Six sat in his seat quietly as he flew the ship. Maaya sat next to him in the other seat while Myne sat on her lap. He looked at her sleeping face before seeing Maaya rock her back and forth gently. Auspicious floated in between them before inserting herself in the console and piloting the ship. It allowed him to take her from Maaya's arms and carry her to the lower portion of the ship. She followed him to where the others were at and sat down.
Ren and Nora sat on one half of the ship while the children sat at the other. The two siblings tried, and unfortunately failed, to introduce themselves but didn't take it to heart. While they didn't know what the children had gone through, they knew just enough to not try to force their company onto them. It took them flinching at Nora's approach to make them understand they had gone through something horrible.
The children peeked from their nest of blankets, diving underneath the mass of cloth when Six and Maaya approached. The older woman bent down and got on her knees before looking at them. Their eyes blinked curiously at her, but there was an undertone of suspicion as well. Isaac's paper bag crinkled from the pressure and Nana's tail bounced up and down a bit. The others just blinked at her then looked at the other three.
There was a small grumble from each of their stomachs and they covered them, as if trying to silence the noise. They closed their eyes when Maaya shuffled a bit closer and looked at them; only opening them when they saw she just smiled at them.
"Are you hungry?" She asked.
"..." They shook their heads before looking away when their stomachs growled again.
"It's okay if you are. We'll get you something to eat." She said.
"We don't need to earn it?" One of them asked.
"No." She shook her head.
"We'll go get something." Six said before nodding his head towards Ren and Nora. They stood up and followed him while he carried Myne down to the lower deck where the supplies were. They opened crates and looked inside before Ren found some sandwiches that a couple of families made for Six, holding the bag up and shaking it slightly. Six nodded and they saw Isaac and Nana slowly crawling out of the bundle of blankets. Once they were out, they sat in front of her. The other four started to crawl out too darted back in when they saw him with Ren and Nora.
"It's okay, they won't hurt you." Maaya said. They didn't look convinced but eventually crawled out after a while when they saw the bags of sandwiches. He sat down next to Maaya and woke Myne up, ignoring her whining and shaking her awake. She pouted and quietly chewed on her sandwich with puffed cheeks as she sat in his lap. The children ate their sandwiches quickly, only slowing down when he told them. Ren and Nora ate theirs, beaming in delight with how good they were.
"Nora, stop chewing with your mouth open so much." Six said, bringing out his map and looking at it.
"Sorry." She said while a few bits and pieces flew out.
"You're such a messy eater." Maaya said as she wiped a few crumbs off of Nora's face.
"I'm not." She tried to shy away from Maaya's wiping but eventually gave in. He just shook his head and sighed quietly before noticing Myne looking at the map with interest. Even when she was an infant, she would stare at his maps curiously and often grab them if they were within reach. Ren noticed and scooted closer to them, looking at the map as well, then Nora did too.
"Are you going to teach her how to read a map?" Ren asked.
"Depends on it she wants to. Do you?" Six looked down at Myne.
"Yes..." She nodded.
"Make sure you pay attention." He said.
"Okay." She said before listening closely. Maaya watched as the he taught Myne how to read a map, answering each of her questions with ease, and he even taught Ren and Nora some more. He didn't seem to mind Nora leaning over him while pointing at a few things, nodding when she was corrected. Ren simply sat next to Six and looked at the map as well, not saying anything until he was either addressed or had a question. Myne was just content with being next to him, slightly warming up to the other two when she saw how close they were to him.
Maaya thought back to when Six would either throw someone or shove someone away if they got too close to him. Now though, he was content with people touching him... or it was more along the lines of the people he enjoyed being around. Nobody really attempted to do anything, much less stand within five foot from him. In a sense, he was like a wild animal; content with being left alone when in the company of others. He was pretty much all bite when it all boiled down to it.
She turned her head and saw the other children look at the three before jumping when they saw her looking at them. Nana scooted closer when she finished her sandwich and made a small grabbing motion with her tiny hands. Maaya smiled and gave the girl another sandwich before looking at the boy with the paper bag on his head. He shifted around uncomfortably and turned away.
"What's your name?" She asked.
"Nana." Nana introduced herself before nibbling at her second sandwich. The tip of her tail bounced every so often as she ate while the others were just now getting to their second sandwich.
"Isaac." He introduced himself while tugging on his bag. Looking away from her smile.
"What about you?" Maaya turned to another Faunus girl, she blinked in surprise and shook at the sudden attention. She had a slight brown complexion to her skin with a deep purple head of hair. She wore a simple lab gown and had a pair of feline ears that flicked at small noises. Her origins could range from either Vacuo or Menagerie, one of the two.
