Two months had went by. They had entered the eighth month of the war and the Gears stood guard at a checkpoint near the hospital. The council, Councilman Douglass in particular, had rewarded them for their efforts. A substantial amount of lien was given to them. The safe zone was expanded a bit and a wall was constructed made out of the nearby building materials. It was janky, but it was better than nothing. He stood on one of the wall pathways, staring at the zone. There was a bit more space and people spread out, taking advantage of the fact they had more room.
Jaune walked up next to him and leaned on the railing, staring at the various people walk around. Both looked to see an ambulance speed through the street; it stopped at the emergency entrance and unloaded its occupants.
"I feel bad for them." Jaune said.
"The hospital personnel or the BSS?" Walker asked as he leaned on the railing.
"Both." Jaune answered.
"It's why you should treat them with respect." Walker said.
"Believe me, I do." Jaune agreed then stood up and stretched a bit before leaning back on the railing.
The BSS had provided much needed assistance to the hospital staff, relieving them of some of the pressure. Hundreds of civilians had been admitted and hundreds more were still waiting to receive aid. Some didn't make it and were sent to the morgue, cremated shortly after to provide a vacant spot. It was a terrible thing and funerals didn't happen a majority of the time, leaving countless loved ones depressed and angry.
The Gears that perished were cremated at base, their COG tags placed inside the memorial. Some of the civilians and Huntsmen and Huntresses thought it was unfair, but he didn't care. They had done their part and they would be remembered. After all, they were the ones who went out and fought the monsters from below, while other people just sat down and did nothing but wait for their deaths.
Dozens of civilians had approached him recently, asking to be a part of the Gears. Some did it to get back at the Locust, others did it because they were tired of their living conditions in the city, some wanted to do it because it would provide for their families, and some did it because they had nothing else to lose. He saw the fire that burned in their eyes and he personally interviewed each one.
Some were prepared to do more combative roles while others had agreed to provide their service behind the lines. There were a few that he denied when he realized they didn't take this serious. It wasn't an action movie or a game, people's lives were at stake and the last thing he needed was some idiot getting others killed. The ones that agreed despite what he said were shipped out to base, trained to be Gears by his more experienced ones.
"Did that guy ever message Velvet back?" Jaune asked.
"No." Walker answered, his tone turned bitter.
"You think he ever will?" Jaune asked.
"I don't know and I don't care anymore. The kid is going to be born next month and he hasn't even made attempts to contact her." Walker said.
"Wow, you would have thought he would be trying to do whatever it takes to make sure she's alright." Jaune commented. He brought out his electric cigar and put it in his mouth. It was loaded with the same herb as Walker's but didn't have the effects. The most it did was emit a sweet smell and it felt relaxing.
A lot of Gears had one, taking a page out of Walker's book. The ones that smoked often found it relaxing and would smoke in designated areas during their downtime. The sweet flavor and smell was pleasing to the nose. Their auras purged the effects from their bodies easier due to the herbs. It also generated revenue. Certain companies often bought the mixed herbs in containers and sold them, but usually had to pay a certain amount from the Gears since they were the only ones to have the recipe.
"All he's doing is proving to me that he's not cut out to be a dad." Walker said as he brought out his own cigar. He lit the holographic flame then lit Jaune's and both took a drag. Both had met with Ozpin recently and the man hadn't changed in the slightest, he even offered Jaune an assistant position. Now Jaune saw why Walker smoked after meeting with the man.
"So are we helping?" Jaune asked.
"Raise the kid?" Walker asked back.
"Yeah." Jaune nodded, taking another drag before blowing out the sweet smoke.
"Probably won't raise it, but we'll definitely help out a bit. It's what we all do at base, especially during dark times like these." Walker said as he looked below.
Both had decided to extinguish their cigars before putting them away. While they did enjoy it during their downtime, they couldn't really relax too much. Jaune could do it more since his aura would purge it all from his system, but Walker couldn't do any of that. He often exercised to keep himself in top shape, doing it more than nearly everyone on base.
"Red's gonna smell that on you." Jaune commented.
"I know she is. It's not one of my strong batches though. She won't do what she did when I first got the cigar." Walker said. Both shared a laugh when the remembered what she was like. A rare relaxed smile on her face and how she rubbed her face into the cushions with her tail wagging slowly. Blake had taken pictures and would often tease her about it.
"Going back to Velvet though... I feel bad for her." Jaune said.
