Amiya's birthday had passed and for once, Walker was actually happy. To see her smile excitedly at the cake he managed to get for her, to her opening her presents. It was all worth it. That little smile of hers was cherished in his mind forever and he wanted to keep seeing it. Everyone had come to it, even Brock and Simon had come. The former grumbled about it being a waste of his time but everyone knew that he was just being a hard ass.

They talked, laughed, shared some stories, and simply enjoyed the day. It went by quicker than he anticipated but by the time they all left, it was pretty much dark out. Amiya was tired from running around and trying her best to form complete sentences while enjoying the day for her.

Walker tucked her into her bed and she clutched her stuffed animal securely. He bid her a goodnight and quietly shut the door before making his way to the living room. Everyone had left with the exception of Blake and he helped her clean up in silence. Jaune had went to visit his parents and Red had gone to look at the enhancements on her Longshot. A sense of normalcy had come to them and Walker wondered if this was it was like to have a life.

"You're heading back, aren't you?" Blake asked.

"Creed requested my assistance. Plus, there's a few things I need to do on the mainland." He answered.

"..." She stayed silent as she threw away some garbage.

"I hate it too." He said.

"Then why do you go so much?" She asked.

"I don't know. I suppose it's the one thing I'm good at." He shrugged.

"When will you be back?" She asked.

"Hopefully in a few weeks, then I can stay longer. Ozpin's little acolytes are snooping around and they better put a stop to it before I do." He said as he did the dishes.

"If I had to guess, it's about that Amber girl." She responded as she dried a plate and put it away.

"It is. When I asked the old bag of bones about it, he kept asking if I was with him or not. After a while, I just stopped caring about the girl and allocated our resources to a different place." He answered as he washed a cup. Since the dishwasher was full, he had decided to hand wash the rest.

"I have a feeling that what Ozpin is dealing with isn't related to the Locust or the Glowies." She commented.

"You think?" He asked.

"Yeah. He never seems too concerned about the two threats and always has his mind somewhere else. Plus, I always felt like something wasn't right with him, even back when I first did my interview for Beacon." She answered as she put a cup away.

"Well, either way... I don't really care if it doesn't have anything to do with the Locust nor the Glowies." He shook his head.

"When are you leaving?" She asked.

"In about a week. I want to be back before New Year's. Why?" He asked.

"Red, Jaune, and I are coming with." She said.

"No." He shook his head.

"This isn't up for debate." She crossed her arms at him.

"You're right, it's not. You're not coming." He said and turned back to the dishes.

"We're coming." She said firmly.

"No, you're not. I'm not going to-" He started.

"Walker, we're not made of glass." She interrupted and he stopped. If anybody would notice how careful he was about sending them on missions, it was Blake of all people.

He couldn't help it though, something happening to them was a thought he didn't even want to consider. In his perspective, he figured that if they stayed here, then they would be safe and he was the one who had to bear the burden of it all. He never asked them if they wanted to come with him on a mission or two.

"..." He looked away from her and she gripped his bicep.

"I know you're worried that what happened to Velvet and the others will happen to us, but it's not like that. We're not going anywhere. Not now, not ever." She reassured.

He pressed his lips together and looked at her before looking at the direction of Amiya's room. That didn't necessarily dispel his worries, but it was clear that she understood him and his reasoning. If something happened to them, then he would hold himself responsible and be eaten up by guilt. She didn't have a problem with him fighting the Locust; a large part of her knew that it was the only way for him to actually vent.

"If you're coming with me, then I need to find some place for Amiya to stay." He said.

"My parents." She said.

"I thought they were busy?" He asked.

"Dammit." She sighed when she remembered that they were extremely busy at the moment. Granted, they could make some time to care for Amiya, but asking so suddenly wouldn't be a good idea.

"Michael and Theresa could probably spare some time." He rubbed the bottom of his helmet.

"I thought Theresa was busy?" She asked.

"Not at the moment. She's taken a few weeks off." He answered.

"She's been getting close to Michael. Is there something going on in between them?" She gave a smug smirk to him.

"If there is, it's none of our business." Walker responded as he washed the final plate and handed it to her.

"You're not fun." She huffed.

"I've been told that many times." He nodded.

"It's fine though. Sometimes it's to have someone who knows the severity of things." She said as she dried the plate.

An easy silence fell upon the two of them and he wiped off the counters. Two mugs were brought out and he reached in the cupboard next to the fridge before taking out two hot chocolate packets. He slid one to her and shook his a few times before dumping the powder into the mug, bringing out some milk and pouring it inside. The jug was slid to her and she dumped in some milk before putting the mug inside the microwave with his.

"I've noticed that you aren't wearing your helmet as much." She said as she looked at his face. Although she wouldn't admit it out loud, she did consider him pretty handsome when she did see him without his helmet.

"I'm always like this when nobody's around." He waved his hand.

"Is that right?" She asked.

"It is." He closed his eyes and nodded. The microwave beeped and he brought the mugs out, handing one to her and leaning on the counter.

They fell into an comfortable conversation. For once, his mind wasn't occupied on the war or what was going on in the mainland, or even managing Mother Base. He was simply enjoying the moment with a friend and was relieved that Amiya was asleep.

