Not So Little Anymore (Sci Fi SD 6.0 Round 1)

(This is a Little Red Riding Hood retelling for the Science Fiction smackdown 6.0, round 1. The round was Steampunk fairytales. I hope you enjoy.)

Not So Little Anymore

Little Red adjusted her cloak and skirt, changed her goodies basket from her right to her left hand. She then slid her hood from her head and smoothed her hair. After ensuring that she was presentable, she knocked on her grandmother's door. She was surprised as there was no answer even after five knocks.

Finally she heard a voice, "who is it?"

"It's me grandma, it's little Red."

"Come in, dear."

It wasn't the usual sing song voice of her grandmother. Red hoped she wasn't that sick.

She walked in to find the cottage a little messy and dark.

"Close the door behind you, dear."

"Are you really so ill that you have to turn down the lights, grandma?"

"Yes dear, it hurts my eyes."

"What happened to your voice grandma?"

"It's just a sore throat. How are you my dear?"

"I am doing well, grandma."

"Come closer dear, let me look at you. How you have grown into a fine young lady."

"Not a young lady yet grandma. I'm only fifteen."

Red moved closer to grandma's bed and she almost tripped over something. Squinting down at the object she was horrified to find that she had stepped on a hand sticking out from under the bed. She dropped the basket and covered her mouth. She then looked up to see grandma leap out of the bed throwing away the covers. A tall man with a scar on his cheek stood in her place and he slashed a sizzling sword at her. She instinctively raised her right hand and he cut right through it severing it just below the elbow, she could feel and smell her flesh cooking.

Pain unlike any she had ever known caused Red to release a blood curdling scream.

"Shut up! I will kill you!" Yelled the man.

Her next scream was more out of fear than pain as she saw the cruel streak in the man's bloodshot eyes and he raised his sword.

Suddenly the door flew open and a boy not much older than herself charged forward at her assailant with his own sword. The man's surprise was but for a moment as he blocked and fought of the boy's attack. For a few minutes they looked evenly matched. They had their swords in an X across each other and were standing almost chest to chest.

"You fought well boy, but all good things must come to an end," the man hissed as he flicked his free wrist in a peculiar motion. They all heard the silent whirring of a motor and then a long thin blade slid out from the man's sleeve stabbing the boy in the abdomen. The boy was taken by surprise, the man seized the opportunity and stabbed him again in the other side, twisting the blade and pushed him away.

"Now it's your turn," he turned towards Red. Before he could move any further, he heard a commotion outside and realised he wouldn't have time to finish her and escape.

"Well, little girl, don't forget this day, your lucky day. You met the Wolf and lived." He ran out the back door.

Moments after he exited, three people burst into the cottage. A bearded lanky man and an attractive blonde woman armed with a type of cross bow with gears and levers that Red had never seen before, and a third tall muscular man with a sword that was sizzling too.

"Frank, Mara, the back door. Be careful, he's a crafty one." The man with the sword commanded the other two. Before they could get there, a small explosion blew the back door into the cottage. Frank managed to pull the boy away from the falling door just in time.

"Forget it. He's gone." The man said defeated.

He then turned his attention to Red while Frank attended to the boy. He pressed a switch under the hilt and the sword stopped sizzling.

"Are you OK? Who are you?"

Red showed him the bloody stump that used to be her arm. He gasped and muttered curses under his breath. Pulling a pouch from behind him, he sprinkled a generous amount of a white powder onto her wound.

"It will sting but at least it won't get worse," he said. Sting was an understatement. But she was too shocked to feel the effects of it. Mara had managed to pull out the body from under the bed which happened to be grandmother.

The leader then went to Frank and the boy. Frank looked up at him and shook his head sadly, his eyes were filled. He backed away as the leader knelt next to the boy.

"I am not going to make it, am I?" the boy asked breathing erratically.

"Shh. Save your strength. We will get you to the nearest town or village. There should be a competent physician there."

"Don't worry. At least I die well." He said with satisfaction.

The man let out a long breath, "yes, the bravest of us."

"Guess, I didn't live up to my name, eh?" He joked.

This time the leader's eyes welled up too. The boy closed his eyes for the last time.

For a while Red sat in utter shock and sadness, her grandmother and would be saviour were both dead; killed by a brutal man. The leader approached her calmly and squatted next to her.

"We are Rangers, my name is Adam. Is there some place we can take you? Where are your parents?" He asked kindly.

"I only ever had my grandma. I have no one now," she burst into tears as memories flooded her. Mara sat next to Red and put an arm around her to comfort her.

The three Rangers looked at each other and slowly nodded.

"Come with us then," Adam said.

Red looked at him questioningly.

