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.

4. Fear the Cute Little Girl

Or 'No, They Really are Scary!'

—oo000oo—

Qrow was heading back to Vale when he stopped for the night. Ozpin sounded very urgent and said that what he had to talk to him about couldn't be spoken of over the CCT. But then, everything with Ozpin was urgent. Though this was the first that talking over the scroll was too risky. Regardless, it was too dark now to continue even for him so he found a tavern to hold up in for the night and started drinking. About an hour in, a man sat down next to him. One that Qrow refused to look at. "...Hey, miss, this guy get's his own drinks, he isn't sharing my bottle," he told the waitress before she could even start bringing him over a glass.

"Good to see you too, Qrow," the older man said.

"What brought you out of retirement, 'dad'," Qrow asked.

"Raven taking a bullet to her left lung."

"Hah! That's a good one! ...You're serious. So, 'The Strong and the Weak' Raven finally felt the other side of the stick. Well, who do I owe a drink to?"

"This is serious, Qrow," he said to him.

"That I already guessed, Old Man." Qrow finished his glass and refilled it. "Why are you here?"

"...We need your help."

"So you actually came to me? Must be desperate."

"They killed fifty seven of us, Qrow, and almost killed your sister!"

"Who made it very clear to me how much family ties matter."

"One girl, Qrow! It was ONE GIRL! That threw lightning around like it was a toy!"

"And what does this mean to me?"

"I can think of only one person someone like that could work for. She came looking for us!"

"Yeah, and just where did she find you when she came looking? Or did you think I had forgotten that you're a collection of thieves and murderers? And now you're here whining to me because someone's got your number. What did you think would happen, there isn't a single group in the world that isn't your enemy. The bounty that Atlas alone has put on Raven's head is just absurd!" Qrow slammed his glass down and finally faced him. The Old Man was exactly that, old. There was no trace of blue remained in his hair, and despite the effort to remain strong, time was trying hard to put a frailty to him. A few scars litter his cheeks and his nose had been broken a few times yet you could still see the handsome face beneath it. One completely unlike Qrow's own.

The Old Man had no answer for that one, Qrow had never approved of their raiding. Not that his silence didn't answer it anyway. "...That doesn't change who this one works for."

"You suspect she works for her," Qrow corrected, facing forward again. "You haven't actually said anything besides suspicion."

"Because I don't know...the only survivor was Raven herself." Qrow glanced to him at that. The tribe were experts at making a getaway when things got too hot for them. "And what I do know came from Raven's shouts and grumblings before she was put under to make it easier to mend her. She mentioned a hail of gunfire, flying robots, this smiling redheaded 'bitch', and lightning. And a metal arm."

Qrow blinked a moment before grabbing his scroll and opening it up to a picture sent to him by Goodwitch. A young girl with red hair and a metal arm. "Where and when did this happen?"

"Seventeen hour ago, near Shion outside of Mistral."

"Seventeen? Hmm. Maybe your story is a bit more believable than I thought. So, thanks for telling me, now what do you want me to do? Come back and help you fight her? Cause I'm not sure if you've noticed but I haven't been at the family reunion lately."

"...You don't even care that your sister almost died, do you?"

"Raven is my sister and I love her but she made her choice when she abandoned her daughter and family. There is nothing more to say. I'll keep an eye out and look into this girl, otherwise go away, Old Man." He didn't look to him when he got up and left but when he finished his glass, he used the rest of the bottle to refill his canteen. "Guess I'm not stopping for the night."

—oo000oo—

Rubbing his face as he walked into Ozpin's office, he groaned out, "Maybe I should've stopped and slept. Alright, I'm here, what's so important?"

"Qrow, I didn't expect you so soon," the headmaster of Beacon said to him.

"With how cryptic your message was, I had to come. Besides, I have news for you as well. So, who should go first?"

"You go first, it might just be good news."

"No, not really, more of just regular news. Someone put a bullet in my sister's lung and killed many of her bandits. Fifty of them about at around the same time you sent me that girl's picture. A girl with red hair and a metal arm if the Old Man is to be believed."

Ozpin sighed and took a drink from his cup before asking, "Where at?"

"Shion." Qrow noted that there was a pause from Ozpin before he continued.

"That settles it then, she really is teleporting around."

"That little girl in the picture you sent me?"

"Yes. Because yesterday with the exception of just eleven hours, she was in Vale."

"Okay, that doesn't mean much though."

"During those same hours, I believed she was the one hacked into the Atlas military mainframe, and recently she has been working for me in trying to smoke out the White Fang. I'm starting to wonder if Salem is using her to change tactics and get her close to me. Sacrificing Grimm to make her seem like she's saving villages, interfering with the rest of her agents, and I pull her right to my side."

"Oh."

"Qrow, is she the woman that attacked Autumn?"

Qrow frowned and grabbed his scroll to look at the picture again. "...Do you have a recording of her voice?"

Ozpin pressed some buttons on his desk and the holo-screen changed to show Gaige. "I'll make the little bird sing before I clip his wings."

"...No, that's not her. If she does work for Salem, she's not one I've encountered before."

Ozpin frowned but changed the image to show a circle with an arch in it. "Do you know what this is?"

"I've seen it once or twice but I'm not deep enough in the Oz-luminati to say what it is."