Despite his somewhat relaxed expression, Blake could see that there was a sense melancholy on his face. A sense of deep rooted sadness seemed to always plague Walker and seeing him without his helmet really made it evident. She could finally see the tiredness in his soul and it made her feel a sense of pity for him. Out of everyone she knew over the years, he was the one who worked the hardest every single day. He practically managed Mother Base with upmost efficiency, trained all of his Gears personally, and even fought on the battlefield.

During those times, she saw that he didn't seem as stressed as he usually was. It was a hard pill to swallow but she realized that she was getting in his way half the time when she wanted him to relax. Just like he had been trying to keep them from harm and getting in their way, they were doing the same. Instead of simply being there for him and supporting him, they started to get in his way and force him to enjoy the more leisurely things.

Sometimes it was a sad thing to see. All this that he had built, the things for people to live a somewhat normal life, wasn't even enjoyed by him.

The rare times when she did see his eyes, that sadness was different. It was one of longing for something but he never would tell what it is. Maybe one day he would tell them what was truly on his mind.


To say that Michael was surprised that Walker entrusted Amiya to him was a huge understatement. While he was sure that the Belladonnas would be available, he was surprised to find out that they were busy. However, Walker explained to him that it was easier and that he trusted her in his care. Theresa was in his apartment as well and the silence was a bit awkward at first when he saw her in the background.

A list was given to the two adults when Theresa got in more appropriate clothing and stood next to Michael. Everything on the list was what needed to be done in order to care for her. The list itself was pretty self explanatory, but it was clear how much time and effort went into making it. There were several things to keep Amiya distracted while he was away with the other three.

It wasn't too hard considering Michael had already been a parent for so many years. Plus, Theresa adored Amiya just as everyone else did. To her, the toddler was nothing short of a bundle of joy and she couldn't wait to spoil her rotten.

After everything was taken care of there, he flew to the mainland and was updated on the situation. Despite not being able to reclaim that specific settlement, Patch was slowly being reclaimed and it was only a matter of time before it was back in humanity's control.

Once they arrived in the mainland and rested for a day from their flight, the four of them immediately went to the recently captured stronghold and met with Creed. The older man greeted the four of them with a handshake before briefing them on what had happened within the last couple of weeks. They were making moves on capturing Signal and meeting up with the survivors that were broadcasting a distress signal.

Walker and the other three listened to the distress signal inside the command post and Blake narrowed her eyes at it. She's done enough this enough to know something was wrong, and it was clear that Creed did as well.

"Something isn't right." She said.

"Then we have the same train of thought. We picked this up two days ago after nothing but silence since we started occupying this location." Creed said as he pressed the stop button on the device.

"Have you sent any reconnaissance teams in that area?" Walker asked.

"We sent a few of them. They haven't reported back yet." Creed shook his head.

"Red, you said that you gathered some intelligence a few weeks ago in that area?" Walker looked at her.

"I did. Nothing but Locust occupying that area." She answered as she adjusted her grip on her Longshot.

"It's most likely a trap." Walker said.

"A prerecorded message?" Jaune suggested.

"Maybe. The Grubs aren't opposed to using people as bait." Walker crossed his arms.

Just before any of them could say anything, a VDF soldier quickly rushed inside. He informed them that the recon team had returned and they brought back some new intel and the others wasted no time to meet up with them. They found the recon team, two of them on gurneys while the last one looked a little shaken but sat on a nearby barrel. Creed and the others listened to the man update them on what he and the other two found out. All of it was being recorded and sent back to Mother Base for the staff at the Intelligence Platform to work their magic.

Tens of minutes passed by and when the man was done, he was escorted to the medical tent to look at his injuries. Creed sighed when he heard the news and walked back to the tent with the other four. It was silent and he clutched the edge of the table tightly before rubbing his face stressfully.

Signal Academy was the last surviving location that had people, and if they were neck deep in Locust then things were taking a turn for the worse. It didn't help that the Locust had decided to use Glowies as well despite the latter's infectious trait. Two of the worst things were happening and it was either get those people out and destroy the place, or simply destroy it.

There was no capturing it. The Grubs had figured out how to manipulate the flow of the Glowies' infectious sludge-like substance to plague the surrounding area. However, they weren't aware that the sludge was highly flammable. All it would take was one little spark to set the whole area ablaze.

"What's the play?" Jaune asked.

"We have to get those people out. If they're there." Creed answered.

"The Intelligence Platform processed the information. There are confirmed survivors, so the signal isn't false." Blake said.

"If we're going to get them out, we're going to need to do it soon." He said.

"We'll need to torch the place right after. With the amount of that sludge probably running around, it'll only be a danger later on down the line if we occupy it." Walker said.

"I know..." Creed said quietly and nodded. He walked out of the tent and cleared his throat loudly to catch the attention of some. His throat was dry from prior use and the fatigue from the recent battle today was starting to catch up with him. Despite being in his forties and physically fit, that didn't mean he didn't need sleep. Which he hasn't been able to get for the last day.

Luckily, Walker seemingly came to his rescue for this.

"Gears! BSS! VDF! Gather around!" He announced and the sound of dozens upon dozens of boots hitting the ground was heard throughout the stronghold.

"We've received reports of survivors in Signal Academy. The Locust have managed to direct Glowie sludge into the surrounding area, making it unfit for occupation. Our new mission is to evacuate the survivors and burn the academy and surrounding area to the ground." Creed informed as he looked across the hundreds of eyes. There were some murmurs but they were silenced when his eyes swept over them.

