Chapter 5

When the swallows come back

"The Grimm cannot use Aura, that is at least one advantage we can use against them."- Unknown Hunter, History of Remnant, 5th Edition.

"Close your eyes." Pyrrha said to both Royce and Jaune as they obeyed. "Now focus, your Aura is part of your soul. It is a shield and a sword." The red head smiled as Jaune's aura glowed a brief white and surrounded his body. "Well done Jaune, you're doing a lot better."

As for Royce...Nothing had happened at all. He opened his eyes.

"Crap, what the hell am I doing wrong?" Royce scratched his head looking perturbed. "I've read every part of that section in the textbook, I did the breathing exercises Miss Goodwitch suggested. Jesus...This is the hardest thing I've done so far."

"You'll get it eventually Royce," Pyrrha assured him. "Not everyone gets it on the first try you know."

Royce just sighed. Pyrrha clapped her hands.

"Well, we can't just keep moping about. Come on! Let's keep working on your aura." She said enthusiastically. "Hmm...Maybe if you and Jaune started swinging at each other..." When she mentioned that Jaune gulped while Royce shrugged and raised his fists.

/

"Oof!" Jaune landed on his back and quickly tried to roll over but Royce's boot pinned him down. To be fair Jaune did put up a good fight, enough to at least land a punch on Royce's face. The taller young man had a smile on his face as he offered his hand. Jaune took it with a grateful breath and Royce pulled him up.

"That was a nice punch." Royce complimented Jaune. "You should probably avoid overextending yourself like that you know." That was part of the little study group thing that Royce had proposed to Pyrrha and Jaune, one that Pyrrha had enthusiastically agreed with. Using one's Aura was a required skill that Hunters and Huntresses of Remnant learn and eventually master. It was the extension of one's soul, a shield to protect and a sword to strike. It was also one of the advantages the humans of Remnant had against the Grimm as the Grimm had no souls.

"The key to combat is focus." Royce told Jaune what he knew as the trio walked back to the locker room. "You can't focus if you let your fear take over. It's natural but you cannot, absolutely cannot, let it win. Clamp it down. Use your head. Think. It's all in the mind."

"It's kind of hard to keep your focus if you're punching me in the face," Jaune replied sheepishly.

"You think a Grimm's going to care if it's trying to kill you?" Royce asked. "You're gonna have to try a lot harder."

"How do you do it?" Jaune's face was curious.

"What?"

"That one exercise last week, you never seem to panic." Jaune said. "You know, the one in the Emerald Forest? With all the Grimm? You're never afraid of them."

"I'm human, Jaune." Royce answered. "I get scared too. I just don't let the fear get to me. Or make me mad."

"Wait, when you get scared...You get angry too?" Jaune looked confused. He winced when he saw the expression on Royce's face.

"You don't want to see me get angry, Jaune." Royce looked...ashamed. "It doesn't end well for anybody."

/

The Enclave trooper never really did stand a chance. A hail of assault rifle fire tore into his armor, confused and afraid the last thing the trooper saw as he died was the green armored young man currently tearing his way through his squad. The Wanderer showed no quarter as his rifle clicked empty. He slung that over his shoulder to draw his Novasurge, the plasma pistol whined then let out several thuds as blast after blast punched through armored bodies. One man died instantly as a plasma blast simply turned him into goo. Two others had their chests cored by the barrage of plasma fire and one lost a leg. The Wanderer finished the one legged soldier with a blast to the face.

Royce Walker stopped to strip ammo and supplies off the bodies and he turned back to Madison Li and the other civilians he was...escorting.

"Keep moving." His voice was blank and broken. There was nothing in his eyes now other than pure, burning hatred for the Enclave and grief for his dear old dad.

Madison said nothing but the look in his face scared her. The boy she met all those months ago was gone, in his place was a monster that was driven by hatred and pain. Despite this she was glad the Lone Wanderer was on her side. She felt pity for those Enclave soldiers that would face this wanderer in combat.

Well, almost.

/

"Damnit," Royce muttered to himself as he felt a headache coming up. He massaged his temples. "Why now?"

The Lone Wanderer grabbed a lunch tray. "It's all in the past," he told himself silently. He put on a smile for his teammates. He didn't want those girls to see him like this, every life he had taken and every memory of the Capital Wasteland still haunted him and it showed in his eyes.

