Author's Note:

Thank you for your patience with the slower upload schedule. It's going to have to go on for a while longer. That being said, the monthly upload schedule is going to continue for a while at least.

Likewise, I apologize for the delay in this chapter's release. I finally landed a job after leaving college and I'm hoping to stabilize my schedule in the next couple of months. I'm hoping to return to a weekly upload after that.

I'm naming this "in-between" section between Arcs 3 and 4 the "interlude" to Arc 4. I wouldn't say it actually is Arc 4 yet but is still after Arc 3. I may be going back to some of the previous chapters and correcting the titles.

Stick around after the chapter for some schedule info as well as what material I'll be pulling from to continue writing this story.

With that out of the way, enjoy the chapter!

"Text"

"Speech"

Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout, RWBY, or any associated characters.

Remnants of a Courier

Arc 4: Chaos Theory

Interlude

Chapter 33: Cold Surprises

Carmine let out a yawn as the sun attacked her eyes through the window. It was morning already? One hand wrapped around the covers, she tossed them aside before sitting up. She was in her room in Joshua's apartment. It still felt a little strange to have a place in the city.

Her one good eye shifted to the window and stared out over the city. It was so… Big! And with so many people! It made her feel small. If she was honest, it was both scary and exciting at the same time. The only reason she had this experience was thanks to Joshua too.

Speaking of, she could hear repetitive footsteps coming from the living room. It was still early in the morning so she was curious who was up this early.

The girl stepped out of bed before heading for the door in her blue pajamas. They were not jammies, jammies are what little kids call them and she was not a little kid. A twist of a knob, an opening of a door, and a few steps into the hall showed Carmine who was making noise.

As she stepped into the living room from the hall, she saw Joshua punching the air repeatedly. His feet were constantly moving and he held his arms by his head. It reminded her of those videos she watched of the… What were they called again? Boxers?

Joshua was in his usual attire with bandages covering his head. It brought a frown to her face that she still didn't know what he looked like. Why did he always do that? From this angle she could see that he appeared to be solely concentrated on his task; a look of determination in his eyes.

Carmine got to watch for a few moments before Joshua crouched slightly and jumped up before delivering a spinning kick in the air. His movements were fluid but when he landed the bandaged man almost lost his balance as his knee buckled. A small clicking noise escaped him.

Standing up straight, Joshua turned to her before asking, "did you enjoy the show?"

It did look kind of cool but at the same time, she didn't understand why he was doing it. "I guess?" Carmine replied with a raised eyebrow. "But why are you doing that?"

"I'm trying to replicate the fighting style of someone else. It's almost like a compliment."

That was not the explanation she was expecting. "Whose?"

"You might meet her when we go to Beacon today if you're lucky, a girl named Yang Xiao Long." Joshua's word made her mind race. Was Yang a Huntress? A Huntress in training? Was she super cool and awesome and everything she wanted to be when she-

"Carmine, you're spacing out." A sheepish smile crossed Carmine's face as her big brother spoke.

The preteen wrung her hands together as she replied, "sorry Joshua."

"Go back to bed, it's early and you'll need all the energy you can get to-"

A small yip from below Six drew their attention to the puppy that was now sitting below him wagging its tail. It darted off towards Carmine; threatening to jump at her before Joshua glared at it.

In turn, Carmine glared at him. She didn't understand why he was always so mean to the puppy! Chryse was nice! She bent down to pick up the puppy before turning away indignantly. She'd just take Chryse back to her room with her.

Six watched her and the pup leave before letting out a sigh, he just irritated Carmine. He hoped that wouldn't be a problem when they left for Beacon later that day. It was a surprise that she heard him. It didn't really matter; he was just practicing Yang's style of fighting. It was more acrobatic and flashy than what he was used to.

His reasoning behind it was less innocent. An idea had come to Six as he fought each of Beacon's first years. What if the Mimic began "mimicking" the students at Beacon. More specifically the students he was likely to run into. It also served to expand his CQC portfolio.

The Courier would eventually move onto full-fledged Huntsman and Huntresses as well but they were a lot harder to copy. Likewise, he couldn't copy anyone who used a strange or foreign weapon in their fighting style.

Still, that was enough training for now. He needed to look over a few files for the Voidwalkers he got from his Overseer. Nothing was going on internally among the Voidwalkers but the newest job they acquired was a risky one.

The Voidwalkers were currently hired by the S.D.C. to maintain security at one of their few remaining compounds in Vale. The company had struggled in the Kingdom after its head's untimely death. The White Fang had used this time to strike harder than usual against targets. This would likely be on their hit list as well. Six would keep tabs on the situation as needed.

That was why he couldn't spend any more time training this morning. He needed to do some research on this compound and make sure that his contractors stayed alive long enough for whatever was coming to Vale and Beacon to pass. Or at the very least, use them to fuck over Cinder as everything fell apart.