Walker explained a bit further of the situation, answering any questions so that everyone was on board. Him and Creed cross-referenced information, filling in gaps so that nobody was left confused. In short, this was simply getting the survivors out and destroying whatever possessions their enemies had. If they could acquire supplies, then they would on the way out. However, the chances of that were low considering they needed to be fast.

Once they were all brought up to speed, they all dispersed and began to get to work on the necessary preparations. Walker and the other three followed Creed back into the tent. He continued to discuss the plans with the older man. Sometimes Blake and Jaune would give their input while Red just listened silently.

"Did you catch that?" Creed asked Red.

"You don't have to worry about her. She's catching all of it." Walker said instantly. Despite what some thought, her silence didn't mean she wasn't paying attention. She had the best memory out of the four of them surprisingly.

"Just need to be sure." Creed nodded.

"Believe me, I get it." Walker responded and looked at the map. The five of them continued to discuss with one another about the best course of action and how they would utilize their assets efficiently. The only time someone interrupted them was when they had new information to give and even then, it was brief before they left. He looked at the other three and told them that they could go get something to eat and rest.

Before they could tug him away, they stopped themselves when they realized that he wasn't as tired as them. So with a bit of reluctance, they let him continue talking with Creed. Red gave his shoulder a few pats before letting it slide off as she left with the other two, as if reminding him not to push himself too hard and to remain calm. Both leaders were in their own little world on how to get the few survivors out. There were some disagreements between the two, but they ultimately decided on something.

The VDF and BSS were handling extraction of the survivors while the Gears would handle the destruction of Signal and the surrounding area.


Walker held a tray of food in his hand and slid into a seat, sighing in relief when he finally got done with talking to Creed. As he looked around, he saw Gears talking with BSS operatives and VDF soldiers. The Atlas soldiers kind of kept to their own little group, feeling like the odd ones out when compared to the other three factions. It was only when a several VDF soldiers beckoned them over.

He just chuckled a bit at the awkwardness of the snow kingdom's soldiers before opening up a small, folded piece of paper and saw that it was nothing but scribbles. A few people slid in the seat nearby him, shoveling food into their mouths while glancing at him.

"Any room?" A voice asked and he looked up to see Blake, Red, and Jaune standing nearby. He simply scooted while they sat in the seats next to him and began to eat their food, chatting with him and a few others while doing so. It was a relaxed environment, especially with the string bulbs hanging over their heads. Their conversations weren't about anything special, just merely enjoying the moment of peace that they momentarily had.

While everyone else was talking with one another, Walker just kept silent and listened. Moments like these made him realize that these people were different than Serans in several ways. Some were more upbeat than others, doing their best to lighten the mood as opposed to the regular Gears and citizens on Sera. In some ways, he was jealous of these people. Maybe it was due to him possibly being the only person from another world, no way home and nobody to completely relate to when it came to problems. Sure they knew how vile the Locust were, but they had only been dealing with them for a couple of years.

His home didn't have that luxury. The six weeks of peace from the Pendulum Wars wasn't enough for his world to heal from its near destruction. Combine that with the seventeen long years of genocidal war against the Locust and against the Lambent, you got a population of survivors who were bitter and hardened. This is probably why he was always so serious ever since the war broke out and why he was hesitant about life after.

He didn't know what he would do once he found a way home. Sure he would bring Amiya and they'd live a quiet life, but what came after that? For the first time in a while, the thought actually scared him in some type of way. Out of all the things that could possibly intimidate him... a quiet life was the biggest. Not the genocidal monsters that would torture and kill him; a simple, humble life did.

"Yo, Remnant to Walker. Come in, Walker." Jaune said as he poked the side of Walker's helmet.

"I read you, dipshit." Walker responded as he lightly smacked away Jaune's hand. There was no real heat behind his words despite the insult.

"Jeez, spacing out like that." Jaune shook his head.

"Helps tune your annoying voice out." Walker said easily. He noticed that a lot of people were starting to turn in for the night and figured that he should do the same.

"Sir, we have a question." A voice asked.

"Goddammit..." He cursed under his breath and sighed in irritation.

"Let's hear them out, man." Jaune whispered as he looked at Ruby and Weiss.

"What do you need?" Walker asked as he looked at the two.

"Sir, what's your base like?" Ruby asked.

"Why are you asking?" He narrowed his eyes a bit. There was a defensive undertone in his voice and a few could pick up on it.

"We're curious. Nobody's ever been there or know what it looks like." Weiss said.

"Did Ozpin put you two up to this?" He asked suddenly and they flinched, making him narrow his eyes at them.

"No. We don't interact with the Headmaster all that much anymore." Ruby shook her head.

"..." He gave the two of them skeptical glances before looking at the others quickly. A quick gesture of his head made them quickly depart, leaving only Jaune, Blake, and Red sitting at the long table they were at. Ruby and Weiss felt tension start to build when they saw that it was only them and the only thing separating the two parties was a table that was meant for events.

"Well... this is-" Ruby scratched the back of her neck.

"Sit." He said.

"I don't think we should bother you all too much-" Weiss started.

