Author's Notes:

This will be the last "standard" chapter for a few months. After this chapter, we'll be entering what I'm calling a "sub-arc" involving team RWBY. More details after the chapter.

"Text/Messages"

"Speech"

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

Remnants of a Courier

Arc 4: Chaos Theory

Chapter 63: Benefactors

Six gently rubbed at the still healing wound on his chest. A wound like that would take another couple days to fully heal. For now, it would be sore until it did, but at least he had full functionality. From his understanding, Aura recovery and his enhancements worked on the same timetable. Unless his body was almost completely destroyed, most wounds would heal within a day or two. Completely given a week. And another couple of weeks to be a small scar. It was about the same for people with Aura normally.

However, Aura had another benefit that his augmentations didn't. If under duress, or an attack somehow manages to get past a person's Aura, skilled Huntsmen and Huntresses could drain their Aura for rapid healing. A short-term solution that would later require an actual doctor but it kept them together during a fight. An advantage over his enhancements.

Still, he wouldn't let his wound slow him down. So he read the reports on the last mission while sitting in his room. The one safe place he had at Beacon.

Zero casualties, zero injuries, exactly 47 rounds fired, and 3 Light-Dust grenades were used. Six chided himself, Light-Dust Crystals. Which when handled in their crystal state, functioned like flashbangs.

A perfect mission to endear himself to the Voidwalkers and the Voidwalkers to the White Fang. Not to mention the acquisition of the cowboy into his ranks. Which he personally made sure to schedule a date to recoup the animosity between him and the rest of the Voidwalkers. Maybe he should make the cowboy's outfit purple? No, he'd probably throw a fit.

The data that had been recovered from the compound was encrypted and would take some time to crack. His analysts in the Voidwalkers assured him that they would hand him the intel shortly. The White Fang also got a copy of it so he was interested in who would crack it first.

Speaking of the Voidwalkers, he was monitoring them for any suspicious activity. Right now, he had a good idea of who had the highest chances of being a spy for either Ozpin or Dream. However, none of them had sent any messages out. Or perhaps they had a very covert method of doing so? Either way, Six was confident that between the Overseer and his Beholder Initiative, he could intercept most communications between spies and their possible employers. Or maybe his speech really did bring them around, not that he would take the chance.

As for the White Fang, Adam assured him of his soldiers' commitment to the cause. That sounded like fantacism to Six but if it worked, it worked. Of course, he also didn't really believe him either. It wouldn't matter. Even if he had to go into hiding, the groundwork for his plans was done.

And with that mission ending, there were only one or two more basic escort missions left for the Voidwalkers. They wouldn't make as much Lien but it would keep them in fighting shape. There was another assignment he was worried about.

Six watched through the cameras as team RWBY stepped onto a bullhead. They had bags with them, packed with clothes and essentials. This was to be a simple recon mission they could run. A mission that would take them right to Rhyt on Ozpin's behalf.

Several Atlas soldiers and androids were lining the landing area, watching the students as they went about their business. This was Ironwood's new directive now that he was the temporary Headmaster of Beacon. More security, more androids, more monitoring, less freedom. While it was no doubt more secure than before, it made for a terrible learning environment and spread discontent amongst the students. This was just one of several measures the General had taken. Even team RWBY side-eyed the Atlas troops as they disappeared into the aircraft.

Of course, he had noted the several discrepancies and exceptions that Ozpin had created to give team RWBY an alibi. A first-year team would normally require a chaperone–which had been waived–and it was going to make them miss a week of classes. This was closer to a second-year or maybe third-year mission being granted to first-years. A reckless act but in reality it was more calculated than that. This was Ozpin saying he was willing to risk them to get information on him.

With only a little over two weeks remaining before the Festival, they would have to act fast to come back in time. With a couple days of travel time there, and a couple days back, that left around a little over a week for them to investigate. They would likely get back just before the Festival. And unless they found damning evidence, it would be too late.

Of course, Six didn't like leaving things to chance, which was why he sent a Voidwalker on a clandestine mission. They would serve as his agent there, slowing team RWBY's progress at every turn.

Still, he couldn't help but feel some level of apprehension as he watched the Bullhead take off toward the edge of the city. From there they could get transportation to Rhyt. That team always served to surprise him. And if they encountered the Spring family… No, they would stay loyal to him. And team RWBY wasn't capable of harming innocents to get what they needed. He'd set aside his worry for now. He had done everything he could while maintaining his cover. It would have to be good enough.

