Beacon had proposed the idea to do a joint operation with the Gears. They claimed it would allow them to learn from them and how to combat the Locust in the future. He didn't really care about them because they weren't his concern, his soldiers were. The BSS had offered to care for the civilians and he agreed, so they sent several of their operatives as assistance. The two companies had grown closer within the past few weeks, assisting one another in various ways.
They had assisted them in figuring out how to use the Archaea they found in temple in Vacuo. As a gesture of gratitude, he armed several of their operators with equipment that his own combatants used. From then on, Brock and Simon were able to use the archaea to make their combat knives sharper; it was useful against Locust, Grimm, and even people with aura. The councils and academies had started to notice their mutual relationship and started to try and create their own military, but didn't seem to have a clue on how to begin.
It stemmed from the lack of a military force for the last several decades. This was the reason it was starting to bite them in the rear recently, they didn't have a clue how to get anything done. The only people that had a clue on how to start and run one were the Gears, BSS, and Atlas. The last one wasn't speaking to a lot of people and had seemed to be drawn into their own little world. From what he's heard from his contacts there, they had nearly all the technology up in the city. It denied the Locust from ever getting it, but he knew that they'd get it eventually.
He adjusted his armor some more and stretched a bit. Brock and Simon had made a single set of Onyx Guard armor for him, it took them weeks to make one and decided he would be the perfect candidate to test it out. The only thing that made him stand out from the shadows was the glowing blue helmet lights, the single glowing strip down his torso, and the two glowing spots on the back of his shoulder blades.
It was flexible and made of stronger materials to take more punishment. The matte black color was perfect in his opinion, he wasn't one to like shiny things too much since it made him stand out. He almost didn't take this set, but the armor he usually wore was dented and damaged. He brought out his thoughts when the Bullhead started to land. The landing gears slowly came out and hit the ground, making its occupants move around a bit.
They spread out and went to their assigned posts while he walked around the zone for a minute. He spotted Glynda and walked up to her, making her jump at bit and look at him suspiciously.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"It's me." Walker answered.
"Oh... forgive me. I didn't recognize you without your golden helmet." She said.
"It's fine." He dismissed. The students looked at his armor in awe while he just ignored it and talked to Goodwitch.
"Do you mind taking them?" She gestured to the students.
"Why can't you?" He asked. A part of him didn't want to, because he knew they'd either not listen or do something that was unnecessary.
"They wanted to be here and help out." She answered.
"So you leave them with me?" He raised an eyebrow.
"I have to talk with Ozpin and Lionheart." She said, making him stare at her flatly.
"General Ironwood still up in his little castle?" He asked.
"We haven't been able to reach him in months." She sighed.
"Probably scared shitless." He commented, some of the students from Atlas bristled a bit at the comment.
"He's a brave man." She defended.
"There's a difference between bravery and stupidity. He's being stupid right now." He retorted. This time, he could feel the tension in the air but decided to ignore it. Ironwood had cut all contact with them and sooner or later it would cost him the kingdom.
"He's just busy, I'm sure." She said. He watched her leave and sighed before looking at the students, they followed him through the camp when he motioned for them to.
"So you're going to train us, as Gears, right?" Ruby asked.
"Are you becoming Gears?" He asked.
"Well... no." She answered.
"Then I'm not training you like a Gear. We're doing a joint mission so you all learn how to combat the Locust on your own." He answered as he led them to a large tent. Just before he could continue, he stopped when he looked at their attire. The lack of armor, wearing skirts, and bright colors. Sun wasn't even wearing a shirt underneath his vest.
"What?" Weiss asked.
"How long have you all been running around like that?" He pointed to their clothing.
"The whole time. We haven't really been dealing with them." Sun laughed sheepishly, only to freeze when Walker stared at him. Even with the onyx helmet on, they could tell he didn't think any of this was funny. They glanced at his hands and noticed that they clenched into fists, his knuckled popping audibly.
"Winchester!" Walker barked suddenly, making them jump. They waited several seconds before seeing Cardin and his team enter the tent. The boys didn't hold that arrogant aura from before, it looked like it had been knocked out of them within the last couple of months. They looked ready for their next task and even saluted Walker upon arriving.
"Boss." Cardin nodded.
"Do we have any armor lying around here?" Walker asked.
