Author's Notes:
Welcome to the next chapter! I think you'll like the cameos for this one! This is the second part of the "two-parter" upload.
"Text"
"Speech"
Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout, RWBY, or any associated characters.
Remnants of a Courier
Arc 4: Chaos Theory
Chapter 41: Change is in the Air
Blake let out a sigh as she set down her copy of "Ninjas Know Love." It was just getting to the good part where Shimada was going to face his brother in a climactic battle having been pitted against each other over Claire. Claire would have to decide who she loved more or watch one of them die. All the while the true villain was waiting in the background ready to strike. It was both infuriating and intriguing to figure out what the villain wanted.
And the reason she had to stop reading was also more than a bit irritating. Weiss had been staring at her for over ten minutes without fail. It was obvious she wanted to ask something but wasn't brave enough to do so.
On top of that, Ruby and Yang were playing some fighting game against each other on their scrolls while they talked about the Mimic.
"So, do you think he's got some vendetta against the White Fang?" Yang questioned while making her character deliver an uppercut into Ruby's.
The blonde was playing as some monk-style fighting character that used martial arts. Probably the closest thing Yang could get to her own signature boxing style of fighting. The monk was a guy in flowing robes; which if you asked Blake was a bad idea for fighting.
Ruby on the other hand was playing a hooded woman with a rifle. Again, not great for aiming when you have a hood covering your eyes but it was just a game.
The red-clad team leader stuck her tongue out before rapidly pressing a series of buttons. This caused her character to roll backwards out of the hit and let loose three rapid shots from her rifle.
"I mean, it seems like it right? Those two almost get killed and then he goes on a rampage." Ruby's response was right but Blake felt like there was more to it than that.
Sure, Six did seem generally enraged at the Faunus there, especially from what she heard. But then why did he help them during the train incident? There were too many questions and not enough answers. He had to have a bigger goal than just "get rid of the White Fang."
More importantly, he helped both Weiss and her to get away from Adam. Gods above, there was a high chance that at least one of them was dead. Not that Six didn't know how to fight, but she knew Adam was one of the best fighters outside experienced Huntresses. And if it was Six who died, that would make their current conversation pointless.
"Who even were those people? Were their names in the news?" Yang questioned as she pressed the same button three times in a row, making her character deflect all three attacks with her fist.
Ruby shrugged in response. "Nope. Probably for their own safety. Could you imagine what would happen to them if everyone knew?"
That was the frustrating part for Blake. She hadn't been able to track down the two people that had originally been attacked. In fact, the news outlets hadn't even reported the number of people, just that an attack did happen. They only knew the number of people from when Six and Adam argued.
Two people, that's all it took for Six to go on a bloody rampage.
Blake sighed before glancing towards Weiss once more. Gods, her teammate was still staring. Okay, she needed to do something about this.
Wordlessly, the Faunus stood up from her bed before proceeding to the door and quietly slipping out. There weren't any fancy stealth tactics used. But it always worked because her teammates never paid attention. That and Blake was a naturally quiet person.
"What do you want to ask?" Blake questioned as she turned back towards the door to her room and to Weiss.
It was easy to Blake that the former Heiress planned to follow her out though the Faunus was curious as to why she did it.
Her pale teammate shuffled her feet while looking down. "I wanted to apologize."
Blake blinked, this was going to be interesting.
The past few days were difficult for Weiss. From meeting the Mimic, to coming back to Beacon and freaking out over what happened, and finally realizing the Mimic could be House.
That night had been so stupidly hot because of the fire. It was nowhere near summer and no one on their team had been wearing layers. Weiss was in her usual combat skirt but she had been sweating the entire time.
That fire mixed with the cold air outside when facing Adam and the Mimic. The fire burned against her back and the cold air nipped at her face. The inconvenience had been nothing compared to her second meeting with Adam and the Mimic, or Six as Blake referred to him.
It was horrible to see the effects of her family firsthand. To see the hatred born of what her family had done in the face of Adam. In the sheer resentment of her solely because of who she was related to. The obsession for revenge that promised only violence and death.
And the Mimic… The man that killed her father and changed Weiss's life forever. Every time team RWBY had a run-in with him, he always got away. He felt invincible to her. Like a dark mountain she would never be able to climb; a mountain that wanted to swallow her whole.
It made her panic upon initially seeing him. The former Heiress forgot where she was, what she had been doing, or even that she was in danger. All that mattered was the fear that froze her in place. That dread and self-loathing from not being able to save her father or herself during their first meeting. Disgust at herself for some part of her being thankful that the Mimic had killed her father.
Jacques Schnee was not a good or kind man. He was all about business and any aspect of his life that interfered with that had to be dealt with. That included her.
"I haven't been a good friend to you. Or even a good teammate," Weiss continued as she finally looked up into the Faunus's eyes. Those amber hues looked back into the pale Huntress's own, it felt like Blake was judging her every move.
"First, I was scared of you. I tried to avoid you even though you saved me and my brother. Then I was insensitive to you and all Faunus. I froze up on you when we ran into him…" Weiss could feel her voice trailing off as she blinked a few tears away. But the former Heiress forced herself to continue through her shaky tone.
"I doubted you about the Mimic and House. I… I have been a bad teammate and friend. And I'm sorry." She stopped to catch her breath and wipe away a tear from her face. "I just want you to know that I'll help you with no doubt from now on. One way or another, we'll catch the Mimic."
It was hard to promise that. She still felt scared of him. The idea that House and him were the same person also left a bad taste in her mouth. But she couldn't let her fear control her from some obvious signs.
House and the Mimic shared a similar history as Blake was able to confirm that they were both mercenaries. They knew House was from Vacuo and from what he had mentioned the Mimic probably came from Vacuo as well.
