Author's Note:

So, a small mistake on my part! I forgot I wasn't going to upload this week. So this chapter is coming out a little early! This means I won't post the last chapter next Wednesday but the Wednesday after on the two year anniversary. My bad!

Here's the climax of this arc for you all. I'm not going to give the updates and details for what I have planned moving forward this chapter as there's still one more left.

Instead, I'll let you read this and give you all the boring details next chapter after the arc is over!

I don't normally respond to reviews in the author's notes. I think it's unprofessional (like fanfiction is professional haha) but I have seen some confusion regarding a certain fact in the story.

For those interested, Courier Six is not a Faunus, his augmentations and cybernetics have altered his eyes. Often times these augmentations make his eyes look like a Faunus's but he is not a Faunus.

This chapter took a long while to write and I hope it shows!

Enjoy!

"Text"

"Speech"

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

Remnants of a Courier

Chapter 31: Meddling Kids!

Blake watched as Sun's tail flicked back and forth impatiently. The two of them were at a local café that she often frequented. One that was tucked away from prying eyes so it didn't often see customers. Despite that, the place was far from underfunded. Blake didn't know if the owner was rich or if it had a few wealthy customers. Either way, it was quiet yet still cozy to rest at. All this made it the perfect place for her.

His tail flicked to the side again causing her eye to twitch. She understood that Sun was rather impatient given that the two of them had gotten together and not said anything for a good bit now. That didn't justify the way the huntsman always fidgeted.

"So, do you only give small talk and weird looks?"

He was rude as well. Sun's words caused her face to reflexively form into a frown that was supported by a squint. She wasn't even trying to. Sun just annoyed her enough that her body naturally responded that way.

"Just like that," her rowdy companion responded as he tipped the cup in his hand towards her. It was a sweet tea of some kind judging from the aroma.

Blake rolled her eyes in response before letting her annoyed expression drop. She did call him here because she needed to tell someone—anyone—about the White Fang. And despite his callous nature, Sun had proven that he did care about others.

"Have you ever heard of the White Fang?"

Her question earned her a questioning glance from him. After a few moments, he shrugged before responding, "of course, I don't think there's a Faunus on the planet that hasn't heard of them."

"A bunch of stupid holier-than-thou creeps that use force to get whatever they want," the Faunus continued causing Blake to turn her gaze downward and into her cup. "A bunch of freaks if you ask me."

That was a harsh opinion of the White Fang but part of her couldn't blame him. What the organization was now was a far cry from what it used to be.

She took a sip from her cup before responding, "I was once a member of the White Fang." This time, her words earned her Sun spitting his tea back into his cup. Surprise was something she had expected though his overdramatic response wasn't really needed.

"Wait a minute, you were a member of the White Fang," Sun asked while wiping away tea from his chin.

"That's right, I was a member for most of my life actually. You could almost say I was born into it…"

Blake's mind began to travel as she remembered her time in the White Fang. Good memories that were soured by what had more recently transpired.

She remembered when she was young. How her parents—specifically her father—had led the White Fang after the war. How Faunus were mistreated and berated by humans. More importantly, how they still were today.

Blake remembered her time at protests and rallies. All of the Faunus united together for a single cause: equality. It was never violent and it gave people hope. But as time wore on, the results didn't seem to come in. She knew now that it was her being young and impatient. Results took time.

The shift from peaceful protests to violent acts was a slow one. At first, it was small acts from individuals that her father condemned but over time they grew in number. Some even started believing that violence was the only way, including her.

Then, roughly five years ago, her father stepped down. The majority had turned against his peaceful ways. Sienna Khan took his place. That was when their attacks stepped up a notch. No longer was it small individual acts of violence. Instead, they were gathered and coordinated strikes against Schnee targets.

The worst part about it? It had worked. Many of the bigoted individuals who had once spoken poorly of Faunus were quiet. But that wasn't because they changed their ways, it was because they were afraid. She knew now, fear bred hate.

This caused the S.D.C. to step up security as their people were getting injured. In turn, this caused White Fang members to get injured and sometimes killed. This cycle continued as the White Fang grew more violent in response and began purposefully injuring and sometimes killing S.D.C. soldiers and workers in turn.

What this all led up to were the violent exchanges that often took place between the White Fang and S.D.C. These still happened today. The death made Blake sick to her stomach.

"And after a particular mission, I left. I decided I no longer wanted to use my skills to aid in their violence. And instead, I would dedicate my life to becoming a huntress. So here I am, a criminal hiding in plain view, all with the help of a little black bow."

"Have you told you friends any of this," Sun questioned as she finished her story. Blake averted her gaze. There was more to it than simply being ashamed of her past.

"I… One of my teammates knows." Blake put a hand to her face as she spoke. "Weiss Schnee."

"Wait, what? A Schnee is on your team? Talk about bad luck. Why did you tell her?" Blake's grip on her cup tightened as Sun spoke.

"I didn't. We knew each other because of my last mission." She paused, unsure if she wanted to continue. "You know how the head of S.D.C. was murdered? I was there."

If Blake thought his double-take before was extreme, the huntsman's eyes practically bulged out of his head.

"You were there? During the assassination? Where half a train was stolen and the big man himself was killed by the Mimic?"

