Author's Note:

Thank you for your patience. I know it's been around 5 months, about the end of the hiatus I described. This is literally the last day of five months since the last update. However, I'm still not quite ready to get fully back into this series. I want to be several chapters ahead when I pick it up again so I can keep with my weekly schedule. In that regard, I'm not going to upload for another month. By then I should be fully ready to dive back into this story.

Expect the next chapter upload on March 9th, thank you for your patience.

Lastly, enjoy the chapter!

"Text"

"Speech"

Disclaimer: I do not own Fallout, RWBY, Blues Saraceno - "Carry Me Back" or any associated characters.

Remnants of a Courier

Arc 4: Chaos Theory - Prelude

Chapter 33: A Peaceful Day

There wasn't much around to look at aside from the thick forest that surrounded the dirt road but that was alright. It gave Six time to think as he drove. The soft thrums of the engine combined with the bumps of the path made for a relaxing drive.

After his talk with team RWBY two days ago, the Courier set about getting everything ready. There was a small itinerary of things for Carmine to do, the apartment was ready, and he procured his vehicle.

The black and purple Humvee was signature of the Voidwalkers. It was more angular than what he was used to back home. Cars in the Wasteland were round and robust where Remnant's vehicles were of a more angular and sleek design. Of course, the vehicle being made for a PMC may have affected its appearance.

Its interior was a dark purple often bordering on black with some kind of slick plastic used for the seating. It wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world but it was safe for travel through this part of the country.

Its design came with several security measures. Its tires were military-grade as was the hull itself; the Humvee could take a beating and keep going. It had a radar system that was accompanied by several automated defense features. Its greatest defense was by far the large-caliber automated turret that was currently hidden.

The turret itself could fire any kind of Dust round given the right size and could be compacted away into the vehicle's exterior to make it disappear. This was his main defense just in case things went south. After all, he couldn't run away with Carmine and Richter in the car.

Six idly hummed the tune of the song playing from the radio. The gentle sounds of a woman humming and a guitar being slowly plucked accompanied his own voice.

Music in this world had too much bass and was set at the pace of a madman. Electro beats that, dubstep this, it didn't make any sense to him. Simple melodies like this were what he preferred.

It was why he hooked up his Pip-Boy to the car; to listen to some actual music from his world. "Relax, my dear, we'll see each other soon," Six sang in time with the song as he gazed out the window. The greenery rushed past him in a blur and he had to remind himself he was in a forest.

It was amazing what the human mind could get used to. Take him back eight or so months and he wouldn't have ever believed this many trees existed anywhere. Now, he barely felt anything for it. It was a nice sight but there was always something else to do. Never enough time to smell the roses.

"We'll meet up in the heavens, I wait alone for you…" The Courier continued to sing along as his gaze turned back to the road.

It had been a while since he had seen Carmine, he wondered how much she'd grown. A little? A lot? It would be good to get a short break even if he was working during it.

Six was a bit worried about A Light Shining in Darkness. He really, really hoped that Carmine was taking care of it. The gift had been more of a last-minute thing to make the girl happy but he had been missing the .45 auto pistol for the past few months.

The last few months… It had been wild so far. Ozpin was probably on high alert because of it. Likely any passwords Six had acquired would be changed to keep security tight, maybe new encryptions and security measures if the Headmaster was paranoid. It didn't matter. Now that he knew their security measures and had spyware inside, he could crack it remotely given a short amount of time.

A larger rock jostled the car and Six, momentarily making him focus on the road. He'd have to keep an eye out for it on the way back. A rock was better than a Grimm at least.

Speaking of, he wouldn't be able to visit the town very long. The Courier didn't want to chance Grimm being attracted to him at the town. It would put him, the town, and the Spring family in danger.

Instead, he'd stop by, see the house, and take off with both Spring members in tow. Once they were back at the capital, he could stop worrying about a Grimm attack.

