Six woke up earlier than the others and looked out the window. It was still dark outside and he stood up and stretched a bit before looking at the clock to see it was five in the morning. He sighed a bit before quietly walking down the hall and opened the door to the children's room quietly. Peeking inside, he saw them sleeping peacefully. They slept in a small pile, curled up into one another. Just as he was about to leave, he saw one of them toss and turn a bit before it grew more erratic.
Stepping inside, he went up to them and lifted the blanket to see Isaac moving around. The young boy seemed to be having a nightmare and woke up with a small gasp, tears brimming in his eyes. He accidentally ripped his bag, revealing a large section of his face. Panicked whimpers were heard from him and he desperately tried to repair the damage he accidentally caused. When he finally noticed Six, he tried to shield his face.
"Are you alright?" Six asked quietly.
"..." Isaac looked at him, one eye peeking from between his fingers while the other from the hole of his paper bag. He shook his head and Six stared at him before gripping the paper bag. The young boy panicked and desperately tried to hold on tight, but his wet fingers allowed it to slip from his grasp. He turned away and covered his face while Six just stared at his back. There were countless scars across his neck and he could see some extending to his face.
There was a small rumble coming from their stomachs and Isaac stiffened. He tucked his legs into torso and did his best to silence the gurgling from his stomach.
"What do you want to eat?" Six asked.
"I'm fine with anything..." Isaac responded after a while. He flinched when Six gently took his hand and the two walked out of the room. His bare feet felt nice as he stepped on the carpet while his free hand covered his face the best it could. He was sat down on the couch and had a blanket placed over his shoulders. It was thrown over his head, hiding his face. The room was quiet for a minute or two while Six grabbed a bagel and smeared peanut butter on both pieces and set the plate on the coffee table.
"Here." Six said as he handed Isaac a piece and sat down on the ground. A hand extended from the opening of the blanket and took the piece before retreating back. There was the small sound of chewing that got progressively faster. He handed the other piece to the young boy and heard him eat that piece quickly as well. The two of them were thrown into silence for the next several minutes before Six brought out a mortar and pestle and some spices after he ate.
"What's that?" Isaac asked.
"A mortar and pestle." Six answered.
"What's it for?" Isaac asked.
"Various tasks. Crushing nuts, turning certain things to paste, and turn others into powders." He answered.
"Hmm." Isaac hummed quietly and just watched Six craft some things. After a while, he slid down from the couch and sat next to him, keeping his head covered.
"Why do you cover your face?" Six asked.
"Because I'm ugly and you'll make fun of me." Isaac answered. Six looked at him for a quick second before shaking his head.
"I won't." He said.
"The scientists and guards did." Isaac said.
"They are gone." Six countered. It went quiet for a while and the only sound was him grinding the spices together, filling the room with a sharp smell.
"Can I see your face?" Isaac asked.
"..." Six nodded and set the mortar and pestle down before reaching up and taking off his helmet. He set it to the side and looked down at the younger boy, allowing him to see his face.
"You have really weird eyes." Isaac said. Six's distant eyes didn't make him feel as alarmed as he should be; maybe it was because he had seen worse with Merlot's staff. He found the Spartan's eyes calming in a sense, like the gentle waves of the ocean in the dead of night.
"Your turn." Six nodded.
"Okay..." Isaac nodded slowly before letting the blanket droop down. He took his hands away and revealed the scarred, small face of his. It wasn't overly scarred like some horror movie character, but Six did understand why the boy was self conscious about his appearance. The mental and emotional abuse he faced from the guards and scientists probably made the situation worse. The Spartan could count on a single hand how many scars was on Isaac's face. It wasn't even that bad to be honest.
He had literally seen several people have their faces ripped off by Brutes or mauled by Jackals.
"You're not ugly." Six said.
"I am." Isaac shook his head.
"No, you're not. If you don't want to show your face then you don't have to." Six said.
"My bag is ripped though." Isaac said.
"I will get you another one or get you a large hat." Six said.
"Really?" Isaac blinked and fiddled with his fingers.
"Yes. You should go back to sleep though." Six suggested.
