"Squire Solomon present, sir!" I said with a salute.
"At ease." My Commander said with a tired sigh. "Didn't I tell you about the formalities?"
"Yes you did, Caesar." I said, shrugging my shoulders as I leaned against the wall,".. But I got to keep up appearances just incase you have important company."
"At any rate, what did you think about your assignment?" my commander said, lifting Yellow Death as he went about his repairs.
"… Did I not send you a twenty page report of what we did?" I asked, struggling to keep my annoyance in check.
"I didn't feel like sorting through the paper work, so I thought I would just ask you directly, or are you busy?" Caesar asked, expanding and collapsing his shield.
"Permission to speak freely?" I asked.
"Stop asking me that! I've already told you have that right until I say otherwise." Caesar growled, a habit he picked up from me.
"I still don't understand why you sent me, I mean, your sister-in-law hardly needs my help with killing Grimm." I shrug, "Plus, there was the matter of her daughter that we needed to discuss…"
"Do you need a reason to visit old friends?" My commander interrupted me, "I hear that the two of you used to be close.
"No I don't, and we still are!" I said, "Six years ago, when I first left the Crystal Forest, I was scared and alone. She basically became my older sister, I remember rushing through my work just so I would have more time to be with her." I said, a smile growing on my face. "The day when John and Violet got married was and will forever be the happiest day of my life!"
"Oh? Not even slightly jealous?" Caesar asked, a sly grin on his face.
I checked the hall before closing the door, "What does that word even mean anyway, and what are you hinting at old man?"
He nearly fell out of his chair laughing, "THERE is the rebellious squire I remember teaching!"
"Oh haha…" I said mockingly, "You taught me how to survive, SHE taught me how to be presentable."
"In all seriousness, do you feel nothing for Violet?" He asked, "With all the time you spent together…
"I love her as a sister, if that is what you are getting at." I said, crossing my arms as I glared at him. "My two best friends stopped beating around the bush and got hitched, then I'll be able to train her daughter if I work hard enough… I don't see how it could end badly for me…"
"I do, this tale seems to end with you alone." Caesar said absently, checking his shield for the umpteenth time.
"Sir, I can honestly say I've never planned that far." I said with a shrug. "All I want to do what I was trained to do, Hunting Grimm."
"Are you sure?"
I hesitated, something that my commander undoubtedly noticed. "I haven't met anyone in my life I would be interested in, at least in that way… But don't worry, if I ever do you'll be the first to know.
"Solomon, wake up!" a familiar voice snapped in my ear.
"Remind me who died and made you my Queen?" I growled.
"Well if you want to miss your stop." I heard a rustle of clothing as she shrugged.
I yawned loudly, raising a hand to scratch between my ears as I stretched. "How much time do I got?"
"About five if we're lucky." The voice said.
"You finally awake?" Onyx asked lazily, "I've been trying to wake you up for a good half hour."
'Yeah, well." I said with a shrug, "I'm not exactly nocturnal."
"... Solomon. " Blake said with a sigh, "Its only the evening, the sun is still up"
"Is it?" I asked, raising my eyes to the sky.
"Yeah it is... look, just be ready to sneak off, I don't want to explain why we have a Faunus stowaway." Onyx responded.
"Bah, not a problem." I said, "We could just say we were Mercs looking for a ride and we reached an agreement."
"Well if that doesn't work, I'll make sure to visit your jail cell." Onyx said with a shrug
"Good to see you care." I mutter to myself, "You know much about the area?" I said to her, noticing how Blake had walked off and begun to work on her gun.
"Only the best place to get a drink." She said. I turned my head to her then, seeing that she was currently polishing her rifle.
"That's a good start, Its place to find a job too I think."
"Just one issue," She said, turning to look me in the eyes.
"That would be... what exactly?"
"The area isn't exactly Faunus friendly." She said with a shrug, "The bar is okay though, the bartender doesn't give a damn who or what you are."
"Oh? I thought you hated all Faunus?" I asked, actually surprised.
"What? 'Cause I'm human?" she snorted, "Its safer to say that the Faunus is a criminal, with the way the White Fang have been acting up."
"Normally, I would take that as an insult." I shrugged, "But I've been out of town for a while so I really wouldn't know."
"Your friend over there really doesn't like me very much… does she?" Onyx asked with a nod of her head.
I sighed to myself "Yeah, it's a long story..."
"We got time."
"Also, its not really my story to tell really…" I finished.
"Fine, fine… I know when it isn't any of my business to ask." Onyx said, bored.
I began to turn away, until a thought occurred to me. "Onyx?"
She grunted affirmative, "What you want?"
"… What are you going to do with those scales?"
