll take both your eyes. And your dominant arm." He grew a fanged smirk, as he finally spotted what he was after.
A large white sail with dangerous spikes sticking out of. It was a bone white, almost camouflaged with the background. Lines of glowing red ran up the sail in intricate patterns, almost forming an eye. Suddenly, the sail shifted and rose into the sky, as a large black body disturbed the snow around it.
Scaled black flesh that was dotted with random bone plates stood to about five metres tall. A long tail swung, a set of four white spikes at the end trashing the snow around it as two short but powerful hind legs stomped on the ground with large claws.
Two small arms extended from its midsection, despite being smaller the claws on them were no less deadly. Its head extended from its neck, a similar external bone skull that could be recognised on all Grimm.
It let out a deafening roar, showing a long snout that was filled with rows of sharp teeth. Crue cracked his knuckles and brought his hands back, throwing them out with two punches as a set of three claws shot out from each.
"It's nothing personal." Crue told the massive Grimm. Three sets of bright red eyes that were sunken into its skull glowed angrily. "But killing you gets me a hot meal and a trip to where I need to be." His claws gently tapped against each other, creating sparks.
The Grimm roared as it charged, thrusting out it's short arms as it ran. Crue smiled ferally as he let out a battle cry. "THIS IS FOR THE T-REX MOTHERFUCKER!"
Crue ran straight towards the Grimm, and idly decided he should really give it a name. "I mean, I know what you are." He said, jumping to the side as the Grimm snapped its massive jaws at him, letting an arm trail under its maw to slice the underside of its mouth.
"Spinosaurus. Does that work for a Grimm name, though?" He asked it. It responded with a roar and slammed its jaws down on Crue, only for the Faunus to duck at the last second and allow it to chomp down on a tree.
"Yeah, doesn't really." He agreed, running under the Grimm and sticking his claws into the unprotected underbelly. With a vicious smile, Crue flexed his fingers and fire erupted from the buried claws.
The Spino, yeah, that works, Crue figured. The Spino roared in pain as it turned, making the underside a dangerous place to be with its stomping around. The Faunus ran for it, before making the mistake of looking back to check he was safe.
The Spino's tail struck him like a meteor, sending him flying. He spun in mid-air, landing feet first against a tree before shooting back with roar. His arms outstretched before him and slammed into the Spino, ripping into the dark flesh.
It roared in pain, circling around and knocking down many trees as it tried to dislodge the unwanted passenger. Finally, it craned its head around and slammed its jaws down on Crue's leg. The Faunus let out a yell of pain as he was ripped from his place on the Grimm.
The Spino swung its head, bringing Crue with it as he released him. The Faunus crashed through a tree as his Aura shimmered. With a grunt and a curse, Crue stood back to his feet. Just for the Hell of it, as he was standing up, he grabbed a handful of snow and began to compact it.
He brought his arm back and hurled it, nailing one of the Grimm's bright red eyes with the snowball. It gave a short roar of annoyance, as it tried to claw at its face. Its arms were too short to reach unfortunately, which gave Crue a laugh, not having thought it would have even worked with his depth perception.
The laugh died immediately as the Spino turned his attention to him and charged with an open maw. "Ah fuck." He managed to get out, before quickly running to the side and slamming a foot on a tree. His Semblance activated, allowing him to run up it and out of the way of the charging Grimm.
He ran up the trunk just enough to jump into the air and land on the thing's skull. Raising one hand back, he slammed a set of claws into the middle of the Spino's head. It roared in pain, before giving a mighty lurch and tossing its head upward.
Crue was dislodged from the beast as he went sailing skyward with a yell. He spun several times, before his tattered cloak shot out behind him, stabilising the flipping Faunus and leaving him floating for a moment in the middle of the night sky.
Silhouetted by the moon, his claws shining in the moonlight his eye locked onto the Spino. With a roar of his own, he came down swinging towards the sail, planning on slicing the thing into pieces.
