Anarchy

by Foxcomm

The hunt for the Vaults continues with Gaige the Mechromancer landing on a primitive, ignored world in the corner of the galaxy. She has enough bullets for the inhabitants, the same is not true in reverse.

3. Thrilling heroics

Or 'Vault Hunters are Scary.'

—oo000oo—

The day before the start of the school year, Blake Belladonna found herself in the office of Headmaster Ozpin. Oh how she wanted to say it was a coincidence but she knew it wasn't. White Fang discovered kidnapping and killing children, to say the least it shook what people thought of it. And humans like Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company was using this as the sign that the White Fang must be destroyed. And now, here she was, a former member of the White Fang, standing in front of arguably the most powerful person in Vale, possibly the world.

"Miss Belladonna, please take a seat," Ozpin said to her, a kind tone of voice not quite hiding the command it carried.

"Yes, Headmaster Ozpin. ...May I ask why I am here?"

"Of course you may. I might even answer you," he said humorously. "Actually, the reason you are here is because a look into your past revealed some things. Things that previously I was fine with ignoring but now I felt needed to be addressed."

"I suppose it was too much to hope you couldn't read my handwriting or something. Then shall we just skip to the main question sir?"

"Of course. Tell me about the White Fang."

"...To start with, sir, I joined back when my father headed the organization. It was different back then. My father left it and for a time things were the same. When it changed, it was with small things. Then more and more. I can't even think when precisely White Fang became...this. But even when I left no one advocated...that." She couldn't bring herself to say it.

"So you knew nothing about this?"

"I left because those close to me began to disregard the lives of others." Blake opened her mouth but closed it again and looked down. "...I can't even state enough how much this disgust me. And likely every other faunus in the world." Sighing, shame heavy on her shoulders, she said, "Are you going to tell me I'm not welcome in your school?"

"I will review it carefully. Miss Belladonna, do you think what was happening in that building was known by the leaders of White Fang?"

"...At least someone knew."

"Do you think they approved of it?"

"...More than likely."

"Do you know who the leader is?"

"...No...but I have a suspicion."

"Tell me."

"...My best friend growing up. Adam Taurus. I know he leads the White Fang in this region. Maybe all regions."

"Describe him." Blake grabbed her scroll and sent them a picture of the two together. Blake in his arms. "...I see. Thank you for your assistance in this matter, Miss Belladonna, I understand it could not have been easy. I look forward to seeing you in school tomorrow." Blake nodded and left his office, not at all feeling better about this.

—oo000oo—

Gaige held up her hand and twisted it this way and that before resting it on the table and taking her cleaning tools to it once more. She could feel something in one of the gears. Seeing a call come in, she activated it and said, "Good morning, Gaige speaking."

"Yes, Miss Crescent, my name is Argent Sato," she smiled, argentate another word for silver. "I didn't thank you properly yesterday and I would..."

"Mister Sato, I'm going to have to stop you right there," Gaige interrupted. "No matter what happened, I didn't go there because of your daughter. I had actually tracked a killer to that building. Now, I am grateful that I got there in time to save her and you did thank me last night."

"Even so, for what you did it isn't enough."

"Then in that case sir, I hope you instead pay it forward."

"Pay it forward? But you should be rewarded for your actions!"

"...Sir, can I be candid with you?"

"Of course."

"I am no hero, I just went there looking to feel better by killing some monsters that needed to die. And while I found that, I found a scared little girl and shattered the innocence of another. A huntress in training helped me and she had to see that not all monsters are grimm. So please, just pay it forward to...three random people that just need help. Maybe ask them to do the same."

"...If that is what you would like, Miss Crescent, I shall. But still though, thank you. If you ever need a favor, do not hesitate to call and ask me."

"I will keep that in mind. Have a good day." Hanging up on the call, she grabbed her tweezers and reached into her hand to pull out a tiny piece of drywall. Using an air brush, she passed it through the parts and reapplied the CLP, cleaner-lubricant-protectant. Looking her arm over, she considered once again if she should cover it in a synthetic-organic sheath. Shaking her head and putting it from her mind, she picked up her Greed and started running a brush through the barrel. Getting another call, she rolled her eyes and answered it. "Gaige speaking."

"Yes, Miss Gaige, my name is Reese Greenfield, I work for VNS, Vale News Source, and I was hoping for an interview."

Gaige sighed and said, "As I have been telling all the reporters calling me, you have the wrong girl. I am not a huntress nor that huntress. Bye." She hung up. And no sooner did she hang up did someone else start calling her. "...Hello, you have reached the Life Model Decoy of Gaige Crescent."

"Well, in that case can you point me in the direction of Gaige Crescent the original," Headmaster Ozpin asked.

"Ah, the wonderful wizard of Oz. Enjoying my work?"

"Yes, well you did some very good work there that night. How did you find that?"

"I fell ass backwards into it, truth be told. I was hunting a serial killer, turns out he was being employed by the White Fang to clean up after them. They kidnap human children, demand a ransom, and turn the children over to a human killer to dispose of. So that White Fang keeps their image clean. Things get too hot, they cut the line and leave the killer to take all the heat. They should've kept a tighter leash on him and his side activities."

"Well, accident or not, you might want to stay out of sight for a time. If White Fang puts together that you are responsible for the base and this, they will quite certainly be after you."

