He stared at the two in front of him. They did the same for the next several, silent seconds. It was too silent for the other two before he spoke up after a while.
"Hello Nora, Ren." He nodded at them. Their eyes started to water a bit and their lips started to wobble. He had expected it from Nora, but he had not anticipated Ren doing the same action. It was to be expected for them to crash into him, barely moving him at all but he sighed when they started to cry into his cloak. His body tensed up like always but he didn't remove them, all he did was let them cry into him. He was uncomfortable, very uncomfortable but he didn't need to tell them to release him. As if sensing that he was tense, they removed themselves from him and stared up at him, barely seeing him from underneath his hood. They had to wipe away their tears and compose themselves a bit before looking at him again. Each and every year, they had heard stories from around the world of his deeds, how he started to help common folk. In a way, he was helping them because they started to see him as their role model. They wanted to help people like him, even if it meant getting their hands dirty sometimes.
"We missed you!" Nora beamed, wiping away the tears from her eyes.
"..." He nodded then gestured for them to follow him into the guild. It was cold outside and he would rather be inside, while it wouldn't matter to him, he didn't want them to stay out here without a reason. They followed him closely by his sides while the other two seemed to look at one another then follow the three shortly after. He stepped inside and saw that everyone was looking at him but he ignored them. All he did was go into the back and tell them to sit down while he leaned against a nearby support beam. Almost immediately, Nora began to run off at the mouth quickly, so fast that Ren had to slow her down. Six didn't say anything, all he did was listen to her tell her childish stories. He noticed how she went from that shy, yet eager, little girl he found to a rather enthusiastic young woman. Ren was the next person he observed. It seemed that the boy was rather quiet, saying only what he needed when it was required. Some may have not noticed it, but Six did see that it seemed he was imitating him a little bit. He really didn't think he influenced these two that much.
Countless eyes were on them but all it took was for him to sweep his gaze over the complex for everyone to look away. They all knew that he liked his privacy and wouldn't have prying ears in on their conversation.
While he was listening to Nora in the background, he also took in the features. The boy had a mess of blonde hair that sat on top of his head, deep blue eyes, some armor that resembled a knight, and a sword on his hip. He could tell that the boy seemed awkward socially and didn't have much confidence. The girl on the other hand, had red hair that was tied into a pony tail, bronze armor that reminded him of Spartans in some of the history books he used to read, and weapons that were akin to that. Her eyes held years of experience, yet she seemed just as socially awkward as the knight boy. He seemed to be staring at them because they started to shift uncomfortably under his gaze. It was like something had its fangs against their throats. They couldn't breath, it was suffocating and it was beginning to burn their lungs.
"Six, how have you been?" Nora beamed at him. The suffocating feeling immediately lifted when he looked away from them and turned his attention to Nora.
"I have been fine." He answered calmly.
"What have you been up to?" She asked in the same tone.
"Wandering. I see you and Ren are doing well." He said.
"You betcha! Ren and I have been training super hard!" She stood up and flexed her muscles. Although he couldn't see it from underneath her pink coat, he could tell that she had muscle mass. He knew what she was doing, she was basically showing how strong she had gotten since he last saw her.
"We have been fine." Ren nodded calmly. The other two just watched as the three of them have a conversation. They noticed that the tall guy Ren and Nora was talking to never changed his tone of voice, it was like it was permanently stuck in that tone. Never once did it waver. From the few months that they had spent with the two, they always kept mentioning someone that they had looked up to, although they barely knew him. They had stated he saved them and taught them before leaving shortly after. Now here they were, speaking with the same man that saved them years ago.
"You seem to have teammates." Six gestured to the other two, making them flinch when that feeling returned.
"You're gonna love them! This is-" Nora stopped when Ren placed his hand over her mouth.
"I think you should let them at least introduce themselves, Nora." He said. She blinked a few times before nodding, looking at the other two. They jumped when all the attention was suddenly on them. The blonde male cleared his throat then stood up as straight as he could, trying to muster up the confidence. Everything seemed to disappear in an instant the moment he looked up at Six, who said nothing. Even if he couldn't see his face, he could feel his eyes taking in every feature of his. Jaune felt like he was being dissected and studied carefully.
"J-Jaune Arc... I'm the leader of JNPR..." Jaune managed to stutter out. Six said nothing but looked at the redhead, who flinched when his gaze bore into her. She didn't know why but it just felt... dangerous to be around him.
"Pyrrha Nikos." She gave a rehearsed smile like always. Her smile was more forced than what it was, she felt like claws were tearing into her face now. Forcing the muscles past their limits and tearing them with precision. She noticed how he didn't react like she thought he would, much like some in the settlement when they saw her. Being a celebrity was kind of a big deal in the cities but out here, no one seemed to mind that much. This settlement in general seemed pretty humble in her opinion.
"..." Six just stared at her before nodding silently and turning his head away from the two. An audible gulp of air was heard from Jaune and Pyrrha when he did. Six, from what Ren and Nora called him, was absolutely terrifying. He was freakishly tall, his whole silent demeanor put them on edge, but what really drained the color from their faces was his metaphorical aura. It was like underneath that cloak held something terrifying. The two of them watched as Six listened to them silently, never once interrupting Nora from her story telling. How Ren would correct her calmly, almost as if he were imitating Six. They saw how the two of them looked up to them, despite not seeing him for over a decade.
"So what are you going to do now?" Nora asked.
"Work." Six answered.
"Then what after that?" She asked.