"I was, and so was Weiss," Blake answered as she glanced around to make sure no one was listening. It would be bad to be overheard right now.

Sun leaned back in his chair, a slowly dawning look for horror crossing his face. "You didn't… I mean…"

Realizing her mistake, Blake shook her head while saying, "no, no. I didn't. But I helped him get on that train. I watched as he murdered a father in front of his children for money. Then watched as the entire world grew terrified of him."

"Didn't he also kill that guy at Grimdale Park?" Sun tapped his chin as he spoke, doing his best to remember the events.

Blake remembered them thoroughly. "Yes," she responded curtly, not really wanting to broach the subject. Mimic, no, Six… That monster kept killing people for Lien. He'd never stop unless someone made him.

"But my point is, I don't know how to talk to Weiss. She's scared of me. She tries to hide it but I can see how her eyes watch me with fear and how she flinches every time I move too fast." As she spoke, Blake felt a deep sense of shame overcoming her.

"And I yelled at her so much she ran away." How could she do something so stupid? Blake knew that Weiss wasn't able to confront her. Every time they had an argument, Weiss would simply shut down.

"Well, why did you yell at her?"

Blake rubbed her forehead as she felt a headache coming on. "Because she was being derogatory towards Faunus. Calling them filthy and rapscallions."

Sun nodded his head while humming. "I can understand then," Sun responded as his gaze shifted to the sky. A contemplative look had crossed his face. "But maybe don't just holler at her right? Maybe next time correct her but don't let your feelings get all out of whack."

"I don't know if there will be a next time…"

The huntsman made a scoffing noise as he shifted in his seat. "Please, a little thing like that won't break your team apart. Go apologize, I'm sure it'll be fine."

"But how can you know?"

"Do you know how many fights Neptune and I have been in? Tons, where we say some way more awful stuff than whatever I think you could. Trust me. Friends have fights." The Faunus shrugged his shoulders before continuing, "what matters is forgiving each other and growing past it."

That… Made a surprising amount of sense. Still, there was another matter.

"I think I get it but I can't go back yet." This caused Sun to raise a brow.

"Why not," he asked while pushing his now empty cup to the edge of the table.

"Because I still don't believe that the White Fang are behind these robberies. Why would they need so much Dust? I need to find out."

Sun grew a pensive look as he responded, "what if they did?" That response didn't please her at all. "I mean…" The huntsman lifted one hand up before gesturing to his other before repeating the process as he spoke, "the only way to prove they didn't do it. Is to go to the most likely place they would go to if they did do it, and not find them there, right?" The sheepish smile on Sun's face did not sell his pitch well.

Despite that, his logic was sound. If they could figure out where the perpetrators would strike next, they could also find out who was really behind these robberies.

"The only thing is, I have no idea where that might be."

Then Sun made her day by responding, "well, while I was on the ship. I heard about some guys offloading a huge shipment of Dust coming in from Atlas."

If that was true, that was where they'd strike next. That meant that's where she'd be that night.

The red tint from Six's mask wasn't enough to blot out the stars in the night sky nor the shattered moon above. His eyes traced along every crack, broken piece, and dent in the moon as a sense of apathy washed over him. This was always required before a mission; to take your emotions out of the equation. To let a sense of cold and calculated planning take over.

The Courier brought his gaze downward as he continued to load the Dust rounds into the magazine for his anti-material rifle. The Mysterious Magnum rested in its holster on his side. For this operation, these would be the only two weapons he'd use minus explosives if things went sour. He didn't want anyone knowing that he could materialize objects yet.

It always calmed him; the few moments before things kicked off, preparing for a fight. Just in the same sense that the armor he wore brought him comfort. That was one of the main reasons why he always covered everything. It wasn't just to hide his identity but rather because he felt naked without the armor. That and his scars felt like sins tattooed into him; sins he'd rather not share.

His gaze turned to his forearm, the armor surrounding it, and the bone-like spikes that protruded from the back. This was his persona at the moment. The Mimic. There he stood, a local boogeyman for the people of Vale. When had that become his job?

The sounds of engines filled the quiet night around him. Roman was there. Six grabbed the rifle from the ground before proceeding over to the edge of the warehouse he was perched on. He had positioned himself on its roof hours ago at the edge of the docks.

Below him was a maze of large cranes and hundreds of crates. Above him several bullheads cruised past, blowing wind that rustled his duster. This was the perfect vantage point. He'd take a couple of pot-shots, strike a pose as he had at the protest, and leave. That would suffice for an interruption from the Mimic.

Joshua lowered himself into a kneeling position before loading the anti-material rifle as the aircraft descended. Before he brought the scope to his mask, Six stretched his back and cracked his neck, knowing full well that he'd be holding that position for an uncomfortable amount of time.

Just as the bullhead's doors opened to let the White Fang members exit, Six brought the rifle up. The scope glanced over several White Fang members, all of them almost indistinguishable thanks to the uniforms and masks. The red claw marks and wolf heads on the backs of their white uniforms being the main indication of who they worked for.

His gaze rested upon the fiery orange hair of Roman Torchwick: his employer. The conman stepped out with his signature hat and cane.