"Depends on how much they're really worth, why? Change of heart?"
"I don't want the money," I said, holding up my hands, "… but I do have some free advice…"
"If I have to pay for it, I think I am better off on my own…" she said, still bored.
"I said free, didn't I?" I asked with a sigh.
"Fine then… say it."
"I don't know how to say this nicely… but you need training." I said, wincing slightly at the bluntness.
Still smooth as ever, Solomon…
"Excuse me… but I didn't know that fighting dragons was in my job description!" she snapped
"Baby Dragons, Drakes." I corrected.
"What?"
"Those weren't full-on dragons…" I said slowly, "Adult dragons are about the size of one of these cars… and that's only the young adults, Wyverns, my family calls them."
"How big do they get then?" she asked
"Huge," I answered with a snap, "Now, can we back to my first point before you ask twenty-one more questions?"
She was silent for a time, whether if she felt insulted or she was actually considering it. Should I leave now? Maybe back away slow-
"So tell me, ?" She asked, back to her default bored tone. "The Merc life has been good for me so far…"
"… I find it disturbing that your definition of 'good' involves almost dying." I said as I crossed my arms.
"I meant that the pay is good, that's all." She said with a shrug.
"… A Hunter probably gets paid more, and can keep the spoils." I said slowly, "… Also, I'm pretty sure the health care and job security is terrible as a Merc."
"Hunters are meant to hunt, to find trouble... I can do my job without pulling the trigger once." She answered, obviously getting annoyed.
"Look, I don't want to argue with you." I finally said, throwing my hands up into the air. "Just do this for me and were even… You could even become a merc again after you graduate!"
"… Yeah, yeah… I'll think about it… maybe." She sighed, "You might want to talk to your 'friend' over there… you might not see her for a while…"
"What do you mean by that?" I asked, confused.
"Didn't she tell you? She's gonna stick around and get off sometime between here and Mistral."
"Did she say why?" I said as I gestured with a hand.
"She doesn't like me, thought a blind man could see that." She answered "Anyway, I'm going down below to check up on the engineers… try not to blow up anything too important, will ya?"
I rolled my eyes before I nodded, watching her quickly walk away. Why do I got a feeling that I'm not going to like this. I thought to myself, before walking toward her.
"Hey, so-" I began to say.
"Its true." Interrupted Blake.
"My question was ,"So why are you leaving." Not "So your leaving?"" I said.
"It wouldn't be safe for me." Blake said, "The White Fang here already know my face."
So Vale was where her old cell was…
"… But why Mistral? I didn't think Cats were fond of desserts." I asked, kneeling down.
"There are also a few nomad groups that have enslaved Fauna… just incase you were interested in traveling through the dessert." she said with a shrug.
"Then why?" I asked again.
"Because between here and there is where we are mostly based." She sighed, "I need to know if the whole group has changed, or if my cell went rouge."
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" I said, dusting off my pants.
"What else can I do?" she asked.
"Not much, but you might not like the answer you get…" I watched her as she started pacing, "Some things are just better never knowing."
"The White Fang are the only group with enough recognition to pull anything off!" she snapped, "If they can't then who can?"
"What will you do if they have fallen then?" I asked calmly, "Because if they have changed, then your options are to join them, to try to stop them and die trying, or to leave them be."
She was silent for a time.
"I know what I am saying might be difficult to accept…" I said as I rolled my shoulders, "But these people just aren't your family any more."
"What should I do then?" She asked again.
"Stay with me and become a Hunter." I said, "It would be the smart thing, but the smart thing isn't always the right thing."
"So basically…"
"… Do what you feel you need to do." I finished, "I won't pick your battles."
"Thanks for the offer… Maybe some other day. "She said, "But I have to know the truth."
"Well I tried..." I said with a sigh and a shrug.
"Why don't you join us?" Blake asked, "We could use skills like yours."
"I'm honored, really." I said with a grin, "… But these social/politic/Interaction things truthfully don't matter to me."
"But think about the bigger-" Blake tried to say.
"I could say the same to you." I said as I crossed my arms. "The end of Faunus discrimination won't mean a damn thing if everyone's too dead to enjoy it."
"But-"
"My enemies are the Grimm, end of story." I interrupted. "Right now I need to finish my training, to become a Hunter. If it means becoming a Merc or a Bounty Hunter then I'll do it gladly."
"So… is this good-bye for good?" she asked as the train stopped.
Damn is this place loud. I thought as I growled slightly.
"I don't know." I answered, "Really? The only thing we can hope for is that we don't end up on opposite sides of a war."
"Well, aren't you optimistic." Blake muttered to her self.
