"And this..." Midnight demonstrated to Ruby with his unwilling partner. "This is how you rip both a man's arms from their socket with just a little leverage." With a light pull on both arms and a hard push with his foot, a satisfying pop! Filled the room as the man's arms seemingly extended. He screamed in agony as Midnight just dropped him like he was nothing.
"Woah... cool!" Ruby beamed, her mood further uplifted by the lessons he'd been teaching her on the job. They'd gone and collected money from all ten deadbeats except this one so far, and now this one was finally about ready to give it up.
"Ok ok ok! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please, just stop!" He wept, before rolling onto his back and looking up with pleading eyes. "The money is in the safe over there, the combination is 35 9 22, just open it and take your damn money!"
"Glad you came to your senses." Midnight mocked, before waltzing over and opening up the safe. Sure enough, all the 500 lien was lying there, and more... but he only took what was due. He was no thief, he'd sooner kill himself than resort to thievery. "Ruby, lets go."
"Okay!" She skipped up beside him and followed him out, thinking on all the many fighting moves he'd shown her in the last three hours, wondering if she'd ever get to utilize those same moves some day. After getting lifted into the truck, and buckling herself in, she started playing with a green ball that she found during their little excursion.
With the last deadbeat taken care of, now all there was to do was pick up the package. Supposedly, it was waiting to be picked up at the postal office. Not unusual, but he wondered why someone would be willing to pay a quarter of a thousand lien for a simple package?
No matter, after all, it was really none of his business. If the barkeep's boss was doing some shady stuff behind the scenes, it wasn't his problem...
His presence had seemingly put most of the postal office on edge, not that he could wholly blame them for being intimidated. After all, his armor was something designed to have such an effect, though the fact that he still carried a little girl in his arms he would've thought would make him seem a little less menacing.
"I'm here to pick up a package. Cody sent me." The declaration was met with a collective sigh throughout the office, as if they were rather expecting him to shoot someone than just pick up a damn package.
"O-oh, you're just here to pick that thing up? That's good that someone has finally come to get it." A small, mouse-like woman said, perking the little mouse ears on top of her head back upright from how they were flattened against her hair.
"What were you expecting I would do in a postal office?" Midnight sighed, making the girl shrink a bit.
"U-uh... I-I dunno... but you're like... super armed and armored... and scary looking..." she mewled back, making him scoff in annoyance.
"Have some backbone, kid." Turning towards the package that they brought out, he was slightly perplexed at just how... large, it was. It was large enough that it would easily be a pain in the neck to carry even with both hands, not necessarily on account of weight but rather because of just how awkward it would be. With a heavy sigh, he turned his head to face the child. "C'mon, time to wake up. I got something else I need to carry for a moment."
The little girl yawned softly, bringing a fist in to rub her eyes sluggishly before nodding and letting him set her down on her feet. She wobbled back and forth a little bit as she found her footing, but after ten or so seconds she was just fine, and Midnight redirected his focus on the package...
"Now... how to go about moving this thing?" He mused, obtaining the Mouse-girl's attention.
"I wouldn't recommend trying to move that alone... took the whole office to get it in here." As if in response, the clone grasped an end of it, and heft it up without much trouble...
"No trouble. Get a few people on the other end, would ya?"
The postal office people that had come to help seemed somewhat winded by the time they got it in the truck, not that he necessarily cared that much. All he cared about right now was getting some supplies for the little one, and this little endeavor would provide him with some of the funds to do so.
Said child was fast asleep again, softly snoring in the shotgun seat all rightly buckled in and wrapped up in a blanket. She looked comfortable, but also tired, so he settled on just locking the doors and rolling a window slightly open for when he stopped back at the pub so she could continue sleeping.
He thought to himself that he really couldn't blame the child for being tired. After all, losing everything and everyone you ever knew, being taken in by a complete stranger and being zealously hunted down by genocidal maniacs all within the course of a few hours was bound to make anyone exhausted, he supposed. Still, she'd pulled her own weight more than enough so far despite that, which had earned her a modicum of respect in his eyes.
Turning his attention back to his objective, after closing up the vehicle, he silently drove back to the pub through the snow. It wasn't a long ride back, but he couldn't help but feel as though something was off, like there'd be more trouble waiting for him when he returned.
He was almost certain of it, it was like a sixth sense for him and it had rarely ever been wrong... nonetheless, he still had a package to deliver and money to collect for the child's sake, so he pressed onward. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of trouble was awaiting his arrival, he just knew that it was waiting on him...
