Author's Notes:

Check out the end of the chapter for an update on the timeline.

"Text"

"Speech"

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

Remnants of a Courier

Arc 4: Chaos Theory

Chapter 51: Dark Tidings

Six stared down at his gloved hand; the black microfiber leather stretching and conforming to his hand as he flexed it. It felt both right and wrong to be in his Mimic Armor again.

On one hand, he was fully protected and it felt natural to be back in armor. He never felt safer than when he was fully prepared for combat. On the other…

His Elite Riot Armor had been bastardized. And while it was necessary, it didn't mean that Six liked his Mimic persona. The Grimm design was tacky at best and disrespectful to the original design at worst. Not to mention that Six had spent his life helping people–even if they didn't always want it–and this persona was seen as a boogeyman. But it was also temporary, just like the Bullhead ride he was definitely, unequivocally, completely, without a doubt enjoying.

That Grimm mask turned towards the other occupants of the VTOL they were all flying in. The grey machine that reminded Six of his own world's Vertibirds did little to comfort the Courier while the other occupants of the vehicle glared at him.

It was almost funny. His own Grimm-like mask staring into the visage of a White Fang grunt's Grimm mask. The masks did many things for the White Fang. They served as a symbol for their people, a point of unity. The look also served to inspire fear in their enemies with the association with Grimm. And of course, they served to hide the identity of the Faunus wearing it. All things Six's mask did as well. But more importantly to Six, masks in general had other more general purposes.

There was a study performed by Vault-Tec–as it was always Vault-Tec–that showed masks brought out certain behaviors in people. The first was to "disinhibit" people, a term they coined. This applied to the people wearing the masks and meant that people felt a sense of anonymity and more importantly freedom to commit more crimes or other acts they normally wouldn't do.

The second was one of the reasons why Six wore his mask. Masks inherently dehumanize their wearers to others.

In his travels, the Courier came across a Vault full of dead people nobody cared about. Hardly the first time Six had come across such a thing but he remembered Vault-Tec's experiment well. The Vault he entered that day had been void of life. A wave of dead masked individuals. But the records the Overseer kept revealed the truth.

If he recalled, Six was in Iowa at the time, or was it Missouri? It was a Midwest state of some kind. All of the residents hid when the bombs fell only to be forced into a rather troublesome situation.

All of the occupants in the Vault had to wear their masks at all times under threat of death. How this penalty was supposed to be doled out–supposedly by Vault-Tec automation–was unknown to everyone, even the Overseer was unsure; guessing anything from gas to explosives in the masks.

The occupants had murdered each other. Well, that wasn't entirely fair. It wasn't like they started out murder-happy; it was a more gradual decline.

It started with petty theft and taboo romances. People felt they could get away with it after all. The lowered inhibitions led to people testing the boundaries over, and over, and over. Their anonymity letting them get away with it. What started as petty theft escalated to vandalism and then more. By the time the first murder rolled around, no one in the vault was even surprised.

In fact, many Vault-Dwellers began dehumanizing each other almost immediately. It was easier to think of someone as non-human if you didn't have to look them in the eye. All one had to do was imagine that mask was their face and nothing was underneath. And it was easier to commit heinous acts if you didn't consider that thing a person.

Not a single one disobeyed the mask rule. A pity.

In the end, they tore each other apart. They formed gangs in their own vault based on mask colors of all things and were set to completely overthrow the established order. The Overseer eventually sent in a wave of automated robobrains to clear out the murderers, evidently becoming a murderer himself.

And it was only then, when the Overseer was the last man left, that he removed his mask because he already felt dead. Only to find that he didn't die.

There had been no security measure. No great punishment for removing the masks. The only thing that had been keeping his mask on was his own fear of death. Ironic, that when he wanted to live all he had to do was remove the mask but didn't. But when he wanted to die, the mask did not grant him that peace upon removal.

The Overseer had wandered into the Wasteland after; likely being killed by high levels of radiation or some creature. Still, Six would have liked to see the ending of his story.

Six realized he had been staring into the mask of the White Fang grunt for an uncomfortable amount of time now, lost in the past. Enough time that the grunt was now looking away and fidgeting.

