Author's Note:

When writing this, it occurred to me to mention something I may have not made apparent enough, though I have mentioned it before. The Courier is essentially a heavily augmented cyborg in this story. Many of his more superhuman feats are largely due to this fact.

Getting to see some characters that haven't been in the story for a bit, enjoy!

"Text"

"Speech"

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

Remnants of a Courier

Chapter 26: A Meeting of Ice Cream

It was time for his first big update on the mission. Six wasn't thrilled as he stepped up to the van.

Of course, there were positives to seeing Roman. There were also negatives to seeing the conman. They balanced out in a weird sort of cosmic way. The real Joshua would probably call it the Divine's plan.

Six wasn't a huge believer of a God or a higher power. In fact, he kind of had issues with organized religion in general. He still had a lot of respect for the Burned Man despite that.

But that was something he'd have to think about another time. The side door of the van opened and Joshua spotted a familiar small woman inside. Her hair was black and her facial features were sharp.

The woman was dressed in a suit that didn't usually match her style but the eyes gave her away; pink and brown.

She offered him a seat inside and so he stepped in, crouching to do so. Neo tapped away at her scroll for a few moments before Six's Pip-Boy pinged him.

"So, how has your vacation been?"The text caused Six to roll his eyes under his helmet.

"It's been great Neo. No idea what I've been "preparing" for but all I do is sit around all day. It's so much fun." Joshua's response was a lie. There had been much to do but he didn't want to tip anyone off to that just yet.

The smaller person tilted her head to the side before smiling at him. What was she always so happy about?

The vehicle took off with both of them in it. A silence fell over the two as Six stared out the window. Eventually, he turned back to the woman only to see her staring at him intently.

Figuring he might as well make the best of the situation, Six opened his mouth. "So, how's life at the base been?"

The girl tapped her chin for a few moments as she gazed out a window. Then a smile spread across her face as she tapped away at her scroll.

"Boring! Only Mercury and Roman talk to me! And Mercury is soooo boring. And Roman barely pays attention to me with all the "Cinder" business. It's not fair!"

Six glanced back up from his Pip-Boy before shaking his head. Deciding to play along with Neo's antics, Six replied, "well be careful. That Cinder lady is quite the looker. Don't let her steal Roman from you."

Neo's illusion fell and her hair returned to its normal mixed color as she pouted at him. The girl quickly went to typing as Joshua looked down at his scroll.

"That's not true! He's more scared of Cinder than into her!"

A useful bit of information to get from the murderous teen. At least, Six assumed she was an older teenager. He wasn't actually sure.

The sounds of the van coming to a stop caused Joshua to shrug his shoulders before saying, "I don't know, just be careful not to lose him."

It was an obvious ploy by him to bring doubt into Neo's mind but he didn't have time to see her face as he turned to open the door.

The van was parked outside the same run-down motel that Adam and Six had stayed at before; The Vagrant Grimm. Memories of Kestrel filled Six's thoughts before he pushed them down.

Neo's once again black hair was brushed against his helmet as she walked past him. Six figured she was still irritated by what he said. She'd get over it.

The pair proceeded up a small stairwell and to the second story of the rather grime-ridden motel. Dirt covered the floor and Six was pretty sure he could see some kind of bug nest above one of the doors.

209 was their stop apparently as Neo knocked on the door a total of six times.

As Six waited, he looked down at his Pip-Boy to receive a payment notification. A smile crossed his face as the transaction was finalized.

Since the creation of the Voidwalkers, the organization had practically paid for itself over the past few weeks. Word had spread quickly about the starting PMC and its above-average mercenaries.

In fact, the demand was far exceeding the supply so far. It was all thanks to the White Fang and the increased Grimm activity.

Apparently, several high-profile executives and other wealthy individuals wanted some extra security with all the tragedies happening recently. Even the nobility could sense something was coming.

Hell, the S.D.C. was wanting a piece of what his mercenaries had to offer. More importantly, they were willing to pay top Lien as well. Something about protecting the assets they still had left.

This meant that the group had paid a portion of what Six had invested into them. This extra funding was used to hire more people and expand.

After all, with the assets the company had, he could field a small army. When he started, he only had ten people. As of now, he had closer to double that amount.

There was more good news on top of this. While the papers hadn't quite gone through yet, from what Six knew, one of his employees had been hired by Beacon. A man by the name of Gratius Vermont.

Gratius was an owl Faunus with a shady past. Luckily, most of Vale was fairly open to Faunus. The man had served as a bodyguard for some noble in Mistral and was known to take jobs that others would find unsavory.

