The next morning he dropped the tooth off and started to run some errands. His first stop was the guild to retrieve his bounties, but was denied them since Maaya deemed his night's rest as not enough actual rest, then pick up some ammunition. The old man had greeted him with open arms, as usual, and gave Six his ammunition. He had stated that heard how the Spartan killed the Grimm and gave them some breathing room, for that he thanked him. Six nodded and left shortly after, bidding the older man a farewell then went to the family's house. It took several minutes to actually get there, but he did see them pack their wagon. He saw their eyes brighten considerably and they gave him a friendly wave, to which he nodded then walked up to them.
"What brings you in town, not that it's not a welcoming sight." The father asked.
"I came to check up on the status of everybody. Were you all injured?" Six asked.
"Us? No, a little shaken from seeing such a large Grimm, but otherwise we're fine." The father said.
"Good. Where are you all headed?" Six asked.
"We're going to collect some supplies, mostly fruits and other things. You want to come?" The father asked.
"..." Six nodded after a few seconds. He walked alongside them and listened to them discuss what had been happening in the recent months. Needless to say, the family was doing well. The father had completed a few bounties and earned some extra income for his family, while the mother was a seamstress who worked hard. Both the parents usually worked harder than some of the others in the settlement and they always put their children first. They often went above and beyond for their girls and raised them to the best of their ability. Both of them were good people, ones that deserve more recognition than what they received. He knew they knew about some of his deeds, such as killing bandits and other unsavory individuals, but they weren't bothered that much. Never had they seen him make any threatening gesture towards civilians. To them, he was a good example of what a Huntsman or Huntress should be, not like half of them they've encountered in the past.
Despite them knowing him for years, they were genuinely concerned about his demeanor sometimes. They noticed how he always tensed up whenever someone got close to him or approached him, or how his attention would snap to a foreign sound instantly. It was like he was always searching for threats, really they were some of the only people he wasn't tense around. They noticed little things like how his tone shifted from calm and relaxed to cold and defensive whenever he met a new person. Sometimes they saw him as a wild animal that was constantly looking out for its survival, which in reality he was. It didn't matter though, they knew he meant well despite some of the actions he would or had taken. Deep down, they knew he was just quiet. Silence was what he was known for in the settlement.
Myne and her sister were still asleep in the wagon, wrapped up in a multitude of blankets that was made by their mother. She had began to talk about how she was learning different recipes for Myne, claiming that each one working a little better. As opposed to getting sick nearly every day, she only got sick every few weeks to months, which was an improvement in the eyes of the family. While they were still poor, it was evident that they were improving what little they had. It just meant everything they owned through hard work was seen as precious in their eyes. If the word humble was a group of people, the family would be the personification of it. To him, they were good people.
When asked what he had been up to, he merely stated that he had been traveling. He knew they meant no harm and were only curious about his travels, but he merely gave them the details of some of his travels. Nothing that pertained to him visiting the facilities or going to the city, but merely things they knew already; different settlements, undiscovered locations, ruins, etc. He traveled a lot, and would continue to do so until he got the entire Installation underneath the Monitor's control. From then on, he'd keep his focus on contacting the UNSC in hopes they would eventually reach his signal. He let his thoughts run about the UNSC, how much had probably changed since he was last in contact with them. These thoughts just clouded his mind as they walked throughout the settlement, and eventually exited it.
"Hey..." The mother reached over the edge of the wagon and pulled on his cloak; effectively getting his attention.
"..." He nodded in her direction, indicating he was listening.
"We never got the chance to truly thank you, for saving us I mean." She said.
"It is not a problem." He said.
"We mean both with the Grimm and saving us from the snow. Myne had told us how you pulled us out of the snow. We would've frozen to death if you hadn't pulled us out. While we were a little embarrassed you practically changed our clothes, we do appreciate you doing so." The father said.
"As I have stated before, it is not a problem." Six stated calmly. Compared to others, his tone was a degree warmer than what it usually was. The father knew that Six was had a good relationship with the guild girl, he had heard how she always seemed to light up whenever the quiet man had dropped by.
"We know that you'll probably deny it, but we feel like inviting you to dinner. We'll probably have extras tonight, so we don't mind sharing." The mother said. He went quiet for several minutes and just let his thoughts mull over. That strange feeling bubbled up in his system again; the feeling of when someone actually wanted him around. It bothered him somewhat; sure he had been invited to things when he was younger, but that was twenty years ago, back when he was still training. Twenty long years of doing things by himself voluntarily made him grow used to it. Really the only time he spent time with people is when he was assigned to them or was practically ordered to, otherwise he did everything by himself.
"I will." He nodded.
"You will?" They blinked in surprise.
"I have been denied my bounties until tomorrow. Maaya had claimed that a single night of rest is not enough. She had stated that human interaction besides her would be advantageous for me." He answered curtly.
"Who's Maaya?" The mother asked.
"The receptionist at the guild, you may know her as the one who is always talking to guild members." He answered.
"Oh! The brown-haired one." She remembered. She remembered how Maaya would constantly keep the bounty for Myne's rescue up on the board, refusing to give up hope until someone found her. This lasted months on end before Six finally arrived and searched for their daughter, bringing her home safe and sound. For that, she was in eternal gratitude towards both the Spartan and the guild girl.
"Real nice young lady, I can tell she gets along with a lot of people." The father said.
"How would you know?" His wife asked.
"If she's managed to make Six her friend, then she's clearly good with people. No offense to you of course." The father said to the Spartan.
