So this was something I wanted to try something for a while. Skip to the first "/-/" if you don't want to read how the Courier ends up in Remnant. Cover art by EpieCurus on twitter. I own nothing, fallout belongs to bethesda and rwby belongs to roosterteeth production.
"A package courier found shot in the head near Goodsprings reportedly regained consciousness and made a full recovery. Now that's a delivery service you can count on!"
- Mr. New Vegas
Snap!
TheCourier placed the gun on the table as lady luck once again protected her. The crowd released their breath, unsure of whether to be glad or concerned should the Courier die. Inside Gomorrah, there was a table and across from the Courier there was a drunk schmuck now placing the barrel of a .44 into his temple. The brave gambler pulled the hammer of the revolver ever so slowly.
Everyone in the crowd waited with bated breath. Except for the Courier , for she had her feet on the table and was playing with a poker chip. A long drawn out yawn from the Courier broke the sheltered silence. The crowd jeered once the drunk slammed the revolver to the table, the hammer was placed back.
"The bet isn't over yet, pardner. If it's a parched throat I can take care of it." The Courier said with a drawled cowgirl accent.
"Keep the caps I'm not playing this game!" The drunkard said as he stood up.
The same drunkard froze once he saw the Courier aimed the same revolver at him. The tepid eyes sharpened to a glare and her cherry lips contorted to a close lipped snarl. The drunkard frantically looked around, panicking when no one helped him. Rather, the guards were behind the drunkard saw.
"I said we're not done playing, partner." the Courier said again.
"This bitch is crazy! Someone help me please! Do you know who I am I- I'll make you regret it!"
the Courier whistled following with a mocking smile. "Oooooh I'm so scared."
"Hey shitwad, you know who you're talking to?" One of the guards said. "That's the Courier. The woman that killed Legate Lanius and 's top lieutenant!"
The drunkard's intoxicated rosy cheeks paled. Even some of the patrons backed away from the woman. the Courier grinned smugly once more. The silence was replaced by the background noises of the strip and the slot machines.
"Now now boys. We can forgive the idiot. Though…" the Courier 's tone changed. "I don't forgive anyone that backs down from their words. Once the stakes are set you can't run away now can you, partner? Responsibilities and commitments aren't something you shrug off on."
The clear click of the hammer had the crowd pause, some with apprehension, fear, or anticipation… most likely an amalgamation to all.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Click
"Please… I can pay you!"
"You can pay if you lose."
The patron covered their ears once the mighty crack echoed. The once begging drunkard ducked, hands over his head while shaking like a frightened baby bighorner. The said drunkard was soon dragged out of the casino. The Courier loaded another .44 hollow point then spun the cylinder.
"Alright who's next?"
Easy to say no one took her offer. Seeing how much no one wanted to indulge her. She hung around the table, watching the women and men dancing. Though even a stripper tended to get boring. Until that is, a man in a purple suit sat at the same table as her.
"Ms. Courier, I do apologize for interrupting your show but I was hoping to discuss with you." The man said.
"I don't own the joint, pardner. Speak to Sal and I'm not taking any jobs either." the Courier said.
"I heard you're quite the gambler. So I wish to wager a gamble with you."
"Is that so?" the Courier said with an excited grin. "Unless it involves a magnum and a .44 I'm not interested."
"Oh I assure you, this is far better and more thrilling than a simple gambling. With an entry fee of the highest price."
The Courier scooted her chair back, then placed her feet on the edge of the table. The background noises became silent, rather all her focus was on to the mysterious stranger. The Courier lit up another cigarette.
"I've been in a suicide jobs before, partner. When I mean gambling I mean actual gambling. Not some bullshit." The Courier blew smoke into the man's face. "Now fuck off before I get impatient."
Suddenly, everyone and everything ceased movement. The light of a cigarette, the pouring alcohol and the bottle hanging in the air as it fell off from a clumsy customer. A frozen world preserved like the pre-war museum. the Courier took the nearby whiskey bottle and squinted at the amber liquid, the color was unchanged and smelled just the same.
"Alright then." the Courier said flatly. "Looks like I have no choice but to listen."
"The gamble is simple. I will have you travel to a world and you will take a side and help to win a battle. I warn you, even the great Courier of the Mojave will not find it easy. Your enemies will be stronger, faster, with skills and abilities never seen before. Your life will be on a thread in every step you take." The man reached for a handshake. "What do you say?"
The Courier smirked.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
The surrounding grew dark, save for a purple glow. The man gave one final parting, slowly taking the form of a purple quadruped deathclaw with wings.
