Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Hot damn... Let me be straightforward yeah? Will any amount of Ahn make ya turn a blind eye and let me live, Tiangang star?" A man says, his prior cockiness gone as he is on his knees, too tired to stand up immediately after falling.

The man Infront of him, the Tiangang star, or the Jade Qilin, looks rather displeased at the question the man asked.

"A foolish question. Instead, I will propose something else. As you proposed to my student earlier. Take one hit, if you survive, I'll let you go." He says cooly.

The man sighs, slowly standing up, grabbing Tiantui stars blade, his ammo propelled blade, from the floor beside him, sparks flying Into the air as the blade drags across the concrete.

"Hwell, while that's a fair proposal. Jade Qilin, I have a counterpoint." The man says, confidence returning to his voice.

"And what would that be?"

The man slides a hand into his pocket, ruffling around in it before producing a parchment of black and gold paper, an invitation to a newly formed, assumed abnormality.

"Really? You, the cocky Lei Heng himself would gamble his life away heading to a newly formed threat? For all you know it could be a star of the city." The Jade Qilin says, clear disbelief in his voice.

"Hey, better than a guaranteed death here, ain't it?" Lei Heng replies, producing a pen from his breast pocket.

"Very well, I won't stop you, Lei Heng. You fought well enough. And, I can't exactly stop you from signing that invitation." The Jade Qilin says.

"Hwell I'll be, gotta say I didn't expect that. Though, you have my thanks." Lei Heng says, before he quickly, and poorly, jots his name down on the invitation. A golden light enveloping him, all traces of him gone as the light fades.

"<You... Let him go?>" A ticking sound rings from behind the Jade Qilin.

"The manager is questioning your decision on letting Lei Heng flee." A white haired woman, in a grey uniform asks.

"Think of it this way. A tiger, while dangerous, can still be trapped by a simple pit, as it cannot dig. The library is the pit." The Jade Qilin says simply.

"<Well, I guess that makes sense.>"

"Hot damn, it really is a library, expected some sort of... Eh, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth." Lei Heng mutters.

The area around him is a hallway, brown wood floors and bookshelves going an extreme distance, their end barely in sight. Lanterns hang in intervals, and dust permeates the air.

Infront of him stands a woman, short, light cyan hair, and piercing yellow eyes, wearing a black feather-like robe, gazing at him, a blank, slightly confused expression on her face.

"Hm, we shouldn't be recieving guests at the current moment. How did you get here?" She asks, her voice dull and machine-like.

"Hwell, I just jotted my name down on a bit of paper, simple enough ay? Though, if your asking how it took me here after that, I have no idea." Lei Heng responds, looking rather confused at the process.

"I see, your heavily injured. Your in no condition to be received." She responds

"True, I was hopin' you'd let me just, leave, ay? Ain't nothin' interesting I got on me."

"I can't do that, if you were invited, then you cannot leave until received or by other means.

Lei Heng visibly deflates, his prior confidence going away slightly aswell.

"Hwell, what else did I expect. What are those other ways then? Cause I'm guessing being received is a fight."

"You would be correct. The other way is rather simple. Your work for me, under close watch as one the patron librarians of the Kether floor." She declares.

"Really? Your a fool to trust someone you just met with a place like this, aren't ya?"

"Would you rather be received?"

"No no, not saying that. Just kinda a shocker. But I'll accept. Better than dying i guess, what'll I even be doing, hm?"

"Recieving guests, and organising the books they produce." She responds.

At the mention of recieving guests, Lei Heng inflates, a slight excitement in his tone.

"Receiving? You mean all the dumb bastards you sign that invitation will be fightin' me?" He questions

"Correct, while I could fight them myself, their emotion dictates how many books, and the quality of said books that they produce once defeated. And I am rather ineffective at doing long, emotion filled battles."

"Huh, seems true enough to me. Could sense your overbearing presence the moment I got here. I assume your not human? AI?"

"Correct. I am an AI."

"Hwell, you do realise your a walkin' Head Taboo breakin' machine? They'll be down here at anytime to knock this whole library down with ya."

"I am aware of that predicament, I'll deal with them should they have the audacity to attack me."

"Huh, hwell, your loss then." Lei Heng says, shaking his head incredulously.

"Your my boss now girlie, so I gotta follow you wherever that may take me." Lei Heng says.

"So, how about we start talkin' business?"

"Good job today! get home safe!"

Leah, an X corp blacksmith, walks out into the dark, wet street, the raining pouring down onto her umbrella.

"Huh, the stars are pretty nice tonight. I'll have to send a picture." She mutters, sighing before continuing to walk down the street.

Work has been... Rough, lately. An order from the middle to create some chains for a big brother came in, so the workshop has been working tirelessly to not get anything wrong, for obvious reasons. Though the build is going well, it's only chains after all, 8 feet done so far, dude wants 12 total so he has spare, which is a smart move. Can't complain since it pays well too.

"Ooo! Soda!" Leah says, quickly rushing over to a vending machine, filled with cans of soda.

She rummages through her pockets, producing five Ahn coins, slotting them in one by one, a loud clink sound echoing each time.

"Huh?"

The final coin made no sound, neither is the rain, in her umbrella or the concrete floor. The ambient whirr of machines gone aswell.

And, in the reflection of the vending machines glass.

Is a single man, in a black suit.

His face, covered by a featureless black mask.

"So, you made that piano. Leah."

Chapter Text

Just a quick status update, next chapter will take a VERY long time to come out, I'm focused more on working on my own original work rather than fan-fics for now. In other words I'm taking a break from making spin offs of others peoples work and making my own.

I'll most likely release on AO3 first so if your interested you can take a read, I'd appreciate it!

See you all in a while.