Silence was the only thing that seemed to blanket the Metal Throne as Walker wore the skull helmet. Numerous cables were attached to the top and side of it, while they seemed to extend up into large machines next to him. Several large supercomputers towered behind him and each cable fed the helmet information. Through this helmet, he had eyes nearly everywhere around the base and even to his Gears on the mainland. Silver gauntlets covered his hands and forearms and pulses of energy flowed through them.

He raised his hand and curled his index finger, summoning a Skull-Drone and it gave a deep, ominous sounding burst of binary code. It hovered next to his shoulder and plugged one of its claws into the side of his helmet, feeding it information before departing shortly after. He perked up a bit when he saw that the stronghold had been taken. That news seemed to put his mind at a bit of ease and he relaxed a bit.

The doors opened up and dozens of people walked inside. Some were Gears while others were civilians. Usually after dropped Amiya off and exercised with his Gears, he would sit on the throne and recite the teachings. Walker was aware of how the COG was run, which is why he tried to take what he was taught and change several things. He didn't want the people under his care to live like that. Some things were harsh to some, but fair nonetheless. He was never one to be needlessly cruel, but he wasn't afraid to show power if the situation called for it.

Some concepts that the people on Sera wouldn't agree with, and he was certain the people of the UIR would be openly against. He didn't care in the slightest though... this wasn't Sera and they had no say in how things were run here. After the war erupted, many wealthy bloodlines lost their influence the moment they became a part of the Gears.

Where there was chaos and destruction during the early days of the first year of the war, he had somehow managed to help bring a form of order and stability. It was unfortunate that Vacuo was lost and a large part of Mistral shared the same fate. Without realizing it, he had gained the status only one of the Allfathers on Sera had gained. Him helping create the VDF wasn't to create competition, but he was one of the few people who saw that the mainland needed their own military force. While the Gears had a lot, the VDF acted as the shield and he deeply respected that.

Their equipment wasn't anything special but it got the job done and that was enough. No, what he valued most about the VDF was the fact that they were gaining more experience and could effectively fend off the Glowies and Grimm, even the Locust on occasions. Despite what some people thought, the uninfected Grimm were still an issue and Vale's military excelled at combating them.

His thoughts were interrupted when he opened his mouth and recited the teachings. His voice was slightly modified and it allowed him to be heard by all. These sessions weren't meant to brainwash people and he would often remind people to not live by them word by word. It was more of a set of guidelines to go by, suggesting them to be the best people they could be despite the state of the world.

Time slipped by faster than what had originally thought and the building was quiet once more. Walker had dismissed the Onyx Guards and was left alone inside with nothing but his thoughts. It was the only form of downtime he had to himself when he wasn't busy leading all these people or fighting. His right hand raised slightly and four tags dangled from each of his fingers. They gently swayed from side to side and he let out a sigh that sounded all too robotic.

It had been a while since they died and he knew it was unhealthy to keep clinging onto them. Yet, it was all he had left of them, he had made a promise to them and he broke it. He knew all too well that war didn't discriminate who it took, but it didn't make the pain hurt any less. People always claimed they knew the Scarlatinas but he knew they were just spewing lies out of their mouths. Nobody knew them like he did and it was one of the few times he ordered the other person to shut up. He dropped all friendliness in his tone to get his point across.

Amiya was the only survivor and one of the main reasons he kept on coming back. Seeing her face light up in joy made things a little less depressing and it was clear that she enjoyed him. Whenever he left, she would always pitch a fit but it was always overshadowed by him surprising her. There were times when he felt like he was neglecting her in some ways. Either by him working himself to exhaustion or being gone to fight the Locust and Glowies. It couldn't be helped...

He was brought out of his thoughts when he received a message from Ozpin and his party, asking permission to visit Mother Base. Just like before, he rejected it and closed his eyes, dipping his head forward to rest a bit. Nothing they said was worth hearing at the moment, and only two people knew that. Goodwitch and Ironwood, the latter had finally realized that he didn't know everything about the Locust and reluctantly accepted that Atlas wasn't the only military power anymore.

Those were the other two he would even consider allowing limited access to Mother Base, Ozpin was still a hard no. Something about him just rubbed Walker the wrong way; he knew the Headmaster knew more than he let on. Nobody got in that position of power and was that stupid with decision making. There were greater forces at play, but Walker didn't have time for that.

Eradicating the Grubs and finding a way home were his ultimate goals, and he would get rid of anyone who interfered with them.

Realizing that nothing could be gained from just sitting around, he groaned as he sat up and placed his hands on the side of the Metal Throne's helmet. The cables attached to it hissed and let out steam as it loosened and he slowly took it off. The scent of incense reached his nostrils and he inhaled it in a bit before reaching next to him and grabbing his golden helmet, flipping it around and placing it on his head.

Another groan escaped his lips as he placed his hands on the armrests and stood up, stretching a bit before slowly walking down the stairs. On each step was either a paper scroll with quotes on it, little curios, some drawings from the children, or candles. The blue rug fit snugly against each step and he made his way down, eventually coming to the bottom and walking down the aisle.

