It was utterly silent as the six of them rode the Bullhead back to Beacon. Both parties didn't dare utter a word to one another and the tension was so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Yang wanted to apologize but she couldn't find the words and she had a feeling that Walker didn't even want anything to do with her. What she said was completely insensitive and uncalled for. She knew that Velvet and her family was close to him, and him taking her daughter underneath his care was a sign of how much he cared about them.
"Hey, listen-" She started.
"So what's next?" Jaune interrupted and looked at Walker.
"The VDF will deploy their forces after more intelligence is gathered. A squad of VDF Destroyers will spearhead the assault when the necessary preparations are available and ready to be executed." He answered as he looked at his C-Droid.
"Where are we headed?" Cardin asked.
"Back to base. I need to talk with the others and make preparations for the reclamation movement." Walker answered.
Rumors about reclaiming lost territory and connecting them was heard around Beacon. The civilians were skeptical and some were content with staying at Beacon and keep fortifying it. Others saw it as an opportunity to join the military and take back what was theirs. However, a majority felt that their numbers were too low and they thought that the whole thing was absurd.
There was no telling how long it would take nor the dangers that lurked in the wilderness. Unspeakable horrors of Grimm, Glowies, and Locust stalked the lands beyond the safety of the walls. The VDF were wary of such threats but they needed to venture beyond the safety of Beacon in order to reclaim what was lost. Fortunately, they had the Gears and BSS to assist them, but they had a feeling that they'd only provide assistance.
Walker knew that the VDF constantly felt that they were living in the shadow of the Gears, and he had a solution. They were going to be the driving force when it came to reclaiming the territories. A recent shipment of vehicles and equipment would be arriving soon and from then on, they'd start to advance. It was seen as reckless and dangerous in the eyes of many, but a certain few saw it as necessary.
People wanted their world back and if it meant dying in the process then they'd do it happily. The thought of the Locust, Glowies, and Grimm taking control filled them with disgust.
"Are we going to be on the front lines?" Jaune asked.
"It depends on how successful the VDF are. They've went through enough battles and there are a few that are able to lead without a problem." Walker answered as he looked at a list of the supplies.
"We still buying those stupid bots from Atlas?" Cardin asked and Weiss perked up.
"I thought you hated purchasing supplies from Atlas?" She asked suddenly. From what she's heard, after a certain incident in Atlas, he despised the kingdom more than anything. At least that's what she originally thought.
"There's companies that are willing to negotiate with the Gears. Atlesian Knights are stripped of their weapons and outfitted with items that aid in construction. Programmers load them with enough information for them to do the heavy lifting." Walker answered as he ordered thousands of Knights but requested for their weapons to be removed.
The seller was all too eager to save a quick buck by not having them outfitted with weapons, but they never saw the reason that he did. Sure it could save valuable lives if he used the androids for combat, but the risk of them being hacked was too great and he was sure somebody out there would turn them against humanity. Not to mention the cost of repairing them from a firefight was more trouble than what it was worth.
Several hundred would be sent to Menagerie to start working on expansion while a few hundred more would be sent back to Mother Base. The remaining ones would be stockpiled here at Beacon until the territories were secured.
"So do you guys just keep your location a secret?" Ruby asked. Nobody's ever been to the home of the Gears and they were keen on keeping it hidden from public knowledge. Whenever someone asked where it was, they were either met with silence or a subject change. It created a small bridge of mistrust in a sense; but to the Gears, it was a necessary evil. There was no telling what people would do with that information and if the Locust got a hold of it, it would mean the beginning of the end for them.
"Yep." Jaune nodded.
"So there's no way of retreating back to you all if something happens here?" She asked.
Before Jaune could answer, the Bullhead arrived at Beacon and they all got a bird's eye view. It looked more like a mini city now and it even had a state of normalcy from so high above. People walked through the makeshift streets and there were even some shop vendors. What used to be tents to feed people turned into small restaurants and a certain section was dedicated towards greenhouses.
"Beacon looks like its thriving." Walker commented.
"We're supposed to be getting a new place to relax. I think someone said something about a bar and restaurant." Weiss said.
"There needs to something more useful, like another training facility." He responded.
"Boss... you know it's good to kick back and relax, right?" The pilot said.
"Hmm." Walker rolled his eyes and jerked a bit as the aerial vehicle landed. He stood up from his seat and hopped out, his boots hitting the ground and the others followed him. The six of them looked ahead when there was the sound of a commotion and what appeared to be a crowd. He put his hands on the shoulders of a few people and guided them apart to make room.