"I do too. It's not right for her to go through that alone." Walker said. He honestly did feel bad for her; besides her parents, she often talked to him and the other three. The four of them would listen to her internal conflicts and offer advice. Blake would invite her to hang out with her and Red at the coffee shop, allowing her to vent to them.
"I mean, she still has her family, but I see what you mean." Jaune nodded.
Walker tapped his shoulder before walking past. Jaune just followed him and slid down the ladder after him, following him through the streets. They moved to the side when another ambulance rushed through and stopped, rolling an injured Gear towards the emergency wing. He just looked around before spotting Blake and Red.
"Things are getting worse." He sighed. The attacks were getting more frequent; more were getting injured or killed and even the Runners told them that they couldn't grab supplies.
"That Gear was posted at Freeman station." Blake said.
"That's literally down the road." Jaune looked in that direction.
"Should we go check it out?" Red asked.
"Have to, the place is a major fuel depot. It's the key to keeping the generators up and running." Walker said. They nodded and were about to go but were stopped by a younger voice. He turned around and saw a younger cat Faunus in her teens; her hair was a dark bluish purple and tied into a small ponytail while her cat ears constantly remained folded. She wore a standard black BSS uniform with a Kevlar body armor on. Multiple pouches could be seen on her armor and legs.
A large backpack was carried on her shoulders, holding various supplies, and a Mark II Lancer in her hands. Producing the Mark II was almost as easy as producing the Mark I with Brock and Simon's help.
"Hey Blake, it's you're little sister." Jaune snickered, causing her to jab him in the side.
"Are you Commander Ronin?" She asked, not recognizing him due to him wearing the onyx armor. People often were surprised when he told them his last name, and Blake had told him it meant wanderer. He didn't see the big deal considering people still didn't know he wasn't from Remnant.
"I am." He nodded.
"My name is Jessica. I'm your new trainee from the BSS exchange program." She said before dropping the Lancer. The others just looked at him and smirked while he just sighed and stared as she fumbled with her weapon.
"And green as grass. Time to train the trainee?" Blake whispered to him. He just glanced at her before looking at Jessica, seeing her finally get a hold of her Lancer and salute him stiffly. As much as he didn't want to, he figured he could spare several minutes before taking them all on patrol. Plus, she at least came prepared; more than the students at Beacon did.
"Lucky me." He grumbled.
"Let's not scare her off." Blake pat his shoulder lightly. All he did was roll his eyes and turn to the new trainee.
"Come on, rook. Let's get you situated." He looked at Jessica before leading them all towards one of the more secluded areas. They entered an alleyway and walked through it, noticing the area lose some of its color and give it a bleak appearance. She stuck close to him, listening carefully when he told her something.
"It's a real honor to serve with the War Machine." Jessica said. She had heard stories how these four were the originals and most highly decorated of the Gears faction. They could walk into a horde of Locust and walk out with barely a scratch. Nearly everyone in the BSS talked highly about them, even the veteran members regarded them with a high amount of respect.
"The what?" He glanced at her.
"Well, everyone at basic calls you that." She answered.
"Must have been Kilo squad who told everyone that's what you were." Blake said.
"Must have been." He mumbled. Kilo was composed of some of the younger members, they showed him upmost respect but didn't respect anyone else. That was until he put them with Bowman, who set them straight within the last few months. The four were brothers-in-arms and considered Bowman as the older brother now.
"Oh, I never did get your names." Jessica said.
"Rook, focus on your training." Walker interrupted, making her jump a bit. She nodded and took cover when he told her to show him, watching as he nodded in approval. When he ordered her to fire at a bottle he picked up off the ground and set it up, she did it after he moved out of the way. She missed her target but he quickly corrected her, giving her advice on how to improve her accuracy. The bottle exploded when a single round hit it and she perked up in delight. They continued on shortly after that.
"So do the Locust pop up anywhere?" She asked.
"They usually pop up in open spaces where they can deploy easily. Open streets, fields, sometimes in big alleyways like these. Show me how you take cover." He ordered.
"Right." She nodded before sliding into cover behind a dumpster. He set up another target and ordered her to fire from cover, stepping to the side and watching as she peeked out then it the target.
"If you're not going to fire, don't spend too much time out of cover. It's how you end up getting shot." He informed. She nodded in understanding and followed behind him. The other three just trailed behind closely and offered advice to her as well, it was a little much but she retained it the best she could. They took a right at a corner and eventually came across an open area with a basketball court.
She took cover and he set up bottles, ordering her to switch to her sidearm and fire at them. The weapon ran dry and she looked at it before realizing it was empty.
