3rd POV

They had arrived at the settlement. Months of travelling was worth it in the end because he entered the settlement that Myne was taken from. He took his time when walking to the guild and opened the door. A few seconds after he walked in, everyone looked at him then at the crib. The guild girl was busy talking to someone and didn't notice him until she was done but she gave a smile when he returned. It had been several months since he's taken the job and they were holding out alright. More people had learned how to fight and more people were eager to join the guild to make a name for themselves. She understood their reasons though, the higher their ranking then the more dangerous jobs that could be taken therefore the more lien they could pull in.

"Oh! You're back. Did you find her?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes." Raptor answered curtly then moved to the side a bit before opening the crib and revealing the missing girl. Everything went silent after he did that and he looked around to see everyone look at him in shock. Some of the patrons dropped their glasses of alcohol and just stared at him with open jaws, some just stared at him with widened eyes, and some even fainted on the spot.

Nobody knew how he did it.

How he managed to find this one little girl across the kingdom of Vale, the frontier nonetheless, and managed to make it back alright. He was a growing legend within the guild and it showed. Some could tell that he was young(age wise, he wasn't) judging by his voice but how young nobody knew, all that they knew was that he received onyx level ranking within a few short years and that ranking often took almost decades to achieve.

"..." The guild girl couldn't help but just stare in shock at the missing girl and had to rub her eyes a bit before tears started to leak from the corners of her eyes. She didn't know why she was crying to be honest, maybe it was tears of joy? Appreciation that he went all this way to retrieve one little girl that others failed to do so in the past? After he left, more people volunteered to find the girl but always either perished or gave up a couple months in.

"Where are the parents?" He asked.

"Oh! Um... the father is working at the south gate and the mother is at work. I'll have someone go retrieve them." She wiped the tears away then went to the back. All he did was go near one of the tall tables with a set of long chairs and stood there, ignoring the people that were giving him looks. He didn't realize that the guild girl had came up to him and set a slip of paper down and an onyx tag down also. He filled some things out and when asked for his name, all he did was put the number seven. Before he had taken this job, she informed him that pretty much only she knew the information on the papers and unless it was a supreme power then she wouldn't reveal anything. She blinked when he put the number for the name line.

"That's your name?" She asked.

"..." He didn't say anything but just nodded then turned to Myne, who was smiling at him.

"Thank you." She said.

"For what?" He asked.

"Saving her. Not many people would go that far to save one child." She smiled.

"It was my job." He simply said then waited.

"Well, we could increase your rank a bit but it would need to be approved by some higher authority." She said.

"Then keep it at what it is. I do not care for the ranking." He said.

"What? I thought that's why you did this?" She blinked in surprise.

"No. I did this simply because no one else was doing it and a child was at risk." He answered.

"So you didn't care if there wasn't a reward?" She asked.

"No. There are other means of receiving income." He answered curtly. She puffed her cheeks at his tone but she did catch a slight hint of emotion in it. It wasn't cold when he talked to her but simply calm. It was like nothing bothered him that much because he simply didn't care. He didn't care what others thought about him, he didn't care how difficult a mission was, and he especially didn't care about relationships... okay he somewhat cared about relationships.

He was so distant towards everyone and she made it her mission to become someone he could count on and trust. Her thoughts were brought out when he reached on the table and picked up the tag and observed it for a few seconds.

"Why don't you hold onto this..." He said calmly as he handed Myne the tag. She blinked once then reached up and took the tag out of his hand then started to play with it a bit. Everyone just observed the two of them interact and just either chuckled or some of them cooed at the sight. He was used to such attention but it still made him slightly uncomfortable.

"We'll make you another one." The guild girl smiled.

"You don't have to." He replied.

"We will. Think of it as a gift from us. We all know you don't like to be a part of any organization and like to wander around." She said.

"I see. Thank you, ma'am." He said. From what he was understanding, this meant that they wouldn't give information of him to anyone else but did see him as a valued member of the guild. They knew he traveled alone most of the time and were content with the fact that he at least stopped by to give them breathing room. While he wasn't a member actively, he did have more wiggle room considering the deeds he does for the guild. Doing bounties and increasing your rank grants certain bonuses to individuals who complete them. So far, he had countless benefits but he rarely used them not because he couldn't but he didn't care most of the time. The only thing he really used was the discounts to purchase supplies and sometimes rent a room for the night but that was it.

"Anytime, as much as I would like to stay and talk to you, I need to get back to work." She said.