"You'd probably win, I don't think I've ever fought someone with the weapon you have." I said with a chuckle.
"Well, good luck with whatever you do." Blake sighed.
"By the way…" I raised a hand, tapping a finger on my nose. "To this day I have never forgotten a scent, and I plan to keep it that way…. See ya later, Cat."
"Try not to chase your tail, Wolf!" Blake hissed as I hopped off the train.
… That's a Dog thing, Blake…I sighed to myself. At least try to be more original.
"Hey, wait up." I heard a voice say, a soft thud behind me
"Onyx? I thought you were waiting on the train." I said without turning around.
"Yeah, well… I figured that I would get a drink since we've stopped." She said.
Why do her foot-steps sound heavier? I thought to myself as I continued walking.
"I wanted to ask you about that." I said, pulling up the scarf so that it would cover my head and face.
"You need new clothes…" she said, ignoring me. "A scarf with a T-shirt and jeans is just going to make you stand out more."
"Well, Once I get some cash I'll go out and buy the necessities." I said as I rolled my eyes.
"So what was your question?" she asked, finally catching up to me.
"How old are you?" I said, glancing at her.
I raised my eyebrow, well… that's different.
"Shouldn't you get me dinner before you start hitting on me?" she asked with an eye roll.
"… I've got nothing to say to that." I said, still looking at her. "Why didn't you have that on earlier?"
"Have what on? Clothes?" she asked,
"… Idiot." I muttered under my breath. "Its just that what you're wearing would have been much more useful than what you had before."
"Not really." She said with a shrug. "This is our turn here." She added after we had left the busy station.
I stopped then, turning to get a better look at her. "Not really" my tail. I thought. Onyx had a some sort of foreign design that was completely alien to me. The form fitting armor was amateurishly painted a black-grey, heavy plate protecting the vitals and chain mail what wasn't
"If you're done checking me out, could we go get that drink?" she said, snapping her fingers in front of my face.
"… Its just that, when is armor like that not helpful?" I asked, returning to a quick pace.
"Its heavy as hell, for one thing." She said. "Plus, it won't stop anything bigger than a small caliber bullet, and most blades can cut right through it."
"Bet you a hundred bucks that you're going to wish you had that armor when you are shot with a pistol." I mutter, just loud enough for her to hear.
"Besides, I've got my aura to cover for me." She said, bringing up a hand that was covered with a slight silvery glow to make her point.
"That doesn't make me any less right." I said with a sigh. "So, you haven't found your semblance yet?"
"Nah, don't think I'll need it very much anyway." She said with a shrug.
"Damn it! Stop distracting me!" I snapped, "How old are you?"
"How old are you?" She asked.
"Sixteen." I say out loud.
I think I say in my head.
"Same." She said.
"… aren't you kind of young to be going into bars?" I asked, stopping and crossing my arms.
"Who are you, my dad?" she said dismissively,
Well, Technically I'm old enough to be your Dad's Dad…. I thought to myself
"Besides, I would never get drunk on the job."
So she must've been trained at least a little bit in the past… still doesn't explain why she's here now. I think to myself. It was then that I noticed the attention we- I was attracting. The Humans around me were sending me death glares, staring at me menacingly as they cracked their knuckles.
"As much as I love taking on a whole cities worth of thugs." I growled, "I would like to get there sooner rather than later."
"Now that you mention it." She muttered under her breath, putting on her half-helm.
"Is that the place?" I ask, gesturing to a random building.
"Nope, its that one." She said, pointing to a building on the opposite side of the road.
"Oh… Joy." I muttered to myself as I looked at the building Onyx had pointed out.
"What?" She asked, "Not good enough? Should we fight through a gang-and-a-half just so you can get you cup of wine?"
"… I hadn't realized how loud it would be." I said, resisting the urge to cover my wolf ears.
"Is it too loud for your country ears?" she asked mockingly.
"You could say that…" I growled. "Why do Humans have it so easy?"
"… Says the guy who has natural night vision." Onyx said with a deadpan.
"I'm going to need an aspirin after all this is done." I muttered.
"Quit your whining, we should probably cross now." Onyx said, hand going for the pistol strapped to her side.
"Do you really want to stick around? You're practically walking into trouble." I told her. "… and if you do fight, it would be for free." I saw her hesitate, debating over going with me or going back. Please go back, I pleaded in my head, hoping that her common sense would win her over.
Instead she said, "Regardless of whether or not I'm going to get paid, it wouldn't be right to just walk away from someone who saved my life."
"I don't know why I keep trying to win arguments with women." I said with a sigh. "Now, lets get into that bar before they lynch us both."
"… lynch?" she asked as we began to cross the road.
"It might be better if you never found out." I growled.