The terrorist also began hiding his wrist computer when House began attending Beacon. Or at least, they didn't see him use it after that.
The two also had eerily similar fighting styles. Quick and concise movements meant to either buy him time or inflict as much damage as possible as quickly as possible. Though the Mimic did use more gear than House did. That did little to disprove it was him though.
Most off-putting were their mannerisms. She had only heard the Mimic through his helmet and only when he was angry. Blake had apparently talked to the Mimic before boarding the train and apparently he spoke similar to House too.
If they could just find out who was attacked by the White Fang, Weiss was sure they could figure out the identity of the Mimic.
"Weiss, I was never angry with you because you were scared." Blake's words caused Weiss to clench her first. This entire exchange was a little too nerve-wracking for the huntress-in-training.
The Faunus leaned her head back and closed her eyes while sighing. "It was frustrating but I understood why." Again, the amber-eyed future Huntress paused as she rubbed her closed eyes. "It feels like I'm the only one in Beacon that really cares about what the White Fang and Mimic are up to. While we sit here studying, they're on the move planning who knows what."
Blake looked down before placing her hands on the former Heiress' shoulders. "What I'm trying to say is thank you. I appreciate your words but I never needed to hear them. We're teammates and friends. I know you have my back. I'm sorry if I don't always seem grateful, I'm just frustrated from the lack of ground we've made in a Semester."
"Then why don't we go correct that?" Weiss questioned while giving a soft smile to her teammate. "I think it's time we go talk to Ozpin, even if we do get in trouble for going on the mission without his permission."
The Faunus let her own grin form as she replied, "I think that's a great idea."
"Is there anything else you two would like to add?"
Ozpin could see it in their eyes, the two girls were irritated with him. It couldn't be helped. While they did come to his office of their own volition, that didn't make them ready for what would come after this conversation.
"You don't have anything to tell us?" Blake asked, her tone descending into dangerously disrespectful territories towards her Headmaster. Not that he could blame her.
"I'm afraid not. While I appreciate what you two just told me, this is a responsibility for a fully trained Huntsman to handle. Consider the fact I'm dropping the matter of your unsanctioned mission reward enough." The Headmaster made sure to use his 'end of discussion' voice. They still didn't seem to be backing down.
"Headmaster, please," Weiss begged as she took a step forward. "You know what this means to us. What he's done to us both. Isn't there anything you can tell us? A direction you can point us in? Any action you can take against the Mimic?"
"Miss Belladonna, Miss Schnee," Ozpin began as he placed his elbows on his desk and put his hands together. The Headmaster allowed the light in the room to reflect off his glasses. A common tactic he used.
"Neither of you are fully trained Huntresses. Getting you any deeper than you already are not only tarnishes this school's reputation but it puts you and your teammates in danger. Teammates who you deemed did not need to hear this conversation."
Ozpin moved one hand away from the other and tapped the scroll on his desk a few times, navigating to a certain file.
A larger holographic projection appeared between him and the two girls. On it was displayed various new articles and even a profile on the Mimic that he had compiled.
"This individual is highly dangerous. If what you said is true, he has killed over thirty people in six months including at least one Huntsman. That alone would put him on the same level as some of Remnant's more notorious serial killers. He also has shown considerable skill and ability in combat. And you're asking me to send first-year students after him?"
"Well… We don't have to fight him…" Weiss countered in a softer tone.
The Headmaster had to suppress a smirk at her choice of words. That was exactly what he was thinking as well. Now to simply guide the two of them to the same conclusion. Miss Belladonna was going to be the difficult one as her furrowed brow and tense face indicated she was quite upset.
"As for actions I can personally take with this information…" Ozpin paused, considering the many paths he could take here. In all of his years of living, this was one of the more puzzling situations he had faced.
"I could arrest him. I have information that could link him to the Mimic and that's enough to bring him in for questioning." As Blake opened her mouth to respond, Ozpin raised a hand and cut her off. "But the Mimic is a careful individual… Most of the time. I highly doubt we would glean anything from his room or simply by taking him in for questioning. Without more solid evidence, undeniable evidence, he would be released and now wary of us."
"So you're saying there's nothing we can do then? That this was just… For nothing!?" Blake finally shouted at him as she threw her arms up.
The Headmaster forced his small grin to remain as he replied, "in a month or so from now there's going to be a routine mission, just before the Vytal Festival. There's a small town named Rhyt that needs to be checked up on. It's fairly routine to make sure the town still exists after all."
Blake's brow furrowed again and Ozpin once more had to hold up his hand to silence her. Her teammate seemed to be far more interested.
"A team will go there, ask a few questions about how the town is doing, and also where a certain Thomas Logarius has disappeared to. He's a Huntsman that disappeared in the area around six to seven months ago I'd say? Maybe a little longer."
This finally seemed to get Blake's attention who stared attentively at him. To which he made sure to press another key on his scroll and have a small debrief on the apartment attack. It listed the time of the attack, where it was at, its residents who were Richter Spring, Carmine Spring, and Ulysses House.
"While there," the Headmaster continued as he put his hands together once more. "The team will have free reign to ask anything they want from the residents as long as they don't get violent."
Both the girls by this point were staring at the screen, a knowing look having crossed their faces.
"This mission will become available two weeks from today at exactly nine in the morning, it will be first come first serve, and you will leave another week or two after accepting the mission." Ozpin unfolded his hands and grasped the cup of coffee sitting on his disk before continuing, "is there anything else I can help you with?"
Both teenagers seemed to get his point as Weiss shook her head. "No Headmaster, I think we've heard everything we need to."
"Good, then you're dismissed. I have another guest that would like to see me. Just remember, what you heard that night is classified and you may discuss it only amongst your team."