"Um..." Isaac shuffled around anxiously as he pulled the blanket over his head again.
"What is it?" Six asked.
"I-I can't go back to sleep. They usually stuck a needle in my arm to make me tired." Isaac admitted.
"We don't do that here." Six said almost instantly, making Isaac look at him.
"You don't?" He asked.
"No." Six shook his head. The two were thrown back into that familiar silence and Six picked him up before leaning him against his chest. He rocked back and forth, allowing Isaac to slowly relax bit by bit. It went on for half an hour before his eyes closed and he went limp as he fell asleep. Soft snoring was heard and Six waited several minutes before standing up and walking towards the room.
Maaya's door opened and he looked to see Maaya stand there tiredly. She yawned and stared at his face before turning to Isaac's sleeping form.
"Did he have a nightmare?" She asked.
"He did." He nodded.
"He's alright now though, right?" She asked.
"He is. I'll wake him up in a minute." He said before heading back to the room. His hand was put on the back of his head as he gently lied him back down with the others and quietly crept out of the room. The door was closed with a soft click and he saw Maaya in the kitchen, a carton of eggs nearby. He stood next to her and merely helped her make breakfast. There were times when she forgot he towered over her and looked up at him.
"Why does the room smell like spices?" She asked.
"I was grinding some." He answered.
"Alright, do you want to put it in the breakfast?" She asked. He nodded and went to the living room and grabbed the mortar and pestle and walking back to the kitchen, dumping the contents in into a container. A bedroom door opened and he turned to see Myne waddle into the kitchen tiredly. She was in her pajamas and clutched her stuffed bunny in her right hand, before tossing it onto the couch. Her feet slid against the ground and she went up to him, holding her arms up and made a grabbing motion.
He picked her up and held her in his left arm, sandwiching her between him and Maaya. The three of them stared down at the food being prepared as the sun started to peek through the window in the living room.
"Mommy, are you leaving for work today?" Myne asked.
"Yeah, I have to go back. Do you want to come?" Maaya asked.
"Um..." Myne twiddled her thumbs.
"It's okay if you don't." Maaya smiled.
"Not today." Myne said.
"You want to spend it with Six?" Maaya asked.
"Yeah." Myne nodded. Her forehead was kissed and they just went back to making breakfast. She kicked her legs idly and opened her mouth when Maaya grabbed a spoonful of their breakfast and handed it to her. She beamed in delight at the taste and was sat down at the table. A plate of food was slid in front of her and she ate it with a small smile on her face. The minutes droned by and Maaya got in the shower, leaving just him and Myne together.
"Daddy?" She asked.
"Hmm?" He hummed.
"Are you leaving soon?" She asked.
"No, not for a while." He shook his head.
"Good." She smiled.
He had to agree, it was good that he was staying for a while.
"I'm home." Maaya said as she took her shoes off after walking in the door. When she didn't hear anything, she looked around before walking to the kids' bedroom and looked inside. She covered her mouth when she saw Six lying on the ground while the rest crowded around him and slept. His eyes were closed and his chest rose up and down at a steady pace. He set his helmet to the side to allow him to sleep more comfortably.
She stepped into the room and saw him wake up before looking at her.
"You don't have to get up, I'm just going to move them a bit." She whispered.
"No." He shook his head. She didn't listen and moved them to the middle before lying down on the other side of the futon. The kids didn't wake up and she just closed her eyes; today was more hectic than usual considering everyone was asking her questions. There's also the fact that she was training that girl he saved from Beacon's dungeon. Poor girl barely looked anyone in the eye and seemed to be surprised when she was given praise for something as trivial as sorting books.
"How was your day?" She asked.
"It was fine. Yours?" He asked back.
"Hectic, but enjoyable." She yawned and adjusted herself to a more comfortable position. Nana sat up and looked around tiredly before her eyes locked onto Maaya, making her crawl towards her. The others mumbled and groaned in annoyance as she crawled over them and wormed her way between Arthur and Maaya, kicking the boy a little bit to make room. She ignored his tired glare and curled into Maaya, enjoying the warm feeling the older woman gave off.