"Sit down." Walker commanded. His voice had a gravely, echoic distortion to it. So much that it actually made Blake and Red's animal ears stand up straight. Red's tail went stiff and the hair puffed out. Jaune felt like someone had suddenly grasped him by the throat and suffocated him. Blake felt like something otherworldly was at play and it scared her.

As for Ruby and Weiss, they simply sat down in the first seats that were in front of them. Neither one felt any oxygen enter their bodies and a bone chilling surge ran down their spines. Ruby felt her legs shake horribly while Weiss' eyes darted at every direction except at the man in front of her. She was too scared to look him in the eyes; not even the Locust or Glowies scared her this bad.

"..." Ruby struggled to swallow the lump in her throat.

"You came here for a reason. What is it?" He asked.

"..." She felt her breathing hitch a bit for some reason.

"Talk." He said. His tone had returned to normal and that terrifying echoed tone from earlier was gone.

"My father is a teacher at Signal Academy. I was wondering if we could join you in searching for him?" She asked hoarsely.

"I'm not in charge of retrieving the inhabitants inside. My mission is simply to destroy the academy and deny the Locust anything of value." He answered.

"But there's still a lot of history in there. Memories that can-" Ruby started.

"There's nothing but echoes in that place, Rose. Even if we did capture it, the Glowing puddles of shit is running through those parts. No point in causing future infections." He explained as he maneuvered a fork in between his fingers.

Ruby clenched her fists tightly at the thought of destroying Signal. So many memories of that place were in her mind, to hear someone talk about destroying it so casually didn't sit right with her. Was this how Yang felt a lot of the time?

"After the academy, then what?" Weiss asked.

"The VDF will start deploying troops alongside Atlas personnel to keep this place out of the Grubs' hands." He answered and balanced his head on a fist.

"And the Glowies." Jaune added.

"And the Glowies." Walker nodded.

"..." Ruby and Weiss found out by this conversation alone that Walker was completely obsessed with the Locust. A majority of the conversations with him always ended up with him talking about the genocidal monsters from below. Out of everyone, he knew them the best. Although, nobody ever questioned how he knew so much and the two always found it odd.

Before either of them could ask anything, an individual in a blue robes and a heavily modified mask approached. Four tubes were connected to his mask and they reached around to his back and were seen attached to a tank. Raspy breathing was heard from the individual and he said something that came out as nothing but spurts of code. It was grating on the ears, but Walker and the other three weren't even bothered by it.

The individual then turned and left without another word, leaving the two girls confused. How did the four in front of them understand that person? Nothing but spurts of code like a broken computer system.

"How did you understand any of that?" Ruby asked.

"We have our secrets. Now go to bed, we're getting up early and it's going to be a busy day tomorrow." Walker said as he stood up and grabbed his tray. As he walked away from the two of them with the other three in tow, he rounded the corner of a tent after disposing of his tray.

"What are you thinking?" Blake asked.

"I'm thinking it's another Nikos incident in the making. Keep an eye on them." He ordered as he walked to his tent.

"If they are?" Red asked.

"We deal with them accordingly." He answered.

"Hopefully it doesn't come to that." Jaune said.

"We'll see." Walker responded as he bid them goodnight and entered his tent. He looked at his cot before lying down on it and closing his eyes, hiding a blade nearby as he slept lightly. Unless he was back at base or somewhere he was familiar with, he always slept with a weapon nearby.

Old habits die hard.


It was a rainy day as multiple vehicles made their way towards Signal Academy. Several armored, Atlesian gunships sped towards the walled off school. Walker looked up at them from his seat on the King Raven and held his hand up, clenching his fist tightly and giving the signal. A pilot nodded and said something over the radio to the others before the sound of heavy gunfire and explosives being fired echoed across the sky.

As if they kicked the hornet's nest, swarms of Wretches and Locust poured out of the opening and began to fire at the aerial vehicles. Several were taken aback by the sudden roars of engines from Armadillos and Packhorses down the road. Heavy gunfire began to rip the Locust at the entrance to shreds, scattering their body parts in several directions and staining the ground with blood and viscera.

The King Raven circled around the walls and Walker climbed up on the door gun, spotting several Locust trying to take cover as all of humanity's factions poured into the stronghold. He carefully aimed before firing at them below. Heavy rounds tore up the concrete and shredded the genocidal monsters with ease. Their muscular bodies seemed to turn to a red mist as organs and blood splattered against the various surfaces. Normally, many would cringe at the sight, but after seeing so much horror that the Locust had inflicted on people, this was a welcoming sight.

Bursts of gunfire from the various King Ravens cracked through the air. A steady rhythm of glorious violence that softened up their targets. Once their enemy was weakened enough, they'd move in and start to secure the possible prisoners.

He stopped firing when he saw a clear landing zone on the roof and ordered the pilot to drop them off on it. He had to steady himself as the aerial vehicle swerved through the air and hovered above the roof. Several pairs of boots landed roughly on the top of the school and he ordered the other squad of Gears to make their way down before clearing the hallways. Once they were done with the upper portion, they'd start placing incendiary bombs on certain locations.

The ten of them took the rooftop exit down into the academy. Walker took point up until he reached the door, slowly opening it and peeking through the crack. He saw a large group of Locust in the hallway to his right and could hear more to his left. His back hugged the wall and he gestured for Cardin to grab the door handle before pulling out two modified flashbangs.