"Hey, what's the hold-up!? We're not exactly the most inconspicuous thieves at the moment. So, why don't you animals try to pick up the pace?" Ah, Roman, ever the classy individual. Even from here, he could see the frowns on the White Fang members.

A motion from the rooftop across the dock from Six caught his attention. The tip of his gun was soon pointed towards it as he adjusted the scope of his rifle. It soon refocused to reveal two Faunus sitting on the rooftop across from him.

Blake was there, along with the blonde Faunus from before. If Blake was there, the rest of team RWBY wasn't far behind. This was exactly what he had been trying to avoid.

Six rested the butt of his rifle against the ground and leaned it against his side. With his hand free, he began tapping at his Pip-Boy, typing out a message. It was a warning about the potential trouble.

Unfortunately, his boss didn't seem to be paying attention as the conman went about his business without pulling out his scroll. That was bad. Really bad.

This was a bit of a risk but Six didn't have a choice. He picked up his rifle before moving to the side of the building and to the ladder he had climbed up to the roof with. As he descended the ladder, the Courier made a call with his Pip-Boy to Roman. He linked the call to the comm in his mask so he wouldn't have to hold up his Pip-Boy.

His comm unit buzzed as Six reached the bottom before stepping off the ladder. As he raised his rifle to make sure Blake hadn't moved, the call connected.

"Does there seem to be a problem here? You're not supposed to contact me like this and I'm just a teensy weensy busy." Roman's irritated tone wasn't Six's immediate concern. Instead, it was that Blake was gone from her position on the roof along with her friend.

The Mimic lowered his rifle before dashing to the nearest crates. He'd have to take a far different approach to what he was planning.

"We've got a problem. A member of team RWBY is here. She's making her way to you. I'm changing positions, be alert." Six's words earned him a groan from the other end of the line. The entire time the two had been talking, the Courier had been moving into position. He was a blur in the shadows cast by the crates.

"What's a team RWBY," roman asked as Six rounded a corner. From this angle, he could see the conman and his troops clearly without the need for the scope.

The Mimic crouched down before proceeding forward in the shadows of the crates; slinging the anti-material rifle over his shoulder while doing so.

A White Fang soldier approached Torchwick while carrying a sturdy looking rope. Six continued his approach, doing his best to stay low as he reached the end of the crate he was next to. If he moved any further, he'd expose himself. Besides, he was within a dozen feet of the conman and could see his expression shift into a frown.

With the scroll still pressed to his face, Roman commented, "no you idiot, this isn't a leash." Six could hear his voice both from his mouth and from his comm piece in his mask.

"Wait…" His boss's tone had shifted to dawning realization. "Probably a team of huntsman and huntresses. RWBY, little Red, Ruby… Oh shit…"

As Roman spoke, Six activated the compass feature in his cybernetics, giving him a readout of the local area. There was more than one red blip on it with the only exception being Roman himself. As he cross-referenced his compass and what he could see, Six spotted the cat-Faunus.

"Roman she's beh-"

It was too little too late. Blake dashed forward and pressed the blade of her weapon against Roman's throat causing the suited man to drop the scroll. Where was Neo when you needed her?

"What the" Roman began before realizing his situation. The conman relaxed as he rolled his eyes before continuing, "oh for fu-"

Before he could finish Blake shouted, "nobody move!" Blake had gotten herself into a precarious situation. But where was her partner?

"Woah, take it easy there little lady," Roman responded as he stood stock-still. A brave man for a knife-sword-whatever it was at his throat. The weapons in this world made no sense.

The former White Fang member ripped off her bow to reveal her cat ears as Six spotted the Blonde Faunus. The monkey-Faunus was jumping from crate to crate, remaining above the little showdown.

"Brothers of the White Fang," Blake began as an expression that Six could only describe as sorrow and shame mixed together crossed her face. "Why are you aiding this scum?"

Well, now was as good a time as any.

Six stood up from his position before calmly walking towards the gathering. With the White Fang turned away from him, only Blake and Roman could see him.

Torchwick's face was one of annoyance and surprise as he stepped out. The conman obviously didn't know what the Courier was planning.

The woman holding him captive had a far more shocked expression. Whatever she was about to say next died at the sight of him.

The White Fang soldiers surrounding the two seemed unsure of what to do. They stood there, not hearing the Courier approach. He had a feeling this night was gonna go to shit and here he was.

The Butcher of House silently stepped up behind a White Fang soldier before batting the gun from his hands. The Faunus turned to him only for the Courier to grab his throat before lifting him so only the soldier's toes were touching the ground.

"Hello Blake," the Mimic greeted as he pseudo-strangled his victim. Six's voice was filtered into a low-pitched yet projected version of itself due to the voice-changer in his mask. He wasn't worried about taking a hit as his armor would hold up to more Dust rounds than they could throw at him.

"Oh, it's you," Roman said as he realized the predicament he was in. "Well boys," the conman began as he slowly pointed his cane to the ground behind him. "It's time for us to leave."

From the cane came an explosive Burn round that sent the Faunus holding him flying back. The White Fang surrounding him turned their guns on Six.

With one hand he drew his .44 magnum, with his other he tossed his gasping victim at his closest comrade. The fight had officially begun.

Six turned his magnum towards the second closest Faunus before blowing a hole in the man's knee for causing trouble. As the man went down, Six darted forward towards another White Fang lackey.