"This, Qrow, is the origin of all the great technological advancements of the last one hundred years. What it means exactly, we don't know, though I'm starting to get a suspicion, and the locations of such symbols are rare and tightly guarded. Those that do know what it is believe they are markers to something far greater yet from what we have been able to gleam from the sites alone led to the creation of the Knights and Paladins."

"Impressive."

"So why is such a tightly guarded secret on a young woman with no history what-so-ever beyond the last six weeks? Look at her belt buckle."

"...So, want me to bring her in?"

"No, not yet at least, just watch her. And be careful, along with the tribe, she's been clearing out a few White Fang bases with extreme prejudice." Qrow's scroll chimed as it received a file. "That's everything we have of her, every recording, interaction, and fact we know. Including weapons that we have seen. She probably has more though."

"Then I'll get started."

"Qrow..." The man looked to Ozpin to see just how serious his face was about what he had to say next. "That young woman is more brilliant than any I have met before and she has little problem with killing. Be careful, I don't believe that even your animal form will go unnoticed for long if you're out in the open."

"No problem, Oz, I got this."

—oo000oo—

Gaige sat on the stool, humming to herself as she slowly sipped her whiskey and enjoyed a meal. This late, no one else was in the Starlight Tavern but her and Leon, who was at the end of the bar, going over inventory. He looked up to an open window as a crow landed on it and looked inside. "Bah, go away."

Gaige looked over and smiled at the bird. "Leave him, crows are pretty cool, smart too. I once saw three crows get into a garbage bin when the lid was weighted down with cinder blocks. Two of them wedge their beaks under the lip and then lifted it up enough for the third one to get inside. Damnedest think I had ever seen. They even recognize the face of people they like and don't like."

"Huh, kinda figured you for a parrakeet kind of girl."

"Hah! As if I would ever like something that froufrou!"

"Says the girl with a tech upgrade she calls 'Potent as a Pony'."

"You don't understand my methods, Leon! ...Oh god, I'm turning into Tina." She up ended her glass and slammed it back down empty. Grabbing the bottle, she refilled her glass and emptied it again.

"Do I want to know?"

"Tina is...a mercenary from home, a lot like me, but where I like robots and lasers, she's into puppies that will love your face off and explosions." Gaige shook her head and poured more. She was about to drink it when she heard the crow caw at her from the next chair. "...Why not," she muttered, setting the glass on the counter to see what the bird would do. Surprisingly, it hopped to the glass, reach it's beak in, and began to drink some. "...Well, it looks like I found a drinking buddy."

—oo000oo—

Gaige had pulled her hood up and changed the color of her clothes. It wouldn't really be enough to hide who she was to someone that was paying the right kind of attention. But with her clothes being black with orange, demonic circles on it with her eyes glowing so profainly, the guy she was talking to could never recognize her after this.

"Where's Torchwick!?" Fist to the stomach. "Where is he!? You think I won't kill you," Gaige demanded before throwing the criminal down onto the road and driving a steel rebar through his calf. "Tell me where he is!" When all she got was screams and curses, she picked her bike up and set it over him, the rear tire pressing against his neck. And then she started it and revved the engine. "When I let off the break, that tire is tearing through you like a cheese grater!"

"Fuck you, I have rights!" Brrrrowww! "You can't do this!" BRRROWWW! "You crazy bitch!"The bike jerked back just a touch and the break on the rear tire was let starting it spinning. The man tried to pull away but couldn't move with the bike pinning him down. "Stop, STOP!" The bike jerked forward, he could feel the air move the hairs on his neck. "Last I heard he's at dock warehouse thirteen, was looking for some guys to kill someone!" The engine cut off and the bike was lifted up.

"You better turn yourself over to the police because if I don't find anything there, I'm coming for you and I will drop you in a pool of acid and watch you die." Gaige drove off, not bothering to free him from the rebar. A few moments later, a crow landed on the bar and gave a caw before flying after her.

—oo000oo—

"Hey Leon, give me the special and a Guiness," Gaige called, walking through the door and sitting down. Only for the crow to fly through the window again and land beside her. "Make that two specials and two glasses."

"You're gonna kill that bird," Leon told her, filling two glasses.

"If he wants to drink himself to death, who am I to stop him?"

"Normally I would agree but that's a crow."

"Tell me something, what doesn't have an aura?"

"Grimm."

"Because they don't have souls. That implies that anything with an aura has a soul, yes?"

"Of course."

"So we know this bird here has a soul, is intelligent enough to recognize people it likes and doesn't like by face, and only ever complains when I offer him water instead of alcohol. Doesn't that imply it is smart enough to make it's own choices?"

After a moment, Leon shook his head, barely able to understand that he is having this conversation. "Fine but I am cutting him off after one, I don't want him flying around and shitting on things."

"Fine, fine, what I don't get is why haven't you at least posted it on the web. A crow that flies into a tavern every day for a drink is sure to draw a crowd."

"Because I'm certain that it is going to drink itself to death. ...How about this, how the hell does a crow understand the difference between top shelf and bottom shelf booze?"

"A question for aged sages," Gaige replied. "Know anyone that might be interested in buying about twenty dust nodachi blades?"

"You come across... No, nevermind, probably better I don't know."

"Oh, it isn't bad. Took it from this bandit leader after I almost killed her. One more second and she would be a memory but...well, doesn't matter to much. I got her weapon though." She summoned it to her hands and set it on the counter. "Nice tool, isn't it?"

