Author's Note:

More inspiration. Usually I don't update this regularly or fast but I was feeling the last few chapters.

"Text"

"Speech"

Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout, RWBY, or any associated characters.

Remnants of a Courier

Chapter 16: White Fang's Surprise

It had been a few days since his briefing with Torchwick and Cinder. So far, everything had gone smoothly. They acquired the funds they needed and had just acquired the clothing too. Even had a place to stay in a small motel.

The bigger problem was finding this Kestrel. The guy was good at hiding and they had little to no leads other than he was in the city and questioning Faunus.

The other big problem is that Vale didn't have much in the way of slums. The city had been thriving for the last few decades and nearly no one lived in poverty. This also included the Faunus. Apparently, Vale was progressive in the sense that there was no systematic oppression in their government.

The only oppression that could be found here was on an individual level. Sometimes a person would say something offensive to a Faunus. Joshua compared it to back home and considered it a blessing.

This all cultivated into a small White Fang presence in the city. Only a few locals joined the White Fang and the rest of the local group were from other areas of the world. Even more problematic is that only Adam's sect of the White Fang was violent…

Right now, they had a bigger problem.

"This is stupid," Adam commented, standing outside of a changing room.

Both Six and Adam were currently perusing a small rundown clothing store on the outskirts of the city. They had low prices but you were also likely to run into trouble around here too.

The Courier shrugged while eyeing some clothing on a rack. "It's cheap and we need some clothes for the mission. Besides, "You Have the Money and we Don't ask Questions," is a great slogan in my book."

The Faunus tugged on the red t-shirt that had the words "I'll be your Beacon" plastered across the front of it. "This is humiliating," the White Fang leader said before sighing.

"You need to look like someone who isn't going to kill somebody. People don't suspect idiots." The Courier punctuated his words by handing a red and black cap to Adam.

The Courier himself wasn't as incognito yet. He had on the Burned Man's armor but he had previously removed the vest. Now he was a guy in jeans, a t-shirt, and bandages.

Joshua's finger idly ran over several different jackets before settling on a black one. On it was some kind of metal band cover with skulls and spikes.

"That's so inconspicuous," Adam commented in a deadpan tone. "No one will ever possibly notice you."

"Listen here," Six began as he picked up the hoodie before grabbing a red scarf from a nearby shelf. "The bandages aren't optional so this is the best I can do."

At the explanation, the Faunus eyed his companion for a moment. As the two headed for the counter he said, "what's with you… Covering everything?"

"Since when did you get so friendly and invasive, you warming up to humans," Joshua responded while placing some Lien on the counter. He turned to the employee before saying, "what my friends wearing plus this." Said employee put a book down that she had been reading with an irritated sigh.

At the question, Adam crossed his arms. "No, you're all still walking trash and monsters. You're just a little less human waste."

"Wonderful," Six replied while rolling his eyes. When he turned back to the counter, he saw that he had been given change. The employee behind the counter was a younger woman with large bags under her eyes. She eyed Adam for a moment before shrugging her shoulders and going back to her book.

Taking the change and clothing, Six walked out the front door with Adam in tow. "You know you really should work on that attitude; racism isn't good for our cover."

"It's not racism if it's true," Adam responded, still tugging at his new clothes. "Besides humans treated us like animals way before I was around."

The black hoodie was now equipped to Six's form as he wrapped the scarf around his neck and mouth. "Doesn't mean it's an excuse for you to do the same."

At that comment, the Faunus seemed legitimately annoyed, a scowl crossing his face. "You don't know a thing about what I've been through."

"Whatever, I'm not here to argue morals anyways, just don't let it interfere with the mission." At Six's statement, Adam rolled his eyes though the other wouldn't be able to see it. The two had gotten him a pair of overly large sunglasses that hid most of his upper face. It was enough that the scar Joshua had recently discovered hardly showed.

Joshua wasn't sure what the entire scar was as he had only seen bits of it but it was likely that the bull Faunus was blind in one eye.

"Alright, lead the way," Six said, waving his hand forward. "You're the Faunus after all."

"You're telling me you actually get very little White Fang support because the other parts of the White Fang don't agree with you?" Six's question was punctuated by the human bringing a hand to his face. "Do you not see that maybe you're being a bit extreme?"

