Six observed the camp from his perch on the mountain for the next couple of days. Using the zoom function on his helmet, he saw Raven come out of her tent several times. An approaching thunderstorm in the distance made him nod his head in approval. He'd use the rain and thunder to cover any sound he made. It started to darken a bit as the clouds above rolled blanketed the sky and the day dripped away. The wind blew against his back and his cloak flowed forward. Lightning cracked and illuminated his figure for a quick second. The second strike of lightning revealed his now vacant spot as he slid down the side of the mountain and towards the camp.
It took him half an hour, but he eventually got close enough to the camp to think about his next move.
He climbed a tree and started to balance himself across the branches that could support his weight. The day started to drip away and he merely scaled the branches while using the cover of darkness to conceal his presence; the camp was in his sights and he stared at the occupants. His night vision flickered on and he spotted the next large branch before jumping towards it, spreading his arms out to balance himself before looking at the camp again. The wind gently brushed against the trees and made them sway along with his cloak, he continued to observe the camp for the next hour. A series of thoughts went through his head as he contemplated on how to handle this.
Fear would slowly erode their morale bit by bit. Eventually they would be too afraid to do anything and he could eliminate them.
He figured doing this as quietly as possible was key and he heard the sound of thunder in the distance. Looking towards the sky, he could barely see the direction the clouds were heading and sat down on the branch. The clouds above had grown darker and made seeing into the woods nearly pitch black, something he used to his advantage. He had gotten closer to the camp and whistled loudly, drawing the attention of a few bandits. They looked at one another before bringing up some flashlights, peering into the darkness. When none of them saw anything, he broke off a nearby branch and threw it onto the ground. This time, they decided to investigate and readied their weapons, carefully peering around.
Watching from above, he narrowed his eyes before silently bringing out his combat knife. When it was flipped into a reverse grip, he sprung off the branch and onto the nearest one, burying the blade into the back of their neck. They gurgled on their blood before he ripped it out and moved onto the next one, stabbing them in the stomach and ripping it to the side. Their entrails spilled onto the ground and they could only gasp while he threw his knife into the last one's skull. A sickening crunch was heard before he gripped their head and slammed his knee into the handle, pushing the blade further in.
They fell backwards quickly and he went to their corpse, ripping the knife from them before going to the one who had their entrails spilled. He stared at them coldly before raising his foot and crushing their skull. Blood splattered across the ground and he used their body to wipe it off before moving onto the camp. Thunder rumbled and lightning struck nearby, illuminating his figure quickly before he was shrouded by darkness once more.
The three bandits' bodies were strung up by their feet high into the branches, this was the start of his dismantling of their ranks and morale. He climbed the tree waited for some more to look for their companions; this time it was a group of five. He watched as they looked around and he quietly observed them from above, standing up and balancing himself on the branch. Two were beneath him while the other three were ahead and he jumped down. He crushed the first one, listening to their bones snap violently before bringing out his kukri and slashing at the second one.
They barely had time to react before blood leaked from their neck like a faucet and their head rolled onto the ground. He dashed towards the ones ahead and stabbed the first one in the back of their neck, ripping the blade out before slamming his fist onto the next. Their neck broke easily and the last one turned around with wide eyes, barely getting a word out before his hand clamped around their mouth and the back of their head.
Lightening flashed and illuminated his figure for a brief moment, giving him the appearance of the Grim Reaper himself. The bandit screamed into his hand and tears started to well in their eyes before he twisted. A sickening snap was heard as their head was turned counter clockwise, teetering in place a bit before falling over. His eyes turned back to the camp and he started to approach it, crouching down and crawling on the ground. He saw an opening near one of the wooden walls and started to make his way around to it.
It took a few minutes, having to stop whenever a bandit thought they saw movement, but he managed to make it. He set his bag inside before prying open the crack a bit more and shimming his way inside, picking up his bag and slinging it over his shoulder. His motion tracker caught three individuals inside a tent and he stuck his knife in the back, sliding it downwards and creating a small tearing noise. The slumbering bandits moved around every so often before he quietly went up to the first one, sticking his knife into their throat and dragging it across harshly.
He moved onto the second one and covered their mouth before cutting their throat open as well. The third one was the same case. The final bandit woke up and opened their mouth, but all he did was slam his fist into their throat, caving it in and listening to them choke and suffocate. They went to move outside the tent, but he gripped the back of their shirt and placed their head underneath his armpit, jerking it upwards and breaking their neck. He set their body back into their cot and his head perked up when he heard a voice outside, quickly grabbing a nearby spear and going out the back.
"Hey, wake up you lazy fucks. Branwen wants everyone on high alert tonight, says she's got a bad feeling." A large bandit entered the tent. His face soured when he didn't get a response and started to go up to one of them, only to stop when he stepped in something. His eyes trailed down and saw a large puddle of blood before he went closer.
"W-What the fuck?" He gulped when he saw the dead bodies. Thunder rumbled and lightning cracked, illuminating the tent for a brief second. He caught sight of Six's figure outside the tent, making him turn around and bolt towards the flap of the tent. A word barely escaped his mouth as a spear went through his skull, stabbing his eye on the way out and letting it hang on the tip of the spear. Six entered the tent before gripping the shaft of the spear and dragging it through the bandit's head. A squelching noise was heard and he watched as the body slumped down before he stabbed the spear into the ground.
