The days drifted by and the air got colder, pretty soon the leaves started to turn different shades of colors before eventually falling off. It didn't take long for the snow to fall and blanket the ground in a frigid sheet of white. More people found themselves in the settlement and had to find different ways to earn their keep. Walker didn't hesitate to make it clear what would happen if someone didn't. All it took was for him to throw a couple people out and wait for them to return shortly after, making it known he didn't tolerate slackers.
He crossed his arms as he watched two dozen people train. Countless footprints in the snow was a sign that he paced back and forth for the last hour or two. So far, Blake and Jaune were the only people underneath him that were practically Gears and had some experience. Before he could start going into specialized roles, he needed infantry at the start. There were a couple of people with logistic experience, but it wasn't enough. It's why he started requesting people as well as payment when working with Taylor.
Money wasn't an issue at this point, because the jobs always brought in a substantial amount. It was manpower that he sought, as well as other things that he was slowly acquiring as time passed. He always did jobs with Blake and Jaune, only doing one or two if it wasn't serious but they were the ones he trusted the most. Until the others were ready, he didn't want them even attempting to try and look for work. He wouldn't have them get themselves killed or their equipment stolen until he was sure they could handle it.
The settlement looked better, nearly all the houses were filled and all the unnecessary rubble and trash was taken care of. Part of the new trainees' training was keeping the settlement safe from either Grimm or bandits. If they succeeded then he'd accept them into his ranks, if they didn't then they'd be washed out and recycled until they passed or quit. It was mainly people that were in their twenties and thirties that had approached him, asking to make themselves useful, but the youngest ones were eighteen. He accepted and could see that some of them slightly regretted their decision.
He was ruthless when it came to teaching them, never allowing any of them to slack off. Some found his training almost impossible while others saw it as a challenge to conquer and even were eager to move to the next step. He didn't care though, the eager ones were the same as overconfident ones and all he needed to do was break them down one good time. It didn't take much to do either. He felt that all of them would cower if they ever saw a Locust and one good encounter with one of those monsters was enough to knock someone down a bit.
Brock had moved his shop to one of the buildings, doing what he did best as far as the weapons. The only people he really tolerated were Walker, Blake, and Jaune. Other people he was often bitter towards and brushed them off. Meanwhile, Simon set his shop up across the street and usually greeted people politely but avoided having them touch him. People often came to him when they requested armor, but he only gave them what Walker had issued them.
People viewed Walker as a slightly odd individual; he never took off his helmet, even when he ate, and never talked about himself very much. If he did, then he'd change the subject or ignore the question entirely and find something else to do. He was only rude if the situation called for it, other than that he wasn't. His teachings were odd as well, but it made them subconsciously strive to do better for themselves and the ones they were close to.
"Walker." Blake called out, throwing him out of his thoughts.
"Yeah?" He asked, grunting as he lifted another crate and set it near the clinic.
"Mr. Taylor is sending a few people to us apparently." She said.
"I know, some more people with experience in logistics." He nodded.
"Should we trust them?" She asked.
"I wouldn't." He shook his head.
"You want to explain why?" She asked.
"I don't trust people very much." He answered.
"It's not the answer I was looking for but it'll do." She shrugged.
"Sorry, not too good at answering that question. Since you're here though, help me with the crates." He said. All she did was roll her eyes before lifting the other handle and carrying it to the front of the clinic, where a few people were waiting. Medical supplies were slowly coming in and being stored; it wouldn't be long before the clinic was up and running.
"What else do we need?" She asked.
"Food, clean water, vehicles, communication equipment, and possibly more shelters if more people start rolling in." He answered.
"There's a settlement nearby that's entirely dedicated to agriculture." She said.
"Where's it at?" He asked.
"About half an hour east from here. I heard they usually have a problem with bandits robbing them or Grimm attacking." She answered.
"How are they still alive?" He asked.
"They have a shelter in case something like that happens. While they don't have much money, they did say they'd be willing to offer resources as payment should they receive protection." She said.
"You found this while scouting the other day?" He asked.
"Yep." She nodded.
"Huh, solid work." He complimented.
"Thank you." She said.
