The moment he woke up and stretched a bit, he saw some of the others waking up as well. He picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulders before putting his weapons on his back and rotating his body a few times. A series of pops was heard from his back before he popped his neck as well then rotated his shoulders several times. Looking down to his right, he saw Blake still sleeping and nudged her with his foot. She slapped it away and turned before he poked her forehead a few times.

Her eyes opened with a sense of irritation and she tiredly glared at him. He just stared at her while crouching and waving a few times at her then stood up.

"Why?" She groaned, turning the other way and closing her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure you're supposed to get up for initiation." He said. Her eyes shot open and she quickly sat up, seeing some people start to get up while she just scrambled with her things. She muttered a few times and quickly dashed with some bathroom supplies. All he did was shake his head and walk outside, shivering slightly at the cool morning air. The sun peeked over the horizon and he walked back inside after deciding it was a little too cool in his opinion. He'd probably buy a jacket for times like these.

He sat down near the door and toyed with his scroll a bit, still getting himself familiar with it. The device was interesting in is own sense and he just sighed before looking at the time and yawning underneath his helmet. It was quiet as it was boring and he eventually stood up and stretched his legs before going outside. The sun was a bit higher now and the temperature was warmer, allowing him to stay outside longer and he found a bench near a light pole.

It was slightly cool to the touch, but he ignored it and sat down. Fishing in his bag, he grabbed a snack and tilted his helmet up then began to eat it quietly. His thoughts ran for several minutes and he was tempted to call Hal out to keep him some company, but he decided against it. A though popped in his head on how he could enhance Hal a bit, maybe outfit him with a better scalpel or a better blowtorch. He munched on his snack a bit then threw it away after pondering for a few minutes. Reaching on his belt, his finger brushed against the clamp over his canteen and he gripped it.

The cap was twisted off and he tilted his helmet up before drinking. Some water dribbled down the side of his lips and he wiped it off when he was done. Time seemed to slowly crawl by and he looked over his shoulder to see a large group walking to a certain area. He shrugged and calmly waited for his ride, tilting his head and listening to his neck give a dull cracking noise. A sigh of relief was heard from underneath his helmet and he closed his eyes. The chirping of the birds in the distance eased whatever tension that seemed to slightly build up and he found himself enjoying it.

Half an hour passed by and he heard a sound, looking ahead to see an Airship slowly descend from the sky. He picked up his backpack and slung it over his shoulders before taking off towards the air vehicle. The ramp extended downwards and he waited for it to finally come into contact with the ground, then boarded it. It was empty and he shrugged before lying down on one of the seats and folding his hands behind his head, closing his eyes and drifting off to the peaceful silence.

The chirping of the birds outside was still heard and he could faintly hear the gunfire in the background, making him snap awake and look around. He quickly looked out the window and sighed when he realized that it was the initiates before he sat down in his seat. At this point, he didn't want to go back to sleep and he was bored out of his mind. There wasn't anything to do and he was tempted to ask the pilot to just take him back to the city. Money wasn't that much of a concern, but he needed to find another jobs soon if he wanted to stay afloat.

His hands repeated patted his legs and he blew a raspberry before sitting on the ground and taking apart his Lancer. The sound of him maintaining his favorite weapon was heard throughout the quiet area and he carefully inspected each piece. It kept the boredom away and gave him a reason to make sure nothing was wrong with his gun. As slow as he could, he started to put it back together and smirked when he finished. The roar of the chainsaw was heard and he smiled at the sound. It was a horrifying sound to some, but it was music to him.

The power behind it, the vibrations it gave off as the teeth spun furiously, looking for their next victim. It was odd in some ways. The real joy was seeing a Grub writhe around in agony as he mercilessly cut it in half. He didn't care if he looked like a monster mutilating a Locust, sometimes that's what was needed to deal with such abominations. He didn't sign up to save the world, he signed up to kill Locust and help end the war. If he died while doing so, then so be it. At least he did something rather than just sit on his ass all day.

He got his hands dirty so people like Ajay could live a clean life; so that his grandfather could finally sit down outside an not worry about a genocidal creature trying to turn him into a corpse. His original plan was to find a quiet area to build a house and live the rest of his life in peace. Now, he was stuck in some backwater world with several things he didn't even think existed. It wouldn't stop him though, he'd just have to find a way to get back to Sera and enjoy the peace. He was done fighting for now.