"Understood." Raptor nodded then watched as she went back to the desk. More time passed and as people were leaving the guild, the parents suddenly rushed in and up to the desk. The two of them frantically asked where their daughter was and the guild girl pointed to the table Raptor was standing at and smiled before watching them rush over to him with tears in their eyes. It had been so long and they had lost pretty much all hope until they received the news today, making them wait until they could take the rest of the day off to see if the rumor was true or not.

Raptor watched them rush over to the table and look at the crib before backing up a bit when the mother picked Myne up, crying her eyes out. The small child looked confused and uncomfortable but didn't cry like he expected her to, she just looked at the two unknown adults then back at him. He waited until the two of them got done kissing her cheeks and hugging her before turning to him. They looked slightly better and had a little bit better clothing which indicated that they were working hard to improve their conditions.

"We don't know how to thank you." The father said.

"I'm just doing my job." Raptor said.

"We uh... we don't have any money to give you. If you come back at a later time-" The mother started.

"I don't need any." Raptor said, making them blink.

"What?" They said in unison.

"I do not need any lien. There are other bounties that I can accomplish to receive the reward. I did this task to make sure the child was safe and reunite her with you two. I am simply doing my duty." Raptor answered curtly.

"We have to repay you somehow." The mother said.

"You don't. As I have stated before, it was my duty to ensure that the child was safe and returned to her parents." Raptor answered. They couldn't say anything but just stare at him. Despite his cold tone and imposing figure, he did make sure their child was safe after all this time. He fed her, changed her, bathed her, and gave her the necessary attention to ensure that she at least grew a bit. While she wasn't frail as before, she was still a little and it was to be assumed that was how she was until she got older.

"Well, we have to give you something in return." The father said as he looked at his body then started to dig in his pockets for lien.

"I have stated before that I do not require anything." The Pantheruos Army soldier said. It was difficult to get people to understand that he didn't really require anything that he couldn't get himself. If anything, he wanted to get rid of the crib so he didn't have to drag it all over the place.

"What's this?" The mother asked as she looked at the crib.

"It is something I had received from when I rescued Myne. You can take it. It uses gravity Dust to keep it levitating that burns slowly. You may either keep the Dust or sell it, I would advise the latter considering your situation." He said as he set his bag on the table and fished out several shards of gravity Dust. The couple could only stare at the Dust in awe then look at him with tears beginning to appear in their eyes again. With this, they could improve their living conditions for the better and give their children a better life.

They brought him into a hug which made him lock up tensely. He wasn't used to physical contact unless it was an attack and things like these made him uncomfortable. It wasn't like the time Jorge patted his shoulder, that time didn't make him feel as uncomfortable considering it was a fellow SWC Soldier but civilians giving him physical contact made him tense.

Years of being labeled as a 'butcher' by Soldiers, Marines, ODPST(Orbital Drop Pantheruos Shock Troopers), and even civilians made him throw up a wall of cold indifference to where feeling something as foreign as this made him feel odd. He wasn't cold and bitter like Emile was to them but he also wasn't warm to them like Jorge was.

If anything, he just preferred to stay in the back and be left to his own devices rather than socialize. Others preferred company and companions, he preferred isolation. He was an odd one even as he was training with his family.

Both of the adults bid him farewell as they carried their reunited daughter out the door. She looked confused as to why he wasn't coming along with her and her eyes started to water a bit but he just nodded at her as he watched her go out the door. This is the way. This is the way things should be, despite him caring for her for the last couple of months, he couldn't raise her. She did give him a learning curve in case he encountered more children down the road but he highly doubted it. He shook his head at the thoughts and went up to the bounty board, already looking for his next job. His motion tracker picked up three unknowns behind him and he tensed up slightly.

"Excuse me, do you have a minute?" An older voice asked. He turned his head and saw three individuals standing behind him. The first man was possibly in his late forties, early fifties, with silver hair and had a cane in his right hand.

The next man was a rugged looking man that had red eyes, a cape, and dress clothing that looked haphazardly put on.

The final person was a blonde woman with green eyes that held a certain amount of authority, a noticeable bust, and a riding crop as her weapon.

He recognized the last two because they had been trailing him for the last week, it was presumed that they were the huntsman and huntress that the armorer had warned him about.

"..." Raptor said nothing as he turned to them and looked at them. It was clear that his attention had been caught which prompted the lead man to stick his hand out.