When he got to the front, he saw two Gears arguing with one another. A few Gears stood by and watched them before one of the Gears in the middle shoved the other one and so forth. The second one reacted by throwing a right hook and making the other one stumble before he recovered and retaliated with an uppercut. A few VDF soldiers started to rile them up even more and several others did the same.
What started out as an argument turned into physical fight and the crowd seemed to enjoy it. All Walker did was watch them while having his arms crossed, fights such as these weren't uncommon in the Gears and he knew not all of them saw eye to eye with one another. Usually they'd come to a common ground when it was all said and done, and both gained new injuries in the end.
"Aren't you going to stop them?" Weiss gestured.
"I wouldn't." Cardin said.
"..." Walker just stared at them from his spot as the two exchanged hits.
"Seriously?" Ruby asked as she watched one of them pick the other one up and slam him on the ground, climbing on top of him before starting to slam punches at him. The second one just blocked with his forearms, gritting his teeth at the force.
"I thought the Gears were different." A voice to their right made them look to see Coco. She looked like she aged a bit from the stress and Walker rolled his eyes at her.
"You think we should do something?" Jaune whispered.
"..." Walker just remained silent and watched the two continue to fight. The second one kicked the first one off of him before slamming his knee into his face. The Gear fell onto the ground and the second Gear brought out a knife, hoisting it up in the air to show everyone. A few gasps were heard, as well as a few whispers, and he flipped it into a reverse grip.
He brought it down at the first one but he didn't even get to make it halfway before his arm was knocked to the side. A knee was thrown into his stomach and he felt the air be sucked out of his lungs; when he bent down to gasp, his shoulders were gripped and he was thrown into the stomach of the first one before falling to the side. The first Gear felt spit fly from his mouth when a fist hit him in the diaphragm and he was flipped over someone's shoulder quickly, causing the crowd to wince at the sound.
Wheezy gasping was heard from him and he shakily stood to his feet before bringing out his own knife. His hand was grabbed in an iron grip and he winced. The pressure was immense and he felt a bit of his aura drain from it.
"Who the-" The Gear stopped when he saw who it was. Despite Walker not revealing his face, all it took was the four civilian COG tags from the Scarlatina family dangling around his neck to identify him. A fresh wave of terror flooded the Gear's body and he found his arm bent painfully before being thrown to the other Gear, who was equally terrified.
"What the fuck are you doing?" Walker asked calmly. He was clad in loose camouflage clothing that helped him blend in with the tall grass; no one could see his face so they couldn't tell what his expression was. The thought of not knowing invoked a sense of dread in their souls.
"W-We-" The second Gear and looked away before gagging when his throat was grabbed, as was the first's. Both of them were hoisted up and they gripped Walker's hands to try and pry them from their throats.
The crowd went utterly silent as they watched the two were basically being lifted up. They didn't expect Walker to actually be here and they were frozen stiff because it meant he saw the whole thing, the crowd riling them up, the fight, and probably anything that happened before. Nobody's ever seen him ever lay a hand on one of his Gears and not even they were safe from his wrath.
"The one rule we all had was never draw a weapon on your brothers and sisters... yet you two dipshits did just that. I don't care about you fighting, but there's a limit." Walker said as his grip tightened. He could feel the two struggle to breath and he threw them to the ground violently before standing over them.
"I think they learned their lesson. No need to punish them further." Jaune said as he leaned next to Walker. He noticed that his forearm was bleeding slightly but he had a feeling that the other man didn't care too much.
"I'll handle you two later... get the fuck up out of my sight." Walker ordered and they shakily helped one another up. When one of them tried to collect his knife, Jaune stepped on the blade and shook his head gently, making the Gear nod and the second one back off. Both limped away and shuddered at what their punishment was going to be.
If there was one thing that every Gear feared, sometimes more than the Locust, was Walker's punishments. People often mistook his kindness for a form of weakness and were often quickly reminded that he wasn't one to be trifled with. He wasn't afraid to put his hands on them if necessary and his punishments ranged depending on the severity of the incident. One of the most ruthless forms, in their opinions, was making the individual clean the entire combat platform by themselves, only stopping when he felt they learned their lesson.
"Show's over! Everyone get out of here!" Cardin ordered loudly and the crowd flinched a bit before looking at one another and leaving. Some would quickly look away when Walker glanced at them and even some of the Gears were intimidated by him; this made the civilians even more intimidated by him.
If he was able to strike fear into Gears, then what would that mean for them if they got on his bad side? Nobody wanted to find out and doing that was considered a foolish deed. Unfortunately, a few people were already on his bad side but his concern wasn't with them.
"Jeez, didn't think you had it in you." Coco whistled and Walker looked at her.
"Why are you here?" He asked and stared at her.
