Chapter 21: A World on Fire

Ragged breaths echoed against the darkened walls of Vale's sewer system. Six was slumped down next to the ladder he had used to descend into the spanning tunnels, holding a gloved hand to his chest where Emerald's rounds had pierced him.

Courier couldn't tell exactly how long had passed since he had been shot. He was fading in and out of consciousness repeatedly as his aura worked heal his battered body. However Six wasn't thinking about the laundry list of injuries he had sustained. Not even Rex was at the forefront of his thoughts..

There was only one word on the wastelander's mind.

Failure.

Failure in every sense of the word. He had failed to kill Cinder. He had failed to procure help from Roman. He had failed to make the losses have meaning...and maybe worst of all, he had turned everyone against him in the very last moments.

How can I explain away the attempted murder of a kid?

There was no answer to that question, at least not one that would be satisfying to Ozpin or RWBY.

Finally, Six began to move. His night vision goggles helped illuminate the darkness, despite only working through one lense. He stumbled along the pathway, his left hand sliding against the wall, half to guide him, half to keep him from falling over.

Courier Six trudged onward.

His gait was slow and uneven, his head drooped downward, with eyes fixed on nothing but the ground he stood on. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew he wanted to be anywhere but here. His muscles ached from use and his legs felt like they would give out with every step. But he kept moving. Six's mind was blank as he traveled, continuing as if on autopilot. His body knowing it needed to leave if it wanted to survive.

Left, right, left, right.

The monotonous sound of his stomping boots was only interrupted by the occasional rush of water. It was a surprise then, when a muffled noise broke Six from his stupor. His attention peaked, Six found himself listening carefully. He closed his eyes, trying to pinpoint its source. Did one of the beowolves have the same idea and jump into the sewer to escape its demise as well?

As he tuned out his other senses he focused on the information his HUD was giving him. Surprisingly, it was not an enemy that his helmet was indicating. Instead it was a different indicator, one that was reserved for those considered allies. There was only one person in the world of Remnant who it could be then.

Rex?

Six's stupor was interrupted as he processed the information. It was a hopeful thought, but one filled with trepidation. He found himself checking his helmet's close range scanner again, his compass indicated an ally instead of an enemy. Rex was the only one that was marked as such.

He's limping march hit fever pitch as he tried his best to find his way toward the location of his friend. If the renewed dampness of his armor was of any indication, his wounds had reopened, blood spilling from him once again. He forced it to the back of his mind as he willed his body into motion. Six had found a new purpose to focus on, at least for the moment. Faint voices eventually reached his ears as he approached what looked like a storm drain. Gingerly he climbed up onto the small ledge underneath it and peered out into the street.

There wasn't much foot traffic in the wake of the breach. The voices Six had heard belonged to a squad of patrolling Atlesian soldiers.

What are they doing out here? Why would Vale so readily rely on Atlas? Courier Six wasn't sure...were they looking for him? Cinder had easily infiltrated Beacon right under Ozpin's nose so what was to stop her from influencing the Atlas guardsmen as well? Either way, Six wasn't about to let himself be found.

He was unsure exactly how long he waited, though it felt like hours. The Courier remained perched, searching for any sign of his partner. His helmet could only tell him that he was in the area and nothing more.

The patrols came and went. Over and over he saw feet shuffling across the darkened city of Vale and there was no hint that there would be anything else. Had his HUD been damaged in the attack as well? Was it mistaken in its readings?

Six was seconds from turning away, chalking up the reading to be a malfunction when he finally heard it. The tell tale sound of paws and metal on the pavement.

There he was.

The dog that had saved him more times than he cared to count. Rex was always there for him and this time wasn't going to be any different.

Six couldn't have asked for a better friend.

The cyborg's snout was on the ground, no doubt trying to sort through the multitude of scents that Vale consisted of. It didn't look like Rex would notice him without a bit of help. The most recent patrol seemed interested in the canine but not nearly enough to stop their route to investigate in the cold night. Rex was smart enough to stick to the alleyways, not staying in the light long enough for anyone to see his more unique augmentations.

"Pssst, Rex!" Six did his best interpretation of a stage whisper.

