Walker split the funds from the delivery evenly between Blake, Jaune, and himself. The blonde lacked some and Walker almost didn't give him any, but decided to anyways to avoid some complications. The first three sat in the truck while Jaune sat in the bed with the cargo since there weren't any seats available. One look from Walker was all it took for him to comply and sit uncomfortably by himself.
The four of them were back at Richard's settlement and the older Faunus went home while the three of them walked around aimlessly. There wasn't a clear destination in mind, but it allowed Walker to get to know his little underling some more. He didn't hate him, but he didn't like him either and time would tell whether it would lean towards one or the other. Blake was nice to him, finding his slight stutter from the interaction of the opposite sex somewhat amusing.
"So... you thought sneaking into Beacon was a good idea?" Walker reached underneath his helmet and pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't too impressed when the foolish knight told him that, but he couldn't say anything since he did lie to get into the COG earlier than what he was supposed to.
"I-I didn't think they would look into it..." He muttered quietly.
"You're an idiot if you think they wouldn't." Walker commented, seeing the boy shrink. He didn't care if he was hurting his feelings, the other male needed to be broken down if he was going to be rebuilt. Both physically and mentally. It was going to be a long process, but he did have some faith in Jaune's spirit. That was really all he had going for him. However, it could only get him so far if he was going to stick around with the other two.
They had to check into a new hotel room with the three of them combined their funds together and found out they had a few thousand lien. The next thing they took an inventory of was their supplies. Food was alright, medical supplies needed to be monitored, and other personal items wasn't of any concern. The last thing they all looked at was each of their weapons.
Blake's weapon was a mixture between a sword and a gun with a string attached to it, it was unique to say the least. She seemed to take pride in admitting she knew how to use it proficiently. It was good considering he didn't want to be the only one who knew how to fight. Jaune on the other hand didn't have a single weapon ever since he was told to leave behind his family heirloom. Which is why Walker decided to give him a knife for now until he could get him something for ranged combat.
The other two scooted back when Walker brought out his Lancer, double barrel, and Boltok. He rolled his eyes when he set the grenades next to his weapons and explained they were explosives. His knives were set evenly next to his firearms and sharpened to the point of cutting the person at the slightest touch. He had his grandfather's knife, his dad's onyx knife, a simple survival knife, and a UIR knife as well. He often got flak for keeping the UIR knife, but people around the Sovereign learned to accept the fact that he just liked the design.
"Here." Walker sheathed the survival knife and handed it to Jaune.
"You're giving me a knife?" He asked.
"I'm letting you borrow it until we get you something." Walker corrected. Jaune looked at him before taking the knife and looking at it before nodding in appreciation. One of the Lancer rounds from Sera was inspected carefully and he called Hal out; carefully giving the round to him and letting him scan it as well as a Boltok round and his sawed-off shell as well before pulling it into himself. Jaune's amazement was ignored for the most part until the blonde spoke up.
"How long has it been following us?" He asked.
"Long enough. I trust you'll keep your mouth shut about him?" Walker asked.
"Him?" Jaune scratched his head.
"..." Walker narrowed his eyes and the blonde could tell, even behind the helmet.
"My lips are sealed." Jaune dragged his fingers across his lips.
"What are we gonna do about transportation?" Blake asked.
"Richard has an old side car for us to use. Only problem is that it costs lien to help fix, which is why we're doing a few more jobs with him for the next several weeks. After that though, we need to find Jaune a weapon, a place to stay, then find some stable business." Walker held his thumb up to his chin.
"I... think I might know someone." Jaune chimed in.
"Who?" Walker asked.
"People around the city call him Junior, but his real name is Hei Xiong." Jaune started.
"Alright, keep going." Walker nodded.
"He's uh... he's the one who forged my transcripts for Beacon and an information broker as well. I bet he has a lot of connections." Jaune finished. The other two stared blankly at him and he shifted in his spot uncomfortably.
"Wow. Color me impressed." Walker said before turning to his weapons again.
"I think we should leave that as a last resort though." Blake suggested.
"That much we can agree on. Remaining on the outside is our best bet." He said.
"Wouldn't it make sense that we extend the bodyguarding business to the city?" Jaune asked.
"No, not yet anyways. Council will have our ass if they find out an unlicensed security firm exists." Walker answered.
"I might know someone else, he's a small time trader in Vale. Usually has a problem with his deliveries getting robbed." Jaune said. He shifted when the other two looked at him again before looking at each other.
