(Special thanks to Mecharic for beta reading)

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The police arrived not long after the fighting stopped. Leave it to these guys to show up after the fact. We'd been fighting for over half an hour and were by no means quiet about it. There's absolutely no good reason why none of them bothered to show up. Once the fighting was past though, they descended like flies to Brahmin shit. They were followed by reporters and media hounds. Clearly chomping at the bit to be the first to throw more shit at the White Fang. Something I was wholly okay with, considering recent events.

It took Yang and me a few minutes to hobble back to our friends. Yang didn't seem any worse for wear, but I was probably a bullet away from having to pay the mortician. We found them sitting on some crates near the entrance of the docks. One of the police seemed to reading them the riot act. Everyone was there, even Penny. I guess she'd decided to climb down at some point.

"- What you did was ridiculously dangerous and stupid." The cop finished as we got close. "You should've let us know about this instead of doing what you did."

"We did what we did because you suck at your job." I growled

My teammate noticed me and Yang approaching at that. They went wide eyed for some reason. The cop turned around and took note of my not so subtle jab. Before he could say anything though, he went slack jawed. He slid the sunglasses off of his face and not-so-subtly looked me over.

"Oh crap." He mumbled, turning to another cop "Hey, get one of the medics over here!"

"I'm fine." I growled.

I pushed past the cop and sat myself on a crate between Ruby and Weiss. Snowflake recoiled visibly and looked like she was about to spring away. Like I was some beat up piece of trash someone had just hocked at her. She, and I'm assuming everyone else, eyed me cautiously as I began toying with the wound in my left arm. I wasn't going to patch it up first, especially since it required removing the scrap metal I called armor. But I needed to make sure my range of motion wasn't impeded with it before I moved on to something more important. A little blood welled from it, and it hurt, but I'd last.

A man dressed in a dark uniform with rubber gloves and a pack rushed over to us. He came to a stop next to the cop.

"Where's the…" His eyes swept over our group and singled me out. They went wide and his jaw dropped "Holy crap."

"Just a few flesh wounds" I ground out. "Nothing worth getting yourself tangled in knots over."

With my arm stable for the moment, I pulled my pant leg up and got a good look at the bullet wound in my calf. The tourniquet had done its job, my hairy leg had stopped bleeding. But that didn't change the fact there was a hole blown in it, caked with barely clotted blood and grime. I flaked and smudged some of it off as I tried to get a better look.

"Please stop." Weiss gagged

"Lighten up, snowflake" I grunted "If I don't tend to it things will only get worse."

"Then you'd be better off letting us help." The medic spoke up "It needs to be cleaned, and is probably going to need stitches."

"I'm perfectly capable of tending myself. Just need the proper supplies…"

I looked around at my teammates and gathered company. They were all staring in some wide eyed combination of fascination and horror. No clue how much experience any of them had with seeing a wounded man patch himself, but it probably wasn't much.

"Anybody got any alcohol?" I asked

The cop and medic shared a look, then the medic opened his pack and pulled out some small, sealed, envelopes.

"I need alcohol, not paper."

"They are." The medic answered, confused "They're sterilized swabs… meant for cleaning wounds."

"Oh… not what I meant, but that'll work too I guess."

I took the envelopes and ripped them open. I took the swabs and ran them over my wound, cleaning them as thoroughly as I could. The alcohol stung and burned, but it was wiping the gore away easy enough. I got it clean enough that I could see the wound and prepped myself for the next step.

"Gonna need some bandages and gauze now."

The medic supplied them and I readied for the next part.

"If you're squeamish, look away, I'm about to remove the tourniquet." I said to no one in particular.

"The what-"

With a yank, I unlatched the belt keeping the blood out of my leg. I immediately felt warm blood rush back into my leg. Then out the hole and onto the ground. It was gushing fast too, guess the tourniquet wasn't such a bad idea.

Weiss went paler than usual and squirmed away from me.

'warned you.'

I wadded some of the gauze and pushed it into the wound, then applied some to the exterior and bound it tight with the bandage. Not an award winning patch job but it'd hold until morning.

'alright, one down.'

"Are you crazy?" The medic asked in disbelief "You could've lost your leg if you'd done that wrong!"

"Where I'm from, dying from blood loss sounds much worse than having to chop my leg off."

My teammates, the cop, and the medic were all looking at me like I was psychotic.

"… well… not by much."

"… Ok, you need serious medical attention." The medic said, moving for his scroll. "I have no clue how you're still conscious. But if the rest of your wounds are that serious it's a miracle you haven't slipped into shock already."

"I'll be fine." I growled "I'm used to patching myself up. Just need a goodnight's sleep and some time in the sun"

Now the medic was looking at me like I was stupid. "Kid, I'm not a doctor, but with that leg alone you'd need several weeks of bed rest and therapy before even being cleared from the hospital. That's including your aura."

"Oh, good, I'm not a doctor either. Still know what it takes to keep me kicking though."

"Six-" Ruby started "… what?"

I looked at the girl in the red cape. "What, never had to practice first aid before?"

Ruby looked me up and down again. She had this look on her face like she was slowly realizing something.

"C-Cap'n!" A voice shouted

I looked off and noticed another detective was running towards us. He looked to be coming from the warehouse.

'oh boy.'

"What is it Heyman?" The cop standing over us grunted

"Y-you gotta come take a look at this." The detective puffed, trying to catch his breath

"Any chance it can wait? I haven't finished grilling these youngsters about breaking and entering yet."

"No cap'n it's… You gotta see this."

"… alright, what is it?"

"It's… a Bloody Mess."

The detective headed back the way he'd came and the cop who'd been with us turned back.