He went to the head and brought out his kukri, raising it and stabbing the neck area. Blood leaked from the wound and he began chopping before ripping the head up, observing it for a second before sticking it on the spear. The person that would be the first to come across this wouldn't last long in terms of stomaching such a sight.
Sticking the spear into the ground and impaling the head on it, he left the tent and onto the next one. He did the same process as the first, cutting the throats of the sleeping bandits while avoiding the ones that were awake. A majority of the bandits needed to be dead before he could corner Branwen. Her trail had gone cold for years upon years and he wouldn't let her escape, especially since she had a possible way off the Installation.
Cutting a hole in the back of the tent like the previous ones, he saw a lone bandit in the tent, sharpening their weapons and checking the guns. He brought out his knife and snuck up behind them, covering their mouth with his left hand before plunging the knife into their heart. Their muffled scream and widened eyes started to slowly die down the longer he held them there; only letting go when they slumped down. His knife was slammed into their neck and he felt the bones in their neck pop when he twisted it. A blip appeared on his motion tracker and someone entered the tent, dropping the items in their hands.
He reacted quicker than they could and reared his hand back, clenching his fist tightly and slamming it into their jaw. A ripping and tearing noise was heard as their jaw practically flew off. Blood leaked profusely from the wound and they wobbled in place before falling towards the edge of the tent. He gripped their shirt and threw them onto the ground next to him. A thought popped into his head when he saw explosives near their lower jaw, making him tilt his head. Looking at his TACPAD, he saw the time and started setting explosives in the tents. With the Monitor's help, he could set a series of explosives lethal enough to kill aura users that would have survived.
A couple of explosives would be set near the entrance to ensure none of them escaped and lived to tell the tale.
He didn't want any distractions from him getting what he needed out of a certain bandit woman.
A set of explosives was set up as he exited another tent, knife caked in blood and a small strand of flesh. Just as he was about to enter another one, a loud announcement was heard and he hid behind some supplies. The rain pelted the camp and his cloak was soaked, parts of it sticking to his armor. He saw Raven enter the middle of the camp, looking around to notice that countless members were missing. She had a member go around waking the other members up, and he watched as they did that. A terrified shout was heard and the member rushed out of the tent, face stricken with horror before they vomited.
Slowly bringing out the detonator, he held it in his hand before pressing it. A couple of explosions happened, making the members dive to the ground as debris flew in the air. During the commotion, he brought out his DMR and took aim, firing four times and watching as four bandits dropped dead instantly. He rolled to the side as gunfire impacted the spot he was at. When he stopped rolling, he stood up and fired three more shots and killed three more bandits. They scattered like rats and took cover wherever they could, firing at him while he just took cover behind a pile of supplies.
A grenade was plucked off his belt and he threw it at two bandits, watching their eyes widen before it exploded. The splinters spread out like fireflies and burned their skin, causing them to briefly scream before they turned to ash. Reaching inside his bag, he brought out a smoke bomb and threw it in the middle of the group. It exploded and covered the area in a thick cloud that made them cough harshly. Their eyes burned from the spices he mixed in with it, and rubbed their watery eyes.
He rushed inside the cloud of smoke, bringing out his combat knife and rushing past the first bandit. Blood sprayed in the air as they clutched their throat with wide eyes. One of the bandits backed up from the body and he gripped the back of their collar, pulling them further into the smoke. The sound of flesh being sliced open met the others' ears and he jumped up in the air when they started to fire into his spot. His feet slammed onto one of them, crushing their head like a grape before he blocking a swipe at him; he stabbed the assailant twice in the stomach before once in the neck. He rolled back into the smoke and he brought out the Boltshot, firing it three times and killing a couple of bandits.
A sudden gust of wind blew his cloak a bit and the smoke disappeared, making him narrow his eyes at Raven with her weapon out. She breathed harshly before her heart suddenly dropped and her eyes widened. The one thing she had been running from for the past several years finally caught up to her. It wasn't even described as a man in her eyes, but a living nightmare.
"Boss-" A bandit started, only to fall over dead when a Boltshot round was sent through his head. A smoking hole was seen and Six wasted no time, bringing out a fire infused throwing knife, throwing it as hard as he could into another bandit's forehead. Fire erupted and their head swelled up like a balloon before exploding into a shower of gore, covering the area.
Raven's eyes widened and she looked at him, bending down and getting ready. She turned when she heard the sound of feet impacting the ground quickly. Her remaining bandits had decided to run with their tails between their legs. A growl escaped her lips and she shouted at them, hurling insults at them before covering her eyes when a sudden explosion blinded her for a quick second. A gust of wind made her shield her eyes and the sound of body parts landing near her made her look at the ground. There was the mutilated torso of one of her bandits lying in front of her, shrapnel embedded into his body and blood leaking from it.
Only one of her most loyal bandits remained by her side and even she looked disturbed. Weapons shaking in her hands and breathing quickly at the sight of so many of her comrades dead.
"Vernal, calm down." Raven said.
"Calm down? Calm down?! What is this thing?! Some new Atlas death machine?!" She bellowed.