They both nodded their heads before turning away from him. It was good they got the gist of what he meant.
While he couldn't directly interfere with House and the Mimic, and he couldn't send them to fight him, Ozpin could get them to dig up information on an unofficial level while they did their official business. After all, a low-risk mission to check up on Rhyt was perfect beginning material for up and coming Huntresses. And if they just so happened to investigate the Mimic's history while they were there, all the better.
Now, to greet his new guest and talk about the other issue both girls brought up.
"Well… Shit." Six had to admit when things were looking precarious and this was one of those times.
"Should I be worried?" The red-haired Faunus sitting across from him asked, having also been privy to Ozpin's "private" conversation just now.
The bug he planted in Ozpin's system always paid off. Especially when he learned that Cinder had one there as well. He may not have all the information like her but she wouldn't be able to hold any new information over him.
The Courier glanced up to the scarred officer of the White Fang. Adam was currently wearing a red hoodie and jeans, a casual style compared to his usual ensemble. It was topped off with large orange-tinted aviators that hid most of his scar.
House shrugged in response. "I'm not."
The Courier's outfit was similar to Adam's. Jeans, and a grey hoodie. But instead of aviators, Six had his hood pulled up to hide the fact he was wrapped in bandages.
The two were seated on the roof of the "A Quiet Place" cafe Six had visited before. It was out of the way and not usually busy. A perfect inconspicuous place to have a conversation. Especially when he paid an extra sum of Lien to have the roof to himself. He'd just have to keep quiet and keep an eye out for any unwanted listeners.
There was another reason he came here though Six wouldn't tell Adam that. It was a little hard to hide his eagerness when the Valesian biscuit arrived. The Courier was quick to smother it in a sweet jam he was unfamiliar with before bringing it to his mouth.
Joshua took a few moments to chew and swallow before continuing, "like Ozpin said, they're suspicious of me but there's not a lot they can do. Let's say they go on this mission in a month. It takes them a week or two and they might get some information. Which, by the way, they don't have a car to get to Rhyt."
"Now, let's say they do manage to find something. That's a month and a half from now that becomes a problem. They start compiling a case against me and they try to arrest me by the end of that week."
Six rolled his hand over and gestured towards Adam as he continued, "that's already a lot of 'if's.' But let's say it goes perfectly for them and they find exactly what they need to arrest me." The same hand aimed towards Adam moved down to the scroll currently listening in on Ozpin. "I'll know and have time to get away."
Adam didn't seem convinced as he crossed his arms before replying, "and we lose you on the inside."
"You and I both know better than that," the Courier responded while shaking his head. "I've got other ways of monitoring what happens inside Beacon now. And by the time all of this would happen, we'd only be a week or two away from the Vytal Festival. It would be too late to stop Cinder's plan because the groundwork by then will already be done."
"So you think you have it all figured out then? What about Cinder?" Again, Adam grilled the Courier on his plan.
Six leaned his head back while letting out a sigh. "Listen, I know you're still sore over what happened at your base. But I didn't want it to come to that."
A short huff escaped the redhead as he crossed his arms. "Could've fooled me. The only reason I'm even considering letting it slide is because I hate her more than you." The White Fang officer moved a hand onto the table between them and began tapping as he continued, "I still don't understand why a Faunus is working against us."
There was the real reason Six assumed Adam was more willing to forgive him. Being part of the group always made people complacent. It disgusted Six. He was still going to use it to his advantage though.
"You already know why," Six muttered back while making sure his tone was serious enough to convey that Adam shouldn't press further. "It's the same reason I came after your people."
"They're just huma-" Adam cut himself off and took a breath in.
That was a good decision, Six was close to throwing a punch over the table for his last little comment.
The Courier leaned forward and met the Faunus's eyes. "Stop prying," House demanded before leaning back in his chair. "Besides, we've got more important business."
Adam seemed to relax at that. Sure, Adam was a human-hating Faunus supremacist that disliked him. But even he knew that family was a sensitive subject. Even if they technically weren't family.
"Right, you were telling me about the Maidens, basically magical girls right?" The Faunus questioned as he crossed his arms again.
Six gave a quick nod before replying, "yeah. Based on the seasons, a lot of raw power. Cinder wants into Beacon so she can snatch the Fall Maiden's magic." Only now was the Courier realizing just how crazy that sounded. "I sent you files that prove that's what she's after, or at least, that's what's hidden underneath Beacon."
"And these Maidens are connected to relics? Which are even more powerful?" Adam continued still holding a disbelieving tone.
Joshua placed his face in his hand. "I know it sounds insane but it's all unfortunately true. And these relics might be more powerful than the Maidens. I'm not sure."
"And Cinder is secretly working for this Salem person? The only believable part of this entire story." The Faunus continued with a smirk plastered on his face. Six got the distinct impression Adam was fucking with him.
"Fucks sake Adam, yes. Are you satisfied with making me repeat myself?" The Courier leaned back in his chair as he collected himself. This was going frustratingly slow but at least Adam hadn't gone nuclear upon meeting him.
"Just one last question," Adam began as he raised a finger. "How do you even plan on stopping any of this?"
Alright, now Six could finally make his bid at getting Adam on his side. "I don't."
A silence settled between the two of them. Adam didn't take the bait and respond so the two were left to stare at each other. Usually that trick worked.
"You do this more than you think." From the tone in Adam's voice, he was fairly annoyed. But why?
"Do what?"
Adam uncrossed one arm before gesturing towards the Courier and explaining, "this whole saying something surprising, then expecting an over-the-top response that you can "logically" explain your argument to and make yourself look good."
Huh. Did he do that a lot?
"Alright, you want to be an ass about this, fine." The Courier put up a hand and began listing off events.