"Um... Calliope." She answered quietly.
"That's a beautiful name. It reminds me of a woman who played an amazing instrument." Maaya complimented.
"O-Oh... thank you." Calliope said, there was a ghost of a smile on her face. Maaya nodded before turning to the next boy.
"Cyrus." He traced on the floor. She tilted her head and saw that he seemed to vibrate at the sudden gazes on him. He seemed to shrink in on himself and tears started to well in the corner of his eyes.
"No, no, no! It's okay." Maaya said quickly. He hiccupped and rubbed his eyes, doing his best to get rid of the tears. They just kept flowing and she her body reacted before she could even think. He froze when her thumbs wiped away his tears, but didn't bother to push her away or dart back underneath the covers. Nobody said anything as she just gently shushed him, letting him slowly calm down from his panic attack. This went on for several minutes before he leaned against her after eventually calming down. It didn't take long for him to fall asleep shortly after.
She fixed the messy nest of blankets into a neat bed before putting him there and gently setting him down. After making sure he was comfortable, her face tinted a light shade of pink before apologizing for overstepping the boundaries that were set up. They just shook their heads before quietly stating it was okay. She didn't know why she did that to be honest, it felt natural in a sense and she hated it when children cried.
"Arthur." The other boy introduced, not noticing Six's look. Almost no one did, but the Spartan looked at the small boy some more. He reminded the Spartan of an ODST that found him beneath the crawlspace on his childhood home. Six looked up to him when he was younger and often thought about him as he grew up, wondering whatever happened to the man.
He must have known his father seeing how he knew exactly where to look, Six didn't remember. Memories of his childhood often went up in flames sometimes. There were times he remembered and there were times he didn't. He didn't care in the end; what was the point in him remembering if it served no purpose?
"That's a very nice name." Maaya said.
"Thank you." He nodded before nibbling on his sandwich again.
"What about you?" Maaya asked towards the last girl.
"Prushka." The girl said.
"Prushka?" Maaya asked.
"Mhm." Prushka nodded before finishing her sandwich. She had a slightly odd appearance; ruby, red eyes with curly white hair.
Six finished teaching Myne how to read a map while helping Ren and Nora learn some more. He listened to each of the children introduce themselves and turned back to the map before wrapping it up and putting it in his bag. He looked down when Myne gripped Nora's hand and pushed it away before grabbing his arm and putting it over her. There was some weight on his back as Nora leaned on him and looked at Myne with a mischievous smile.
Myne puffed her cheeks and stood up before standing up and putting her hands on Nora's cheeks, trying to push her away. When Nora didn't move, Myne leaned against his shoulder and started to put more force into her pushes, pouting when Nora wasn't moving. This went on for a few minutes before he decided it was enough.
"Stop." He ordered, his tone was even and held no room for argument. Both of them went stiff before nodding obediently and separating from one another. Nora leaned on him while he just crafted some medicine while Ren sat next to him and observed closely. The other children crawled underneath the covers and fell asleep after eating some more. Ren and Nora went to their little makeshift beds and lied down on them, falling asleep shortly after.
That just left him, Maaya, and Myne. He walked up to the pilot's seat and sat down while Myne sat in his lap and stared out the window. Maaya came by and sat down in her seat shortly after before opening up a book.
"Mommy?" Myne asked.
"Hmm?" Maaya hummed.
"What are we going to eat when we get home?" Myne asked.
"What do you want to eat?" Maaya asked.
"Boar." Myne answered.
"Boar?" Maaya asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah." Myne nodded.
"I don't think there's any boar meat at the butcher shop." Maaya said.
"Daddy, do you know if there's any boars around?" Myne turned to look up at him. He ignored Maaya, who covered her mouth, before looking down at Myne.
"There are boars in the wild that I can hunt." He nodded.
"Can we eat them then?" She asked.
"Yes." He said before turning back.
"Are they good?" She asked.
"They are." He answered.
"When did you eat them?" Maaya asked him.
"I ate some a couple of years ago when there was a wild pig problem." He answered. Back when he used to aimlessly wander around Remnant, to which he still does, but now that he had a goal in mind it wasn't as much. He did all he could, but made it clear to the settlements that he couldn't be everywhere all at once. They needed to learn to defend themselves; to which some weren't too happy with the statement but understood regardless.
"Can we share with the others?" Myne asked.
"Yes, we can. What do they like?" Maaya asked.
"I don't know, the food was gross and stale. Some of it was goop as well." Myne stuck her tongue out.
"Oh..." Maaya said evenly. It went quiet for a while and Six saw her expression darken a bit, before it snapped back to is usual one when Myne looked at her.
