Chapter 35 I was not ready for this
Where is he!
The thought drowned out every other thought from Six's head. It was amazingly loud; no other thoughts could make themselves heard as the bellowing echo of the Hunter shook through her head.
No one else was handling things well, Weiss and Winter had crashed to the ground, Jorge and Lucy where doubled over, holding their heads in pain. Out of all of them Carter was probably handling the pain the best out of all of them; having only his eyes shut. Kat was taking the second place; only wincing slightly.
Six struggled in the Hunter's grip as it moved her face nearer it's own.
You know where he is.
"Who, Ack!" Six gasped as it's grip got tighter. It looked at her, almost as if it was carefully studying her.
You know who I want.
"Merlot!" Six gasped, the thing let her go as she she crashed to the ground, struggling to bring in breath again as the Hunter looked at her.
Where is he.
It asked again, however it wasn't painful this time, it was asked more as if it was speaking to her.
"Six, should we...?" Jorge asked, raising the gun. Six shook her head violently.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no..." Six said, not wanting to fight a stronger than normal Hunter while that Griffin was around. Six turned to look at the thing again.
"You want Doctor Merlot?" She asked carefully, slowly backing away just to be safe.
Yes.
"I don't know where he is."
The Hunter went to move, so Six spoke as fast as possible.
"I know who might!" She blurted before it could reach her.
Will you tell me?
"Six are you seriously going to trust that thing?" Carter asked. Six couldn't answer, she stood up slowly.
"He's right..." She said slowly, looking at the beast in front of her. " …Can you prove to me you're trustworthy?" She asked as the Hunter started moving towards her.
You will never trust my kind fully.
"Well yes, that tends to happen when you destroy everything I care about." Six said, looking at the Hunter, who she suspected was male, the mental voice sounded like that.
I understand.
"Wait you do?" Six asked incredulously, this wasn't how religious zealots where meant to act.
Yes.
"How...?" All the Spartans asked at the same time. (Drawing some odd looks from everyone who wasn't)
We did not join the Covenant willingly, it was the only option.
"So what changed? Why is it now okay to not kill everything?" Six asked sceptically. The Hunter looked at her, confusion evident from her body language.
You know the answer.
"No I really don't." Six said simply, looking at the creature who did something which undeniably looked like a snort of laughter.
Why do you not act like a demon?
"A what?" Weiss asked, looking at the conversation in front of her; thinking the only way it could get weirder was if Zwei was taking part in the conversation.
A demon, like your friend.
The Hunter communicated, gesturing towards Jorge with it's shield.
Six glanced towards him, then slowly asked.
"Do you mean a Spartan?"
That is your word for it.
"Oh, what do you mean by not act like one, I'm still a Spartan!" She cried out desperately, looking around: Weiss and Winter had no reaction, they had no idea how a Spartan was supposed to act. Carter was refusing to meet Six's eyes and Kat, well Kat was giggling.
"I am!" Six yelled desperate, causing Kat to double over.
"Kat don't be mean." Jorge said firmly, Before looking to Six.
"I'm not going to say you're not a Spartan anymore, but you defiantly don't act the same way you did back on Reach." He said, his tone indicating he was trying to be kind to her.
"Okay you have a point..." Six muttered darkly, before looking to the Hunter. "...But I still don't understand by what you mean, what happened to you?"
The forerunners didn't save him.
"Save who?" Winter asked carefully, it was her first time around an alien and as far as she knew the first time one had been willing to talk to a human instead of trying to murder them.
My Bond Brother is gone.
"What happened?" Weiss asked, sympathy in her voice. Six scowled, she wasn't sure how she felt about people feeling bad for the Covenant...
I am not Covenant, they didn't save my Bond Brother and the Forerunners refused to help us, the gate would not open, we did not survive, this word does not have them. The forerunners are not watching over us, there is no worth in the faith.
"Hold on because you now know it's bullshit your just gonna ignore everything they hard weird into you? Sorry but I call bull." Six said, scowling at the creature who looked down at her.
That man tortured me, he killed my Bond Brother...
"Sorry what is a Bond Brother? Also theirs an Alien in front of me, is anyone going to explain what the hell is going on?!" Lucy cried out, gesturing at the three meter tall creature in front of her.