"One, you damn near killed me. Two, You've been butchering people for reasons I disagree with. Three, the level of disdain you showed towards me before you realized what I am was palpable. Four, you've thrown away lives from your little White Fang more times than I can count."
At each recount of the Faunus's deeds, Adam's scowl deepened just a little more, but he didn't interrupt Six.
"Now let's list what I've done for you. I've helped on your missions. I killed Jacques Schnee, the actual racist keeping your kind essentially enslaved through legal means. I also helped cover your operations when that Huntsman came snooping around."
Joshua spared a quick glance around, the place was still mostly empty, good. He leaned in while placing a hand on the table.
"Make no mistake, I've been incredibly patient with you when your lot came after the people I cared about. So, this stick up your ass has got to go if we're going to work together. Or should I remind you that you almost killed another Faunus because your people got punished for their fuckup and you threw a tantrum?"
It was a partial lie. Six wasn't a Faunus but everything else was true. If Adam hadn't spurred his people to be spontaneous and violent racists, then they wouldn't have gotten hurt.
"You killed them!" Adam hissed under his breath. "They were good and just Faunus."
"And what was I supposed to do when they came for me? When you betrayed my trust. Forgive them?" Six rolled his eyes as he leaned back in his chair. "There's a saying an old friend of mine said once…"
The Courier rested his head against his hand while staring Adam straight in the eyes. "When our Lord entered the temple and found it polluted by money-changers and beasts, did he ask them to leave? Did he cry? Did he simply walk away?"
The Butcher of House raised his free hand and clenched it into a fist before continuing, "no. He drove them out. It is one thing to forgive a slap across my cheek, but an insult to the Lord requires–no–it demands correction."
A few moments passed as Adam processed what the Courier said. Then his scowl returned as the Faunus spoke. "So you consider yourself some kind of god?"
"No," Six began as he shook his head. "It means that there are certain things I can forgive. Then there are certain things I have to defend on principle. And when someone threatens the people I care for, it cannot be forgiven. That is justice."
A sigh escaped the Courier as he allowed his gaze to soften. "I think you're very much the same way. I guess I thought your zealous protection applied to all Faunus, not some," he said before taking another bite of his biscuit.
That seemed to give Adam pause. "I…" The Faunus trailed off while seemingly lost in thought. Hopefully this was the turning point. It had taken months of prodding and arguing with Adam to get him to see a different point of view. The stubborn bastard.
Of course, the real Joshua's quote helped. The leader of the Dead Horses was far more eloquent and versed in theology than he was. When Courier Six wanted to convince somebody, it was through guile and pragmatism usually. But sometimes a flair for the dramatic worked as well.
"I see your point. But in return for this partnership, you're going to send reparations to their families." So this was Adam's compromise. His terms…
"Acceptable," Six responded as he leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, now taking on a more relaxed posture. "Send me the list and I'll get it done."
It wasn't perfect but it was far better than what he had expected. All Six needed Adam to do was to keep the White Fang out of his way.
"So, what do you plan to do?" The redhead questioned before finally taking a sip from his coffee. The cup had been sitting there getting cold their entire conversation.
The Courier waggled a finger at Adam before responding, "ah ah, unless you agree to do more than stay out of my way, I can't tell you. All I can promise is that it won't hurt your people."
After all, even Six wasn't completely sure what the plan was. All he knew was that Cinder planned on attacking Beacon during the Vytal Festival for the Maiden. How she was going to do it was a mystery. He was going to have his forces prepared by the time that happened and hopefully have enough information to turn the plan on its head.
Another pause came from Adam as he seemed to consider his choices. Eventually, the Faunus changed topics up, "fine. Did you hear about Mercury and Emerald? They're currently being punished for running a mission without her 'Majesty's' permission."
Six raised a brow at this. "What mission?"
"They were taking out some traitor to the cause…" Despite his words, the frown on Adam's face proved he was anything but pleased at this individual's death. "I'm glad the two of them were put in their place."
Six nodded his head. Emerald was alright but Mercury needed to be knocked down several pegs before the Courier went around him again. The boy was always pestering him.
"Wait, hold on," Six said as he leaned forward and placed his Pip-Boy on the table. "Get in closer."
Adam leaned in and together the two of them blocked the holographic screen that appeared from any bystanders.
On the screen was a sound level meter. Six watched the meter spike as someone stepped into the room but Six was completely sure that Ozpin hadn't left his office yet. This must be the mystery guest he was having.
"Ozpin," Ironwood greeted as he straightened his tie. This meeting was with a trusted friend but it wasn't for pleasantries. It was an annoying inconvenience that they always met for trouble instead of idle chat.
The Headmaster of Beacon Academy nodded his head in response. "Hello General."
James did his best to cool the already stifling air at the hostile glare Glynda was giving him with a smile. All he had done so far was walk into his friend's office and they were already off on the wrong foot.
He could understand their frustrations. If a foreign military force, even a friendly one, were to arrive in mass and station themselves over Atlas it would anger him too. But it had to be done.
From the reports Ozpin had sent, their enemy was making bold moves. An attack was imminent and he had to act. The Headmaster of Beacon was far too cautious and by the time he acted Salem would have already struck.
No, having all their assets on standby near the location of the attack was the safest choice even if it wasn't the most subtle. With the new technology Atlas had at their disposal, they could also dissuade any fear the Vale citizens would have. Now it was just about making Ozpin and Glynda see the same reasoning.
"Please, drop the formalities, it's been too long!" Ironwood greeted in a jovial tone as he shook the fellow Headmaster's hand. He turned his attention towards the blonde professor before continuing, "and Glynda, it has certainly been too long since we last met."
The icy glare Glynda shot towards him was not his desired response.
