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.

6. Who are you People

Or 'WTF!?'

—oo000oo—

For the third time, Roman Torchwick and his assistant Neo arrived at the designated meeting point and no one was there to meet them. "...I'll kill them. I'll kill them and mount whatever animal part they have on my wall."

"Keep it down," a gruff voice said from the side. Walking over, Neo grabbed the person and dragged them into the light. It was a dog tailed faunus but without a mask. "They might hear you."

"Who might hear me?"

"The woman hunting down the White Fang," the faunus stated.

"You're not who I was suppose to meet. Who are you and where is Taurus?"

"Call me Rover for all I care right now. As for Taurus, he's dead or soon will be. I'm guessing that you didn't see the big reveal, Adam Taurus hornless, missing an arm and a leg."

Torchwick turned to the side and cursed. "Who did it?"

"Don't know, got a vague description but in the last few days its changed. Early word of mouth puts it a woman with a big ass gun and demonic eyes. Sometimes she has a metal arm. Now, if it isn't her, its a guy with even more guns that form out of nowhere or a girl that commands Grimm. No recordings, only terror filled rantings from those that ran. All I know for sure is that everyone that stood against them is dead. Oh, and a message, throw away the mask and never put it on again, or I'll kill you and I'll know if you do. That's the thing, every time someone says that."

Torchwich rolled his eyes and said, "So where's the rest of the Fang?"

Rover shook his head, looked to Neo, and said, "Did he not hear a word I said? They are dead. All of them. And those that aren't dead are too afraid to even leave what house they are hiding in. There are no more White Fang in Vale. They've hit every base, even Glenn. It's over, here."

"...I have five Atlas Paladins, what the fuck am I going to do with them!?"

"You've already been paid, just sell them again."

"Sell five stolen mechs? Who the fuck is going to buy it!?"

"The White Fang isn't in the position to take them. Sell them, scrap them, throw them away, I don't care." Rover turned around and walked away. "But once you have, get out of sight. Whoever this person is, they have no problem killing anyone."

"...Just go," Torchwick dismissed. "Damn animals can't do anything right." If Rover heard, he didn't care. Taking out his scroll, Roman raised it to his ear and called someone. "Cinder, we have a problem. ...Don't get mad at me, those animals are the ones that couldn't handle a mercenary hired to kill them! ...Yeah, all them. No one can take the paladins. I'll get rid of them somehow but I just found out that Glenn was hit too. That part of the plan is a bust. Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of it." He hung up and said, "Neo, we need to find some new buyers or some place to drop them off without notice."

Neo typed on her scroll and held it up to read, 'Junior?'

"Yeah."

—oo000oo—

Gaige got a notice and thought of just ignoring it but connected anyway. It was the phone of the woman the doctor talked to, Cinder she had since learned her name was. "Hello?"

"Cinder, we have a problem," came from the other side of the phone and Gaige instantly perked up, holding up a hand to stall whatever Goodwitch was telling and or commanding of her before putting the conversation on the speakers for Goodwitch and the Wizard to hear.

"What the hell did you do now?"

"Don't get mad at me, those animals are the ones that couldn't handle a mercenary hired to kill them!"

The woman paused before saying, "They're dead?"

"Yeah, all of them. No one can take the paladins." Gaige activated a monitor and began searching for those, quickly coming up with the new Atlas weapon. "I'll get rid of them somehow but I just found out that Glenn was hit too. That part of the plan is a bust."

"Damn it! Do something with those worthless machines and wait for my call!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take care of it," Roman Torchwick said before ending the call.

Gaige was smiling by now, Atlas Paladins wouldn't be an easy thing to get rid of, even with an ocean nearby. Too much chance of someone stumbling upon it. Best thing to do is either sell them or find some deep, dark hole that when something is put inside it is never found. Depending on what all Torchwick has done, he might not know of the second. Which means information. "Yeah, Oz, I got work to do, talk to you later. Go tell the Iron Woodsman that we'll have his bullet ridden robots soon. Axton, Tina, I think its time I introduce you to a new friend."

"Sounds fun, hope he has something to drink," Axton said as he stood.

"Think he'll play Bunkers and Badasses," Tina asked as she hopped up and ran for the elevator.

"Maybe, Junior is kinda cool like that," Gaige stated. "Besides, I need to reclaim my stool anyway."

Ozpin watched the three leave and eventually went, "Hmm. I can't remember the last time anyone considered me more or less irrelevant."

"That woman is infuriating," Goodwitch growled while twisting her riding crop.

"Yes, but effective."

