Nora and Ren didn't know what to feel at the moment. It was like they were lost in the wind all of a sudden. They had been watching the news recently, everyday for the past month when they heard about murders in the White Fang. It also showed a couple Huntsmen that had been killed recently, by the same individual that eradicated the White Fang from Vale. Both of them knew he was in the city, doing what he did best, but when they heard how he crippled a Huntsman and killed two others, they suddenly felt... lost in a sense. It wasn't the type that made them change their immediate viewpoint about him, but it made them cautious of him. Both of them knew he killed a lot of people, bandits and other unsavory individuals, but Huntsmen and Huntresses was another topic. Was it because they got in his way or because he merely defended himself? They wanted to lean towards the latter but the former was a possibility.
What if they got in his way? Would he do the same to them as he did to those Huntsmen? It certainly wouldn't be out of proportion for him to do those things, but they had a feeling he would give a bit more leniency towards them. They were confused, and that bothered them a bit. It was odd though, they were more worried about what Six would do to them if they got in his way, than the deaths of over three hundred people. Right now, they were back to their younger selves, confused and bothered. When they watched the news, they merely watched it with indifference about the White Fang and some criminals, but when they watched about the Huntsmen... they felt a little hurt.
"Ren?" Nora turned to him.
"Yes?" He asked.
"Do you think Six'll hurt us?" She asked. It went quiet for a while, usually whenever she asked a question, he was able to answer it after some thought. Now though, he didn't know if he could. It was like something kept his mind on lock down and wouldn't let it run its course.
"I don't know. Maybe?" He scrunched his eyebrows. It was an odd feeling, not knowing about something that pertained to the safety of him and Nora. He was at a dilemma for the most part, maybe if he asked Six the question then he'd know for sure.
"Oh..." She whispered underneath her breath. Her voice sounded smaller than what it was, she was just as confused as he was.
"I don't think he'll just hurt us for no reason. You remember what he said to Jaune when we last saw him? He said the odds will not always be in our favor, maybe the odds weren't in Six's favor and he did what he had to do to escape. If he was in the city, then it probably meant he wanted nothing more than to get out. Maybe he didn't have time to make a full proof plan. It's just things to consider." He explained. While Nora did have trouble understanding some things, she wasn't remotely stupid. She just let her enthusiasm get the better of her sometimes, which clouded her thinking at certain moments.
"I think... I think I get it. Thanks, Ren." She smiled.
"Anytime." He smiled back. It was important for them to look out for one another, just some encouraging words would be enough at times. He saw her go to her bed and grabbed a chest, bringing it out and pulling it towards Ren. He smiled and opened it, revealing two small cloaks that Six had made for them. Ren's was slightly smaller since he mainly used his to seal up any tears in their clothing, while Nora's was used to keep them warm at night. To anyone else, these were just dirty pieces of cloth that would've been thrown away; but to them it was sacred. These mere pieces of cloth have kept them warm on many nights and sewn up any tears they had in their limited amount of clothes.
"You think he'd laugh at us if he found out we kept these?" She asked.
"Probably not. You already know he isn't one to laugh." He commented.
"That's my main goal then. Before I die, my main goal is to make Six at least smile." She stood up on the bed proudly.
"That's quite the goal there, Nora." He nodded.
"You just watch Ren, he'll be laughing like a mad man in no time!" She pointed at him.
"I won't go as far as laughing like a mad man, but you may be able to make him smile." He nodded.
"Ha!" She laughed boisterously. He had to stifle a laugh as he watched her become more and more animated with her gestures. Of the two of them, she was always the one that displayed more emotions. She was always so vocal about what she was feeling while he was used to keeping his bottled in until the situation called for it. They were always together, especially when their father figure wasn't present. Even when he wasn't around, his actions were often relayed through others. His actions were like a wolf's howl, always present somewhere in the world. That was basically what they were, wolves. Nora and Ren were the pups of the Big Bad Wolf, ones that still had a ways to go before they were ready for the world. They wouldn't have it any other way, their home was ultimately with Six. He may not be around them physically, but spiritually he was.
A noise brought them out of their little moment, making them look towards the door to see Pyrrha and Jaune walk inside the room. They looked appalled for the most part, like they had seen a ghost or a phantom, but in reality they were just witnessing the aftermath of Six's killing spree. Jaune was more terrified than anything. He was oblivious at times, and a little dorky, but he wasn't oblivious to the point where he could just gloss over the fact that three hundred people had been killed. In the span of a month, that was more than any Grimm attack he had heard of.
Pyrrha just looked... disturbed. She didn't know what to think to be honest. A part of her knew who it was, the same man that had given her team lessons and helped Nora and Ren grow. All her hunches always drifted back to the man, because everything about him just screamed killer. He scared her, even though she only met him once, it was enough to put a healthy amount of fear into her. There was also the fact that she feared what Nora and Ren would think of her if she decided to fight him, or at least attempt to. Both of them were the closest thing she had to actual friends and she didn't want to squander it. If anything, she was more cautious of the man than before.
"Hey guys..." Jaune waved weakly.
"Hey, fearless leader." Nora waved back.
"Heh... I wouldn't go as far as calling me fearless..." He trailed off uncomfortably.
"Nonsense, good chap! You're about as fearless as the next person when dealing with Grimm!" She beamed.
"Yeah..." He rubbed his neck sheepishly. The air around them suddenly went quiet for a while and Nora's smile faltered a bit before it dropped. Ren's face just remained passive but he knew why the environment around them suddenly had an uncomfortable feel to it.
"This is about the murders... isn't it?" She asked.
"Yeah. I mean, I may be an idiot at times but I do know there is murder in the city. This though? This was a massacre. Everyone is saying it was the doing of one man, but how could it? He would've been caught by now." He paced around the room.