"Last I checked, maybe more than a dozen or so." Cardin shrugged.
"Get them some armor. I'm not having them die because they decided to run around unprotected." Walker said.
"On it. By the way, more BSS operatives are here." Cardin said.
"Relief or combat?" Walker asked.
"More relief. There's maybe three squads of combatants." Cardin answered.
"Alright, good. Get them situated before returning to your post. Your team is going on patrol tomorrow morning." Walker said.
"Got it." Cardin and the other three saluted before leaving. It was quiet and the others whispered before going silent when the four returned with two large crates, tossing them on the ground before departing.
Walker just went up to the wooden crate and stuck his knife in the crack, wedging it open and pushing the lid to the side. He did the same with the other crate and looked inside to see lightweight armor that Commandos used. Each one was tossed a pair of chest armor and they looked at it before glancing back at him. All he did was cross his arms and stare at them expectedly.
"This is nice and all, but I don't think we'll-" May started.
"Put on the fucking armor." He ordered lowly and stood in front of her. She froze and shakily nodded before putting it on, as did the others. They struggled a bit and didn't move when he roughly helped them before backing up. This wasn't the polite person they had met in the cafeteria a couple of months ago; it was an experienced battlefield commander that didn't tolerate nonsense.
His mere presence demanded efficiency and discipline from his troops and punishment was swift and merciless. Those underneath his command regarded him with a healthy level of fear and respect, and for good reason. All it took was one Gear to screw up before being punished for the others to get their act together, not wishing to be on the receiving end.
"We look terrible." Coco frowned a bit.
"Get over it, Adel." He said, making her frown a bit more. For the most part, he didn't care what she thought because he wouldn't be responsible for her death if she didn't listen.
"So what are we doing?" Pyrrha asked.
"Setting spikes designated locations and securing the hospital." He answered.
"What do the spikes do?" Ren asked.
"They detect seismic activity. This will help us anticipate them a bit better and hopefully prepare for future attacks." Walker answered.
"How do you know so much about them?" Weiss asked.
"Don't worry about it. Let's go though, we're burning daylight and the last thing I want is for us to be in the dark." He walked past them. They just looked at one another then followed him out of the tent.
They sky turned dark and the clouds above blocked out the moon. Ruby and May sat near Blake and Red as the two kept an eye on the group below. They constantly watched them and looked ahead to see if there were any threats ahead of them or lurking behind. The students stuck behind the Gears as the latter stuck spikes into the ground, twisting them to dig them further then push a button. The device had blinked a few times before vibrating loudly then going still.
The two mainly talked to Blake, because she seemed to be the more vocal of the two mercenaries. She was polite and she gave off an older sisterly aura when she spoke to them. Red wasn't much of a conversationalist though, she didn't speak much and often ignored them. The only way to get her to speak was if it was either about the mission or if Blake talked to her.
"Hey, Blake." Ruby called out.
"Yeah?" She asked, glancing back at her.
"What's it like being a part of that group?" Ruby asked.
"It's nice." Blake answered truthfully. She loved nearly everything about their faction; the location of the base, the ocean breeze brushing her skin, the people, and the fact that they were their own power. While there were some things she wished they did differently, it wasn't as bad as some people made it seem. Being a part of the group made her grow up a bit. She had responsibilities, it broadened her horizons regarding different people, and it forced her to grow up a bit.
"I heard you guys kill people for money. That's terrible." Ruby said. While her tone wasn't condescending, it wasn't pleased either.
"It's part of the job." Red said calmly.
"It's not right." May said.
"Get over it." Red said callously.
"While we do kill people, it comes with our line of work, but that doesn't mean we enjoy it. Usually if diplomacy does work then we resort to violence, but it doesn't always come to that. We protect people, even if it means taking a few lives to do that." Blake said in a gentler tone.
"We're a community." Red said.
"A community of merciless killers for hire." May muttered. She jumped in alarm when Red whirled around and glared at her. An animalistic snarl escaped her lips as her ears pulled back and tail straightened in agitation. Her jaws snapped together violently and she looked ready to pounce on May.
"Enough. Now's not the time to fight. We have a job to do and I don't want to be the one to explain to him why we aren't doing our part." Blake got in between them. She knew why Red got so angered, which was a hard thing to do, because she hated it when people antagonized them needlessly.