Six swiped on the holographic projection from his Pip-Boy, closing the camera feed as the Bullhead doors closed. Instead, he focused on a small transcript of a conversation that transpired while he was away with his Voidwalkers.

"How has the investigation on Queen's Pawn been going?" This was Ironwood. The man always wanted more information, always pushed for more. And now that he was in charge, Glynda reported directly to him.

"Slow, if she is the one who stole the Fall Maiden's power, she's hiding it exceptionally well." Glynda's response had been quick, being sent a mere minute after Ironwood sent his.

"Continue keeping an eye on her. If she exhibits any signs of suspicion, bring her in and we'll find out the hard way if she does have the Maiden's powers." Ah Ironwood, the blunt and forward approach. That probably wouldn't work as she would continue hiding her powers and pretend to be innocent. An act she was surprisingly good at. Unless they had a way to detect Maidens? He doubted it, otherwise they would have tried it already.

"And how has Ozpin been taking it?" A question of suspicion or concern from Ironwood? Perhaps both? Knowing the idiotic good intentions of the General, it was probably both.

No further responses were sent from Glynda, indicating that the woman was more than peeved at the General's line of questioning. Not that he blamed her, James was playing right into Cinder's hands.

The Capital of Vale had all but fallen under martial law. Curfews were being enforced, more troops were out and about at night, and security everywhere was being increased. Most of all at Beacon. It created an air of oppression that Vale simply wasn't used to.

The real question Six had on his mind was what would Ozpin do now? There was no way the former Headmaster would just let things transpire. He'd have to keep tabs on the strange man but for now there wasn't much else that could be done.

Closing the screen and opening a separate interface. He saw a text from Carmine.

"Did you see that Pyrrha is going to be in the tournament again this year?"

Six blinked as he read the message again. He did know but he wasn't that invested in the actual tournament itself. Other than seeing how far some of the students he helped train went.

"I did, do you like Pyrrha?" He responded, his "typing"–as the people of this world called it–was still slow compared to the students. He was used to physical keyboards, not this holographic nonsense where there was no physical sensation.

Joshua only had to wait for a few moments before a reply was sent back. "She's my favorite!" Said the first message.

"She's strong."

"And cool."

"And has never lost a fight."

All of these were sent as different messages. Why the people of this world couldn't just send one cohesive message, Six would never understand.

"I want to be just like her when I become a Huntress."

The Courier paused as he read her message. How did he feel about her growing up and putting herself in danger? For whatever reason, that thought left a sour taste in his mouth. Of course, she would be in some danger if she was a Huntress, that was her dream. And if she had grown up in the Wasteland, she would have been in even more danger. It was the natural way of things.

But this wasn't Earth or the Wasteland. This girl had a chance to grow up without violence or pain on that scale. And some part of Joshua felt that he should do his best to preserve that.

Joshua sighed as he typed his reply.

"I'm sure you'll make the best Huntress when you're all grown up. The best Huntress in Vale."

"On Remnant," the girl corrected and Six couldn't help but let his smile widen. Maybe one day she'd even be able to take him?

It wasn't up to him to decide her path or control her life. He could only guide her along as best he could and hope for the best.

"Of course. Carmine Spring, the mightiest Huntress to ever live. Slayer of the mighty Fiddlesticks and Ghost of She!"

Carmine didn't seem to like his teasing as she sent back one of those weird faces. The one with the flustered cheeks and narrowed eyes. The frowning face one… What were they called? Emojis?

"Don't even mention that!" She replied and Six could practically feel her anger through his Pip-Boy. "Playing pretend isn't cool!"

Oh, so she had already grown out of that phase in the last few months? That's sad… Six would've liked to play that game again.

He was about to respond again when someone knocked on his door. A soft "tap tap tap," then a pause followed by another, "tap tap tap."

Six wasn't expecting guests until he went back to work. Taking a few moments to finish his conversation, Six typed back his last reply and sent it before heading for the door.

"Whatever you say, meeting someone, talk later."

When the door was opened, it revealed the still finely dressed former Headmaster of Beacon. The older man smiled and greeted, "House."

"Headmaster Ozpin," Six greeted, taking a step back so Ozpin could enter the room.

"Former actually," the older man corrected as he took a few steps into the room. "It's part of the reason I came here actually."

