The three of them lied down on the ground in the main house. Walker blinked lazily up at the ceiling and Jaune was asleep, Blake just read her book before putting it over her face. They had done their most recent job and were good on funds for the time being, a rather hefty stack of lien on the table. Brock was creating more rounds while tinkering with the Lancers after hearing Simon looked at them; he claimed his brother messed up his creation and it needed to be fixed. There wasn't anything for the three to do and they already exercised for the day.
They all suddenly shot up when Brock burst in and pointed towards the entrance of the settlement.
"We got people coming." He said.
"How many?" Walker asked, grabbing his Lancer and flicking the safety off.
"Maybe eight or nine." Brock replied.
"Got it. Jaune, the clinic has a ladder in the back. I want you up there. Blake, the general store has a ladder as well, get up there and wait for my signal." Walker ordered. Both of them nodded before bolting out the door and going in separate directions.
"What should I do?" Brock asked.
"There's a sniper upstairs. I need you to cover me in case shit goes south." Walker answered.
"Consider it done. Don't let them touch my shit!" Brock said as he quickly jogged up the stairs and got a hold of the sniper. Walker shook his head before rushing out the door and dashed behind the buildings. He got closer and closer to the entrance before his back slammed against the building closest to it. There was the distinct sound of voices being heard and he narrowed his eyes as they got louder. They sounded rushed, panicked even, as they quickly made their way into the settlement.
He watched them look around cautiously as they stepped further into the settlement and he dashed behind them, quietly taking cover behind a wagon. He looked up from his spot in cover before spotting Jaune, Blake, and Brock. A signal was given and they popped out from their spots and aimed their weapons while he did the same. The group jumped in surprise and huddled close to one another when they saw the guns being aimed at them.
"That's far enough!" Walker shouted, making them look at him. He saw four adults, two teenagers, and two small children.
"Please..." The first man lifted his hand. Walker observed them carefully before lowering his weapon slightly and raising his hand. The others lowered their weapons slightly and he saw the group relax a bit.
"We don't want any trouble." Another man said.
"Neither do I. What are you all doing out here?" Walker asked.
"We just need some place to stay." The first man said.
"From what?" Walker asked.
"What?" The second man asked.
"You need a place to stay from what? People don't usually rush head first into an empty settlement unless they're running from something." Walker said.
"Grimm. We lost our settlement and we don't have anywhere else to go." The first man said. The area went silent as Walker looked them over, trying to find any ulterior motives for the next minute or two. He didn't see any and decided that they were just scared, lost civilians seeing how they didn't even have any lethal weapons on them. The most they had was a baseball bat and a rusty axe, along with whatever was in their backpacks.
"Help me close the gate." Walker nodded slowly before making his way towards the gate. The two men followed him and went on one gate door while he went to the other. All three of them grunted as they slowly slid it shut and locked it before they backed up from him.
"You're letting us stay?" The first one asked.
"For now. Make no mistake though... we'll take you out if you try something." Walker made himself clear. He didn't like doing it, but he couldn't afford to be too trusting, especially with how the frontier was. People would smile in your face one second before stabbing you the back right after. They nodded hesitantly before he whistled loudly and saw Blake jump off the roof, landing onto the ground quietly. Jaune took the safer route and climbed down the ladder before making his way over to them.
"Are you all hungry?" Blake asked.
"Um... a little. We haven't eaten since this morning." A woman said.
"Food now, answers later. Brock!" Walker shouted suddenly, scaring the others a little.
"What!" The smaller man shouted back.
"Get down here!" Walker shouted the final time. He looked back at the others and gestured for them to follow him. A mother and father picked their kids up respectively before following the three armed individuals closer to the main house. They seemed to huddle together a bit when the smaller man nearly ripped open the door.
"What'd I say about taking my shit?!" Brock gestured to his sniper.
"You weren't using it." Walker shrugged.
"I should beat you with it." Brock said.
"Until your short ass can reach me, good luck. Otherwise, shut up, we have guests." Walker gestured to the nine individuals.