The Spino had other plans however, as before Crue's very eyes, the sail began to swell. It ripped open along the middle, revealing a massive maw filled with teeth and pulsating flesh. It reminded Crue of a Venus flytrap, with a dark hole in the middle of the mouth leading directly to the Grimm's stomach.
And Crue was falling directly into it. "Oh, this is gonna hurt like a bit-." His last words were cut off as the sail slammed shut.
The Faunus was gone from the forest, as the Spino gave a roar of victory. The noise was cut off pre-emptively, as a sudden lurch came from within the Grimm. It let out an aggravated groan, getting down onto all fours and shaking its body angrily.
Its sail bulged and ripped open once more, the only difference this time being the shower of blood that came with it. Along with a monster.
A Beast with brown fur and long arms that ended in five razor sharp claws hit the ground, kicking up snow as it turned to the Spino. Its body seemed to be burning, as any snow that clung to its fur immediately melted and began to hiss, turning into a mist that nearly shrouded the Beast.
A snout filled with pointed teeth sniffed the air, smelling the black ichor dripping from the Grimm.
It's eyes, a molten gold with black sclera, seemed to dilate as its fangs formed a terrifying smile. The Spino let out a roar of rage and pain. The Beast roared back. Louder. Deeper. Filled to the brim with Wrath.
The Beast shot forward, barrelling through the snow and directly towards the Spino. It seemed to realise that this was the same creature it had just eaten, and was angered at its prey being taken from it.
It's anger, however, was nothing compared to the Beast's rage. The Beast leapt, latching onto the Spino's maw and clamping it shut, as its own mouth clamped down on the skull plate. The Beast fangs cracked the bone as it took a bite out of the Grimm, causing it to roar and shake its head angrily.
One of its claws reached up, slicing across the Beast's arm. It was enough to cause it to let go with a roar of rage and hit the ground, kicking up snow as it snarled. Red blood ran from the Beasts arm, staining the snow.
It growled, its claws digging into the ground as the Spino spun its tail around. The Beast raised an arm as the tail impacted. The tail caught, managing to surprise even the mindless Grimm. The Beast's claws dug into the spiked tail, as its snout twisted upward in a menacing smile.
With a roar that reverberated through the night sky, it pulled the tail, rocking the Spino from its position. Grabbing it with its other claws, the Beast spun round, dragging the Grimm to the ground and through a multitude of trees.
The Spino continued to roar as it was constantly dragged round in a circle, before feeling itself begin to rise into the air. The Beast's muscles flexed as it hurled the tail up and over its shoulder, before slamming it into the ground.
The Spino's sail, razor sharp and sturdy as it was, embedded into the ground and left the Spino stuck on its back. The Grimm immediately began to struggle, before freezing as it felt something land on its upturned underbelly.
The Spino's neck craned at an awkward angle to see the Beast sinking it's claws into the soft flesh. Its golden eyes stared at the six glowing red eyes. It tilted its head, the Beast's fangs forming into a terrifying imitation of a smile.
Grimm were mindless. They did not think. They did not have emotion. But, when a low growl of anticipation rumbled from the Beasts maw, the red eyes shrunk. In fear. The Beast's grin took on a manic glee, as it leapt forward and tore at the Spino's neck.
Fangs and claws slashed and swung in a bloody dance. Black ichor flew, as the Beast savoured in the kill of its prey. Finally, the Spino ceased thrashing against the Beast, its body becoming still as whatever mockery of life existed within it ceased to be.
The Beast threw its head back in a long, drawn-out howl of victory as the Grimm beneath it began to dissolve. Its prey defeated, and its hunger for violence sated, the Beast began to shrink. Bones cracked and fur receded, as Crue Cullen stumbled backward on the dissolving Spino.
"Oh motherfuc-gijubgh." The Faunus heaved as he coughed to the side, his stomach too empty to have anything to actually throw up. "YOU HAD TO FUCKING SWALLOW IT?!" He exclaimed, pushing himself up.