Sitting in his seat, he brought out a couple of COG tags and let them dangle in his hands. He clasped both his hands together and brought them up to his head and closed his eyes, reciting the Austere Canon as well as the Octus Canon. His parents had hammered the old ways into his skull and always reminded him to remember them. He would readily sacrifice himself if it meant that the people of tomorrow would survive and it's what made him stand out. A majority of the time he performed selfless actions, it wasn't because he was suicidal, it was simply due to the fact that he saw it as his duty.

A couple of hours seemed to pass by and the Airship departed, taking him back to the city at a slow pace. He looked over his shoulder and saw a few birds pass by them and smiled at the peaceful atmosphere. It took a while for them to actually get to the city and he just stood up and walked around every so often. After a while, he just did some exercises to keep his body fit and thought about what he'd do next. He'd most likely just go back to the settlement Richard was at to collect his payment before doing some more jobs. Getting back to Sera would be a while and he couldn't help but slump down in defeat when the realization hit him.

His head perked up when he felt the vehicle land on the ground. He got off and walked for several minutes before spotting his bike, it was locked up and he unlocked it before getting on. His stomach rumbled loudly and he looked around for the nearest food joint. People would glance at him and stare at his helmet before going back to what they were doing while he just went around a plaza. The more food stands he saw, the more his stomach rumbled and he held it.

"Decisions, decisions." He muttered under his breath and looked around every so often. Back on Sera, he never had many decisions and ate whatever would keep him going. There were times when he gave his family some of his rations and he went hungry for a night. His dad always gave it to his mom and his mom would sometimes give hers to Ajay. When they offered him some of theirs, he just declined and told them that he was fine. Never once did he complain about how hungry he was.

He'd do it all again if he was given the chance.

Just before he could go into one of the restaurants, a ping on his scroll made him bring it out and look at it. It was the only contact he had in there and she was calling him, of all people. While he didn't understand why, he'd be sure to ask her when he picked up. Clicking on the call button, he brought it up to him and went to a secluded spot.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hey, Walker..." She said quietly.

"You okay?" He asked, noticing the wobble in her voice.

"Yeah!" She cleared her throat.

"What happened?" He asked, seeing through her lie. It wasn't hard to seeing how he heard a sniffle on the other end.

"I... I uh... didn't get in." She answered.

"What?" He blinked.

"I didn't get in." She repeated.

"Why?" He asked, walking out of the alley and looking both ways. After weaving his way through the crowd, he found his bike after a while and sat on it.

"Can you come pick me up? I'll pay you some more." She said.

"Just meet me at the landing pad, we'll figure something out from there." He said.

"Aright... thanks." She sighed.

"No problem." He responded before hanging up. A heavy sigh escaped him and echoed from his helmet before he started up the bike and took off towards the location. This really wasn't part of his plan in getting out of the city. While he did enjoy Blake's company, he hoped that she didn't tag along too long. Things never really go his way, but he wasn't too concerned.

It was the norm with him a majority of the time.

His stomach rumbled and he held it gently before sighing and looking at the time. He blew his lips and pressed them together as the sky started to cloud up a bit and he finally looked up to see her. Her expression didn't match the one she previously wore beforehand. It was solemn and for some reason it didn't sit right with him. Her steps were quiet as she strode towards him and didn't look him in the eye as she put her luggage on his bike.

As she opened her mouth, his stomach rumbled loudly and he held it before looking at her.

"First food, then we'll talk." He held his hand up, watching as she nodded and climbed on her spot. He climbed on shortly before he started the bike up and the two drove around. The wind did help dry up some of her tears but the feeling of anguish was still heavy on her heart. He didn't try to turn to look at her and only kept his eyes on the road, making sure to avoid cars and pedestrians. Time droned on and the sky started to darken little by little.

Eventually they stopped at a noodle stand and they sat at the benches. He looked at the menu and quickly chose while Blake quietly chose her meal slowly and stared at the counter. A few tears escaped her eyes and dripped onto the wooden surface and she rubbed them away harshly before sniffling a bit. The minutes droned on and the sound of rain falling seemed to make the atmosphere a bit worse. Neither one wanted to say something and after twenty more minutes, their food was slid in front of them.

"You want to tell me why you didn't get in?" He asked. His tone wasn't of disappointment, but one of curiosity as he tilted his helmet up.

"It's a stupid reason. Or a stupid set of reasons." She bit into her food, recoiling when the hot broth from the bowl met her lips.

"Slow down." He said, watching as she angrily nodded and did so. A sigh escaped her lips and she ate her food at a more controlled pace. Actually taking the time to enjoy it a bit. Countless people passed by them but neither one paid any attention to them. The rain seemed to drop onto the ground more frequently and all that was heard in the background was the sound of it impacting.

"I didn't collect a stupid chess piece in time." She started, twirling her utensil in her food and twisting a noodle around it.