"I'll be heading out then, remember to listen to Joshua and to stay out of trouble."

The door to the apartment hung open as Richter spoke, one arm on his daughter's shoulder. "I should be back by tomorrow but I'm not sure what time."

Carmine couldn't help the frown that crossed her face. How was she supposed to be fine with her papa disappearing for a day? Especially when she didn't know when he'd be back. Joshua was nice but she couldn't remember the last time she and papa had spent even a day apart.

"Okay…" The preteen knew that her voice sounded sad, she couldn't help it! What if he never came back? What if he got hurt while they were apart? Or worse…

The sound of footsteps approaching caused her to turn to Joshua who walked in from the hallway leading to their bedrooms.

Joshua, as mysterious as he was, was probably the second most trustworthy person she knew. He was dependable, nice, and looked after her when the Grimm attacked. He even helped her with the bullies in Rhyt. Joshua was the closest thing she had to family outside of papa. That was why she decided to name him her big brother. After all, he did all the things an older sibling would do.

Her big brother—though he would never admit to being that—was wearing an outfit she had never seen before. It was a bit scarier than his outfit from yesterday but not nearly as scary as the black armor. She wondered why he didn't wear that anymore.

His current uniform was nice. The light grey was an easy color to look at and the stuff under his vest looked closer to a suit than a regular uniform. Even the helmet was friendlier than the one he wore in the black armor.

It also helped that he wore the flower she gave him on his vest, right above his badge! It looked nice and Carmine hadn't realized how much it had meant to him at the time. It made her feel good to give him a gift he wore every day at work.

"Don't worry, he'll be back before you know it. And you'll get to tell him all about Beacon too." Joshua's words reminded her that she was going to Beacon. She was really and truly going to Beacon!

The home of Huntsman and Huntresses from all walks of life, a place that meant hope for the future. And hope for her to become more than a smith in a backwater town.

"Right! Have fun papa! I'll see you tomorrow." Carmine did her best to rid herself of any lingering feelings of anxiety as she spoke.

"You as well my Little Lake," papa replied as he leaned down and placed his forehead against hers. It was a habit of his whenever the two would part to do this. It was comforting and sometimes annoying. "Now I must be off, I have an appointment to keep."

Papa nodded his head to the two before stepping out the door; leaning against his cane for support while heading down the stairs.

Joshua patted her head causing her lips to thin into a small frown as he said, "don't worry, I got him a ride there. He won't have to walk the entire way. Now, how about you get your jacket on and we head off to Beacon?"

Any irritation she felt vanished as he said "Beacon." The redhead gave a nod before dashing off towards the closet with their coats in it.

The two stepped out of the Humvee and onto the sidewalk. They had parked next to the stairs that led up to the large helipad. Six remembered taking the same walk with Ruby on her first day at Beacon. That was definitely an odd day.

A small yip came from behind the duo as Chryse followed after them. Six had thought about leaving the pup behind with a dog sitter but with Neo about… No, no, he couldn't trust the mute delinquent with a puppy.

"So, how are we getting to Beacon?" The girl asked as the two made their way up the stairs. The dog followed after, struggling up each individual step as it yipped and barked.

Seeing it struggling, the Courier took a few steps back down before scooping up the puppy and following after Carmine. "Well, it should be here any second now," Six replied as he followed the red-haired girl further up the stairs.

"What should be here?"

Six held a finger up as they approached the top of the stairs. Carmine began to pout as he made her wait for a few moments too long. It was worth it as the large grey airship came into view, flying down towards the platform they were now standing on.

The airship vaguely reminded Joshua of larger boats he read about in a book when he was younger. They were designed much for the same purpose: to carry large amounts of passengers back and forth between two locations. They were ferry boats if the Courier recalled. He wondered what this airship was named.

It was the same one that had carried him, Ruby, and Yang to Beacon on their first day; large, grey, and sleek in design with multiple floors. It could carry the people loitering on the platform and then some.

"That's how we get to Beacon," Six finally replied while turning to Carmine. The young girl wasn't listening to him anymore. She looked up at the airship with wonder, obviously impressed with what she saw. Chryse barked happily in his arms at the ship.

The trip to Beacon was short and less exciting than he thought. As it turned out, Carmine had a fear of heights which meant she stayed at the center of the airship at all times. The young girl practically sprinted off when it landed at Beacon. That was where it had become exciting again.

It was cute watching Carmine fawn over every little detail of Beacon. From the ship they had taken over to Beacon, to the grand buildings and fantasy-like design, to the staff and students still on campus.

Of course, Six couldn't blame her, he had been just as impressed when first arriving as well. She grew up in a small town and never saw the city and he grew up in a wasteland where such a city didn't exist.

