Somewhere deep in the Forever Fall Forest Hector and Traya were training with Hector using one of Traya's swords.
Hector was using two swords while Traya used one sword. Hector struck at Traya with basic horizontal and vertical strikes with the occasional leg sweep and use of his air boosters to try and throw her off.
"Good form. Now let's pick up the pace." Traya said now going on the offensive.
Using her one sword she thrusted it foward which Hector used his left sword to strike upward before Traya's sword struck circled back up for a overhead attack which Hector blocked.
Traya then began striking Hector in all directions with him which he began to either dodge or barely block in time as Hector was being pushed back. Using a overhead strike Hector caught the blade with both swords and locked them in a stalemate. Hector then used the air filter in his gas mask to activate his gravity boots to lock into the ground. He then began to slowly head towards Traya.
But then Traya extended her hand out and moved a nearby rock to trip Hector. Tripping over Hector fell foward but then used his air boosters to launch himself up and while holding both blades up he was ready to strike down when suddenly-
*RRRIIINNNNGGGG
Traya moving to the side Hector landed next to her which Traya then said,
"You were wide open for an attack. So consider yourself lucky the bell went off."
Hector simply shrugged in response before which isn't a usual response Traya would get after a quick sparring session. It would usually be a smartass remark or him asking what he did wrong or how was he supposed block or counter... or just him cursing at himself.
But when he was quiet it was because he was either planning his next bounty hunt or there was something else.
"Something on your mind?" Traya asked as he levitated her swords off Hector's hands. Hector then turned to her and said,
"Why hasn't Ozpin done anything to stop them? They are right there! Served in a sliver platter and yet does nothing! What is he waiting for? For them to finally put their plan into action? For them to kill Amber? The Vytal Tournament is almost over. The last battle for the tournament is a literally four days from now! And he does nothing!" Hector shouted at Traya.
Silence filled the woods as Hector realized he yelled at Traya. Immediately apologizing he said,
"S-Sorry Traya I didn't mean to yell-"
"It's alright. I understand." Traya said walking past him.
"That's another reason why I left. Ozpin has all the time in the world... or so he claims."
"What do mean?" Hector asked following her. He followed her through the forest and as they walked Traya said.
"Though knowledgeable and wise he is blind to see that The Witch is about to make her biggest move in decades if not centuries. The drunk is happy to follow along, the general is a dog waiting for Ozpin to let go, and the teacher knows his madness but stays put and quiet about the movements of his pawns. An endless cycle of sacrificing lives to stop Salem and repeating it again and again. A mad cycle but better than the alternative." Traya said to Hector who said.
"Then... how does someone end it?"
Traya sighed before saying,
"Trust me Hector... I've thought that question to myself many times over. And I'm afraid it'll stay that way."
"But... how many more people have to die? What if Vale falls? Where will the people go? How many families will be torn apart?"
Traya stopped walking which Hector stopped aswell looking at his mentor.
"If Salem's plan comes to fruition then we'll possibly see the fall of a kingdom. It is hard to stand by but we aren't just up against Salem's group but the Grimm that plague Remnant aswell."
The Next Day...
"Next up is Yang Xiao Long versus Mercury Black!" Port announced.
Hector and Traya were watching the match from his suite while Hector was fully armed in case something went down. He wasn't going to wait for Ozpin to say the word if he needed to kill them then he would as always take great pleasure in it.
"So who do you got your money on?" Hector asked Traya who replied,
"Is that really a question?"
"...good point..." Hector said. As the match went on Hector asked Traya.
"So the Bandit Queen... is Yang's mom? I can see the resemblance."
"Yes and quite a few similarities. It still eludes me to how she ended up with someone like Taiyang." Traya replied with a hint of confusion.
"Didn't he fuck both of his teammates?" Hector asked which Traya slowly turned her head towards Hector who then said. "Nevermind."
As they put their attention back to the screen they saw Mercury on the ground while Yang circled him a bit menacingly. Then without warning Yang punched Mercury in the leg which prompted him to yell out in pain.
"Do it with the other leg!" Hector shouted which the crowd began to boo. They then saw Atlas military personnel run up on stage and aim their guns at Yang which it showed a few more seconds of Yang being pointed at with guns before the screen went to a
We'll be back after a word from our sponsors!