Having inadvertently intimidated the grunt, Six turned his attention towards the other occupant of the Bullhead. Strapped into his seat was the giant chain-saw-wielding lieutenant of the White Fang. Who Six still didn't know the name of…

The lieutenant turned, frowned at the Courier, and then turned away with a grimace. This was going to be a fun trip for the Courier.

Fucking Roman. Damn Cinder. He was doing fine and they forced him on a Friday afternoon to avoid Ozpin's agents, escape Ironwood's lackeys, dodge Blake, and navigate out of the city.

Granted, right now, the majority of them still believed him to be in his apartment. He had fabricated a lie about needing to create a curriculum for a few first years. Combining that with making a show of gathering enough groceries for the weekend and they likely believed he was at least still there.

What they didn't know was that his curriculum was already planned out for the rest of the semester. And that a couple hours later Six had donned his stealth suit and had clambered his way out the back window and down to the first floor.

Six frowned internally. He was going to need a different method of getting around soon. If they believed that he had some kind of cloaking ability, they would use either Faunus or some kind of technology to track him. Maybe infrared? He could alter his suit to negate that with time.

Either way, his stealth suit wouldn't carry him forever. Maybe he should start looking into blackmailing or bribing some of their agents.

The Courier was glad this was his last assignment before the Vytal Festival. All the bigwigs of Vale were starting to stranglehold his movement and free time. Soon, he would have very little of either and wouldn't be able to do these missions without being caught.

A jostle of the bullhead turned Six's view to the window. The mountain-city was coming into view which meant they were close.

Abandoned skyscrapers dotted the landscape, some having collapsed, likely from time weathering them. Abandoned by humanity and left to be infested by monsters, this was far more reminiscent of his world minus the radiation.

The cold grip of winter had finally warmed to the beginnings of Spring and the last bits of snow that had once dotted the landscape finally disappeared. For most, that would mean a coming of new life and good tidings. For Six, it meant that the Festival was approaching, and with it, disaster.

After having touched down, the lieutenant escorted Six to the tent he'd be staying in. Apparently, it was on the first floor of an abandoned building in the abandoned underground city.

No one had mentioned that their hideout wasn't just some failed attempt at colonizing territory outside the capital. But rather an entire industrial and technological marvel that amazed Six almost as much as the sheer size of the capital city.

Six was getting ahead of himself.

The best way the Courier could describe Mountain Glenn was a city that had two parts. The standard above-ground city that resembled the Capital of Vale and the non-standard underground city. The underground section consisted mostly of one large central cavern that split into varying tunnels. From what he could tell, some tunnels led further into the mountain and others out. Likely travel routes and a good way to bridge the mountains between the capital and the other parts of Vale. These tunnels tended to vary in size from car-sized to large enough to fit multiple trains.

The walls of the cavern had been smoothed at one point but had eroded over time into more natural shapes. They curved upward until they met at a central point of the ceiling and large pillars arced with the cavern walls. Six wasn't sure what the pillars were made of but they were massive, easily being fifty if not sixty feet (15 to 18 meters) wide.

More impressively, there were skyscrapers underground. In fact, that was the majority of the buildings in the area. It was also easy to tell that the place was still early in development when it was abandoned. The buildings and skyscrapers were the only architecture around, giving a very grey and lifeless feel to the place.

Finally, if Six had to hazard a guess, the cavern was likely over 300 feet tall (over 100 meters).

Six had only ever seen skyscrapers in his own world on a select number of occasions; those were dilapidated and eroded things that threatened to fall from a gust of wind. The underground city made the Courier feel small. The Capital of Vale made him feel even smaller. Both put Vault-Tec to shame when it came to construction.

Their group was stationed on the more northern side of the cavern as it was close to the tunnel with the railway. Said railway traveled north and back to the capital as per the plan.

The group based their headquarters in a nearby skyscraper that was still structurally sound. The common White Fang foot soldiers took the bottom floor–which is where Six would be staying as well–while the officers and associates would take the second.

Right now, the Courier was being escorted by the lieutenant through the first floor and over to a tent in the corner of the building. Glancing around revealed exactly what the Courier suspected.

Their organizational structure was loose at best. The White Fang squads each got their own tent but were not required to follow any structure when placing them in the building. This led to separation where some squads would try to take entire rooms. But for the most part, white tents were scattered haphazardly around the first floor. The sole exception was his which was a good distance away from everyone and placed in a corner. An obvious tactic to separate Six as they likely downright hated him.

