Several weeks had passed by and it was time for this batch of Gears to leave, the next ones would be stationed here to assist. Skirmishes were sporadic and there was no way to tell when some of them would attack. Sometimes they attacked the safe zone while other times they attacked runners and Gears on patrol. Several of his Gears had died and he forced himself to move on. It wasn't easy though; these people were his responsibility and he felt that he failed them.
Blake knew he was taking it harder than some of the others, nearly everyone did. All final decisions ultimately fell on him and he felt that some of the decisions had gotten the people underneath him killed. He didn't talk about their deaths and it was an unhealthy thing to bottle it all in, but a part of him felt that it was better to quietly suffer alone rather than burden people with his internal conflicts.
The families were notified and he watched them mourn in different ways. Some reacted with anger while others just suffered as much as he did, if not more. If they didn't have families then they were cremated at the new base and their ashes put inside an urn. Their tags went to a certain section of the base and placed inside the memorial. It was the least he could do.
The trip to the base was long and the Bullheads approached it and landed one by one in their designated spots. His Bullhead was the last one and he slid the door open before sitting on the edge, putting on the seatbelt to avoid falling. He finally saw the base in all its glory and felt a little bit at home. While they were still expanding, it was clear that they had a stable place to call home. It was built on granite so that the Locust couldn't dig underneath, much to his relief.
Each large platform was in a hexagon shape and each building was a darker grey color with blue highlights. The largest platform was the command platform, where his own housing would be located, along with some of the others. It was also where they'd brief and debrief on future operations; with a meeting room just down the hall from his office. Cranes were seen on the side of the platform for lifting heavier objects up onto it from the water. Multiple, long bridges were seen on each side, connecting it to other platforms.
So far they had combat platform; which held everything that was needed to train and educate his forces. A large field was seen where his soldiers would do their daily exercises and grow as capable combatants. Their apartments were located there, where they could rest after an assignment or doing their daily routine. There was a mess hall inside to provide for the lower ranks and a separate one for the higher ranks.
The next one was the medical platform; it held it's own hospital and lab to make sure they were all healthy and could rest if they were injured. It even offered therapy for those struggling mentally, something he probably should take advantage of. If there was an unknown disease or virus, they were usually sent to the quarantine zone platform, isolating the infected from the rest.
Research and development was the next platform, which was in charge of researching and developing weapons, items, and other equipment for the Gears and staff to use. Michael usually stayed there and did what he could to assist them by researching new technology and resources. The brothers held a certain position in authority when it came to equipment. Both were masters in the art of creating weaponry and armor; while they did patch up their relationship, it was clear they still were sarcastic towards one another.
One of the most crucial platforms was the base development platform, which would process various types of materials, which would allow them to use it. It was also how they would build new platforms in the future. Large containers of the unprocessed materials could be seen in an organized fashion. It was where a bulk of the supplies went to. If they didn't have any room left on the platform, then they shipped it to one of the three kingdoms for a substantial amount of lien. The platform was usually heavily guarded and nearly everyone knew that it was crucial to them.
The support platform did exactly as it was labeled, it provided Walker with whatever assistance he needs at the time. Whether it be providing supplies on the field or air support, they did whatever he asked. It would only grow in time when he acquired more supplies and manpower. There was a small warehouse inside of it that carried more supplies and even had a garden that grew crops, which would later be either sent to the mainland or stored for later consumption.
An intelligence platform provided him with the necessary information regarding the area or about certain individuals that weren't Locust. They still needed to learn more about them from either him or collecting it on their own. It also carefully intercepted transmissions if the situation called for it and gave him updates when something came up. Not many people had an appreciation for them like he did. He wasn't a stranger going in blind sometimes, but valuable information could be the difference between life and death.
One of the last platforms was somewhat of a commercial and residential district. It had small stores, apartments, restaurants, and some form of entertainment. Despite him saying otherwise, some of the others saw it necessary to keep the morale from falling and allowing the denizens of the base to unwind. It took some convincing, but he saw the benefits and consulted with some of the others to have it built. It cost him more than what he was willing to initially spend.
The last platform was possibly the most important one. It was the agricultural platform; where they cultivated their soil, grew crops, and raised and cared for livestock. All of them knew that this was where a bulk of their food came from. While it wasn't connected to the main base, they still had several ways to get there.
It was their new home and it was far enough out to where people or Locust couldn't find it easily, but close enough to where they could deploy across the globe. The Grimm that sometimes roamed the sea on rare occasions were killed easily.
This is what millions upon millions of lien and careful preparations could get someone. If they did what was necessary, then they could get what they wanted. He was glad he wasn't the type of person to just sit around.
"Holy shit... Boss, we live here?" A Gear asked.