Red had come to see the Gears as people she could trust and would defend to her last breath. She was devoted to the group, although she was more or less devoted to Walker. He was basically the one who brought together people from all over the world. They went from a group of misfits and refugees to some of the toughest combatants in the world. While physical strength was a good thing to have, an indomitable will and mental fortitude was sometimes better.
"..." Red just glared at the two and her ears returned to their normal position. She just huffed and went back to the Longshot.
"Are you alright?" Blake asked.
"..." Red nodded quietly and Blake sighed in relief before gripping the other two by their shoulders and dragging them to the other side of the roof.
"You all really like to push her buttons, don't you?" She crossed her arms.
"We didn't mean to." Ruby said.
"I'm going to keep this brief. Stop trying to act like you all are better than us, because you're not." Blake said as she narrowed her eyes a bit. Her second pair of ears weren't for show, and she often heard the students whispers but usually chose to ignore them.
"We don't." May said.
"Yes you do. These ears aren't for show. We do what it takes to get the job done, and if that means taking a life then so be it. That's the difference between us and you all, we've come to terms with the ugly truth while you all still live in your own worlds. Now is the time for you all to grow up and face the truth as well. Do you understand?" Blake said.
"..." They just stared at her blankly.
"I said... do you understand?" She asked venomously. Her whole demeanor changed in an instant and it made them shiver in their boots. Both her ears flattened in agitation and a sickeningly sweet smile adorned her face while her eyes glowed a bit brighter. Her sisterly aura was gone and replaced by a commanding one that made them feel a mixture of shame and fear.
"Yes, ma'am!" They answered quickly and even saluted out of terror. That sisterly aura seemed to return almost instantly and she pat their heads and offered a gentle smile like before.
"I'm glad we've come to an understanding." She said before walking back to her spot. They looked at one another before shuffling close behind her and observing quietly. The radio cackled and she held up her earpiece, hearing a voice on the other side.
"Blake, Red... we need you two down here." Walker said.
"On it." Blake said before gesturing with her head for the other three to follow her. They hopped across the rooftops quietly before eventually landing in the alleyway near him and jogged the rest of the way.
They stepped up to the front entrance and noticed that it was barricaded shut. It was as if people were trying to keep the occupants inside and Neptune walked up to door and tugged on it a bit. The chains made a rattling noise and he looked at the others. It was harder to see now that there were storm clouds slowly covering the night sky. A heavy rumble could be heard in the distance.
"Does anyone have some bolt cutters?" He asked, only to jump back when Walker revved up the chainsaw and slammed it on the chains. Sparks shot through the air and it eventually cut them apart. They slid to the ground and he raised his right foot then kicked the doors open, making the noise echo across the empty hospital. He wasn't in the mood for them to be wasting time.
"We're in, let's go." Walker said as he stepped past the blue-haired boy.
"Right..." Neptune coughed in his hand before moving to the side when the Gears moved in.
The building was quiet, not a sound to be heard within these empty halls. The main area was devoid of life and the color seemed to be drained of the place. Vacant waiting chairs collected dust on them from the lack of use, while lonely wheelchairs and gurneys could be seen strewn about. A lone balloon floated lowly on the front desk and dried blood could be seen painting some of the walls. They all flooded the area and turned on their flashlights, but the Faunus in the group didn't need them. Their eyes adapted to the almost pitch black environment.
Walker's armor seemed to blend in with the shadows and he turned around to address them all. He seemed more imposing in this environment and ignored the faint dripping coming from the pipe nearby.
"Blake and Jaune, you're securing the east wing on the first floor. See if you can find the power while you're at it." He told them.
"On it." Jaune nodded before taking the pathway to the right.
"Red, you're with me. Alpha, Bravo, you're securing the second and third floor of the building." Walker said. The two squads nodded before going their own ways, turning their flashlights on and making their way through the corridors.
"What about us?" Coco asked.
"You're waiting here with Delta." He ordered.
"You just expect us to just sit here?" She asked.
"Yeah, I do." He nodded truthfully. They were there to learn, not engage the enemy and cause structural damage. The hospital needed to be intact when they finished their extermination and he wouldn't have the students screwing it all up. Half their weapons did more damage to the environment than the actual Locust.