"Why are all the buildings so tall? Why are there still so many people here? Aren't they on break? Are they all Huntsman and Huntresses?" Despite Carmine's excited questions, they weren't loud enough to drown out the noise around them.

Carmine was right, there were still plenty of students who spent their break at Beacon. So while there weren't as many people, there was still more than Carmine was probably used to. It also served to make her voice hard to pick out from the crowd; plus the girl was a quiet one and even her raised voice wasn't all that loud.

"Because Huntresses need space, people live here, some are and some aren't, and most of them," Joshua answered each of her questions in order while keeping his eye on the puppy. It was absent-minded answers, short and to the point.

Despite her excited attitude, Six could still see it. She remained close to him, practically glued to his side, never leaving arm's reach of him. And whenever another person came close, his charge would move to the opposite side of him.

The only two things that brought her comfort were him and the puppy trailing alongside them. It yipped and barked at a few people that got too close but otherwise behaved.

They'd have to work on her social anxiety in the future if she was ever going to grow up into a Huntress. For now, there wasn't too much harm in it. Besides, it also meant she never strayed from his side.

"Where to next?" Carmine asked while holding his hand. The question caused him to pause. What was their next stop? Maybe the security room full of cameras? His room? No, they would definitely be stopping at the amphitheater arena that Glynda liked so much. It was an exciting exhibit.

"Follow me," the Courier replied while leading her along. "Let's go see the aren-"

Six hadn't even finished that sentence when he saw troublemakers coming towards the pair; four in total. And unfortunately, they had seen him.

"Instructor House, what's up!" A certain blonde brawler called out as the group approached. As the group came closer, the red-haired girl at Joshua's side darted behind him. The young tween pressed herself into his back; trying to appear as small as possible.

"And who's the little cutie with you?" Yang continued as team RWBY stood side by side in front of him. At her being mentioned, Carmine tried to somehow disappear into Six's side even further, burying her face in his vest.

"This is Carmine, she's shy so don't crowd her."

Despite Six's words, Ruby was next to him and crouched down in front of the girl. "Heya, I'm Ruby, nice to meet you!" The excitable leader of team RWBY extended her hand and offered it to the redhead.

Carmine eyed Ruby for a few moments before nodding her head in response. For a second, Ruby's eyes widened in surprise as she spotted the medical patch covering his charge's eye.

Seeing that she was still nervous, House shooed Ruby away with his hand, his other arm wrapping around Carmine.

The attention of everyone shifted to the sound of sniffing. Instead of just the puppy, there were now two dogs. Chryse and a black and white dog were circling each other, sniffed and assessing the other.

"Oh is that a puppy!" Ruby's attention shifted as she darted over to the new dog and Chryse. "You're so cute!" The leader of team RWBY shouted as she picked up Chryse and twirled earning an excited yip from the puppy.

Six did vaguely recall that team RWBY had a dog. He never personally interacted with it so he was relatively neutral on it. What was its name again?

"Zwei, you have a new friend!" Ruby called out, jogging Six's memory. The red-themed girl put Chryse down in front of Zwei. "What's his name?"

"Chryse," Carmine answered at a quiet level that none of team RWBY picked up on. Wait, the twitching in Blake's bow meant that she heard it but just didn't say anything.

"It's Chryse," Six reaffirmed in a louder tone.

The group watched as the two dogs sat and stared at each other. Chryse had to look up but not by much as Zwei was a Corgi and thus short. The two sat there, seemingly the best-behaved dogs to ever exist even as the snow fell, slowly turning the tops of their snouts white. It was a bit creepy if Six was being honest.

After a bit, the smaller dog turned and stared at the Courier who let out a sigh before nodding his head. With a yip, the puppy lunged forward, causing Zwei to jump up and run. The two were now apparently playing a game. At least they were getting along.

"He's well trained," Blake muttered from the back of the group, keeping her distance from the dogs.

"Is she your daughter?" It was Yang again, who apparently hadn't lost interest in Carmine; only this time she caused Weiss to turn to her. Yang was always the bold one.

"You can't just ask things like that Yang, it's rude!" It was nice that Weiss was defending him. It was good to have someone on their team not prying into his business. It also made him feel more than a little guilty that she was defending her father's killer.

"No, she's not my kid. She's twelve, how old do you think I am?" Joshua responded while rubbing the front of his helmet.

This caused the usual relaxed smile on Yang's face to twist into a sinister smirk. "Oh? So you're not old enough to have a kid? Good to know."

Six blinked at the blonde's response. Did he really just fall for that cheap psychology trick?

"Son of a bitch."

"No cursing," Carmine scolded quietly from behind him.

This caused three of the girls to coo at the redhead who tried to disappear on the spot into his vest.

This was the worst day. Ever.

The Courier rolled his eyes under his helmet before responding, "right, I'm sorry. Won't happen again."