He halted his truck just around the corner out of view of the pub, buttoning it down and hopping out, locking the door behind himself and leaving the child inside. Better to handle this one alone, he thought to himself. In a close quarters environment, protecting her would be difficult.
Shoving his way back inside, he cautiously approached the barkeeper, keeping his ears tuned in while he approached. There was a trio of men at the counter, armed men, conversing with the barkeep in somewhat hushed tones. Fortunately, he'd become accustomed to listening in on such conversations...
"...to deal with some deadbeats? And get a package?"
"Yeah. If you're fast, you might be able to catch up to him to... do whatever it is you're gonna do. I don't wanna know the details." The barkeep replied, crossing his arms.
"That soldier is an unexpected complication, but it's the child we want, not him."
"Like I said, ain't none of my business. Just know, he's expecting people like you."
"He won't be any trouble... alright, boys, let's-" that was all he needed, drawing both blaster pistols out and switching them to stun, and blasted both behind the lead in the back, dropping both of them to the floor, unconscious, before pistol-whipping the lead across the back of the head with full force, knocking him out.
The barkeeper stumbled back in shock, not having noticed him enter. Midnight took the blasters off stun, and leveled the right on the man's head.
"Alright, "friend", why did you go selling me out to them?" He inquired, his voice dropping with venom.
"H-hey, no need for that! I'm just a man trying to make a profit, you gotta understand! They asked, put money on the table, and I answered, that's it, I swear!" He defended, backing up with his hands raised defensively. Midnight scoffed, vaulting over the counter and kicking him in the chest, throwing the man on his back.
"Give me one reason not to "deal with" you, right here, right now." He growled, keeping his blaster leveled on the man's head. "Because as it stands, you know too much for your own good."
"P-please, I swear on my life, I won't say a thing! K-keep the money you collected, take a bonus, even! Just please don't kill me!" He begged, tears brimming in his eyes.
"What's in the package?"
"W-what?"
"The Package! What is in the package?!."
"I-I don't know! B-boss said it was some sort of weird metal, I swear that's all I know!"
"Strange metal?" Midnight wondered, before lowering his blaster yet maintaining eye contact. "I'm taking the package, the bonus, and keeping all I collected. You'll forget you ever saw me, and if you ever think that the money they offer is worth the information, think about whether it's worth your life before you say a damn thing." The man nodded frantically, desperately fishing the 250 lien out of his pocket to hand him.
Midnight snatched it without hesitation, before looking down on the three unconscious bodies, scoffing. He hefted them all up and hauled them outside, tossing them in a pile in the adjacent alleyway, out of sight, out of mind, before blasting them with the disruptor and reducing them to dust. No evidence, just how he liked it.
Now, knowing he and Ruby had to clear out quickly, he made a dead sprint back to his truck, and floored it out of there...
Yoko's wasn't a very large establishment, and it was clearly a small business, but it did a good job in at least looking simple and easy. That being said of course, this little place he was completely out of place in, and he wasn't entirely sure what he was doing or looking for.
"Hi, welcome to Yoko's! How can I help you?" A young blonde girl that looked to be in her early twenties greeted him, surprisingly not offset by his armor. Perhaps holding Ruby actually worked this time? Her white name tag read "Alicia Warner," and she was wearing a simple black polo with a red skirt.
"I'm looking for something to help me educate the child that I can use as well." He replied simply, with Ruby looking back to see the lady he was talking to.
"Sure thing! What kind of uses are you going to be getting out of it, though... actually, given your armor, I'm guessing you're a hunter? I got just the thing, follow me!" She didn't give him a chance to clarify that he wasn't a huntsman, immediately leading the way over to the back. It was, strangely enough, the gaming section, making him wonder just what he was going to be shown?
He didn't have to wonder long, as soon she presented to him a pretty slick looking black laptop with blue LED highlights, that sat with the pleasant little price tag of 2,350 lien...
"This is the top of the line gaming laptop that is on the shelves right now. Don't let the name fool you, you aren't gonna find a more powerful laptop anywhere else for any of your needs!" She boasted, giving it a light pat.
"What are the specs?"
"Integrated liquid ice dust cooling, 240 hertz monitor, and capable of running the latest high end graphics at a steady 360 frames per second, fifteen terabyte hard drive, and that's just the start! This bad boy's only downside is the fact that it chews through power like it's nobody's business... but if you have it plugged in, then there's no issue." She explained, intriguing him further. All around, it sounded fine, and like something he'd get a fair amount of usage out of alongside the child.