He placed his hands on the large doors and grunted as he pushed them open. The sun wasn't blocked by any clouds and the glare made him wince momentarily before he shook his head and headed to his vehicle. He wondered what kind of food the market had today and decided to stop by it. The engine came to life and he pulled out of his parking space before driving towards the commercial district.

On the right of the platform was a long rail that transported dozens of people on the sleek train system. A lot of people just took this in order to get around; while a good bit of people drove cars, some found the train system easier. As he turned his head back to the road, he glanced at his scroll when it began to vibrate. He set the device on the holder on the dashboard and clicked the button, answering the call.

"What do you need?" He asked.

"Hey, where are you right now?" Blake asked.

"Heading towards the market." Walker answered as he stopped when the traffic light turned red. He gave a two finger wave from his wheel when he saw a class of elementary students walking across the crosswalk. A few of them waved at him before having to be ushered across to avoid holding up traffic. One of them dropped their yellow helmet and it tumbled across the road. He put the vehicle in park and got out, reaching underneath it and grabbing it before handing it to the boy.

After he did that, he was thanked and the class were safely on the other side. He hopped back in the driver's seat and continued his drive.

"Ironwood contacted us." She said.

"About what?" He asked.

"He said that he has new information regarding Locust activities in Atlas. He also requests training for a specialized unit from you." She said.

"How much is he paying? Training isn't free, neither is the equipment... or my time for that matter." He responded.

"I'm surprised you're thinking about this. Especially after-" She stopped and he already knew why she did. It's been over a year since the incident happened and he was over it for the most part; granted, there was still the occasional bubble of resentment, but he didn't want to dwell on it anymore.

"General Ironwood knows the consequences should he do what he did in the past. I've made it clear to him that I'll leave him and his city to burn if they double cross me. My top priorities are taking care of Amiya, ending this fucking war, and-" He himself stopped when he almost revealed the last goal.

"And what?" She asked.

"It's nothing. Tell him to send the files to me and I'll take a look before considering if they're worth it or not." He said.

"Alright." She said.

Before she could say anything, his scroll died and he looked at it before sighing and tossing it to the side. The drive continued and he took what seemed like a labyrinth of streets and sidewalks. He managed to find a parking space in front of the daycare. It was a pretty decent day out and he stepped out of the vehicle before walking towards the entrance, waiting a second for the automatic doors to open before stepping in the lobby area.

"Good afternoon, Lord Ronin." The front desk worker greeted.

"Good afternoon." He greeted back and signed in. After giving his electronic signature, he walked down the lobby area and took the hall to the right. As soon as he got to the window, he stopped when the door opened and the classroom of toddlers was filing out of the room. In the center of it was Amiya, and she gave a happy sound when she spotted him and waddled in his direction. He just knelt down and scooped her into his right arm, apologizing for breaking the attention of the class.

His words were brief with her teacher, but it was clear that he was here to pick Amiya up for the day. After bidding everyone a farewell, he walked back to the front entrance and signed out before exiting out of the building. Amiya just rattled off in slightly incoherent sentences, but it was clear that she was trying to make them understandable. It made him feel a bit better knowing that she was growing little by little. However, whatever good feeling he had was slightly fading when he thought about how he was going to explain to her that it would be just the two of them going back to Sera.

Even as he buckled her into her seat, he thought about that. Despite having so much here on Remnant, he desperately wanted to go back home. The only issue was that he didn't even know where to begin and it started to eat away at his hope. Then there was also the fact that he was needed on the mainland for something. While he didn't need to go over there, he wasn't one that was content with sitting around.

He knew that the VDF had the situation on Patch handled, which meant he could go elsewhere. New information revealed that Mistral wasn't completely under Locust control. A large part of it was occupied, but not all of it. There was probably a camp or two that was hidden within the jungles of the kingdom. More possible recruits for the Gears, but he'd send in some scouts in order to confirm it or not.

Right now, it was important to focus on Vale and eventually reclaiming those fourteen settlements.


Amiya wasn't too happy when he said that he was leaving again. Neither were Blake, Red, or Jaune for that matter. None of them were happy and it was something that he expected. All that mattered was that they were safe. He'd do the heavy lifting, they just had to make sure everything was okay for when he got back. Blake and Red had enough to do at Mother Base, and Jaune had enough knowledge about how to run things while he was gone. It's been a long time since all of them were on a mission together, but things were different now that Velvet and the others were gone.

The reason he was always fighting was because he didn't necessarily know anything else. Sure he knew how to do administrative work, but that felt like a cage sometimes and sitting still made him antsy. He was aware that this wasn't healthy, but he couldn't help it. Sera had been at war for so long that he was pretty sure her inhabitants were bred for it. Some people had glorified it while others didn't. Whether it was the Age of Armageddon, the Pendulum Wars, or the Locust War... Serans had lived and breathed battle.

Walker was no exception in that matter. He didn't want to think about what came after the war because it scared him in some ways. What came after all the blood, death, and destruction? When the last Grub was kissing the dirt and the war was finally over. What would become of him?

"Boss, we're approaching the landing zone." The pilot informed him and he nodded before sliding the door open and looking out at the horizon. A sea of green was what met him as they flew over the trees and he wondered how much wood they could collect and how long it would take to connect all the settlements together. While Creed was pretty much leading the Reclamation Movement, that didn't mean he couldn't just sit around.