"Look for Ozma… though I think he goes by Ozpin now. Perhaps Salem will be another option. Depending on which you choose they can help you out. Do be careful Ms. Courier, depending on who you choose there will be consequences."
/-/
Cold, dark, and cold again. Never had she experienced such temperature, not even in Jacobstown. Nevertheless, the Courier looked around her surroundings. Perhaps it was the devil's sympathy but her gears were next to her. After a properly equipping herself she looked up, and was met with a shattered moon.
"Well this sure as hell isn't the Mojave." The Courier muttered.
The Courier scooped up a handful of snow and ate it, and to her surprise there was no tingling of radiation but the quality of purified water. The pip-boy no longer had its map use. She looked up in the sky to look for the north star… until she realized the constellations were different from her world. With a compass in hand, the Courier began walking. Everything was strange… there were green trees, non mutated animals, and a general cleanliness that could only be seen in the pre-war books.
The red visor clicked then whirred as the night vision came in. Despite the deep snow the armor was thick enough to keep the dampness out. However, she knew she had to find shelter soon. Her worries however were soon snuffed by a familiar sound. Not too far from her position she heard the sound of a battle. Metals clashing and cracks of gunfire echoed. The Courier followed the sound, and once she saw the battle her eyes widened under her helmet.
She was certain she was high, dead, wasted, or all of the above. For what she saw had to be an illusion. A woman in a redcape wielded some spear gun hybrid fighting another figure with bladed gauntlet and a scorpion tale. They moved inhumanely, for no humans could fly and maneuver like them at such speed.
"Your enemies will be stronger, faster, with skills and abilities never seen before."
The Courier continued to watch the fight from a far, observing both as she kept the sight of her rifle to the fight. The rule of the wasteland was to wait for either of the two to die. The fight was fierce, with neither side willing to give an inch to defense.
"You'll never get away with this!" The woman said.
The deranged man giggled. "What are you gonna do, little rose? NOTHING!"
"Not anymore. You're not going to kill anyone anymore!"
The Courier burrowed herself into the snow slowly then activated her stealth boy. This may have been a guess but she knew how scorpion in Mojave relied on vibration more than the other senses. There was no certainty the man would be the same, the only evidence she had was her gut feeling. Even in hidden view and freezing weather her eyes could not stray away from the mesmerizing fight. How did people move like that? Moving so fluidly yet fiercely… it was like nothing she had ever seen.
Strength of a deathclaw, swift as a dead horse scout, ferocity of a super mutant, yet with the elegance of… they were elegant.
The enchanting fight ended once blood was spilt. The woman was on the precipice of death. Once again the rules of the wasteland popped in her head. If there was a fight it was best to watch who wins and kill whoever survived.
But this was no wasteland.
The familiar recoil kicked her shoulder as the shot ripped out of the long barrel. Her eyes widened when the bullet merely knocked the man off his feet than to blow his head off. The Courier clicked her tongue, regretting her mistake in using a regular .50. Then again not many things could survive a .50 to the face.
The Courier stood back up as she trained her scope on the man standing back up. There was no hate or anger, but a sadistic smile on the man. The man charged straight toward the Courier as if she wasn't invisible. In retaliation she flung her flamer fuel high in the air then shot it. A burst of flame roared and the sizzling hot air burnt slightly against her armor. Whether the man died or not mattered little. The Courier sprinted for the woman, scattering different mines behind her as she ran away with the woman now in her arms. There was no time to waste, as soon as she was in the safe distance she detonated the C4. The chain reaction soon began after that, a cacophony of thunderous boom echoed inside the snowy forest. She only hoped the man was dead.
/-/
It was luck that she found a cave to hide in from the weather. And it was more luck when the wound was pressurized and recovered at an inhuman speed. It was nothing like bodies that reacted to radiation. She wasn't sure if she would call them mutants or aliens.
The Courier noticed a few things about the woman as she waited for her to recover, other than her pretty face that is. She had silver eyes, carried a picture of her and three other people, and had a tablet that one would see in a pre-war age.
"Mn…"
The woman began to stir, eyes flutter open like silver butterflies. Then, her eyes slammed open with a twisted expression of worry and hostility. The Courier raised her arms. The woman struggled to be free of the rope.
"Woah easy there easy!" The Courier said soft urgency. "You've been out cold for a bit now. Why don't you just relax a second, get your bearings. How about a name, can you tell me your name?"