Or he tried to, as the Grimm body he was on dissolved much too quickly as he fell face first onto the snow-covered ground. One muffled scream later, he got up properly, wiping snow from his face. With a growl, he cursed. "Stupid fucking Auth- oh. Right."
Crue paused in his swearing, looking not to the decaying Grimm, but to the night sky. The shattered moon hung amongst the stars, as Crue remembered what happened after the Fall of Beacon. "No one to blame now."
"No one but myself." The Faunus suddenly grabbed both his arms as a chill tore through him. "Fucking big, bad, bastard! Why do I have no Aura after you're finished!" He began to stomp away from the site of the battle, angrily rubbing his hands along his arms.
As he was pushing down, he noticed a red stain blossoming across his left arm. He couldn't feel any warmth from the blood, as he pressed a hand down on the white fabric. The shape of a short bloody scar showed up beneath the shirt.
"Oh son of a bitch." Crue sighed, letting up on the pressure. "Great. And that won't heal until I've got my god damn Aura back. Thanks for nothing, furball." He trudged his way back through the snow. He couldn't remember what happened properly after being snapped up by the Spino.
The Beast came out whenever his Aura had been completely depleted. It was a rare occurrence, as Crue considered himself a damn good fighter. But sometimes he'd fight a Grimm he hadn't seen before, and they pull out some bullshit like a venus flytrap sail on its back.
"Stupid Spino." He cursed, before thinking about it. "Spinetrap?" Crue thought aloud. "Spytrap? Venus Spinetrap?" The names came quickly and, not with a lot of creativity. "How do they name Grimm here anyway?"
He probably should have paid more attention to Professor Port in class. The simple thought brought a yawn to the Faunus, as he raised his right arm to catch it. "He'd probably have a name for it. And a story to do with absolutely nothing with it. Cabbage would be involved, somehow."
His train of thought went onto a completely different track as he made his way back to the town where he had picked up the request to slay the Grimm. It was semi-aquatic and was disrupting the flow of trade between there and where Crue was intending to go.
He stopped for a moment, staring off into the distance, where the ocean reflected the shattered moon above. "Almost there. Almost." With a new resolve, he rolled his shoulders and marched back towards the town.
He finally saw the glow of the lanterns that marked the entrance, of the small port town of Seamsly. With the idea of a warm meal awaiting him, Crue found himself jogging through the snow. Two guards manned the outer gate, and both hefted a spear in his direction as he approached in the darkness.
Well, dark for them. Crue's night vision allowed him to make out their slack expressions. "How're ya?" He called with a wave.
"You're still alive?!" One exclaimed in shock.
"We heard the roars from here." The other explained. "And after that howl, I thought Beowulf's were gonna come pouring outta the forest. Reggie damn near pissed himself." He gestured with a thumb to the other guard.
"I did not!" Reggie yelled, swinging for his partner. Crue couldn't help but grow a smirk at the actions.
"Don't worry too much about anything chasing me out. The yoke's dead, and I'm not." He rolled his arm, before pausing as he looked to the red stain on his shirt. "Well, mostly not. Aura should fix that in a bit."
The guards wondered how he was bleeding under his shirt, but there was no tear in the clothing itself. In the end, they didn't worry too much about it. Huntsmen were weird like that. "Your bikes where you left it." One said as Crue entered the village as the two protectors stood back at attention.
They were more dressed for the weather than Crue was, as the Faunus gave a nod and entered the small town. When he first arrived, Crue expected the buildings to be nothing but logs and wood, but to his surprise there were some rather well built structures.
But, there was one destination he had in mind. An Inn called the Loose Thread was warm and welcoming as Crue entered. He immediately found the Innkeeper and walked up with a somewhat smug smile.