"Nice to fuckin' meet you all." Brock grumbled before shuffling past them. They backed up as they saw him make his way towards his shop.
"Someone's in a bad mood." Blake commented.
"He told me earlier I could test it out." Walker shrugged.
"You think he's still mad about Simon touching our weapons?" Jaune asked.
"I know he is. Let's worry about that later, we need answers." Walker said. The others followed him into the house and sat down in the living room, where he started to ask questions. He wasn't the best at reading people, but even he could tell that they went through something. Turns out they weren't lying about losing their settlement in a Grimm attack, but nothing could be done for it at this point. After thinking for a few minutes he decided to let them stay for the time being.
"So... what do you think?" A woman asked.
"I'll let you all stay, but you have to pull your weight around here." He answered.
"How?" She asked.
"Repairing, guarding, patching us up, or helping Brock. I don't care, so long as you do something." He answered. They looked at one another and nodded. He had them follow him out the door and pointed to the various houses they could stay at the moment before heading back to the main house. The door was closed behind him and he sat down back in his spot before sighing.
"How long do you think they're gonna stay?" Blake asked.
"Depends on how useful they are. I don't expect the kids to really do anything major, but the adults and those teenagers need to pull their weight. Slackers aren't needed around here." He answered.
"I can get behind that. If they don't know what to do, then we could always recruit them." Jaune said.
"That could work." Walker rubbed his chin. He had to think about it, but there was also the fact that he didn't trust them in the slightest. Too many people on Sera were quick to stab one another in the back if it meant their survival. He's been stabbed in the back too many times and didn't feel like having another blade in him again.
The sound of a whistle was heard as Walker paced back and forth, watching Jaune and Blake practice. The heavy sound of Lancer rounds being fired was heard and it echoed throughout the area. He would run several exercises with them; shooting drills, bayonet drills, and even tactics. Brock watched nearby and just observed them, keeping a close eye on the state of the weapons. They seemed to take good care of their rifles and he could only nod his head in approval when they went to him and he found them clean.
The civilians just watched from nearby as the two of them trained while Walker stood with his arms crossed. A long whistle was heard and they stopped before handing the weapons to Brock, who took them back to his shop to do maintenance on them. They talked to him for a while before the three went to the house, but Jaune had to stop and talk to his sister for a while. Walker and Blake just shrugged and entered the house before sitting in the living room.
"When's our next job?" She asked.
"Don't know, but Richard did say it was important. So it might be in the next few days." He answered.
"How important?" She asked.
"VIP. Says that we'll get paid a large amount of lien should we pull this off." He answered.
"Jeez. How much?" She asked.
"From what I heard... one-million two-hundred thousand lien." He answered, causing her to spit some of her drink out. Some of his got on him and he just cringed before looking at her.
"Sorry... that's just... a lot." She wiped her mouth.
"I should spit on you. Anyways, that's enough to get some more supplies in our hands. As much as I love the bike, we need to get a better vehicle." He said.
"Like a truck?" She asked.
"Possibly better, but that's for the future though." He said. The first thing that came to mind was the Armadillo APC. It was reliable and a good vehicle for them to transport and act as a good way to transfer supplies. Plus it offered Hal a way to sit in the back and not rely so much on flying everywhere. The only problem was the cost, but he'd have to figure that out with Richard.
"I think Richard would be able to help out, he's always going on about making a vehicle." She said.
"That's what I was thinking. It'll be a little project of ours." He agreed.
"I would start working on the wacky design if I were you." She suggested.
"It's not wacky, and you don't appreciate the effort into making it look as good as possible." He said.
"I can draw better than you." She smirked.
"Alright, go on, show me." He gestured. It took him several minutes to draw the Armadillo design before showing it to her. She closed her eyes and shook her head before drawing it better than him, smirking smugly at him. He went silent before scoffing and turning his head before admitting it wasn't one of his better skills. His skill with drawing wasn't actually that bad, it was better than some, but it was clear she had a knack for it.
"While I'll admit, you aren't that bad... it's clear who's the better one here." She said.
