A week had passed by and Walker stood in front of Blake and Jaune with his arms crossed. He stared at them as they ran through his workout schedule, the Jaune was on his hands and knees while Blake was planted on her butt. A sharp whistle was heard from his helmet and they struggled to get back up, eventually managing to stand on their feet after several seconds. Another sharp whistle was heard and he watched them run through the obstacle course he made from various objects.

"Get up, Arc!" He snapped, watching the boy flinch in the distance before slowly catching up to Blake. Both of them faltered several times, only to quickly recover when he snapped at them. His tone was harsh and it scared them how quick he could change from his usual self to a drill sergeant that would put Atlas to shame. He didn't allow either of them to walk when they ran, a slight jog was pushing it but a walk was never accepted.

After another hour he gave a long whistle and the other two collapsed on the ground, breathing harshly. The sun blinded them before Walker's figure blocked it from their view as he stood over them. He already exercised; he would wake up three hours before them and exercise for two and a half, possibly three. His exercises were always to keep his stamina levels up and his strength, but he also practiced the Octus Canon and Austere Canon as well.

"Get up, we still need to practice our mental exercises." He ordered. They nodded shakily and got up with pained groans and followed him to the large house at the edge of the street. He opened the door and Jaune closed it after entering last before the two of them sat in the living room. The coffee table was pushed to the side and they bent down onto their knees and kept their heads down.

"What is the stuff if it isn't Dust?" Jaune asked.

"That's for later, now shut up." Walker ordered before walking in front of them, pacing back and forth while looking at them.

"..." Blake's ears flicked when she heard him stretch a bit and pop his back.

"What concepts will you practice?" He asked.

"Order, Diligence, Purity, Labor, Honor, Loyalty, Faith, and Humility." Both of them said.

"Why do I teach these things?" He asked, continuing to pace back and forth.

"So we will never forget them and live by them." They answered.

"Why do you serve underneath me?" He asked.

"To serve and protect the people behind us." They answered.

"What will you do if there is a threat?" He asked.

"Destroy them." They answered.

"What concepts will you practice?" He asked again. They answered him with the same answer. Each question he repeated, they would answer it with almost perfect execution and confidence. They didn't know it, but their mental fortitude was slowly being reinforced. It was what he wanted from them, and expected nothing less. Having a solid mental fortitude was the key to being a good Gear in his opinion. To make the toughest decisions and finding the will to keep going.

There were indents in the carpet the longer he paced, and their knees were sore from the current position they were crouched in, but they never said a word. Half an hour passed by and he eventually let them go, deciding it was enough for today. Jaune decided to let his muscles relax a bit and cook something to eat while Blake sat on the couch and read a book. Walker just sat on the ground in front of her and tinkered with Hal like he always did.

It was quiet for the next half an hour and they felt relaxed. The silence was ruined when Brock slammed his shoulder into the door and pointed at Walker.

"You beefy bastard, I figured it out." He said.

"Oh yeah?" Walker raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I have to say, this shit certainly kicks harder than a mule. Now come on." The older man waddled out of the house.

"I'll be right back." Walker sighed before gesturing for the other two to relax. He grunted as he stood up and followed the gunsmith out of the house and towards his shop. They walked for a couple of minutes until they reached the workshop and Brock leaned against the table between them. He put a clothed box on it and pushed it towards Walker.

"Go on, take a look." He gestured. Walker looked at him before unwrapping the box and opening it, seeing countless rounds inside of it. He smiled at the sight of them and looked at one of them, inspecting it between his fingers. It felt different though, in a good way.

"I have to admit, it took me a while to figure out what the hell this was. Shit was hard to make but it packs more of a punch than any Dust round." Brock said.

"It feels different than the rounds I have." Walker said, turning to the shorter man.

"Well, experimenting with these special rounds a bit. I put concentrated Dust in it so it-" Brock made an explosion gesture with his hands.

"Explode once they penetrate the target." Walker nodded.

"Well what do you know, you're not just a muscle head. You got some brains up in the that skull of yours." Brock pointed.

"It certainly helps. So what do you say about this partnership?" Walker asked.

"I think it'd be interesting. So long as I get paid and can keep making ammunition." Brock said.

"I'm not just thinking about ammunition. I'm thinking weapons as well." Walker said.

