Fire burned throughout the area and surrounded them as smoke clouded the air. The two stared at one another as Yang stood on a broken tree trunk. She glared at him with her eyes burning brightly. The feeling that seemed to radiate off of him was the polar opposite of hers. While hers was like an uncontrollable inferno, his was like a merciless blizzard. It was cold, ruthless, and dared to slowly kill anyone caught in its path should they stay too long within his presence. His eyes scanned her carefully, coming up with numerous ways to deal with the situation and a secondary plan should the initial one fail.
"What do you want?" He asked, keeping his DMR lowered but ready.
"I can't talk to you?" She asked sarcastically.
"People usually don't attack one another when they want to speak." He answered.
"I usually talk with these." She gestured to her fists.
"..." He just narrowed his eyes at her.
"I want to know why you killed her." She said.
"She was a bandit queen that let her acolytes rape and kill countless people and nobody was doing anything about her." He answered evenly. It was the truth and he already knew who she was referring to; but the bandit woman was more of a carrier than an actual mother.
"So that gives you the right to kill her before I got answers?" She clenched her fists and stepped forward. His grip tightened on the DMR as his gaze turned borderline lethal. He wasn't looking for a fight to be honest, but if she started one then he'd be the one to end it.
"The answers she would have given you were probably the same as the ones you've already received. She never cared about you or anyone else. The only thing she cared about was herself and had no problem robbing others and stealing whatever they held onto for her own survival. If she actually cared about you like a real mother, then she wouldn't have abandoned you nor your father for a life of banditry." He said.
It seemed that this wasn't what she wanted to hear and she didn't even waste a second to charge at him, smashing the ground where he stood at. He jumped away and stared at her before diving to the side when she slammed her fist into a tree and turned it into splinters. He noticed she seemed to levitate off the ground slightly and the air around her shifted, making him eye her carefully.
She was a Maiden now, and from what Cinder told him, it looks like it brought out the worst aspects of her. Summer had told him in the past about Yang, how she could destroy a building if she got angry enough but it used a lot of her energy in the process. He'd have to be careful, not so much worried about himself but about the settlement and it was clear how easily she could shift her attention to innocents.
He fired two shots at her and noticed a bubble flare up. She whipped up at him and charged at him with the speed of a missile and threw a left hook, making him lean out of the way and kick her in her side. She grunted as she skid to the side and rushed up to him again, throwing a series of punches at him. He parried the first one then blocked the second one before wrapping his arm around hers on the last one. She was swung around onto the ground and he slammed his fist into her chest before kicking her away and looking at her.
"Stand down." He ordered.
"Fuck you." She responded, shooting to her feet. He jerked once and his shields' alarm blared loudly when she fired at him before diving behind a fallen tree when more shots tore large chunks off of it. He stood up and fired at her, barely being phased when she used Ember Celica to launch herself into the air and towards him. All he did was jump backwards and skid on the ground before looking at the area some more. The smoke seemed the thicken slightly and he dipped his head down slightly before disappearing into the smoke.
She stood up and whipped around to see the spot he disappeared at, bellowing in rage when she saw he wasn't there. A bush moved slightly and she fired at the spot, seeing nothing but some charred foliage. Smoke seemed to escape her mouth as she panted and her knuckles popped loudly every time she heard a noise. Just before she could open her mouth to shout something, an invisible force struck her in the back of the head before darting back into the smoke. She shot up to her feet and looked around, a hateful glare sent in every direction. The only sound was the burning of the trees and crackling of fire.
"Is this how you killed my mom?! Hiding like a coward?!" She asked, floating up into the air to observe her surroundings. When she didn't receive an answer, she fired into a spot that she thought moved. A knife soared through the air and bounced off the shield, making her look in the direction it came from. When she saw nothing, she screamed loudly and fire shot from her.