"Pretty much." He nodded and looked down at his scroll to see a message come from Michael. The man had a new piece of technology for him to use and Walker decided to visit him before he forgot. There were times when too much was on his mind that he forgot important things and would later regret it.
The Bullhead circled around to one of the many landing pads after circling the base and hovered in the air for a second. The landing gears slid out and the vehicle dropped onto the R&D pad, making him unbuckle the belt and drop onto it. Blake and Red stayed with the other Gears and he watched as the vehicle took off and flew to another platform. After they left, he turned to the building and walked inside.
He navigated through the halls after looking at a map of the place and looked around. Countless staff were seen developing different items to be stored later and he stopped when he saw Brock and Simon working on a machete. After taking the countless twists and turns, he found Michael's office and knocked on it. There was the sound of the chair swiveling and the door opened. He saw the man give a friendly smile and gesture for him to step inside.
"It's been a while, how have you been?" Michael asked.
"Alright, as good as the war's going." Walker sighed.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Michael said regretfully. Just because he was a CEO didn't mean he was a heartless monster. If anything, he was one of the few that genuinely cared about his staff's wellbeing. No point in having a business if he pushes his workers away through poor management and business practices.
"It happens. You said you had something for me?" Walker changed the subject.
"Yeah. It's something a few of us have been working on for a while." Michael said. He went to his desk and picked up a hand-held device before handing it to Walker.
"What is it?" He asked, rotating it and looking at it with some interest.
"It's somewhat of a mobile data terminal. It's linked to the drones above to give you a satellite-based map that will give you a layout of the nearby area. It also lets you scan documents and it'll send it here." Michael explained.
"What else?" Walker asked, now he was interested.
"It provides long-range communication as well. We're still working out some of the bugs though, but we might be able to retrieve radio transmissions. The little port on the side allows you to plug into data terminals and collect information if you need." Michael added.
"Color me impressed." Walker nodded and clicked the button on the side. A holographic screen popped up and he made a password that only he would remember and used the knob on the side to scroll through the options. It pulled everything he needed; mission details, his staff, supplies, R&D project status, support commands, Bullhead landing zones, and even had a function to play music.
"It was hard to make, but we believe if we have it field tested, we can produce them easier and have yours upgraded." Michael said.
"Alright, good work." Walker nodded. He meant it because this little device was interesting as it was useful.
"Thank you." Michael said.
"What's this on the side?" Walker pointed towards a little extension.
"It produces a holographic lighter." Michael added. It was quiet as the two stared at one another before Walker looked down at it.
"... Does it work?" He asked. Michael nodded before telling him to click the side. When he did, a small blue, holographic flame flicked on and the other man held a small piece of paper over it. Both watched as it started to burn before Michael through it into the nearby waste bin and extinguished it.
"Let us know what you think." Michael said.
"Alright, I will. Thanks for this." Walker said as he held up the device and put it on his belt.
"It's the least I can do. Abigail's happier despite not living in the city anymore." Michael shook his head.
"She wasn't happy before?" Walker asked.
"No, ever since her mother passed, she's been stressed. People weren't out there to be her friend but for connections to me." Michael said. Walker just nodded and looked around a bit before noticing the picture of the three on the wall.
"Blake likes her." He said.
"Yeah, she talks about Ms. Belladonna a lot." Michael said.
"Blake's good with people. Anyways, I have to go." Walker waved as he left the office and toyed with the new device a bit. He had an easier time leaving the building and tested the feature to call the Bullhead, beaming in delight when one of them came to pick him up. He'd reward the ones who made this.
Though, he still needed to figure out what to call the thing.
Meeting with the three other company leaders was an odd thing. They thought he was some cruel head figure but quickly found out he was polite a majority of the time. He told them there was no need to be disrespectful or impolite when it wasn't needed. All that did was create enemies and the last thing they all needed was another enemy to add to the list. They discussed some things regarding their position and eventually decided to merge themselves with the Gears.
The other three were leaders in their own way and he found those skills useful. That meant all the stress wouldn't be piled onto him and they'd do their part when necessary. They'd be the ones staying at base and giving commands and providing him with support from behind the lines. Each company had provided soldiers with their own skills and bumped the numbers from a hundred and fifteen to seven hundred. They discussed among themselves to pledge loyalty to him and even bowed down on a knee.
Apparently on Remnant, this meant they would forever be loyal to him. He learned something new everyday on this planet.
All he told them was to stand up, stating that they could be seen as equals in time. They still needed to gain his trust, but it was clear they were grateful for allowing them to join the Gears. All three of them had battlefield experience but were content with commanding here. However, he made it clear that if he they ultimately answered to him and he had final say. It was a reminder that this was his base and company.