"None taken." Six said calmly. He walked alongside them in silence as they kept up the conversation, they knew he didn't like talking about himself too much so they left out any personal questions. If anything, they were some of the only people that seemed to build up to gain entry of his wall of distrust. Like Maaya, they knew when to back off and were willing to accept the boundaries he had vaguely set up, never questioning about his life or what he did. They truly did care about his well being and it bothered him slightly, he still wasn't used to people caring about him this much. While he wouldn't say it was unpleasant, it did make him feel odd sometimes that people actually thought about him.
After a while of walking along the path, Six took a hold of the handles and let the father rest a bit. It was clear the man was used to this seeing how he's done it so often, but even he needed a rest after a while. Six just silently dragged the wagon along the path and eventually stopped when they reached a small clearing; he saw the parents walk up to a tree with cherries on it and began to pick them. While he observed them pick the fruit, he kept watch for any Grimm in the area. He was alert seeing how there were civilians in the area and an unknown threat possibly lurking about.
Several minutes passed by and they finished collecting some of the fruit. They noticed how he kept a vigilant eye over them, scanning the area for any Grimm or bandits that could prey on them. The latter seemed unlikely though, after he eliminated the bandit group years ago and scared them stiff, not a single attack has happened since. Despite the violence behind his good intentions, he truly gave the settlement a lot of breathing room. They smiled at his vigilant attitude and got back on the wagon as he grabbed the handles and started to drag it along the path again. His pace wasn't slow, but it wasn't necessarily fast either. It was more along the lines of a controlled pace that gave them a chance to enjoy the surrounding area.
Birds chirped in the trees and the sun was shining above them, basking them in a comfortable warmth. The day started to get warmer as time passed and they spent a majority of the morning collecting fruits and some herbs. He had learned that they collected the fruits and would trade a majority of them at the market for a good price, it was to be expected since they knew when the best time was for harvest. They often put the lien they earned in a chest in case something went wrong and they needed to dip into it; it was essentially their savings chest. Should something happen to them, then all the lien would go to their daughters. He nodded when they told him this and saw it as a worthy investment. It was clear they were smart about their current situation with money and spent it accordingly.
By the time noon hit, they were starting to head back to the settlement. The wagon was full of baskets that held fruits, some vegetables, herbs, and some other items they could use. Normally, it would take both parents countless hours to drag the wagon full of items back to the settlement due to the weight, but with Six it only took half an hour at max. It helped that Six constantly conditioned himself with a variety of different ways. Any free time he had was spent either strengthening his body or his mind. His augmentations certainly helped his natural strength, which in turn made him stronger than most. Dragging a wagon full of supplies wasn't that big of a deal to him, it was comforting in a sense.
All of them entered the settlement and the parents waved to people while Six just nodded in greeting. The walk to the market took some time, but he merely enjoyed the slight ease it put his mind in. Although he didn't mind being around people, he did tense up at the sudden rush of the crowd. It was second nature to him to be on alert at times like these. He watched as the parents interacted with countless vendors, often smiling with them before making a trade. Both of them were well known in the market district and usually gave their goods at a fair price. He silently observed their exchange and waited patiently as they talked with some of the vendors. This didn't bother him in the slightest, the crowd unnerved him, but he pushed the feeling down.
Several minutes passed by and the series of exchanges was done. He grabbed the handles and waited for the parents to climb on the wagon, placing the items they had purchased and the stack of lien next to them. People moved out of the way when he started to walk, in some cases he had to wait patiently, but he started to walk towards the house. The day was relaxing in a way, much more than he'd like to admit, but it did put his mind at ease somewhat. The trip from the market to their house took several minutes, but he didn't care in the slightest. Once he was done helping them with bringing the items in the house, he would continue to do some errands... maybe help out some others in the meantime.
When he arrived at the front of their house, he waited for them to pick up the girls and unlock the door, entering it shortly after. From that point on, he began to grab the bags and small boxes full of supplies. For the most part, he just helped them load their supplies in their house. It took several minutes to actually put everything away, but he told them he needed to run some errands and probably help others out. The two of them smiled and nodded in understanding before telling him what time he could come back for dinner, then watched as he left the house and walked towards the weapon smith.
It was around one in the afternoon and everyone was out and about, displaying several degrees of positive emotions. It seemed that terminating the Grimm dragon had managed to boost morale around the settlement, which to him was beneficial. Seeing how Grimm were attracted to negative emotions, this meant that there was less likely of a chance of another Grimm attack. He shook his head a bit and dismissed these thoughts, just because there was less likely of an attack, didn't mean another one couldn't happen another day. Dismissing the thoughts from his head, he entered the building and saw the large tooth near the door, where the old man was staring at it.
The bell above the door rung and captured the man's attention. Despite being an older gentleman, he was still muscular in a sense. Years of working in this profession had given him the physic that he held now. His white beard seemed to dip down into his chest and he had to tie it with some cloth to make it more manageable. His hands were calloused from making so many items over the years and he had a few scars on his body from mishaps, but that didn't stop him. He was an asshole to some of his employees, but that just added to his charm in a sense. Most people in the settlement knew about his colorful language. His right eye was always closed for some reason, but Six wasn't one to pry into people's lives.
"I'd usually come up with some witty ass remark, but I have nothing to say. What can I do you for today?" The man asked, fixing his apron and adjusting his gloves.
"I need more throwing knives." Six answered.
"Again? When you gonna actually start retrieving the knives instead of keep losing them?" The man asked.