"Hmm. Don't suppose you happen to know how every news outlet and their dog somehow got a hold of my number do you?"

"No but I'll look into it.

"Well, I'm going to change number soon so I'll call you once I got it. Gaige out."

Putting down the Greed, she picked up the Heartbreaker and began taking it apart. She got about half way through cleaning it before she received another call. "...For the last time, I am not the huntress from the hostage situation!"

"Jacque Schnee, and I think you are her."

"...I'm hanging up now."

"I would very much like it if you didn't do that," the mustached man said. "Believe me, things will be easier just to talk to me."

"No."

"Are you sure, I can hire an almost literal army of people to bother you just so we can have a chance to-" Click.

"Damn telemarketers," Gaige muttered only to arch her eyebrow to see him calling her again. "...Hello?"

"Did you just hang up on me," Jacque Schnee demanded.

"Why Mr. Schnee, I'm shocked you would think of such a thing." Click. ...Brrrrinnnng. "...Yes?"

"Do you have any idea-" Click. ...Brrrrinnnng.

"...Yellow?"

"If you hang up one more-" Click. ...Brrrrinnnng. Gaige just stared at the icon as it rang before finally tapping it.

"Hello, you have reached Gaige Crescent. I can't come to the phone because I'm busy being a kickass woman of science and badassery. Please leave a message after the beep and I will get back to you when I feel like it. ...Beep." Gaige could hear teeth grinding on the other side of the phone.

"Do you know who I am?"

"I know precisely who you are," Gaige stated. "And to me, that means precisely dick."

"Be careful of what you say, little girl, I can make your life very difficult. The least of which limit your access to dust."

"Oh no, what a nightmare," Gaige mocked. "You are almost solely the reason White Fang is as powerful as it is. You even try to make my life difficult, I will make yours a nightmare. And believe me, I am capable of true horrors. So forget getting some kind of interview with me beside you for brownie points with the anti-White Fang public. Now, I'm hanging up and if you call me again, I will ruin you." Click. Gaige waited a moment before going back to cleaning her weapons.

Knock, knock, knock.

Gaige sighed but muttered, "At least it isn't a call. Enter."

Junior walked in holding a bag of hot food, a tray of coffee, and a smile on his face. "Morning, didn't see you come in last night. Watching the news I can guess why. Food?"

"Please. Coco mix in the coffee?"

"Of course."

"Thank you," she said, taking it and smelling it. "So, what has you in such a good mood?"

"I just received my commission. They were suitably impressed with what you set up."

"Oh, how much?"

"Enough to make some much needed renovations on the club and have a over ten grand left." His smile was magnanimous.

"Hmm...Gonna need me out for a time?"

"Yeah, a few days."

"Got a recommendation on a stool I can warm while I do?"

"I can hook you up with a place. The owner of the Starlight Tavern owes me a favor. I'll call him."

Gaige nodded while taking a bite from her croissant but sighed when another call reached her. "...Hello?"

"Do you have any idea who you are fucking with," a garbled voice demanded.

Gaige frowned and motioned Junior for his scroll. Setting it on the table and connecting the call to it so he could hear, she pressed a finger over her lips for him to be quiet. "Who is this?"

"The person that is going to kill you," came out of the scroll.

"Ah, a White Fang grunt," Gaige stated, already running the back-trace. "Do you even know who I am?"

"You're that huntress that attacked our operation last night."

"Then no, you don't know. Let me make this clear to you, you insignifi-cunt, I will fuck you up. This isn't an idle threat, Jason Azure, I will fuck you up, your mother, Lesley Azure, at two-two-one-B Bakersfield, your cute little bunny girlfriend, Jessica Rabbit, currently working her shift at a diner, and anyone else in your life. If so much as a picture falls from my wall, you won't be able to hide from me. Not at that coffee shop across the street from you, not at that bar to your left, nor the weapons shop to your right. Do you understand me, you fucking little worm!? I will rip your ass open wide enough to drive through, leaving you alive just long enough to watch everyone important to you suffer!"

Junior watched her with wide eyes and growing shock. He looked to his scroll and back up to her, especially when he heard, "I'm...sorry for disturbing you, ma'am, please forgive me." He was no longer using whatever it was that distorted his voice.

"I'm watching you, so you better run home to your mother." Gaige waited a moment before shouting, "THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO YOUR MOTHER'S HOUSE!"

"Yes ma'am!" When she was satisfied, she hung up.

"...You are scary," Junior stated. "Would you really do all that?"

"What, oh no. Idle threats but he doesn't need to know that."

"How do you do that?"

"That, Junior, is a secret. Just know that I am a fucking genius."

"I have long since gathered that..."

Gaige began to smile, already seeing the gears turn in his head. "You're wondering why I do this if I'm so smart?"

"Well, yes."

"Because the money is good, the scenery changes and I get to work with robots, lasers, and explosions. So, as we were saying, Starlight Tavern?"

"Uh, yeah. Uh, its a tavern so you just sitting around and enjoying yourself shouldn't cause a problem. Leon also shouldn't have trouble housing you for a few days."

"Leon, is that the owner," Gaige asked, already doing a search.

"Yeah, Leonardo. Good guy, made a bad choice when he was younger, you'll see the result of it there."