"You have nowhere else to go. It is not wise to leave an injured young lady on her own. We can help you," he said.

She considered it for a moment and nodded slowly.

Adam stood up straight, "take what you want from here. We're going to burn this down. Let the Wolf think he got us all."

"Who is this Wolf?" Asked Red, her voice breaking.

"A villain so vile I cannot describe him. He is brutal and kills for pleasure. He's as elusive as they come, he must be stopped. I've been on his trail for two years now but he's always been one step ahead."

Red stood up with Mara's help and approached her grandmother's lifeless body. Frank had placed her on the bed and covered her up to her neck in a blanket. Even in death the old woman was smiling.

Red bent down to kiss her, "I love you grandma." She looked at Mara and pointed at grandmother's ring. Mara removed it and handed it to her.

She knelt besides the boy and didn't know what to say. She was torn between apologising for causing his death and thanking him for saving her life. In the end she did both and said a prayer for him. As she was standing up she spotted his chain.

"May I have that?" she asked Adam. He nodded his ascent.

Frank poured kerosene all over the cottage and prepared to burn it down.

Mara kept a hand on Red's shoulder and they all left the cottage.

"What was his name?" asked Red.

"Hunter."

Six years later

The Pub smelled of smoke and was slightly muffled from the steam produced by the jukebox in the corner but it wasn't particularly crowded. A maroon hooded and cloaked figure sat alone at the bar counter slowly sipping a drink. Close observation would hint at it being female. The two men approached carefully. The one in front winked at his companion and stopped him, he proceeded on his own.

"Would you have a light?"

"No."

Having realised that it was a woman he got more bold, "do you wanna head outta here? I know a nice place." He was trying hard not to slur.

"Good for you."

He caught her arm, "come on girl, it's not like we don't know why you're here. I'll pay you."

Just then three soldiers walked in and found the man harassing the woman. The captain walked up to him and tapped his shoulder. "I don't think the lady wants to come with you."

Seeing the soldiers, the man and his friend nodded and quickly walked out.

The woman thanked him all the while not looking up neither removing her hood.

"Would you like to join us at the corner?" asked the soldier.

"No thank you. I do appreciate your help in dealing with those men but I really must leave soon," she answered.

He caught her arm, "I insist," he attempted to grope her.

"I hope you don't have plans for that hand," she said as she swung him and threw him, dislocating his shoulder and produced a blade from under her right cloak with a quick wrist motion.

"Arrogance!" said one of the soldiers and unsheathed his sword.

"I think the lady said she's alright on her own. I suggest you listen to her," a calm voice said from behind them.

"And who the hell are you to te-" the soldier turned around and went pale.

"Sir Jacques!" said the captain standing up holding his shoulder in obvious pain and bowed at the slightly older man, "what are you doing in a place like this?"

"I have frequented this fine establishment before and I intend to do so in the future. But that is not the issue here, is it captain Carlyle?"

"Sir, I..I.." the captain stammered.

"Why don't you continue your rounds outside captain?"

"Yes, sir." The soldiers left together in a hurry.

The woman had heard of the knight before and waited for a few minutes to see if he would approach her. When he failed to do so, she turned around to find him at a table with papers and scrolls spread on it and writing in a leather bound book.

She stood and stretched lightly, her lithe athletic body was covered by the cloak and it parted slightly when she walked up to his table to reveal a black corset over a red lacy top with a pair of tight red pants and black knee high boots. She stood near an empty chair. Sir Jacques looked up at her and gestured at the empty chair, "please, have a seat."

Muttering a 'thank you' she sat down and removed her hood. They looked at each other for a brief spell.

"Jack the giant slayer," said the woman.

"Of all the things I have done, that is what sticks," he chuckled.

"Were they real big huge giants?" she asked.

"Let's just say that when the person is bigger and badder than the biggest and baddest person you know, they tend to be called giants. Mind you though, a few were a good three feet taller than me."

"That is big," she commented.

"Experiments and mutations," he explained. "I am sure you're not here to hear about my past exploits. I did notice you earlier. You're here to meet someone and looks like you just did. So m'lady, what can ol' Jack do for you?"

She smiled, "very observant of you, Sir Jacques. I am here for information, I need to find someone. I hear that you might be able to help."

"Just Jack, please. Who are you looking for?"

The woman looked sideways and then said slowly, "the Wolf."

Jack put his pen down and leaned back in his chair, he looked at her for a few seconds, "Why do you want to find the Wolf?"

"To kill him."

Jack chuckled, "really now? And may I ask why?"

"He killed my grandmother and a boy who tried to save me."

Jack stopped chuckling and took a long hard look at her, "Little Red," he said slowly, "reports said you were dead, the cottage was found burned down completely."