"...Yeah, it is," Leon said as he pulled it out of the scabbard before pushing it back. "Why do you want to sell it?"

"I don't want to sell it, just the blades. As nice as they are, dust breaks down far to fast for my taste. I can craft a series of blades that can be charged by crystals just as effectively as a blade made from it that is far more durable."

"That is...scary to think about. Why not replace the blade and scabbard?"

"Well..." Gaige glanced around and leaned forward. "The blades themselves won't need crystals. Not after the forging. A fire blade, a lightning, acidic, ice, what have you. I can make blades that will never need charging, will never break down, and only minor maintenance. But each blade will only have one element."

"I would say that is impossible but I keep getting the feeling more and more that you specialize in the impossible."

"Smart man."

"...I would say 'From Dust till Dawn' will take them off your hands or maybe you can try Beacon. They are always in need of dust."

"Thanks Leon. So, what's the tab to anyway?"

"Hmm. Two meals and Guiness, and the information, you're still ahead by five hundred lien at least."

Gaige nodded and glanced to the crow that was staring at the sword quite intently. "So, I guess we're gonna have to name him, huh? How about Steve? Or Poe?"

"Poe?"

"Poe it is," Gaige exclaimed, taking the offered glasses. "Don't drink it too fast, Poe, you'll get sick."

—oo000oo—

The bike sat on block with the rear tire spinning and a masked White Fang member was held in Gaige's hands. "Right now this whole scene is just PG-13 but if you don't tell me what I want to know, I'll turn it R real quick," Gaige warned, moving his face closer to the wheel. "You two, pay attention." She said that to two more restrained members. By now, they could hear the whine as the rubber just barely scraped the mask. She waited a moment longer to see if he would crack before shoving the hardcore member's face into the tire. Dropping the body to the side, she went to the next and pulled the second one up. Who used the chance to shove his shoulder into Gaige's stomach and tried to run away. A bullet from Greed turned him to ash. She had just turned around and began reaching for the last living member of this group when he spoke.

"I'll talk."

"Good." She set a map of Vale and Remnant before him and a pen. "Mark where you know there are White Fang bases." He quickly did so, even getting some outside of Vale. "Alright, I'll let you live and without crippling you even. Now, naturally, you can't tell your bosses that you told me about this, they'll kill you. Would they notice if you survived and went missing?"

"...Yes."

Gaige frowned at that and looked to the side as she considered what to do. "Well, why not? Gotta put that to use somehow. Get in the side car."

"What?"

"I said, get in the side car, now!"

—oo000oo—

"Now, you know what you are going to tell them," Gaige asked the kid.

"Tell them you tortured and killed the rest and left me alive as a message," he repeated back to her.

"And what did I do to make sure you could never hide who you are behind a mask again?"

The kid pulled his mask off and there was a scar outline of the mask on his face. "Made it so everyone can tell what I do."

"And what will happen to you if they ever see that scar is a fake?" His face paled as he considered that. "You are going to tell them you want out, after what you have seen, you don't want to be part of this anymore. Describe to them what I did if you have to. You want out. Make no mistake about that, you really, really do. Because if I see you with that mask again, I'll either kill you, or truly give you those scars. Understand?"

"Y-yes, ma'am."

"Run." Gaige turned around, collapsed the sidecar, and drove off. All under the watchful gaze of a crow.

—oo000oo—

"Hey Leon! Any word from Junior when he will be done?"

"The end of the week," he replied, busy with the tavern being full.

"Good to know," Gaige stated, checking the time, she gave the kid a day. Fourteen hours until she went there. "...I'm going out." She got up and headed for the door, hopped on her bike and drove away. Coming to a stop at her quick travel station, she looked over her map. Marking a ruins she had heard about, she activated the station for the closest point to. "...You stay here, Poe, this isn't going to be safe." She stepped through and quickly closed it before someone saw. Revving the engines, she headed for the ruins, unable to miss that Poe had followed her. Once she got there, she summoned Fix-it and Deathray. As they flew about, Gaige had the Bad Touch in hand, ready to shoot any Grimm that came her way. They were here, she just make them out at the corner of her eyes but they never came close. Possibly because of the guns but she had a reason to suspect that maybe it was the giant Vault symbol she was standing on.

"Hello, Eridian," a dark voice called from around her.

"...Nice guess but I'm no Eridian."

"But you wear their cursed symbols. An agent you may be but still Eridian."

"...It was a prison, and you came out of it," Gaige stated.

"So smart, little girl."

"Then I really have no reason to stick around."

"Oh, you would leave me to do as I please?"

"...Eh, probably not. I love thrilling heroics."

"Then come into my parlor, I trust you can find it."

"Oh yeah, that won't be a problem." Whatever it was speaking through vanished and with it the Grimm. She was still a moment before raising a hand to her ear. "...Axton, what's your ETA?"

"Just over a week, longer if you tell me to leave behind Tina."

"Bring her and step it up, things have just gotten more complicated."

"How bad?"

"Area isn't secure, can't go into detail but I'm going to need the extra guns. Sending you coordinates on where to land."

"Got it, be there in two days."

"Good, and Tina. Bring out your puppies."

"REALLY!?" shouted the excitable girl.

"Enrique, Jean, and every weapon you have."

"Oh, yeah, shorty, this is gonna be AWESOME!"

"See you two soon."

—oo000oo—

Back in the Tavern, Gaige sat at the bar when she got a call. "Gaige Crescent."