"I need to talk to you." She said.
"About what?" He asked.
"It's about Ami-" She started.
"Shut. Up." He interrupted and she clamped her mouth shut. His tone didn't sound friendly in the slightest and there was a hint of protectiveness. Beneath all that was an air of utter hatred for her and Yatsuhashi, more on the latter's part.
"Walker, at least hear her out." Jaune suggested. He's been one of the few people that's been keeping his brother up, because that's what he considered the Golden Gear. They were brothers but he's noticed that Walker's been more volatile lately, and talking about Amiya or the Scarlatinas was the easiest way to set him off. Another part of why he was so violent was because he recently lost nearly two dozen Gears through faulty intel from Atlas and couldn't save them in time. He was consistently losing people and his hatred for the ones who kept taking his people grew by the day.
At this point, he was a man who was fueled by hatred for the enemy and love for the ones who he had taken under his care. Despite his gruff and sometimes aloof demeanor, he still held a form of familial care for those under him. He wanted them tough but not cruel, warriors but also regular people at the end of the day. He didn't see people as tools but as individuals that united in order to defeat a greater threat.
The people at Mother Base were loyal to Walker out of both fear and love, the former because they knew he was an individual who followed through with his threats and that he had a way with his words. They loved him because he always put the livelihood of his people and mankind as a whole under his care. Without his knowledge of the Locust and different tactics, they would've been dead long ago. Most, if not all, of the inhabitants at Mother Base didn't care where he came from or who his previous affiliation was with, they'd still follow him regardless since he's saved them from various threats and even themselves.
"Fine..." Walker sighed.
"Yatsuhashi wants her back." She said.
"Absolutely not. I have legal custody of her and she doesn't even like him to begin with." He responded without a moment of hesitation.
"Boss is right on this one, that asshole wasn't there all this time, what makes him think he'll get her now? Not to mention how safe does he think he can keep her?" Cardin asked.
"This doesn't concern you, Winchester. Don't think we still haven't forgotten how you treated her." She said bitterly and his face twitched at the jab.
"You think I don't live with that guilt? Because I do, every single day." He said quietly. Cardin had told Walker how cruel he was to Velvet in the past and made amends with her before she died. She forgave him because he was an idiot but not necessarily a bad person. Her death hurt him because he felt guilty over his past treatment of her and he wished they started off on a better foot.
"We're done here. Let's go report this to the Colonel and higher-ups." Walker shook his head and put his hand on Cardin and Jaune's shoulders. There was no reason for them to waste any more time and he didn't want to be around here anymore. He was tired, he wanted to see Amiya and the others, and there was still stuff to do.
They just looked at Coco and spotted Yatsuhashi in the background before shaking their heads and following Walker back. The two of them constantly thought they were the coolest thing around but never really spent much time with Velvet or contacted her after she got pregnant. A lot of people seemed to lose contact with her, even though she constantly tried to keep in touch with them.
"Who the hell do they think they are?" Cardin asked heatedly. He never did like the two of them and he almost got into it with them one time when they spoke ill of his deceased team.
"Doesn't matter. They could be Ozpin's little acolytes and I still wouldn't give a damn. Anyways, we get the situation on Patch handled then we can start making preparations for reclamation." Walker answered as he pulled out his cigar and stuck it in between his lips.
"Are we going to let the VDF handle this? I can see that they're itching to prove themselves." Jaune said.
"We're providing support. Like I said earlier, they're going to take control of this operation and the Gears need a break every once in a while." Walker responded. Some of his Gears thrived off of battle but to constantly send them out wasn't good and he'd be a terrible leader to not consider their mental wellbeing.
"Man, I could go for a nice chicken sandwich right now." Cardin said.
"There's a restaurant back at base that makes some pretty good ones." Jaune said.
"Is it Lucky's?" Cardin asked.
"Yeah, my sisters went there a while ago and brought me some." Jaune nodded.
"I might have to try it. I went to that other place in the second district and almost had to wait half an hour to order." Cardin said.
Walker just idly listened to them talk with one another. He had recently been including Cardin on some things after his team died; nothing was worse than a lost soul and it was only a matter of time before he did something reckless. Luckily they curbed that a bit and he was in the process of moving on.
If there was anything Walker was looking forward to more than anything when he got back, it was seeing Amiya. She was upset when he left the first night and both Blake and Red told him that they were having trouble getting her to sleep. He was eternally grateful they would help him out along with the others. There were times he felt like he was neglecting her though...
Those thoughts were snuffed out when he received a call and looked at his scroll and saw a familiar icon appear.