What had caught Six's attention the entirety of the conversation wasn't the rowdy nature of team RWBY or Carmine's nervousness. No, it was the way Blake looked at him. She was keeping her distance and eyeing him; like she suspected him. This could be a problem.

Either she had evidence or suspected him of something. Since she hadn't gone to Ozpin, Six assumed the latter. He'd have to keep up his guard around her to maintain his cover.

"You're such a well-mannered girl. I'm Weiss, it's wonderful to make your acquaintance." Again, Carmine nodded her head in response to the former Heiress' words.

"And I'm Yang, and this is Blake!" The blonde spoke up while pointing to herself and then the Faunus.

Deciding now was as good a time as any, the Courier gently nudged Carmine in front of him. "How do you greet someone who gives their name Carmine?"

The girl fidgeted on the spot and refused to look up. She was way too nervous for this.

"You can do this," Joshua whispered to her as he placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

Slowly, the tween looked up and the Huntresses were able to get a good look at her eye. Moreover, they saw that she only had one good eye; the other having been covered by the girl's hair until now. To their credit, the team didn't give much of a reaction. Still, Six could see each of them staring from time to time.

"It's… I'm..." Carmine started and then stopped. The Spring girl took one last calming breath in before continuing, "I'm Carmine Spring… It's nice to meet you."

Blake eyed the two of them before turning away. She was trying to be discrete and Six imagined she was to all of her teenage friends. To even the average Wastelander her social aptitude wasn't high. Maybe Six was overestimating the people from his world; it had been a while. It was obvious the Faunus didn't trust him and by extension Carmine.

The rest of the Huntresses were doing their best to both give the young red-head attention while also not crowding her too much. Six figured it would be good for Carmine to have some social interaction outside of Richter and himself.

"What does 'acquaintance' mean?" Carmine whispered while glancing up towards him. In turn, Joshua motioned towards Weiss, hinting that the young girl should ask the Huntress in training and not him.

The child pouted causing the three huntresses to fawn over her even more. It also made Six grin under his helmet. He wouldn't lie that it was amusing to see Carmine get flustered over people adoring her.

"Don't worry, I won't make you ask," Weiss answered before Carmine could ask. "An acquaintance is someone you know but that you're not friends with. Like a neighbor you haven't talked to very much."

Joshua continued the explanation, "and in the context she used it in, she said it was nice to 'make your acquaintance.' That's like a formal greeting when you meet someone for the first time."

The red-haired tween glanced between the members of RWBY while taking in the information. After a few moments, she turned to Weiss and said, "it's nice to make your acquaintance as well."

The pale Huntress nodded her head in response. "And why are you at Beacon, Carmine?"

There was a moment where Joshua was both intrigued and proud of Carmine as the girl made a concerted effort to overcome her anxiety. Maybe she just needed more practice and people like these outgoing Huntresses to give her a chance.

"Because big brother is showing me where he works."

This got even Blake's attention as all four of the Huntresses in training turned to him.

"She's your what?!" Ruby was the first to ask, practically shouting at him. Her excited tone caused Carmine to lean away from the hyperactive leader and into Joshua.

"Hold on-" Joshua tried to get out before being cut off.

"Is your last name not House?" Blake commented from the back of the group.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a sister? Are you embarrassed?" Yang chimed in with a shit-eating smirk.

"I said give me a secon-" Again, Six was cut off.

"I for one think that him having a sister, while nice, isn't really our concern. If he didn't want to tell us, that's his business." This time it was Weiss who spoke; which while polite was still adding to the confusion.

Instructor House held up a hand before cutting in, "quiet. Now." His tone took a sharp turn into "I'm about to punish you" territories. This got the girls to quiet down for a few moments which gave him time to respond.

"I am a close friend of the Spring family and I often look after Carmine. She has taken to calling me her "big brother" but no we are not biologically related. Her father has business elsewhere for the day and I said I'd take her on a tour of Beacon." Six paused to let the information sink in before continuing, "I may not be on the job but I still have the power to punish you if you step too far out of line."

His last threat seemed to hit home with them and the group calmed down at least a little. Unfortunately, Six was undermined as Carmine nudged his side.

"Don't be so mean to them."

That one comment evaporated any sort of intimidating factor he had with the girls who went right back to fawning over Carmine.

"That's right, you tell him Carmine, don't let your big bad ole brother be mean to us." The blonde was feeding into the redhead's comment but all it did was cause the young girl to move to Six's side and away from Yang. And annoy Six.

Joshua took Carmine's hand before saying, "while this has been… Delightful. Her tour of Beacon isn't finished. We'll be on our way now. It was good seeing all of you and I look forward to continuing your training after the break."

Even before he finished speaking, the Courier was leading his charge away from the group. He didn't want to be near them and possibly blow his cover or for Carmine to feel any more awkward than she already did.