"Hmm. When are you going to do it?"

"Well, depending on Leon, I can get it started today or tomorrow."

Gaige nodded and began putting the Heartbreaker back together and storing it away. Followed by the rest of her weapons. Taking her breakfast, she said, "I think I'll go introduce myself then."

"Need directions...No, after all, you're a fucking genius."

"Damn right," Gaige replied. "That and I also searched for it on the net." Getting up, she walked out the the room and club. "Good croissanwich." Not really feeling in a hurry, she started walking while also hacking into the system to redirect all calls from this planet to the scroll of one of the dead White Fang members. Then she began the process of changing her local number to an unused one. She was done in ten minutes. Feeling a bit bored, she hacked into Jason's scroll and began listening in. His mother was yelling at him.

"...But of all of the dumb things you did, you decided to antagonize a killer!? What is wrong with you!?"

That made Gaige smile, especially as she contemplated joining in of the conversation. Eventually deciding against it, she merely sent a message. 'Now that you have received a tongue lashing for 'antagonizing a killer', you are going to quit White Fang. Remember, I am watching.' Satisfied with Jason, she busied herself with other things from around the net. Independent searches for bounties, likely places for the Vault, more safe houses from White Fang, sending her new number to Ozpin, things like that.

She could see the tavern a few blocks away when she received a call, and not from Ozpin. "Hello?"

"Yes, Miss Crescent, this is Glynda Goodwitch."

"Ah, hello ma'am, do you have the address for that tailor?" She could hear leather straining on the other side of the phone. "I apologize, I'm sure you will just text me the address. If I was to guess, this is about other business."

"You are correct. I'm sending you a data-packet with all that we know about the head of the White Fang in this region. ...His name is Adam Taurus." Gaige looked it over and saw a picture of a redhead with horns and a black suit. "Uses a katana and shotgun sheath that can shoot the blade out for extra force on the draw. His semblance is that he takes the force of attacks on him and redirects it all back in one blow. Usually in a draw of the sword from the scabbard."

"It's called Battōjutsu, draw and slice techniques... I wasn't always into robots and guns," she defended herself when she saw the look on Glynda's face. "And a good friend of mine I am fairly certain is a cyborg ninja uses it. Um, that's assuming he isn't just a robot."

"...As much I as would like to ask questions about that, shall we continue on?"

"Right. Adam Taurus, huh? Want me to break him, bring him in, or just make him disappear?"

"...We shall leave that to your judgement," Goodwitch replied before ending the call.

"Hmm, then I think I'll make another example," Gaige muttered, walking into the Starlight Tavern. And there behind the bar was Leon, looking just like his picture, except that he walked with a cane.

"Hello. The lunch special today is sea-food curry with cheesy pita bread."

"Sounds good," Gaige stated, "but I just had breakfast. I'm Gaige Crescent, did Junior mention I was coming by?"

"Ah, yeah, he just called a few minutes ago. Nice to meet you. So, you're looking for a place to crash?"

"Yeah, something like that. I usually hang out at this stool in Junior's club when I'm not working. Something that I likely will be soon. But until then, a place I can call my temporary HQ would be nice."

"Hmm. Well, so long as you don't mind a lumpy bed in a cramped room, I got a place."

"Good to know," she said as she walked to the bar and sat on a stool. "Ooh, nice, I could get used to this. Real leather seats."

"There are several good things I like about this old tavern," Leon said with a smile. Before hearing shouts that changed it to a grimace. "And then there is that." Hearing it coming from outside, Gaige stood up and headed to a window. "Anti-faunus animals. Been worse than normal but that guy there, in the jacket with a skull on the back, he's been at this for years." Gaige saw him, leading a pack of deadbeats to attack a young boy with a fox tail. "Makes you want to do something, doesn't it. And I don't mean join them."

"...Yeah."

"Heh, I've been there before. Three years ago, I was standing right where you are, except it was a little girl."

"What did you do?"

Leon tapped his cane on the floor and said, "I went out there. Faunus kidnapping and killing human children? So what, I see the same thing in reverse all the time. The world is going to shit and the Grimm don't even have to do anything to help it along. And the thing is, if the almighty struck those savages down today, they would be replaced by tomorrow." Gaige glanced to him and back outside before heading to the counter and setting a Lien card on the counter.

"Whiskey, the whole bottle. And a lighter."

—oo000oo—

"Animals like you should be put down," Gaige heard the lead prick shout as she headed to them, holding the bottle in her metal hand by the neck. A strong, thick bottle of the cheap stuff.

"Nine of them," she muttered, coming behind the first and swinging hard, the bottle hitting him on the back of the head, behind the left ear. From the blood that shot out where it hit, he was done. "Eight." She swung back left, nearly taking off the jaw. Bleeding out. "Seven." Bottle up, she brought it down on the head of the third. Concussion, brain hemorrhage, might survive. "Six," she stated while stomping on the back of his neck where he fell, finishing it. Thrusting forward with the bottle, she slammed it right into the forth guy's face, breaking his nose. As he fell back, the guy behind him pulled a knife and stabbed at her. Catching the hand with her flesh hand, she slammed the bottle into his elbow, breaking it. Feeling something hit her from behind, she forced the hand back, stabbing Broken Nose in the neck and tearing down. "Five." Bottle to the temple, breaking the skull. "Four." The next guy pulled a pistol instead and aimed it at her. Grabbing the arm and spinning, she aimed it at the next and forced him to shoot. The bullet entered his eye. "Three." The gun was forced up, back, and pointed at the owner's head. Bang. "Two." She tossed the bottle to her flesh hand while dropping the body. Catching the last attacker by the face, Gaige pulled him up and slammed him down on the sidewalk, splitting his skull. "One." Standing up straight, she found herself staring at the leader of this, over ten feet away. He probably thought he was safe there. Cute.

