Part 2

In his life Six had never entered a bar, at least not of the like he had heard in passing description, not the officer’s mess on a starship nor the varying pubs scattered across every human world in the galaxy, if anything it would have sounded like the start of a bad joke. He never had reason to visit such institutions, nor had he ever found himself in a position that forced such circumstance upon him.

Till today that is.

As the tinted glass door shut behind him, the spartan’s eyes roved across the entryway, examining in detail what was the first, proper bar he had ever entered as he intended to glean anything he could from this first experience.

A lofty arch of marble vaulted above him, the bright white stonework surprisingly artful given the few musings he had heard about such locations. Matching the glossy wooden paneling of the walls and red velvet carpet leading towards the second layer of interior doors, he was somewhat startled to see such refined taste in a place he had only heard crude things about. Perhaps a cornerian’s and human’s idea of a bar were different? He had expected a small homely place like the one Fox had taken him to, or a dark, gritty environment full of shady characters. This seemed far too elegant to be what the marines had talked about.

Temporarily shifting away from idle reflection, Six looked towards his team, the group of unusually rowdy individuals moving for the next set of doors as they spoke animatedly amongst themselves. Six followed after hesitantly, suddenly put-off by his crew’s sprightly demeanor. As if a switch had flipped in their heads, the team was acting far more animated than he had ever seen them, exchanging crude banter and vigorous elbow bashing.

The spartan found his steps faltering till he stood halfway between the front door and the next pair, another marble archway looming overhead as he was mentally trying to process this strange revision in their personalities. Was this merely a direct response to their environment? Or had they always been this way and he had been too blind to see it? The fact they were like this did not bother Six so much as that he was not like them.

In that moment he felt even more aware of his differences to the team, how alien he was to them, and to an extent, the rest of these people. The stares he had felt burning into his neck, the way he towered over even the tallest one of them, the incomprehension he felt in nearly every conversation, it was a constant, ever present reminder that he was not and never would be anything but that what he had been made to be.

That was what he felt despite the knowledge that the only thing that prevented him from being anything else was himself. It was difficult to recognize this fact, even more so to change his perception on the matter. But he swore he would try, so try he would, the spartan compressing his worries into a ball and shoving them deep down till they were no longer a part of his cognizance.

Oddly enough, his recollection of his encounter with Miyu in the feline’s room appeared in the forefront of his thoughts, offering him comfort despite the unusual nature of their interaction, or maybe… because of it.

He had not fought so desperately to reach this point, nearly lose one of the few people he truly esteemed, to surrender to despair now, not after all he had endured. There was far too much he could do, could experience, for him to cast it all aside on baseless fears.

The entire situation was strange, that was not in dispute, though he found himself looking forward to the night despite his misgivings. Perhaps it was time that he enjoyed himself, to let his guard down enough to appreciate the distinctiveness and excitement of his new life.

“Hey Six, you coming dude?”

The spartan turned away from his involuntarily profound examination of the marble archway, seeing Fox and the rest of his team clustered around the closed doors leading deeper into the tavern. The man realized that he had been in introspection for several minutes, and that they had been waiting for him to follow after.

Nodding apologetically, the spartan removed his hand from the cool stone. “Yes I… I’m coming.” He answered softly.

“Great, wouldn’t really be a party without you.” The vulpine’s muzzle split into a broad grin, the action alleviating a minor portion of the discomfort Six felt as he quickly moved to join them by the doors.

Stopping next to Fox, he watched as the tod inhaled deeply and shook his head, patting his clothes down in a last minute effort to look presentable. “If we’re all ready?” He inquired, the rest of the group mimicking his actions to varying extents as they primed themselves to walk inside.

Six was confused at their seemingly unnecessary efforts as he stood in wait. His confusion was only brief as he shrugged internally and cited this instance as just another peculiarity of society that was beyond his understanding.

“Awesome, let’s do this!” Fox declared with an excited shout as he placed his paws firmly upon the doors and flung them wide. As soon as they pulled apart Six was assailed by a harshness of sound like that of his experience outside of Miyu’s room, though this particularly tune appeared even stranger in origin, the music heavily influenced by electronic distortion, the spartan feeling the song in the soles of his boots with each thunderous reverberation.

The entire team laughing eagerly in front of him, the spartan saw little choice but to follow behind them. Though the sounds assaulting his hearing were not exactly tailored to his interest, Six decided to offer it the benefit of the doubt, mostly in the form of disregarding it in favor of examining his surroundings as he tailed his group deeper into the den of blaring music and flashing lights.

Even without his MJOLNIR’s polarizing visor he was able to easily discern the environment through the strobing flares of well-placed light fixtures and the dim shadows of the less vibrant areas within. He was unsurprised to see a second floor ringing the inner edge of the building, having supposed there would be one given the large nature of the structure from the outside. He was surprised however, to see such a plentitude of individuals crowding nearly every centimeter of the bar itself.

Various tables and chairs full to bursting with patrons lined the circumference of the first floor, a sunken rectangular pit resting at the center of the action was packed with writhing bodies that bumped shoulders, elbows, and… various other appendages as they seemed to move to the beat. Fervent shouts and howls filtered through the air whenever the music lowered enough for them to be heard.

It was as if the entire building was… alive.

Six had never in the totality of his existence ever seen something like this before. It defied every poorly conceived expectation he had held and for a brief instant nearly turned him catatonic under the extreme levels of stimulation.

On instinct he reached for his sidearm, the flashing lights and screams from the crowds filling his mind with flashes of New Alexandria as he impulsively prepared to scan for threats, already searching for the closest Covenant soldier as he tried to identify the nearest piece of viable cover from plasma rounds or crystalline shards.

A voice beside him broke through his hysteria and offered a second of clarity, the spartan realizing that his fight on Reach had ended long ago, that there were no Covenant warriors to fight, and that he had been about to make a colossal fool of himself.

“Come on Six, if we don’t move soon we’ll lose the others.” Fay spoke beside him as she gently grabbed his elbow and began to guide him through the masses. The spartan, still processing his actions, mutely followed after her like an animal on a leash.

A few moments later and he found himself raising his voice till he could be heard over the din of the crowd dancing around them. “Thank you.” He growled weakly, eyeing the snowy canine with an earnest appreciation, the female dog’s dark brown outfit dully reflecting the sporadic explosions of light around them.

“Don’t stress about it Six, I had a feeling you might have been a little overwhelmed before we even walked inside. After my mother came back from the war she was like this sometimes, though it was the fireworks on VC day that really set her off.” The female waived his appreciation off with a kindly understanding. “So don’t worry about it, shit happens.”

Contemplating what she had told him, the spartan refrained from speaking till they had crossed the dance pit and up the steps to the less active section of the bar. Clustered around a counter backlit by a vibrant blue hue and a dark furred canine manning the station, the rest of the team could be seen ordering their drinks. Letting go of his arm, the female took the lead and rejoined the group, elbowing Fox viciously once she was sure no one else would see it as she whispered something scathing into his ear.

The vulpine’s expression darkened as a pink flush rose into existence, emerald eyes turning to Six apologetically.

Sensing what was about to come the spartan forestalled the apology with a raised hand and instead uttered a terse sentence to the barkeep, a bottle of whiskey and a shotglass swiftly appearing onto the bar top before absconding into the human’s arms as he indifferently deposited a handful of credit chits onto the counter. Though liquor and other such substances had little to no effect on him in anything less than an obscene dosage, he had come to enjoy this particular alcohol for its flavor and strong taste rather than its mind altering capabilities.