"How Long can I expect this thing to last me before I'd need to get it serviced or replaced?"
"Couple years if you're not getting viruses and the sort. Still interested?"
"It'll do." He scooped up a box containing the laptop, before grabbing a few other items to use, a mouse, cooling pad and some other useful stuff, before checking out and being on his way. As it stood, he wanted to spend as little time in the city as possible especially since it was just too damn conspicuous, and there were too many people who'd talk too freely.
"Um... excuse me mister Midnight?" Ruby peeped up, garnering his attention momentarily. "My favorite teddy bear burned with my home... could we stop into that place and get me a new one?" She pointed over his shoulder, drawing his attention to a little, bright holiday-themed shop with a cartoony bear face on the front.
"No. We've been in the city too long already, we need to be on our way." He replied bluntly, though immediately came to regret it as the sniffles started up again. Not a moment too soon, he felt something wet against his body glove, and a long, drawn out sigh escaped his lips as he capitulated. "Alright, no need to start crying. We'll pop in, you can make your little stuffed animal, and then we'll leave."
"R-really? I can?" Ruby's voice was trembling somewhat, but she nonetheless looked into his eyepieces with big, hopeful eyes. He didn't say anything in response, simply carrying her over to the shop after setting down all the new equipment. His decision was met with a tight hug, not that he necessarily felt it much. Anything to maintain a level of peace and quiet with the least gloomy atmosphere possible...
Their time in Vale was relatively short, and within thirty minutes after Ruby's new stuffed bear was finished, the two were already out of the city and on their way. Though he wasn't particularly surprised, the child was totally out. Asleep in the shotgun seat, wrapped in two layers of blankets and teddy bear tightly hugged against her chest.
It was a quiet night, still, and he knew that there was a lot of ground to cover before they were in Vacuo. He also knew that, capable as he may be, he couldn't stay awake forever, and the rest he got between blowing himself up and waking up in that snowy forest was negligible at best. Not to mention, he'd been up for about five days straight prior, fighting battle after battle with his only respite being the time it took to rearm and move from one fight to another. By all means, he was exhausted, physically sore, and felt all too ready to take a moment to rest...
But once again, as his brothers depended on him before, a child unable to care for herself depended on him now. Another sigh, maybe the millionth that night, escaped his mouth as he drove onwards into the night. It seemed as if his duty was eternal, the parameters of his mission just changed. He wasn't necessarily surprised by this, nor was he necessarily upset about that, but a little rest would be nice, not that he could readily afford such a luxury.
For another five hours he drove on, through the snow, and eventually into a raging blizzard. The truck could easily withstand it, and even keep going, so he kept driving, keeping laser focus on the road for what felt like another eternity...
She groggily opened her eyes, enjoying the comfort of her layers of blanket and the polar fleece jacket. She still had her new teddy bear with her, and it did certainly make her feel somewhat... cozier. The roaring blizzard outside was definitely a little scary to her, but the vehicle was still rumbling, it's engine still alive and keeping the heater alive with it, even if the vehicle lie still on the road.
Craning her head and eyes left, she saw her new guardian angel laid back, his head drooping off to the side against the window. Panic briefly took hold, but the slight, slow rise and fall of his shoulders made her release the breath she'd unintentionally held as she realized he'd only passed out, and hadn't died like everyone else...
"Mister Midnight..." She mumbled, reaching over to tap his shoulder but hesitating and retracting just short of touching his pauldron. He did a lot for her, and was probably tired. She knew she'd be tired if she did all he's done so far, so he'd probably appreciate the rest. Besides, all the doors and hatches were buttoned down, there was no way anyone or anything from the outside could get in to try to hurt them. Surely, with this much protection, they had to be safe.
"He hasn't eaten anything..." Ruby looked him up and down, not entirely too sure what someone like him would eat. Probably nothing different than what she would, but she just didn't know... that being said, of course, that doesn't mean she shouldn't at least try to put the cooking skills her mother instilled into her to good use. After all, might as well help him out since he helped her, right?
She didn't exactly have much to work with, which she realized when she opened up the duffel bag with cooking supplies and foodstuff. Still, there was enough to work with that she could at least make him something nice and tasty, so that's all she needed...