Roman turned to fire at Blake who was currently rolling out of the way. Given that his cane acted as a pseudo grenade launcher that fired Burn rounds, Six was thankful for that.

As the explosions rocked the ground, Six grabbed the White Fang soldier he had been charging. Using his enhanced strength, he picked the grunt up by his shirt before continuing forward, using his enemy as a human shield.

The Courier could feel a few rounds pinging against his back but thanks to his armor none of them did any lasting damage. Plus, he could play it off as his "totally existent" aura.

He rammed the next idiot with the one he was holding, sending them both to the ground. The two Faunus he had thrown to the ground earlier were finally getting back to their feet. Two well-placed shots to their knees sent them right back down. Hell, who needs kneecaps? The Mimic placed two more rounds into the knees of the Faunus at his feet as well.

The sound of Roman getting hit drew Six's attention. His gaze shifted to the prone Roman as Blake's friend rolled away from the conman and right towards him.

"Leave her alone," the boy got out before looking up to meet the barrel of Six's Mysterious Magnum.

"Hey," the Mimic greeted as he began pulling the trigger.

A sheepish grin formed on the Faunus' face as he replied, "I don't suppose there's an outcome where you don't shoot me in the face?"

Six let a little pressure off the trigger as a bullhead hovering above them opened its side doors. Roughly a dozen White Fang soldiers jumped out and landed around both him and the blonde; effectively surrounding them.

"You're not the brightest banana in the bunch are you kid," Roman taunted from the front of the group.

Six ignored his comment as he replied, "you take the half on the left, I'll take the right. We'll resolve this later."

"Deal," the rowdy teen agreed before lunging at the White Fang members on Six's left.

The White Fang on his right charged in with swords. Weren't they using guns not a minute ago? Six didn't complain as he calmly reloaded his magnum. To them it was a blur of motion as the chamber of the gun was knocked to the side before being loaded and put back in one fluid action.

By the time one got within five feet of him, he was aiming. The first went down with a shot to the knee, then another, and another. It was only as the third one went down did the fourth wise up and stop. With no cover that didn't really help though, the Mimic shooting out his kneecap as well.

As the four White Fang members groaned from their positions, the last charged with seemingly no reservations. The Courier took aim and fired figuring this one to be mentally deficient. The round didn't stop this grunt as he continued charging; he only then realized that the Faunus had his aura unlocked.

Six clicked his tongue as the guy took a swing at him. Even with his aura, this grunt was nothing compared to anyone at Beacon. He shifted his feet and sidestepped the attack before grabbing the Faunus' wrist.

A moment later and the grunt's chin got very familiar with the front of the Courier's helmet as Six headbutted him. This caused the Faunus to real back dazed and left him open. Lunging forward, the Mimic seized him by the throat before lifting him off. He then brought him back down to the ground and choke-slammed him. It had enough force behind it to crack the cement beneath his victim.

Figuring they were all out of commission; Six turned to see Roman now fighting both Blake and her friend. The conman seemed to be putting up an actual fight as he blocked every attack from Blake and even managed to knock her down.

That was weird, Six was fairly certain that Roman was supposed to be the brains of the operation, not the brawn. Reality seemed to quickly correct itself as the blonde Faunus joined in and put his boss on the defensive. Blake followed this up by dashing back in and it was obvious Six's boss was in trouble. The Mimic charged forward as he reloaded his magnum.

As the two were distracted pushing back Roman, they didn't notice the Courier sprint up behind them. This gave him the perfect opportunity to yank Blake's hair back and throw her away from her friend. Six could hear a chuckle from Roman behind him as he did so.

"Why are you even here you monster?" The cat Faunus questioned while getting back to her feet. Did Blake really expect him to divulge that information?

A small chuckle escaped Six before he responded, "to send a message. Not something a traitor and a coward would understand."

The scowl he earned from Blake as she got to her feet more than satisfied his plan. He needed her off her game. If that meant getting in her head, fine. Besides, what he said was technically true.

"Well, shall we?" Six questioned as he pointed his revolver at Blake. He was cut off by the sounds of footsteps behind him along with a loud unnatural whistling noise. The Courier—instead of turning—rolled to the side as the blonde Faunus landed where he was at before. This was followed up by a projectile from Roman's cane—the source of the whistling noise—colliding with said Faunus's back.

The Mimic didn't have a moment to rest as he quickly sat up and fired at Blake who was charging him. The girl projected a clone to stop the round as she dodged to the side. A realization donned on Six as he got to his feet. They were in a standoff. Blake and her friend on one side, Roman on another, with Six on the final side.

"So, my mysterious, blood-thirsty, new friend," Roman began as he held his cane pointed towards Blake. "I don't like my chances two on one. You take the monkey, I'll take the kitten, and we both leave alive?"

"Counter-offer, you help the good guys, and we all leave alive. With him in jail?" This teenage Faunus made a good point as well. Six was almost tempted to take just to annoy Roman.

Blake turned to her friend before muttering, "you seriously can't be negotiating with this murderer, right?"

Six was about to respond when a high-pitched voice called out to them.

"Hey!"