A shard of Dust was thrown at her and she sent a fireball at it, causing steam to spray at her. It hissed loudly and she swiped it away and saw nothing but the smoky air. Her eyes widened when she heard the sound of something charging and quickly turned around, jerking back when Six fired the Boltshot at her. The bubble around her shattered and he tackled her. He angled them and slightly crushed her as they skid onto the ground.
She flew through the air when he threw her into a large rock and kicked her through it. A small groan was heard from her and when she got up, he was already back in the smoke, using it as cover to sneak around her. He just observed her from a distance as she fired in front of her, demolishing the area some more. His movements barely made a noise as he dashed by her and slashed her back. She screamed momentarily and held her bleeding back while glaring around the area.
She charged into a wall of fire, seemingly bending it around her and only cried out in pain when he dove past her and slashed her forearms. He kept doing this, and it was slowly getting on her nerves. Just when she was about to blow up, it stopped for a few minutes and allowed her to calm down. She breathed harshly as she stomped around before crying out in pain again when he darted by and slashed her thigh.
It was his plan, to slowly wither her down... bit by bit. He would tire her out before lunging in for the kill. Attacking someone who had enough power to level a building head on was foolish on its own. No, it was smarter to use the area around him to his advantage as much as he could. He wasn't out to kill her; she was a threat which meant he had no choice but to take her down, but he wouldn't end her life. Not to mention he had enough people hunting after him, no reason for Summer and whatever friends she had to hunt him as well.
He was brought out of his thoughts at Yang yelling and cursing at him, vowing to make him suffer when she found him. His head whipped up when he saw her jump high in the air before clouds seemed to form and she caused it to rain. The water put out the sea of flames in a few minutes and the fine particulate matter of the smoke seemed to wash away. He dove to the middle when she dove towards him and the spot he was previously at exploded. Dirt, sticks, and small stones shot up in the air and pelted him and the area around them.
"You finally come out of hiding." She cracked her knuckles, wincing when the cut on her thigh was barely sealed up.
"..." He didn't grace her with a response and just spread his feet a bit. She was on him in an instant and forced him to be defensive. He lifted his arms up when she sent a few jabs at him before bringing his forearms down slightly to block her hooks. He countered her by jabbing her stomach and chest before grabbing her leg and throwing it upwards quickly.
She spun through the air and he sent a straight kick into her back before bouncing on his feet a bit. He didn't rush at her and merely conserved his energy while she decided to recklessly waste hers. It was clear she didn't have experience outside of fighting Grimm and a few people.
She surprised him slightly by jumping up onto him and wrapping her legs around his torso while gripping his helmet tightly. Her left hand quickly latched onto the attachment on the right side of his helmet and she squeezed. The sound of electronics cracking and breaking as well as metal being torn met his ears. Sparks erupted from his attachment and he quickly gripped her throat, slamming her onto the ground before stomping on her chest then kicking her away.
His hand went to the damaged part where his attachment was and it dropped shortly after. He looked forward when he heard her squeeze it some more before letting the pieces drop onto the ground. She feigned guilt and merely shook her head at him while he just stared at her.
"All you had to do was answer my question truthfully." She waved her hand.
She didn't get to say anything else when he rushed at her then gripped her wrist and kicked her ankle out from underneath her. He flipped her over his shoulder before ripping one of her weapons in half. He kicked the other one away when she aimed it at him and fired. It blew a tree apart and he stomped on it, rendering it useless. He gripped the back of her head and slammed it into the ground, causing dirt to fly up.
"What if that hit somebody or hit one of the buildings?" He asked.
"So what? What do you care?" She asked back then forced herself onto her feet, kicking away from him. He stared at her blankly before clenching his fists as she bounced on her feet for a few seconds. She saw him take off his cloak and set it to the side before setting his bag on it as well. She didn't care about whoever got caught in the crossfire, which meant he didn't need to hold back with her. Now he wasn't just going to hurt her... he'd cripple her and made sure she wouldn't do anything to anyone else.