He slowly opened his eyes as he started coming to, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the rays of light bleeding through the windshield and the visor of his helmet. Passing out wasn't part of the plan, but what was done was done, now he just had to assess the damage caused as a byproduct of his passing out...
"Oh, you're finally awake!" He heard called up from behind himself. It was the child's voice, but it was notably more chipper than any previous time he'd heard it. He wondered just what had improved her mood so considerably, but cast the thought aside fairly quickly as it occurred to him that it probably didn't matter.
"How Long was I out?" Midnight inquired in turn, doing a few small stretches before turning around to look what the child was up to. The smell of food cooking had reached his nostrils, and it was a far more pleasant smell than he'd been expecting.
"About eight hours, I think. It's been that long since I woke up, and you were already sleeping when I woke up."
"I see..." he mused, before looking back out the windshield. It was covered in snow, but he could feel and hear the engine still running, on top of that, the heater was still on. "Well, eat your chow and buckle back in. I have to clear the snow off."
"Ummm... Mister Midnight? I actually made this for you..." the declaration surprised him, and he chanced a look back to see the girl had indeed prepared him a fairly decently sized meal, consisting of bacon, waffles with syrup, rice, a cup of fresh orange juice, and a bowl of oatmeal.
"I'm fine, you need to-"
"But I just did, Mister Midnight!" She interrupted him, nodding her head back towards a set of dirty dishes...
"Oh, I see..." Midnight acknowledged, before taking the tray and cup of OJ. With a heavy sigh, he set the meal on his lap, and slid his helmet up just enough that he could see what he was eating and actually stuff the food in his mouth. He'd seen too many times where one of his brothers would get domed while they were eating, and while most helmets wouldn't protect against a shot there anyways, he was an ARC trooper, with gear good enough to save him from at least one shot there from most blasters. Besides, he didn't like exposing his face too much if he didn't have to.
After a few minutes, he quietly pushed the tray aside with all the contents consumed, before pulling himself up and into the back with the tray in tow, setting it down in the bin with the other dirty dishes, before resettling his focus on the package he'd taken in. Ruby too had been quietly poking at the box, but didn't attempt to actually open it since it was admittedly locked up pretty tight.
"Alright... let's see just what kind of 'weird metal' that guy was talking about." He took out his vibroknife, and carefully cut away at everything keeping the box shut. After a few short moments, he was finished, allowing him to rip open the box, and see what exactly it contained...
"Is that... steel?" Ruby wondered aloud, not knowing exactly what she was looking at. However, Midnight knew exactly what this was, and wondered just how the hell it had found its way here of all places? The wavy look of the metal and sheer gleam of its shine, it matched what his instructors back on Kamino, the Cuy'val Dar, had described...
"Beskar... how is there beskar ingots here of all places..?" He questioned you nobody in particular. He knew that to the Mandalorian culture, this material was held sacred, as it was used to forge the arms and armor used to combat the Jedi a long, long time ago. He knew the Supercommando Codex of the True Mandalorians, which the very man he was a clone of followed, but as he was a soldier and not a mercenary or bounty hunter, he didn't necessarily follow it.
That being said, of course, he didn't exactly reject it either. He at least spoke Mando'a, even if he didn't use it often so as to not confuse his less enlightened brothers and the Jedi they all served, he wore armor inspired by Mandalorian design, and he defended himself and his brothers, his family. He followed at least half of the Canons of Honor, as he couldn't exactly follow the rest with his given situation at the time...
However, he had memorized them all the same, and now saw a unique opportunity as he looked upon his reflection in the silvery ingots. Sure, he didn't know anything about working a forge, less so in working with Beskar in one... But in the make of a true Mandalorian, one's heritage was irrelevant, and though nobody here held any Mandalorian blood, that didn't mean nobody held Mandalorian spirit.
"Kid." He spoke, running a hand down the surface of the top silvery ingot. She looked up at his visor with a curious expression, before touching the Beskar herself. "We have a lot of ground to cover, both literally and metaphorically speaking... and now, I have a lot more to teach you."
"Teach me? Like, how to fight and stuff?" She beamed, her mouth forming a big smile as her excitement bled through. He just chuckled, before picking up an ingot and holding it up to the light, turning it slightly. The light reflected off the ingot and into his visor, but he could only smile as it seemed the universe had revealed its purpose in sending him here and charging him with protecting the child...
"More than that, Ruby." He began, setting his other hand on the child's shoulder and clasping it firmly yet gently. "I'm going to teach you how to be a Mandalorian."