"Better reload, there might be more killer bottles up ahead." Red spoke up for the first time within the last several minutes. The other two chuckled while he just stared at Jessica, waiting for her to reload her Snub. She fumbled with it and slapped it before pulling the slide back and looking at him. If he was unimpressed then she couldn't tell, but in truth he wasn't. He understood that she felt pressured being next to them; she was inexperienced but not dumb.
He slammed his back against a dumpster and pushed it to the side, allowing them to move through the pathway. They all easily vaulted over a barrier and watched as she did the same.
"Nice mantle, rook. It's not easy maneuvering in all that equipment." Walker complimented.
"Thank you, sir." She as she stood next to them. The fence was chained up and he ordered her to use the chainsaw, watching as she fumbled with it. Once again, he gave her tips and watched as she corrected her stance before slamming the chainsaw on the chains. Sparks shot through the air and the chains landed on the ground before he slammed his foot into the gate, kicking it wide open.
"Why are there grenades?" Jaune asked as he spotted a few in the middle of the court.
"Probably from some of the Runners." Blake answered.
"It doesn't matter. Pick up a few of those grenades." Walker ordered. They walked up to the pile and snagged a few. He watched as Jessica grabbed a grenade and then showed her how to properly throw it. He then backed up and watched her swing it around several times before throwing it forward. It spun through the air and landed near a crate before beeping a few times and throwing it.
The other three just watched as he taught her several more things, occasionally scolding her on some things, but never getting angry with her. That was the slight difference between her and the students. She was aware of how dangerous her job was and listened carefully to someone who clearly knew what he was doing. The students didn't listen and kept that same mentality that they could save the world.
His tone was calm, but firm when he guided her. The difference between him training her and his Gears was that she already passed basic with the BSS, and this was her first assignment. Her mother was a part of the Saviors and had homeschooled her for the most part. When the companies merged together, she joined the combat division the first chance she got.
She only ever asked a question if she didn't get something and even then it was after he was finished talking. There were times he felt that she was too polite, but he'd rather take that than some arrogant academy student.
"So what made you join the BSS?" Blake asked.
"Well, my mom was a part of the Saviors and we used to do relief effort in the past." Jessica said as she adjusted her backpack.
"Used to?" Jaune asked.
"She uh... she died during the Emergence." Jessica said quietly. Her ears flattened a bit and the others offered their silent condolences.
"I'm sorry to hear that." He said.
"It's alright. So I do what I can, whether it be relief or combat. I actually recently joined the combat division." She answered. Walker saw that she did her best to hide the pain through a smile, he had seen it in so many people in the past. They had different ways of coping.
"How long are you under our wing?" Red asked as they all made their way back to the front of the hospital.
"They say its indefinite, so I don't really know." Jessica answered. A part of her felt that she brought too much stuff. It was better to be safe than sorry though, that's what her mom always told her.
"You know training is going to get harder, right?" Walker asked.
"Yeah, I know. It's scary to think about it but we're in horrible times so we need to do whatever it takes." She said. He looked at her and saw that fire of determination. It was one of someone who knew the risk, yet would try to tackle the obstacles regardless.
"You got spunk." He nodded in approval before looking up at the sky to see Bullheads flying quickly in a direction. Checking the time, he realized they spent longer than what he had anticipated and got ready.
"Those Bullheads are in a hurry." Jaune said, seeing a few more zoom by.
"The comms are lighting up. We have Locust trying to breach the gate to the east." Blake held her ear piece then turned to him.
"We need to handle the situation. Rook, stay here." Walker said, bringing out his Lancer.
"But-" Jessica tried to protest.
"That's an order!" He snapped, making her jump slightly before nodding. As much as she wanted to, she knew that she'd cause more trouble getting in their way and decided to stay put.
"Yes, sir." She nodded.
"Good, let's go." He turned to the other three and went towards the source of the problem.
He slammed into cover at a sandbag, ducking down when bullets whistled over his head. There was a large hole in the gate and he saw countless dead people littering the street. Locust lied on the ground as well from his Gears and the operatives. They poured into the entrance and several flew back when they returned fire. Blake stood on top of the building to his right, firing her Lancer and killing the ones behind cover. Red crouched on top of the building to his left and picked them off from afar.
Heads exploded in a shower of gore with each headshot she managed to get. He looked at Jaune as he reloaded quickly before peeking back up and firing over the barricade, killing three Drones before bending back down. Walker shifted his body upwards and fired into the horde, killing five of them before switching to his Snub and firing, killing two Grenadiers. He bent back down when they fired at him and reloaded both weapons.