Just the kind of man Six was looking for in his company. Of course, he had helped bury the man's history to get him accepted into Beacon, leaving only his experience to paint the perception of anyone who met him.

That was the end of the good news. Six had reached a complete stonewall when it came to the transportalponder. The device had a few components that he couldn't craft with the tools at Beacon and he hadn't found an energy source that was compatible on Remnant.

The first problem was fixable given time. The second problem was starting to make Joshua worry that there was no compatible energy source to be found on Remnant. That perhaps he'd have to create some of the elements of his world using whatever he could find here.

Six's reminiscing was interrupted as the door opened. The sight of red hair and goofy looking aviators greeted Joshua.

"Six, Neo," Adam said as he held the door open for them. Adam was in the "disguise" the two had picked out for him on their joint mission together. It almost made Six chuckle. Almost.

"Ah, finally, the man of the hour. The competent member of our little group." Roman's words didn't exactly inspire Six as they entered the room.

The motel room had two twin beds and was spacious enough for the four of them. Despite that, the tacky wallpaper and smell of smoke didn't help the room's persona.

"I'm really hoping you've managed to get something for me Six; or should I say House? Ulysses? Courier?" At each mention of an alias, Torchwick flicked his wrist to emphasize each moniker.

The man was seated in a small chair by a round coffee table. On the table rest the man's scroll and a small coffee mug. Something both him and Ozpin had in common.

"Wait, don't answer that, I don't care," Roman continued before crossing his legs and leaning back. "Tell me Six, what've ya got? Because Cinder has really been up my ass about this. And if she's up my ass, I'm up your ass."

Roman still had on his usual suit which made Six wonder why Neo and Adam had bothered to dress up.

Questions for later. For now, Six tapped away at his scroll and sent a rather lengthy file to Torchwick.

The document contained several different items he had found while he had been working at Beacon. The schedule of most of the guards and notable members of the staff, what times most places at Beacon closed, and other miscellaneous items.

By far the most important piece of information was the blueprint he sent to Roman which made the conman's face practically glow with excitement.

"Oh, that's perfect Six, just perfect. Old Ozzy's gonna flip when we get in here." His boss's words made Six cross his arms.

"So, what is in there that's worth all the trouble?" Six's question caused Roman's smile to shrink slightly as he looked back up at him.

"Nothing to worry your pretty head over… Well, I assume it's pretty, can't really tell with that helmet on." The conman shrugged at his own words before continuing, "just something Cinder wants, and something you don't need to ask questions about."

Adam scoffed from his position against the door of the motel room. "Does no one else find it suspicious only Cinder and her lackeys actually know what we're going after?"

Roman's grin shrunk further as he eyed the Faunus.

"Hey, you don't need to know. You just need to follow orders. Your little group will get the fall of Beacon and the fear of humans. You just need to stick to the plan."

The conman's words did little to persuade even himself as his grip on the arm of the chair tightened.

Adam shrugged before looking away from the conman; most likely rolling his eyes under the glasses as well.

While the trio had been talking, Neo had taken a seat on one of the beds. One leg was crossed over the other as she let out a yawn. This caused Roman to glance at her.

"Fine Neo, I'll wrap this up. Six, you've done a fantastic job." A single finger was held up by Roman as he continued, "but there's three things I need you to do. Get me access to this restricted area. Can you do that?"

Joshua nodded his head before replying, "of course. It's going to take a bit though."

"That's fine, just get it done." The conman clapped his hands and looked between the three.

"Two, there's an operation I'm going to run. The Mimic is going to make an appearance and cause problems. I'll send a file containing the details. Got it?"

Always a new scheme with Cinder and Adam. "Got it," Six replied in an unenthusiastic tone.

"With that, I think business is relatively concluded. My second favorite employee, would you please take Neo out for the day?" Roman did not just ask him that.

"No."

The girl in question sent a pout towards Six who in turn sent a glare through his helmet back.

"Don't be that way Six, I know you have the day off," Roman continued in an almost song-like manner. "And I'll cut your pay if you don't."

The swirl-haired girl sent a grin towards him that made Joshua groan.

"Fine, fine, but I need to change. Wait outside."

The woman grabbed her umbrella before hopping off the bed and proceeding to the door while skipping. A sigh escaped Adam as he was forced to move out of the way.

Once the door was closed behind her, the smile dropped from Roman's face. "Thanks Six, I need to get work done. I've been busting my ass to make all of this work." For once, the façade was gone and Joshua could see the signs of exhaustion.