"To summarize: No wooden nickels, eight glasses of water, and hugs not drugs."

The cop gave a small nod and headed off towards the warehouse. The medic, probably sensing something big had happened looked back and forth between us and the warehouse. He dispensed some more supplies and pointed at me before hurrying off after the police.

"… What do you think that was about?" Sun asked

"Probably mass suicide or some shit." I grunted "All the religious whack jobs are into it."

I felt a collective glare fall on me.

"…Shit, too soon?"

Blake glared at me a moment longer. With a sigh, she shifted her focus to the ground.

'yea, too soon.'

I focused on trying to patch myself up. My leg was no longer of immediate concern, so it was time to start piecing the rest of me together. I took off my duster and began to examine the rest of the damage done. Unfortunately, without removing more of my armor, I wasn't going to get a good idea or actually be able to treat any of it. My hands fumbled to try and make space. Looking at the wound through the holes in my armor was less than ideal.

"Are… are you ok Six?" Yang asked, looking me over worriedly

"I'm poked full of holes and leaking more blood than a fresh cut T-bone." I growled "What do you think."

"Hey, no need to bite my head off." She growled back

"Sorry… it just… hurts."

"You could just take it off, that'd probably help."

"… screw it."

I reached down to the sides of my riot gear and began undoing the clasps. There wasn't much holding it together, by the time I'd released the second the vest fell away on its own. After that, I just peeled of the sweat and blood stained undershirt that separated the vest and duster from my actual undershirt.

Peeling that off was much more painful. My teammates moved to stop me when it became apparent it hurt.

"Hang on" Ruby started "if it hurts you should wai-"

I tossed the upper portions of my armor off to the side. Taking a moment to let the pain of ripping the scabs off subside. My present company stared at me.

"Whoa." Yang said breathlessly.

They were all still staring at me. I don't know if I was much to look at really. Years of living in the Mojave had done a number on my body before whatever happened on the trip here. I'd racked up a pretty noticeable amount of scar tissue: Cuts, bullet wounds, burns, the occasional plasma burn, broken bones. General damage one could expect from the wasteland. When I got here though, something had changed. I hadn't noticed until I'd gotten an opportunity to clean myself, but a fair bit of the scarring had disappeared. Not all of it, there were still some noticeable ones, but it was nowhere near what it once was.

My physique had stayed roughly the same too. I'd never had too much fat on me to begin with. If you somehow manage to grow fat in the Mojave, people would probably start carving you up for bacon bits. But during the trip, the small amount of fat I'd had somehow evaporated. My body had lost some muscle mass too, but what was left was lean, hard, and meant to keep me alive. I certainly didn't feel any weaker than I once was. But if you compared me between then and now, you'd probably think otherwise. I wasn't a physical paradigm, but I looked like I could hold my own. My arms looked hard and stringy, my shoulders were wide, and you could see my abs if you looked at the right angle. All that, wrapped under a fairly pale but rosy complexion

Of course, that was assuming you could push past the scars. Or the bruising from getting shot a couple times.

I left my helmet in place. My head had stayed intact, so no rush there.

I continued my patch work by turning back to my left arm. The sooner I got that patched, the sooner I could focus on my shoulder, ribs, or one of the other dozen injuries I had tacked on.

"… What is that?" Yang asked

"What's what?" I responded, focusing on my arm.

"That, on your chest."

She pointed at my chest and I looked down. It was hard for me to look past the bruising.

"They're bruises Yang, don't get your panties in a-"

Yang flicked me in the helmet. "Not that, that."

Her finger lowered until it was pointing at my bared chest. Specifically, the center of my bared chest. It took a moment to register she was pointing at one of my more… noticeable scars. It was a long, straight, hairline scar that started from my diaphragm and ran the height of my chest. What was noticeable about it though was it didn't stop at my neck. It circled around my neck and ran down a substantial portion of my spine. As well as running in the opposite direction at the back of my skull.

Leave it to the Think Tank to create the most roundabout way to rip out your innards. Screw singular, individual incisions. Instead, make a fucking road map on their skin. That's not noticeable at all.

"It's a scar." I grunted, returning focus to my arm.

"I noticed, but… why is it so big?"

"… There's a joke there, but I'm going to refrain."

Yang glared at me.

"What? You telling me you would've made one?"

"Will you just answer the question?" Weiss asked, clearly steeling herself.

"Fine" I grunted, trying to focus "I had some invasive surgery a while back, it left a mark. Big deal."

"But why is it so… noticeable?" Yang reiterated

"It was very invasive."

"Ok, but what about the rest of them?" Weiss motioned to the rest of my scars. "I'm fairly certain most of those aren't from surgery."

"Yeah well, as we can clearly see, my aura doesn't always keep me safe."

"I don't know, man" Sun started "Even if you have a weak aura, most of those scars shouldn't be as visible."

"You stay out of this." I grunted

Sun held up his hands innocently.

"… unless… you don't have one." Ruby said cautiously

A silence seemed to fall over the group.

'uh oh.'

"Don't have a what?" I asked, trying to focus on my mending.

"An aura." Ruby continued "Penny did say something about you not having one…"

'How did she even know that?'

"Yeah, well, so what?" I continued struggling to focus. "It's not like it would make a difference anyway."

"… yeah it would." Yang frowned "It would make it easier for you to heal."

"…Huh?"

My teammates stared at me wide eyed. I looked back at them in confusion. It took me a moment to register my slip up.

"I- I mean: sure, of course it would, why wouldn't it. IT's so damn useful why wouldn't it-"

"Shut up." Weiss said shortly "Just shut up, we know you're lying now."