Somewhat remittent in his realization that he had fundamentally abandoned the spartan not seconds after they had entered, Fox silently gestured towards one of the few unoccupied tables located in the far, far back of the room, these particular tables set away from the nosier and more unruly patrons behind a few muffling curtains.

Once inside the velveteen barrier, Six watched as the rest of the party slid into the semicircular, padded bench recessed into a carved out section of the wall, setting down their various drinks as they made themselves comfortable.

The human soldier paused in front of the booth, needing an encouraging look from the vixen who Miyu had wheeled up to the tabletop, before he took the initiative to find a place for himself as well beside the lynx, the feline grinning playfully at him as she coiled her tail in his lap. Unlike previous, the action did not bother him any longer, the spartan merely smiling back at her, albeit in a less vivacious manner. 

There was a transitory moment of mild silence as the team talked quietly amongst each other, though the conversations slowly rose in volume and enthusiasm as it intertwined until they were all engaged in some grand hybridized discourse of intermingled subjects and interchangeable topics.

In this time Six remained mostly quiet, choosing only to respond to direct inquires and pointed questions as he basked in the overall tone of comradery displayed by his companions. Six had never been much for public speaking, certainly not in any form of company exceeding more than a few individuals. But unlike the usual instances in the past when he had been forced to listen to the idle banter of marines and even Noble team, he found a vast increase in both enjoyment of the people present and in listening to the topics themselves. At one point he had even achieved a new form of laughter, what was louder and more mirthful than the rare chuckles he released on infrequent occasion as he and Katt were finally let in on the tragic incident of when Fox lost his signature haircut, and most of the fur on his scalp, as a direct result of Miyu’s over-intoxication.

He did feel some strange sensation once the team began to reminisce over past exploits he had never been part of, though such peculiar sentiment did not last long as he swiftly banished it away. It was foolish to concern himself with the bygone history when he had more than he could ever want for or need now.

At some point as the more rowdy discussions died down and they slipped into more subdued dialogue, Six found himself looking towards Krystal as the vixen spoke with Katt about some of hers and his most recent exploits. As he looked onto the vixen, her azure fur as shinning and lustrous as her wonderful, gentle personality and melodious voice, a soft smile turned the otherwise perpetual grimace upon his lips. His eyes roved across the entire table to study each of the individuals he had come to call close friends… even family, Fox and Falco battering away at each other with their usual, almost rehearsed sense of rivalry, Fay, Slippy, and even Miyu chattering about some inane topic that utterly escaped his understanding, and Peppy, perhaps one of the most perceptive individuals amongst them other than the vixen, one of two women to whom which his heart belonged to, was spending his time watching over the crew much like the spartan himself.

All his life Six had never ever thought to even hope to believe that he might find such people, individuals who had not only accepted him with open arms, but disregarded his previous manner of pushing others away and quite literally forced themselves upon him in a desire to make him feel welcomed. And here… he had found them, and he had not even been looking.

A raw overawing surge of emotions struck him suddenly, and it felt as if the spartan’s heart had simply ceased to beat for a breathless few moments. His hands closing tightly of their own accord as he tried to ride out the sudden wave of sentiment with a hitching of his breath and a feeling of furry warmth in his left hand.

In his befuddled state of mind he was momentarily confused at this, till he remembered that Miyu had been holding onto him for some time, and he turned to the feline apologetically knowing that he must have caused her pain with such a tense grip.

His moments of unawareness concealed that the female cat had turned towards him with an expression that was more alarmed than pained, and the spartan was confused till she brought her other paw up to brush underneath his eyelid, her furred thumb coming away damp with liquid.

Feeling somewhat vulnerable and embarrassed, the spartan felt an awkward chuckle surface of its own volition in some unconscious attempt by his body to combat these rogue sensations.

“What’s wrong?” She mumbled softly, her quiet tone private enough to be heard by only the two of them as her eyes emanated nothing but warmth and concern. Such a cloistered conversation was easy given the pervasive volume of their environment.

In answer he shook his head in denial and spoke in an equally reserved baritone. “Nothing, just… pondering some thoughts. I had never really thought I would ever experience this in my life, companionship and purpose, that is, at least in a format tailored in pursuits that did not portend for war. You, Krystal, this team, are all more than I could have ever anticipated or hoped for. And I think I just realized this.”

“Well, I’m glad we over exceeded your anticipations, you certainly did mine.” She chuckled throatily as she took a deep draft from her glass before setting it back down with a muted clink. The feline leaned into his chest, the scent of fruit and alcohol saturating her breath, but not in an unpleasant way as she rested the back of her head in the crook of his neck, a long ear brushing against either cheek. Miyu released a faint, but noticeable purr from within her breast as her eyes glanced up to him, golden orbs with vertically split pupils peering deep into his own as they glowed softly in the light. “All my life, I had thought I would never meet a male like you, kind, truthful, understanding and compassionate, and indeed for a while I wondered if you possessed any of those traits. But the day I met you, something just… clicked, in my head. And I knew that there was something different about you, something I liked.”

Her spine shifted against his chest and he watched as the feline extended her muzzle and pressed her lips in a soft kiss against the skin of his neck, a mischievous grin splitting wide across her visage as her eyes were lit a glow with implicit craving. “If we were not here right now, I would show just how much of you I like.” She whispered huskily as she brushed a salaciously guided paw across his thigh.

Six felt the muscles in his abdomen clench as a sudden and inexplicable heat pulled to the fore on his cheeks, the spartan caught off-guard by the intensity and direct nature of her intentions, even more so at how welcoming he found the proposition. He was startled to find that the prospects of spending more intimate time with Miyu was not only interesting, but that he might even look forward to it.

However his inflamed longing was cooled as his eyes met Krystal’s, the vixen looking to the both of them and their intimate position uncertainly. A pang of unexpected and incomprehensible guilt hit his gut like the unstoppable force of a hunter’s tower shield, the spartan unclear as to why he felt such a way.

Miyu seemed to notice the change in his disposition and followed his gaze, the feline stiffening moments later, both of them staring tentatively back at the female fox.

Krystal’s expression seemed to undergo a series of varying and rapid fluctuations, before finally settling on one of cautious optimism as she smiled softly at the both of them, that action alone doing much to assuage the strange and uncomfortable pull in his stomach. It also seemed to have a similar effect on Miyu who giggled girlishly and flashed the vixen a happy thumbs up.

Yet Six had already been put off the subject, though he did not pull away from Miyu’s closeness as he propositioned that they change the topic as he refilled his shotglass. The spartan allowed himself to settle comfortably into his seat, dropping his guard a fraction more, though his eyes continued their occasional check of the surrounding environment and scanning for any viable threats.

A part of him was waiting for fate to ruin this unusual moment of amity as it was like to do from personal experience. Yet as minutes passed, nothing happened, and he wondered at his unusual luck.

This was… nice, a pleasant evening amongst friends was still new to him, the manners of which his companions civilianized something to be studied for personal comprehension. So far he decided that it was better than battling through warzones, if only slightly less so. He had been bred to fight, and while he did not seek unnecessary conflict, it was hard to dislike what he had been created for. His desire for battle would in all probability never cease to be a part of him, but he understood now that he need not let it control him. He was more than the entirety of his parts, a spartan, and yet now, so much more than that.