"Miss Crescent," Ozpin said to her.

"Ah, the wonderful wizard of Ozpin. So, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping you could come in and give a demonstration at the school."

"Oh, I get to play with the kiddies?"

"You're the same age they are. Regardless, yes, I would like you to come in some time soon."

"Hmm. The soonest I can come in will be in two days."

"Can't come in sooner?"

"Nope, I have a meeting with the Fangs in an hour. Oh, I guess I should warn you that there is going to be explosions shortly. And lightning. And lasers. And bullets. Just ignore the smell of overcooked flesh."

"Are you trying to disturb me?"

"Oh no, just reminding you just what you hired, though I don't know why I bother. After all, you have been having me watched," she said, looking at Poe with a grin.

"...I don't know what you are talking about."

"I'm looking at your spy right now. And am pointing my gun at his head." Greed was now on the counter, aimed at Poe. "I must admit, a bird was very nice and I didn't see it at first. But a crow that always pays attention and is always following me? Noobish move. So, I've been calling him Poe but you already know that."

"...Qrow, go ahead and show yourself."

"He can't hear you, Oz. So, his name is actually Qrow?" The bird gave up the pretense of being just a bird and transformed back into a person.

"Mind putting that popgun down?"

"Sure, Qrow, after all, you work for my employer. So, what do you think about what all you saw?"

"...I don't know, but you scare me, little girl."

That just made Gaige grin. "Good, now get lost. If I see you again, I will shoot you."

"Alright. Thanks for the drinks."

"Oh yeah, Ozpin, normal crows don't drink whiskey. See you in two days."

—oo000oo—

The train tunnel was dark, the power long since cut off, as Gaige moved down it. The kid said this was the big one. Whatever was down here was critical for what was coming up. Stopping when she saw the lights farther down so the echo wouldn't warn them, she walked forward. Coming up to a train, she watched it a moment before reached into a bag and began placing explosives on each car and the engine. Coming to the back of it, she pulled herself up and entered the last car. Seeing a crate, she opened it and found it filled with dust. "Shit." It was just one of three on this car but if it was filled, it would be a massive bomb. That can be driven right to the center of Vale. If she hadn't found this, the city itself might have been turned into a massive crater. 'No survivors this time. Everyone here knows exactly what is going to happen.'

Walking out of the car, she pulled out Greed and shot a worker in the head. Summoning Deathtrap, she said, "Kill them all." As Deathtrap flew forward, Gaige headed for the stairs. Three steps up, she hit the detonator and blew up the train. Between her explosives and the dust, it caused the tunnel to collapse. As she began hunting the other members down, she noticed Deathrap's heathbar suddenly take a hit. A big one for this planet. Turning around, she ran for where her bot was. Calling Fix-it to her side, she sent it to repair Deathtrap. "...Isn't that... Adam Taurus," she said as she began to smile. "Deathtrap, don't kill that one!" Deathtrap floated back and withdrew the digistruct claws he had formed. "Go kill the others," she ordered while replacing Greed for her Blasster.

She could see the scowl on the face of the ox faunus despite the mask. "You, you're the one responsible for the attacks on White Fang!"

"Ah, no, you are, Adam Taurus," Gaige countered. "Do you really think I would be here killing you shitheads if you didn't piss someone off enough to hire me to do so? The truth is, Taurus, you are beneath my personal notice. I have far bigger concerns than an angry, little boy with a thing for dangerous toys."

"Is that what I am?"

"Well, to me, you certainly not a threat. Tell you what though, if you tell me where Roman Torchwich is, I'll just remove your right arm and left leg, instead of those and the horns on your head."

"What did that human do to now," he growled.

"Ah, so he is the one supplying you with dust. Taurus, you only have until I remove both to tell me before I won't accept your surrender," she warned him before she began shooting. If just to herself, Gaige had to admit it was kinda cool to see him slash with his sword and cutting the bullet in half. Too bad for him she was using an e-tech which meant that the bullet wasn't just charged with lightning, it was lightning. So the lightning hit him, then came the fire. And the rest of the burst she fired at him. And yet, despite the damage she could see it was doing to his aura, he didn't lose his stance. Whoever had trained this boy should be proud in his skill, if not what he does with it. Adam sheathed his sword and charged her, his sword shooting out and striking her in the head. The hit actually bit into her shield a fair ways. Too bad it didn't disorient her or knock her off balance. Her robotic arm caught the blade before he did and threw it back behind her, driving it into the concrete wall. "I'm sorry, did you actually think that was a good idea!? Its a fucking sword, not a damned bullet!"

"Shut up," he snarled, bringing his scabbard around and aiming it at her, revealing the double barrels on the bottom. Though he fired, it didn't bother her either. Instead, Gaige met him, slamming her arm into his chest and bringing her rifle up and swinging the bayonet for his neck. Adam leaned back while reaching a hand to her waist and snapped up the Greed. He somersaulted and landed in a crouch, aiming the revolver at her with one hand. Just for giggles, she didn't deactivate it. BANG! "FUCK!" Though the bullet hit her, any actual damage to her shields would have taken otherwise was healed by the lightning and it was worth it to see him cradling his broken wrist.

Gaige was on him in an instant, driving her knee into his face, shattering his mask, revealing a brand from the Schnee Dust Company over his left eye. She saw him bring his shotgun scabbard up and grabbed it with her cybernetic arm, pushing down to hit him again in the face, this time breaking his nose. Activating her grenade, she just gripped his face and let it hit him.