"No... it's worse." Raven informed. A massive shudder went through her when she noticed Six was staring at her; like a wolf would when it was stalking its prey, whittling it down little by little until they were too tired to run. She swallowed a think lump of air and readied herself. Her sheath was aimed at him and her sword shot towards him like a bullet, making him move to the side. She zoomed past him and gripped the hilt of her sword, swinging it down at him diagonally. He brought up his shotgun and blocked it, creating a spark between the two.
His eyes flickered to the sound of boots running towards him and he slammed his palm against Raven's nose, bringing up his leg and tilting it to the side. He gripped her collar and rolled backwards, throwing her into the person behind him before rolling back into a standing position. The barrel of his shotgun was raised and he fired into the two, frowning as always managed to dance around each time he fired. He saved one last shell in his shotgun just in case and brought out his knife, flipping it into a reverse grip.
Both women rushed at him and he ducked underneath Raven's swipe and side stepped Vernal's attack. His leg raised and slammed into her stomach harshly, making her give out a choking noise before he gripped her head and slammed it into the ground. He jumped backwards when Raven slashed downwards at him and his feet skid against the mud. Looking down, he rushed at her and scooped up mud in his left hand. He saw a puddle in front of her and swiped his foot into it, throwing water in her face before chucking the mud at her.
"You bastard!" She shouted before all the air left her. He spun around her and planted a hand on the back of her collar and one on her belt; bending down, he rolled her over his shoulders and slammed her onto the ground before standing up and slamming his foot onto her back. A shot impacted his back and his shields flared up in response, making him whirl around to take another one. She brandished her blades and rushed at him, swiping at him while he just either side stepped or ducked underneath each attack.
Despite his large body, she noticed he was rather quick on his feet. She rushed at him and stabbed her blades at him, but he knocked one of them aside and blocked the other one. His forearm slammed against her face and blood erupted from her nose and mouth; not long after, she found herself bent down and her head in between his armpit and the inside of his forearm. He let his body fall backwards and rolled a few times until he was crouching above her legs. Ignoring the pitiful resistance, he squeezed and bent her neck. With a sudden jerk upwards, a sickening snap was heard from her neck and she instantly stopped resisting.
She was in his way and she needed to be put down anyways, like the rest of the bandits. His target was Raven, and nothing would stop him from reaching his target... especially not some low-life bandit who did nothing but rob and kill innocents. Never once did he feel an ounce of pity nor guilt for the countless bandits he's killed in the past.
The wind around him seemed to pick up a bit and he looked back at Raven, seeing her eyes narrow hatefully at him. He watched as she began to levitate in the air and her breathing started to become harsh as a bubble of electricity and fire encased her. His DMR was brought out and he fired a shot at her, watching as electricity cackled and the bullet seemed to turn to a crisp. She gave a horrifying scream and bee-lined it for him, making him roll to the side and fire at her three more times. Each bullet that burned to a crisp made him narrow his eyes at her and put his gun away.
Her speed increased and he barely had time to dodge her second attack, rolling out of the way when she crashed into the spot he was in.
"Her energy levels are increasing dramatically." The Monitor chimed in.
"I'm aware." Six responded as he dove out of the way once more. He couldn't do anything at the moment seeing how Raven turned herself into an elemental wrecking ball of rage. Fire and electricity radiating off of her blew debris away and created a large clearing. When she landed on the ground, a few bodies started to catch on fire and the stench of burning flesh met her ears.
"If I may be of some assistance, concealing your presence is vital to defeating her. The forest should provide some optimal cover should you cover your cloak with the flora." She advised. He nodded and brought out two smoke bombs, tossing them onto the ground and watching as the area turned a thick grey color.
"Running like a coward instead of fighting me head on?!" Raven snarled, spreading her arms out and forming crystals. They spun around her and formed a large sword before she slammed it into the ground, blowing the smoke away. She noticed that he was gone from his spot and looked around wildly, biting back a shriek of anger and pain when a DMR round planted itself into her shoulder. Her face whirled around to the direction it came from and the bubble of elements encased her. Every time she saw a dead bandit member, her anger grew and clouded her judgement.
Six quietly collected flora around him and stuck it to his cloak quickly, using the shadows to avoid Raven's view. He watched as she floated in the air and attacked at the smallest sound, thinking it was him. Whatever she was using amplified her abilities; it made her unpredictable, but he'd figure out how to use that against her. It seemed her anger was getting the best of her and he intended to exploit that. Just as the Monitor advised, he covered his cloak and climbed a tree, watching as Raven looked around for him. He noticed that whenever the elemental shield she was using dropped, she had to catch her breath before it went back up.
"Using that energy seems to tire her out. Attacking when it is down is your best course of action." The Monitor said.
"..." He nodded and brought out his knife, mind focusing on the target below.
Raven floated underneath him and he jumped as soon as her shield went down, stabbing her forearm and slamming his fist into her chest. She screamed in pain and gasped when he slammed his knee into her stomach before throwing an uppercut and slamming her into a fallen log. Just before he could attack once more, he was thrown back by the shield of energy and skid against the mud. He rolled onto his feet and ducked down as she formed another sword and swung horizontally. An arc of energy cleaved its way through the countless trees and decimated them.
Throwing down another smoke bomb, he rolled into the flora and watched as Raven slam her sword into the spot he was in. Instead of remaining low to the ground, she floated up into the trees and observed from above. Her eyes narrowed at the smallest noise and with a flick of her wrist, an arc of energy destroyed the spot the sound originated from.