The King Raven found a landing spot on a hill overlooking a settlement and it hovered above the ground. Tall grass blew in several directions and he unclamped himself and slid over the edge, crouching down when he landed. A couple other Gears did the same and the pilot wished them all good luck and to stay safe before taking off. Once it was away, they all looked around before going to the end of the hill and observed the settlement. There didn't appear to be anything inside but he wasn't going to take any chances.

This particular settlement was a familiar one and a wave of nostalgia washed over him. One of the Gears would provide over watch while the others were going to head inside with him. They crouched as they made their way down the hill and towards the abandoned settlement. The ground was soft underneath them and the wet grass soaked their boots and greaves. He lead them closer and closer to the wooden walls and went to the rear part of one of them.

"Feeling nostalgic, Walker?" Bowman whispered as he followed him. He was one of the only Gears who was able to call Walker by his name and get away with it. One of his more senior Gears that's been with them since the very beginning and always wore a boonie hat. He was the current leader of Kilo Squad and has taken the rowdy youngsters underneath his wing since the start of the war.

"A bit, yeah." Walker whispered back as he grunted when he pushed a small opening up and revealed a secret entrance.

"We better seal that up when we reclaim this place." Bowman commented as he crouched inside and took a knee when he was in. The others followed and Walker was the last one in, closing the entrance and tossing several logs in front of it.

He ordered them to sweep the settlement and secure it. All he did was calmly walk through the empty street of the settlement and his vision warped a bit. Ghostly apparitions of people currently at Mother Base were here. Before he could do anything, his vision returned to normal and he started to sweep the area along with the others. He was sure that these little incidents were a result of the piling stress.

Every house that was cleared, alley that was checked, and even walls that were inspected carefully were the same. The Locust nor the Grimm, or even bandits for that matter seemed to touch this place. Not even the Glowies had wriggled their way into the confines of this place. Their thorough sweep had ended after nearly an hour and they all met up back in the middle. The sky started to darken a bit and they looked up to see dark storm clouds roll in.

"Another raining day in this shithole." A Gear commented as he looked at one particular cloud.

"When was the last time you all saw a sunny day here?" Another one asked.

"It's been a while." Bowman admitted as he adjusted his hat a bit.

Walker looked around and kept his grip on his Lancer firm. Something wasn't right and his gut kept telling him to leave the settlement for now. He simply ignored the feeling and looked at the hill, narrowing his eyes when he looked in its direction.

"Bowman, on me. The rest of you, continue to sweep the area." Walker ordered and the older Gear followed him.

"Something up?" Bowman asked.

"Ritchie hasn't notified us of anything." Walker said.

"I'm sure his mind is somewhere else." Bowman offered as he followed Walker.

"..." Walker just continued to make his way towards the entrance. Something wasn't right and he could feel it in his gut. The two of them hugged the left wall of the old settlement and started to make their way up the hill. Wet, slippery grass made them have to adjust their footing a bit before continuing forward. Once they reached the top where they all were previously at and saw it vacant.

"No footprints, no signs of struggle... he wasn't one to cut and run, was he?" Bowman asked.

"No. Something's not right..." Walker shook his head as he looked around the area. He noticed that in the brush was a small opening and saw what looked like something was dragged through. Both him and Bowman brought their weapons out as they followed the trail. With each foot they followed, they noticed a red streak along the grass and a sense of dread seemed to build up in their systems.

They followed the bloody trail and came across a small opening. Both of them froze when they found the missing Gear, his body strung up like a piece of macabre art. His scalp was missing, throat cut open with something jagged, and his eyes were gone. If Walker had to guess, this was the work of the Locust; which meant they were nearby and a threat. He went up to the corpse and wrapped his hands around the COG tags, pulling them off the body.

As soon as he did, his eyes widened when a grenade fell down and started to beep. His body instinctively dove back at a safe distance as soon as the grenade went off and he tumbled across the ground. The explosion made his ears ring and he shook his head as he shook his head and shakily climbed to his feet. He looked around and saw Bowman on his back next to him and helped him to his feet.

The sound of gunfire made them whip their heads towards the settlement and they quickly rushed towards the edge of the trees. As soon as they got towards the top of the hill, they saw a horde of Locust pour in from everywhere. A majority of them beelined it through the entrance, quickly swarming the Gears inside. Dozens of Grenadiers, Drones, Hunters, and Boomers started to recklessly rush inside. Several fell to the Gears that had taken cover behind the corners of the abandoned houses. Gunfire echoed across the sky and Reavers flew through the air, shooting missiles as they flew by.

Several Drones spotted the two and pointed at them while roaring. They dove behind separate rocks and took cover as the Locust started to advance upon them. Walker winced as several bullets whistled past his head and he peeked out from cover to fire at one of the Drones, killing it with a few well placed shots. He didn't even have time to relish at its body tumble down the hill before he quickly got back into cover. He put his Lancer on his back and grabbed a grenade, throwing it over the rock and it tumbled across the grass before exploding.