"GRAAAAGH!" She let go of him, dropped him to the ground, and shook her head. Somehow, he still had aura left.

As he struggled to get up, she said, "How can you still fight? Why, for that matter."

"I will never be defeated by a disgusting human like you," he somehow got out. Gaige shrugged as she picked the Greed back up, pressed it to the back of his left knee and fired, removing half his leg. "FUUAAAHHH!" Gaige grabbed his arm and raised it while turning it. "N-No, not my Aagh-haa!" He gripped his arm and began to curl in on himself. But it didn't keep his personality down long. "Does this make you feel powerful, torturing a faunus?"

Gaige blinked as she grabbed his scabbard and knelt before him. "You don't remember."

"Remember what," he demanded.

"Robert Bright. A year ago, you, not someone else, you cut off the right arm and left leg of a human boy. He's been fitted with temporary prosthetics but his family can't afford some of the more advance ones that will adjust themselves as he grows." Gaige reached out, gripped a horn, and broke it off. "Amy Fenrus. Best friend of Robert Bright and wolf faunus girl. She 'protested' you cutting off Robert's arm and leg. You then cut off her left ear, calling her a traitor to her species. Despite that two nine year old children have no sense of hatred inside them, you did this." She grabbed the other horn and broke it too, no caring that they now bled. Gaige watched him a moment before summoning Deathray. "Help Deathtrap hunt down the rest of the White Fang members. No survivors." Gaige walked over to the sword and pulled it out, gave it a quick once over before sheathing it and storing it away. "I have a pretty good idea about what was to happen here so how about I run it by you," she stated as she walked back. "For whatever reason, you and Roman Torchwich are working together, he is supplying you with Dust that you then bring here. You load it up on the train and then send it into the heart of Vale. If that train is completely filled then it will easily destroy the City-State of Vale, the ultimate statement for the White Fang. How does that sound, hmm?" Gaige walked back before him and crouched down.

"Hmm. No, its missing something, what is it? Oh, right, your touch." He began to scowl at her even harder than before. "It isn't enough for you just to kill your enemy, you like to see them suffer first. To make up for the pain they have put faunus through. Or for the betrayal they have done to their people. So, what else could you do that would almost completely guaranty the destruction of Vale while at the same time make its people wallow in hopelessness and horror before they die? ...Maybe put the hordes of grimm in this area right inside the city where they aren't prepared?" She smiled when Taurus snarled. "Yeah, that does sound like you. And the Faunus caught in it, blood traitors and necessary sacrifices. Want to know how I know all this? Because, the truth is you are nothing new. There has always been men like you, there will always be men like you. And I make my living killing monsters like you. Now, I have told my employer that I will make you talk before you die and I intend to do just that but die you will, Taurus. And you will beg before I let your suffering end." Pulling him up, Gaige grabbed his broken mask and horns as well. "I know just how to inform the world you are done, too."

—oo000oo—

"And so, it was then that the military of Mantle rebelled and formed Atlas ," Doctor Oobleck told his class, speaking of how a kingdom became a military state. "This led to..."

Suddenly the screen activated and all the scrolls in the room received a ping. Almost as one, the students activated them and saw the image of a broken, white and red White Fang mask. "There is a criminal of the worse sorts walking this world. He is responsible of the Schnee Transit Incident, where seventy three men and women, human and faunus lost their lives. The explosion at Kikowani Station, which ended one hundred and twenty one lives. The destruction of the Grand Rapids Power relay, ultimately costing the lives of four hundred and eleven people." A horn fell to the ground by the mask, then another. "He gave the authorization for the kidnapping of human children and then giving them over to a child killer. Some of you may have already guess his name. Adam Taurus." The camera panned up and focused the man, hanging by his remaining leg, his destroyed arm in sight, and blood dripping from his horns and broken nose, the SDC brand on full display. "Make no mistake, I did this to Taurus because he has been killing people and maiming others I don't give a damn who he kills or why he kills, just that he kills. So this message goes out to his victims. Justice will be served. And to the White Fang, I'm coming for the rest of you." The screen went blank except for a red anarchy symbol.

In class, two students were more effected than others. Wiess Schnee who was grateful that the murderer of her friends was finally captured and would pay, though disturbed to see that on his face, and Blake Belladonna, who was in both shock and horror, wondering if she had caused this.

—oo000oo—

"How far did it reach," James Ironwood demanded as he entered the Information Control Center.

"Everywhere," an operator replied. "We're getting reports from every corner that they received the hack. The entire world knows that someone took down Taurus."

"Where did it come from?"

"It was sent out from all four of the CCTs at the same instant. No one is that good to do it remotely."

"Except that hacker," another tech stated.

"I told you before, no human could be that fast, it had to be a machine!"

"Someone get me answers," Ironwood nearly shouted. "Who, where, why, I want to know in a half hour." Hearing the phone ring and knowing only one group had this number, he picked it up. "Council."

"Who did it?"

"I am cracking that whip on every agent I have, when I know, you will know. Coordination has also begun between me and other select individuals around the world. Headmaster Ozpin being one of them."

"What do you know?"

"They work almost faster than humanly possibly, and did so remotely while hacking into the CCTs all at once. There are those that believe that a machine is what is actually doing it."

"...What about PEn3, can it be of use?"