The door to the King Raven slid open and Walker sat on the edge like he always did. What started off as a mere deep sea rig slowly turned into a slightly futuristic gothic city teeming with life. Several large platforms were dedicated entirely to the agricultural activities while a few large ones were dedicated towards manufacturing. The underwater farms had increased as well, allowing more seafood to be caught and either consumed or sent to the mainland.
At this point, the Gears had become a powerhouse and they had increased the fortifications once more. Although no one had invaded yet, the civilians regularly practiced evacuation drills every two weeks while the Gears practiced defensive countermeasures should there be an attack. When it all boiled down to it, Walker was the one who constantly came up with such drills.
When the King Raven landed on the pad and he slid the door open, the three were greeted by the blue-robed individuals. They took their weapons and bowed slightly before leaving to tend to the tools of war. Cardin bid them farewell and decided to go to the restaurant while Jaune decided to go visit his family since he hadn't seen them in a while. Only Walker was left and he looked at his C-Droid before checking on a few things then walked to the building.
It was slightly hot today and walking into an air conditioned building was like an oasis in the middle of the desert. Being inside the King Raven for hours wasn't something he always loathed, because he loved it, but it was hotter than usual. He entered the elevator after being greeted by the front desk receptionist and sighed as more cool air kissed his skin. The soft tune of the elevator music made him relax a bit and he slowly started to forget the annoyances that he encountered at the mainland.
Both doors of the elevator opened up after reaching the desired floor and he slowly stepped out. His footsteps were quiet as he made his way to his door and adjusted the backpack on his right shoulder. The keys jingled a bit and he unlocked the door before pushing it open and sliding inside.
Almost instantly, an excited squeal met his ears as Amiya waddled around the corner and spotted him. He winced slightly at the sound but smiled otherwise at her little legs carrying her. To his surprise, she started to move faster than normal and he quickly bent down to her level and held his arms out.
"You're home!" She raised her arms up as he adjusted his backpack a bit then lifted her into his left arm.
"I am home." He nodded as he threw the keys onto the little glass bowl on the counter. The sound of the washer lid closing made him perk up and he took his shoes off with one hand before rounding the corner and walking down the hallway. The laundry room smelled like a mixture of detergent and fabric softener; but what made him frown a bit was the heat.
Blake was doing laundry and wore more comfortable clothes. Some dark pajama pants and a loose T-shirt with the Gears' insignia on the front of it.
"Hey." She glanced at him before turning back to the laundry.
"Tired?" He asked as he adjusted Amiya in his arms.
"Yeah, and I'm stressed, and I haven't been able to get any work done, and Red is taking longer with getting the groceries than normal..." She trailed off and he just listened to her. Without realizing it, she started to vent to him about what's been happening the last week and that she needed a break. She didn't want to fly to Menagerie since she does that constantly and Amiya was energetic now.
He just watched as she set his bed and raised an eyebrow underneath his helmet before following her to the living room. Both Blake and Red came to his apartment regularly and he was starting to think they just moved in randomly. Ever since he started taking care of Amiya they've been doing that, well Blake has while Red still kept her distance since she felt she hasn't earned that right yet.
"..." He just watched as she sat down at the couch and rubbed her face.
"Not to mention that recent news with Patch having Locust means I have to send agents to collect more-" She started but he just put his hand on her shoulder.
"Let the VDF handle it. Patch is an extension of Vale and they've been waiting for the opportunity to prove themselves. Once they get it handled, we can start worrying about the Reclamation Movement." He said.
"That's nice and all but-" She didn't move and he kept his hand firm on her shoulder.
"You're starting to sound like me." He responded and she froze.
Now she understood what he does on a daily basis and wondered how he constantly did it. The training, managing, planning, and other things she felt was too much to handle in one day. Yet, he did it daily and always seemed to be already on the next day's tasks.
"How do you do it?" She asked.
"I don't know." He shrugged and she pressed her lips into a fine line.
"How was the mission?" She sighed and rubbed her temples.
"Found out the Locust are on Patch, Rose and her team were assigned to us and almost screwed it up, Xiao Long said something about Velvet, and Adel and the deadbeat are trying to get Amiya." He said.
"What?" Blake's eye twitched and her face soured. Both about what Yang must have said and that Yatsuhashi now wants to act like a father despite what happened and never being there for Velvet once.
"I'm not giving her to him. She doesn't like him and legally I'm her guardian so there's nothing that can be done." He said.
"Good." She said and scooted to the side as he tossed his backpack to the side of the couch then sat on it. It was quiet and Amiya blew a small raspberry before her eyes were glued to the TV screen. Neither of them said anything and he brought up his C-Droid before sending a few commands.