"Fucking bitch!" He pulled a gun and started shooting at her as she walked forward. As he emptied the magazine, she slammed the bottle against his arm, snapping it in half. Even as he cried in pain, she stomped on his left leg, breaking it and making him fall back. Then she did it again on his right. "H-Help! HELP! Fuck you, you animal loving bitch!"

"...Justice is performed by those who don't care, so they can be fair and impartial," Gaige stated.

"What," he demanded.

"Those that deal out vengeance though, usually less so," she stated, holding the bottle over him and pouring it out. He tossed his head side to side a bit before hearing the bottle hit the road. Looking up, he froze when she flipped open a lighter and lit it. "Here, justice would be to let you live the rest of your pathetic life with those broken limbs." She set the lighter down a few feet from him, just at the edge of the alcohol, still burning, and turned around. "You can guess what vengeance will be." As she walked away, she saw the boy from earlier staring at her. "You should run home and get those cuts cleaned up."

"But...what about him?"

"Someone owes him," Gaige stated. "So we'll let them handle it. Come on, I'll walk you there."

She stared at him a moment before he said, "Oh, it's this way!" They were just turning onto another road when the screams came and were quickly silenced.

—oo000oo—

"So this is it," Gaige asked, looking to an apartment complex.

"Yeah," he replied, heading to the door but paused when Gaige didn't follow. "You're not coming in?"

"No. I'm not good with thanks. Take care kiddo, and stay safe."

"Yeah, bye, um, wait, I don't know your name," he called as Gaige was already walking away. She just raised her arm to wave back to him and kept walking.

"...Nick, what happened to you?" The boy turned around and saw his mother standing at the door.

"Mom, you won't believe what just happened! Those faunus haters tried to attack me when this girl just showed up and started hitting them! There was nine of them but it didn't matter to her, she was just like wham, crack, pow!"

"Are you hurt bad," she asked, kneeling down to look at a split lip of his.

"I'll be fine, um, those guys won't be," he muttered.

—oo000oo—

While walking, Gaige had been checking over the cameras of the area to make sure everything that was recorded was deleted. By the time she returned to the tavern, Police had cordoned off part of the road and were preparing to remove the bodies. Ignoring it, she walked back inside and went to the counter where Leon was once more, polishing a glass. Completely nonchalant. "Wonder what happened outside," she said to him, tapping on the menu for the lunch special.

"Well, it would appear that a gang of heartless thugs were all killed. One was even set on fire ."

"Hmm. Ouch."

"Yeah, but only after having an arm and both legs broken."

"Guess someone didn't like him." As a plate was set before her, Gaige smiled and asked, "So, think I could stick around for a few days when I'm not working?"

"...I suppose. I think I'll like having you around, Miss Crescent." She nodded and finished her meal before standing and heading to the door. "Not sticking around today?"

"Nah, I have work to do. See you tonight or tomorrow though." Walking away from the scene, Gaige eventually digistructed her bike and drove off. Finally coming to the industrial sector, she walked up to what appeared to some strange control box. Pressing her hand to the display that appeared, she scrolled through it and activated her choice, disappearing. A Fast-Travel Station. She had spent a month setting some up in every major city and town. And one on this rather abandoned rig out in the ocean. As soon as she appeared on it, she pulled Bad Touch and started shooting some young Nevermoore grimm. These were small fry compared to the mother that she killed when she first found it. An Alpha at least three hundred years old. She was smart, fast, and even to her, dangerous. That was a fun fight.

When no more came to her, she went over to something big covered in canvas and pulled the tarp off. It was her spaceship. It was white with blue highlights, forward swept wings, overall jet shaped appearance, with two missile pods on the roof and twin vulcan cannons on the underside. It was a Kestral class jumpship, an EX-21 to be precise. Next to Deathtrap, this was her baby.

Going to the cargo door, she pressed her hand to the scanner to open it and went inside. Going to the ship's computer, she sat down and began typing away. Planetary mapping at fifty three percent. Seven surveyors lost to local wildlife.That made Gaige frown but they were digistruct so it mattered little. Underwater oceanic mapping at seventeen percent. On schedule. Station structural integrity raised to seventy seven percent. Reactor installed and ignited. Good, now she could get some turrets installed here. So long as her... Workshop installation complete. Digistruct tower complete. Activate? Hell yeah! Typing away, several stolen digistruct schematics activated and began forming robots. Loaders to be precise, the A.I. changed to recognize her as their master. While her ship could maintain several of the suveyors for maintenance and scouting, having a dedicated tower here would reduce the load and difficulty while extending the numbers and range to even outside the planet.