"Ah… well don't I look like an idiot."

My teammates and Sun all looked at one another. Obviously aware I was lying and putting the pieces together as to why. It didn't take long.

"You don't have one, do you?" Ruby asked, a look of disbelief on her face.

I felt my jaw tighten for a moment. I'd officially stepped down a road I'd been trying to avoid for weeks now. Turning back was no longer an option.

"… No, I don't" I sighed angrily

My teammates went bug eyed and Yang's jaw dropped. Sun stared at me in confusion.

"Dude, what?" Sun asked "What do you mean-"

"I mean I don't fucking have one." I growled, thoroughly annoyed. "I don't have one, don't know what it is, don't know why it's so damn important, and really don't have it in me to keep pretending I do right now. So unless you've got something important to say, let me tend to my wounds."

Sun leaned back a bit, looking like I nearly bit his head off. I took a breath.

"Sorry. Again, in a bit of pain right now."

I finally finished on my one arm and focused on my other shoulder. I couldn't do anything about the bruising on my torso or my aching ribs, they'd have to ache until the sun came up. I got to work cleaning the spot where one of the White Fang had grazed me.

"… You survived tonight without an aura?" Blake asked

"Yep."

"… You survived getting punched through a wall without an aura?" Ruby asked

"Mhmm."

"… You survived initiation without an aura?" Yang asked with slight incredulity

"Obviously, hand me a bit of gauze Sun?"

Sun blinked and handed me some gauze from the supplies we'd been given. The rest of my teammates stared at me, something seemed to be dawning on them. I thought about it myself for a moment. I guess surviving all that I did would be pretty outrageous.

"… How are you alive!?" Weiss nearly shouted

"Because I'm not bitch made, snowflake." I grunted "Since you're all feeling so talkative though, riddle me this: What is aura?"

Weiss looked at me like I was an idiot. "… You, are easily the most infuriating, most bullheaded, most idiotic person I've ever met."

"Heh, thought you'd reserved Ruby for that."

"Hey." Ruby whined

I gave her a small shrug.

"At least she knows what aura is."

"Gee, why don't you fill me in then so I can even out with her?"

My teammates looked back and forth between me and Weiss, clearly stunned by recent events and trying to figure out where things were going.

Weiss took a deep breath, exhaled, and focused.

"Aura-" Weiss spoke "Is the manifestation of your soul."

"… what?"

"It bears your burdens and shields your heart. When you're hurt it tends your wounds and slows your bleeding. When you're weak, it bolsters your strength and wells your stamina. In the darkest of hours it provides a shining light as a beacon towards your survival. It's literally a huntsman or huntress' most invaluable tool!"

"… that… is the most flowery, Brahmin-shit explanation I've ever heard."

Weiss blinked "Brahmin shit?"

"I'm sorry, my fucking soul is supposed to keep me safe?" I asked incredulously "It's supposed to make me stronger and guide me to safety? I know you think I'm an idiot Weiss, but I'd have to be real fucking stupid to believe that a metaphysical concept of the human afterlife has anything to do with stopping me from getting shot."

"But it can!" Ruby added

"Yea" I continued sarcastically. "-and I'm currently not bleeding out either."

My teammates looked at each other in confusion. Apparently my stubborn insistence that something as absurd as a soul couldn't protect you was baffling to them. Regardless of whether or not it even existed.

"Ok, then what do you think an aura is?" Weiss asked sharply "We clearly have them, so what are they?"

"Fuck if I know snowflake. Maybe you naturally generate a repulsive barrier of energy to keep you safe or some shit… Screw it, I don't care anymore."

"We're telling you the truth." Ruby said.

"I don't care anymore Ruby. Just let me stop bleeding first."

I returned focus to mending myself. It was getting harder, since I was working with only one arm and couldn't really move the other.

'Stupid White Fang and their fucking guns. Stupid alien world, with its weird fucking logic. Stupid teammates, and their stupid as fuck reasoning. Souls? Really? Gotta think I'm stupid or some shit.'

I finished cleaning the entry point of my shoulder wound and moved to try and clean the exit. Unfortunately, that meant trying to twist my excruciatingly pained torso a good 90 degrees. While trying to reach something attached to it. It hurt immensely. Even if my ribs weren't cracked, it still would've been uncomfortable. Plus, I couldn't even get a good look at it. So I had no way of knowing if I was actually cleaning it.

This went on for several minutes.

"… C'mon." Yang whined "How long are you going to take?"

"As long as I need to, sunshine." I grunted "It's not exactly an easy spot to reach."

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"You could ask for help."

"Yeah, right, like I'm gonna do that."

Yang rolled her eyes and walked behind me. She ripped the alcohol swab from my fingers and began cleaning the wound more fervently.

"Hey! What-"

"Just shut up. You'll never get it cleaned right by yourself."

I felt the swab dig into the exit point and a bolt of pain stabbed through my shoulder. The alcohol only needling it further along.

"Oww!" I almost shouted "Be a bit more careful!"

"Quit being a baby." Yang growled in annoyance. "I'm trying to help."

Yang continued cleaning my wound as I sat there. I wasn't sure what was with the sudden burst of… kindness, but I wasn't going to question it. She seemed to be doing alright. It stung but that was going to happen regardless. I let Yang continue to her sudden spur of charity, as the rest of us mellowed in the events of the night. It hadn't been what anyone had expected… rather, what anyone wanted. But I'd expected it, and it still sucked for one reason or another.

I looked at Blake through the lenses of my gasmask, she looked more sullen and subdued than usual. I suppose I would too, if my whole world view came crashing in. She was starting to stare at the ground. My guess was the night was catching up with her.