He parried her first strike before countering with a quick strike with the back of her hand. A series of quick jabs to her ribs and kidneys made her wince in pain.
She stumbled backwards before closing the distance on him quickly then jabbing at him several times. He simply blocked each attack before clapping her ears and stunning her momentarily. Two jabs to her sides and one to the side of her head threw her onto the ground and he backed up, letting her shakily stand up. Just like before, she rushed at him and swung her left leg down at him, making him block it with his forearm before gripping her leg and swinging her into a broken tree. She barely had time to register his large body dashing towards her until he slammed her through it and saw her skid across the dirt.
He saw her stand up and stomp forward, only to bend down in pain at the cuts on her legs.
"You know... it's not fair that only you get to use weapons." She laughed bitterly.
"I don't care." He responded and rolled his shoulders a bit. At this point, he was tiring her out so he could finally take her down. It was clear that she didn't have the Maiden powers as long as Raven. She spent too much energy and was beginning to feel the fatigue that came shortly after it. He could tell that she relied on brawns rather than brain and suffered for it. There was also the fact that she was out of her league. Compared to some of the rogue Huntsmen and Huntresses he's dealt with in the past, she was nothing but a mere child.
It was clear she didn't care about collateral damage nor the lives of those caught in her warpath. So he shouldn't care about her from here on out and didn't kill her for two reasons. Other than that, she was no different from any other threat he crushed.
He was brought out of her thoughts when she rushed at him and kicked some mud in his face. It barely phased him as he took the first two punches before blocking the third one and countering with a knife slash. The blade created a thin cut above her eyebrow and she backed up as he sheathed the knife.
"The hell was that?" She asked, touching the area he cut.
"A simple cut." He answered. Just before she could say anything, her cut started to bleed and the warm blood started to spill into her left eye. She wiped some of it away and noticed it wasn't stopping like she thought. He slammed his fist into her cheek and saw her spin around before attempting to punch him. He ducked underneath it and threw her over his shoulder, directly into the mud. It splashed and stuck to her skin and made her wounds sting harshly.
She got up and picked up a large trunk, swinging it like a back and barely managing to hit him. The very tip hit him and threw him back a bit before he rolled onto his feet and analyzed her some more. She was breathing harshly and he saw her starting to become more tired. Her attitude reminded him of the Brutes... only less threatening and more emotional.
Both rushed at one another and he slid out of the way from a straight punch thrown at him. His fingers struck a certain part of her shoulder and made her cry in slight pain. He weaved behind her and struck the back of her shoulder area and jumped back, letting the effects of his strike take effect.
"Was that a tickle?" She asked, her left arm dangling limply.
"That was a nerve bundle that I struck." He answered.
"It didn't hurt much." She glared at him.
"It isn't supposed to. You won't be moving that arm though." He responded. She touched her arm and finally realized she couldn't move it at all, it just hung there like a dead limb. He heard her shout in rage and jump up at him, kicking his raised forearm twice before slamming her fist into the side of his helmet. He took the hit and purposefully fell back, allowing her to climb on top of him. She gripped his collar and got close to his helmet.
"I beat your ass." She said to his face.
"You don't seem to understand your situation Xiao Long..." He said as he slammed the tip of his helmet into her nose. A sickening crack was heard and she cried out in agony as blood dribbled from her nostrils. She turned around and threw a right hook at him, making him block with his left arm then counter with a left hook, making her head whip to the side. He followed up with a right hook and blood shot from her mouth.
His left arm around her right shoulder while his right arm wrapped around her neck. He fell backwards towards the ground and maneuvered his body to slam her onto her side, causing her to gasp in agony.
"This isn't the wild anymore. It's an operating table." He continued as he wrapped his arms and legs around her right arm.
"Get off!" She thrashed around when he started to apply pressure.
