(A/N): Unforeseen complications has delayed progress for this next chapter. As such, here's a brief peak of what I've got available until things ameliorate on my end.

I'm also looking for a beta reader for this story. Someone who knows their way around Fallout and RWBY characters/lore that I can bounce ideas off of, maybe someone who can help proofread drafts for grammatical errors, and the like. If you think you can lend a hand, feel free to send a PM. Regardless, hope you're enjoying the story!

X

Ozpin was well acquainted with death's sweet embrace. Whenever he dies, he sees no light or feels any weight. There is only darkness, emptiness. He drifts along an endless void with no sense of purpose or direction. Any contentment or misery he was experiencing prior to dying disappears. All he is left with is a numbness, an absence of feeling. Being conscious of his lack of feeling is what generally kept him somewhat alert and aware in the void until the light returns as he reawakens in a new body.

At the moment, Ozpin felt no numbness. He could feel aches and unnatural burns all over his body. His back was against a grassy floor splattered with rocky and wooden debris as someone dragged him onward by the leg. A booming voice was speaking in a clipped, curt tone. Though his eyes felt as if they were glued shut, Ozpin eventually managed to force them open.

A large, tall man in basic White Fang foot soldier attire had his fist clamped around Ozpin's ankle. Ozpin felt his beaten, battered body move on its own, and the soldier was suddenly on the ground and nursing a broken arm. Ozpin was on his feet. His blurry eyes could see dozens more White Fang members surrounding him. The assorted ruins of fallen tents and carnival stands scattered about told Ozpin that he was in the Beacon fairgrounds. While his Aura felt as depleted as ever, instincts drove him to dash through the surrounding crowd to get lost in the tree line.

Ozpin barely made a few steps when he was tackled from behind. Before Ozpin could attempt to throw off his assailant, he felt a syringe pierce the side of his neck. A fluid entered Ozpin's bloodstream. He felt his fingers and toes twitch slightly. Then, without warning, he dropped like a sack of bricks.

Now, Ozpin felt numbness making its appearance. Not the dying and reincarnating kind of numbness, at least. He was still able to discern sights, sounds, and was able to feel the motions of air inhaling and exhaling through his lungs. Otherwise, however, Ozpin was completely immobile.

A scowling Adam Taurus came into Ozpin's view. Ozpin felt his lips move, but he could not find his voice. Taurus scoffed distastefully.

Someone outside Ozpin's line of sight spoke up. "Give it ten more minutes," said Torchwick's voice. "Neo will be here. Don't worry."

"She has five minutes," Taurus said firmly, never taking his masked eyes off Ozpin. "We wait any longer than necessary, the Huntsmen will have a better chance of reorganizing and cornering us."

"Like I said, don't you worry. She'll be here. Oh, is the Headmaster awake? Did he break Peary's arm?"

"Yes, he did." Taurus unsheathed his blade. He held the sharp edge near Ozpin's ear. Not enough to draw blood, but close enough to make Ozpin worry that he was going to either bloodily become deaf in one ear or be unceremoniously decapitated. "Rather uncivilized for an esteemed Huntsman Academy Headmaster. Wouldn't you say?"

Ozpin was still incapable of responding. Holding his blade steady, Taurus kneeled so that Ozpin could better hear his quiet but hostile whispers. "You're more than just another human huntsman, though. Isn't that right? You were also the Warrior King, the Founder of Mantle, the Anima Pioneer, and even the Wizard from the Story of the Seasons."

Either Cinder Fall wanted her underlings to be quite familiar with Ozpin's past lives, or the Remnant's historians who were working with the Legion were more than thorough in their research in Ozpin's prior incarnations. Perhaps it was a combination of both.

"All of those lives you've lived," Taurus continued, "always having known and personally experienced the true history of Remnant..." The Faunus trailed off, giving a humorless laugh. "And you hide it all away. You keep humanity and Faunus-kind ignorant and clueless to magic, to the azure lights, to Salem."