"Yeah. It was gross." Myne said.
"I'm sure it was, but you don't have to worry about it anymore. Alright?" Maaya asked.
"Alright." Myne nodded. Maaya smiled as her daughter scampered over to her and crawled on her lap before leaning back. He watched as she read a book from his bag and made several noises or gestures that made Myne laugh, doing her best to make her forget the pain she went through. Even if it was momentarily.
He thought about leaving and heading back to Mistral, but it was clear that they needed him. The settlements probably needed his assistance, if not then he'd give it anyways like he did in the past. Now that he had a ship to travel between the different locations, he could get there faster and do his deeds at an accelerated pace. He didn't know how long he'd stay. It wouldn't be anything less than a month and a half and nothing more than three.
Ironwood needed to be dealt with, his patience with the man was out. Sending countless men and women to their death was a red flag on its own, especially after Six made it clear he wanted nothing to do with him. Kidnapping his daughter and Maaya was a whole another level, two civilians who had done nothing to the man. He'd lie low for a while though, let the heat die down a bit from Mistral before continuing his series of objectives.
He looked over to see that the other two were asleep, indicating he was caught up in his thoughts again. Taking off his cloak, he covered them before sitting back down and flying the ship, allowing Auspicious to float next to him and look out the window. The facilities weren't going to reclaim themselves.
They arrived in the late evening, when people were getting off work. People crowded around it and backed up when the doors opened, only to relax slightly when it was just Six. Maaya smiled at them while carrying a sleeping Myne in her arms. She had to explain to them that they shouldn't crowd around them so much and a lot of them backed off a bit. They went quiet when Six stepped into view and looked at all of them.
Just as they were about to approach him, they stopped dead in their tracks when they saw six small faces peek from behind him. They eyed the crowd of adults with suspicion and either dove behind him or into his cloak when one of them approached. He just stood there in silence, none of them seemed to want to approach him. Ren and Nora came into view shortly after and waved at the crowd. When they only received a few back, they didn't take it to heart and continued on with their day.
The crowd of people made a path as the group walked through them, their eyes trailing them. The mysterious kids trailed behind them closely, sandwiched between him in the front while Ren and Nora were in the back. The three of them seemed to form a protective barrier between them and the curious crowd. Cyrus shook anxiously and clutched Six's cloak while Isaac pulled his paper bag some more. They were picked up and clutched onto him like a lifeline as they walked to the apartment.
Nobody seemed to follow that closely behind them and just kept moving to the side. A few younger guild members tried to approach but seemed to shrink away when Six just stared at them for several seconds. The overwhelming aura that seemed to roll off his shoulders made the atmosphere tense before they backed off. He continued forward like nothing happened while Maaya just answered a few questions while they walked. She seemed to make the atmosphere a bit more relaxed while Six made it more tense; it was like his presence made them suffocate.
The afternoon sun seemed to beat down on them and Calliope tugged on his cloak, making him bend down to her level. She made a grabbing gesture and he set the other two down before putting her on his back; the boys were picked up again and he walked with them. The countless people seemed to gape at his gentleness with the kids; some even attempting to take a picture or two. They didn't get the chance to when he snapped his head in their direction and stared at them, forcing them to put their scrolls down.
Several minutes went by and they all eventually arrived at the apartment complex. The door was opened and the secretary widened their eyes at the group's sudden arrival before rattling off at the mouth. Maaya just smiled politely and did her best to answer each question before saying she was a little tired and wanted to get some rest. The secretary nodded before letting them go.
The others went in the elevator while he just remained outside, claiming that he was too heavy. Maaya just rolled her eyes and told him to get in but he remained firm. All she could do was sigh and remember that he was tenacious pretty much all the time. The elevator doors closed and he went to the stairs and climbed them up to the second floor. He waited in front of the doors and stood motionless as they opened up slowly.
Nana waddled up to him and gripped his cloak, making him bend down and look at her.
"Hungry." She said.
"Wait until we arrive at the apartment." He said. She closed her eyes and blew a raspberry at him. He stared at her flatly for several seconds, making her shuffle in her spot uncomfortably. She apologized shortly after and followed Maaya to the apartment.
"It's not much, but you all can stay here until we find something else." She said sheepishly as she unlocked the door and opened it. The cream colored walls was easy on the eyes, along with the light brown carpet in the living room. On the left side of the living room was the comfortable looking couch. The TV was right across from it on the wall while a dark brown shelf was next to it. The kitchen was right in front of them with the sink and refrigerator on the side and the kitchen table across from it.