"Chryse, come!" Six shouted and got a small affirmative bark in response. After a few moments, Chryse appeared from the crowd of people and darted over to them.

Once the puppy was next to them, he turned back to his playmate that was standing near team RWBY. The two dogs seemed to almost bark their goodbyes before turning and following after their respective owners. Just how smart were the dogs of Remnant? Questions for later.

Once the three of them were far enough away, Carmine asked, "you help train them?"

Six nodded his head as they continued forward. "I do; mostly in how to think strategically and practically apply their skills." He paused for a few moments before realizing he probably needed to elaborate further. "The teachers here show them skills and how to fight. I teach them how to think with their heads and use those skills in the real world."

"Why do they keep calling you 'House?"

That was a harder question to answer.

"Think of it like a nickname, they call me that because that's what they know. But just between you and me, you have to keep Joshua a secret okay?"

"Why?" The near teenager asked. It was evident from her expression that she was hearing and seeing a lot of unexpected things during their trip and growing more than a bit lost.

"I don't like people knowing that name, it's like a secret name between you, me, and Richter." The Courier tapped the front of his helmet for a few moments, trying to think on how to sell her on keeping it a secret.

"Besides, they'd get all weird about me having two names and it would make things really annoying for a while."

The child went quiet after that, lost in thought. He hoped she took that in well enough. This should have been something he briefed her on before they arrived; a stupid mistake.

It was a bit before the two made it to the amphitheater of Beacon: an assembly stage area that doubled as a dueling arena. It was often used by the students for practice or to hash out personal problems they couldn't talk out.

In fact, there were two such fighters already there. It looked like Dove from team CRDL and someone Six didn't recognize were having a go at it. It was probably a second year that he didn't know. Least to say, Dove was having a hard time of it.

That didn't matter to Carmine who was seated next to him in one of the front rows. Her eyes were glued to the two fighters who took and gave ground when needed. She seemed particularly enthralled by their weapons when they transformed.

And for whatever reason, the puppy in his lap seemed just as enthralled in the fight and was remaining not only focused but quiet. The Courier was starting to grow wary of the intelligence of both Chryse and Zwei.

Unfortunately, the Courier couldn't focus on the fight or the dog for two reasons. One was the team sitting next to him. Two, the certain Faunus sitting a few rows behind him and trying to creep ever closer.

The latter problem was easy to spot thanks to three other huntresses standing by the door to the amphitheater. It was obvious they knew Blake was the stealthiest of the group but that stealth didn't matter when the rest of them stood out so blatantly. All it took was a quick scan of the room to reveal their last member.

Six wasn't sure why Blake was stalking him or what she wanted. Either way, she was going to need to try a lot harder if she wanted to sneak up on him. For now, he'd just keep an eye on her and call her out if she got too close.

The other issue was a different Faunus and her team who had taken the seats next to Joshua.

Velvet Scarlatina. A rabbit Faunus with long brown hair and a uniform that was mostly brown and black mixed some kind of bronze alloy. She was a generally timid person that Six wouldn't usually worry about. However, her abilities when combined with her team made her a threat. Not to mention that her team's records were impeccable. They were one of the most skilled second-year teams at Beacon. Unfortunately for them, security personnel got files on all the students attending Beacon.

Her ability was what he was going for with the Mimic. In fact, mimicry would be a good term for her powers. She could replicate another's weapon with her camera-like device. More importantly, her semblance: Photographic Memory, was a serious threat. It meant she could learn all of his moves by studying him in a fight. Since the Courier relied on superior training and technique, anyone that could steal that skill by merely observing him was someone to keep a close eye on.

Not to mention her teammate—Yatsuhashi Daichi—could alter memories. In general the power was dangerous. In a fight, getting hit full-on with the Huntsman's ability would leave someone helpless. To top it off, there wasn't a defense against it if he got close. Six would normally describe him as Asian in appearance but that classification didn't truly apply to the people of Remnant. Race issues between humans on Remnant had long since died out if they had ever existed. A topic for Six to research later.

Then came their leader, Coco was the only one with a semblance that didn't actively work against him. That being said, she was still a strong leader and combatant. She was a… What was the term for it? Fashionista? A human with a color palette similar to Velvet's; lots of browns, tans, and blacks. A fancy bag that doubled as her weapon was complimented by her shirt and vest that covered her midsection. All of it appearing to be of some high-quality material. Hell, her fashion sense would put most of Beacon to shame. That was saying something given the average Huntress in training was already leagues above most people.

On the end sat Fox, a telepathic blind student with red hair. He was also a tracker. The boy was capable of sensing aura and picking out people from a distance. If Fox ever focused on Six, his cover would be blown. It wouldn't just be Fox would know the Courier hadn't unlocked his Aura but that he didn't have one to unlock.