—oo000oo—

As Jerry was with his girlfriend today, Junior was behind the counter of his newly renovated club. Things were looking good. He sent information to Red about bounties, she sent him not just money but a shitload of money. Nothing could go wrong.

"Junior!"

Except for Torchwick coming up and sitting down right on Red's stool. "Roman..." He looked around and shook his head. "My guys aren't working for you anymore. Someone with a lot of guns wants you dead."

"Yeah, I noticed," Roman grumbled, rubbing his leg where he could still feel where the bullet shot through him. "Look, I got something...exotic recently and I need to find someone to unload it on."

"Good exotic or bad."

"Depends on which end you see it from," he replied.

Junior nodded, some kind of weapon. "I might know of some people that would want something like that but...you shouldn't be here."

"Don't give me that cr..."

"No," Junior interrupted. "I just got the place cleaned up and you come in with a mark on your head. I don't think you've noticed the kind of things the person after you does." Where Torchwick couldn't see, he motioned to the twins.

"Everyone is overreacting about this one girl," Torchwick nearly shouted. "She didn't get me last time, she won't get me this time!"

Suddenly, Miltia Malachite sat to his right. "Brave, this one," she said, motioning for a drink.

"Especially when word has it he only got away because of help," Melanie finished as she sat the other side. "We've met Red, she's scary."

"Nearly made Junior soil himself," Miltia said while taking the drink she was handed and put it in front of Torchwick. "A drink for the condemned."

"Ha ha, she's not that tough."

Junior shrugged, "If you say so. ...Oh, Red, you already heard Roman was here." Torchwick jerked around, fumbling with his cane to find no one there. "Not scared, huh?"

"It is to laugh."

"Roman, she threatened me with a magazine fed rocket launcher," Junior said seriously. "Get out and I will send you the information on your scroll. Double normal price because of the trouble you are anymore."

"Do you think this is..."

"I have Red on speed dial, I can have her here in a moment. Melanie, would you be so kind as to clear the club?" Since it wasn't noon yet, that would be easy.

"I'm not forgetting this, Junior," Torchwick said with a scowl.

"I don't think it matters. Now either pay me or get lost." Reluctantly, Torchwick slid a card over. Picking it up, Junior looked it over before setting it on a cutting board, picked up a knife, and stabbed into a corner. The whole thing shattered. "Ah, Neopalitan, how have you been?"

The young lady appeared and sat down on a stool, putting a scroll on the counter. Quite good, Junior, though I must be getting predictable.

"Not really, I just know Torchwick. Speaking of, I'm going to give you a bit of advice for free. Torchwick's time is up. The girl that wants him, I have more faith that she will kill him than the other way around and she isn't the type to fall for illusions. More the type of killing you for associating with him. Roman, get out. I'm not going to have my club shot up because of you."

"Not without the information," he replied.

"Fine," Junior quickly replied, sending the names of those he heard were looking for heavy weapons to his scroll. "Now leave. If you're still alive once this is settled, you can come back but until then, don't."

With grumbling on Roman's parts, the two left and the three continued to wait there. After a few minutes, Junior stuck his hand out where Roman had been to make sure they were actually gone. Grabbing his scroll, he made a call. "...Hey Red."

"Junior, I'm actually on my way to see you."

"So you already heard that Roman had just stopped in."

"...I must be getting predictable."

"No, I just know you're a fucking genius is all. I put a certain tracking bug you gave me on Roman's scroll. He's all yours. I'd tell you he has some sort of exotic weapon but I have no doubt you not only know that but what type too."

"I will not dignify that last part with a response but how did you remove that bug from my datachip."

"Haven't you figured it out yet? I'm a regular genius." Hearing laughter from the other end, he began to smile a little.

"I'll send you your cut once I have it."

"Three hundred thousand."

"Four hundred, you deserve a tip." With that, Gaige hung up.

"...I love working with bounty hunters,"he said once more.

—oo000oo—

Torchwick checked his pockets once more, still certain that something had been slipped off him or put on and yet he once more found nothing. Problem? Neo asked.

"Junior never gives a freebie if he can help it and he is rarely wrong. And I'm starting to get an itchy feeling on the back of my neck, something isn't right."

He was right too, on the roof of a building down the street, Axton stood wearing goggles connected to his shoulder mounted camera. "I got him, kiddo," he said into his radio. "He's walking down the street now with some short girl with two colored hair. Reminds me of Neapolitan ice-cream, looks like a classy, young lady."

"Yeah, we see them," Tina replied from the alley behind the two. "Want me to sic Enrique and Jean on them?"