"Just let us come." She said.
"And get you killed, no. Stay here, guard the entrance with Delta. If any Locust come your way, then it's fair game." He said.
"That's cool, I guess." She murmured along with some of the others. They agreed to come along because they thought that they'd see some action but all they were doing was wearing uncomfortable armor and staying back.
"Stay here. Red... let's move." He said before taking off down the hall. She followed close behind him and constantly looked back the further down the wing they went. The two of them checked every room they came across, making sure there weren't any of them lurking in the shadows. Minutes passed by and they still didn't find anything yet, so they continued to trek through the dark hallways.
He slowly aimed the flashlight on the Lancer and scanned the halls. Nothing was heard other than the quiet sound of his boots hitting the ground. A small open area was a bit further down the hall and a pipe fell to the ground. Both aimed ahead and slowly made their way towards the open area. He arrived first and saw the pipe lying still on the ground and nudged it with his foot. It rolled along the ground and he followed it until it stopped when it hit something.
His eyes trailed upwards to see a three piles of mutilated corpses spread around the room. Their bodies bloated and the bacteria starting to eat away at them over time. Some were shot, others were mutilated, and some were even half eaten. The putrid stench of decay met Red's nose and she gagged a bit before putting on her mask. He just stepped closer and looked at the lone body in the middle.
It was a kid, no older than ten, with his face in the ground and a large hole in his stomach. Walker felt his stomach twist and turn a bit and his vision warped, seeing Ajay in place of the boy. His younger brother would be eight now, probably wondering where his older sibling disappeared to. He was brought out of his thoughts when he gently flipped the boy over and his eyes trailed to his stomach.
A beeping noise was heard and he threw his body back when an explosive went off. Body parts scattered across the room and small organs hit various surfaces, sliding down slowly. The boy's head landed next to him and he stared into his terrified, lifeless eyes for a few seconds. He heard Red shout his name and he shook his head to get rid of the faint ringing noise before standing up and looking around.
He kicked her out of the way when a figure burst through one of the doors and a Cleaver slammed in her place. She rolled backwards and got up to see a Theron let out an awful mixture of a roar and a hiss before bolting down the hall. Both shot it in the back, and it crumbled to the ground, crawling away while hissing in pain. He rushed up to it and stepped on its back before gripping its chin. With a violent twist, its neck broke and it momentarily suffocated before dying shortly after.
"Mark it for retrieval." He said.
"On it." She nodded and brought out a can, spraying its chest before standing up. The BSS wanted a body to study the Locust and would pay a good amount for a corpse that wasn't a bloody mess.
Their heads snapped towards the other direction when they heard roars in the distance. Both of them ran towards the direction of the gunfire, with her snagging the Torque Bow on the way.
Blake and Jaune took cover behind a corner on opposite sides, bullets hitting the wall behind them and tearing off chunks of cover. He leaned out of cover and fired into two Drones, killing them and seeing their bodies drop on the ground. They turned to him and fired at his corner, making him wince when the bullets flew past him and struck the wall. She peeked out and aimed the Longshot at one of the Drones taking cover behind a gurney.
It stood up and aimed at her but its head exploded when she shot it, throwing herself back in cover and reloading the Longshot. Both peeked and saw the dozen Locust that they had killed and he brought out a frag, nodding at her before flicking it around the corner. They heard one of them shout in alarm before the explosion went off, killing two more Locusts and ripping their bodies apart. A small wave of six advanced on them and both simultaneously leaned around their corners and fired into them, each one killing three.
She let the empty magazine fall before reaching in one of her pouches and bring out another one. Yang slammed into cover next to her and made her jump, causing her to mess up her reload.
"What are you doing here?!" Blake asked as she slammed the side of the Lancer and secured the magazine.
"You really think we'll let you all have all the fun?" Yang grinned.
"This isn't fun!" Blake shouted. Her ears flicked when the sound of running was heard and a Grenadier dashed around the corner. It didn't get the chance to aim at her before she revved up the chainsaw and slammed it on its shoulder. It convulsed around as she forced the bayonet through its torso, tearing chunks of flesh off its body and spraying blood in the air. She ripped the weapon out and her boot slammed into its open chest, kicking it into a corner.