"It's Six." Ren said calmly.
"What?" Jaune asked.
"It's Six. The guy that did all that was Six. He's the one that got rid of the White Fang, and some criminals." Ren answered in the same tone.
"If the authorities get a hold of this information, then he'll be caught, right?" Jaune asked.
"He's probably out of the city by now. If anything, he won't be back after dealing with the White Fang. I mean, it has been two days since we heard about the deaths of those Huntsmen." Nora said. Her tone seemed... odd in a sense. Jaune and Pyrrha could tell she was uncomfortable talking about the deaths of those Huntsmen, but the tone she used when talking about the White Fang was jaded. It was like she felt a detachment towards them.
"Are you two okay?" Pyrrha asked.
"We're fine." Ren said.
"Are you really? I mean, with all these murders going on-" She started.
"We're fine, Pyrrha. A little shaken about the deaths of the Huntsmen, but otherwise fine." Nora waved.
"What about the White Fang? Are you not concerned about them?" Pyrrha asked.
"I mean, I don't really know what to feel about them. For the most part, Ren and I don't really feel anything." Nora shrugged.
"Oh..." Pyrrha whispered. That was slightly concerning to be honest, and a little frightening. She looked at Ren to see him nod alongside Nora, neither of them were bothered by the deaths of criminals and the White Fang. The deaths of the Huntsmen seemed to affect them more. It was almost as if they had witnessed something that was to be considered taboo.
"What's that?" Jaune pointed at the cloaks, he had vaguely seen them at times but whenever he asked, they would hide it from him.
"Some of the best items in the world!" Nora beamed.
"I've seen you guys have that when we first arrived." Pyrrha chimed in.
"These are the cloaks made by Six. They're so amazing that it will keep you warm on a cold night!" Nora exclaimed.
"They also patch up any holes in your clothes." Ren added.
"Is that what was in the chest?" Jaune asked.
"Yep! If you try to break into it and touch them without our permission, I'll break your legs!" Nora flashed a thumbs up.
"Good one." Jaune chuckled a bit. It wasn't uncommon for her to say that, so he merely dismissed it as playful jab.
"No, I'm being serious. I will break your legs in several different directions if anyone other than Ren touches the chest and takes these." She said. He noticed how her tone seemed to drop and the room suddenly felt heavier, it was like a sudden weight was dragging him down. Pyrrha felt it too. She felt that same suffocating feeling when she met Six, only this one was more bearable.
"We get it. We won't touch your belongings." Pyrrha reassured. In an instant, the metaphorical weight seemed to lift and the room returned to its normal atmosphere.
"Good! Now that that's all over, let's get out and get some fresh air!" Nora beamed enthusiastically. The other three just watched as she took the cloaks and folded them neatly, then gently placed it in the chest. They watched as she pushed the chest underneath the bed and stood up. She walked to the door and stopped before looking at them, flashing as bright smile and exiting out of the room.
"Come on, it's best not to keep her waiting." Ren said as he stood up and followed her out. All that was left in the room was Pyrrha and Jaune, who just basked in silence for a minute before following their teammates out. It was times like these that made them realize they really didn't know their teammates that much.
Ozpin clutched his head tightly. A headache seemed to have formed inside of his mind as he listened to Glynda's furious rants. He had made a mistake, that much he'd admit, and he didn't expect the man he had been observing to actually escape. To say that his assistant was rather... upset, would be an understatement. She was digging into him like a furious mother would to their child. Throughout the past month, she had been assigned to the case the moment the second crime scene happened and did everything in her power to help the authorities. It didn't matter though; with her lack of sleep, helping the authorities in hopes of catching this killer, and getting the students ready for the tournament, she had been rather irritable lately. She even had to deal with Ironwood's shenanigans with the whole situation.
"I understand I made a mistake. However, in my defense, I did not anticipate that he would be this elusive-" He attempted to say.
"He's managed to kill over three hundred people in the span of a month, Ozpin! Then escape while killing two perfectly noble Huntsmen! There's also the fact that we don't know what to tell the families of the Huntsmen he's killed! I don't know how you're so smart yet so dumb at the same time. What if one of our students decided to go after him?! We barely know what he is capable of, all we know is that he's dangerous and unpredictable!" She shouted, her face was starting to turn to a light shade of red in anger.
"..." He didn't say anything but just sighed.
"Your obsession with this man is just as bad as James. The both of you get people killed in hopes of either capturing him, killing him, or striking a deal with him. Did you forget that he declined us five years ago? The answer has been the same since, he's not interested in us. The people in the frontier show more trust towards someone who's never taken off a dirty cloth than Huntsmen and Huntresses, who've trained years to deal with Grimm. Several settlements are openly hostile towards us because you believe that he'll join us if we get people to agree with us." She continued.
"He has managed to lead us to one of Salem's pawns. While he may not be openly against us, we do have a common enemy." He said.
"Somehow, you not only ignore the fact that he killed over three hundred people, but also everything I've got on you about." She rubbed her eyes harshly. Only her superior was able to gloss over the fact that this man had managed to eradicate an entire terrorist cell in the city, scare the survivors into a constant state of panic, and escape without being captured. He may have been seen, but the chances of him being captured were close to none.
For the most part, Ozpin just felt utter disappointment. He was so close to catching this man and he managed to slip through his fingers like always. A part of him wanted to use Nora and Ren to draw out Six again, it seemed to work last time. It would take a better sense of management and judgement before he actually went through with it, he didn't want to admit but Ironwood did have some ways that worked, although questionable. He knew that Six wouldn't hurt Ren and Nora, which is why he wanted to try the tactic again. It just needed to be worded correctly in order to avoid a conflict from breaking out.