"We'll head over there in a bit. In the meantime, head over to Simon, heard he had some new armor for you and Jaune." He informed. She nodded and started to walk away, leaving him by himself. He finished helping load the supplies in the clinic before heading up to the main house and collecting his things. His Lancer was strapped to his back while the Boltok hung from the back of his hip. He looked at the tablet on the desk and approved a few things before placing it in his bag then slinging the back over his shoulder.
He walked down the stairs and locked the door before heading through the settlement. His voice seemed to carry when he called for a couple of the trainees, the ones that were practically finished training. He informed them that this would be the final test to see if they would become official Gears in his book. If negotiations went well, then he'd have them defend the settlement for a while before returning. He didn't care if the settlement didn't have money, the food was enough. It was a good thing he sent Blake on scouting assignments and he found out she had a talent for it.
They all piled into the Armadillo and sat in their seats. The loud roar of the engine echoed throughout the settlement and he waited for the gates to open before taking off. It felt nice to have something from Sera.
"So who's all staying?" Jaune asked from his seat.
"They are, but I'll need to make multiple trips to get all of them there." Walker gestured towards the trainees.
"How long are we staying?" One of them asked.
"It depends on if the negotiations go well." He responded.
"If they don't?" Another one asked.
"We'll find something else." He answered. They all nodded sat back in their seats, simply enjoying the rumble the vehicle gave off. It was like the warm womb of an unknown machine.
The negotiations went better than what he initially expected. Defenses around the settlement were close to none and he was actually surprised that it was still standing. He found out that supplies were always scarce this far out in the wild, but it was a a special case in the winter. Bandits were known more to strike whenever they went hunting for food. They took a majority of the food and supplies but left enough for the settlement to recover, only for them to do it again in the future. It was a parasitic relationship that came to an end.
Huntsmen and Huntresses have came in the past, but left after a while, mainly due to their contract only lasting a few weeks. No, Walker's would be different, as long as they provided supplies then he'd keep them safe. As of now, they were under the Gears' protection and each member would serve it valiantly. They'd remain professional and pragmatic with the people they were protecting. He wanted them to keep the mental lessons he hammered into their skulls and bring out the best in them.
He just needed someone to lead them for the next couple of weeks to a month and he already had the perfect candidate.
"Arc!" He called out. The others followed Jaune and stood behind him as Walker stood in front of them with Blake at his side.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"For the next few weeks to a month, it's your duty to lead them in defending this settlement." Walker informed.
"I'll do my best." Jaune said.
"I expect nothing but the best. As for the rest of you, this is your final test. Your job is to keep this settlement safe from bandits, Grimm, and even rogue Huntsmen or Huntresses that dare threaten the safety of this place. You've made it far and I've spent the last two and half months hammering lesson after lesson into your skulls. Those of you pass will officially be Gears, those of you who don't... you either try again or go home." Walker said as he paced back and forth.
"Yes, sir!" They said in unison.
Walker nodded and ordered them to spread out before talking to Jaune for a while. It was clear the blonde was nervous but it would serve as good leadership experience that he desperately needed. Blake reassured him that he'd do fine, as did Walker, but the most they could do was let him learn how to ease his way into the roll. If he could survive the next few weeks to a month then it would possibly be a cake walk from there. Walker even wrote him some notes on how to be a better leader but it they weren't things that he had to follow word for word.
It was meant for Jaune to build his own style in effectively leading them. He didn't want Jaune to be just like him, he'd rather him be his own person rather than another copy of someone. It was how he viewed Gears; individual, but unique, cogs in a greater machine.
Blake and him climbed into the Armadillo and took off shortly after. The snow kicked up as he drove and she just sat in the nearest seat behind him, looking at the screen of the road ahead. She had to admit, it was actually pretty interesting to see what it looked like from this point of view. The only thing she didn't like was how blue it was, it hurt her eyes sometimes.
"So why'd you have Jaune stay with them?" She asked.
"He needs more experience and it'll be good for him." He answered.
"I thought he was getting more experience doing jobs with us?" She stretched a bit.
"He was, but not leadership experience. I've been telling you two what to do for the most part. You'll go through the same thing so don't worry." He glanced at her quickly.
"Great..." She drawled.