"I did not die, thanks to a brave boy who sacrificed himself but I lost my hand," she raised her right hand, sliding the cloak backwards and removed her gloves to reveal a brass coloured hand. Jack motioned for her to place her hand closer and took a good look at it.

"Ol' Frank has outdone himself. So the Rangers took you in?"

Red looked visibly surprised at a smug looking Jack, "yes."

Jack stroked his light beard and sat thinking for a second, "the Wolf is cunning and lethal. Just a little training won't be enough."

"I have undertaken missions with the Rangers."

Red felt like she was being appraised and judged, she couldn't complain. The man sat opposite her was a legend in his own right, killing a giant with just his wit and bare hands on more than one occasion.

"OK," he finally said and lifted one of the scrolls from the table. He twisted the end a few times in one direction and then the other and lastly pressed a button on the end. Red had heard of mechanical scrolls holding impossible amounts of information but had never seen one until then. The scroll parted midway and slid down revealing something like a stiff empty parchment with more buttons on the inside. He pressed a few more buttons.

Jack saw Red staring at the device in wonder. "Clockwork based mechanical parts, magic ink and some new type of paper. Apparently that's all there is in this. Although I'm sure there's a tiny fairy that can read minds in there somewhere. The crazy wizard advisor won't tell me its workings."

He slid it to her. Within seconds an image started forming along with some writings on the side. The face of her grandmother's and Hunter's killer stared back at her. She read the data on the side.

"That's a hefty reward. Why has no one heard of it?"

"The king does not want his citizens to endanger their lives trying to catch a mad man."

"So the already rich knights get more money?" her tone was bitter.

"Most of the knights who get such deals do not take the reward for themselves. It usually goes to some charity or orphanage. Heard of anonymous donations?"

He took a deep breath, "the reward is for capturing him alive or dead. I suggest dead. Just bring something to prove that he's dead and the reward is yours, not to mention sweet revenge."

The scroll vibrated in her hand, she looked at it and handed it back to Jack. He pressed a few more buttons.

"You're in luck. He has been spotted near the Eastern border. I think he might be trying to head out of the country via air."

"How did you know -?"

"This also doubles as a portable radio signal decoder among other things," he winked at her.

He pushed a slim wallet towards her, "that should cover expenses. Little Red," he stopped, "well, not so little any more, good luck and try not to get yourself killed."

Red stood up, grabbed the wallet and left.

Early next morning, Red boarded a new model multiple passenger transport towards the border. The newer model was faster and apparently consumed lesser coal but it was at the cost of reliability as Red found out soon after. The transport broke down and they had to wait a for a couple of hours for the engine to cool down. While the other passengers were enjoying picnics or talking in and around the transport, Red found a secluded spot and removed her cloak. She proceeded to remove her gloves and oil her mechanical hand. The parts moved fine and the retractable blade was as sharp as ever. She had insisted on the blade instead of a projectile weapon, she wanted to face the Wolf as his equal. When she heard the honk of the transport, she dressed and headed back.

By the time she arrived, night had fallen. Quick enquiries told her that the cross border blimp would depart the following afternoon. She went to take a look at the majestic airship.

"Are ya lost lass?" an old man with a limp and a white handlebar moustache asked from behind her.

"No. I was just looking."

"Ah. She's a fine sight, isn't she? Gets anywhere faster than yer ships and trains. Only downside is that hydrogen fuel, blows up if ya stick even a little match in there. See them propellers? That helps in steering and speed. You travelling in the morrow lass?"

"I'm not sure."

"Well, if you don't, then ya have ta wait till next week. There's only one a week."

Red smiled, "then I guess I will be travelling tomorrow."

The man nodded, tilted his cap and went on his way. Red found an inn to sleep the night and spent a good part of the night twisting and turning in the bed. Finally, she drifted off to sleep with nightmares of her encounter with the Wolf.

Even though the airship would only leave in the afternoon, Red tried to identify the Wolf from the morning. Her efforts were hindered by the various stalls and merchants selling their wares to arriving and departing passengers. Deciding to trust her instincts she purchased a ticket to board the airship.

The inside of the ship was semi luxurious. The area was covered in tables of twos and fours and could easily sit a hundred but it was only occupied by half the number and the clients looked rich. Red chose a table in the corner and sat facing the entrance. There was still about an hour left for take off. A busty stewardess appeared to take Red's drink order at vastly inflated prices. Red borrowed a newspaper and discreetly started observing the passengers. She noticed a man in a hat and trench coat in the other corner sitting alone and sleeping. She took a better look and gasped when she noticed his scar. She kept staring at him and he slowly opened his eyes. At that moment, she averted her eyes but kept him in her peripheral vision. Now that the Wolf was within her possible grasp, she didn't know what to do. A kind of inaction incapacitated her.

