The Noble Diaries
Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or The Vampire Diaries in any way, shape, or form. They belong to their respective owners.
BIRD0FHERMES: Not sure if you're saying I do a good or bad job, but here's hoping that it is the former. Regardless, thanks for the review.
CrimsonN7: Hopefully this was worth the wait.
Guest: The pairing is still undecided at the minute.
NightEternity: He should fit in nicely...even if all the teenage and immortal angst will make him lose his mind.
ParadoxTheory374: And glad, and I doubt that it would've been good. But it would've certainly added to Six's mysterious nature if he was solely in his armour and didn't have the Jericho Reach persona.
Nicogen: She should; but Six was mostly stating a fact that actually being attracted to her. As for the Town Council, you'll find out this chapter.
Daua002: Maybe, I haven't really thought that far ahead at the minute. I know who the Brotherhood of Five are, but not sure if Six will/should be a supernatural hunter or just one by choice. Protecting humanity from all threats like he was created to do.
Azai Jin: You're welcome! Hopefully the interactions flow smoothly and don't look too cringy or come across as awkward. And like I said, the pairing is still yet to be decided. Right now, Six is learning how to be human and interact with civilians, along with whatever job he needs to do for the company, the last thing on his mind, in fact it won't even cross his mind, is looking for someone to go out with.
ActualTurtle3: Thanks!
Grudgematch: I'm sure that he will be, though not many will be brave enough to come up and ask him. And Vampires will be faster than Six, but he should be able to react to regular Vampires outside and inside his armour due to his increased reaction time. But he'll definitely need to be in his armour to take on an Original, unless Six and Dot figure out a way to make him stronger by re-augmenting him, perhaps giving him a healing factor of his own like Captain America or Deathstroke.
Statess: I don't want Six to be too OP, especially at the start of the story. Kind of takes the suspense away if he's stronger than everyone and nobody poses a threat to him. And Six is already at his full size, 6'5. The only time that he would've been bigger is if he was given Spartan-II, Forerunner, or Ancient Human augmentations, assuming that the latter were augmented and not just that size naturally.
And the "I aim to please" was my bad, I really should have gone back through and checked how many times I wrote it. But Six grunting is one of the traits that I've added into most of my Six-centric stories.
kripky: I'm glad!
Edboy4926: Thanks! And if anyone is going to discover Six's secret then I think it'll be Bonnie if she accidently enters his mind and relives one of his memoires. It'll be confusing at first, terrifying depending on which one it is, but she'll eventually put the pieces together and figure out that he is from the future. And agreed. When he starts to believe in the supernatural then he and Dot will start looking for weaknesses to exploit.
The Spartan will see them as a threat to humanity, but the pragmatic in him would see what a boon such forces would be in the fight against the Covenant and Insurrectionists.
War Sage: Only because Dot is making him rather than him enjoying food. He does however prefer having actual coffee rather than what is inside the MRE's. Pale skin, wears black, all signs of a Goth...at least it was when I was in school. And he really could. Fortunately, Six has control unlike a lot of the vampires in the show. He really won't, but who knows, maybe Matt will be able to convince him otherwise.
If you like the interactions with Six and Caroline, then hopefully you'll like the one in this chapter too. And they should, but they're teenagers, it's expected. Six isn't attracted to anyone at this point, but that might change in time. Tanner is a dick, it needed to be done. And it's more that Bonnie and Elena won him over with logic rather than him wanting to go to the party.
When Six and Damon do eventually meet it's not gonna be pretty, especially if the former learns that it was him that attacked Vicki and god knows how many more people in just the four months that he's been in Mystic Falls since he was there the night that Elena lost her parents.
Sixfan29: Thanks. And it'll probably be easier if you just look it up. Only because Dot is cooking him proper food. Nah, Six won't hurt him...unless cornered, and even then he'll pull his punches since he's a civilian and teenager. Hopefully you'll make your mind up this chapter :) And probably Bonnie if she accidently sees one of his memories. He does, whether he likes it or not lol.
Master of the Underworld: Seems a little far-fetched, unless Six jokes about it.
Guest: That was my bad, I put it way too much last chapter. I really should have gone back through the dialogue since it was written up on different days. And if I didn't have Six in situations that he didn't want to be in then nothing would be happening in this story.
Mark91: I might do. I will be adding in other shows to give something to do other than just being included into the Vampire Dairies universe/series and being just another character in the background. But he needs to work on his people skills, the only reason that he's gone to high school. I'm glad, hopefully you still will in this chapter too. And the Alt Burgundy is the one thing that connects him to his home world. And just a little bit, but her time will come.
xXwolfsterXx644: Thanks! Hope you'll like this one two, especially after such a long wait.
mhkmasterofodst: Thanks! And there are more scenes where that came from :)
Morgiff: I guess that's true about the Covenant database having knowledge about the Forerunners. And if you watch the episode where Damon has been feeding on Caroline, which is like episode 4 or 5, you can see that the teeth marks are every clearly human.
Guest: It was either The Noble Diaries, the Spartan Diaries, or the Spartan of Mystic Falls; and the last title sounded too similar to one of my other stories.
The Family: Yes, I know. And their meeting is coming, one that neither Six or Damon will forget.
Brainstorm Sorcerer: Even if he doesn't want too, lol. And I'm sure they will when they realize that he doesn't know what they mean. Of course they could tell him that they mean nothing, not liking other girls flirting with him. Having someone like Six on their team, along with Stefan for that matter could be exactly what the Timberwolves need to pull off a win. And it's Vicki, what did you expect? But I don't think that Vicki and Tyler were actually together, just hooking up since she asked Jeremy to back off due to him finally showing interest.
It wasn't like he was doing much to hide it. Both have the same name, he has a car that can drive itself around, a high-tech padlock and laptop, etc, etc. And it probably will be, even if he's stating facts rather than flirting with them. And they probably will in time...and I didn't think of it when I was writing the last chapter, lol. Amy has in the Brooklyn 99 crossover, so don't see why nobody will in this story.