"Stop whining, it's nothing big. I know reconnaissance is more of your specialty but it'll be good to have some leadership experience. Once more people fill in the infantry roles then I'll start worrying about specializations. When we do, there may be a few times when I'll have you lead several people." He explained.
"That's not so bad, I guess." She mumbled.
"It's not, stop being a big baby. Other than that, you see anything else out there while you were scouting?" He asked.
"Not really. Although, a few people in the settlement said that people have gone missing recently." She tapped her chin.
"Missing?" He asked.
"Yeah. Some would say they heard a noise and their loved ones or friends were gone." She said.
"They try to contact anyone about it?" He asked.
"They called for some Huntsmen and Huntresses, but they either turned up missing too or didn't find anything." She answered.
"..." He felt some unknown dread bubbling in his system but he pushed it down. For now he just needed to worry about getting everything set up before he decided to poke his nose into things he had no business in. Secure a mutual relationship with the agricultural settlement so they had a steady supply of resources then gather more vehicles. They had medical supplies at this point and enough people, but now he needed loyal Gears and possibly housing when more people became interested. So much to get... so little time.
"On a side note, Brock said the logistics group are going around getting everything set up. He says they'll possibly be operational within three to four days." She commented.
"Good, more stress off my back." He said.
"Thought you could do everything?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Hell no, I'm not the perfect person. Logistics is possibly my weakest point, it's why I had Taylor give me some." He shook his head. For some reason, she found it funny and laughed a bit before looking back at the tablet. He just tapped a few things on the screen and adjusted himself a bit before leaning back and continuing to drive. His thoughts kept going back to what she said earlier about the disappearances. It could be a multitude of reasons; bandits, Grimm, even rogue Huntsmen and Huntresses... but for some reason he couldn't shake the feeling that it was worse.
He'd do some investigating with Blake and Jaune once he got back. She'd scout the nearby area and fill him in, if it was what he thought it was then he'd bump up the training difficulty. If they were here then he needed the people underneath his command to be ready just in case those bastards reared their ugly faces from beneath the surface. He silently prayed they weren't here though.
The need for supplies and manpower was a need at this point.
He was brought out of his thoughts when a Beowolf stalked in the middle of the road, making him speed up. The Armadillo jerked as its body was crushed beneath the vehicle, leaving a mutilated mess in the middle of the snowy road. He chuckled a bit and continued to drive without anymore complications, ignoring Blake's heated glare at him.
"A little warning next time." She said.
"Should've been wearing your seatbelt." He shrugged. She blew a raspberry at him before shaking her head and turning back to the tablet. From that point on, the rest of the ride was quiet and neither one wanted to disturb it.
The days droned on and before he knew it, the month had passed by. More jobs came and that meant more money and supplies that the Gears had obtained. Another APC was in the settlement and they had a few civilian transport trucks as well. He looked at the settlement with a neutral expression, crossing his arms as he saw the progress they had all made in the past few months. More weapons were built and stored in the armory, kept safe by Brock. The combat helmets were finally done and some of the others found themselves enjoying them.
The year was almost over and he had big plans in the future.
Every morning they would begin with their mental exercises for an hour, reciting the same thing he taught Blake and Jaune. It allowed them to develop a strong mental fortitude. The next thing they did was their physical exercises, keeping their bodies in top shape for all situations. Caring for their weapons was another chunk of time and he had each Gear, both the cadets and his official Gears, maintain their weapons and keep them in pristine condition. Weapon drills were an important part of their day and he had them fire at targets that looked similar to the Locust, even painted an ugly face on them.
When they weren't on patrol or doing a job, they were learning from him. Not only did it give him more manpower, it also allowed him to grow as a stronger leader for them. He wasn't like Nash yet but he was slowly getting there. It helped that Nash was a Commando back in the Pendulum Wars, and the fact that he had what it took to become a captain. Him personally teaching Walker the ins and outs of being a Commando was why he held him in so much respect.
He was brought out of his thoughts when Blake walked in the room. She had a plate of food in each of her hand, sliding one of them on the desk before sitting down.
"Hey." He glanced at her then turned back to the settlement.
"Didn't see you at the tavern. You okay?" She asked.