Setting it up to install several DAHL turrets around the rig, she finally checked to see if anyone had come this way. Again, no. They rather avoided it like the plague. Probably the sea serpent grimm her sensors keeps picking up swimming around the station. The one the size of Terramorphous.

Stepping out of her ship and going to the command center of the Rig, she almost felt like she stepped onto the Hyperion Station. Advance computers, holo-table map display, control station for her fast travel network, she grinned stupidly every time she walked in at all the tech. Activating the music, she smiled. Press a button to begin. All my life, Mi ever have mi gun so mi haffi move sharp like mi knife! All my life...

Stretching her arms, she sat down on a console and began going over the maps. On another window, she opened a search to check through the CCT for any records of the Vault symbol. She was moving back to the maps when an alert came through. Someone was trying to bypass her securities. But why? Going back to the window, she looked the data over. It would appear someone noticed her looking for the vault symbol and was trying to figure out who and where she was. They kept hitting her firewall but were trying to get in regardless. Fair is fair though, they were being subtle, trying to get in without alerting anyone but when your firewall is an AI, not a lot is missed. But this brought into question why and the answer is simple. In all likely hood, someone discovered the symbol and the power associated with it and were doing their best to keep it hidden from the public. So that meant the governments, the Councils. Which one though?

While she wanted to follow back the trace, she frowned as she figured they might notice her if they did in fact have vault related technology and terminate the connection. "Suggestions?"

Setting up a dummy computer for them to 'hack' into may keep them busy enough to decide to risk it.

"Nice, start setting it up, I'll create the dummy server." Opening the map, she checked it over on where she thought it would be best to make them believe she was at and smiled when she looked at the continent with the least amount of data regarding, the one that looked like the Warrior. "Perfect." Typing away, she set it up and waited for AI to finish the dummy. "Ready?"

Ready, on your command, ma'am.

"Don't make it too easy for them, but let them in it. ...Now reverse the hack." She waited a moment and... "Atlas huh? That makes sense. What other secrets do you have? Well, why don't we just take a peak at who's there." She began hacking into the facilities security systems.

They've noticed you ma'am.

"...But they aren't cutting the connection. Noobs." Eventually, she located the building and even the room they were in. Activated the camera, she smiled as she saw Atlas's own General Ironwood commanding a room full of techies.

"Where are they," he demanded.

"Sir, we're trying, but we're being blocked at every turn. Even what little we have found isn't easy."

"What about them hacking us?"

"They are plowing through everything we have, sir. I can't stop them, they're just too fast! We need to cut the connection or they'll be able to take control of the Knight System in a few minutes at most."

"Ah, poor guys, might as well let they have it." A few clicks and...

"Sir, this is impossible, the trace is putting them on the Draco continent," one techie stated.

What happened was not what Gaige expected. Ironwood shouted, "CUT THE CONNECTION NOW! ALL OUTWARDS COMMU..." The screen went black.

"Oh-kay, that was interesting. So...Atlas found traces of the vault and became the most advance country in the world. Yet one look at someone possibly being from a deserted continent and the head of it's military panics. That is very interesting." She looks to the map again, specifically Draco, before heading to the console that controls the robots. Ten surveyors went to that place, three were active. So all seven that she has lost were destroyed there. Dismissing the three remaining drones, she began calling forth the more heavily armed and armored versions before sending them out by the dozens. Something was clearly happening there and she wanted to know what.

—oo000oo—

Ozpin was about to go give a speech to the first years when his scroll received a call from Ironwood. "James, I'm about to... Is something wrong?"

"Yes, Ozpin, there is. The monitoring station found someone looking for a symbol on the CCT, a very particular symbol that no one is supposed to know about, and tried to determine who it is. They were stopped immediately." That made Ozpin frown. No one has ever stopped the monitors, much less so quickly. "When we were finally able to get inside their computer, it was because they let us in, to keep us busy so they could return the favor. I'm being told that they moved impossibly fast through our blocks, outright overriding or going through them. They were going to have full control of the system, Ozpin. Then I found out where they're located. Draco."

"That's...different."

"To put it lightly. She has never done something like this before, at least, that we've noticed. Ozpin, if you haven't already, completely disconnect your tower from outside connection. Nothing we have at this time can stop her."

"...I might know someone that can help bolster your defenses, she incredibly good at..."

"Ozpin?"

"...Did this hacker go for the cameras?"

"Yes, they were able to look right at me."

"James, I have to check something. I'll call you if I discover anything important." Ozpin put his scroll away and stood there a moment before hitting the end of his cane hard against the floor. 'An impossibly intelligent young woman with all the skills I need with no history just shows up, and starts fighting with her agents, and I invite her right in.' Schooling his face, he walked up to Glynda and said, "When you are done here, try to locate Gaige Crescent, do whatever is necessary so long as she doesn't discover you are looking."

"Yes sir." Taking that as her que, Goodwitch walked out on the stage and stood at the podium.