It is not important right now.
"I disagree!" Lucy yelled, gesturing towards the Hunter again.
Well it doesn't matter. Demons:
The Hunter thought; turning it's head to look at all of the Spartans.
You will never trust me, however I have to find Merlot, he must pay for what he has done; I will help with your fight if you give me the information you have.
"So, Merlot killed your... Bond Brother, hang on sorry about this; what is a Bond Brother?"
My hive grew to big, we split, we where partners, we where inseparable, and he killed him; he didn't give him a fight, he was tortured to death, this will not stand. He has to pay.
"You killed all my friends, why the hell should I care if you're hurting?"
I did not do that, The Covenant killed your kind and you killed the Covenant in return. I have not done anything personally to you nor have you to me. Will you help me or will I have to force you to?
"What do you propose?" Six said, really not wanting to fight this thing, Hunters where dangerous normally; this one with Merlot's enhancements was probably capable of killing all of them without breaking a sweat.
You have information on where he is, at least more than me If I help you kill the creature hunting you I want you to tell me everything you know.
"All I know is the person who might know where he is, that's not a lot to give you." Six said, not wanting to piss the Hunter off.
It is enough and more than I have currently.
It responded simply.
Six thought for a second.
"I don't think we have any better options, however I want to talk it over..."
"I say yes." Lucy said, really just wanting the Griffin dead, she didn't care who the hell she had to work with so long as that thing was dead and her village could get away.
"I think it would be for the best." Winter said simply.
"I, I think it's the best option we have, that thing will kill us without help." Weiss said, a bit more on edge as she had heard from Six what the Covenant had done, and what these Hunters where capable of.
"I don't like it." Kat said.
"I don't think we have a choice, I suspect he'll kill us if we don't agree to help." Carter finished, glancing towards the Hunter who shrugged.
He is not wrong.
"Oh great, our future ally is blackmailing us with death threats." Six said, rolling her eyes as she turned to Jorge.
"We don't have a choice, and maybe Six don't be rude towards the giant that can kill us."
He is also not wrong.
"Great, just great." Six said, rolling her eyes as she turned back to the Hunter.
"Okay, I guess we're working together Mr Hunter guy... do you have a name?"
Yes: Frak Ignus Norte.
"Frak Ignus Norte...?" Six asked, rolling the words around carefully in her mouth before slowly asking: "Can I just call you Fin?"
You may call me what you like small demon, we are on a new world without the old systems, we may do what we like.
"Hold on, that's why you aren't trying to kill us? We're not in UNSC space?"
Yes. We have no way back and thus it is not worth holding onto beliefs that will not come true here.
"So you've concluded the Covenant's beliefs are bullshit?" Kat asked slyly from the side as Six snorted with laughter.
We are Mgalekgolo, we had no choice but to join, we do not except their beliefs as true and thus less likely to hold them before we got here. Now there is no defence, they are wrong.
"I, how... sure, why not! Come on everyone, lets go kill a giant Griffin!" Six cried out, throwing her arms into the air and turning to leave before the Hunter stopped her by throwing his shield in front of her.
To go without a plan would be foolish.
"Sorry Six I agree with the Hunter." Weiss said simply.
"And I agree with my Sister." Winter said in response to Weiss. Six rolled her eyes.
"Okay Fin, do you have any ideas on what to do?" Six asked, turning to look at the creature.
Yes, yes I do.
…
"So, just to confirm the success of this entire plan rests on Fin?" Six asked from her spot in one of the many trees, scanning around for their target.
"Yes, now stick to the plan Noble." Carter shot back over the radio. Six scowled as she looked around.
Am I the only one who remembers what they did?
Seams to be.
I mean, they burned Reach, how many good men did we lose to those bastards?
A lot I suspect.
Yes exactly! Millions, why are we now trusting this thing!
I dunno.
We shouldn't be using this plan! It puts all of us at risk! I bet it just doesn't want to get it's hands dirty killing us so it's planing to get that Grimm to do it for him!
The plan puts him in the most danger.
Exactly, wait what!?
Fin is in danger more than we are in this plan.
You're on his side!
I'm just saying!
No, no, no, no, no... NO! Why are you defending that creature, do you remember what it did!
Yes I do.