"Royce? Are you okay?" Ruby looked very concerned as the wanderer took a seat next to her and simply stared at his food. He shook his head.

"Hmm? Yeah I'm fine Ruby," Royce rubbed the back of his neck with an insincere chuckle. "Just...a little tired."

Beside Ruby, Blake frowned. Sometimes in the middle of the night she'd see Royce just staring up at the roof, his face pallid and his eyes haunted and blank. Sometimes she'd hear Royce mutter in his sleep or see him toss and turn. In class he seemed fine but every time he looked at the Grimm at Professor Port's class he seemed more...intense. During history with Professor Oobleck lectures about the White Fang often brought the same reaction in the young man, a blank stare.

He also got a bit irritable too. It wasn't noticeable, just little things that warned Blake that Royce was...not in a good mood. When Cardin tried to start something again with one of the Faunus Royce had walked in on him. Blake had trailed Royce that one time, all she saw was Cardin frozen and Royce with his back to her. Whatever look Royce had been given the other boy must have been real bad, Cardin had been trembling in pure, unadulterated fear.

"Tired?" Yang said frowning. "Royce, you look like you've seen a ghost."

"Ghosts don't scare me." Royce answered softly. "Just don't worry about me I'll be fine."

"No," Ruby looked upset. "No, you're not okay." She reached over to grab his hands. Royce blinked in surprise.

"Ruby!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Look at me Royce," Ruby said. "What's making you so...sad? Are you homesick?"

"No." Royce answered. "I just..." He closed his eyes as though deliberating. He opened them once he made a decision. "Can I tell you all something?"

The confused looks strangely gave him more determination.

"Anything Royce," Ruby said with a smile. "We'll listen. If you want Jaune and the others to listen in too that's okay...just what exactly are you going to tell us?"

"Who I am. And why I became the person I had to be."

/

And so he told them, holding nothing back. JNPR sat inside RWBY's shared room as Royce Walker told them about his life in the Vault, his escape into the harsh brutality that was the ruins of DC. He told them about the Capital Wastes, what it used to be and what it was now: A hellhole. He said that it wasn't all that bad despite the raiders, the mutant monsters and the monstrous creatures that wandered the ruins. For every cruel monster that called himself a human there were decent folks who still did their best to help out whenever they could. He told them about the Brotherhood of Steel, the 'knights in shining armor'. He told them about the colorful characters he met in the Wastes. Three-Dog, who fought the Good Fight to bring news to every corner of DC. The ever eccentric inventor Moira Brown who wrote a survival guide so that the wastelanders could have a chance of repairing their broken world. The old and wise Elder Owyn Lyons and his brave daughter Sarah who fought off the Super Mutants of DC and protected those who could not protect themselves.

He told them how he took on the moniker 'the Lone Wanderer' and proceeded to become a living legend, a myth that was a savior to the lowliest wastelander...and a terror to those who preyed on the weak. He told them about his parents, how they both had a dream to provide pure, clean water to all corners of the Capital Wastes.

He told them all how he watched as men known as the Enclave, nearly ruined that dream. He told them that he had destroyed them himself.

He told them about his foray into the Pitt. How he freed the slaves there, the costly decision he made to ruin a little girl's family to help the many. He told them about his journey into Point Lookout and the evil he had faced in the deep darkness of the Dunwich building, the avatar of an abomination whose name must never be spoken. He told them about his abduction at the hands of hostile alien invaders and how, with a band of misfits, he took that ship for himself.

He told them everything, even how he had died to make sure his Dad's dream came true.

Silence. "And...that's it," Royce finished as he looked at the clock. Jesus, had he really been talking for three hours? It was around nine in the evening. Everyone in the room with him was speechless. It was a reaction that he expected, after all who would have believed him? Who would have believed the tall tales, the legends that surrounded his life so far?

Still, Royce did his best to be honest even if it had been the hardest thing he had done.

The silence only lasted for a bit before Ruby said something.

"You're still a good person Royce." Her honesty was...reassuring.

"Yeah!" Nora was next and her exuberance was what sealed the deal. "Sure you might go berserk and you're more than capable of murdering an entire army, but you're still our friend!"

Royce appreciated that and then Yang wrapped an arm around his neck. "You don't have to worry about anything ya big lug!" Her grin was infectious. "Anybody got a problem with you? Me and Ruby will set him straight!"