—oo000oo—

"After leaving the club, she begins walking to the Starlight Tavern. Before she gets there, all cameras lose their feed. When next we see her, she is walking a faunus child back home. It is of note that in the center of this lost recordings, a gang of anti-faunus humans are attacked and killed, one by being set on fire. Before the feed was lost, they were chasing the child Gaige was escorting. She gets him home and heads back to the Starlight Tavern, goes in and orders a meal, not even looking at the crime scene right across the street," Professor Goodwitch stated. "Of the victims, there are several that were killed with blunt force trauma, in the shape of a bottle matching the liquid used to kill the leader. Many also have broken bones. Two were shot with their own handgun, no prints but their own. One was driven face first into the sidewalk and crushed his skull. The leader had a sidearm, magazine empty, casings found but no bullets or holes, and three of his limbs were broken, completely snapped, one breaking skin. He was doused in alchohol and then set fire, alive." Glynda crossed her arms and said, "She did it. It was definitely done by a cyborg, which are not unique, but she was right there."

"We can't prove that," Ozpin stated. "What else did you discover?"

"After entering the tavern, she stayed there long enough to eat before leaving. She walked into an alley we don't have footage of and drove out on her bike. She went to the industrial sector and disappears. She goes driving down this road out of camera view, but doesn't come back into view of this camera. Records indicate that there is nothing there."

"And what did you find there?"

"This." She raised up a hologram of a box of some kind. "No records of what it is, no power connections to or from. Just placed there among the other boxes and no one noticed. Other than that, nothing, not even a sewer drain or a pot hole. She used this one little blind spot to somehow vanish completely."

"Is it being watched?"

"Yes. I placed a closed circuit camera there to have it watched, it'll only transmit a closed burst data-stream every half hour but no one will be hacking it. I also began reviewing our records of her and found something I missed." She brought up a picture of Gaige looking to the side. "Do you see it?"

"...Nothing." It zoomed in on her. "Still nothing." The picture zoomed in until the only thing that could be seen but her belt buckle. "...Shit." He couldn't remember the last time he saw something that made him curse like this did.

"How is it that the most secret symbol in all of Remnant is the belt buckle of a teenager? Its also on her shoes!"

"...Do you think its her, the one that attacked Autumn?"

"I don't know. That would certain explain how one girl attacked and killed two hundred members of White Fang but it was all gun shot wounds, no sword or arrow. And while the attacker wasn't a cyborg, she doesn't tolerate failure very well so her arm might well have been the price of it."

"...Or she is one of the other maidens," Ozpin muttered. "I need you to check on their status."

"If we can find them."

Ozpin frowned and looked back to the picture of Gaige, wondering once again just who she was. "Keep watch on her, have her followed by Qrow if you have to. And send a picture of her to him, see if he recognizes her." Glynda nodded and went to carry his orders out.

—oo000oo—

Gaige was had just finished up with her searches and was looking through several threads when she came across a request for help. As Gaige was supposed to be in Vale and not halfway across the world, she was tempted to let the hunters handle it until she saw the word 'bandits'. Before she even knew it, she was flying across the ocean to the fringes of Mistral. Barely even landing before driving off on her bike, her ship flew into the air, far above where anyone could see it.

Driving through the forest, Gaige was intent on getting there before the bandits. Seeing something red flash to her left, she came to a stop and looked at where it was. She stayed there a moment, watching, until she saw it again. Eyes almost like a grimm stared back at her. Almost, that was definitely a human. "...You aren't getting this village," she growled to them. Hearing the snap of a twig behind her, she pulled the Greed while turning. Taking aim at where it came from, she waited.

"...Go home, little huntress," the one in the mask called out. "If you go to that village, you'll just die."

"You would just love me to, wouldn't you?"

"The weak die. The strong live. Those are the rules by which the world works."

"And where do we fall in this little relationship."

"You're surrounded. The only reason we're even talking is because I recognize a killer when I see one. Killing you will cost the lives of many."

"That's the point," Gaige replied, her metal arm going down to grip her grenade mod. "I will die before I let you have that village. Or preferably, kill you all first." She wasn't wrong though, Gaige was surrounded and they were hiding well within the trees. Gaige almost wanted to see them go against Zer0.

"So be..." Gaige's arm came up and lightning shot from it, hitting just to the left of the masked woman, striking one of her bandits. The only reason it didn't hit her as well was because it jumped to another. It hit seven of them before coming back to the woman but she opened a portal and dove into it. Appearing over Gaige, she came down with her blade set to impale her but Gaige was already driving down the path, flipping them off. "Alright, if that's how you want it," Raven Branwen growled.

—oo000oo—

Numbers are a huge advantage but it isn't the only one. Where you fight is just as important. So Gaige decided not to fight them where they chose but where she will. And a village with narrow points of view and a wall to keep them all trapped sounded perfect. And she had a few things for them to play with when they got there.

Coming to a clearing and there, a hundred meters away, Gaige saw the wall of the village, Shion. Stopping outside the gates, she raised her hands and called to the guards, "Hello there."

"State your business," one demanded, pointing a rifle at her head.

"I'm a bounty hunter, word has it that you are having a touch of trouble with some bandits so I came to offer my services."

"...Get the chief," he told another she couldn't see. "You came awful fast, we sent word out just an hour ago."

"Let's say I have a problem with bandits and leave it at that," Gaige replied. "I'll make it all clear to your chief once he gets here." Turning the bike, she cut the engine and got off before just sitting on it, facing the forest and back to the wall. She did that for two reasons, the most important was to keep watch for trouble but also to help them stay at ease. Hard to get shot by the girl facing the other way. Slipping her ear buds in, she watched and waited. Its coming up, its coming up, its coming up, its Dare!