The group turned to spot a girl in a red combat dress. So, Blake's team had followed her along. Ruby had her scythe pulled out and at the ready; looking down at them with a glare. Well, mostly at Roman and him.

"Oh, hello Red, isn't it past your bedtime?" There was Roman, always with the quips. It was old after the first few hundred, it would be old after the next few hundred.

A second figure walked up behind Ruby. A… Was that the AI? Six let out a long sigh at the sight. His night was getting way too complicated.

"Ruby, are these your friends?" Penny asked while looking down at them, a dumbfounded expression on her face. Six idly wondered when it would learn to hate humanity. Maybe that was tonight?

"Penny, stay back," Ruby responded as she turned to her. With her attention drawn, Roman's eyes narrowed as the conman saw an opportunity. His cane went from the two Faunus to pointing at Ruby. A single shot was fired and that started the whole fight over again.

As Ruby flew back from the projectile slamming into her and exploding, Penny's gaze shifted to a dangerous glare as she took a few steps forward. Meanwhile, Blake and her friend lunged forward, the cat-Faunus going for the conman and the blonde going for Six.

The Courier didn't have time to see what Roman was laughing about as he fired at the blonde Faunus. The future huntsman didn't seem to care about the bullets as he ran through them. Right, aura.

However, his adversary did grimace as he realized Six's gun hit harder. Well, hit harder wasn't the technical right term for how effective bullets were but he didn't have time for technicalities at the moment.

The Faunus was closing in too fast and he needed room to breathe, he wouldn't last long in a close-quarters fight against a huntsman going all out. At least, not without shooting through their aura, but he didn't want to do that in front of the crowd gathering around them.

Instead, he reached into his trench coat before materializing a frag grenade in his hand. One of his few remaining ones. He pulled the pin before saying, "think fast." Six dropped the grenade in front of him just as the huntsman was closing the distance. This caused the Faunus to stop his assault as Six turned and ran for a dense section of stacked crates. He just needed to lose the teenager.

The grenade went off behind him and he turned his head to see the Faunus charging through the smoke after him once more. The teenager was probably faster than him but Six had enough of a head start now. He rounded the corner of a crate before materializing a C4 explosive and laying it on the ground around the corner. Then he booked it as fast as he could.

The Courier only made it to the edge of the blast radius before his pursuer came into view. Not giving the huntsman any time to react; Six pressed the detonator's trigger. The resulting explosion threw him face down and knocked the wind out of him.

Six knew that it was likely that the armor on his back was burnt and partially shredded. He'd have to fix it later but it had done its job in keeping him alive. There was still a problem though.

Since the explosion was next to a container, it ripped a giant hole at the corner of it, weakening its support. This wouldn't be a problem but five more containers were stacked on top of it. The added weight made the section buckle and bend. This caused the rest of the crates to slide off and fall, right towards him.

Luckily, with the distance he ran and the explosion knocking him further, he had just enough time to crawl out of the way before the crates landed behind him. Six didn't know what had happened to the huntsman but he was safe for the moment.

The ringing in Six's ears was making it hard to hear anything but he forced himself to his knees first. His world spun circles for a few moments before reorienting. He let out a long and pained groan while stretching out his back. This was not his night.

Six's eyes scanned his surroundings, noting that he could see the fight between Roman and the others with the crates out of the way. What he saw didn't please him.

The AI had joined the fray which tilted the scales heavily in the favor of the students. Hell, Six bet that thing alone might've been able to take him, Roman, and the White Fang all together. Several White Fang grunts lay on the ground in various states of agony with more than one of them most likely dead.

Some of the soldiers looked like they had been nearly bisected by something incredibly sharp. Turning his gaze, Six glanced over to see several blades seemingly hovering over Penny. That was the most likely cause for a good number of the dead in this fight.

The ground in front of the AI exploded in a shower of bullets as three of the bullheads from earlier passed overhead. They were making a strafing run at the AI; planning to gun the thing down no doubt.

That was until Penny used her blades to block the incoming rounds before leaping backward a good distance away. It was a bit harder to tell at this point what was happening but from Six's view, he could see the AI powering up something. A large light was appearing over its chest.

It had been a very long time since Six had felt fear. The Courier had simply seen too much in his travels to be affected by much anymore. Penny firing what appeared to be a beam of pure energy at the sky—bisecting two of the bullheads—did the trick.

That was a ridiculous amount of power to give to a self-aware and unshackled AI! This thing could take down entire armies on its own. Penny was going to be a huge problem for anything Six planned for in the future.

The bullheads soared past the AI in pieces as Six turned away. It was time to get out of town while he still had the time. Lest that monster catch up to him.

The Courier glanced back one more time to see the AI somehow pulling another bullhead out of the sky. He didn't have time to analyze it at the moment.

Once more, Six checked to make sure his revolver was fully loaded before moving towards his plan of escape. But as he took a few steps away, he heard what sounded like footsteps other than his own. Turning, he spotted two beings of pure light running towards him.

The things looked like humans that were see-through, bright yellow, and glowing. In fact, they kind of looked like Blake's Faunus friend. Whatever they were, the two beings were jumping over the wreckage of the toppled crates to get to him.

The Mysterious Magnum disappeared back into its holster as Six slung the rifle strapped to his back around and into his hands. At this distance he couldn't miss. The first "light-person" exploded into a shower of bright glowing shards as the second continued to charge at him.