"How many people do you actually know?" Blake asked.
"Um... quite a bit. My family always traveled so we came across a bunch of people in our time." He answered.
"How good are you at talking?" Walker asked.
"What?" Jaune blinked, yelping when Walker slapped the side of his head.
"Pay attention. How good are you at talking to people?" Walker asked.
"I-I mean, I guess I'm okay with talking to people." Jaune shrugged while rubbing his head.
"If all else fails and you can't fight, you could always talk to people." Walker said.
"I mean, I guess." Jaune mumbled, yelping again when Walker slapped him once more.
"Start having confidence in yourself. I said if you can't fight then that's our option. It's either that or go home." Walker said. Blake watched the two of them interact before climbing in her bed and reading her book. Despite Walker's rough, antagonistic treatment of Jaune; she could see what he was doing. She had to agree with Walker in regards to Jaune, the boy was incredibly weak compared to them and he wasn't physically strong as them. Well, she didn't know how strong Walker was, but she prided herself with being athletic.
When Jaune got in the shower, Walker sat in the other bed and lied down on it, staring at the ceiling blankly.
"What do you think of Jaune?" He asked.
"I think he's okay. I'll agree with you that he's physically weak, but it's nothing we can't help him with." She said.
"We?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I mean, it's only fair I help as well. Technically, you did take me in too." She said.
"That's true." He nodded.
"Not to mention we did agree on the fact that I had to pull my weight as well." She gestured.
"You're right." He said.
"So I have no choice but to help. Plus, he was willing to offer us possible connections. Despite his current condition, he does have some uses." She said.
"Alright, alright, you're right." He chuckled.
"I know I am, it feels marvelous." She flipped her hair dramatically. He snorted a bit before laughing and she joined him. To be honest, she was actually a pretty fun person to be around when she wasn't being quiet. Underneath that quiet persona was a fiery spirit that he respected, and she always found a way to put some things in a different perspective than him. She even offered a different way to approach the situation.
He had to agree with her about Jaune though. The boy did have some use after all. If he didn't know how to fight or do anything else, he was a pretty good source of information and seemed to be quite knowledgeable about either the city or the frontier. More connections meant more income, which meant more business and supplies, which ultimately meant he'd find a faster way home. He just had to play his cards right; not draw too much attention to himself right off the bat.
Baby steps for now, then he'd start taking larger steps.
Walker held onto the door while standing on the running board. Richard talked to him every once in a while, often shifting the topic to Velvet and it didn't bother Walker in the slightest. To see the older man more relaxed was actually a pleasant sight, now that he could pay for Katrina's medication. The settlement was the one with that fat bastard and the Gear could only sigh quietly.
"That fat bastard been treating you right?" Walker asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, he's been paying me the full amount." Richard answered after snapping to attention.
"Good. I really don't feel like dealing with him." Walker said.
"Well, luckily this'll be a quick delivery so there's that." Richard said optimistically.
"Always have to look at the bright side, huh?" Walker looked at him.
"Well, someone's being all cynical so I have to pick up some of the slack." Richard said.
"Never change." Walker chuckled and shook his head.
"I don't intend to. By the way, I might know someone who could be of some use." Richard said.
"Oh? You want to tell me a bit more about this person?" Walker perked up a bit.
"He's kind of an asshole at times, so it's best to catch him on a rainy day. He's a gunsmith though and is kind of a hermit. You give him enough reason to listen to you and I'm sure he could be of some use." Richard said.
"What's his story?" Blake asked, her interest was peaked.
"Met him maybe ten years ago when I was doing a delivery. Had a large backpack and offered him a ride; like I said, he was an asshole but we eventually started talking and he turned out to be a decent guy. Hailed straight from Atlas, but was dishonorably discharged for some reason. I never bothered asking, but he's obsessed with creating guns and he's good at it too from what I've heard." Richard explained.
"What's his name?" Walker asked.
"Brock." Richard answered.
"Huh, know where I can find him?" Walker asked.
"There's a settlement, or more like a small village, that's thirty miles east from my settlement. Once we get back, I'll mark it for you on your map." Richard said.
"Thanks, Richard. This'll mean a lot for me." Walker smiled underneath his helmet.
"The only thing I ask for in return is when you make it big, don't forget about me." The man said.
"You honestly think I would?" Walker asked.
"Yes." Blake said from her spot.