The explosion was ripped up the earth and three Locust were killed in it. Upon the deaths of those three, several more took their place and started to advance upon the two. Bowman fired his Hammerburst several times and managed to kill a few Locust himself before diving back into cover. More Grubs were advancing upon the two and Walker had killed several more by throwing frag grenades and firing well placed shots. He noticed that they had lessened the pressure on the Gears in the settlement and more on the two of them.

There were two dozen in the settlement, but nearly three on them. Walker ordered Bowman to start to retreat to the woods while he would follow shortly after. The older man was skeptical and wasn't going to move but Walker snapped at him to get to safety first. He blind fired over the rock and made the approaching Locust either use dead bodies as sandbags or got down on the ground to hopefully avoid being hit.

His main objective was to allow Bowman to fall back while he took a majority of the aggression off of him. It worked because the dozens of Grubs snarled at him, firing wildly at his position and each shot seemed to skim closer and closer. He looked at his belt and grabbed a smoke grenade before swinging it towards the tree line and throwing it. It flew through the air and tumbled to the ground before exploding and covering the area in thick, white cloud of smoke.

He breathed quickly a few times before rushing towards the smoke and disappearing into it. His body weaved through the forest as he weaved through the trees and jumped over fallen limbs and rocks. His lungs burned painfully and the sounds of dozens of Locust behind him seemed to bounce off each tree. He'd normally have no problem taking them all on, but the odds weren't in his favor and he wanted this in some way. It got their attention away from the Gears in the settlement and they seemed to be particularly drawn to him for some reason.

When he was sure he gained enough distance away from the small horde behind, he took cover behind a large tree and slid down it. He looked around it and saw several Drones looking for him. His gaze turned towards his Lancer and he saw that he only had three magazines left. Normally it would be enough, but these Locust must have stolen some Atlas technology because they threw up hardlight shields when they saw their brothers fall.

"Bowman, come in." Walker whispered. He constantly switched channels until one of them was nothing but faint static. He slid down the tree and reloaded before peeking around the trunk to see one of the Drones getting closer. It started to get closer and closer, so much that he could faintly feel the heavy footsteps nearby. Once it was close enough, he brought out his combat knife and flipped it in a reverse grip.

He crouched down and waited in anticipation. Once he saw the barrel of the of its Hammerburst, he gripped it and threw it upwards. Before it could even squeeze the trigger or roar, his knife was already in motion and he slashed its throat open before whipping back and stabbing it in the side of the head. The blade was twisted and when it went limp, he ripped it out and dragged the body in some nearby foliage.

"Boss." Bowman called out.

"What's your status?" Walker asked as he crouched down and avoided the gaze of a group of Locust.

"I got Grubs crawling everywhere. Killed a few of them just a few seconds ago. Another group is approaching." Bowman whispered as he ducked behind a fallen tree.

"I'll draw them away. See if you can rendezvous with the others at the settlement. If you can, get out of here." Walker responded.

"Boss don-" Bowman didn't get to finish before he heard Walker grunt over the radio.

Walker crawled towards a group of three Locust and brought out his Lancer. He fired into two of them and killed them instantly before revving up his chainsaw. The horrifying roar of the weapon echoed throughout the area as he eviscerated the Grub in front of him. The teeth ripped through its armor with ease and started to grind its bones to dust and mutilate its flesh. Blood splattered across the leaves of the bushes nearby and painted the soil a dark, crimson color. A lot of it got on his armor as well but he didn't care in the slightest.

Both halves of the mutilated body slid to the ground and he looked ahead to see several groups quickly turn towards him. He dove to the side and started to dart in the opposite direction of them. They began to fire at him, hitting trees, rocks, bushes, and a few of them managed to hit his armor. It was alright because he just needed a place to take cover and he managed to find a fallen tree ahead.

Vaulting over it, his back slammed against it as more Locust rushed towards his position. He peeked over it and quickly got back down when a Hammerburst round tore a chunk out of the top of it. He stood up and fired twenty-seven rounds, killing eight Locust in total before he had to duck back down. More chunks of the tree were torn off and he breathed quickly a few times before looking ahead of him and seeing a boulder in front of him. He glanced at the two dozen Locust approaching him and stuck a grenade to the fallen tree before rushing off towards the boulder.

His arm jerked to the side when a bullet managed to hit him and he cursed out loud. He slammed his back against the boulder and took his hand off his arm. Luckily, there wasn't a severe wound, but he was pretty sure it would bruise later. His Snub was pulled out and he peeked out from one side of the boulder and fired five times, killing one Drone while the others roared in fury.

A Grenadier slammed on the other side of the boulder and he quickly stood up, reaching over and grabbing its collar before hauling it over. His knife was stabbed into its stomach and he dragged it up violently, grabbing the grenade off its belt before swinging it a few times and throwing it forward. He took cover behind the boulder again as the grenade exploded, killing a few Locust in the process.

One of them began to flank him to his right and he quickly killed it before peeking around the right side of the boulder and aiming his Lancer. He fired half the magazine and killed a few Locust before going back into cover and wincing as bullets whistled past his head. There were only seven left and he still had enough ammo to deal with them accordingly. His head snapped to his left and he fired and killed another Locust that tried to flank him.

