Disclaimer: "Gold" is also property of Rooster Teeth

Things had been going great for me and Cass. It'd been a few weeks since the two of us started walking around. We got on like Brahmin Wellington and Desert salad. Or blood sausage and Honey Mesquite instamash. Or, hell, even Bighorner steak with roasted buffalo gourd and Mutfruit chutney.

Cass was just glad to finally be out of the outpost, having a bit of walking around money certainly helped. Though she wasn't happy about where it came from at first. After we finished drinking, we went back to McLafferty and collected my pay. After that we collected Boone and hit the strip. Soon as we walked in I was ushered into the lucky 38 and got to have a talk with my 'client'. A.k.a., the guy who had me delivering a poker chip. A.K.A., the self-proclaimed 'owner' of the strip. A.K.A., The douchebag formerly known as Mr. House.

He had that robot Victor, charming fellow, haul me in while my friends waited outside. First time in, the place was creepy as hell. Even if the securitrions weren't staring at me with vaguely human faces on their screen, the 38 was bad on its own. The place reeked of mildew and dust, the casino's wood interior was starting to rot, and the neon had long since burned out. Considering the place was over two hundred years old, I should've been surprised it held up that well. Though the penthouse was in decent shape.

So House dragged me in and, to my surprise, actually explained what was going on. Apparently the Platinum chip was some sort of advanced computer part called a "microchip". They apparently were rare even before the war but could do the work of at least a hundred mainframes in the space of… well, a poker chip. How these things didn't become more common, I have no idea. But apparently the one House had me delivering was special made for him. He didn't go into specifics at the time, but I didn't need him to. If this thing was as advanced as he said it was, I'd probably have a bit of trouble understanding. I'm not even bad with tech either, but I know when something is above my pay grade. Considering it could only be accessed by very specific machines designed for it, I couldn't unravel it at the time even if I wanted to.

The important part to all of this though, was that the job wasn't done yet. House still hadn't 'received' his package yet, and was holding me responsible in the oddest way. He was going to give me free reign over the 38, probably to keep me close to the vest and for whatever other plans he had in store. He was also going to do it with only one stipulation. That I get him the platinum chip.

The chip which was still being held onto by my would-be killer.

Naturally, I wasn't thrilled with the idea. But I couldn't say no to free room and board.

House wasn't in any rush either, probably due to the fact he himself was a computer-robot-thing. He assured me I had all the time in the world to handle Benny. He wasn't going anywhere, he was cowering in one of the Casinos, planning his next move and hoping House didn't just kick down the door.

Which was fine with me because I was… conflicted.

So, I did what any sane man in my position would do. Mooch off of House while I bummed around the Mojave.

Turned out to be a smart decision too, I got a lot done in that time. I met just about every one of my companions too. The only real exception was Arcade, but he wasn't too far off. Did a whole mess of different things too. I'd participate at the Thorn, get drunk at whatever bar would have me, and go spelunking in pre-war buildings when I felt brave enough.

Wasn't quite perfect, but it was a far sight better than where I'd started.

Then one day, out of the blue, Cass pulled me aside and asked me to help her with something. Being that we were fairly regular traveling partners, she wanted to know if I'd walk with her to her caravan. Well, what was left of it anyway. She wanted to pay respects and I wasn't against the idea. Plus, it gave me one more reason to steer clear of the Tops.

So we took a walk out around the northern end of Vegas, looking for the burnt out remains of Cass's caravan. We found it.

Just… not like we were expecting.

From the way Cass had described it, she'd thought her caravan had been torched. Like the Fiends had crawled out of their hole and shot it up with a Flamer. But Flamers don't reduce bodies to ash completely, and fiends don't destroy merchandise. They steal it. Something was wrong, and we both knew it. Things spiraled from there, before I knew it I was on a new quest and investigating ransacked caravans. While dodging Legionnaire assassins, Who still wanted my head.

Probably because I just got better at taking them down.

But our investigation led to a discovery neither of us was prepared for. This wasn't about raiders, it would've been too simple if it was. As it turns out, simple was just the cover.

Turns out, Mclafferty had some 'splainin' to do. The VanGraffs too, though they were less important.

The both of us were standing over the body of one of the VanGraff's hired thugs. We knew it was them by that 'brand recognition' armor they bragged about. We only found out McLafferty was involved after I looted the corpse. It was a 'conspiracy', as Cass put it, knock out the competition and control the market. Couple other words for it than that, but it wasn't something worth arguing over.

"That Fucking Bitch!" Cass practically screamed "She Fucking killed them! She! Fucking! Killed! Them!"

With each word, Cass kicked the thug's corpse. She was hiss like a nightstalker and spitting venom like a cazador. I couldn't even blame her.

"Cass, Cass!" I say, trying to keep her from kicking the corpse 'till its head came off. "I need you to calm down!"

"Calm down!? How the Fuck am I supposed to do that!?"

"Just-"

"I know how to fucking calm down! I'm not going to!"

"Cass-"

"These bitches killed my men! They fucking killed them and made it look like it was a bunch of raiders!"

"Cass…"

"They had fucking families!" She croaked, almost on the verge of tears "They had families of all things... Fuck, I knew most of them by name."

I didn't say anything that moment, there was nothing I could. But my heart was breaking for Cass. This wasn't what she had done this for. She wanted closure. She got ashes and tears.

"… no, NO, fuck this. Fuck them too." Cass hissed

Cass began storming away, not even waiting for me to join her. I knew if I didn't follow her she'd leave me behind, so I moved quickly.

"Whoa, whoa, Cass hold on-"

"No. This ends. They don't get to get away with shit like this."

"I agree with you Cass, but-"

"No buts, this ends and it only ends one way."

"Cass!"

She turned and grabbed me by the collar. I was taller than her by a small stretch, so it didn't have the effect she was hoping for. But she did it so I wouldn't back up. She got right in my face.

"These animals murdered my men and others so they could line their pockets. They did it so well the NCR thinks it was raiders. They're going to keep doing it until every independent caravan is dead and no one is dumb enough to try."

I could see the rage in her eyes, the fire I'd seen at the Mojave outpost was still burning bright inside of her. She wasn't wrong either, this wasn't going to end. When it comes to power, people can't get enough. They were going to keep murdering everyone that got in their way and I wasn't naïve enough to believe otherwise.