"What kind of weapons?" Brock looked up at him.

"Weapons that blow away the competition. None of that transforming shit. I'm talking about weapons that can be made easily enough to where we can always make another with enough supplies." Walker said.

"The more you talk, the more I can see you're serious about this whole business." Brock commented.

"Can't do it alone. As prideful as I am sometimes, even I can tell when I can't do something. That's why I need people who know their shit." Walker answered truthfully.

"You know, you're the first person I've come across that has said that. Other lying sacks of shit have boasted how they don't need me and they have people better than me. Ha!" Brock laughed.

"You want in or not?" Walker asked the million dollar question.

"Oh what the hell. What do I have to lose?" Brock shrugged.

"I don't know, but I need your help with making a weapon. Something for beginners before they move up. It's one of the designs I have in mind." Walker said.

"Well, Mr. golden brain... show me what it is." Brock gestured.

"With pleasure." Walker nodded then went behind the table and started to sketch a weapon. His drawing ability wasn't artist level, but Brock did see what he was making and nodded at the unique design of the Retro Lancer. So Walker would try to sketch from the weapons he encountered during the war while Brock would work out the inner workings with his help. He'd start off small with what little materials they had, eventually he'd start expanding more and more.

"Your drawing sucks ass sometimes." Brock insulted.

"Fuck off, you crusty dwarf." Walker insulted back.

Three weeks passed by and Walker continued to train Blake and Jaune. The two slowly got the hang of his workout schedule and they did a few jobs to pull in some more money. Richard did enjoy them coming by and seeing him and Katrina along with their son. More jobs started to come to them and that meant more income for them. Richard had recommended the three of them to another driver. It didn't take much to impress her and she said she'd hire them again if they were in town.

Brock continued to work on their weapons and he finally finished with the Retro Lancers. He presented them to Blake and Jaune in a weapon's case. They looked at the heavy looking assault rifle with curiosity and picked it up, trying to adjust to its weight. Both of them followed him to the firing range and saw Walker already there with a couple targets set up.

He showed them the proper way to fire the Mark 1 and reload it before standing to the side. Their shots were erratic, spreading out in several directions, but still hitting the target nonetheless. He had them do it again, letting them slowly ease their ways into getting a feel for their new weapons. After a while, seeing that they had a feel for it, but still didn't meet his expectations; he then decided to show them a different way. He had them fire in short, controlled bursts.

It was working better, but he still wasn't satisfied.

"Results are better, but not good enough. Do it again." He ordered.

"We've been out here for a while though." Blake said.

"Do... it... again." He ordered. His tone started to turn more aggressive and she backed up a bit before nodding. Jaune didn't even try to object and gulped when Walker looked at him. Both of them got in position and raised their rifles when he set the targets up, firing in bursts when he whistled loudly. Their shots were better, almost hitting a perfect score. It seemed intimidation worked somewhat, but he wasn't going to go off of that all the time. He wanted them better, not to resent him.

When they finally stopped exercising, both of them saw their marksmanship slightly improved. They looked over to him and saw him nod while Brock looked slightly proud of his work.

"It's got a hell of a recoil, I'll see if I can't do something about that." Brock said as he snatched the weapons out of their hands.

"Not yet. I need them as is so that they can get used to it." Walker shook his head.

"Alright, if you say so. How'd it feel?" Brock asked.

"It felt kind of heavy." Jaune answered.

"I have to agree. It felt powerful, just a little heavy, but not enough to really slow me down." Blake admitted.

"Get used to it because you'll be using it for a while." Walker said. Both of them nodded before snapping to attention when he had them fix their bayonets onto their rifles. They looked at him quizzically before following him to another area. There were dangling tires and other obstacles that he wanted them to run through.

"Nearly everyday we wake up early before the sun rises and exercise. Our bodies will get stronger as well as our minds. Next is our weapons, faulty weaponry is as good as a useless weapon. Your job is to clean and maintain them; keep it in perfect condition because anything less and I'll have your ass." He paced back and forth.

"..." Both of them nodded curtly before listening to him some more.

"Your next step is bayonet training. Sometimes your enemies will get closer than you like, your job is to make sure they don't walk away after that mistake." He said.

"Yes, sir." They said.

"Now get in position." He ordered, watching as they did.