Once the door swung open, he tossed the two flashbangs in both directions before the door was shut again. A loud series of flashes and earsplitting pops were heard as the Locust growled in pain from the bright light. Without missing a beat, the ten Gears funneled out of the stairwell and started to fire in both directions of the hallway. Controlled bursts of gunfire bounced off the walls and explosive ammo tore chunks off of the bodies of the Locust.

The normal roars of the Grubs was replaced with wet gurgles as blood filled their throats. One Drone fell in front of Walker and he raised his right leg before slamming it down quickly, crushing its skull like a watermelon. When it was all quiet, he continued to clear each room with the others. Some rooms had Wretches hiding in them and Cardin seemed to take pleasure in killing them oddly enough. His hatred of them was just short of Walker's overall burning abhorrence to the Locust in general.

Jaune was on the same boat, seeing how his leg was chewed off by one of them.

They all jogged through one of the halls before suddenly taking cover when several heavy rounds sped through a door. Each shot ripped a large hole in the wall and Walker turned to everyone behind him before gesturing with his head for one of his Gears to flank the shooter. The Gear in the rear nodded before dashing around the corner, finding another way around.

A door was kicked open and two shots rang out, followed by a heavy body crumbling to the ground with a loud thump. The shooting stopped and the Gear exited the room before falling back in line. They all descended to the second floor and the ten of them split into three groups. Two of the groups went to clear the rest of the second floor while Walker and the other three decided to clear the first floor.

He entered the main hall and killed a Grenadier that spotted them, ignoring the bleeding corpse as he got to the main entrance. Creed was at the entrance and both nodded to one another before approaching.

"The second and third floor are taken care of." Walker said.

"The courtyard is secured. Something isn't right." Creed said.

"It's too easy. They're planning something... Rose, you said there was a basement level?" Walker asked as he turned to Ruby.

"Yes, sir." She nodded.

"Colonel, take the squad of VDF and these Gears to secure the lower levels. Any survivors are all yours." Walker said.

Creed nodded and the Gears handed Walker the incendiary devices before following the VDF towards the basement areas. The sound of distant gunfire was heard right in the distance and Walker rotated his neck before sending Cardin and another Gear to start setting up the devices in certain locations. It was good since Cardin used to attend the school and had informed Walker of the layout beforehand.

Jaune and Walker went to the right side of the school and began to set up the devices in hidden places. These charges were able to incinerate anything once they went off and the heat could be felt from miles away with how hot they were. Both looked up when they heard another series of explosions and dust fell from the ceiling, making the latter wipe some off his helmet.

"Atlas sure is taking pleasure in bombarding the Locust." Jaune commented.

"It's about the only thing they're good at now. They have more aerial firepower than anyone, yet barely know how to use it." Walker responded as he bent down and stuck a device on a pillar. He stood up and began to walk down the hall cautiously, eyes constantly scanning and occasionally looked back.

"What next?" Jaune asked.

"Mistral. There's-" Walker stopped when a Wretch sprung out from one of the classrooms. He caught the rabid creature by the throat and slammed it on the ground. While it was stunned, he gripped the back of its neck and yanked violently. Muscle and connective tissue ripped and tore away with a visceral sound. He tore its deformed head from its shoulders and threw it into one of the lockers to his left.

"Crafty bastards." Jaune muttered.

"There's word of a group of fighters. Not sure how much I trust them, but we'll see once we get there." Walker said as he set another device down. Another explosion made them stumble and he growled a bit.

"Are they insane? We're still in here." Jaune steadied himself.

"Stop bombing the goddamn academy! We're still in here!" Walker barked over the radio. His voice was laced with both anger and callousness. There was an apology on the radio and he cursed at the pilot before dusting off his thighs and rounding a corner. Both of them heard gunfire from below and knew that the others had encountered more opposition.

They entered a gymnasium and saw that it was pretty empty with the exception of a few scattered tables. There seemed to be a large hole in the ground and he narrowed his eyes before grabbing a grenade and tossing it down. Just before he could walk away, he had to kick Jaune out of the way and dive to the side when the grenade suddenly flew back up and exploded.

Ringing engulfed his hearing and he shook his head, forcing his body to get rid of it quicker. A swarm of Shredder Bats flew out from the hole and he quickly brought out his Skull-Drone, dashing next to Jaune and thrusting his arm up. The drone's optics opened and cone of UV light engulfed the room, incinerating the nocturnal Grimm instantly. Hundreds of them swarmed the hole and even more shot out. Whenever dozens would burn, others would quickly take their place and Walker knew only one who was capable of controlling these small abominations.

"Get your ass out here now!" He ordered as he put the Skull-Drone on his back, crouching down and making sure it was aimed up. As soon as he said that, heavy stomping was heard and an amused hum came after, followed by slow clapping.

"Is it him?" Jaune asked.

"..." Walker didn't say anything but simply narrowed his eyes at the figure hidden in the swarm.

"Ronin." Scorn greeted, almost as if he were greeting an old friend.

"Fuck you." Walker spat as he ignited a few flares and tossed them in several directions. Once they landed on the ground, it created several safe spots where the bats avoided like the plague.

"You humans with your profanity." Scorn drawled as he began to stop closer to them. Each step shook the ground and both Jaune and Walker split into different directions. They fired at the Locust leader but Scorn just threw up a shield of Shredder Bats. Dying squeals were ignored and more bats were summoned once they stopped firing.

