B2 Chapter 6:

Apparently, One and Six had talked. Six had been mollified about not getting Nine for her mission. Though Four wasn't the same level of fighter as Nine, Five was. She would probably be more helpful in the mission, as infiltrating and understanding the politics of whatever local sect or local branch would be more useful than raw power. Maybe not strong enough to destroy all branches by herself, but with a little bit of support and the fact that most of the branches would be internally divided, it should be more than enough.

So when the time to split came around, we said our goodbyes. Four, Five, and Six each wanted a few minutes with me just to talk, say goodbye, and potentially more.

It had only been a few days since we had left the headquarters, and One had monopolized much of my time. At night, she claimed it was for creating more plans around everything. I had told her things that even Four didn't know. But I suspect that was only partially true.

Four spent a few minutes whispering into my ear as she clung tightly to me. She was trying to condense several hours of advice about how to handle Two and Three into just a few minutes. We had already talked about this, but she was understandably nervous. It boiled down to: don't be afraid to punish Two. It not only settled her down, but she also enjoyed it, and it was expected. There was very little advice about Three, so I just kept doing what I had been doing. Our relationship wasn't the most intimate of all the Numbered. However, she would probably expect me to get into something within a week or so. Anything longer than that would be suspicious. But there wasn't a huge rush. She wouldn't get jealous if I spent more time with One or Two, either.

Five was next. She wasn't all for the cuddles, so she simply reached up and kissed me passionately as I pinched her nipple hard. She writhed, but eventually I had to let her go and push her off towards Six, who came, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me on the cheek before simply whispering in my ear that she would do me proud. I nodded. And they went on their way.

Just One, Two, and Three were in the carriage with me as we headed off.

"It feels like old times," Two said cheekily from the floor. Even though there was an open seat, she seemed to prefer sitting on mine or Three's feet.

One and Three sat across from me, which gave me the odd feeling of not having someone in the seat next to me, allowing me to knock Two off my feet and turn sideways. Stretching my legs out a little bit too quickly, she scampered up to sit on my lap and poke me in the nose. But still, it was a nice change.

As I leaned against the wall, I saw One and Three nodding.

"Yeah," I agreed, with Two playing along.

"Hey, a lot has changed since it was just us. I like the additions to our little family," One said, in a way, and with a huge smile.

"It's not just that, though," Two said. "It's a lot more luxurious than just us in a tent and lots of backpacks. But traveling like this from one adventure to another, crushing our enemies before us. If you're that old, you had been getting soft," she said, and poked me in the nose again.

I reached up and pinched her cheek, pulling her off to the side. She squawked. She lost her balance and performatively flailed around.

Three had just been sitting there smiling softly.

"We certainly have come a long way since the four of us walked out of that desert."

But there was a moment of silence as the three women looked back at times that I couldn't remember.

Three eventually broke the silence.

"After you killed my father, I thought I would hate you forever. It was shocking how little time that lasted. I think I was sworn to you not even a week later."

I didn't know what to say to that, and so I just stayed silent.

"I think trying to steal your watch was one of the smartest moves I've ever made," Two said with a smile. "I may have lost my soul in the bargain, but I've never had better sex!"

Three groaned. "It's always something different with you two. I mean, one of these days I'll have to punish you 'til you tell me the entire story. First, it was a wallet, now a watch. I think you've run through half a dozen different things you claimed to have tried to steal from Master."

One giggled behind her hand as Three glared at her and then at me with a slightly softer look.

"I understand how the others feel about not knowing our stories. But I think Two just likes to rub it in more than One or I do."

"Avoiding any sensitive topics, you are free to talk with them," I said.

One and Three both shrugged.

"True, I know, but it is a little bit of fun," Three said, and One smiled, surprisingly not involving herself too much in this conversation.

"I want you two to," I said, indicating Two and Three, "give me updated impressions of your thoughts on your fellow Numbered that you've learned in the last week or so. Has anything changed?"

Two and Three seemed to think, and One shot me an impressed look. I thought it was relatively clever myself. I would get Two and Three's thoughts on what had happened and what had changed, and also hopefully learn a little bit more about the other Numbered along the way.

"Four is a little less scared of you than she has been, though she has good reason. I don't think I've ever seen you more terrifying than the night we acquired Four," Two said. "After the week that followed that, well, I didn't think she'd ever be able to recover. There are certain primal fears that one gets at a fresh impression that just don't shake. But she seems to be getting over it. It's been years, and she hasn't changed at all, but she seems to. She's always been attracted to you in her own way. Still, it seems more like she actually wants your company more casually now."

"Two's not wrong," Three said.

"Also, I don't know what the fuck you're asking me. One would be a much better person to ask."

"I've heard all this from One as well. But your perspectives are valuable. You were gone for a bit, and so changes might be more impactful to you," I said. I looked over at Three.

She shrugged. "Four is the same as ever, I think. She's still terrified, but maybe just hiding it better."

We looked over at One, who equivocated a little bit. "It's a bit of both. But I'd say it's progress."

"Five is exactly the same," Three said, and Two nodded as she gave up trying to mess with me and just snuggled into my chest, her head tucked under my chin, curled up in a little ball. She seemed more comfortable.

"Though you're being a lot more gentle with her, and she doesn't seem to mind too much."

I frowned. "Hmm. You don't think she doesn't mind the attention now, or she doesn't mind the different treatment?" I asked.

"I don't know," Two said. "You've been more gentle with me, too, in the last week or two. I don't think you ever would have let me do this before."

"Hmm. I think I learned something while you were away. And I might be realizing that the level of punishment I was dishing out was more about what you and Five could take rather than what you needed. I know that you won't ask for punishment because it doesn't work that way. But I have not forgotten about keeping you in line," I said with a stern gaze.

I could feel her quiver slightly on my lap. One gave me a slight nod, indicating that that was probably a fair approach.

"I like the way you're giving Six more freedom," Three said, moving along. "I think her devotion to you only grows because of it."

"Is freedom the right word?" I asked, and Two shook her head.

"No." She stuck her tongue out at Three, who cocked an eyebrow at her, and Two turned her face away into my chest. "Not freedom. Responsibility. The opposite. You're expecting more out of her. She wouldn't have been the one I picked as underutilized. But I think she might be."

"And who would you think was most underutilized?" I asked, and Two pointed at Three, who raised her hand.

"How don't I use you enough?"

"Well, we don't have as many extermination or pure combat missions as I'm really needed for, so most of what I do is support. Though I have been working on a few other talents," she said. "But they never seem to come up. I think we have gotten a bit too good at using each of us to our strengths, and forget that many of us can do more than one thing."

"What are these talents that you are working on?" I asked.

"Well, there's the whole disguise and fashion stuff too," Two said.

One finally spoke up after allowing the other two to speak for so long. "Her healing and cleansing magic has been used a lot to clean up after Two."

"Which I don't mind," Three broke in. "But, well, I feel like we are away on missions more than most, so I'm not around to be there to heal you if you need it."

She seemed a little uncomfortable about saying that out loud, as if questioning what I used her for was beyond the pale.

One stepped in and answered for me. "Two's skill set, though, is incredibly valuable. But I understand you being her bodyguard or minder is probably beneath you in some ways."

"Yeah, I don't need a minder," Two said with a smile that made me think that she definitely did need one.

Three shrugged. "I understand, though. I'm not saying we need to change anything. Still, just... if you are looking for more potential resources that you haven't been using fully, I'm here," she said with her brilliant smile.