"Got you and Red something from the mainland." He said as he leaned over the side of the couch and dragged the backpack in front of them. With a quick swipe, he unzipped it and fished through it. There were several things inside, ranging from MREs to medical supplies, and there was even some gadgets to use in there. However, she saw that he managed to grab her a few books from her favorite authors.
"Where did you get these?" She asked as she quickly grabbed one of them.
"Tukson's shop. Went in there a while ago and managed to grab a few books." He answered and she stopped.
"He's gone, isn't he?" She asked after some time.
"..." He nodded and she swallowed a lump in her throat. When Walker went in there, he saw that the Faunus was a Glowie, his claws horribly mutated and half of his face was taken by the crystalline substance. As much as he didn't like him, Walker decided it was best to put him down and prevent him from suffering any more.
"Thank you..." She cleared her voice.
There was a knock on the door and he set Amiya down before going up to it and peeking through the peephole. He saw Red with several bags in her arms and quickly opened the door. They looked at one another and she wobbled a bit in her place.
"I picked up some groceries." She said quietly and he nodded in appreciation before grabbing a few of them. They set the bags on the counter and began to put the groceries away.
"Hey, where's Jaune?" Blake asked.
"Visiting his family." He answered.
"Red, did they have those thin mints?" Blake asked.
"Yeah, they didn't have the big bag though." Red answered as she set the bag on the counter. It was quiet as they put the rest of the groceries away then sat down at the couch.
There was nothing on TV and he pulled up his laptop before beginning to look at some things. Time seemed to slip by because when he looked around, the other three were asleep and he let out a small breath. He set the device on the coffee table before standing up and prying Amiya from Blake's chest, carrying her to her toddler bed.
A night light was flicked on and some quiet music was played before he creeped out of the room then shut the door. He went back to the living room and saw the other two sleeping. Without a word, he picked up Blake and carried her to his bed before setting her down on it. He did the same with Red and covered the two of them with a blanket before he went back to the living room.
The scent of light perfume tickled his nose as he lied down on the couch and stared up at the ceiling.
"How the hell am I supposed to get home?" He asked himself as he slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep.
Inside Ozpin's office was a man that wore a camouflaged patrol cap with the standard VDF uniform on. His face had sharp features and his eyes were hard as the iron will of the Gears. Several scars on his face could be seen and he made no move to hide it; if anything, he wore them with pride. His jet black hair had been cut neatly recently, but it always grew fast for some reason.
Colonel Constantine Creed was a steadfast leader and one who had constantly fought by the side of those underneath his command in the VDF. Through his command, the VDF had managed to secure dozens of victories against the Grimm, Glowies, and even the Locust in some cases. His previous work as a hired mercenary was a bloody past, but it forged him into an iron-willed individual.
When the VDF first started to take off, he was one of the few who wasn't hesitant about volunteering and leading. Walker had offered him a chance to join the Gears but he refused, openly stating that he'd rather fight for the people on the mainland than be off somewhere. To his surprise, Walker wasn't upset or sad about his decision. Instead, he fully supported him and had taught him several things that the man didn't know before. Both had been on several missions together and deeply respected one another.
It was Creed that had taken up the mantle of leading the VDF when Walker was put in a coma, earning the respect of the people under his command and even from the Gears and BSS. While he was a little suspicious about Walker's extensive knowledge on the Locust, he did deeply respect him when he saw he wasn't just another leader who cowered behind the safety of the walls.
As opposed to the Gears and BSS, who were completely autonomous, the VDF still answered to the council.
"Colonel." Ozpin greeted.
"Headmaster." He responded as he took his patrol cap off. There were several individuals from Atlas and some from Vale's council as well. He looked out the window, seeing a few Atlesian airships in the sky. Recent discussions about the reclamation campaign was heard around and he was one of the first ones to be notified. Judging by the amount of troops being deployed, it seemed like Walker had already made the necessary arrangements, which was a blessing because it took some weight off his shoulders.
"I know you are like the Lord Commander and don't wish to dance around words. Four thousand soldiers will be stationed here to assist." Ironwood said.
"About damn time." Constantine said as he scratched the top of his head before putting his hat back on.
"We'd like to get started on this movement as soon as possible before the Locust have a chance to rebuild their numbers." Glynda said.
"Not yet. With the recent news of the Locust on Patch, it's in our best interests to direct our forces there. That island holds numerous facilities and citizens that are of upmost value. If we lose that, we lose a major strategic position." Councilman Douglass said. While he's spent a majority of his recent time here at Beacon, he still kept up with recent news and saw how much territory the Locust, Grimm, and Glowies actually had.
