[email protected]/jelopy_jelopy for 100+ more chapters
The loud siren blared across the frozen trees. The exam was finally over.
Three hours had passed. Elias and Dee sat on the high branch.
They watched the gray sky. A large metal ship broke through the clouds.
It hovered over the clearing. The loud engines blew the snow into the air.
"Time to go,"
Elias said.
"I was getting bored,"
Dee stretched her arms.
They jumped down from the tree. They landed softly on the ground. They walked toward the stone outpost.
The doors to the extraction ship opened wide. Winter and her team walked out of the ruined building.
They looked terrible. Their uniforms were torn. They were covered in mud, sweat, and monster ash.
Elias and Dee walked out of the trees. They looked perfect.
They didn't have a single spot of dirt on them. Winter noticed them immediately.
Her eyes narrowed. She looked at their clean clothes. She looked at their calm faces.
"Everyone on board!"
A soldier yelled from the ship ramp. They all walked up the ramp. They took their seats. The flight back to the military base was very quiet.
The students were too tired to speak. Some of them fell asleep in their chairs. Elias simply looked out the window.
Dee played with a silver coin in her hand. The ship landed on a large concrete pad. Soldiers guided the group into a massive metal hall.
Desks were set up in a long row. Officers sat behind the desks.
"Form a line,"
An officer commanded.
"Present your tokens."
Elias and Dee walked up to the front. They placed their silver tokens on the metal desk.
The officer checked a list. He typed on a keyboard.
"Name?"
The officer asked.
"Elias,"
He answered.
"Dee,"
She answered.
The officer pressed a button. A small machine hummed. Two plastic cards popped out.
"Congratulations,"
The officer said.
"You hold official Huntsman licenses. You have the right to take missions and have the right to carry weapons in public."
Elias took the card. He looked at it. It had his picture and his new title.
Dee took hers. She smiled and put it in her pocket.
"Step aside,"
The officer said.
"Next."
They moved away from the desk. They were ready to leave.
"Excuse me."
A deep voice called from behind a metal pillar. They turned around.
A tall man stood there. He wore a crisp white uniform. He had a metal arm.
It was Ironwood. He looked at them with intense eyes.
"Come with me,"
Ironwood said. He didn't ask. It was a command. Elias and Dee followed him.
They walked down a long, gray hallway. They entered a private office.
Ironwood shut the heavy door behind them.
"Sit,"
Ironwood pointed to two chairs.
"We prefer to stand,"
Elias said.
Ironwood crossed his arms. He looked at them closely.
"I review all the exam footage,"
Ironwood began.
"I like to know who is fighting for this kingdom."
"Did you enjoy the footage?"
Dee asked.
"I found it confusing,"
Ironwood said flatly.
"You entered the forest. You reached the center in ten minutes. You took the tokens."
"We walk fast,"
Elias said.
"I saw the path you took,"
Ironwood continued.
"I sent a team to check the woods. They found piles of Grimm ash. Dozens of them. You didn't just run. You wiped out an entire sector without slowing down."
"They were in the way,"
Dee shrugged.
"Huntsmen train for years to do that,"
Ironwood said.
"You two walked in off the street. You have no formal training records. You have no history."
"Are you taking our licenses back?"
Elias asked calmly.
"No,"
Ironwood stepped forward.
"I don't care about your past. I care about your power."
Ironwood walked behind his desk. He leaned on the edge.
"The world is changing,"
Ironwood said.
"There are threats out there. Some threats don't care about borders. They don't care about laws."
"And you need people who can handle those threats,"
Elias guessed.
"Exactly,"
Ironwood nodded.
"I have an army. I have students. But an army is loud. Students are inexperienced. I need tools that are quiet and sharp."
"We aren't tools,"
Dee said. Her voice was cold. Ironwood raised his hands slowly.
"A poor choice of words,"
Ironwood apologized.
"I need partners."
"What kind of partnership?"
Elias asked.
"I want a deal,"
Ironwood stated.
"You keep your freedom. You take whatever jobs you want. But I put you on a direct contact list."