He was Noble Six, a man who had lost everything and everyone he had ever known or cared for, bred to fight an impossible war and surmount suicidal odds. He had abandoned his humanity in his pursuits to fight and survive, disregarding all that likened him to his fellow man in order to seek levels of strength and willpower surpassing that of any un-augmented person could ever be capable of.  He had made untold sacrifices, both internally and externally, to become who he was today.

He was also human, imperfect, mortal, and more than capable of error. Despite all his herculean strength and unflinching resolve, he was still very much finite. He had limits physical and physiological, and vulnerability centered on the ordinary failings of man. But, those things did not matter, not after he had gained all that had once been stolen from him, he had a family, friends, people that loved him, well and truly for not what he was, but who he was. Although these things were not and never would be the same to that which he had lost.

Perhaps it was better this way.

He was Noble Six, and he had at last found his home.

*****

Fox could not shake the persistent sense of optimism he felt for the auspiciousness of the night thus far. It was all panning out better than even his most hopeful projections. Six had even laughed, a loud, nearly vigorous chortle that sounded so utterly unlike him yet made the vulpine smile all the more. The human had also been rather familiar with Miyu, which was reasonably out of the ordinary for him considering his typical standoffishness, and the feline looked entirely elated by the experience.

There however was something that still troubled him.

The vulpine glanced at his comms bracer, having been counting down the minutes until his fiancé would arrive. She had promised to meet him at this particular booth at a quarter till nine, this one being a specific favorite for them on their frequent rendezvous here. His worry lay not in that she and Six would clash, rather that she might form an unfair opinion of him as a result of his occasional, yet increasingly infrequent… irritability. Like Katt, Fara remained oblivious to the spartan’s background, what contributed heavily towards his violent and sometimes unreasonable temperament. Though he had changed significantly since his first days amongst them, he was still rather overbearing at times.

If she did not like him… well Fox hoped it wouldn’t come to that. Fara could be nearly as obstinate as Six himself when she set her mind to it, and the vulpine did not anticipate what might occur if they butted heads. For one he worried over her personal safety, the spartan was substantially superior in terms of both physical strength and tactical acumen. And while he had never hurt any member of the team regardless of his ire, she was not someone he would yet regard as friend, and Fox had seen what the supersoldier did to those not included in his infinitesimal bubble of influence.

As long as he still had a few minutes, he might be able to talk to Six and clear some thi-.

“Hey Foxy, I hope I’m not late to the party.”

His hopes were shot to the ground as the vulpine’s ears picked up the wonderful, yet ill-timed vocals of his fiancé. Grinning and hoping it did not come off as too forceful, he turned to receive his betrothed, a strange oxymoronic combination of elation and dread warring so violently in his stomach that he felt the oncoming’s of some form of sickness.

“Hey honey, you’re a little early actually.” He answered as he deftly removed himself from the booth with only some minor grumbling from the others as they were displaced momentarily. Fox approached the fennec vixen and swept her into a tight embrace, his nose inhaling the welcoming familiarity of her scent as he leaned back to see her smile. It was clear to him why she was early, the female still garbed in her flight jumpsuit and smelling of a cockpit, artificial leather and oiled steel. Yet that did little to detract from her wonderfulness as he held her tight for a few moments longer before reluctantly parting from her touch.

“I’m glad you’re here, now the gang is complete, he turned back to gesture towards Katt who waived awkwardly in kind. “As you can see we managed to dredge up the errant member of our crew.”  Fara and Katt knew each other, just as she knew everyone from the team, but the feline was still somewhat embarrassed by her most recent exploits.

“You also have one extra.” The fennec vixen’s keen perception and remarkable memory ensured that she had not forgotten Fox’s conversations with her on their most recent acquisition, as if it was all that difficult to not notice the largest person in the entire building.

“Yes… we do.” Fox admitted with such a faint note of hesitation that no one but the spartan had noticed. “That there is Six, as you’ll remember he’s the guy I’ve been talking about.”

In a way that unsettled him, Fara stood in silence briefly before she stepped past him to cross the distance between her and the human supersoldier as he similarly extracted himself from the table to meet her in kind. The vixen stopped just before him, her stature placing her barely above his pectorals as the spartan stared down at her silently. In that moment Fox watched as her eyes widened considerably, perhaps fully realizing how large and alien the male truly was as she took an instinctive and slight step backwards, what a feral hunter might do when coming face to face with a bigger predator.

An uneasy silence descended upon the party, and both Krystal and Miyu’s ears splayed back defensively as they appeared ready to spring to their human’s aid should hostilities unexpectedly spring forth into reality.

“Miss Fara Phoenix, it is a great pleasure to meet the fiancé of one of my most trusted friends.” Surprisingly soft and unthreatening, Fox was amazed to hear the uncontested kindness and deference in the spartan’s tone as he inclined his head in respect, extending one hand out. It was clear to Fox that the human warrior was extending himself past his comfort zone in order to accommodate the vulpine’s obvious desire for him to form a good first impression. It was a commendable effort, but the slight, near untraceable note of forced joviality was knowable to a few of them who knew the spartan well enough.

The female fennec did not move for perhaps a second before she surprised the entire group by wrapping the spartan’s considerable bulk into her grasp and giggling gleefully as she bounced up and down, turning to Fox with the biggest and most earnest smile that the vulpine had seen from her in a long time. “Dang it Fox, where’d you find this big old dud, he’s like a giant ornery teddy bear. I love it!”

At that Fox snickered hysterically as all the stress and unease he felt melted away at the sight that warmed his heart, and even more so at the befuddled hapless grin on Six’s once grim expression. “You would not believe where if I told you. Suffice to say it’s a”

“Long story!” Fox was momentarily startled as the rest of the party all shouted that out at the same time, earning a round of amused laughter from all but the man in question himself, who merely smiled politely, his visage turning more earnest the moment Fara released him and returned to the vulpine’s side at the table where he had made room for her by pushing Falco to the side. The avian squawked indignantly before wandering off, only to return seconds later with a bar stool that he slammed down angrily as he made himself comfortable once more.

“So… long story eh? Any chance I can get the details on that since we have nothing but time?” Fara asked as she looked to both Six and Fox expectantly, her sincere curiosity mirrored in Katt’s eyes as the feline hoped to find this out for herself as well.

The vulpine looked to Six for permission, seeing as it was his story, and the spartan simply shrugged his acceptance. As it had been a long time since his arrival, he seemed to have grown less and less severe on his desire to keep that locked away.

“I suppose I can go into the nit and grit of what set me on the path to where I am today, though I hope you are ready. It is neither a brief nor pleasant tale, and that is of course if you chose to believe it, though I do have some data that would prove my allegations.” He forewarned as he reached into his pocket and retrieved a data wafer. The soldier popped a side latch on his wrist computer and inserted the chip with a smooth click.

A flash of light filled the air as an airborne holographic burst into existence millimeters above the projector built into the device. Fox and the others watched on in silent curiosity as the spartan’s deft digits nimbly maneuvered the interface until it changed, a darker azure tint taking over as images began to coalesce.

*****

For the spartan, watching the past, his past, was not as strenuous or upsetting as it had once been. The events he had sifted through and archived in preparation for a scenarios just like the one now, were ones he had experienced and already reviewed for months on end, each purview less disappointing than the last. He was still uncomfortable with letting the team see his life before, knowing that they would be watching, judging his every action and movement. Yet as previous with the dinner that had been sullied by Falco’s inquiry, he knew that no oratory exploit, no matter how magnificent and all-encompassing, would ever fully justify what had happened on Reach.