"..." Six said nothing and just stared.
"You and that damn silence. Fine, I'll make your damn knives, at least they're cheap so there's that. By the way, what do you want to do with this tooth?" The man asked as he stared at the colossal tooth, it just barely fit through the door and was at least a foot taller than Six.
"... Four knife handles. Three of them survival and the last one Mistralian. If you could put this design on it, I would be grateful." Six answered evenly as he brought out a piece of paper from his cloak and drew a design. He had learned over the years that some Remnant blades shared the same design as some from Earth and her colonies.
"No blade? Just the handle?" The man asked.
"..." Six just nodded and watched the man shake his head.
"You're the only person to make such odd requests. Alright, I'll get your damn throwing knives and make those knife handles. Now get outta here, ya big golem." The older man gestured. There was no heat behind his words, it was just friendly banter.
Six just nodded and watched as the older man break a piece off of the tooth carefully, taking what he needed then began to get to work. He grabbed the tooth and started to drag it outside, towards another building. People watched him drag the tooth around while he just ignored the stares and entered another building, one that was known for making trinkets. He nodded in greeting to the worker behind the counter and put in his order, which required a small piece of the tooth. Careful measurements were taken like before and the piece was cut off gently. He nodded when his items were to be done in four days, which didn't bother him too much.
The tooth was then dragged back outside before he picked it up and carried it over his right shoulder, using his left hand to balance it. It had some weight to it, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He had decided to give the rest of it to the guild and leave it for them to decide what to do with it. His business with it was done. The least he could do was give it out of generosity.
There was still a few hours to kill before he had to attend to that dinner. It still felt weird to have people that wanted him around, maybe isolation was toying with his mind...
The best way he kept himself busy and killed time was to do several tasks. He had decided helping out around the settlement was the perfect way to achieve both of those things, and it was productive on top of that. Countless people thanked him when he helped them carry heavy boxes, sort out medical supplies and carry them to the clinic, patrol around the area, or just settle little conflicts. He didn't do these things for a reward, but merely just to do it because he was bored and he kept getting denied the bounties he wanted. Despite his cold and apathetic demeanor, people did see that he meant well. Some noticed that he seemed... distant in a sense, like being around new people put him on edge. Most were quick to learn that he didn't like being in large crowds or being swarmed by many. It put him on alert and the last thing they wanted was him on the defensive, especially since he was welcome in the settlement anytime.
Some of the younger, and even some of the older, inhabitants of the settlement viewed him as a hero; often going to the guild to listen to stories about him. He was literally a living legend within the current settlement and several others, something he didn't care about too much. Despite telling people that he wasn't a hero, they still viewed him as one. Over the years he just went along with their words and ignored it. If they wanted to view him as a hero, then fine; if not, then oh well. Things like this didn't bother him too much. All that mattered was that he ensured their survival, it was his duty to ensure at least that.
By the time six in the evening struck, he had begun to make his way back to the family's house. The sky started to darken slowly and his trip to the house barely took any time at all. Several minutes passed by and he stepped up to the front door, knocking on it three times and waiting for it to open. He was greeted by the mother and ushered inside, seeing the place look a bit nicer and food on the stove. The sound of tiny feet met his ears and he saw Myne and her sister rush at him with wide smiles. Both of them had crashed into his legs and wrapped their arms around them, looking up at him brightly. He had tensed up slightly like always, but relaxed after a few seconds. They were pried off and sat at the dinner table while he just took his cloak off.
It was set on the coat rack and his weapons were put out of reach of the girls, his bag was also placed in a secure spot and away from them. The last thing he needed was for two children to play with dangerous firearms, he wouldn't have two unnecessary deaths, especially if he could've prevented it. A chair was pushed towards him, but he had to refuse politely. He didn't feel like breaking one of their chairs because it couldn't support his weight, so he opted to sit in the living room on the ground. The other four of them merely went by him and started to eat before turning on the TV.
His hands went to his helmet and he hesitated for a few minutes, weighing his options of taking it off. How long had it been since someone's actually seen his face? Twelve years, possibly longer seeing how he never really showed it to anyone. Granted, Myne had seen his face when she was an infant, but she was too young to remember that. It had been so long since he's actually had someone see his actual face, that the thought unnerved him slightly. A few deep, calming breaths were taken before he slowly took off his helmet and set it on the ground. He could feel their eyes on him and his unnerved state grew, but he pushed the feeling down. As time passed, so did the feeling. After a few minutes it was completely gone.
"Wow! You have really long hair!" Myne beamed.
"..." He looked at her calmly. No matter how much he cut his hair, it always grew and covered his eyes a bit. It didn't deter him like it would some, but it was more tedious to constantly cut it so often. The longest his haircut usually lasted was about a month, then it grew like weeds.
"You're a lot younger looking than I imagined." The father said.
"You expected me to be older?" Six asked.
"Meh." The father shrugged a bit.
"I see..." Six said as he looked at the television. At this point in time, he was only thirty-two years old, almost thirty-three. He was still in good shape due to always exercising on a daily basis, but a part of him wondered when his time would start to come. A part of him always wondered how old Spartans could actually get, but he brushed those thoughts away for another time.
The parents looked at one another and when they saw his eyes, they couldn't help but flinch slightly. His eyes were so distant, much more than his personality. It was like he was in a constant state of awareness and never truly learned to settle down. To them, his eyes held thousands of stories and a majority of them of loss. Nothing needed to be said because they could finally see it; how much pain he seemed to accumulate over time. It would be rude of them to ask questions like some type of therapist, if Six wasn't willing to talk about himself, then they'd leave it at that. They were just glad he finally opened up a little bit, even if it wasn't much. Neither of them needed to know where he came from, what he went through, or what he actually was, they were just glad he was here.