"This ends one way, Six." Cass growled "With me, a couple bottles of Whiskey, a few boxes of shells, a crate of dynamite, and every one of them dead or strung up for the whole of Vegas to see."

I looked her in the eye still. She wasn't lying. She had death in her eyes and I'd seen the way she used that double-barrel. She was going to kill them, all of them.

There was only one thing. The fire in her eyes. It was the same as it had been at the Outpost. More fuel in self-blame than pure hatred, though there was plenty of it.

"… Cass, you can't do this."

Cass's face sank a little, then curled back up in anger. "The fuck are you gonna do? Defend them? They murdered my men!"

"No but-"

"Then shut it. I'm not taking advice from you. Not when the guy who stuck you in a grave is right across the street and you're wandering around out here like it doesn't matter. Hiding like a goddamn coward!"

I stared at her for a moment, she was right. I hated it, but she was right.

I'd spent weeks, even months now, slowly and stealthily working my way to Vegas. Moving when I thought no one was looking, covering my tracks, and keeping some sort of mask over to my face to the point it was second nature. Hell, to the point where I almost considered my mask to be my face. Truth was, part of me was terrified. Not without good reason either.

I can't remember who I was before all of this went down because of Benny. Maybe I'm different now than I was then, but that doesn't change one fact: He still beat me. He had me dead to rights in front of a shallow grave and put two bullets in my head. I may have crawled back out, but he still put me in there. He was dangerous, smart, and cautious enough to make sure that if there was trouble He'd be able to face it on home turf.

That terrified the shit out of me.

I couldn't go up against a guy like that. Not like I was, ill-equipped and luck like snake eyes.

So now I was wandering around, afraid to show my face because going up against Benny meant having to finally plant my stake somewhere. I faced him, I couldn't hide anymore. Whether because I'd be running from him or officially making myself known, things would have to change.

I… I didn't want that.

"… That's a low blow Cass." I say, looking at the ground

"Tough shit, stay out of my way Six. I don't want to have to watch my fire."

Cass Continued forward and I stood there, there staring at the ground. She was right, she was right and I couldn't change her mind. There was no other way to handle this. The Crimson Caravan and VanGraffs had covered their tracks and made sure no one found out. Hell, they'd gotten away with it three times that we knew of. They didn't make mistakes. They made corpses. But Cass was one woman, more than that she was my friend…

No, she was my companion. All the shit we'd been through, there was a distinction. Cass and Boone, they had my back in a number of tight spots, and I'd gladly take bullets for them. It had to be something more than just friends. In a way, I owed it to her to have a better solution. I did when the Crimson Caravan tried and failed to take her Caravan from her. What good was it now if I let them get away with this? But this was different. This wasn't as easy as reading a contract for loopholes. They wouldn't keep records for something like this. That would… would…

"Be so goddamn bureaucratic." I say out loud, Eyes going wide as I tug on a thread of thought. "… Holy shit, they totally would!"

I broke out into a run after Cass, she wasn't too far ahead of me by this point. But I had an idea and I needed to act, if for no other reason than to stall for time.

"Cass, hold on!"

"Not happening Six." She shouted back "I'm not going to stop until-"

"What if I can do better than dead?"

Cass didn't stop walking, but she looked at me over her shoulder as I caught up.

"I know how to beat them at their own game." I said

"Pretty hard to beat dead."

"Yea, but when your enemy is as dumb as they are, you can get creative."

"… I don't want to-"

"Just hear me out Cass, please?"

"… fine." She sighed angrily. "I'll listen, but I'm not stopping."

"Ok, you know how your contract was full of holes?"

"Mhmm." She said disinterestedly

"Well, it's not the only contract like that, The Crimson Caravan has dozens of contracts like that."

"So they suck at paperwork, so what?"

"So, that's not the only contract I got to read. I read another one regarding my potential position for acquiring schematics from the Gun Runners."

"… Bullshit, the Gun Runners would never sell their schematics."

"I never said it was legal."

"…" Cass's eyes widened a bit.

"These people, these asshats are so sure they can't get caught they're making legal documents literally saying they're having outside contractors perform what amounts to corporate sabotage."

"But that doesn't help me." Cass answered angrily

"It does though. Maybe the Gun Runners contract doesn't apply, but the principle is sound. If they have a contract for something like that, why not something for the VanGraffs, An established business partner?"

Cass stayed quiet for a moment, still pissed but considering what I was saying. "… Say there is, what then? If you get it, then what next?"

"Then… then I'll leave it to you."

"What?"

"… Cass, There needs to be justice here. You are the only survivor from all of this. Maybe I'm not taking the side you want, but if you go through with this there's only one outcome."

"Hmph, You think I'll wind up dead?"

"I think you'll wind up with a bounty on your head and being hunted by the NCR for the rest of your life."

Cass looked at me a moment, then turned away with a bitter smile.

"I want you to have Justice, Cass. Fuck the VanGraffs and The Crimson Caravan, give me a chance and I'll let you rot them from the inside."

"… and if you don't find any evidence?"

"Then…" I put my hand on her shoulder and she looks back at me, staring into the visor of my motorcycle helmet. "Then I'll buy the whisky and Shells, and we'll paint the town VanGraff red and Caravan crimson."

"… fine, you've got a week." She said in frustration "After that, you better pay up."

"Don't worry, I only need half that."

…

My eyes crept open as the afternoon sun bathed me in its orange glow. The sun had set to the point where the tree shade didn't cover me anymore. Which was fine, my nap had been nice and I needed to return to the Botany club before sun down anyway. Peach had me digging holes for trees and bushes and wanted the tools returned before she left. I got it done easy enough and was rewarded with a nice power nap. Not my first choice, but perfect for relaxing after a day of digging ditches. Provided it wasn't disturbed by white haired huntresses who sing when they're upset.

I gently pushed my head until a soft popping left my neck. Time to return my equipment and get some grub.

I stood up and took a quick walk around my private little piece of the grounds. Just wanted to make sure none of my potential ingredients were being munched on by bugs. Most of them were still a ways off from being ready, easily another few months before anything edible could be pulled from them. Though, I wasn't happy with the thought that if I was stuck here long enough to taste the literal fruits of my labor it meant I'd have been gone for several months.