The ship started lifting off slowly. The man slipped out unnoticed by anyone else except Red. A few moments later Red got up to trail him. Keeping a distance she followed him as he walked towards the engineer's cabin. The man knocked lightly, he had a brief conversation with the engineer and then he knocked him out and entered his room closing the door slowly. Red waited outside the door for a bit and then burst in to find the engineer unconscious and the window in his room open. Ignoring the winds, she looked outside and then up to find a ladder going the length of the balloon.

Cursing the Wolf, she started climbing up. By the time she reached the top, she was a little tired and the thinner air made her a little breathless. She saw the Wolf at the far end. He had discarded his hat and coat and had a backpack. He turned around and said something. The wind was making it hard to hear him. They moved closer to each other. Red's hood had slid down and her cloak was blowing, the Wolf stopped for a second to admire her.

"I asked, why are you following me?" He shouted.

"To kill you!"

"Little girl, you cannot. Many have tried before you but none have succeeded as you can see."

"I will not return without your head."

He chuckled and pulled out his sword, "you can come with me. You don't need to get yourself killed."

Red looked at him with venom in her eyes and pulled out her sword with her left hand.

"So be it," he said.

He charged at her. They parried for a while on the thin bridge on top of the balloon. A wrong step would mean instant death. The thin air was tiring them out more than they had expected. The wind had slowed down as if giving them a chance to fight but it still made things difficult. The Wolf was an experienced fighter and Red was highly trained, they read each other's movements very well.

In between a back strike, the Wolf flicked his wrist and unleashed the blade from inside his sleeve. Red had completely expected the move and blocked it and kicked him in the face.

"Good girl," he laughed and wiped his mouth, "pity I have to kill you."

He charged at her once more with renewed vigour. Red had a hard time defending herself but still held her ground. In a desperate attempt, the Wolf made the mistake of thrusting too far. Red capitalised on his miss and flicked her wrist, the unmistakeable mechanical whirring brought a sudden panic on the Wolf's face. Red stabbed him in the side with her own blade.

A visibly surprised Wolf tried to move back. Red moved forward and twisted her blade inside him. He dropped his sword and gasped in pain.

"That's for Hunter," said Red.

The Wolf tried to push her away but he tripped on his own feet and pulled down Red's glove with him when he fell down. He glanced upon her mechanical hand and then looked at her, a look of recognition crossed his eyes, "You..."

"I did not forget that day."

The Wolf stood up bleeding and in pain. Red stabbed him again, retracted the blade, took a step back and then did a full turn with the sword and decapitated him.

"That was for grandma," she stood looking at his separated head and torso for a while. She held Hunter's chain and grandmother's ring that were tied together around her neck and wiped a tear from her eyes as she thought back to the day they were brutally murdered.

She checked his backpack and discovered a parachute. Smiling to herself she said,"well this makes things easier."

Three days later

Jack was sat at his table in the bar writing his memoirs. Too many exaggerated stories had spread and he had to set it right. A figure approached him, he looked up to see Red removing her hood.

He smiled at her and motioned towards the chair opposite him.

She placed the Wolf's sword and a backpack on the table. Jack looked at the golden wolf inscribed onto the hilt and nodded, "you know he killed the blacksmith who did this for him."

He then opened the backpack and looked at Red, "seriously, you had to bring that back? The sword would have sufficed."

"Just in case you didn't believe me. You can check it. The powder on it did not damage the scar. It just keeps it dry."

"No. That's proof enough for me."

Jack gestured for the barkeep and handed him the backpack with instructions to burn it and ordered a drink for Red.

"So Red, what will you do now?"

Red looked thoughtful, "I don't know. I have always dreamed of killing the Wolf. But after that," she let out a long breath, "I don't know."

Jack nodded his understanding. "I have a proposition."

Red looked at him dubiously.

He laughed, "not what you are thinking. I have a job for you. In fact it might be a career. Something that requires your special skill sets."

While Red was pondering his offer, he slid the mechanical scroll at her. She looked at the picture and name.

"Rather weird name, is it not?"

"He named himself."

"What did he do?"

"Kidnapping children. Specifically newborn. He attempted to kidnap the prime minister's grandchild last week. He believes sacrifices of those of pure heart, meaning little children, will make him immortal."

Red raised an eyebrow, "this little guy?"

"Don't let the height and stature fool you. He's infinitely more cunning than the Wolf," Jack leaned back in his chair, "what do you say?"

Red looked at the picture for a while and looked up, "you want him dead or alive?"

THE END ?

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