He heard the sound of two Wretches galloping towards him and he brought out his Sawed-Off and waited until they were close enough. He dove back and landed on his back as two of them leaped over the rock and screeched at him. He aimed the shotgun at them and squeezed the trigger, firing both barrels at the same time and killing them instantly. Blood and internal organs splattered all over him as their body parts scattered in several places, landing with a wet splat and staining the area red.

The five Locust that were left all rushed at him and he threw a smoke in front of them, causing them to dive in separate directions as it exploded. A thick, white cloud covered the area and they coughed harshly while he took this opportunity to rush inside. He revved up his chainsaw and slashed the throat of the first Drone, nearly beheading it before he moved onto the next one. It howled in agony as he dragged the chainsaw down its shoulder and into its torso, pushing it through and cutting it apart.

He fired into the third one and tore chunks off of its body. The fourth one managed to hit him a few times with the Hammerburst rounds and he gasped in pain before flipping the Lancer upside down and sawing from its crotch in an upwards motion. He ignored the pain in his chest as he fired into the legs of the last one, causing it to collapse to the ground and begin to crawl away from him.

It didn't get the chance to get far before he kicked it onto its stomach and flipped it over. He grabbed the Drone's collar and lifted it up a bit. His left hand reared back and clenched into a fist before shooting forward. His fist slammed into the side of its face and he drew his arm back again before sending it forward. Blood shot out of the Drone's mouth as Walker continuously bashed its face in with his fist.

Each strike sounded more visceral than the last and he could feel the bones in its face start to break. He didn't care in the slightest and the hits started to sound more meaty, echoing across the quiet forest. Heavy grunts were heard as he violently beat the Locust to death. When its face was practically caved in, he dropped it and flipped it onto its back, ignoring the wet gurgles from it.

He raised his boot and slammed it down, causing its head to cave in and he began to repeatedly stomp its head multiple times. With each stomp, it was less seen as a head and more as a pile of gore. Blood, skull fragments, and brain matter clung to the bottom of his boots and caked them a crimson red.

It was quiet where he was at and he took a step forward before falling onto his knee. He looked at his left arm to see that a part of his armor was damaged and the sleeve was torn. All that remained was a mangled piece of armor and he ripped it off before tossing it onto the ground. Dents in his chest armor from being shot were seen and his right greave was a bloody mess from stomping the Drone's head in.

"Bowman, what's your status?" He asked as he limped towards the settlement.

"Boss, they're gone..." Bowman informed.

"..." Walker clenched his fists tightly.

"They're parading their heads on pikes." Bowman said as he looked from his spot on the hill. Inside the settlement was the Gears that were with them. Their heads on pikes and the Locust were parading them around like some sick achievement.

"Get to the rendezvous. I'm calling the King Raven." Walker said and called in the King Raven at a certain location. As soon as he finished that order, slow clapping was heard and he froze when he heard it.

"I thought I killed you. Good to see that I didn't." Scorn said as he looked at the dozens of dead Locust surrounding him.

"..." Walker just slowly turned around and saw the last thing he wanted to see. A droplet of rage worked its way into his system and he clenched his fists tightly.

"I shouldn't have expected less from an individual such as yourself." Scorn said as he gestured towards the carnage around him with his mace. The amount of dead Grubs that surrounded him filled him with a spiteful sense of anger, but it was immediately snuffed out like a flame.

"Go fuck yourself." Walker spat as he turned to face Scorn. He had a bit more energy this time around and even a bit more ammo.

"Why do you defend these worms, Ronin? What compels you to put yourself in harm's way when you should have no ties to them? They're not the warriors of Sera. You should have no obligation to protect them." Scorn said.

"Do you really care?" Walker asked. Never in his life did he think he would be having a conversation with a Locust, but here he was. He just needed Bowman to get out of here and report it all back. They'd come back with more Gears and take this place by force.

"Hmph... no." Scorn laughed. It was full of malevolence and mirth, which was fitting for a Locust in general.

"Then why ask?" Walker said as he got himself ready. He dove out of the way when Scorn suddenly rushed at him, mace held high above his head and swung it downwards. The ground where he was previously at kicked up copious amounts of dirt and pebbles while he rolled onto the ground. He was staring up at the sky but rolled out of the way when the mace swung downwards again.

After getting up, he had to duck underneath a horizontal swing and aimed his Lancer at Scorn's face, but the Locust leader smacked the weapon downwards so that it was firing at his armor. An exhilarating sensation rushed through his system when he realized that these rounds exploded. Just the mere thought of danger was enough to put Scorn in a good mood. It was good to know in the future as he threw the weapon away.

Walker sidestepped a downwards swing before his fist clenched tightly and he slammed it on the side of Scorn's face, spinning around him and pulling out his Boltok. Just as he aimed at the back of the Locust leader's head, a large hand gripped his arm and swung him into the ground violently. The air was knocked out of his lungs as he bounced off the soil before coughing harshly. A heavy boot slammed into his stomach and made him spit up a bit before he shakily got to his knees.