"Which means I'm the surgeon." He finished as he bent her arm backwards. A loud, sickening snap was heard from the bone as he broke it viciously and twisted, breaking it several more places. There was a loud scream that echoed across the forest but he ignored it and climbed on top of her, raising his fists and slamming them onto her face. Blood shot from her mouth and nose as he struck her and each one was heard from a distance.
Her leg kicked wildly underneath him and he looked at it before wrapping his arms and legs around that and bending it to the side. Another snap was heard from her leg as he broke it violently then climbed back on top of her and punched her a few more times. By the time he was done; her face was a bleeding, broken, swollen mess and it agonized her to even breath. He stood over her and looked down at her coldly before Auspicious floated next to him.
"I wouldn't kill her, we still need her to open it." She said.
"Do we need her or something from her?" He asked, staring down at Yang's bleeding body.
"Something from her, whatever it may be." She answered.
"It shouldn't have come to this, Xiao Long. I would have answered your questions had you asked like you did in the past; yet you resorted to violence because it's all you know. I have listened while you have said your piece, now I will talk and you will listen. This will be the last time we see one another. Consider yourself lucky because I won't be so merciful next time..." He lifted Yang's right arm and brought out his kukri. With one fluid motion, he cleaved her arm from her body and ignored another agonizing scream from her. Blood shot from her dismembered stump and caked the dirt a dark crimson color.
He rotated the appendage dangling in his grip before handing it to a Sentinel that was waiting nearby. It was to be taken back to the facility for now until he would use it to get into the vault to retrieve the relic. He glared down at Yang before kicking her in the side of the head, holding back just enough to knock her unconscious before spreading the biofoam on her wound then wrapped it in bandages.
He brought out his knife and stabbed a certain part of her lower back. The blade passed between the vertebrae and sliced the cord. He spread more biofoam on her wound and sealed it up before wrapping it in a bandage.
Her hair was gripped tightly and he dragged her unconscious body across the ground, leaving a bloody trail. He looked around the destroyed area and was glad that it was only this small part that was damaged by their fight. The destroyed attachment pieces were collected and stuffed inside his bag before he threw his cloak and bag on, tying Yang up and dragging her once more.
She lived to see another day, but would forever feel the phantom pain caused by him.
Six flew the ship and hovered it over Summer's house after locating it. He stared at Yang then kicked her in her chest and watched her plummet, slamming into several tree branches then onto the ground. She wheezed painfully as she looked up at his figure disappear into the ship. He barely even spared a thought as he took off back towards the facility on Patch. Her arm would be used as a key to get in and was kept in a chamber to keep it preserved. When the time came, he'd use it then discard it shortly after.
He wasn't even looking for trouble at this point, and this was one of the very few times he was content with relaxing slightly. It put him in a sour mood and effectively cut his time with the children shorter and made him feel the need to leave within the next few weeks instead of the next month or two. He couldn't even have some down time without someone or something hunting after him. The irritation building up within his system was beginning to become noticeable, especially with how tightly his hands were squeezing the controls.
His thoughts wandered around a bit as he just entered the facility and landed the ship, leaning back as the landing pad adjusted and faced him towards the entryway. He got his supplies and stepped outside, walking away from the pad and turning around to see it start to break down. It disappeared from view and he just turned towards the door and walked through it, trekking through the metallic halls.
The only sounds that met his ears were the quiet hum of the facility and his boots impacting the ground beneath him. A light seemed to pulse on the wall towards the main area and he followed it. The hallway got larger and he entered the main area, looking around to see a large gap. He looked over the edge and saw the pitch black emptiness that threatened to swallow anyone whole should they fall over it.
A panel to his right made him press it then stand back a bit as it turned on the hard-light bridge. It glowed a bright blue and he walked across it to see a large map, showing the current state of the world. Vale was completely covered with detailed imagery and Mistral was about half way done, the other side of the world was dark until he got the facilities up and running.