"Why don't you just send the Gears there? They seem to want to do everything anyways." Harriet commented.
"Don't know if you noticed this but the Gears have done enough for now. Up until this point, they've been doing a majority of the heavy lifting despite their significantly lower numbers than us. Vale and Atlas have the numbers and necessary experience to finally make a stand." Constantine said as he brought out a cigar and placed it in his mouth.
"So what's the situation on Patch?" Douglass asked.
"The Gears have provided us with intelligence that the Locust are occupying it. Their stronghold appears to be the lighthouse on the western side of the island. Several groups of Destroyers are going to be deployed to exterminate them and the disposal units will clean up the corpses." Constantine answered.
"There's also been rumors that there's been prisoners there. Is that true?" Glynda asked as she looked at her tablet.
"It's true." He nodded.
"Then why didn't the Gears save them? I thought they could save everyone?" Marrow asked. He was the newest member of the Ace Ops but didn't necessarily hold the Gears in a negative light like the rest of them.
"It's unfortunate, but there were too many Grubs and it was a reconnaissance mission only. If they tried to extract them then nobody would've made it out." Constantine answered. There were a few whispers amongst themselves and they turned back to him. It was if they were judging him based on the choices of the Gears but he didn't care in the slightest. Saving everyone was an impossible task, because no matter how hard they tried, someone would always end up dead.
"When the land is acquired, how much of it is being given to the Gears and BSS?" An Atlas councilman asked suddenly.
"What does that have to do with anything?" He asked.
"You all haven't thought about it? How much power the two mercenary companies have been acquiring lately?" The councilman asked.
"We have. You may not notice or care, but a majority of our equipment comes from them. These Packhorses, APCs, armor, weapons, and even technology comes from... you guessed it, the Gears and BSS." Constantine explained.
"None of you see the issue with this?" The councilman asked as he looked at them all.
"We do in some ways. It's alarming that they have such a foothold on the mainland, but we can't afford to trifle with them. The Locust, Grimm, and now this plague is already doing us enough favors in eradicating us. We don't need to add those two to the list." Ironwood said. As stubborn as he was, he knew that if they made an enemy out of the Gears and BSS, they'd be in a world of trouble.
Both companies were powerful in their own right, but what made him wary was Walker of all people. To the people, he was a war hero and had gained a massive amount of influence that rivaled the council. His Gears were loyal to the point where some of them would fanatically follow and die for him. Not to mention that a majority of the VDF looked up to him and saw him as one of the few people who should have absolute command of Remnant's military.
"But-" The councilman began.
"Shut up." Constantine ordered quickly and the man clamped his mouth shut. He knew the Gears didn't necessarily need the settlements, because they knew the mainland needed it the most, but what they wanted was the seeds and hopefully livestock. If Beacon wanted to expand and hopefully regain territory, then they needed to prove themselves and take on the horrors that lurked beyond the walls.
The groups in the office discussed their next course of action. They disagreed with some things, such as sending a large amount of Knights to take care of Patch and reclaim the settlements. Other things were more trivial, like the splitting of land and which group was going to have ownership.
Ironwood rubbed his temples when the Ace Ops and Atlas council talked about being sent on specialized missions and ownership of the territory respectively. Ever since Mantle's fall and Lucas Reed's imprisonment, the Ace Ops had lost both respect and trust. He knew they were bitter about how the public perceived them and it was his fault in some ways. They had an ego on them and he constantly inflated that by boasting how they were Atlas' best soldiers.
When they Locust invaded and they couldn't even handle a single group without support, it hurt them emotionally. When the Gears suddenly popped into the picture and handled the genocidal monsters with ease, the people started to doubt them and that made them bitter. The incident that made them lose the trust of the people though was when Ironwood sent Reed to manipulate one of Walker's top lieutenant's and sow discord in their group.
However, he had no intention of causing such friction to where it caused Walker to be isolated from the other three. One thing led to another and Walker ended up being hospitalized and put on life support. After that, it was all downhill for the group and him.
During Walker's coma, Atlas had made efforts to rebuild the trust of the people and the two companies. It was borderline impossible to gain the trust of the Gears back though, they were already aloof in some ways, but that incident made him realize they truly despised the ice kingdom. Every Gear that was stationed there avoided any Atlas soldier or personnel unless they were absolutely forced to work with them.
To them, it was a nearly unforgiveable sin that couldn't be rectified easily.
"General?" A voice made him snap out of his stupor and notice that nearly everyone was looking at him.
"My apologies. I've been stressed rather lately." He apologized quietly.
"We were talking about this thing." Ozpin said as he flipped the computer monitor around and showed everyone a picture of Scorn. An unknown wave of dread filled the room as everyone looked at the picture.