The conman's usual posture was less proper than usual and the small bags under his eyes didn't help his appearance. It looked like everyone was being pushed into overtime.

"You can use the bathroom to change," Roman said before taking out a cigar and lighting it. He then placed his hat onto the table before closing his eyes. "I think I'll take a nap in a bit."

Adam shot Six a look and nodded his head before stepping out of the room as well. Six guessed it was time for them to talk.

One quick change into his civilian clothing later and Joshua was outside the room. He was wearing the same thing he had when he went with Adam to stop Kestrel. A simple hoodie, jeans, and bandages to cover the rest of him.

"So, you learn anything about our new "friend's" plans?" Adam's question brought a frown to Six's face.

"No, but I'll send you all the relevant information." As Joshua spoke, he began typing on the holographic projection from his Pip-Boy. He then opened up a small hatch on the side of the device before pulling a small cable from it.

Joshua offered the cable to Adam who took it before plugging it into his scroll. A few moments later and Adam was looking over files as Six put the cable away.

Six glanced over the railing and down at Neo who was waiting below. The girl was twirling her cane and staring up at them with a wide smile. She was a different one alright.

"So, I'm taking it you didn't send all this information to our mutual friends?" Adam was trying to be vague and deceptive but the man wasn't a good liar.

He was right though. Six already had a way inside the underground area. A passcode he had retrieved from imbedded and encrypted files. They would likely be changed but Six could work around that now that he had their coding.

"I didn't, though even I don't know what is truly happening down there… I'll let you know when I have more for you. In the meantime, send me a file on what your side is doing when you have the chance."

Joshua looked over the railing once more. The grin on Neo's face proved that she either didn't know what they were talking about or didn't care.

"Alright, I'll leave you to your…" Adam paused as he finally glanced towards the psychotic woman as well. "Babysitting. Have fun."

With that, the Faunus turned and walked away. Not even a thank you. At least the man was business orientated.

Six turned to look down at Neo again but found her already sitting on the railing next to him. She gave him a knowing grin before hopping down, grabbing his hand, and running off. Taking Six with her.

This was going to be a different kind of day.

Different and somehow boring. The eccentric multi-colored criminal had not only wanted ice cream but also dragged him to every ice cream place in town. Well, at least twelve. Six didn't even know the city had that many!

And yet Neo still wasn't satisfied. That was why the two were currently at some small-time vendor. The guy didn't even have a store; just a stand in the middle of the sidewalk.

The average looking vendor was a Faunus of some kind. His cat-like eyes gave that impression at least or were they snake eyes?

Still, that didn't really matter to Six as he watched Neo glue her face to the window of the vendor's stand. Her eyes roamed all of the flavors before she pointed to several different ones. The vendor seemed to understand her silent command as he began scooping each flavor onto a cone.

The multi-flavored ice cream cone was placed into Neo's hand who literally bounced in place.

"That'll be 4 Lien please."

The vendor's words reminded Six of his favorite part about Neo's little trip. The girl was currently giving him puppy dog eyes as she licked her cone.

With a sigh, Joshua reached a hand into his pocket and produced a small wallet. Sure, he could materialize it but that would probably freak people out.

"Cash only," the vendor added and Six sighed again as he dug around. He produced a few of the plastic pieces of currency before handing them over.

It was strange seeing plastic for currency but he supposed it was more durable than paper money. Kind of like bottle-caps that way.

"Thank you kindly," the man said as he put the currency away.

Six turned away to see Neo ahead of him already. That girl could move when she wanted to. The Courier had to jog to catch back up to her.

As he did so, Joshua's eyes wandered across the street ahead of them. The familiar face of Cardin Winchester greeted him. His three teammates seemed to be with him as well.

In front of Cardin were two individuals of higher standing. The two were both in suits and the older of the two had a rather ornate cane on him.

The younger one looked like a boy no older than thirteen. Perhaps it was the grandfather and grandson of some rich family? What were they doing talking with Winchester?

Six took Neo's hand which earned him a curious look from the girl. He followed this up by practically dragging his charge across the street. She didn't seem to mind.

The Courier positioned himself at the edge of a building, right around a corner from his targets. With his superior perception, it was fairly easy to pick up on their conversation.

"-he Winchester family has always been a good friend of ours. I was hoping to get to speak with you about giving my grandson some tutoring lessons. After the disappearance of his uncle, he needs someone to train him, and I'm afraid the rest of the family is far too busy."

That voice was older and held a tone of aristocracy to it. That was probably the older man. He'd almost put it as southern if not for the uppity tone.

"I don't know. I've got classes and I don't know if father would approve." That was most likely Cardin but the tone was different. It was far more respectful than Six was used to hearing.