Jaune grabbed a few more grenades off its body before switching to his Gnasher, aiming it and firing at a Drone that approached them. He ejected the spent shell and fired again, making another Drone growl in pain. It hid behind cover and stood up, firing at him and forcing him back behind the corner. Its focus then switched to Blake and fired at her, keeping her in cover. When it stopped to reload, they peeked out and aimed at it.
It ducked when Jaune fired at it, chipping off some of the cover before twisting back into cover. Blake just waited patiently and as soon as it stood up, she fired once with her Longshot. Its body flew back when she shot it in the throat and she just watched it choke on its blood.
"Grind!" A Grinder shouted before stomping towards them. It spun the crank and countless bullets flew through the air. Both just winced as it stomped closer and waited for the Mulcher to overheat. They peeked around the corner as it stomped closer and their eyes widened when Yang dashed towards it.
"What the hell is she doing?!" Jaune cried out as he watched her speed towards it.
"What are you doing?!" Blake shouted. She just watched her slam her fist into the Grinder's stomach and make it recoil a bit before uppercutting it. All it did was glare at her before throwing the Mulcher down and try to grab her out of anger. She just laughed and twisted around it, mocking its slow movements before kicking the back of its knee. An angry bellow was heard from it and it swung around, faster than she expected and grabbed her leg.
It slammed her into the wall and onto the ground before raising its large foot. The other two shot it numerous times and Blake shot loaded an explosive round in the Longshot before firing at its skull. The upper half of its skull suddenly exploded and showered the area in gore, leaving only its lower jaw left. Blood squirted from the remainder of its head and it fell forward, right onto Yang.
She gave a muffled cry as its colossal body crumbled on top of her, pinning her to the ground. Blood from the remaining part of its head leaked onto her and coated her face and some of her hair. The other two rushed up to her after making sure the area was clear before gripping its shoulders and lifting. Slowly, but surely, they managed to lift enough of the dead weight off of her to allow her to wiggle out. She scrambled out and spit out some of the blood from her mouth.
The sudden urge to vomit met her but she forced it down, doing her best to get rid of some of the chunks from her hair. Some bone fragments were found and she quickly got them out before flicking it to the side.
Walker and Red arrived, but saw the dozens of dead Locusts lying on the ground. He frowned when he saw Yang here and not at the entrance; he knew something was wrong when he didn't see half of them at the entrance. From what Delta had told him, as soon as they heard gunfire, half of them bolted off and either went upstairs or to the east wing. All he could do was clench his fists in anger and disbelief before shaking his head. Now wasn't the time...
"What are you doing here, Xiao Long?" He asked.
"It's not fair that you guys get all the action." She answered.
"You think this is a game?" He asked.
"No, not really." She shook her head, still trying to get some of the blood and skull fragments out of her hair.
"So why are you here and not at the entrance with Delta?" He asked.
"Because we want to do something too, you know? All we do is stay at the academy, read stupid books, and don't do anything other than train." She said.
He was about to say something, but stopped when the Gears upstairs told him that they handled the Locusts up there. All he did was lead them all back to the entrance and wait for the rest to get there. Once they got there, he saw some of the students either sitting around or about to wander off in boredom. His Gears stood alert like always and he just closed his eyes and exhaled, trying to calm himself down.
They just waited for the Gears upstairs and he helped one of them when he saw that he was injured, throwing his arm over his shoulder and helping him lie down. The medic cut open his pant leg and they saw a large wound on it, making him groan in pain when they started to treat it.
"Boss, I'm alright. I just got a little dinged up." The Gear groaned out.
"I know you are, we'll get you patched up soon." Walker said as he looked around. The rest of the students arrived and he snapped at them, ordering them to go outside and wait there. He didn't care if they looked scared, two of his Gears were injured because of them and he wasn't going to take them on any more assignments until they got their shit together.
The Gears told him that the ones that got hurt had to pull the students back into cover or took a bullet for them when they tried to rush ahead. The more he heard from them and thought about it, the more he started to dislike them and came to the conclusion that they weren't needed in his forces. He wasn't about to waste time on them if they thought they were invincible.
Blake put a hand on his shoulder and he breathed deeply, forcing himself to calm down before nodding at her. The hospital was secure, that's all that mattered at the moment right now. The safe zone had a place to put the injured and sick, while the BSS had a place to work. They'd provide medical attention to those who needed it.
