Author's Notes:

I received a lot of positive reviews last chapter. I just wanted to say thank you for the kind support and I hope you continue enjoying the story going forward.

"Text/Messages"

"Speech"

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

Remnants of a Courier

Arc 4: Chaos Theory

Chapter 64: Cold Beginnings

Ruby yelped as she felt the top of her head hit the roof of the car. She wasn't even that tall but their current speed was enough to send her into the roof.

"Sorry Rubes," Yang apologized as she glanced back at her sister from the rearview mirror. "This road is pretty bumpy."

"And these seats aren't exactly comfortable," Weiss whined as she adjusted her combat skirt, trying to get it to stop riding up her legs from the jostling of their vehicle.

She wasn't completely wrong. The white SUV Beacon had provided the first-year team wasn't top of the line. It would get them to their destination and that was about it. Though it wouldn't be that bad if not for the open road they were driving on which had nothing for miles, so boring.

After being dropped off by the bullhead yesterday, her team had been provided the vehicle and set out on their journey. The first day was all mountains that eventually turned into forests. After they had camped for the day, they were now traveling through boring open plains. That was what most of Vale consisted of; mountains, grasslands, and forests. Ruby supposed there were probably colder and snowier places if you went far enough south. And if you went far enough West it would start turning into sandy deserts, but by then you'd be in Vacuo.

In truth, it wasn't the vast empty landscapes or long drive that was bothering Ruby.

"What's the matter Ice Queen, not used to the commoner treatment?" Yang joked as she adjusted the shades over her eyes.

A sigh escaped Weiss as she fired back, "I just said that the seats are uncomfortable. I hardly see how that implies I'm spoiled when it comes to traveling."

This caused Ruby's sister to smile wider as she turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" She asked before leaning in. "I don't think the truckload of bags you brought to Beacon during orientation was carried by something like this." Yang tapped the center console of the SUV to emphasize her point.

"Be that as it may, I assure you I've traveled in less dignified manners." Weiss didn't seem actually bothered by what Yang was saying. Instead, she seemed to be striking up conversation about anything on their drive.

And it had been a long drive so far. Even Ruby could only go over her weapons design and maintenance so many times before she ran out of things to do. Crescent Rose had received enough upkeep and oil to last for months.

She was thankful for the distraction though. Ruby didn't like the silence. Too much time spent in silence let her mind drift to things he didn't want to think about, usually her mom.

But turning to Blake–who was in the backseat with her–Ruby felt her mind drift towards other things. Stressful things about how to keep her team together and what exactly they would find in Rhyt when they arrived. There was a part of the Huntress that was nervous about this whole thing. Like it was going to go wrong somehow and she couldn't place her finger on it.

Ruby was sure Blake was feeling that stress too, probably more than any of them. This was a very personal matter to her. Well, Ruby knew it was important for Weiss too, but this defined Blake's entire identity.

What was happening with Atlas troops in Beacon, the White Fang, the Mimic, or House as they knew him. It went against a lot of their team's worldviews. Weiss trying to prove she wasn't like her family, Blake trying to show that Faunus and the White Fang could be good, and…

Shaking her head, the Huntress tried her best to not think of her mother and the sacrifices it took to be a Huntress. How much more complicated it was turning out to be.

She hoped that the people of Rhyt would be nice…

The first thing Ruby noted when they approached Rhyt a day later was that it was small. Judging from the size of the circular town, and only one dirt road leading to it, this town maybe had a hundred to two hundred people living in it.

Their drive had taken them back into the woodlands at some point and onto a tiny dirt road. That had been the last leg of their journey before entering a large clearing where the town resided.

Ruby would almost call it peaceful if not for the stares the people in town gave them as the large wooden doors swung open. Glancing around, she couldn't help but notice the almost distrustful look they were getting as Yang brought their car to a halt.

When they got out, the people around them recognized their outfits and several of them began cursing under their breath. One of the bolder men even shouted at them.

"We don't need your kind around here!"

Blake's bow twitched but she didn't respond. Ruby understood why she would feel that way given the harsh reception they were currently receiving.

But eventually, the townspeople did recede and go about their day. Deciding it was best to ignore the Beacon students altogether. That worked for Ruby who didn't particularly enjoy social interactions, let alone hostile ones.

"So… Where should we start?" Yang asked in an upbeat tone, trying to dispel the gloomy feeling amongst their group.

"We should start with interviews," Blake chimed in, seeming more serious about this than the rest of them. "Someone has to know something about what happened to that Huntsman and the Mimic."

The other three girls turned to each other, not completely sure it was going to be that easy given the cold reception they had just received.

"I don't know nothin' about no Huntsman, now get out of my face," the older man dismissed them with a wave of his cane and a glare. That was the fifth person they interviewed, and so far, that was the common response from all of them.

When the old man hobbled away, Yang hunched her back, brought her hands to her face, and shook for a few moments before exploding outward and throwing her hands in the air. "These people suck!"