"I am Ozpin, the current Headmaster at Beacon Academy." He introduced as he held his hand out. The air was quiet as Raptor just stared at him, the silence seemed to be uncomfortable because several patrons had to leave. Even the guild girl coughed at the tension in the air as she witnessed the scene in front of her. As much as she wanted to intrude, she knew that it would possibly ruin the interaction between the two parties.

"A quiet one, I see. Anyways, would you care to discuss some things?" Ozpin asked politely.

"..." Raptor still said nothing as he just continued to stare the man down. The other man reached around for his weapon while the woman's grip on hers tightened a bit, something Raptor took note of.

"I'm afraid that would require an answer." Ozpin said.

"No." Raptor said very coldly. From the corner of his eye he saw the guild girl flinch. He could understand why, when they spoke he was calm and relaxed around her but since this man and his associates showed up his voice changed to cold and defensive.

"No, what?" Ozpin asked.

"I don't wish to discuss anything with you." Raptor answered in a cold tone. He ignored them and found his next bounty that he wished to accomplish then plucked it off the board before walking up to the desk.

"You just came back." She sighed.

"I have." He said to her, switching his tone from cold to calm in an instant. The other three took notice of this.

"The very least you can do is rest." She said.

"I will once I have acquired the bounty." He said.

"No, you rest for a day or two then you can get another bounty. I am the one who decides whether a person can get issued a bounty so if you don't rest then no bounty for you." She said while crossing her arms. A part of her expected him to just stare her down until she submitted but all he did was calmly set the bounty back on the board then look back at her.

"I see. I will come back tomorrow for it then." Raptor nodded.

"What?!" She squeaked. The rugged looking man let out a subtle chuckle before getting hit in the stomach with the woman's elbow.

"You're correct in the regard that you hold the highest authority within this establishment. While I would personally admit that I would like to have another bounty, I do understand your concern. Therefore, I will stop by tomorrow morning to retrieve it." He explained calmly. He saw her blink in surprise before letting out a smile then nodding while he did the same(he smiled underneath his helmet) then left the establishment.

The other three followed him, to which he took note of and continued to ignore them. They tried to speak to him but he just ignored them and continued to walk towards the store, nodding curtly when people waved at him.

"Pal, the very least you can do is answer our questions." The rugged looking man commented.

"Now, now, Qrow, if this gentleman doesn't wish to speak then he doesn't have to." Ozpin gestured.

"I do not wish to speak to you all because I have no interest in what you are trying to bargain." Raptor said.

"Whatever do you mean?" Ozpin asked.

"Earlier you stated that you wished for me to follow you to Beacon Academy to discuss some things, correct?" Raptor asked.

"That is correct." Ozpin nodded.

"Yet I hold no interest in going there. Following you to your base of operations is a foolish move, especially when I don't even know you." Raptor countered.

"Look, it's obvious he isn't one to play word games so we'll cut to the chase. We want you to help us." Qrow said.

"Qrow!" The woman whipped towards him.

"Look at him, Glynda, he ain't exactly beating around the bush with us. He's like those jarheads at Atlas who don't like it when people dance around them with words." He gestured to Raptor who twitch his eyebrow at being compared to an Atlas soldier.

"That doesn't mean you should reveal our intentions like that." She said.

"We weren't exactly giving him much to go on here. We've been tailing him for the last several minutes and he barely said a word to us even though we've been trying to sugar coat everything." He said.

"Despite my associates conflicting approaches, we do wish for you to join us. It would be beneficial towards all of us, even Remnant as a whole. I feel that if you do then a certain partnership can be established-" Ozpin started.

"Fuck no." Raptor interrupted coldly, stopping all three of them.

"What?" They asked in unison.

"I don't believe I have misspoken. I said 'Fuck no' and the answer will continue to be 'No'. As I have stated before, I have no intentions of joining you three to Beacon Academy and the words you have sugar coated earlier do not benefit nor interest me. I have heard of you Headmaster Ozpin but I do not know you nor your intentions; therefore, I don't trust you in the slightest." Raptor stated in the same tone as he turned his back towards them and begun to walk away. They seemed stunned for a few seconds as if someone had just slapped them before quickly rushing up to him.

"What is it that you require? Lien, we can provide that if you would just discuss some things with us." Ozpin said.

"The answer is still no." Raptor replied.

"What is it that you want from us?" Glynda asked.

"To stop fucking trailing me." He answered.

"We're not trailing you." Qrow dismissed.