He turned his attention to Jaune and started to methodically stomp closer to him. In Jaune's eyes, all he saw was a swarm of tiny creatures with malevolent eyes peeking from a gap. Without any warning, the swarm suddenly dissipated and Scorn was right on top of him. His body instinctively dove to the left to avoid a downwards swing. The spot where he was previously at turned to splinters and he had to duck underneath a quick, horizontal swing.

However, he was kneed in the stomach and spit flew from his mouth. It felt like a train hit his abdomen and breathing suddenly became the most difficult thing in the world. He collapsed to his knees and struggled to inhale air. His gaze looked up and saw Scorn raising his mace. Fortunately, he stumbled when explosive rounds hit his armor and he quickly threw up another swarm of bats to shield him.

Jaune took this time to move to the side and quickly gain his breath. He found a spot where the flares burned and noticed that each of the locations of the flares had some piece of cover. Which meant that Walker throwing them wasn't random, he threw them in spots where they could take some form of cover.

Scorn dashed at Walker at the speed of a train, but he simply dove out of the way and kept ducking or stepping out of the way of each swing. He knew that Scorn closed the distance because he knew that part of Walker's strength came from his weapons. Which is why he made the move to disarm him first.

His mace was lifted when Walker revved up the chainsaw and slammed it down on the shaft. Sparks illuminated the area around them and the bats shrieked before backing off. The light made Walker glance at them before he suddenly dropped his weapon and grabbed Scorn's. Instead of trying to yank it away, he used all of his strength to push it down and plant his foot on it. He used it as a springboard and slammed his knee into Scorn's chin.

He rolled backwards and brought out his sawed-off, aiming it for half a second before he had to jump out of the way when the spot he was just at turned to rubble. As he began to squeeze the trigger, Scorn suddenly activated something on his left gauntlet and a hardlight shield popped up. As soon as it did, Walker fired the weapon and it took down the shield instantly. However, it meant that he had to reload and Scorn knew this, which is why he took the opportunity to grab Walker's collar and fling him towards Jaune, just as the blonde began to aim towards him.

Walker grunted as he slammed against Jaune and both crumbled to the ground.

"You never answered my question, Ronin. Why protect these worms? They hold no ties to Sera." Scorn said.

"You said you didn't care last time. Why the hell would I indulge you?" Walker asked bitterly as he practically threw Jaune to his feet. Another flare was popped and thrown to another spot to give them another location that was safe from the bats.

"What the hell is he talking about, Walker?" Jaune glanced at him and Scorn.

"Oh? You haven't told them? You haven't told your companion about our world?" Scorn asked.

"You don't care, stop being so fucking curious. Even if this isn't Sera, I made a personal vow to exterminate your kind off the face of the planet." Walker said as him and Scorn circled one another. He picked up his sawed-off and slid two shells in before flicking it shut.

"..." Jaune just stayed silent as he watched Scorn and Walker circle one another. He was confused as to what they were talking about, he's only heard about Sera once and that was back during the Atlas incident. Red mentioned it once, and only once, but it was enough for Walker to turn into someone unrecognizable in an instant. The barely contained rage he showed them that night still haunted Jaune sometimes.

The way Scorn said our world though...

Did Walker come from the same place as the Locust? Was that why he knew so much about them? Pieces started to fall into place and Jaune felt like he was getting close to solving the biggest mystery on Remnant. It suddenly clicked to him and he felt like an idiot for not realizing it sooner.

He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when his collar was grabbed and he was thrown next to one of the flares. His head shook rapidly and he saw a swarm of bats slam against the ground he was previously at. Had he not been saved, he would've been nothing but a puddle of mutilated meat on the ground.

"Focus, Arc!" Walker shouted as he flipped a table and gave them cover. A few Boltok rounds hit the metal table and Walker winced before ordering Jaune to provide covering fire while he circled around to grab his Lancer. Jaune peeked up and fired at Scorn, forcing him to hold his hand up and let another group of bats shield him from the sudden bursts of fire.

Walker dashed to each of the illuminated spots, taking cover when Scorn fired at him. He waited for him to reload before moving from cover to cover until he reached his Lancer. It was only when he realized that he barely had any ammo inside did he curse his luck. They had dealt with more Locust than usual and Scorn always popped up at the wrong moments.

"These fighters don't have what it takes to survive, Ronin. Without you, do you honestly believe that they will make it to the end? They don't know that the blood that pumps through your veins is that of a hardened warriors of Sera. It doesn't reek of cowardice like-" Scorn stopped when Jaune fired several rounds at him.

"..." Walker just clenched his fists tightly.

"It seems this one has some courage after all. I enjoy fighting your Gears. They give me the rush I desire and they don't wait for their deaths, like lambs to the slaughter." Scorn said as he glanced at Jaune. There was truth to his words; he did enjoy battling the Gears of Remnant. Where others waited for an attack to happen, the Gears got shit done but they were also masters of defending territories. It made victory all that much sweeter to Scorn.

"I wish I could say the same for you Grubs." Walker responded as he activated his Skull-Drone and it flashed another wave of UV light, burning all the bats that were nearby. He fired his sawed-off at Scorn and ducked underneath a swing before stabbing him in the side with the twin bayonets on his shotgun.