"Why?"
Elias asked.
"When a crisis happens, I call you,"
Ironwood said.
"A crisis that requires absolute skill and zero hesitation. You handle the problem. You report only to me."
"What do we get?"
Dee asked.
"Funding,"
Ironwood answered.
"Top-tier pay. Military clearance. If you need to travel anywhere in the world, my ships will take you. If you need resources, my labs will provide them. Complete support."
Elias thought about this. It was a strong offer. They needed a foundation in this world.
Ironwood offered the best foundation.
"We have a rule,"
Elias said.
"Name it,"
Ironwood replied.
"We have a daughter,"
Elias said.
"Her name is Neo. She comes first. If your mission puts her in danger, we say no."
Ironwood nodded slowly.
"Family is a good anchor,"
Ironwood said.
"It keeps a soldier grounded. I accept your rule. I won't involve your child."
"Then we have a deal,"
Elias said.
"We will help you when the need arises,"
Dee agreed. Ironwood held out his human hand. Elias shook it. The grip was very firm.
"Keep your scrolls charged,"
Ironwood said.
"I will find you when I need you."
Elias and Dee left the office. They walked back to the main hall. The hall was mostly empty now.
The others had gone to the barracks to rest. Only one person waited near the exit doors.
Winter stood by the glass doors.
Her white uniform was still stained with mud. Her sword hung by her side.
She watched Elias and Dee approach.
"You took a long time,"
Winter said.
"We had a chat with the Major,"
Elias replied.
"Did you?"
Winter raised an eyebrow. She stepped in front of the doors. She blocked their path.
"Can we help you?"
Dee asked.
"I have been thinking,"
Winter said. Her voice was tight.
"I have been thinking about the forest."
"It was cold,"
Elias said.
"It was impossible,"
Winter corrected him.
"My team was falling apart. We made tactical errors. We should have been overwhelmed."
"But you survived,"
Dee smiled.
"You should be happy."
"I don't believe in luck,"
Winter said.
"I don't believe in miracles. But miracles happened today."
"Like what?"
Elias asked. He kept his face totally blank.
"A Beowolf had me dead to rights,"
Winter said. She pointed to her left side.
"It jumped at my blind spot. I didn't see it. Then, a rock hit it so hard its skull cracked. But there was no one there."
Elias stayed quiet.
"Later,"
Winter continued.
"My sword was stuck. I fell. Another Grimm was about to strike. The ground beneath it just exploded. The solid ice shattered. It saved my life."
"The ground is unstable out there,"
Dee offered.
"Not that unstable,"
Winter glared.
"And my sniper dropped his magazine in the deep snow. It flew out of the snow and right into his hand. Explain that."
"Fear does strange things to the mind,"
Elias said calmly.
"Maybe he picked it up fast."
"You know that is a lie,"
Winter stepped closer.
"I saw you at the outpost. You got your tokens first. Then you disappeared. You were watching us."
"Watching isn't against the rules,"
Elias pointed out.
"Interfering is,"
Winter said.
"If someone helped us, our tokens are invalid. We failed."
Winter looked down at her hands. She looked very conflicted.
"I hate cheating,"
Winter whispered.
"My father says we must earn our place. If I didn't earn this..."
"Winter,"
Elias said softly. She looked up at him.
"Listen to me,"
Elias told her.
"You led your team. You didn't panic. You kept fighting when things got bad. That is what a Huntsman does."
"But the luck..."
Winter started.
"Forget the luck,"
Elias interrupted.
"In the real world, things go wrong. Plans break. If you got lucky today, take it. Use it. Live to fight tomorrow."
Winter frowned. She crossed her arms tightly.
"You aren't denying it,"
She noted.
"I have nothing to deny,"
Elias said.
"We didn't touch a single Grimm near you."
It was a true statement. They used rocks and magic, not their hands.
"I know something was off,"
Winter said stubbornly.
"Every time something went very wrong, it ended with a small setback. That is not nature. That is design."
She looked deep into Elias's eyes. Then she looked at Dee.