"Leave." He answered. This threw her off guard. While she heard stories of him always traveling, she didn't think that he did it so often.
"Oh... um... where are you going to end up next?" She asked quietly, it was uncharacteristically quiet for the other two. They had never heard Nora sound so... small before. It even effected Ren to an extent, even he seemed saddened by the news. Six saw this and sighed, this was the same look they had when he told them he had to leave. This was the way. He didn't know how to comfort them, emotions were practically nonexistent to him half the time.
"That is undetermined." He said. It didn't fly over his head that he was pushing their emotions to the limits. He needed to keep himself at a distance from them, when the UNSC arrives and takes him away, he'll possibly never see them again. While he wouldn't admit it, he was glad they were surviving, that his lessons all those years ago paid off. His only annoyance with them is that they were sent here from Beacon. They didn't need to say that they were sent here to find him, possibly recruit him. It really went and showed how desperate Ozpin was to get into contact with him. His answer would remain the same, always a flat no. He didn't care for Beacon, Atlas, or any of the academies.
"Oh... well-" She stopped when he sighed and stepped up to them.
"I will complete these bounties. You will complete a few then wait for my return. After that, we will discuss the past events until you two are content. I will take my leave shortly after." He said. Her face seemed to light up at that, as did Ren's. He nodded once then stepped out of the building, ignoring the people that glanced at him before leaving the settlement. The guild seemed to come to life again as opposed to the quiet air from earlier.
"So... who was that?" Jaune scratched his head.
"That's Six." Nora beamed.
"What, is that like his code name or real one?" He asked.
"We don't know." Ren answered.
"You two seem to know him so well, though." Pyrrha said.
"Well, we do somewhat." Nora sighed happily.
"He's..." Jaune trailed off.
"He's what?" Nora tilted her head.
"Kind of scary." He said.
"Pffft. No he's not. Right, Ren?" She asked.
"Mhmm." The boy hummed.
"You two don't think so? You didn't feel that suffocating feeling when he looked at you two?" Pyrrha asked worriedly. While some would claim she was invincible, she knew she wasn't. Against him... it felt like she was a little bunny running on borrowed time. While it must have been her being a little judgmental, she couldn't shake the feeling that he was dangerous.
"No." The two answered in unison. Jaune and Pyrrha blinked before looking at one another.
"So who is he? I know you said his name was Six, but what's his story?" Jaune asked. The guild suddenly went silent as everyone stared at the junior huntsmen and huntresses. Jaune seemed to notice shrink in on himself and slowly turned around to see everyone stare at them blankly.
"You saying you don't know who he is?" One of the guild members asked slowly.
"Y-Yeah?" Jaune gulped. Everyone seemed to converge on the four in an instant.
"You ever heard of the legend in the frontier?" Another asked.
"No." He shook his head.
"The only person in this settlement to reach onyx ranking within a few years?" Yet another one asked. Jaune responded by shaking his head, even Pyrrha was curious. In frontier towns and settlements, onyx ranking took nearly decades to achieve, to achieve it within a few years meant the individual had to do extraordinary feats. She had heard rumors from people during tournaments but she didn't really know the story. Much of her life was spent in the city so she never really had a chance to experience what it was like out here.
"Several years ago, he came in here. A large tattered cloak covered his body, nobody said anything about at first but he did something that made us all give him a look." The first member began. Even some of the younger guild members started to converge in the crowd. They knew who Six was seeing how he was the talk of the guild but never really heard what he did.
"Took an elder Death Stalker bounty, as much as the girls at the front desk tried to persuade him away, he did it. Never complained once while doing so. He didn't return for a day and we all assumed he joined the rest of the sorry lugs who took that bounty. The very next day he came in, claiming it was done. Some laughed, others scoffed, we were even tempted to call him out for lying. Two hours later, one of the scouts came back saying that the Grimm was gone. Signs of battle were evident in the cave it made its home in." The member continued, seeing the four enraptured by the tale. This prompted them to continue.
"Tell em about the bandit tribe that he took care of!" Someone called in the back.
"I'm getting to that, hold your horses." The first member snapped, turning back to the four students. "He didn't say anything, nobody did. All he did was claim his reward, left for several minutes before coming back. We used to get attacked by a rather nasty set of raiders, the worst of the worst. Most known for being so hard to find that veteran Huntsmen and Huntresses couldn't trail them. He went after them, tracked all of them down, took care of them, and brought back their knives as evidence." The member told with a grin. JNPR were enthralled, it was more along the lines of Ren and Nora who were enthralled. Pyrrha and Jaune shook in their boots but their curiosity had gotten the better of them.
"What else did he do?" Nora practically begged as she slammed her hands on the table. While she should be horrified that Six was killing people, she wasn't as fazed as some. Her and Ren had seen what people are capable of, how much more dangerous people were than Grimm at times. As she grew older, she saw why Six traveled with them for so long, how he skipped some settlements. He wanted to make sure they at least were safe in a settlement that had people that weren't killers, thieves, and etc. While he may have not known it, the two of them did indeed thrive in the settlement for a while before moving.
"Eager are ya? Well no problem, got plenty of stories to tell about him." The member chuckled. While some of the stories weren't always correct because there were several variations of them, the four students just summed that added more mystery to Six. They were told by numerous people how he traveled across the world, helping people, doing deeds that other people wouldn't, helping the sick, saving towns, etc. In the frontier of Vale, he was practically a hero, at least in their eyes. Not every place saw Six in the same light, to some he was a monster that was told to make children behave, others he was a ruthless killer, but in most cases he was just someone who wandered around the world. The last one everyone agreed on, that he was some mysterious person that traveled across Remnant without a direction.