The sound of the elevator doors opening made him direct his attention from Glynda to the doors. Inside the elevator was the General of the Atlesian military and the current Headmaster of the academy there, James Ironwood. If one were to describe him; it would be prideful, slightly arrogant, and vengeful to a certain degree. Another factor that Glynda had to deal with. She had noticed that the kills became more messy and brutal the moment the military arrived, something she had to witness unfortunately. A small headache was already making itself known to her as soon as she saw the man. Ever since he had heard that Six was in the city, he had decided to make a small task force to hunt the man.
"He's gone. All that planning and preparation, down the drain." Ironwood said as he stormed in the office.
"Indeed. It seems we have underestimated this man." Ozpin nodded.
"I should have come sooner, maybe then I could've come up with several different countermeasures-" Ironwood started.
"I doubt that it would've bettered the situation, James. Even with the combined efforts of the police force, Beacon, and your military, he still escaped. What did you expect from someone who's never stopped for more than possibly two weeks. I understand your anger, but sending people after him is only going to worsen the situation." She said.
"Then what would you have us do? In case you didn't know, he's killed platoons, entire platoons! You expect me to let someone like that go?" He raised his voice. There was an angry undertone when he spoke of the platoons that had perished.
"Don't raise your voice at me. I expect you to be more cautious when dealing with someone of this caliber. If you were to actually listen to Qrow when he meets up, he'll tell you that the man is unmatched. There is no way to tell who he is, where he came from, or what his intentions are. All we know is that he isn't one to be taken lightly. If we are to go after him, then we need to be extremely cautious of him." She said.
"All the more reason to either have him executed or put in prison." He said.
"There's an ulterior motive for wanting him either dead or locked up, isn't there?" Ozpin asked.
"No." Ironwood denied.
"There is. I've known you long enough to tell about these types of things." Ozpin said.
"..." The General went quiet, which in turn made the air tense.
"James." Glynda narrowed her eyes.
"He has something, something that is beneficial to the state of Atlas." He said after some time.
"Care to enlighten us?" Ozpin asked.
"I'm afraid not." Ironwood shook his head.
"... You know what, I'm not going to stress myself out anymore. You want to keep your secrets as to why you want him, fine... just help us come up with a solution to deal with him." She sighed. The three of them began to discuss different ways to either capture or pin Six down. Almost every solution was quickly scratched out and replaced with another one. Even with their collective ideas, it was nearly impossible to come up with a solution to deal with Six. He was an enigma, so much that even the people in the frontier of all kingdoms didn't know about him. Nobody knew about him; and to the three of them, that was a problem. Not a single person knew where he came from, who he was, or what he was after. All they really knew was that he was dangerous and quiet, a very lethal combination.
The only light he had shining on him was from the people of the frontier, and that he managed to assist in the capture one of Salem's pawns. Some people said that he did more than any Huntsman or Huntress has ever done for them. This alone rubbed Ironwood the wrong way; one man had managed to build up more trust than individuals who have trained to combat Grimm and the government. He remembered how a couple of the outer settlements in Atlas showed outright disgust when the military tried to make its presence known. Even when arrests had been made and the individuals interrogated, they still refused to give up any information about Six.
His skills surpassed even some of the best Huntsmen and Huntresses, even then that was just the tip of the iceberg. More time was spent discussing how they were to deal with Six, more solutions were just scratched out and replaced with even more. The day began to drip away and the night soon came after.
"I'm advising that we send teams after him, I have several capable applicants that are at the ready." Ironwood said.
"And throw them to their deaths? No, the most we can do is observe him from a distance and gather enough intelligence to come up with a solution." Glynda said.
"What about those two children?" He asked.
"What about them?" She narrowed her eyes, Ozpin must have told him about Ren and Nora.
"We could possibly use them to gather information about him. Ozpin, you said that they were taken underneath his wing, correct?" He asked.
"They were, but chances of them actually knowing who he is and what he is truly like is low." Ozpin said.
"Any information is still valuable. It's better than nothing." Ironwood said.
"We are not bringing them into this. I don't care if they're his children or not, we are not risking their lives by sending them after him." She said. Her comment drew both sets of eyes on her while she just crossed her arms. It was true, she didn't care if Six was their father or not, she wouldn't risk sending her students after someone so dangerous.
"Why would you assume they would be sent after him?" Ozpin asked.
"Because I know it's something you would do. There's also the fact that they are the only connection to him, something you two are quick to exploit." She answered.
"A little biased, but I'll ignore that comment." Ozpin said.
"It's not biased in the slightest, you do these things and expect everyone to be fine with it." She replied before looking at the time to see it had dipped well into the night. Her feet were starting to ache a bit from her shoes and she was tired, there was also the fact that the students were still excited about the festival. Despite the amount of violent murders that happened, Ozpin and the council had felt that cancelling the festival would create a rather large spurge of negativity. She didn't know what to do; she wanted to have Six arrested and left to his fate, but she also didn't want to go after him and perish.
"All things considered, I feel as if we should take it easy for the night." Ozpin said.
"Agreed, we will talk more about this at a more appropriate time." Ironwood said.
"When you have calmed down and started thinking rationally?" Glynda raised an eyebrow.
"I am perfectly calm." He retorted.
"Your tone says otherwise. I understand your anger, but you need to think more rationally than sending people to their deaths so recklessly." She turned away and headed towards the elevator. The doors closed before he could start his angry rant. It was bad enough that they didn't come up with a solution, she didn't need any more negativity from the vengeful General. It was unfortunate that he had witnessed the deaths of a couple of platoons, but that just meant he needed to be more cautious when dealing with this man. They were dealing with an anomaly, someone of the unknown that didn't match Remnant's standards.