Brock watched Walker train them. His tone was sharp as a knife and quick as a whip, he made sure to drive whatever he was teaching into their minds. Whenever either of them would screw up, they were penalized. Their exercises were downright ruthless at certain times, but it was doing nothing but making them stronger. The gunsmith did find some new respect for the helmet wearing man. There were too many times in Atlas that the servicemen brought back weapons that were poorly maintained or pretty much broken; which forced him to fix them and return them back to the fighting hands. Not once was he thanked or given some form of praise for his hard work.

Here though, he knew that Walker would make these two clean their weapons and keep them in working order. It freed up some of his time and allowed him to make further enhancements without fixing the weapon. Granted, he still enjoyed cleaning the weapons, he just didn't like ones that were pretty much piles of scrap.

The more he looked at Walker, the more he saw a ruthless combatant and capable leader. He was willing to take charge and do the necessary actions to get the job done. That was a good way to earn the older man's respect. Yet, the more he observed Walker, the more he was curious about him. His tactics, appearance, and even the way he carried himself was odd. There were several scars, not too many though, spread out across his arms; which possibly resulted from years of harsh conflict.

Another thing was his ammunition, he had never seen anything like it and even he could tell it wasn't Dust. No, this was more powerful and it was meant to rip through its target as if they were made of wet paper. Although he did make some tweaks by adding some Dust to it, making the rounds explode once they penetrated its target. He half expected to be scolded like he was back in Atlas, but to his surprise again, the other man seemed on board with the idea.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he saw both Blake and Jaune fall onto their knees, their arms shaking and breathing quickly. It must have been a while since he paid attention, but he saw Walker standing with his arms crossed. He gave slight approval before telling them to follow him to Brock's shop. The four of them walked through the abandoned settlement before they arrived after a few minutes.

"I need to take care of some things. In the meantime, you'll be learning from Brock how to clean your weapons." Walker said before walking away.

"Damn, you two look like shit." Brock said.

"We feel like it." Jaune's legs shook.

"It'll toughen you up. Now listen up moggy and string bean, today good ol' Brock is gonna teach you two how to properly clean your shit." Brock said.

"Will it take long to clean our weapons?" Blake asked.

"As long as it needs, moggy. This shit is like art, you can't rush it or you'll fuck it up." He said. They nodded and watched closely as he took apart their weapons and explained each part and how to care for it. They spent the next hour and a half learning the ins and outs of their new weapon. Every time they got something wrong, he'd smack the top of their head and show them again. He'd complement them with a hint of sarcasm if they were right.

He didn't hit them with malicious intent, but it was more like pounding his teachings into their heads... literally. Neither of them could say it was bad though, they did learn how to clean their weapons by the end of the day.

The days started to drift by and Walker watched them fire their weapons at the targets. They improved greatly over the past few weeks and could strike moving targets pretty well. He worked on tactics with them and made it clear he didn't like unnecessary movements. Each time they moved, it needed to have a purpose and be quick. They noticed he was extremely ruthless when it came to CQC, and it scared them. However, Blake did manage to beat him with her ribbon a couple of times. So he swallowed his pride and admitted that she could beat him at times. However, he was crafty and did manage to find a way to counter her. They were even right now.

Jaune lost to both of them however, it was clear that he was untrained and nobody ever bothered trying to train him. Which meant he was a completely blank slate and could be molded. He didn't want Jaune to be like him though, he was too much of a bad person.

"Hey, Walker, what's the next thing we need?" Blake asked.

"Materials, armor, and business. Brock is on board with us, but you two can't go around with your simple clothes." He said, thinking about some things. He had an idea as to generate some more income. From what he understood, Remnant constantly used Dust as its main resource, which meant there were other natural resources just sitting there. If he could find a way to exploit those, then they'd be set.

"What kind of armor?" Brock asked as he walked in the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"Various kinds." Walker answered.

"Another one of your outlandish ideas?" Brock raised an eyebrow.

"Not really outlandish." Walker shook his head.

"I... might know someone." Brock looked away, a sour look washing over his face.

"Who?" Walker asked.

"My dumb brother." Brock shook his head.

"You don't sound too happy." Jaune said.

"I'm not." Brock bit.

"Is he good?" Walker asked.