They all had decided to watch the recordings of the Vytal festival fights. Despite his little extermination of the White Fang, the festival still continued on. All of them spent the next hour and a half watching the fights and eating supper. His particular interest was when he saw Ren and Nora and their team fight, they seemed to be doing well. He could tell that the Arc boy had improved upon his leadership a bit, the only thing that struck a nerve was when they decided to stop fighting because an argument happened. It wasn't a major argument, but more along the lines of teasing one another while the enemy just waited. This was a problem, not every enemy would be as merciful as their opponents. The Grimm didn't care if there was a disagreement, and neither would other individuals.
To him, they wasted valuable time just joking around. Other than that, he saw that they had improved themselves. There was always room for improvement though, they were still adequate in his eyes. After their fight was over, he watched as they climbed up the ladder and eventually some of the final contestants were Nora and Ren vs the girl with black hair girl and the blonde one on Ruby's team. He watched as the black-haired girl said something and saw Nora and Ren's expressions turn dark, darker than most were comfortable with. They attacked the girl viciously and he watched them lose control for a moment, almost killing the girl. Many didn't see it, but he saw a mixture of guilt and resentment in their eyes as the girl was rolled off. The next round started shortly after.
"..." He didn't say anything and just watched the rest in silence. The family were enthralled by the display of the Huntsmen and Huntresses in training, but he wasn't. He saw too many errors in their fighting style, the lack of acknowledgement of their surroundings, and the inflated ego some displayed. In conclusion, he wasn't impressed in the slightest. Only Ren and Nora's team seemed to take these three factors into account, if only a little. The amount of sheer destructive power some of these students displayed brought up several red flags. If they were to continue being reckless with their attacks then it would result in the deaths of countless innocent people in their careers.
It's another reason he didn't teach at any academies. He didn't care about Huntsmen and Huntresses, nor did he care about teaching future generations. His mission was to get the Installation underneath the Monitor's control, eliminate this woman, contact the UNSC, and ensure the survival of humanity. He didn't have time to toy around with the Academies nor their shenanigans. If they couldn't deal with their own problems then that was on them, he wasn't some savior or a hero. Someone needed to keep an eye on the settlements in the frontier and he was more comfortable with that while focusing on his mission. It was an odd combination, but one that suited his needs perfectly.
Night started to roll around and he put his helmet on. He rotated his head a bit before standing up and grabbing his weapons, putting them on his back before grabbing his cloak and bag. They were slung over his shoulders and he stood by the door as the family waved at him. He nodded in farewell before walking out of the door and towards the exit of the settlement. It would be a few days before the knife handles were done and so were his items he requested. In the meantime, he could stand guard at the gate or patrol around the settlement. There were numerous things to do, he would rest later on.
As he walked down the sidewalk, he saw that some decorations were being set up. People waved at him while he just nodded at them then continued to walk down the long sidewalk. The houses started to look slightly better as he approached the richer area of the settlement. As time passed, he stopped and looked at the moon for a few minutes then turned back. His steps were slow and methodical, but each one seemed to be as silent as a phantom. It always unnerved people when he would be right behind them without actually hearing him. His thoughts began to mull over and he took his hood down, letting everyone see his helmet.
He was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't notice Maaya approaching him, until she stopped in front of him. Her eyes widened at the sight of his helmet but she brushed it aside and smiled at him.
"You know, when I said take it easy, I didn't mean push yourself to help everyone in the settlement." She quipped.
"That is my way of taking it easy." He said. She rolled her eyes and began to walk to her apartment complex, him walking next to her.
"You know, this is the first time I've seen you without your hood?" She looked at him.
"So it would seem. Why are you out so late?" He asked.
"We're setting up a celebration. I think this is going to be a yearly thing from now on." She answered.
"For what?" He asked.
"You killing that dragon. You may have not noticed it, but people are happy now, much happier than what we usually are. Your intervention from getting that thing away and taking care of it sparked hope in a lot of people. We appreciate your efforts in helping us when no one else would. More people want to get out more and do more because of you. You inspire a lot of us despite not saying you do." She explained.
"I see..." He said quietly.
"Some people are calling you the frontier's kindest." She giggled.
"I don't see why." He said bluntly.
"Despite your blunt, sometimes cold, tone to everything... you are a kind person underneath. People look up to you and often think about you whenever they feel hopeless. That enough gives them the strength they need to get by. I don't know if you noticed, but your term of keeping busy is helping people despite no reward, regardless of how trivial it is. People tend to remember those actions." She said.
"Hmm." He hummed calmly.
"I do wish you would talk more though, it's enjoyable talking to you." She said.
"I will improve upon it." He said curtly.
"I'm sure you will. Oh! Before I forget, here are your bounties." She remembered as she reached in her bag and brought out his bounties. He wordlessly took them and looked at them carefully before rolling them up and setting them in his bag.
"Thank you." He nodded and continued to walk next to her. Like always, he listened to her talk about her day and how she was excited for this new festival they were going to create. It was a pleasant sight to look at whenever she was happy, smiling and radiating a comforting aura. To him, his mind was put at a sense of ease whenever she was around and he enjoyed being around her. She was one of the only people that he granted entry to his wall of distrust. The family was another set of people. Ren and Nora were the final set. They looked up to him too much though, often seeking his approval rather than learning; he didn't want that. He wanted them to carve their own path rather than follow the one he already paved. Them following his footsteps in wandering around Remnant like he was, was doing enough. Neither of them needed to be carbon copies of him.