But, on the flip side, I'd have free and fresh ingredients for my experiments. Not an even trade, but I'd take it.

I grabbed the shovel and rake I was lent and got walking. The grounds were in bloom, as usual. Dotted by the new shrubbery and foliage. It helped to give a bit of color and variety to the otherwise plain flora and undergrowth. It wasn't Zion by a long shot, but it was nice in its own, ordered way. At least the plants weren't trying to kill me yet.

I crossed a quad and ducked into a small shed the botany club kept their tools in. I hooked my tools onto a rack at the wall of the shed and left them. I exited the shed and began to make my way to the cafeteria. I didn't remember what was supposed to be served tonight, but I was starting to get sick of this place's 'food'. Sure, most of it was better quality than the pre-war food I found in the Mojave. But that was like comparing Brahmin wellington to a piece of rancid bloatfly. It's edible, but I don't want to eat it when there's other options. But in this instance, my other options were cans of beans or use my continually dwindling supplies to make something good. I was going to have to start testing the ingredients here to see what I could make substitutions with. But a bloatfly slider without prickly pear was just a piece of charred bug stuck between fruit.

'… I guess I could see what's there. If I don't like it, I should still have enough stuff to make something edible…'

"Hey! Keep up Dweeb!" an all too grating voice shouted.

Across the quad, Cardin walked out of a corridor with his goons in tow. Mace resting on his shoulders and looking like the cock of the walk. Behind him and his boys, Jaune fumbled unsteadily with an almost comical stack of books.

'Guess he's still playing side bitch.'

I didn't know how Jaune put up with it. Or even why he was putting up with it. Hell, if I was in his shoes I'd have mopped the floor with them and got on with my life. Instead, he was getting dragged along like a pack Brahmin. I was caught somewhere between having pity for the guy and not giving a damn. On one hand, he was a wimp who needed to grow a few more vertebrae. On the other, he was someone clearly in over their head and could use a hand. It wasn't my place to get into the mix though, not yet anyway.

Cardin and his goons continued towards the cafeteria and I suddenly didn't feel like eating there anymore. Looking back where they came from though, I noticed the rest of team JNPR was working their way down the corridor. Nora and Ren looked to be chatting, well Nora was chatting anyway, and Pyrrha… looked angry. That was a surprise, she didn't seem the type. She also seemed to be staring after Cardin's group. Maybe she knew something I didn't.

Probably, yeah.

My appetite was spoiled for cafeteria food, so I figured it was time to turn back. For some reason though, I found myself rooted as Cardin walked into the cafeteria. I didn't feel like letting him out of my sight until he'd walked through the doors and disappeared. I looked back to team JNPR, still walking towards the cafeteria. They had my sympathies. They had the misfortune of being stuck with whatever was going on with Jaune and Cardin.

Pyrrha turned and took notice of me. She couldn't tell, with the distance and my mask, but we locked eyes for a moment. She was clearly upset.

'… not my place.'

I turned and headed towards the dorms. I was hungry and it was time to find something edible.

…

The sun had just about set by the time my food was done. I knew because I decided I wanted a change of scenery for dinner. I took my hotplate to the roof of the dorms and hooked it up. I wasn't too sure what I could whip up with my current stock of ingredients, but decided to try my luck with Fire ant Fricassee. Still had plenty of ant meat, even if I didn't have any cram. I substituted with the other thing I had plenty of, beans. Of course, I didn't flour either. So more beans.

It… wasn't very good. It was palatable, but if I was going to try and keep this up I was going to have to expand my shopping list beyond beans, jerky, and coffee. I'm not even a bad cook, by my estimate, but there wasn't much I could do with the three. Though the low rad count in the food didn't even register on my pip-boy. Apparently I'd succeeded in making something that wouldn't kill people in this world.

That, and the fire ant tasted good. Kind of like chicken that'd been bathed in a smoky hot sauce.

I put my skillet on the edge of the roof and lifted my mask enough to get a fork into my mouth and dug in. The tangy ant meat clashed with the sweet bean sauce, but it didn't make me want to hurl. I continued to eat as I stared toward the horizon, doing my best to avoid staring at the sun. I could just make out the silhouette of Vale in the distance. If it were the weekend, I'd probably have made a trip for 'pizza' or something. I still didn't know what it tasted like but hadn't had much drive to go find out either. My knowledge of any delicacies in this world was still limited, come to think of it.

'Guess I'm slowly getting sucked in. I just want be able to enjoy a meal I'm familiar with and not get food poisoning. Guess that's too much to-'

The door opened softly behind me and I had to resist the urge to throw the skillet at whoever did it. Last time I knee jerked that bad I almost took Ruby's head off.

'so much for a quiet meal.'

I slowly slid my mask back down and looked over my shoulder. Pyrrha was standing in the doorway, she looked surprised. Guess she wasn't expecting to see me up here.

"Oh, uh, Hello again." she said, surprised

"Evening Pyrrha."

She stepped out of the door way and let the door close. "I wasn't expecting to see anyone up here."

"Neither was I, figured I'd enjoy dinner."

She approached and got a look at the skillet resting on the ledge. "What is that?"

"Fire… bird fricassee."

"I've… never heard of that before."

"Local specialty from the Mojav."

Her face scrunched a little. "It smells… pungent."

"Eh, didn't get the recipe right. So, what brings you up here Pyrrha?"

"I was… looking to spend some time away from my team."

"That right?" I ask "I figured you all got on well enough it wasn't an issue."

"I-it's not!" Pyrrha stammered "I mean, we do, i-it's just that… things have been… well…"

"…This has to do with Jaune doesn't it?" I sighed

"What?" Pyrrha asked. I couldn't tell but I think her cheeks got a bit flush. Might've been the sun though.

"Jaune, y'know, blonde haired dork who's busy playing manservant to Cardin? Kinda leads your team?"

Pyrrha blinked and the red seemed to fade a little. "… Yes, it does." She answered reluctantly

"Mmm… so?"

"So?"

"So, you gonna tell me what's bothering you?"

"I… I can't." She answered "It's not my place to say."

"Well not talking about it isn't helping."

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

"That does not imply that talking will." She huffed in frustration

"Well, have you tried it?"