Humming was heard behind him and he turned to see Auspicious another one of her original chassis. She floated next to him and there was a Sentinel nearby, offering him a weapon. To her surprise, he refused and claimed that he hadn't done anything and that he wouldn't accept being rewarded for doing nothing. She bopped up and down in understanding and stared at the map with him, barely turning to him when he took his helmet off.
Crushed metal and electronics were seen and there was more soot on his armor than before. Throughout the countless years of being on Remnant, the burn marks and large scrapes were seen on it. There were scratch marks on it as well from Grimm, but he repaid them by ending their worthless lives. He wondered if humanity won and how far they had come with the equipment. Did they move forward or backwards if they survived.
If they didn't find him, it just meant he'd continue doing what he was doing now until his last breath. It also meant he got to spend more time with Maaya and the children, extending his visits and being there more often. However, if they did find him then he'd bring Maaya and the children up to see the stars. He did promise Maaya that he'd take her up there one day and he usually kept his promises.
Sometimes he wondered what they'd do if they found out he did all this; acting on his instincts and "compromising" himself with the faults the common man fell to. He knew how ONI was, he was one of their prized assets and they weren't willing to let him go so easily. If it meant using the ones he cared about against him, then they'd do it in a heartbeat. One of his handlers taught him this when he was first sent there; that man would cross lines that were never meant to be crossed if it meant achieving something.
He's done it countless times.
They'd either see him as a valuable asset or a tool that outlived its usefulness. He wouldn't hold it against them if he wasn't useful anymore, there was only so much he could do in his life. He wasn't a hero like the people on Remnant claimed; if anything he was the opposite. A simple item that was used to do the dirty work of others and disappear without a trace. There were times when he didn't consider himself a human anymore. It was moments like these that stumped him sometimes, trying to figure out what he was.
"Reclaimer?" Auspicious asked.
"Yes?" He asked.
"What is it like to be..." She nodded towards his body.
"Human?" He asked.
"Yes." She bopped up and down.
"...I don't know..." He said quietly. There was an undertone of confusion masked by indifference.
"But you're a human, a very special one, but a human nonetheless... how do you not know?" She asked.
"I'm not normal. Normal people don't do the things I do or feel nothing when they take countless lives." He said.
"So you don't consider yourself a normal human?" She asked.
"No. There are times when I consider myself a fault in the universe." He answered.
"Huh..." She made a clicking sound then stared at the map.
"Why do you ask?" He asked.
"I felt like talking. It feels nice after all these years alone." She said.
"Did you have no one to talk to back then?" He asked.
"No, I did. She's gone though... for a long time." She answered solemnly.
"What was her name?" He asked.
"Bringer of Infinite Hope and Serenity, but she had many names depending on where she went. It as an odd thing sometimes, but she never seemed to be bothered by it. She was a kind Forerunner, she is also the one who helped create me." She answered.
"She sounds like an important individual." He said.
"She was. There were times when she had so many projects going that I had to be the one to finish them. Every life, with the exception of the Flood, she regarded highly and always sought learn more about it." She said. He put his helmet on and the two made their way throughout the halls, discussing this Forerunner she held in such a high regard and looked up to constantly.
It was nice to learn about the past, how different the Forerunners were and their way of life. He knew that she was limited to what secrets lied out in the universe, but it was interesting to even hear a small portion of it. The more she talked, the more he understood why she was so eager to tag along with him and help him. Deep down, she was just a lonely being with more humanity than him sometimes. She's lived hundreds, possibly thousands of his lifetimes and still was still somewhat sane.
A small part of him felt pity for the construct. She was here long before the people of Remnant were a passing thought and she'd be here long after they passed. It sounded like a lonely existence in the end and he wondered what she'd do if he left or when he passed away.
"Do you miss her?" He asked as he stepped on the teleportation grid.
"All the time." She answered after a few seconds of silence.