'… Bite the bullet, dumbass.'

"… Hey, Blake?" I started

She didn't look up. Though if the twitch of her bow was an indicator, she was listening.

"I want you to know… I'm sorry."

"… why?" Blake asked bitterly "You were right in the end. They were responsible for everything."

"Yea, no arguments there. Especially considering the shit show tonight turned out to be."

Blake tensed in anger, it didn't take a genius to see she was still upset by it.

"But, that's not why I'm apologizing." I continued. "I'm apologizing… because what I said the other night wasn't accurate."

Blake looked up from the ground. Ruby and Weiss were sparing me a glance as well. It was time for my second helping of crow today.

"I'm not apologizing because the White Fang isn't, seemingly, little more than a band of thieves and murderers." I clarified "I'm pretty sure tonight stands as a shining example to the contrary."

Blake glared at me. I know it didn't sound like I was apologizing, but I wanted to clarify what I was apologizing for.

"I'm apologizing, because I was wrong on the one thing that actually mattered… I'm apologizing, because of you."

A look of confusion graced Blake's face.

"The other night, I said that the White Fang was a spiraling pit of spite. That their whole reason for existing was to make sure everyone else got the shaft the way they did. That they've embraced this idea that they should be what the world thinks they are, and none of their members are objecting to it. Even at the cost of innocent lives."

I sighed, slowly imbibing my meal of metaphorical corvus.

"That entire argument though, was held together by a single lynch pin. The idea that they're fanatically devoted to their ideas and incapable of seeing wrong… and yet, here we are."

I motioned to the docks around us with my good arm.

"Sitting at the sight of their most recent attack, having prevented the theft of several tons of dust, having possibly avoid any loss of life, and the day basically being saved… all because one of their members had an inkling that something wasn't right. And when the truth was presented to them: that the White Fang were culpable for the crimes around them, they didn't blindly deny it and fall in line. They took a stand and tried to stop it. First by peaceful means, and then by force when things took a turn."

My teammates and Sun were going wide eyed. Whether because my apology was indepth, sincere, or whatever other mushy bullshit you'd believe. I just wanted it over with.

"In the end, my argument fell apart… because of you. Because, in one fell swoop, you went and proved me wrong. Maybe the White Fang is responsible for all the shit that's happened recently. But you, you're proof that maybe… just maybe, they aren't all the monstrous animals they act like. Maybe… maybe there's something bigger going on here than we realize. That simplifying it down to just the White Fang is wrong.

I looked Blake in the eye through my gasmask. "Whatever the case, from the bottom of my heart: I'm sorry, Blake. Especially given the events of tonight."

I finished my crow and looked at my present company. Wide eyed and surprised. Acting like me apologizing was completely unexpected.

"… That was… wow." Weiss said at last.

"dang." Sun added.

I watched as Blake's expression changed. She was still sullen and impassive, there was no changing that this girl was aspiring to stoicism levels that could rival Boone's. But the change was noticeable. Her eyes softened and the faintest traces of a sad smile graced her lips. Maybe tonight was the worst night of her life. But that didn't mean I couldn't give a silver lining.

"… I still don't believe they could do this." She admitted "Even after tonight… something just isn't right."

"That's fine." I admitted "Just know that, after tonight, you're not alone in this anymore. Especially since I don't think tonight technically fulfills my favor to you anyway."

Almost as if on cue, my pip-boy made its grinding proclamation. I'd check it later, when I wasn't so busy.

"But still, if there is anything I can do to make it up to you, all you gotta do is ask."

Blake pondered for a moment. Her bow perked up right and a small smirk crossed her face as she decided on something.

"Hmm… That book you leant me has been pretty good." She considered aloud "I'm almost done with it though… If only I knew someone who might have some other books like it…"

"… Heh." I gave a small chuckle "It ain't like you to beat around the bush Blake… Yeah, I might have some others if you're interested."

Everyone present seemed to brighten. It seemed the storm that had been hanging over us had finally passed.

"That's sooo cute~!" Yang exclaimed

"Shut up Yang." I griped

"Aw, don't be like that. It's great you two have patched things up."

"Yeah, yeah, can you finish patching me up before you start the ribbing?"

"Maybe. But I think that depends on if I'm going to get my apology first."

"Apology? What for?"

"For you grabbing my boob during the fight."

A look of confusion swept over everyone. I could feel myself go rigid as I realized what she was talking about.

"… T-that was an accident."

"Mhmm." Yang agreed sarcastically.

"It was."

"Then why did you squeeze it?"

"…"

Everyone present began scrutinizing me. Except Sun, I could see he was trying to stifle a look of amusement. If I honestly had to guess, Yang had the biggest grin on her face right then. I could feel my face getting really warm.

"… I have the right to remain silent."

Yang laughed and put a hand on my good shoulder. She bent over me so I could see her. She was smiling alright.

"I'm just having fun, no need to be so serious."

"… Your jokes need work."

Yang just smirked and rolled her eyes. I felt something tight wrap around my shoulder as Yang finished bandaging me.

"That's it. You should be good."

"Thank you." I grunted softly

"You're welcome." Yang smiled warmly. "… Thanks for-"

"Where's Penny?" Ruby asked

Welcoming the change of subject, my head swiveled over our group. I could remember her being with us we Yang and I had arrived. But looking around now, she'd seemingly vanished into thin air. I had no clue how she'd done it, but the strange girl had disappeared without a trace.

"She's probably just getting some water or something." I said "I'm pretty parched myself. Could go for a nice cold sarsaparilla… or a few shots of whiskey."