There will be in this chapter, yes. And probably, the two are very similar...though Stefan is far more romantic and charming than Six. They don't know how to make it, so probably not. If a bottle were somehow transported to the past and assuming that Six doesn't drink it all, Dot might be able to reverse engineer it and produce it, though the ingredients are probably native to Jericho VII and Six would no doubt want to stay as far away from that planet as possible due to the bad memories that come from it.
That he will, and his problems continue to mount as time passes between cybernetic enemies, supernatural enemies, a combination of both, eventually running a company, and whatever else comes his way. It also shows the difference between Six and Stefan, showing which of the two are more emotionally healthy. And I'm sure that Stefan does, with him probably thinking that Jericho is an older vampire. Not sure if it's just the Originals who have enhanced smell, but if it's not then Stefan might be able to tell that Six is human, if not then he'll think that he's a Vampire.
And I'm torn because while I do want Six and Bonnie to have a scene together, if she looks into his mind by accident then it might traumatize her for life, and she already goes through enough on the show without seeing humanity being wiped out by genocidal aliens. It did, but it's true. Six does have no friends. Beta-Company were his brothers and sisters, Kurt was his brother, Mendez his father-figure, and Noble, while they might have been friends, family, they died, apart from Jun, but Six can't confirm that.
Then there is Dot, who is playing the part of his aunt. And while she could be seen as a friend, she's the last of Noble Team, that makes her his family. Plus over those eight years working for ONI and Ackerson, Six would have been alone. No friends, no family, nothing. Everyone talks about if given the choice they'd be a Spartan-II or III rather than IV, but you really wouldn't. One is a kidnapped child forced into a life of servitude, a slave really, and the other is a traumatized orphan manipulated by a shadow organization with the promise of revenge.
There will be a story behind the scars, burns, and various other wounds. And he might start doing so as a precaution. Yeah, I typed that way, way too much last chapter. I writ the story over a series of days rather than all at once and didn't realize just how many times I typed it up.
Guest:...Okay?
Isekai Me Please: Enjoy!
Guest: Thanks!
DeathCrawler: Sorry for the long ass hiatus, hopefully this will be worth the wait.
sniperbro1998: Lol.
Varigonx: Well to the outside viewer, Six/Jericho is just a boy. A scarred, and extremely pale boy, but a boy, nevertheless.
Nato: That he is. And not just the supernatural world.
Chapter 4.
Driving down the backroads of Mystic Falls, Sheriff Elizabeth "Liz" Forbes drove to the address that Dot Amita and Jericho Reach were listed under to follow up and determine whether the latter was being abused.
It had been nearly twelve hours since Vicki Donovan had been found lying unconscious in the woods by the falls. Since then, the phone hadn't stopped ringing. Not about what they were going to do about a wild animal attacking people, but rather from concerned parents that wanted to report what their children had told them about the burns and scars across Jericho's body that they had seen when he had apparently lifted her shirt, using it to create a makeshift bandage to apply pressure to Vicki's wound before the paramedics arrived on the scene.
Which was why she was out there hoping to catch Jericho before he left for school...even if she thought it was a mistake. The address they had on file, not checking if he was being abused. It had been, well, a good couple of months at least since she had been this far out of Mystic Fall, and for good reason. Nobody lived out here, at least not to her knowledge.
And yet according to the GPS she was nearing the address that was listed on file for the celebrities of Mystic Falls, the CEO and Owner of Noble Industries, respectively. While all three names had been mentioned on the news constantly for the last three months, Jericho Reach being a teenager never once crossed her mind. She just thought that he was a recluse and didn't want the attention.
But it made sense why he had been kept limelight. Although, if he really was the mastermind behind the cybernetics that were taking the world by storm why would he be going to some ordinary high school rather than to the most prestigious universities in the county like MIT, considering the advancements in technology that he and Noble Industries had made over the last three mon...
"You have reached your destination."
Her train of thought interrupted; Liz slowed down when the GPS announced that she had arrived just as she spotted an opening in the hedgerow. Turning into the driveway, her eyes widened when she found herself staring at a massive property that she was certain had never been there before. Sure, it was seven miles away from the town, but someone passing by would have noticed the work being done.
Driving through the metal gate that was luckily open, she spotted a decent sized workshop on her left and atop the driveway was a large ultra-modern home. Heading up to the house, she looked to see a massive garden that was filled with trees and had a massive lake right at the back that glimmered as the early morning sunlight hit it, almost like it was trying to entice you to take a closer look.
Passing the three garage doors and stopping outside the house, Liz switched the engine off and got out. Shutting the door, she walked over to the ultra-modern house that stuck out to the other homes throughout Mystic Falls, most that had been built during the nineteenth century by the founding families but constantly upgraded over the years. Approaching the front door, she rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer.
She didn't have to wait long as movement came from behind the frosted glass with the door opening revealing a woman that looked to be in her early thirties. She had thick, dark hair that went down past her shoulders with not a single strand out of place, the bluest eyes she had ever seen and beautiful features. She was wearing a white buttoned up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows and a black dress, both which showed off her curves leaving Liz feeling self-conscious, envious of her figure.
"Good morning, Sheriff Forbes." The woman greeted pleasantly with a sophisticated British accent. Even without being told her name, she already knew exactly who she was looking at having seen her several times on the news being interviewed. Dot Amita, the CEO of Noble Industries. "Please, come in. I've been expecting you."
Offering a small smile, Liz entered the large hallway. "Thank you. And you were?" She asked, guessing that she knew her name because of her nametag and Sheriff badge.
"Well, not you specifically, but I have been expecting a visit from the police." Dot explained closing the door behind them. "A teenage boy with vicious scars across his face is certainly bound to cause concerns, and if it didn't then I would be concerned...assuming that is why you're here."
"It is. Sorry, do you want me to take my shoes off?"
"That is entirely up to you. And where are my manners? I'm Dot."
Accepting her hand, Liz shook it. "I know who you are, Ms Amita. I don't think you can turn the channel these without seeing you being interviewed."
"Which I was more than happy to do." Dot remarked. Walking past Liz, she gestured for the blonde to follow as she made her way down the hallway. "Can I make you a drink, breakfast? It would a nice change to cook for someone that doesn't just grunt at me when I ask how it is."