"..." He nodded and felt his very existence being pulled apart. The familiar sense of vertigo accompanied him as he went from one facility to the other in the span of several seconds and he stumbled forward. Another chassis floated up to him and the two continued their conversation as he went to the quarters and decided to rest a bit. She left after a while and he took off his armor before falling asleep shortly after.
Two days passed by and he finally returned, some people crowded around him and he just answered their questions calmly. He walked into the guild and plucked a few bounties off the board before getting them assigned to him. The storm clouds rumbled in the distance and he looked at the time, seeing that it was almost eight at night. He walked to a certain shop and opened the door, hearing a familiar bell jingle above his head.
"Ah, there you are. Take a look at this." The craftsman said as he presented the folded cloak to Six. It was a dark brown color and the fur covered the top portion of the cloak, falling down to nearly the middle of it. It was held together by a few buttons that snapped together in the middle towards the neck area. The tusks dangled off two strings near the front, but the one thing he noticed was that there was no hood.
"Thank you." He nodded and took the cloak. The man waved as he stepped out the door and started to walk towards the mayor's office right after the guards told him. He nodded and walked through the settlement, barely sparing anyone a glance as he made his way towards the mayor's office. Several people waved at him and he greeted them back before continuing without anymore distractions. The secretary at the front desk gulped when he arrived again and notified the mayor, gesturing for him to go up. Once he left, she breathed in relief and felt her heart slam in her chest.
As he walked through the hallway, he saw countless pictures of the settlement as well as previous officials. The most recent picture was when he killed the dragon and they held a lantern festival. Back when...
Myne's previous family was still alive. Has it been that long already? There were times when his thoughts often wandered to them, they were possibly the first few people to spread their kindness to him, never prying into his past. It's been a while since he's seen their graves and he figured he'd do so after meeting with the mayor. They weren't the first civilians he's failed to save and they wouldn't be the last.
Whenever he thought about them, he would think about Noble as well. Each member had their distinctive quirks that he often missed as time seemed to pass by. He figured he'd take what they taught him and apply it. His steadfast attitude from Carter, fighting spirit of Jorge, his merciless wrath from Emile, and vigilant eye from Jun. While he didn't have Kat's genius, he did share some similarities with her and learned a few things from her.
In his more pessimistic moods, he remembered that he was a replacement. He wasn't stupid when he first met Noble. Their distrustful glances at the start and doubtfulness of his skills. He didn't hold it against them though. It didn't long for him to prove his worth and they eventually came to enjoy him being around, as did he. He opened up to them because they could relate to him a bit.
He was one of the more quiet Spartans, but not completely silent. The only time he really spoke was when it was needed, other than that he just did his job. Even across the countless worlds he's been on, he talked a bit more than he did in recent years. Granted, he was always on edge but to the extent of his current stay on Remnant.
Remnant was different... in more ways than one. It changed him, for better and worse.
He was brought out of his thoughts when the mayor stood next to him and stared at the picture of the festival. Neither one wanted to break the silence for the next couple of minutes before the mayor looked up at him.
"It's been a while since we've had that." He said.
"I see..." Six said.
"Although we might have it in the future." The mayor said.
"It would bring morale up." Six commented.
"We do need something. While we have events, it didn't spark as much joy as the festival." The mayor looked back at the picture.
"What was the reason you called me here?" Six asked evenly.
"Straight to the point, huh? Well, I wanted to know about that girl, the one who attacked you." The mayor said.
"She won't be bothering anyone anymore." Six answered not a second later.
"Did you kill her?" The mayor asked.
"No, but she probably won't be moving very much after our ordeal." Six explained, his eyes never leaving the picture. His eyes caught sight of a familiar looking individual off to the side. The closer he looked at it, the more clearer their features came. His eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw it was one of Ozpin's little pawns, drinking a flask while looking around.
"Has something caught your eye?" The mayor asked.
"No... it's nothing. What's the status of the settlements?" Six asked.