Grimm… A more invasive problem than he had initially thought. Their abilities ranged from that of animals to sensing emotion itself. The idea seemed ludicrous but Six was in a ludicrous world. Still, he believed that if he could get rid of Cinder and Salem, this Grimm threat could be disposed of within a decade; at least in Vale.

There was more to it than that of course; with humans being the biggest problem in his way. It was always people that made things harder than it needed to be. Cinder, Salem, Ozpin; all of these people were in his way. There were others of course but those were the main problems.

He could worry about that problem later as Six could see Rhyt in the distance. Another ten or so minutes and he'd be there.

The gates groaned as they shut close behind him. It felt strange to be back in Rhyt. Like Deja-vu due to visiting a place seen in a dream.

The Humvee was parked outside. The guards didn't approve of the armed transport rolling into their town. It was fine, Six wouldn't be there for long.

A few of the residents gave him sidelong glances. Most people around here still seemed to remember him. And with his public debut on the news as the Mimic, Joshua doubted he was welcome either.

That was why he chose to arrive in more casual clothing. Showing up as the armed "Mimic" would've been bad. Bandages and a hoodie were the way to go here. Still a bit of an odd sight but nothing the people here would report.

The buildings around him look a bit ramshackle but for the most part the buildings that had been destroyed during the multiple Grimm attacks appeared to be repaired. What was a stark difference was the atmosphere. He didn't know if it was because of the Grimm, himself, or if everyone was just having a bad day but the entire town seemed to be wary of not only him everything outside the walls in general. He'd have to ask about that later.

It took a few more minutes to get to the Spring home and the entire way he kept getting suspicious glances. Maybe he'd need to skedaddle faster than he thought.

Only one figure bothered to wave at him; a blonde guard that looked familiar. Six took a moment to stop and give a wave back both to thank the guard and to get a better look at him. Upon closer inspection, it was the low-ranking guard that had been semi-friendly to him during his time in Rhyt, Larry. The man even managed to guard Carmine during that one Grimm attack. Something looked off though…

A closer inspection of his attire revealed the difference. A once clean and green uniform was now dirty, slightly torn, and most definitely worn. On top of that, several of the leather and green accents had been traded out for metal and brown colors. It was heavier armor than before.

It was a bit curious because the armor of the guards was practically medieval. They wore leather and metal armor instead of the fiber vests. Probably the best they could get out here on short notice. Why bother with upgrading something that wouldn't save you from Grimm?

The guard stepped towards him before saying, "hey Joshua, sorry the welcoming committee isn't exactly top-notch."

Six needed to curb this right now. "Larry, listen, I won't be in town long and as you can see associating with me is a bad idea. I'm going to ask a couple questions and then we're going to part ways so no one gives you grief, alright?"

His words seemed to get through as Larry responded with a frown before asking, "so, what did you need?"

"Just two things," Six began as he crossed his arms. "What's with the armor and what's with everyone's attitudes? Everyone seems scared shitless."

"Right, you wouldn't know. We have a supply shortage out here and we've been having problems with some bandits in the area. On top of that, White Fang have been spotted roaming near the town." The frown on the guard's face deepened as he continued, "that's why we got better armor and why everyone is wary."

"Sorry to bother you Larry." The Courier dug into his hoodie's pocket before materializing some Lien out of sight. As he handed the currency over to Larry, Six whispered, "thanks for the info, try not to get into trouble."

Before the kid could respond, Joshua turned his back and walked away, deciding it was best to distance himself from the guard. It was time to head to the Spring homestead.

A few minutes of walking later and Six got to see Carmine's home in all its mediocre glory. The house looked the same as it had before. A small humble thing that had a welcoming aura to it. If a house could have such a thing.

Six knocked on the door and waited. It didn't take long before the soft pitter-patter of footsteps ran up to the door before it was swung open. On the other side was the red-haired girl that had first greeted him to this strange world.

"Hey, Joshua! It's been so long!" Carmine greeted as she opened the door wider.

Six took a few steps inside while responding, "about a half-a-year by my count."

The child closed the door behind him before turning to the Courier and lunging towards him. The girl's arms wrapped around him and her face nuzzled into his side.