"Alright, alright... I get it." He shook his head. He drew some more and improved a bit with her help, something he found to be a useful skill regardless of how small it was. She showed him little tricks while he taught her some things that would help her later down the road.
"Why do we need a truck?" She asked.
"More space, better transportation, and more defenses. Say... where'd you learn to draw like that?" He asked, noticing a sketch she was doing.
"Well... my parents had me take lessons when I was younger. My tutor was kind of rude, but she did her job in effectively teaching me. That was actually one of my options should Beacon not work out." She scratched her cheek.
"Sounds like you had it all." He said.
"I did." She nodded.
"Why'd you give it up?" He asked.
"I don't know. Maybe I felt a little... restricted? Like everything was given to me on a silver platter? I was treated like a little princess and I just wanted to do something on my own and show them that they didn't need to hold my hand." She explained a bit.
"I get it." He nodded.
"You do?" She asked.
"As much as I can. You felt like you could do something more in the world?" He asked.
"Yeah." She nodded.
"I was the same way. It's a double-edged sword however. This path you're going on, while it is rewarding, it also is dangerous." He warned.
"I know." She said.
"It's not too late to turn back, you know." He raised an eyebrow.
"I can't and I don't want to. The most I can do is live with it." She shook her head. It was quiet for a few seconds before he nodded and went back to drawing the Armadillo with her. The quiet sound of pencil meeting paper was relaxing to them. All the tension they've felt from before seemed to melt away and fade into nothing.
The three of them waited for the VIP to arrive and checked their scrolls to look at the time. He yawned and popped his neck while Blake stretched in place and gave a sigh of relief. Jaune sat in the back, playing a game on his scroll before frowning when he died in it. He looked up when Walker tapped his leg and then hopped down onto the ground. All three of them saw Richard approach with a woman in tow. The man looked nervous and the woman looked slightly annoyed with him.
"She kind looks like..." Jaune whispered.
"A bitch." Walker finished.
"Y-Yeah." Jaune swallowed. The two got closer and the woman looked at them up and down. She didn't look impressed in the slightest and held an arrogant aura around her. It was slightly intimidating, but Walker wasn't affected in the slightest. The Locust knocked whatever fear he had out of him, and he's dealt with them enough to last him for the next several decades.
"So these are the famous bodyguards everyone's been raving about. I'm not impressed." The woman crossed her arms.
"Not looking to impress some random kid." Walker retorted, watching as her face turn a shade of red.
"I'll have you know, I turn into an adult next month." She stomped.
"Legally, yeah. Attitude wise... no. I don't see anything but a stuck up brat." He shrugged.
"You-" She started to fume.
"Careful, Ms. Taylor. We need you in good health for when we reach the city." Richard said quickly. She huffed and shrugged off his hand before stomping towards the truck. Walker gestured for the other two to get in while he motioned for Richard to follow him.
"Who's the brat?" He asked.
"That's Abigail Taylor. She's the daughter of Michael Taylor." Richard answered.
"Richard, you're a great man and all but I'm going to need more than some names." Walker pinched his nose.
"Michael Taylor is the CEO of a new and upcoming company. They specialize in coming up with new technologies and vehicles that come with it." Richard said.
"So what the hell is she doing out here?" Walker asked.
"She's visiting her grandparents." Richard said.
"Lovely." Walker rolled his eyes before looking at her.
"Just... try to be nice to her-" Richard started.
"I'm not promising anything." Walker said before making his way towards the truck. He frowned when he saw her in the passenger seat and ignored her when he dragged her out. She was sandwiched between Jaune and Blake while crossing her arms and glaring forward. He didn't care if she was pissed at him, he wasn't out to impress some little rich brat.
Dirt kicked up on the path as they drove in silence. The trees passed by them quickly as did the time. Nobody wanted to say anything and that was good for the party, since Blake saw it as the perfect opportunity to read her book while Jaune just played a game on his scroll. Walker just leaned back a bit and relaxed as he felt the cool air from the AC hit his skin. Winter was approaching soon and he needed some warmer clothes, they all did. It's why he wanted to get this whole job done and get back to Simon so the man could make them something.