Both adults made the children feel an inner peace they hadn't either felt in years or never felt before. Six was calm and collected, but was willing to be the one who protected them. Maaya was warm and gave of a nurturing aura that they yearned for after being exposed to it for the first time. They made them feel safe at the end of the day and didn't want to go anywhere.
All nine of them slept for the next few hours; the children's nightmares quiet for once. Him and Maaya woke up at nearly the same time before he looked at the time and sat up, prying Myne off of him then set her down. She had to pry Nana off of her before standing up and walking out of the room to use the bathroom. He closed the door with a soft click and went to the living room. His cloak was thrown over his shoulders after his helmet was put on and he turned when Maaya walked in the kitchen.
"Leaving?" She asked.
"For a minute, yes." He nodded.
"Will you be back tonight?" She asked.
"Yes, I'm just going to pick up some supplies and patrol for a bit." He said.
"Alright. Stay safe." She nodded.
"I will, thank you. The boar meat has been marinating all day so it should be good to cook and the vegetables are already in a container in the fridge." He said.
"Thanks. See you later." She waved.
"I'll see you later." He nodded before leaving the apartment. There was a series of clicks behind him as he walked down the hallway and entered the elevator. It descended at a slow pace and eventually the doors opened, allowing him to walk out and exit the complex. People started to go home for the night and there were a few people out and about, either eating at restaurants or simply enjoying a small stroll. He went to a shop and entered it, listening to the bell jingle above his head. It was quiet for a second or two before he stepped up to the counter and rang the bell.
The small ding made the person in the back stand up and go to the counter, widening their eyes when they saw him.
"It's been a while." The man said.
"I apologize, I've been busy with some things." Six said.
"It's fine, last time you were here was when you purchased some cloth. What can I do for you?" The person asked.
"I wanted to know if I can get another cloak." Six said as he fished in his bag and put the boar skin on the counter.
"Nice quality. You know, this is actually a pretty rare boar pelt." The man said.
"It is?" Six asked.
"Yeah, believe it or not, there's a lot of rare animals out there. Skins worth a fortune or two depending on who you sell it to. Me however? I like making things out of it, be it rugs or clothing." The man said.
"Huh..." Six tilted his head.
"Hold that thought." The man said as he went to the back and shuffling could be heard, he appeared after a minute carrying a map. "This right here is a map containing areas where they could be. It won't be the exact spot seeing how they're animals, but it gives the ballpark estimate." The man handed him the map.
"Thank you." Six said after looking at the map before folding it and stuffing it in his bag.
"Your welcome, bring me back those pelts and I'll make a new cloak each time." The man said.
"..." Six nodded before leaving the man to make his new cloak. He walked out and started to exit the settlement, nodding at the guards before stepping into the wild. An inner peace filled his soul as he walked through the wilderness, listening to the sounds. The Monitor popped off his strap and floated in front of him, noticing he seemed a bit more relaxed.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"I am. Just thinking about my next course of action after getting the other facility in Mistral. I still need to find Salem's underling and eliminate him before continuing on." He answered.
"Ah." She bopped up and down before floating next to him as he patrolled.
"Are there Sentinels patrolling nearby?" He asked.
"There is. It's why the Grimm population is under control." She answered.
"Yet you leave just enough for the settlements to earn some income." He looked at her.
"I've seen how the frontier's economic system is when regarding the bounties. While crude, it does give the inhabitants experience should a horde make its way to them and a chance to earn some income." She said, scanning a nearby plant.
"That explains why its so quiet and I haven't heard about a settlement falling in a while." He said.
"I wasn't lying when I said Grimm are considered a parasite to me. While I can only do so much with my limited access, it is better than before." She said.
"What about the settlement?" He asked.
"If you're wondering about security, I have Sentinels keeping an eye on it. After seeing what the parasitic fool did, I've decided to make my presence a bit more known." She said.
"People will be curious and cautious about you." He said.
"Humans are naturally curious creatures. So long as they don't do anything that is perceived as a threat to the Installation, then I won't do anything." She said.
"Define threat. There is bound to be one or two people who would stumble upon a facility." He said.