Smiling a little, Liz answered. "No, thank you." She politely declined. While a coffee was tempting, very tempting, she was there to do a job. Following her down the hallway, they stepped into a vast living room that was easily five times the size of her own. The walls were painted white that the sunlight bounced off as it entered the room through the large glass windows that allowed her to see the rest of the garden and property.
Still following Dot, she looked around the room that felt very homely. There were a couple of shelves that had various ornaments and a few pictures, such as the one of the six people that were wearing military uniforms with one towering over the other five. There was a large grey, padded U-shaped couch which sat in front of the largest television she had ever seen that took up the entire wall with two sound bars next to it, one on each side. And in front of the couch there was a coffee table with the remote and fruit bowel sitting on the top.
Leaving the front room and heading down another small hallway, Liz followed Dot into the kitchen only to be taken aback by the large, and pale, very pale teenager that was sitting at the countertop table in the centre of the room that looked like it was crafted from white marble, drinking out of a black mug and in the middle of eating breakfast. Because the sleeves of his black hoodie were rolled up, she saw that the reports weren't exaggerated when she saw the vicious burns and scars across his muscular arms,
But it was the bitemarks that made her heart sink.
"Jericho, this is Sheriff Forbes."
Liz watched as Jericho turned to look at her, revealing the scars across his face. "Ma'am." He greeted stoically, unnerving her with those disturbing blue eyes that didn't belong on a boy that couldn't have been any older than Caroline. It was like staring at a veteran of war, one that knew nothing but conflict, which was absurd. Unless he had been fighting another war. It would certainly explain the bitemarks, and the pale skin if he hunted them at night.
"Now, are you sure that I can't twist your arm..."
Tearing his eyes from Liz, Jericho looked at Dot. "Why would you threaten to twist her arm?"
"It's a metaphor."
"Of inflicting violence on a member of the local law enforcement?"
"To see if she wishes to change her mind about having a drink or breakfast."
"Through violence?"
"Through persuasion."
The sheriff watched as the two stared at one another for a few moments, both silently having a battle of wills or a private conversation until, "Hm." Jericho grunted, returning to his breakfast. And while amused, she did find it odd how he had never heard the phrase twist your arm; not to mention how he referred to the police.
"That is always so satisfying." Dot smiled blissfully over her victory. "And I don't believe that you answered my question, Sheriff." She said, turning to Liz.
It took every ounce of willpower she had not to change her mind when she saw the luxurious coffee machine sitting on the marble countertop. "No, thank you." Liz politely declined again. "And would I be able to speak to Jericho alone." She asked, then looked at the teenager. "If it's alright with you."
"Hm."
While Jericho grunted, Dot nodded. "Of course. While you do that, I'll go and get his medical records." She said before leaving the room. Once she was gone, Liz turned back to the scarred teenager."
"Jericho, could you tell me how you got those scars?"
"Physical trauma."
Not liking how casually he said it, Liz persisted. "And how exactly did this physical trauma occur?
"Uncomfortably."
"Did your aunt do it to you?"
"Nega-no."
Liz frowned a little, not missing his slipup. Negative, a very common military term. Even the way he spoke screamed military, as did his sarcastic and blunt retorts. Then there were those eyes that left her feeling uncomfortable the longer they looked at her. But he was only seventeen, eighteen at most. "And what about the bitemarks? How did you get them?"
"By being bitten."
Not deterred by his blunt candidness, Liz pressed on. "And what was it that bit you?"
"A mindless animal."
"What happened to it?"
"It was put down."
Feeling the room growing colder with each sentence, Liz continued. "They don't look like bitemarks I've ever seen before."
"There are millions of species on Earth, Sheriff Forbes, it is improbable that you have seen them all; and not all share my cheery disposition." Jericho commented dryly with the blonde fighting back a smile. Before anything else could be said there was a rapping on the wall. Looking over her shoulder, Liz saw Dot standing there with a brown folder.
"Sorry for interrupting, but I have Jericho's medical records if you want to take a look." Dot said offering the folder to the Sheriff.
Taking the folder, Liz opened it and looked over the paperwork inside. "You just had this on hand?" She questioned suspiciously.
"Do you really think that you're the first person to come to our home to see whether I'm abusing my nephew?" Dot answered rhetorically. "And because of my previous job we've been constantly moving over the last thirteen years."
"And if you don't mind me asking, what was your old job?"
"Military Intelligence."
Arriving outside school later then he would've liked, Six grabbed his bag and climbed out of the Charger. Shutting the door, he pressed the application on his cellular device making the car driving off, heading home until he called for her again.
Placing his cellular device away, he made his way towards the school to begin his third day of education and socialization; the latter more than the former. Like the previous two times, he saw everyone staring and with his enhanced hearing heard them muttering about him as he walked past them. While his scars had been a subject of debate since enrolling, it seemed to have intensified over the last twenty-four hours, which he suspected was due to the people from the social gathering confabulating.
Ignoring the confabulation, Six headed into the building and towards the locale of his locker to place his items before the bell rang. While his meeting with Sheriff Forbes had been the causation of his late arrival, she seemed to have brought the fabricated story that Dot had created to explain the traumas across his body. Saying that his melted skin was a result of the superheated plasma bolts fired at him by numerous alien species that were committed to wiping out humanity would have raised concerns.
As would the knife and gunshot wounds that were predominantly caused by the Insurrectionists that he had been fighting for the last eight years since leaving Onyx and working for ONI, because then he would have to explain that Onyx was a planet in the Zeta Doradus System, and ONI were...well, ONI. Then about the Human-Covenant war, along with elucidating what the Covenant even were and...
"Jericho!"
Pulled from his thoughts when someone called his name, Six looked over his shoulder to see, "Matt." The Spartan greeted his fellow high school student who pushed through the crowd and made his way towards him.
"Hey. I just wanted to thank you for last night."
"What is her stat-condition?" Six inquired, mentally berating himself for his error. Being in the military since he was five years old the idiom had become habitude to him which was why it proved to be difficult to drop it, even after three months of acclimating to civilian life.