"You shut your goddamn mouth." He hushed her, rolling his eyes when she started to snicker. In truth, he wouldn't forget about Richard. If he did make it big, then the Faunus would probably be the first one he'd hire right off the bat. Katrina was nice and so was their son, he didn't know how Velvet was but if it made Richard happy, then he'd indirectly support her as well. It was only fair.
The ride was quiet as the minutes turned to tens of minutes before that eventually turned into an hour. Walker had to climb in the back with Jaune since he was tired of hanging on and sat with the cargo. He went on his scroll to find a location to set up, all the warehouses were either in the city or were too expensive to even attempt to buy. Which meant he had to find somewhere abandoned to set up shop. It didn't need to be too far out, but it needed to be far enough to where people didn't bother them too much.
"Hero boy, you know a place where we can set up?" Walker asked.
"Why do I get the feeling that's more of an insult than anything?" Jaune sighed.
"That's because it is. You never answered my question though." Walker pointed.
"No, not really. There's an old house near my house, but there's people in it now." Jaune answered.
"Damn." Walker sighed before leaning against the wall.
"Did you ask Blake though? She might know something." Jaune suggested.
"Alright, thanks though." Walker nodded before going quiet. The two of them just sat in silence as the rode continued. He'd figure it out, just like he'd figure out how to convince that gunsmith to join them. That didn't mean he was going to obsess over the man either.
The truck stopped suddenly and the two of them looked at one another before Walker told Jaune to stay where he was. He hopped out of the back and landed on the dirt road quietly, kicking up some dirt. The passenger door opened and Blake looked at the blockage in the road while Walker went up next to her. They looked at one another and both of them noticed how quiet it seemed. She went to say something but he lifted up his hand before bringing out his Lancer.
Her ears flicked at the slightest sound and her eyes snapped to the right. Something in the bushes moved and darted out of the foliage, causing both of them to dive out of the way. A large Faunus slammed his hammer down at them and both of them narrowed their eyes. Walker aimed his weapon and started to fire, much to Blake's surprise. Her eyes widened when the man jerked around when the rounds entered his body then exploded, ripping holes into him violently.
"Y-You-" She backed up slightly.
"Now isn't the time, Blake!" He shouted then ducked down when gunfire zoomed past them. Both took cover behind the large blockade as the assailants shot at them. They winced when several rounds whistled past them and he peeked over to see five people at the edge of the road. She clutched her ears at the loud sounds and he tapped her chest a few times, making her look at him with wide eyes.
"Go around them! It's us or them!" He said before handing her his Boltok. She looked at him questionably before seeing him crouch then fire at the enemies. He killed two of them before being forced back into cover. When he looked to the spot next to him, he saw that she was already gone and somewhere. There was the familiar sound of the Boltok's heavy shooting that made him look up to see one of them drop instantly. The last two turned to her and started to fire at her, forcing her to take cover behind a tree.
He started to run around to their left side and eventually slid behind them. The chainsaw was revved and the first one barely got the chance to react before Walker flipped the Lancer upside down and threw it upwards. The teeth of the weapon cut through the poor soul's crotch area and a horrifying howl of agony was heard. Blood sprayed all over the ground and air as the sound of bones being cut and organs turning to mush was heard. He grunted as he forced the chainsaw up through the man's shoulder and cut him in half, barely passing a glance as the bisected body fell in opposite directions.
His double barrel was brought out and he aimed it quickly at the last one. His finger squeezed the trigger and the weapon ripped the last one apart. Her body scattered in several directions as blood and gore splattered against the ground. The echo scared several birds in the distance and it went quiet after several seconds. He looked around for several tense seconds before lowering his weapon and putting it on his back.
Blake shuffled out into the open and stared at the carnage before her eyes went to the person she killed, turning away from it all. She coughed in her hand before dropping his Boltok and falling to her knees. The sound of vomit splattering against the ground was heard and he walked up to her, grabbing his gun and putting it back on his hip. She continued to empty her stomach and covered her eyes in a vain attempt to block out the carnage and hopefully forget it.
"Blake." He called out.
"..." Tears started to cloud her vision and she wiped them away.
"Blake, come on." He said, getting closer and touching her shoulder. His hand was slapped away but he wasn't bothered by that.
"Oh god." She coughed hoarsely.
"We can feel guilty later, get to the truck and make sure Richard's alright." He said.
"What about you?" She asked shakily.