"No, not yet," Gaige ordered. "We need them to get to the robots first, then you can feed Torchwick to the hounds. Save his head, I need that for identification. If the girl runs, let her. No one wants her head. Launching drone to keep track of them." Deathray flew into the air and began following them. While he did, Gaige kept looking through the scope of the Cobra, centered right on his jugular. "Think I should give him a bit of a scare?"

"Better not, last thing we want is to have him know that Junior sold him out," Axton replied. "He doesn't know until he is already dead. I learned that the hard way one time, shock and awe is always better. Looks hella cool too. Just one question, alive?"

"Depends on the situation but for the most part, no, this one had his chance when we met. The first clear shot after we find the Paladins, his head comes off."

"Sweet," Tina said, riding out of the alley and driving down the road.

—oo000oo—

Coming to the warehouse, Roman grabbed his scroll and began making some calls. "Hello?"

"Yes, am I correct in understanding that this is the scroll of a... Raven Branwen?"

"Who is this?"

"I'm a supplier, in this case, a weapons supplier."

"We have weapons."

"Not like these. I'll be activating my camera for a moment." Roman did and turned his scroll to the Paladins.

"...Do they work?"

"Neo, would you be so kind?" Neo saluted, climbed into one, and began working the controls. It took a few steps forward and moved the arms. "Satisfied that I mean business?"

"Yes I am. Where are you?"

"Currently, I am in Vale but I can move them to other locations. Now, let's talk about a price."

"Let's not," a new voice put it as a third image appeared. "Hey Torchwick," Gaige said with a smile. "And the bandit lady! How's your raider clan taking that defeat?"

"You little bitch! When I find you, I'm going to rip your spine out!

"I'm sure you will, pardon me one second." Gaige raised the Cobra up to look through the scope. "Sorry, Torchwick, I'm going to be paid a lot of lien to return those mechs. Then of course there is the price on your head itself. Tell you what though, I will give you this last chance to surrender and just go to prison for the rest of your life. I'll give you five seconds to make your decision."

"You're not fooling me, Red."

"Four." Roman crossed his arm and waited. "...Zero."

—oo000oo—

Raven jerked back as she saw the rifle in the girl's hand buck and blood cover Torchwick's scroll. "...I'm a little disappointed," Gaige stated. "I thought for sure this would be a long, drawn out fight. Oh well. Now, about you, Raven, was it?"

"I'm going to kill you, for what you did to me and my clan."

"The strong live and the weak die," Gaige quoted again. "I'm going to kill you and your entire clan. And not for the money, I just hate raiders like you. Killing you won't be my business, it'll be my pleasure." Gaige stood up and dropped down from the roof through the window she aimed through, switching out the Cobra for the Badaboom in case the pilot thought of doing something stupid. "Come on in guys. You, step out of the mech."

A pair of hands extended out of the Paladin and Neo climbed out as two more people came into view. "What should we do with her," the guy asked.

"Gaige said if she runs, she runs," the little girl replied.

Gaige walked to her and said, "Its your lucky day. No one wants your head and I have no order from Mister Wizard to collect you for him... Though if you ever need a job, here's my card." Neo took it and looked to Roman and then back to her. "Killing Torchwick was just business. And he shot at me so there is that too, I suppose. But really, it's business." Gaige turned around, walked to Roman, put the end of her shoe on his scroll and grabbed his cane. Raising the end up, she waited until the Neo behind her shattered like glass and another appeared before her, the cane tip now under her chin. "Those are skills I can use, I promise, there is a lot of money in working with us." Neo was still a moment before grabbing the card where it fell. "I'll take that as you'll think about it." Neo nodded and vanished. Looking at Raven, Gaige smiled again. "Bye Raven, I'll be seeing you soon." Click.

—oo000oo—

"What do you think,"Tina said after putting Torchwick's bowler on her head.

"Dapper as hell but I don't think its your thing," Axton replied. "Though I do wonder what Enrique would look like wearing it."

"If you're gonna wear a bowler, might as well have a cane with it," Gaige said, tossing her the weapon and grabbing the scroll from the ground. "What information I'll pull from you," she whispered. Taking a bag, she put the head in it and opened a call to Ozpin. "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of Oz. He kinda is the best wiz there ever wiz and was."

"Miss Crescent, did you make that up on the spot," Ozpin asked.

"Nah, just a movie, a really old one. Maybe I'll send it to you. So, does the Woodsman know we have his toys?"

"I've informed him that you are recovering them. Am I to assume you have?"

"Got them right here. So, how much is the Tinman going to pay us to get them back?"