Richard shivered a bit and switched the heat on before relaxing a bit while Walker closed his eyes for a second before yawning. Everyone in the truck seemed to feel a sense of ease but the VIP, who was frowning for the last several minutes. She didn't like Walker in the slightest and only fumed silently when he made it clear that he didn't care, that she was only a paycheck to him. He viewed her as a stuck up bitch who was given everything to her while she viewed him as an idiotic meat head. In short, neither one liked one another too much.
"How's Katrina?" Walker asked.
"She's doing a bit better. We might be moving to the city soon though." Richard said.
"Another job?" Walker asked.
"Yeah, but I kind of don't want to. I like where I live since it's pretty quiet." Richard said.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Walker said.
"It's fine. I just hope that if I do get this job then we can work something out." Richard sighed. Walker just nodded and patted his shoulder before looking forward again, stretching a bit before sighing in relief when his back popped slightly. They'd be in the truck for a while, but that didn't mean he could slack off and fall asleep. Everyone else could, only him and Richard couldn't afford to.
"How's the whole project going?" Richard asked.
"It's going fine, although... you interested in it?" Walker asked.
"Depends on what I'd be doing." Richard said.
"Blake." Walker gestured, holding his hand out. There was the sound of paper being unfolded and handed to him before he handed it to Richard. He would glance at it then back at the road several times before handing it back to Walker.
"That's an odd design." He commented.
"It's useful though." Walker said.
"Never said it wasn't. How does it relate to me though?" Richard asked.
"Need someone who knows their shit about a vehicle." Walker said as he handed the picture back to Blake.
"I can't build it, if that's what you're wondering." Richard looked at him.
"I'm not asking you to build it. I want to know if you're willing to help me keep it in top shape." Walker clarified.
"Seems a bit complicated, but interesting." Richard admitted.
"Just need to know." Walker looked at him.
"I'll see what I can do. I mean, after all you've done for us." Richard said.
"That's all I'm asking." Walker nodded before turning his gaze forward and staring at the road ahead. It was quiet and Jaune muttered something when he died in the game again before exiting out of the app. Blake just adjusted her flat cap and turned to last page in her book before closing it. She opened up her backpack before putting it inside and grabbing another one.
Abigail just put in her earbuds and listened to music before leaning back and closing her eyes. She opened them after several songs when the truck suddenly stopped. Her mouth barely opened before she was suddenly thrown down and covered by Jaune and Blake. Gunfire entered right above their heads and the vehicle was suddenly put in reverse. Her eyes widened when Blake and Jaune opened up the door and hopped out of the truck while Walker kicked the windshield.
She covered her ears when gunfire seemed to drown all other noise. Richard wasted no time and covered her with his body, doing his best to shield her. There was so much gunfire and she couldn't do anything but close her eyes and cover her ears. It went on for a few minutes before it died down. There was the sound of begging and she peeked over the dashboard to see Walker close in on the last attacker. She had to dart back down when he raised the Boltok and fired half a second later.
The three climbed back into the damaged truck, Blake and Jaune looked somewhat queasy while Walker just shrugged it off. It was barely a fight to him, but that didn't mean he could treat it as nothing. Richard nodded at them before trying to start the truck, frowning when it wasn't starting. He tried some more before heading outside and opened the hood. Countless holes littered the engine and rendered it useless at this point.
Walker hopped out and looked at it as well before sighing and heading back.
"Truck's fucked. Pack your bags, we're walking the rest of the way." He informed before collecting his bag and slinging it over his shoulders. The other two nodded before putting their bags over their shoulders and hopping out.
"Seriously?! That's almost a two day walk!" Abigail cried out.
"It's either that or you sit here with the broken pile of scrap. We don't have the supplies nor the tools to fix it. Stop complaining and come on or we'll leave you." Walker said before turning away. He wasn't about to deal with the drama queen's little tantrum She frowned and contemplated her options before shaking her head and dashing after them.