She gave off pulses that illuminated the area and he waited until it was shrouded in darkness to crawl around her. He stopped moving whenever her gaze lingered on him before she turned every so often in hopes of spotting him. His mind briefly went back to his early days of as a Headhunter, having to creep around the area while men and women that could literally end his life in an instant weren't too far off. Snapping back to the present, he stopped moving when Raven narrowed her eyes in his direction, flicking her wrist and sending an arc of energy at him.
Quickly rolling out of the way, he brought up his Boltshot and fired three times, noticing that the shield got weaker. A cloud of dust encased the area as Raven sent another attack at him, allowing him to slip away once more. She shrieked in anger and Six saw the cracks in her judgment beginning to appear; snapping at the smallest thing and letting her tire herself out.
After a few minutes, the shield flickered away and she dropped to the ground and tried to catch her breath. He rushed from his spot in the bushes and slashed at her leg, letting the blade cut through her flesh a bit. A mixture of fury and pain escaped her mouth in the form of a scream as she shot up in the sky like a rocket, forming the biggest sword she could and pointing it towards the ground. She shot towards the ground like a meteorite and stabbed it, creating a large shockwave that blew the area around her and reduced it to nothing but dust.
He was thrown back and activated his armor lock when a log came barreling towards him. It shattered upon impact and he stood up, grabbing his kukri and coating it with the hallucinogenic and some poison. Looking forward, he saw Raven with her regular weapon, glaring at him with the heat of a thousand suns. He just glared back, and the clouds parted. The broken moon gleamed brightly and he set his bag and cloak down, giving her an actual view of his armor.
"I spent years getting people to join my tribe. Years upon years trying to avoid you and gather resources so when you reared your demonic head once more, I could finally be able to kill you! Yet, here you stand... underneath the broken moon of Remnant like some sort of embodiment of death! You're not a huntsman, nor are you a hero... you're simply a monster who hides behind the façade of a good person." She spat venomously. He just clenched his fist and brought out the Boltshot, listening to it hum to life.
The air was tense and silent as the two just stared at one another. She rushed towards him while he did the same, both running at superhuman speeds before clashing blades and creating sparks. He ducked underneath a swipe and blocked another one while tossing the kukri in the air and catching it in a reverse grip, stabbing at her quickly before parrying a stab at him. She lifted up her leg and tried to kick him in his side but he maneuvered out of the way and gripped her leg, throwing her to the side and throwing a grenade at her.
She managed to avoid the blast radius and watched as the splinters covered the area, each one individually exploding shortly after. A swing at him was given but he lifted his leg and kicked the blade, shattering it before using his momentum to kick her ribs. Spit flew from her mouth and she flew across the ground. Jumping to her feet, she fired her blade at him and dashed towards him, appearing behind him instantly and aimed at the back of his neck.
His instincts blared in alarm and he ducked quickly, rolling forward and using the momentum to slam his foot onto her back. She gave a pained gasp as she created a small crater onto the ground. He wasted no time and quickly headbutted her when she stood up, ducking underneath a horizontal swipe and scooping her right leg. She flipped over his shoulder and landed on the ground harshly, stabbing her arm and letting the hallucinogens and poison work its way into her system.
She poured a massive amount of aura into her leg and kicked him off; using her sword to help her stand up on shaky legs. Her breathing was harsh and a dull throb seemed to worm its way into her skull, making her hit her head. The energy flowed around her and kept him at bay while he just stood there for a few minutes, making her narrow her eyes at him. He quickly collected his bag and cloak, putting them on his body and bringing out a smoke grenade. It was his last one and he chucked it lazily at her, making her laugh bitterly.
The only difference is that this smoke seemed darker than the rest, and she soon found herself in a pitch black environment. The world around her felt different, like she was in one of her portals, only she was trapped there. It didn't feel right; like someone had twisted reality itself to their own bidding. A stepping of paws met her ears and she looked around to try to pinpoint it. Her heart started to beat quickly and slam against her chest, making her clutch it tightly. She felt tiny, as if she were in her avian form on the ground while something stalked her from beyond.
The steps got louder and louder as time seemed to come to a crawl. She started to walk in the darkness, jumping at the smallest sound of running near her. The atmosphere felt off and pretty soon, she was falling and screaming, but nothing came out of her mouth. It felt like an eternity that she was plummeting until her back hit something. An ooze-like substance and she felt like she was drowning, making her swim up. The moment she broke the surface, it was flipped upside down and she was falling once more.
Once she landed, it was a painful sensation that made her gasp in agony. She winced and leaned up, finding herself flinching at the sticky sensation in her hand. It was brought in front of her face and she noticed it was covered in blood, making her stand up and look around. Her eyes widened when she saw the massive puddle of blood and gore she was standing in. The bodies of her fellow bandits strewn about; entrails strung up like party streamers, empty eye sockets which leaked blood like a faucet, mutilated flesh with maggots infesting them.
A horrible, haunting series of moans met her ears and she saw the bodies start to rise up, some fell over due to broken bones, while others simply crawled with what remained of their corpses. Each one shambled towards her and the sound of squelching made her flinch. She tried to run, only for something to grab her leg and make her look down and widen her eyes.