Then stop defending it!
So you can do what? Keep on hating him forever? Kill a sentiant being who seams to want to help.
For the love of, It's a fucking hunter! Part of the Covenant for fucks sake!
Not anymore it's not.
Shut up and keep watch!
I thought you of all people would be sympathetic to someone who watched their closest friends die.
I said shut up!
It was then that Six saw it, The massive Griffin was turning in the air, aiming straight for her.
"It's here, making a beeline for me." Six said calmly, diving from her spot and running towards the others.
"Okay, Jorge, Carter get ready with the covering fire, we need to herd it towards Fin." Winter said over the radio.
"Got it." They said in unison back.
Six ran, her semblance flaring up as she grew to Seven foot; her strides extending so she could move faster; for this plan to have any chance of working she had to move quickly.
The Griffin wasn't striking yet, if it dived now it would smash through the thick trees and after it's last encounter with Six it wasn't taking that chance again. It was in the sky and could clearly see the exposed area just ahead in front of the cliff wear it could make the final dive, snatching up its prey and ending this hunt quickly.
Thankfully it was focusing so much on Six it didn't see Jorge and Cater getting ready to fire on it.
The shots exploded out, driving the beast to the ground, just missing the lavender Spartan as it crashed down in front of her.
"Weiss go!" Six yelled over her radio, The white haired girl sprang from her hiding place, moving as if she was ice skating on a series of glyphs that appeared on the ground in front of her.
In a second she was in front of the creature; driving her rapier into the ground in front of it. A huge spike of ice flew up, trapping the creatures entire front end in the ground.
The Griffin did not react well to this as it wriggled for a second to try and get free. Not that it was going to have to worry about that for much longer because the last part of Fin's plan was ready to kick in.
The Hunter advanced forward, seeing it's plan nearing completion her prepared to finish the Grimm.
He took a few steps back before running forward and jumping of the edge of the cliff.
Fin's plan was based on how the Mgalekgolo had been defeated and forced to join the Covenant. You could be as strong as you liked on the ground. However, if you could get an advantage and attack from somewhere you're opponent couldn't reach you...
Hence why it was diving of the cliff, it already weighed several tons, was sporting a shield weighing two tons and had self generating explosives growing out it's back. It sped up, firing of explosions to push himself to terminal velocity, diving down faster and faster.
It slammed into the creature and kept going. The hunter stopped on the snow and used it's cannon to blast out the rest of the head with it's cannon. From the smoking remains of the head it emerged.
It's hawking figure was truly intimidating from the inside of the giant dead Grimm.
"I am so glad he's on our side." Lucy said as she looked at the remains, a certain respect for the Alien in front of her as it walked towards Six. Who had removed her helmet so it could see her face.
Will you trust me now Noble Six?
Six looked up at the Hunter, it was weird, a certain burning hatred was resonating in her as she looked at the thing; however, it had helped out and the plan did rely on him, she was safe and so was everyone else.
"I think I have to." Six said simply back to the thing.
Will you tell me what you know?
"I will get you a meeting with Ozpin once Crates resident's are back safe in Atlas."
The agreement was I help you kill the thing.
"I can't get you a meeting until we're back in Vale anyway and I'm not going back until there safe so you might as well help to make sure we don't run off." Six said back coolly. The Hunter looked at her.
Very well, change the agreement again and I will not be pleased.
"Don't worry I wont." Six said simply, she really did not want to fight this thing. Then again she didn't want to be around that thing, let alone fight it.
I sense you don't like me Six.
Six looked around, no one else was reacting.
Just think a response, I'm only talking to you.
Okay then Mr Hunter, I don't like your kind, I really frigging hate you.
I know, I've had access to your thoughts.
Then can we go?
Yes, although I know full well what you're thinking.
Then you know I hate you.
I know everything your thinking, even what you wont admit.
Can we go! We're just staring at each other and everyone thinks we're insane.
I know, Merlot's enchantments have made my physic ability's better than they where, it used to be me and my Bond Brother, now it is everyone around me.
Then why did you need me to tell you anything?
We must go.
Wait!
Fin didn't listen, he was stomping off towards crate, the others where following and Six's brain was just left so full of thoughts Fin might as well have been screaming at her again.