"Forced entry is one, trying to destroy the Installation is another." She explained.
"What if another Reclaimer tried to do either of those?" He asked.
"Reclaimer or not, if they are a threat then I am within my right to terminate them." She said.
"Understood." He nodded then continued to walk forward. There was still so much to do. He still needed to find and kill Hazel before heading to Atlas to deal with Ironwood and Watts.
"If I may be of some assistance, targeting Salem's underlings would be top priorities along with getting the facilities up and running. We already know Hazel Rainart is in Mistral, so I think he will be our next target." She said. He hummed and nodded before thinking some more about his next course of objectives.
So much to do now.
A few days went by and Maaya lifted Cyrus out of the tub and wrapped a towel around his body, drying his hair gently. He sneezed quietly and rubbed his nose before putting on some underwear and pajama pants. He lifted his arms when a shirt was pulled over him and he looked at her when he was finished getting dressed.
"All done." She smiled.
"..." He nodded before being lifted up into her arms and carried out into the living room. There was a knock at the front door and they went to it, unlocking it and peeking outside. Six tilted his head before the door closed and opened up fully, letting him inside. He closed the door behind him and bent down when the children swarmed him, either trying to climb on him or ask him something. It was clear that Maaya and him were the only people they trusted, seeing how he saved them while Maaya offered them a place to stay as well as food. Anybody else, they regarded them with deep suspicion or open distrust.
He lifted his arm when Arthur clambered onto it and hung on while Prushka dangled from his other arm. Nana climbed onto his back and leaned against the back of his head while Calliope held onto his torso. He just let them climb on him for a minute. Myne clambered up and dangled on his shoulder while Isaac just stood nearby. Cyrus just looked at the others curiously while Maaya held him, idly rocking side to side. Aside from Nana, he was one of the youngest.
He walked forward while they still held onto him and started to sit down in the living room. They adjusted themselves before climbing on him once more, grunting when they tried to climb over him. None of them could stand on his shoulders considering he kept moving them back onto the ground. They saw it as a challenge and kept trying, only stopping when he told them to suddenly. He didn't have a problem with them climbing on him, just not to the point where they'd injure themselves trying to do anything foolish.
They were like energetic puppies in his eyes. Nana went as far as to gnaw on the joint of his index finger. It wasn't hard, but he did notice that she usually chewed on a lot of things, be it toys or surfaces. Myne just smiled and bobbed side to side while sitting in his lap as she drew a picture. His mere presence was enough to make her forget the things she saw on the island at the moment. He knew she changed though; whenever they went out, she eyed strangers suspiciously or would always hide inside his cloak.
Time seemed to slip by and before both adults knew it, the kids started to slow down and lie on the ground. He just waited a little bit longer and eventually they fell asleep in their spots. Paper and crayons littered the living room and he just pried them from their hands before lifting them up one at a time, then putting them in their bedroom. One by one, they were set in their spot on the mattress and covered with a soft blanket.
Myne was put in her bed and covered with the blanket. Her nightlight was flicked on, illuminating the room with a dim starry pattern. The door was closed with a soft click and he walked back to the living room to see Cyrus was the only one still awake. He looked at Six then at Maaya before reaching towards Six, making him pluck him from her arms. He stood up and walked towards the kitchen with him in his arms.
Maaya watched as Six made some chamomile tea while bouncing Cyrus up and down gently. She raised an eyebrow when he put milk and honey in the tea and stirred it around gently. He picked up the warm mug and handed it to Cyrus, gesturing for him to drink it when the boy shot him a curious look. Once he tasted it, he beamed in delight and started to drink it quickly, only slowing down when Six gripped the mug.
The sipping slowed down and after a minute or two, the mug was empty and set in the sink. The faucet was turned on and he rinsed it out before sitting on the ground. Both watched him doodle on a piece of paper for the next several minutes before he eventually started to doze off. After ten more minutes, he was snoozing against the coffee table with a crayon still in his hand. Right before he could pick him up, she held her hand up and gently scooped him into her arms. She hummed a soft tune that kept him asleep as she entered the room with the others and set him down.