The revving of a chainsaw made Scorn look up to see Jaune rush at him. He quickly lifted his mace and blocked it, causing sparks to fly into the air. He snarled in pain when Walker twisted the blade and aimed at a gap in the armor. When he tried to fire, he was kicked away as soon as the weapon went off and barely managed to graze Scorn before the Locust leader slammed his knee into Jaune's stomach and kicked him away.

The doors to the gym swung open and both Blake and Red quickly entered. They momentarily stopped before bring out their flares to ward away the swarm and aimed at Scorn. All he did was summon more bats. He picked up Walker and threw him at them, making him tumble on the ground.

Just before either of the girls could help him up, he pushed them out of the way before throwing his arms up to shield his face. Pain erupted across his forearms as he blocked the thrown mace and groaned as he threw it to the side. He rushed at Scorn but saw his right gauntlet glow purple. Something hit him in the back and knocked him onto his knees.

Yet another swarm kept Scorn safe from harm as he swung his mace down at Walker, but found it caught in his grip. He forced Walker onto one knee and leaned down in front of him.

"Stop holding back, Ronin. If you don't show me the rage that boils in your blood, I'll slaughter every man, woman, and child in front of your eyes. I'll make their deaths slow and painful just like I have done to many in the past. They'll die by my hand because the Seran in front of me went soft." Scorn said. He saw the muscles on Walker's arms bulge as his grip increased. With a swift uppercut, he knocked Walker back and onto the ground.

The golden helmet was knocked off and landed on the ground near the girls. They looked at it before having to quickly take cover when Scorn fired at them then at Jaune.

Walker's hearing was muffled and he stared up at the ceiling. Everything seemed to slow down a bit and he felt a single drop of something. A rage so hot that it boiled in his veins, wriggling around in them like a superheated serpent. Something so violent that it matched, and possibly surpassed what the Locust were capable of. Adrenaline started to pump through his veins as he forced himself up.

A bellow escaped his lips and it momentarily threw the others into silence. A feral, violent sound that tore from Walker's throat was unlike anything they've ever heard him conjure. They've heard him shout plenty of times, but this was different. It was an anger they couldn't even begin to describe and it was more akin to a violent beast than anything.

His hearing was still muffled but that didn't matter to him. The bats didn't matter nor did the other three. All that mattered was inflicting as much pain on Scorn as his body allowed him to.

The first punch Scorn felt was unlike anything he's ever felt. It was a strike that held the power of countless wrathful souls and it excited him beyond all measures. The ones after that hit harder than the previous ones. Each one hurt but it filled him with excitement. A true battle that he was waiting for.

He and Walker exchanged blows, not caring for their own wellbeing. The other three tried to move around to get a clear shot to avoid hitting Walker, but could barely find an opening. His movements were too erratic and violent. It didn't help that Scorn kept any exposed part of him shielded by either his swarm or stolen Atlas technology.

"Do you feel it, Ronin? The rage of the souls I slaughtered on Sera? How many lives have I taken on that planet? On this one?" Scorn grunted when he felt one of Walker's fists slam into the side of his face.

Walker didn't respond, his mind too overcome with rage and each strike he landed sounded like thunder rumbling. Scorn had ditched his weapon and simply opted to use his own hands. There was no greater pleasure than fighting the other. It wasn't just pushing Walker to this point, but also keeping himself alive from the other three's constant assault. This was bliss in his eyes, but they were annoying as they got closer and closer to finding a suitable opening that could end his life.

However, now wasn't the time to be reckless and enjoy the moment. He still had to lead the Horde and take over Remnant, simply enjoying himself in this battle wasn't going to get results. They still needed to replenish their numbers and make future plans.

"Take this victory. You have certainly earned it." Scorn said as he summoned his Mace and slammed it in Walker's chest. He knew that the man was getting tired and he didn't want him dead... yet. Not to mention he was injured as well; multiple parts of his body were bloody and the two would need time to heal from their new injuries.

Once he knocked Walker back, he jumped backwards into the hole and all the Shredder Bats quickly followed. The hole was sealed up in an instant and all went quiet shortly after. There was blood everywhere, broken pieces of armor, and casings littering the ground.

Walker stumbled towards the hole, blood and saliva dribbling down his chin as he looked at the hole with a wrathful expression. His hands twitched violently as his arms and legs shook. The other three just kept their distance a bit and looked at him cautiously as he collapsed to his knees and let out another bellow. It was full of hate, rage, and malevolency. His breathing was ragged and he leaned forward, catching himself on his hands.

"Walker?" Blake asked as she slowly approached him.

"..." He didn't say anything but gripped his helmet. It scraped the damaged floor as he slid it in front of him. His hands shakily grabbed it as he flipped it around and lifted it to his head. The familiar feel of security his helmet gave slowly started to calm him down.

"Walker, you good?" Jaune asked.

"The bastard... got away... again..." Walker said hoarsely. The adrenaline started to fade away and the pain began to be felt in every inch of his body.

"Walker, Walker, stop!" Blake said when she noticed him start to dig into the hole with his hands.

"He got away once, I'm not- Hrrk!" Walker gagged and coughed in pain. He stumbled and fell forward as the other three caught him before he could hit the ground.

"Just take it easy. We're here." Red shushed and he slowly came to his senses.

