The bomb has been delivered.
Those five words was all everyone needed to hear in order for their hopes to raise significantly. Everyone felt a boost in their morale and tried to find some way to celebrate. Beacon was suddenly filled with cheers of joy and excitement while men and women of all ages constantly scrambled around, meeting with several groups and tried to find something to do.
Food was cooked, games were set up, and music was played to celebrate their first major victory over the Locust. Gears, BSS, VDF, and even civilians mingled with one another and finally felt like they could relax for once. It also helped that a surplus of food from Mother Base had arrived recently and allowed them to enjoy a feast for once.
Ruby, Weiss, and Yang blinked in surprise when they were swarmed by a crowd of people. The mass of happy faces and voices made them smile at them, feeling whatever tension from the battle fade from their systems. All that was left was the joyful feeling and they couldn't help but laugh. A few tears from their eyes and they couldn't help it. For the last several months, they had forgotten what it had been like to see people this carefree and happy.
It made all the battles worth it in the end. Deep down, it made them want to have more moments like these.
Gears and the BSS were treated like heroes, but the two PMC companies directed a majority of the glory to the VDF. It was unfair for them to be praised like heroes when the VDF did more than what people knew. Had it not been for them, then Beacon wouldn't be standing and this operation would've gone a different way without the necessary manpower and coordination.
The only person who wasn't celebrating was Walker. Nobody could find him and that was because he was in the city, not because he wanted to, but because he had to be. Someone needed to collect the tags of the fallen so they wouldn't be forgotten. It was strangely quiet in Vale, despite the feeling of joy he could feel from Beacon.
He bent down in front of a fallen Gear and placed his hand on their chest, thanking them for their service and taking the tags and whatever personal belongings they had. Their bodies would be retrieved at another time so they could be cremated. They were stashed in his pocket and he moved onto the next one, doing the same thing and collecting the tags and personal belongings shortly after.
"This should be the last one." An Onyx Guard said as he held up the tags of a fallen VDF soldier.
"Good." Walker nodded and started to make his way back to the King Raven. His arm shot out and he fired a single shot from his Snub at an infected Grimm. The bullet exited its skull just as fast as it entered it.
"You think the VDF will feel like they did something for once, even though it was the Gears who delivered it?" Another Onyx Guard asked.
"Let them." Walker said as he sat in his seat, causing the others to look at him.
"What?" A third asked.
"Let them feel like they accomplished something... because they did. From the moment the VDF was formed, they always felt that they were living in our shadows, constantly going out to wage war on the Locust. They're trying emulate us because they see us as heroes, people to give them hope. This bomb was their first major victory that they played a large part in. It's better to let them feel like they accomplished something than to forever feel like they should live in our shadows." He explained as he hit the side of the King Raven and felt it star to ascend.
When the fighting was done and Walker was usually left to his own devices, people truly saw he was quite a thoughtful individual. Aside from managing Mother Base and the war, he dedicated his time to taking care of Amiya and now sitting on the Metal Throne.
"Say... what's the deal with you and them gals?" Another Onyx Guard asked. His accent was thick and it was clear he was from the countryside.
"Bradley?" Walker asked as he looked up from his C-Droid.
"Yeah?" He asked back.
"Shut up." Walker ordered. There was no heat behind his words and the others chuckled a bit before talking amongst one another. He just looked out at the war-torn city and faintly saw the sun peek through some clouds. There was no telling how long it's been since Vale had last seen some sunshine.
"So where are we headed next?" Another one asked.
"Back to base." Walker answered and tilted his helmet up. He put the electronic cigar in between his lips, bringing the lighter up to it and igniting it. A plume of smoke was blown out and disappeared into the air as the King Raven flew through the sky.
He wasn't going to stay long, just enough for them to drop off the tags and leave shortly after. Celebrations weren't really his thing and he wanted to see Amiya, so he wasn't necessarily in the mood for long conversations. Some music was played in the King Raven but he wasn't listening to it, he just pulled out a picture of the Scarlatina family and rubbed his index fingers on his opposite hand on it.
Everyday he silently mourned for them. A majority of his time spent on the Metal Throne was just thinking about them and the state of the war, what to do next against the Locust. While others were busy figuring out how to celebrate, he was thinking about planning another offensive assault against their underground counterparts.