While she was in the room, he took the picture and looked at it. It was a crude drawing of them all and he looked at it for a few minutes before showing it to Maaya when she walked next to him and looked at it as well.
"It's cute." She said.
"Hmm" He rumbled.
"Just admit it, you big grump." She said. That familiar smile of hers always made him stop and wonder why she put up with him. Others usually wrote him off as a weirdo and only worked with him when ordered to. He didn't have much of a personality nor did he care about one, shutting himself off to better his skills. Yet, here was this civilian woman who took the time out of her day to help when she didn't need to. There was barely a bad bone in her body, and she decided to help someone who had nothing but bad bones. A killer, a monster to many.
"Maaya?" He called out.
"Yeah?" She asked back, fishing in the fridge for something sweet to eat. The only sound was the quiet ticking of the clock before he shook his head after a few moments of silence.
"... Nothing..." He dismissed.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"I am." He nodded.
"Alright, you know where to find me." She said. She didn't look convinced, but nodded anyways and he could tell there was some truth in her words. That was the problem though, there were times when he wanted to tell her, but knew he couldn't. It was beaten into his skull that he should never reveal any information unless it was to his superiors. He wouldn't tell her about his past, considering ninety percent of it was classified information, but he did want to open up to her a bit about him losing people.
Yet, he knew his mind and part of his soul wouldn't allow it. So he just kept silent as always, extinguishing his quiet turmoil with cold efficiency and eventually letting them fade away. It was how he stopped feeling anything about the death of his parents. He let the UNSC be the one who raised him, and they taught him the best way to get over what was bothering him.
She sat down on the couch and he sat down in front of it. This was nice to be honest, the warm aura the apartment gave off. It filled him with a sense of inner peace and he decided to enjoy it as much as he could before he decided to leave... when he left that is. He figured if he couldn't kill Salem for good the first few times, then he'd just have to seal her away for the rest of time.
"Hey, Six." She called out.
"Hmm?" He hummed.
"You want some of this?" She asked, holding out the sweet.
"No thank you." He shook his head.
"Come on, just try it." She grabbed a spoonful and held it out. He stared at it before sighing and taking off his helmet. His head tilted at it and he looked up at her then back at it.
"What is it?" He asked.
"It's strawberry Mousse." She answered.
"..." He stared at it some more, making her raise an eyebrow.
"Have you never had this before?" She asked.
"I don't eat desserts." He said.
"Have you ever had a dessert before?" She asked rhetorically.
"No." He answered truthfully. In the past, he never really cared for such things. If it didn't give him the necessary nutrients then he never bothered with it. Such trivial things were often ignored by him and some of the others. The ones that were like him, regarding their personality, often considered these things as distractions and wanted no part of it. The sweetest thing he's ever had in his life was honey and even then it had its uses.
She puffed her cheeks a bit before pushing the spoon closer to his face. He decided to humor her and opened his mouth, taking the spoon and eating the sweet. She smiled when he nodded before dipping the spoon back into the container and eating some herself. He noted that her favorite fruit was strawberries and logged it into the back of his mind. A few minutes went by and she finished eating the dessert before throwing the container away and lying down on the couch.
The faint ticking of the clock seemed to offer perfect background noise as he crafted some items. The minutes droned on and before he knew it, she was asleep on the couch. He just looked at her before taking the blanket and covering her after putting her head on the couch pillow. A note was written and set on the table before he collected his things and left.
It was better to leave for now and go do some things with the neighboring settlements.
Six walked next to Cinder and stared ahead blankly. She was well enough to walk and do most things, but still had a little trouble getting used to walking around with one eye now. The whole time they walked out of the settlement, he never said a word and neither did she. Both were content with the silence and it continued like that for the next ten minutes. The guards waved at him on the way out while he nodded back and continued to trek forward.
The minutes droned on and they eventually came across an open area and he set his bag down. She backed up from him and glared at him with one eye, while he just stared back calmly. She charged at him and jumped up in the air before slamming her foot towards him. All he did was move out of the way and shove an open palm into her back. She stumbled and fell forward before getting up and rushing at him again.