She felt it must have something to do with them. She felt it in her gut.
But she wasn't sure. She had no proof at all.
"If you feel you failed, hand in your token,"
Dee challenged her.
"Go tell Ironwood you don't deserve it."
Winter touched her pocket. The silver token felt heavy. She thought about the look on her father's face if she failed.
She thought about her team. They were so happy to be alive.
"No,"
Winter said slowly.
"I will keep it. But I will train much harder. Next time, I won't need invisible help."
"That is the right attitude,"
Elias smiled.
"I will keep my eye on you two,"
Winter warned.
"I don't know who you really are."
"We are just new parents,"
Dee said.
"We have to go pick up our daughter."
Winter stepped aside. She opened the heavy glass door for them.
"Goodbye, Winter,"
Elias said.
"Goodbye,"
Winter replied.
Elias and Dee walked out into the cold city streets. They took a taxi to the commercial district.
The school was a large brick building with tall iron gates. The final bell rang just as they arrived.
Children poured out of the front doors. They wore neat uniforms.
They laughed and yelled. Elias and Dee stood by the front gates.
They waited patiently. A small girl with pink and brown hair walked out.
She wore a dark school uniform. She held a small umbrella.
It was Neo. She looked around the busy crowd. Her eyes spotted Elias and Dee.
Her face lit up. A huge smile spread across her face.
She ran toward them. She dropped her school bag on the ground.
She jumped directly into Elias's arms. Elias caught her.
He hugged her tight. He lifted her off the ground.
Dee rubbed Neo's hair gently. Neo pulled back.
She signed quickly with her hands.
*Did you pass?*
Her hands asked. Elias reached into his pocket. He pulled out the plastic license.
He showed it to her. Neo clapped her hands together silently.
She looked very proud of them.
*We are family now?*
She signed.
"Yes,"
Elias said.
"We are official. No one can bother us."
"And we have one more stop to make,"
Dee told her. They walked away from the school. They went to the city administration building in the center of town.
It was a tall building with shiny marble floors. They walked up the stairs to an office on the third floor.
The sign on the wooden door read 'Family Services'.
A woman sat behind a large desk. She wore thick glasses. She looked at a stack of papers.
"Can I help you?"
The woman asked.
"We are here to finish our paperwork,"
Elias said. He handed her a thick folder. The woman opened it.
She read the documents carefully.
"Ah, yes,"
The woman said.
"The adoption forms. Everything seems to be in order."
She looked at Neo. Neo hid behind Dee's leg. She peeked out shyly.
"You have passed the background checks,"
The woman said.
"Your new Huntsman status provides excellent financial proof. You have a home. You have stability."
The woman pulled out a final page. It had a shiny gold seal on the bottom.
She placed it on the desk. She handed a black pen to Elias.
"Sign here,"
She pointed.
"And here."
Elias took the pen. He signed his name. His hand didn't shake. He handed the pen to Dee. Dee signed her name right next to his.
She smiled brightly. The woman stamped the paper with a heavy metal stamp.
It made a loud noise.
"It is done,"
The woman smiled warmly.
"Congratulations. You are officially her parents in the eyes of the law."
She handed the paper to Elias. Elias looked at it. He felt a strange warmth in his chest.
Elias knelt down on the floor. He showed the paper to Neo.
"Look,"
Elias said.
"It has our names. And your name."
Neo traced her small finger over the fresh ink. She looked up at Elias.
Her eyes were shiny with happy tears. She signed very slowly.
*Dad.*
Then she looked at Dee.
*Mom.*
Dee let out a small gasp. She pulled Neo into a tight hug. She kissed the top of her head.
"Yes, little one,"
Dee whispered.
"Forever."
Elias joined the hug. He wrapped his arms around both of them.
They stayed like that for a long time. The office was quiet.
The clerk just smiled at them from her desk.
"Let's go home,"
Elias finally said. He stood up. He held Neo's hand. Dee held her other hand. They walked out of the building together.
The sun was setting over the city. The sky was painted in gold and purple.