A scroll was thrust in front of his face and Six had to quickly shift mental gears to reading.

"What are we doing?" Neo's lowered her note before giving him a curious glance.

Six pointed a thumb around the corner before responding, "listening in on a conversation a student of mine is having."

The girl tilted her head and raised a brow in response. He had let her drag him all over town for the past two hours. She could wait for five minutes.

The Courier pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing, "it's part of the job. Just need to keep an eye on the students. It won't be more than a couple of minutes."

The girl rolled her eyes with a small pout before looking away. It seemed she was satisfied for now. Her hand idly squeezed his and Six registered that they were still holding hands. The sounds of the conversation distracted him from that information.

"-ould be very grateful to you if you could. Alex needs a tutor mister Winchester. You're going to Beacon and could give him pointers until we could find a more permanent solution." That sounded like the older gentleman again.

"I know the Logarius family has been long time friends of the Winchesters… But I really should ask my father first." Cardin's words caused Six's eyes to widen under his hood.

He recognized that name. Thomas Logarius was the huntsman at Rhyt. The one he had taken care of. It looks like he had made this kid uncle-less. If the two were truly related.

A small wave of guilt was immediately suppressed by Joshua as he leaned in. Sure, it was technically none of his business. Still… It could be useful information.

"I understand, ask if you must, but he needs to have a tutor soon. Signal has already started again and he's struggling…" After the old man spoke, there was a pause.

Without being able to see what was going on, Joshua wasn't sure what was happening but he did manage to hear the older man whisper, "he just hasn't been the same since his uncle disappeared."

Another few moments of silence. There must have been some sort of physical response he didn't get to see.

"Alright, I'll do it. I just need to clear it with my father first. Don't you worry about a thing Alex. You'll be the best at Signal when I'm done."

Cardin's words were probably false but at least he was trying to keep the kid's spirits up. Maybe the teenager wasn't a complete ass after all.

The silence from the rest of his team indicated that they all felt rather awkward given the situation which was backed up by Cardin who gave a brief goodbye.

With the conversation obviously over, Six moved away from the corner before turning to Neo.

"Thanks, I just needed to hear what was going on." Joshua's words seemed to make the girl curious as she began typing on her scroll.

She never got to finish as team CRDL rounded the corner on the two and almost bumped into them.

"Woah, watch i-," Cardin began before looking down at Six's wrist. "Instructor House?" The look of annoyance on the boy's face quickly switched to worry.

"I'm sorry sir," he continued before Joshua raised a hand to placate him.

"Don't worry, we're not on campus. It's just House here." Six's response seemed to calm Cardin and the rest of his team who had taken a few steps back.

Then the group seemed to finally notice Neo. Six was thankful she still had her disguise going.

"Oh, you seem busy sir. We won't keep you." The student with brown hair—Dove—said as he seemed the most nervous out of the group.

Realizing that he was still holding Neo's hand, Six immediately tried to dissuade any notions or ideas of them being together as he said, "we're just friends."

"Right, of course sir," Russel, the dagger-wielding student said, a bit of mirth in his voice. The kid actually seemed amused. "We'll just leave you alone with your… Friend."

Joshua was about to chastise him but the group began jogging away from him. They were actually just running away. This was going to cause rumors.

The curse that left Six's mouth wasn't child appropriate. Neo next to him was laughing silently which only added to his frustration.

He quickly removed his hand from hers before saying, "I don't know what you're laughing at. I don't even know who would want to date you."

This caused the girl's laughter to die down and be replaced by a pout and a quick punch to his shoulder.

"Whatever, what place is next?" The question distracted the girl from his insult as she grabbed his hand again. He had just gotten away from that and here he was again.

Neo began pulling him along to the next nearest ice cream parlor. At least she was getting the attention she wanted.

Author's Note:

Another chapter down. Just a few more chapters until this arc's finale!

Current Gear:

(Warning: This list does not contain food, Chems, or other miscellaneous items.)

Burned Man's Armor

Elite Riot Gear (Modified: Mimic Edition)

Modified Stealth Suit Mk. II

Civilian Clothing

Beacon Uniform

Mysterious Magnum

Rebreather

Climbing Equipment

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)

S.P.E.C.I.A.L. Stats:

(The "+" stands for artificial boosts and perks that boost his stats past their base point. The more +'s, the more artificial boosts.)

Strength: ?

Perception: 10(+ +)

Endurance: ?

Charisma: ?

Intelligence: 10(+)

Agility: 10(+)

Luck: 5