"I was rather hoping you would do that for free."

"Why? I like proving the Tinman has a heart by making him infuriated."

"Please, Miss Crescent."

"Fiiiiine. He can have them back for free. But only if I get to keep one, I want to put it on my lawn."

"Gaige, we don't have a lawn," Axton reminded her.

"Same principle."

"You just want to dissect it to see if any of it would be useful with Deathtrap," Tina accused, tilting her head while resting both hands on the cane.

"True enough," Gaige replied. "Tina, I set up 'Catch-A-Ride' not too far from here."

"I already have my bike."

"I don't need you to have a bike, I need you to get the other vehicle and take that one to the base."

"...Wait, did you add that already? Sweet!" Tina ran out, started her bike, and drove off.

"Do I want to know?"

"Oh, you very much do, but you won't, Oz. That is one of my secrets. So, we still have a week to kill until we can find Amber's other half, so I'm going to turn this in and get to work on some side projects. Give me a call if you want us to work with the kids some." Gaige hung up and looked up when she heard the roar of a Bullhead coming her way.

"I believe I can fly bitches," Tina yelled through the speakers.

—oo000oo—

Cinder had to resist pacing. Torchwick was late and the White Fang was gone. If these were the only things that were wrong, she could have handled it. But it wasn't, oh no. If not for Emerald and Mercury still being besides her, she would have no control of the situation at all. Mountain Glenn was blown up and the Vytal Festival has more or less been put on hold with the number of bodies that has been turning up. Again, if that was all, she could possibly compensate for it. It wasn't. The final problem was with her power. It wanted to be made whole again, she could always feel it trying to pull the rest of it to her. That has changed. Not only has it stopped coming, some of it feels like it was taken back. Amber was getting better. She hadn't told her concerns to anyone, that would reveal her weakness and she couldn't have that. "Damn it, Torchwick" Grabbing her scroll, she called him and when she heard the other side open up, she said, "Where the hell are you!?"

"...You must be Cinder Fall," a girl's voice said in amusement. "Well, currently, I'm in the police station. But if you are referring to Roman Torchwick, he's being examined to confirm his identity. What with me killing him and turning him in for the bounty on his head." Cinder's blood ran cold. "Literally his head, as I removed it from the rest of him."

"You're the one, the fly in the ointment, ruining everything."

"What can I say, I'm a troublemaker for troublemakers."

Cinder took a deep breath before finally speaking again. "How much?"

"How much what?"

"How much will it take for you to stop and go away?"

The silence was followed by laughing. "Hey Axton, this girl is trying to bribe me! Let me tell you something, sweet heart, you don't have what it would take. I don't do this because of the pay, I have more money than God. Torchwick pissed me off so he had to die. Adam Taurus pissed me off, now he wishes he was dead. And once I'm done with you and the White Fang, I'm going after your precious Queen." Her blood turned to ice. "Yeah, I know about that. Once Ozpin came clean, I learned a lot interesting things. Do you know why you and your two henchmen, Mint Mocha and Metal Legs, aren't already dead? Because I have a different target to kill first. But make no mistake, I will be coming for you. After what I saw in Mountain Glenn, there is no way I would miss killing an evil bitch like you. I hope that thought keeps you up at night."

"Cinder," Emerald said, seeing the color her face was turning. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"You have to know that you can't win, right? I'm monitoring everything you do. You can't hide from me, I am everywhere in everything. As far as you are concerned, I am the Alpha and Omega. And once I kill a thief of Maiden's innocence, I'm coming for you. I hope you baste in that fear." The phone hung up and slowly, Cinder turned off her scroll and removed the battery.

"Yo, Cinder, you look like you're gonna be sick," Mercury stated.

"...Torchwick is dead. And the person that killed them is the one that got the White Fang. And she wants to kill us ne..." Cinder tilted her head and considered what she said again. "No, she wants to kill the person that stole the Maiden's power next."

"Uh, boss lady, that is you."

"Yes, but she doesn't know that. Which gives us an advantage.

—oo000oo—

"So...I've been under for months now," Amber asked around a mouthful of rocky road ice cream. Grabbing a fork, she stabbed an over easy egg and a slice of bacon and shoveled them in her mouth as well before glancing to the right wall.

"That's what I understand," Axton told her, sitting backwards in a chair with his arms crossed on the back. "You remember who did this to you?"

"...No," she muttered, grabbing some toast. And another spoonful of ice cream. "I remember a little girl..." She shook her head.

"Hmm. You should be able to feel where they are, do you?" Again, Amber looked to the wall, like she couldn't help herself.