"… Yes. We did, and he knows what he's doing."

"You sure about that? Because so far, I'd be under the impression he's pretty far from having a clue."

"He does" Pyrrha said "He doesn't want my help, so he clearly must know best."

"… Not wanting help and knowing best are two mutually exclusive concepts Pyrrha." I sighed

"… I know." She answered, her frustration condensing into crestfallen sadness.

"Does Jaune?"

"I could only wish." Pyrrha said with a small, sad laugh.

"… Alright-" I say, standing "So I can't ask what's wrong, and you either can't or don't want to say. So, let me try something different."

Pyrrha looked at me, now a little confused. "What do you-"

"Ah, ah, ah-" I say, silencing the flame faired huntress. "No questions, only answers. Yes or no will do just fine."

Pyrrha blinked, confused.

"Ok" I start "Are you worried about Jaune?"

Pyrrha blinked again. "…Yes."

"Good, but you can't tell me why?"

"… no." She answered, catching on.

"You're worried that he's in over his head?"

"… Yes."

"You think Cardin did something, but you're not sure?"

"Absolutely." She answered "… er, yes."

"Alright, but whatever he did, you can't tell anyone or bring it up?"

"No." She said angrily

"Which is why we're having a conversation like a couple of three year olds?"

"…heh heh" Pyrrha chuckled "… Yes."

"Alright, now this last one is a big one." I say "You have to be honest, ok?"

"Yes."

"Ok, Do you want me to figure out what's going on and help Jaune?"

"I can't ask-"

"Up- up-" I say, shushing her "You're not asking, you're being offered, right?"

"… Yes." She said, an amused smile on her face.

"Good, now as for the other question?"

"… Yes."

"Alright, glad we got somewhere, would this also make us even for that favor I owe you?"

"Yes." She answered warmly.

"Perfect, I'm glad we could have this talk."

"I am too." Pyrrha chuckled, a relieved smile skirting across her face.

"Mmm… it's a shame about Jaune though." I say, collecting my possessions "Not being able to ask for help can make things difficult."

"It can." Pyrrha agreed, a little sad.

"Hmm, don't worry though." I say, patting her on the shoulder. "I'm sure someone will help him eventually."

…

Though it wasn't a 'quest', I kept my eyes on Jaune and Cardin over the next couple days. Though it may not have been the most straightforward route to handling what was an obvious problem, I'd set myself to it now. Besides, settling outstanding debts meant they couldn't be used for something worse in the future. Though I didn't think Pyrrha Would've ever asked for something too big, assuming she ever decided to cash in to begin with.

The job was simple enough anyway. Figure out what was going on and pass the info along. Kinda like that time I helped Doc Richards at Forlorn Hope.

Except all I did then was sit on a watch tower for a few nights.

With Cardin and Jaune, things were a bit trickier. Given the nature of me and Pyrrha's conversation I couldn't just walk up to Jaune and ask what was wrong. Plus, even if I did, he'd probably lie. Talking to Cardin was also out of the question. I'd sooner slug Cardin than talk to him. So I had to play it quiet and smart, which meant keeping my distance and watching. Given that my current punishment meant I was basically stuck roaming the grounds, I had an excuse to keep my eyes open.

For about five days, I watched them. I did my damnedest to gauge the situation and figure out what was going on. It didn't amount to much, but I at least had some ideas going by then. Given that every chance Jaune could he would mock Cardin behind his back, this wasn't a consensual arrangement. Not surprising, but worth confirming.

Regardless of how Cardin was forcing him though, it was effective. Jaune didn't do anything overtly obscene, at least Cardin never made him. Most of what Cardin had him doing was minor grunt work. Small things that he and his team should've been doing. But Jaune, despite his cautious mockery, followed every request to the letter. It was also obvious that Cardin was a slave driver. The tasks didn't look hard, but Jaune was always doing something.

There was one task that Jaune messed up with. It was a simple one. It was yesterday afternoon in fact. I'd just finished pruning one of the flower bushes when Jaune approached CRDL with a few cups of coffee. Judging by their reaction, he flubbed the order. I couldn't hear what Cardin said but he pulled out his scroll, at least I think it was, and waved it around in front of Jaune. Then Jaune ran and got the order right.

It didn't take a genius to figure out Cardin was blackmailing him.

He wasn't subtle about it either, hell if Pyrrha had seen it she'd probably have done something.

But, for the few days I'd put in, I'd found an objective. If Cardin had something on his scroll that was keeping Jaune on his leash, I needed to find out. It was just a matter of how to go about it. I could try breaking into their room, but I knew that was a bad idea. It brought with it a number of factors that would probably land me in even more hot water. Least of which being I'd have to do it at night, when they and everyone else are around and asleep. Given my luck, I'd wake everyone up and be stuck with Peach for the rest of the time I was here. Pickpocketing him wouldn't work either, there's always someone watching. Assaulting him and taking it would just be stupid, that'd be like begging Goodwitch to us the riding crop on me.

Today marked day five since I started, and I had nothing. The only real notable change about today was that a storm had rolled in, surprising given how overly calm the weather is in this world.

I'd been weighing my options off and on for most of the morning, there wasn't an easy way to get ahold of the thing without getting in trouble. With how close I was to finally being free of my current punishment, I didn't want to throw another one on carelessly.

"- now I know most of you are excited for the Vytal tournament." Goodwitch said, addressing the class.

She was met with cheers and applause. Guess she was right.

"Yes, yes, settle down." She said calmly "But before then, it is important that you understand the underlying themes of the tournament."

A series of holograms appeared in the air behind Goodwitch. The same ones that were displayed back when Yang and me "sparred". Key difference being, there were eight instead of two this time.

"Now, the rules are fairly simple-"

I let Goodwitch fade again as I resumed plotting. Though I didn't get very far when Ruby tapped me on the shoulder.

"Are you excited Six?"

"Uh… what for?"

"The Vytal tournament, duh." She answered

"Yeah" Yang chimed in a little further down. "It's a chance to show off and fight all kinds of people."

"Oh yeah, sounds like a great time."

'It honestly does, but it's not my major concern right now.'

"You might even be able to see some of your friends from Mistral." Ruby added cheerfully

"Yeah, right, because They're going to figure out how to travel from the Mojave to here for a fight."