Of all the warzones he had survived, the conflict on Reach was the most intense and prevailing engagement of his career, the full might of humanity had clashed against the fanatical wrath of the Covenant.

And they had been found wanting.

Reach was lost, the united force of human naval power utterly destroyed and scattered to the cosmic wind, the largest host of warriors and vehicles ever assembled butchered and rendered into smoldering wrecks as they opposed the unending might and zealousy of an alien collective.

Six knew not why they were so invested in events that had never nor would be of any significant import to themselves, but he supposed after the months of silent probing and less than successfully hidden curiosity, that perhaps it was about time they witnessed the culminating proceedings that brought him to this world.

*****

As the interior troop compartment of the pelican shuddered underneath the fusillade of plasma fire vomited forth from the guns of a banshee squadron that had been hounding them since the very moment they exfiltrated from sword base, Six dug his gauntlet into the hull and leveled the barrel of his assault rifle out of the compartment’s open ramp to exchange fire, the brief but powerful bellowing of Noble-4’s shotgun joining his sonata.

But their efforts were merely retaliatory at best, and did little to prevent the blatant doom of their transport. Six clung to the hull as a flurry of plasma bolts filled the interior and he watched in anger as the cockpit was perforated, immediately precipitating Noble-1’s signal light as it dulled to deep amber. Priming a fragmentation grenade, Six chucked it out of the pelican, the dented orb lodging into the crux of a banshee’s wing before exploding, the Covenant fighter spinning out of control to smash into one other in its flight before hurtling into a rock outcropping with a vicious detonation of purple flame. Tossing Noble-4 his rifle, Six sprinted into the cockpit, watching uncertainly as his commander broke protocol, his damaged helmet dropping to the foot of his seat and rolling down to rest near the spartan’s boots.

Six frowned upon seeing the shattered visor and blood splattered titanium, leaning into the cockpit to confirm the status of his leader as the team’s A.I. attempted to contact Carter.

“Not sure how long she’s gonna stay together.” Noble-1 growled, his visage torn and bleeding and from what Six’s status bar for his commander was informing him, such was replicated for the majority of his body. And he knew that his fellow spartan would not be walking away from this. “Skies are jammed up anyway,” Carter continued on, oblivious to Six’s realization, no doubt already grimly aware of this truth. “Gotta get you off her, Lieutenant.”

Six knew what that meant.

“Sir…”

“Don’t want to hear it, get the package to the Autumn.” Carter cut him off with a firm negative.

“Done.” “Six affirmed with a steady nod. Too many had died for him to fail now.

“Not yet it’s not.” Noble-1 retorted as he leaned out of his seat with a partially disguised grunt of pain as he turned to the other occupant of the ship who had finally gave the banshee’s enough pause to briefly pull away before coming back in on another run. “Emile, go with him. It’s a ground game now.”

The spartan gave his acknowledgment by rapping his gauntlet off his chest harness. They all knew that this was it. There was little time and no place for sentimentality. “It’s been an honor Sir.”

“Likewise… I’ll do what I can to draw their fire.”

As Carter spoke, both able bodied spartans moved to the ramp to disembark, though Six hesitated when Noble-1 addressed him directly. “Six… that A.I. chose you… she made the right choice.” His last sentence coming off as a rasp, it was hard for Six to tell if he was being serious, or merely suffering from delirium that directly correlated from extreme blood loss, but he did nod back in confirmation as he stepped to the ramp’s edge with Noble-4, eyeing the glowing canister in his gauntlet with what was perhaps newfound appreciation.

This was tremendous effort for a single artificial intelligence. There had to be something more to this. Not that it mattered. He’d get the job done, he always did.

On Carter’s mark, both he and Emile leapt from the pelican, their shields flaring as they slid down a rock face, sparks flying as titanium scoured boulders and other surfaces of stone before they skidded to a stop at the start of a small ravine leading deep into the mountains. Neither spartan bandied words, simply starting off on a brisk jog towards their objective. At the best of times they had never been ones to exchange words of any kind, though they did hold a deep respect for the other. Both knew this was the end of the line, and while it may have been a time for last rites so to speak, they already understood each other well enough.

Stopping at the edge of a cliff alongside Noble-4, Six took in the spectacle before them, legions of Covenant infantry scouring every inch of the mountain side as they hunted for something, most likely himself and Emile. It was long odds, but then again, when were they not?

With a nod to four, Six shouldered his rifle and slung the canister holding the hopes of humanity upon his thigh as his companion loaded his shotgun. There was not time to waste, and Emile spoke the first and last sentence to pass between them.

“Let’s get to work.”

*****

From there on, Six delegated what his friends would see, modifying the video in the present to both save on time and reduce what he could of the less desirable moments. Within the span of two hours, they had witnessed his and Emile’s ferocious assault on the ship breaking yards of Aszod, the ensuing death of Noble-4, and his flight to the Covenant corvette. From there, the video files were corrupted, perhaps due to whatever it was that had taken him to this place, and they only resumed sometime after he had joined the team and he had time to fiddle with the records.

*****

For Krystal it was uncanny to witness the events leading to the spartan’s arrival in the Lylat System from his perspective, what was her second glimpse into the world of his origin. There she saw another member of his past team, a rather frightening and terse individual, much like Six in that regard. She had also beheld his... death, and Six’s selfless actions to stay behind to ensure that the package his team had died for would find its destination, whatever that may have been.

Not only this, but it had been disconcerting to see a war being waged on a planet that looked so much like Corneria. Where Beltino’s Orbital Gateway stood here, an incomprehensibly massive alien armada loomed over a world of cooling glass, what signified the untold loss of human life. She had only ever once before seen such devastation reflected upon her own people, and the reminder hit her deeply, her thoughts troubled by painful recollection.

Thankfully such aggrieved musing quickly faded as more lighthearted occurrences played out upon the spartan’s holographic device, though she was captivated to see what his life had been like a personal perspective. Most of it was truncated for obvious reason, really just a montage of moments they had all experienced together. Though, she had noticed that he had elected to abstain from showing anything of a more intimate viewpoint regarding her, which she was greatly appreciative of. Seeing as he wore his armor nearly every moment he could, they had shared quite a few tender instants that he would have unwittingly chronicled.

As she watched the accumulative exploits of his life amongst the Starfox team flash by in minutes, she wondered, had it really been that long? For her it felt as if weeks had transpired, where the truth of this recording only showed how long he had been a part of her life, their lives. He had fought, bled and laughed, with them, and once, she had known he had cried. They had surmounted the odds and defied death on numerous occasions. They had endured hardships and had strained their connections with one another, and yet through it all, Six had never once faltered.

She was staggered by the sheer weight of his previous life, and that after it all, after everything he had suffered he still persevered, he excelled in his environment despite what challenges sought to circumvent him. 

It was heroic beyond description. Most would have and should have waivered under such extreme stress, yet Six appeared to strive beyond normal limitations in such high pressure situations, with extraordinary adaptability.

And somewhere along the way he had decided that he would stand by her side. To her that would always be a source of comfort, a profound excess of strength that she could draw and rely upon. He had been and always would be there for her.