They made it to the city and not a single one of them were in the mood to deal with the guard's questioning. All it took was one call and they had a nice company car waiting for them. The driver looked at their scuffed up appearance and decided not to comment before turning to the VIP. The two of them started to talk while Blake just leaned against Walker and fell asleep. Jaune just slumped forward and fell asleep as well while Richard just looked out the window in silence.
Minutes seemed to slowly crawl by and it eventually turned to tens of minutes. Half an hour later and they were coming up on a large tower. The glass was nearly spotless and he was almost impressed by the staff cleaning so much. As soon as they stepped inside, the faint scent of cleaning chemicals flooded their nostrils. It seemed to make them sneeze at the start before they got used to it. They could see their reflections in the marble flooring in the main lobby area.
A guide greeted them and started to direct them to one of the offices, taking them down a series of halls. The four of them lagged behind a bit so they had a bit more privacy with their conversation.
"How new is this place?" Walker leaned towards the older Faunus.
"About two years old." Richard whispered.
"That's not new." Walker said.
"Compared to some of the other companies in this business, it is." Richard retorted.
"Man, I'm hungry." Jaune mumbled.
"We'll get something to eat on the way out. The asshole better double it." Walker commented.
"I'm with Walker on this one. He better make it worth our while." Blake chimed in.
"I'm sure he will." Richard gestured. They stopped talking when they entered an elevator and the guide hit the button to the top floor. The music did calm them down a little but at this point they didn't care. They wanted to get paid and be done with this job before finding a way to head back to the settlement. A chime was heard and the doors opened before the guide gestured for them to exit with a smile while Abigail remained inside. Once they all left, the doors closed with a soft click and they heard the elevator start to descend.
A large mahogany desk was seen at the end of the room and a large window behind it, observing the city. The group just stood as the back of the chair was seen for the next few minutes. They saw a slightly pale hand put the phone back in its slot before the chair swiveled around, revealing a man in his forties.
"Ah, you must be the ones who escorted my daughter." The man gestured with his right hand.
"Pretty much." Walker shrugged.
"I apologize deeply for the complications along the way." Michael said before leaning forward a bit.
"It happens." Walker said.
"Well... as for the complications, it would be stupid of me to not compensate you somehow." Michael said.
"It really would, but we're here for our payment." Walker said.
"Of course." Michael nodded before bringing out three briefcases and sliding them forward. Walker grabbed two and handed them to Blake and Jaune before grabbing the last one and sliding it off the desk. He started to walk away but Richard fumbled with his hands a bit.
"Ah... Mr. Taylor, about my application..." He said.
"Yes, I was hoping we would meet! Under different circumstances that is." Michael nodded.
"Is it okay if I sit down? I won't seeing how I'm all dirty." Richard gestured to his current state.
"No, no, go ahead. It's about time I cleaned those chairs anyways." Michael said. The other three internally sighed before listening to them talk. They could see that Richard was interested in working for the company, but the hesitance of him moving to the city was there. While it would be closer to Velvet, it also meant he was leaving his home and everything he built there. The CEO seemed to be interested in what the Faunus had to say and was growing more and more impressed with his knowledge on vehicles. The more they talked, the more invested they got until Richard asked if he could see a new design.
Which is where Richard froze, forgetting that if he wanted to work there then he'd need to submit a design of either technology or a vehicle. Walker nodded at Blake and she turned around, allowing him to fish through her bag and bring out one of the vehicle designs. He whistled to Richard and handed him one of the designs. It was a basic APC like the ones they used in the Pendulum Wars, but it wasn't the Armadillo like he loved so much. The main difference was the Pendulum Wars APC was mainly used to ferry personal and barely had weapons.
"This is... odd to say the least." Michael commented.
"That's what I told him." Walker chimed in.
"However, I find it more interesting than anything." Michael admitted as he started to think about the inner workings of the design.
"So..." Richard trailed off.
"I'll look into it some more. For now, your position has been locked. We'll discuss the matters of your living arrangements further down the road." Michael nodded.
"Thank you." Richard sighed in relief.
"There's a hotel down the street, I would suggest going there and resting." Michael suggested.