"Unknown, PEn3 was not designed with this in mind, I will question the doctor immediately about whether or not it can." When he heard nothing else, he hung up and went to see the doctor and Penny without wasting a moment.

—oo000oo—

"So you really took him down alone?"

"Sure did," Gaige stated, blowing on some noodles before lifting them to her mouth and eating them. "I'll never get enough of the food off Pandora," she said as she chewed her soba soup.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," the person on the other side of the line stated. "So what were they planning?"

"Oh you know, blowing up a train to either destroy Vale or let the grimm in to do it instead. Same result, just take longer. Mmm, I forgot how good chicken was. What about you, Penny, what's your favorite food?"

"Oh, my sense of taste is still only twenty percent that of a humans and my digestive system isn't as efficient so I am still relying on a dust generator."

"Hmm, maybe have your grandfather Gepeto send me some schematics, I'll see what I can do." Grrr. "Deathtrap hopes to meet you in person soon."

"And I hope to meet him soon too! Oh, Grandfather says thank you for your thoughts on synthetic flesh coating, he never thought of something so simple."

"What can I say, I'm a woman of science and kicka-ah-ha, well, an amazing woman of science."

"That you are, Gaige! And I, oh, the General is coming this way, from his steps he is probably very agitated, quite possibly from your message. I should go."

"Bye Penny, talk to you soon." Gaige took her shoes off the desk and walked outside, looking at Taurus, still hanging there out over the ocean. A man fully hydrated will take eleven days about to die. Taurus lost a lot of blood so he might not live that long. So at about half that, she will take him down and start the information gathering. Seeing a call coming, she activated it, "Gaige."

"Ozpin."

"Ah, headmaster, so unusual to hear from you so quickly. I imagine this has something to do with the message sent out recently."

"Actually, it does. Would that happen to have been you?"

"Hmm. Headmaster, I would have to assume that the hacking necessary to do that would be highly illegal. So even if I had been the one to do that, I would never actually admit to it. And you know that just as you knew that I would say that very thing. Now, I have somewhere to be and something to do, is there anything else you wanted?"

"No and you are correct in that I was expecting you to say no. May I ask where you are?"

"In a private workshop building something at the moment. A workshop that I want to remain private."

"May I ask what you are building?"

"No, you may not. Oz, I'm sensing a lot of distrust here, is there a problem?"

"I apologize, some strange things has been happening lately and I am merely wondering if you are the source of it or if there is something I haven't accounted for."

"Bye, Headmaster." Gaige hung up, not waiting for a confirmation. A distrusting employer, a monster loose from a Vault, and an asshole she still needed to interrogate. A sigh, she looked at the computer monitor to see if the programming had finish downloading. Noting that it was, she picked up both pieces of equipment and set them in a heavy weapon's case before going to the Fast Travel console. Selecting Vale, she reappeared there and began to summon her bike. It was only chance that she saw the glint. Walking over to it, Gaige found a camera and sighed. She tried to hack into it but found it on a closed circuit. "Not bad, Headmaster, not bad." Grabbing it, she interfaced with it directly and began looping the footage from now on to show it not being used. She unfortunately couldn't synch it with the other cameras without someone noticing so that meant that her adjustment would likely be discovered in a few days. Course by then, Axton and Tina would be here. "I really hate it when I have to kill my employers. He seems like such a nice guy too." Well, she could at least give him the courtesy of letting him make the first move.

Summoning her bike, she began driving to her destination. It was only ten minutes into the drive that she noticed she was being followed. By a Bullhead no less, had to say she was impressed with how much Ozpin wants that information. Well, she knew how to deal with that. Turning off the road she was on, she headed for the nearest dive. Parking where the Bullhead couldn't see the bike, she cut the engine but left the keys in the ignition before heading in. "Whiskey," she said to the barkeep, "or whatever passes for it. Just a shot, I've got more driving to do today." Nursing that for twenty minutes, she didn't bother listening for her bike. Once she was done with the drink, she went to the bathroom. Taking off her cap, she put her hair back into her normal pigtails before frowning. Not enough. A grin came up as she locked the door and she activated a different application of her ECHO. Her clothes changed from her school uniform to the navy blue, pinstripe suit she had gotten from Goodwitch's tailor. Neatly combing the right side of her hair, she left the left a bit wild before putting on a pair of glasses. Picking the weapon case back up, she left the dive and walked away. Suddenly pausing a block later, she set the case on the ground and pulled out Greed, making a show of checking if it was loaded. The would be muggers quickly got the hint and stopped following her.

Once again on the main road, she walked down it while watching for a taxi until she passed a vehicle dealer. "...What am I going to do with the money anyways," she muttered, heading inside. She saw a man turn to her and put on a smile that did not in anyway make her skin crawl.

"Hello ma'am, I'm Sean Marquise, how can I help you today?"

"Yes, I'm in the market of a new vehicle. My current one is drawing the kind of attention I don't want right now."

"Well, I assure you ma'am, one of our Presidium made Furies is sure to make you stand out in the right way," he said, motioning over to side. Yup, skin not crawling with this guy.

"Yes, yes, except I have seen three Furies at the coffee shop alone just this morning. I want something that is looks powerful, unique." Something that is so impossible to miss that no one would consider it was her. As the man was suggesting something, Gaige spotted someone she recognized from Junior's bar and who recognized her in return pointing at something out of sight.