"Things are... different in a sense. The outer settlements completely resent Huntsmen and Huntresses while outsiders are usually regarded with high suspicion now. We're don't want anyone from the city coming in our settlements." The mayor said.
"What about when I depart and you all have no one left to defend you?" Six asked.
"Nearly everyone in the settlements know how to pick up a weapon and fight. We've come to terms that you aren't going to be everywhere all at once and decided to take up arms. You've paved enough of a path for us to get our bearing straight." The mayor said.
"What about the relationship with the city?" Six asked.
"At this point, we see that the city never intended to assist us and are silencing whoever speaks of an individual who eradicated the White Fang." The mayor glanced at him.
"Why?" Six asked.
"I'm guessing they don't want to lose whatever power they have. It's better to silence people than to fix their system. From what I've heard, anyone who talks about you or even attempts to look into you are silenced." He explained.
"..." He didn't say anything and just looked around.
"The inner settlements are also denying the city supplies as well." The mayor said.
"In what ways?" Six asked.
"Crops, Dust, raw materials, and other valuable goods. The city eat like royalty because of the inner settlements, but they do nothing when a problem arises. They have no problem taking but seem to have one being told no." The mayor answered.
"That is an issue I can't resolve." Six said.
"It's not one we expect you to. A lot of people know you're not a politician and would never think about being one. That falls on us to be the ones who deal with that. You've done your part in protecting us the best you can. Now it's time for us to pull our weight." The mayor said.
Six just nodded his head in approval and followed the mayor into his office. He stood in place as the man fished through his desk and brought out a medal, giving it to Six. To his shock, the Spartan refused it politely and claimed he didn't need a reward such as that. He was rewarded enough with supplies and people willing to leave him be like he asks.
"Did she hurt anyone in the settlement?" Six asked.
"This one? No, she didn't. The same can't be said about some of the other settlements though." The mayor answered.
"How many?" Six asked.
"It's hard to say. Somewhere between eight or nine innocent people were hurt. A couple of guards and guild members were hospitalized trying to stop her. She left after that and eventually came here I guess." The mayor answered.
"..." Six just clenched his fists tightly before shaking them and letting go. He nodded and bid the man a farewell before walking out the door and deciding to take the stairs this time around. He walked out the front door and saw that it was starting to rain lightly. His hood was taken off and he looked up, watching as the droplets slowly hit his visor and trickled down it. People that roamed the street seemed to quicken their pace to get to their destination before the rain started to really come down.
The street lights illuminated the area and he just enjoyed the atmosphere that it gave off. All was quiet with the exception of a the rain falling and hitting the ground while a few people talked underneath something to shield them.
He decided to go visit the graves for a while. Sometimes he'd place one of Myne's pictures or trinkets near it then leave.
When he arrived at the apartment, all the children were sleeping in the living room. They had made a little pillow and blanket fort and he looked inside while Maaya just stood off to the side and simply smiled. Each one looked content and comfortable, something he wouldn't ruin and just let them sleep. He stepped back and sat in front of the couch while she just sat behind him, turning on the TV and turning the volume down low.
"Did you handle that girl?" She asked.
"I did." He nodded.
"Who was she?" She asked.
"The daughter of a bandit queen." He answered, looking at a throwing knife and setting it down.
"You killed her mother, didn't you?" She asked, but she already knew the answer. Despite never leaving the settlement often, she did know that the slow decline in bandit activity was because of him.
"..." He chose silence like he always did.
"What did she want?" She asked.
"Answers as to why I killed her mother and I gave them to her. She attacked me and decided that the people that were caught in the crossfire didn't matter. From that point on I knew she was a threat that needed to be dealt with." He answered truthfully.
"Six..." She sighed, making him tilt his head at her.
"What?" He asked.
"Just... be careful, okay?" She said.
"I will." He said.
"Promise." She said seriously. He looked back at her and noticed her expression, that her seriousness was mixed in with a bit of worry.
"I promise I'll be careful." He nodded.