"I will and thank you again." Richard shook his hand before walking towards the elevator and entering it. Once he was gone, it only left the three.
"Well, about time we left." Walker said.
"Actually, I'd like to talk to you three about something." Michael said as he leaned forward a bit.
"Yeah?" Walker gave a strained smile as he slowly turned around.
"First, I'd like to thank you for bodyguarding my daughter. She can be a handful." Michael said.
"She was." Walker said instantly, not even bothering to sugarcoat anything. She was probably the biggest pain in his ass within the last five years of his life; and this is someone who's dealt with genocidal monsters on the daily.
"I'm sorry about that, it's been a little difficult ever since her mother passed. That's besides the point though, I've heard some whispers about some new group rising from the unknown." Michael said.
"..." They went silent and stared at him, almost making him shiver but he steeled his nerves.
"Relax, I'm aware of the consequences of an unlicensed security force in the wild. I won't say anything, but I do want to know... how much?" Michael asked, making them relax a bit but still remain on guard.
"Depends on the job; and before you ask, we don't just take any job. We decided if we take it or not if it doesn't fit in within our preferences." Walker said.
"I get it, no one likes to be leashed." Michael nodded.
"As for the cost, like I said, it depends. Jobs such as this last one usually fetch a pretty penny." Walker said.
"As they should, people's lives are usually worth more than money." Michael nodded.
"I noticed on the way in that you're looking for alternatives to resources." Blake chimed in.
"Yes, we are. Despite the higher ups claiming there is plenty of Dust to go around, there isn't. It's why you see prices for fuel starting to rise. A lot of companies are hoarding their resources and leaving scraps for the rest. It's why I had to move from Atlas." He sighed.
"What about other resources?" Walker asked as he sat in the chair and leaned back a bit.
"What do you mean?" Michael asked.
"Coal, oil, solar power, geothermal power, etc." Walker explained a bit more. They talked some more and saw that Michael was slowly becoming more invested as time passed, making Walker grin a bit. The older man started to furiously write these things down and leaned forward a bit more. The more they talked, the more Walker started to make it clear what he wanted. Business and resources, as well as whatever Richard wanted as well. It took a while, but with Blake and Jaune helping him, they started to weasel their way into getting what they wanted without overstepping.
Turns out Jaune's silver tongue came in handy as well as Blake's gentle guiding. They weren't being malicious in any way, but it was clear to Richard that they didn't like being known and weren't willing to easily back down or be pushed around. Just as he viewed them as assets and potential allies, they felt the same about him.
It was the start of a mutual relationship between the two parties.
A month and a half went by and Walker finally returned to the settlement with the other two. Michael's company works at an accelerated pace, which is what they were known for apparently. The only problem was that they lacked new ideas and had recently hit a point of stagnation.
He finally had a better vehicle than the motorcycle and it was absolutely beautiful in his personal opinion. A dark grey Armadillo APC ready for their next jobs with the design he requested. That familiar skull inside of a cog made him smirk as he waited for the civilians to open the gates. They stepped back and jumped in surprise when they saw the odd looking vehicle enter then park to the side. The hatch opened up and the three exited.
He noticed that the settlement looked a bit better and that there were several more people. While he should be more irritated, he wasn't considering he saw their state. They were more survivors of a Grimm attack from what they told him and were looking to make themselves more useful. He decided to deal with it within the next few days and noticed Brock working on some weapons.
"As I live and breath, the beefy bastard with his two followers. Was the city nice for you three?" He asked sarcastically.
"It really was. Here." Walker said as he tossed a small case towards the gunsmith.
"The hell is this?" Brock asked.
"Open it up and find out." Walker said as he inspected a weapon off the rack. Brock snapped at him before opening the case, widening his eyes when he saw a large sum of lien along with some rare materials.
"You shut your mouth! How did you-" He asked and looked up at Walker.
"Got some more connections." Walker answered simply.
"Guess you got some brains after all. By the way... my dumb brother's here." Brock's mood soured as he glared at his brother from across the street.
"Nice, because I figured these two are in need for an upgrade as far as armor and weapons." He gestured towards them.