A slightly long hallway was to their left, the bedroom on the right hand side of the hall was Maaya's while Myne's room was on the left hand side further down. There was an extra room on the left hand side at the end of the hall while the bathroom was directly across from it. Directly at the end was the laundry room, a washer and dryer fit snugly inside of it.
It was a cozy apartment overall.
"Wow, you live here?" Nora asked.
"Well, my relatives used to own this apartment complex before they moved to Vale. They kind of owed my family a favor so I got this place for pretty cheap. I used to have a roommate that lived with her boyfriend, but she moved out a while ago." Maaya answered as she put her keys on the rack.
"How do you afford the expenses?" Ren asked.
"I have quite a bit saved up and not to mention my position at the guild pays a good amount." She answered.
"Doesn't daddy help you as well?" Myne asked tiredly.
"He does. Why don't you go show them around?" Maaya asked as she set her down.
"Okay." Myne yawned a bit. The other children followed her as she showed them around the apartment, doing her best to satiate their curious gazes. It just left the four, who sat down in the living room. The TV was turned on and they watched the news, seeing that there was talk of a new mysterious group within the settlements. It showed a picture of a few cloaked individuals wandering around, leading several Faunus to safety or killing Grimm.
"Do you know them?" Ren asked.
"No... I don't." Six answered as he narrowed his eyes. He was suspicious of this new group, seeing how he didn't know of their motives. It seems that they adopted his look with the cloaks and were somewhat following his deeds. Looking into them was probably necessary. Their current standing was neutral with him, but they could either shift to allies or enemies. It all depended on when he encountered them.
"Did you teach anyone else over the years?" Nora asked.
"No. I gave advice, but never taught anyone like that. This is an entirely new group." He answered calmly.
"You think they're really helping people or it's just a face?" Ren asked.
"That remains to be decided. If they are helping the citizens of the frontier, then I'll leave them be." Six answered, inspecting one of his knives carefully.
"What if they're threats?" Nora asked.
"You already know the answer." He responded. She nodded while Maaya just watched the news carefully. Her face soured a bit when she saw Glynda on the screen and rolled her eyes when the woman claimed she was doing her best to rectify what Ozpin had done. He shared her sentiment and could only shake his head. The Monitor would slowly leak information bit by bit. The reason was so that he always had several cards in his sleeve. Not to mention, releasing all that information could possibly cause pandemonium and attract even more Grimm.
Plus, Ozpin's credibility was practically tarnished at this point and nearly all his allies left him for dead. All Six wanted to do was get the wander around like he used to, get the facilities up and running, and send his signal to the UNSC. He could care less about the politics in the cities and the academies, they weren't his concern. He already knew there would be consequences of his actions. They fixed things short-term, but not long-term. He wasn't a politician and he would never be; it didn't fit his bill.
He mainly wanted to be left alone. If breaking the General of Atlas was what it took then so be it, he wasn't backing down and he'd defend what was underneath his watchful eye to the end. In the past, he would have rushed off to Atlas to break the man before leaving shortly after, but now he had people to take care of. The very things that made him human were right next to him and he'd clench it with an iron grasp.
His thoughts were interrupted when the children walked into the living room.
"Can we have some food, miss?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah, we can. Are you going to join us?" Maaya looked at Six.
"I will later. We're going hunting." Six stood up along with Ren and Nora.
"For boar?" She asked.
"Whatever is in the area, boar is fine too." He answered.
"You're leaving already?" Myne asked.
"I'll be back shortly." He said, standing up when she nodded. He gestured for the other two to follow him out the door while the rest just watched them leave. Ren and Nora waved before departing shortly after. As soon as the door closed, they were thrown into silence and Maaya opened a cookbook. She went to the living room and sat down while Myne followed her and sat next to her. The others stood in place and stood there uncomfortably before she gently coaxed them to sit down next to her.
"What do you all want to eat?" She asked as she flipped through the pages. They all looked through each meal, feeling the gnawing pain of hunger grow as they stared at each picture. It didn't register to them that this was real life, that they had actually been saved and got the chance to live.
"I thought we were having boar?" Myne asked.
"Well, Six has to hunt it first. We'll have boar some other day, I promise." Maaya kissed her forehead and rubbed her hair. She puffed her cheeks before nodding and looking through the book some more. The quiet sound of pages being flipped was heard and Maaya perked up when she realized the children needed a bath.
They did kind of stink.
Six, Ren, and Nora lied on the ground staring at three wild boars chewing on some roots. They were covered in grass and used the bushes to conceal their presence some more. All three of them had been hunting these animals for almost a day and finally managed to sneak up on them, well they did. He could almost do it flawlessly since he hunts all the time. It was a good opportunity to teach them some more.