Vernal's head dangled by her broken neck and her corpse stared at her with empty eyes. It was thrown off of her and landed awkwardly as she turned and started to run, falling over when more hands gripped her legs and kept her docked. The countless bodies shambled towards her and began to pile on her, ignoring her cries of defiance and pretty soon she was shrouded in darkness once more.
For what felt like another eternity, she woke up in a puddle of blood. This time though, the set of paws she heard earlier finally made her see the figure. A wolf, a gigantic black wolf that towered over her. It's orange eyes stared down at her coldly and it didn't make a noise, simply observing her for what she was.
A pest.
The once proud Raven Branwen was nothing but a pest compared to the mighty beast in front of her. She didn't know why but tears leaked from her eyes and she bent down forward, crying out in anguish and confusion. This horrible place she was in was some form of personal torment her mind must be conjuring up, a personal hell. One that she couldn't escape from, matter how much she pleaded, cried, or begged for forgiveness; nothing would set her free. All the while apologizing to the people she left behind; how her life would have meant something had she stayed with Tai and her daughter.
The wolf on the other hand simply stared at her coldly. It didn't feel pity nor remorse for the woman in front of it, all it did was walk forward and shrank in size, droplets of blood leaking from its snout. Smoke started to leak off of it and encase it after a few seconds. Pretty soon, she saw Six walk forward, making her scoot back in terror. He didn't say anything and a portal appeared behind her; she saw him briefly stop before continuing forward. She scrambled to her feet and rushed towards it, only to widen her eyes when he tackled her through it.
It shut shortly after they entered it.
Six tackled Raven through the portal, feeling a sense of vertigo engulf his body as the two of them fell into a spot. He stomped on her chest and ignored the bloodcurdling scream of pain and terror she gave out. Looking around, he noticed that he was back on Patch... which meant Summer and her family were here. A sigh escaped his lips as he stared down at Raven; the woman was nothing but a shrieking, hysteria filled mess at this point in time. Similar to Tyrian, but to a lesser extent.
He hated Branwen, and felt nothing for her if she died by his hands. Callows on the other hand, he absolutely abhorred and regretted not torturing him for longer.
"Where is the slip space technology, Branwen?" He asked.
"What are you talking about?!" She struggled.
"Your means of traveling through the portals." He answered.
"It's not technology, it's my semblance! It allows me to travel to people I'm bonded to." She answered.
"..." His fists clenched tightly and he felt that he wasted years of his time. It was stupid of him to think that a bandit like her had such an advanced piece of technology, especially since Remnant hasn't even broken orbit. He considered himself a fool for wasting all this time on tracking her, when in reality... it was a lucky set of genes she was born with. At this point, he didn't even feel anger, he just felt disappointment now.
A sigh escaped his lips as he stared at Raven, seeing her eyes were bloodshot and skin clammy. The amount of hallucinogens and poison that was in her system was lethal at this point, and it would be exceedingly cruel of him to prolong her suffering any longer, but he didn't care. Not once did she show an ounce of mercy towards those she had robbed, raped, and killed. Had he been a more merciful individual, he would have ended her suffering by putting a shotgun shell in her brain; but never once did he claim he was one.
He heard her beg and plead to whatever god was above to free her from her suffering, but all he did was stare at her. Her breathing started to slow down and heartrate decrease as time passed. The Boltshot was brought out and he aimed it at her skull before the Monitor stopped him.
"Reclaimer, wait." She floated in front of him.
"What?" He asked.
"We need her alive for the artifact below the Shade Academy." She said.
"She's dying, there's nothing I can do about it at this point." He said.
"There is also someone coming, it is Summer Rose." She said.
"I'm supposed to care, why?" He asked.
"She may try to stop you." She answered.
"It doesn't matter if she stops me from shooting Branwen or not. She's already dead from the hallucinogens and poison in her system." He said.
"You could at least let her die in peace." She said.
"She will not, it will be a slow and painful death." He countered callously.
The sound of a pair of feet met his ears and he turned to see Summer rushing towards him. Her breathing was ragged and her eyes widened at the sight of him before they locked on Raven. He moved to the side when she rushed next to the bandit woman and started to call her name numerous times. He didn't bother listening to the exchange between the two, but he heard Summer's sniffles. All he did was begin to walk away towards the Facility to get back to Mistral. He still needed to deal with the White Fang and Salem's underling.
There was a scream of anguish mixed in with anger and he moved to the side when Summer barreled past him. His face was flat as he stared into her angry eyes, tears dropping onto the ground below. He didn't want to fight her, but if push came to shove then he would.
"Why?!" She screamed.
"Why what?" He asked.
"Why did you kill her?!" She responded, tears leaking form her eyes.
"She was a bandit leader and a target." He answered flatly; walking past her and ignoring the hateful glare she sent towards him.
"You didn't have to kill her!" She said.
"She was a menace to the frontier in all the kingdoms. Are you aware of how many settlements have fallen because of her?" He turned to her, blocking a kick and slamming his palm into her chest. Not a single ounce of him could fathom why she was so angry at him for killing Raven, and he didn't care anymore.
"So that gives you the right to play Judge, Jury, and Executioner?" She asked.