Aside from tents, a room was made into the Quartermaster's room. Or as the White Fang called it, the Arms room which was managed by the Armsbearer; who happened to be the lieutenant.

Other than that, there was a food station and a meeting room. Any other important items or rooms were likely upstairs and meant for officers.

"In," the lieutenant grunted at Six while he gestured towards the tent. Not that the Courier minded, he'd just listen in on their conversations. He was a tad curious about how the White Fang ran daily operations but it wasn't worth antagonizing them.

Brushing the tent flap aside, Six gazed into his small tent to behold a single cot. Fair enough. It was better accommodations than some places in the Mojave had.

Entering the tent, Six took a seat on the cot before listening. He could be given a better rundown of how the train was being set up later. Right now, he was interested in what the general atmosphere of the camp was like.

With his helmet, the Faunus probably thought he didn't have any ears that could pick up on their talking. A false assumption.

Six clasped the front of his mask before releasing the clamps that held it together to the rest of the armor and his face. He moved it just enough that his ears were exposed to the open air so he could listen. The Courier could make out bits of conversation here and there. Mostly from the closest White Fang to his tent.

"That's him? I thought he'd be taller. Doesn't seem that tough. We could probably take him right now." This voice was masculine and younger. A young adult maybe?

The second voice that responded was older, probably someone around their thirties. "We both know Huntsman can be deceptively strong. More importantly, he's part of the plan."

Voice one bit back, "that's bullshit. Faunus problems should be solved by Faunus. Not murderous scum."

"He will be dealt with in time. Trust that the officers have a plan."

A third–more feminine–voice scoffed. "Sounds like what the humans say. Just follow orders, don't question what we're doing." A fair point in Six's opinion. "Come away from your homes to Vale, join Adam's crusade to end all corruption forever."

"You got a problem with that?" That was the first voice again. "He's doing the right thing!"

Another scoff from the third voice. "And have you actually been into the city? Seen anything that's really been happening in Vale?"

"Your point?"

"Look around!" The third voice hissed back. "None of us are from Vale! The majority of us here are from Mistral or Atlas. Why is that?"

"Who cares? We're here doing good."

"No, don't act like them. Don't act like the humans," the third voice demanded. "The issues here pale in comparison to Atlas. With the thousands of members that are a part of the White Fang, we have maybe a few dozen actually from Vale helping here. You would think that since we're in Vale we'd have mostly Faunus from Vale!"

"Discriminating against Faunus is illegal for stores, we have Faunus in the Council, and there are aid programs specifically for Faunus that don't have Lien to get by." The third voice paused for a moment, likely to catch her breath, before continuing, "so let me ask, what are we doing here and not fighting the Schnees in Atlas?"

The third voice left the answer unspoken but she didn't need to finish. Six and anyone listening could paint a clear picture. Because in Vale systematic oppression and discrimination had been nearly abolished. The only remnants of any such system were outliers and exceptions to the rule. Or the Schnee Dust Company which primarily operated out of Vale.

"Quiet your voice," the older member hushed the third voice. "Don't let the officers catch you saying anything like that."

"Or what, I'll disappear into the night? We're already working with human criminals like Roman and it." Oh, she must be referring to him. Six would have found it flattering if they weren't so childishly scared of him. Still, better to be feared than loved.

This conversation was just proving that he needed to keep his guard up. Survival, companies, leadership, all ran on similar principles. That they were about ever-improving yourself. That a person always had to prove their mettle against fresh obstacles.

Oh yes, there was always satisfaction in overcoming an obstacle or enemy, but that didn't mean he could grow complacent. There would always be someone or something else in Six's way. Some new challenge to be overcome.

He may be working with the White Fang now but soon he would likely need to fight them. Then, he could show them the error of their ways, and the true meaning of fear.

The group went quiet at that point and Six focused on other groups; trying to confirm what they were saying. And as far as Six was aware, they were correct. Very few of the nearby White Fang members were from Vale. They were Faunus fighting to represent people that weren't there. Funny.

It was maybe thirty minutes of sitting and listening before someone came to fetch him.

The same chain-saw-wielding lieutenant opened the flap of his tent before ordering, "come." Man of few words, that one. Six was fine with following in silence.

Outside the tent, many grunts were staring at him as they walked. But most importantly, there was one small group that had a particularly venomous look about them. Three grunts all huddling over a barrel.