Her fists tried to hit him several times, but all he did was easily parry them before gripping her shoulders and shoving her into the dirt once more. He heard her give an angry shout before throwing herself up and throwing a punch towards his visor. All he did was move his head to the side and shove his shoulder into her, knocking her back onto the ground before backing up. When she got back up, she managed to kick his torso, ignoring the wince when her bones rattled from the hit. He just took the hit before letting her punch his chest, only to wince in pain when her knuckles popped slightly.
It was her way of getting rid of her hatred for him. To slowly let it out until it was eventually gone from her system. He understood her anger for him, seeing how he was the reason she was tortured for years. She changed during that time, after spending countless days in that damned chair, she realized how vile the path she went down was. A path that would have caused countless people to die and crippled the world. Even then, she still wouldn't have felt any satisfaction and only craved more power. It would then continue to grow and grow until it consumed her very soul and made her mad.
When she recovered, she started to slowly see that not everyone was bad. There were good people in the world but it was clear she had never been exposed to it before. People around the settlement were helpful and it made her feel weird. They were willing to take the time out of their day to help her after she was well enough to step outside and feel the fresh air. She was still suspicious of them though, people always had an ulterior motive and she knew that all too well.
Here though? People were used to the hardships and knew without a doubt that everything they built could come crashing down. They always kept that in the back of their minds and used it as motivation to keep their home standing. She was even offered a job at the guild by the woman that came with her attempted killer turned savior. The woman was nice to be honest, she radiated a motherly aura and everyone in the guild felt at ease when she showed up. She never got mad at her or struck her for dropping something or messing up.
If anything, she praised her for doing small tasks and it made Cinder feel a bit better about herself. That she wasn't some gutter rat in a the hellhole called Mistral or the little scapegoat at the hotel. Here she didn't have to fight tooth and nail for scraps or scrub an entire building just to get some recognition. The people didn't know about her past and she had a feeling they didn't care; and as long as she pulled her part and didn't jeopardize the settlement, then they would welcome her with open arms.
She could finally start over.
It made her feel warm on the inside and she desperately wanted to pinch herself to see if this was real life, that she was going to be able to live a slightly normal life. Her thoughts were interrupted when a hand met the back of her head and pushed her to the ground. Dirt caked her lips and she had to spit some of it out before standing back up and remembering her situation. She was facing him.
The very person who put her in that torturous situation in the first place. A large part of her hated him for beating her, but the more she came to realize how vile she was, the more she understood why he did what he did. That didn't mean she would easily forgive him.
He was considered a legend from what she heard, and didn't believe it at first. The more time she spent in the guild, the more she heard about his deeds considering the patrons never shut up about him. How he was this mysterious figure that wandered around the globe and changed the world, for better and worse depending on the faction. The frontier loved him for the most part while the cities and academies loathed his very existence.
The Great Wolf is what they called him. He was the newest legend around and was considered to be up there with the Great Owl, Great Bear, and the Phoenix. Two of them were dead though from what she heard, possibly the second one considering it's been a hundred and fifty years since anyone has heard from him. The Phoenix she knew was dead considering the woman effectively helped Remnant rise from the ashes in the past. She didn't know about these legends too much, but they did do some extraordinary deeds in their lives. Six was different though. She couldn't place it.
"Are you done?" He asked calmly.
"Are you?" She panted, running at him once more but tripping over her feet. Her face planted itself into the ground and she leaned up, wiping the dirt off her face and staring at him.
"I think this is enough for today." He said, picking up his bag and fishing through it. He brought out a snack and tossed it to her before sitting down and bringing out some items.
"Why did you bring me out here?" She asked.
"I knew you were pent up and wished to release some anger." He said.
"So you thought me taking it out on you would work?" She asked.
"You were planning on it anyways." He said. She huffed and turned away before tearing into her snack, chewing quietly and listened to the chirping of the birds.
"Why did you save me?" She asked.
"I don't know. Call it a form of redemption for putting you through unnecessary torture." He answered.
"I guess that's something." She mumbled.
"Had I know he would have tortured you, I would've killed you when we first encountered." He said.