They recognized someone who was more used to the battlefield than sitting behind a screen, and Walker was a frontline Gear through and through. It earned him respect from his troops and they fought harder when next to him. To earn a place within his select group was an honor on its own, that didn't include the benefits. While they did have more responsibilities, the rewards they received were worth it.
Better training, equipment, authority, pay, and weapons and enhancements.
The four of them were in charge of the military power within this base while the settlement representatives usually tended to the people. Most people didn't have a problem with the way of life right now, nearly everyone had a part to play. Walker would not accept people who didn't pull at least the bare minimum.
After discussing several more topics, they parted ways and he went to his apartment after finding it. He entered it and saw the living area, feeling a sense of relaxation hit him as he sat on the couch and went to his new room. His armor was taken off and set inside of a crate before he stepped into the bathroom and got in the shower. The warm water eased his muscles and he scrubbed away whatever dirt and grime clung to his skin.
He stepped out after several minutes and felt better than he had in the last few days. A clean pair of clothes were put on and he put on his helmet before going to the living room and sitting on the couch. There was a knock on the door and he sighed before getting up and opening it, seeing Jaune, Blake, and Red. He looked at them before they stepped inside and he shut the door.
"Wow, you have probably the best one yet." Blake said as she looked around.
"I do own this base." He responded.
"Not even my apartment is like this." Jaune said as he walked around the room. Walker just looked at the prosthetic silently, watching as he made his way around the room and stumbled a bit trying to take a sharp turn. He quickly adjusted himself before sitting down in a nearby chair.
"How's therapy?" He asked.
"It's good. It's hard to take sharper turns, but the leg works pretty well." Jaune said as he lifted it. The leg itself was a sleek design and looked like his other leg. The joints and springs offered good stability and allowed both comfort and support.
"Good..." Walker said quietly. The other two just looked at him as he stared at Jaune's leg while the blonde talked about it some more. They knew he sometimes blamed himself for letting Jaune go by himself, but also knew that Jaune was at fault also. It was a terrible situation and a horrible thing to happen, but at least he knew the cost of trying to play hero.
"So what have you been up to?" Blake asked.
"Talking, got a nifty little device, and just showered." He answered. They saw him go to his bedroom and bring out the device that Michael had made for him. Their eyes were glued to it and were left in a state of slight awe.
"I want one." Jaune said.
"I'm field testing it so that the R&D department can make some more. Plus, you'll get one when you get back on the field and get some more experience." Walker said. He sat down on the couch and Blake sat next to him while Red just lied down, throwing her legs across his and staring at the TV. They watched the news and frowned a bit when more Locust attacks were reported. The council was seen discussing the matters and tried to patiently answer the questions that were being asked.
There was a video of one of the Cameramen recording one of the Gears, only to have them walk up to him and put the camera down. The video cut and the reporter popped up on the screen. He just watched as she talked about his company and the several questions as to who they were. The four of them continued to watch as different people were interviewed.
Some would try to describe him and the Gears to the best of their knowledge, holding them in high regards. The runners specifically told them how he took the time to teach them about the Locust and give them at least some training; more than what Atlas was doing. Civilians held them in high regard as well and told the reporters how Gears constantly went out to look for survivors or defended them.
However, some simply viewed them as simple guns-for-hire and didn't see their struggles like some did. Atlas personnel that were stationed in the safe zone usually spoke about them with an arrogant tone; claiming they had no loyalty other than money. He just shook his head and chose to ignore them.
"So we're nothing but power hungry mercenaries who think we're invincible?" Jaune asked incredulously. They could understand his irritation because it was clear that nobody was spared from the horrors of war; Jaune being a perfect example.
"A lot of talk from people who could barely kill one." Red commented. Her legs were still strewn across his but her feet were placed on Blake's legs and the other girl just looked at her before turning back to the TV again.
"They should be focused more on learning how to combat the Grubs than talk about us. We got our own problems to worry about." Walker said. He didn't care about Atlas' opinion about them; none of the Gears, with the exception of a few, really did. They were there to do their job and go home.
"So what are we doing next?" Blake asked.
"We're recovering before I start prepping for the next course of action." He answered.
"Which is?" She asked.
"We're heading to Vacuo to look for survivors while R&D create a beacon to map their tunnels." He said. They'd save as many people as they could before transporting them to one of the kingdoms or recruiting them. The next best course of action was to try and map their tunnels to get a better layout of them.
"I thought Vacuo was lost though?" Jaune asked.
"It is, but there might be something worth looking for. Beacons are being placed in designated areas so that we can map out the surface." Walker answered. It wasn't that different from Blake going on patrol, but now the stakes were higher.
"Are we sending a lot of people?" Red asked.
"Not too many. Can't risk the Locust spotting us and trying to trail us back." He answered.
"What about the academy?" Blake asked.
"What about it?" He asked back.