"You got some..." He went up to her and plucked a bit of flesh off her hat and flicked it away.
"Thanks." She said.
"No problem." He nodded before flicking a bit flesh off Jaune's shoulder and tapping his arm before walking by. The three just looked at him as he brought out his device and called in an Armadillo, requesting that they bring sandbags. When they said they would, he put it away before stepping outside and looking at the students. All of them shook when he glared at them then sat on a nearby car hood.
Half an hour went by and an Armadillo rolled up, carrying a large amount of sandbags on it. The driver greeted him and a couple Gears poured out, quickly heading inside the hospital and retrieving the wounded, along with the Theron body, before putting them inside. He grabbed a sandbag and started to put it in designated spot, snapping at the students when they just stood there. They jumped and started to help him and the others set up the sandbag barriers.
For the next hour, they just set up defensive positions while some of his own found the power and turned it on.
The council had rewarded the Gears for their services, paying them a substantial amount of lien. Councilman Douglass saw the Gears as an ally and did whatever it took to make sure they didn't leave. If that meant paying them for their services while coming to terms that they were independent, then so be it. He wasn't about to take chances and cause the only thing standing between the citizens and the Locust to suddenly pull out.
They had managed to allow the safe zone to expand a bit, even if it was only several blocks, it was still better than nothing and the hospital was considered a victory on its own. The bodies inside had to be burned to ash and disposed of, the ashes scattered in an unknown location. The BSS had cleaned the hospital for the last several days, making sure every contaminant was scrubbed clean to allow a safe work environment.
The other company had accepted the Theron corpse, saying it would be a good thing to study their bodies and find new ways to combat them. They paid a good amount of lien for a clean body and offered him a deal; if he brought in a body of them and allowed them to study it, they'd pay him and reward him in other ways. Whether it was lie, manpower, assistance, or even medical equipment and information.
Right now, he sat at a table eating his food. He wore a simple black shirt with a cog on it and black pants with multiple pockets. The onyx helmet still rested on his head, but he just tilted it upwards so he could eat. It felt nice to wear the onyx armor, but he missed his golden helmet and regular armor. He'd give the brothers his best regards, they did know how to make it fit just right.
A few other Gears sat with him and talked to him while they ate their food, finally glad to be relaxing after getting back from patrol or being on guard duty. He liked talking to the men underneath his command, some of them were good people and often had entertaining stories to tell. While he didn't tell stories about his past, he did listen to theirs because he genuinely enjoyed some of them.
They all looked to see Red frown at Neptune while carrying a plate of food. He said something they all couldn't hear, but it must have upset her because her ears folded back in agitation. She calmly took the contents off her tray then reared it back and slammed it on the side of his face. They all burst out laughing and some pounded the table while other clutched their stomach.
However, they stopped when they saw her bring out her knife and pounce on him, pinning his right arm with her knee and gripping his mouth. She forced it open and raised her knife, but didn't get the chance to bring it down when Walker gripped her wrist. He simply stared at her and she stared back before he tightened his grip just a tad bit. It seemed to be enough for her to get her act straight before she climbed off Neptune and put her knife away.
She put her food back on her tray and went to the table with the others, taking the seat closest to him. The others greeted her and she greeted them quietly before digging into her food. Nobody really toyed with Red, knowing how dangerous she could be. She was an expert marksman, able to spot and pick off an enemy sniper before it could even aim at her. If people got too close to her, then she wasn't afraid to use whatever was at her disposal... that included her teeth.
Blake approached them and sat down near them, giving a polite greeting when they greeted her. If Red was the one who sunk her fangs into the enemy, then Blake was the eyes and ears of their faction. Rarely anything slipped past her and if she didn't find something out soon, she'd find it out a little bit later. She didn't earn the position of the head of the intelligence platform by sitting around. Older veterans saw her potential and decided to guide her, showing her various tips and tricks.
Jaune was known as Walker's protege, the blonde looked up to him just as much as everyone else, if not more. While he wasn't as good as their boss, he was a capable leader and would grow in time. It took for him to lose his leg to get his act together, but that was enough of a wakeup call for anyone.
Then there was Walker.