"I...don't know."

"Let's try this, why do you keep looking that direction, there's no food there."

"I just..." Amber tilted her head and had no answer. Before taking another bite of her food.

"That's probably it then. The two halves of the maiden wants to be whole and are trying to pull you together."

"...I'm not sure what help I'll be aside though. I lost to them last time and they're most certainly stronger now than they were."

"Ah, but last time they caught you by surprise, little lady. I can promise you that they aren't expecting to see you again. And from what I understand, you were alone, you won't be this time. You have at your side a dashing hero, me, hyperactive sidekick, Tina, and the Mechromancer, Gaige. And that's if the Wizard of Oz doesn't send his cabal to help. I dare say that they won't know what is coming. But as they say, what is good for the gander."

"Uh, I don't know that one," Amber said with her mouth full.

"What is good for the Gander is good for the Goose. It means the odds are even. I hate it when the odds are even. And you are the only way we can change that. Think back to the kid, work from there."

Amber swallowed and frowned. "I...was alone in the country side and up ahead was a little girl, crying and all alone. I went up to her...tried to calm her when I was blind sided. Um. No..."

"What?"

"She vanished, I think."

"An illusion. Hologram or someone's semblance. That does help. What else do you remember?"

"After that is just blurs and...fear of the darkness."

Axton cupped his chin, finding that he needed to shave again, and considered it. "...They had a grimm with them. So, that means the Queen is..."

"Pulling the strings," Gaige said, walking in. "Hello, Amber, glad to finally meet you." Three holo-images appeared in her hands and showed them to her. "These the ones that attacked you?"

Amber looked at the three pictures and her breath quickened. "...Yeah, that's them."

"Guess I'll be killing Cinder sooner than I expected. Weaknesses."

"I don't know..."

"Not theirs," Gaige interrupted, "yours."

"What?"

"It is your power, you know it best. What are your strengths and weaknesses?"

"...I can do a lot of things with it but it favored fire."

"Good, what else?"

"...I can't think of anything." Gaige's face didn't change. "What do you expect, its a magical power that lets me change reality as I see fit! I can fly with it, control the elements and weather! The limits are on the person who uses it!" Now Gaige nodded. "...Who are you people, really? I should be dead or dying, not talking to you like this. And what is this stuff you're pumping into my arm!?" She pointed to the IV filled with a red and purple liquid.

"...In essence it is a special kind of dust that reacts well with maidens," Gaige told her, moving to the coffee pot and pouring herself some. "Where's the coco, ah there it is. Catch!" She threw something over her shoulder and Amber caught it, seeing it was a purple brick. A brick that began ringing in her grasp. "That is eridium. It reacts to those empowered by the eridians. You call them Maidens, we've known them as Sirens. Hey, Axton, remember that time Maya opened a wormhole inside that massive stalker?"

"Hah, and it exploded and covered her in gore, I have never seen her so close to freaking out as that."

"You people are weird," Amber stated.

"No arguing that," Gaige countered, picking the ingot up and the ringing stopped. No, not stopped, just lessened.

"...You're a Maiden?"

"Oh no, not like what you're thinking at least. Let me show you." She went to the door and said, "Jean, come here boy!" The kraggon poked his head inside and panted like a dog. "Sit." When he did, Gaige grabbed him a steak and threw it over. As he ate it, she rested the ingot on his back, it began to ring louder than with Gaige before it fell off. "This stuff is everywhere where we come from. Creatures like Jean are changed by it, as are people. We know a guy, Krieg, that can spit fire."

"...What is that?"

"Huh, oh, Jean is a kraggon that's been charged with lightning."

"What's a kraggon?"

"Short hand, lava monster. Here, you can pet him, if you don't mind the touch of warm rock. Just...don't make jerky movements. Wouldn't want to give the impression of a wounded animal."

"Crunch," Axton inserted.

"Yeah, despite being made of lava and rock, they are carnivorous."

"Why isn't it hot," Amber asked while resting a hand on his head. "Lava, right?"

"Ah, the lava is actually inside, it is cool enough on the surface to touch. That and I put a cooling system on his collar. See, kraggons actually live in a very cold environment so they need to be hot to survive, now he needs to be cold not to lose cohesion and melt. ...Axton, did you bring the Flame of the Firehawk?" She was grinning as she looked to the Marine and he slowly began to grin too, already seeing something of what she is thinking.

"Yeah, I got it."

"What's the Firehawk," Amber asked.

"Get Amber equipped, I'm sure she would love some payback," Gaige said while standing and turning to the door. "Come on Jean, I need to go brief the Wizard and you should go rest up for the fight ahead."