"From what I've heard, it fell." He answered.
"You think there's something in there that they want?" She asked.
"We won't know until we get there." He said. They nodded and continued to watch the news, rolling their eyes when Ozpin came on the screen. He spoke highly of the new faction and commended their bravery. While it would have been flattering to the group, they knew he was pulling something. They bristled when he claimed that he hired the Gears and said they were under his employment and training the students. Glynda's eyes widened and she looked at him in surprise, knowing that they never did.
"Since when do we work for Beacon?" Red asked, her tail puffing a bit.
"We don't." Walker narrowed his eyes dangerously. He saw the Gears in the crowd look at one another and shake their heads before leaving the scene, because they knew that they didn't work for the Headmaster.
"Why do you think he said that?" Blake asked.
"No idea." He said and pried Red's legs off of him before standing up.
"Where're you going?" Jaune asked.
"I need to make a call." Walker answered heatedly as he stepped out of the apartment. The other three just looked at him as he nearly slammed the door shut and just continued watching. Red just got up and started to look through his fridge, bringing out some food and sitting back down on the couch. If the mess hall didn't have something she wanted to eat, then she'd either go through her own stock or look through his.
"He's gonna be mad, you know..." Jaune pointed.
"He'll get over it, not like I haven't done it before." She said and handed Blake some. She took some before passing it to Jaune, who looked at the door and got some as well. Walker later returned and they bowed down on their hands and knees with their head in their hands as he chewed them out for eating his food. There were times they forgot how scary he was and decided to ask him from now on.
Richard decided to make the decision to move to the new base with his family. While he was hesitant about leaving the settlement and everyone behind, all it took was some convincing from his wife and Velvet to make the final decision. He wanted the others to come with him, but they just shook their heads and wished him and his family the best of luck, claiming that the settlement was their home. He scrounged up whatever funds he had and went to pay Walker, but blinked in surprise when the man shook his head.
He claimed that the Faunus and his family were considered good people. Not to mention, Richard technically was one of the first people to help him get off the ground and teach him about Remnant when he first crashed here. Plus, there were Gears stationed here to help defend the settlement so it's not like they were completely defenseless. It took several hours, but he got a majority of his belongings inside a Bullhead and sat in another one with Walker.
"So why did you leave?" Richard asked.
"We moved." Walker answered.
"Huh, is it nice?" Richard asked.
"It's pretty nice. We're still expanding though." Walker answered and showed him a new picture of the base.
"Wow... you really took off, didn't you?" Richard asked. He was actually glad he met Walker that day; there's no telling what would happen to him had he not.
"Yeah. You helped me a bit and it's only fair I return the favor." Walker said.
"It's alright." Richard dismissed. The two fell into a comfortable silence and leaned back in their seats while Walker just toyed with the device. He still had yet to name it and would figure it out soon. The ride to the academy took an hour and the aircraft hovered a bit, waiting for a landing pad to open before taking the first one that was available. He needed to talk to Ozpin while Richard was going to visit Velvet for a while until he was done.
No assistant was needed this time since he remembered the way towards the office and took the elevator up. He was half tempted to just leave it, but it was clear Ozpin was toying with things he didn't need to. The sawed-off was flicked open and he slid two shells inside before flicking it shut and putting it back onto his back. The elevator doors opened and he walked inside of the office, frowning when he saw Ozpin's humble smile. He was starting to not like the man.
"I didn't expect you to-" He started.
"Just... shut the fuck up." Walker said instantly. The other two adults clamped their mouths shut and watched as he pinched the bridge of his nose from under his helmet. He had to calm himself down because he'd start making adversaries and that was the last thing he needed. They watched as he calmed himself before gesturing for them to speak with his hand.
"It wasn't our intention to bring you here." Glynda said.
"You got some balls, Headmaster." He commented.
"It was the only way to contact you." Ozpin said.
"... What do you want?" Walker asked.
"I would like for you to train our students." Ozpin said.
"No." Walker said as he turned around and pressed the elevator button.
"Wait! We can offer you funding." Ozpin stood up.
"I have funds." Walker said evenly.
"We'll provide housing as well." Ozpin added.
"I have that too. You don't have anything I require at the moment. If I need something then I'll reach out to you." Walker said, tapping his leg as he waited for the elevator to ascend.
"You said you'd do things for money and information, we can do that." Ozpin said.
"Is it Locust related?" Walker asked.
"Well... no... not right now." Ozpin stopped.
"Then I don't care. You have nothing worth offering me right now. Now, I have to go clean up the shit you started because you want to rely on us. Stop feeding people bullshit or you'll burn the only bridge you have with me. Did you even standardize the ammunition I gave you all?" Walker deadpanned as he watched the doors slide open.
"Atlas has it, but they claimed it was expensive and difficult to make." Glynda said.