The woman paused in her ravenous escape attempt, eyes fixed on the Courier with a toothy snarl. The Courier shrugged.
"Who are you and who sent you?" The woman questioned.
"Name's Courier Six, you can call me either of those. I'm just a wanderer you see. Let's try to be civil alright, pardner?"
"How can I trust you?"
"Pardner, if I wanted harm on you I wouldn't have bothered to bandage your wounds and carry you in this snow for three miles from that miserable monster." The Courier waited, then continued. "Look as a gesture of trust I'll cut the rope. It was for safety measures after all."
There was a brief moment of hesitation, the woman sighed then loosened her snarl. The Courier unsheathed her combat knife to cut the rope then placed it back into her pack then her knife slowly and steadily.
"Summer Rose." The woman muttered. "My name is Summer Rose."
"Then howdy, Summer. Mighty fine name you got. You wouldn't happen to know a way out of this winter hellhole?"
The Courier observed as she used the strange tech. With few taps on the screen the map showed up, along with some other options that she could make out.
"Five clicks from the same direction can get us to the nearest settlement. We need to get moving now unless we want-"
As Summer tried to stand she winced at the pain. She tried again but only to be stopped by the Courier 's hand softly pushing on her shoulder down. The red visor reflected Summer's frown.
"You're in no shape to walk. And we don't know if that radscorpion thing is still looking for us."
"Radscorpion? Don't you know who that was?"
"Of course I do. I don't think he deserves the decency of being called by a name." The Courier said honestly with a blatant lie. "Point me in the direction and I'll carry you."
"I'm not that injured. I can walk fine on my own!" There was a hint of petulance in Summer's reply.
"You're no good to me bleeding out. Along with anemia this freezing temperature is going to be doubly hazardous."
The Courier squatted down.
"Piggy back, seriously?" Summer asked. "I'm taller than you, and from your voice I'm probably older than you."
"Very serious. Come on. Height and age doesn't matter now does it?"
The Courier slowly stood up once Summer was on her back. The long trek began.
/-/
"So… Six. Why were you traveling this far into the woods?" Summer said.
"I go where the wind takes me." The Courier said. "I've been gone for a bit traveling, how are things? Be specific if you can."
As Summer began to explain the current political spectrum of the world the Courier memorized the new world. It was strange to end up in a land where peace was the norm. Other than the radscorpion man the world sounded rather boring. It was half information gathering and half making sure Summer was awake in the blizzard.
"And that's about it." Summer finally said, then she excitedly pointed at the nearby building. "There it is!"
The Courier quickened her pace of walking, eventually entering the edge of the village to what can be a courtyard of some sorts.
"You guys!"
The three distinctive teenagers followed suit, swarming the Courier causing her to gently let her down. After a quick reunion their attention turned to the Courier .
"Who's your new friend, Summer?" The blond man asked.
"This is Courier Six." Summer said. "She saved me after I was attacked by some crazy guy."
"WHAT! You should have called us!"
"The scroll was out of range." Summer quickly replied. "I forgot to thank you didn't I? Thank you Six."
"No worries. I was hoping to find a settlement. Is there anywhere I can get some warmth? It is rather freezing here."
"Sure, follow me we the village gave us a safehouse."
After a quick greeting with the village's chief the Courier found a solace in the warmth of the small hut. She kept looking around the hut, surprised at how clean the house was. Only House's presidential suite had this much quality. Conversation flowed naturally once the initial greetings were made. The Courier soon took off her helmet to polish the visors. A short and ruffled black hair popped as the helmet was pulled off along with virant brown eyes. The Courier wiped her button nose and red lips. The warmth of the fire melted the cold right off.
"Much better." the Courier said with a satisfied sigh.
"You're younger than us!" Taiyang exclaimed. "Just how old are you?"
"Fifteen I'm sure. I'm not a child, besides you look barely older than I am." the Courier confirmed.
"We get it Tai, she's young." Summer said tiredly. "The question is what were you doing this far from Vale?"
"I'm actually looking for someone named Ozma." the Courier said.
"Ozma?" Tai said. "You mean Ozpin right?."
"Yes, I heard that was another name of his. I was told to speak to him."
"You must be more secluded than me and my sister. Even we knew him back then." Qrow added.
"Well let's just say I come from a place of more seclusion." The Courier said. "Do you know any ways to reach him?"
"Well the bullhead is going to take us back. You can come with us. It's the least I can do to thank you." Summer offered.
"Then I'm mighty thankful." the Courier said with a smile.