"I'm gonna need more than that." He said, eating his food calmly.

"The Headmaster would give us interviews to see if we qualified, I barely passed that." She started.

"You told me it went good." He commented.

"I didn't think you were too concerned about it." She said.

"..." He shook his head and gestured for her to continue.

"They launched us off a cliffside into a Grimm infested forest and told us to find a chess piece." She continued.

"I take it you didn't?" He asked.

"No. I got there too late and they pieces were already collected. I was too busy helping this guy out of a tree." She said.

"How'd he get stuck in a tree?" He asked.

"Somebody must have thrown a spear at him because it was lodged in his hoodie." She shook her head.

"What else?" He asked again.

"I didn't get the chess piece, time ran out, and I was denied in front of a bunch of people." She threw her arms up.

"Were you the only one to get denied?" He asked.

"No, some others were denied. The guy that got the spear in his hood was one of them." She answered.

"Then you shouldn't feel too bad then. Life isn't fair, and it never will be." He said.

"I know that..." She sighed. Her food had cooled off a bit now to where she could eat it comfortably. The two of them ate in silence while people behind them ran by to seek shelter from the storm. He tipped his bowl back and drank the broth before setting it down and sighing in relief. He just waited for her to finish her food, noticing the amount of disappointment on her face.

"Chin up, it's not the end of the world. I'm sure there's other academies willing to accept you." He said.

"I don't want to go to another academy. Beacon was the only one I applied for." She said.

"Then what are you going to do now?" He asked.

"I don't know." She said quietly.

"You could always go home." He suggested.

"I really can't. My parents and I... didn't really leave off on a good note." She denied.

"Take it they didn't like you going to Beacon?" He raised an eyebrow, fishing in his bag and grabbing a few cards of lien before throwing it on the counter. They left shortly after and he climbed on the motorcycle, ignoring the wet seat. Her lips pressed into a fine line and she sat on the seat as well, cringing when her clothes got wet.

"Not really, they said it was too dangerous and that I should find another career path." She said.

"It is from what I've heard." He said, carefully driving through the city. He had to keep in mind that the roads were slick and one wrong move could result in a crash. It didn't help that people around him were speeding and it made him shake his head. Sometimes people were too stupid to acknowledge their own safety as well as others. He figured he'd just let them get in an accident on their own time, as heartless as it sounds.

"What are you going to do?" She asked.

"Probably do a couple of odd jobs here before going back out and collecting my payment." He answered, continuing to drive while looking around for the motel they were at. It took a while due to the conditions, but they eventually made it. He sighed when only one room was available, but it had two beds so it wasn't all that bad. Both were wet from the downpour and wanted to take a shower, which he offered to let her first.

He just changed into some dry clothes while she was in the shower before sitting on the ground and tinkering with Hal some more. He noticed that there was a loose piece on him and tightened it with a screwdriver.

Several minutes went by and Blake walked out with her sleepwear on and climbed in her bed. She saw that he was already in his and while his helmet was on the nightstand between them; although he was facing away from her. It gleamed in the light and she squinted her eyes when the reflection glared at her. She couldn't tell if he was sleeping or not, but heard something and looked up a bit, seeing him toying with the scroll.

"You figure out what you're going to do?" He asked, turning off the scroll and looking at her through the reflection.

"I don't know yet. Maybe find a job to do here, I guess." She shrugged.

"Same. Gonna look in the city for something I can get for a few weeks." He said.

"Can I look with you?" She asked.

"I don't really care. Chances are I'll look for something that's quick." He answered.

"Like bodyguarding?" She asked.

"Yeah, something along those lines. On a side note, you should probably call your parents to tell them the news." He suggested.

"..." She just flipped onto her back and stared at the ceiling.

"Or don't. The choice is up to you. They might not be perfect, but they at least sound like good parents. It was a dangerous profession that you were choosing and I doubt that any sensible parent wants to see their kid harmed in some way." He said. She still didn't say anything, but just continued to stare at the ceiling and mull over what he said. It wasn't like she could just go back to Menagerie and move back in with them, not to mention they weren't really happy with how things ended.

"Do your parents approve of your life choices?" She asked curiously.

"I don't know anymore..." He said quietly. Their deaths broke him and he often wondered what they'd think of him now. Those thoughts constantly nagged at him and ate him away little by little. The more pessimistic side of him said they were disappointed, but another part of him begged to differ. He avoided talking about them so he wouldn't have to confront his issues and it seemed to be working so far; but sooner or later it would come back to bite him in the ass.

"Oh... ok." She said just as quiet.

"Get some sleep. We'll be out and about tomorrow." He said.