Only one of them had his mask removed, and it was a look of unadulterated hatred that the Faunus was giving him. It took Six only a few moments to recall where he had seen the Faunus before.

Auburn hair, a scar running down his cheek, a tanned complexion, and yellow cat or reptile-like eyes that burned with anger. It was one of the Faunus that escaped him during that whole Forever Fall base fiasco.

That meant the woman next to him and the tall Faunus were likely the other two that had gotten away.

They were the pieces of shit that ran. That justified their comrades trying to hurt Richter and Carmine but didn't support said comrades when consequences came knocking. It made The Mimic's muscles tense in anger as his hand inched its way towards his revolver.

The three saw that and also tensed, preparing themselves for a fight. But none of them would get the satisfaction.

"Stop stalling," came the flat voice of the lieutenant.

Reluctantly, Six turned away before following the Faunus outside the building. And outside waiting was Roman Torchwick along with a beaming Neo. Great.

"Thank you pe-" Roman began taunting the lieutenant before being cut off as the larger man stepped forward suddenly and growled at the conman.

There was a moment of tense silence as the conman's grin shrank a little while holding his arms up in defense. "Relax, it was just a joke," Roman said to hopefully placate the man.

"Think before you speak," the Faunus replied before turning and stalking off toward the building. Tensions were obviously high.

Clearing his throat, Roman turned to the Courier.

"Let's get you up to speed!" Roman continued in a chipper tone that he definitely wasn't feeling at the moment. He had been planning this shindig for a while and trying to manage people that hated his guts got on his nerves.

Combine that with the recent meeting with Cinder and he was tired. Tired of managing everything she didn't want to in order to make some grand master plan work. Tired of being treated second-rate and tired of risking his neck for a job that likely wouldn't even end up paying well given how much time, effort, and Lien he'd put into it.

But the alternative was going against Cinder, and there was no one in the game right now that could beat her. Not that old codger Ozpin or that bullheaded idiot Ironwood. No, Cinder had them pegged from the start.

"As you can see," the cunning businessman began as he turned and pointed his cane towards one of the tunnels leading out of the city. "We've been busy."

In front of them sat a large train. The design was the same model as the train that Jacques Schnee died on, a dull grey thing. Not really his style but Roman couldn't be picky. There were a little under twenty railcars hooked up to a larger grey locomotive. This time, all of the railcars had roofs which meant cover for both its passengers and explosives.

Around the train were a series of crates and Faunus. Some of the Faunus were double-checking inventory while others moved items around. The animals eyed their group with distrust and distaste but it didn't bother Roman. He'd been getting used to it for months after all.

"I'll assume you got the report and won't go too in depth here. The train will be used to carry the payload to its destination, Grimdale Park, with all of us inside. Once we ram through the barricade and get inside, we all cause some mischief and scramble out of there before detonating the explosives. The explosives and the Grimm will give us cover to book it out of there. Understood?"

His second-favorite employee nodded his head. It was for the best he didn't know about the Grimm that would be following them. His employee had a soft spot for civilian casualties. Or at least mass casualties.

"Good," Roman said while turning away and walking towards an outcropping along the edge of the city. Along the walls, a small crevice jutted out from the side where several White Fang grunts were set up as sentries.

"You'll be acting as extra security. You won't have any command over the mutts around here but you have free reign to do what you need to as long as you don't hurt them."

A lull crept over the conversation as his employee stared at the train for a moment in thought. What went on under that mask of his? What mindset led a man to always hide his face?

Roman wouldn't get the answer as Six turned and asked, "how will the explosives be arranged?"

The best thief in Vale narrowed his eyes. "That's need-to-know information."

An irritated sigh escaped his employee. "If you didn't want me to do my job, you could've left me in Vale," Six replied while crossing his arms. "Besides, who do you trust more, the White Fang or me?"

That was a leading question. Sure, he could lie and say the White Fang to avoid telling Six, but that would mean falsely admitting he liked the crazies more. Plus, it would be unprofessional of him to say he trusted terrorists more than his own employee.

Roman let out a sigh of his own before replying, "ten explosives, one per railcar in the back leading towards the front though there is a plan B if we have less. Burn Dust as far as I'm aware. We'll have more than enough space for everyone in the front cars but some will have to stay behind to guard the explosives."