"Me? Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking is all." He waved his hand.
"Supplies? If so then you shouldn't need to worry so much, we have some coming in soon." She said.
"No, I know about all that. More or less worried about spacing, plus this isn't where we'll be stationed permanently." He shook his head, sitting down and lifting his helmet to eat.
"There aren't as many people coming in anymore, so space shouldn't be a problem now." She said.
"You never know, look at this." He said, sliding his scroll to her and making her look at it. She blew her food a bit before eating a spoonful of it while reading what was on the screen.
"An offshore plant?" She raised an eyebrow at him before handing him the scroll back.
"Yeah, I'm thinking some time in the future it's where we'll be staying. Placed on granite and in the middle of the ocean." He said.
"So you're planning on turning into a military base? That's pretty ambitious." She said.
"It's not going to be anytime soon, because we don't even have a way to get there. Not to mention the cost of actually buying it and expanding." He scratched his neck.
"One thing at a time, remember?" She asked. He stopped and looked at her before nodding and thinking about what she said. There was a possibility that the Locust weren't here but he couldn't shake off the feeling, it's why he was looking into that location. It was on top of solid granite which meant they couldn't dig underneath it, not without letting the ocean water flood their tunnels. The more he learned about Remnant though, the more he realized how screwed they'd be there was a chance the Locust were here somehow.
After she told him that more settlements were disappearing, he started to piece a few things together. Grimm don't take anything, they just kill their victims and leave shortly after while bandits just pillage and kill, sometimes taking a few people. No... these people were outright disappearing and the only thing left was a small pile of gore or puddle of blood. Not to mention the recent refugees didn't like speaking about the attack, stating that the things didn't sound like Grimm.
Both looked up when Jaune walked into the room and sat down in a nearby chair. He had changed over the past few months, growing a bit more muscular along with his confidence; but that didn't stop him from being intimidated by Walker. Nearly everyone held him in the same light. It was a mixture of fear and respect. They knew he could keep them safe then turn around and kill them a second later if the situation called for it. Not to mention he was the de-facto leader; he offered a structured system within these walls that some unknowingly sought.
Some of the older settlement overseers gave him advice and often acted on his behalf when he wasn't there, it was their way of showing gratitude for taking them in. They knew he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. It took beating one corrupt settlement leader half to death then throwing him out shortly after to get his message across.
"What do you need?" Walker asked.
"I was wondering if I can see my sister or if she can come here." Jaune rubbed the back of his neck.
"You can go visit her." Walker nodded.
"Thanks, how long do I get?" Jaune asked.
"A week at most." Walker said.
"Alright, can I borrow one of the Armadillos?" Jaune asked.
"Are you stupid? Hell no, take one of the bikes." Walker shook his head. Jaune nodded and thanked him again before leaving shortly after giving a report. The other two just watched him leave the settlement after. He just sat down at his desk and pulled up the tablet, Blake sitting next to him, looking at it as well. She watched as he bought a few more truck, both for cargo and civilian transport. There was a large sum of money in the account and she noticed that it was meant strictly for supplies, nothing else.
"I thought you were spending our money?" She asked.
"I take a certain percentage out for supplies and weaponry, then split it. We're getting paid more for each job and now that we have more people, things are starting to get more complicated." He said.
"So how much of the funds go towards supplies?" She asked.
"Over half of it. The rest goes towards our pockets." He answered.
"By the way, I noticed Jaune and I are getting paid more than the others." She pointed out.
"Higher authority. You two are my most trusted Gears. While you do have more responsibilities, you're getting paid more in compensation." He said as he stood up and started to walk around.
"Makes sense." She shrugged before standing up.
"I'm surprised you don't ask for a day or two off." He commented.
"I am too, but I kind of like doing this. Going out and scouting, it's relaxing." She said.
"I'll have to go with you. Might not move as fast as you though." He said, collecting his dishes and closing the door when they walked out. They joked around for a bit, teasing one another every once in a while, it was nothing short of playful banter. Both of them saw Gears patrolling the settlement every once in a while, every single one saluting the two of them before returning to their duties. Despite not saying anything, the newer Gears knew Blake and Jaune held more authority over them and almost respected them as much as Walker.