"Oh James," she began in a sickly sweet voice before leaning in towards Ozpin and muttering, "I'll be outside."
With a disgusted side glance towards him, Glynda walked past James and towards the elevator. The General had to admit it was a tad insulting. After all, he took great care in how he appeared. An all-white suit and professional cut weren't an easy thing to maintain.
Despite that, "Well, she hasn't changed a bit," he decided to press on with false positivity. There was no need to treat his allies poorly.
"So, what in the world has brought you all the way down here from Atlas? Headmasters don't typically travel with their students for the Vytal Festival." The Headmaster's joking tone barely hid his accusation. He was being polite, but the older Headmaster was calling him out all the same.
He'd just have to use the same tactic. "Well, you know how much I love Vale this time of year. Besides, with you hosting, I thought this might be a good opportunity for us to catch up." Ironwood made it a point to get on with the real discussion.
"I can certainly appreciate quality time between friends," Ozpin began as he took up his mug.
"However, the small fleet outside my window has me somewhat concerned."
It was time to start selling Ozpin on what was going to happen. "Well, concern is what brought them here," Ironwood began as he attempted to put on his best sincere and worried face.
"I understand travel between Kingdoms has become increasingly difficult," Oz continued to joke. It was starting to wear on his patience.
It was time to end the jokes. "Oz, you and I both know why I brought those men." Ironwood allowed his tone to drop the jovial attitude.
A sigh escaped the Headmaster before he took a drink. James wished it were different but his actions were the right call.
Ozpin glanced upward from his cup as he responded, "we are in a time of peace. Shows of power like this, are just going to give off the wrong impression."
That wasn't good enough. They couldn't just sit idly by with the information they both knew. "But if what Qrow said is true," Ironwood began his argument only for him to be cut off.
"If what Qrow said is true, then we will handle it tactfully," Ozpin responded in an even tone. "It's the Vytal Festival, a time to celebrate unity and peace," he continued before letting his voice drop an octave. "So I suggest you not scare people by transporting hundreds of soldiers halfway across the continent."
The Headmaster of Beacon had a point. But a few scared civilians was nothing to what the Monster out there had planned. And now there was a new player. "I'm just being cautious. With her on the move and this Wild Card character…"
"As am I. Which is why we will continue to train the best Huntsman and Huntresses we can. I'm sure that they will be able to handle both given time." Oz's response did little to persuade the General. It was infuriating seeing him essentially sitting on his haunches.
The old Headmaster tapped a finger against his desk. "I have news that just came in on that front."
James hoped it was good news. He was tired of constantly being in the dark.
"A recent unsanctioned mission by students resulted in a skirmish between them, Wild Card, and Bull. During which the two aggressors began fighting each other."
That was interesting to hear. So it was true that the Mimic and the White Fang were on bad terms.
"It was also clear to the students that the recent attack by the White Fang on the Farner Apartments is what sparked the attack by Wild Card."
Which linked Ozpin's main suspect–House–to the Mimic. It was at the very least highly suspicious. It was even enough reason for Ironwood to suggest, "why don't we just bring him in now."
"Patience James. We can't rush into this." Ironwood could feel a finger twitch at being talked down to by Ozpin. "We'll have our moment. For now, I want to see what his end goal is before we take him in. And hopefully gather more evidence to keep him in our custody."
"We also risk him causing irreparable damage if left to his own devices," James countered as he brought a hand to his forehead. This entire conversation was starting to give him a headache. It always felt like he and Ozpin always had the opposite solution.
The Headmaster of Beacon moved around his desk before taking a seat. To seemingly spite his own frustration, Ozpin seemed completely serene in that moment. What was going on in the older man's head?
The Headmaster began tapping his desk as he replied, "and we risk playing our cards too early against the Queen. She's a far bigger threat to Beacon and Vale than a delinquent with a gun."
It was frustrating to hear that. Ironwood wanted nothing more than to hunt the murderer and terrorist down before throwing him in a prison forever. But for now, he'd follow Ozpin's lead. The General was certain that his troops would be able to handle anything their enemies could throw at them.
"Fine, have it your way Ozpin. But the second he slips up, I want to be there." After all, who better to bring a rogue chaotic element to justice than Atlas; the embodiment of law and order?
The first smirk since James arrived played across Ozpin's lips as he responded, "very well, I'll be sure to inform you first. However, there is one more detail that I found intriguing."
Ironwood raised a brow at that. Ozpin only found things interesting when they were either very exciting for him or very bad.
"Wild Card spoke about a certain "Cinder." No last name. However, Bull and Wild Card seemed to know of her."
James shook his head before responding, "so? She's another pawn in this complicated web that her mistress is weaving. That doesn't really help us."
The Headmaster of Beacon smirked as he leaned back in his chair. A smug aura seemed to surround the white-haired man as he brought his hands together. "Cinder Fall, a student from Haven is going to be arriving today. A young woman with little known history."
"And a likely suspect," Ironwood finished as he placed a hand on his chin. "This is the first time we might actually be able to take the Queen by surprise."
"Unfortunately," Ozpin began as his smirk turned to a frown. "We have no evidence or charges under which to take her in. However, if she makes one wrong move…"
"Do you want me to assign someone to watch her?" The General questioned.
The Headmaster of Beacon shook his head as he replied, "no. I already have someone in mind for that. I need you to keep a force on standby for detainment when she makes a mistake."
"Right," James replied as his mind raced. It was finally a solid lead that could stop the attack on Beacon before it even began. Hopefully. All they had to do was keep their cool for now.
"I'll be on my way then, I need to get a team organized," the General continued as he turned on his heel before marching towards the elevator. "We'll win this war yet."
James was tired of the shadow games she played so he was thankful they'd finally get a chance to strike a blow at the followers of Salem.