The sun was rising over the horizon and he looked at them before nodding. Both of their hunting rifles were raised and aimed at their targets. He raised his last and once he fired, their shots came shortly after. The first boar squealed suddenly before collapsing to the side, the second one started to run, only to fall over instantly when it was shot in the eye. The last one ran a bit before being shot in the lung and ran for a bit before falling over as well.
"Yes!" Nora cheered and looked at him.
"Go." He nodded, watching her dart off. Ren walked next to him as he went up to the first boar, seeing it flail around a bit. His knife was brought out and he sunk it in the animal's neck, finally ending its life. It was larger than the others, he estimated around three hundred pounds; which was considered a monster to some and it was mistaken for a Grimm at times. He looked up and saw Nora standing there, her rifle hanging limply in her hand. Walking up to her, he saw her stare at the wild pig with a slightly pitiful expression.
"It's still alive..." She said quietly.
"It is." He nodded and knelt down with her. Ren knelt down next to her and the three watched it wheeze painfully. Six brought out a knife and gave it to her, watching as she looked at it and flipped it in a reverse grip. The blade inched closer to it but stopped shortly after, just when it was above an artery in its neck.
"I can't do it." She said.
"You can." He confirmed before clasping his hands around hers and helping her guide the knife into its neck. It squealed and jerked weakly and he let go, letting her push the blade further into its body. A red spot grew on its fur and she watched the life slip away from its eyes before letting go of the handle. He took the blade out and cleaned it before putting it back into his bag.
The birds chirped in the air as the cool morning wind blew against their bodies. The sun started to rise some more and the three of them just sat there in silence, basking in the small amount of peace the world offered them. He was the first to stand up and go over to his kill, grunting as he picked it up and threw it over his shoulders. The other two grabbed their kills and started to walk back to the ship.
They walked through a trail near one of the mountains and saw a Ram standing nearby. He pulled the DMR out and aimed it, lining the rifle up before squeezing the trigger. The loud shot echoed throughout the air and scared several birds in the distance. He watched its body drop suddenly before slowly starting to slide down the slope, making him rush over and grab its horns. Its body was dragged across the ground and dropped near the boar's body, grabbing its legs and throwing it over his shoulders.
The Ram's horns were gripped with his other hand and he dragged its body across the ground once again. The rocky mountains soon turned back into the lush forest once more and they simply walked along the path. A trail of blood was seen, but he didn't care at the moment.
"Why did we catch so many?" Ren asked.
"Two of the boars are for another settlement. The last one is for the settlement we are staying at." He answered.
"What about the Ram?" Ren asked.
"Also for another settlement. A small village is a better term to describe it." He answered.
"And the rabbits?" Nora asked as she stared at the three rabbit bodies that dangled off his bag.
"To ward off predators if they are nearby." He answered. She hummed and continued to drag her kill across the ground before hefting it over her shoulders while Ren did the same. It was a good way to build up strength in their eyes, but they had to admit it was tiring.
"Will you allow Jaune and Pyrrha to tag along?" Ren asked.
"It depends on if I'm in the mood." He answered truthfully.
"You don't seem to like them very much." Nora said.
"I don't trust them." He said truthfully.
"Why not?" She asked.
"Mr. Arc does not seem to have the confidence to lead you two, much less himself and constantly relies on his partner lift his spirit. Ms. Nikos does not seem to know when to rise up and tell people off. She is used to it all and uses her practiced smile while letting others take advantage of her." He said.
"She's just nice." She waved off.
"Looks can be deceiving, Nora." He countered. It didn't take much to look at Pyrrha to see that she was used to such attention, often hiding her uncomfortableness behind a plastic smile. He was an expert at reading different people, always thinking of a counter to them and enabling him to adapt. It was a useful skill he wished to pass down to Ren and Nora, as well as some of the others if they were willing to learn.
All of them stopped when the ship was in view, but there was a large wolf standing in the open. Six recognized it from their previous encounters, but it looked a bit bigger than last time. It stood around three and a half feet tall at this point and was eight feet in length. He stared at the wolf while it stared right back at him. The other two were about to move, but he shook his head at them and made them stay still. Dropping the Ram, he reached around his back and grabbed the three rabbits before tossing them forward.
The wolf stared at the rabbits then looked at him before looking back at the meal. They watched it open its mouth and put its paw on one of the rabbits' front legs before clamping its jaws around an arm. The loud cracking of bone was heard before it twisted the appendage and ripped it from its socket. Blood leaked from the wound as strands of flesh were seen dangling from its mouth. It tore into the rest of the body, caking its snout in blood before finishing its meal. After it was done, it looked at him before turning back to the brush when a sound was heard.