'Even in this world I'm still palgued by ads.' Hector thought to himself before he said.
"So... what now?"
"Expect to head towards Beacon Academy. Since that fool Ozpin has been waiting for the fall of Vale he would want you to be with Amber." Traya replied.
"Well if the end is upon us where do you want to meet back up since we're more than likely going to be separated." Hector asked which Traya then said.
"If it comes to that then meet me in the town of Fort Beach just north Menagerie." Traya replied which Hector nodded and said.
"Just wondering, how many safehouses do you have?"
"Enough." She responded plainly before Hector's scroll buzzed.
"There it is." Hector said in a deadpan voice before seeing it was Qrow which he then answered.
"What?"
"Ozpin needs you over here for bodyguard duty."
"Ight I'll be there but it's gonna take a moment since the school is crawling with these things called news reporters"
"Heh, just don't take too long. You know what's at stake afterall right?"
At that moment Hector hangs up and says,
"If I had a dollar for every alcoholic I've met then I'd make minimum wage."
LINEBREAK
"Good to see you Bounty Hunter. I take it that is wasn't any trouble got you to get here?" Ozpin asked which Hector replied.
"You knew damn well that Beacon would be filled with people especially after Yang decided to knock Mercury's knee into the 5th dimension."
Ozpin chuckled before saying,
"That's one way of putting it. Ms. Amber is in her room on the third floor in room 19 in the foucalty building. Oh and don't bother being seen. You're under the excuse of being a visitor in Beacon."
"That would've been nice to know BEFORE sneaking around all those people." Hector said bitterly as it took him nearly half an hour to reach Ozpin's tower via stairs.
"And try and be cordial with the students and other people here in Beacon. The last thing we need is a fight breaking out." Glynda added which Hector rolled his eyes from under his gas mask and said,
"Sure, now if you don't mind I've got to go be a glorified babysitter."
And with that Hector left the Headmaster's office and into the elevator. As the elevator went down he wondered what Ozpin's plan was to stop Cinder and her group or better yet Salem.
Surely Ozpin had a plan in case for a full fledged attack on Beacon and the city right?
As soon as the door made a ding sound the door opened he saw at first one set of eyes followed by a dozen then the entire room went dead silent.
As he walked towards the exit he could students and adults whispering,
"What's he doing here??"
"W-Where did he come from?"
"D-Does Ozpin know here's here?"
"Is he here to watch the tournament?"
As he walked towards the exit doors Hector thought he made it out of the woods but ran into more people who were either in disbelief, shock or scared... or all three if you count that blond boy and girl with brown rabbit ears.
"The fuck are yall looking at?" Hector said which made them look or walk away. Hector was mad he was stuck here in Beacon, he knew that him guarding Amber was another way to try and persuade him.
As he made his way to the foucalty building to where he stepped into a elevator to head to the third floor. As the door opened he went to Amber's room to knock on the door.
Slightly opening the door Amber peered past the door to see Hector. Fully unlocking the door Amber said.
"Hi Hector! Your here to be my bodyguard right?"
"Yeah since I'm literally being paid to babysit you until the Vytal Festival ends." Hector said plainly before asking.
"Can I come in?"
"Y-Yes." Amber said as she let him inside. To Hector it seemed like a simple one bedroom apartment with living room and kitchen. Nothing too fancy but enough for her.
Hector looked around the living room before Amber asked.
"I know you just got here but... did he tell you that-"
"That your one of four girls that are used as merely vessels to carry some ancient magic bullshit and now you have basically forfeited a normal life while also trying to avoid a Witch that seeks to destroy the world?... yes I know."
Hector said bluntly which Amber didn't know whether to smack or agree with him.
"Don't have to be so blunt about it." Amber said with narrowing eyes before Hector said.
"Not my fault Ozpin is trying to drag me into this generational war of attrition that I want to part in."
Amber sighed before saying,
"I guess I can't blame you. I mean you're only 15 but still someone your age shouldn't be out there just... you know."
"What? Killing people?" Hector said as he took a seat on a nearby stool before adding,
"Killing is like when you train. The more you do it, the easier it gets."
"C-Can we not talk about killing people? You just got here." Amber said raising both hands up to her chest while facing at Hector who shrugged and said.