"Of course it's extreme but we've only targeted SDC so far. Innocents never get hurt." Adam turned back to look at the building the two had just come from.

It was a local Faunus rights group that wasn't a part of the White Fang. Instead of protesting, they tried finding ways to change legislation in Vale to help the Faunus through official means. Adam had gone in to get possible information but they had all been very tight-lipped. No one in the group appreciated the White Fang's efforts.

"You can't get change any other way," Adam said while rubbing his temples. The Faunus as developing a headache.

Six agreed on some level. Often violence had to be enacted to create change. He just didn't agree with Adam's reasoning for the violence.

Joshua turned to Adam before asking, "so what now? That was a bust."

"There's a White Fang protest going on tomorrow. One of my lieutenants is running it. I'm going to head over to it and ask some questions. I was hoping we could get a few of this human's habits from these Faunus but… Not everyone agrees." There was a pause in the conversation as Adam seemed to get lost in thought.

"I suggest you don't come," Adam finally continued as he walked down the street with Six in tow. "Humans aren't welcome in a lot of these events."

"Aren't there humans that support the White Fang?" Six's question caused Adam to sigh.

"Yes, there are, but we have to get violent sometimes to create change. It can be hard to identify enemies and friends." Adam's response caused Joshua to frown. This would put a hamper on his plans.

There was a pause in the conversation as they walked along. Six took the time to really take in the sights of the city. He hadn't been given proper time until now to really enjoy it. The entire place was like something out of an Old World propaganda poster. Buildings were so damn tall here!

Plus you had an absolutely huge amount of people. If Six thought the Strip was a busy place, Vale blew it out of the water. This sort of technology, stability, and resources was exactly what the Mojave and the Wasteland needed to get back to a sense of safety.

The thought caused Joshua to frown. Sometimes he regretted killing House. The man was a narcissist and wanted to be a dictator but he was efficient and did want the best for the people of the Mojave. His ideas of what was best conflicted with a lot of people though, including Six himself.

Adam stopped and Six was forced from his thoughts.

"I say you go and mingle. I'll stay back at long range and keep you covered." The Courier's words seemed to annoy Adam.

"There shouldn't be any problems," the Faunus responded.

A sigh escaped Joshua before he responded, "this guy is gathering intel on the White Fang. While this isn't technically an official "White Fang" protest so the authorities can't disrupt it, everyone knows this is being set up by them. Our guy is going to be there."

Adam crossed his arms and considered the Courier's word. "I get it. Just don't get any Faunus injured. I don't like the idea of killing another Faunus but he's working for the humans now. He's a traitor…"

At the mention of a traitor, Adam seemed to lose himself in thought as well. It was obvious to the Courier what the White Fang leader was thinking about.

"Hey, hey," Six began as he snapped his fingers. "Keep your head in the game. Think about Blake another time."

"Right… I'll see you at the protest tomorrow. I've got some errands to run…" Even though Adam said he was fine, Six could tell he was anything but as he walked away.

Though… This was a perfect opportunity for some information gathering…

The time had come. Adam was currently making his way through the area where the protest was taking place. Some public park that was being torn down. It was a local hotspot for Faunus. Adam personally thought there were bigger fish to fry but these small protests garnered support for their cause. It was already dark out by now with it being evening already.

It was both reassuring and a bit unnerving to know that in one of the nearby buildings his partner was lying in wait. He still didn't fully trust the guy. Probably never would. Six was as shifty as they came.

That being said… He not only took down that Schnee bastard but also supported him when Blake abandoned him. Adam would never call the man an ally but he was a useful asset to keep close for the time being.

His eyes wandered over the crowd and he couldn't help but frown. There were humans in the crowd and it did support their cause but part of him boiled at the sight. Humans pretending they cared. He'd show them how it felt to be oppressed someday, then they'd understand.

Then Adam spotted a man going by the name Lucas Wood. One of the officers in his division of the White Fang. A bull Faunus like himself with pure white hair.

The red-haired Faunus strode towards his subordinate with confidence and impatience. It wasn't long until he approached Lucas. People moved out of his way at the sight.

"Lieutenant, I assume you got my message," Adam asked while looking down at the shorter Faunus.

The lieutenant nodded his head as he replied, "I did. We haven't spotted any such man in the area though I have my men looking. I've also got people asking about his location. We've got a little info. Mostly that he's moving every night. Though we do think he might be visiting a warehouse nearby."