"No. Yet, like the White Fang... nobody seems to be doing anything about them. You all are content with them running around robbing and killing innocents. She's caused several settlements to fall after robbing them of their resources, leaving the Grimm to kill the survivors. Her training as a Huntress wasn't meant for the greater good like you all preach, it was meant for her own selfish gain." He explained.
"You could have done something different. Brought her here or turned her in." She clenched her fists.
"So she could just break out and keep doing what she was doing? No, I refuse to believe that one event would have changed her ways." He said.
"That's because you don't give people a chance in the first place! The White Fang, bandits, whoever else you kill. Nobody has a chance at redemption because you decide to rob them of their lives!" She shouted.
"... Her relationship with you, what is it?" He asked out of the blue.
"You never answered my-" She stopped when he stepped up to her and stared down at her.
"What was your relationship with her?" He repeated.
"She was my teammate, okay? Her, Tai, and Qrow were my teammates. We shared everything together." She answered.
"So you knew she was a bandit from the very beginning?" He asked.
"I did." She nodded.
"..." He turned away from her and began walking away.
"Where are you going?!" She shouted.
"Away from you. You knew she was a bandit from the beginning, and you must have known she was still continuing her bandit ways, even after becoming a huntress. The academies didn't do anything but create a more dangerous individual. Not once did you think of keeping tabs on her, nor try to stop her. She's killed dozens of people and possibly gotten hundreds more killed, and you expect me to let that go?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
"No, I don't. I at least expect you to nurse the capacity in your heart to give people a chance to change." She answered and stood in front of him.
"I cannot. People are more dangerous than the Grimm at times. You should know this more than anyone else." He said. Not even bothering to listen to her further, he walked past her and towards his destination. She said something underneath her breath but he ignored it. Raven Branwen, the bandit queen, wasn't a threat anymore and that was one less problem he had to deal with.
He didn't associate with Huntsmen and Huntresses too much. Most didn't like how people looked up to him more than them, even he didn't like it at times. He'd call them out if the situation called for it. Most were arrogant in his eyes and the veterans, who've had decades of experience, often valued his deeds and viewpoints on certain topics. The ones at the guild simply enjoyed being around him, seeing him a mature younger version of themselves. Younger guild members often came to him for advice whenever he was in town if they could get past his tone of voice.
He was a Spartan, not a saint. Not everything he did was heroic and he would never claim that it was. If it meant that becoming the boogeyman of the frontier to keep the commoners safe, then so be it. He'd gladly take that role if need be.
Maaya sneezed as she stacked papers and set them in the folders. Today was a long day and she stayed longer than what she would have liked, seeing how Myne was sleeping in a chair. She took the folders and went to the back, putting them on the shelves and organizing a bit. Countless papers of deeds people have done made her sigh a bit for some reason. Her eyes flickered to the back when she saw a section that was entirely full of Six's deeds.
The people of the settlement are fiercely loyal to him, despite him not showing up for months at a time. His deeds carried stories and made younger generations eager to become guild members. She noticed as the years went by and he stopped by more often, people that flocked him didn't disturb him as much. They still kept their distance when the situation called for it though. He was their hero and often risked their neck to make sure they were safe and could grow. It didn't matter if the person was from the richer side of the settlement or the poorer side of it, everyone nearly respected him.
Even the mayor, regards Six with a respect some could only hope to achieve. The man met with Six a couple of times, granting the Spartan a safe haven whenever he stops by and openly defends him from any outside forces.
Nobody had told Six that they were effectively cut off from the city, not yet at least. It was hard ever since he left, but they were slowly adapting to the environment. A majority of the settlement grew cautious of outsiders at this point, and she wasn't a stranger either. The moment the council announced that they were cut off, everyone in the settlement openly held a sense of distrust, disregard, or open disgust whenever a council member stopped by. The mayor openly held hostility towards the council and made it clear they had no power over them anymore.
Any documents that came from the settlement, stayed in the settlement. Nothing got in or out unless it was absolutely needed. The settlement started to trade more often with the other outer settlements and formed a close bond as the weeks went by.
A sigh escaped her lips and she was brought out of her thoughts when there was a tug on her skirt. She looked down and saw Myne rubbing her eyes and blinking at her tiredly.
"I want to go home." She whined a bit. Her arms were raised in a grabbing motion and Maaya picked her up, sometimes forgetting how tiny she really was. She felt Myne dig her face in the crook of her neck and stare at the shelf full of Six's past deeds.
"We'll go home after I finish this last thing." Maaya promised.
"This is a big shelf." Myne commented.
"It's the things Six has done, both big and small." Maaya answered.
"Can you bring some home and read me some of them?" Myne bounced up and down in excitement. Maaya winced when her little legs accidentally kicked her stomach a few times.
"Unfortunately, I can't. Despite me having the most power in the guild, it would be rude of me to bring some home without asking Six." She answered.
Myne just blew a raspberry and nuzzled her face in the crook of Maaya's neck. The older woman just stifled a laugh and finished up her work before setting Myne on the bench, putting her coat on and holding her hand as they exited the guild. Both of them shivered as the snow crunched below their feet and they made their way to the apartment.
Once they entered the complex, they greeted the attendant before taking the elevator up; walking down the hall, Maaya unlocked the door before entering the apartment. A soft click was heard as she hung the coats up and kicked off the snow on the place mat. The two of them sat at the table and ate dinner quietly before she got Myne ready for bed, who refused to sleep in her own.