Looking at Jericho oddly for a moment, Matt answered. "The doctors say that Vick is gonna be alright, but they want her to stay in overnight to keep an eye on her."
"Hm." Six grunted in acknowledgement as he walked down the crowed hallway with Matt. "A wise precaution; she lost a lot of blood."
"She did, but she's fine now, thanks to you." Matt said thanking him once again. "Although," Stopping himself, he watched as Jericho looked down at him, telling him to continue without actually saying anything. "It's gonna sound crazy, but Vicki said that it was a vampire that attacked her."
"Hallucination is a symptom associated with blood loss." Six stated as they turned down another hallway. "But your sister was most certainly attacked by a human, rather than an animal; though that word would be an apt description of her assailant."
"Wait, what? How do you..."
"The bitemarks were distinctly human, only the canines were abnormally long that caused most of the internal bleeding." Six explained to Matt. "Furthermore, an animal would have mauled your sister alive and even with the revery everyone would have heard her screams. If I had to hypothesize, I would say that her assailant covered her mouth before proceeding to bite her neck from behind; some sort of perverted domination over their victim."
Listening to everything that Jericho said, Matt felt sick to his stomach at what might have really happened to Vicki. Though he couldn't wrap his head around how casually he said it, like this was just an everyday occurrence for him. "...Aren't vampires famous for biting necks?" He quizzed, even knowing how ridiculous it sounded. Vampires? What next, Werewolves and Witches?
"Vampires are fictious." The Spartan expressed firmly, finding the entire concept of supernatural entities farcical. The only reason that such tales had been born was because of ignorance, often prejudice to explain the world or/and to control the populace. Any logical being would dismiss such absurd superstitions, and born in the epoch of science, he did. "The local law enforcement should be searching for someone with prolonged canines; and there can only be so many in Mystic Falls that have those characteristics."
"Have you spoken to the police?" Matt asked. Privately, he thought it was weird that Jericho wouldn't just call them the police like everyone else. Then there was the way he spoke; it just wasn't normal. Plus the burns, bullet wounds, bitemarks, and scars that he had seen last night; something just didn't add up about him, like at all. While he had only spoke to him twice, he didn't strike him as suicidal sort.
"About your sister? No."
"Why not?"
"As I mentioned, the bitemarks were distinctly human. If the local law enforcement attempts to pass them off as anything else then it shows incompetency or immortality, both which should be addressed." Six voiced as they reached his locker. Opening it, he placed his bag inside.
Watching as Jericho pulled out a pretty high-tech padlock that seemed a bit excessive for a high school locker, Matt considered what he said. Mulling everything over in his head, he dismissed it. "I'm sure that the police know what they're doing." He insisted. If they thought that Vicki had been attacked by a person then they wouldn't have sent animal control out.
"Hm." Six grunted, not being as optimistic as Matt. Twenty-sixth, or twenty-first century, it didn't matter, governments and their law enforcement agencies were often immoral. If they weren't he would have been out of the job years ago...well, there was still the Covenant, but that really wasn't the point he was trying to make. You could argue that power corrupts, or it just brought out people's true nature, it didn't really matter in the end. It was just another mission.
"Anyway, I should get going." Matt announced getting the supersoldiers attention. "I just wanted to thank you for saving Vick."
"I did very little." Six stated, dismissing his gratitude. He had been created to protect humanity, he was simply fulfilling his duty. "I'm certain that someone else would have taken the initiative; her significant other, perhaps."
"Tyler doesn't know first aid."
"Tyler?"
Matt nodded. "Yeah, they've been dating on and off for a while now."
"I was under the impression that Jeremy Gilbert was her significant other." Six revealed making Matt choke while the others that heard their conversation started murmuring to themselves in their little groups.
"Jer and Vicki?"
"Jeremy disclosed to Elena and I when I was driving them home last night that they, and I quote, hooked up over the summer, end quote." Six informed Matt who struggled to wrap his head around Vicki and Jeremy hooking up, and grimaced. It was like hearing that your brother was sleeping with your sister since he and Elena, well, he still believed in them.
Before he had the chance to ask Jericho anything else, Matt spotted Bonnie and Elena walking down the hall. "Did you know about Jeremy and Vicki?" He asked the latter once she reached them.
"...I found out last night." Elena told him, still weirded out herself. She then turned to the one that she knew was responsible. "Really?" She asked knowing that it was him who had told Matt.
Six looked down at Elena. "I was unaware the information was classified; you should have briefed me."
"How could I? You scarpered off." Elena retorted with a smirk.
Gasping, Bonnie turned sharply to glare at her traitorous best friend. "You knew and didn't tell me?!"
"I don't scarper."
Ignoring Bonnie's cry of betrayal, Elena smirked a little more. "Then what do you call last night?"
"Vacating the premises."
"Right, because you had work to do."
"Hm."
"And you couldn't put it off for like five minutes?"
Rather than answering, Six just stared down at Elena who's dark-brown eyes twinkled mischievously. "Hm." He grunted, making her smile. "I'll leave the three of you to your socialization." He stated. Bidding them goodbye, he turned and walked off towards the locale of his homeroom.
"I'd wish he'd stay, but I love watching him leave." Bonnie smirked.
While Elena sighed and rolled her eyes playfully, Matt frowned. He wasn't blind, he saw the way that Elena looked at Jericho. It was bad enough with Stefan coming along trying to steal his girlfriend, but Jericho, too? Thankfully unlike Stefan, it looked like it was purely one-sided, unless Jericho was playing it cool, and he really hoped that it was the first one. How was he meant to tell a guy that looked like he could rip him in half with his bare hands to back off?
The first few classes out of the way, Six once again sat in the library and read The Lord of Flies, a piece of literature that resonated deeply with him. Without the guidance and discipline of Kurt and Mendez, he would have been no better than the children in the novel. Turning the page, he heard a familiar gait approaching. "Two Forbes in one day?"
"Don't you ever get bored of being stuck in this dusty old room?" Caroline quizzed, then frowned when she acknowledged what he said. "And what do you mean two Forbes, and how do you know my last name is Forbes?" She grilled, pretty sure that she hadn't told him.
