Author's Note: This is the pilot, so we'll see how well the reception for it goes. If you've read the message in either my RWBY story or the note I put in the old story, I am rewriting the story. There are quite a few things I don't like in that old story and quite frankly, I am not comfortable writing a sequel in the state I left that story at. Tale of Two C's will still be canon, I kinda wrote that separate from canon enough to where it can be, and I don't plan on redoing it anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own RVB.


Welcome to Bad Company

So there I was….on a ship, heading to the corner of an almost remote spot in UNSC territory. Welcome to the 222nd Army Infantry Battalion, to B-Company. This is where all the official testing for most of the equipment comes from. Ever wondered where those elite spec-ops guys with a blank budget get's their gear from? It is all tested in live fire scenarios designed to simulate active combat conditions. Just so happens this group also operates several training bases where these said operatives go to….you guessed it, train.

They call it, Bad Company, it's where they take together all the rejects, dishonorably dischargable, specials, underperformers, and anyone willing to bite the bullet in order to get a few years cut from their contract. My name is Jonathan Lockett, and I am part of the latter, and as far as I am aware, I am one of the actual few who is aware of this fact. Whatever, I just know I have to put up with this for another two years and then I get to go home. This is my story.


It was a quiet flight save for the beeps of the instruments, the occasional shift of the craft, and the occasional word uttered by either the only other passenger or an orderly. Lockett was quietly contemplating his future as he sat there in his seat on the way to his next assignment. To pass the time, he would constantly check his PDA for the latest news from the front, so far, the Military News Network was a mess, what with the loss of Reach along with the return of the Master Chief and all that.

"Word of advice," a voice draws his attention away from the screen. He watches as one of the flight crew approaches him with a cup of coffee in each hand. "If you're trying to destress, probably shouldn't be reading those," he advises.

Lockett shrugs and replies "I'm just keeping up with current events."

"Yeah…." the crewman murmurs, "Here." He raises up and offers him the smoking cup, "One cream, two sugars."

"Thank you," Lockett replies, accepting the cup. He then jokingly asks "You always offer coffee to your guests?"

"Only the interesting ones," he jokingly replies back.

"Mm," Lockett hums as he takes a sip, "What do you know about the place we're going to?"

The crewman lets out an exhale.

"Not a lot," he muses, "Compared to the other sites I have traveled to, there isn't a lot that happens here."

He sits down in an empty seat across from Lockett.

"Every 70 days, I drop by to resupply these guys on food and supplies," he explains, "Nothing much happens here save for the occasional casualty."

He then pauses and adds "I'll say one thing, they are severely undermanned for the size of their site."

"I guess that's why I'm here," Lockett comments.

The crewman blinks in the middle of a sip and quickly places the cup down.

"Oh, that reminds me," he quickly pulls up the manifest, "Some of the cargo we're hauling includes; new field kitchens, fuel to run them, equipment related to them, and someone to man them." He adds at the end, "There's a PV2 Caboose on board, fresh out of AIT (Advanced Individual Training), he's the chef," he looks up from the data pad.

"Where is he?" asks Lockett as he throws the empty cup away and unbuckles his seat.

"Last I saw him, he was talking with Farrow in the cargo hold next to the tank," the crewman replies.

Lockett nods and says "Right, I need to head down there anyway, I'll go and check on him." He steps out of the seat and quickly says "Thanks for the coffee."

"Anytime," the crewman takes a step and quickly adds "Oh, we'll be arriving in a few hours."

Locket waves open the door and exit the passenger compartment and enter the cargo hold. He made his way past the supply and ammo crates and can to a stop at the end which sat a firmly secured Scorpion MBT. The Scorpion wasn't any different from any other old tank you would find in the UNSC, save for the training program installed into the console. The idea is that the training program would provide basic training to an enlisted personnel in the event of the actual tank operator getting incapacitated.

The penny pinchers up top figured they could save a buck on mission if they didn't have to send in a new tanker to replace the ones lost if the infantry already knew the basics of its operation. Part of his new contract was that he would actually have to get trained as an actual tanker so he could help maintain and instruct the other soldiers at the post on its operation, as well as test out the reliability of the new program. Lockett had his doubts, but he had even more doubts on anyone listening to his concerns and as far as he knew, it really wasn't gonna be his problem in the end, especially once he got out.

Lockett spots two people standing near the tank. One was in a crewman uniform while the other was already dressed in his blue armor. It was pretty obvious who he was looking for.