A short story was given and it took twenty minutes, but the little girl was half asleep by now. She smiled tiredly at Maaya and leaned up to give her one last hug.
"I love you, Maaya." Myne yawned.
"I love you too, blueberry." She responded warmly. The response came natural and she didn't realize it until she was tucked the two of them underneath the covers. The two of them fell asleep shortly after, the gentle breeze of the frigid air lulling them to sleep as silence basked the apartment. Nothing on their minds with the exception of tomorrow's plans.
A drone slowly descended outside the window and observed them through the blinds. It hovered in place for thirty seconds before ascending back up into the sky, reporting back to its origin.
I'm not going to lie to you guys... I might be a little tipsy. I had to rewrite this chapter three times, and quite frankly... I feel a little good. Dunno why, but I feel pretty spectacular and felt like writing. Anyways, I figured that I'd get this up for some people to read in the downtime and I wanted to do something that wasn't drinking, playing videogames, or studying. So let's get onto the reviews since there's a lot of them.
Dasgun: Okay, I guess?
Lubber: You're cool.
DXCE000: Here's something interesting.
Lechain: I think I got it handled a bit, still going to focus on my studies first though.
Dead344156: Nah, you weren't bothering me. It's when people constantly hound me and expect me to answer them in an hour is it considered bothering me. You're fine.
Janny092: It's not being too hard on me. As for the backup, you'll have to wait and find out.
Drago - X6627: I described it in the first chapter, might have been too vague though.
CykaBlyatintensifies: I tried to do something different with him. Apparently people don't like my version of Ozpin, but I don't really care anymore. Thank you for reviewing though.
Mard Geer03: Alrighty then, glad to be back.
Malgrath: Damn indeed, mate.
Ser Dorito of Aisle 13: I'll come across that bridge when it arrives.
whatsupman: Hope this is enough.
FirstWinterLight: Not at all. You'll have to wait until the future chapters in regards to the Forerunners.
Marc Ello-Re Yes: Probably, and thank you.
Greyjedi449t: Always have to take my time.
Bruhmeister935: You're grammar is fine, and you're doing great considering it's not your first language.
Seros109: I tried to do something different with Ozpin this time around. I feel like if they didn't make Cinder an absolute annoying villain, then I would have liked her had they done her backstory earlier. It's kind of hard to sympathize with her now that she's done all these things.
Guest: Right on, that's all he needs.
Guest: Yeah, I'm not kidding when I say I'm not taking shit from anyone. Regardless if people like my stories or not, if they're gonna be a dick to me then I'll be one right back. Toxic people I used to associate with in the past noticed that I'm not fucking around with them anymore.
Guest II: Alrighty then.
Sm0keyPanda: That we'll cross that bridge when we come across it. Also, you're a magnificent bastard.
Akin2018: I am.
ArticKnight13: As I've said to the people above, I'll deal with it when we come across it.
LiquidusSnake: Can't say, that'll spoil a bit of the story.
Crazzytony: Thank you.
xXKnow1NosXx: God forbid indeed.
damnitcouldnotthinkofagoodname: You're name is exceedingly long, but for some reason it's actually cool to look at and read. I don't know about Maaya learning about Six's past, and you'll see more Maaya in future chapters. She is kind of a main character in the story.
The Real Hell Fire: You're fine about not writing a review, it's not big deal. I'll try to keep Ozpin interesting without him becoming a Dumbledore 2.0.
Ferno16: It won't.
Guest: Yeah, I got tired of always having him always be some exceedingly good and noble character.
yangn33: I'll think about it, but I don't blame you for being put off by Ozpin.
darkromdemon: I'll definitely think about it, thanks for reviewing.
DOKUTAH: I didn't know I had a tropes page for this story, neato.
RememberReach312: Yeah, thousands of years could do wonders on a person's overall mental state.
OmegaDelta: Thanks for reviewing.
rvbrwby: I'll have to think of something about that.
SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta: No problem. I didn't think everybody would, you're entitled to your own opinion and I'm completely fine with that. Thanks for reviewing.
yermakgundyr: I guess you answered your own question a bit later on.
Guest: Thanks for pointing that out.
dracomancer6491: I'll take that into consideration, thank you.
ErrorSans13: Thank you.
SpudyPotato: It will, which is why I'm uploading less. Also thank you for your review.
InfernoKnightmare: Thank you for your review. It's always interesting to read what you write.
kj250r honda: I won't, thank you.
engineer2172: It will indeed.
Ghostly: Won't say anything, that'll spoil the story a bit.
Foxcomm: Nailed it. Also, I don't expect everyone to feel sorry for Cinder. Some people do, others don't, it's not big deal.
Winnie the pooh: I'll see.
NeoConVAL: Here you go.
DOOMRAIDER: That's a lot to read and I enjoyed reading it, thanks for reviewing.
negronomicon: Thank you, you're awesome.
forthose8675309: It's fine, I just politely tell them to fuck off. Also, I apologize in advance for repeating some things. It's a habit of mine that I'm trying to get rid of.
captaindickscratcher: I had no idea, and that's what people are saying about my Ozpin. Also as for Summer still being alive, I chalk it up as her doing missions she knows she can handle.