Six reciprocated the action and wrapped a single arm around the girl. "Good to see you too." Six's tone was soft as he enjoyed the moment. It was good to have this after six months of stress.

Once the two stepped back, the girl's questions flew at Six. "How's Beacon been? How have you been? Did you meet any cool Huntresses? Where are we visiting in Vale?" It continued on like this with the Courier listening the whole way through.

The red-haired girl was eventually cut off as Richter stepped up behind her while saying, "now don't get too ahead of yourself. We still need to get our stuff in the car."

"Right," the red-head replied before dashing further into the house. That one was full of energy.

There was an awkward moment of silence between the two men as they waited for Carmine to return. Six figured Richter knew a fair amount about what was going on. A person would have to live in a cave to not know.

The Courier was forced to break the silence. "So, I got the gift prepared. He's fed and waiting for us to get back."

"Right, I know Carmine will like it. She's always liked cute things," the older man said as his shoulders slumped. It appeared his words jostled Carmine's father out of his distrustful state.

The sound of footsteps approaching cut off whatever else Richter was inclined to say as Carmine came back into view pulling two large suitcases behind her. The girl kept her arms out to the side as she walked to keep the two bags from colliding.

"Now get your winter stuff on and we can go." Richter's words caused the girl to kick into high gear again as she dashed over to a small closet to Six's right before digging around.

It did feel a tad chillier out. It was close to the end of the year by Remnant's standards which meant winter was in full swing. Still, most people could get away with heavier jackets and coats. Other than the temperature, no snow or ice had formed yet.

Speaking of clothing, Carmine donned a leaf green winter jacket. She pulled up the hood before grabbing one of the suitcases and saying, "are we ready to go now?"

The first couple of hours on their trip had been a little taxing. Both Richter and Carmine—mostly Carmine—asked a thousand and one questions. Six only getting in a question for every ten they asked.

"Is Beacon cool?"

"Yes."

"What about it is cool?

"The technology and architecture."

"Have you met any huntresses?"

"Yes."

"What were they like?"

These were just a few of the many questions she asked and the responses he gave. He gave her a basic rundown of Beacon and left out any of his more clandestine activities.

While she seemed fairly intrigued by most of Six's answers, it was when he talked about the instructor of the huntresses and hunters in training that truly piqued the girl's interest.

"You met a real huntress!" Carmine shuffled in the backseat as she spoke either not noticing the plastic-like interior or not caring. "What was she like?"

What was Glynda Goodwitch like? Well…

"Professional, straight to the point, and strict," Six replied before glancing in his rear-view mirror. A pout formed on the girl's face which caused him to smile.

"There's more to it than that," the red-haired girl complained while staring back at him.

The Courier's voice took on a playful tone as he glanced at Richter who was also sporting a knowing grin. "Well, let me think…"

"She's brave, capable, and smart," Six continued as his eyes focused on the road once more. The first few snowflakes of a coming blanket of snow were falling. He hadn't seen snow in a very long time, since Montana maybe?

"Her Semblance is telekinesis, or the ability to pick up and move objects with her mind." While his explanation of Glynda's abilities intrigued Carmine, it also appeared to irritate her as the pout remained on her face.

"I know what telekinesis is," she replied in an indignant tone. Time to appease the child.

The Courier shrugged before saying, "I guess I just forgot how smart you are."

"Darn right," Richter commented from the passenger's seat causing Six to roll his eyes. Like father like daughter he supposed.

"But that's super cool! What has she lifted before?"

Carmine's question sparked a memory in Six as recalled, "there was this one time where a student named Ruby was being attacked by a criminal in a VTOL. The criminal had a Semblance where she could launch heat at the student." He wasn't sure if Cinder used her Semblance or her stolen Maiden powers, it didn't matter.

"Miss Goodwitch created a barrier and used the fragments of the broken building they were fighting on to form a giant spiraling spear that she hurled at the VTOL." There was more to the story but Six figured she didn't need every last detail.