"Hey, you got that hot meal ready?" He asked. The Innkeeper, a sharp looking Faunus with a set of fins on his forearms looked up with an open mouth. Crue would have said he looked like a fish, were it not for the fact those fins obviously belonged to a much deadlier sea creature.
"You killed it? Thank you!" He broke into a wide smile. "I'll be sure to get you that meal. It's been causing problems for a while now, not many Huntsmen have come through here, after the Fall." The Shark Faunus paused, his smile falling as he looked to the counter.
Crue's head tilted downward as well, as the ears atop his head flattened. "Yeah. It's been hard on all of us." He gave a deep sigh, before looking back up to the Innkeeper. "Is it alright if you send it to my room? I'm kinda worn out after that."
The Innkeeper nodded, as Crue made his way up a set of stairs to a small bedroom. He opened the door, and felt his body freeze up for a moment as his breath left his lungs. He ignored the person sitting on the bed, who tilted their head slightly upon his entrance.
"I managed to kill it." He said, sitting down on the foot of the bed, facing away from the figure. "Big yoke. Smaller than the Dragon, though." He shrugged off his gauntlets, allowing his hands to breathe freely.
He flexed them, making sure there were no issues. He frowned as he couldn't feel the motion with his left. He pressed down on the palm, trying to feel the bones beneath and checking to see if there was anything broken.
Nothing seemed to be, and with a sigh he raised his head, unfortunately staring into a small mirror on a desk within the room. Behind him sat a girl with bright ginger hair and lifeless green eyes. Crue flinched, looking away from the mirror and back behind him.
The girl was gone. Leaving Crue alone. He thumbed his eye, wiping away the single tear that fell. Crue sighed, sitting on the end of the bed as he let out a long and shuddering breath, resting his elbows on his knees and holding his head in his hands.
"I'll fix everything. I'll right my wrongs." Even though the figure was gone, Crue looked to where he saw the ghost of the person he failed. "I promise, Penny."
He laid back on the bed, his one eye staring up at the wooden ceiling. "I hope everyone else is doing alright." He said idly, remembering what happened when he finally managed to crawl out of the Emerald Forest. And he did mean crawl. With how badly injured he was, he was amazed he managed to get out of it in the first place.
Vale still stood, even though Beacon had fallen. There was barely any traffic, pedestrian or otherwise. Which made it all the easier for Crue to get to his destination. An alley next to a destroyed armoury store.
And there, he waited. Lying against a wall, bleeding out in an alley way, he waited. He made a promise. He didn't want to break this one. He couldn't. Wouldn't. And then, he passed out.
He awoke to some stranger shaking him awake. A man with a long brown trenchcoat and trapper hat was talking to him, but he couldn't make it out. The only thing he noticed before he slipped back out of consciousness was the fact he had green eyes and mascara.
When he awoke, God knows how long later, it was in a dark room with a series of dark figures surrounding him. Needless to say, he didn't react well. A lot of screaming, swinging and cursing later and he finally realised where he was.
A backroom in Junior's Club. The strangers he was surrounded by were Miltia, Melanie and Junior respectively. And the stranger with green eyes. It took a split second for him to realise who it was, thanks to the use of eyeliner.
Regardless of how injured he was, he leapt off the table and grabbed the disguised Torchwick by his coat and asked him a single question. "Is she ok?"
He answered "Yes."
The relief that flooded Crue's body caused him to pass out once more. A knock on his door ripped him from his memories. The Faunus shot up, his hands flexing before he realised he didn't have his gauntlets on.
He got up and walked to the door, opening it and finding a young girl with white hair and small hints of blue looking up to him. "I gotcha your food mister!" She said with a remarkably fang filled smile. In her hands, which were covered by the long blue sleeves of a hoodie, she held a tray with a steaming bowl of stew with a few pieces of bread on the side.
He took it gratefully, picking a slice of bread and handing it back to her with a smile. Her blue eyes widened in glee as she took it and bit into it, walking away with a smile, the slice of bread still in her mouth.