The vixen looked to him, watching in silent affection as the spartan turned off the projector after closing on a lighter moment he had shared with the team and prepared to answer what must have been the innumerable questions on the minds of not just Fara and Katt, but on the rest of the team as well. For herself, Krystal had no questions that had not already been answered. Miyu though, she smiled at the realization, had plenty of her own, though most were more about his exploits on the field of battle. The lynx had always been a fiery soul, which was what Krystal had known soon after they met for the first time.

However, as she watched her spartan and the feline, she felt an unsolicited sense of unease. The vixen had seen how close they had been earlier, how… intimately they had been poised together. That had been an unforeseen surprise. Six had only just recently come to accept and perhaps even enjoy the touch of a female. They had shared a few gentle moments together in recent days, and every time he became more and more comfortable with the idea. She had hoped to soon broach a more intimate activity they might be able to share with one another, but it seemed Miyu was of a likeminded indication and far more forward with it.

Krystal remembered what the lynx had told her, be more assertive. And from what she had seen tonight, that indeed seem to be most effective. Although that just might be because Miyu was the perfect image of a desirable female that even the vixen could not refute. Sometime ago she had been envious of the feline’s… voluptuous figure and strong personality. But that had faded as she developed more confidence in her self-image and they had become close friends. And somewhere, deep down in the innermost depths of her mind, she had once carried a small crush on the other female. After all, she had been everything she herself was not. Strong, confident, and unafraid to speak her mind, kind of like Six.

Though that feeling had long since passed, she still cared for the lynx, despite the feline’s irritating tendency to get on her nerves.

Smiling as she turned away from the feline as she harassed Six on the possibility of getting a suit of armor like his, the vixen scanned the rest of the group, watching their conversations amongst each other. Fara was currently trying to get more detailed information out of Fox on Six, and Falco seemed to just be nursing his drink in silence as Peppy tapped away at a datapad for some unknown purpose. Katt and Fay were mumbling conspiratorially, their topic veiled from even her impressive hearing. Slippy, the poor toad, was stuck awkwardly between Falco and Peppy, though he appeared content as he watched the team much like herself. The vixen shared a smile with him and waived at the amphibian as he tapped the table and took a sip from his juice.

Her thoughts drifting away in the serenity of her disposition and content for her current position, Krystal picked up on the faint beat of the music coming from the club past the partially extended curtains. If she had function of her legs, the vixen had no doubt her sandals would be tapping to the undeniably appealing melody. As it were, her tail was happy enough to twitch in tune to the song as she hummed the lyrics to herself.

If every day could be like today, than she would never ask for anything more in life. There was no prevailing threat demanding their attention, the entire team was together and enjoying a much needed night of fun and relaxation, and she was starting to feel a pleasant buzz from her drink that influenced her thoughts with an undercurrent of bliss.

Though as her glass clinked empty, the vixen lamented this insight and sought to order another glass of blueberry vodka. She turned her chair around and placed her paws on the wheel, ready to roll herself down to the bar when she noticed that there were already a few individuals there. That alone would not have been surprising except for the fact she knew the trio, quite well in fact.

Even in her currently tipsy temperament, she still felt a jolt of unease at recognizing the peculiar characters, and turned to Fox with a frown. The vulpine however, already appeared to have noticed as a grimace split the smile he once had on his muzzle as he growled low, in the back of his throat. All at once a cloud of disquiet seemed to fall upon the crew as they looked to the bar.

Sensing the shift in his commander and the overall mood, Six’s arm dropped underneath the table, undoubtedly clutched tightly around the grip of a handgun as the three individuals took their drinks and made a path towards them.

A barking chuckle filled the air as the leader of the small group stopped a few feet from the table, a look of utter satisfaction plastered on his blemished visage as he appeared wholly pleased with this development.

“Fox, what a surprise! Been a long time since we last crossed paths, the battle over Eladard was it?” The lupine inquired with jovial intent. “Looks like you’ve done fine for yourself since then, expanded your roster as well from the looks of it.” The male looked to the human supersoldier with a flash of consideration and… respect? “I heard all kinds of things about that.”

The low growl from Fox only rose to prominence as he stood up from the table, emerald eyes blazing with scarcely suppressed anger. “Wolf, what the hell are you doing here?”

The lupine looked both confused and askance as he brought a paw to his chest in mock outcry. “What, a guy can’t spend a night out to party with his friends?”

At that, Fara stood up beside Fox, a fierce snarl pulling at her hackles. “Last I heard, you were still wanted by the General for war profiteering.”

“Oh that bit?” Wolf chuckled, waiving it off with cool disinterest. “I was pardoned for that a few weeks ago by the big dog himself. Didn’t you know…?” He reached into his coat and pulled out a rolled up paper and a small insignia with the CDF emblem printed in steel. “I’ve been employed.” The shear arrogance and conceit radiated from the lupine and his smug expression as he flashed a devious grin full of pointed canines, infuriated Fox to no end. “In fact, we’ve all been employed by the army, even Panther.” He gestured towards the less than successful feline pilot next to him who whined softly.

“Panther does not like it when you make fun of him.”

“Hey, it’s all in good fun.” Wolf retorted, flashing the vulpine a self-satisfied grin.

Fox discovered that his mouth could not move to form words, unable to believe what he had just been told. Pepper had exonerated him? He would wonder if the General had forgotten the extent of Wolf’s actions if he had not known the aged canine to possess a near perfect recollection. That lupine had attacked Starfox on numerous occasions, not only that, but he had worked with Andross, though not in any significant capacity that would place them on equal grounds for castigation. Perhaps there was a reason, some method for this insanity? Despite his loathing, Fox recognized that Wolf was a talented mercenary, much like himself. Was the General simply thinking long term?  Wolf would be useful if the aparoids did attack. Did Pepper just believe he would be more help standing with them, then against? If so, the dog had a greater ability to forgive past misdeeds than himself.

Thankfully, while Fox was far too preoccupied to form a retaliatory rebuttal, a certain feline was more than happy enough to fill the gap.

“I find it hard to believe that Pepper would absolve you of your crimes.” Miyu growled, the lynx fidgeting in her seat like a loaded spring ready to explode into action at the first inclination of a fight.

In reply the lupine shrugged. “Hey sweet cheeks, I was surprised myself when the old dog sent me a message to come in. Where I thought it was a trap, he just offered me a chance to work off my… debts so to speak. And what’s better, we still get paid!” He chuckled at his own good fortune, though it faded rapidly in favor of an unusual solemnity from him.

The lupine sighed. “Look, all jokes and bantering aside, when I saw you guys here I actually had loftier intentions than just coming around to ruffle some feathers.”

The startlingly sincerity in Wolf’s tone was enough for Fox to look to him with a second reevaluation, and the vulpine noticed he looked… tired… broken, unlike the self-assured arrogance he carried last time they had talked, as if he bore the weight of some great secret upon his shoulder’s. That gave Fox pause. Did… did he know the truth? Had Pepper told him what they might face and what the stakes might be?

“I came over here to start mending some bridges that I admittedly had a lot of fun burning. But as you’ve probably noticed, times are changing. The war is over, for real this time, and the true mercenary lifestyle just isn’t sustainable anymore, not for me and not for my crew. So if we have to make our bed with anybody, I’d rather it be with the CDF.” The lupine grimaced as he took a step forward, an expression of utter reluctance upon his muzzle as he extended a paw out to Fox.

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… new beginning?”