A quick adjustment of his sights later and Six was aiming at the second one. He took a breath to steady himself before squeezing the trigger. The second "person" shattered much the same as the first. Creating a small light show in the moonlight.

Six straightened out his back as the second's shards were carried off by the wind. It was a neat little distraction but he had places to be. That was until another glowing replica lunged over the crates and straight towards him.

This was getting rather tedious. Six checked his compass, noting that the things didn't even register as enemies. However, there was an enemy on his right somewhere and it was moving fast. A quick turn of Six's head and a glance upward revealed the culprit: the blonde Faunus from before holding his hands together in some sort of strange sign. The explosion hadn't dissuaded him. This thing was likely under the Faunus's control.

Wasting no time, The Courier once more lined up a shot on the extension of his adversary before blowing it to pieces. This gave the teenager enough time to get to the crates next to him. From there, the Faunus lunged downward and straight at Six.

This was all part of the plan. Joshua turned his attention to the kid and drew his revolver with one hand while holding on to the rifle in the other. He took two potshots at the kid as he descended, only managing to land with one. Still, the teen's aura held strong.

Since the teen was on a one-way trip straight towards him, Six activated his V.A.T.S. system before lining up his shots. With the lack of distance, he wasn't going to miss, planting three shots into his midsection.

In the span of a second, The Courier opened fire, landing all of his shots in the kid's center mass. The first caused the kid's aura to flare. The second slammed into it but was rendered redundant as his opponent's aura finally shattered. It was only the last round that managed to punch a hole in the kid's side.

In response, the blonde huntsman let out a pained cough as his form crumpled. All the Mimic had to do was take a step to the side as the teenager crashed to the ground. There was the sound of a sickening crack as the kid landed wrong.

Six had one round left in his magnum and wasted no time in pointing the weapon at this nuisance's head. "Nice try kid," Six commented while lining up the shot.

The teenager didn't reply as he laid there trying to catch his breath. Blood dripped from both his mouth and the bullet wound in his side. Slowly, the kid rolled over so his head was facing towards the sky.

"I… Shit… Shit…" The kid began cursing as he stared down the barrel of Six's gun; he knew full well where this was going.

But as the Courier looked the Faunus over, the image of Logarius filled the teenager's place for a moment. The calm attitude, the stupid smile, how the huntsman was prepared for death. Then the Courier took another glance at the blonde Faunus. This was a kid, barely coming out of his teens. He didn't want to die; he wasn't prepared for it. He wasn't Logarius. Not so long ago the Courier was like that too. Joshua slowly began to lower the gun.

Still, this kid was a huntsman, this guy knew what he was getting into and he got in Six's way. The blonde teen would likely continue to do so in the future too. This teenager was a threat. The revolver returned to point at the teenager's head. Besides, this was part of the plan…

But whose plan? Cinder and Roman? It certainly wasn't the Courier's. This kind of problem was why he tried to get his head in the game before a mission. A crisis of conscious was likely to get him killed. Six couldn't second guess himself on things like this. With this in mind, the Mimic's finger squeezed the trigger.

And stopped just short of blowing the kid's brains out. Six's mind had wandered to the red-haired child in Rhyt, idly wondering what she'd think of this. Likely the last person that had any belief in him anymore.

A sigh escaped Six as he lowered the gun before putting it back in its holster. "It's your lucky day kid," he commented before turning on his heel. "Don't get in my way again."

"W-Wait…" The Faunus called out before descending into a coughing fit. "Why… Why are you doing this? R-Really… I know it's not just to… Piss off Blake…"

A thought crossed Six as the boy spoke. Sure, he could play by Roman and Cinder's rules, but he had already bent them to achieve his own ends. Maybe it was time to start thinking a little bigger. He'd play them just as he played House, the NCR, and the Legion.

"What I said before wasn't a lie," Six responded while turning to his injured opponent. "I am sending a message."

The Courier's coat rustled from both the wind and from him raising his arm to point at the fight going on less than a few dozen yards away. A fight that was quickly winding down.

"These huntsman… The Academies, Atlas, the White Fang… Really everyone that is trying to control the coming storm. None of them stand a chance." Six didn't bother to look down at the injured teen as he continued, "they've all failed, are being used, or both. There needs to be a change."

The Courier lowered his arm before walking back over to the downed huntsman and crouching over him. Tilting his head to the side, Six ended his little speech with, "I am that change."

"W-What stor-" Before the kid could finish his question, Six cut him off while standing up.

"There won't be any White Fang, any Huntsman Academies, Atlas, or any "secret groups" when I'm done. I'll be the change this world desperately needs." Six paused to look back down at the Faunus.

Before the teenager could reply, Six turned and took a few steps away before saying, "try thinking about what you believe needs changing around here kid. Then do something about it. Don't be like everyone else and just complain."

Six had a new goal in mind as he gave this talk. It was already forming. A grand plan for not only Vale but this entire world. "Fight for something you believe in some time. Not for a cause, or an academy, or anyone else!"

"What do you think, is that worth mimicking?"

With his little speech finished, Six picked up the pace, jogging towards his destination. He could already see the last two bullheads that were intact taking off. That meant he only had a few minutes before the Faunus's friends came looking for him.