"Naturally then you will want the new..." He watched her walk away before quickly catching up to her. "Ma'am, as I was saying..."

"Why didn't you mention this," Gaige accused.

"I was about to..."

"You were going to mention the Premier you have in the warehouse," Gaige corrected him as she ran her flesh fingers along a 'bike'. It was a triple propeller hoverbike, white with blue highlights, made by the new Lergo company.

"...You caught me, ma'am," he admitted. "With your suit, I had just assumed."

"Save yourself some trouble, don't assume you know what I want."

"Yes. This is the Lergo Enforcer, the latest in sports-luxury bike. Hover so there is no resistance with the ground, it can drive anywhere, even over water with the max speed of three hundred and twenty seven miles an hour. When you dedicate the power supply to it, you'll be able to climb twenty feet in the air. And while standard configuration is a Y-frame for the propellers, it will automatically detect when coming to a pass too narrow and adjust it so one is in front while the other is underneath the seat. On a moderate windy day, it can go six hundred miles without refilling the tank and..."

"Keys," Gaige demanded.

"I'm sorry but its our policy that you can't start up the vehicles. Hey!" The other guy threw the keyfob to her and she climbed on. Activating it, she revved the engine and rose into the air as the stands melded into the frame. Going into a spin, she leaned this way and that to get a good feel for it. "Land the bike, land the bike! Land the bike and turn it off! WILL YOU PLEASE LAND THE," Gaige landed and shut it off, "FUCKING BIKE!" As nothing was covering up his voice, he echoed through the building.

"Of course, you did say please," Gaige said as she started standing.

"Please, leave," the dealer said while the manager came over to investigate and was handed a card reader from the second dealer.

"No," Gaige replied, patting the Enforcer. "I want this."

"Well unless you intend to live on it, I don't think that will be possible, it cost..."

"Two hundred and eighty thousand lien," Gaige interrupted while holding her card out for the manager. "Please, tell mister Marquise here how much is on this card alone." The man took it and ran it through the reader. When the number came up, Marquise made a pained moan while the other dealer just grinned. "Like I said, I want the Enforcer, this one. James, how's your brother Jerry? Girlfriend still mad at him?"

"He's good, he appreciates the suggestion you gave him. Frankly, I think they're going to get married soon."

"Good to hear. James gets the commission," she ordered. "Marquise, get started on the paperwork. I want to be out of here in ten minutes. I'm late enough for an important meeting." The look Marquise gave between her and James was one of complete agony before nearly running away. "Mister...Greenwood," she said, looking to the manager.

"Yes, ma'am, is there anything else we can do for you?"

"At this time no, just wanted to say that Marquise needs to ease off that smile of his, especially when he is being an ass. I nearly took my business elsewhere. From now on, whenever I come in, James is my agent, is that understood."

"Yes, ma'am, it will happen."

"Good." She checked her watch and said, "Eight minutes left, do you think he'll make it?"

"I do," James said before heading back to his office.

Sure enough, Marquise came out with the paperwork and had her sign it with just under a minute to spare. "I, uh, apologize for my behavior, ma'am."

"...Apology accepted," she said, holding a card at for the reader once more. "I commission for service but tip for speed and accuracy. A thousand lien tip for being fast. And watch yourself, Marquise, you never really know who will come in through those doors." Taking back the card, she turned for the open door and drove off.

—oo000oo—

Pulling up to an apartment close to the city wall, Gaige entered the building and headed up to the fourth floor. Knocking on the third door, she waited patiently for someone to answer. "Hello, Mrs. Bright?"

"Yes, can I help you," a woman in her mid thirties said.

"Yes, my name is Gaige Crescent, my card," she said as she pulled out a business card she had made just for this. "I represent an anonymous entrepreneur in the development of new medical technologies. I was hoping to speak with you, your husband, and your son about a new series of prosthesis."

"I'm sorry but we don't have the money for those."

"I am aware of this, Mrs. Bright, but this is happening in conjunction with a Sato Industries donation. I assume you have heard about his recent interest in groups that help people?"

"I have..." The woman tried to say more but ended up just nodding. "Please come in, it'll be a few minutes though. My husband is at work and my son is playing with a friend of his. The two of them are quite ecstatic."

"Yes, from what I understand there was some good news on the news today. The man that injured your son was captured by the law?"

"I don't know," Mrs. Bright told her, leading Gaige to the den. "They haven't told us anything about it though."

"Well, they may be trying to keep it tight-lipped if this victory was achieved by infiltration. Especially if the agent is still undercover."

"I hadn't considered that. Would you like some tea or coffee?"

"Coffee, please, with a spoon of coco mixed in if you would."

"Of course. Just let me make a quick call and... Yes, Anise, its Jessica. Can you send Robert home? Maybe you and Amy should come too. No, no, nothing bad, its...help, someone is finally helping. See you soon."

—oo000oo—

Taking a drink of her coffee, Gaige looked to the door and smiled at the knock before a boy limped into the home. "Mom, why did I have to..." He took one look at her and went quiet, quickly hiding his arm behind his back. "Uh, hello."

"Hi," Gaige said happily, setting the cup down and motioning across from her.

"Come here, Robert," Jessica said to him, getting the boy to sit down next to her.

"I'm Gaige," she said, holding out her left arm instead of her right. Partly so he wouldn't have to reach with his fake but mostly to show off her own arm.

"You have a prosthetic too?"

"Yeah," Gaige replied with a big smile and finally getting him to shake hands with her.