"What's a VTOL?" Carmine's question caused a smirk to form under Six's bandages. So she knew telekinesis but not VTOL. Was it because it was an acronym? It didn't matter to him.

"A VTOL is a Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft. The small airships that can hover in the air," Six answered while turning his eyes back to the road. "You can look up an image on your Scroll of one if you like." Technically Cinder was in a Bullhead which was a type of VTOL but again, Carmine probably didn't care for the details.

The girl went quiet and Six assumed she was doing just that. It meant a silence settled in that gave him some time to relax. A nice and uncommon privilege when around kids.

That privilege was interrupted by Richter who asked, "and where did you get the Lien to purchase this?" There was just a hint of accusation in his tone but Six would let it slide. He understood why the older man was worried.

"My new job pays well, Beacon being the prestigious academy it is. That and I budget really well." The Courier's response was a lie by omission. Sure, Beacon did pay well, but he had several other sources. His pay from Roman, skimming bank accounts, Lien-laundering; that's what really enabled him to fund the Voidwalkers and his personal projects.

"My turn." It was time to ask an important question of his own. "How's the gun I gave you? I trust you've been taking care of it and practicing?'

"I don't practice as much anymore since you left but I have been cleaning it like you showed me!" The girl sounded a bit distracted as she answered; she was probably still looking up pictures of VTOLs.

At least A Light Shining in Darkness was okay. Sure, he had his own .45 auto pistol, but Graham's gun was something else.

"That's good, thank you for taking care of it. It was a gift from a friend." Six's response earned him a glance from Richter but otherwise the older gentlemen didn't say anything.

"Hey Carmine, if you want, I can take you on a tour of Beacon while you're visiting." His offer caused a small gasp to escape from the back of the Hummer.

"Really, you promise?" The glee in Carmine's voice made the inconvenience it was going to be worth it.

"Promise," Six replied, a smirk still plastered across his face.

By the time they got to the city, the sun was setting. It had taken half a day of straight driving to get to Rhyt and another to get back. Oh well, driving all day was nothing compared to getting shot at in the Mojave.

Six had the route memorized by heart back to the apartment and it would only take a few more minutes to get back. Gazing into the rear-view mirror revealed that Carmine was still awake if only barely.

"Wow, there's so ma-many people," Carmine muttered before letting out a small yawn. "And the buildings are so tall…"

The Courier smiled under his bandages but didn't say anything. She was going to be in for another surprise very soon.

Six pulled the vehicle into a rather large parking garage before taking a spot on the first level towards the front, right in the light and in sight of a camera. Top rate security for his oversized vehicle courtesy of having Lien to spare.

Their boots crunched against the thin layer of snow that had settled while they were in the Humvee. Luckily the trip was short and before they knew it they were coming up to and entering the complex before heading for the stairs.

The building itself was six stories tall and grey. Honestly, it was completely indistinct from any other apartment complex save for one thing. All of the windows along the outside were tinted which made it hard to peer inside.

They traveled to the fourth floor before stopping at a grey door. Six waved his keycard in front of it and the group was allowed entry.

The inside wasn't too much to speak of though it did have some comforts. The entrance area was more of a large living room the branched to the left. A rather large TV and comfortable looking sofa sat as a pair. The brown rug matched the sofa and only stopped once it got to the right half of the room.

This is when the carpet turned to tile as it led to the kitchen. All of the modern necessities were there. A microwave, toaster, fridge, counter, sink, washer, any essential appliances. The counter served as a sort of pseudo-dining room table when needed as well.

At the other side of the room from the entrance was a hall that led to three bedrooms in a sort of crossroad formation. On the left would be Carmine's room, on the right would be Richter's, and straight ahead was his.

The inside of the rooms were furnished with a few luxuries. A comfy looking bed for each of them, a nightstand, a TV, and a closet of course. It would be up to them to fill their respective rooms.

But more importantly than all those luxuries, the apartment was clean; except for two things.

Inside the living room sat two figures. The first was a suited woman with black hair, brown eyes, and a shit-eating grin. Beside her sat a puppy.