The whole time, all four students were captivated. If only they knew they had only scratched the surface of him.
Four days went by before Six made his appearance in the settlement. It was one of those warmer winter days that reminded him of some planets he toured on. The snow had melted and the air was warmer but it held a certain chill to it. He nodded at the guards then began to walk towards the guild. He had to get his rewards for the bounties and buy more supplies before heading out. The moment he stepped into the guild, he was immediately swarmed by Nora, it seemed she took his advice and completed a bounty with her team. She was so excited to see him that it caused several guild members to laugh under their breaths. Her demeanor seemed to lighten the place up a lot.
She started to rattle off at the mouth at her completion of the bounty to him. All he did was nod at each thing she said. While it may seem like she was boasting about her skill, he knew that she was just excited to tell him about it. He saw how much she looked up to him and could only sigh when he realized she and Ren looked up to him too much. He didn't want them to be like him, if anything, he wanted them to be the opposite of him. While they would have to get their hands dirty eventually, he didn't want them to follow his path. It's why he wanted to keep a slight distance away from them.
The three of them talked, or rather they talked and he listened. The guild girl, noticed this and gave a smile. This girl that had been here since the other day was excitable, she was like a puppy that had boundless energy. She also saw the boy that kept her in check. His calm, collected demeanor reminded her of Six so much. Though, the moment she saw him walk in here after not seeing him for months, she saw that these kids were different from the others. Usually Six would tell the younger children off politely but with these two, he didn't. He listened to the girl ramble on while the boy corrected her at times. She also saw that there were two other people with the girl and the boy, she wrote them off as their teammates. She had to stifle a laugh, as did her assistant, when he walked up to the desk and waited for his reward, still listening to the girl ramble.
"Nora... calm down." Six said calmly. In the span of a few seconds, she did. While it was obvious that she was still excited, she calmed down considerably. Jaune and Pyrrha's jaws seemed to drop at that. For months, they had tried everything to control Nora when Ren couldn't or wasn't there. This man just... said one thing and she did it.
Nora, while she was still excited, did what he was told. She may not have seen Six in years but her respect for him was too great. To be honest, she viewed him like a father figure. He may not return the feeling that she feels like a daughter to him, but that was okay. So long as she knew deep in her heart that he was the one who taught her to survive, he'd always be a part of her. Ren too. Both of them owed Six their lives for saving them. He may not have been in their lives for twelve years but his teachings were never forgotten, it was practically engraved into their minds. They wanted to do something with him, even if it wasn't something special, they just wanted to spend a little more time with him.
"Six..." The guild girl called out as he was walking towards the door.
"Bounties?" He asked as he turned his head a bit. She closed her eyes and gave him a genuine smile.
"Not today, but I was just-" She started but stopped when he opened the door and was starting to exit. "Wait! Please don't leave!" She cried out.
"But... you said there were no bounties." He said.
"Well... not the ones you usually take..." She tapped her index fingers together.
"... What is it, Maaya?" He asked calmly. She seemed to squeak at the mention of her name. There were times when she forgot he knew her name, nobody really called her by her actual name. They just referred to her as the guild girl. Eventually, her title became her name which is why she never corrected people. Six really was the only person who actually got to know her and didn't judge. Despite barely speaking, people in the settlement knew he meant well. If they got past his cold demeanor, they would realize that he meant no harm to them. He was content with being in the background while they did their deeds. Bounties weren't the only things he did, he often did favors around settlements if he was denied which in turn, made people offer him more supplies. She knew it was his way of keeping busy until he left.
"Well, it's more along the lines of guiding younger generations." She gestured to JNPR. He looked back at her and then at the team for several seconds, weighing his options. While it would benefit him if he were to teach them, there was also the fact that they could report this to Ozpin. He thought about this for several minutes, ignoring the people that stared at him before sighing. He would assist them. This gave him something to do while his ammunition was being crafted. The one of the other reasons he came to this settlement was it had the necessary environment to craft his ammunition.
"I will aid them, under one condition..." He trailed off.
"What's that?" She asked.
"Your scrolls, give them to me." Six ordered. He held his hand out and watched as each of them handed him their scrolls, then placed them on the desk. She knew why he was doing this, if there was a chance that the devices were being tracked, they wouldn't know the exact location of him. The students could always come back and retrieve them, but he wouldn't expose himself for doing this job. To him, this was a task and it kept him busy until he went to Mount Glenn. There truly was nothing to do in the settlement and the next one was about a day's walk from their current location. In truth, he was still on track to activating the facility underneath Mount Glenn so that worry was out of the way. Plus, Ren and Nora wanted to prove themselves so he'd grant it.
"What are we doing?" Ren asked.
"You two wanted to show that you have grown, I want to see it. Come along." He said calmly then started to walk outside. The others jumped up in surprise before following him out shortly after.
He walked in the wilderness with the others. This was a new experience for him, to be with so many people that were of age. Nora was practically bouncing off every tree and he was quick to end that. Ren saw that he changed in some ways; out here, he was cold and distrustful towards everything. Every noise he snapped his attention to, always took in his surroundings, and even looked back every once in a while to make sure they were keeping up. They were given a bounty. All it was, was to find a den of Beowolves and eliminate them. He wouldn't be the one to be doing it though, Ren and Nora were eager to prove themselves and he wanted to see it.