Rex's ears immediately perked up as they picked out Six's voice. The dog's head swiveled to the Courier's hiding place and he came bounding forward without wasting another second. Rex panted happily, his tail waving in a quick rhythm as his snout poked through the holes in the drain. The nearby streetlamp beamed down on Rex, filtering through the thin gaps of the grate and sending shafts of light through the gloom of Six's refuge.

"There you are buddy! I knew you'd find me." Six's fingers reached out and offered a few comforting pats to the dog's muzzle. His excitement was short lived however as he continued. "I've screwed up pretty bad here boy. I don't know if there's a way out of it this time."

Rex's only response was a short whine and Six was, at last, able to breath a sigh of relief now that they were finally together again. "Back up a bit buddy. I'm gonna cut a hole here so I can get you down.

A disgruntled bark was Rex's response.

Despite his melancholy, Six found himself emitting the smallest of chuckles.

"Yeah, I know it smells bad Rex. I've been down here for hours. You'll get used to it."

Rex returned a reluctant whine but didn't argue further. Six summoned his Saturnite fist and firmly grasped the metal bars separating the two, stopping only when the next patrol came by. Rex meanwhile slinked into a nearby ally to avoid detection, only coming out again when the cost was clear. When the opening was big enough Rex surveyed the entrance and hopped through, landing skillfully on the small ledge before hopping down into the main passage of the sewers. Six was quick to follow him grab the dog in a tight hug, letting him feel the relief of having his long time partner by his side once again.

But as fast at it came, the moment was two of them needed to find a way out of the city that was no doubt ready to make Six answer for his crimes.

As his thoughts continued along this path, Six found his shoulders slumping and his gait slowing. Rex was sure to keep the same pace, remaining within an arm's reach at all times. It was easy for Rex to pick up on the mental state of the Courier. The rapport they shared was more than enough for them to be in tune with each other.

Man and dog slinked through the sewers, searching for a possible exit. Some time later, after traversing countless tunnels and turns, light began to stream into the end of the passage. As they got closer they realized it was a grate where sewage was currently being flushed out. With little effort and a some help from his weapon once again, he made a whole big enough for them both to squeeze through.

The light he had seen was not from the sun, but from the fractured moon. A moon that was not his own. Looking around Six saw the distant skyscrapers of Vale about a mile off. The outlet had was pouring water out into a small stream. Six's breathing was haggard and heavy, his injuries having long since passed the point of aggravation. They were lucky enough to stumble upon small clearing where he could rest a while. He trudged up to the base of the nearest one and sat down. His back sliding along the rough bark. His injuries stung sharply and though his aura was beginning to return to him, it would still be some time before Six was back to one hundred percent. Until then, the blood flowing from his chest would be a reminder of what had transpired...the betrayal he had committed.

Ruby's wound was deep and it was an ugly, impulsive strike. It would bleed heavily, though she was not in any serious danger besides a possible infection if she wasn't treated properly. His ears rang with the echo of her surprised gasp and cry of pain. Whether it was intentional or not, what happened, happened. There was no use in wishing it away.

Taking a few deep breaths he summoned a pair of medical tweezers from his pipboy. Rex was quick to nuzzle his hand and offer a sympathetic whine for the oncoming procedure. Six took off his helmet, taking deep breaths of the night air before gritting his teeth and getting to work. The bullet in his shoulder was the easiest. It had hit his shoulder blade was was relatively shallow. The two that had entered his gut were much more troublesome. Several times during the procedure Six was afraid he was going to pass out from the pain, or worse, scream out in agony and have the Grimm come down on them. His Med-X supplies had run out, and he didn't trust himself to ever take it again after his addiction. All he had were some shoddily concocted drugs which were mostly used as bribes for raiders he was too tired to kill. There was nothing to reduce the pain.

Thoughts of revenge were quickly discarded. What could he possibly do alone to beat people like huntsmen and huntresses? Nothing. They were better at everything. From hand to hand fighting to shooting. To make matters worse, most of them were half his age. Only his aura allowed him to stand a fighting chance and even then that was not something that he had earned. No, it wasn't a skill he learned or a technology he brought with him. It was something that was bestowed upon him by chance. A boon the world had given to the man who could do nothing.