"I'll take care of the bodies, now go." He ordered her gently. Like a newborn deer, she stood on shaky legs and started to stumble towards the truck. He watched her go and turned to the bodies, grabbing one of them by their legs and dragging them out of the way. This process was repeated a couple of times with the ones that were still in one piece. The two that had their body parts scattered in several directions, he had to take each piece and throw it out of the way. Blood caked his hands and the warm feeling dribbled down his arms, but he ignored it for the most part.
There were weapons scattered across the area and he collected them and put them in a pile before carrying them all to the truck. He dropped them nearby and spread them out evenly before turning to Blake. She was still and nothing was getting to her, not even the other two. He bent down to her level and clapped in her face, snapping her out of her little stupor. Her eyes were red and puffy before she turned away from him. When he turned to the other two, he saw them back up a bit and turn away before he had to look down.
He was caked in blood, and some chunks of flesh were stuck to the teeth of the chainsaw.
"I uh... I have a water jug in the back so you can... you know..." Richard trailed off.
"I'd appreciate it." Walker nodded slowly.
"Hey kid, the jugs in the back near the crate of alcohol." Richard said to Jaune. The blonde nodded before going with Walker to get the blood and chunks of flesh off of him. The older Faunus just looked at her and sighed before crouching in front of her. She was still in a state of shock and he didn't want to do anything drastic, plus he had the same reaction when he first saw Walker take someone else's life.
"Hey." He said.
"That was..." She started.
"Horrible?" Richard finished, watching her nod at the term.
"Yeah" She said.
"It really is, but... I can't say that I'm surprised." He sighed.
"Why?" She blinked.
"I mean, they did attack us first. I'm not saying what you guys did was an easy thing to do or was right." Richard corrected himself quickly.
"Yeah..." She said quietly. It was quiet and the only sound was of the water being poured and something being washed. After a few minutes, Walker stepped from the back of the truck, water dripping off of him and a majority of the blood off as well. He looked at Blake then at Richard before sighing a bit and moving the roadblock with all their help which took a few minutes. Blake went to the passenger seat and Jaune climbed in the back with the cargo while he just stood on the running board after Richard climbed into the driver's seat.
"Kid..." Richard glanced at him as they took off.
"I know. You alright though?" Walker asked.
"Yeah. Arc threw himself on me when the bullets started flying though." Richard said.
"That so?" Walker asked.
"Yep, he's not as useless as you make him seem." Richard said.
"Alright, I'll admit, I was a little wrong." Walker said.
"More like you were completely wrong." Richard responded. They were thrown into silence as the ride continued until they saw the settlement nearby.
Blake stared blankly out the window as they made their way back and she didn't register that they had entered the hotel room until Walker snapped his fingers in her face. He looked at her before telling Jaune to leave the room for a few minutes, allowing the two of them to just be by themselves. The bed creaked as she sat down and put her face in her hands while he sat next to her and sat in silence for the next several minutes.
"I'm sorry I made you do that." He apologized.
"What?" She turned to him.
"I said I'm sorry for making you do that. It should have just been me taking care of them." He admitted.
"..." She didn't say anything but just looked at the ground.
"If you want, you can throw whatever anger you have on me. I promise I won't be upset." He said.
"No, it wouldn't be right." She shook her head.
"You sure?" He asked.
"Yeah. I knew that we'd have to do something like that but..." She trailed off.
"I get it." He nodded in understanding.
"That's the first time I killed somebody." She said distantly.
"It's hard once you realize what you did. Killing a person isn't an easy thing to do and it never should." He said. To her, it was probably one of the worst days of her life but it was another day for him. He's killed several people at this point, whether he wanted to or not. People were always different than Locust. He could kill Locust all day and find it enjoyable at certain times, but people were another story. They were individuals who possibly had people waiting for them to come back to wherever they stayed. Each life he took wasn't out of malice, but survival.
It was either him or them and he wasn't going to go down so easily; it's not how he was nor how he was trained. Nearly all Gears were. History on Sera was always bloody, it got to the point where violence was part of Sera's people. Seventy-nine years of war during the Pendulum Wars then another seventeen for the Locust; that's not including whatever conflict before those to major wars.
War was so engrained in his people's minds that it was pretty much all they knew. Fighting was all he knew ever since he was born and learned how to speak. His dad, uncles, aunts, and grandparents were all in the military. It was only natural that he joined as well, do as much as he could before he kicked the bucket.
He was brought out of his thoughts when Blake shuffled around before looking at him.
"Am I a bad person?" She asked.