What Roman didn't mention was the size of one explosive would be enough to shred its respective railcar and the surrounding environment. 10 would destroy the rear railcars and several of the ones up front too. Only the locomotive, his part of the train, was safe.

Six didn't respond to that statement, instead turning back and staring at the train. What went through the man's mind? Did he care about the Faunus that were going to die? Or perhaps for his own safety? Not that it mattered as long as his employee did his job.

But instead of any of that, Six blindsided him with an entirely different question. "Why did you hire me?"

Roman's finger twitched, the only outward sign he was willing to give his employee that his question pissed the conman off. Not only from the vague question but from asking something completely irrelevant.

"Explain," Roman demanded as he raised a cigar to his mouth. "You know I hate cryptic nonsense."

"Why go into the middle of nowhere to some small town to recruit a random stranger you don't know?"

Ah, that was a fair question. One Roman didn't have to answer and planned not to. Until he noticed the curious raised brow Neo was giving him too. Great, she wanted to know as well.

The businessman lit his cigar before replying, "I don't like unknowns, Cinder doesn't either. And while Ozpin has eyes everywhere in the city, his reach outside of it falls to Huntsmen and Huntresses." He puffed on his cigar before blowing out smoke. "The White Fang have much better connections in the Wilds. A net of Faunus they've helped with Grimm and people alike keep the White Fang informed. Now imagine you hear from them of someone that sounds like a mysterious Huntsman stationed in a small town for months on end."

Another puff escaped Roman's mouth as he began making his way back toward their HQ building.

"Originally you plan to send someone there to make sure nothing fishy is going on. Then a big Grimm attack occurs and another Huntsman mysteriously disappears thanks to what appears to be this mysterious stranger." Roman paused his explanation to point at Six with his cane. "Then we realize there's someone capable of taking down a Huntsman that isn't aligned with Ozpin."

"Neo and I happen to be in the area, and she pressures me to take care of the matter personally, and you get hired. Sounds rather simple huh?" The small terror sent a knowing smirk first at him and then at Six while bowing slightly. Little shit, this was his doing, not hers.

"If you'll entertain a question of my own now," Roman continued as he twirled his cane in one hand. "Why did you agree to come? I know you were being forcefully persuaded but that didn't seem like the whole reason you came."

It was a question eating at Roman. Six–or Joshua at the time–had been a real hardass at first but something that Roman had offered enticed the man to come. The mercenary obviously didn't believe in the White Fang or Cinder's cause and it didn't seem like Lien was his motivation. So what was in it for Six?

His employee thought for a few long moments, silence reigning over the trio. But now that raised eyebrow of Neo was aimed at Six. If the mercenary knew what was good for him, he'd give Neo what she wanted.

"You had something I wanted, I aimed to get it. And I have."

An ominous statement. It was about something else other than Lien then. Information? Power? What was more important was his last statement. He had what he wanted which meant Six saw Cinder and himself as expendable like they saw him. The only difference was that Roman held sway over Six and Cinder held sway over him.

Neo poked his employee's ribs with her umbrella, clearly not satisfied with the vague answer.

Another sigh escaped Six as he continued, "I also didn't want Ozpin to know I existed. Fat lot of good joining your gaggle of terrorists did me there."

The small menace narrowed her eyes for a moment before turning away with a huff. It didn't look like she was completely satisfied with his answer but it was enough for now. If Roman was being honest, he wanted to know more too. But in this business, it was better to let sleeping dogs lie.

"You're one of those terrorists now," Roman reminded his employee as they turned neared the building. "Any last minute questions?"

"Send me a report of current scout schedules and routes." Six demanded as he stared up at the architecture. "Oh, and how has Grimm activity been?"

Grimm, not their primary concern but a concern nonetheless. Abandoned cities like this tended to house a number of Grimm. The White Fang fodder had cleared out the majority of the underground ruins which meant smooth sailing so far. That being said…

"We've been seeing an increase in Grimm activity lately. Probably related to the White Fang hearing about your arrival. Nothing to concern yourself with."

The stare told Roman that his employee would do anything but forget the issue. A bit strange but Six was known for being paranoid. The man booby-trapped his room at their base during his first month or so with them. Though with Neo around, the man had reason to be wary.