The fireplace crackled and popped, filling the room with a soft amber light. The howling of the wind echoed yet the chill did not krept up. Sitting around the fireplace various snacks and produce were laid out to eat. The Courier noted the lack of radiation and the freshness of the taste but kept to herself. The world was clean, untouched by humanity's follies thanks to the so-called grimms.
"By the way… where is your accent from? It reminds me of those cowgirls from Vacuo." Tai asked.
"Born in Vacuo but I've been traveling. Anywhere I am is home." The Courier answered with a grin. "Does the accent interest you?"
"As long as you don't like tying me down, cowgirl." Tai said with the equally devilish grin. "Because I'm already Tai yang."
Summer's elbow dug deep into Tai's ribs, the Courier winced as well.
"You're carrying a lot of rifles and pistols." Raven said. "Why not carry a hybrid or foldable?"
"I'm used to it that way." the Courier said. "They all use the same caliber anyways."
"You're still carrying a large pack." Raven questioned further.
The Courier shrugged. "How else am I to survive without it?"
The banter went on, most questions being answered with half truths and vague formulations. Only person she worried about was Raven. Even so telling the actual truth sounded harder than the lie. Suddenly the door slammed open with the village chief's skin paler than the snow itself.
"THE GRIMMS ARE HERE!"
Soon enough gunfires and screams echoed. The Courier immediately placed her helmet back then unslung her anti-material rifle faster than the four could react.
"I'm going for that watchtower you four do whatever you folks do!"
/-/
Courier Six was her name… Six could not possibly be a family name. Surely this was no normal name and she was no normal girl by any standard. The way she carried herself, weapons, armor, even her backpack. This girl was a traveler, and faced enough confrontations to react quickly. Not to mention she was a superb sniper. Raven respected the Courier 's skills but did not trust her as an individual not yet.
Raven slashed through the grimms, following Summer's orders as all proper teams would. The grimms poured in ursas and baewolfs alike. Raven and her team stood fast, with the help of the Courier 's cover fire the grimm were slowly being held back. As all luck would have it, another grimm placed the defense into a halt. All grimms were gone, except for one. Deadly claws, fangs, and menacing horns… this type of grimm was never seen or recorded before not even seen in her tribe. It lurked slowly, sniffing in the air as the menacing grimm approached closer.
The usual formation split off into a two way attack. Raven and Qrow dashed, testing the beast's skin to discover the durability to be tough. If their blades couldn't crack them, neither could Summer's and Tai's. Raven waited for Summer's order, that is until she heard the Courier 's scream.
"GET OUT OF THERE RIGHT NOW THAT'S AN ALPHA DEATHCLAW!"
The Courier jumped down from the watchtower, immediately following with a shot that landed on the grimm's face. An explosive round, a powerful one at that to see the grimm be stunned. As expectedly this shifted the grimm's attention to the Courier , already running far into the forest.
"Six!"
Raven grabbed Summer's shoulder. The red eyes of hers remained neutral, almost cold.
"We need to protect the village." Raven said. "We need to call the bullhead."
"We can't just leave her!" Tai interrupted.
"She made her choice. Our weapons didn't scratch the grimm. What makes you think she has a chance?" Qrow added in. "One death doesn't outweigh how much we can save right now Summer."
Summer sighed. Then reached into her scroll to call for an evacuation team.
"Qrow, Tai, Raven, I want you three to ensure the evacuation comes on time."
"Summer you can't be serious. At least let me go with you!" Tai said.
"It's a huntress's job to save people, I need you to stay in case there's another wave. I'm not going to abandon her after she saved my life!"
Raven grabbed Summer's shoulder again, hard.
"You'll stay here. I'll go find her. I can't have you go when you're supposed to be leading us." Raven said coldly.
Raven dashed into the forest. There, the grimm's claws slicer through the trees like paper roaring a hideous scream. The Courier scurried further into the thick woods, firing occasionally at its legs. That however did not slow the grimm. Raven jumped to the branch high in the trees. For a girl with little training in all but firearms she remained calm. Perhaps it was her mettle or wanting to play the hero, either way she was a fool. Raven hopped off the branch, slashing the beast as she descended swiftly.
"What the hell are you doing!" The Courier said.
Raven side stepped a swipe from the grimm to drag its attention away.
"Oh I don't know… saving your life? You should thank me, it's proper manners, kid."
"I don't need saving!" The Courier shouted back. "I was trying to lure it!"
"Lure it?"
"Yes you stupid lobotomite!" The Courier shouted again. "God is this how House felt?"