"..." He just looked at them one last time before shaking his head and turning away.
He stepped inside before they could even attempt to say anything and shut the doors. The ammunition wasn't hard to make because if one short Faunus could make it easily and even enhance it, then he was sure an entire kingdom could do the same. No, Atlas just wanted to have a leg up on everyone but didn't realize that it would cost them the kingdom. It was political leaders like these that really irked him to no end. They'd rather wait for shit to hit the fan before reacting, instead of nipping the problem before it grew out of control.
The elevator descended and he exited it before stepping out of the building and walking outside. He barely got towards the landing pad before he was knocked over and landed face first into the pavement. There was the sound of running and he groaned as he stood up and shook his head. It was times like these that made him glad he wore a helmet, because he might've actually broken his nose otherwise.
"Dad, wait! It was an accident!" Velvet's voice cried out. He just looked ahead to see Richard chasing her teammate. The Faunus looked absolutely livid and quickly chased the younger man around the campus. He jumped up and slammed his foot onto the spot he was at, cracking the pavement easily before bolting after him again. Some of the students tried to chase after Richard, but he either jumped over them or outran them easily.
Walker just sat on a bench and brought out an electronic cigar. He usually wasn't one to smoke, in fact he hated it, but he desperately needed it and this one was different. It was more of an herbal mixture than tobacco to use and this specific recipe sped up his perception of time and had a slightly aesthetic effect to it. This would probably be the first and only time he's indulged in the cigar simply because of Ozpin and his actions. Not even the Locust pushed him to that point and they were out to end his life a majority of the time.
He brought it out and placed it in between his lips before bringing out the device and flicking on the holographic flame. The two didn't even make contact before Velvet rushed up to him and shook him frantically.
"You have to help!" She shook him.
"With what?" He sighed before placing the cigar and device away.
"Dad's going to kill Yatsuhashi!" She shouted. He just looked to see Richard gaining on the taller boy and barely missed kicking him in the back of his head. It was clear that Yatsuhashi was avoiding confrontation because Richard was a civilian, albeit an angry one, but a civilian nonetheless.
"What'd he do?" He leaned back into the bench.
"We... he... um..." She trailed off and fumbled with her fingers.
"I can't help you if you don't speak up." He said, staring up at her.
"He... might've gotten me..." She gestured towards her stomach and looked away in shame. He saw her face burning red and the two stared at one another for several, tense seconds. It was quiet and he just sighed before gesturing for her to sit next to him. She slowly sat down and avoided looking at him while he just leaned back and watched the two run around.
"I really wasn't expecting that." He admitted.
"I wasn't expecting it to go this far." She said quietly.
"Are you going to keep it?" He asked curiously.
"Of course! Why would I get rid of it?!" She suddenly screamed at him.
"I'm just asking." He held his hands up in surrender. Her anger seemed to melt away and she looked back at the sidewalk.
"I'm sorry... it's just a lot to take in." She apologized. He just grunted a bit and rotated his neck a few times, feeling a bit stiff from the flight here.
"He won't kill him." He said.
"Yes he will." She argued.
"Do you really think he'll kill the father to his future grandchild?" He asked.
"Yes!" She cried out and put her head in her hands. He looked closer and realized that he was wrong and that Richard actually was probably going to kill the boy. A small sigh was heard from him and he waited until they passed by before he tackled Richard and rolled with him. He wrapped one of his arms around his neck while the other held back his right arm. He held onto him tightly, wincing in pain when the man slammed his elbows into his sides.
"You have to calm down." He said.
"Like hell! You don't know what he did to her!" Richard shouted angrily and continued to thrash around.
"He got her pregnant, yeah I know. Now stop hitting me, dammit!" Walker shouted. Richard continued to thrash around before stopping when Walker suddenly tightened his grip on his neck. A few seconds went by and he tapped his forearm quickly.
"I need to kick his ass." Richard said lowly.
"Listen... I'm going to let you go... promise not to kill him?" Walker asked.
"I promise..." Richard nodded. The grip around him slowly started to loosen as he glared at Yatsuhashi and immediately tried to bolt after him when the grip was loose enough for him to move. Almost immediately, Walker wrapped his arm around his throat again and kept him there.
"You suck at keeping promises." Walker sighed.
"..." Richard continued to glare at the boy and breath harshly. Several minutes went by and he eventually calmed down enough for the grip to release off of him. He was helped up and both of them sat down on the bench. Walker just sat on Velvet's right while Richard sat on her left.
"I'm going to be frank with you, if he bolts again, I might not be able to stop him." Walker admitted. Despite barely having and aura, Richard did manage to hurt him from the constant assault on his sides.
"I won't..." Richard shook his head and sighed.