"That could be a problem," Adam commented as he leaned away from Six.
"Possibly…" The Courier trailed off as he stared at his Pip-Boy for a few moments. A plan was beginning to form. "But we could turn this in our favor. If we can keep Cinder in this precarious situation, not only will she not be able to focus on us, but it will be much easier to turn her plans against her when the time comes."
The Faunus across from him crossed his arms. "Precarious situation?"
"Right," Six began as he picked up the last piece of his biscuit. "She can't back out of attending Beacon now it would make her look even more suspicious. And because of that, she'll be stuck here with limited mobility thanks to Ozpin and this General."
The frown on Adam's face deepened at the rank. "There are too many Atlesians around now, it makes my skin crawl."
Six wasn't going to touch that obviously biased opinion. After all, the brand on the Faunus' face gave the Courier an idea of why he wouldn't like S.D.C. and Atlas by extension. Not to mention the Kingdom's colored history.
"If we can keep them on Cinder's trail but make sure she never gets caught until the Vytal Festival, we can get more leeway from both of them until then and hopefully take out two birds at the festival."
Six's words caused the bull Faunus to silently deliberate. Six couldn't help but feel just a bit nervous as the White Fang officer stared at him. Eventually, Adam nodded his head.
The Courier nodded his head in turn before shoving the remnants of the biscuit into his mouth. After a few seconds of chewing and swallowing Six continued, "all I need you to do on your end is dig up any dirt you can on her in the meantime. I'll keep Ozpin and Ironwood on Cinder's tail."
Again the Faunus nodded.
Ever since Adam mentioned the Atlesians, his attitude had taken a nosedive. He was less responsive and seemed to be thinking about something else. Six wasn't going to get much further today. It was time to end the conversation.
"Well, if you don't need anything else, I'll stay in touch." After speaking, House stood before Adam finally spoke up.
"The Belladonna girl-"
"Don't start this again," Six cut off the Faunus. "It's not healthy and it's more than a bit creepy."
Adam's scowl nearly turned into a snarl as he replied, "and why not? Traitors need to pay. Not only do they deserve it but they set an example for others to follow."
While Six could agree, focusing on one teenager was unseemly. "Should I remind you she's a teenager with her own goals? It's pretty common for them to act out. Maybe if you cooled your head and let her breathe, you'd find she would come back to you."
What he didn't say was that Six didn't think she mattered at all. Other than being a nuisance, Blake served little purpose in his plans. That was as far as his interest went for the girl. Adam's appeared to run deeper.
"I don't need her to come back!" The redhead hissed at Six. It took everything in the Courier not to roll his eyes. "Besides, would you just let someone who wronged you go? Not from what I've seen."
It was Six's turn to shoot a glare. He wasn't wrong. If Six could get his hands on the traitors that undermined him, he would make examples out of every single one.
"No, I would punish them. But what we're doing, what Cinder has planned for Beacon, it's punishment enough. In the grand scheme of things, she doesn't mean anything."
That seemed to calm Adam a little. The Faunus leaned back in his chair and his facial expression shifted to a neutral one. There was still a certain intensity behind his stare.
"Shit… Fine." Six finally relented. "I heard during her first day back, she got into the single biggest food fight Beacon has ever seen."
Adam blinked–or Six thought he did behind those glasses–at Six's words, surprise clearly evident on his face. "What makes you think I care?"
The Courier tilted his head to the side and replied, "really? Of course you still care. From what I understand you two were close. I'm assuming that's why you're so insistent on knowing her every move."
Adam didn't reply. Instead a tense expression crossed his face as he sat in thought. The Faunus was a weird one, in Six's opinion. Of course, preaching to him like this after that little stunt he pulled not even a week ago wasn't a good idea-
"Mind your own business," Adam warned as he stood from his seat. "If there's nothing else, I'm taking my leave."
As the Faunus turned to walk away, Six called out, "wait! You'll stay out of my way then?"
The White Fang officer turned his head back towards Six. For a few moments the redhead stared at the sitting figure before sighing.
"You stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours."
Six nodded his head in response as he watched Adam walk away. That was at least one complication dealt with. Now if he could just secure Roman's cooperation…
Six sighed as he turned his gaze towards the sky. The sight of Atlesian battleships and cruisers filled the sky, making the residents of Vale uneasy.
It reminded him of some of the stories of the Brotherhood of Steel and Enclave. Six had only ever met the former briefly and the latter after it had long passed its prime. Not that it was going to save either group from him when he got home.
Still, those stories paled in comparison to the gargantuan ships hanging in the air. The kind of firepower that could decimate Vale within a day. He wanted it which was part of the reason he had been doing some research on the airships since they got in.
His eyes traced along the Pathmaker-class Battleship. It was angular and sleek like much of the modern Remnant design. Battleship was strange nomenclature that was eerily similar to his own world's designations. Of course, he wondered what Battleship meant, as in his world a battleship was just an outdated warship by Old World standards. That meant little to the floating airship that measured in size to many of the Old World's destroyers. Many of the larger warships measured around 150 meters or around 500 feet. With the cruisers measuring 30 meters or 100 feet larger than their smaller counterparts at roughly 180 meters or 600 feet.
His eyes moved onto the Solitas-Class Battlecruiser. It was an odd mix between battleship and cruiser. Six wondered what the purpose of it was when cruisers were already an in-between for destroyers and carriers. Of course, Six also wasn't a Navy expert and Remnant seemed to work off the Navy's logic from the Old World.
Then his eyes moved to the sole carrier-sized ship. It wasn't even a carrier, it was a war machine intended to crush all in its path with overwhelming size and power. The number 64 was emblazoned on its white hull, its angular design contrasted starkly by its sheer size. What Six assumed were the "fins" of the ship were an egregiously large set of 6 spike-like protrusions from the back, sticking out like weapons; in truth these spikes were designed for propulsion and balance.