He barely managed to dive out of the way before Scorn threw his mace and spot where he was previously at exploded. Oxygen quickly returned to his lungs and every amount burned, but he endured and ignored the pain in his body. He brought his knife out and flipped it in a reverse grip before taking a deep breath and rushing at Scorn. He slid underneath a horizontal slash and sidestepped an uppercut before stabbing the gap in between Scorn's gauntlets and arm.

An uppercut was thrown his way but he leaned out of the way and used Scorn's thigh as a surface to jump off of. His golden helmet slammed into Scorn's face and he followed up with an elbow to the top of his head. Just before he could follow up with another attack, he was backhanded away and was sent flying into a log, gasping painfully as his back impacted it. He could already feel the bruises start to form.

As he got up, a boot impacted his chest and pinned him to log, making him grunt in pain and try to pry it off of his chest.

"You are putting up a better fight compared to our last encounter." Scorn said as he leaned closer to Walker.

"Glad I could indulge you." Walker said as he grabbed a fistful of dirt and threw it into Scorn's face. When the boot was lifted off his chest, he gasped and sucked in air before bellowing loudly and threw all of his body weight onto Scorn. It was like slamming into a brick wall but he managed to knock him over and climbed on top of him, slamming his fist into his face twice.

He saw Scorn's mace begin to rise and then elbowed him in the face before pinning the weapon down. His Snub was quickly brought out and he rapidly fired into Scorn's wrist several times, forcing him to make him release the weapon. The victory was extremely short lived as Scorn grabbed the back of Walker's armor and threw him onto the ground next to him.

A large fist slammed down into Walker's stomach and made him spit up a bit before making him cough harshly. Each one of Scorn's hits felt like a truck would slam into him but he forced himself through the pain.

"I commend you, Ronin. Despite it all, you still are able to put up a fight." Scorn said as he stood up, swiping his mace off of the ground. He looked at his wrist to see blood dribble down his forearm and drip onto the ground. Compared to the last time, Walker had managed to get several hits off of him and Scorn was pleased to feel some form of excitement.

"..." Walker rolled onto his stomach and shakily rose to his feet. He took one step forward before falling onto one knee and coughing. Blood caked his lips and everything hurt so bad. Compared to their previous encounter, he managed to allow Scorn to leave with some new injuries instead of just leaving unscathed.

"Take this victory, Ronin." Scorn said as he started to walk away.

"Get back here, you fuck. I'm not done yet." Walker stumbled forward and raised his Snub. He fired three rounds and they hit Scorn in his chest area. However, the weapon clicked several times and Walker reared his arm back before throwing the weapon at his counterpart.

"..." Scorn just stared at Walker in amusement, smelling the rich blood leak from the Seran human's wounds.

"When it's all said and done, Scorn. I'm going to take these hands... and rip your heart out..." Walker wheezed out and dropped to his knees.

"You would've made the perfect member of the Horde." Scorn commented as he looked down at Walker. Despite not looking injured, Walker had managed to injure him more than what he thought and it was best to heal from these wounds rather than let them be the downfall of him.

While Scorn had technically won this encounter, Walker's tenacity and outright resilience kept him from passing out. He took more punishment this time and it was clear that when he recovered, he'd be stronger than ever.

"I'll kill you then I'll move onto the rest of your fucking horde. I won't leave this rock until every single one of your Grubs is nothing but a pile of bloody mush underneath my boots." Walker said as he slid his helmet off and stared at Scorn. His eyes held a primal, scalding hot ferocity that could be compared to that of a Berserker.

It wasn't simply a threat. This was a genuine promise that reached Scorns ears and that sense of exhilaration wriggled through his veins. The bloodlust, the tenacity, and even the conviction that Walker displayed was one that the Locust leader had not seen in such a long time. It was exciting in so many ways and he couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips. It was cruel, guttural, but one full of bloodthirsty excitement that bounced off every tree and was carried across the sky. By the few injuries he gained this time, it was clear that Walker had gotten stronger.

He made his way up to Walker and crouched down in front of him, throwing his mace over his shoulders and kneeled in front of the human before him; nodding in respect at the stubborness he displayed. It was clear that his mind wasn't finished, but his body practically screamed at him to stop and rest.

"We truly are kindred spirits, Ronin. Remember that the next time we meet. You are me if I was a human, and I am you if you were a member of the glorious Horde." Scorn whispered and stood up. His footsteps shook the ground as he walked away and Walker subtly threw a small tracking device the size of a rice grain on Scorn's back. Even if he lost this fight, he was still going to gain something out of it.

He saw the Reaver land and shriek as Scorn climbed on top of the beast and took off. Once he was gone, Walker's vision flashed red and he shakily stood up, growling harshly and limped his way back to the settlement. That settlement was getting secured today.

It didn't matter how much blood got on his hands now.


Walker stared at the heads of his Gears and looked at his bloody gloves. He barely turned his head when Bowman limped next to him and stared at them with him. Neither one said anything and they couldn't even call for assistance since there was a Seeder nearby. It was dealt with, but the settlement was in ruins at this point due to the amount of E-Holes that were now sealed up. All they could get out of this place now was the equipment and move onto the next settlement.

If needed, they would have to make one...