"Six, look! Tracks!" Nora beamed as she pointed at the ground.
"Are you sure they are the correct ones?" He asked.
"They're not the right ones, Nora. These resemble hooves, not paws." Ren corrected.
"That is another factor you all must consider. This is the frontier, there is danger around every corner. Making the wrong judgment call can be the difference between life and death." Six stated as he walked behind them. He stopped leading them when he got to the area and let them lead. While he remained in the back overseeing them track the Beowolves, he remained vigilant while letting his thoughts wander. So far Ren and Nora have proven to be able to survive out here. The other two, not so much. He could tell they were used to living in the city, he could practically smell it on them. The Arc boy was the leader, yet he took no initiative. Didn't take the lead. They all walked for several hours, the others feet were hurt and they were tired but he remained tall, never once letting himself go off balance.
"Ren, Nora... where are we?" Six asked as he handed them a map of the area. The two of them took the map and looked at it carefully, their eyes having different viewpoints but eventually came to an agreement when they saw a cliff near their current location. If they read the map correctly then there would be a waterfall to the east of their location, one that most likely had a river connecting to it, which in turn mean there would be fish. They led the other three to the waterfall after half an hour of walking. Six nodded at the two when they looked at him. It seemed his approval was something that they would cherish. Jaune and Pyrrha had never taken them as people who sought approval from anyone but it seemed Six held a certain spot in their hearts.
"I take it that you two still remember how to hunt fish and start a fire?" Six asked, grabbing three sticks and handing the other two to them. Six and Ren sharpened their sticks with their blades while Nora just waited until Ren was done. Once he was, she started to sharpen her blade until it was nothing short of a deadly spear. He walked over to the edge of the river along with them. Each one seeing fish pass by and raised their arms before spearing a fish. They raised their spears and saw the fish on their spears wiggle around before going still. So far, they were proving that they took his lessons to heart and kept them sharp. This was good, but they still had much to learn. He then watched as they got a fire started with the other two, at least they knew how to start a fire so he wouldn't worry about that.
Jaune and Pyrrha turned green when they saw the three of them start to gut the fish they caught. Blood soaked their hands and Nora's humming didn't help in the slightest, it was too cheerful as she took Six's knife and tore the internal organs of the fish out. The two of them saw each of them cut their fish with precision and began to cook it, washing their hands in the river shortly after. Nora practically skipped back to her spot near the fire while Ren just walked and sat down. Six just stood up and turned his head to look at the two, making them flinch. He stared at them silently before grabbing two more sticks and sharpening them, throwing the spears to them shortly after.
"You two have not contributed to your team efforts. So far I am not impressed." He said bluntly. They flinched back violently, this whole time he was judging them. He watched their every move, watched their every action.
"So... how are we to increase our standing with you?" Pyrrha asked quietly.
"You will start contributing more. If you are to travel with me until we reach the settlement again, I would like to see if you are able to survive out here. So far you haven't." He stared at them. They felt themselves shrink further as he got closer until he stood right in front of them. They didn't notice until now how tall he was. He watched as they went to the edge and peered into the water, barely seeing any fish. Pyrrha seemed to have experience with a spear as she was able to catch one fairly quickly, but Jaune struggled. Six watched as the blonde knight's clothes start to get soaked as time passed. He was finally able to catch one with the assistance of Pyrrha. So far, the blonde had proved to be an incapable leader in Six's eyes. Maybe it was his training that was engraved into his mind or the fact that he saw what a true leader was, he didn't know. All he knew was that he didn't trust Jaune Arc's ability to lead if the situation called for it.
"Mr. Arc. Come with me." Six ordered calmly, ignoring the flinch from the young man.
"Y-Yes, sir." Jaune gulped as he followed Six. They walked for some time, before Six spoke up.
"I remember specifically stating for Mr. Arc to follow me, Ms. Nikos." He said without looking behind him. Her eyes went wide as saucers from her spot in the bushes, she made sure to keep her presence concealed but it seemed she didn't. How did he even hear her over the sound of the waterfall? Taking a deep breath, she slowly stepped out from the bushes and walked up to him.
"Mr. Arc. You have not proven to be a capable leader." Six said bluntly. He ignored the violent flinch from the boy and the slight glare from Pyrrha. Her glare dissipated in an instant when he looked at her. Despite her prowess in battle, she knew that she'd lose against this man. She would hold back to avoid killing him, he wouldn't.
"I'm trying, okay?" Jaune mumbled dejectedly.
"Stand up straight and speak up." Six ordered. Jaune did that in an instant. "You're position as a leader carries more weight. People trust you with their lives and your consequences are greater should you make a mistake. Nora, Ren, and Ms. Nikos are under your command. So far you have proven to me that you are incapable of taking the necessary actions to work efficiently." Six briefed. It wasn't the fact that he didn't like Jaune, but he saw that the boy didn't take his role as leader seriously. Did he realize that if he were to make a mistake then it could cost his team their lives? Pyrrha saw him belittling Jaune but he saw it as the cold truth. Six wasn't one to hold spite against anyone at first hand, it was just that he had no filter when it came to stating his opinions.
"He's trying. It's our first time being out here in the frontier." Pyrrha reasoned.
"They do not teach you this at Beacon?" Six asked.
"Well, they sort of do-" Jaune started.