To be honest, she was more scared of the man than anything. If one to compare him to an animal, it would probably be a wolf. A wolf that never found a home and always traveled alone. She didn't want to bring Ren and Nora into the loop for a reason; if something were to happen to them and Six found out, there's no telling what he would do. A thought like that scared her. To them, he was their father figure and they'd go to hell and back for. Who's to say that he wouldn't do the same?
Wolves don't take too kindly to their pack being put in harm's way.
Six had managed to get back to the facility near Mountain Glenn, then transported himself to the main one. It had taken him longer than what he had hoped but he was finally at his destination. He had to avoid confrontation with the authorities and military, avoiding settlements on the way and had decided to stay in the facility for the next few days. Despite him washing his cloak to the best of his ability, the Monitor had taken it from him, claiming it was dirty beyond all comprehension. All he did was stare at her and give her his cloak before watching her disappear. Several minutes later she returned, a cleaner looking cloak. He inspected it for a bit before putting it on a table in one of the many rooms. It certainly smelled better, so that was a plus. When asked why, he was given the answer that she didn't like dirty things in her facilities.
His next course of action was to take out the Grimm that had been dormant for however many years. She seemed elated to hear that he would handle it after resting and to hear that his next objective was to head to the facility next. He did intend to keep his word, and she promised that she would give him a reward for his efforts. After he sent a signal to the UNSC, he went to the table where his items were at then started to rest. This lasted for a few minutes before he felt the Monitor's presence near him and turned to look at her.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Why do you sleep with your armor on? Are you not uncomfortable?" She asked.
"No." He answered curtly. She hummed in response and just stared at him, observing his behavior.
"You are an odd one, Reclaimer." She commented.
"I see..." He replied quietly.
"There is a room that would be more comfortable." She said.
"I thought this was merely a research facility?" He asked.
"The entire Installation is made for research. It was made for long expeditions, so there needed to be a place for them to rest. I feel that if you were to rest there instead of on the floor or at a table, you would be at maximum capability." She said.
"... Show me." He said after a few seconds of silence.
"Right away!" She beamed brightly before spinning around. He sighed a bit before standing up and collecting his belongings, then proceeded to follow her throughout the complex. They took a right into one of the halls from the main atrium, then walked for a bit. On either sides of him, there were countless rooms that hummed to life whenever he would walk by. Strange symbols adorned the top of the doors and sometimes on the sides. As he was near one of the rooms, he stopped when one of the doors on his left opened and he looked inside. There were countless chambers that were on both sides of the room, each one empty as some of the abandoned towns he had come across. It was like they had been empty for several thousand years.
"What is this room?" He asked as he stepped inside and began to observe it. The room was rather large and had a certain chill to it, it was clean to the point where he could eat off the ground. A large table was at the end of it, presumably for surgery. As he stepped towards one of the chambers, he looked to the side and saw a panel, pressing a few buttons to open it. The door clicked and smoke seemed to pour out before the chamber opened to reveal a comfortable looking bed inside.
"It is the medical bay. I have not used this room for a very long time due to nobody needing it. There were times when I considered dismantling it, but decided against it. Now that you're here, it would serve as a good place to recover from any injuries you acquire over your journey." She informed.
"I see." He said quietly and followed her out of the room. The door shut quickly and he turned to his left to continue to follow her. Both of them had walked for thirty more seconds before he came across a room, it wasn't extremely large, but it was clear that it had space for a couple of people to sleep in here. Inside was one large bed that had a desk on the side, along with several items placed neatly. This must have been somebody's personal quarters, it was clear that the Monitor had taken good care of the room.
"This is the room of one of the higher Forerunner individuals. It is now your personal quarters if you wish." She turned to him.
"Why?" He asked.
"You have proven to be a rather noble individual. I have control of a small part of the Installation because of you, plus it would serve as a way to show my gratitude. While I would like for you to get these facilities up and running sooner, I will not rush you if you do not want to. I understand if you have personal matters to attend to, therefore it would be foolish of me to try and force you to do something you do not wish." She said.
"..." He didn't say anything for a minute. This was an odd feeling, one that didn't really fit well with him for some reason. He wasn't used to being rewarded this much, it felt like she was giving him too much.
"I will take my leave now." She said then started to exit the room.
"Monitor." He called out.
"Yes?" She stopped and turned to look at him.
"... Thank you." He said after a few moments of silence.
"You are most welcome, I will leave your personal quarters now. I still have to put the finishing touches on the explosives I have created." She said. He nodded and watched as she left the room, leaving him all alone. To him, being in this room felt weird, like he was a foreign entity. He didn't know much about Forerunner history, and he would like to know more seeing how he had a construct able to educate him. It made sense though, she did state that this facility was made for long expeditions, so it was to be expected that they would need some place to rest at.
He would learn more at a later date, it was time to rest before he dealt with this Grimm.
He left for the location of the Grimm early in the morning. Around five in the morning to be exact, much earlier than anyone would wake up, but he was already heading towards the mountain top. The explosives he had collected were around the size of his forearm, and there were three of them. Cylindrical in shape, they pulsated an eerie orange color that was slightly alluring to look at. She explained that once one of them was detonated, it held enough power to set off a chain reaction and detonate the others shortly after. She explained the magnitude of the force the explosions would generate, and it was slightly concerning to him. While yes, it was controlled and would terminate the Grimm like it was supposed to do; it also had enough power to level half a settlement if he wasn't careful.
While she did claim she could create a less powerful set of explosives, it would take some time like before, which he didn't want. He just needed to make sure it was away from settlements, up in the air, or still residing in the mountain top. All three were preferable. She had given him locations alongside it's skull and torso. He would set one inside of its skull, one inside the side of its throat, and the final one inside of its torso. While he was sure just one to the skull would be enough to kill it, he wanted to make sure that just in case one explosive didn't work, the others would. Worst case scenario, he would just have to deal with it the old fashioned way.