A BSS operative stood up and killed a Drone before his head jerked backwards. A single sniper round entered his skull and quickly exited, causing his body to crumble on the ground shortly after. Somebody called his name in alarm before Red spotted the one who killed him, aiming her scope on its head then squeezing the trigger. The Sniper's body fell backwards and that was one less threat from afar.
More bullets flew over their heads and they waited until it let up a bit before standing up and returning fire. They slowly started to thin the numbers out and looked up to see one of the Gears' Bullheads fly overhead. It launched a single missile into a group and killed more than a dozen Locust. The aerial vehicle circled around and hovered above their heads. The door was slid open and the gunner started to provide air support, ripping apart any unfortunate Grub that was in view.
The Locust saw their dwindling numbers and decided to take their chances to retreat for now. Walker and the others didn't let them, shooting them in the back as the tried to run. Many of them fell while the last ones tried to crawl away, leaving a trail of blood in their wake. He walked up to them with a few of the others and shot them in the back of the skulls. Jaune and another Gear went up to two more downed Drones before shooting them a few times, making sure they were dead.
They walked back to the damaged gate and he went up to a few operatives that were on the ground. He offered them his hand and lifted them up, going to each one and helping them up.
"Thanks for the assist." One of the operatives said.
"No problem." Walker shook his head. It's why they entered a partnership; he assisted them while they did the same.
"We'll defend this position, the hospital might be in need of some assistance." The leader said.
"Alright. A crate containing ammunition should be on its way." He said.
"You sure?" The leader asked.
"I am. It should be here in five minutes, keep an eye on the sky." He said before bringing out the C-Droid and requesting a supply drop.
"Thanks. We thought we needed to fall back." The leader breathed in relief.
"We can't afford to fall back, not yet at least." He said.
"Amen to that. Go on though, we got this." The leader tapped his shoulder before turning back to the breach. He nodded and climbed in the Bullhead, Blake climbed in shortly after while Jaune followed. It started to ascend and Red jumped off the edge of the building and latched onto the door handle, staring at the city. Smoke was seen from countless buildings and gunfire echoed across the sky.
The Bullhead flew through the air and they saw Locust running in the streets, chasing civilians and BSS operatives. Red climbed on the gun and aimed it, firing it and feeling the slight recoil from each round that was shot. Countless bullets ripped up chunks of pavement and ripped apart the Locust that were following the people down below. Their body parts scattered across the pavement and stained it red with blood and organs.
"Thanks for that, Gears. We thought we were goners." An operative thanked before escorting the civilians to safety. The Bullhead circled around them until they were finally in a safer area before making its way back to the hospital. It found a spot to land and hovered above ground a bit, letting them jump off before it took off and disappeared over the buildings.
He jogged towards the entrance and rushed inside, seeing the staff fearfully point them in the direction of the attack. He nodded and they took off towards the direction of the courtyard, carefully weaving their way through. An entrance was blocked and they took the stairs to the second floor, coming across a large corridor with glass windows on the left side.
Roars were heard at the end of the hallway and he flipped a gurney to use as cover while the other three took cover behind the corner behind him. Hammerburst rounds flew over his head and he peeked to the side to fire at a Drone, causing it to fly back with holes in its body. He fired at two more and killed them quickly before ducking back down as more bullets flew his way. A sudden wave of them bumped into one another as they started to rush him.
He ducked his head when the sound of spinning was heard and hundreds of bullets flew through the windows. The small wave of Locusts were suddenly ripped apart, their limbs flying in different directions and blood caking the surfaces. The bullets continued to fly and hit the mutilated bodies before he got on the radio.
"Seven-nine, hold your fire! There's civilians and friendly personnel in here!" He shouted, standing up when the rain of bullets suddenly stopped.
"Roger that, Boss. Keep us posted." The pilot said before flying away. The smell of death clung to their nostrils but they ignored it and stepped around the mutilated bodies, making sure they didn't slip on the blood. They took the next hallway over and quickly killed whatever Locust roamed the area. Civilians locked themselves in rooms and barricaded them with whatever was in the room. Some succeeded while others failed and were brutally killed by the Grubs.
He came across another area with a receptionist desk and followed the direction the staff gave him. The four of them nodded and took the hallway down before taking a right, briefly checking up on the civilians locked inside, before making their way through an autopsy room. He flipped the table and took cover behind it when Drones entered the room and started firing at him. The metal table rung loudly and he peeked over the table and fired, hitting a Drone in the back of its head.