That didn't even bring up the group's history both on an individual level and as a group. They had been through a lot and could handle most problems thrown at them. Overall, team CFVY was the last student team at Beacon the Courier would ever want to face. And they were all sitting right next to him.

Luckily, Fox was on the other end which meant unless Six did something to draw his attention there wasn't anything to worry about. With the sheer amount of Aura's around, it was easier to hide his lack of one as well.

"You're instructor House right?" It was the rabbit Faunus next to him speaking. He was hoping to not have to engage but there wasn't any helping it now.

Six nodded his head, not wanting to draw attention with a verbal answer.

"I've heard a lot about you from some of the first-year teams. They say you're very strict." The second-year seemed polite enough with her words. Despite that, Joshua could see her fidgeting. It looked like she had some social problems as well.

The two remained silent after that, Joshua expecting her to continue but the silence proving him wrong. It was more than a little awkward. The girl fidgeted, he sat there patiently, she continued to remain silent… Just when it was getting too awkward and he was going to speak up, she finally continued.

"And that you teach Cardin sometimes…"

Ah, so that's what this was about—Cardin Winchester—the root of many of the Courier's current problems at Beacon. While Jaune and the school bully were getting along a little better now thanks to his training, the rabbit Faunus was still having problems.

House would have been lying if he said he hadn't seen it. He spent a lot of time patrolling the campus and watching monitors. On more than one occasion he saw the brute teasing Velvet for her Faunus heritage with the rest of team CRDL supporting him.

The Courier finally tilted his head towards Velvet, staring at her through his helmet before replying, "he's harassing you and you want me to tell him to stop?"

Velvet nodded her head in affirmation while the Courier let out a sigh. Yes, it was shitty of Cardin to do that, but at the same time, Velvet suffered from some of the same problems Jaune did.

A quick glance to his side proved that Carmine was still enraptured with the fight. That was good; he could have this quick conversation and leave. It would prove prudent as Blake was slowly drawing ever closer behind him.

"No."

The rabbit Faunus sat stunned for a few moments. Her mouth hung open in an expression of confusion and shock.

Before the second year could recover and respond, the Courier continued, "I'm not going to just solve your problem for you. And your problem isn't that Cardin is bullying you."

Joshua shifted in his seat and crossed one leg over the other. "Your problem is that you refuse to stand up for yourself. Same as Jaune really. You need to grow a backbone and stand up to Cardin. And if need be…" Six pointed towards the raised platform where Dove was currently falling to the ground after being kicked in the face. "Kick his ass."

A snort came from a couple of seats past Velvet. Coco was apparently listening and found what he had said funny. She was very good at hiding her reaction either.

"I won't solve your problem for you," the Courier again reiterated as he stood up. With the fight over, the platform in the amphitheater was being lowered. "But get in contact with me if you want to talk to Cardin one on one. That I can do."

He wouldn't admit it but the Courier knew that the puppy in his hand made any authority he had in the situation diminished as it let out a small bark.

Joshua motioned for Carmine to stand up as he turned to look at the rows of seats behind him. Plenty of the other patrons of the amphitheater were already leaving, except for one Faunus that was currently seated.

"I don't know what game you're playing," Six began as he took Carmine's hand and led her away from both Blake and team CFVY; maintaining eye contact with Blake as he did so. The Huntress in training had the self-awareness to look away and down in embarrassment as he did.

He made it a point to also glance towards the rest of team RWBY standing in the entranceway to the room as he continued, "but you're going to need to do better than this to sneak up on me."

With that said, Six exited the room while Carmine gave him a confused stare.

The redhead opened her mouth to ask but was cut off by Six. "Don't say anything yet. I'm going to pick you up and we're going to make a quick exit once we step outside the room. Okay?"

Still confused, the girl nodded her head and followed him to leave. He made sure to head towards the set of doors not near team RWBY.

The second he stepped out of view of both teams and into the hall, Joshua scooped up Carmine into his arms and dashed down the hall and away from the amphitheater. The kid was in his arms and the puppy was now in her arms. There was no way he was going to keep letting that nuisance of a team track him all over campus on his day off.

From what he could hear of the speedy footsteps behind him, it sounded like team RWBY was giving chase. But Six knew they'd refrain from using their Semblances on campus and he was more than agile and stealthy enough to give them the slip without that advantage

"Why are we running?" Carmine questioned in a delighted tone. Six figured the near-teenager probably wasn't used to going this fast or playing a game of tag across campus though she seemed to be enjoying it.

He took a left turn and down another hall he went. "I'll tell you in a minute," Six replied as he saw an open door leading into a classroom. Taking a detour, the Courier hurried inside the room before kicking the door shut behind him.

Inside was an assortment of students and faculty all participating in what looked like some sort of weird pin the tail on the Grimm game. But they were using darts and a live Grimm instead of a target.