"Wait, what is the Flame of the Firehawk," Amber asked again.

"Its one of these," Axton said, rapping his knuckles on his shield. "Except some special things. Gaiges shield can absorb bullets and let her use them while also using lightning to recharge itself. Since Gaige uses that the most, she's almost impossible to stop. The Firehawk on the other hand, continuously explodes in fire once the barrier is depleted until it recharges. And it grants immunity to fire. You said the power favors fire, yes?"

"It... Who are you people?!"

—oo000oo—

Gaige stood in Ozpin's office, surrounded by the Oz-luminati. Goodwitch, Ironwood, Qrow, and Mister Wizard himself. "I have the information you wanted, Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and it is convoluted. To start it all off, we need to look back to before I became involved, to when Amber was ambushed. What was previously known was that three individuals stole part of Amber's power." Three silhouette pictures appeared in the holo. "I now have the identity of these three. Mercury Black, Cinder Fall, and Emerald Sustrai." Each image flipped over to reveal their faces as she said their names. "Mercury Black is the son of now deceased assassin and rogue huntsman Marcus Black. His legs are prosthetics and he is known to use that to his benefit, faking injury or withstanding attacks with them. Emerald Sustrai is a Mistriallian thief. Her semblance lets her create illusions. Then there is Cinder Fall. Nothing, not shit can be found about who she really is."

"Those names sounds familiar," Glynda muttered, looking at the pictures closely.

"They should but we'll get to them later. When they stole Amber's power and put it in Cinder, they used a Grimm. So the Black Queen is their backer. As if just anyone could steal eridian power. The three then makes contact and recruits two groups. The first is Roman Torchwick, the second is the Vale branch White Fang."

"Oh shit," Qrow said for them all, seeing how big this was getting.

"Exactly, Scarecrow. Using the power of the Maiden, they overpower and subjugate Adam Taurus, promising to aid him in his war. And that is where Roman comes in. While he is stealing every last spec of dust in Vale, the White Fang does two things. The first is putting the screws on the city, driving up fear and hate. The second is to begin setting up a base where no one but myself would ever discover. A ruined city called Mountain Glenn."

"There is nothing in Mountain Glenn," Ironwood told her. "Teams of hunters and huntresses make regular trips there to kill grimm."

"I am aware of that, Tin Woodsman," Gaige replied. "But how many of those teams have the nerve to go beneath the city, where the grimm wait? Imagine that tour. 'To our left, hundreds to thousands of people huddled together, alone in the dark, as they were killed, one by one by creatures of grimm'." No one answered. "Mountain Glenn has many things of value to others. A, you can't monitor it. B, are afraid to go. And C, you don't give a shit about it. Ah, and I nearly forgot D. A rail line from Mountain Glenn to the heart of Vale, direct, no splits or stops." Everyone was looking pale now.

"That is sealed," Ironwood tried to say.

"Ding, incorrect, thank you for playing," Gaige replied. "When you have the focus and manpower of the White Fang, who wants to kill all humans, what is something as simple as a sealed tunnel? I drove from Vale to Mountain Glenn, almost completely unimpeded. And what I found was a train being loaded with dust. Now there is two ways for this to be used, either as a big ass bomb or as a battering ram. Drop the cars off at certain points and blow them up, opening the tunnel to the grimm while the engine rams right through the barrier inside Vale. Where everything goes right to shit once the horde gets inside. That is where I found Taurus."

"So you did hack into the CCT," Ironwood accused.

"Pay attention, Tinman, we're talking about what the shit is going on. Now, whatever the plan was, it involved giving the White Fang the Paladins, maybe for a siege of Vale, maybe for something else, I don't know for sure but that is what I am inclined to think."

"Laying siege to the city is impossible," Glynda stated. "It can't be done with Beacon right here."

"If that was the only variable, then I would agree, Witch of the North. But the next step in the plan is somewhat revealed by Roman's scroll." She laid it on the desk and opened an image of a black queen chess piece. "This is a virus, one that even I'm impressed by. This virus was to be inserted directly into the CCT. With it, it would take control of all automatons directed through the CCTs. And Tinman, you brought not just an army of them, you brought two, the ones on the ground and the ones in the air. Your arrival was not only predictable, it was planned. I also found a code in this similar to something I used when I had Tina lock down the lockers to prevent them from being summoned when we were all about to kill each other. So the students of Vale would be unarmed when Order Sixty Six was carried out." Ironwood now turned the palest of the room.

Ozpin took a drink from his cup but didn't really taste it. "Has it been implanted yet?"