Maybe that was his main hideout? Six and him would have to investigate it later.

And though he tried to ignore it, Adam did spot his subordinate gazing at what he was wearing. Taurus just hoped this day would be over soon.

"Good keep me posted, I'm going to go lo-"

Adam was cut off as a White Fang soldier made his way over to the lieutenant.

"Sir, we just spotted a man with that description questioning some of the protestors." The news from the new arrival caused Adam to smile.

Before Lucas could respond, Adam spoke, "where at? Now. Quickly."

"I-Uh… He's on the other side of the park. Wearing the outfit described sir…"

The nervousness from the guy didn't bother Adam who immediately turned and headed in that direction.

"We've got him," Adam said into the comm unit that Six had provided him. It was in his ear which meant he didn't have to keep pulling out his scroll to chat.

There was a moment of silence before Six responded, "moving positions to a better vantage point. Just confirm and tail the target. We don't want to engage him here."

This time the Faunus didn't bother responding as he began running across the park. Honestly, he usually let his men handle situations like these but he also didn't think that his troops could handle a fully trained Huntsman on their own. While he didn't like being Cinder's lackey, he wasn't going to risk his men's lives.

It took a few minutes of running followed by another minute or two of searching but Adam finally spotted him.

The guy looked shady but at least he wasn't a human. Still… "I've found the target, keeping my distance…"

That's when he spotted Kestrel talking to a girl. They spoke for a few moments before said Faunus turned and pointed at Adam.

In turn, Adam's eyes went wide as Kestrel turned, looked at him, and they both realized they were looking for each other.

Then the bull Faunus' eyes narrowed as Kestrel began approaching him. This could get ugly.

"Adam, I have the target in my sights. I see that he's approaching you. Remain calm. The plan has changed, I just need you to keep him still long enough for me to reposition one more time."

What was Six talking about? Didn't they want to avoid a public scene?

"I take it you're Adam," the older man questioned. His tone was soft and the guy carried himself in a relaxed manner. Slouched back, hands in his pockets, and a soft smile on his face.

The White Fang member frowned as he was addressed. He didn't even have his weapon on him because of the whole "disguise" thing that Six wanted to do that immediately fell apart.

But Adam kept his cool, crossing his arms before responding, "and I take it you're Kestrel. You need to stop poking your nose where it doesn't belong."

"And you need to stop all this Dust stealing business for Roman. I don't know what your plan is yet but I'll get the proof and take you down."

The older Faunus' words brought out the anger in Adam. "We're fighting for Faunus! You're the one who's on the wrong side."

The older man chuckled, his laugh lines deepening before he said, "if you truly believed that you wouldn't be working with Roman. But that's beside the point, I'm a Huntsman first and I have a job to stop you."

Kestrel's small smile didn't fade as he produced a cigarette pack from his pocket before placing a cigarette in his mouth and lighting it. The hood over his head cast a long shadow and the light from the cigarette cast an imposing figure.

"I'll give you two options," the Huntsman said before he took a drag. After expelling the smoke from his mouth, he continued, "turn yourself in. Or stop, leave, and never come back. Pretty reasonable huh?"

It wasn't. But he just needed to keep the target talking.

"I'm in position, give me a few moments and I'll solve the situation." Six's words confused Adam. What did "solve the situation" mean?

"And if I chose neither," Adam said, refocusing his attention on Kestrel.

"Then I stop you, simple as that. And you don't want me to have to stop you." The older gentleman took another drag from his cigarette before continuing, "so, what'll it be."

And then the man's head exploded. Well, more accurately the side of Kestrel's head exploded. What. The. Fuck?

Adam's eyes went wide as he watched Kestrel's eyes open in surprise before dimming and losing focus. This happened as his head jerked to the side before the Huntsman's entire body fell. The shot that rung out was louder than any gun he had heard before.

There were a few shocking moments of silence before the screaming started. The crowds began panicking, running every which way to get away from the sniper. Some of the protestors that didn't see the event were pushed out of the way by those that did.

However, there were a select few protestors that had spotted something. They pointed and Adam's head swiveled to see Six standing on a rooftop in his usual armor. What kind of insane stunt was this?