Checking his scroll, Roman noted the time and couldn't help but tsk. He had a meeting with that chainsaw-wielding animal. It was the quiet ones that were impossible to work with.

"This has been fun," he began while turning back to the building. "But I have appointments to keep. Don't go near any of the Faunus and you have free reign. Report anything suspicious to me."

With that, Roman excused himself and stepped into the HQ.

Devliotos couldn't help but pick at the scar running down his cheek. He was actually here. That monster, that abomination that matched even the most depraved of Grimm. The Mimic.

How any of his fellow Faunus could stand the sight of a human working with them was questionable to Dev. It was outright blasphemous to let that thing that butchered their kin walk amongst them like nothing was wrong.

It had taken his friend. Sure, Orion had been a stick in the mud but the Faunus had been a reliable and steadfast friend. And the last thing his friend ever saw was that skull mask as his head was caved in.

He watched the human tool, Roman, head back toward the upper floors. That was any officers and the monster's owner out of the way. So now was the time to confront the Grimm-spawn.

Dev stood from his seat as he watched their hated enemy enter. From the moment the monster came into view Dev could tell that his focus was on them. On the survivors of that horrid night.

It felt like everything since that day meant nothing. That everything was grey except the red-hot anger he felt for the Mimic. That the creature had not only taken Dev's friend but made residence in his mind.

And now, here he was, in the flesh.

"How can you stand being what you are?" Dev couldn't help but question as the Mimic walked past him.

There was a pause from the Monster as he turned his head to him.

"You heard me. How can you stand being a depraved freak." The Faunus continued before turning to his fellows. "How can any of you stand to be near him?"

Dev shot out a hand and pointed toward their enemy. "You are the enemy. You killed our kind and walked away without paying the price. Is it because you hate us or because someone paid you to?"

He let out a scoff before continuing, "I don't know what I find worse, that you're some racist with a vendetta or just another gun for hire. No morals, no nothing."

"We have an actual monster right in front of us, that we can stop, and we're just going to stand here and do nothing?"

Dev turned to his fellow Faunus, looking for some sort of support. It was a mixed bag. Some of them looked to be riled up enough to fight but others were either scared or wanted to follow along with Adam. Adam…

That Faunus was consorting with Monsters and depraved scum like Torchwick. It sickened Dev.

"How does the saying go again?"

The Mimic finally spoke. But as those glowing red eyes turned towards Dev, he couldn't help but feel like the man in front of him wasn't looking at him, but through him.

"Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour on the stage." The Monster said as he stepped towards Dev. The Faunus had to steel himself as the human-like Grimm approached.

Raising one hand towards Dev open palmed, the Mimic continued, "and then is heard no more." Then he closed his hand and swung his arm wide, encompassing many of the other White Fang around him. "It is a tale told by an idiot."

The monster turned away from Dev, arm still raised. "Full of sound and fury."

Finally, the Mimic's arm dropped to his side as he finished, "signifying nothing."

"Do you know what it means?"

That last question felt important. Like it held special meaning to the Mimic; almost as if the Mimic wanted him to understand something integral to his logic. Not that Dev gave a damn.

"I don't care."

And then the Mimic chuckled, and it sent chills up the Faunus' spine. Dev imagined it sent chills up everyone's spines. Laughter from the monster had never been heard before. And it was a hollow laughter, full of no mirth. Only emptiness and malice.

"Of course you wouldn't." The Mimic paused, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. "It means… It means that life is like a story and we're all just characters in it. And said story has no meaning. That no matter how we struggle or how much we scream and yell, we all die. And that only an idiot thrashes around aimlessly his entire life."

Dev knew that last part was directed at him. A scowl formed on his face and his mouth opened to retort.

A hand shot forward and all the Faunus in the room tensed as the Mimic gripped Dev's shoulder. And all Dev could do was grunt in pain as a vice-like grip held him, almost crushing his collarbone.

"You, the White Fang, you're all players in this game. And you've been full of sound and fury alright."

It was like an invisible heat was eating away at him, burning into his shoulder even though the Faunus knew no such flame existed.

"Thrashing around, hurting innocent people."

Dev felt something in his collar crack and let out a pained whimper. He'd be tempted to reach for his weapon if not for the revolver the Mimic was aiming at his face with his free hand.

"But if you keep going down this path, you'll find how quickly you are heard no more."