Using its snout and paws, it put the remaining two rabbits in a pile before biting their ears. The small bodies were lifted up easily and they watched the wolf disappear into the foliage.
"That was a really big wolf." Ren commented.
"It has gotten bigger since the last time I saw it." Six said.
"You've seen it before?" Ren asked.
"I have. I don't know any other wolf that big. With orange eyes, nonetheless." He answered before stepping into the ship. They followed him inside and hung up their kills on the racks before climbing in their seats while he climbed in the pilot's seat. The ship started to ascend and it flew forward once it was high enough in the air. Auspicious' small chassis popped out of the console and she floated in the air.
The four of them looked out the window and saw the many trees pass by quickly. Mountains could be seen in the distance along with several large bodies of water; the best thing about it was probably the silence. That quiet, natural feeling that would make even the most restless souls feel at ease. It was one of the reasons he stayed out here so much. No gunfire, explosions, or screaming... just silence.
It was the way things ran in the end.
He landed the ship near a small village and the door opened up after several seconds. The people looked at it cautiously before relaxing slightly when they saw the familiar cloak of his. There was a Ram over his shoulders and they quickly walked up to him, keeping a reasonable distance away from him. He often came by to give them supplies or went hunting for them in the past. Meat was the item they always were after and he had no problem hunting for them.
"We haven't seen you in a while." The leader walked up to him.
"I apologize, I've been busy with some things." He said.
"That's alright." The man nodded.
"Have you all been eating well?" Six asked.
"As well as the crops can grow. Hunting is still not our greatest skill, but we have been catching some game." The man answered.
"I will stop by more in the winter." Six said.
"We would appreciate it. I have a favor to ask." The man said.
"What is it?" Six asked as he carried the Ram to the butcher, setting it on the table and nodded when the butcher waved at him. Ren and Nora followed them while listening to their father talk.
"Will you be willing to teach some of us to hunt? While we appreciate all that you have done in the past, we do not wish to burden you as much." The man said.
"I will. Though it will not be anytime soon." Six said.
"That's alright. Winter is still a few months away so we will try to improve in the meantime.
"I see." Six nodded before going back to the ship and dragging out a crate. He brought it out in the open and stuck his knife in the crack, prying it open and revealing its content. There was food, medical supplies, clean water, and some other items that would help the village live another day. There was even some lien he stole off some the corpses of the various bandits he killed.
"There is also talk of some Huntsmen and Huntresses trying to contact us." The man said as he looked in the crate and picked up some herbal medicine.
"Is that so?" Six asked as he looked at the man.
"While we appreciate the help, a lot of us are able to kill Grimm now and don't require them." The man said.
"What if a Grimm attack happens?" Six asked.
"The neighboring settlement already agreed to help us. Not to mention we already have several escape routes as well as a tunnel system nearby." The man informed.
"..." Six just stared at him the more he explained while inspecting the supplies.
"A lot of the settlements are becoming independent after several years of the council's bullshit. Not to mention we lost whatever little respect Huntsmen and Huntresses had after we heard about the whole kidnapping thing. In fact, some of us were willing to help get those people back if you came to us." The man said.
"There was no reason to rope you all into my personal business." Six said.
"There is. Nearly every settlement here, regardless if you helped us or not, has a certain amount of respect. Out here we believe in the term you scratch my back, I scratch yours. You've always scratched our backs, but never let us do the same." The man said.
"I see." Six nodded in understanding.
"I've talked your ears off enough, so until the next time." The man waved.
"Goodbye." Six nodded and started to walk away, only to turn when he was called.
"You have a pack out there. They may not want to be seen yet." The man said one last time.
"..." Six looked at him from over his shoulder before walking up to the ship and entering it with the other two.
The people crowded around and watched the aircraft take off to the next settlement to deliver supplies. A few of them stared up at the retreating figure of the vehicle before pulling the hoods on their cloaks up and nodding in respect while helping sort out their supplies.
Six had to land the ship outside of the settlement after they said it needed to be left open for emergencies. He understood and didn't really argue with them before finding a good spot to land it. The supplies were delivered the several settlements and he grabbed some from each one on his way out. Some tried to pay him, which he declined, while others offered him information that was much needed and appreciated.
It was things he'd think about while he walked into the settlement with the boar over his shoulders. Ren and Nora decided to go spend time with their teammates and he let them, deciding that he taught them enough for today. People waved at him while he nodded back as they moved out of his way. The trip to the butcher didn't take very long and when he entered, he saw the Faunus at the front counter dealing with a customer. He waited his turn before standing there and finally stepping up to the front.