What can a man from a decimated world offer to Remnant? Their cities were relative paradises, their technology unmatched, their soldiers near god-like in their abilities. An ordinary man like him was more likely to be seen as a cripple than anything useful.

It was laughable. He was laughable. He should have known better then to offer his services to Ozpin.

I could barely take on that White Fang officer. Then I turn around and offer to spy on an organization filled with people ten times as strong? What a fucking joke.

With no other recourse and after holding it back for so long, despair finally gripped the man who had conquered the wasteland.

It finally hit him. He doesn't belong here.

He can't live in a world where children with scythes zoom around at unbelievable speeds calling themselves heros and vanquishing evil. This was not where he belonged. The wasteland was a terrible place...but at least it made sense to Courier Six. There was no good and evil, only grey. was a place where a man would kill you over a can of beans so he could feed his family...a place where a man could justify the death of hundreds for the vision of a better future.

Remnant was a place of absolutes, of good and evil. There was no room for crossover. There was no room for Courier Six.

Just...just let us go home. Six didn't know who he was pleading to. There were few men of faith in the wasteland and the Courier didn't count himself among them. But at this point he was willing to talk to anyone that was listening. Someone like me...I just don't belong. I'm the person who deals with everything after the world is already over. I'm not someone who can prevent it.

Six had spent years becoming the leader of the Mojave Wasteland and it wasn't without significant loss. And now he was being told that all of his experience, everything he went through, was meaningless. All of his pain and struggling meant nothing in Remnant. It was ridiculous.

More than that, it was absurd.

How could the sum of his experience in the wasteland mean next to nothing here? How was that fair? These people didn't know his name, they weren't the people who he risked his life day in day out for. Perhaps most importantly, this was not the world he had fought for.

Courier Six always thought that the wasteland was the closest thing to hell he would ever experience. He was wrong. The deserts of the Mojave didn't shy away from what it really was. He could still make a difference there. The people of Remnant knew exactly how to make the most powerful man in the wasteland feel helpless.

Courier Six's hand went to his pipboy, letting a bottle of scotch appear..

Rex's mouth closed gently over his arm, stopping it from advancing toward his lips. Six took his other hand and scratched it behind his companion's ear, his favorite spot.

"It's okay boy. Just one, I promise."

Rex's eyes stared up at Six, knowing it was a lie but couldn't bring himself to stop him. Instead, the dog let go of the Courier's arm and laid down across the man's legs. His ears perked up, alert to anything that might approach.

He unpopped the cork and patted his partner on the back. "Thanks buddy. You keep first watch."

Without another word, Six drank deeply.

(Raven PoV)

Needless to say, Raven's plan had not gone exactly how she had anticipated. Yang's loss to the mute was a disappointment. One that wouldn't have occurred if she had taken the brawler under her wing, but it was irrelevant now. She had already made decision to intervene in her daughter's fight. Yang had used up her one and only favor she would be getting from her. but she also found herself indulging in a bit of revenge the moment she saw Ash. You don't become the leader of a bandit tribe by letting your enemies live. She didn't like falling prey to her wants too often, but sending a horde of Grimm after her was a good way to make Ash jump to the top of her shitlist.

Despite her "loss", even though she was disgusted to call it that, to Ash in their last bout she was in little danger from him. The other woman was the reason she decided to retreat. The confidence in her smirk as she watched her fight Ash was unnerving, even for Raven. If the two decided to work together then it would have put her at too much of a disadvantage. Yes, she made the correct choice, even if her pride was bruised at the end of it.

Honestly Raven was a breath away from letting it go. The tribe needed to move soon and there were bigger things to worry about than a single man. There was no need to drag on her personal dispute. After all the strong live and the weak die. He was weak and Remnant would show that to him soon enough. Unfortunately he still had information that she needed. The box he had taken from the crashed bullhead was more important than he realized. She needed to know where it was.

It was easy enough to track him and his canine tag-along. Her skills from living in the wild assured of that. She caught a glimpse of her a few hours ago as he helped the dog into the sewer system of Vale. It was a smart place to hide with many possible exits from the city. She already searched a few of the other outlets thoroughly and found no sign of them.