"..." She just shook her head and let her hair swing to the side.
"Why were you after that woman's powers?" He asked. She was half tempted to lie to him but figured he could make Ozpin's torture pale in comparison to what he had in store, especially after hearing how he mutilated Tyrian.
"Salem wants the Maiden's powers to open the vaults containing the Relics." She breathed, looking around for any Grimm. There weren't any and she finally noticed how peaceful it seemed. No small amount of dread building up in her system at the thought of a Grimm sneaking around, just... the sounds of nature easing its way into her body.
"Why?" He asked.
"I don't know. She never told me, but I know certain individuals have them. It... brings out certain aspects in people. If the individual is calm and altruistic then it amplifies that aspect. If they're reckless and violent, it'll increase that negative aspect of them." She explained a bit.
"So it brings out the best and worst in people?" He asked.
"Yeah... I'm guessing that's why Salem and Ozpin wanted certain people to have the Maiden's powers." She nodded.
"What will it take to get into the vaults?" He asked.
"I don't know. It doesn't take much though, all it takes from what I understand is a simple touch with some energy." She shrugged.
"..." He nodded and closed his eyes.
"Why are you bothering with me?" She asked.
"Maaya requested it. She said she wants you to let whatever hatred you have for me or the world go." He stood up.
"Why does she care? She doesn't even know me." She mumbled.
"She cares about a lot of people. It's one of her greatest strengths... her compassion for others. She is right though in some regards. Whatever hatred you have for the world, let it go and start over. It's better to take this opportunity now before it disappears." He started to walk towards the settlement.
"What about my hatred for you?" She asked, standing up on wobbly legs and following him.
"You can have hatred for me all you want, just don't bring innocent people into the crossfire. If you do that then I will not make the same mistake of sparing you again." He said truthfully.
"Got it." She gulped. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that he wasn't bluffing either; if he wanted to, he could kill her and bury her body somewhere. She bumped into him when he suddenly stopped and stared forward. Just as she was about to ask him, he moved her to the side when something shot between them. The tree in front of them exploded and showered sharp splinters and chunks of wood all over the area. He used his body as a shield and let her go when it was over.
"Get to the settlement! Go!" He pushed her towards the direction before bringing out his DMR. The sound of footsteps growing quieter met his ears and he looked at the assailant. He dove to the side when a tree fell towards him and kicked up large amounts of dirt when it impacted the ground. Smoke started to fill the area, which made the Monitor call several Sentinels to form a perimeter to keep the fire from spreading any further.
He stood up and looked at the assailant, lowering it slightly when he saw Summer's older daughter standing on a fallen tree. Her normal lilac eyes were a blood red and her hair was burning like the fire behind her. The fire itself started to tower over them and he readied his rifle.
"Why don't we have a little talk? I need some answers..." She said lowly, cracking her knuckles loudly. His eyes narrowed dangerously at her and he spread his feet apart a bit quickly. He didn't say anything but just kept his eyes on her. Neither one were going back down
Her anger burned too hot while his mind was too cold and calculating.
Wow, you guys... really like this story huh? Thanks for that, I mean it. Anyways, I'd like to say thanks for reading this chapter and I have unfortunate news. To whoever made the TV tropes page, I've been informed that it was deleted for some reason. I'm sorry because I knew you put in a lot of work to it and it was deleted for some odd reason. So sorry to see your hard work go away. I enjoyed reading it.
So someone asked me about what I thought about FakerDarkSouls on Wattpad. I already know about him and how he translates the story for non-English speakers. I don't really mind that much, so long as he gives me credit. If he wrote it off as his own then we'd have a problem, but I don't care if he just translates it.
And now to the juicy parts of the review.
Glamroidz, did I do something to you to make you genuinely hate me or something? I mean, you're not the first person to tell me to kill myself and I can't really keep deleting your anonymous reviews because it's obvious you thrive off of all of this and will just post another one. I'm not really mad, just confused and disappointed. I mean, did you have a reason for all of this or were you just in it to start a conflict? A simple yes or no would just suffice then we can go our separate ways.
Otherwise, I'll see you guys later. See ya.