"Then you should have an idea of what it is like out here. The frontier is worse compared to the cities, you two need to pay more attention to your lessons. I will teach you as I have taught Ren and Nora, but do not expect me to hold your hand." Six stated before walking away. Pyrrha patted Jaune's back soothingly. From what she understood, Six didn't say those things out of spite. He just had no filter and he didn't care, he'd rather tell someone the hard truth rather than a sweet lie. It was true they needed to contribute more but this was literally their first time being out in the wild. Ren and Nora practically grew up out here before moving to Beacon so it wasn't a surprise they knew how to survive out here.
"Well... they did say he was blunt about things." Pyrrha tried to reassure him.
"I mean, in a way, he's right. It's just weird hearing it that bluntly." Jaune said.
"Yeah, maybe we can talk to him about his tone?" She tried.
"I somehow don't believe he's going to change it. From what we saw earlier, that's just how he is." He said.
"Well, at least it's better from someone like him instead of Goodwitch." She smiled.
"Yeah, she just seems to hate me. Well, we better start heading back to... clean our meal." Jaune shuddered, turning green at the thought. She did the same and nodded with a green face.
When they reached the camp, they expected Six to be tall. That he wore some type of armor judging by his boots that were barely visible to most. What they didn't expect was for him to be an armored titan built for war. They visibly jumped in surprise when they saw him sitting on the ground with his cloak spread out, along with his materials. Nora was sitting on his right while Ren was on his left, both were observing some of the items he's collected over the years. Precious gems that would fetch a large price, food and water, ammunition magazines and shells that he wasn't able to keep on his body, throwing knives, rope, Dust of all kinds in bottles, lien, herbs, books, and countless other items. Pyrrha recognized a gem that was only able to be obtained from the most dangerous parts of Mistral. It was a precious item that was sought out by the wealthier class.
Jaune saw herbs that were often found in the outer skirts of the frontier, some that would be impossible to obtain, yet Six had several variations of them. In copious amounts too.
"Whoa..." He muttered.
"Sit down." Six instructed, watching as the two of them sat down near him. They watched as he instructed them how to gut a fish, ignoring their green faces. He showed them what parts were necessary and what parts weren't. Both cringed when internal organs sloshed between their fingers and blood got underneath their fingernails. It was a disgusting feeling, especially since the metallic smell flooded their nose. Ren and Nora just watched as he taught them, never showing disappointment nor anger when they messed up. He just let their mistakes be their learning curve.
"Hey, Six." Nora called out.
"..." He just looked at her and nodded.
"Have you ever thought about teaching at Beacon?" She asked.
"The Headmaster has sent you on this mission to recruit me, didn't he?" He asked, turning his head back to his items and inspecting them. It went quiet and he didn't say anything for a while, he didn't need to. This was expected, that the man would use the pups against him. Did the man really think he'd rope Six into his shenanigans, especially since he knew the truth about him?
"... Yes..." She said quietly.
"I will not go to Beacon. The academy is not a place I trust, nor will ever trust. It is a place I have no belonging in." He answered. That wasn't the only reason she wanted him to go. She wanted to see him every day, to make sure he wouldn't disappear into the wilds again. Her and Ren knew that deep down, he wasn't one to be chained. Outside the city walls and the academies were his hunting grounds. Why would he ever give that up? It's why they were training to be Huntsmen and Huntresses, so they could follow his footsteps and wander around, helping people like he's doing now.
"Well, will there be a chance that we'll see you again?" She asked.
"There may be. Though, you and Ren must be prepared if we never see each other again. Life is not fair, it waits for no one. If I were to go to Beacon then I would be limited in what I am able to do, and you two would focus on seeking my approval rather than growing." He answered. It was just the cold, hard truth with him. He didn't need to lie to them because they knew this was the case. He was practically impossible to pinpoint ninety-eight percent of the time. What he said did make sense though, if they were too focused on seeking his approval then they would never be able to grow. As heartbreaking as it was, they knew that he was always meant to travel alone.
The sky darkened and he kept watch as the others fell asleep. To pass the time, he let his mind wander around for the next several hours. He thought about how long it would take to get to Mount Glenn from the current settlement; doing the math in his head while factoring in all the variables, he came to the conclusion it would take him around a week and a half on foot. While they may have not wanted to leave him so soon, he needed to be on the move soon and would rather get to the facility sooner than later. The more time he wasted, the more his opportunity window started to close. Though, he would admit it was nice to see those two again.
Jaune woke up earlier than the others and yawned. He rubbed his eyes a bit before he saw Six staring at him, or at least he thought he was staring at him. It was hard to tell due to the helmet. He didn't know Six like his teammates, there were stories that told to him when he was younger but he just assumed they were made up from his parents and sisters. Jaune was oblivious at times, earning him the title of dork at Beacon and home but he adapted quickly, and he hoped that Six could at least give him some advice in the matter. He wanted to prove the giant, terrifying, monster of a man that he was a capable leader. The only thing he needed to get past was the man's cold tone of voice, which sent several shivers down his spine.
He went up to Six and was going to touch him but stopped when the Spartan spoke up.
"Do not touch me, Mr. Arc." Six said calmly. The younger boy jumped back and in alarm and rubbed his neck sheepishly, he probably should've asked if he was awake first.
"I uh... wanted to know if you could help me improve..." Jaune said quietly.
"Speak up." Six ordered.
"I wanted to know if you could help me improve." Jaune said in a louder tone of voice, not so much to where he would wake the others.
"With what?" Six asked.
"Well, I gave what you said about my leadership qualities a thought and wanted to know if you could help me. I want to be a better leader for the others." Jaune answered.