He wanted this done as quick as possible so he could be on his way. If he is able to complete this, not only would it give the people of the frontier more breathing room, it would also open up a new area for some to explore. His thoughts began to run as he merely walked in the direction of the Grimm. It was comforting to be walking again, not having to worry about authorities patrolling every street or interrogating the next White Fang. Out here, it was his territory and if they wanted to come after him, then they needed to abide by the rules of the wilderness.
Time seemed to come to a crawl as he walked towards the mountain top. Days went by slowly and the nights seemed to drag on, longer than most but it was peaceful for the most part. Grimm that attacked him rarely posed a threat, they really only attacked when they saw him, otherwise he left them alone. There was no need to use his personal ammunition, especially if he would probably have to deal with the giant Grimm. After another day of walking, he had finally reached the mountain top, specifically the area he was supposed to be at. The ground below him felt odd, each time he stepped on it, it would give the faintest vibration. He really hadn't anticipated for it to literally be buried underneath a mountain of rock.
Although he didn't want to, he had decided to use one of the explosives the Monitor had made for him. This not only gave him an idea on how big the actual explosion was, but it also gave him an opening to the Grimm. He sighed a bit before pushing down the slight irritation at the small twist of events before slamming his foot into the mountain top. Little by little, the spot underneath him caved a bit and he eventually created a little hole with the heel of his foot. It took a few minutes, but he managed to actually create a large enough hole to set one of the explosives in. He bent down and reached inside of his bag to fish out one of the charges, placing it in the hole before sliding down the mountain top.
He slid for a minute or two before taking cover behind a large fallen tree that was towards the middle of it, and pulling out one of the detonators. The button was pressed and a large explosion rang out, shaking the ground slightly and causing a large gust of wind to blow several things over. Rocks soared in the sky and plummeted with great speed towards the ground, landing near him and on the sides of the initial explosion. The sound from the explosion rang out for miles and could be heard by numerous ears, no doubt causing confusion for some. He wasted no time and climbed up the mountain, dodging over tumbling rocks and avoiding some by jumping out of the way. Not a second could be wasted. There was no telling if that explosion had actually woke it up or not, but he didn't want to risk it escaping before he could do anything.
The mountain top rumbled a bit as he neared the top, but he continued forward. Seconds passed and the rumbling got worse before he heard a loud growl erupt from the origin of the hole. It was waking up, he knew it was, if not from the explosion then probably from the negativity from his actions in the city. While he would have like for it to remain dormant while he took care of it, it just meant he needed to adapt to the situation.
Colossal boulders seemed to skyrocket in countless directions as the large Grimm burst from its stone confines. Its large wings flapped for a few seconds as it merely flew in the air, letting out a large screech. That large terrible screech seemed to echo for miles and could be heard by all, making him frown. With a sudden burst of speed, he jumped in the air with all his might and managed to grab the very edge of its tail. Its movements made him slip slightly, but he stabbed its tail with his knife to hold on better. It started to fly in a direction while letting out a large, terrifying screech. The wind blew his hood off and he looked forward, seeing how massive it actually was.
He started to slowly climb up its tail, each time he grabbed a part of it, he would stick his knife into its body to make sure he was secure. It must have felt that he was on because it started to fly more forcefully, flapping its wings and flying at a greater speed. The little spikes on its tail offered him a little coverage and he gripped them tightly whenever its tail would whip upwards. He could faintly see Beacon in the distance and saw that it was heading towards there. A deep frown adorned his face and he grunted a bit as he began to climb up its body faster. It was imperative that he got up to its head, from then on he could do something to direct it away from Beacon. Although he didn't like Beacon, he still wouldn't risk having the inhabitants injured or killed from the Grimm.
Little by little, he managed to climb his way up the Grimm, using anything to give him an edge. He used it's spikes, loose scales, and even his hands and knife to climb up to its head. Pretty soon, he had managed to get up to the nape of its neck and was behind the armor on its face. He quickly grabbed one of its horns and threw all of his weight onto it, throwing it off course and directing it back towards the mountain top. It rotated its head and started to fly erratically in hopes of knocking him off, but he held on tightly. It suddenly stopped flying forward and flapped its wings, powerful gusts of wind kept it in place and its eyes tried to catch sight of him. He equipped his DMR and aimed it at the middle eye on it's right side before firing.
The round soared through the air and ruptured the eye like a wet balloon. He quickly put his DMR away and jumped towards its now ruptured eye, slamming his entire arm into it while his other one slammed into the armor. The white armor broke easily and his arm was stuck in it while his other one was in its eye, making is screech in agony. He ignored the loud noises it was creating before he started to pull on the ruptured eye, forcing it to fly away from Beacon. It's claws tried to pry him off but they dropped when he would jerk his arm around and cause more pain. He looked back and saw that Beacon was beginning to getting smaller and smaller by the minute; he looked down to see large black drops impact the ground, creating more Grimm.
"..." He said nothing and just turned his attention back at the Grimm, pulling at the eye some more and forced it to fly in a direction further away from any settlement. More screeching met his ears and he glared at it, people could probably see from miles away. There was no doubt that it would attract the attention of the Atlas military. His thoughts went back to the people of the frontier, he needed to be aware of the Grimm dropping those tar-like substance drops on the ground. His grip on the colossal Grimm tightened when it started to spin around, hoping to throw him off. It spun around several times but his grip remained tight, the only thing he did was wait for it to stop spinning.