"Did a mean man cut yours off too?"

"No, nothing like that, this happened because of hyperactivity and power tools. But at least I got a cool robot arm out of it."

"...I don't like mine," he said, looking down.

"Well, that's because you don't have a good one." She looked over and saw Anise and Amy. "Hello, I trust things are going well today?"

"Yes they are, Miss Gaige," Amy said, finally sitting down next to her mother. "But why are we here?"

"Amy," her mother chastised.

"Now, now, its alright," Gaige said, channeling her father right then. "Actually, I appreciate the bluntness, so let's get right to the point, shall we?" Grabbing the weapon case, she moved her coffee to the side and set the case on the table. Opening it, she turned it to them and showed them a robotic arm and leg along with three needles filled with a red liquid. "These are why we are here. Robert, these are your new arm and leg if you want them."

"...I want my old arm and leg back," he muttered, pulling in on himself.

"Hun, we talked about this," Jessica told him.

"Well, how about you hear me out first," Gaige offered. "First off, these limbs have a micro thermal-generator build into them. They will never need fuel to work because they will run off your body heat. Mine does the same. Secondly, these will attach directly to your nerves, so they will work just like your old arm and leg did, except once you are adjusted to them, you'll be able to break bricks with them."

"...That's kinda cool," Robert admitted.

"Oh, very, especially once the repulsor cannon is installed in the hand but that will come later. Lastly, these will never need replaced nor trips to a mechanic to fix."

"How is that possible," Anise asked.

"These were made to be a near exact copy of a humanoid's limbs, ma'am. As Robert grows, it will take iron he digest and use it to repair and grow just like his flesh arm will do the same with proteins and calcium. He will of course need to eat more iron than he already does but I believe that is a small price over all. Should large damage happen though, there is a port in the 'deltoid' of the arm, here, and the calf of the leg, here, that you can put raw iron or steel to repair it within hours."

"What's that," Amy asked, pointing to the red needle.

"That? Well, there is a long, boring technical name for it but I just call it an insta-health. It causes cells to immediately start osmosis and... It heals wound, cuts, even mend bones and replaces flesh in minutes."

"Couldn't that give me back my arm and leg," Robert asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid not, its been too long for a wound that involves bones," Gaige told him. "I put it in the kit just in case attaching these hurts."

"Why haven't I heard of this before," Jessica asked, worriedly.

"Because its new and is still in review with the council," Gaige replied with a frown. "They know what it does and how but they'll probably still spend years debating releasing it to the public unless..." She rubbed her fingers together and the mothers nodded, getting the hint. Bribes. "Well, regardless, it works fine... But just to show you," she rolled up her right sleeve and went to the sink. "Um, sorry if this disturbs you," she said before cutting her arm real quick. Taking the third needle, she injected it in her arm and showed them the wound sealing instantly.

"Wow," Amy and Robert both said.

"Yeah, it will make medikits outdated," Gaige told them. "Fortunately, I doubt we'll need both if Robert agrees."

"...I'm sorry, but is this by chance an experiment?"

"Oh no ma'am," Gaige told Mrs. Bright. "If you tell me to leave or Robert agrees, you'll never have to hear from us again. As I said, these limbs are meant to be as lifelike and maintenance free as possible. Which can't be done with the owner being poked and prodded for the next five, ten years. Those trials are complete."

Jessica nodded and closed her eyes, relief covering her face. Gaige could see how worried she was about her son being a cyborg and having to deal with maintenance and repair for the rest of his life. It didn't take a genius to tell that they could barely afford it as is. "What would you like to do, honey?"

Robert looked it over before down to his own arm. "...Alright," he almost whispered.

"Do we need to go to a hospital?"

"Oh no, this can be done right here. Just have Robert change into shorts and a T shirt and it'll be done in a minute after we remove the old limbs."

—oo000oo—

Robert winced as the limbs dug into his body by themselves but was surprised it didn't hurt as much as he feared. Yet Gaige still gave him the stim to help. "Okay and done. Robert, can you please raise both arms. ...Okay, now touch each finger to your thumbs...good. Now your feet. Move them left and right... Now wiggle your toes... Okay, it looks like you're good to go. Just spend some time practicing with them like you did before and you'll get used to them in no time. Bro-robo-fist," she said, holding out her metal hand for a fist bump.

Robert did and looked down, a bit surprised. "I felt that."

"Yes, we try our best to make it as lifelike as possible. I hope you'll be running around like you did before very soon." Gaige stood up and headed for the table. Picking up her coffee, she finished it.

"I can't thank you enough," Jessica said to her.

"It was nothing, truly. Just one person helping another."

"You... Still, thank you."

Gaige set the mug down and reach for the case. "Miss Crescent," Anise Fenrus stopped her. "When you said the insta-health could heal flesh wounds, could it heal old ones?" Gaige looked to her and set the final syringe on the table before closing the case and nodding.

"Re-open the wound and it will get everything else straight. Have a good day, all of you," Gaige said before going to the door. "Now you just have to figure out if I was serious or not about that repulsor cannon," she left with the joke, getting a smile from the grateful mothers. There wasn't one but now that she thought of it, it didn't sound like a bad idea. "Maybe I should make one for myself," she muttered, holding up her metal hand to look at it, just picturing her shooting lasers from the palm of her hand.

—oo000oo—

Author's Notes: See you Space Cowboy