She stepped out of her portal and surveyed the scene around her. It only took her a moment to pick up on their trail. Melted metal from the outlet and what seemed like empty bottles and bloodied bandages left behind near a copse of trees. The trail was still fresh. It was obvious they went further in to escape notice.

It wouldn't work.

She navigated the landscape with practiced ease, the forest being close to a second home for her. The first sign that she was close was traps. Not for Grimm but for catching smaller animals. Rabbits or squirrels more likely. In fact she didn't encounter any defensive traps at all. A shame really, she thought Ash was a bit more cunning than that.

A growl was the first sign that she had finally found her quarry. She entered a small clearing that contained a few felled trees and a hollowed out stump. The dog was the more alert of the pair, if his warning glare and bared teeth were anything to go by. The cyborg's legs were bent, ready to pounce if the need arose, his eyes never leaving the woman as she strode in.

Ash was slumped against the stump, apparently oblivious to the events unfolding around him. He was surrounded by trash and empty bottles. The sight was almost comical, if it wasn't so pathetic.

"I'll give you one chance to give me the information I need." Raven spoke with authority as she leveled her sword. The man she knew as Ash lifted his head slowly and bleary, bloodshot eyes looked up at her. The alcohol on his breath told Raven of which vice he had chosen to partake in while he was hiding. He didn't seem to take notice of her Odachi pointing directly at his throat, that or he was too drunk to care.

"Hey, well would you look who it is. It's, uh, I guess I don't even know your real name." Ash chuckled to himself, sloshing around the contents of the bottle he held. "How about that? She ruins everything and I don't even know her name Rex," Ash bellowed, his voice echoing in the small space. He lifted the unmarked brown bottle to his lips and took a few gulps before continuing. Raven spared a glance at the more capable of the two. The mutt glared intently at her but opted not to attack her outright instead he decided to take a few protective steps towards Ash.

Ash's next outburst brought her attention back to him. "So, what are you waiting for then? If you're gonna finish the job, do it right. Don't just leave me in suspense." Ash opened his arms wide, giving her sword plenty of room to pierce his chest. The dog again stepped forward in attempt to separate her from the drunkard, his relaxed expression from a moment ago disappearing in a heartbeat.

Behind her new mask Raven raised an eyebrow at the man's display. Was this really the same person with such fierce determination as before? She didn't think was overestimating him this much. He sat there, hair and clothes disheveled, dried blood crusting on his clothes and utterly careless of what happened to him. But beneath the outward show of complacency there were subtle signs of competency. Despite the trash littered around, for a camp that had only gone up in a few hours, it was a passable attempt at a shelter. Though his defences were lacking, he had set up his home with only a single point of entry. Any trespasser would have to enter his line of sight to get close to him. The dog would pick up any new scents and inform his owner of the trouble long before anyone made it into the clearing. If nothing else it looked like the man at least had some survival training.

"Decided to give up terrorism to pick up hunting? I guess it's all you're really capable of now."

"Well, it's apparently only that thing that I seem to be able to do right in this world. I can't fight, I can't help, so catching rabbits it is." Ash shot back, complete with a self deprecating chuckle.

Raven grimaced behind her mask, not able to believe she was put on the defensive by someone like him. "I'll only be asking you once. Where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"The box! The one you stole from me," Raven growled, her muscles tensing to strike the man down.

Ash stared at Raven before brushing her off with a non-committal shrug.

Raven tsked. She should have known better than to think he was anything more than a pawn in the grand scheme of things. She gave him his chance. "Hope your happy dying here then. You won't be helping Torchwick anymore."

"And exactly who said I was helping him to begin with," Ash muttered, so low that Raven almost didn't hear it. Ash shook his head shrugging. "It all turned to shit anyway. Doesn't matter now." Ash had made it to his feet, albeit he was swaying back and forth, the bottle in his hand spilling its contents onto the ground. The point of Raven's sword was now pushing against the man's neck.

Raven narrowed her eyes skeptically. "All of our previous interactions imply otherwise."

"Yeah, well all of our previous interactions kind of sucked, to be honest with you." Ash countered, apparently unfazed by how close to death he actually was.