It flew erratically for several minutes as he remained in the same spot, thinking on how he could take it down. At first, he wanted to stick the explosives in its eye; but with how it was currently flying, chances were he'd drop them when he went to go into his bag. He saw that it was near his favorite settlement and his gaze hardened at the Grimm, pulling at the now mutilated eye violently. It screeched in pain and he saw one of its wings turn towards the settlement, making him rip his hand out then slam it back in, making it jerk to the side and fly near it. Powerful gusts of wind seemed to rattle the buildings below and he quickly brought out his Binary Rifle and took careful aim. His aim wobbled a bit due to the jerking of the wings and aiming with one hand. A second later, he fired at the elbow joint of the wing. It screeched horribly as the wing started to disintegrate a bit. The Grimm seemed to notice this and ripped its wing off in desperation, letting the two of them plummet at an angle.
The two of them started to plummet quickly, making him retract his arm from its eye and the other from its armor. He took a deep breath before suddenly locking his armor as the two of them neared the ground. It seemed like an eternity had passed as the two of them gradually plummeted, in reality it was fifteen seconds. His body slammed against its head as the two of them crashed into the ground with a thunderous boom. Dust was kicked up from the initial impact, countless trees were uprooted as they skid against the ground for a mile or two, boulders were reduced to pebbles with ease, and there was a large divot created from them.
His body was thrown a bit from it and he bounced across the ground for what seemed like forever. Its body had broken his fall for the most part and he was glad he didn't let go, considering how high up they were from the ground. He still felt the small amount of pain from the fall, but at least a majority of it was soaked up from the Grimm and his armor locking up. When he finally stopped after crashing through a tree or two, he unlocked his armor and stood up with a slight groan before dusting himself off. Aside from the small amount of pain that would disappear soon, he was fine overall.
He looked around to see himself in a large clearing, far enough away from the settlement to where no harm could be done. This was good, although it had escaped and probably caused a surge of negative emotions at its appearance, he did manage to get it away to avoid casualties. That was good enough in his eyes. The situation had its ups and downs, but it seemed to work out in the end, because he made it.
The ground below seemed to rumble and he looked at the Grimm, seeing it flail around a bit before staggering up. Blood gushed from its wound on its arm and the one on its eye before it looked around. He equipped his DMR as it turned its sights towards him and screeched loudly, throwing its arm up and flapping its remaining wing. Massive droplets of the tar-like substance landed near him and a few Beowolves jumped out. They roared at him and started to run at him quickly, prompting him to fire three shots. Each one landed in their skulls and splattered blood on the ground. Their bodies landed near him and two more seemed to lunge at him and he side stepped the first one before ducking underneath the second one. He equipped his shotgun and aimed it at them, firing once and killing the first one easily. The second one staggered a bit and he rushed up to it, slamming his fist on the top of its head before uppercutting it. Its head exploded from the force of the punch and splattered blood over the ground.
He turned back to the large dragon-like Grimm and saw it roar at him again, raising its wings once again and letting a large gust of wind engulf him. The force from it made him skid back a bit but he stopped shortly after. It threw its wing forward again and sent another wave of Grimm at him, this time it was a small horde of Ursa and Beowolves. He equipped the Binary Rifle and aimed, killing two Ursa majors with two shots. Three Beowolves quickly dashed at him, but he simply fired two more times and killed the regular ones, watching their bodies disintegrate. The Alpha lunged at him recklessly and swiped, but he blocked with the rifle and slammed the stock into its stomach. It staggered and bent down while he went behind it and climbed on its back. His rifle was quickly put on his back and he wrapped his hands around its snout and the back of its head, twisting it violently. The sickening snap of its neck met his ears and he rolled off of its body when it collided with the ground.
The Grimm dragon threw its head forward and roared at him loudly, before raising its wings again. He quickly equipped the Binary Rifle and aimed at the joint of its remaining wing, firing twice. It screeched it agony as the burning sensation met its joint, he watched as it bent down and bit its wing, letting its razor sharp teeth dig into the muscle and rip it off. It threw the dismembered wing at him in hopes of causing damage, but he merely rolled out of the way, watching as the large wing skyrocketed past him and uprooted a couple trees before finally disintegrating. It roared and screeched at him in fury before flopping towards him, using its mass to try and crush him.
He had to dive out of the way when it closed the distance in an instant with its jaws open. They snapped shut with a thunderous crack while he rolled out of the way and stood back up. It turned towards him and roared again, letting more droplets spawn more Grimm. The smaller Grimm rushed at him as did the Grimm dragon, dragging its body across the ground. He managed to uppercut a Beowolf that got too close before rushing and diving out of the way when the smaller Grimm were killed by the dragon. Its mere mass killed them but some were caught in its jaws and crushed, splattering their blood all over the ground. He watched as the dragon quickly spun around and began to drag itself across the ground again, using its mass and jaws to continue to try and overwhelm him.
He dove out of the way again, but this time he quickly fished in his bag and brought out one of the explosives. When it lunged at him again, he quickly threw it in its mouth and watched as it snapped shut when it got near him. He dove out of the way like always, but then he started to attack. With both of its wings gone, he equipped his DMR and fired into one of its eyes, rupturing another one and watching as it reared its head back and shrieked. He began to fire at its weaker points and watched as it stumbled a bit. It seemed to know when it took too much damage, because it would spawn a horde of Grimm at him then back off. Whenever he dealt with the horde, he only had a split second to dodge when it came barreling through like a bullet train.
There was a cliff behind him and he let it charge at him once again, this time firing the Binary Rifle at one of its legs and watching it disintegrate. It barreled into the side of the cliff with a thunderous crash, and large boulders fell on it. He had to jump and vault over its tail swipe as he rushed at it, then proceeded to climb on it. Its jaws opened and one of the teeth managed to snag his cloak, making him breath the tooth off with a loud snap, then jam it into one of its eyes. He fished in his bag and grabbed the remaining explosive, jamming it into the wounded eye then throwing it far away, before taking his cloak and throwing it over his shoulders before rushing off. As he ran away from it, he suddenly slid into one of the large trenches it had carved up then pulled out the detonator.