"That would imply that I am incapable of leaving this room, which I can do so whenever I please." Six replied to Caroline. Looking up from the novel, he saw the blonde looked as cheerful as ever. "And a Sheriff Forbes visited my place of residence before school this morning." He explained, leaving out how he knew that they were mother and daughter.
"Your home. Wait, she came to your house?"
"Hm."
Caroline looked like she wanted to strangle her mother. She had gone to Jericho's and hadn't even bothered to take her?! If she knew that was where she was going when she said that she had to go to work early, she would have gone with her. "What was she doing at yours? And if you say..."
"Her job."
Fighting back a smile, Caroline knew that he was doing it on purpose now. "Which was?"
"To my knowledge your mother is still employed."
"That wasn't what I meant."
"Then I apologize."
With a sigh, Caroline pulled out a chair and sat down. "You know," She began with a flirtatious smile. "you never answered my question last night."
"You'll need to be more specific. You asked several."
"About you liking blondes."
"I'm not prejudice." Well, he was, just not about humans.
"What, no, that's not what I..."
Turning another page, Six continued. "It would be inequitable to judge an individual by a physical characteristic rather than by character."
"I didn't..."
"Doing so speaks poorly of yours, you're better than that. Be attractive inside and out." Six told her just as his cellular device started ringing. Freeing it from his pocket, he looked at the screen to see whom it was. "Forgive me, Caroline, I have to take this." Answering it, he brought it to his ear. "Go ahead."
"Have you never thought about answering the phone with a hello." Dot remarked on the other end.
"I knew it was you."
"So everyone but me gets a hello?"
"I greeted you this morning, why would I do so again?" Six questioned. While she could only hear one side of the conversation, Caroline smiled.
"Because it is considered polite, that is why. But at least you didn't grunt, so that's progress."
"Hm."
"I stand corrected."
"I take it that this is more than just a social call." Six stated rather than asked.
"Would you believe me if I said no?"
"No."
"Then you would be correct. I'm just calling to let you know that I have a new project for you to work on."
"Another?"
"It's for the company. Not only that, but it should also help Mystic Falls in the long run; two birds, one stone."
While he really did have enough projects ongoing presently, Six decided to entertain her. "What is it?"
"I brought an auto shop in town that closed down a few years ago which can be used as the starting point for the auto parts branch, Noble Motors...it's a work-in-progress, we can settle on the name at a later date." Dot told him, then continued. "I know that you enjoyed building the house and restoring the Charger, so I thought that you would enjoy renovating the building."
"We needed a place to live, and a car to drive."
"That came out a little defensive."
"It came out factual."
"The world is not going to end if you admit you have a hobby."
"It's not a hobby."
"Then what would you call it?"
"Serving a purpose."
"Well, whatever it is, we can speak about it once you get home."
"You couldn't have just relayed this information when I return to our place of residence?" Six questioned, all while Caroline looked at him oddly.
"I thought that I would pass along the good news."
"Hm." Six grunted, the two having differing opinions on what was considered good news.
"I'll let you go. Oh, and just so you know for future reference, at the end of a phone call you say goodbye."
"Noted." Six acknowledged before ending the call.
Surprised that Jericho didn't even say goodbye to whoever it was that rang him, Caroline watched as he placed his cell back in his pocket. "Is that a new phone?"
"Negative. I've had it for several weeks now." The supersoldier replied, having constructed the cellular device predominantly so that he could call his vehicle to his locale whenever he needed it.
"May I?" Caroline asked, holding her hand out expectantly.
Seeing no problem with it since it housed no classified information, Six slipped his hand back into his pocket and retrieved his cellular device. Grabbing it, he handed it to Caroline who happily accepted it.
"What is it?"
"A cellular device."
Caroline gave him a flat look, but her twitching lips betrayed her. "I meant I've never seen it before."
"Unsurprising. I've had no reason to use my cellular device in your presence."
The blonde gave him another look. "Okay, first off it's a phone." She corrected him, finding it crazy that he would call it anything but. "Secondly, I meant I've never seen a phone like this before."
"I see." Smirking at his retort, Caroline checked out his phone. Obviously it was black, which she had already figured was his favourite colour even if she thought that he would look better in lighter colours...or better yet, no clothes at all. It had a sleek, ultra-modern design that felt pretty good in her hand. Pressing one of the buttons on the side, the screen lit up with the picture being sharper, clearer than her own; however, it was the logo of Noble Industries that was displayed along with the time and date that really got her attention.
"You are Jericho Reach!"
Returning to reading The Lord of Flies, Six replied. "This is a library, Caroline. And I disclosed who I was yesterday."
"No, you brushed the question off."
"Then how are you cognizant of my identity?"
Caroline glared at how maddening he was. "I meant about you owning Noble Industries."
"I see."
"...Well?"
"Well, what?"
Caroline felt like banging her head against the table. "Do you?!"
"I'm not sure that you understand the rules of the library." Six voiced casually, his eyes never leaving the page.
Not caring about the stupid rules, Caroline practically pleaded. "Would you just tell me!"
"Tell you what?"
"If you're Jericho Reach!"
Looking up from the novel, Six held his gaze on Caroline for a few moments. "Are you aware you have a habit of repeating the same question?" He asked the blonde who's eye started twitching. Maybe she wasn't sleeping enough, that or drunk too much caffeine. She should work on remedying that.
"I was talking to Grams. She said that the comet is a sign of impending doom. The last time that it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage, it created a bed of paranormal activity." Bonnie told Caroline, and Elena as the three of the sat outside Grill.
"Mm. Yeah, and then you poured Grams another shot and she told you about the aliens." Caroline said sarcastically earning a mild glare from Bonnie, before turning to Elena who sat opposite. "So what then?"
"So then, nothing." Elena replied, answering Caroline.
Caroline stared incredulous. "You and Stefan talked all night. There was no sloppy first kiss, or touchy-feely of any kind?"
"Nope, we didn't go there."
"Not even a handshake? I mean, Elena, we are your friends. Okay? You're supposed to share the smut."
"What about Jericho?" Bonnie asked before Elena could answer Caroline. "You've both spent time alone with him, you must have learned something." She continued, trying her hardest not to sound or look jealous over the fact that they had got to spend time with the smexy goth boy.