"I'm down." Yang smirked "I need a drink after tonight."

"Sis~" Ruby whined "Remember what you promised dad?... and me?"

"I know, I know. But I've also been keeping things in check, so don't I deserve a reward?"

'Why am I not surprised Yang is the partying type?'

"Yang~" Ruby whined

"What~" Yang teased back "It's not like I'll destroy another club."

"… I'm sorry." I interrupted "Do you party so hard you literally destroy buildings?"

"Do you want to find out?" Yang asked coyly

"… perhaps. Back on subject though, where is Penny? It's strange that none of us noticed when she left."

"Well she does have a habit of randomly appearing." Weiss noted "Say her name enough times and she might appear behind you."

'Did… did snowflake just try to make a joke?'

"Out of the way!" A voice shouted.

From the warehouse, a pair of medics steamrolled through the door. With them, an advanced looking gurney. Affixed to it was a single White Fang member, they looked tattered and worn. Their mask was broken and blood leaked from their face.

"Get the motor running!" One of the medics shouted, angling towards what I assume was an ambulance.

"Oum in heaven! It's like someone crushed his head with a sledgehammer." A medic near the ambulance said. "The hell happened in there?"

"I don't know man, but he's the only one we're pulling out of there tonight. He's unresponsive and fading."

"Holy shit."

The medics worked in tandem and hauled the gurney into the ambulance. The doors slammed shut and the vehicle lurched away with the wail of a siren.

"Yikes." Yang said under her breath

"What the heck happened in there?" Sun asked, trying to get a good look into the warehouse. He failed, the doorway was at the wrong angle.

"I don't know." Blake said. "Whoever they are though, I hope they'll be alright."

"I wouldn't worry too much about him." I said, being as nonchalant as possible. "He had a pretty hard skull. I'm sure he'll pull through."

"… How would you know that?" Blake asked, scrutinizing me.

"uh…"

'damn it, not again.'

"I wouldn't think too much… about…"

My attempts at diverting the conversation fell on deaf ears. Or rather, they were lost to something far more important.

A car had just pulled into the docks. It wasn't a cop car either, it looked to be a personal vehicle of some kind. That wasn't really what got my attention though.

It was that Glynda Goodwitch had climbed out of it and was walking towards us.

She looked pissed.

Given our usual interactions, that wasn't unusual, but still.

'Ah crap.'

…

I won't go into detail about what Goodwitch did to get us back to Beacon. Or what she said that scared the bejesus out of Sun enough for him to take off. Suffice to say though, she did.

We were hauled back to Beacon like a troupe of troublesome children. Rather than just letting us get on with our night like I knew she wouldn't, she dragged us to Ozpin's office. Even after the day we'd had. She didn't even let me stop and get a shirt from my closet. Bitch.

The elevator had taken us up fairly quick. We got there and stood in front of his desk. The man himself was sitting behind his desk, staring at us contemplatively. He was completely silent.

"-in addition to being both obstructive to Vale's Judiciary system-" Glynda huffed angrily "Your actions tonight were needlessly dangerous and grounds for expulsion on any other night."

Goodwitch was not.

We were lined up in front of Ozpin's desk. I was on one end, Ruby on the other with Yang next to her. Weiss next to her and Blake next to me. Ruby stared guiltily at the floor. Weiss had averted her gaze downwards as well, but was at least trying to hide her shame. Blake appeared impassive, staring blankly ahead. Though a few physical ticks made it clear she wasn't enjoying this either. Yang was just giving her usual smirk and nodding along. Something told me she was used to getting chewed out like this.

"You should all consider yourselves very lucky." Goodwitch finished "This little stunt could have very easily cost you all something much greater than a few bruises."

'No arguments there, for once.'

"I do believe that's quite enough Glynda." Ozpin finally broke in with a chuckle "I believe half an hour's worth of chastisement is more than sufficient."

Goodwitch gave Ozpin a look before giving a small sigh. She probably would've gone on grilling us for hours if Ozpin hadn't spoken up.

"What you five did tonight was commendable" Ozpin said "In a world like this, it warms my heart to know that there are still those who will not stand by while others terrorize. It's a key trait for huntsmen and huntresses to have."

My teammates relaxed slightly. Not having someone tearing into you for trying to the right thing will do that. Ruby looked up from the floor at Ozpin.

"We were only trying to help sir." Ruby said softly

"and it appears you did. Had you not been present at the docks tonight, it is very likely a large quantity of dust would have been stolen. With the recent thefts and increasing local scarcity, it goes appreciated."

Ozpin closed his eyes and a pleased smile crossed his face.

"Despite your… less than orthodox actions, you have my thanks all the same. You all did well tonight."

Ruby got this big grin on her face and looked at the rest of us. Yang gave her a pat on the back. Weiss seemed equally relieved and Blake rolled her eyes sarcastically. The compliment was appreciated by all.

"Alright then." Ruby said, trying to keep the good mood rolling. "Well I guess we should get back to our rooms then. It's been a long day and we have class in the morning. Sleep is important after all, right?"

Ruby turned to start walking away but Yang put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her.

'Guess she is familiar with how this goes.'

"Although I agree with the decision for rest." Ozpin continued "I'm afraid we're not quite done here yet."

"Aww." Ruby said softly

"Guess you're a believer in the phrase 'no good deed' phrase, huh?" I asked

"I believe you're already aware of that." Ozpin chuckled "After all, I can't allow my students to flagrantly disregard both the laws of Vale and their own safety in pursuit of what equates to vigilante justice."

Ruby returned to the line-up as Ozpin turned contemplative.