The latter was a light-brown and black German Shepherd pup. He was almost identical to Rex, Six couldn't help himself when he saw the puppy and knew it was the one.

The former was an all to familiar figure though she had altered her appearance. Neo sat on his couch petting the dog he got for Carmine. Six quickly suppressed a fit of boiling anger as to not lash out in front of Carmine and Richter.

How dare this woman come into his home and "take care of" the pet he got for the young girl right when he brought friends into his home.

"Becky, thank you for watching the pup while I was away, here's the Lien for the job." Six's tone was sickly sweet as he spoke. All the while, he was tapping his Pip-Boy and wiring a small sum to Roman. He was attaching a memo to it as well.

"Try this shit again and all they'll find of you will be teeth."

"But as I've got guests, I'd appreciate it if you'd leave." As Six spoke, he glanced towards Richter who had a concerned look on his face. Carmine… Wait, where did she…

The Courier took a glance around to note that the girl had somehow disappeared from his side and was currently petting and playing with the pup.

Neo stood up and gave a soft smile to Carmine before it turned into a knowing smirk when she glanced towards the Courier. In turn, Joshua gave her the best "I'll murder you" glare he could give.

Like the playful psychopath she was, Neo simply giggled before walking out the door. Six did get a dog-sitter for the pup and even greeted her and let her into the apartment before he left that morning. That woman had been a Faunus. Neo was not the one who he hired. So, the real question, what happened to the original dog-sitter? He made sure to lock the door when Neo left.

"You're so cute, yes you are," Carmine excitedly muttered to the puppy as she scratched behind his ears. "When did you get such a cute puppy?"

"A couple of days ago, also, it's your puppy." When Six answered her, Carmine paused her petting to glance towards both him and Richter. Likely looking for confirmation that Six wasn't lying to her.

When her father nodded his head, Carmine let out an actual squeaking noise before going back to playing with the puppy as she said, "thank you Joshua! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Alright, that's enough, besides, I'm exhausted," Six responded as he moved towards the hallway. "I've spent literally all day driving. Feel free to make yourselves comfortable. Richter, your room is on the right and Carmine's is on the left."

The Courier took a few more steps into the hall before continuing, "and try to get some sleep, I've got stuff for us to do tomorrow. Night."

A soft "goodnight" came from Richter and Carmine seemed a little too busy to even notice him leaving.

"Oh yeah, the network name is "CaesarIsAWuss" with the password being "Leg teL n!usT00." The Courier chuckled at his own joke Wi-Fi as he closed the door to his room.

Six let out a clicking noise as his thoughts drifted to Neo. It was likely that Roman sent her to remind him that they still had control over what he did even on his break. He could go fuck himself.

Now left alone, there was just one thing left to do before getting some sleep. The Courier locked the door before taking off his hoodie and bandages. It wasn't needed for now. He then moved over to the window, closing the blinds before collapsing onto his bed.

Checking his Pip-Boy, Six noticed a report from his new Overseer for the Voidwalkers. It looked like everything was going smoothly from the report. Everyone was performing well and Jeremy—the former failure of Beacon's nightguard—was serving his puppet role well.

This was his newest project Six set up. An Overseer to monitor his operations for the Voidwalkers in secret so he was free to focus on other projects. All he had to do was keep an eye on one man in turn.

The Overseer was one Donner Alfin: a former Atlesian Military Officer. The man was dishonorably discharged on accounts of paranoia, cruelty, and for just generally being an asshole. A man who was known for being meticulous in his work. A perfect person to sniff out and punish dissenters in the ranks.

The best part of this was that it kept Six completely anonymous still.

With everything seemingly in order, Six took one last glimpse at the report before deciding to get some rest.

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in the story, I'm just not ready to continue it quite yet. I hope you've enjoyed this teaser though!

This is still technically part of "Arc 4" but is more of a prelude to it. The next few chapters will be the same before we truly get into Chapter 4.

Brownie points for anyone who can figure out what song is being played in the beginning!