Some of the protestors had even pulled out their phones since Six was practically striking a pose. They did their best to record the sniper as he turned and walked away from the ledge.

"Adam, search the body, take his Scroll and anything that could reveal his hiding place." Six's words finally snapped Adam out of his daze.

The Faunus began searching the Huntsman's pockets, soon finding a Scroll and calling it good. Normally it would have been a problem but the panicked crowd running around meant he could loot the body in peace.

As he stood back up, Lucas came running over to him. "Boss, what was that?" His tone was bordering on panicked as sirens began closing in on the area. Vale law enforcement.

"Tell all White Fang members to scatter, I'll fill you in later," Adam responded as he took off. He was going to go back to the motel and have a few questions for Six.

"What was that Six," Roman shouted at the Courier who was now back in his disguise. The two had managed to make their way back to the motel they were staying in.

In response, Joshua shrugged. "The plan changed. Now the "Mimic" has killed a fully trained Huntsman at a protest. That inspires fear right?"

"Not the point, you didn't discuss it with me! These are my people!"

The Courier didn't understand Adam's indignation. The job was done and none White Fang were harmed. Hell, they could even gain more publicity as a victim of the Human Grimm.

"None of them were hurt. Besides he was going to get away. It all worked out." The Courier took a seat on a chair in their cozy little motel room.

And by cozy Six meant run down. Holes in the walls, dirty grime on the floor. He was pretty sure there were bedbugs.

"It all worked out?! You are going to scare Faunus away from protesting!" It was obvious to Six that Adam was really losing his mind over nothing.

"No, they'll rally at the death of a Faunus and you'll get more supporters for the White Fang."

Adam's face went from angry to enraged as he threw his glasses against the wall. "At the cost of a Faunus life!"

Six got a full view of the scar now. "S.D.C." branded right into the guy's face. The Schnee family had really done a number on him. It even made him blind in one eye.

"Lives are lost in war all the time; we can't cry over a few spilled eggs…"

Adam was going to retort to Six's nonchalant attitude but realized that his eyes were exposed. The Courier noticed a look of shame cross the Faunus' face as he quickly grabbed his iconic mask out of his pack.

"We'll talk about this later… Right now, we need to get back to base." Adam didn't bother to wait for Six to respond as he moved to the door.

The Courier watched him slam the door and frowned under his bandages. Sure, Adam being upset was annoying but he'd get over it. What was more worrying was what Six didn't mention to him.

Right before the shot, Joshua had been packing. What would pierce Huntsman Aura? He couldn't rely on his "anti-Aura" ability whatever it was.

Whatever punched through Logarius' aura hadn't worked on Neo. However, he had been able to kick Mercury. Six guessed that it was either proximity or some sort of subconscious effort he didn't know he was putting out. Maybe a combination of both.

Either way, he hadn't been able to use it on Kestrel. Instead, he had opted for his anti-material rifle. He had quickly switched out the barrel to chamber his regular bullets and donned his elite riot armor.

Six even loaded the armor-piercing rounds into the anti-material rifle. The Courier equated Huntsman to walking tanks but even tanks couldn't stand up to these rounds. And he had proven himself right when he eliminated Kestrel.

The problem came when he was loading the rounds. There, across the park from him, standing on another building was a figure. It had been watching them. For how long Six didn't know.

It looked like a human figure but it was entirely pitch-black. Whether it was because of the distance or the dark he wasn't sure. But Six was sure that it reminded him of that black Grimm that Richter had mentioned. The one that killed his wife. But Six was able to make out hazy feminine features. It left after watching for a while.

The entire event left him unnerved and eager to get back to base. It was also part of the reason he had rushed the job the kill Kestrel. He had too many questions and not enough answers.

For now, he would head over to the deceased Faunus' base and take the information this Kestrel had gathered for himself. Maybe he could piece together what Kestrel couldn't.

Author's Note:

Lots of mystery going on. I hope you're enjoying the story so far!

Current Gear:

Burned Man's Armor

Elite Riot Gear

Modified Stealth Suit Mk. II

Mysterious Magnum

Rebreather

Maria

Survivalist Rifle

Modified Anti-Material Rifle.

YCS/186 Gauss Rifle variant.

C4 – Plastic explosives (4)

Detonator.

Frag Grenades (4)

Frag Mines (0)

Combat Knife.

Plasma Grenades (10)