"I agree with Yang, Royce." Pyrrha's voice and her smile was supportive. "No matter what you've been through, this is your home now. There is no need for you to hold on to the past. Let it go."

"You'll be fine Royce," Blake said sincerely. "You've got all of us now."

Weiss kept silent. But then she gave Royce a nod. "Just don't let us down."

"Right, princess." Royce answered with a chuckle. "I won't. I promise."

It was a good day after all.

/

A few days later...

"Begin."

Royce was the first to act as he launched a haymaker straight at Ruby who moved out of the way. Shit, she was way too fast for him to track. He only caught a glimpse of red as she struck from the side, Crescent Rose unfolding into scythe mode. Royce rolled to the side and got back onto his feet. Pushing forward Royce lunged at Ruby, letting Fisto fly and putting all his weight into the punch.

Ruby backed off, knowing that one single punch from Royce could spell a bad end. She'd seen the spars between him and Yang and there were subtle differences. She thrust forward with Crescent Rose, checking Royce in order to force him back.

There was no doubt that Yang was physically the strongest of team RWBY. Royce was up there alongside her but he was slower, he was surprisingly agile but he had no ability to use any bursts of speed like Ruby did. The problem? Ruby usually let Crescent Rose do the work for her. Royce guided Fisto himself and the power behind his punches was not something to laugh at. Combining power and skill, Royce was a surprisingly monstrous opponent in close quarters combat.

The Power Fist crashed against Crescent Rose's head forcing the weapon out of his way. Royce turned to the side to lash out with his off hand. Ruby darted back, lightning quick then whirled her weapon and brought it down on Royce. The Wanderer stepped to the side. Power Fist smashed against Scythe in a hail of sparks.

/

"I'm so sorry Royce!" Ruby looked extremely contrite as she and the others watched Royce repair his Battle Armor. It was tough, a gift from Reilly who led her Rangers into forays into DC. The thing is Crescent Rose was so sharp, the weapon had cut it vertically in half, leaving Royce in his white t-shirt. Ruby looked embarrassed and scared as Royce looked at his armor then at her. Then he started laughing in good humor.

To be fair, it was quite a clean cut. And it had been an absurd situation anyway. Professor Goodwitch didn't think it was so funny though and scolded the poor red clad girl before allowing the next students up onto the sparring stage. The professor then checked on Royce who insisted, with difficulty as he was still overcome with laughter, that he was intact and that he would repair his armor after classes were done.

She really didn't need to worry. He had gone through hell without armor before.

"It's okay Ruby, I'm sure you didn't mean it." Royce said gently as he got to work. Yang looked over his shoulder curiously as he got out tools, including duct tape. He had once told her that no one ever went wrong with duct tape. Yang was skeptical but she nodded her head.

"You nearly killed him you idiot!" Weiss yelled at Ruby. "Can you be more careful next time?!"

Blake flipped a page in her book. Hidden behind the piece of literature she was chuckling. Yeah, the match was pretty funny in the way it ended. Almost cartoonish in a way. As Royce made the repairs to his armor he looked over at Weiss and Ruby.

"Guys, come on it's all in good fun anyway." He told them both with a cheery smile. "Stop arguing I'm okay!"

"Okay? She nearly cut you in half!" Weiss snapped annoyed at how easy going this boy was.

"Oh come on, princess." Royce grinned. "What's life without a little danger? I'm sure Ruby wouldn't have hurt me anyway." He looked at his Pip Boy. "Bah, it's too quiet in here. Let's see what I can do..." He tapped the screen a few times and soon enough Cole Porter started singing 'Anything Goes'.

"Ah, there we are..." Royce said as he hummed alongside the tune. "Much better!"

Yang grinned. Royce had weird tastes in music. He was more of a swing guy. Yang had never heard these singers before, Royce said they were around long before he was so it was a moot point. Still his music was quite mellow...sometimes it was even funny.

Royce was looking better now, there was even a little bit of life in the big guy's eyes. And, much like Weiss, he had a knack for schoolwork as he reached the top scores during theoretical classes. He also wasn't such a slouch during combat training either. It was funny how Ruby crushed on him, despite her little sister denying it.

Wait...did he just-

"You...You fixed your armor with Duct Tape!?" Weiss looked flabbergasted as Royce inspected his handiwork.

"What?" The taller young man looked at them as though they were all insane. "It's worked so far for me."