"Me and him were responsible for making half the shit Atlas uses nowadays. Weapons, armor, and other things. Little canker sore barely spoke to me when I got discharged and stopped talking to me seven months ago." Brock shook his head.

"Why?" Blake asked.

"Probably because I made fun of him for staying in longer than me and completing his contract then calling him Atlas' little bitch." He said bitterly.

"That doesn't make much sense." Jaune said.

"Well, string bean, if you used that pea sized brain then it'd make more sense." Brock insulted. It went quiet and Brock scoffed before standing up and walking out of the door. Jaune blinked a bit before deflating in defeat, making Walker sigh.

"I'll go talk to him." He said, patting Jaune's shoulder on his way out. The door was closed behind him and he stepped down the front steps before walking in the street. He heard the sound of metal being struck harshly. When he walked up, he saw Brock angrily hitting a blade before cooling it and chucking it to the side.

"Brock." He said.

"What?" He looked over his shoulder.

"What was that?" Walker asked.

"Nothing." Brock shook his head before grabbing another heated blade.

"Didn't seem like nothing." Walker said.

"What's it fucking matter?" The older man snapped.

"First, watch your tone; second, I'm curious." Walker said as he leaned against the table. It was quiet for a while and the only sound was of Brock making a new weapon or cleaning a few guns.

"My younger brother stopped talking to me because he got too emotional about that weapon we made. I didn't feel too bad about it and he got upset, called me a heartless asshole before he we split." Brock sighed.

"What was the weapon?" Walker asked.

"It was a bomb. Came up with the idea twelve years ago alongside him. We spent two years making it and showed the General what was our finest work." Brock said.

"What did it do?" Walker asked.

"It was meant to exterminate Grimm without causing damage to the neighboring structures. That's all it was meant to do. Something went wrong... the explosion was larger than what we anticipated and it detonated prematurely. It didn't kill just Grimm, it killed a hundred people as well." Brock said.

"..." Walker just listened and let the man continue.

"I knew it was one of those bastard Ace-Ops. One of them was a demolitions expert and didn't like me. He must have done something because it wasn't supposed to be like that. Since my name was on it, I was the immediate suspect and was labeled the culprit. Cheeky little bastard got a shiny medal for his "heroism" and a promotion as well." Brock shook his head.

"..." Walker just kept silent, and nodded when Brock looked at him.

"Fast forward a bit. Got detained, imprisoned for a few months, then was given a choice. Either be executed or stripped of all my achievements and exiled from the kingdom." Brock said.

"What about your brother?" Walker asked.

"They needed someone who was practically the same skill level, but didn't have much of a spine. Since he didn't work on the project as much as me, he was simply demoted and decided to make their shit for the next few years. As time passed, I started to feel less and less about the incident. I still feel regret about those people, but not as much as him. We got into an argument when I told him to leave while he still could. He called me a heartless asshole for not feeling as bad as I should while I called him Atlas' little bitch for continuing to make gear for them." Brock explained.

"He's out though?" Walker asked.

"Yeah, got out a while ago. Knowing him, he's probably trying to make a living making armor and sell it. We can make weapons and armor just about the same, but he's a bit more skillful at crafting armor. Weapons are my specialty." Brock said.

"Got it. You're not a bad person, Brock. An asshole, but you're not heartless." Walker said.

"Beg to differ." Brock grunted.

"I'm not changing my stance on you. Like I said, you're an asshole, but it's clear you got something that some people don't have." Walker said as he stood from his leaning position.

"Not too good at comforting people, are ya?" Brock asked.

"No, not really." Walker shrugged.

"Heh, truthful... I respect that. Knowing him, he's probably around the frontier somewhere. Which is surprising, considering he's a fucking germaphobe." Brock shook his head.

"Alright, you know where he could be out here?" Walker asked.

"No, you got to do some digging yourself." Brock shook his head.

"Alright, thanks for the information. You also got to apologize to Jaune, you might have made him cry." Walker said as he started to go back to the house.

"Like hell I am!" Brock snapped. Walker just shrugged and continued walking forward, ignoring the man's cursing at him.

Walker, Blake, and Jaune sat in a truck with one of their clients. The three of them looked out the window as they drove to their destination. Countless trees passed by them quickly as they made their way to another settlement. It was early in the morning and the sun was barely rising over the horizon.