"..." Six said nothing and just stared at the boy, making him shift uncomfortably.
"So is that a no?" Jaune's shoulders dropped. He yelped when Six hit the top of his head with a fist, he barely applied any strength into that.
"Start speaking up and stand up straight. Capable leaders always display confidence in themselves. If you cannot complete these first two things then I will not aid you." Six said calmly.
"Right." Jaune nodded and puffed his chest out slightly. He coughed up a bit when Six hit him in his chest with an open palm. These strikes weren't meant to harm him considerably, they were meant to correct his mistakes more than anything.
"I said to stand up straight, not stick your chest out." Six said. He started to help Jaune's posture, then started to fix his confidence issue, and finally had managed to gauge his combat experience. To say that it was abysmal was an understatement, while he may not use a sword and was more used to his knife and other means of weaponry, Six saw countless flaws within Jaune. Most things that could be fixed if he spent more time with them, but he didn't. He needed to get this done and check up on the settlement before heading to Mount Glenn.
"So... is that it?" Jaune panted. Six taught him some things but it was more of a beating than anything.
"It is for now. We are leaving." Six said as he walked past Jaune and began to collect his materials. It took a few minutes but he eventually organized all his items into his bag then go up to the others and wake them up. Ren and Nora woke up and greeted him while Pyrrha just brushed his hand away. He gave her a flat expression from behind his helmet then reached inside his bag to grab his canteen before pouring water on her. She shrieked at the cold sensation and glared at the person who did that before gulping when she saw it was him.
"Sorry." She said sheepishly.
"..." He said nothing but just turned to the river and dunked his canteen underneath, watching as the water filled it up before putting a purification tablet inside. He did the same thing he always did before nodding to them, watching as they led the way to the den. They knew where they were supposed to go, but he noticed that Jaune seemed to be more proactive. Pyrrha too. He noticed that Nora seemed to beam in delight when she saw her teammates contribute while Ren just nodded. It seemed that they had people to look out for, to take their minds off of him while he did his business. This was good. It was good to keep his distance from them to keep them from following his footsteps and constantly hounding after him. This situation, him taking them on a mission was a good learning curve for them and a good test.
The five of them eventually came across the edge of a cliff, in the distance they saw a den. Six brought out his DMR and aimed in the scope, seeing Beowolves enter and exit the den. This would prove to be a perfect time to observe their fighting styles, but also to test Jaune's leadership skills. If he couldn't come up with at least a decent plan then he shouldn't be leading the other three, especially Ren and Nora.
"Mr. Arc. You have two minutes to come up with a plan. Go." Six said as he crouched down and observed. His hood was down while he looked through the scope. He mentally took started to countdown and just observed in silence. Minutes passed by and he looked at Jaune, seeing him have a thoughtful expression.
"Well, Pyrrha's a good marksman and combatant, so she could pick them off at a distance before aiding us up close. Ren and Nora seem to go well together although Nora should be given space due to her swings from her hammer. I'll act as bait for the most part, drawing out any Grimm and leading them to the others. Should there be more inside than we can handle, then Nora could cause a cave in with her explosives." Jaune rubbed his chin. Six thought about this plan for a while. While it wasn't the best plan, it also wasn't a bad one either. Most would just rush in and not care about their surroundings, yet Jaune seemed to take that as an added factor.
"While it has it's flaws, it is not necessarily a bad plan. Had you more time, would you come up with a better one?" Six gauged the blonde.
"Possibly. Are we on a timer?" Jaune asked.
"There are things you must consider if you are to remain in this profession. The odds will not always be in your favor, you may not always have time to come up with a full proof plan, time will be against you in many situations and it is good to get used to them. While making one on the spot is quick, you must also take into consideration of several factors." Six explained calmly. Jaune seemed to consider this and really wished he could write this down.
"What are you going to do?" Pyrrha asked.
"I will remain up here and observe. Should you all need assistance, I will provide it." Six answered curtly. He remained at his spot on the cliff, letting his cloak blow to the side from the wind as he kept his eyes on the four. He immediately noticed that they rushed at the Beowolf den and started to eliminate them. He sighed when they started to get reckless with their attacks, mainly Nora, but would leave so many openings. Though, it seemed that Arc's plan worked somewhat, he would act as bait while defending himself while the others would do the heavy lifting. He would kill one or two then let the others kill a group of them. Maybe he was wrong about the boy, while he was clearly lacking experience and needed more guiding, he was quick to adapt to his surroundings. That alone proved to be a useful skill. Six then observed as a large Grimm started to come out of the cave, only for Jaune to point at the large boulder. He watched as Nora turned her hammer into a grenade launcher and fire it around the boulder, knocking it loose. It tilted and started to plummet until it crashed on the skull of the large Grimm, killing it instantly.
Six just observed them silently, not bothering to hum or comment. He didn't need to, he had got what he needed from them and he would place their skill level as adequate. It was far from perfect, but it wasn't bad. They could use work in regards to the damage to the area around them, but for the most part they seemed to work well together. He didn't need to fire a single shot because they watched each other's backs. Yes, they had left several openings that could be dealt with in time, but they did do the job as efficiently as they could for a group of trainees. Adequate, that was what their skill level was to him. Maybe if he were to meet them again and they grew, that he'd see them as something other than that, but he viewed them as adequate. This was to be expected seeing how they are just starting out. They are learning and that was alright.
He stood up and put his DMR on his back before placing his hood up over his head. It was time to head back, for him to say goodbye and start heading towards his next destination.