"No." He shook his head.
"But I killed someone." She said..
"Just because you killed someone in self-defense doesn't necessarily make you a bad person. It's not like we went out of our way to seek them out and kill them. We killed them because they weren't going to stop otherwise. It's a horrible thing to do, to take a life, but sometimes when we have no other option... it's our only choice." He tried to explain.
"Still..." She sighed.
"Under different circumstances, I wished they would have been willing to talk first. If that didn't work then threats were the next option, violence is the last resort." He said.
"So it depends on the situation?" She asked.
"Bingo." He gave a thumbs up.
"This is going to be on my mind for a while." She said.
"I won't lie to you and say that it won't. Eventually, it'll pass though. It always does." He reassured.
"You speak from experience?" She asked, rubbing her eyes a bit.
"Kind of." He shrugged.
"I don't know whether to be relieved or concerned." She said.
"I'd take it with a grain of salt. You're not a bad person Blake, it was a bad thing to do but it was us or them." He said before standing up and holding out his hand. She looked at it before taking his hand and walking out with him. She felt a little better, but it would forever be etched into her mind.
A few weeks went by and he fell into a routine; wake up, train with the other two for a good two hours, shower, eat, clean their weapons and take inventory, and look for a potential employer. The last part was hard enough, but Richard was proving to be a steady source of income for the three. The deliveries were getting more and more important due to the successful drop offs. Each one had a higher payout than the previous one until the last one was deemed important enough for the driver to be labeled a VIP.
They payout for the last one was the highest one so far and once they received the funds, the older man nearly fainted. Walker took his portion and split it evenly between the three of them while Richard took his portion and celebrated at his house.
Word started to spread around the settlement and more people were beginning to take an interest in the three. Walker noticed it but didn't say anything and focused on finding a place to stay. His map was marked for the gunsmith and he planned to talk to the man. The other two just went along with him, while they did want to stay a bit longer, they did agree that they needed a new place to stay.
With their final job complete, the three decided to visit Richard one last time. The moment they arrived to the garage, they saw the side car was finished and ready to be put on the motorcycle. It was the same gray color as the bike, but it looked a bit cleaner. The process of attaching it to the cycle took longer than what they dared to admit, but it was ready for the three of them.
Their belongings were put on the back of the bike and some of it was with Jaune, but there was still enough wiggle room. They waved to the Scarlatina family as they started to leave before Blake wrapped her arms around his stomach and Jaune climbed in the sidecar. After that, they were off into the frontier once more.
The wind blew against their faces as the trees passed by quickly; it went on for half an hour before they came across a large opening. Seeing the opening of the Vale frontier was probably Blake's favorite part, when she was younger she always wanted to experience something like this and was glad she had the opportunity to now. She felt kind of free at the moment; the worries of killing that man started to fade away with the wind and her eyes constantly soaked up the scenery. A small part of her was glad she wasn't in Beacon, there's no telling what kind of problems she'd be causing now.
Jaune's eyes widened a bit in childish wonder as he stared at the open area, seeing the countless flowers and other flora spread around. There was the occasional wild animal here and there, but it wasn't anything short of a deer or elk. It kind of felt like camping to him, the sense of freedom one couldn't get growing up on an estate or in the city. Maybe it was a good thing he didn't go to Beacon; because there's no telling what he'd experience. He'd probably be bullied given how poor his combat skills were; his social skills were barely any better.
Time seemed to slip by as they drove towards the place and they decided to take a break to eat. Jaune opened his mouth to yawn a bit before choking and gasping for air when a bug flew inside and slammed against the back of his throat. Walker turned and laughed at the poor blonde while Blake reared her hand back and slammed it against Jaune's back. The impact caused the bug to fly out and splatter over the side car.
From then on, the rest of their short journey was relaxing and quiet. The only sound was from the vehicle and the wind passing by their faces.
Trees started to appear once more and he stopped driving when he came to a fork in the road, looking at the signs then grabbing the map and looking at it. The other two looked at him while he mumbled something before taking the path to the right. Countless trees blocked out the sun as they drove on the path, enjoying the warm air for the time being. It was nice to enjoy little things like these, especially since they wouldn't probably get to enjoy it very long.
Scenery on Sera always consisted of run down buildings, destroyed cars, dead bodies, and being a shell of its former self. The world was always plagued by violence, it ran deep within its core and molded its people to it. He didn't know all that much about Remnant though, from what he could tell it had it's history of violence, but he doubted it was like his world. He's dealt with several Grimm and he didn't really find them all that scary to be honest. Maybe because the Locust were several times more terrifying.