It was a warning-no, more than that. It was the Mimic telling them what he wanted them to understand. That he was their punishment for some perceived crime. But what or against who?

"How many other players have you snuffed out? For a Kingdom that doesn't even want you? For a people that are content without you?"

"Remember," the Grimm before Dev muttered as he leaned in close, that heat becoming almost unbearable. "Death means little to the Mimic."

And like that, the heat was gone as the Mimic released him and turned to the rest of the White Fang watching. There was a long showdown between one man and a group of armed Faunus while Dorn stepped forward and helped Dev to his feet.

Speaking no more, the Mimic moved back to his tent and entered, leaving the Faunus in the building silent.

If nothing else, that Monster knew how to make a scene.

The next dozen or so hours passed by quickly. Six familiarized himself with the terrain and how the White Fang had set up.

While the group of nearly 80 men and women were primarily working around the building or the train, a dozen were set to patrol patterns for security.

Four were set to guard the train and tunnel, patrolling some of the caves that branched out from the passage. Another four were set to guard the area around the base. And the final four split into two-man groups to patrol the entrances leading into the underground part of the city.

This 12-man security team traded out every 12 hours with another set of 12 Faunus. Long shifts with few breaks meant it was a rather grueling job. But they were almost ready so they wouldn't have to last much longer.

In Six's initial survey of the area, he discovered a few train passages leading into the city with only two primary slopes leading up to the service on each side of the area. If people were going to come in, it would likely be through one of these entrances.

Though if someone were more daring, the abandoned city had become decrepit in age and several holes in the roof led to the city above as well. This also happened to be where Six was currently patrolling.

The patrols didn't go above ground so as to not expose themselves. This meant that the Grimm served as a natural defense against anyone who got a bit too curious and decided to start exploring the abandoned city. It also made for a good place for Six to get away from the Faunus for now and organize his plans.

As for his plan, it was simple. Having watched a pair carry one of the bombs, Six could tell the explosives were IED devices rigged to plenty of Burn Dust. They weren't complex and could be rather easily disarmed. All he had to do was get the White Fang up front while he kept guard at the back. He'd use that position to go through and disable all but one of the explosives.

After ensuring the explosives for the train could be disarmed mid-transit, Six headed for the surface to actually do his job.

He was currently cooped up in an abandoned skyscraper and peering out a window with his anti-material rifle. Other than the Grimm, there hadn't been much to see so far.

Speaking of, the Grimm were the only concern for Six so far. What Roman said the day prior was logical but Six had information the conman wasn't working with. His time in Rhyt proved that something out there was making Grimm seek him out. Whether the Grimm increase in the area was due to that or the White Fang, time would tell.

But the last couple of hours had proven there was little to worry about. While the architecture had been a delightful distraction at first, the former denizens of Mount Glenn were more focused on surviving than architectural beauty. All the buildings looked the same and were set up quickly to be sturdy.

The Courier was fine with being bored. It was better than being surprised. Even if it did give him extra time to think about the White Fang from earlier.

They weren't that important but something in him felt an unholy rage take hold at their hypocrisy, their callous nature to the lives they stomped on unknowingly. His plan would take sacrifice, but every death would be meaningful… Almost every sacrifice.

Thankfully, that boredom and introspection were cut short as the sounds of an engine passed by overhead. The Courier sighed as he watched a bullhead soar through the city; attracting the nearby Grimm as well.

It did one pass before coming back around and lowering itself down to one of the streets. Once lowered, the doors opened and five individuals jumped out to land on the dilapidated street below.

Four of them were bright color-themed girls that he recognized. That put a hamper on Six's plans.

Author's Notes:

There's definitely no reason at all I used a quote from Macbeth for that scene.

On a more serious note, schedule. Next month, on the 6th, I plan to upload two chapters at once, catching up to the end of Volume II of RWBY.

More importantly, after I upload next month, I will be going on a 5-7 month hiatus (maybe 8 if I'm slow). During this time, I will be getting ahead of the writing so I can switch to a bi-weekly upload schedule. I repeat, I will not post a single chapter during this time.

On top of that, I also plan on writing up two side stories I've been planning for a long time. So when I come back, it will be with two side stories ready to go as well. Those will be uploaded when I deem relevant to the main story.

Next month, I will give a few more details about what those two side stories entail.