It managed to stagger upwards and gave a loud roar while spawning dozens of Grimm from its torso. They looked around and spotted him while he just pushed the button of the detonator. He ducked down when a large, orange shock wave erupted from the dragon. The explosives in its stomach set off a chain reaction with the first set and both exploded with an orange light. The sound of the explosion could be heard for countless miles and the ground shook from the force of it, he was blown back a bit. Large chunks of the Grimm soared through the sky and the wet sounding chunks of meat impacted the ground. Shortly after, they disintegrated into ash.
He looked around to see a large crater where the dragon used to be and he saw nothing was left from it. The only signs of it was the damage it had caused to the area, but that was it. A small ringing noise was present in his ears for a few minutes and he shook his head to lessen the effects. Two minutes passed by and the ringing was gone while he just dusted himself off and rolled his shoulders, letting out a breath of relief. This had lasted longer than he had actually anticipated, but the deed was done. It was gone from the mountain and the frontier was probably a tad bit safer. His next course of action would probably go to the settlement nearby and check on them.
As he began to walk towards the settlement, he spotted the tooth he had ripped off earlier. It didn't look like it was going to disappear for some reason. He walked up to it and stared at it for a few minutes, thinking as to why it wasn't disappearing before shrugging then picking it up. The walk to the settlement would probably take a while, but that was okay. He wanted to think for a while and walking in the wilderness often helped him do that. To be honest, he didn't know what he would do with this tooth; he'd probably give it to the settlement and they could trade it for lien. There had been a rumor that the funds to the settlements were getting cut, all because of a certain Headmaster.
The man was beginning to run Six's patience thin, very thin. If he was willing to compromise the financial security of the settlements just to get his attention, then he was becoming a problem. People needed income to buy supplies, and they couldn't get those supplies when they had no money. The man was meddling with people's lives, which in turn would get those people killed some day. Some used the lien to pay Huntsmen and Huntresses, while some used it to buy supplies so their settlements could continue to survive. The only reason Six actually took the rewards is to buy supplies; if he didn't get paid then it was no skin off his back. A majority of the time he hunted his own food anyways, the people of the frontier needed lien more than he did.
Ozpin's foolishness is going to cost him, maybe not his death but so much more.
Six spent the next day and a half walking towards the settlement. He quietly sighed in relief when he saw the same guards wave at him, while he just sent a nod towards them. They looked at him as he dragged the large dragon tooth behind him, it still hadn't disappeared for some reason, but he didn't care. It was beginning to turn into night when and he suspected that the guild would be closing soon. People waved at him, more eagerly than normal while he just sent a curt nod towards them. Some of their jaws seemed to drop a bit when they spotted him dragging the tooth towards the guild. He stepped up the steps and noticed in the window that there were still people inside, just talking to one another.
The bell above chimed and several eyes seemed to glance over at him. Half a second later all of them had to do a double take when he dragged the tooth inside and set it near the door. All the sound in the guild seemed to die as everyone stared at him, their jaws slowly starting to fall towards the ground. He just glanced over all of them before going to the bounty board, seeing some that caught his eye. Maaya just looked at him with slightly widened eyes. He ignored all the stares and plucked three bounties off of the board and set them on the counter, waiting for her to stamp them.
"Six..." She asked.
"Yes?" He asked back.
"What is that?" She pointed at the large tooth.
"A tooth." He answered calmly.
"... What is it from?" She asked.
"A large Grimm." He answered in the same tone.
"It wouldn't happen to be the giant dragon that flew over here, right?" She asked. A part of her hoped that wasn't him who was on it when she looked at the beast. There was a small speck of brown on it when she looked at the giant Grimm, and she really hoped it wasn't Six. By the answers he was giving her, it was.
"It was." He nodded.
"... How did you kill it?" She asked.
"I blew it up." He answered in the same tone. His head turned to see everyone just staring at him in stunned silence. There had been a high alert and they all got ready for an attack when they heard the roar in the distance. Every single one of them in the guild had been terrified when they saw the giant Grimm flying towards their settlement, only to see it shriek in pain and veer off in another direction. In the distance they could hear it shriek numerous times, then shortly after a large explosion that rocked the ground, soon silence followed right after.
"No bounties for you, not until tomorrow or the next day." She crossed her arms.
"..." He didn't try to fight her for it, because he knew it would do no good. She wasn't his superior, and never would be, but she did have the final say in the guild so his only choice was to comply. He wouldn't budge, but he knew she wouldn't let him have any bounties until then.
"I'll save the bounties for you." She sighed.
"Understood." He nodded then let go of them. She put them in a stack then tapped them against the counter and stapled them. As he was walking out the door, he glanced at the tooth then began to leave, only stopping when someone said something.
"You gonna take the tooth?" They asked.
"What for?" He tilted his head, they felt a shudder engulf them.
"You can do loads of things with it; sell it, make some weapons with it, make little trinkets, loads of other things." They said.
"Why is it not disappearing?" He asked. He truly wanted to know why the tooth wasn't disappearing.
"Word is that the older a Grimm gets, the more chance some of their things don't disappear. Their bone armor or whatever that crap is won't disappear along with the rest of them. It usually happens after ten years, but seeing how that thing is probably old as hell, luckily you managed to get that. Stuff like that is worth a treasure." They informed. He stared at them for a few seconds before nodding, dragging the tooth outside and walking down the street. His steps were slow and he eventually came across the weapon's shop. He knew it was closed, but he merely waited by the door for a while.
An hour of standing by the door had passed before Maaya walked up to him. She didn't look too happy at him, more worried than angry but all he did was just look at her.
"You're reckless, you know?" She asked.
"..." He nodded at her and she just sighed.