They were the things that went bump in the night and he wouldn't lie and say that he wasn't scared when he encountered his first one. Each Grub was like a horrible mixture of humanity's worst aspects and put into a physical form. It also didn't help that they were smarter than what some people gave them credit for. He was glad the war with them was over, because he never wanted to see another one of those vile creatures again.
He snapped out of his thoughts when they came across a village, or what looked like the ashes of one. The bike was parked off to the side and the keys were taken out; all three of them got off and brought out their weapons while walking through the place. There was a main road with several houses on each side, each one appeared to empty and the whole place looked abandoned. It was quiet, too quiet in their opinion and Blake's ears flicked every so often.
"You hear anything?" He asked her.
"I hear something." She answered. They went quiet when they heard grunting and walked towards it. When they rounded a corner, they saw a short man in his forties trying to push a large Yak. He stood around four and a half feet, had scaly skin and a tail, and seemed to be balding. A string of curses was heard and the three walked up to him. Either he didn't hear them or was too busy cursing at the animal, he didn't notice them until they stood right behind him.
"Who the hell are you lot?" He asked with narrowed eyes.
"You need help?" Walker asked.
"No. I got it." The man shook his head before trying to push the animal, only to fail again.
"You sure?" Walker raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, piss off. Move you damn animal!" The man snapped. The three looked at him before looking at the yak. Blake's ears flicked and she looked ahead to hear a faint sound near one of the houses.
"There's something near the house. That's why she's not moving." She pointed, making them stop and look at her.
"You sure?" Walker asked.
"Yeah, I heard it flying around." She pointed towards her ears. He nodded before going towards the corner of the house and looking around for a minute. There was a small Grimm flying around and it screeched a bit before swooping towards him, making him shoot it out of the air. It fell to the ground and he raised his foot before slamming it down, crushing it and splattering the red substance all over the ground. Some of it caked his boot and he wiped it off on the pavement before noticing the Yak relax and start to move.
"Well I'll be a monkey's uncle. There really was something over there." The man clicked his tongue. Blake gripped the Yak's harness and started to lead it forward along with Jaune, while Walker walked next to the man. He noticed how short he was but avoided saying anything, it was rude and wasn't needed.
"Say, what are you lot doing out here?" The man asked.
"Looking for someone named Brock. Heard he's a gunsmith. You wouldn't happen to know him, would you?" Walker asked.
"Know him, I am him. How'd you find me?" Brock asked.
"Through another Faunus. He said you were good at your job." Walker answered.
"Damn right I am." Brock said before getting smacked in the face with the Yak's tail. He grumbled something about eating the beast in the future before they all came across a small area full of weapons. It looked like a small blacksmith workshop but also had guns nearby as well. There were several weapons that looked illegal, but were taken apart and their parts used for something else. A lot of his wares looked clean.
"Those weapons look a bit odd, you a Huntsman?" Brock asked.
"No. Don't care too much about being a Huntsman." Walker shook his head.
"Good, lying sacks of shit are always poking around where they don't belong." Brock grumbled.
"What'd they do?" Blake asked.
"Got me dishonorably discharged from the military. I used to make weapons, good ones. In fact, half of the shit those good for nothing nobodies use were designed by me." Brock said.
"Still doesn't tell us how you got discharged from the military." Walker said.
"Hold ya damn horses, I'm getting there! Where was I? Oh right, I built a weapon that those Atlas Ace Ops use and they sabotaged it. Put the blame on me and I was pretty much exiled from Atlas." Brock snapped.
"Sorry to hear that." Jaune said with the other two nodding.
"Don't be. If you kids ever come across those damn Ace Ops or Huntsmen and Huntresses, you leave em alone. Bastards will smile in your face one second then stab you in the back the next." Brock grumbled bitterly.
"Thanks for the advice." Walker nodded.
"You're welcome. What else you need? Not many folk come around these parts." Brock said.
"Was wondering if you want to discuss a partnership." Walker said.
"What makes you think I'd join you, I just met you." Brock raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't expect you to join me immediately. To be honest, I fully expect you decline what I have to say." Walker shrugged.
"Then why ask?" Brock gestured as he went behind the bench and stared at the three.
"No shame in it. Not to mention, I'd already be failing if I didn't ask you in the first place." Walker answered.