This outburst turned a few heads from the people around them, getting a few scowls in response and some muttering. Ruby didn't think Yang was getting on their good side…

"Hey Yang, please don't make them hate us more," Ruby pleaded as she stepped to her sister's side.

A sigh escaped her older sister as she turned to face Ruby. "I know, I'm sorry Ruby," Yang apologized before turning to the rest of their team. "Got any ideas?"

The Faunus of their group seemed to be in deep thought as her partner shrugged. That wasn't very helpful but Ruby couldn't think of anything either…

"We could get some Dust from a store I saw nearby. We get some supplies and ask some questions?" Weiss offered with a sheepish smile on her face.

This time it was Blake who sighed. "Yeah, that sounds fine. I just don't understand why these people are behaving like this?"

As the group turned to walk to "Tom's Dust Shop", Ruby noted that the new title of the store had been scribbled over another title that had been scratched out. "Dusty's Remote Dust Relief!" Where had she seen that before?

"Maybe they're scared of the Mimic?" Yang offered, sounding unsure even as she spoke. This jostled Ruby from her thoughts as they approached the shop.

"It's possible, but judging by their attitudes, they may just be insipid jerks…" It was Weiss who insulted the town now, though she at least muttered it to the group instead of shouting.

Honestly, Ruby felt pretty small in the town. She just wasn't sure how to go about handling an investigation like this. She wasn't a social butterfly like her sister or super-ultra-invested like Weiss or Blake. Sure, she wanted to stop the Mimic but she felt really out of her depth.

She shook off the doubtful thoughts as they entered the shop. It was… Well, Ruby wanted to say it was unique and homey. But it was just small and wooden. Scratch marks adorned many of the displays and counters around the small square room. It was big enough to house their group and the owner but not much more.

The man himself–Tom–was an older individual. Somewhere in his midlife now and a very angry-looking man. The scowl on his face looked permanently glued there and the small scar running across his brow was similar to Weiss'.

"What can I get for ya?" The man replied in what Ruby assumed was a neutral tone. It was a gravelly voice that sounded like stones being ground down to dust.

"Burn Dust please!" Yang piped up as she strutted to the counter in front of the man and slapped her hands down on it. "And if ya answer a few questions, we could give you more Lien too!"

The man glanced at Yang, then at her teammates, then back at her. "How much Dust?"

"Just a few ounces," Ruby's sister replied with a smile still on her face.

"510 Lien," the man said as he moved to grab the desired amount of Dust, pulling out a couple vials to contain it.

"I…" Yang narrowed her eyes as she trailed off. Ruby understood why, 510 Lien was almost twice the amount it should be. Two vials of Dust could power a generator for several days and serve as several shots for Yang's weapon. 510 Lien would be worth anywhere from twenty to forty already made Dust rounds. What he offered was half that amount.

As the store owner set the vials on the counter and began pouring Burn Dust into them, Yang leaned forward and placed an elbow on the table.

"Awe, c'mon, that's awfully expensive. Isn't there any way we could lower that?" As the blonde flirted, she leaned her body forward and Ruby could only guess at what she was doing. Yang always did this to get her way and it was gross!

Crossing her arms, Ruby forced herself to look away and spotted Blake also staring. Her bow was twitching and her fists were clenched. But why?

The man behind the counter stared at her for a few moments with a raised brow before turning to the rest of the group and narrowing his eyes at Blake. He then turned back toward her sister before responding, "Nah, I don't think we can."

He snatched the Dust vials back as he continued, "First of all ya harlot, you're too young." And Ruby guffawed at the man's words, opening her eyes wide. She had never heard someone say that to Yang before. Judging by her sister's shocked expression, Yang hadn't either.

"Second," the man continued while putting the Dust away. "I know you outsiders are snooping around and I don't like it." Once the dust was stowed, he turned back towards them with a sneer. "No one does."

"And lastly," the man's face twisted to an almost Grimm-like rage as he turned to Blake. "The only thing I hate more than beasts with two legs, are cowards."

His words caused Blake's entire body to tense and Yang began bringing her arm back for a punch, ready for a fight. Seeing this, Ruby darted over to Yang, a shower of red petals following in her wake as she used her Semblance. She couldn't let Yang start another brawl, not yet!

"Don't Yang!" Ruby shouted as she just barely held onto Yang's bicep and held her back. "We can't hurt people for insults and we need to get info from them!"

"Just one punch!" Yang shouted back as her eyes flared red.

"Yang please!" Ruby shouted as she tried to restrain her sister.

It was Weiss' voice that finally got Yang to stop as she said, "Yang… You might want to turn around before you do that."

Ruby first saw the color drain from Tom's face as he glanced behind them. And when she turned, she saw a serious-looking woman in brown leather armor and a rifle. It looked like a standard ARFX17 assault rifle. Pretty modern assault rifles that most Atlas infantry adopted. Its white and blocky design giving away its Atlas origins.

"I suggest you follow your friend's advice and not start any trouble," the woman warned as Yang turned towards her.