"Good, because my sides hurt like hell." Walker winced and leaned back. That cigar sounded appealing, now more than ever.
He just idly listened to her tell her father what happened and how it happened. It started maybe a month and a half after E-Day and one thing led to another. This last time was the one that sealed the deal and it resulted in her pregnancy. She cried in embarrassment and shame while her dad just brought her into a hug. He was more worried than anything and her team tried to approach them, only to back off when he glared at them and Walker brought out his Boltok, setting it on his lap.
People stared and whispered while Walker just stood up and scared a majority of them away before sitting back down. The pain started to subside a bit, but it would flare up every so often. Beacon was strict against in school pregnancies; while it did happen, they needed to do something about this, especially with the war going on. After she was finished telling him, her face was burning red and she needed to go tell the staff.
Yatsuhashi walked up to him and rubbed the back of his neck in shame.
"I... apologize for doing this... I wasn't thinking..." He apologized awkwardly.
"Yeah... clearly." Richard said bitterly and watched as he shuffled away. Once he was gone, her team shuffled away as well before the two of them were left alone. The very few clouds seemed to suck some of the color from the sky and the chirping of birds was faint.
"You know, under different circumstances, I would say congrats." Walker commented.
"I can't believe I'm going to be a grandpa." Richard put his face in his hands and leaned forward.
"You feel those gray hairs peeking out yet?" Walker asked lightly. He laughed a bit, even as Richard glared at him, before sighing and apologizing a bit.
"I just... right now... during this..." Richard tried to say, but seemed to have a difficult time saying it.
"The war? Yeah, it's a pretty fucked up time to have a kid, but ultimately it was their choice. Nothing we can do about it now." Walker said. That silence returned and neither one dared to break it.
"How would you react?" Richard asked.
"Like you. I think any father would." Walker answered truthfully and gazed up. He zoned out a bit and let his thoughts wander.
"Why couldn't it be you?" Richard whispered under his breath.
"What was that?" Walker asked, snapping his head when he thought he heard something.
"Nothing." Richard shook his head.
"Alright." Walker said before bringing out the special electronic cigar. He lifted his helmet before placing it in his mouth and ignited it with the holographic flame. A sweet scent filled the area and he started to relax a bit, the pain subsided as well.
"Since when do you smoke?" Richard raised an eyebrow.
"Since meeting Ozpin today. Cryptic bastard spouting bullshit and other things." Walker sighed as he blew some smoke out. It felt nice to be honest and he could feel some of the worries fade away along with the smoke.
"You mind?" Richard asked.
"Here." Walker said and brought out another one, giving it to the man.
"Thanks." Richard gestured before placing it in his mouth and leaning to the side when it was lit. He took in a bit and let the sweet flavor run over his tongue before blowing it out. It calmed him down a lot and he took a few more puffs before stopping, as did Walker. He checked the time and saw that forty minutes had passed by, indicating that it worked like a charm and sped up their perception of time.
The two stood up after collecting Velvet and they all walked back to the Bullhead. They watched as she said her goodbyes to her team and climbed inside of the aircraft. Both her and Richard watched as he sat on the edge and clamped the belt over his lap. He watched as the academy started to become smaller the further they traveled before he unbuckled himself and slid the doors shut.
They all woke up when he shook them awake and watched as he went to the door and slid it open. He sat on the edge and they saw the base in all its glory, widening their eyes at the sheer size of it. It was basically a fortress on its own and they could see countless cranes and lifeboats on the sides of some platforms. The Bullhead hovered in the air a bit and he just unbuckled himself before dropping onto the platform. He stood up and saw his soldiers salute him and wish him a welcome home.
He turned around to see the Bullhead take off towards the residential platform and he turned back around. His soldiers were still there and he nodded, dismissing them and seeing them attend to their duties. He appreciated them and their loyalty to him and their faction. Some questioned him, not out of mistrust, but out of curiosity regarding assignments and the best way to complete them.
Despite knowing a lot, he was still learning and often sought assistance from the other company leaders. They knew he was young, decades younger than them, but they saw potential in him. It helped him grow as a capable leader. If he didn't know something, he consulted with them and asked for their input. When he made a mistake that cost them more than he initially thought, they were there to pick him up and point out where he went wrong.
He stepped into the Command building and took the elevator up, sighing in relief when he saw the familiar hallway he enjoyed. Stepping up to his door, he unlocked it before stepping inside and taking his armor off, putting it in its case along with his weapons. He stretched a bit and popped his back and neck before rotating the latter and looking in the fridge. He grabbed a cook book and ingredients before he turned on the device, playing music while he made his food.