"So who were those children you knew?" She asked.
"What children?" He looked at her.
"Don't play coy with me, Six. I'm talking about the children that looked up to you so much and never stopped talking about you." She answered.
"... The black haired boy with the pink streak is Ren. The girl with orange hair is Nora. Their teammates I do not know aside from their names." He answered after a few moments of silence.
"They seem like nice kids. Inexperienced, but have good intentions. It's those kinds of kids that usually do the best in the world." She complimented.
"Indeed..." He nodded. She was right in that regard. Both of them wanted to truly do good in the world despite the state of chaos it was in. They understood that some people needed to be taken out of the picture to protect the innocent. Although he didn't say it, he knew that they had come up with the realization over the years. He could see it in their eyes.
He listened to Maaya talk some more about life around the settlement. It was one of the few topics she was passionate about and often got carried away, until he had to reign her back a bit. He understood why though, this was her home, one that she had grown to love but wanted to see more in life. Although she didn't say it, he saw that she was starting to become discontent with how her life was turning out. Things like this usually flew over other people's heads, but not his. He paid attention to her and observed how she was. She wanted out, wanted to see the world and see what else was out there besides her little frontier town.
Maybe after he got this last facility up and running, he would take her somewhere. After all she had done for him; be there for him, not disclose any information about him, always wanted what was best for him without pushing her limits, and etc. He felt obligated to do something for her. It was only fair. Some time had passed and he eventually reached the front of her apartment, listening to her talk some more and claiming it wasn't an issue to listen to her. It really wasn't an issue listening to her. He enjoyed being around her and she did too.
"Thanks for listening like always." She smiled.
"It is not a problem." He said evenly.
"Again, thanks. Goodnight." She said.
"Goodnight." He nodded and watched as she smiled one last time before heading inside. His body turned and started to run on autopilot as he headed towards the exit of the settlement. There were four bounties he had finally acquired and was slightly eager to do, from that point on he would do them and collect his requested items. It filled his body with a sense of ease when he got his objectives done. His social interaction skills were increasing slightly. Granted, he still preferred solitude ninety percent of the time, but at least he was able to enjoy some interaction with others. He still had a problem with opening up to people though, that part would never leave him. The only reason he actually talked to Maaya and the family was because they spent years trying with him, slowly building up a bridge of trust through hard work.
Ren and Nora wanted that, he could see it in their eyes when they last encountered him. They wanted their bond with him to grow a bit, and that didn't bother him too much. The people of the settlements often viewed him as a good person and were content with keeping a friendly, professional relationship. The Monitor was an ally, one that he did not completely trust as of now, but she was also starting to build up a bridge of trust with him. Everyone else though... there was nothing but distrust for them. He didn't care about them, their shenanigans, or who they were. If they were a threat then he would eliminate them with no mercy, regardless of who they were.
Ozpin was starting to become an enemy slowly. His actions were causing more harm than anything in order to get his attention. It did get his attention, just not in a positive light. Pretty soon that light would be completely snuffed out and from that point on Ozpin was a threat that needed to be dealt with accordingly. The same could be said about Ironwood. Killing the General would bring about several negative effects that presented future problems, but that didn't mean breaking him wasn't an option.
Six wanted to be left alone and continue his mission, and he'd do anything to ensure that.
It took five days to complete the bounties, and he returned late in the evening. Each bounty got progressively harder than the last, but the Grimm were finally vacant of the area and the settlement had more breathing room. His first stop was to stop by the weapon smith to collect the handles. The older man complained how he took too long but there was no heat to his words, a friendly gesture to Six. He had wrapped the handles in a cloth and pushed it over the counter, letting the Spartan unwrap the cloth and inspect them. Three survival knives made of the tooth from the Grimm, and the final one was a kukri handle. Near the middle of the handle was the Noble Team symbol. It was his way to immortalize them in a sense.
His fingers brushed over handles gently and he wrapped the cloth around them, nodding in thanks to the man for making them and paying. He walked out shortly after and made his way to the other store, where the items he requested were ready. There were a few people inside talking to the man and he waited patiently; while he would like to just go in there and retrieve his items, it seemed the man was rather busy. It wasn't any trouble though, this just gave him all the more reason inspect the handles some more. The sheaths could be handled when he got back to the facility, since it wasn't any trouble to have the Monitor craft him one.
The people in the store stepped out and stared at him before walking off. He just watched the leave with slightly narrowed eyes before entering the store, looking at the man perk up a bit. He seemed rather ecstatic to see Six make his appearance and quickly rushed off to the back before retrieving a box. It was pushed towards Six and he opened it slowly, seeing eight wolf head pendants. Each one still had traces of the Grimm tooth in it, but it was encased in a light layer of metal. He inspected it, seeing each one staring at the wearer. His thumb brushed over it and inspected it before placing it back in the box then closing it.
The man seemed proud of his achievement and merely dismissed Six when he tried to pay for it. He claimed that saving the settlement was payment enough and he was proud to have crafted such a exotic item. Six just nodded in appreciation and closed the box before placing it inside of his bag, walking to the door and leaving shortly after. Now that he finally had them, he could give them to the people he had formed a sort of companionship with then leave. The next facility was on the island known as Patch, so getting a ship to there was probably the biggest obstacle. After that, all the facilities in Vale would be underneath the Monitor's control and he could continue to the next continent.