Fox looked to the outstretched paw, a myriad of emotions running their course through him. Could he forgive Wolf for everything he had done? In all probability? No. But, he would work with the lupine if it meant they would have a greater chance to survive in the future. He would accept, for Fara, for everyone he ever cared about. So, with a mirroring disinclination, he grasped Wolf’s paw and nodded.

“Deal.” He muttered.

A smile, less haughty and condescending than usual, struck the lupine as he chuckled. “Excellent, glad we could see eye to eye. I think it’d be interesting to play on the same side of the field with you Fox. Do you mind if we…” Wolf gestured to the table. “Everywhere else is full.”

Fox frowned, but the nice guy in him could not stop from saying…

“Sure.”

Wolf nodded. “Right then… before we get settled in.” The lupine turned away from Fox, his violet eyes stopping on Six, who had yet to drop his guard since the conversation started. “I would like to talk you my friend… alone.” 

The mood shifted for the group once more, a perturbed air falling over the table in a heavy cloud. Krystal and Miyu looked to the spartan uncertainly, no doubt in concern for him, as if the supersoldier needed to be worried over. Even Fox felt disquiet, and troubled that Wolf sought Six out specifically. Yet before anyone could say anything the human deftly extracted himself from the table and mutely gestured for Wolf to follow him, all eyes focused on the odd pair as they headed towards the bar.

Though, not long after a voice broke the silence.

“Seeing as he is no longer at odds, Panther was hoping to perhaps break the ice. After all, Panther has been struck frozen by the presence of such beautiful females.”

Then without warning the table erupted into various groans and reluctant chuckles.

********

Six maneuvered through the scattered tables of patrons to take a seat at the bar top, sliding onto a stool as he turned to study the lupine who had requested a one-on-one dialogue with him. He knew some of Wolf, had read up on the man a few times during his analyses of the system history. But it was not enough for him to extrapolate why he would want to speak with him.

Confused but wary, the spartan was silent as Wolf took a seat beside him, the lupine ordering a drink for both himself and Six, turning to the human as the bartender wandered off to fulfill the request.

“I bet you’re wondering right now… why the hell would this mutt want to talk with me?” He inquired with a shark-like grin that was near enough to unsettle the spartan.

“I would not phrase it like that… but yes.” Six admitted with a shrug.

Wolf chuckled, a sharp glint of amusement lying in his visible violet eye. “Yeah, wouldn’t blame you for being understandably suspicious. I’m sure Fox had practically filled your head with all manners of stories about me and my crew by now.” He waived a paw about the air condescendingly “And admittedly for the most part… he would be right. But that’s neither here nor there. I didn’t ask to speak with you privately about that. I don’t mind it to be truthful. I wanted to talk with you because simply put… you intrigue me, Six.”

The lupine paused for a moment as their drinks were placed down, whiskey as well from the look of it. “I’ve heard quite a lot about you my friend. After all working with the CDF does have its benefits. A lot of what they declassified about you didn’t even compare to the truth. So I wanted to meet a guy who could single handedly infiltrate and destroy an entire venomian military compound, take down an asteroid instillation with only two others, and generally fuck up any dumb asshole imprudent enough to cross your way. And I wanted to ask him…”

Wolf paused, his tone and demeanor growing suddenly serious.

“Why in the hell are you working for a guy like Fox?”

Perplexed by the unexpected question, Six did not respond for a few moments. When he did it was with more curiosity than anger.

“Why does that matter to you?”

“It matters Six my friend,” The lupine answered with a furred digit leveraged against him accusingly. “Because you’re squandering your potential with him, I mean seriously, you’re a goddamn monster, and I don’t mean of the movie variety. I’ve seen flight recordings of the battle over this very planet when that dumbass Oikonny picked the wrong day to make his uncle proud. You must have earned at least seventy confirmed kills in the skirmish alone. That’s more than most squadrons receive on an entire campaign. And I’ve heard the stories out of Fortuna, I mean taking down a venomian behemoth heavy tank with nothing but a goddamn grenade and a fucking knife… a fucking knife! That’s unbelievable! And I would have called bullshit right there if the CDF didn’t have the footage. That thing hit you right on, right through that shield, which was a freaking bunker door, and damn near didn’t make a scratch on ya considering it would have atomized any normal person on the spot.”

Six frowned. He had not realized that the CDF had such an extensive archive of his exploits, the portents for that were… unsettling.

“You’re a perfect killer by every definition of the word, ruthless, pitiless, unopposable… and to be honest, I’m not sure there’s anything in this universe that can stop you. So to reiterate my previous point, what the hell is such a damn good warrior like you working for a peaceable guy like Fox? With skills like that you could have gone anywhere, done anything. Hell I’d ask you to join my crew if I didn’t already know that you had a few… remarkable individuals tying you down. I know the looks those two gave you. And damn, can’t say I blame you for staying for some tail like that.” Wolf cast an appraising eye towards two of the table’s occupants.

A crystalline fracture split the glass in Six’s hand as he growled, a fierce snarl marring his expression. “It is in your best interest if you never speak like that of them again.”

Wolf immediately raised his paws defensively, a slight peel of laughter pulling at the lupine’s muzzle. “Whoa there tiger, settle down! Didn’t mean any harm friend, sometimes my mouth just gets ahead of my brain is all. I promise I’ll be nothing but polite to you and yours.”

Six glared at the male a few moments longer before nodding in approval, his hand under the table releasing the corrugated grip of the handgun secured within its holster. “You would do well to remember that, Wolf. I shall ensure that you keep your word.” The spartan would not stand idle for anyone or anything that threatened his family. If Wolf or his associates possessed ill intentions for Miyu, Krystal, or anyone from Starfox, Six would punch a round through his skull without hesitation.

“Of course, I do have some morals though Fox believes otherwise. I would never do anything like what you’re probably thinking.” The lupine sighed as he realized that the goal of this conversation was listing to stern like a cored battleship. “Look Six, I just wanted to get on a good standing with you. I’ve been around this world long enough to know the signs of a storm. And I’ll tell you, one’s coming. I don’t know when or where it will start. But when that tempest comes raging, I’d prefer it if I had you as an ally, not an adversary.”

Six was partially unconvinced that was the extent of the lupine’s motives, but he could respect that Wolf had sought him out and been mostly straightforward with his objectives. Fox may have held him in bad esteem, but Six would give Wolf the benefit of the doubt, as Starfox had done for him.

Nodding austerely, Six extended his hand. “If you wish to be allies and your aims are honorable, than allies we shall be.” 

Wolf was not entirely successful in disguising a satisfied grin as he chuckled and vigorously shook the spartan’s offered limb. “I’m damn glad to hear that, if you ever need something from me, let me know.” The lupine slipped him a small data wafer with what the spartan presumed was his contact information. “Well then I’ll see you around.” Swiftly jumping from his seat, the lupine left to return to the table, Six watching as he walked away.

The spartan remained at the bar, contemplating Wolf’s words.

It was true, a storm was coming, and the spartan intended to be ready for it.

*****

Fox was uncertain and nervous as he watched Wolf shake hands with Six and make his way back to the table, not even Fara’s comforting paw upon his shoulder was enough to shake the feeling of disquiet. He would give all the earnings of his last mission to have been able to hear what they had been discussing, what the reason was Wolf sought to speak with Six alone. It gnawed at him incessantly that he did not know.

They had shaken hands.

They had made a deal about something.

And whatever it was…

Six had agreed to it. 