The strange group turned and gave him looks ranging from irritated to confused. Six didn't have time for it. Without saying a word, the Courier darted forward and out an open window.

Given they were on the second floor, it was a simple enough fall for Six. However, his charge currently in his arms was not as amused, letting out a quiet shriek as they fell. Chryse let out yips both from excitement and from Carmine squeezing the puppy out of fear.

There was a loud thud as Six landed outside the building. "Sorry," he muttered to the pouting child before darting off down the side of the building. Just a bit further and they would be in the clear…

It took more than just a "bit further" but eventually the Courier managed to turn down one too many halls for team RWBY to keep track of him. That and he may have darted through a few more classrooms and windows. Though he did get more than one bewildered stare from the people he passed.

He could still faintly hear them shouting "where did he go" and "he's not even that fast" in the distance. Six was a tad insulted by that last one.

At the very least, Carmine seemed to enjoy the ride as he fled at speeds most people could only dream of.

It was getting a bit late now so Six began checking off his "to-do" list in his head.

Meet some annoying Huntresses in training for Carmine? Check.

See the general campus? Check.

Get lunch? Check.

Show Carmine his room on campus? Check.

See the Cross Continental Transmit System? Check.

See the amphitheater and watch a bout? Check.

Escape some annoying Huntresses in training? Check.

Overall, it had been an eventful day for both him and Carmine. Six hoped that it was everything she hoped it would be.

For now, it was time to wind down their little outing with one last stop. The sun was starting to dip down in the sky, signaling it was around three to four in the Courier's head. They needed to be gone by six or seven when the campus closed to visitors.

The small courtyard that Carmine and Joshua stepped into was familiar to the latter. The Courier remembered being shown this area before by Ozpin. Because of winter, most of the trees were barren. Save for a few select trees that must have been native to this world. Or at the very least, Joshua didn't know of any trees that had their leaves turn white during the winter instead of falling off.

It was quiet and beautiful in an almost melancholic way with the snow. Most importantly, it was relatively private with just him and Carmine there at the moment.

"It's pretty," the red-haired girl commented as she followed along behind Six down a snowy path. Chryse let out a bark that to Six seemed to almost be agreeing with Carmine. The path soon led to a familiar bench; one Ozpin had taken Six to his first time in the courtyard.

Joshua nodded his head before responding, "it is." He took a few more steps forward before sitting down on the bench and patting the seat next to him. As Carmine moved over and sat down next to him—rustling her winter coat to get more comfortable—Six continued, "was Beacon everything you hoped it would be?"

"Kind of? It's filled with all the stuff I wanted that's awesome and amazing. But…" His charge trailed off for a few moments while glancing up at the falling snow. She searched for the right words as her brow furrowed. He could see the mist from her breath trailing upwards as the girl thought. Eventually she settled on saying, "the people here are different than what I was thinking."

"How so?"

Again, Six watched as Carmine struggled to find the words to best describe her thoughts. Her hands gently ran down Chryse's back who was currently situated in her lap.

"I guess… They aren't as serious as I thought? I always expected Huntsman and Huntresses to be more serious. They're supposed to protect people from the monsters. But it feels like…"

Once more the girl trailed off struggling to find words, so Six stepped in. "It feels like they're not taking it seriously. That they don't care?"

She silently nodded her head in affirmation as the Courier leaned back against the bench. While Carmine was right, that wasn't the entire story, and it was a bit unfair to the teenagers in training at the academy.

"That's very interesting to hear," an older and more refined voice called out from their right. Six instantly recognized it.

From down the path walked a figure wearing a dark suit and carrying a cane; his hair the color of ash. It was professor Ozpin as most called him or Headmaster of Beacon to some; a pain in the ass to the Courier.

Six turned his head as Carmine jumped in her seat before quickly turning to their new companion. The Headmaster stopped about a yard away before bracing his cane against the ground with a grin.

Ozpin's gaze turned to Carmine; sending a flare of anger through the Courier. That manipulative gaze was fixed on his charge and Six could feel himself growing agitated with each second that passed.

"If I may defend them, many of the students here aren't much older than you are." Ozpin's words took the red-headed girl by surprise causing Carmine to tilt her head to the side in curiosity.

"It's true, we raise these promising students to defend everyone from Grimm, criminals, and any other threat that may plague Vale. But they are still young, still learning, it's okay for them to relax and enjoy their youth."

Ozpin paused to step in front of the bench before continuing, "and more importantly, perhaps this environment will help shape them into Huntsman and Huntresses that not only slay monsters but also protect people. Because slaying the beast is only half the job of a Huntress."

Six could see Carmine get nervous as her views were challenged; watching as the young girl scooted into his side on the bench and away from Ozpin.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to startle or make you nervous." The Headmaster's gaze softened at the girl's display. "I am Ozpin, Headmaster of this fine Academy. Who might you be?"