As he let his thoughts wander and time slip by him, he perked up when he saw that they were hovering over Beacon. The mass of people below radiated nothing but joy as they celebrated. Music echoed across the sky and he looked at them before grabbing the bag next to him and sitting on the edge of the King Raven.
The vehicle landed and he slid over the edge, his boots slamming against the ground. A crowd of people surrounded him and the Onyx Guards, congratulating them on delivering the bomb and he just nodded before trying to brush through them. They blocked him off and asked him numerous questions before he had explained that he was needed elsewhere and that it was urgent.
He weaved his way through the crowd, excusing himself when he bumped into someone before making his way to a building. The Onyx Guards followed him and set the bags on the counter after he did. The person blinked before opening the bag and seeing the tags of the VDF soldiers.
"It's every single one of them that died during the mission." He said.
"I see... thank you." The woman said quietly as she took the bags and noticed that there were personal belongings inside as well. She began to sort them out with a few others and before she could say anything, he was already out the door with the others.
Walker stopped when he saw Ozpin and Glynda, then gestured for his Onyx Guards to head towards the King Raven. They looked at him before nodding and walked past the two, glancing at them distrustfully and turning back.
"Commander." Ozpin greeted.
"Make it quick." Walker said.
"We just came to congratulate you. Why did you think we need something?" Glynda asked.
"You all don't talk to me unless you need something." He answered, and Glynda shot a look at Ozpin. It was true for the most part, no one contacted Walker unless they needed something from him.
"No, not this time. We just came to wonder if you would stay for the celebration?" Ozpin shook his head.
"No." Walker answered without skipping a beat and began to walk away. He was never one for celebrations and he didn't even want to be at Beacon anyways.
"Actually, there is something." Ozpin said as he turned to face Walker.
"Of course there is..." He muttered and turned back to them.
"We were wondering if you'd allow us permission to enter Menagerie? There are some things we wish to discuss there." Glynda said.
"Will it jeopardize the location?" He asked.
"No." Ozpin answered.
"Talk with Chieftain Belladonna and Blake first." Walker said.
"Why not you?" Glynda asked.
"I don't have the final word. Chieftain Belladonna and I made an agreement that I'll only be allowed to have absolute power if the Locust were to attack. Other than that, the continent is not mine to rule over." He explained.
It was the first second treaty that the Gears had signed. Until something happened to where Walker needed to exercise power, Ghira and Kali still remained in charge. The only thing they had no say in was commanding his Gears and the BSS. Not to mention, Walker didn't even want to rule over Menagerie, it wasn't his and he didn't want to be there half the time.
Granted, there was nothing wrong with it for the most part, but it was too peaceful for his tastes. People there knew it was hard for the Locust to dig under and they assumed that it was completely safe. They couldn't be further from the truth.
No place was safe.
"So what's next?" Glynda asked.
"Reclaim lost territory if we're able to. Either that or gather supplies and resources from those territories. There's bound to be a stockpile somewhere." He shrugged and started to walk away.
While the Locust were recovering, they'd gather resources and the Gears and BSS were to be given a substantial amount from the mainland. The other portion went to the VDF so they could make more armor, weapons, and defensive capabilities. The Packhorse factory in Menagerie was the largest facility to produce the vehicles and even Atlas had offered to pay a good amount of money for each vehicle.
Glynda and Ozpin just looked at Walker's retreating form. He wasn't just some muscle head, he was someone who was one of the key players in this war. While it was clear he fought for the survival of nearly everyone on Remnant, his loyalty was towards the Gears and BSS. Nobody knew where the Gears' base was except for the other mercenary company, and any attempts to find out either came up to a dead end or met with hostilities.
Even Ironwood stopped trying after Mantle had fallen. He had begrudgingly come to terms that Atlas wasn't at the top anymore and strove to do better. After sending Reed after the Gears, he had lost nearly all respect and was starting to make amends.
Walker was right when he told them the last thing they needed was burnt bridges. The Locust were smarter than anyone had anticipated and the only person who knew them better than anybody else was wearing a golden helmet.