"… Though I do not wish to discourage you from acting for the betterment of others. A punishment is in order…"

Ozpin looked at the five of us. He looked to have decided on something.

"I believe that the week of summer break is right around the corner. Perhaps that would be suitable."

My teammates seemed to pale at the mention of summer. I had no clue why the season seemed to hold so much weight, but I wasn't going to look into it right now.

"But… but our break." Ruby stammered

"Will be spent here. On campus." Ozpin said sternly "It is only a week's time. But a small price to pay compared to the much larger acts committed tonight. Your punishment will begin the Monday of break and end on Sunday at dusk. Classes will resume Tuesday. I believe it is a light enough punishment, don't you?"

"Dad is going to be pissed." I heard Yang whisper

"Y-yes, sir." Ruby agreed

"Good. Now, hurry along to bed. You must be exhausted after the day you've had."

My teammates and I began to file out of Ozpin's office.

"Oh, Mister Six, a word before you retire?" Ozpin asked

My teammates gave me a look of pity as I slowed. I waved them on as I returned to where I'd been standing. Once my teammates were gone, Goodwitch locked the elevator. Ensuring the only people who were listening in were the three of us present.

"Tonight certainly was unexpected." Ozpin said "I wouldn't have imagined you'd go out of your way to help your teammates. Given the disdain you seemed to have for them at the start of the semester."

"Eh. They're growing on me." I said in a measured tone

"Apparently." Ozpin chuckled "That is not such a bad thing though. It's healthy for someone your age to have a budding social circle. Especially given your… background, so to speak."

"I have friends back home too." I grumble "Who I would very much like to get back to."

"In time, I promise we're doing everything we can. But there is something I would like to talk with you about first."

Ozpin pulled out his scroll and began working with it. He seemed to be looking for something.

"Tonight at the docks-" Ozpin started "You fought alongside your teammates in defense of the Schnee Dust Company's property from theft. Most of the dust remained on the Docks, the night was saved, and the thieves were driven off. Though capturing them may not have been an easy task."

"Yea, and?"

"And… well, there is a small wrinkle in that short-story. What you were doing during the majority of it."

Ozpin placed his Scroll on his desk enough for me to see. A recording of a familiar looking warehouse played on it. There were flashes of light just off screen. Likely gunshots, given it was from tonight.

I watched as an armor clad figure ran to the warehouse, slamming through a door and disappearing inside. It was pretty obvious it was me, the coat and gas mask were hard to mistake. I watched as the ten White Fang followed me in. The recording sped forward, and came to a stop some minutes later. I watched as I was the only one to hobble out. Clearly worse for wear than when I'd entered.

"… I would like to know why you have access to something that should probably be in police hands right now." I stated evenly

"Funny" Ozpin replied, looking at the desk "Because I wanted to know something myself. Initial reports have stated that nine bodies were found in that warehouse. A tenth, living, individual was pulled from it not long after the Police's arrival. Currently, they are being kept under close watch at Vale General Hospital… though if the reports are correct, it's unknown if or when they will regain consciousness."

Ozpin looked up from the desk, a stone cold seriousness in his eyes.

"Meaning what occurred in that warehouse is liable to remain an unsolved mystery."

I felt the air get a bit heavy. I knew where this talk was going.

"… Mister Six" Ozpin said "I am aware the world you are from if unforgiving. That it is as, if not more cruel than our own. But I feel I must ask. Do you know what happened in there?"

I looked at Ozpin through my gasmask. Thinking back on the crap that had happened in there, it brought a scowl to my face.

"… Religious mass suicide." I growled "All the crazy fuck jobs are into it."

Ozpin set his scroll down and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Mister Six-"

"No." I said, knowing the tone he was about to start with. "Don't start that fucking "higher ground" shit with me alright?"

Goodwitch glared at me. I ignored her.

"You weren't there, alright?" I continued "It was just me, in the dark, outnumbered, out gunned, and out maneuvered."

"Apparently you've never heard of irony." Glynda said softly. I barely ignored her

"I was put in a bad situation where it was do or die. I made do. They weren't offering courtesy, so they got none in return."

"That is a hard way to look at it." Ozpin said evenly

"Only because that's the only option I had. You'll just have to take my word for it when I say I'm not happy about it either."

"Mister S-"

"Don't think I can't read between the lines either. A man in your position? Head of a school that trains children to fight monsters and defend humanity?"

Ozpin's eyes widened a tiny bit. He seemed to guess where I was going. I wasn't going to be lectured about this. Not from him or Goodwitch at least.

"That's quite enough." Goodwitch said sharply

"You're right." I agreed "I'm done with today anyway. If you've got nothing else to say, I'm going."

I turned and proceeded out of Ozpin's office. Neither of them tried to stop me.

…

The door to the elevator closed and the Courier proceeded away from the pair of seasoned hunters. Ozpin couldn't help but sigh in frustration at the turn the conversation had taken.

"Glynda" Ozpin sighed in frustration "I know the boy riles you, but couldn't you have picked a better time to rib him?"

"I only said what I thought needed to be." Glynda said sternly, though not defensively.

"I'd only wished to try and console him. Taking a life isn't something one should be able to do easily, regardless of the world they're from."

"It appears he has his own way of coping." Glynda answered.

"Hmm… I wonder though."

With a tap, a window opened on Ozpin's scroll. It showed the interior of the elevator as it was now. The courier leaned against the wall of the elevator, his arms folded as he stared at the floor.

Glynda moved beside Ozpin and watched the scroll. With another tap, Ozpin enabled the microphone in the elevator.

"-pid fucking Ozpin. Stupid as fuck Goodwitch." The courier growled angrily

Glynda scowled at that insult.