"Soooooo." The driver shuffled around in her seat.

"What's up?" Walker nodded.

"How much do I owe you three when we deliver this cargo?" She asked.

"Fifteen percent of what you make from this drop off." He answered.

"That's actually a pretty good rate." She said.

"It is a slightly important delivery." He said.

"It's actually not that important. Although, Richard did say that since we're having more successful deliveries, we'll get more business." She said.

"What's inside the containers?" Blake asked.

"Medicine and some equipment." The driver answered.

"How much is it all worth?" Jaune asked.

"A hundred and sixty thousand lien." The driver answered.

"That's a lot." He said.

"Yeah, the more important deliveries are worth more though." She said.

"What do those usually have?" Blake asked.

"Jewels, paintings, and other expensive artwork usually go for a lot." The driver said.

"Huh." Blake clicked her tongue. The rest of the trip was a little more quiet as they drove on. Minutes turned to tens of minutes which eventually turned into an hour and a half until they reached the destination. The gates to the settlement opened up and the truck drove inside. It looked financially stable, but he could tell there weren't many people. Half of them seemed to be traders from all over the frontier. People moved to the side as the vehicle drove in the street and backed up into a building.

They stood guard as the supplies were unloaded and people stared at them. The transaction seemed to slip by and the driver told them she needed to handle some things in the settlement, indicating they could do whatever for the next few hours.

"So what should we do for the next few hours?" Blake asked.

"Get something to eat, because... someone ate my goddamn food." He looked at her.

"You shouldn't have left it out." She shrugged. He shook his head in disbelief before walking around the settlement. There wasn't really anything that caught their eye, which made them wander around for another half hour. She tapped his shoulder when she saw a small stand with several armor pieces on display. He nodded when he saw it too and the three walked over to it. There were weapons in neat, organized piles and the armor looked somewhat expensive.

He picked up some body armor and noted how much care seemed to be put into it.

"Um... excuse me..." A voice met his ears. He turned his head and saw a shorter man, about Brock's height, walk over to them carrying some supplies.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Can I ask you two, where you got those weapons?" He nodded towards Blake and Jaune.

"Why?" Walker asked.

"Well, that's my brother's branding. The one near the handle." The man pointed, making the other two inspect their weapons and look to see the branding. He rushed around to their weapons and inspected them carefully.

"You Brock's brother?" Walker asked.

"If this is his branding then yes. Don't touch that!" The man said suddenly said and plucked the piece of armor from Walker's hands, setting it on the table before cleaning it.

"Sorry." Walker apologized.

"It's fine, but don't touch unless you're buying." The man pointed his finger.

"Got it." Walker said as he looked around. There were various types of armor, ranging from being basic to downright flamboyant in his honest opinion. The more stylized ones would make a person stick out like a sore thumb and he didn't want that. It was stupid and would get anybody killed in the wrong environment.

"What can I interest you in?" The man asked.

"First, your name. Two... what about that armor right there." Walker pointed. It sort of reminded him of lightweight commando armor, but a more that would hug the user's chest area.

"Well, Simon is my name and about that armor... are you sure you want that? It's kind of basic." Simon rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'm not looking for something to make them stick out. Wrong kind of armor in the wrong kind of environment will get anybody killed." Walker shook his head.

"Huh..." Simon clicked his tongue.

"Can they try it on?" Walker asked.

"I mean, sure..." Simon said hesitantly. He grabbed the male version and female version before grunting as he set it on the table. They looked at it for a few seconds before Walker helped them put it on and backed up, looking at them up and down. It fit both of them perfectly and he nodded in approval.

"How's it feel?" He asked.

"I like it, it's light and won't really slow me down." She rotated her body and stretched a bit.

"It's a little light, but it works." Jaune said.

"Good. We'll take it." Walker turned towards Simon and brought out his wallet.

"Are you sure? There is better armor. That one is kind of useless in most people's eyes." Simon said.

"Most people don't see the usefulness of it." Walker said.

"They usually go for flair, it's what sells nowadays." Simon shrugged.

"Then they're stupid. Armor's meant to offer protection for its user, not to make them look cool." Walker shook his head.

"Well, at least you see the bigger picture." Simon grumbled.

"Both big and little. You never answered my question about the price for the armor though." Walker said.