The song was almost over when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning to it, she saw an older man with a neatly trimmed beard and mustache with hair just starting to gray on the temples. "Hello, I'm Akoto, the village chief. I understand you are a bounty hunter?"

"That I am, chief. And these bandits that are bothering you have been bothering enough people that I'll be paid well for eliminating them." Reaching into a pocket, she pulled her BHA identification and handed it to him. He took it out and did a quick search for her with his scroll before handing it back.

"Your record says you're good. And with a bit of a hero complex, how many villages is this that you just happen to be near?"

"Oh, there was no near on this one. I saw the problem was bandits and hauled ass."

He watched her for a moment before chuckling. "Alright. What's your suggestion, Miss Crescent."

"Right now they're probably more or less scouting you out for the actual raid. Which means now would be the time to actually engage them, when they know little about us."

"But we know little about them."

"Not so. We know they are bandits, successful ones. Which means they are skilled in surviving out there, skilled in hiding, skilled in breaching defenses, and finally, have little regard for killing people. And if we didn't know that, what is good for the gander is good for the goose. The odds would be even."

"So that's what you want us to do, fight?"

"No, not you, just me. Living out here, I have no doubt you can handle the odd grimm or small pack, but these aren't unthinking beast. They're people, you're guards might hesitate, they won't. I won't hesitate either."

"So, why not just go hunt them?"

"Go out there? I could, I might just be able to win. But just because I can, doesn't mean I should. They own that forest, and anything I do to completely overwhelm them is going to draw attention. On this field or in this town, things are different. Out here, complete line of sight and no hiding places. In there, narrow paths and restrained points of view and no hiding for large groups. Further more, if I go out there, they'll scatter and just do this at a later date when I can't stop them. But should they come in, it will be much harder to escape."

"So you want us to do what?"

"Once they start heading this way, you and your people enter a bunker and wait, I'll handle the rest."

"But what about our supplies? With how limited they are, its why we haven't just given them some." That made Gaige snort and shake her head. "What?"

"They might be looking for supplies but that wouldn't save you. Why take some when they can just kill you and take all?"

"Because that will bring the grimm."

"Which they can easily escape and leave them behind to finish you off. About the supplies, take them into the bunkers as well, barricade them in houses, do what you feel is best. I promise that once the shooting starts, they'll be a bit too busy to take them."

"...You said they were scouting us out, how will you make them come in for a fight?"

"Two things, one is going to be to invite them in by removing the guards."

"And the second?"

"Give them a bloody nose and make them want to do far worse to me in return."

"...And once they are in? You're just one girl, they'll have at least thirty, I think."

"Probably more and for how to truly even the odds? Turrets. Lots of automated turrets. Twenty four to be precise. Give me a half hour and this village will be a death trap for the unwelcome."

—oo000oo—

Raven Branwen glared at the girl as she walked the wall, placing down these little boxes, possibly mines. All four times she did, she would look out in the forest and smirk, daring her to do something but as much as she wanted to, she knew she didn't have enough members here just yet to fight her and the villagers both. As more were arriving, the guards suddenly all withdrew, leaving the girl alone on the wall. "...Is she that stupid," one of her tribe muttered. "Her against all of us?"

"Don't forget, she's had time in there to prepare," Raven replied. "We don't know the layout yet."

"So, what are we going to do... Rifle, get down," he suddenly started whispering as he ducked behind a tree. Raven did the same and placed mirror on the end of a knife see around it. It was the girl, she stood alone on the wall holding a sniper rifle and panning back and forth, looking for them.

Up in the branches, one of her tribe was looking through some binoculars at her. "Put those damn things down, she'll see the glare," Raven hissed

"Heh, that rifle has a bunny drawn on-" Bang! BOOM! She never finished it, a bullet hit her head and both exploded.

"...Explosive round," Raven muttered, quickly throwing away the mirror. A round hit it even as it flew away and she could feel the force of the explosion.

The girl waited a few moments before calling out, "What was it you said? The weak die, the strong live?"

"She's putting the rifle away...and she's grabbing a rocket launcher," one of the bandits that could see her stated.

"Let's see how you like it on the other end." She leaned against the back railing and put her foot against the other as she raised it up. Then she fired and seven rockets came out at once in a fan spread. And then she fired three more times.

When the barrage was over, Raven was far from where she had been hiding. Coming from a crouch, she scowled and called, "Azule, how many did we lose? Azule?"

"Over...here," she heard a weak voice called out. Raven turned to him and horror covered her face. Everything below his waist was gone while the flesh of his left arm, shoulder and side of his face were melting into green goo. "...By your face, its bad." It was now eating away at the bone. "Don't go in there," he tried to get out. "Not with her..." His mouth was trying to move but it had gotten through his skull. Taking her sword, she ended it before looking around. Most of her clan weren't injured but enough were. And facing the village, she saw that little girl standing there, flipping her off, making her blood boil.