"Probably think it was the first option on the list. Think I don't give a damn about a little blood on my hands…" The courier slumped slightly "… Probably think I'm some sort of fucking animal."

The courier went silent as he continued to slump against the wall. He stayed that way for most of the way down. Only as he was about to reach the bottom di he move again. His head seemed to pivot upward and look around the elevator cabin.

"… nah. No way they'd be listening. They don't make mikes that small… I think."

The elevator dinged and the door to the ground floor opened. The courier strolled out of the elevator and away from the building. Ozpin cut the feed.

"… I don't believe coping is the right word Glynda." Ozpin said

"…"

Ozpin sighed "I understand that you butt heads with him. But I think having a bit more tact in this situation would have been more beneficial.

"… I apologize."

"It's quite fine. Though I think you would be better off using your energy to start building better relations with the Courier. Rather than constantly butting head with him. He's not going anywhere any time soon."

"… I make no promises."

Ozpin gave a bemused chuckle.

It was interrupted by the vibration of his scroll. He'd been expecting a communique, especially after the events at the docks tonight. With a swipe of his fingers the, a screen appeared over Ozpin's desk, providing a viewport for Ozpin to speak through personally. On the opposite side, James Ironwood sat in a new age atlesian chair.

"Hello James." Ozpin spoke "I hope you've been having a good evening."

"Ozpin" General Ironwood said roughly "You know why I'm contacting you."

"Ah, so something's happened?"

"That's one way of putting it…" Ironwood leaned backward in his chair. "… The boys in the lab just finished work on some of those… 'items' you gave me."

"Judging by your demeanor, it only made things more complicated."

"Yes."

"… and?"

"and… I have no idea where to begin."

"… The beginning would be a good place."

Ironwood sighed.

"… I suppose we'll start with those drugs our 'friend' brought with him."

"Drugs?"

"Yes. After a lot of testing, it's fairly safe to assume most of them are some form of narcotic."

"Wonderful." Glynda groaned

"Anything specific?" Ozpin asked

"Not anything that we could identify." Ironwood continued, picking up a clipboard from a nearby desk. "I suppose it would make sense that whatever drugs exist in our 'friend's' world would be different from ours. I guess it's a miracle that most of them had some sort of label written on them in pencil and tape. I give you the highlights of what we've got so far."

Ironwood began to scan the list, looking for a suitable starting point. It didn't take long.

"First off is one labeled 'Med-X'. This one was the most straightforward to figure out. It's some form of high strength opiate. We were able to avoid having to field human testing based on what the lab technicians were able to verify."

Ozpin nodded thoughfully "So it's a pain killer?"

"Yes, and an incredibly potent one at that."

"Did you say human testing?" Glynda asked

"… Yes." Ironwood answered "Unfortunately, there were some of them that we couldn't decipher based solely on their makeup. Like this next one-"

Ironwood scrolled down the list, searching for the specific object. He found it quickly.

"This one called 'Psycho'." Ironwood said with a dry chuckle "It's a fitting name."

"You tested something with a name like that on people!?" Glynda asked

"Well, we needed to know what it did. Plus, we couldn't decipher what it was based solely on the ingredients. In fact, the ingredients we could actually identify were mostly benign anyway."

"And this… Psycho. What did it do?"

Ironwood took a long breath. "Increased aggression, making the subject incredibly violent for a short period."

"… how violent?" Ozpin asked

"Violent enough to attempt to rip out the throat of a lab attendant."

Glynda's eyes went wide.

"Don't worry, the subject was a volunteer and had been strapped down in preparation for a situation like this. No one was harmed… initially."

"Initially?"

"Yes, there were… aftereffects. But we'll get to those in a bit. There are still some others that I feel you should know about."

"Any that didn't make the user want to eviscerate another person?" Ozpin chuckled darkly.

"A few actually. Though they still came with their own issues." Ironwood continued on the list. "The one called 'buffout' appeared to be some form of anabolic steroid, no need to test that one. Then there was another known as 'mentats' that seemed to boost the user's mental faculties temporarily. 'Rebound' that boosted the user's stamina exponentially. 'Steady' which, at first, seemed completely useless. Then turned out to actual calm a user's nerves and improve their accuracy… There is a host of others still, but these are just some of the ones we've been able to isolate ingredients in so far."

"That's quite the list."

"That's not even counting the ones that we've had to test just to discover what they do. Or the copious amounts of alcoholic beverages he was carrying. But, as I mentioned before, there is a major drawback to these."

"Let me guess." Glynda said flatly "They're highly addictive?"

Ironwood laughed mirthlessly. "I suppose calling them drugs was a bit of a giveaway?"

"How bad were the aftereffects?" Ozpin continued

"Bad. In the lighter cases, the test subjects were left craving more. In the worst, they were exceedingly violent and left with some form of debilitating side effect. Lowered perceptiveness, loss of aquity in movements, or degraded mental functions. Some to the point where they needed to be sedated until we could find an appropriate remedy or treatment."

"And we wonder why our friend has some odd tendencies." Glynda snarked

"Were there any among them that didn't yield any negative effects?" Ozpin asked

"There were several in fact." Ironwood said, regaining a small bit of levity "One of them even lead to the proper treatment of some of the others."

"Well then, they must be quite useful."

"More than you'd expect. There was this one recurring style of them called 'stimpacks'. Unlike the rest of them, they appear to have been something of an official medication rather than a crude means to get high. Much more uniform and using a standardized design."

"Interesting, and what did they do?"

"They healed people." Ironwood chuckled

"Healed?"

"Yes, and I'm not being figurative either. While we couldn't identify the specific make ups of the ingredients, their actual effect was something to behold."