As he walked along the sidewalk, he noticed the countless decorations and people walking in the sidewalk. Some waved at him before continuing their own thing, he just stared at all of it before continuing to walk. He headed towards the family's house but stopped when he saw them on the sidewalk, heading towards town square. They had cleaned up a bit and looked their best; even they couldn't resist heading out. He brushed through people carefully and eventually made his way towards them, finally spotting them stop at a fountain in the center. When they spotted him, he saw their eyes light up brightly as he approached.
"What brings you here?" The father asked.
"I have come to give you all something before I depart." Six answered.
"You're not staying for the festival?" The mother asked.
"I'm afraid not." He answered, noticing the light in their eyes dim a bit. Nothing else was said as he bent down and set his bag near the fountain, fishing inside of it to grab the box. They watched as he set the box on the fountain and opened it, revealing several wolf head pendants. He grabbed one and put it around each of their necks carefully. A look of confusion adorned their faces and he started to explain.
"It is a gift from me to you. Your hospitality has been noted and I feel obligated to give you all something." He said evenly.
"You don't have to do anything, we'll always welcome you to our home." The mother said.
"Are you going to come back?" Myne asked.
"I will possibly return one day. That day is undetermined though." He answered as he bent down to her level.
"We'll miss you." Her sister said.
"Noted. As will I." He said, awkwardly setting his hands on their heads before standing up to his full height. They waved him goodbye and he looked over his shoulder before sending them a curt nod, then disappearing into the crowd. He sighed quietly as he started to walk through the bustling crowd of people, feeling a sense of unease build up in his system. His pace started to quicken a bit and he saw that the crowd was beginning to thin out a bit as he got further away from town square. After a few minutes of walking, he finally reached the guild. Nobody was inside, except Maaya. She was at the her usual spot doing paperwork calmly.
The door opened and she perked up at someone actually entering today, despite the festival taking place today. She wasn't wearing her usual work clothes and had decided to wear something more casual. Just a simple white blouse shirt and a brown skirt with leggings that went up to her thighs. He nodded when she smiled at him and stopped in front of the counter, standing there calmly.
"If you're here to pick up bounties, then I'm afraid you can't. The guild is closed today." She said.
"I am not here to pick up any bounties. I am here to give you something." He said calmly as he set his bag down and open it.
"Oh?" She blinked in surprise. That statement actually made her stop in her tracks and stare at him. Although she barely knew his story and probably wouldn't for the rest of her life, she knew he wasn't one to give people things. The only thing he really gave people was medicine and lien, sometimes food if they had nothing to eat. She watched as he pulled out a box from his bag and set it on the counter. He opened it and brought out a pendant, gesturing her to lean forward. When she did, he put it around her neck and closed the box before putting it back into his bag.
A smile adorned her face as she inspected the gift with gentleness and tucked it underneath her shirt. Maybe this was a sign he was finally opening up to people.
"Thank you. Does this mean you're opening up to people?" She asked.
"No." He answered quickly, a little too quickly.
"Oh." She sighed. He was still the same old Six that she had known for years; straight to the point, no nonsense, quiet, and distrustful of everyone.
"Goodbye." He said as he picked up his bag and threw it over his shoulder, walking out of the door.
"Wait!" She cried out, making him stop and look at her. "Do you want to watch the lanterns rise with me?" She asked. It went quiet for a while as he just stared at her for a few minutes before nodding slowly. While he would've liked to leave as soon as possible, staying another few minutes wouldn't hurt, especially if getting to Patch would probably take months of walking.
Her eyes lit up and she quickly finished up her paperwork before heading towards the door. Both of them stepped outside and he watched as she locked the door before walking next to her down the street. Decorations lit up the street and people had looked their best for the night. Both of them walked for a while in comfortable silence and before they knew it, countless lanterns started to float up into the sky. Over a hundred lanterns floated up and reflected off of his black visor, he watched them with a flat expression and looked around to see nearly everyone watch with admiration and awe. He didn't understand the point of this, but everyone was relaxed and happy; enough positive emotions to keep the Grimm away. This just meant his job was done and he could leave.
"Goodbye." He said to her.
"Goodbye. I'll see you next time, whenever that is." She said.
"..." He nodded and watched her expression fall a bit at his departure. His body turned around and started to brush past the crowd, slowly disappearing as the space between him and her was filled with people.
Eventually after a few minutes, she saw him put his hood up and finally disappear into the night. While it did pain her to see him go, she understood his reason. He was never one to stay for celebrations, preferring to get his work done and move onto the next task. A part of her wondered why he was like that, never one that was content with staying in one place for long. Perhaps she would never know and that didn't bother her. She watched as he was gone into the night like a phantom. She'd take him up on that offer to travel with him one day; it would be nice to see what it's like in Remnant and beyond.
He walked into the night, seeing the lanterns high in the sky with a soft glow. It was his time to leave, to continue his mission and keep his focus on that. Visiting the place he enjoyed being in put his mind at ease, something he needed. On his way to patch, he'd visit the other ones to check up on their status before leaving shortly after. Now that his focus was back on his mission, he could continue like always. His wall of distrust was thrown up again as soon as he exited the settlement. A part of him was cautious to open up, it had been so long since he's actually done it that the feeling was foreign. The last time he opened up, people that he had grown fond of had died. Noble Team was one example; different aspects of each member had different effects. He missed them, which was odd to say.