It was him leading a small horde of Locust and the photographer managed to capture of photo of him. Whereas the regular Locust was filled with bloodlust and held a vicious expression, Scorn was different in so many ways. He was taller than the rest and wore different armor. He didn't carry a firearm, but a wicked looking mace that glowed an ominous shade of purple.
The thing that was most noticeable was his expression. It was calm, collected, but everyone could see the unadulterated malice on it. Just looking at a picture of him radiated an aura of pure evil and three individuals felt like a certain queen paled in comparison to him.
Just knowing that he was lurking somewhere below the surface sent a chill down their spines. Each major Locust assault was usually led by him personally, which meant he was smart enough to plan, gather the necessary information, and execute it with alarming efficiency. There was no redeeming qualities about him nor the rest of the Locust for that matter.
"Who is this?" Douglass asked warily.
"We believe he's the one who's leading the Locust." Ironwood answered.
"What do we know about him?" Glynda asked.
"Not too much other than he speaks like a man. He's smart, because the fucker must've been the one to figure out where the bomb was located and diverted all the Grubs in the city to its location." Constantine answered.
"Is there any way we can find him?" Clover asked.
"You're not going after him." Ironwood said.
"What?" Clover asked.
"You're not going after him." Ironwood repeated calmly. He didn't care if he hurt the pride of the Ace Ops, sending them after something that seemed more evil than Salem was a fool's errand.
"Sir, we need information. If we can get the chance to take him out, we have to do it." Harriet spoke up.
"Then what? Do you think there won't be another one like him to take up the mantle?" He turned to her and stared at her sternly.
"Whatever..." She turned her head and huffed while he narrowed his eyes at her before turning away.
He wasn't sending them because he didn't want them to end up like that one down in the tunnel. His eyes gouged out violently and head ripped in half by something that possessed unnatural strength. What unnerved him the most was the note written on his corpse, the handwriting was crude but it was clear Scorn had a grasp on the human language. He taunted them all and claimed that they weren't worthy and were weak-willed as a whole.
Scorn was a monster that was possibly the worst thing to plague Remnant and he viewed them as nothing but playthings. He was smart, cruel, and an extremely dangerous individual. He wasn't a stranger to underhand tactics and Ironwood had a feeling he was the one who came up with the plan to poison an entire camp's food supply a few months ago. Each soldier that ate the tainted food dying slowly and painfully while the survivors were still in therapy to this day.
The elevator doors opened and everyone looked at the direction. Inside was a woman dressed in sharp clothing and carrying a leather briefcase in her right hand. Nobody said anything as she stepped into the office while fishing through it. Behind her was a Gear clad in all black armor, he was tall and imposing with both hands gripping the Lancer firmly. He wore a skull helm that glowed an ominous blue from his helmet lights that made him feel inhuman. His footsteps barely made a noise as he followed behind her dutifully and looked at each person in the room carefully.
"The Lord Commander entrusted me to deliver this information to you." She said and handed a folder to the colonel.
"Thank you." He nodded and opened it, seeing valuable information inside before closing it.
"You're welcome." She responded and began to walk to the elevator. However, she stopped when Ozpin cleared his throat at her.
"You wouldn't happen to be able to get into contact with the commander, would you?" He asked.
"Lord Ronin is currently not taking calls nor any requests at the moment. If you happen to try in the next day or two then I'm sure he will be able to contact you back." She responded evenly. Everyone took note of how collected she seemed and guessed this wasn't her first time interacting with parties from different kingdoms.
"He's not going to or he doesn't want to?" He asked.
"Lord Ronin is taking some time off and resting. As I have stated before, contact him within the next couple of days and things might turn out different." She answered in the same tone.
"..." The Obsidian Guard narrowed his eyes at one of the Ace Ops.
"Has he gained that much reputation?" A councilwoman asked quietly.
"He is our leader and despite him not interacting with the public much, he still has our best interests in mind and listens to us. We are the parts to the greater war machine." The diplomat answered.
The Gears were an odd faction as a whole, their tactics were borderline insane, their weapons were considered cruel, and their leader was basically a warlord. Yet they revered him as a compassionate leader. Nobody on the mainland knew how he was since he never invited them or cleared them access to actually visit the home. Whether it was from lack of trust or he just didn't like them, nobody knew much about him.
"Thank you for the information. I'll contact the commander in a few days to go over the necessary preparations for the movement." Constantine informed.
"If you need anything, feel free to contact the given number on the sheet and we'll assist you." She said as she pressed the elevator button. Once the doors opened, the diplomat and the Obsidian Guard entered it. The latter stood in front of her and pushed the button while staring at them.