"Alright. Night, Walker." She yawned a bit.

"Night." He closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him slowly. The smallest thing made him jolt a bit, but that was the price for being a somewhat light sleeper.

A small nightmare woke him up before he intended, but he wasn't complaining. It was four in the morning and he sighed before swinging his legs over the edge and leaning forward, rubbing the top of his head a few times before picking up his helmet. He observed it and let his thumb brush over the surface of it before flipping it around and putting it over his head. A dull crack was heard from his neck as he rotated it and stretched a bit before picking up his things.

He quietly did a few exercises for a while then looked at the time to see that it was was a quarter after six. Up until seven-thirty, he just cleaned his weapons and sharpened his knives before going over to Blake's bed and tapping her shoulder. She flipped over to her side and stared at him through her disheveled hair. A single amber eye stared at him tiredly before she sat up and yawned.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Half past seven." He answered.

"Ugh." She flopped back down onto the soft pillow. All he did was chuckle quietly before sitting on his bed before lying back down on it. He put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling while listening to the rain hit the window. Neither one wanted to break the calm atmosphere until they heard thunder rumble in the distance. Still, it was calming in a sense and they both decided to stay inside.

"I called my parents last night." She said.

"How'd it go?" He asked.

"Not too well. I mean, they're still mad at me for going to Beacon, but relieved that I'm choosing something else." She sighed.

"You going home?" He asked.

"I don't want to." She shook her head.

"It might not seem like a good idea now, but I'm sure they'll be relieved to have their daughter home." He suggested.

"I know, but I don't think I'm ready. It's been a while since I've last seen them." She said quietly.

"How long?" He asked while twirling his knife between his fingers.

"Almost two years..." She answered. He stopped and looked at her.

"How old are you?" He raised an eyebrow?

"I'm eighteen. Why?" She asked.

"You're barely an adult." He commented. That seemed to be the wrong choice of words on his part because he could see her brows furrow and hair bristle a bit, much like a cat.

"I'm an adult!" She snapped.

"I didn't mean it like that, Blake." He said.

"..." She just sighed in defeat and neither of them wanted to talk for a while. In his eyes, she should be with her parents and still learning, transitioning into adulthood. It seemed she took for granted how good she had it compared to some other people. He had seen people barely entering their teens die before him. How kids lose their parents and be forever stuck in an endless cesspool of despair. Too many kids on Sera had to go through with that, and sometimes he took it upon himself to act as an older brother figure to them.

"Why do you want me to go home?" She asked.

"I don't necessarily want you to go home considering you won't listen and I can't control you, but you should at least visit them someday. You three aren't seeing eye to eye right now and it would take an idiot to not see that; but you should at least try to patch things up a bit. Parents won't be around forever and it's a good thing to enjoy what time you have with them." He advised. From the corner of his eye, he saw her expression soften and she mulled over his words a bit.

"It's going to be a while, but I'll do it." She nodded after a few minutes.

"I'm not saying you have to do it immediately, but just do it sometime in the future." He finished before putting his knife back in its sheath.

"Alright." She nodded. That familiar silence filled the room as she picked up a book while he toyed with the scroll a bit before tinkering with Hal. It became a habit for the past few years and parts were rare. The only other JACK unit was the one that belonged to Delta. There were times he and Baird would compete for parts, but neither one ever really came to blows. In fact, he respected the blonde asshole for his experience while the older man felt the same about him.

"What do you want for lunch?" He asked out of the blue while she just looked at him before shrugging.

Walker sighed as he sat in a small store and managed to find a source of employment for a few weeks. Although, it wasn't one of his immediate liking and he wished that something more of his taste was available. Beggars couldn't be choosers though, and it was only for a few weeks. It was a small bookstore and Blake managed to get them in due to her knowing the owner. He didn't care in the end because he was getting paid for stocking and organizing the books with her.

He didn't really talk all that much and it was clear the owner was cautious around him. It didn't bother him in the slightest because he was used to that kind of thing. People were often put off by his appearance that he decided to ignore it a majority of the time. For the most part, it worked and people's comments brushed off of him like water off a duck's back.

"Hey, Walker." Blake called from the other side of the store.

"What's up?" He called, looking at a few books before organizing them.

"When are we going to leave?" She asked.

"Thought you wanted to stay here?" He asked.

"No. This is just so I have some money in my pocket so I'm not spending all of yours." She shook her head.

"Glad you have some common sense then." He said, handing her a book to stack.