Elena answered first. "Not much. He's pretty tight-lipped about...well, everything. I did learn that his parents died when he was five and currently lives with his aunt, but I learnt that when we were walking around the woods. He only came in to wash his hand, then left." She told them, still disappointed that he had gone so soon.
"At five?" Bonnie asked quietly.
"That's what he said." Elena commented with a sad look, guessing that was why Jericho was so antisocial. "And that the scars and burns came from being young and angry."
"You believe him?"
"...I don't know." Elena admitted to Bonnie, all while Caroline listened in. " I mean there are burns, and then there are the burns that Jericho has."
"And the bitemarks."
"Yeah." Elena murmured, agreeing with Bonnie. "I asked him about them saying that it looked like an ape tried taking a bite out of him and he just said close enough."
"What do you think he meant?" Caroline wondered out loud.
Elena shrugged. "No idea. And it's not like he's just gonna come out and say it what it was that actually bit him. Every time I try asking him anything he just brushes off the question or says something sarcastic, usually both."
"Right." Caroline agreed with a small pout. "I spent my lunch break trying to get something out of him and we just ended up going back and forth the entire time, and I know that he's doing it on purpose!"
"Definitely." Elena concurred with the blonde.
"All I really know about him was that he apparently has no friends..."
Bonnie interrupted. "Wait, what?"
"That's what he told me last night, but I think that he was trying to be funny. I asked if he had a girlfriend with him saying that he had no friends. But I did learn that he is definitely that Jericho Reach."
"He just came out and told you?" Bonnie quizzed.
Caroline shook her head. "No. But he did let me use his phone, which he built himself...at least I think he did. But it was cutting-edge and unlike anything I've ever seen before, and the background picture was the logo for Noble Industries." She then smirked at Bonnie and Elena to rub the next bit in. "I also got his number."
"You got his number?"
"Yep."
"How?"
Looking extremely proud of herself, Caroline smirked at Bonnie. "I have my ways."
"You mean you took it."
"Jealously is not a good look on you, Elena." Caroline told the brunette with a smile, thrilled that she had got one up on her with Jericho.
As Elena opened her mouth to retort, Bonnie spoke. "I thought that you were interested in that guy from the bar?"
"He was cute, and I mean really cute, but I didn't even speak to him." Caroline reminded Bonnie. "But have you not seen Jericho? He's like the perfect guy. Smart, sexy,
"Smexy."
"Right, smexy." Caroline strongly agreed with Bonnie. "Tall, has a great, great body, and I bet the sex would be incredible. Oh, the things I would let him do to me."
"There's more to a relationship that just sex." Elena mumbled under her breath, trying her hardest not to sound jealous.
Bonnie stopped her right there. "Easy girl, I saw him first." She told Caroline.
"Technically I did."
Turning to her, Bonnie smirked at Elena who immediately regretted her words. "The fire in her heart that had been nothing but embers now felt like a raging inferno, one that threatened to consume her. She yearned, hungered to be silenced with a kiss that...
"Would you stop." Elena pleaded with an embarrassed smile and flustered cheeks as she tried to get those sorts of thoughts out of her head about Jericho. She barely knew him, and not from a lack of trying, but couldn't deny that she was attracted to him and had been from the moment they had bumped into each other. Like Stefan there was something different about him, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
He was blunt, had piercing blue eyes so intense that it made her heart race whenever he stared into hers, and his grunts always made her smile. He was also mysterious, every answer being cryptic and sarcastic, that or he just grunted. And why it might not have been the greatest comparison, he understood what it was like to lose his parents, how it felt to have to listen to people that didn't even know them tell her how sorry they were and asking her how she was constantly.
Plus unlike Stefan, she had no idea where Jericho lived. Like everything else about him that was a mystery too, but it was probably somewhere outside the town since up until three days ago nobody had seen Jericho and it was a small town, and he kinda stuck out. It was annoying because she really wanted to get to know him, but he was always on the move, always had something to do that prevented him from staying in one place too long like last night when he had left claiming he had work to do.
And she doubted that she'd see him around town. The only reason that he had even been out last night was because she and Bonnie had managed to convince him to come to the party which had ended when he and Caroline had found Vicki laying alone in the woods after being attacked by an animal. Though according to what Matt had told her outside school it was a vampire that had attacked her...at least that was what Vicki had told him last night. She must have been high, drunk, or just lost to much blood.
An emergency meeting called, the Town Council gathered. "Alright, Liz. You want to tell us what this is about?" Richard Lockwood, the town mayor asked. While she hadn't given the reason why she wanted to meet them all, he had a feeling that it was about something other than the Founders' Party and Heritage Display at the end of the month.
"Following up on a potential abuse victim, I drove to the home of Dot Amita and Jericho Reach, today."
Sitting up in his seat, Logan Fell had her full attention. "As in...
"The Owner and CEO of Noble Industries?" Liz answered rhetorically. "Yes. Though surprisingly, Jericho is a teenager."
While shocked as everyone else, Logan continued. "And they both live in Mystic Falls?"
"They moved here around three months ago."
Tearing his eyes from Liz, Logan looked sharply at Richard. "You knew and didn't say anything?! Do you have any idea how much my rating would go up if I could interview Dot Amita, better yet Jericho Reach?"
"When they first brought a place here neither of them was household names." Richard informed Logan. "But Jericho being a teenager..."
"I was just as surprised as you." Liz told him. "But not as surprised when I actually saw him." She explained and continued, with everyone looking at her. "He's tall, very tall, very muscular, and extremely pale, unnaturally so. But it was the burns across his arms, burns unlike anything I've ever seen before...as were the bitemarks."
The room fell silent. "Bitemarks?"
"Yeah." Liz nodded, answering Richard. "I don't really know how to explain them, but they didn't look human...like at all."
"You said that he was unnaturally pale, could be a vampire?" Richard asked practically spat vampire out like it was venom.
While the idea had entered her mind, Liz shook her head. "I don't think so. When I first met him, he was sitting in the kitchen directly in the sunlight." She told Richard.
"Perhaps he hunts them?"