"Okay but tell me: What's your schedule for today up until the final fight in the tournament."
"Well today I was planning on training today and maybe go out on a walk." Amber replied before adding,
"Though for the next two days I'll be in between Ozpin's tower and my room." However she added the last part with a hint of sadness that her life will be even more like a prison.
'That's depressing as hell.' Hector thought to himself before asking,
"When do you train? I'd like to mentally and emotionally prepare myself for the bombardment of questions and looks."
"Oh um around four in the afternoon but why do you need to prepare so much?" Amber replied which Hector looked at the time and said,
"You see I've trained to restrain myself... usually. So I to mentally prepare for the bullshit that's to come."
"How about we just relax here a bit before leaving." Amber said which Hector took his sniper off his back and said,
"Fine by me. Gives me time to clean my sniper."
Somewhere in Vale...
While Amber and Hector were doing their own thing Cinder and her team were discussing The Bounty Hunter's arrival.
"So Ozpin's getting desperate or arrogant." Cinder said as she was looking out towards the window in a safehouse in the outskirts of Vale.
"If anything it makes our job easier. If he's not joining then killing him is our next option." Mercury said before Emerald added,
"And how easy do you think that'll go? Last time I checked he's killed Rogue Huntsmen that not even a dozen Huntsmen could do in. What makes you think you can?"
Before Mercury could respond Cinder chimed in saying,
"Overwhelming odds. There are only few who could stand against hordes of Grimm. And we've got an army of them just waiting to attack. And thanks to Mercury's unprovoked attack the city is feeling a bit... uneasy.
All we have to really do is keep the Fall Maiden occupied long enough to try and persuade him one last time and if not? Then I guess Ozpin will loses his most competent asset."
Beacon Academy...
As Amber trained on Atlas drones Hector was nearby on a balcony with his shotgun out and ready. After the timer Amber had set rung she went to a nearby bench to grab a towel to wipe the sweat off.
Looking up at Hector she asked,
"How'd I do?"
"Good."
"Thanks-"
"Enough for someone smashing bots."
"Huh??" Amber said in a unsure yet offended face and tone.
"What do you mean?" Amber asked which Hector shook his head as he began to walk down towards her via vertically walking down.
"You're fighting against bots which isn't hard. One bullet to the face and their pretty much done for. If you ask me train with someone else instead to give it a more realistic touch." Hector replied as he finally reached the floor after walking down the arena wall.
"Mmm okay... then spar with me." Amber said which Hector then in turn said,
"Me? Seems pretty one sided if you ask me."
"Oh c'mon! I won't use my... semblance." Amber said while making sure she didn't talk about her powers,
"And plus Qrow is out and Glynda is pretty busy at the moment."
"My answer is still no." Hector said crossing his arms which Amber replied,
"Perhaps your reputation has been... exaggerated?" Amber said crossing her arms like Hector but with a smug look.
"Oh you don't wanna go down that route." Hector said pointing at Amber.
"What? I just thought that the Mad Bounty Hunter of Remnant wasn't afraid of a challenge or am I wrong?" Amber said in a smug yet teasing manner.
"Amber... I have weapons meant to heavily damage or straight up go through aura. Afterall my job is to protect you. Not attack you." Hector said which Amber then rolled her eyes and replied,
"First off you're not attacking me you're sparring with me. Second of all can't you just use just your revolver?"
"... I'm not sparring you. End of discussion..." Hector said sternly before Amber said,
"Okay fine I won't ask again but why? Knowing you and your little exploits you usually don't back down from a challenge... so what's the difference here."
"Reason number one: Weak aura. And don't ask, I've already explained it to Ozpin.
Second reason: Because one shot from my revolver made Qrow turn back into a person so that should give you an idea of how hard these bullets hit."
Hector explained, he didn't need her or Ozpin's group know that he was basically a walking husk.
"..fair enough-"
"Hey Amber!"
Then the duo looked to the entry to the arena. Amber saw team JNPR who she's been helping train. They all had smiles until they saw Hector who understandably stopped and both turned pale and wide eyed.
"H-H-Hey Amber... w-who's your f-friend?" The blond boy asked which Hector said,
"Who the fuck are they?"