"Well, I'm gonna go get some rest." She said.
"Alright, I'll see you later." He nodded.
"Yeah, try to relax a bit though." She patted his shoulder as she stepped away. It's been a while since somebody's told him that, but it was nice to hear from such a friendly face. He'd take it easy the next day, let his mind get its rest before training more trainees. He had a bad habit of overworking himself to the brink of exhaustion and multiple people had to tell him to relax sometimes. Although, he couldn't relax for some reason, it was this dreadful feeling gnawing at his gut that threatened to eat him alive.
As much as he wanted to relax right now, he felt the need to do some investigating.
Another settlement disappeared recently, it was one of the outer ones and he had heard it from around the settlement. He took several Gears with him and had Blake lead the way on their respective bikes. The collective sound of their bikes seemed to echo across the area. They weaved through the trees easily, driving up and down countless slopes and occasionally finding an alternate route when they couldn't get there that certain way. The air grew a bit warmer and the snow melted, but it still had that certain chill.
Their armor was jaded in color and lightweight, allowing them to camouflage within the environment better. Each one wore helmets that matched their armor's color scheme, the only thing standing out was the glowing, blue helmet lights. Even then, they could be dimmed by some adjustments. He'd reward Simon for his tireless efforts in crafting each armor set by hand.
As of now, he had over fifty Gears serving underneath him. Each one passed his rigorous training and swore loyalty to him; some did it for personal reasons while others did it out of respect for him taking them in. It didn't matter, so long as they did their job. Each Gear was highly respected, pulling in income for the settlement through countless jobs and defending the settlement. Over the past month and half though, they noticed their exercises started to get more... strange.
It was an odd mixture of professionalism and ruthlessness. The drills they slowly wormed in their skulls to change their ways. Some were calculated while others promoted a more aggressive approach to things. It's what distinguished them from other groups with power. Their name started to draw some attention and eventually more and more people heard about them. He didn't care at this point in time since he had enough power underneath his grip. Not to mention five settlements forming a mutual relationship with his. They provided people and supplies, he would provide protection from Grimm and bandits.
It didn't take long before the council heard about them, no doubt wanting to learn more about him and the Gears, but he wasn't going to let them. They didn't do a damn thing nor help him so they could be angry should he refuse to talk to them. He had better things to do and technically speaking, they didn't have any power this far out. It was an issue he'd deal with in the future.
They stopped after a while when they got to the settlement, parking their bikes and taking the keys with them. It was quiet, too quiet for their tastes. The silence reminded Walker, Blake, and Jaune of their settlement when they first arrived, only this time it was more dreadful in a sense.
"Damn... this place..." One of the Gears trailed off, looking around. Houses looked like they were broken into and they could see more cases of struggle the further in they trekked. The sky was masked by dark clouds and it seemed to make the atmosphere more bleak than it was earlier.
"What do you think did this?" Another Gear asked.
"Grimm?" Jaune guessed.
"Grimm don't kidnap people, and if it was a Grimm attack, we'd see the bodies." Blake shook her head.
"You think it's bandits?" The first Gear asked.
"Maybe. I don't know about that though." Walker said.
"There's a lot of blood on the ground." One of them commented as they walked towards the center. Once they all reached it, he bent down and inspected the blood puddle. Some of it trailed in several directions, making him look in the direction of each one. He ordered them to split into groups and investigate each source. They nodded and went their separate ways while Blake and Jaune followed him.
If they didn't find anything related to the Locust then they'd leave and let Beacon deal with it. He wasn't here to start trouble if the Huntsmen and Huntresses showed up, it wasn't exactly a secret that people were starting to go missing. It's been an issue for the last few years apparently.
"Hey, Walker... how come we're out here?" Jaune asked.
"I want to find out about something and if it's possibly targeting the settlement next." He answered.
"Why not let Beacon handle it?" Blake asked.
"When was the last time they did something?" He asked back.
"I don't know, we got rejected from it." She shrugged.
"Why'd you get rejected, Blake?" Jaune asked.
"Didn't collect a stupid piece in time. I was helping you out of the tree, remember?" She raised an eyebrow at him.
"O-Oh... right. Sorry about that." He apologized.