When she started reloading, Raven shouted her order to attack before opening a portal to appear by her. The little red head turned to her with a smile, "Good!" Discarding the rocket launcher, she grabbed a pistol from her side and used it and her metal arm to catch the blade of her sword. The girl wasn't the first cyborg that tried to do that but she was the first her fire dust blade hadn't been enough to cut through. Though the hand began to glow red with heat, it didn't break. Instead it clasped around the sword and held it there, letting her pull back the barrel of the gun before pressing it to her stomach. Two trigger pulls was enough for Raven, she let one hand fall from her sword to knock it aside and then punching the girl in the face. Pulling her blade free as the girl spun, she went for a stab but found the girl parried with what looked liked a regular carpenter's hammer. Knocking the blade to the side first, Raven brought it around for a slash only for the red head to spin her hammer around and punch with them. Her fingers stopped the blade on the edge with the forked ends around it. A sudden twist and the sword was snapped in half. "Oops, there I went and broke your little toy!" She back stepped and summoned a belt fed machine gun to her side, one that ended with a bayonet. But she didn't turn it on Raven, she spun around and stabbed one of the other bandits in the chest with it. Squeezing the trigger, she shot through him at others while using his body as an impromptu shield before kicking him off and jumping down from the wall.

Having by now replaced her blade with her scabbard, Raven glanced for the rocket launcher with the hopes of turning it on that bitch only to find it missing. Didn't matter. Though now that she looked, she saw those strange boxes that she placed on the walls also attached to the walls of the buildings near the roofs. Not mines then that meant... She looked at the number of her tribe that were now over the wall, unable to see because of those buildings. "Turrets! Fall back!"

—oo000oo—

"Too late," Gaige said, activating them all at once. Clicking filled the village as the turrets unfolded and then came the gunshots. Shooting those near her, she smirked and shouted, "Nothing kills like overkill, suckas!" Bringing her fist up and activating the digistruct rod in her arm, Deathtrap came into existence. Followed by putting her arm across her chest and doing it again. Two surveyors, using the programs for Wilhelm's Wolf and Saint, digitized around her and provided support. Gaige won't lie, she loves tech and was more than willing to steal it from her enemies. Wasn't any different than taking a gun from their bodies in her opinion. Deathray focused on fire support while the second, Fix-it, used repair programs to keep both Deathtrap and Deathray flying along with the shooting as well as a shield for all there.

Oh the looks on their faces when three robots come flying at them followed by bolts and bullets of lightning. It was pure pandemonium and Gaige charged back into the fray joyfully. Idly, she wondered what the villagers must think is going on outside because to her it sounds almost like a war zone, especially since the turrets on the wall, pointed out to make sure none got away, were equipped with rocket launchers.

Gaige suddenly felt a blow that knocked her down and ate up a good chuck of her shield. Turning around, she smiled up at the leader. "Is it good for you," Gaige asked, cheekily, jumping back up and pulling out the Rex. Shooting at her, Gaige wasn't surprised she blocked the bullets with her sword as she closed the distance once again. Going for a slash, Gaige blocked it by grabbing the hilt and her hand. "I don't know what you're so upset about it, I'm just doing my job! Preying on those that prey on others and hunting down some epic loot! And this sword looks quite nice to me!"

"Fuck you!"

"Oh come on, you said it yourself, the weak die and the strong live! I think I've proven which of us is which!" Gaige again dug her gun into her stomach but this time would be different. Greed was nice and all but it didn't hold a candle to Rex. The first shot knocked the woman's breath away. The second broke a rib. Her aura absorbed both though. The third punched through aura, ribs, lung, and out her back, making her stumble away. Gaige let her hand go and kept the sword, grabbing the scabbard to go with it. "Hmm, very nice? Wonder what Zer0 will think of it?"

The woman fell to the ground, quickly going into shock. She couldn't remember when someone wounded her like this last. She could hear the turrets slowing down their fire and came to the grim conclusion that she lost. "...I'll kill you," she promised.

"No, you won't," Gaige said while walking up and looking her in the eyes while extending the pistol to shoot her in the head. Only for Raven to fall through a portal that appeared underneath her before it was in position. "...Huh, so that's how she was getting behind me." Gaige shrugged while opening her storage decks and placing the sword inside. "Don't worry baby, I'll take good care of you." Waiting for the gunfire to taper off, she dismissed Deathtrap, Deathray, Fix-it, and the turrets before heading to the bunker. Knocking on the door three times, she stepped on her bike, started the engine, and drove away, climbing the stairs to the top of the wall to jump off.

When the door to the bunker finally opened, the chief and several guards stepped out to find the village looking grim but still standing and the damage superficial. No buildings were on fire, the walls weren't crumbling, and doors weren't broken down. There were just bodies, many of them. Soon enough, they heard gunfire in the forest along with the dying roar of grimm. Gaige had went out to hold them off for a while.

—oo000oo—

Early next morning, Gaige walked into the tavern with a smile on her face, "Whiskey, your finest."

"...Coming right up," Leon replied, pouring her a glass and handing it to her. "What's got you in a good mood?"

"Easy to understand, uncomplicated heroics, I love it," she said, taking a drink. "I slayed bandits and grimm for hours, it was bliss! Wonderfully simple."

—oo000oo—

Ozpin watched the footage over and over again of her just appearing from a hole the box made in the air before somehow forming the bike in a shower of lights. Things were getting complicated.

—oo000oo—

Author's Notes: See you Space Cowboy