"Well, let's hear it." Brock grumbled lightly before listening to Walker. He nodded a bit at giving them the same Lancer as him after the next few jobs. So far they've proven to him they're experienced enough, but still had some more to learn. After completing twenty jobs they'd be ready to upgrade to the Mark 2 Lancer. So far they've only completed fifteen jobs so it'd be a while.
"We're not ready now?" Jaune asked.
"Not yet. Not to mention the Mark 2 is going to be for special jobs and occasions until you're essentially my trusted companions." He said.
"We're not already trusted?" Blake raised an eyebrow.
"Nope. We'll get to that later though." Walker said.
"Yeah, get out here. I got some important work to do." Brock shooed them away, saying one last snarky comment before starting his work. They walked across the street and saw the cleaner brother polishing his equipment while humming. He didn't notice them and tapped his finger against his chin while looking at some armor before polishing it some more.
"Hey, Simon." Blake greeted.
"Hello, you three!" He beamed.
"Someone's in a good mood." Walker said.
"Well, I thought about it and I've decided to stay here. That way I can make sure my brother's defective equipment won't get you killed." Simon crossed his arms.
"That's good... I guess." Jaune scratched his head.
"Anyways, what can I get for you three?" Simon asked.
They looked through the selection given to them and browsed for the next few minutes. He thought about it for a good while before tapping at his helmet. It was time for them to wear something that would protect their heads in certain situations and he needed another helmet as well. As much as he loved his current one, the wrong environment would get him killed. Simon observed it closely and measured it with several tools before notifying him that they would be ready within a week or two. It was good because that's how long it would take Brock to finish the Lancers.
He also had Simon craft them cadet armor with a different type of undersuit for the various climates. Not to mention some more armor for him as well. While it was costly and would take some time, they should be done just before the cold weather hit. He was constantly thinking about these things and it's why he had Blake help him with the design for each set. Something he'd reward her for, maybe a dinner or something.
Right now he had a good foundation, but the main concern was manpower and keeping it without any other power trying to shut them down. He could see that there were a couple people curious about them and he'd let them in should they accept. If not then he'd go looking for whatever misfit fit his preference and wasn't a complete piece of shit or scumbag. He needed people that were willing to get their hands dirty while still doing right by others. From then on he'd start expanding into different groups with different skillsets.
What he wanted was individuals that acted like professionals but still retained their unique character traits. He just needed to take it slow and careful; otherwise he'd fail before he even started.
A lonely crow observed the group, tilting its head before flying off into the distance.
So I know this isn't the story you wanted updated, but it's better than nothing. Think of it as a Christmas present that's not what you expected nor wanted originally. Otherwise, Merry Christmas everyone and a happy new year. A couple of people have asked if the Locust are going to be in the story and I'll bite and say yes, they are. Not going to say when they'll show up though. Let's get onto review though.
BlackMan: Yes, I strive to make it at least decent.
buzzsaw935: Indeed.
whatsupman: Camo and tactics are in the work. Thank you for the review.
Gigglemesh: It'll be explained further down the road. As for economics, I'm not an expert in them so forgive me if I butcher something; not my specialty. As for Huntsman, yeah... we'll deal with them later down the road. Otherwise thanks for reviewing... you along with Austin kind of open my eyes to some things to think about in the future. I hope life is treating you well too.
Guest: We'll cross that bridge when we get to it.
Austin: Long review, I do enjoy it though so thanks for the ones like this. You along with Gigglemesh open my eyes to some things. As for Adam, I do intend to do something different with him in this. Now that you mention it, there is a lot of untapped potential for him and I kind of want to pick at it a bit.
bmanbeast57: Thank you, I was having trouble for a bit. I think they fixed it though.
Guest: We'll see in the future.
Somerandomperson: Yeah, it's a shame. It's kind of sad considering how much lore is in it, not to mention it's not hard to follow at all.
Guest: I'll try to keep it up.
Again, thank you all who enjoy this a bit. It's something to give people at least a decent read in the end.
See you guys later.