The walk back to the settlement was silent for the most part. When asked about his thoughts, he merely stated that they were adequate, much to the shock of them. While he did state that they were decent in terms of teamwork, they disregarded their surroundings a majority of the time. Had there been civilians then several would've possibly been killed in the crossfire. While it was clear they were used to constant praise from some of the professors, they weren't that used to Six bluntly telling them that they were adequate at best. The professors did this to increase their confidence while giving them advice, Six didn't care about their feelings and stated what was the issue. He looked for their flaws and told them to improve upon them.
On the way back, he would give them different scenarios. He gave them a decent amount of time to come up with a solution, scolding them if they were to make the wrong choice. Every time they would make a mistake or say the wrong thing, he would scold them then lecture them on making better decisions. Although they didn't like it, they did see that he was experienced when it came to situations like this. The world was not fair, not everything would be in their favor. This wasn't meant to be their friend, it was meant to give them a realistic point of view on life. Not everything was sugar coated, the world was a bitter place that would chew them up and spit them out. Although, they did see this as a good learning experience.
They returned to the settlement after several hours. It was well into the afternoon when they stopped by the guild. When he entered, he went up to the counter and claimed the reward, splitting it evenly then handing it to them. He saw their confusion and sighed quietly from his helmet.
"I did not complete the bounty. You four did, therefore you get the reward. It is against the rules to claim a reward when you did not contribute to complete it. You four must remember this." He said. The members at the guild looked at him, while they were surprised that he wasn't the one who completed it, they did feel relieved that he was truthful in stating he wasn't the one to complete it. It just meant they could trust him more.
"So, what do we do now?" Ren asked.
"We will part ways. You all must go back to the academy and continue to learn." Six responded.
"So, this is goodbye then?" Nora asked quietly. She didn't want to cry but the tears were starting to well. It had been so long since she's seen him and she wanted to spend so much more time with him, but she they needed to go back. They couldn't stay here forever because they knew he'd be gone soon. Ren didn't want to admit it, but was along the same lines as Nora. Just as she did, he wanted to spend more time with Six. The man had practically filled the gap from the death of his parents. Although he wasn't in his life for twelve years, he technically was always with him in spirit. Plus, it was heartwarming to realize that he remembered them after all these years.
"It is." Six nodded. He saw the two teenagers slowly start to put their heads down in sadness and placed his hands on the top of their heads. While it was awkward, they didn't remotely care. They knew from their childhood that he wasn't one to display any means of affection, it's just how he was. He was so closed off from people that it just became second nature for him.
"Well, we'll see you again, right?" Ren asked.
"That depends on the situation. Both of you have proven that you've grown. Keep growing." Six said calmly. They looked up at him and nodded before wiping the little bit of tears away from their eyes. As short as it was, they did enjoy this encounter they had with him. He already knew that Ozpin sent them here, it was a low move to use people as young as them to try and recruit him. His hands were taken off of their heads and he saw them walk out, but before Jaune and Pyrrha could walk out with them, he stopped them.
"What is it?" Jaune asked.
"You two are their teammates." Six said.
"Yeah?" Pyrrha tilted her head a bit.
"Which means they trust you in their eyes. Fortunately for you, they have skills to survive out here and trust you with their lives. Unfortunately for you, I do not hold you in the same light. I do not trust that you are able to keep them safe, but I am willing to put aside some of that mistrust so long as you keep them safe." Six said bluntly. They noticed that he held a calm tone like before but it was full of distrust. He didn't trust them with Ren and Nora, but he was willing to put a minuscule amount of it aside if it meant the other two were happy. Six may not have shown it, or he did not know, but he did care about Ren and Nora's status.
"We'll keep them safe." Jaune said. He knew what Six was implying, the older man was implying that he wasn't capable of keeping his team safe, and he was destined to prove that wrong. As terrified as he was of Six, Jaune was determined to prove the man wrong about him.
"..." Six said nothing and just stared before nodding. He took another bounty off the board, got it assigned to him and left shortly after. He would complete this bounty, do his usual errands, then proceed to Mount Glenn. It was better to start the journey sooner than later, he was getting too attached to people and that bothered him for some reason.
This was a definite sign that he needed to get off the planet. A part of him didn't want to feel anything that led to mistakes.
Hello again, here I am with another chapter. I don't know why I'm writing so much, maybe it's just a stress reliever, I don't know. To be honest, it's about the only thing that really relaxes me at this point which is why I'm writing so much, but meh. I don't have much to say other than let's get onto reviews, forgive me if they're short.
Alby199800: Thanks, here's another one.
TheFishKing: They have.
human dragon: Thank you.
Haxorus knight: Maybe, maybe not, I won't say much because I don't want to ruin the immersion for you.
Rookie059: Thanks mate, and I did try to create a more valid reason for him to wander now.
NeonNavyWriter: Thanks, keep up the good work on your stories too.
PhoenixGuy: Was playing it while I wrote that chapter.
Janne Rolfe Jalandoni: Affirmative:
Malgrath: I wouldn't say making friends because he doesn't care about friends, except his one, but more along the lines of making an ally so he can get off the planet.
KneegarFakeget: I do, I do take my time. It's just I enjoy writing so much.
Guest: The story will be different.
Guest: He does not, glad you're enjoying this.
Monkey-man369: Thank you, and I'll try.
SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta: Some people say set, others say head. People are different, but if it makes you more comfortable then I'll start writing head of hair. Also, thank you for correcting me about writing it Instillation.