Luckily, that was all he really needed. The Courier bobbed and weaved between crates as he made his way just outside of the docks and to the streets. He had already altered the cameras in the area to either be turned away or be turned off so they didn't see him as he proceeded to the nearest manhole.

Joshua's enhanced strength was more than enough to lift the manhole cover so he could get inside. Once in, he covered it once more before proceeding further into the sewers of Vale. He was pretty much in the clear now; all Six had to do was take the wet trek home.

A coughing fit wracked through Sun as he came to. His vision was blurry but as he grasped around he felt a soft fabric beneath him and a feeling of weightlessness. Was he on some kind of bed?

As the Faunus's vision focused, he could see what looked like paramedics of some kind. Had he been injured? Was he on a stretcher?

Sharpening his mind, Sun did his best to remember the events that must have transpired. A man in dark armor… White Fang… Blake…

He had fought the man in dark armor… The Mimic. Judging by the gurney he was on, he lost. But the guy had said something to him. Something about change? It hurt to think and as he remembered more. The rest of his body was catching up with his mind and pain coursed through his side and leg as he let out a small moan.

Someone was at his side; they had black hair, a concerned facial expression, and cat ears… Blake!

"It's going to be alright Sun, they said as long as you get to the hospital you'll be fine!" Blake's words sounded distant but he could understand them.

"Blake," Sun muttered, trying to tell her about the asshole that shot him. His voice was weak though. Still, it was enough, and Blake leaned in to hear him what he had to say.

"That guy… He said a lot of things… I think you need to hear…"

The fight had been a long one and not something that had ended completely in team RWBY's favor. Sure, they had stopped the White Fang's plans here and even managed to take out a few of their bullheads.

In Blake's mind there were more losses than wins though… Sun—her new friend—had been injured, the Mimic got away, Roman got away, and many of the White Fang were now dead.

As much as she didn't like how Adam ran the organization, the cat Faunus didn't like death, especially her former comrade's death. That was thanks to Penny who was both a boon and terrifying at the same time. The huntress from Atlas was truly a terrifying one.

Blake understood why she did it but the huntress had truly hoped to end the conflict with no bloodshed… The Faunus brought her face into her palms as she thought over what Sun had managed to tell her before being carted off to the hospital.

What was all this about change? About Atlas, the White Fang, and the huntsman academies? More importantly, what was this about hidden groups?

It both made sense and no sense at the same time. The Mimic had teamed up with the White Fang so being a revolutionary made sense… But then why say he was going to take them down as well? How would an individual even accomplish that let alone everything else the monster had said?

All these thoughts were for later, as she needed to get a handle on the awkward situation she found herself in now. The fight was hard but standing near her teammates in silence as both she and Weiss tried to find the right words was impossible.

Penny had disappeared a while ago after the fight and the police had shown up to get whatever information they knew. Which meant all of them were forced to wait around.

"I'm sorry Blake," Weiss said before crossing her arms. "I shouldn't have said those things about Faunus… And I don't actually think that. I've just been really stressed out with the White Fang and my family lately."

Blake looked up at her teammate before replying, "no, I should apologize. I wasn't any better. I lost my cool and yelled at you despite everything that's happened to you. I understand why you would feel so strongly about the White Fang. I caused…" She glanced around before continuing, "this to happen."

The two stared at each other for a few moments before Blake asked, "friends?"

A small smile crept across Weiss's face before she replied, "friends."

A squealing Ruby lunged at the both of them, bringing them into a hug as she said, "I am so happy team RWBY is back together! I was really worried we were going to fall apart but my teammates could never do that! We're too awesome."

As Ruby continued to go on her tirade, Yang stood behind Weiss, staring directly at Blake. "Hey, uh, just so you know. If you ever have trouble with all this stuff again, you know you can count on your teammates and not a random stranger, right?"

A soft smile graced Blake's face as she replied, "right. I'll remember that." This was what she had searched for in the White Fang, what she thought she found in Adam. People she could trust.

The smile faded as the Faunus realized that she had been lying to her friends… Blake backed out of the hug before straightening her back and saying, "I have something to tell both of you."

"I was a member of the White Fang but I'm not anymore…" Blake waited to see their reactions before continuing. Ruby seemed dumbfounded, staring between the injured White Fang being taken into custody and her. Yang on the other hand shrugged her shoulders.

"I figured," the blonde replied with a grin. "I mean, you're a Faunus and you seem awfully interested in how they're treated. Plus, ya know, the whole White Fang obsession."

"It's not an obsession," the Faunus responded with a pout.

Weiss looked between her teammates for a few moments before sighing and turning to Blake. "Are you going to tell them the rest?"

That was a good question and one Blake didn't really want to answer. This newfound camaraderie between them was nice but this was also information that was up to Weiss to share. Since Weiss brought it up though…

"I was also there when Jacques Schnee was murdered…" At her confession, the rest of team RWBY turned to Blake. "So was Weiss…" The Faunus closed her eyes and remembered the events as terrible as they were.

"We were there to rob the train of its Dust. Weiss, her brother, and her father happened to be on board at the time…" Blake wrung her hands together as she continued, "the Mimic—also known as Six—murdered Jacques in front of Whitley and Weiss… Adam wanted to kill everyone on board, including Weiss. I couldn't go along with it."