"The Mojave?" Weiss asked

It took me a moment to register my slip up.

"Er, yeah. Mojav, Mojave, same place just… different names."

My teammates stared at me for a moment, shrugged, and went back to listening to Goodwitch.

Except for Weiss. She continued to stare at me curiously. It'd been about a week and a half since me and Snowflake had our little one sided powwow. She'd gone right back to being her usual self afterwards but she seemed to be… eyeing me now. Don't know why, but I could hazard a guess or two. Without any real evidence though, she might just be confused.

I pushed her to the back of my mind and went back to my problem at hand. There had to be a way to get ahold of Cardin's scroll without just mugging him.

"-nament focuses on mock battles, periods when the only limitation is your opponent's aura gauge and your own prowess." Goodwitch rambled

'… duh, what?'

I looked up at Goodwitch intently. She was still explaining this 'Vytal tournament' which was apparently part of the festival.

"The tournament grounds will consist of randomized biomes." Goodwitch continued "It's the participant's challenge to adapt to the situation and overcome their opponents. While it is illegal to attack your opponents after their aura has been sufficiently depleted, whatever tactics are used to get there are generally authorized." Goodwitch motioned to the surrounding stage the sparring matches were held on. "Though we do not have this current room set to replicate biomes, we may still practice under tournament guidelines. Is there anyone present who's willing to demonstrate?"

A thick arm shot up a few rows back, clad in armor and black cloth. "We'll do it." Cardin sneered

"Very well." Goodwitch responded "Please collect your equipment, is there anyone who would care to volunteer as opposition.

The room stayed quiet. Cardin didn't scare anyone as far as I knew, but his reputation for dickery preceded him. If anyone was having second thoughts, it was because they didn't want to deal with his reprisals later. Though I did notice Nora start to raise her hand before Ren pulled it back down. I could also see Yang getting a cocksure grin on her face.

"… Seeing as no one is willing to volunteer Mr. Winchester, would you please choose-"

"I'll step up." I say, rising from my seat.

CRDL looked at me, three quarters pissed and a quarter condescending. They probably remembered our little showdown in the hall, assuming the brain damage hadn't set in.

"Mr. Six." Goodwitch gave an aggravated sigh "These are by tournament rules, you would need the rest of your team to-"

"You said tournament rules only apply to not killing your opponent. Nothing to do with how many people are willing to fight in the first place."

"That may be true, but your history with team CRDL and current record in the ring make such a fight… unfair."

A small round of giggles went around the room and I could see Cardamom smirking.

'deep breaths, Six.'

"True, but how am I going to improve if I'm not given the chance? Besides, would you prefer I settle any issues with them in the hallway or in the ring? Because I've got no problem breaking a few more windows."

Goodwitch glared at me silently, either seriously considering my words or trying to discern if they were a threat. They were a bit of both honestly, if this plan fell through I was going to have to try a more violent approach.

"We're good with it" Cardin spoke up with a smirk. "It's his funeral and we can do another team once we're done with him."

'I like the enthusiasm Cardin, even with broken bones and missing teeth you'll take on another team. Impressive.'

"Besides, it'd be unfair if my entire team fought, it's five on four then."

"Four on one is hardly fair odds Mr. Six."

"Don't worry, they're more even than you think."

Goodwitch looked impassively at me, then back to CRDL. Might've been a trick of the light, but I could've sworn there was something hesitant about her.

"Very well, you may proceed to the locker room." She spoke at last

I gave one last look at my teammates, who gave me encouraging looks. Whether because they thought I was going to get my ass handed to me or they genuinely believed I'd win, I'd no clue. But I didn't need to win for any more reason than my pride, I had a plan.

But to follow through with it I was going to have to treat this as more than a sparring match. As my last match had painfully taught me, people here weren't afraid to shoot each other during practice. Though I'm still above the idea that shooting each other in the face is acceptable sparring behavior, that didn't apply to other areas. I stripped out of my uniform and back into my parkstroller clothes. My 10mm Pistol was the first thing I grabbed, putting it on my right hip. Then my cattle prod on my left. I slipped a flashbang into my shirt pocket and contemplated my boxing tape and knuckles. I chose to forego, the tape would take a bit to apply properly and the knuckles stood the chance of being a hindrance.

'I'll use you two someday, I promise.'

With my gear appropriated, I shut my locker and returned to the ring. Cardin and his boys trotted out not long after. They had some weird weapons. Trash had some stumpy looking knives with cylinders on them. Dope had a sword with some bits from a revolver mashed into them. Lake had a long stick with an axe head at the end. Cardemom had it the worst, he had a hollow headed mace. Without the structural support, the tines probably bent often.

Worse, these guys designed them this way.

We all got up on the stage and readied ourselves. I checked the mag and chamber on my pistol and the energy cell in my cattle prod. I was set, and it looked like they were too.

"Now remember-" Goodwitch spoke "The combat ends when either side is incapable of continuing. If your aura drops into the red or you leave the ring for any reason, you will be eliminated. Any questions?"

"Just one." I say "Anything goes as long as we don't kill each other, right?"

"That is correct. Though I must ask you to refrain from maiming each other as well."

"tsk. Take all the fun out of it why don't you."

"Are you ready?" Goodwitch asked both sides

They hollered in agreement.

I gave a curt nod.

"Very well, you may now… Begin!"

I drew my pistol, racked the slide, and dove into VATs. Time seemed to stop as I chose my target. It'd have been easy to shoot them, child's play even. But this was a sparring match, and I was feeling creative. I raised my gun to the ceiling and emptied my clip into the lights. The storm outside helped to drown the room in darkness as Glass rained down from overhead. I only hit the ones over the ring, but it was enough. Shadows engulfed me and a surprised CRDL.

"Lights Out." I growled as menacingly as I could.

"Mister Six!" Goodwitch shouted angrily

I didn't answer, I dipped into stealth mode and disappeared.

…

Though the Courier had destroyed many of the lights that hung over the sparring ring, there were a few he'd left untouched. Most of which stretched from further back in the room. Though for his purposes, the shade afforded for him was sufficient.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked, squinting into the darkness "I can't see what he's doing."

"He shot the lights." Yang groaned "No fair, I wanted to see what he was going to do."