"Ritchie's body is near the entrance." Bowman said.

"..." Walker nodded and started to take the heads off the pikes. He gently held each one and placed them near their own bodies. Their tags were collected and he limped to a nearby fountain at the center of the settlement, washing the blood off each one. Their bodies would be cremated and placed in urns, either going to their families or placed in the memorial hall.

Before Bowman could say anything, several Bullheads landed nearby and Atlas soldiers filed out. While he looked at them, Walker just finished cleaning the tags and wrapped them around his forearms. He made sure to keep them from tangling and limped back to the bodies, a hiss of pain escaped his lips when he leaned too much on his left leg. The only bright side of this whole situation was more dead Locust and he wasn't in a coma after facing Scorn.

"We should've had more Gears." Bowman said.

"We should've." Walker nodded in agreement. He got overconfident for once and he paid the price when he thought that ten Gears could retake a settlement. Normally, he would've sent over two dozen or more. It was due to his overconfidence and recklessness that eight of his Gears were dead and the settlement was practically uninhabitable. All he could do now was try to salvage what he could out of this place.

"It's not your fault, Walker." Bowman said.

"It is. I got too damn cocky and thought that we were invincible." He shook his head and stared at the bodies. Gears were considered expert Locust killers by many, but that didn't negate the fact that they weren't prone to make mistakes. Sometimes those mistakes costed people their lives.

"They must have known we were trying to take this place." Bowman said as he looked around.

"Scorn was here." Walker said.

"The one who-" Bowman stopped himself before he finished that sentence.

"The one who put me in a coma. He personally led the attack himself. Just like in Mantle and possibly during Vale City's downfall, and maybe even during E-Day. Every Locust victory that's happened and put us into a corner, and he's the one who's been leading the charge." Walker explained.

"Commander." A voice met his ears and he turned to see Clover approaching. The last person he wanted to see at the moment and he cursed whatever higher being there was for just toying with him.

"What do you want?" Walker asked tiredly.

"We were going to assist with the reclamation of this settlement, but we can see things went awry." Clover said as he looked around. His tone wasn't mocking, but Walker still didn't care.

"No shit. My Gears are dead, there are E-Holes everywhere, and Scorn reared his ugly head out again." Walker briefed irritably.

"He kicked your ass again, it seems like." Harriet commented. She noticed that Walker didn't even seem to acknowledge her and it made her internally bristle.

"So we made our way all the way out here to just to find everything destroyed." Elm frowned.

"Boss, more Gears will be here shortly." Bowman informed.

"Good. Let's mark the equipment for retrieval and we're going to torch the place right after." Walker said as he began to limp towards one of the houses.

"Are you serious?" Marrow asked.

"I'm completely serious. There's no point in people living here if-" Walker stopped when he spotted a familiar house. He remembered why he wanted to reclaim this particular settlement first.

"Boss, they'll be here in- oh shit..." Bowman said as he followed Walker's gaze and spotted the house.

"..." Walker just stared at the old home of the Scarlatinas and he clenched his fists tightly before limping to it. Everyone else was ignored for the most part and each step he took hurt. He grabbed the railing on the porch and walked up the steps, ignoring the pain in his leg before going inside. The home was empty and largely untouched. It felt wrong to be in here but he made his way down the hall and leaned on the entryway to the kitchen.

An old newspaper was seen on it and he chuckled hoarsely before grunting as he slowly made his way upstairs and turned to his left, seeing a hallway with two rooms on the left and one room on the right. The first door on the left was open and he looked inside, seeing a blue room with old superhero posters on it. His smile turned sad when he remembered Ian showing him some of his favorite superheroes.

He made his way inside and saw a little toy robot. He knelt down in front of it and gently grabbed it, looking at it carefully before strapping it to the back of his hip. When he got back, he'd put it on Ian's empty grave. Once he was sure it was secure, he left the room and looked at it one last time then walked to Richard and Katrina's room. Theirs was empty as well but he just stayed in it for a few minutes.

Velvet's room was the last one he visited and it was harder to go into hers for some reason. Her walls were a cream color and dust seemed to mix in with the scent of vanilla surprisingly enough. He looked around the empty room and laughed sadly and stood in the middle, wishing things could have been different. How he wished that he could've saved them from that fateful night. Maybe that was the reason he didn't want Red, Blake, or Jaune to come to the mainland as much anymore.

Just as he was about to leave, he stopped when he took a step and something seemed to click. He looked at his foot and removed it from the spot before taking out his knife and prying open the floorboard. An audible crack was heard as he removed the floorboard and saw a little journal inside. It was wrapped in cloth and he grabbed it before lifting it up and unwrapping it, seeing that it was a journal.

He put the floorboard back and opened the journal, reading its contents. While it did feel a little wrong, it gave him a better picture on how much he seemed to affect the lives of Velvet and her family. Their problems seemed to melt away ever since he showed up and other things. She then went on about how he was so nice to talk to and it was easier to talk to him about her troubles than her team.