"No. The CCT, as you all know, is the most secure building in all of Remnant outside of your vault so the chances of someone breaking in is limited. In fact, the best chance of doing so is coming up shortly."

"...The Dance," Glynda stated. "We have almost a thousand more students here right now than normal. That many will take much more to monitor than usual, I was writing the shift schedule just yesterday and I noticed I may have to take some guards from there."

"Because you refuse to use the Tinman's toy soldiers to chaperone a bunch of teenagers for the night," Gaige finished. "People defenseless, Skynet set loose on humanity, it would only bring the grimm in such a horde that the walls would crumble under their shear weight before they even had a chance to climb over each other like ants. And that's if it wasn't planned for them to be blown up. Vale would fall. There is just one thing missing from this. Anyone willing to take a guess?"

"...Beacon would be locked down while the CCT is less protected," Qrow stated. "No transports to or from for twenty four hours before or after the dance."

"Then whoever was to do it would have to arrive prior and hide until it was time," Ironwood stated.

"Close but try something more imaginative... Anyone that wasn't supposed to be here would be caught at the slightest notice thanks to all the guards. So, if you want to break into the CCT, you make it look like you belong here." Gaige reached out and pulled down a camera picture. It was of Cinder, Emerald, and Mercury sitting at a table wearing Haven uniforms. As they were moving, it was a video image of them in the chow hall. Goodwitch almost looked incensed as she pulled out her scroll and remotely shut off the lights in the hall and turned them back on. The same happened on the video, showing it was live.

"Son of a bitch," Qrow said, looking at it in disbelief.

"And in the chaos caused by the androids and the grimm, how hard would it be to take the rest of the maiden's power," Gaige asked. "Don't you fucking move, Ironwood, I'm not done yet." Her voice showed she would brook no resistance.

"They need to be apprehended," he tried to say.

"Sit your ass down or I'll help you do it. I'm not done yet." When he backed down, Gaige took a deep breath and pulled up a file. Cinder's to be exact. "Oz, notice something?"

"...Yes but why don't you tell us."

"Alright. It's real. This wasn't faked and slipped in, this came directly from the office of Haven Academy's headmaster, Leonardo Lionheart, with his signature. The Cowardly Lion put her inside this school. Now, can we believe that he was duped or did he do it on purpose?"

"That one of my allies might have betrayed us is disconcerting," Ozpin stated.

"Yet can we believe otherwise?" Gaige watched the video with almost an amused grin, while also pulling up a recent casualty list from Haven. There was an uptick starting two weeks ago. "The fuckers didn't even bother changing their names. Almost laughable. Notice that disconcerted look on Cinder's face? I put that there, she called Roman's phone after I killed him. I told her I was going to kill her. And I am a woman of my word. What bothers me is the virus though. Its not like these three have the brainpower to make it. They're smart, no doubt, and skilled, but a virus that lies undetected until activation that will completely cripple the Atlas Fleet and military, that is more than most can do. To say the least, it would take three or four of the robots to develop it with, and to be continually updated as you update their software."

"Hah! General Innuendo has a spy in his midst," Qrow barked.

"...Could you develop it," Ironwood pushed out, bringing up that this is awful convenient.

"I don't have to, you don't have the protection necessary to keep me out in real time."

"James, enough," Ozpin told him. "Miss Crescent has proven her trustworthiness." Gaige nodded to him while Ironwood scowled, preferring to think she wasn't, over the possibility that he was wrong about those he surrounded himself with. "...Miss Crescent, will you be able to handle Miss Fall?"

"Easily."

"Then I will handle Lionheart. I want to give my friend the chance to explain before he is punished."

"Then we should coordinate this," Gaige stated. "If he is helping her, then he may just have something up his sleeve to help her if she was attacked. At the very least, keep him busy while my friends handle them and... Hello?" She looked closer to the picture and noticed something. "Perfect."

"What?"

"Amber can feel her other half and is constantly glancing in this direction. Something that Cinder is doing as well. If we do this right, we can lure them away from the school. Anyway, my team will set up the ambush in three days, since no one else in this room knows how to."

"You're not going to let that go, are you," Qrow asked.

"Not a chance, Poe. I will never let you forget that I think the four of you can't plot for shit. And you, stay out of this one. You have done enough," she said to Ironwood.

When she walked out of the office, it was silent aside from Ozpin taking a drink before Qrow spoke up. "As glad as I am that the half pint is working with us, am I the only one that thinks it is somewhat irritating that she is as good as she thinks? She's only been working for you for what, a few months and she completely derailed the plan of one of her agents."