In her anger, Ruby's sister spat back, "And who are you?"

"Captain Lirah, Chief of the Rhyt Militia," the Captain answered with narrowed eyes. "And unless you want me to throw you in a cell, you'll calm down this instant."

Taking a second look, Ruby noticed that the lady was fairly pretty. She was in her twenties with short black hair and fair skin, no scars but she had a look that could kill so she was scary enough in Ruby's book.

Reluctantly, Yang finally lowered her arm, and Ruby along with it.

Seeing her compliance, Lirah turned to Tom and warned, "If I see you saying anything like that again, you'll be packing up and leaving, understood?"

The store owner cursed under his breath before muttering back, "Understood ma'am."

"Good," Lirah said as she turned to team RWBY. "Now, you four, follow me, we're going to talk."

And not giving them time to argue, the Captain left the building. There was one short glance between all of them before Yang huffed and followed after the woman.

All four Huntresses-in-training caught up to the Captain who was proceeding at a leisurely pace.

"Thank you for the assistance with the store owner," Weiss thanked the intimidating local as they walked beside her. "If you don't mind, could we ask some questions?"

"I do mind," the Captain briskly replied as she continued stomping forward. "I'll only tell you three things and then you're on your own."

The local stopped and turned towards them sharply as she began, "First, we have no idea what you're talking about so stop asking. Second, even if we did, we're not a fan of outsiders so stop asking. And Last…"

She turned towards Yang with a deep scowl as she finished, "If you threaten any of my people again, we will have a problem."

Ruby opened her mouth to try and get a word in but was once again cut off by Lirah. "Now, if you don't mind, you can head over to the Last Stop Inn if you need food or a place to sleep. I need to get back to work."

"Wait!" Weiss finally got in. "You can't just ignore us. This is an official investigation from Beacon, you're stopping us from doing our duty!"

The Captain scoffed at them, actually scoffed at Huntresses!

Turning to them, Lirah replied with a tired expression, "You'll find that out here, Huntresses don't get the hero worship." She waved a hand at them. "Now get lost, I'm busy."

Yang's eyes flared red and Ruby was forced to jump in front of her impulsive sister again.

"No Yang! I understand she's a jerk but you can't!" Ruby whisper-yelled into her sister's ear.

The anger faded from her sister as her eyes returned to their normal lilac shade. "I wasn't…" Yang trailed off before taking a few moments to breathe. "I wasn't going to attack her. She doesn't have Aura. If I attacked her, I'd kill her."

The Captain was now long gone as the group sat there. It was at times like these that Ruby remembered being a Huntress was way more complicated than she thought.

"Let's just… Get some sleep. We've been traveling for the past few days and maybe a break could help us strategize how to approach this." Weiss' words made sense and Ruby smiled at her partner before nodding her head. It was already getting towards evening so that sounded good to her.

"That sounds like a plan. Alright team, to the inn!" Ruby shouted as she threw a hand into the air. It was always fun to be dramatic!

Though being dramatic sometimes had its drawbacks. Take for instance, the old man glaring at them from behind the counter. The same one that had told them to get lost earlier that day. Who knew the wrinkly, cane-wielding, grey-haired, scowling old man was the inn owner? Why would someone like that even want to own an inn? How much profit could he really make in the middle of nowhere!

The inn was located on the north side of town and was a two-story building made of stone and wood. The inside was a modest wooden interior fit with a fireplace and a small dining area. The stairs led up to several two-bedroom rooms that team RWBY had taken two of.

Paying the exorbitant fees didn't exactly lift her team's spirits either as they took the food provided by the inn back to their rooms for the night. This whole mission could be going better…

Sighing, Ruby collapsed onto the bed in their room. Across from her sat Weiss on her own. While the rooms weren't much to look at–being two beds, a bathroom, and a closet–at least the beds themselves were rather comfortable.

The leader of team RWBY glanced out her window and towards the setting sun. They could do this, she just needed to keep her team together.

"I wonder why House stayed here," Weiss commented as she leaned back onto her bed. "I mean, there's nothing of value here for him to accomplish."

Still staring at the setting sun over the horizon of trees, Ruby thought for a few moments. Why was the Mimic here? A small smirk played on her lips as Ruby had a thought that made her happy.

"Maybe because he liked it here?" The leader of team RWBY commented as she turned her silver eyes to her teammate.

Said teammate raised her head and brow with a question, "What would he possibly have to like about Rhyt? The fact nothing is here or the fact everyone is a jerk?"

Still smiling, Ruby replied, "Maybe it was simple here. No White Fang, no scary criminals, no Roman Torchwick." Ruby realized that maybe she wanted that too.

Her partner stared at her for a few moments before leaning her head back. "Whatever it is, we'll find it."

Turning her attention back towards the setting sun, Ruby agreed with Weiss. There was no way she would let her team fail tomorrow.

Author's Notes:

The investigation is officially on. Welcome back to Rhyt and I hope it sucks just as much as you may or may not remember.