Guest: Thank you.
scottusa1: Yep, thank you. Laters.
Guest: Hope this chapter answers it, but he'll have more of a role model relationship than anything.
Minxiboo: I mean, it's decent, but I'm glad you're enjoying it. As long as people are enjoying it then that's all that matters.
Ronmr: Indeed.
Double2cat: He has, which is why he sent them there. Also, you do your vibrating thing. Thanks for reviewing.
M3KHAN3: Yeah, my Forerunner lore is somewhat rusty but it's also a lot of history to keep track of. It's complicated and I was afraid I messed it up, but meh. I'll learn to correct my mistakes if I make some.
KnowingEzmend: Yeah, I try to understand people and have a good relationship with them.
Sm0keyPanda: It is indeed, and thank you.
Josephi: That made me laugh. Thank you, I needed that.
AMW Riptide: Thank you, I hope to keep it enjoyable for you.
Dead344156: Because I want to get better at cliffhangers but not to the point where I butcher it. Thanks for reviewing.
DarkySunRise: JNPR is still a thing. The story for RWBY is pretty much still a thing, but with some different aspects. Ren and Nora are are 17 at this point and around the cities, I'll try to brush up on that topic if I'm up to it but the main story will revolve around the settlements in the frontier. Six doesn't care what's happening in the cities. He's more worried about the problems in the frontier more than anything, seeing how those are where a majority of the facilities are.
Hamilton406: Indeed he did.
VGBlackwing: I enjoyed that, try to proof read your review a bit though. It's hard at times. I mean no offense but just proof read it a bit and you'll be golden as far as typing long reviews.
Lord Demolitions: Indeed.
Blaze1992: That's because half of them are, for some reason. I agree with you in that aspect, so you're not alone.
InfernoKnightmare: I enjoyed that. Also, I wouldn't say he feels pride but more along the lines that he's satisfied that they took his teachings to heart. I guess that would be pride, I don't know.
Main117: Thank you, I'll try to do more like it.
Malgrath: I'm sure you are. I try to give people chapters that they enjoy. Not everyone is going to enjoy it, and that doesn't bother me too much but at least you're enjoying it with other people, so that must mean I'm doing something right.
Cazador324: I had no idea what you wrote so I used google translate, but I'm glad you're enjoying it. Here's some more.
PoisonPen37: Thank you.
Reader: He did.
Gundam-Knight-Chris: Hope this chapter answers you.
Name In Progress: Wow, long review, not that that's a bad thing. I don't know what to say other than I enjoyed it, especially the wolf quotes. I was intrigued by the names, even if I didn't use them. Maybe I'll use them if I make another story, who knows.
Marco Geddes: You're welcome, here's another.
Mr. wolffe: Thank you, you're awesome.
Czechus: Thanks, I had the same thoughts about the Gods too. Here's another chapter.
Guest: Thank you.
Guest: He did, under the agreement that he at least get one facility up and running.
Lord of Moons: Yeah, over time I just stopped caring. I'm not perfect, in fact I'm far from perfect but at the very least I can produce decent chapters. Thank you by the way.
Guest: I'll think of something.
Somerandomperson: It's gonna start slowing down now that I have more assignments coming through.
Guest: I'm not going to lie to you, I had something but I forgot what it was. It might come back to me in a later chapter.
The Baz: Had the same thoughts about the Metaphysics. Also, kudos to you for catching that reference.
The Lone Swordswolf: That would be cool, but I'm afraid I'd butcher it if I actually made something like that.
Thankfulclock50: Thanks for the review. I'll try to keep improving upon my imagery and about the Forerunner facility, I did my best to make it at a pace that wasn't too upfront. I wanted to have a build up to it rather than say it outright, but I also didn't want to have it at the end of the chapter.
sacke110: Yeah, Six knows about her now. Thanks for seeing my point about the reviews.
York52: I tried to make it as decent as possible without dragging things out. I'd rather create something I can work with and expand upon it rather than throw something together and leave it at that.
Ssj1998: To fight or meet? I got a little confused because it seemed like you didn't finish your sentence. Otherwise, it's not weird. There's possibly some one else that has the same thought. As far as you liking this, I'm glad. My Gears story is one of my first and as time passes I realize how chaotic I made the main character in that, so I'm trying to flesh him out like I did with Six. In other words, I'm trying to make him not so... what's the word... cringey at times.
Wrath of Vajra: Thanks for the review.
Ghostly: Possibly.
So, I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't meet your needs. If it doesn't then oh well, I'm not perfect. Another thing I'd like to apologize for is the answer to the reviews. I'm trying not to say so much to where I spoil the story in the authors note because I'd like to give you guys the feel when you read it. Yet another thing, is why I named the Guild Girl that. Believe it or not, that's the Guild Girl's voice actress in Japanese and I didn't realize that she was the voice of several characters from my favorite anime. A lot of you are going to get mad probably, saying I'm stealing or something along those lines but at this point, I don't care. The ones who did give names, I at least thank you for trying, but who knows... I might use those names for another story if I create one.
To be honest guys, I'm tired. I'm tired of a lot of things. It's to the point where I haven't been sleeping well, most of these things are just stress. Fanfiction and some other things are really the only stress relief I have, and even then those things can only do so much for me. I don't know, things are confusing now. Yet, I'm not here to worry you guys because some, if not most, will just brush over these things. It doesn't bother me like it used to. I just... kind of live around it. Anyways, thanks for reading this and goodbye, everyone.