That's when Raven saw the Courier tossing some black bricks as she lured the grimm further into the woods. Raven laid more attacks on the grimm then dash toward the Courier.
"How many you got more to set up?"
"I'm almost done. I need to test out its hide thickness more. Unless you got some guns I'd suggest you get out of here, they're dangerous upclose." The Courier said urgently.
"Not to me."
The grimm swiped once again, narrowly missing the Courier 's throat, eliciting a frightened shout. Raven grabbed the Courier by her arm.
"Alright we're getting out of here."
"Wait what are you-"
In a flash Raven summoned her portal then dragged her back to the safe zone. the Courier tumbled out of the portal, her butt landing on the soft snowy ground.
"Huh what? Why am I here what's going on?" the Courier blabbered confusedly. "What just-"
"Weird looking detonator you got." Raven said then without hearing the answer she pressed the button.
The ground quaked with a thunderous boom, trees, rocks, and dirt scattered in the air. A ghastly roared echoed as a cacophony of chained explosions pierced the air. A small scaled mushroom cloud bloomed into the air beautifully. The vibration and the forceful shockwave soaked into their skin and vibrated against their skin. The hand of the grimm flew far in the air, hanging until it landed in the snow. Raven caught the Courier 's fist then shoved her back. Even with the helmet the anger was palpable.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!" The Courier screamed, her voice cracked to a screech. "I WAS SO CLOSE TO TAKING IT OUT AND NOW YOU-"
To be fair, a punch received always deserved a return. And did she, it sent the Courier off her feet while Raven stood tall. Then again, she was a foot taller than the Courier and stronger in every possible way. Though she was stronger than anyone in general, not that she was tooting her own horn.
"Raven!"
Summer quickly stood between. Qrow and Tai held the Courier back as she threw all manners of curses, legs kicking in the snow. Raven merely shrugged.
"The kid needed to calm down."
"You saw her face, she looked no older than fifteen! We're going to have a long talk about this after the mission is complete. Provided the bullhead comes on time that is." Summer said with a sigh. "Just try not to make more trouble, ok?"
"Uhh… Summer?" Qrow called out.
"What is it Qrow?" Summer said.
"That hand isn't fading away…" Qrow said.
"Oh." Summer said.
/-/
From the smokes in the forest the grimm stumbled out, scarred and marred. The grimm marched slowly, guided by instinct and sheer will to kill. The drenching fear spread save for the four hunters and the mailwoman. The Courier ripped her arms off of from the grips of two boys now that they were stunned. The Courier thought of them as amateurs, to be easily surprised so easily.
"Maybe next time you don't drag someone in the middle of calculating explosives!" The Courier said. "Stupid alpha deathclaws and their stupid thick skins."
Tai caught her arm before she walked any further.
"You're going to stay with the villagers." Tai commanded, all hints of jesting gone. "You're not a huntress and it was a miracle that you're still ok. Let us handle this."
"I'm the one that did actual damage on it, you need my help." the Courier said. "I know how to kill them."
Tai swallowed hard, then released the Courier on her own. The Courier scrounged in her pack.
"I need that thing distracted first. " the Courier said.
Summer nodded.
"Let's go team!"
the Courier quickly unloaded her pack. She was certain six C4 were enough to put down the alpha deathclaw, then she realized the deathclaw could not have been in an ideal area. The Courier grabbed her knife, cutting the vein across the torn hand then smeared the black blood across her body. If the deathclaw remained the same then she could only hope this gamble would make her win.
In the midst of the intense battle the Courier charged in as the deathclaw's attention was divided. As expected the Courier snuck behind the deathclaw then stuck the bottlecap mine to the deathclaw's torso with the help of duct tape, the timer began to tick.
"SCATTER!" The Courier shouted
The Courier dived into the glass window of a random home. One final explosion ended it all, soon caps rained down as the deathclaw's body faded into ashes into the gloomy dark skies. the Courier peeked out, then vaulted over the shattered window. There was small stinging pain around her abdomen.
"Ha ha! Take that you piece of shit!"
The Courier cheered herself as her new acquaintances gathered. Though their expression caused her to stop cheering.
"Six!"
She looked down, and as she expected there were caps embedded inside her. The elite riot gear's dark color camouflaged the blood leaking like water in a cracked dam. The Courier chuckled when something so simple would cost her life. She could at least tell Boone in the afterlife that practice didn't always mean perfection.
"Ain't that a kick in the head…"
The Courier collapsed soon after.