This was the Emperor-Class Battleship, the Emperor Maxim. It was sized at an impressive 1,500 feet or a little over 450 meters. It sported 72 FD7672 anti-air cannons, 36 GD-24 heavy turrets, several land-to-air and air-to-air missile defenses, and 10 air-to-land artillery cannons. It likely had other features that weren't public knowledge either.
What an incredibly stupid and over-the-top show of force. Six wanted it so bad. So incredibly bad. Having a big fuck-off ship was a thing of beauty in the Courier's eyes. He also wanted to pick it apart from an engineering perspective as even the largest naval ships of his world were child's play to the marvel of engineering floating above the city.
The Courier sighed as he turned away. There was never enough time to enjoy the sights of the city. He needed to head back and get a few things in place for when Cinder arrived. There was a lot to do from here on out.
Six wasn't sure why Cinder needed to be at Beacon for her plan to succeed and it bothered him. The fact she didn't inform him she was coming was also telling. Usually, it was prudent to inform your spy that you would be on the premises.
He could only think of three reasons. The first was that he was so useless to her she didn't care if he knew. Unlikely given their recent encounter. The second was to surprise him and drop by to keep an eye on Six. The last was because Cinder didn't want him to know. It could even be a combination of the latter two reasons.
None of that mattered now because for once Six was going to get the drop on her. And he'd look like a good little spy when he did so so she couldn't complain.
After all, it was the security detail's duty to ensure that all newcomers from other Academies were in line with Beacon protocol. It was why he, Huey, and several other guards were lined up at the edge of Beacon. Though Six didn't see his Voidwalker–Gratius–among them. He was one of the night shift guards.
Their group of guards had formed just off the ramp for the incoming airships. The circular platform was situated on the southern end of the Academy with the angle of Beacon's large towers casting a shadow over them.
House and the other security staff had a few lines formed which they were funneling the foreign students through. It was a bit strange to see the foreign badges indicating the other academies pinned to their uniforms. The metallic bronze shine of a Shade badge or the sleek cool grey of an Atlas Academy badge.
What was more interesting were the arrivals from Haven Academy. Six eyed the three members of team SSSN as they passed through a checkpoint. A fancier-looking red-haired kid dressed in white. A darker-skinned teen dressed in a strange looking duster. No shirt, no armor, just a duster, green hair, and muscle. The last was a blue-haired teen with goggles draped across his forehead. If Six remembered right, they were in order: Scarlet David, Sage Ayana, and Neptune Vasilias.
It wasn't the appearance of the team or where they came from that caught Six's eye. It was the fact their teammate was Sun Wukong who currently wasn't with them.
House had taken the time to research the Faunus teen who had challenged him and had come up with the individuals that stood no more than a few yards away. They were fairly accomplished if headstrong first-year students.
That wasn't what interested Six. It was the lack of their leader that was far more interesting. It seemed like Sun wasn't fully healed yet. Though, from what a certain blonde student had carelessly said, he was set to make a recovery before the Vytal Festival.
That was what all these students were here for after all. To fight each other for glory. It normally wouldn't be all that exciting compared to Earth's tournaments. Though that was because Earth's were bloodier and had more death involved. But with literal super-powered people, it would be entertaining to see.
Not that Six would get to enjoy that because of the person stepping off the ramp.
The lithe and icy-looking woman wasn't dressed in her usual red attire. Instead, Cinder's red dress had been traded for an academy uniform which did little to make her seem any less intimidating. In fact, all the woman really did was let her hair fall in front of one side of her face. Sure, it made her look slightly less intimidating and more shy, but that wasn't even a disguise really.
Six could see the gazes Cinder and her compatriots were attracting. He couldn't blame the other students but if they knew what was under that exterior…
Emerald and Mercury followed closely behind also dressed in school uniforms. Six idly wondered what their team name was as he spotted the last member of their little entourage. A certain madwoman with black hair and green eyes. That couldn't deceive Six.
The Courier wasn't completely sure what her Semblance was, but it had obviously allowed Neo to disguise herself as a student from Haven sent to Beacon. All to round off Cinder's team.
It was a bit strange to see Cinder and Neo masquerading as students given the fact they were around his age if not slightly older. Though they did have a youthful appearance which Six likely didn't have anymore.
The Courier did not want to deal with the once strawberry-colored mute maniac anymore than he had to. And Cinder just up and brings the little gremlin to his workplace.
"Fantastic," Six muttered to himself as he motioned for the supposed Haven team to approach.
The way the lines were set up, each guard was given retractable stanchions for their individual lines, a small table, and a hand-held metal detector tool. All of which the new team got to eye as they approached.
The leader of the group gave House a soft smile before asking, "and how are you doing today?"
Six knew better than to actually do his job at that moment and flipped the metal detector off. He then pointed towards the table before responding, "I'm doing fine ma'am, please step towards the desk and hold your arms out."
The "student" made her way to the desk before spreading her arms out. This gave the Courier time to sweep the deactivated metal detector over her.
"We'll be keeping in touch, don't approach us unless we tell you to," Cinder muttered to the Courier as he finished scanning her.
"Of course ma'am, now if you would just place any belongings you have on the desk so I can search them." At his words, Cinder shot him a glare. All he could do was smirk under his helmet and respond, "I'm just doing my job ma'am. If you don't like it, you can leave."
The power of a Beacon staff uniform was fun to use against his temporary boss.
The smaller woman huffed before placing a bag on the table which Six immediately searched. Mostly for his own curiosity. Inside were a few clothing items, a scroll which he unfortunately couldn't steal right now, general hygiene items, and a bottle of water. How mundane.