This fact above all others was what unsettled him the most. He knew Six to be an intensely pragmatic and speculative individual. The spartan would have put no minor portion of thought into what was being said. But what exactly had been said? Or perhaps he was just paranoid and they had merely shook hands in farewell. Yet Fox found that to be terribly unlikely.

In any case he eyed Wolf with suspicion as the lupine arrived back at the table, turning to his two associates, who had been rather amiable give their past history with each other, though Panther’s flirting was getting on the nerves of every female present. Thankfully, the feline was harmless and at least polite with his anodyne admiration.

“Leon, Panther, let’s get rolling. See you later Starfox.” As expected, Wolf did not place much charm in his leave-takings, and both his companions were quick to remove themselves from the table and follow after their commander, not without a few parting platitudes from Panther of course.

Fox was just glad Six had not heard any of the feline’s philandering, or the spartan may have just been liable to kill him on the spot, which the cat didn’t deserve, as annoying as he could be. Barely recognizing Wolf’s farewell, Fox instead eyed the spartan who had remained at the bar, concerned that he had not directly returned to the crew.

He could see it in Krystal and Miyu as well.

They were worried.

That worry lasted for near half an hour before the spartan finally removed himself from his chair and made to return to the group, quickly returning to his seat beside Miyu as fairly normal conversation resumed. Though Fox wished to, he did not inquiry as to what the human and lupine had discussed, trusting that whatever it was would not change the spartan in anyway.

Ultimately, as time continued to pass and the team delved further and further into their revelries, Fox let his musing go and instead decided to enjoy the night. After all, the company was desirable, the drinks were flowing, and nothing else would get in the way of their fun.

Yet despite that everyone else was fairly along in their drinking, Six remained visibly unaffected by the near staggering amount of alcohol he had imbibed. Two or three empty bottles of whiskey stood at attention beside the spartan, Fox couldn’t quite tell at this point how many there were, things were starting to get a little hazy. This would have impressed Fox if not for the fact he didn’t quite have the processing power to make a note of it.

At some point Falco wandered off, saying something about finding a dragon to slay... lay? Whatever that meant. Slippy soon departed as well, taking Fay and Katt with him as they decided to return to the ship, the canine amongst them muttering something about not kitsitting Miyu this time. Peppy had fallen asleep with a bottle of wine beside him and a datapad that he dropped to his lap, which left just himself and the rest. But that soon changed as well as Six informed him of his intention to return to the ship, his speech unhindered by intoxication. Though, Fox observed with no small amount of amusement, he did appear somewhat exasperated as he carried a comatose lynx over his shoulder and struggled to keep Krystal’s fumbling paws from his body as he set off on the journey back. 

Fox rolled his eyes and chuckled.

He was sure that the spartan had his hands quite full tonight.

*****

“Please refrain from touching me.”

Six sighed in futility as he once more put Krystal’s paws back in her lap for what must have been the hundredth time since they exited what Fox had deemed not a bar, but a nightclub, an apparent miscommunication on the vulpine’s part.

It was not that he disliked her touch, but that he found it hard to concentrate on getting them back to the ship with the vixen continuously trying to feel him. He had a slight buzz in the back of his thoughts that was entirely unpleasant, which made it all the more maddening that he had to continuously take his awareness away from the street to combat the vixen’s questing paws

“You know Six, your skins is just so… smooth… smooooooth… mmmmm.” The female fox purred, an inquisitive paw reaching up once more to brush across his hand, though it was quickly contained and interned once more where it belonged as the spartan felt an even heavier sigh expel itself from his lungs.

He very nearly wished that she was as insensible as Miyu, who was currently draped over his shoulder like a sack of pelts. The feline had fallen asleep about an hour before they left, and no manner of coaxing from him would get her to wake up. Now, he was grateful for that as he doubted his patience could withstand having them both like this.

Truly Six was not angry at any one of them for perhaps taking to their drinks too fondly. He desired for them to be happy above all else, and if getting carried away during an outing with their friends was what gave them that release, than he would endure any number of days like this. He would return to that place right that moment if it would guarantee even just a smile from either of them.

Thankfully neither vixen nor feline were of sensible enough mind to make that decision.

Six would have called for a ride to take them all back to the ship, if he had known how. Fox looked far too occupied with his fiancé to offer assistance and Peppy had already fallen asleep at the table before the spartan had realized his impending situation.

Thus… they walked.

It was not in honesty, unbearable. Despite that alcohol had made Krystal a magnitude more gregarious, Six found himself to be content with his current predicament. He could come to enjoy these situations, notwithstanding the less gratifying moments. Civilian life, or at least times like this, was infinitely more tolerable when he had others to spend it with. The spartan could abide the mundane and the extraordinarily un-extraordinary as long as he had Starfox.

Six felt a small smile tug incessantly on his lips as he once more deflected a vixen’s errant paw from its course. If anything he admired her tenacity.

“Must you be so persistent?” He inquired with a fond smirk as he glared amusedly at the woman.

“Not my fault.” She retorted, quickly replicating his grin, albeit less effectively with her partially numbed facial muscles, the spartan chuckling quietly as he watched a dribble of saliva leak from her partly opened muzzle. “Blame my mother.”

The vixen’s retort gave the spartan pause, as he realized that he had never really inquired into her past farther than that of her time with Starfox.

“What was she like… your mother?”  

Krystal’s expression was slow to change into one of bewilderment as her muddled thoughts seemed to dredge backwards. “She was a lot like me, or rather I was a lot like her I suppose. She would have loved you, my dad too. He had been a warrior first, and king second, but he most prided himself on being a wonderful father. The two of you would have gotten along quite well.”

“I am not so sure about that.” Six replied doubtfully. In his experience, the spartan did not quite get along with anyone.

“I am.” Krystal countered with staunch conviction. “My father had the same veneration for duty as you do, Six. And he was renowned far across Cerinia as the greatest warrior since Xanthus himself. Though…” The vixen paused with a slight frown that was not entirely unamused. “He was perhaps not as found of combat as you are.”

Accepting the well-intentioned nature of her witticism, the spartan allowed himself a small chuckle at that. “So… what was Cerinia like?” He wondered at a world that could yield such a fine woman as Krystal.

“It was a wonderful place, poverty was extremely rare and most diseases were easily prevented and treatable. What was most important however, was that her people were happy. Civil strife was unheard of, not since the times of my ancestors.  Our public loved my father and mother, and they their public. I know you would have loved it too, granted you would have had a hard time acclimatizing to the lack of violence.” She giggled pointedly.

“For you and Miyu I would endure anything… even peace.” Six was confident in his assurance. If he had to forever lay down his arms for them he would do so, conceivably with some hesitation, but he would be willing to do that and so much more.  

The vixen did not respond to his assertion, though she did smile with was perhaps a more presence of mind than before.

He shared in her grin, though the tender mood was quickly doused like a lantern when Miyu grumbled in her sleep, something about power armored… lobsters?

Both Six and Krystal chuckling at the odd absurdity of the feline’s drunken reveries, they turned their attention away from reflecting upon the past, and the spartan began to consider some other observations he had made in recent days.

“I noticed that you and Miyu seem to be back in… amiable moods.” He broached the topic somewhat hesitantly.

Krystal appeared similarly uncomfortable as she nodded. “Yes… we are. You must know, Six. The situation we are in is… most unusual.” The vixen alluded, not quite sure how much the spartan understood what they had agreed to or what it meant that they had formed an accord with each other.