Walker slid the doors open to the King Raven and sat on the edge, sliding the belt over his lap like usual. He saw the glory of Mother Base and felt the somewhat warm evening air brush against his skin. A firework shot into the sky and exploded in a combination of colors.
He looked down at the Command Platform and he saw dozens of people waiting around in an organized fashion. They saluted him as the aerial vehicle landed on the landing pad and he slid off. His bag was slid to him and Jaune hopped off as well. It was just them in the helicopter as they dropped the Onyx and Obsidian Guards off earlier.
He slung the duffle bag over his shoulder and Jaune grabbed his as well before spotting his family. They rushed up to him and engulfed him in a group hug while asking if he was alright and if he was hungry. His mother constantly fret over his dirty armor and wiped a bit of grime off his face.
Walker looked at them before looking at the crowd and seeing Blake and Red. The latter was holding Amiya and the little Faunus wiggled a bit before being set on the ground. She shakily stood on her feet and Walker bent down to her level while holding arms out.
He cracked a small smile when she waddled over to him clumsily while squeezing her hands numerous times. When she was right in front of him, she stumbled and fell forward but he caught her, lifting her up into his arms and bringing her into his chest. Her small hands planted themselves onto his chest armor and she pushed herself up a bit, staring at him before offering a small smile.
Before Blake or Red could approach him, a few farmers had come up to him. They handed him a clipboard of the recent harvests and he nodded in approval, praising them for their efforts then ordering them to store the excess amount. Now that the Locust had suffered a catastrophic loss, more soil could be collected for more crops to be grown. He told them that they were also moving locations to a different part of the ocean for the aquatic life.
More people crowded around him, updating him on recent improvements with equipment and weaponry. He just adjusted Amiya in his arm while reading the contents on a tablet. It wasn't long before he was whisked away and multiple people reported to him. Amiya didn't seem too bothered by it and simply looked at the multiple faces while Walker just carried her in his arms.
An Obsidian Guard came up behind them all suddenly, causing a majority of them to jump and back away a bit. He leaned near Walker's head and whispered something, nodding when Walker ordered something quietly and leaving shortly after. They all watched as the Obsidian Guard meshed in with the crowd of people before disappearing from sight. After that, Walker continued to talk to the various people.
Jaune stood next to Blake and Red while he watched Walker have a conversation with various people. Neither of the girls moved from their spots and Jaune saw a bag of food in Red's hand. She sighed dejectedly and slumped down a bit.
"We got time, there's always the next day." Jaune said hopefully.
"Yeah..." She muttered.
Nothing else was said and Walker just continued to be updated on everything. He made his way towards the building and several people had to stop at the front entrance, they didn't have access to the building unless authorized to. After some time, he managed to finally wiggle his way out of the crowd and enter the building. The floors had just been cleaned and he felt a little bad for possibly dragging some dirt across it.
"What do you say about eating some ice-cream?" He looked at Amiya. She just grabbed a fistful of his shirt and looked at him.
"Pfft." She blew a raspberry and pulled at his collar.
"I think I got a few flavors from the market. If not then we'll probably go out and get something to eat." He said as he pressed the elevator button and the doors opened. The button to the seventh floor was pressed and the doors closed just as he heard a sound. He looked at it then at Amiya before the two of them went back to what they were doing.
The jingle of the elevator was music to his ears and he felt a bit tired unsurprisingly. He didn't really get too much sleep on the flight and he was probably going to either rest for the night or do some work. As much as he wanted to just enjoy everything like everyone else, he needed to think about the next offensive course of action. They had already flooded the tunnels in Mantle and now they delivered the bomb.
So his next course of action was to find out the capital of the Locust and gather information about it. His plan was ambitious and once he talked to the others about it, they'd call him insane, but this information was crucial to his next plan. The Grubs had taken away so many homes and even almost took control of the city, it felt like a knife had pierced the flesh of someone and the blade was twisted.
Now, Walker intended to do the same. What he wanted was the home of the Locust, and he wanted to exterminate them where they bred more. Getting support for such an assault was a small problem, the real problem was finding out where it was located. That was further down the line though. His main focus was reclaiming or getting supplies from lost territories.
"Yuck." She said as her face twisted uncomfortably when she touched a wet spot on his shirt.