That's right... they were here this time. This wasn't Atlas or his second encounter with Scorn. The three of them were here with him and helped him in that state. Each one of them took some of the pressure off of him and applied it to Scorn. It was enough for him to not immediately be crushed underneath the wicked mace.

"What was that?" Jaune asked.

"Don't know..." Walker said as he shakily stood up with the help from the other three. His Lancer was handed to him and he received news that they had indeed found survivors but not many. The incendiary devices were set though and he looked at the hole before tossing the last one in the small divot he created. He limped a bit but started to stumble and was quickly caught by Blake and Red.

His arms were thrown around their shoulders and they helped him walk while Jaune guarded them. It would take some time for his body to heal, he had pushed himself to the absolute limit and now that his anger had subsided, all the pain and fatigue started to hit him like a truck.

"What was he talking about?" Jaune asked.

"..." Walker kept looking forward and his vision started to blur a bit.

"He said Sera." Blake said.

"..." He still stayed silent and fatigue started to hit him.

"It's your home isn't it?" Red finally asked. With each question, the three started to piece things together.

"I-I wasn't lying when I said this isn't my first rodeo." Walker wheezed painfully. That saying had so much more meaning now. It all made sense as to him as a person. How he was so knowledgeable about the Locust, why he had an unhealthy obsession with them. This wasn't his first time dealing with the Locust, which meant he's been at war with them from somewhere else.

"Let's get out of here." Jaune said and the four of them made their way out of the academy.

Walker felt a weight slightly lift off his shoulders as he looked forward. The cat was now out of the bag and he knew there was no point in trying to hide anything from them. If he tried to lie, it would only cause discordance between him and the others, and the last thing he needed was for them to leave.

He still needed to get home.

"Just take it easy. We have you." Red said as she allowed him to put more weight on her.

"..." He tilted his helmet up and coughed, cringing at the metallic taste on the tip of his tongue.

"You weren't kidding when you said he could talk like a person." Jaune said from the front.

"No." Walker wheezed.

"Have they done that before? On... Sera, I mean?" Blake asked carefully. She was aware that it was a touchy subject with him, but they needed to know if more Locust were like Scorn.

"No... always spoke like the Drones... he's the first one I've encountered that's spoken like that." He answered. His legs felt wobbly and he stumbled once, making them catch him.

"That was reckless, you know?" She said.

"I know." He nodded.

"You could have died, going toe to toe with a Locust like that." Red added. Just this encounter alone made her want to stay away from Scorn. He managed to easily anticipate her after a few shots, knowing that she liked to ricochet her shots and stay at a distance. The times she couldn't provide support for Walker was due to her constantly having to dodge his swarm of bats or take cover from his Boltok. That was the sign that they were dealing with something that was on an entire new level of danger.

"I know..." He nodded again. All he did was just listen to them scold him on that reckless feat he did. Despite their tone of voice, he could easily tell that they were scared for his life. It was due to the fact that they had never seen him that wrathful before, it scared them; but it was also because they had the unfortunate experience of encountering Scorn for the first time.

He lived up to his reputation as an unsettling individual. Cruel, sadistic, and frighteningly intelligent. It was clear he had a personal connection to Walker, wanting to push him to new limits. Then there was the fact that he seemed to take pleasure in the thrill of battle.

"You want a piggyback ride?" Jaune offered.

"H-Hilarious." Walker wheezed and coughed a bit. His ribs hurt and he felt a little dizzy.

"I just thought I'd offer." Jaune shrugged. While now wasn't the time to joke around, Walker did appreciate the attempt to lighten the mood a bit.

The four of them made their way out of the academy. Multiple groups were seen at the entrance waiting, and when they saw the four of them, they were quick to assist. However, Walker just dismissed them in favor of getting out at the moment. It barely took any time at all for everyone to get a safe distance, prisoners included, and Walker looked at the academy.

He lifted his hand and flicked cover of the detonator open before pressing the button. A shockwave caused some turbulence in the aerial vehicles and shook the ones on the ground. A pillar of flames could be seen from afar and what was once a great place to train the next generation was nothing more than a fiery sight. Echoes of the memories from the past went up with the flames and the door to the King Raven was slid shut.

A pained grunt escaped his lips as he sat down on one of the seats. He began to slump forward a bit but two hands on his shoulders made him snap to attention and look at the owners. Blake and Red guided him back and let him lean against his seat. It was clear he was extremely tired and they helped him relax a bit, just enough to where he could fall asleep without worrying about falling forward.

Jaune just looked outside and would occasionally nod at Walker then turn his gaze back to the horizon.

Walker himself felt the fatigue take over. He had to remind himself that the three were here with him this time. For some reason, it put his mind at ease a bit and he began to wonder why. It was the same feeling he had with Dead-Echo; when they all would get off a mission and return back to base or the Sovereign.

He missed this feeling...


It truly has been a while everyone. So I got some news I thought I'd share with you, a lot of you might not care but some of you might. Started a new chapter in my life and I'm somewhat excited. It'll be busy for me for the time going forward, but I'll try to upload as much as I can.

I head off to basic training next week. A lot of people may judge me for it, but it's my choice in the end. I'd like to thank you all for reading and sticking wtih me even through it all.

I'd also like to say that this is the first story where I've hit fifty chapters, so I see this as a big achievement. Anyways, thanks for reading and I'll see you guys later. Take it easy, everyone.