The Trick to Falling in Style

Mutation

A hybrid is a person who has a mutation in their DNA. Although anyone with a mutation that gives them Mob-like or animalistic qualities is called a hybrid, the gene that is mutated is different for each individual. A cat hybrid and a dog hybrid have different mutations in their genes. These mutations are incomplete dominant, meaning children usually take on the mutations of both of their parents, even if one is human. Even though it is dominant, hybrids are rare. They are rare because ever since the beginning of time, humans have hated them. Back then, there were professional Hunters who would track down and eliminate hybrids. Some hybrids were hunted down more than others. Animal hybrids were the first to get 'equal' rights. Mobs were next after that, and mystical animals were the last to be integrated into society. Fae hybrids were able to keep themselves hidden in the forest for a long time, but even the Fae were modernized by humans.

Hannah was a Fae hybrid. Both of her parents had carried the mutation. As per Fae tradition, on Hannah's fifth birthday, she was bestowed her last name- the same name as the plant she was the most familiar with. The roses of the world responded to Hannah's calling, and she was henceforth known as Hannah Rose. She had been excited on that day to become part of the Fae. She felt like she belonged now that she had her last name and proved that she was a Fae. Before her birthday, people were curious if Hannah would present as a Fae considering her grandfather was actually a Creeper hybrid. Some of the Creeper mutations were in Hannah, but her Fae traits were stronger.

A month after her birthday, her forest was burned to the ground. Hannah couldn't do anything as she tried to fight against the flames. She tried escaping the forest, but she was caught by Hunters who were ready for some Fae to try to escape. Hannah wasn't strong enough to free herself, and she was thrown in a cage. Through the barred windows, Hannah could see the last traces of her home go up in smoke and come down as ash.

Hannah was brought into the city. Essempei was the largest human settlement, filled to the brim with humans. Most of the districts were composed of those humans, but Hannah was taken to the only district that allowed hybrids to exist. Hannah was sent to Logstedshire. She was sent to the Pit, a place where hybrids were pitted against each other in fights that humans were allowed to bet on.

Hannah was young and inexperienced, but her powers did their best to keep her alive. Roses would blossom out of the ground to ensnare her opponents, and she would use the small sword the ringleaders gave her to kill the man. As the fights got harder, Hannah found herself tapping into the Creeper inside her body. She could make explosions out of thorns, and she could turn her anger and fear into a power boost. As she kept winning, she was given an instructor named Genevieve to teach her how to fight with a sword. With Genevieve's help and her own natural powers, Hannah began to rise up the ranks of the Pit under the alias Thorn. She became one of the top four fighters. It allowed her to survive. That was it. She was still a prisoner used to entertain humans that didn't think of her as a living creature.

This all changed one night. She was in a cell with the other top fighters. They were talking about what better they would be meeting with the next day when they heard clanging uncharacteristic of the dungeon after hours. Indigo pressed his face against the bars as the noise got closer. Indigo made a noise, and Hannah heard bodies hit the floor. Indigo jumped back suddenly. The door came crashing down with one of the guards lying on the ground with blood pooling around his body. Hannah felt someone grab her arm, yanking her forwards. She looked at the person who saved her, and she saw what the people of Logstedshire believed in.

In that moment, he truly was an angel of salvation. He wore a fiery red and killed several guards with his knives, but he was the hero that had saved Hannah and everyone else in the Pit. When they came to the surface, the angel didn't hesitate to join the fray. He killed the guards and betters while helping the hybrids escape without injury. Hannah didn't hesitate to assist the angel. She wasn't a savior; she couldn't protect the other fighters. She was a killer; she took care of the guards. With her glowing gold eyes characteristic of Creepers and a sword that tore an opponent's organs up with thorns, Hannah was able to eliminate a lot of guards.

The angel grabbed her shoulder when the Pit had turned into a bloodbath. He took her and the others outside. He counted people's heads and attended to the wounded. He told everyone that he was giving them freedom. They would need to decide what to do with it, and they would need to make themselves a place in the world. He wasn't actually an angel, Hannah learned. He was a vigilante by the name of Vermillion. Even though she now knew his name, she still called him the Red Angel. Other people called him that, too, and the nickname stuck as a sort of secondary name for the vigilante.

Hannah didn't know what to do with her newfound freedom. Indigo was the one that mentioned they could be heroes. Afreet and the other fighter who ranked alongside them decided against becoming heroes, but Hannah and Indigo went straight to the Hero's Association to apply for a job. Indigo was taken by a hero called Punz. Hannah was found by the Warden. He recognized the Creeper in her veins, and as a Creeper hybrid himself, he thought he was the best person to deal with the explosive backlash of her genetics.

Soon, the Warden- his real name was Sam- adopted her after learning she didn't have any parents. Hannah was grateful for his financial support, and she soon began to love him as her father. She couldn't really remember what her father was like. Every time she tried to think of him, Sam came to mind. Hannah finally told Sam the truth about her past: where she had been born, how she was captured, and how the Red Angel of Logstedshire had been the one to save her. Sam smiled softly. He muttered under his breath about how that was like Vermillion, and Hannah realized that Sam knew Vermillion. Not the man behind the mask but the vigilante himself.

Despite not being a legal hero, the heroes of the Association were all familiar with Vermillion. He was best friends with Kamikaze and Ender. He was almost brotherly with the Blade and Banshee. Crowfather, like his name, acted like Vermillion's father. The Warden was another father figure for Vermillion, helping the vigilante improve his gear and assisting in some of Vermillion's riskier ventures. Vermillion had been in the process of becoming Dream's sidekick when he had been brutally murdered. Sam had been there when they found the body. Hannah remembered seeing her father come home with an empty expression on his face. Hannah took care of her father as he overcame his grief.

Hannah also felt grief. Vermillion, the Red Angel, her angel, was dead. Hannah couldn't stand it sometimes. She found herself meeting up with Indigo and Afreet as she processed her feelings. In the end, the three of them decided to investigate Vermillion's death to find who the murdered was. To this end, they instead discovered Vermillion's identity- Tommy Innit. The worst part was that Tommy Innit was still alive.

Hannah and Afreet wanted to demand answers, but Indigo told them that maybe Tommy had a reason. Afreet had walked away after Indigo said that. Hannah couldn't understand what that reason was. Tommy had made so many people suffer, and he wasn't even dead?! Hannah kept her mouth shut, though, trusting that Tommy had a reason and Indigo had a point. It seemed Afreet also kept his mouth shut since Hannah didn't hear any rumors about how Vermillion was possibly alive.

A year passed, and Hannah still couldn't figure out the mystery. She did figure out that Tommy was planning to take down the Pit once and for all. Hannah was going to help Vermillion complete his mission against the people that had ruined her life. Afterwards, she was going to get answers.