"Maybe." Liz concurred with Carol. "While his medical reports explain how he got his injuries there is just something...off about him. Dot comes across as normal, but Jericho, his eyes and way he speaks bothers me. It's very militaristic, and even if he grew up in various military bases and picked up many of their habits like she claims there is just something about the way he carries himself that doesn't sit right with me. If you saw him, it's like looking at a veteran."
"How old did you say he was?"
"I didn't. But he's in the same year as Caroline and Tyler."
While everyone thought on her words, Carol inquired about something else. "And Dot?"
"Aside from running Noble Industries, she did tell me that she used to be Military Intelligence."
Richard hummed in thought. "Having someone with that sort of experience and knowhow would come in handy, assuming that she is a vampire hunter."
"And if she is then we could also get corporate backing." Logan added. "If Jericho, assuming that it really is him, is the creator of the cybernetics just think about what else he could build to help us to protect Mystic Falls from the vampires." He remarked, all of them suspecting that they had returned considering the amount of people that had been found dead recently.
"Then why don't we invite them both to the Founders' Party?" Carol mostly said to her husband who nodded.
"I was planning on doing so anyway." Richard stated, informing her of what he had decided a while back. "It'll give us the chance to meet them for ourselves and if it does turn out that they're both vampires...
Interrupting, Liz cut him off. "What, kill them?" She voiced incredulously. "These aren't just normal people; the entire world knows their names. If they go missing...
"You want us to do nothing?" Richard grilled with some bite.
Unbothered by his temper, Liz continued. "For the moment, yes. Like I told you, I don't think that they are vampires. And if they are then we have to be careful. If Dot Amita and Jericho Reach go missing, then I'm not going to be able to sweep it quietly under the rug. They'll be investigations, search parties, probably even ransoms if the people at Noble Industries think that they've been kidnapped instead of killed."
The sun had gone down. Driving through Mystic Falls that was illuminated by the streetlights, Six headed through the town and headed home for the evening. As he did, he thought about the auto shop that Dot had brought for the company.
Whether Dot had seen the property or not, it didn't matter; it needed work. Of course it did. Just once he would like to have been handed an assignment and it was exactly as described, no added variable that altered the mission parameters. No superannuated intelligence regarding the enemy strength that was always, always much higher than initially thought that usually eventuated in nuclear armaments being employed by the Insurrectionists, typically NOVA bombs to destroy whatever planet they had taken over,
Or maybe it was just to kill him. He had never really asked. Of course, he was typically preoccupied with stopping said bomb from being deto...ripped from his thoughts, he slammed on the brakes when a civilian stepped off the sidewalk and onto the road. Stopping instantly thanks to the upgraded braking system, he avoided hitting the hooded civilian who sluggishly turned their head revealing none of than,
"Jeremy." Six stated. With the window down, he detected a smell identical to what he had smelt last night at the social gathering. Looking at him, he noticed that he had red eyes that were half-open. Add in the delayed reaction time, it was apparent that he was under the influence of narcotics.
Slowly lifting his hand, Jeremy gave him a thumbs up. "Jericho." He greeted with glazed look. "You passing mine?"
"I wasn't." Six replied but refused to allow a narcotized civilian wander around town unsupervised; especially one that just walked out in the middle of the road. "Get in."
Jeremy offered another thumbs up. "Legend." He said before strolling around the front of the Dodge Charger and jumped in.
"Seatbelt."
"It's cool, man."
"The temperature of the seatbelt is irrelevant. The Law states that you must wear it."
Turning to find it, Jeremy grabbed his seatbelt. "You should leave the jokes to the professionals, man."
"Joke?" Six voiced and waited, and waited for him to click his seatbelt in. After a few failed attempts, he took it off him and did it himself. Once Jeremy was secured, he pulled away and drove him home. "I'm gonna hypothesize that being under the influence of narcotics is the causation for you attempting to jaywalk?"
"Don't be a narc, man." Jeremy groaned as he got comfortable in the seat. "I already have Elena and Jenna going on and on at me, I don't need you doing it too. And don't you ever get high?"
"How could I possibly be a building?" Six questioned his lunacy at him confusing him for an non-automatic relay centre. "And I have." He confirmed, preferring to get an elevated advantage on his enemies whenever he could.
"Really?"
"Hm."
"When was the last time you got high?"
"This morning."
"Before school?"
"Hm." Six confirmed through a grunt, having been on the ship when Dot had alerted him that Sheriff Forbes had received a transmission from the Mystic Falls Police Department Station and was on her way to their place of residence.
"So what do you do, weed?"
"When I need too." Six replied. And to his knowledge the weeds in the garden had been eliminated, but they would be back.
Jeremy glanced out the window. "You should do more."
"I have no more."
"If you need more, I know a guy."
Six looked at Jeremy from the corner of his eye. "I have no need of a Horticulturist." He told him, confused why they would be keeping the weeds instead of disposing of them, Medicinal purposes, perhaps.
"...What?"
Arriving on Maple Street, Six pulled up outside the house where he saw that the lights were on. Switching the engine off, he climbed out with Jeremy and escorted him to the house to ensure that he actually went in. As he went to knock on the door, Jeremy opened it where they were both greeted by,
"Jeremy, where have you..." Jenna stormed towards the door with an annoyed look, a look that faded when she saw who was standing with him.
"Out." Jeremy answered dismissively as he stepped into the house. "Thanks for the lift, Jericho." He said giving him a lazy thumbs up just as Elena appeared from the back of the house.
Irritated that she was being blown off, Jenna watched as her nephew brushed past her and headed upstairs. "And where do you think you're going?"
"Upstairs."
Very tempted to throw the apple she was holding at him, Jenna refrained from doing so since they had company. "Get your butt back down here right now, mister."
"I really don't want to hear more stoner stories. I get it. You were cool once. And that's cool." Jeremy brushed her off leaving Elena, Jenna, and Jericho at the bottom of the stairs, or standing outside the house in the latter case.
"I have intruded on your evening long enough. Have a productive night." Six told them both. Offering a small farewell nod, he turned and headed back down the path towards where he had parked his vehicle. Hearing a familiar gait approaching, he stopped and turned to look down at the brunette.. "Did you need something, Elena?"