"Don't get a lot of boars around here. Alright, bring it to the back." The butcher said.
"..." Six nodded and followed him, ignoring the blood being washed down a drain and hung the corpse up on one of the many hooks.
"I heard the senile bastard is dead." The butcher started.
"He is." Six nodded, his tone was neutral. It didn't hold an ounce of arrogance one might expect, but it wasn't filled with guilt either.
"Good, bastard was causing trouble for the last several years." The butcher said.
"..." Six said nothing as he helped the man cut apart the kill.
"You best lie low for a while. That shit you pulled over in Mistral caused a lot of heat." The butcher suggested.
"I intend to." Six said.
"Authorities will be looking for you, but they'll need to get in first. A lot of people in the settlements hold a large amount of animosity towards people from the city." The butcher said.
"Hmm." Six hummed before the two were thrown into silence. The sound of flesh being sliced and bones being broken were the only noise that met their ears. It went on for the next forty minutes and eventually the meat was organized neatly while a small portion was wrapped in some cloth for him. The pelt was rolled up and handed to him as he was starting to leave.
"We'll earn some business, so thanks. Take that skin to the crafter and he'll make you another cloak." The butcher said.
"What's wrong with my cloak?" Six asked.
"Nothing, just figured you could use another cloak is all." The butcher waved. Six nodded before stuffing the skin in his bag then bid the man a farewell and walking out the door. He walked through the market and weaved his way through the crowd, setting his hands on some of their shoulders and gently moving them to the side. He went to the guild and saw that Maaya wasn't there, before pulling some bounties off the board and getting them assigned to him. It was a familiar feeling he enjoyed. He left shortly after and walked back to the apartment.
The walk took a couple of minutes and he opened up the door to the complex, nodding at the secretary before stepping in the elevator. His fingers brushed over the buttons before pressing the one for the desired floor and stepping back. He felt the elevator jerk for a second before starting to ascend and exited once the doors opened. It didn't take long to reach the apartment after that.
He knocked on the door and waited for it to open. It cracked open and he saw Maaya's face before it closed and the sound of several locks unlocking was heard. The door opened fully and he stepped inside, closing it after him before wiping his feet on the mat to rid them of any dirt. Just before he could say a word, she held her finger up to her lips and gestured for him to follow. His footsteps became nearly silent as he trailed after her and they went down the hall to the last room on the left.
Both of them peeked inside to see the children sleeping on a large, floor mattress. It was a dark color and had a starry pattern on it. Each one snoozed peacefully on it and were covered with a soft blanket. There was a soft lullaby tune playing on a tablet and did its job in keeping them asleep. It stopped momentarily before repeating, indicating it was going to keep replaying. The two of them just watched them for a few minutes before quietly creeping out of the room, but leaving the door cracked.
They turned their heads when Maaya's bedroom door opened and Myne shuffled out tiredly. She waddled up to him and hugged his leg, making him rub her head gently before scooping her up when she made a grabbing motion. He brought her close to him and felt her plant her head against his shoulder and close her eyes again, going limp as she fell back asleep. The three of them walked to the living room and he sat down after putting the boar meat in the fridge.
The TV was turned on but the volume was kept low as she switched through the channels. Flipping through the news, she settled on the Vale news to see nothing new. It was more information about the council but neither one were in the mood. She shut the TV off after a while when there wasn't anything worth watching and lied down on the couch and closed her eyes.
"Troublesome?" He asked.
"A little. They don't really trust me, but that's fine." She said quietly.
"Same as Myne?" He asked.
"A little worse." She sighed.
"A lot worse." He said.
"... Did they suffer?" She asked.
"They suffered enough." He nodded towards the kids.
"I meant the ones who gave them the scars." She clarified.
"... Yes..." He answered truthfully. Lying wasn't something he particularly enjoyed, but there was no need to sugarcoat anything with her about the children. He wouldn't go into detail how he mutilated half of them, but painted a big enough picture for her to be satisfied.
"Good." She said after a while.
"..." He nodded and closed his eyes, leaning against the couch. It was quiet for a while and the sky started to darken a bit from the clouds.
"Are you staying for a while?" She asked.
"I am." He answered.
"How long?" She asked.
"Enough to let Myne and the others heal a bit." He adjusted himself.
"That's going to be a while." She said.
"Then so be it." He said evenly. It also gave him a chance to plan his next move and let the heat die down. After that he'd get the facilities up and running, honoring his part of the deal with Auspicious.
"Hmm. It's nice though." She said.
"What is?" He asked.
"Having you here. Myne enjoys it, I enjoy it, and nearly everyone around here enjoy it. I even hear some of the other settlements enjoy it when you stop by." She said.
