Coco gritted her teeth. “I always say what I mean,” she said. “Sure. Thanks. But what are you doing here? Did Rumpole send you?”

“Well, that’s a bit of a story,” Fox said to the group of eight.

He caught them up on what had been going down since they’d left Shade Academy.

That last update—about Velvet and the Mirage—was what Coco cared most about. “We have to get to the Mirage. Carmine was heading there, too.”

“Not so fast,” Fox said. “Yatsuhashi and Neptune can handle it. But Rumpole said the Crown has another base out here in the Wastelands, so here we are.”

“How do we even find it?” Nolan asked.

“I can detect a large group of people nearby,” Fox said.

“What?” Reese folded her arms. “You can do what now? In addition to the …” She waved her hand around. “Head-talky thing?”

Fox shrugged. “It’s an Aura thing. I can sense it, even distinguish one person from another if I know them well enough.”

“So is it another settlement nearby?” Sage asked, worried.

“Not exactly,” Fox said. He stomped his foot and took a deep breath. “Actually, they’re beneath us.”

“Seriously?” Coco tossed up her hand. “I know how this goes.”

“I’ve noticed that there’s a strong CCT signal here, too,” Olive said. She held up her Scroll. “But it’s encrypted, which is why we couldn’t call for help.”

“Backup,” Coco corrected her.

Olive rolled her eyes. “Whatever. It’s strongest right here, where we’re standing.”

Octavia looked up at the mining rig looming over their heads. “So you think this is some kind of pirate CCT tower? Aren’t you a smartie?”

Olive blushed.

- RWBY: Before the Dawn, Chapter 13