Looking up at him, Elena smiled. "Really? You come to my house, and I don't even get a hello?"
"Twice in one day?"
"How about once in one day?"
Contemplating her words, Six realized that he hadn't actually greeted her. "Apologizes. Hello, Elena, was your day productive?" He inquired making her smile grow.
"It was alright." Elena smiled as they both walked underneath the streetlight that the Charger was parked under. "So, want to tell me how you ended up bringing Jeremy home?"
"By driving him here." Six replied sitting down on the front of his vehicle.
While Jericho just sat down, Elena had to hoist herself onto the front of the Charger. "Ooh, such rapier wit. Careful not to cut yourself."
"Hm."
Smirking at his grunt, Elena continued. "So where did you find him? Because somehow I just can't picture you ever doing drugs." She remarked, though it was possible that Jericho was doing steroids considering how huge he was; that or he just had amazing genetics and worked out a lot.
"In town." Six told Elena, looking down at the brunette. "He stepped out in front of me. Fortunately, I've upgraded my brakes."
With a frustrated sigh, Elena shook her head. "At this rate he's going to get himself killed."
"While I don't condone the use of narcotics there are far worse things Jeremy could be doing." Six voiced, even if he was being a hypocrite considering the drugs that had been pumped through his body to turn him into a supersoldier; a process, a pain that he would wish on nobody.
"I just wish he'd stop." Elena sighed.
While consolatory had never been his strong suit, Six still made the effort. "Give him time."
"It's been four months."
"Everyone deals with it differently." Six expressed knowingly. "I hypothesize that you deal with yours by writing it down."
Shocked, Elena voiced it. "How did you..."
"The calluses on your fingers, the stationary on your desk, and from what I've observed you have an interest in literature; all three implying that you're an avid writer."
While impressed, Elena smirked at one detail. "You've been observing me?"
"I observe everyone."
"That didn't sound creepy at all." Elena teased with a mischievous twinkle. "But thank you for not running my brother over. He can be a real pain in the butt sometimes, most the time really, but I would hate to lose him."
"Hm."
Noticing how much softer that grunt was compared to his others, Elena frowned. "Do you..."
"Not anymore."
Elena felt her heart ache. "I'm sorry." She whispered. She had lost her parents, but to lose Jeremy too. Almost like seeing him for the very first time, she saw just how sad those intense blue eyes really were.
"...Me too." Six agreed quietly. For him it had been eight years since most of Beta-Company had perished during Operation: TORPEDO. Three hundred were sent, and only two returned. While he didn't talk about them, he thought about his brothers and sisters constantly. And after Reach all that was left was Lucy, Tom, Owen, Roland, Jonah, and himself. But now, here in the twenty-first century, it was just him.
"Any family?
"Just Dot."
"Dot. Is that your aunt?"
"Hm." Six acknowledged through a grunt as he suppressed whatever sentimental feelings that he had, burying it all away. He couldn't allow himself to become emotionally compromised, not when he still had a job to do.
"What about friends?"
"No."
"Drifted apart?"
"They died." Three months and his thoughts still lingered on Noble Team. For eight years he had been alone hunting Insurrectionists across the galaxy, only the empty silence of the universe to keep him company. But that month with Noble, even with the Covenant on Reach, he felt like he belonged...and then just like everything else he allowed himself to care about they died too.
Apart from Jorge, they were all expendable. Growing close to them was foolish, he was only meant to be there until Holland found a suitable replacement then he would return to being Ackerson's personal Grim Reaper, another name for an obedient little dog. But that stupid, trying human part of him that he had never quiet been able to snuff out, suppress, but never snuff out being the causation for being emotional compromised.
"I'm sorry...and you're probably sick of hearing that." Elena said, realizing that she was doing the very thing that people were doing to her. "But for what it's worth, you still have one."
Six looked down at the brunette. "I don't take kindly to threats." He warned getting a smile from Elena. "And we're acquaintances."
"And who's fault is that?" Elena shot back with a teasing smile. "I don't think you've answered a single question yet."
"Then you have a poor memory."
Elena smiled. "I have a great memory; you just don't like answering anything." She told him, then frowned when Jericho suddenly looked around. "What?"
"I was hoping Stefan would show up to free me from being interrogated again."
Shoving him, Elena laughed. "It's called making conversation, which you suck at." She teased getting a small grunt from him, one that made her smile. Sitting comfortably next to him, she tucked her hair behind her ear. "Um, do you want to come in?" She asked, not wanting him to take off like he had the night before.
"No."
Not surprised by his blunt refusal, Elena smirked up at him. "Let me guess, you have work to do." She stated rather than asked.
"Partly."
"Go on." Elena encouraged, curious what his new excuse was.
"I've reached my quota for socialization for one day."
"Correct me if I'm wrong,"
"I will."
Smirking at his interruption, Elena continued. "But I thought that your aunt wanted you to spend time with people. You planning on doing that from home?" She asked, guessing that was where he planned to go.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"You've turned my own words against me. Well played."
Feeling incredibly proud of herself right now, Elena smiled radiantly. "I aim to please." She beamed with a mischievous glint in her eyes, turning what she had figured was his catchphrase considering how often he had said it against him. Sliding down off the Charger, she plopped her feet back onto the ground.
"This is why I don't talk to people." Six thought to himself, regretting his words from the night before. Pushing himself off the front of the Charger, he followed Elena back to the house to begin his next interroga-socialization. As he did, he failed to notice the man with shaggy black hair and wearing a leather jacket stepping out of the shadows across the street that watched them both head inside.
And cut! Here is the next chapter of The Noble Diaries. I hoped you all enjoyed it. Episode 2 will wrap up next chapter, and yes, Six will be meeting next chapter...though the encounter will be more than the latter bargained for.
And Dot finally made her physical debut for this story with her looking like Olivia Wilde from The Change-Up. I had Dot use her Tron appearance in a couple of my stories over the years so thought that I would use Wilde again for her human avatar.
Not much else to say other than let me know what you all thought.
And have a great Christmas and New Year!