In the back of Ozpin's mind, he reminded himself to look into the term "azure lights" – they had something to do with teleportation, so that was a start – assuming Ozpin lived long enough to try.

"Why keep it all a secret?" Taurus questioned. "Why play your games with the cabals and conspiracies and hidden vaults? You have the relics and most of the Maidens on your side. Huntsmen are ultimately loyal to the Academies, and you control the Academies. Use them. Unite the Kingdoms, and Salem will have to face the wrath of all of Remnant."

If only Taurus knew. Ozpin has already attempted as Taurus proposed once before, organizing the predecessors of Remnant's current Kingdoms on an assault specifically against Salem. Stubborn grudges, mortal selfishness, a terrible drought and famine, and Salem's coordinated preemptive strikes with her Grimm shattered the alliance before an attack could be carried out.

Ozpin had learned his lesson long ago. Even without the panic and hysteria that would spread on the cultural level if Ozpin revealed the truth, building a large, obvious army specifically meant to do battle with Salem would do more harm than good. Let the Kingdoms and their freelance huntsman do as they wish within their own borders and in their own efforts against Grimm. Strategic deployment of a few trusted, talented individuals has yielded far greater successes in his campaigns against Salem's own loyal followers.

With his weakened and paralyzed body, Ozpin could not voice his reasoning. So, Taurus continued his uninformed rant. "You could have ended the discrimination against Faunus decades ago," Taurus hissed. "Grimm have been the bane of Remnant's existence for centuries, but people have grown too complacent to them. We no longer fear Grimm as we used to. Then, in their imperturbable complacency, humans rewrote history and painted Faunus as a disposable outlet for them to freely enslave, abuse, and toy with."

Taurus rapped a finger against the side of his Grimm mask. "You could have shown humanity the larger, tangible threat at hand. Grimm keep everyone locked and isolated in their Kingdoms and in poorly defended villages. Tell them about Salem, and the power of magic you have at your disposal. Bring a return to the Grimm Crusades. Keeping Faunus second-class citizens won't matter in comparison to the potential extinction of Grimm."

Ozpin had played instrumental roles in the first and fourth generations of the Grimm Crusades, and had personally led the second, third, and fifth. Overall, they were failed endeavors. Ozpin had no desire to revisit failure in a sixth Crusade. Even without Salem's direct manipulation of her children, Grimm were formidable adversaries. There were reasons why the original crusades failed, and why the people of Remnant retreated into the walls of their Kingdoms.

The extinction of Grimm cannot be achieved so long as Salem still lives. It was as simple as that.

"In fact, Faunus would be applauded as heroes and saviors for their intrinsic superiority to human genetics and –"

Ah, and so Taurus' true nature now begins to reveal itself. Despite all his bombastic, pompous posturing, all Taurus truly cared for was the raising Faunus-kind above humanity, and preferably at the cost of humanity's welfare, too. In many ways, Taurus and the White Fang were no better than the prejudiced humans who looked down upon their kind.

"– but you've lost your chance," Taurus was saying. "Remnant now belongs to the Legion. They will succeed where you have failed so miserably countless times before. Your huntsmen and Maidens mean nothing now. The Legion of Steel will destroy the Grimm. Salem is living on borrowed time. After millennia of fighting, Remnant will begin again, and humans and Faunus alike will finally know true unabated peace and prosperity."

Taurus retracted his blade and raised himself to his feet. He nodded at something behind Ozpin. Taurus pressed his fingers against his scroll and a bracelet – the same kind of bracelet Ulysses had worn. Blue lightning bolts began to flash all around them.

Finally, Ozpin found his voice. Perhaps he should say something dramatic. With a sandy, gritty tone, he croaked out, "The Legion will enslave us all." The Courier had said the Legion of Steel was adept at indoctrinating and assimilating other groups into their ranks. The White Fang must be no exception.

Taurus smirked down at Ozpin. "We're all slaves to something, Headmaster. I have the benefit of choosing who I serve. I chose the Legion. You will, too, soon enough."

The azure lights flickered and blinded Ozpin, and then they were gone.