Remnant did have an interesting choice of music, he would give them that. Time seemed to slip by and he found himself in a sort of groove as he cooked, constantly looking back at the book to see if he was doing it right. Cooking was never one of his better skills and he was so used to the rations at the different bases and on the Sovereign. He never bothered learning how to cook because there were times he thought he would be dead, so it was never on his top priorities.
Despite them nearly being extinct from the Lambent and Locust and the mighty COG reduced to shambles, he found himself enjoying the Sovereign sometimes. The gentle sway of the ship as it cruised through the vast Seran ocean, to the dull hum of machinery it emitted sometimes.
"Hal... come here." He ordered. The bot floated out of his room and hovered next to him, looking curiously at what he was doing.
"..." He just beeped a few times.
"You remember what Sera was like?" He asked.
"..." Hal just gave a series of beeps, some sounding sad while others sounded nostalgic.
"I miss it, you know. I miss it all. The large land masses, vast oceans, the odd weather, I even miss some of the people. Can you believe it?" He turned towards the bot and waved the spatula.
"..." Hal gave a few confused beeps.
"Maybe I'm just homesick, you know? Although, we wouldn't be here if you didn't up and dart off. You're a pain in the ass, you know?" He asked, flicking one of Hal's optics lightly.
"..." A series of regretful beeps were heard.
"I'm not mad anymore. I just... it's so much. At first, I created this faction to find a way home... but now I'm stuck fighting a second war I don't want a part of." He sighed quietly, flipping his food. It went quiet for a while and the two just enjoyed each other's company.
"..." A series of unidentified beeps were heard and Walker looked at Hal with confusion.
"You think they ever went looking for me?" He asked.
"..." Hal tilted his head and looked at him confused.
"I know you're smarter than that, troublesome bot. I meant Dead-Echo..." He clarified.
"..." Hal gave a long beep, as if he understood.
"I did cause a lot of trouble for them. Nash would probably kick my ass, I think Amelia would too. Fred would probably slam me on the ground before hugging me, and I'm pretty sure Kelly would just be glad I'm home." He said quietly. His mood soured a bit and he found himself slowly feeling more and more hopeless.
"..." Hal beeped happily at the mention of their names, making him snap up.
"They'd be all over you, showering you with loads of affection like always, you little attention whore. If anything, I'm the reason you're such a loveable shit. You're all I have left from Sera, buddy. So do me a favor and stop being such a pain in my ass." He tapped Hal's chassis before turning back to his food. It's been a while since he's opened up like this. Despite Hal being a bot, he felt more comfortable talking to him than he did an actual person.
There was a knock on his door and he went to it, opening it to see Red peek inside. His lips pressed into a fine line and he sighed before letting her inside. Along with Blake and Jaune, she was the one who usually greeted him back and could find outside his apartment. She considered him a friend as much as he did with her. It felt weird being the oldest one out of their little group. He was twenty years old, but was going on to be twenty-one in several months.
He blamed spending time with people who were usually twice his age and the military. It took him four years just to make Sergeant, but by that time rank rarely mattered. His dad, bless his heart, had done what he could and ultimately gave up his position as an Onyx Guard to stay with them on the Sovereign. He never liked Prescott and the elites very much. Despite being an Onyx Guard, people still liked him since he didn't act cocky.
It took the destruction of Halvo Bay to knock whatever arrogance from his system. He remembered people stating how much of a hero Colonel Loomis was, but his dad was always bitter amount the mere mention of the man. He claimed that he sent half of his friends to die while he held some stupid trial. Walker didn't realize it was Baird's trial until he asked the sarcastic blonde.
His dad was how he met Nash, both serving in the Pendulum Wars. Both part of a special operations unit and both came with their own skillset. Both of them essentially made Walker the Gear he was today and he would forever be grateful to them; that's not to say he wasn't appreciative of his mother and grandfather. His mom taught him how to be polite, sometimes literally beating it into him because he was stubborn, but his grandfather taught him the old ways of the COG.
Only two of the four survived and he lost himself for a while at both of their deaths; his dad died due to Rust Lung on the Sovereign and he couldn't do a damn thing about it. His mom died when the Imulsion countermeasure activated and he literally watched her turn to ash in front of his eyes. It fundamentally broke him and the only reason he considered living was because of his grandfather and little brother.
God... he missed them so much.
"You smell sweet." She commented.
"It's probably from the food." He said.
"No, it smells like... an herb or something." She shook her head. It was an odd mixture of a savory scent mixed in with several other scents. It tickled her nose and made it her rub it, but it also relaxed it in some ways.
"It's probably from my cigar." He gestured.
"You're smoking now?" She asked.
"Not really. I was stressed and needed to take the edge off just this once." He answered. The smell must still have clung to him because it reminded her of cinnamon mixed in with a hint of mint, yet also that savory smell she started to enjoy.
"They said that stuff makes time go by faster." She said, sniffing the electronic cigar.