"I guess this is pretty yucky, huh? Well, I'll wash it when we get back. Speaking of which... it looks like it's time for your nap." He looked at her and she seemed to have an understanding of the final word.
"No!" She shook her head fussily.
"Well too bad. I need a nap as well." He said quietly as the elevators door opened. He stepped out into the hallway and yawned under his helmet before smacking his lips a few times. His apartment door was unlocked and he tossed his bag into the closet before setting Amiya down on the ground.
He went to his room and grabbed a pillow and blanket before heading back to the living room. The coffee table was moved to the side and he spread the blanket out before setting the pillows down. He groaned as he lied on his back and took off his helmet, staring up at the ceiling and sighing in relief before closing his eyes. His armor was still on and the various scrapes and gashes were rough to the touch.
Amiya crawled over his stomach and tumbled next to him. All he did was place his arm on top of her and she struggled a bit before setting her head against the pillow. Her cheek squished against the surface of it and her rabbit ears flicked around at the faint sound of walking.
After adjusting herself a bit, she closed her eyes and it didn't take long for her to fall asleep. When she made a small noise in her sleep, Walker woke up and took off his chest armor before lying back down. He fell back asleep without much trouble and it was practically silent in the apartment for the next hour. The only sound that was faintly heard was Amiya's soft snoring.
The front door unlocked and Blake entered the apartment, freezing when she saw Walker suddenly snap awake. He tiredly looked at her and gave an annoyed, tired glare before setting his head back on the pillow.
"Sorry." She whispered as she quietly closed the door with a soft click. She took her shoes off and stepped onto the carpeted living room, getting down on her hands and knees before crawling towards Amiya's left.
"..." He just glanced at her as she lied down and then looked at Amiya sandwiched between the two of them.
"Walker." Blake called out and he glanced at her before looking back at the ceiling.
"Yeah?" He asked tiredly.
"I'm heading to Menagerie for a week. Do you and Amiya want to come?" She asked as she rolled onto her side and looked at him before putting her index finger in Amiya's hand. The little Faunus squeezed her finger in her sleep and shuffled closer to Blake.
"For what?" He asked, mentally chiding himself for sounding so callous.
"Vacation. Red's already coming with me and Jaune said he might." She answered. Either his callous tone went over her head or she wasn't bothered by it, he felt like it was the latter since Blake was extremely perceptive. She wasn't his eyes and ears for nothing.
"..." He was about to accept but then he remembered that he needed to start planning for the future. Every second they wasted meant the Locust had more time to prepare for another attack. There was so much to do and he felt like he couldn't slack off now.
"Walker... we hit them hard. We're allowed to relax for once." She said. Her voice was soft and quiet to avoid waking Amiya up and she just kept looking at him. He kept his gaze up at the ceiling but glanced at her once.
One thing she noticed was that he didn't like having his helmet off. It allowed the world to see how tired he truly was and in some ways, she pitied him. Despite taking more work off his shoulders, he still felt the need to shoulder everything. She knew he wasn't doing it to seem noble or to gain fame. It was an extremely unhealthy habit of his because it led to him staying up late until he passed out from exhaustion.
The longer she knew him, the more she realized that that he didn't know how to relax. He couldn't fathom settling down for once and it made him uncomfortable to be doing nothing. When he got restless, he mumbled sometimes and his mumbling was solely focused on the Locust.
Now that she thought about it, he had an unhealthy obsession with their underground counterparts. If it wasn't related to them in some way shape or form, he didn't care in the slightest.
"There's too much to do-" He started to get up but stopped when she grabbed his forearm.
"Just... relax for once, okay? Everyone needs some form of rest. Especially you." She said.
"..." He just looked at her and nodded before lying back down and staring up at the ceiling. Their attention shifted to the front door when there was a knock and when he went to get up, she just gestured for him to stay there before getting up herself.
She unlocked the front door before opening it and seeing Red on the other side. The two stared at one another and Walker faintly heard something before Blake walked over to him and gestured for him to follow after she picked up Amiya.
He just sighed and picked up his helmet, flipping it around after staring at it and putting it on. A dull hum reverberated from it as his helmet lights turned on slowly. He stood up and followed them out the door before locked his apartment, turning to his left and seeing them enter the elevator.