Crue gave a soft chuckle as he closed the door and set the tray down on the small desk within the room. "Reminds me of one of those old school anime girls." He said to himself, sitting down and idly picking at the food.
Warmth filled his body as he ate, and he could feel his Aura slowly replenishing. He focused what little he could to his left arm. It was a strange sensation, trying to fill something you couldn't feel. Like putting water in a bucket where you couldn't see the sides.
"All this time and my analogies still suck." Crue gave a scoff, continuing to eat on his own. He spared a brief look into the mirror, thankfully not seeing any of his past failures behind him. Instead, he looked into his own eye.
Blue steel. It was the same colour as his Dad's eyes, he thought as he brought a hand to the pocket watch he kept on his person. He clicked it open and looked at the picture of his family within. A man with light brown hair and wolf ears not unlike his own, standing next to a tall woman with dark red hair and ears like a fox.
Below them were a younger Crue and his sisters. He was easily taller than both of them, and he had a hand pressed on both of their heads between their own fox ears. Two different shades of red hair. Green eyes. Crue clicked the pocketwatch shut as he let out a deep breath.
He returned his gaze to the mirror, scowling that now he only had one eye that looked like his dads. He glared at the eye patch, a simple thing that just covered the socket itself. His scowl deepened as he thought of the one who caused the injury.
"I hope wherever she is, Cinder's eating through a fucking straw."
…
Cinder Fall would rather be eating through a fucking straw. "Here comes the Bullhead!" A woman with bright blonde hair said, aiming a spoon that had a lump of porridge on it. The spoon was knocked away by its intended recipient, as Cinder Fall let out a low growl from her throat.
She would have used proper words to describe how painful she would make Solaris' life, were it not for the fact her throat and vocal cords refused to cooperate. A mask made of black glass covered the majority of the left side of her face, but did nothing to cover the glare that she gave the one trying to literally spoon-feed her.
"Oh, come on now Cindy. A growing girl needs all the food she can get." Solaris shook her head disapprovingly at Cinder. The Fall Maiden slammed a fist down on the table next to her as she glared at the blonde.
Behind her, Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black looked at the scene with disbelief. They had never before seen someone mock Cinder so openly. Well, they had never seen someone do so and live. The only other person to ever do so was reduced to ashes, as Cinder told them.
Mercury felt a stab of pain just at the thought of their fallen enemy, as he looked down to his legs. Well, leg, now. The assassin had thought himself immune to fear, that his bastard of a father had beaten the 'flight' out of him.
What Cullen transformed into that night brought it all rushing back. He shifted uncomfortably on his crutch. Emerald looked over to him with some genuine sorrow. Not pity, however. The moment Cullen turned into that thing, it only focused on him.
Emerald was too frozen to move, let alone even help. He wanted to blame her, to shout and scream for not helping him with that monster. But when all he could do was run from it, what the Hell did he expect her to do.
The comedic, if not somewhat disturbing, display between Cinder and Solaris almost made them forget that they were in the middle of the Grimmlands in a castle made out of purple and black crystal that housed the Queen of all Grimm.
Almost.
"Solaris, if you keep babying her like that I daresay you'll be changing her diapers next." A man with a large brown moustache said, a smirk appearing beneath it that caused Cinder to grind her teeth together.
She let out a growling wheeze as she tried to insult him, and Arthur Watts let out a satisfied chuckle. "Ah, even though the silence was caused by silver, it's still golden." His own green eyes held a golden sheen to them.
"Ugh. Silver eyed bitch." Surprisingly, Solaris was the one who cursed out the girl. She brought a hand up to one side of her head, where instead of a flowing golden hair was an undercut with a long scar across the skull.
In the seat next to her, a hand reached over to caress the remaining hair. "Don't worry, dear Solaris. You are still a vision of the Goddess' beauty!" Tyrian Callows reassured her, a mad smile on his face.