Six had a somewhat partial grasp on the position the three of them were in. He was not entirely familiar with it, but he did have a fairly intrinsic sense of these things. He had gathered as much that the like of their intertwined relationship was less than traditional. But he had decided that if they could handle it, then he could as well.

“I do.”

“Then I hope you also know that even as we may deal with… complications in the coming days, that we both are happy with what we have, and would not change it for anything else in the world.”

That time, Six did not answer. In his eyes, he understood all that he needed to. They were with him, so he was with them. He would let Krystal and Miyu handle the rest of the details. His responsibilities lay within keeping them safe, and that was more than enough to already keep him more than reasonably occupied.

It was in such a disposition of thought that Six found his path on the street impeded by a small figure that had leapt from out of an alleyway.

The spartan glanced down to the sudden arrival with a sharp frown, though that was quickly exalted into an intense snarl as he eyed the blaster pistol directed at his chest. Immediate action from him was stayed as he realized that he was physically hindered by the feline on his shoulder. Within the span of time it took Krystal to gasp in surprise, the spartan had already calculated how long it would take to reach for the weapon holstered to his waist and bring it up to bear upon their assailant.

“S-stay right there, keep your paws w-where I can see them!” The mugger barked uncertainly.

As enraged as Six was that someone had dared to endanger his charges, the spartan hesitated upon hearing the unnerving youthfulness of the voice. This alone caused him to reevaluate the individual before him.

And he realized with an unforeseen jolt of surprise, that it was a child, a boy who could be no older than ten, maybe twelve years of age. Ragged and unkempt clothing threaded with stiches and holes made up the apparel of the grimy youth before him. A sharp, defining scar ran parallel to the adolescent’s muzzle, which was slightly misaligned, just enough where eyes like Six’s could notice. It had to have been from a fracture that did not heal properly. The kid would have appeared canine if not for the distinctly angular snout and ears that reminded him of a wolf. All in all the sight would have pitiable if not for the glint of steely determination in the pup’s determined eyes, the silvery orbs glaring up at the towering spartan with admirable nerve.

Six felt his heart stop beating for a moment.

*****

The world around him vanished into darkness, his vision returning to him as the spartan took in the changed environment, and lack of both Krystal and Miyu, with the mysterious child as well faded away from view. Glancing down at himself, Six studied the MJOLNIR encasing him, noticing its outdated accruements and HUD software. His gauntlets clasped tightly around a small caliber rifle with a bulky suppressor affixed to the barrel. Around him were the deserted outskirts of a small colonial city, one that was distressingly familiar.

Moving of its own violation, a gauntlet brought itself up to the side of his helmet and the spartan felt his lips move to form words he had not intended to speak.

“Operation concluded, device in place.” His voice was cool, calloused and disinterested as he waited for acknowledgment.

“Confirmed Reaper-Actual, warhead is primed. You have authorization to disengage from AO.”

That voice, he recognized it.

It was his handler.

This was Cryus IV.

A wave of revulsion spiked in his gut and the spartan felt the desire to puke, though he did nothing of the sort as legs not under his power turned to walk away, stopping as a small figure moved to approach him.

A child stood before him, a little girl. Eight, perhaps nine years old, blonde hair like woven gold and eyes the color of storm clouds as she gazed upon the towering armored figure in abject wonder, fearless and full of youthful innocence.

“Command be advised, a small child, outside blast range. Requesting orders”

“She might survive the blast, and there can be no witnesses. You know what to do, Command out.”

 Silently acknowledging the unspoken directive, the spartan lowered his hand from the comms equipment on the side of his helmet and firmly grasped the suppressed submachine gun in his gantlets, the child watching curiously as a red dot meandered up her dress, her eyes crossing as it stopped at the center of her forehead.  

He squeezed the trigger.

A softened crack split the air.

Something fell to the grass with a muted thump.

Not moments later the sky flashed white and a deafening roar shook the very air around him.

*****

Six inhaled softly as the blinding light and past memory faded, dropping his conscious thought violently back into the present, where he could hear Krystal trying to speak with the young gunman.

“Hello little one.” The vixen offered the trembling wolf pup a soft smile.

“S-shut up.” The young lupine growled uncertainly, his once cool and collected eyes now wide as they glanced about fearfully. “Just give me the creds you got on you.”

“You don’t want that.” Krystal replied kindly, her tone leaking nothing but empathy and compassion. “Where are your parents?”

Six was startled that she showed no ounce or trace of fear in the face of an uncertain child with a gun, if anything she seemed… sad. The spartan, though shaken by the sudden dredging of the past, would still have acted to stop the youth if not for the restraining paw he felt wrapped tightly around the hand he used to reach for his weapon.

“Why do you care?” The kid demanded with a snarl, his paws tightening around his pistol. Though he instantly recoiled at the low growl that erupted from the spartan’s throat.

“Why should I not?’ The vixen countered serenely, still nothing but caring towards the juvenile criminal.

Uncertainty momentarily flashed in the pup’s watery eyes, his resolve rapidly crumbling by the second, in that moment appearing simply as a down on his luck kid who had found himself out of his league. “I… just shut up.”

“What’s your name?”

The young lupine took a step back, clearly surprised that she would ask. “Why, so you can tell the police?” He demanded with a scowl.

“No. I ask so that I can call you something other than a thief.” Briefly, her eyes flashed with a hint of insistence, revealing that a will like iron existed within her outwardly tender demeanor.

“S-silver…” The youth stuttered halfheartedly. “My parents called me Silver.”

“Well Silver… how about you put that gun down and we can find somewhere nicer to talk.” Krystal offered with a sympathetic smile and outstretched paw.

Doubt and indecision warred for supremacy upon the young wolf’s muzzle. The weapon shaking in his trembling paws. But gradually and with a nerve-racking sluggishness, the pup moved to hand over his blaster.

Six did not surrender the white knuckled grasp he had on his holstered pistol until the weapon was safely secured within Krystal’s paw.

“There we go… that’s a good pup.” The vixen cooed tenderly, patting the adolescent’s head with one paw as she slipped the blaster into a pouch on her chair with the other. “You did the right thing, Silver.” She encouraged him with a bright smile. “Your parent’s would be proud.”

It was clear to her and the spartan, that his family was in all likelihood deceased. Six was just glad that he did not have to reunite the kid with his family. That would be something he could do without.

“I… I’m s-sorry.” The wolf pup whimpered, tears running in streams down his muzzle as he finally let loose a storm of emotions that must have been brewing for years. It was a wretched sight, one that even tried the fortitude of a spartan as he glanced down at the crying puppy. Snot running from his crooked snout as the young lupine sobbed uncontrollably.

Without hesitation, Krystal swept up the sniffling child in a comforting embrace, holding him to her breast as she whispered comforting platitudes to the troubled youth, running her paw through the fur atop his head as she soothed him. “It’s okay sweetie. Let it all out. You’re okay now.”

Six, standing in awkward silence as he watched her comfort a child who only seconds ago had them at gunpoint, wondered what exactly brought such insanity into his life. Still, he was glad that the confrontation did not end sourly. Though he would never say this, he did feel for the child. Alone, doing what he could to survive, he had lived like that himself for a long time.

That, and he was happy he did not have to kill another kid.

Sighing softly, Six turned Krystal’s wheelchair back on path and resumed their journey back to the ship with a whimsical frown as he watched the vixen fawn dotingly over the weeping wolf pup.

Knowing the woman, she’d probably want to keep him.