"Good. They want to see you in the future." She gestured at the sleeping kids.
"How are they?" He asked calmly.
"Still not going outside and hide when someone is at the door. I keep having to remind them that I'm not going to hurt them." She said.
"After what they went through, I don't expect that to disappear." He said.
"It won't, at least not anytime soon." She shook her head. They turned their head towards the little fort and saw Cyrus crawl out, his eyes locked on them and he retreated back. He made himself as small as possible and only shrank a bit more when Six crouched in front of it and held his hand out. All he did was patiently wait for a small hand to wrap around his index finger before he gently pulled the boy out. His small toes wiggled against the soft carpet and he sneezed quietly before looking up at him.
"Hungry?" Maaya asked, receiving a shaking head in response.
"Bathroom?" Six asked. Cyrus just shook his head again and pointed at the tea kettle. Just as he was about to go towards the kitchen, a bedroom door opened and Myne waddled out and stared at him. She lifted her arms and made a grabbing motion, making him bend down and pick her up with his other arm. Her arms wrapped around his neck and she buried her head in the crook of his neck.
Maaya just stood up and walked to the kitchen, warming up the water. The four of them just waited in silence as the water heated up and she turned the kettle off before it could start to whistle. The hot water was poured in a mug and she pulled out some boxes of tea, letting Cyrus pick out the one he wanted. He bounced up and down in glee when he saw the chamomile tea and pointed towards it. She laughed softly and put the bag in the water, letting it sit.
"Myne, do you want any?" She asked.
"Mhmm." She nodded tiredly.
"Which one do you want?" Maaya asked.
"Apple..." Myne yawned and adjusted herself.
"Alright, sweetheart." Maaya smiled and fished through the cupboard. She grabbed another mug and poured the water inside of it before placing the bag in shortly after, leaning on the counter. He looked at the two and noticed Myne go limp before falling asleep while Cyrus just toyed with his hood. The scent of apple and chamomile filled the room, creating an odd but pleasant scent. Maaya was about to give Myne her tea, but saw her sleeping and gently plucked her from his arm.
He just finished making Cyrus' tea and held onto him while he drank it eagerly. A few times he had to slow him down before he choked and let him enjoy it. Three minutes later and it was all gone, allowing him to rinse the mug out in the sink and place it down. He put the apple tea in the fridge and went to the living room, sitting down in the middle.
Lying down on his back, he just let Cyrus climb over him. His quiet giggling seemed to wake the others, who also woke up from the scent of tea, and they saw him climb over Six. One by one, they started to climb over his prone body while he just remained motionless. The only time he stopped them was when they tried to touch his knife, guiding them away and making it clear they could hurt themselves. Other than that, he just enjoyed the time he had left with them.
Nana's tail wagged quickly when he lifted her above him and she stared at him. He set her down and she crawled across his torso along with the others as they dogpiled him. In the past, he would have never let anyone do this, let alone touch him. He closed his eyes and let his mind rest a bit for once.
He'd spend a bit more time with them along with Ren and Nora before giving Maaya the cloak and leaving. He'd have to be more careful in the future, not only for himself but also the ones who stood behind him. For the first time in a while, he actually had something to lose and he'd be damned if any of it was ripped away from him.
Happy late new year everyone. I know I'm exceptionally late with the whole celebration thing, but what matters is that I uploaded I guess. Don't have much to say other than new year and new goals this year so there's that. Otherwise, thanks for being patient with me and sticking through it. I can already tell people are going to get pissed off about the whole Yang fight scene, either it wasn't long enough or may have seemed like it wasn't entertaining enough. I'll just say that it was literally almost 3k words worth of content, so just be glad it wasn't shorter.
If you didn't like it then oh well, tough tits I can't change anything about it now. Never claimed I was the best at fight scenes.
Anyways, I don't think you guys want to hear anymore so I'll just end it here.
Until the next time. See ya, guys.