Similar things were echoed by the students present. None were happy to be stuck in the dark.

"Calm yourselves students." Good witch spoke in frustration "The backup lights will engage in a minute or two."

"Aw, what's the matter?" Cardin shouted "Afraid we're going to get too rough?"

The figures of team CRDL could just barely be made out, walking towards the center of the ring. The darkness keeping the entire exchange wrapped in a murky shroud.

"What is he doing?" Weiss mumbled "This isn't how a tournament match goes."

"Well he did ask if there were any other rules." Blake said, staring into the darkness. "This at least adds a challenge to it I guess."

"Yea, but I wanted to see him fight. It's no fun staring into the dark." Yang whined

"The lights will be on soon anyway" Ruby said "do you guys see anything?"

"Nope" Yang reiterated

"Nothing" Weiss added

"No" Blake lied

Unlike her teammates, Blake's true nature afforded her certain advantages that her companions would envy at that moment. While the darkness was a shroud to everyone else, to her it was little more than a Gaussian veil. Though far from clear, she could see the participants on the stage. She watched as Cardin and his team pressed slowly forward, probing in the darkness for her teammate. Their weapons were drawn and poised to strike the moment they made contact.

Her teammate, on the other hand, was crouched down and moving forward cautiously. His movements made noise so soft it was lost amongst the chatter and footsteps of his opponents. Even with her heightened vision though, there were points where the courier seemed to blend into the shadows. Disappearing entirely for brief stretches before reappearing elsewhere. He moved amongst Cardin's group entirely undetected and lingered there for a moment.

Blake could tell he was doing something, but what, she was not sure.

The last she saw of him, he'd left the group and was near the outer most edge of the ring. He hovered there for but a moment, then disappeared from view entirely.

"… Come out already you chicken!" Cardin shouted in annoyance. He paced the darkened ring like an angered predator chasing its pray.

"Calm yourself Mr. Winchester." Goodwitch said "The lights will be on momentarily and I must ask you to refrain from-"

Goodwitch was cut off as a single light sprang up from the floor near the edge of the ring. It was accompanied by the sounds of Bass, drums, bells, and a choir. Leading them all was a single voice.

"HOOOOOoooooooooOOOOO… Dream of anything! I'll make it all come true!" The voice sang "Everything you need, is all I have for you!"

Ruby recognized the song immediately, though she refrained from blurting it out in the middle of class.

"Ha!" Cardin laughed "The idiot dropped his scroll!"

"… uh, Cardin" Thrush said "He didn't have a scroll."

Cardin fell silent as he and his teammates fixated on the light that sprang from the floor. They were drawn to it by the music, though they kept a distance.

"… Russ" Cardin growled "Go take a look."

"Y-yes" Russ responded

The song carried into the Chorus as Russ carefully approached the source of the light. Once upon it, he knelt down and seized it in his hands. He rose with a small, glassy rectangle projecting light upon him and illuminating the space beyond.

"Whenever you need a friend! I'm never far behind!" The song continued

"… Cardin" Thrush said in surprise "It's your scr-"

"Look out!"

Before Thrush could react, things escalated. From the darkness sprang the courier, the lenses of his mask flaring red as he grappled Thrush. Not expecting the attack, Thrush found himself inadequate to react, dropping his daggers and the scroll as he and the Courier fought in the shade.

"Russ!" Dove shouted, drawing his weapon. It quickly collapsed into its firearm mode and shots rang out as Dove fired blindly. The darkness shrank momentarily around Dove as the muzzle flash illuminated him and his teammates. Lark aimed to join him but failed to. Before Lark even readied his weapon, a strangled and bloodcurdling scream cut through the shade. It was accompanied by the beep of the overhead monitors registering a new fact. Thrush had been eliminated.

"Don't you worry about the dark" The song continued, almost mockingly "I will light up the night with the love in my heart. I will burn like the sun and keep you safe and warm."

"Russ!" Cardin called "… alright, scrolls out guys!"

Dove and Lark pulled their scrolls out and proceeded to use them as flashlights. Their leader reached for his own, only to realize it missing. Only a moment later did he realize where it was. Though rather than retrieve it, he instead moved between his teammates. Allowing them to probe slowly through the darkness. A few tense moments passed, the only noise coming from the scroll on the floor.

"I don't seem him Cardin." Lark said "I don't have a clue where he's hiding."

"Keep looking" Cardin growled "He's here somewhere."

"When the days turn Dark!" The song continued "-And we start to fall! I will pick you up and we will fix it all!"

"Can someone turn that thing off!" Cardin hissed

"Forget the song Cardin-" Lark started

Lightning flashed through the over head windows, scattering a pale white light across the room for only a moment. For the briefest of moments, the room of clear.

The courier was standing between Cardin and Lark.

"Found you!" Cardin shouted, pushing back his surprise

Cardin swung his mace at full force, he felt it collide with someone and reeled back for another swing.

"Ow! Cardin what the he-"

Before Lark could finish, the Courier's mask lit up once more and Lark was dragged into the shadows. Screaming in pain all the way. Through it a faint, almost menacing, crackling could be heard. A moment later, Lark was eliminated.

Cardin Carefully began to back up towards Dove. His team cut in half in the span of a minute.

"You think this is funny!?" Cardin roared "As soon as the lights come back on I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Watch your language Mr. Winchester." Goodwitch spoke from outside the ring.

"You Got'em Six!" Ruby shouted from the peanut gallery.

Blake continued to watch the darkness. She kept losing and finding the courier at near random intervals. She found it both impressive and scary how… efficient he was at it. Almost as though he'd practiced fighting outnumbered or in the dark.

She saw him again now, standing towards the back of the ring. His gasmask darkened as we waited silently. She couldn't help but wonder what he was doing.

"don't worry, I've got you." The song rolled on "-nothing will ever harm you. I'm close by, I'll stay here, through all things, I will be near."

"Come out!" Cardin roared

"Close your eyes. Don't you cry, love's around you, in time you'll fly!"

Through the darkness, Blake watched as the courier pulled a canister from the front of his shirt. With a nearly inaudible *click*, the courier pulled a pin from the object and threw it at Cardin and Dove's feet.

With only a moment to realize what it was, Blake closed her eyes and covered her visible ears.