An enigma, even among his men, but they would follow him to the ends of the world. He was kind as much as he was ruthless, he knew a lot but he still had so much to learn about life itself. Every time he was injured, he would bounce right back despite not having an aura. He pushed them all to their absolute limits and was there to pick them up when they fell down. He wasn't out to save the world but do his best in order to defend what was left of it. If something didn't go his way then he'd find a way to get it or leave it.
They were all brought out of their thoughts when Yatsuhashi approached them, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly while staring at Walker. All their boss did was wave his hand and let the two be alone, giving them some privacy.
"What can I help you with?" Walker asked.
"I... wanted to know if Velvet was alright." Yatsuhashi said.
"I thought you were talking to her?" Walker asked rhetorically.
"We haven't talked in a while." Yatsuhashi looked away.
"I know." Walker said. He knew because Velvet had showed him one day how she would constantly send messages and updates, but never received a response. It was one of the few times he talked to her for more than two hours, and had to be the one to calm her down unless she let the stress get to her.
"You do?" Yatsuhashi looked at him.
"Three months. That was the last time you talked to her. Not a single message asking how she was, what she was doing, or if she needed anything." Walker held up three fingers to emphasis his point.
"..." Yatsuhashi looked away.
"You know she thinks she's burdening you now? She honestly thinks she's bugging you and making your life harder because she's pregnant." Walker said.
"I didn't know." Yatsuhashi said.
"You don't know because you don't check. I'm gone half the time and I talk to her more than you. That's a problem." Walker said as he stood up.
"I'm sorry." Yatsuhashi said.
"Why are you apologizing to me? It's her you should be apologizing to, and I know you still have her number because I've seen the countless messages you haven't even attempted to open." Walker crossed his arms.
"..." He just looked away and at some of the others. His attention was turned back when Walker gripped his collar and forced him to look at him.
"Listen here, Daichi... I'm going to make something clear. If I end up having to help take care of a kid that's not even mine, then I'm going to go fucking ballistic. It's already hard enough to deal with several hundred operators, almost two thousand civilians, Ozpin's bullshit, the mainland's shenanigans, and the Grubs. I'm not dealing with a man who can't even check up on the girl he knocked up." Walker seethed quietly.
"..." Yatsuhashi just gulped and was shoved to the ground.
"Do you know what stress does to a pregnant woman?" Walker asked.
"No." Yatsuhashi shook his head.
"It can cause a lot of problems, but it also causes premature birth, an underweight baby, and other problems. I'm not an expert on this whole thing because I've never had a kid, but even I know it's not good." Walker said.
"Oh..." Yatsuhashi gulped.
"You know it's a girl?" Walker asked calmly, his voice was too calm in the taller boy's opinion.
"What's her name?" He asked.
"Velvet hasn't picked one yet because she wanted to discuss it with the father." Walker said.
"I'm not ready." Yatsuhashi said.
"You think half the people around here are ready to be parents? Get over it and start being a goddamn man." Walker said.
"I don't know if I can." Yatsuhashi said. He couldn't admit that he was scared; he didn't think things would escalate this far and knew the moment she told him, his life had just become several times more difficult. It was more of a heat of the moment type of thing and the two of them acted on pure instinct that night, nothing more and nothing less.
"I even offered you numerous times in the past to come see her, but you refused. You haven't even made an effort to contact her or even attempt to see her. So I'll give you a choice... do you want to be in their lives or not?" Walker asked as he stomped on Yatsuhashi's chest.
"..." He just stared at Walker for a few minutes and kept looking away, only looking back when the man twisted his foot.
"There are people out in the world who have lost their kids and loved ones or would kill to see their baby being born, but don't have that opportunity. Yet you do... so I'm going to keep it brief and I won't force you to do anything. You have three months to decide if you want to be in their lives." Walker said as he leaned down. He didn't care if people were looking, his entire focus was on Yatsuhashi.
"I don't know-" Yatsuhashi tried to say but gagged when his throat was stepped on.
"Three months, Daichi. You better make the right call within those three months." Walker said as he twisted his foot and took it off before walking away. He didn't lie when he said he offered him a chance to visit her, but the boy refused numerous times. It was actions like these that made him hate people like that. He had seen so many people lose their loved ones over the years, yet this guy wasn't even going to be there for his daughter's birth.
At least she had her parents to help her out.