Carter's leadership, Kat's sardonic and dry sense of humor, Jun's patience, Emile's cynical attitude, and Jorge's comforting aura that he displayed. They were possibly the first people he truly felt guilty about letting die. While he knew war didn't discriminate, it still pained him to witness each one of their deaths with his own eyes, with the exception of Jun. He didn't know if the Spartan was alive or not. A part of him was cautious about feeling human again after closing himself off from his emotions. While it was highly unlikely that he would have a breakdown, or do something drastic, it certainly wouldn't be out of the question for him to feel conflicted. Part of him didn't want to feel human; it was almost as if feeling like a machine suited him better.
Maaya is possibly the first non-UNSC individual that made him feel human again. Although she didn't crack his wall he threw up, she did build up to the entryway and make him feel like he mattered. That made him feel uneasy, to feel valuable in the eyes of someone other than the UNSC. The way he viewed himself was expendable, someone who could be written off as easy as another casualty. It's the way he was groomed and what countless people had told him before, ever since he was a child. Years of that the same thing being said to him warped his viewpoint about himself. It was why he was so indifferent towards people in general and felt a detachment towards them. Feeling indifferent towards people and basking in solitude was what put him at ease a majority of the time. He'd never change in that aspect... ever.
His thoughts were interrupted when a sound made him look forward, tensing his body and bringing out his DMR. He aimed at the spot where the noise originated from and waited patiently, an unknown blip appeared on his motion tracker and it slowly came forward. His weapon lowered as he watched a black wolf come out of the brush and stare at him. It's orange eyes stared into his black visor and the two stared at one another. Silence seemed to be the only thing in the air as they continued to look at one another calmly. There wasn't any other wolf in the area, it was just the one in front of him. From his perspective, it looked like it had been alone for countless years... like him. Its eyes held nothing but distrust as did his, and pretty soon it sat down to continue to stare at him.
Some time had passed before it stood back up and began to walk towards him. He did the same and the two walked past one another, heading in opposite directions. It looked back at him when it was quite a distance away and he did the same before turning his head back. Minutes passed by and the two didn't see each other anymore. He had to stop and think about this encounter for a minute; after a few minutes he continued along the path he had been walking on.
It was times like these that reminded him that he wasn't too different from the wolf he encountered. Always walking alone...
So, everyone, hello. Another chapter so soon, but that doesn't bother me. I'd like to first say thank you for writing what you guys put, I mean it. It goes to show how wonderful of people you all are. Another thing is that I found someone to talk to, we start talking in the next week or so. The final thing is my god you guys wrote a lot of reviews in such a short time span, but I don't really mind that too much. I think the next chapter is going to be the different point of views from everyone, since you guys have been asking for it. I didn't put it in this chapter because the next one I actually want to focus on the characters and their reactions to Six in general, so the next chapter will be devoted to entirely them. Let's get onto the reviews.
Janne Rolfe Jalandoni: That's a possibility I'm willing to come around sooner or later. Anyways, stay safe.
Lechain: Indeed, I felt the need to make Glynda the actual logical one in their little group.
Alby199800: I won't say anything about that. Anyways, stay safe.
Rouge-eL: Did that, it helped a little. I'm going to find a therapist or just talk to one of my family members.
UndeadLord22: I tried to make him that justified, calculated, cold asshole in this story. Take care as well.
Sm0keyPanda: Yeah, I'm scheduling one for the future. You know, when you wrote Kevin, I was trying to figure out who you were talking about. Until I realized that the Wyvern's name is actually Kevin.
Mr.wolffe: It's alright, I wasn't confused and I now have a better understanding.
Lord Demolitions: It's just how I am, I guess. Everyone has different expectations. Sorry to hear about your presidential candidate, plus I'm sure you're an amazing author. I actually considered Six going to the Vytal Festival but decided watching at the family's house was the best option for him to stay anonymous. As for Six having more interactions, I'll do that as the story progresses. Thanks for reviewing.
Ratnote: Nice, and thanks.
Elmoslayer569: Thanks.
Firefox24x: I'll be devoting the next one to the viewpoints of everyone else next chapter. You guys have been eager for that so the least I can do is grant that.
VGBlackwing: A long review, nice. Thanks for reviewing.
Halofan2117: Puberty was way better than the shit I'm dealing with now, but you are right about the second one. I'll keep your advice in mind, thanks.
captaindickscratcher: It's just how I am. About Glynda, yeah, I wanted to actually have her be the one to act the most logical of the group. I do think Penny's fighting style looks like it's based off of her, so that much we can agree on. Don't worry about the previous chapter, you all didn't get to me. I think it was more along the lines of myself thinking everyone else was coming down onto me, you all just merely stated your opinion and that's alright. Thanks for reviewing.
Lord of Moons: Possibly.
Victor John Foxfire: Wow, that was a good review. I agree about the whole Atlas thing. Also with that fight between Six and the dragon, I kind of felt the need to make the fight as realistic as possible. Sure Six is strong, but I doubt he's strong enough to tank several hits from a dragon that's at least ten times his size, so I wanted to make him use his cunning abilities and the items he had on him.
AnonymousAuthor3: I think I just need someone to talk to, luckily I found someone so that's a plus.
O: Pretty much.
Reader: Yeah, it is. I mean, you all are amazing people so there's that. About the chapter not being good enough, I think that's just a personal problem I deal with and need to work out one of these days. Stay safe to you as well, mate.
Winnie the Pooh: Possibly.