"You know, it really surprised a few of us when we saw a familiar cloaked person hanging onto that thing. I mean, what were you even thinking?" She stretched her arms out.
"It was a problem, there was no telling what kind of damage it would've caused had it been left unchecked. I apologize if it alarmed you and some of the others, that was not my intention." He said calmly.
"Great... now I look like the bad guy." She sighed.
"Were there any casualties?" He asked.
"No, a few Grimm had came knocking at our doors, but we were ready. You kind of saved us when you steered it away from the settlement. A lot of people were scared when we saw the thing, but some managed to catch a glimpse of you hanging onto it, so it gave us some hope. It's more than what I can do..." She said. He watched as her yellow-gold eyes flashed with concern then slight sadness, and seemed to dim a bit. It wasn't a pleasant sight to look at, he didn't like the crestfallen expression she was displaying. Maybe this would be a good time to increase his skills in comforting people.
"Start smiling more." He said.
"What?" He blinked.
"You are not smiling, it is unusual for you to not smile." He said calmly.
"I'm not smiling because I'm stressed, you big oaf." She said.
"If insulting me makes you feel better, then proceed to do it." He said.
"Now I don't want to smile now!" She puffed her cheeks and flailed her arms up and down..
"I see, I apologize then." He said in the same tone.
"Why do you want me smiling anyways?" She asked after a minute of silence.
"It is an odd sight to not see you smile. Despite you thinking people look down upon you, they don't. You're part of the reason people feel good and safe. Your presence alone is enough to make them feel determined. Just because you're not out there doesn't mean you're not helping people." He said.
"That was oddly comforting." She smiled.
"There, you smiled. Keep smiling." He said.
"For someone who barely displays any emotion, you sure know how to comfort people." She laughed softly.
"That was my first attempt, it was mediocre at best." He said. That was his actual opinion, his social skills were atrocious, he had never been a people person. Really his only interaction with people was nothing short of professional, getting right to the point then leaving. Maaya was the only one he could really talk to, or rather listen, and feel a small sense of ease. There was also Myne and her family, and Ren and Nora too. So to say his people skills were completely atrocious was a slight exaggeration. It was just that he he would rather be alone than with people, it's just how he was. He wasn't like Jorge, who he learned a bit of social interaction from.
"Hey, Six." She called out.
"Yes?" He asked.
"What's out there?" She asked as she stepped down the steps and onto the sidewalk, him following shortly after. The guild had closed later due to a party being held; it wasn't anything special, just a small party for a member. She had decided to stay to help out.
"There are other settlements, Grimm, wildlife, and other locations." He answered truthfully.
"I'd like to see some of that." She said as they walked.
"... One day I will take you out there." He said.
"You don't have to, I can probably just arrange it someday. I just don't know when." She sighed.
"I see..." He said. There was a possibility he would someday, maybe not anytime soon, but someday. Maybe a little bit of human interaction would do him some good when he was out there. If Ren and Nora were nearby, then he would possibly consider taking them for a certain amount of time then continuing his mission. His thoughts began to conflict a bit; he was leaning more towards finishing his mission, but a microscopic part of him felt it would be necessary to take the two out and teach them more.
"What are you going to do with the tooth?" She asked.
"Give it to the settlement." He answered instantly.
"You're not planning on doing anything with it?" She blinked in surprise.
"No." He answered curtly.
"I think you could make a items. Pass them onto those two children you've taken a liking to." She said. It still brought a smile to her face when he showed a small amount of affection to those two kids. Despite him having a cold persona, he was capable of showing a little bit of warmth. He was capable of having emotions, he just didn't really display it all that well.
"... Noted." He nodded after some thought. He'd probably make a few knives then let the settlement have the rest of the tooth, bring in a hefty amount of income just in case there was a sudden drop of lien. Ultimately, he didn't care what happened to the tooth. By the next few days to probably a week everyone would know he killed the dragon, word seemed to spread fast whenever he was in town, and at this point he didn't care. He listened to her vent about her problems and nodded at each one. It didn't bother him too much to listen to her vent, it was slightly comforting in a sense. She had a friend she could talk to without being judged and her mere presence was enough to keep him calm. For the most part, she did the talking while he just listened carefully.
They had talked for a while, much longer than he had expected, but it wasn't an unwelcome feeling. He watched as she bid him farewell and smiled at him brightly, like it was staring into a bright light that was able to banish any darkness. He nodded in farewell before watching her enter her apartment. The street was empty at this time and he released a small breath before heading back down to the weapon's shop. Tomorrow he'd visit Myne and her family, do some bounties, and help out around the settlement. It kept him busy and gave him enough comfort before he headed to the facility.
He was back in his territory and the threat was gone for now.
Hi everyone, we're back again... obviously. I uh... I don't think I'll answer reviews this chapter unfortunately. Next chapter I'll answer whatever questions you have for this chapter, though. I'm really sorry about this guys, but I'm really not feeling so good. No, I'm not sick, I'm just not feeling like myself lately. It's more along the lines of confusion at the series of current events; it's like I have this flurry of negative emotions festering in my mind right now. I don't know whether to laugh, cry, scream in anger, or just push it all down like I always do... I'm confused. It's basically why this chapter is so long, just felt like writing a bit, I guess. Don't worry about reviews guys, I read every single one of them, I just can't answer them this chapter.
I'm sorry if this isn't up to your standards now, and I'm sorry for apologizing but that's just how I am. Some of you were conflicted about last chapter, I understand, I may have gotten a little carried away I guess... I don't know. If this chapter isn't up to par, then oh well. I'm tired, it's not even me being physically tired anymore. Anyways, I don't have much to say other than please don't argue in the review section, I recently saw a guest being negative for no reason and starting shit. Just don't... please.
Anyways, see you guys and gals later. Bye, everyone...