"Language!" Amber shot back before pinching the bridge of her nose and pointing at them while saying.
"They're team JNPR. Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkerie, and Lie Ren or just Ren."
"Oh I remember them!" Hector said pointing at them now. Which Jaune gulped before Nora said in a easy going tone trying to cover up her fear.
"O-Of course he knows us! I mean we've got Pyrrha... right?"
"Maybe I did maybe I didn't? Who's to say." Hector said with a tilted head before Pyrrha asked trying to shrug off the uneasy feeling.
"S-So what brings you to Beacon? I guess you're here for the tournament?"
"Yes until the end. Can't stay too long in one place, especially since I made the heiress's sister look like a idiot when I escaped Atlas. Ah... it was quite satisfying." Hector said with smooth yet eery tone.
One reason why Hector didn't mind staying at Beacon was scaring the students who were supposed to be brave and fearless.
Then of course silence befell on the group as they looked at one another awkwardly. Ren however seemed more tense than his teammates. Which was somewhat surprising since Ren was usually the calm one.
Ren couldn't explain it if he tried but when he sensed the bounty hunter it was... unnatural. He felt a cold feeling wash over him like a cold blanket. Like the Grimm there wasn't any semblance of life which put Ren on edge a bit. Mix his aura disappearing and reappearing with that gas mask with the crude white smile and it was a even more unsettling sight.
Breaking the silence Amber said,
"So what brings you guys here?"
"We came to come practice with Pyrrha for the final fight!" Nora said with a determined face.
"Plus we could also use the practice although we aren't going to compete." Jaune added.
"Good thinking but remember: Don't over exhaust yourself if you don't want your muscles to strain." Amber said which Pyrrha nodded and said,
"Thank you for the advice however I was wondering if we could spar? If you want to of course!"
"Sure! Afterall someone doesn't want to spar with me." Amber said looking at Hector who then flipped her off with his right hand before sitting down at the nearby bench.
"Fuck you." Amber said which Hector shrugged in turn. After a minute or two of awkward silence both Pyrrha and Amber started to spar.
However as they sparred the rest of team JNPR were on the other side of the bench watching but also having the occasional look towards the bounty hunter.
As they fought Nora scooted a bit over to Hector but only reaching the halfway point before saying.
"Sooo you're the Mad Bounty Hunter of Remnant huh? Are you here to sign up for Beacon?" Nora joked at the end which Hector replied.
"Ha! No for the simple reason being is that I do perfectly well as a bounty hunter. Plus the rewards for rogue Huntsmen are great!"
"I-I guess since you did kill Sion the Unkillable that would make you um... very rich." Jaune said a bit nervous while talking to Hector while Ren listened to their conversation.
"How did you manage to do the man in anyway? Did you just blow him up." Nora asked which Hector then said,
"Oh no I merely talked the man to death."
Which then earned a mixed expressions of confusion and concerned looks.
"But I got his cool sword!" Hector said taking out Sion's sword.
"Woah!" Nora and Jaune said upon seeing the sword. Sion's sword was by far one of the most powerful yet simple swords out in Remnant. The blade looked like it was just dipped in lava so much so that anything that wasn't made of metal would either burn or melt if the blade was in contact with the object long enough.
It was a sight to behold either awe inspiring or terrifying depending on who you asked.
"It must've been quite the fight if you were able to get his sword at the end." Jaune said looking at the sword before Hector twirled the sword and sheathed it back before saying,
"Sure it was but it was well worth it. Plus it helped earn me some rep."
They then continued to watch Amber and Pyrrha exchange blows for another three minutes before the timer rang.
When it was all said and done Pyrrha still had 67% aura left while Amber had 65% aura left and since neither of them were knocked out it meant that Pyrrha was the winner.
"Good match." Pyrrha said while giving a handshake and a small smile which Amber did the same.
"Same here. You've improved since the last time we've sparred."
"Good match guys!" Jaune added which Nora then gave a wide smile and a thumbs up while Ren gave a approving nod and a small smile aswell.
"Thanks!" Both Amber and Pyrrha said at the same time which made them chuckle a little. Pyrrha then said while looking at Hector,
"Now that that's settled I was actually wondering if... you could give me some pointers?"
Pyrrha was of course nervous and her team aswell as Amber were surprised, even to a extent Hector.