Nantono: Thank you.
ODSTFrymann: Thank you, here's the next one.
Hairypen: Probably, and thank you for reviewing.
Guest: Thanks, mate.
djpj7652: Yeah, I had to stop and realize that I don't really have to take shit from people. It's my life and I'll be the one who dictates it, thanks for reviewing.
scottusa1: Thanks for reviewing, laters.
bass30655: Won't tell.
| Fredric | : Thank you.
Another S. T.A.L.K.E.R: Pretty much, I'm not above giving him a decent relationship with people. However, I'm not doing that friendship bullshit because I've grown tired of that. You're right though, magic is heresy. Thank you.
CamoMurf: You'll always be noticed in my eyes. I mean that platonically I mean, to be honest that sounded a lot better in my head.
Lord of Moons: Indeed. I'll try to do more POV's since people seem to enjoy them. Maybe every two or three chapters I'll do one.
Guest: I can't wait for it to bite them in the ass either.
LunaAnt: Yep.
Handsom Jackass: Huh, well how about that? I haven't looked at that bit of art by Alex-kellar yet, I'll be sure to do so.
Gundam-Knight-Chris: I can't tell, and I'll be sure to tell the haters to fuck off.
alvapensky: I'm doing pretty well, thanks for reviewing, friend.
NNN11ght: Yes.
The Shadow Monarch: Indeed.
MarauderPrime12: Excellent review, from and equally excellent person.
Guest: Thank you.
Sarah9730: Neither did I.
PoofyOhio: Pretty much what I was going for with him as the story progressed, but his obsessiveness throws a lot of people off.
SRPA Sentinel: Alrighty then.
ShinyGiratinaA001: It was more of a stop and start chapter, plus I wanted to focus on school and work a bit.
Blaze1992: If he can't then he'll think of something.
Bluzerker: I generally tell them to either fuck off or ignore them. Also, thanks for the link to the video.
psp reader: Indeed.
ADAMU KADOMON: Ah, there you are, the star of the reviews. Well, you all are stars so there's that. I didn't realize that I had a TV Tropes page, so that's pretty cool. I don't have much to say about your review analysis, but I always enjoy reading them and it really makes me smile. Thank you.
ER-47: Thank you.
Guest: I had no idea what that was until I looked it up, and I laughed for a good fifteen minutes because of it. Thank you for that.
GIUNIU: Really interesting, thanks for reviewing.
Icarus Gray: Was watching that and was inspired by it when it came out.
Akira Stridder: Thank you.
Bile 1.0: I won't give them an inch of ground, don't worry. Yeah, this version of Ozpin caught a lot of people by surprise.
Meganei: Huh, that's a lot of info; I'll have to check it out. I'll also have to give that story a read also.
AMurder0fCrows: Uh-oh everyone, we got a shitty person! Someone who only read three chapters and decided it was shit! Oh man! Boo-fucking-hoo. If you really think I'm gonna give a flying fuck because you didn't like the character, then oh well. I'm sorry my story isn't for you, nor do I indulge your fucking preference with an evil MC/OC/SI. If you don't like it then fuck off to wherever you originated from. I'm not gonna bust my balls because of you. \_ツ_/.
YeTianshi: Noted.
Daztegnh: I will, thank you, friend.
InfinityMask: Havne't thought of it.
Chaos: Won't tell.
Guest: I'll see.
HunkZombie: Negative. I'll say it right now that neither one would be paired up. Your head-canon is free to imagine all you want, I don't mind.
MysticMauler: Thanks, mate.
Guardian of the Inheritance: Thank you.
Datarus Finnigun: You'll have to wait and see.
MOTIKA: Won't say anything.
Vendetta123: Thanks, man. You're an awesome person as well.
Wrath of Vajra: He'll probably deal with her... brutally.
Guest: It probably would.
Joker13455: It's how I wrote him, sorry.
So that's it for reviews and man, you guys wrote a lot. I'd first like to thank you all for sticking with me despite my trials and tribulations. You guys are wonderful people, I mean it. I'll keep it brief so I don't take up anybody's time too much.
First, I didn't know what a TV Tropes page was and had to look it up seeing how people kept messaging me about it, and I'm actually pretty amazed. Forgive my ignorance about it though, because I don't really see why I get one; I mean sure the story is decent, but it's not that good to where it deserves that. I'm not saying I'm not grateful, because I am, but I'm a little confused I guess.
Second, I cannot write actions scenes to save my life. I had to rewrite the fight between Six and Raven several times because I felt it wasn't good enough or got dragged out too long. As for her hallucinating, I might have wrote that... when I was slightly intoxicated... which I technically still am. Anyways, the confrontation with Six and Summer was actually meant for something else or I wasn't going to write it, but I had plans for it when I reread the chapter.
Also, on an unrelated note, someone got mad at me about my other three stories and straight up called them shit. I should have been mad at them, but I couldn't help but laugh for a couple of minutes. No duh, they're not that good. I wrote them when I was still in high school and fell into that harem bullshit trope. Not to mention, I literally just started writing so there's that. The only thing I can do now is hopefully salvage whatever mess I made of them.
Well, that's all I have to say other than thank you. 7.5k worth of content and about 2k for the author's note. Not bad at all. Well, I'll see you all next time. Take it easy.