Shen69: I'll try, thanks for reviewing.
47: Thanks.
Akin2018: I will, thank you.
Spark: Here it is.
Monkey-man369: Thank you.
Christian Breffle: Indeed.
darkromdemon: Indeed they are.
Crescentation: Thank you.
daggercloak000: One day he will.
HAIL KING DELIRIOUS: Affirmative.
OmegaDelta: She probably won't take it very well, considering in the show that was like her biggest card when Beacon fell.
FireandIce4664: I was going for that mixture of a video game feel along with the story feel. If it bothers you then I will avoid using it so often, there may be times when I slip up though.
Valerious Lake: Indeed, good to be back.
Dead344156: I might take some time off after this chapter, I don't know how long though.
Minxiboo: I do too, but I'm sure I'll manage.
Guest: Thanks, mate.
ErrorSans13: I will, thank you.
InfernoKnightmare: I needed a little laugh, thank you.
Guest: That she is.
FireandIce4664 (again): I might take a small break after this chapter.
Sunbreaker: Thank you.
free man writer: You're fucking awesome.
Teddy: I tried to translate this into English since I am unable to speak that language, but when I do, I'll try to thank you in some way. Sorry for not replying to you.
Crazypumpdude: That was a good one.
MysticMauler: Yeah, I figured I'd make it a bit longer due to me not answering questions like last time. Usually I write around nine thousand words a chapter and the rest is just from the author's note. I'd rather have nine thousand words of content as opposed to just discussing whatever is in the AN.
Rookie059: Yeah, my main problem is just always constantly worrying about what people think. I'll try to start ignoring the negatives and start looking at the positives without letting it give me an inflated ego. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion and I just have to learn to work around that. Salem will probably be pissed off the walls. As for the reactions, next chapter is going to focus mainly on that; it's what you guys want to see the most so I'll try to accomplish that.
negronomicon: It's alright, I just have to learn to live around it.
peeiswhitehelp: I'll keep that in mind.
rvbrwby: I'll dedicate the next chapter to the point of views of everyone. About Six and Maaya getting together, it's kind of a weird topic with me. Thanks for reviewing though. About that song, thanks for reminding me that it was one of the ones I had been looking for.
PhoenixGuy: You make me smile.
YOUGOTAWARFACE: It's just how I am, I guess. Apologizing is in my nature like you said, but you are right that nothing can really be done about it. Thanks.
The Baz: Yeah, I used to wake up at five when I had to go to work. Now I just wake up at five-thirty.
Fenrir Wylde Razgriz: I do read all the reviews, I mean you're guys' reviews are interesting to read, regardless of how ill intended they are. You are right though, everyone is a critic so I shouldn't be too bothered by it.
spartan-140: A handle and some wolf head pendants.
Guest: That's if she learns.
Blaze1992: From what I understand, yes. Though there are rumored to be more giant Grimm around Remnant, so it'd be cool to explore upon them. Really the possibilities are endless with FanFiction.
scottusa1: Thanks, laters.
LunaAnt: I hope so too.
Guest: That's alright, it isn't a problem for me to figure your message. Thanks for the suggestions though.
MarauderPrime12: You're badass.
ADAMU KADOMON: That's a good review, a very good analysis of the chapter I should say. Sorry I don't have much to say about your review, but thanks for reviewing. I mean it. You're amazing.
Czechus: Here's another chapter for you. It did give them a boost in morale, which was probably needed for people at this point. I am reaching out to someone, we'll probably start talking soon so that's a plus. Thanks.
Silverblaze243: Thank you.
Josephi: Indeed.
YUK18U573R Z: I agree with all those things you said about Glynda, it's a shame that her voice actor was fired and we won't see her character anymore.
Somerandomperson: I won't say the greatest, but I don't like to half ass my work. This was actually my first multiple fanfic cross so it's still a little new to me.
Fairfield parallax: Here's another chapter.
stormdragon981: It's more along the lines of the brutality of the murders happening, along with the fact that they're happening. While yes, the city may have had murders happen before, but possibly never at such a large scale and so quickly. I'm sure that once they find out that they were White Fang, then their viewpoints would change, most probably didn't know the victims were White Fang.
The Lone Swordswolf: I'll keep that in mind, thank you. I'll do a reaction chapter at Beacon for the next chapter, I don't know when it'll be up though.
sacke110: Thank you, I mean that.
JCarrasco: I'll keep it up until this story is complete.
rick12: Wow, that's actually a good review. I enjoyed reading that.
DCLIV: I prefer to avoid talking about other people's stories, but I do think that the story is well crafted. I don't really compare The Mantle of Remnant to mine because there are several differences regarding it, but nevertheless it is a good story to read.
Ghostly: I'll avoid saying some things so I don't spoil it, but I do agree with you about Ironwood.
Whitter: Thank you.
StayBlessed: Yeah, I do too.
That was a lot of reviews, and I mean a lot. I don't mind it though. Since you all have been asking about different point of views of everyone, I'll decide to indulge you guys in that regard. Next chapter is going to be mainly about everyone's thoughts about Six and there'll probably be a segment with Six at the end, but that's all I'm willing to say though. I don't want to spoil you guys too much.
You guys are amazing people though and I mean that from the bottom of my heart, so I'll take your guys' advice and take a little break. It won't be months and months, but I won't really be on that much. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, so I guess you guys just have to wait patiently. Otherwise, thanks for the reviews and stay healthy everyone. I mean it.
I'll see you guys in the next chapter. Goodbye.