Shadows of War (RWBY x TITANFALL) Act 1: Remnant

Chapter VI: Family Matters

Nathan POV

Looking back at it now, I missed that rush of performing. But yet, it was never my idea to pick up a guitar and go to the nearest place with open mic night and perform in front of people. Sure, I know I can make fat stacks of money doing it. I just never thought of it as something I would do. As we walked through town, I looked at Weiss and apologized for my outburst. She looks at me.

Weiss: "I also apologize for accusing you of not trusting us."

Me: "No harm done."

Weiss: "Can I ask you something?"

Me: "Yeah. What's on your mind?"

Weiss: "I know you said that you and Athena had bonded for over two years when we first met. But she mentioned back at the station, and I quote, "in my brother's defense." Every time you end up in the same room, you two bicker at each other as siblings would. Are you two siblings?"

Me: "Yeah, Athena and I are siblings. Dad created her before I was born. Nearing eighteen years later, I'm still dealing with her."

Athena: "If I had a physical form, I'd smack you. *Nora smacks my arm* Thanks, Nora."

Nora: "You're welcome."

I give them an eye-roll as I dug out my wallet and pulled out a picture of my family that was taken about eight years ago. In the photo were ten humans and an Atlas titan standing by a logo of a wolf's head facing forward and a broad circle surrounding the head.

Blake: "Obsidian Wolves?"

Athena: "Our family. The five adults behind the four kids (A/N: Left to right) are our uncles, our mom, our dad, and our aunt. The four other kids in front are our siblings. Nathan's the dork in my hands."

Blake: "You two didn't say anything about that when you explained this to me."

She realized her mistake when her team started staring at her. I jumped in.

Me: "Before the three of you rip her head off, understand I didn't actively hunt her down and tell her this. She was there when she heard Athena and me talking. After hearing a bit of our past, we asked her to keep it to herself until one of us slips. How she figured it out was purely coincidental. Give her some slack, at least. Athena's the one that let it slip."

Athena: "Sue me later, little brother."

We smirk at each other as I shift my focus to the picture. I went on to explain that the four kids in front of the adults that three of them were adopted. The one with charcoal hair and steel-blue eyes is Carsen Demos, the dirty blonde with her arms extended behind Carsen, and the other girl is Andrea Estacado; the other girl next to her is Reyes, and the gentle giant next to Reyes is Matt. Technically, Carsen is Athena's and my cousin, but we grew up in the same house for so long that we grew a sibling bond.

Me: "The ten of us made up the Obsidian Wolves. A mercenary group who fought the fight for over a decade. A few others had decided to join the pack a few years ago, and you'll meet them once they get here. *pulls out my necklace* This is how we know you're one of us. It is made up of volcanic glass and shaped to look like a wolf's tooth, as the namesake. Need us to protect a settlement until you can get a law and order going? Done. Need security for a site that keeps getting raided? Sure. The Militia needed us to be soldiers... so here we are. Under one condition, if anyone from the Militia gave us as much as one credit for any of it... We walk away—the same thing when someone comes to us with a job like that."

Pyrrha: "That doesn't make sense. You fight in a war, which means you kill. Why join when that's what you're going to do?"

Athena: "As Dad told me when I turned fifteen, he didn't want us to live in a galaxy where the IMC is in control. That's why he joined the fight. Not for money or glory. The family was all on his mind then."