Ironwood set the clipboard back onto the desk and retrieved a syringe that was waiting there. It had a white casing and a large metallic disk at the top. The disk had a red cross emblazoned onto it.

"When used on healthy or uninjured subjects, they had seemingly no effect." Ironwood continued "It wasn't until we noticed a few patients' were having scabs flake off of them or having wounds close altogether we figured out what it was."

Ozpin leaned closer to the view port. Intrigued by this development.

"From what we were able to gather, these 'stimpacks' boost the body's natural ability to heal itself to an astonishing degree. Bruising disappears almost instantaneously. Lacerations would close in a matter of minutes without scarring. Broken bones would be mended in a matter of minutes."

"Amazing."

"What's more, if the drug was concentrated on a specific area, the effects seemed to nearly triple."

"So our friend was carrying around a medicine that could effectively prevent someone from dying with a single injection." Glynda surmised "That helps to explain how he survived a world like what he claims."

"Only partly." Ironwood continued "From what the tests show, the effects were only temporary. While the healing process would be boosted for a short time, it does not necessarily need to finish it. Despite being powerful, it is far from perfect."

"Though amazing none the less." Ozpin agreed "Is that what cured your men of their 'side effects'?"

"No, that was another drug altogether labeled 'fixer'. Still not sure on the specifics, but it appeared to be a hormone blocker of some kind. Can't be addicted to something if your mind doesn't register a craving."

"Despite all that you've gathered" Glynda cut in "You can't identify what they're made of?"

"Not in the slightest. Despite how crude and… antiquated most of the items you sent appear, everything about them is far from it. To quote the techs: 'The ratios, methods, and compounds are decades ahead of anything we've currently managed'."

"So synthesis would be impossible without some degree of training?" Ozpin enquired.

"Unfortunately." Ironwood agreed "I'm all for having more weapons in this fight of ours. But creating more of what we've seen, or even better versions of them, is something we just aren't capable of right now. Even with the most advanced of atlas technologies."

"Hm hm." Ozpin chuckled softly "Are you sure you should be telling me that James? I would assume something like that would be considered a state secret."

"Only if it were possible for someone else to produce it on a grand scale." Ironwood replied with a chuckle of his own.

"What about those specimens I had sent to you, did they shed any light?"

"Heh, they did, actually. The techs said that some of the plant's materials seemed to be unrefined or cruder versions of the compounds found in the medicine and drugs. Unfortunately, that's all we could find out. Every attempt at replication so far has been an abysmal failure it seems."

"So in the end, the only one who might know how to replicate any of them… would be our 'friend'."

"Probably." Ironwood sighed "Which, if he's anything like what you and Glynda have described, means we won't be getting any information out of him without tricking, lying, or stealing it from him."

"I'm hoping not." Ozpin replied solemnly "Day by day, he seems to be wearing down. Growing more accustomed to this world. Maybe sometime soon, he'll make the decision to stay, rather than return. If his own world is as horrific as he claims, he has no reason to."

"… But he still believes he will, doesn't he?"

"…"

"You have to tell him Ozpin."

"… You're certain there's no way for Atlas to return him?"

Ironwood sighed "Yes, unfortunately. Whatever brought him here is likely as advanced as everything else he has shown us. If we could at least look at the device in question, we'd have somewhere to start. But your insistence on keeping him in the dark about his situation makes that difficult."

"I am aware James… Better he be in the dark than out there though. He may not be our enemy, but that doesn't mean she won't see him as one. Or find a way to make him see us the same."

Ironwood rubbed his eyes, he was tired and it was beginning to show.

"I suggest you rest James." Ozpin said "You've got a long journey between Atlas and here. It wouldn't do for the general to look half dead as he leads his troops."

"Agreed." Ironwood gave a tired smirk. "We'll continue this conversation after I reach Vale. If you intend to get him home, you'll need a more proactive approach than what you've given so far. Or else it might blow up in your face."

"I am fully aware my friend. Sleep well."

With a small wave, the connection was severed and the viewport closed. Ozpin leaned backwards in his chair. Rubbing a hand over his face. It had been a long day.

"He isn't wrong." Glynda said softly

"I know he's not. But this a game of careful movements and plans. Even a small mistake means disastrous consequences."

"Then, if I may be so bold? I think you should start planning faster."

Ozpin gave a tired chuckle as response.

The courier was proving to be almost as much of a problem as he was a potential boon. For all the prowess, knowledge, and power he brought with him, he brought something else as well: chaos. He seemed to only act when he saw fit, chose who he fought with and for how long, and wasn't afraid to use whatever means were at his disposal to do it. He wasn't what one would call 'evil' or even 'bad' by most people's standards. But he wasn't afraid to rail against those who he deemed unfit, regardless of position. If given motivation, he would seemingly tear them down like it wasn't any more than another chore.

It made his choice of artifact from initiation surprisingly more apt the more Ozpin thought about it. Many assume pawns in chess are worthless pieces. A weak and slow piece that could only attack in a limited way and was doomed to die at the start. Yet, given the opportunity, they could grow to become the most powerful pieces in the game. Changing the landscape of a game and shifting the tides when things seemed darkest. Regardless of whose side wielded them.

To quote a similar theme: The courier was a wild card.

An unknown that could turn the tides, if given a chance. For better or worse, Ozpin did not know.

A faint chiming drew Ozpin's attention from his thoughts. With a tap, his scroll opened to reveal a message from another of his friends.

A message from Qrow Branwen:

'Queen has pawns.'

A simple and troubling message.

But for some reason, it didn't feel as troubling as it should have.