"It works. Numbs the pain too. From what I've heard around, they're experimenting a bit to have different effects depending on the recipe." He said, sliding his food on his plate. He stopped when he heard a knock on the door and looked to see Jaune and Blake at it, letting them inside before shutting it.
"What's that smell?" Blake asked, sniffing the air a bit.
"What's it smell like?" He asked.
"It's sweet." She answered.
"It's from this." Red held up his cigar while her face was in the cushion. The other three just looked at her as she rolled around in the cushions before closing her eyes and breathing softly. It was like her personality switched and the other they thought it was somewhat endearing. She seemed more relaxed and open unlike how she usually was.
"You're smoking now?" Jaune asked.
"It was a one time thing, might be something I do on rare occasions." Walker answered. He sat down on his couch and put his feet on the coffee table.
"Is it harmful?" Blake asked, picking it up and observing it.
"They say it's not but I'm not holding my breath on that though." He responded. It really wasn't going to be a regular thing; he was stressed from the last several weeks and he needed to unwind just that once. Maybe he'd have it as an incense as another option. Smoking wasn't really his preferred recreational activity.
"I saw Velvet here with her family. I thought she was at Beacon?" She asked.
"Not anymore." He answered.
"Is she becoming a Gear?" She asked.
"Nope." He said.
"Then why?" She asked once more.
"You'll have to figure that out." He answered and ate his food. Several minutes passed by and he put his dish in the dishwasher and closed it. Blake and Red took the couch and he told them that they would be going to Vacuo within the next few weeks. They just had to remind him to relax a bit and he nodded hesitantly before sitting in the other chair.
"You know, the kids at the school often talk about you." Blake said.
"Since when do you go there?" He asked.
"I do story time and art lessons on the side as volunteer work." She said and reached inside her bookbag. A folder was taken out and opened; inside were countless drawings of the Gears. There were also some letters. Some where better than others and he just carefully looked at each one.
There were some depicting him and the Gears shooting a crudely drawn Lancer while standing on top of a pile of Locust bodies; labeled the stinky, ugly men. Some were of his helmet, it was colored yellow, but he still got the picture. He read the letters they wrote for him, smiling lightly at the somewhat messy handwriting along with misspelled words. They all thanked him for letting them stay here and defeating the bad men.
"These are from the younger ones?" He asked, looking at them.
"Yep. And these... are from the older kids." She brought out another folder and handed it to him. He reached across the table and opened the folder, seeing that they were just letters, but written with better spelling and grammar.
"Huh..." He clicked his tongue and started to read the first one.
"You're gonna read all of them?" She asked.
"Might as well take the time to." He answered and leaned back. The other three just watched TV for a while as he simply read the letters. They were nice to be honest; there were more than a thousand civilians here. The ones that joined the Gears bumped the fighting numbers up to eight hundred. It was small compared to the Locust, but at least it was something.
It was better to try and do something than wait for the worst to happen and never recover from it.
I just need to write something, because I've been in the mood recently. I won't say much other than I'm not spoiling anything for you guys. You can ask me all these questions but I won't say a word because that would ruin it if it does happen. Other than that, let's get into reviews.
Janny092: Yep.
DOOMRAIDER: I think a break from that story would do me some good. Despite what some people might not think, it is a lot of pressure sometimes. Plus, the spark is somewhat gone since I've got more on my plate now.
Ferno16: I'm glad we agree.
Nofear4231: Thank you.
MythianTechCorp: You won't know until later chapters.
Guest: You'd hate forums then. Some underestimate other universes and seem to forget how absurdly overpowered Warhammer 40k is. Also, that story you're referring to, I thought it was a Doom crossover? I could be mistaken though.
whatsupman: There's more to come. I want to flesh out some things with this story.
IX404: Thank you.
Austin: Maybe they have been experimenting with it, they are smart enough to do so. As for bringing back Locust from the past, nah. That whole bringing back the dead and other crap like that is too complicated for me.
zakuzilla: Thank you.
| Fredric | : Thank you.
CLJJ1: I won't lie to you and I might sound like a dick, but it is irritating. People keep asking me if I'm continuing it and the answer will be yes. Yes, I am continuing it and I don't know where I'm going to go right now with it. I've hit a roadblock and don't wish to write when I don't feel like it. This is a hobby, not a job, and I don't think some people understand that.
LiquidusSnake: It is ironic.
Guest: Don't know.
Spartan Ash: I'm not answering.
So that's it for reviews. I'm not saying that you guys can't ask questions, but if it seems like it would spoil the story, then I won't answer it. Sorry if that wasn't what you were looking for, but that's just how I'm going to roll from now on. Um... I don't know what else to say other than thank you to all of you who just enjoy the story.
See you guys in the future. Bye.