Oh, that raised a few questions. The former Headmaster wanted something because he was being suspended. Best to play it off like he didn't know.

"Pardon?" The Courier responded, faking his lack of knowledge as he leaned against his workbench.

The older man grabbed his chair and took a seat as he continued, "It's as you just heard. Due to current events and previous blunders, the Council has suspended me. They are performing an investigation to see if I've either been deceitful in my duties or just negligent."

"So, you'll be reinstated if they don't find anything indicating either?" Six questioned as he crossed his arms. A quick nod from Ozpin confirmed that as he continued onto his next question, "And if they do find something?"

"Which they won't," Ozpin corrected as he brought a hand to his lips before blinking. It appeared that not having his usual mug of coffee was throwing the man off. He cleared his throat before continuing, "But if something new came to light, I would likely be forced into an early retirement."

"Not prison?"

A chuckle escaped the former Headmaster as he explained, "Unlikely. There are benefits to having connections and to the position I'm in."

That irked Six. He knew that Ozpin wasn't corrupt in the traditional sense but if he had been then he likely would have got off with a light slap on the wrist.

"Want a drink?" The Courier offered while pointing towards his mini-fridge.

"Oh, is this your infamous stash the students whisper about?" Ozpin responded, seemingly intrigued by the little fridge.

"Stash?" That didn't seem right to Six. "What stash?"

The former Headmaster chuckled before explaining, "Many of the students have noted your rather eclectic stash of carbonated beverages here. I have been rather interested in trying a few myself. Please, pick at random."

So Ozpin shared his hobby of trying new drinks. Interesting. Reaching into his fridge, House retrieved a couple cans at random, a purple and a neon green one.

Tossing the green one to Ozpin, Six moved back to the workbench before using the pull tab to pop open the drink. The sounds of carbonation filled the room as Ozpin followed suit.

"Cheers," Six offered as he held his can out towards the former Headmaster who gave him a quizzical look.

"Cheers?" The older man repeated back, also extending his drink. Oh right, they probably didn't have the concept of cheers on Remnant. How to play that little slip-up off…

The Courier shook his head as he replied, "It's a tradition thing. Before you take a drink, you say cheers and…" As he trailed off, House leaned forward and tapped the edge of his drink with Ozpin's. "Tap your drinks together. It's a show of camaraderie or good wishes kind of thing."

"Interesting, I can't say I've heard of such a thing," Ozpin commented before taking a sip of his drink. The older man's face scrunched up as he looked down. "That is quite sour."

Slipping the tip of the can past his bandages, House took a sip as well. That familiar bubbly carbonation ran across his tongue as a faint taste of grape met his lips.

Looking down, Six read the label. "Feel the force of gravity on your tongue with Dusty's Dust, Gravity Dust Edition. How does that mean grape?"

"I assume the 'Cutting Bite of Earth' would mean sour apricots. Also from Dusty's Dust." Ozpin's gaze lingered on it. "I'm not quite sure I like it."

"Sour apricots?"

"Ah yes," Ozpin glanced up towards Six. "I forgot you're more acquainted with Vacuo. Mistral and Menagerie have a type of green apricot that is quite sour known as the Sour Apricot as it's the only one of its kind. I hear it thrives in their more temperate climates."

A sour apricot. Six had never heard of one and he had only ever had apricots from certain farms on the coasts of America. If they even were apricots anymore, they probably looked nothing like their pre-war counterparts. But with nothing to compare it to, he'd have to settle for post-war apricots that had a sweet taste with a bitter undertone. Never had he heard of a sour one though.

"Ain't that something," Six commented as he took another sip of his grape-flavored drink. Interesting that some things were the same while others were wildly different.

"Quite," Ozpin said as he looked down at his can. The man appeared to be in deep thought for a few moments. Good, it meant the man didn't hear Six's slight slip-up to a more Mojave-style accent. He swirled the can in his hand before coming to a decision.

Looking up, he asked a new question, "Could I ask for two favors?"

Oh, what could the illustrious mastermind behind Beacon ask of him? Six nodded his head.

"With this suspension, I have fewer eyes and ears than I would like. I would like you to correct that." The former Headmaster's offer was controversial to say the least.

First, if Six reported this request, that would look very bad for the older man. And if he did agree to it, a security guard could get in just as much trouble for obliging such a request. Not to mention that Ozpin suspected Six of being the Mimic and colluding with his enemies. What could the strange man be after with his equally odd request? Was it a test of some kind? It was best to play it safe.