It was then that Ash, or Courier Six, as he newly named himself, began to talk, though it wasn't about anything she had much interest in.

The story was filled with backtracking and he stumbled over his own words on more than one occasion, but Raven listened to all of it. At first she thought it might just be some kind of last testament that the man wanted to blurt out before she killed him, but as he continued Raven became less sure with every word. Eventually he finished his retelling, leaning back on on of the fallen trees to steady himself after expending whatever drunken energy he had and entering the realm of sobriety after such a long tale..

So he's claiming he worked for Ozpin the whole time? There's an easy enough way to test that theory.

Raven pulled out an old scroll, one that she rarely had the need to use considering she could create a portal any time she wished. Activating the device she called the one person she still talked to from Vale. A slim man with a scruffy beard and gray hair was brought up on the screen.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't ol' Raven. Ain't this a surprise. Usually I'm the one trying to call-"

"I don't need the sarcasm at the moment Qrow, I need information."

Qrow grumbled at being shut down so swiftly. "And just why exactly should I help you? Maybe you hadn't heard but my niece was just recently stabbed by a traitor."

Raven glanced back at Six, who hadn't seemed to move since finishing his tale. The only difference was that the dog, Rex had clambered over to his side, still wary of her presence and ready to protect him should the need arise.

"What information does Ozpin have on this traitor then?"

Qrow sneered, and turned away from his sister. "Suddenly taking an interest in family are we? How unlike you."

"Save the judgement. Do this and I'll owe you one."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to let you know the next time I need to raid a village," Qrow drawled, sending her an accusatory stare.

"Enough Qrow. Tell me what I need to know." She remembered why she kept to herself and her tribe.

Qrow let out a quick snort. "Fine, but don't think this information is free." Qrow brought up a small file on his own scroll that he shared with his sister. "The guy is the talk of the town at the moment, at least with the higher ups at Beacon. Old Ozzy told us he was suppose to be our man on the inside of Roman's schemes. Get this, Ozpin's notes on him even says he's from a different world or something. And here I was thinking there was only one person able to pull that off. Anyway, there was a lot of chatter between them until he went dark."

"And afterwards? Ozpin still trusted him," Raven questioned.

Qrow only shrugged. "He was suspected to have been done in or gone rogue." Qrow's features took on a more fierce expression. "If what he did to Ruby is any indication, then I guess it's the latter."

"He claims there was a mole that leaked the info on him. I told you not to place your faith in that man," Raven rebuked, referring to the headmaster.

"What? Are you saying you spoke with him? Are you in contact with him right now? No, forget that. Bring him back here Raven. He's got a lot to answer for right now. He stabbed one of Ozpin's students." Qrow kept a cool expression as he made his demands of his sister.

"I can't do that Qrow. He knows something valuable to me. Until he gives it up he's mine."

Qrow shook his head in frustration. "Raven you know that isn't how this works. By keeping him for yourself you are putting thousands of people at risk. He's been with the enemy for months now. He has to know who Salem's underlings are. You can't keep that information to yourself. I'll come find you if I have to."

Raven rolled her crimson eyes from behind her mask.

"Yes, well I'll be sure to send you a full report on everything he tells me," she intoned sarcastically.

"Raven! Don't you dare hang-"

She ended the call without another word. An idea had sprung to life. She glanced over at the subject of her conversation and saw that Rex had taken a protective stance over him when she was distracted.

"Well, Courier Six, how about I give you one more chance so that we can both get what we want. Only this time, you'll have a little extra help."

Hey all, thanks for being patient for the new chapter and I hope you all enjoyed it. Sometimes a character just needs to be beat down before he gets back up you know? A lot of work went into this from both my and and my new Beta FusedBump. It took much longer to get this chapter right than any of my other ones and I hope the effort we both put in shows. The editing process was very thorough so please let us know if you think it was worth it in your reviews. I'm always happy to hear feedback and if you guys/gals are having fun reading the story.

As always, this is the part where I ask for you to favorite or follow if you feel so inclined. Maybe even leave a review telling me how the story is going or just your thoughts on the chapter. I'm always happy to see what the readers think of my work. Hope everyone has a good holiday these next few weeks and wish everyone luck with their finals this semester!

-TMDF