"I'm over it now." She sighed and looked around. Walker could tell she was still bitter about being denied her spot at Beacon, but he didn't comment on it. All they did was follow the blood trail before noticing it stopped and the trail went cold. They looked around their area some more. There was more signs of a struggle, blood smeared against the walls and ground, but no bodies to show. Something wasn't adding up now.
His head whipped to the side when the radio came to life and one of his Gears said they found something. The two of them followed him as he made his way towards the small group that found something. It barely took a minute as the three of them made their way across the empty streets. The other Gears were already there and as soon as they rounded the corner, they stopped instantly.
In a large pile were countless bodies stacked up on one another. Flies seemingly danced around the mutilated corpses and the scent of rot threatened to weave its way past their filters and into their nostrils. Men, women, and children were tangled in the mass of bodies and one of the Gears turned, tilting his helmet up and vomiting. He didn't blame them in the slightest.
Some were shot, others were half eaten, burned alive, skulls crushed, limbs torn from their rightful places, even organs missing. He turned away when he saw a kid's lifeless gaze staring at him. It was horrible; while they all backed away, he got closer to inspect the ones who had been shot. He bent down and tilted the head of a mother, a large hole in the side of her head. They saw him look around a bit before finding a casing on the ground.
"Boss?" One of them asked.
"..." He didn't say anything, all he did was pick it up and rotate it in his hand.
"Bandits?" Jaune asked.
"Sweep the area for threats and survivors." He ordered.
"What?" Jaune blinked.
"Did I fucking stutter?" He stepped closer to Jaune, making him take a step back.
"No, sir!" Jaune shook his head.
"Then quit screwing around and get to it." Walker ordered evenly. All of them nodded quickly and spread out while he just turned back to the pile of bodies. He closed the kid's eyes before inspecting some more of them, finding more and more casings buried beneath some rubble and the corpses. Hal popped out and carefully took the casing, looking at it then scanning it. The bot faded away when a Gear gestured for him to follow him, making Walker take one last look at the pile then jog after the Gear.
He followed him to an abandoned house and stepped inside, closing the door right after and looking at all of them. They moved to the side when a small kid hid behind a piece of furniture. He was small and looked absolutely terrified of them all; his shirt was covered in dried blood and torn in some places. When he looked around the room, he saw cans of food scattered around. It was at least a week's worth just sitting in the living room alone.
Those bodies looked like they had been there a while and he could tell that wasn't everyone in the settlement.
"Hey, little man. You alright?" He asked.
"..." The kid just stared at him before giving the faintest of nods, it slowly turned into him shaking his head.
"Well, we're here now. You got a name?" He asked.
"..." The kid just stared at him some more before shrinking back when one of the Gears started to approach him. Walker just held his hand up and silently ordered them to stop before turning back to him.
"Do you know who did this?" He asked carefully.
"Monsters..." The kid answered quietly.
"Monsters? What'd they look like?" Blake asked as she knelt down.
"Big... had guns... like you..." He gestured towards them all. They all looked at their guns before looking back at the kid.
"Where are your parents?" Walker asked.
"The monsters took them." The boy answered.
"Do you have any relatives?" A Gear asked.
"..." He just shook his head.
Walker just stood up and backed up with the others, forming a small circle while one of the Gears entertained the lone survivor. They couldn't just leave him here but it felt wrong to not look some more. He had two Gears stay with the kid while the rest just investigated some more, keeping an eye on the time to make sure it didn't get too dark. The chances of it being Grimm were slimming down, they usually didn't leave a single survivor. Bandits were a possibility, but this attack was ruthless and he knew that some people could sink this far down into their sick desires.
He hoped to whatever god was up there that they weren't here, collecting people and doing whatever they did. If so, then Remnant was probably doomed. While they did have technology, they haven't even broken orbit yet which meant satellite coverage was out of the picture. If they were here and he gave people his knowledge about them, how would they react? It wasn't something he wanted to think about now.
While he was busy thinking about the countless possibilities, the others kept their attention focused on the task at hand. They all searched carefully, every nook and cranny of the settlement and still didn't find anything. The sky started to darken a bit and they decided to head back, come back another day. When they returned, he had to explain to the kid that they didn't find anything and they would take him with them. It made him uncomfortable but Walker promised that they'd look out for him until they found his parents.