"Ohhh, my little buggy. You always know just what to say!" The two then shared an Atlesian kiss, rubbing their noses against one another. It made everyone else in the room feel quite ill.
"Revolting." A voice next to Watts made a noise of disgust. Mercury glanced to the person who had spoken. A strange looking, they couldn't be Human, they had to be Faunus with their green tinted skin.
A short crop of red hair framed an angular face and dark green eyes. "Please keep your displays limited to the bedroom." A palm came up to adjust a pair of almond shaped glasses, and the sleeve of a white coat came down.
"Now, Aloe. Just because you aren't interested in this kind of thing doesn't mean you should pass judgements." Solaris told them.
Aloe frowned with a hum. "That is Doctor Vera, to you, Solaris." The blonde rolled her eyes and said nothing, instead deciding to make kissy faces at Tyrian. The sight immediately turned everyone's attention away from the couple.
The only other person at the table was a large man, resting in his chair that, like the rest, appeared to be made out of bone. Only two seats remained empty. Two large crystal thrones at either end of the table.
"Speaking of, Doctor." Watts spoke up, a smug smirk playing on his face as he turned to his fellow intellectual. "I understand you have discovered an interesting theory on how certain actions have consequences. Could you please, send it to my Scroll?"
The use of the word 'please' was the first inclination that something was going on that neither Cinder nor her minions were aware of. Aloe gained a similar smile as they took out their own Scroll. "Of course, Doctor."
They quickly pressed a few buttons, and almost immediately, a short tune began to play from Watts' Scroll. An autotuned voice sounded out. "Oh you lying- Oh you lying- Oh you lying… cunt!~" A short jingle ended it, as on the other side of the table Tyrian burst out laughing.
Cinder grit her teeth so hard they nearly chipped. Mercury and Emerald were no better, scowling at Watts as the memory of the person 'singing' resurfaced. "Weren't you the guy who designed that thing? How did that jackass have access?" Mercury asked angrily.
"I suppose he just outsmarted you all." Watts answered vaguely.
"He stole Watts' Scroll." The large man at the end of the table finally spoke up, ignoring Watts' hiss of anger. "Take responsibility for your faults." Hazel cracked open an eye of the same colour to stare at the one down the table.
Cinder let out a gasp as she tried to speak, and Emerald, despite not being close enough to hear, knew what she was trying to say. "You've met Crue?!" Her own voice was filled with shock, as Mercury's jaw was slack.
"Met, is a strong word." Watts frowned, his moustache twitching in agitation.
"Yes, the boy fell from the heavens and into our grasp." Tyrian said dramatically. To those present to which this was new knowledge, immediately assumed the Scorpion Faunus was spouting some purple prose about his discovery.
"It irks me that he is not incorrect." Watts continued, causing nearly everyone to look at him with shock. "Our Queen saw it fit to summon that wretched Faunus here. He, quite literally, fell through the roof and then proceeded to berate our interior decorating."
"He also shared Watts' browsing history." "Tyrian!"
The cackling of the Faunus echoed around the chamber, as the four who had been present for the Fall of Beacon turned to look at one another. "And you didn't think this information important enough for us to know?" Solaris asked.
Cinder had managed to explain to both her minions and Solaris that Crue had been The Wolf. The information pissed them all off, to say the least. And now to hear that he had been quite literally in the presence of them all, and survived, did not make things better.
"Our Goddess instructed us not to." Tyrian told his partner. "She decreed that if Cinder were to discover the knowledge we had of him, she would ruin her cover in a foolish attempt to kill him." He reached out a hand to gently rub it across Solaris' cheek.
"Plus, his only goal that he mentioned while here was, and I quote, 'pissing off Cinder'." Watts smiled. "Which, given your failures leads me to believe he succeeded in that aspect."
Cinder let a gloved fist slam against the table as her lone amber eye glared at Watts. She tried to speak, but found herself unable to.