"You're clear, next," Six called out as he turned to the next student who happened to have grey hair.
The shit eating grin plastered on the boy's face made Six roll his eyes. He was obviously going to try something. But he wouldn't get the opportunity.
The Courier briefly waved the metal detector over the student before motioning him forward and saying, "next."
"Aren't you gonna do your job?" Mercury questioned as he began walking past Six.
The Courier didn't even bother turning back to the teen as he replied, "you're far too weak to be a threat anyways."
A light snicker from the mute member of their group told Six he had landed his punch. It was a bit childish but Six wasn't above petty squabbling at times.
"Fuck you," the grey-haired teen mumbled as he proceeded into the academy. It was a good thing other students were around or the teen likely would have attacked.
Then the Courier felt an unfamiliar hand in his pocket. He quickly turned to find a placid looking Emerald staring up at him. In the moment it took for him to turn around she had already withdrawn from what he assumed was an attempt to pickpocket him.
Fortunately for the both of them, Six didn't actually carry anything around in his pockets and preferred to dematerialize his possessions. Fortunate for him as he didn't want his stuff stolen. Fortunate for her because if she had taken something it would have gone poorly. Though he didn't like the way she eyed the flower pinned to his uniform.
House spent a few long moments staring down Mercury's partner. It didn't matter if a helmet was covering his face because a nice long uncomfortable stare got his point across just fine.
When he felt like she had enough, Six finally scanned her with the metal detector before waving her through with no further issue.
Then came the small menace. Six knew the small grin she was showing was a lie. Neo was positively beaming in every other sense as she shifted in place. Her wild eyes promised mischief of a most likely violent nature and she kept glancing at the Courier when she thought he wasn't looking.
In an effort to ignore her blatant staring Six glanced at his surroundings. Only then did he notice two cat ears hiding in the crowd a good distance away. Blake was doing a better job of hiding herself lately.
His vision was forced back down when the smaller woman tugged at his shirt. She was currently standing directly in front of him and pouting. Why was she like this?
The fake student spread her arms out to the side so Six got to running the metal detector along her torso. Only for the shameless rascal to lean forward and press her chest against the metal detector.
Six could hear Mercury making gagging noises behind him and for once he agreed.
"Ma'am, you appear to be losing your balance, head to the nurse's office if you're feeling faint. I didn't detect anything so you're free to pass."
Neo tilted her head to the side in confusion before her eyes widened in realization. Her back straightened and the menace crossed her arms before shuffling past Six. Great, now he just made her mad.
Six couldn't help but rub his helmet in frustration. He still had a lot left to do and manage for not only that day but until the Festival. Having a deranged mute psychopath on the loose made things harder for him.
Six waved another student forward for inspection, making sure to turn the metal detector on as he did so. There was nothing else to do but his job for now. Everything else would have to wait.
And then his Pip-Boy buzzed. It was always something.
Six idly glanced down to see the header of the new message he had just received from Roman. "I have a job for you."
Author's Notes:
For this chapter I had to guestimate the sizes of the airships. I did some research and as far as I'm aware there are no canon measurements given for how large the "warships" are (warships are a term I'm stealing from our world for this since everything else seems identical in naming nomenclature).
For airship classes, I used the image "MM!AU: Atlas fleet assets" made by "Soundwave3591" on DeviantArt as a reference (it's against fanfic's policy to post links so you'll have to find them yourself, sorry).
So, what I decided on was measuring these airships to roughly their real-life Naval counterparts. Many people have guessed that even the smaller airships measure up to 450 meters, I have gone against this notion. This is for three reasons.
First, airships like these are somewhat of a fantasy already and I'm not experienced enough when it comes to Naval or Aviation warfare to justify the sheer size of a 1,125 meter long airship (Emperor Class) or roughly 3,691 feet, a ship that would be roughly .7 miles long or a little over a kilometer long.
Second, from a logistical standpoint, even with Dust to power it, it would still need a ridiculously large amount of Dust to stay afloat. Whereas naval ships can sit on the water they're on and not expend fuel, the airships in RWBY never landed over the course of weeks. Unless they have some kind of resting propulsion system (possible), it doesn't seem very economical. Hence scaling it down works better.
Lastly, crew size. For the smaller airships of 450 meters in size, that would likely mean an absolute minimum of 1,000 crew members and a maximum of 5,000. For one ship. For the Emperor class ship (according to certain reddit articles) sitting at well over double the size? Probably a minimum of 2,000-3,000 crew members with a maximum of 10,000-15,000. Not only is this a logistical nightmare but it also seems strange they'd lose control of Vale so quickly when they have such a large fighting force on hand (note the Emperor Class airship is not canon as far as I'm aware, the point of a large fighting force is true regardless).
For these reasons, I measured the airships of Atlas closer to their real-life counterparts (which also makes it easy for measurements). That means most larger airships will measure from 500 to 700 feet (150-210 meters), carriers at roughly a little over 1,000 feet (300 meters), and the supercarrier at 1,500 feet (450 meters). While airships would likely be smaller than their real-life sea-faring counterparts, I think putting them at roughly the same size in a science fantasy setting isn't too much of a stretch.
Note that all of these measurements are rough approximations. Also note that not all of these airships (Emperor Class) existed in the show. The largest airship serves as a central platform and show of authority for Atlas in the region.
This also means that even the smaller battleships need to have a minimum of a 100 man crew.
I am no expert when it comes to airships, navy ships, or even measurements for such things. Some of this may (likely) be inaccurate, feel free to point out any issues, but please don't be mean about it.
And a final detail for you, this chapter and the previous were once one. I had to split the chapter in two as it had reached double the length of the previous longest chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!