"That's an awfully big favor," Six answered as he set his drink down before crossing his arms. "And an illegal one at that."

"Yes, I suspect it would be. If it was an offer to a standard employee of Beacon that is." Ozpin's answer made Six clench his muscles and curl his fingers as he did his best to not show an outward reaction. Was the old man playing his hand now?

A tense silence reigned in the room as Ozpin held that familiar knowing smile while taking another sip.

Glancing out the window, Ozpin continued, "I know you're the Mimic."

It took every bit of discipline in Six to not reach for his gun and retreat. The jig was up, now it was time to see how Ozpin would react.

"I also know that you have a complex connection to both the White Fang and another group." Six squeezed his arm as the former Headmaster continued, "I also believe that you are working against them as well."

The older man turned his head back to Six as he shrugged. "You've covered your tracks well and I have no concrete evidence… But I have been at this long enough to know you are the Mimic."

Opening his mouth to reply, Six was left irritated as Ozpin cut him off. "Let me explain. I wish to recruit you." Oh. "It's obvious that you are not aligned with these groups, or at least, not of your own accord."

"Give it some thought, with team RWBY investigating your actions in Rhyt, and Ironwood is most assuredly going to take action, you only have a few options." The smarmy old bastard was trying to strongarm him into working for him? That wasn't what Six was expecting.

It also sounded like he didn't have any details of Six's plan either. Ozpin had a general inkling that Six had his own motivations and goals but wasn't able to ascertain anything more than that.

Ozpin began tapping his cane as he continued, "Wait and have Ironwood take you into custody. Run, compromising Carmine and your own safety to these groups you're connected to… Or work with me."

Placing a hand to his chest, Ozpin made an offer. "I can see to it that you get out of this situation with little to no enemies and diplomatic immunity. You could be free of all these connections for one little favor."

"Report what I see and hear to you," Six finished for the man, understanding what this deal was now. Complete immunity from the law for his actions and freedom from Cinder and whoever this Salem was in return for his loyalty. Of course… There were other things Ozpin didn't know about either. The man probably felt forced to make this deal with how things were turning out.

"Correct," The former Headmaster concluded. "Report to me anything of note or worth and assist in dealing with whatever is coming our way."

Did Ozpin believe that he didn't know what was happening with Cinder's plan, that he was just another lackey? Oh, this could be interesting…

"Oh, and for my second favor…" Six braced himself at the sudden change of topic. What could the enigmatic Former Headmaster possibly ask for after that?

The former Headmaster's smile widened as he continued, "Those talks in the courtyard are quite nice, would you like to take them more often?"

Six sat for a moment, stunned by the question. That… Hadn't been what he was expecting. But it didn't change the first deal either. Of course, six already knew his answer once Ozpin explained himself.

"Sure, but I also want assurances that the Spring family won't take any blame if this falls through." House accepted the offer as he picked up his drink again. Of course he would agree to Ozpin's plan, because Six was lying through his teeth.

"That can be done," Ozpin accepted as he stood. "Be sure to arrive for our daily talk tomorrow in the courtyard. It will take place before your classes."

Without waiting for a response, Ozpin briskly made his way to the door and said his goodbyes, ignoring any protest from the Courier as he walked out. Son of a bitch just took up more of his time so he could have entertainment in the morning.

Though it would serve as a good opportunity to report to Ozpin. Of course, he'd feed him information on Cinder and Salem, their plan, and even a bit on the White Fang. The important part of this deal was what Six wasn't going to feed him.

The Courier had his own plans for Vale, far grander than anyone knew. And not Ozpin, Cinder, Salem, Adam, or anyone else would stop him.

Author's Notes:

And the game begins. This will be the start of a small sub-arc that will take several chapters involving team RWBY. It will likely take a few months to complete in total and will cover their investigation in Rhyt. It's a bit of an experiment, a bit of a crime thriller. Hopefully, it's as entertaining as Six's journey. Let's see which of you will be the first to figure out who the spy in Rhyt is.

I'm also seeing a lot of reviews talking about Metal Gear references. You're right. Many of the things I include do reference Metal Gear.

And to Dasansi, you are correct. Another reviewer actually mentioned that song years ago. I ended up listening to it and liked it. It may be referenced again in future chapters.