"You got a point, but what kind of partnership are we talking?" Brock asked as he took a gun and started to take it apart.
"I'm starting something, along the lines of security force and I need someone who knows their shit about weapons." Walker answered.
"You're certainly not the first one and you won't be the last. No, I don't know if I want to. Last time I got in that business, the damn council tried to imprison me. You can tell them to go suck a-" He started.
"I'm not operating under the council." Walker interrupted, making the shorter man stop in his tracks.
"What?" He asked.
"I'm not operating under the council. They don't know what I'm doing and I want to keep it that way until I get enough power underneath my belt." Walker answered as he set his hands on the bench and leaned forward a bit.
"You know that's illegal, right?" Brock asked.
"I'm not going to be the council's lap dog. If I'm going to operate, then I'm going to do it how I want to." Walker said evenly. It was true, he needed power if he wanted to get home faster.
"What makes you think you'll succeed?" Brock asked.
"Nothing, this whole thing could blow up in my face, but I'm not going to just sit at the bottom. No, I want something that nobody but our little group can touch. A force that can give the middle finger to others and disappear without a trace." Walker answered. It was quiet for a minute before Brock's eyes widened a little bit.
"You're talking about creating your own paramilitary force." He said lowly, looking around as if the mere mention was taboo.
"Call it what you want, but yes." Walker nodded.
"What about civilians? The people within the frontier?" Brock asked.
"What about them?" Walker asked.
"What are you going to do to them?" Brock asked back.
"Defend and look out for them. You seem to misunderstand when I say I won't operate underneath the council. I'm not against helping the smaller guy outside the city walls, I just don't like being chained. I want to operate how I want to while being left alone, and those little pussies sitting on their high chairs aren't going to stop me." Walker said. It was true, while he wasn't going to interfere with the city's way of life, that didn't mean he couldn't help out the frontier. It was a security force after all, and they didn't exactly have people helping defend them against the Grimm or other people.
"Let me think about it. However, I want to know if you need anything else?" Brock asked.
"You make ammunition?" Walker asked.
"Anything related to a weapon, I can probably make it if I have the right materials." Brock nodded.
"Good to know. Hal, get out here." Walker ordered. The older man jumped when the floating bot seemed to phase into existence and zoomed up to Walker, listening to him before bringing out a Lancer and Boltok round then a shotgun shell.
"Lemme guess, make these rounds?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Yep." Walker nodded.
"Should be easy. Standard Dust is ammunition like this is-" Brock stopped when he opened up Lancer round and stared at it curiously.
"It's not Dust." Walker answered his unspoken question.
"What the hell is this?" Brock squinted his eyes and inspected the round carefully.
"You think you can make it?" Walker asked.
"Probably, once I figure out what the hell it is. Give me a day or two." He said, scratching his balding spot in confusion.
"Well, let me know when you do. You know any place we can stay for the time being?" Walker asked.
"The main house has a pretty good layout, easy to set up." Brock answered lazily while still keeping his eyes on the ammunition.
Walker nodded in appreciation before gesturing for the other two to follow him so they could set up. He felt that this would be the perfect place to establish a small base for the time being. He'd get his little group off the ground then find a way home.
It was the start of something, he could feel it in his bones.
Hello, here's another chapter. I don't have much to say other than happy late Thanksgiving if you celebrate it. Now onto reviews.
Somerandomperson: Yeah, it's still a work in progress so there's always that.
anon44575173: Perhaps.
Gigglemesh: Oh no, please keep bringing it. It just makes me work around it to make the story more entertaining, so keep it up.
Taliats: Yeah, the previous one was pretty damn cringe.
Guest: Yes, the PMC is going to be a major factor in this story. It's what I'm excited about as well. About plot armor, you're right that there won't be any or I should say as much. Like someone getting shot in the head and surviving, seen a couple of stories do that in the past and I think I actually had characters have a lot of plot armor in the previous version.
whatsupman: Oh, lol.
Austin: I'm doing alright, thank you for asking. It depends on how useful he is underneath Walker. Won't say anything about the changes, so you'll just have to wait for the upcoming chapters unfortunately. As far as Adam, I'll bite the bait and say he's going to be like the intended version. I hated the whole crazy ex asspull they did in the show. However, I don't know how Monty intended him so don't get your hopes
bmanbeast57: Precisely.
So there's another chapter and I'd like to thank you guys that simply enjoy the story, you guys are awesome. Anyways, bye you guys.