"Rude." She huffed. He chuckled and the two were thrown into silence as they organized books. They spent the next hour or so getting everything in order before sitting in the back doing their own thing. She was reading while he flipped his knife while playing with his scroll. Time started to slip by and he yawned a bit before smacking his lips and grabbing his canteen. He swished it around before unscrewing the cap and lifting his helmet, drinking the cold water for several seconds then setting it down. The cap was screwed back on and he checked the time before noticing it was almost time to lock up.

"Hey." He called out.

"Yeah?" She looked up from her book.

"I thought you needed to be seventeen to enter Beacon?" He asked, standing up and stretching a bit.

"That's the earliest you can register. It's like a college, but the difference between college and Beacon is that you need to be within a certain age range to enter Beacon." She answered.

"Huh, so it's like the military." He nodded.

"Something along those lines." She said.

"That's nice to know." He said.

"Were you in the military?" She asked.

"Something along those lines." He repeated after her, chuckling when she pouted at him.

"You never answered my question though." She said.

"When we get paid next week. I want to be out on the road and get paid for delivering the package." He said.

"Then what?" She asked.

"Find something to do. Maybe a stable source of income." He shrugged then put the final book on the shelf.

"Then what?" She asked.

"Don't know, haven't thought that far ahead." He said. It was only half the truth though, he knew what he wanted in the end, but didn't know how to get there. So at the moment he was stuck figuring out how to get more money in his pocket. He'd get paid for his delivery then figure out what to do from there, maybe work with Richard for a while before moving on. It was a shoddy plan, but one nonetheless. Plus, it was his best source of steady income that paid decently.

He was sure that the owner didn't like him anyways, judging by the distrustful looks he was being given. It didn't matter because he would be gone next week and out of the guy's hair. Blake seemed to enjoy the guy's company and he didn't really see an issue with that. So long as the guy honored his end of the deal, then there wouldn't be an issue.

Slowly but surely, the days started to pass by and it was eventually payday. Although, he noticed that she was paid more than him... a lot more. He narrowed his eyes at the owner, Tukson was his name, but didn't say anything. Walker just watched as the man talked with Blake some more before looking at his hands to see the measly pay he got from the past few weeks. His hand curled into a fist and his gloves flexed a bit audibly before he shook his hand and relaxed a bit. There was no need to get too pissed at the unfortunate turn of events, but he wouldn't let it bother him too much. Money was money in the end.

"Pleasure doing business with you." Tukson extended his hand out towards him.

"...Pleasure." Walker responded bitterly, gripping Tukson's hand and squeezing it tightly. He relished in the slight wince the man gave at the iron grip before letting go and walking out the door. He was aiming to break the bastard's hand, but decided to hold back a bit. Shaking his head of those thoughts, he went up to the bike and made sure everything was there before climbing on it.

The fuel gauge was getting a little low and he blew a raspberry when Blake still wasn't out. A few minutes went by and she walked out the door with a couple of books in her hand, smiling at the shopkeeper and giving a friendly wave. All he did was stare at Tukson for several seconds while she put the books in her bag and climbed on. Once they were on securely, he sped off. She barely had time to grip his torso as the two sped down the street, away from the shopkeeper.

This would be the last time he worked for that man or even saw him for that matter. He hated people that didn't honor their end of the bargain or were unjust with it. It made him bitter in the end because he was usually the one getting screwed over. No reason to fret about it now, and it's not like he could beat the man senseless or else Blake would have been upset. Besides, he preferred people like Richard, who actually honored their deal.

Just another unexpected turn that he'd have to deal with.

Sorry this took so long, and I'm too tired to beat around the bush at this point. I'm just going to go out on a limb here and say I'm barely following canon at this point. Hell, I'm not even trying to attempt to follow it. I want to do something original this time around and maybe follow some topics from the original story. I won't tell too much though considering I'm not one to spoil people about what's next, it's not my style.

Onto reviews though.

bmanbeast57: Probably.

whatsupman: I certainly hope so.

| Fredric |: Was in the writing mood back then.

Crazzytony: Nah, I'm diverting at this point. I want to do something different this time around. Who knows how it'll turn out.

Ferno16: You're welcome.

Austin: The confrontation will probably happen in the future. You're onto something about the dog thing though. You stay safe as well.

Gigglemesh: I legit thought there was a wall the whole time. You're right about relying on the environment to defend the city, it's stupid as shit.

Somerandomperson: The best sidearm in the game.

Guest: No I do include it, I just don't care half the time. Aura is so all over the place when it comes to RWBY that I rely on fanfiction half the time because I don't know if I can trust the wiki anymore. It's always changing and I don't bother with it too much in the end.

That's it for reviews. Don't have much to say other than thanks for reading this chapter. So see ya.