/

"He's doing quite well," Professor Ozpin regarded Goodwitch with a sideways glance before returning to the records of one Royce Adam Walker. Grades were top notch and his physical performance in combat exercises were also top notch. All in all a solid student, apart from his current inability to use Aura.

That would have been troubling but unless the Grimm have evolved that far, which is quite frankly preposterous, it really was just a small matter. And it really didn't seem to matter anyway Mister Walker was more than capable of slaughtering Grimm with nothing more than a rifle and sheer grit.

"Indeed, professor but have you looked into why he has not developed his Aura skills yet?" Ozpin asked.

"To be fair sir, he is trying...And he has sought help from Miss Nikos." Goodwitch's brow furrowed. "But...I do sense something strange every time we send out students out into the wilderness. Here, take a look."

She showed the Headmaster a video file of Team RWBY in the Forever Fall, battling several pairs of Ursa. She zoomed in on Royce. There was something very different in how he moved. Ozpin's eyes narrowed. He had passed by Walker several times in the halls of Beacon Academy and he tended to move differently. Sometimes he was relaxed, like any normal boy his age. Still other times he walked with a slouch when he was tired.

On the battlefield there was no wasted movement. No nervousness or jitters. He moved without hesitation. When an Ursa descended on him, he did not panic. He just stepped aside, firing his rifle as he did so. Very different from Miss Rose or Belladonna who danced gracefully out of the way of the other Ursa.

He moved like a soldier from the old days long before the Hunters, back when he was reading on their exploits when he was a child. The men and women during those dark times were not well known but his admiration for those soldiers remained the same. They willingly sold their lives to keep the Grimm at bay.

"His movements...are not wasteful," Glynda commented with some apprehension. "There is no hesitation. This must have something to do with his past doesn't it? He's a bit too young to be...well, like this."

"Yes, Miss Goodwitch." Ozpin watched as Royce fired a full burst into the Ursa's body. "And I am quite sure if he discovers his Aura, it would be quite a momentous change indeed."

/

The weekend was always nice. Except for the fact Royce was currently stuck next to Yang in a club where the music was loud. He honestly had difficulty describing the infernal sounds coming out of the speakers. It was like listening to a computer having a seizure...Or something like that. Either way, it was very loud. Royce had what looked like an alcoholic drink in front of him. One taste was enough for him to decline another offer. The man at the bar, Junior, scoffed but one sight of Yang's cocky smile was enough to make him turn back and bar tend.

Yang had told Royce the full story, she had been looking for someone and had stopped by to "ask" Junior for some information. By ask, she meant interrogate. By interrogate she meant beat the shit out of everyone in the club and find some answers.

That was why Yang got all of them in here, Junior couldn't do jack shit because Yang would probably pummel his head into the ground. It was kind of the same way with Royce but then again he had been armed to the teeth so almost no one tried anything with him. The fact that he went around destroying raider outposts by himself was probably another reason.

Royce took another gulp of whatever substance was in the glass in front of him and winced as it burned down his throat. What the hell was he drinking? Battery Acid?

"Not much of a drinker are ya?" Yang remarked with a grin. Royce shook his head. Since Yang won the bout of rock-paper-scissors with Weiss she got to decide where to go. Weiss wanted to go somewhere a lot more "cultured" like the museum. Yang simply shook her head at that and promptly dragged Royce to this club.

Royce took a glance at the table where the rest of the girl's were sitting. Ruby waved. Blake was buried in a book. Weiss...Her icy glare was enough to prompt him to turn back around. Upset was an understatement. She had passed a Deathclaw in terms of aggressiveness.

He was still expecting a Dust Powered Myrtenaster thrust in between the ribs.

"Never did get around to it," Royce said shrugging. "Too busy with other things."

"Ah right...you lived in an apocalyptic wasteland right?" Yang downed another drink. "Well, shucks. I guess you got the short end of the-"

"Hey there big guy~"

Yang took one look and scowled. Royce just sighed in defeat and knew what was coming.

"Hello, Miltia. Hello Melanie."

The Malachite Twins. Yang had also defeated these two in this very same bar. Royce had met them briefly during one excursion into the city of Vale. Needless to say they were both rather smitten. Royce...found their attentions uncomfortable. Both twins were wearing opposing dresses.