It was silent and Amiya stirred in her sleep before slowly waking up when they got to the bottom. The four of them walked through the lobby area and exited out of the Command building. Walker saw several people nearby and their attention was turned towards the direction of one of the platforms.
"Thought you were going to be stuck inside all day." Jaune said as he spotted them.
"That was the plan." Walker responded as he crossed his arms. He still wore his armored pants, greaves, and boots; the only thing he took off was his chest armor, leaving him in nothing but his undershirt to cover his torso.
"I swear, you're like a hermit." Theresa sighed. She was aware he was still mourning, and the comment slipped out faster than what she thought, but there wasn't any heat behind her words.
"Hmm..." He hummed in response and looked up as a firework blew up in the dark sky. The people near him were star struck by the colorful sights while he just crossed his arms and stared up at the sky. He could faintly hear music in the background as more fireworks were shot off.
Sera never really had celebrations like these. Sure they had some, but they weren't elaborate and were often no longer than an hour. He never really paid attention to how grim his world actually was.
Ghira and Kali brought out several trays of food. They had heard about the recent victory over the Locust and wanted to celebrate like everyone else. Unlike everyone else in Kuo Kuana, they decided to celebrate their own way. Both of them knew Blake played a key role in it and felt proud that she had seemingly found her calling, despite it being a mercenary company. When she told them that she wasn't there to actually deliver it, she still played a part in it.
Several knocks on the door made them look and Kali set the tray of food down before walking towards the front door. She pulled it open and saw Blake on the other side in more casual clothing. A simple pair of jeans and a purple plaid shirt. Sun glasses were over her eyes and her flat cap had to be adjusted a bit.
The most noticeable thing was the little rabbit Faunus in her left arm, who wore a little sundress with a straw hat. Slung over Blake's right shoulder was a bag that was full of the necessities for the next few days.
Kali couldn't help but cover her mouth and gasp, especially when Amiya sneezed and rubbed her nose.
"Can we come in?" Blake asked as Jaune and Red peeked out from behind her. They had met Ghira and Kali numerous times before and had a fairly friendly relationship with the two.
"Of course. Your father and I are almost finished." Kali said as she ushered them inside, closing the door after them but noticed that Walker was nowhere to be found.
"Hey, dad." Blake greeted as she adjusted Amiya in her arm and walked towards the table, seeing plates of food on it. Some of her favorite dishes were seen on spare tables and her stomach rumbled quietly.
"Oh? I wasn't aware that we had company." He said as he gestured to Amiya.
"Yep." Blake said as she sat down on the mat with Amiya in her lap.
"Where is the commander?" Ghira asked as he looked around.
"At the graves." Red answered quietly and Ghira nodded in understanding. Blake had told him about the deaths, how it affected her deeply but Walker's pain was on another level. From what he understood, he was extremely close with the family and their deaths ripped a hole in his heart.
"Well, I hope he arrives before you all eat the food." He said lightly.
Before any of them could react, there was a knock on the door and Kali stood up to answer it. A creak made her feline ears wiggle and she peeked out to see Walker on the other side, he just gave a curt wave and nod before she moved to the side and gestured for him to enter.
He nodded in appreciation before following her to the dining room, where he saw everyone around the table. There was a mat next to Red and he sat down on it, listening quietly as everyone talked with one another. He looked down when Red traced her finger in his arm.
"You okay?" She traced.
"Just listening." He traced back in her hand. The back of her hand was soft, although he didn't know why he was surprised since he's touched her hand before. Although, it's been a very long time.
She seemed to enjoy the contact since her tail swished from side to side, hitting his lower back a few times. This little action she did was another one of her little quirks that he had grown used to over time. Along with Jaune and Blake, she had come to terms that Walker needed to go at his own pace when it came to accepting the deaths.
Walker just stayed silent as everyone talked with one another, sharing stories and occasionally a joke or two. When it was time to eat, Ghira and Kali raised an eyebrow when he didn't take off his helmet. He just tilted it upwards and ate his food.