He was packed up on Blake's bike and held onto her tightly as they all took off, leaving the attacked settlement behind for now.
It was dark by the time they got back and parked the bikes in their spots. The Gears were dismissed for the night and he expressed his satisfaction with their performance. Once they were gone, the four of them went to the tavern to get something to eat. The cozy lighting was easy on their eyes when they entered and sat down at one of the tables, ordering a meal. They watched as he scarfed it down as soon as it was set in front of him, eating theirs patiently while letting him indulge in some hot food.
Brock sat down at the table and tore into his food. His teeth stripped the meat away from the leg he was eating and he chewed it loudly, making Jaune cringe a bit while Blake scooted away from him.
"Who's the runt?" He pointed out.
"Survivor from an attack. Couldn't find any parents or relatives." Walker answered, taking his time to enjoy his food.
"Another attack?" Brock asked.
"Yep." Walker nodded.
"Shit's getting worse." Brock grumbled.
"This is the fourth settlement that's been last within the last eight months." Blake said.
"At this point, we'll be running out of room." Jaune said.
"I know. It's why we're doing some digging around, so whatever it is doesn't allow this settlement to fall." Walker cut his steak.
"I'm sure Beacon and the council would love to do something, considering they're spying on us." Brock said as he tore another chunk off the leg.
"What?" Walker stopped and looked at the older man.
"Yeah, some representative came by. Talked big game before turning tail and running when we started getting serious." Brock said.
"That right?" Walker narrowed his eyes.
"Yep. Scrawny canker sore decided to threaten us but nearly shit his pants when he realized we weren't kidding when them boys said they'd kill him." Brock said.
"I'll deal with this shit tomorrow. Blake, Jaune, get the kid somewhere to sleep." Walker gestured. They nodded and the kid took Blake's hand before following them out the door while Brock just sat and continued to eat his food greedily.
"What's this about, it ain't like you to have them go do some shit without you." Brock commented.
"They need sleep and I'm fine. I'll cut to the chase since I know you don't like being spoon fed bullshit... we need weapons." Walker said simply.
"We always need weapons. With the amount of soldiers you're training, I'm booked." Brock said.
"I'm not talking about standard weapons." Walker responded. An uneasy silence seemed to blanket over them and they didn't say anything for several seconds. It stopped when Brock turned back to his food and ate some more.
"How powerful we talking?" Brock asked.
"Powerful enough to turn a man into a pile of mush." Walker answered instantly.
"What's going on?" Brock leaned forward a bit.
"...Something's out there. Found a pile of bodies in that settlement." Walker said.
"Bandits?" Brock looked around.
"Bandits don't kidnap half a settlement population and Grimm never leave survivors. The kid said some monsters with guns came and took people. Whatever it is, we need to be prepared." Walker said.
"... It'll take a while, you know that right?" Brock asked.
"It's why I'm having people help you along with myself." Walker said.
"I don't have a problem with you, I ain't having nobody else help. They'll fuck up my work." Brock shook his head.
"This isn't one of those times you do shit by yourself." Walker said.
"Either you or my dumbass brother, nobody else." Brock said finally.
"Fine." Walker just shook his head and sighed before agreeing to help him, getting his brother along.
"You gonna tell the others?" Brock asked.
"Yeah, I'll tell the whole settlement if needed. Can't have people doing anything stupid." Walker said as he stood up.
"Right, get some sleep, you beefy bastard." Brock said as he drank some beer. A middle finger was thrown his way and he was left alone when the door closed. He just enjoyed the silence for a bit before packing up and leaving.
Even he could feel something was wrong recently.
So, I'd like to thank you all for reading this and giving it a chance. It really means a lot to me. I won't really bore you with what's going on recently but I would like to address something that came up recently. WTWA being deleted wasn't of my own doing. I don't what happened, it took a while to get it recovered though. Some people think I deleted it on purpose... I didn't. If I did delete it by my own volition then it would stay gone. Other than that, I have backup files just in case something like that happens again.
Anyways, thanks again. Bye.