"You two have been trailing me for the past week, possibly longer. On Tuesday of last week around eleven thirty-seven A.M. or 1137hr you two(Glynda and Qrow) were spotted behind the corner of a building. Your location was the settlement that was thirty miles east from here. Judging by the fact that the Headmaster is leading you two, I assume he was the one to issue the mission to acquire me." Raptor briefed. The other three were just thrown into silence and seemed to break out into a cold sweat. He knew that they were following him this whole time. Knew up until the exact time of day that they were doing it. Nothing flew over his head as some of the rumors had stated. Not a single one of them had actually expected him to deny their request. Usually when one was given the chance to negotiate with Beacon, they would jump at the first chance but not the man in front of them. He flat out denied them and wasn't budging.

"What will make you negotiate with us then? I assume you have terms." Ozpin said.

"Nothing. I am not interested in what problems you have. I do NOT trust you. So stop. Following. Me." Raptor said as he entered an inn and went up to the front desk. The person smiled at him and the two of them made a transaction before he received a room key. The other three followed him up the stairs and down the hallway before he came to his room. He unlocked the door, opened it then entered before setting his bag down near the door.

"Just consider it." Ozpin stated as he handed a card. Raptor stared at his hand for a few seconds before closing the door in his face. It was silent as the other three just stood there. The silence seemed to last a few seconds before Qrow got his flask out and brought it to his lips as the three of them started to walk down the hall.

"Wow... just wow. We spent the last few years trying to pinpoint this guy and the last few months trailing him and we get rejected in the span of an hour." He said bitterly.

"I have a feeling he will reconsider." Ozpin hummed.

"I don't mean to burst your bubble, Oz... but he seemed like he could give less than two shits at what we think. It's obvious he isn't going to join us so why are we trying?" Qrow asked.

"Call it a hunch." Ozpin hummed again.

"As much as I would like to agree with you, Qrow's right in this regard. This man obviously doesn't care about helping us seeing how he ignored us half the time and rudely shut the door in our face." Glynda said.

"... It takes time with things like these." Ozpin said as he headed outside with the other two.

If only he knew how wrong he was in the future. How wrong he was to think that a person that sought isolation could be chained like a rabid lose tiger.

Raptor's POV

After shutting the door on the Mercs(Huntsmen[Ozpin & Qrow] and Huntress[Glynda]). I was about said a report to ONI when I see a comm link call...

It was mother...

"Well... shit... I rather it be father than mother who calls me." I muttered under my breathe the comm link buzzed insistently before I finally answered it. I braced myself, knowing well who was on the other end. "Yes, mother," I said, keeping my tone as neutral as possible.

"Raptor," her voice came through, edged with a mix of concern and command that only a mother combined with a high-ranking military officer could manage. "I've been briefed on your recent activities on Remnant. Care to explain why you're engaging in civilian missions without proper authorization?"

I shifted slightly, discomfort seeping through despite my best efforts to remain impassive. "It was necessary," I began, choosing my words carefully. "The child was in danger. It was a tactical decision to ensure local stability."

There was a pause, and I could almost picture her analyzing my words, her eyes narrowing slightly in that way they did when she was processing information. "While I understand the need for immediate action, Raptor, you know protocol. You should have reported in. We could have provided support."

I sighed, knowing this argument was coming. "Support that would arrive too late. You know as well as I do how these things go. I made a call, and it was the correct one."

Another pause, longer this time. "We're not just talking about protocol," she finally said, her voice softening just a fraction. "I'm concerned about you, Raptor. You're taking on a lot, alone. It's unlike you to engage with civilians so... directly."

Her concern was genuine, but so was my resolve. "I can handle it," I reassured her. "I am handling it."

There was a heavy exhale on her end. "Just... be careful, son. And please, keep us informed. Your father and I worry about you."

"I will," I promised, knowing full well the weight of that promise. "Thank you, mother."

The line went dead, and I was left staring at the comm device for a long moment before setting it aside. My mother's words echoed in my mind, a reminder of the fine line I walked between my duties and the personal mission I had unwittingly embarked upon.

I turned my attention back to the room, to the small, floating crib where Myne was now sound asleep. Watching her peaceful face, I felt a rare twinge of something akin to warmth. It was an unfamiliar feeling, one that didn't fit well with the armor I wore, both literal and metaphorical.

Tomorrow would bring more challenges, more decisions to make. But for now, there was a strange comfort in the quiet of the room, in the steady breathing of a child who knew nothing of the dangers that lurked just beyond her immediate world. For tonight, at least, I could believe that I had done something good, something pure.

And with that thought, I allowed myself a few hours of rest, the first in what felt like a very long time.