Before Emerald could lean down and translate, there was a sound akin to a massive iron bolt being moved. The massive wooden door that led into the chamber opened, and a figure pale as death entered, a black cloak practically glided across the crystal floor.
Everyone stood up straight as soon as the person entered. A white face with red eyes and black sclera looked out of the windows as she glided towards her chair. Emerald and Mercury found themselves shaking in her very presence. "Watts…" Salem spoke up, resting a hand on the back of her chair as she turned her head.
"Do you find such malignance necessary?" The Doctor stood a little straighter as Salem gestured for the rest of her followers to sit. Watts remained standing, just long enough to give his reasons.
"I apologise, Ma'am. I am not particularly fond of failure." He answered, before sitting down himself.
"Then I see no reason for your cruelty towards young Cinder." Salem's red eyes drifted from Watts to the girl in question. "She's become our Fall Maiden, destroyed Beacon Tower, and most importantly, killed dear Ozpin."
"So I'm curious. To what 'failures' are you referring to?"
Watts swallowed once, feeling the eyes of those at the table on him. "Well, the girl with the Silver eyes." Luckily for Watts, Hazel happened to agree.
"Yes. We've dealt with her kind before. How is it a novice was able to best one of us?" He asked.
"My thoughts exactly. Even without her new power, it should have been effortless." Watts continued. Salem made to speak up, but a different voice broke the silence.
"My Queen. May I?" Aloe had raised a hand politely, as if in a discussion. Salem gave a slow nod, as Aloe pushed up their glasses with the palm of their hand.
"As you have not encountered one with Silver eyes before, Doctor, it stands to reason you do not understand their effects on us, those gifted by Salem." Aloe linked both hands together and rested their elbows on the table.
"Our Golden eyes imbue us with her power, for which we are eternally grateful." They spared a short moment to nod towards their Queen. "However, this is what is commonly referred to as, a double-edged sword'."
"Our Golden eyes make us stronger against our enemies. But it also makes us vulnerable to the powers of the Silver eyes. The reason most of us are able to defeat them, is because we are not Grimm. So, they do not think to use their power. The fact this girl was a novice is what inadvertently allowed her to defeat Cinder, her power responding to emotion, rather than intended use."
"Thank you, Doctor." Salem rarely used the term, but given Aloe's succinct and informative explanation, she felt they deserved it. Aloe preened, sitting a little straighter and higher in their chair.
"In fact, let this serve as a lesson to all of you." Salem's red eyes briefly glowed, the dark veins on her pale face pulsing angrily. "The Silver Eyes have been our enemy for centuries. Do not grow complacent. Or else you will be of no use to me."
Dead. She did not say. She did not have to. Those at the table nodded in understanding. "Good. Now, there is another issue that needs to be addressed." Her eyes landed on the empty throne at the other end of the table.
"Where… is my King?"
Almost immediately, the atmosphere of the room shifted to one of anxious tension. Solaris looked away, leaving Salem's gaze solely on Cinder. The Maiden looked back, an expression of genuine confusion on her face.
She knew that Salem referred to them as codenames with chess pieces, but she didn't have a King as far as she was aware. She gestured for Emerald to come closer, and whispered as much as she could muster into her subordinate's ear. "Um, Cinder isn't sure who you are referring to." She told Salem.
Her red eyes flared angrily as the veins that ran across her face pulsed in turn. "You do not know? You seemed very happy to give him credit for the destruction of Beacon."
"Cr-ghkk!" Cinder immediately tried to shout in shock, only to get cut off by a racking cough as her vocal cords protested the action violently. Emerald quickly reached down to make sure she was ok, while behind her Mercury managed to speak up.
"He was meant to be here?" He asked.
For the first time, Salem's eyes flickered to the assassin, and he felt his blood run cold. "Yes. Mercy, was it?"
"M-Mercury. Ma'am." He answered.