"..." He just glanced at her before nodding and looking forward.
"You give people hope, Six. Hope goes a long way, you know?" She asked.
"It can only go so far." He said.
"It can go as far as someone needs." She said.
They turned when they heard the shuffling of feet and saw Calliope peek around the corner, her ears flicking as the rain hit the window softly. She glanced around nervously and shuffled in place when they looked at her. An oversized shirt covered her entire body and a pair of purple socks fit snugly on her feet. Her stomach rumbled lowly and she hid behind the arm of the couch in embarrassment.
"Do you want a little snack." Maaya asked.
"Yes please..." She said almost silently.
"Alright, let's get you something to eat." Maaya said as she stood up and walked around the coffee table, going to the kitchen. The little girl followed her and stood next to her as they dug through the fridge. Calliope gasped in delight when she saw clementine oranges and excitedly pointed towards them. Maaya laughed softly and picked two of them out from the fridge before closing it and heading back to the living room.
She sat down on the couch and peeled an orange before handing it to the younger girl as she sat next to her. He took note of this little interaction and logged it into his brain, as well as deciding to help out as much as he could. He watched as the young girl went up to the window after throwing the peels away and staring at the rain droplets. Her eyes lit up in wonder as she stared at them slide down the window. It was a nice sight in her eyes and she never seen anything like it, everything was a first for her since she was practically born into Merlot's sick island.
"Do you like the rain?" Maaya asked as she bent down next to her.
"Yeah." Calliope answered.
"..." He watched the two interact some more. How Maaya seemed to take the broken pieces of an innocent soul and do her best to fix it, regardless if they were her family or not. She was always like this, and people often never got the chance to know her; they only went after her looks. In his eyes, she was worth the battles. If people like her got the chance to keep living, then all the sacrifices and pain was worth it. It was the same as Myne, Ren, and Nora.
They were his little lights, spreading their warmth to the dark edges of the universe. He was the one who was stuck in the dark of the universe, snuffing out whatever evil seemed to try and take away that light. He'd protect his little lights, and if it meant taking all the troubles of the world and putting them on his shoulders then so bit it, he'd do it in a heartbeat.
This is what it meant to be a Spartan in his personal view. To be a protector of humanity in its darkest of times.
Holy shit! One death threat, a couple of regular threats, and several people leaving all because I wrote a slightly different version of Yang. I see this as an absolute win! Apparently writing a version of Yang that isn't an exact copy of her canon counterpart is considered taboo and I'm "bashing" this character. This is yet another reason why I considered leaving the RWBY fandom. If you read the story then leave because you didn't like the way I wrote a character; then man, what the fuck are doing here?
Somebody literally said I don't know shit about Halo's lore or RWBY's lore and decided to cuss me out about how I'm such a terrible author. Well excuse the fuck out of me for not devoting my entire life to learning about some fictional history of the two fictional franchises. Let me just get down on my knees and beg for forgiveness to these all-knowing individuals.
This is the reason... this is the exact reason as to why I'm starting to see why more people told me not to get too involved with RWBY, did I listen? As you all can tell... no. I didn't listen and I'm starting to contemplate on disappearing off this site as time progresses. Who knows, and who cares at this point?
On a completely unrelated note; people keep asking me about the UNSC... stop. I'm not going to tell you, you can ask all you want and I'll still keep it up in the air. That way, just in case I die or something (god I wish that was the case sometimes), people don't know what happens next. As for bringing back dead other characters from Halo, such as Rookie. Nope, negative. He's gone.
Another person brought up about the council and with Ozpin's death along with his crimes. Said it felt like a bit of a cop out that I didn't address it. It's not, I didn't know how to handle it and actually forgot before I jumped into the next arc, so sorry about that.
Gone Wanderlust said, "Unfollowed/unfaved. Sorry but your character bashing is getting kind of ridiculous at this point. Best of luck going forward I guess."
I'm not going to lie bro, that was probably the most half-assed good luck I've ever been given in my entire miserable fucking life. I'll still take it though.
Addressing to the guest account Scoop. Would you fuck off and stop telling people to kill themselves? Like I know I'm a prick, but you've gone the extra mile to be an even bigger prick. Chill out, so what if they didn't like my story. You might as well enjoy it before it's gone.
Anyways, I'm sure you're all sick and tired of my emotional bullshit and some of you might not give a shit. To be honest, I'm becoming more and more apathetic towards people. It's whatever in the end, no use in changing it.
So I'll end it off here and say thank you to those who actually enjoy it, even with its flaws. I don't know when I'll update next, either when I'm drunk enough to kill a man or I won't. See you all on the other side.
Bye.