Miltia was the shy one in the red dress. To be honest, Royce found her to be better company than her sister Melanie because she was actually polite if a bit shy. Melanie, the twin in the white, was the complete opposite; she was arrogant, very confident...and very obvious about her intentions: getting into his pants. Both twins took a seat to his left. Yang...looked a little annoyed. Melanie ignored the hostile stare.

Royce thought he could feel daggers being pressed into his back and knew that Weiss was really angry now.

"So..." Melanie leaned over into Royce's personal space. "How's it going? You look pretty tense there."

Royce was tempted to back off. "The music's not exactly what I'm used to." He answered Melanie calmly. "It...really makes my ears hurt."

"Oh..." Miltia looked a little upset. This was her favorite song too. "W-Well, I-I'm sorry..."

Royce realized he said something wrong. Goddamnit. "It's...It's not your fault, Miltia." He told her trying to be nicer this time. I hate this shit. "It's just something I'm not used to."

"S-Still...M-maybe we can go somewhere else then?" Miltia asked looking hopeful. "I-I know a good place to go i-if the music i-isn't what you like."

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Jeez, this again!" Melanie exclaimed. "Come on Miltia, no one listens to that kind of stuff anymore."

"B-But Mister Royce d-does!" Miltia defended herself, and Royce, suddenly a lot more confrontational with her sister.

"Bah," Yang irritably threw money down and dragged Royce out as the two sisters began to fight.

/

"Well, I hope you enjoyed yourself." Weiss snootily told Yang as team RWBY headed back to the academy.

"Yeah, well guess what? We did manage to get a few drinks in!" Yang replied. Royce just briefly pinched the bridge of his nose.

"...Come on guys," Ruby said trying to stop the arguing. "It's the weekend, we can come back to the city tomorrow."

"And what stare at it?" Yang shook her head. "Boring!"

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with a little bit of culture!" Weiss looked appalled. "There is so much for Royce to learn!"

"I kinda agree." Royce said scratching his head. "It's...actually the first time I've actually managed to actually, you know, explore?"

"I thought you did that back home." Blake stated calmly.

"Well, I'm not exactly getting shot at here am I?" Royce answered.

"True..." Ruby said, "Say Royce?"

"Hmm?"

"What was the coolest place you've been to?" She asked him.

"The coolest?" Royce thought about it. "Coolest...Heh..." He pointed up at the sky. "Space. That was definitely the coolest place I've been."

"Wait, you got kidnapped by aliens." Weiss pointed out. "How was that a good thing exactly?"

"It was actually quite absurd." Royce answered. "But hey, weird shit always happens around me all the time-"

"Yeah it does."

/

The gangster was holding what looked like a gun. Royce...was not impressed, he even recognized the guy. The very same one that accosted Yang, Blake and Weiss down at the fast food joint.

"Hey you're that guy Royce punched." Yang stated.

"Yeah, so what? You bitches can't do anything now!" His hands were shaking. Royce calmly stepped forward. "H-Hey! B-Back off!"

"Safety's on," Royce's voice rang with a quiet menace. "And you're shaking so much that you would probably drop your gun first."

The gangster swallowed as Royce drew Blackhawk from its holster. The boy gulped as he stared down the .44 revolver's barrel. "Now what are you going to do. We're all armed." He gestured to Ruby's scythe and Weiss's rapier. "Did you think this through at all? Or were you really that stupid?"

"Uh Royce?" Yang said looking nervous. She felt Ruby grab at her jacket as the air seemed to chill.

"Where did you get that gun?" Royce asked quietly. When the wannabe gunman didn't answer Royce thumbed back the hammer on Blackhawk.

"Royce!" Weiss exclaimed. Blake looked ready to physically intervene. If she didn't there probably wouldn't be much left of the gangster that was trying to hold them at gunpoint.

"Where did you get the gun?" Royce asked again. The boy started sobbing and he finally lowered the gun. Royce holstered Blackhawk and took the gun from the boy's hands. He then disassembled it with mind numbing swiftness and threw the parts behind him making a loud clacking sound.

"Go home kid," Royce said quietly. "Just go home." The gangbanger ran without looking back.

Ruby exhaled as Royce shook his head. Everything returned to normal.

"Would you have killed him?" Blake asked as she looked at Royce steadily.

"If I had a choice? No," Royce answered sighing. "He wasn't going to shoot with the safety on anyway."