"Crue Cullen was meant to hold station here. Alongside and above you all. He has a rage deep within like nothing else I have witnessed in all my years alive. He holds the power of my Wrath." Her eyes glanced to his missing leg. "Something I feel you are already experienced with."
The grey-haired boy swallowed. He could still feel the ripping sensation as his leg was torn from his connector. The sensation was dulled, but still there. A phantom pain tore through him as he shuddered with a nod.
"I could make you a prosthetic. I assure you it would be better than anything you could find elsewhere." Watts suddenly spoke up, staring at the crutch. It had been long since he had a project to work on and offered his services simply because of that. "Not that any of you would be travelling."
Cinder had managed to stop coughing enough to look up at her Queen. She had a dangerous look in her eye as she observed Cinder. Granted, the black sclera and red iris always made her eyes look dangerous, but now more so than usual.
"Cinder. What happened to my King?" She asked.
He was dead. Because of her. Cinder knew. Cinder also knew that if she admitted that to Salem, she too would be dead. She gestured for Emerald once more, who looked down with concern, but still lent her ear.
"Gone. Caught. In the Silver eyes." Emerald spoke as the words came, staring straight across instead of looking to Salem.
"He was with you?" Salem's eyes stared through Cinder, as she nodded and continued whispering to Emerald.
"He was. He, he mentioned you. Called you, my Queen. Her Queen." Emerald quickly clarified, having repeated exactly what Cinder had said.
Salem's eyes were glowing red with anger. "Tyrian." She spoke, immediately catching the Faunus' attention as he looked to his Goddess with wide and hopeful eyes.
"Yes, my Lady?"
"Find the girl who did this." Tyrian clapped wildly with glee, before Salem continued. "And bring her. To. Me." Her voice took on a livid edge. While Tyrian was saddened he wouldn't be able to kill her, the idea of what his Goddess might do was more than enough of a reason to be giddy.
"Does she have to be in one piece?" Solaris asked. She was not usually one to speak out against her Queen, but the girl had grievously injured her as well. Cinder looked up hopefully as well.
Salem considered the idea, before her eyes glanced to Cinder. Specifically her obsidian mask. A rare, and cruel smile made its way onto Salem's face. "No. She does not. In fact, I think you would do well to follow Crue's recommendation, Tyrian."
"She took an eye…"
"So I shall take both of hers. And her dominant arm." Tyrian finished, smiling madly. Salem nodded in acceptance, before turning to her followers.
"The rest of you shall be given your orders at a later time. Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen. And Haven, will be next." Her followers stood, all six of them rising to their feet. Without a word, they nodded and left Salem on her throne.
The room was left in silence, as Salem once more found herself alone. No Ozma. No King. No one truly beside her.
The Queen of Grimm stared at the empty seat opposite her. "Author." She spoke aloud. "You broke our deal."
Hello again.
Nice to see you picking up the sequel. To clarify, this is me Friday, the one writing this story, not 'the author'.
So, the story of Crue continues on, and he is as blind as anyone else in this scenario. Doubly so with the eyepatch. The only thing he has going for him is a knack for spotting tropes and the fact that he can turn into a big fuck off werewolf whenever his Aura breaks.
Also, I don't know if it came across well, but I'll explain it here. Crue's werewolf form is not some omnipotent invulnerable thing. It does not have Aura, so it bleeds. And any attacks on it carry over to Crue himself.
And Fun Fact: This episode in RWBY itself is what inspired me to do the whole Seven Deadly Sins thing. The episode showed the table and six chairs, with only four filled. I figured the other two characters would be revealed later, but uh… nope. Had to make them up myself. I like to think I did a good job.
Five guesses who Doctor 'Aloe Vera' is based on, and I can't wait for Crue to hear that name. A lot of information will come to pass, as to what everyone else is up to, but that will be for the next chapter. I hope you enjoyed this one, and as always…
Until Next Time
-Friday