Six had to admit that the Headmaster being socially savvy did help the situation. Ozpin didn't extend his hand but merely offered a small smile and remained where he was to not make Carmine more nervous.

Despite the situation, Six couldn't help but notice how Ozpin's eyes would dart to the puppy in Carmine's lap, almost wary of the dog. Did the Headmaster have a fear of dogs perhaps?

The professor's tactic worked as Joshua could feel the kid's muscles relax next to him. It took a few moments but eventually she worked up the nerve to reply.

"Carmine… It's nice to meet you."

"Carmine, a lovely name. I take it House has been showing you around the campus?"

The preteen nodded her head. "Tell me, where are you from Carmine?"

"Rhyt…"

Her answer gave Ozpin pause for a few moments. And for once, the Headmaster seemed genuinely surprised but it faded as quickly as it arrived.

"Well, House, I won't take your time. I saw you filed to have a visitor today and wanted to meet the special individual myself. Have a good day."

The Headmaster was polite enough but Six couldn't help but narrow his eyes. The pale man seemed to be in a hurry now and he couldn't help but think it was related to Carmine's answer.

The Courier nodded his head towards the professor as he turned and walked away.

"Perhaps we'll meet each other again when you're older Carmine; hopefully as a student at this Academy!" The Headmaster called back as he proceeded further down the trail and away from them.

There was something fishy about that entire conversation. Six would have to be even more paranoid around Ozpin.

Ozma strode with a calm and contemplative step as he slowly made his way back to his office. Carmine was a nice girl and it was good seeing Ulysses relaxing for once but that wasn't what he was thinking about.

Nor was it the puppy that reminded the Headmaster suspiciously of the other troublesome dog on campus; Zwei had been the cause of more than one headache…

No, it was the fact of where Carmine was from. The young girl's hometown was Rhyt. If his employee knew the girl, it was likely he had been in the town within the last year. It would also put him right in the timeframe of when the "stranger" was in Rhyt and when Logarius had disappeared.

Since the stranger was of similar appearance to the Mimic, this connected House to not only the stranger in Rhyt but also to the Mimic as well. It wasn't definitive proof but it was a start. It was also the only lead and suspect they had on the identity of the Mimic. And while he did feel a little bad for interrupting the two's trip to his academy, the information he obtained was more than worth it.

Originally, he saw that there was an application for a guest pass at Beacon and saw that it was House. He was intrigued by who such an individual would bring and saw that it was a young girl through the cameras around Beacon. Not that he was spying on them or anything… He never did that…

Then he simply wanted to meet this girl that House looked after and maybe try and sneak up on House again as that was fun and surprisingly challenging. The helmet did little to dull his employee's perception. Of course, with the new information, his little surprise was turning into something more.

Now he could couple this new information with some of the firsthand accounts from team RWBY and House's fighting style and it would appear that Ozpin's gut instinct had been right all along.

Still, this wasn't nearly enough to detain House. Ozpin would need solid and undeniable proof that the Mimic, the stranger from Rhyt, and House were indeed all the same person.

Ozma's only option was to wait for now. He'd keep an eye on House and team RWBY as it seemed the members of that team knew something as well. After Qrow returned he could put his best Huntsman on the job of questioning his nieces and heading to Rhyt. One way or the other, the Headmaster was sure he would find the truth.

Author's Notes:

First and foremost, things have been kind of hectic on my end after getting out of college. I moved once I was finished with my degree and have been trying to get a job in a COVID market which isn't easy. I finally landed one and thus will be adjusting to that for the next month or two. After I've got a better schedule down, I am hoping to return to a weekly upload schedule.

Second, I again apologize for the tardiness of this chapter. Things got hectic and this chapter ended up being extremely long. Thus it came out a week late. This won't happen again.

Third, there has been news that some of the comics (that some fans may or may not like) and possibly the written light novels for RWBY have been and will be made canon. What does that mean for this story? Well, I'll still be doing my best to stick as close to canon events unless the Courier has someway interacted with canon events. Meaning, if the Courier interacts with a character or event before or during their appearance in the show, those events or characters can and will deviate from canon. If the Courier has not yet influenced or met an event or character, assume it's going according to canon. Likewise, as for the comics and light novels, I will be treating these as more pseudo-canon. I will take bits and pieces and likely implement them but otherwise you can ignore these sources

Fourth, it has come to my attention that Huntsman, Aura, Semblance, and Huntress are all words that when used in the context of the world of Remnant are supposed to be capitalized. I might go back and fix some of the older chapters but it will be later. For now, I will be capitalizing these words in every chapter from now on.

Last, thank you for your continued patience and support of this story. I always cherish all the readers I get and the comments left (whether positive or negative). This story won't end up dead as long as I'm alive.