After that, it was silent and they felt a large amount of pressure seemingly leave the room.
"Who the hell was that?" Qrow spoke up for the first time.
"One of the diplomats for the Gears." Ozpin answered.
"I'm not talking about her. I'm talking about tall, dark, and intimidating." Qrow clarified.
"I don't know." Ozpin answered.
"Seems like good company." Qrow commented.
"It's one of Ronin's Obsidian Guards." Ironwood said as he adjusted the cuffs on his sleeves.
"Who?" Glynda asked.
"His private death squad. You don't hear about them too much." He answered.
"What? Is he insane? Does he know that possessing such a group is illegal?" An Atlas councilman asked.
"He's aware, he just doesn't care." Constantine said as he lit his cigar. At this point, he didn't care if Walker had a death squad, because it meant more lives could be saved through their exterminations of their foes. They were a quiet bunch and didn't answer to anyone but Walker himself, yet the very few that seen them interact with him said that they were quite friendly with him.
The colonel was one of the few who they gave a mystic looking gift to after they fought alongside him. Every centimeter of the trinket was carefully made and he had to admit, it was something a collector would be pleased to have.
"How are none of you concerned about how much power he has? Illegal death squads, acquisition of territory, not to mention starting up an unregistered mercenary group in the past." The councilman listed.
"Here we go..." Constantine muttered as he mentally prepped himself. He remembered why he didn't discuss things with the council from Atlas, since none of them have served in the military nor ever left the safety of the floating city. They didn't know how it was down on the ground and while everyone was concerned about Walker's amount of power, they weren't going to do anything so long as they didn't double cross him or interfere with his war against the Locust.
"He ignores the laws we set in place, his methods are borderline sadistic, he completely lacks even the miniscule shred of decency, and not to mention he keeps the location of the Gears a secret from everyone." The man continued.
"The rules have changed." Ironwood said.
"Let's not forget that he embarrassed us when it comes to military effectiveness." The councilman added.
"Let's calm down a bit." Douglass raised his hand a bit.
"You all even encouraged him! How much income do the Gears receive? Ten million? Fourteen million? Most of the funding that keeps this world in circulation is going to them, and you all don't see a problem with it." The man pointed at the council of Vale.
"Seeing how you're ranting, I'm going to take my leave. I have too much to plan and I'm already going to have to deal with a few headaches." Constantine said as he stuffed the files in the folder and started walking to the elevator.
He was on good terms with Walker and knew that the golden helmet wearing man wasn't a bad guy. He was just someone who wanted to be left alone and end the war as soon as possible without losing too many people. After the death of a certain family, Walker was more drawn into his group and only gave the necessary information related to the war to the mainland. Personal affairs like what the Gears did as far as recreational activities and management of daily life wasn't talked about.
"What headaches are you talking about?" Glynda asked.
"Xiao Long, Rose, Daichi, and Adel. Those three idiots are starting to get out of control as far as their mouths and I need to nip that attitude in the bud before it gets too late.: He answered as he pressed the button.
"I'll talk to the little spitfires." Qrow said as he walked towards the elevator.
"You actually going to talk to your nieces or are you just going to slap them on the wrist? What they almost did isn't something that can be fixed with a simple talk. They almost screwed up a valuable mission because they wanted to be heroes." Constantine said.
"They're my nieces, I'll set them straight." Qrow dismissed.
"..." Constantine just rolled his eyes and walked in the elevator when the doors opened. The button was pressed and the two were locked in an uncomfortable silence. One was going to go talk to his nieces while the other was going to reprimand them and a few others. The latter wasn't concerned at all about the dusty, old crow and his attention was mainly focused on how he was going to start the plans.
"You really have trust in the mercenary, don't you?" Qrow asked.
"I do now shut up." Constantine responded back without a beat. He wasn't concerned about trust because he knew that the BSS and Gears were rather close with the VDF, whenever they had information that would benefit them all, they'd happily share it. Not to mention that both companies had done so much for the people of the mainland. The former keeping up with the people's mental and physical health, as well as doing their best to research and find a way to get rid of the Glowie Plague. The latter would often be combat instructors and would provide food, weapons, armor, vehicles, and other equipment.
If they didn't trust them then they would've horded it all to themselves. The colonel didn't trust Atlas or Ozpin's party for the most part. None of them really did anything and the information they did share was already known.
Those thoughts were interrupted as the elevator doors opened and he walked out. It was going to be busy in the future and he needed all the time he could to prepare for it.
So here's another chapter for you all. I don't really have much to say other than thanks for reading and see you all next time. Take it easy.