The Faunus turned her head to the side and did her best to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. It wasn't her proudest moment being on that train and letting those horrible things happen. It reminded Blake of her own failures at being a decent person.

Seeing Blake being unable to finish the story, Weiss continued instead. "Blake saved me and my brother. In return, I made sure she got away from the authorities and neglected to inform them of Blake's involvement in my father's murder." The former heiress turned towards Blake before continuing, "I never expected to meet her here of all places."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry I helped them." Blake stuttered out, her tears flowing freely. "I never wanted to hurt anyone! I just wanted to help Faunus."

Both Ruby and Yang remained silent. The former conflicted on what to do as the latter let the two get all of their emotions out on the table.

Weiss nodded her head as a solemn look overtook her. "Don't be sorry, I understand… I learned what my father did to Faunus. How S.D.C. treated them… It's why I left and came here. I'm… Not technically part of the Schnee family anymore."

"Well," Yang began as she wrapped an arm around Blake. "Considering you didn't want to hurt anyone and are trying to help people now… I'd say you're on the right track!"

Meanwhile, the blonde's sister moved over to Weiss as she said, "and no one is keeping secrets anymore so… Can we be a team?"

Blake and Weiss glanced at each other for a few moments. Could Blake continue as their teammate? Did she have the right to? The Faunus felt like she didn't but at the same time, hearing Weiss's confession, and her teammates' encouragement. It made it feel like it was actually possible. Like she could actually do some good without hurting others.

"Of course," Weiss said, being the first to respond. "I still have my pride and team RWBY wouldn't be able to function without all of us in it!"

A large smile, one Blake hadn't been able to form in a long time, crossed the Faunus's face. These were people she could trust. Her teammates. She wiped the tears from her eyes before replying, "I wouldn't have anyone else as my teammates."

She'd tell them about Six later. Right now, they just needed a break.

Running water and small splashes as his boots met the greywater were the Courier's only company as he trudged through the sewers. It was less than ideal but he had been in worse places.

Six figured he must look like a mess. His armor had several dents in it from the dust rounds that hit him during the fight. The dirt and cement that had caked onto his armor combined with the sewer water probably didn't help matters either. Not to mention the explosion that covered his back in soot. It was not his night.

The Pip-Boy attached to his forearm buzzed with an incoming call. The Courier held it up to his helmet—having turned off the invisibility setting since he was no longer in a fight—to see who the call was from. Roman Torchwick, fantastic.

A small holographic projection appeared above the device on his wrist. Roman was on it though his hair was disheveled and his expression sour.

"Next time some brats are going to ruin a party, let me know in advance Six." The Courier continued trudging through the sewer as Roman spoke. "Also, where are you? I can hardly see you."

"Sewers, making my exit."

Roman's lips curled into a disgusted expression before he continued, "right… Enjoy the trip. I'll have you know that I grabbed my scroll on the way out, no thanks to you."

Before the conman could continue, Six cut him off. "The mission was complete right?"

"I mean, it served its purpose, but the losses we took mean we're going to have to recruit again. And Adam is going to be pissed!" The criminal pointed at the screen before continuing, "and before you say, 'just tell him it wasn't us,' he's not going to care! And I'm the one who has to tell him!"

"Just tell Cinder, if he has a problem with it, she's the "head honcho" of this whole thing. Let her deal with it…"

Roman glared at him through the screen, his eye twitching slightly. "She won't care either! She'll just tell me to deal with it!"

Six let out a low growl in response to Roman's words. He did not need this right now.

"Then what use is the ugly banshee if she won't actually do anything?" The Courier reached a fork in the road as he spoke, taking a left before stepping on something squishy in the water.

Six let out a disgusted grunt as Roman replied, "don't let her catch you saying that or it'll be your head."

"This has been great and all but I need to get back. Is there anything you want me to do when I'm back at Beacon?"

Roman tapped his cane with one hand—the action only barely noticeable due to the small screen—before replying, "yeah, pull up team RWBY's files when you get there. Everything on them; plus anything you can get on this 'Penny.' Cinder has a plan for her."

"It," Six corrected as he checked his Pip-Boy's map to make sure he was still going the right way. Penny was not a she; Penny was an it.

The conman rolled his eyes as he said, "I don't care about technicalities, just get back to Beacon and send me those files."

The line cut and Six was once more left in the dark of the sewer tunnels. Well, at least he had a task for when he got back. Other than getting clean…

Author's Note:

*Courier Six, surrounded by White Fang*

Six: "Anyway, I started blasting!"

Current Gear:

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

Burned Man's Armor

Elite Riot Gear (Modified: Mimic Edition)

Modified Stealth Suit Mk. II

Civilian Clothing

Beacon Uniform

Mysterious Magnum

Rebreather

Climbing Equipment

Maria

Survivalist Rifle

Modified Anti-Material Rifle.

YCS/186 Gauss Rifle variant.

C4 – Plastic explosives (3 - From 4 to 3)

Detonator.

Frag Grenades (3 – From 4 to 3)

Frag Mines (0)

Combat Knife.

Plasma Grenades (10)