"So why can't you just put the gun on the tank and use it instead?" Caboose asks curiously.

"Because the ship can't stay with you guys all the time like the tank can, and the tank is there to get to places that the ship can't reach either," the crewman patiently explains.

It was that moment that Lockett decided to make himself known.

"That way people like me have a job," he jokes.

Both heads swivel his way and Caboose instantly snaps to attention before transitioning to the position of parade rest.

"Sergeant!" the Warrant Officer called out, "Great was just gonna come and get you."

The Warrant Officer then hands Lockett a data pad.

"Here are some things I need you to sign before I officially release the tank to you," she tells him.

As Lockett signs the required paperwork and intermittently looks between the pad and the terrified private. Lockett chuckles to himself as the kid's actions reminded him of himself, it was painfully clear just how recently Caboose had graduated from AIT.

"Thanks chief," Lockett murmurs, the Warrant Officer nods and walks off.

"PV2 Caboose?" Lockett asks.

"Sergeant!" he says sharply.

"Easy kid," Lockett says calmly, "It's alright, relax."

Caboose let's out a breath he was holding and immediately relaxes.

"So….." Caboose drawls out, "You're my new sergeant?"

Lockett nods and says "Looks like it." Lockett looks him over, it isn't that hard to figure out how new he is, but it never hurts to ask, "When did you finish training?"

"Two weeks ago SGT," Caboose happily chirps.

Lockett nods and murmurs to himself "That sounds about right. You know the basic rule for doing well in the army?"

As if on command, Caboose recites "Be in the right place, at the right time, wearing the right thing!"

Lockett smiles warmly, "That's good, that's good you know that." He then asks "You check on your equipment?"

Caboose frowns and shakes his head, "No sergeant," he replies.

Locket sighs and tells him "You're the chef, so all the equipment that is being delivered to help you do your job is your responsibility, understood."

Caboose nods "Yes sergeant."

"I'll explain more when we land, speaking of which," Lockett checks the time on his HUD and says "We're landing in a little over an hour." Lockett jerks his head and adds "We should probably get back to our seats."


The rest of the trip wasn't really uneventful. Every now and then, Lockett would try and start up some small talk with the young soldier. Caboose was certainly friendly enough, but you can only fuel a conversation for so long before you run out of things to talk about. Caboose did have a few interesting stories though like that time his dad didn't want any more milk so he bought a cow. Honestly, Lockett had heard weirder stories so he didn't think much of it. Caboose then curiously inquired about the others they would meet at the new base. Lockett didn't know, he did mention that there was another flight headed to the other base on a different schedule but that was as far as he knew. Lockett figured that the ones in charge did this to not break the illusion as to who they were technically supposed to be fighting.

They fell into silence as they patiently waited, Lockett's eyes firmly fixed outside one of the viewports as he watched the universe pass him by. Soon, the ship arrived at their destination and the ride grew heavy as it began their descent. When they landed, the two got up and gathered their gear and made their way to the cargo bay and they watched as the bay door opened. They quickly bleed in and it hurts for a second as their eyes quickly adjust to the change. They stepped out into their new home and as the crewmen began unloading their cargo, Lockett began taking in his surroundings. It was a large box canyon with only two structures in it, two outposts on opposite sides of the land.

"So this is Blood Gulch huh?" Lockett grunts to Caboose.

"Doesn't look like much," Caboose comments. He then cheerfully adds "But I like it!"

Caboose then strides forward to greet the two team members who had just exited the base. In a way, Lockett agreed with him, the canyon really wasn't much to look out, but there was a certain charm in its simplicity.

"Welcome to Bad Company," Lockett mutters and starts after the blue private.


Author's Note: There, that's the first chapter of the Through New Eyes reboot. It includes a complete overhaul of the characters as well as….the Red Team perspective, probably. I don't know but I do know I can do it as now I am writing it in third person instead of first. It took me a while to come up with a better name because quite frankly, the title "Through New Eyes" is kinda dumb. It's about as dumb as Resident Evil, sure that video game was iconic, but what exactly does that anime even mean? Through New Eyes, I am sorry to those who were connected to the name, had to go, because my head hurts trying to pass it off as good. I slightly doubt this story is gonna take off like the original did, so it kinda puts in question the future of my RvB storyline doesn't it? I guess I'll have to give it a few months and see how it progresses. Thank you for reading, if you liked this first chapter, please follow so you'll get more. As always, Big Brother is watching.