"Oh, four hundred lien." Simon answered. He watched as the other man counted the lien before handing it to him, then put it in a container.

"Thanks." Blake and Jaune said.

"So how do you know my pig-headed brother?" Simon asked with a slight sour tone.

"Met him while traveling around. He's got a real colorful vocabulary." Walker said.

"He's always had one. Anyways, what else can I get for you?" Simon asked. They browsed around before Walker picked out two tactical utility belts and backpacks, letting the other two adjust to the weight. Now all they needed was clothing to help blend in with the environment more and they'd be set for the meantime. He also needed better clothing and maybe some more armor. As much as he wanted to recruit Simon right here and now, he felt he'd be pushing his luck considering the two had a sour relationship and he didn't want to screw up his only chance.

"Hey Simon, do you want to join us?" Jaune asked suddenly, only to wince in pain when Walker slammed his hand into his side.

"I appreciate the random offer, but no." Simon shook his head.

"Will you still be here?" Walker asked.

"If I get business, then yeah. If not then I'll move to the next settlement." Simon shrugged.

"We'll probably come back to get more armor then." Blake said.

"I'd like that. I don't really get too much business right now." He said.

"Why not?" She asked.

"Well, not too many people think the armor I make is great. You see, I prefer functionality over fashion half the time. Like the golden helmet wearing fellow said, "armor is meant to protect the user." and people don't really like that." He said.

"Not exactly the same words I said, but same thing." Walker whispered, looking at Blake when she jabbed him in the side.

"What if you were presented with the opportunity to make a steady income for a group?" She asked.

"I mean, I'd like that, but I'm not too sure." He rubbed his neck.

"You don't have to." Walker shrugged.

"I'd be limited to what I would make. Not to mention, the group would probably disapprove of my armor like the ones before." Simon said.

"You've been in other groups?" Jaune asked, rubbing his side still.

"Yeah. Pardon my language, but they were kind of assholes. A majority of them wanted armor that looked good rather than worked good." Simon answered.

"What if there was a group that allowed you to make this kind of armor, but with some restrictions?" Walker asked.

"What kind of armor are we talking about, and how limited?" Simon asked.

"Armor that looks along the lines of mine and theirs." Walker gestured to his own and theirs.

"Does it have to be as dirty as yours?" Simon asked.

"I'm going to choose to ignore that, but no. I mean, is anybody really buying this type of armor? The ones that actually have some use rather than making you look like an action hero?" Walker asked.

"No, not really." Simon shrugged.

"Listen, I can tell you're uncomfortable. So here's a proposal, you make us armor like the ones these two are wearing and sort of like mine, and we'll buy it. No joining or anything like that sort at the moment, just a steady supply of armor from you and lien from us." Walker said.

"I can do that for now. Maybe I'll be interested in this group in the future." Simon said.

"That's the spirit." Walker said as he started to walk away.

"Wait, at least let me give you two something." Simon said as he rushed to the back and dug through a container after having them place their weapons on the table. He came back with two scopes and fixed them to the Retro Lancers, letting them look through it. They thanked him for the attachment before departing, leaving the shorter man wondering about the offer.

So I'd like to thank you all for reading this chapter, even if this story isn't the greatest. The bright side is that it's certainly better than the last version, but that's besides the point. Let's get into reviews.

Nofear4231: Yep.

Guest: Yep.

Austin: Huh, that's certainly interesting with Adam, I didn't know that. I'll do something different with his character in this story, more than the last.

RadBman21: Yes sir.

SchattenSoldat08: I'll have to think of a way to have them operate.

buzzsaw935: I'll handle that in the future about them asking questions. As for telling his past, hmm... haven't decided yet. I may or may not decide to have him tell them, so don't expect anything.

whatsupman: Won't say.

Taliats: Thank you, and happy late Thanksgiving.

ThatBrutalReviewer: Sorry, can't just take the name from MGS. I would if I could, but a large part of me can't do that.

Somerandomperson: Yeah, I want to dive deeper into the lore for Gears of War, I enjoy it's lore almost as much as I enjoy Halo's.

Gigglemesh: Thank you, and thanks for bringing something new to the table each time you review.

I apologize that this chapter isn't good or whatnot, I tried. Anyways, I'd like to thank you all so much and I'll see you all in the future. See ya.