One of the entries was of her finding out that she was pregnant with Amiya. How she was scared and didn't know what to do, how she wished she had a clearer head. The thing he noticed was how she wished it wasn't Yatsuhashi and someone else instead. Walker already knew who she was alluding to and he didn't know if he should feel more regretful or flattered. At the end of each entry, she kept thinking about how Walker would be able to help her.

She wanted to get close to him of all people and kept saying that he was a good man.

He stopped reading and found that he wasn't even a portion of the way through. The rest would be read at a later date and he gripped the journal firmly before he started to limp his way out of the bedroom. Going down the stairs was a little bit difficult but he managed to finally get down them and make his way outside. The cloudy skies made everything seem more depressing.

"About time you got out here." Harriet commented.

"You can leave if you want. Nobody here likes your group anyways." He responded as he limped by her.

"You piece of-" She stopped when Clover put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head quickly. After the whole incident in Mantle, it was best not to drive themselves further in the hole. Lucas Reed was the unfortunate person to face the wrath of the Gears and he was erased from Atlas records. His files, achievements, even the people who knew him personally and helped him get information on Walker were gone.

Clover was the only person in the entire Ace Ops to know that they would disappear without a trace or simply be written off as a casualty of war. If Walker didn't make it happen, then a certain death squad would.

He watched as Walker sat on the edge of a fountain and brought out his electronic cigar, tilting his helmet up a bit and sticking in between his lips. Bowman sat next to him and did the same, adjusting his boonie hat and bringing out a lighter, only to find it missing.

"Shit... I didn't bring my lighter with me." Bowman swore as he patted his pockets several times.

"Here." Walker said as he ignited the holographic flame and lit the other man's cigar.

"Appreciate it." Bowman gestured with his cigar and took a drag. The sweet taste of it always calmed him down a bit and made the pain fade a bit.

Walker lit his own cigar and did the same, exhaling slowly and some smoke slid out from his lips. He rarely every smoked, he didn't want to get into a habit and not to mention, Amiya was always around him. The only times he ever did it was to pass the time when going back to Mother Base and he didn't want to wait the whole flight, and during times like this.

"Commander, it's not healthy to smoke." Marrow commented.

"Yeah, well, I need it considering I just seen several of my Gears' heads on pikes." Walker retorted and gestured to the bodies.

Marrow's eyes followed his hand and he saw the bodies laid out in an organized fashion while bloody pikes could be seen nearby. His stomach twisted uncomfortably and he had to turn away from the grisly sight. Knowing that the Locust already did such a cruel deed made him disdain them even more. Their cruelty knew no bounds and it wasn't uncommon for him to see the aftermath of their battles.

"Commander, I'd like to take a look at your wounds." A medic said.

"I'm fine." Walker shook his head.

"Sir, it's important that you get those-" She stopped when he held his hand up.

"I'm fine. I appreciate the offer though." He quickly cut her off and shook his head. His trust in Atlas was close to none and he'd rather just get himself looked at back at Mother Base. Most of the blood wasn't even his to begin with. He wasn't bleeding anywhere; just had some painful bruises that would go away after some time.

"You're bleeding." She said.

"It's not my blood." He reassured.

She just looked at him unconvinced and then looked around the settlement to see dozens of dead Grubs lying strewn around. Her skepticism wasn't uncalled for, seeing how he looked like he just went through the wringer. Armor badly damaged from his battle with Scorn, blood caking his boots and gauntlets, and his right golden helmet lens was cracked.

"Kid's fine. I can attest to that." Bowman said.

"And you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I'm alright." He reassured with a wave.

"Damn stubborn Gears..." She muttered and began to walk away.

"I think we might've struck a nerve." Bowman whispered.

"She'll need that energy for future encounters. No point in wasting it on us." Walker shook his head. He was tired and wanted to leave, but had to wait until the King Raven got here.

"So what are we going to tell the BSS and everyone else?" Bowman asked as a plume of smoke escaped his lips.

"That we fucked up. We learn from this mistake and avoid it in the future." Walker answered as he took another puff from his cigar.

"You need medical treatment. Vine here has medical knowledge." Clover said.

"Do you all really think I want you looking at my injuries, especially after that shit show in Mantle?" Walker asked. They were all thrown into silence and he knew he had some form of leverage over them. It wasn't much, but it was still some regardless.

Clover sighed when he knew Walker would hold some form of resentment towards them. Like Ironwood, he too was trying to make amends but it was clear the mercenary commander wasn't interested in such a thing. Trying to make amends with him was like trying to swim up a waterfall.

"No." Clover shook his head.

"Thought so. Tell Ironwood and Ozpin that this settlement isn't habitable." Walker said as he put his cigar out and stood up when he spotted an approaching King Raven.

"Where are you going?" Elm asked.

"Making arrangements to have a settlement built, reclaiming a settlement that actually isn't able to be dug underneath, and telling the families of my Gears the news." Walker drawled and limped away, followed by Bowman. The one thing he didn't look forward to was notifying the families. He's lost count of the amount of family members that collapsed at the front door. Some blamed him and others didn't.

This was a mistake that wouldn't be repeated...


Merry Christmas guys. I don't have much to say other than that and thanks for reading. Chapter might not be that good, but who cares. It's better than nothing at this point.

Anyways, happy holidays and see you next time. Take it easy.