"I'm not," Ozpin replied. "I like it that there are still things I can't predict."

—oo000oo—

Gaige pulled Adam down and laid him on the deck, he was a lot less fearsome than when he went up there. Grabbing a bucket of water, she splashed it on his face. "Wake up!" Coughing and sputtering, she got the impression that he might have just insulted her. "You've been up there for seven days. Want to go for another seven?"

He coughed tried to clear his throat, and said, "No."

"Good." Gaige set the empty bucket upside down and sat on it. While grabbing a canteen of water and placed it between them. "You're boss." Weakly, Adam reached for the water but Gaige pulled it from his reach. "Your boss."

"Water please." That must have been a bitter pill to swallow.

"And how did begging effect you? Your boss."

"...Cinder Fall."

"Not her, you moron. You boss in the White Fang."

"She...is." Gaige picked up the canteen and began dumping it out on the ground where he could watch. "No! ...Siera Kahn."

"Better. Where does she roost?" When he hesitated, she began tipping it over again.

"Mistral, she's in Mistral. When she...is finished there, she plans to go to Atlas."

"Good dog," she told him, handing over the canteen. "Have a treat."

He grabbed it and eagerly drank from it but spat the last swallow on her face. "The Fang will kill you for what you did to me."

Gaige wiped off her cheek and smiled at him. "No, they won't." She pulled out a scroll and set it so he could watch the video.

It was of Sienna Kahn. "White Fang brothers and sisters, many of you are scared, many of you are uncertain. Adam Taurus was one of our strongest so it is understandable. But this is a message from our leadership, do not mourn. Adam Taurus does not deserve it. Anger, hatred, and violence, these must be tempered by restraint. To act cruelly is to become a rabid animal and we are anything but. And rabid animals are put down. Taurus was an animal, make no mistake. The White Fang does things to make a point, what he did was hurt others for his own pleasure, akin to the grimm themselves. He brought down that response upon himself. As such, whether or not Adam Taurus still lives, he has been disavowed by the White Fang. Do not seek him or his own out. Do not seek revenge, focus on what will help our cause."

The video ended and Gaige couldn't stop smiling at the destroyed look on his face. "Put the animal down, huh? Sounds like a good idea to me."

"You fu-bluergh!" What Adam was going to say was cut off white she kicked him in the stomach, sending him right over the side of the Rig. It wasn't a long drop and he survived the landing. He even was able to begin floating. Looking up, he saw Gaige looking down over the edge. "Still alive!"

"I've been wondering what a sea serpent looks like," she called back, pointing to beneath him. He looked down just in time to see the red eyes of a grimm mask before it opened it's mouth while coming up.

Gaige let out a whistle at the grimm not fully breaking water yet still climbing two hundred feet in the air before splashing back down. "Very impressive." Walking back to the medical room, she said, "Hey, Amber, going out for another bit of work. Feel like mistralian for dinner?"

"Yeah, what was that just a minute ago?"

"That? A sea monster grabbing a snack is all. So, in three days, you should be strong enough to get your other half back, ready?"

"Anything and everything I can do, I will," she told her.

"Good," Gaige replied, tossing her the scroll. "I put a few movies on it, I suggest watching Wizard of Oz. Maybe someone else will start getting my jokes then."

"The Wizard of Oz?"

"Yeah, its an old one. Fifty years at least." Not incorrect.

—oo000oo—

Blllliiiihhh, blllliiiihhh! "Gaige," she said, answering the call.

"Hey, shorty, I was just doing some scouting and I found what you wanted, old, once important castle," Tina said to her. "Used to be some big time fortress a hundred years ago about, now it is just a monster den."

"Perfect. Clear it out Tina, not a single grimm left for miles. Do what you have to."

"...Gaige, honey, it really just sounded like you said go all out."

"I did, Tina. Enrique, Jean, kragon-cavalry or them both equipped with rockets and lasers, everything and anything you need. A flamethrower-guitar bard even. Just clear it and keep the castle standing." Gaige could see Tina begin to shake. "And Tina, in my office, left side of my desk, second drawer from the top, is an Abomination energy drink if that is what it will take." Tina was gone without even so much as a goodbye. And for some reason, she felt like she could hear shattering glass. Something shared by many people across Remnant.

Slapping the cover to her Blasster down, she grabbed the Bababoom and pulled it up on her shoulders, looking down from the Rooftop at a secret Mistralian White Fang base. "Deja vu. Knock, knock." BOOOOM!

—oo000oo—

Author's Notes: See You Space Cowboy.