"What the f-"

With a deafening burst of light and sound, the concussion grenade exploded. Blinding Dove and Cardin, while disorienting the unprepared. Which amounted to all, save for Blake and Goodwitch.

Cardin roared in pain and swung blindly. Missing the Courier completely as he flew past him and tackled Dove. With a series of punches, the flick of a cattle prod, and Dove's screams of pain, The Courier dispatched the boy. Only stopping once he was tossed from the ring.

With a click, the secondary lights finally engaged, dyeing the room with its softer lighting. The recovering students rubbed the spots from their vision as the Courier re-oriented himself with a recovering Cardin.

"With the touch of a hand, I'll turn your life to gold!" The song finished.

"… So, Cardin." The Courier asked "The lights are on, you want to keep going?"

…

To be fair, I didn't even pick that song. I just turned on whatever music was on the thing and ditched it.

Cardin stumbled a bit, trying to readjust to the world now that the grenade was wearing off. His teammates were all in a heap in front of the ring. Fastest way to deal with them was tazing them and chucking them out of the ring. They'd be fine, a few thousand volts to the base of the skull never killed anyone.

… Well, it did, just not recently.

Cardin finished rubbing his eyes and balanced on his Mace, blinking hard as the world probably came into focus. Soon as he stopped, he took notice of me and started glaring.

"You coward!" He growled "You couldn't take us in a fair fight, so you cheated."

"Coward? Cheat?" I parroted "Pardon my fren-, uh, sanusian, but fuck you Cardin."

"Mr. Six!" Goodwitch shouted "Watch your language. You're on thin ice right now."

"I'm on thin ice? These chuckleheads jump me in the bathroom while I've got a concussion and I'm the bad guy for fighting smart? In a match where you said 'anything goes, just don't kill them'?"

"Within reason!" Goodwitch answered sternly

"How's what I did unreasonable? Turning the lights off was the closest we could've gotten to 'shifting environments'. If anything, I made it even more official."

"Let's disagree on that." Goodwitch answered with a scowl.

"Whatever, you want me out of the ring? Or do you want me to keep going?"

"… You are free to do as you wish, Courier Six. Just step out of the ring if you wish to quit."

"…"

I hesitated for a moment. My pride demanded I stay and wallop Cardin, a not impossible but effort demanding task. But my brain said just take the loss and walk, I had what I needed anyway. I didn't stand to gain anything from keeping the fight going.

"… Yea, I'll call it quits."

Goodwitch looked surprised as I started towards the edge of the ring. The students present started booing, vultures that they were. Though Nora seemed to be doing it too.

"Aw, C'mon Six!" Ruby shouted

"Yea! Kick his butt!" Yang shouted

'Sorry girls, really not feelin'-'

"What's the matter courier?" Cardin shouted "Afraid to fight me when I can see you?"

I stopped at the edge of the ring. The jeers from the crowd faded as Cardin gained my undivided focus. A pang of anger shot through me.

"Excuse me?" I asked, taking a small step back from the edge

"You heard me!" Cardin sneered now "What, you don't want to fight if you can't cheat, courier?"

I took a sharp breath.

'… well… look who just earned some effort.'

"On second thought Goodwitch." I said turning around "I think I'll go four for four instead."

The Jeers turned around as the vultures got their meal.

Cardin stood tall, having recovered from his brush with humility. Mace in both hands, stance wide and stable, and the fire of anger in his eyes.

Pity that Humility was coming back around at the speed of sound.

"I'm gonna take your head off." Cardin growled with a nasty grin "Then I'll-"

I closed the gap in a blink and punched Cardin in the throat as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards a few feet and coughed, grabbing his throat in surprise. Whatever made these people sturdy meant I didn't crush his wind pipe. But he knew I wasn't fucking around now.

"One shot, brat." I growled "fight."

The surprise faded from Cardin's eyes as anger took hold again. He gripped his mace and took a wide swing at me. I stepped back as he regained his footing. He thrust with it and followed through with trying to grab me. I sidestepped them both before taking a small jab at the side of his head. Not enough to hurt, just to annoy. Cardin recoiled slightly, then tried to stub me with the handle of his mace. He missed again. I wasn't going to stand still.

He gripped the mace again and began sideswiping as hard as he could. I backpedaled, keeping an eye on my surroundings so I didn't trip out of the ring. Cardin dipped his mace down and tried to hit me with an upward swing. One that was telegraphed from a mile away and dodged just as easy. I flicker jabbed his shoulder, chest, and chin every time he left an opening. Ratcheting up how annoyed he was every chance I got.

The vultures were loving it.

"Hit him harder!" Yang shouted "Come on Six!"

If Cardin had one major hole in how he fought, and he had several, it was that he was slow. Every strike he threw was wide and big, like he was putting the full force of his frame behind every hit. If I was an idiot like him, maybe I'd fight that way too. But I wasn't, so I didn't.

Cardin brought the mace down in an Axe swing. This time, I stepped in close and clapped both hands against his ears. He recoiled and shook his head.

"That's it!" He roared

Cardin gripped the mace's handle and pulled a massive overhead swing. This time, when it missed, it buried itself into the ring. I was ready for it too. I stepped onto the handle of the Mace and punched Cardin in the nose with a cross.

He released his grip on the mace and backpedaled. Trying to put some distance between me and him. By the time he recovered, he realized his mistake.

"Oh how the tables have turned" I smirk, tossing his mace out of the ring. "It's quite shocking, really."

I pulled out the cattle prod and cranked it to max settings. Cardin bared his teeth and charged me. He brought an overhand punch down on me and met the air. I dipped to his side and jammed the prod into his abdomen. The effect was immediate and he howled in pain. I pulled back and he slumped slightly, but stayed on his feet.

I fixed that by kicking his leg out from under him.

He fell like a log and struggled to push himself up. I gave him another small poke with the prod and he hit the deck again. I could hear him growling as he tried to will himself up. I took a few steps back and let him.

"Aw, what's the matter Cardin, I thought we were having fun?" I asked sincerely

Cardin glared at me as he stumbled to his feet, the wind quickly returning to his sails. Though the shocks were taking their toll.