Deep underground lied a series of tunnels, the air felt compact and heavy while the only source of illumination was from the various fruits and torches from the complex. A taller Locust stared at the horde below; it stood over nine feet tall and had heavy armor one while it carried a mace in its right hand. It was infused with gravity Dust to draw in its targets if it wished and crush their skulls underneath it shortly after. The lives its claimed over the years with this single weapon.
How long had in been since it had been here with millions of others? Several long years had gone by since it's seen its beloved queen's face. When Emergence Day first struck on Sera, it had been underground, a mere Drone at the time. It still remembered feeling the weight of the fire in the sky striking the surface of Sera, humanity's attempt at depriving them of the spoils and technology.
Despite them denying the Horde its spoils, they didn't get everything. It took several years, but they eventually found a piece of human technology... one capable of taking its individuals to an unknown place. However... they lacked the understanding to make it a two way bridge. It had been given orders to dig a new home, build a new Nexus as a contingency plan just in case the war on Sera was lost. So millions of the Horde had followed their queen's task and got to work. Digging and expanding.
They were attacked by these creatures they later found out to be called Grimm. Nothing but maggot meat in the Horde's eyes. Each one was a nuisance, supposedly feeding of negative emotions, but fell just as easy. The Horde had tried to enslave them in the past, brutally maiming some into submission but would snarl in disgust when the pathetic creatures would perish shortly after.
After years of expanding under the radar, they had prepared for their beloved queen's arrival. Waiting for her strong, but caring, voice to fill their skulls and to lead them once more. All of them were confused when her voice suddenly went silent and was replaced by a dying gasp. Her dying breath echoed in each of their minds and caused them to express their grief in varying ways. Some reacted with apathy while the rest reacted with increased bloodlust and anger, nearly going savage as a result.
It didn't make it any better that the one human who was capable of recreating the machine escaped from their grasps. Times were hard and each Locust demanded a pound of flesh; they were angry, bitter, but lost for the most part. Nearly all of them stormed the surface over a year ago when the heard her dying breath. All but one Locust.
It was calm, much to the shock of the others, but it claimed it still heard her voice. The others silenced and reigned themselves in when it preached how their queen would have wanted them to continue their task in expanding their domain. If they couldn't have the surface of Sera, then they would take the surface of this planet by storm. All of them knew that the humans and other species wouldn't understand and accept them, so it was time for a more dominant lifeform to take its rightful place.
The Locust would enact the queen's will and take the surface in her name. It quickly rose through the ranks within the last three years, and eventually was in command of the Horde. They sat it as their leader and would follow it just as it would follow their beloved queen. Her voice was etched in its mind, like a branding and would guide it to its next course of action... just like RAAM did.
It stood on top of a balcony and stared at the Horde, some were dragging prisoners while others carried supplies for their next assault. A Theron approached it and stood next to it, staring at the mass of Locusts below.
"Vacuo is ours. The survivors are held at their prized academy and the rest await extermination." It hissed.
"Good." The Locust rumbled deeply.
"We have encountered a problem though." The Theron said.
"..." The Locust just glanced down at it before flexing its grip on the mace.
"We have encountered a new adversary. They call themselves Gears, but they are different from the ones in the past." It answered.
"Explain." The Locust ordered.
"They are more cunning, brutal, and they seem to know about our existence." The Theron answered.
"It doesn't matter. Mobilize your forces, Bram. The surface will be ours... just as our queen desired." The Locust rumbled.
"By your word, Uzil Scorn." Bram bowed slightly before departing.
Scorn just looked at the horde again and saw Faunus being led to pens. Due to the shortage of Rock Worms and some other food, they would have to do for now, as well as other uses. He just turned away and stalked back into the halls, ignoring the whimpering of the prisoners. Remnant's fighters were pathetic in his opinion. They would rather flee and cower like roaches than fight to their dying breath.
It lacked a good challenge that he desperately sought after, and even these "protectors" of humanity weren't anything to gloat about. They were weak, pathetic cowards that ran when they first saw a Locust. He didn't have an equal that he desperately desired; someone who was no stranger to cruelty and wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty. He wondered if those new Gears had anyone like that.
If there was... then he'd rip the planet apart to look for them.
Here's another chapter for you all. I've been in the writing mood now that things are flowing a bit now.