She was afterall asking a 15 year old with a kill count well in the hundreds, killed a man considered unkillable, killed a entire gang and escaped the general of Atlas's right hand, and killed a entire crime family. So she had every right to feel nervous.
"Me?" Hector said pointing at himself which Pyrrha then replied,
"If y-you want to of course. I was asking because a 15 year old who goes up against rogue Huntsmen and wins speaks volumes to your skill and um I guess because Traya is your mentor."
"Since you put it that way I guess I could give you a pointer or two." Hector said before rubbing his gas mask's filter. He was thinking Pyrrha could improve on. She had more than one weapon which he approved, and highly skilled fighter from what he's seen.
"You're actually pretty good fighter and- wait... are those high heels?" Hector asked while looking down.
"Yes?" Pyrrha said a bit nervously which Hector shook his head and said,
"What's with you people? Why do you wear high heels? Personally I would've just shot the heels to throw you off balance which would've resulted in you constantly having to focus on not tripping while also having to fight but since you've shown me you can fight well with them I won't make a big deal out of it."
Hector looked at the group who simply looked at Pyrrha and back at him which Hector said,
"What?"
"...Wow... Pyrrha just got complemented by the best bounty hunter in Remnant." Nora said before Amber added,
"That's a first, him complementing someone. You should feel special."
"Oh ha ha. Still though better to wear heels than to be wearing a skirt during a fight." Hector said before slowly turning his head to look at Nora.
"Hey! What's wrong with wearing a skirt?" Nora shouted.
"Many things. One time I fought a woman who wore a skirt like yours." Hector said before Nora said,
"And?"
"I used my air boosters to make her skirt go up which prompted her to instinctively hold her skirt down which allowed me to shoot her to death." Hector explained which everyone went a bit pale and wide eyed at how nonchalantly he talked about killing someone.
"N-Noted!" Nora said backing up towards Ren while Amber shouted.
"I swear can you go one hour without talking about murder?!"
"Mmmmmmmmmm nope." Hector said plainly.
"H-How old are you again?" Jaune asked.
"fithteen."
Then both Hector and Amber saw team JNPR's eyes widen like dinner plates before Ren finally said,
"I see that they weren't kidding about your age."
"Oh team RWBY? Yeah they were the same when I told them I was fithteen." Hector replied.
"They told us you were more... um... rude... sarcastic but they did say you gave them some advice on how to improve their team synergy." Jaune said nervously as he scratched the back of his head before Nora asked,
"So Mad Bounty Hunter of Remnant... what can we improve on?"
Hector then spun his finger in a circular motion at team JNR and said,
"You three?"
"Yeah!" Nora said excitedly. Nora wondered what cool ass-kicking tips and tricks the bounty hunter could teach them like new ways to break knees?
"Well for the rest of you I would say this:
Have more than one weapon and wear some damn armor I swear yall fight like it's gonna be some fashion contest. And don't be afraid to fight dirty!" Hector said which Nora then said,
"See? He also doesn't see anything wrong with playing dirty!"
"Nora we're training to be Huntsmen." Ren said which Nora sorta deflated and said,
"Oh yeah."
"Oh don't take it to heart Nora. Out there you're not just gonna fight Grimm but people too. And trust me when I say this: The bandits, criminals and other pieces of shit out there couldn't give less than two fucks about your life. To them you're just an obstacle and most of the time they won't hesitate to kill you or put others in danger if it means winning." Hector replied which team JNPR looked at the bounty hunter who they had their own opinions on what he said.
"Yes its true that there are people out there who will do anything to win but is murdering them the appropriate response?" Pyrrha said which Hector added,
"For the people I go after yes. Yes it is."
"But shouldn't they put on trial?" Jaune said which Hector then replied,
"Of course... if they weren't on a hit list to begin with."
"Hit list? You mean the bounty hunting board??" Amber said in disbelief which Hector said,
"That's what you call it? Weird."
Ren stayed quiet as he tried to sense his aura which Hector felt. Ren still felt that cold void wash over him while Hector thought about how to mess with him.
"What about you Ren? Not the conversationalist type?" Hector asked which seemed to remind Ren he was still part of the conversation sort of.