This was the first time they've had dinner with him and they wanted to make sure everything was perfect. Without him, Remnant probably would've fallen ages ago from their subterranean counterparts. When they called him a good person, he froze and just nodded a few times before taking a sip from his drink. Nearly all the food was eaten and now they just exchanged stories. The only person who didn't say anything was Walker. Normally, he was friendly as well as professional, but now he was just quiet. Every question they asked would be given an answer in a calm tone, but there was a hint of sadness behind it.
After a while, he excused himself and stood up before walking to the front door and leaving. Everyone looked at one another before Ghira and Kali pointed to themselves as if they were asking if they were at fault. The other three shook their heads and reassured them that they weren't at fault. Amiya was left with Blake's parents while they went to go look for Walker.
As soon as they opened the door, he was seen sitting at the steps. The warm night air brushed against his skin as he stared out into the distance, looking at the various houses that still had their lights on. Stars littered the sky and he stared at them from his spot, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh.
He didn't move or react when the three sat down next to him. All he did was continue to stare out into the distance.
Nobody said anything because they already said what they wanted to. They already apologized to him and for what happened in Atlas and what happened to the Scarlatinas, it was something that would never leave him.
So for the next few minutes, they all just sat in utter silence, listening to the crickets and other wildlife make noises and watch as the stars danced throughout the sky. There was so much on his mind that he felt more tired than usual.
"So what do you guys want to do after the war?" Jaune asked out of the blue.
"Write my own book." Blake answered.
"Why?" Red looked at Jaune.
"I don't know. I guess I want to hear everyone's goals." He shrugged.
"I... I've always wanted to go to an opera." She answered, her cheeks a bit red from embarrassment. Jaune burst out laughing and pointed at her, causing her brows to furrow and her fist to shake. He stopped laughing and gagged when she put him in a headlock and squeezed tightly.
"Okay! Okay! It's a good plan!" Jaune gagged and sucked in a mouthful of air before coughing roughly.
"What about you?" Blake asked him.
"I've gotten pretty good at guitar lately so I might do something with that." He coughed out as he rubbed his neck.
"What about you?" She asked Walker.
"I just want to go home I guess." He shrugged as he leaned on the step and craned his neck to the side to look at her.
"To Vacuo? It's probably going to take a while to get that back." Jaune said.
"Vacuo isn't my-" Walker stopped when the door opened and Kali peeked her head outside. She said something and he saw the others nod before standing up and walking towards the door. They stopped halfway towards it and waited for him.
"You were saying?" Red asked.
"It's nothing. Let's enjoy this evening." He shook his head and stuffed his hands in his pockets. They just looked at one another and then at him before following him back towards the front door. He opened it for them before entering last, taking one final peek outside before shutting the door.
He walked back at the dinner table and saw Kali holding Amiya's hands while her small legs clumsily took a large step forward. A cute little stomp was heard and she let out a somewhat loud, childish shriek when she spotted him.
He bent down to her level and watched as she waddled towards him, falling forward but he caught her and brought her close to him. When she was raised up to his eye level, she closed her eyes and gave a tooth-filled smile. No matter how many times she saw him, he would always be there to make her day brighter.
Walker sat down with her in his lap and stared at the others as they ate dessert. His vision warped a bit and he briefly saw Richard and Katrina passing food to one another while Velvet and Ian argued briefly. It was enough for his smile to drop and he stared at them before his vision warped back to normal.
He saw Blake pass some food to her parents while Jaune ate some dessert eagerly. Red just listened quietly to some of the stories Ghira used to tell about Blake, with Kali joining in. Both parents were clearly enjoying themselves by embarrassing her, and Walker just let out a curt chuckle at some of the stories.
He was so caught up with the war and his grief that he forgot about moments like these. These small, tender moments were always the risk and the battles. To see faces that weren't bothered by the war for once.
Although he wanted to deny it as much as he could, he just couldn't. He couldn't help but admit that this was nice.
So here's another chapter for you all and thanks for reading so far. I noticed that some have asked for a light hearted chapter, and there might be one or two but that's not the the story's main focus. Yet, here's a chapter for you all, so here you go.
Now onto the big news, I'm not going to be updating anything for the remainder of the month. I'm heading out of the country to study and I won't really have access to a computer. I can still get on my account through my phone, but PMs are about the only thing I can answer while I'm over there.
Other than that, nothing else. Thanks for reading and see you later.