'Give him credit, he's at least dumb enough not to stay down'

"Fight me without it." Cardin half growled, half slurred

"… You know, I could." I answer, seeming to think about it

He lunged at me the moment it looked like I stopped focusing on the fight. He tried to grab me. I dropped the cattle prod and replaced it with an upper cut. It connected with Cardin's chin and his momentum reversed.

"Y'know what? I think I will."

Cardin hit the floor on his back. He rolled and got to his knees, then stumbled. Not too many people can take an uppercut to the chin and walk it off. I probably shook his brain a bit. He began to try and force himself up again, but I stopped that with a punch between the eyes. He toppled back to the floor.

For a moment he laid there, panting and groaning. Then he tried to get up again. I didn't stop him.

He was on his feet and struggling to balance. I was ready to take his teeth out. But it was at that point I decided enough was enough.

I picked my Cattle prod back up, set it to low, and tapped Cardin on the head with it. He was out like a light.

The vultures cheered as I put my weapons back and walked off stage. As I passed Goodwitch, she gave me a less than friendly look.

"If you're not happy, you could've stopped it." I told her as I passed "I'd have stopped at the word."

I returned to my team and sat on the bench. Ruby playfully punched me on the arm.

"Nice job Six." She said with a smile

"Ah, wasn't much." I say "He just got me riled."

"Hope you put up a fight like that next time we spar." Yang beamed "You've got some moves."

"Yeah, I- uh… kinda went overboard." I answered

"It was a bit extreme" Blake said "Though shooting the lights was unexpected."

"I was playing it smart. If he hadn't called me Courier I'd have walked off without issue."

"Yea, what was that about?" Yang asked "You were leaving then turned around, do you not like being called-"

"No. No I don't. I may be stuck with the name, but I don't appreciate it. Honestly it never ends well when I am called by it."

"… Why?" Weiss asked "It's just a name"

"… I have my reasons." I sighed "Long standing reasons I don't want to go into."

"Well… you still did a good job Six" Ruby smiled

"Thanks, tiny" I smirked "Though If he got me mad enough, I'd probably have made sure he lived out the tale of the Burned Man personally."

"Tale of the what?"

I blinked. "… Just a tale from the Mojav, er… Mojave."

…

Goodwitch let us out not long after. The fight hadn't been long, but we'd done enough damage to the room for her to let us go. That'd been part of the plan anyway, do something a little overboard to distract from what I was doing. No one really noticed that I stole Cardin's scroll for a bit once I blew out the lights. I'd also taken the liberty of copying down everything on it and was now sifting through the data on my pip-boy. I'd finished with the club as fast as I could and went to my Garden. It was private enough that I didn't need to worry about being interrupted. Plus the storm had passed.

Most of what my Pip-boy downloaded was garbage anyway. Files it couldn't display, or text about Mace wax or some ad for jock itch cream. I deleted whatever I couldn't use. If I'd been smart I'd have deleted everything off of his scroll too, but I didn't want to push my luck. They might overlook it being on the floor, but they'd notice if it was wiped clean. Destroying it would have been a dick move, but I'd have done it as a last resort.

I deleted the last of the junk data and arrived at a small cluster of audio files. Most of them were labeled with stings of letters and what I assumed were timestamps. The only one that caught my eye immediately was labeled 'Punching Bag's Confession'.

'Bingo'

Curious, I pressed play to see what dirt Cardin had on Jaune. With a beep, the recording played back.

"Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now-" Jaune's voice sprang from the recording "But I'm not that depressed. I could always be a farmer or something."

'… ok, seems normal so far.'

"N-no!" Pyrrha suddenly shouted, there was the sound of pushing "T-that's not why I brought you up here! Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class… and that you're still not the strongest of fighters…"

'Great pep-talk Pyrrha, what every guy wants to hear.'

"So… I want to help you!" Pyrrha finished, sounding strangely enthusiastic

"…W-what?" Jaune asked, sounding like a meek child

"We can train up here, after class when no one can bother us!" Pyrrha said excitedly

"… You… think I need help?"

'Boy, you need more help than all the NCR.'

"N-no, that not what I meant!" Pyrrha verbally backpedaled

"But… you just said it."

"… Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to beacon, that speaks volumes of what you're capable of!"

"… You're wrong." Jaune sighed "I- I don't belong here."

"That's a terrible thing to say, of course you do!"

"No I don'!" Jaune snapped "… I wasn't really accepted into Beacon."

Silence filled the air for a moment

"Wh-what do you mean?" Pyrrha asked, confused

"I mean, I didn't go to combat school! I didn't pass any tests! I didn't earn my spot at this academy! I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied."

'… oh crap.'

"What?" Pyrrha asked "But, why?"

"'Cause this is what I've always wanted to be! My father, My grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes!... I wanted to be one too… I was just never good enough."

"Then let me help you-"

"I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!"

"Jaune, I-"

"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while all of his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand!? If I can't do this on my own… then what good am I?"

A long silence followed.

"Just… leave me alone, ok?" Jaune finally said

"… if… that's what you think is best." Pyrrha said sadly.

Things went quiet for a moment longer, then another voice broke it.

"Hehe, holy shit." Cardin snickered "This is gonna be fun."

The recording cut out and I was left with the knowledge it provided. I sat for a moment, just letting it sink in.

'… damn it Jaune, the fuck were you thinking?'

I rubbed my mask, unable to reach my face. Things were making sense, again. Now I knew how Cardin was getting Jaune to play servant. I regretted not destroying the Scroll, like I thought I would. Odds were I wasn't going to get another shot any time soon. Cardin wasn't shy about having an arm up on Jaune either. He was tame now, but what would it take for him to start making Jaune do more damaging things. Would Jaune play along? If he did, things would only escalate. It wouldn't end well for Jaune, regardless of what he did.

I stared at my pip-boy, annoyed at my own failure and current impotence.

'… I can return to Pyrrha now. I've done the job, got everything she asked for… but if Jaune's still in trouble. What good is it then?'

I sighed and surveyed the garden, everything was growing in nicely now. The storm having left it no worse for wear. I briefly pondered, these plants didn't deserve to be here either. Most of them shouldn't be. This place wasn't like the Mojave, they didn't have to struggle here. Yet they were… and they were doing fine.

"… Screw it, I don't leave favors half done."

I turned and started back to the dorms. I needed a plan.