Ren simply shook his head and Nora said,
"He's not really the talking type but he's one hell of a fighter!"
"Yes I've seen him fight before during the tournament... want to fight?" Hector replied which took the group off guard.
"What?" Ren said plainly while blinking. Amber then says,
"You want to fight him but not me??" Which Jaune said,
"I-I don't think he can take a bullet from that."
Jaune then pointed at Hector's sniper rifle which Hector says,
"Oh no if I wanted to shoot him with my sniper we would not be talking."
The group then was silent for a few seconds before Nora asked,
"But what about your other weapons? We can't have you hurting Renny!"
"Calm down ginger no one is dying today. What I'm proposing is something Traya and I use for practice." Hector told Nora which Pyrrha asked,
"Oh? What type of training is it?"
"I like to call it Fists and Wits. It's essentially just fighting but here's the twist: No aura, no semblance and of course no weapons. Win by either knockout, knocking the opponent out or if the other yields."
"What type of training is that?" Nora asked confused which Pyrrha said.
"Correct me if I'm wrong but isn't it for endurance and still having energy in case your aura breaks or runs out?"
"Someone's been paying attention in class." Hector said which Pyrrha nodded and smiled but then Hector said to Ren,
"You're up for it?"
Ren stood there for a second wondering if he should fight him. A part of knew that he would lose, the bounty hunter was afterall a THE Bounty Hunter for a reason but perhaps a fight with him would help him improve his hand to hand combat skills and see what techniques he used that he could use himself.
"Very well." Ren says which the group is somewhat surprised but didn't try to change his mind.
As the group sat on the bench Hector handed most of his weapons to Amber but not without saying,
"Don't try and take a bullet, I count every bullet I take out on the field. But hey if you want to test your luck go ahead... I might lose a bullet or two too."
Amber gave him a concerned look before nodding in response. She wasn't afraid of him but knew he wasn't someone of empty threats.
Hector was simply wearing his black coat with hood but he still had his wrist gauntlets and air boosters. If wasn't going to use them... directly of course.
"Good luck out there!" Pyrrha said before Nora shouted,
"Go get him Renny!"
The two circled each other before Hector began to walk towards him cautiously. Ren then threw a quick jab at Hector who swiftly dodged it before blocking another punch from Ren.
After the block Hector followed it up with a knee to the gut but Ren moved back in time before Hector the struck him on the side of the stomach with his left foot.
Both then backed up from each other once again before Ren went on the offensive. Throwing a series of quick jabs Hector blocked them with his hands before Hector suddenly went foward and headbutted Ren which disoriented him.
As always when Hector had the upper hand he never intends to lose it. After the headbutt Hector grabs Ren's arm, pulls him in and knees him in the gut before punching him sevearl in the side of his stomach before kicking him square in the chest.
"Ouch!" Pyrrha, Nora and Jaune said when seeing Ren nearly get knocked off his feet.
Taking a deep breath while rubbing his side Ren said,
"Does Traya teach you like this?"
To which Hector replies,
"Yes so she was surprised when I stuck around."
Hector then ran at Ren who tried to swing at Hector but at the last moment Hector then slid between his legs and kicked him behind his left knee which unbalanced Ren. However Ren quickly recuperated by shoving his hand at Hector's gas mask's visor and kicking up he jumped over him. Ren then was ready to punch the bounty hunter but Hector then curled up and put his boots in front of his face which Ren's fist ended up making contact with his metal bearings.
Gritting his teeth and jerking his hand back in pain Hector then used his hands to push himself up and landed on his feet facing away from Ren but immediately followed it up by a mean backhand. Once Ren was disoriented once again Hector grabbed and pulled his arms behind his back and used his leg to push his body away at the same time.
Ren tried to break free but Hector had a death grip. Soon Ren found himself unable to break free which he then said.
"I yield."
Author's Note:
That's Chapter 40! Sorry for the long wait since I've been busy with life but I hope it won't take as long to make the next chapter. I also wanted Hector to interact with the other main characters. I also want to point out that this is my longest chapter with this being 5180 words exactly!
I've also been thinking about other story ideas I might want to write after this story which I'll post on my profile when I start reaching the end.
Also thank you so much since this story made it in #1 in Rwbyfanfic again!
Adios!