The last Drone rushed up to him and he revved up the chainsaw, slamming it on its shoulder and watching it convulse in agony. He ripped the weapon out and kicked it in its chest, throwing it into a nearby pillar. Blood caked the walls as they made their way through another hallway and could hear gunfire right outside.
A familiar face was seen and she breathed a bit harshly, beads of sweat dripping off her forehead. The barrel to her Lancer was smoking slightly, indicating she had been using it recently.
"Rook... what the hell are you doing here?" He asked. A part of him knew something was odd when he didn't spot her at the entrance.
"The area I was guarding got too hot, sir. So these Huntsmen and Huntresses rounded me up to fight." Jessica answered.
"So why the hell aren't you out there fighting?" He growled out. His tone was aggressive and the others knew better than to try and attempt to calm him down. It was usually times like these did his ruthlessness truly shine. People usually avoided him and to be on the receiving end was usually a terrifying experience.
"R-Reloading, sir! I don't have that trick down all that well." She stammered and fumbled with her reload. She slapped the side of the Lancer before securing the magazine in.
"Get it down, sooner rather than later." He said lowly, watching her nod shakily in understanding. The door was kicked open and the five immediately took cover to their left. There was a small stony surface that connected two pillars together and offered good cover. He saw the students taking cover, half of them firing their own weapons but not doing anything against the Locust. It damaged the surrounding area more than it did to the actual Locust.
"Well, look who decided to show up." Yang said lightly.
"Shut the fuck up, Xiao Long!" He snapped violently, making her momentarily freeze. They could tell he seemed different from before. When they went on a mission with him, he was serious but calm. Now he just seemed angry, but in reality he was focused. It was them vs the threat and they noticed that he was doing most of the killing. While they were killing a few Locust here and there, he was killing them by the dozens.
Jaune and him moved up, taking cover behind a fountain and killing the Locust that arrived from a nearby E-Hole. Both were focused on the threat and the students blinked a bit at them. They couldn't tell if they were suicidal or what. A part of them figured nearly all Gears were somewhat unhinged in a sense.
Walker whistled loudly and Jessica tossed him a magazine from her bag. He reloaded the Lancer and fired into several Wretches that dashed towards them. Their bodies slid against the ground and they went still. A few of them were smarter and took cover before recklessly dashing towards the two. Jaune backed up and slammed his prosthetic into one's jaw, kicking it off before stomping on its skull shortly after.
"Rook, explosives!" Walker commanded.
"On it!" She shouted and fished in her bag. A grenade was tossed his way and he caught it before standing up and swinging it a few times. A few rounds hit his chest and made him stumble before he threw the grenade. It landed in the hole and detonated shortly after, kicking up copious amounts of dirt and rubble. The last two looked at the hole that was suddenly sealed up and roared in rage.
One of them charged and vaulted over cover, hitting Walker in his chest and making him stumble. He slammed his fist into its face and stunned it before gripping the front of its belt and neck then chokeslam it. It coughed on the ground before the Lancer was revved up and he dragged the chainsaw through its torso. The sound of flesh being torn apart made the others cringe a bit.
Jaune shot the last one in the skull and breathed in relief when the area went quiet. The gunfire in the distance started to lessen a bit and Walker looked around carefully before lowering his weapon. He pat Jaune's shoulder and made him come down from his little battle high, bumping his chest with a fist before stepping over to the E-Hole. A sound on the radio made him turn his head to hear that the hospital was secured and the remaining Locust were handled.
"All clear." He motioned for them to gather around.
"When the hell did they dig this?" Jaune gestured towards the E-Hole.
"Who knows. Good work." Walker looked around, his eyes narrowing when he saw the students lack the armor again. They seemed to realize what he was looking at and had to look away; that awful, unblinking gaze was unnerving in some ways.
"Walker, can you call in a supply drop? I need some more ammo." Red motioned to her Longshot.
"Yeah." He nodded and brought out the C-Droid. He selected the supply drop icon and requested one. It was quiet for a few minutes and a whistling noise was heard before a container struck the ground. He went up to it and pushed a command before the lid popped open, revealing more ammunition.
"I have some spare ammo if you need some." Jessica said.
"Rook..." He walked up to her, making her gulp. She didn't realize how much taller he was compared to her. It didn't help that the onyx armor made him more intimidating than before.
"Yes, sir?" She asked.
"You did good." He commended.
"Ah... thank you, Commander Ronin." She smiled lightly. That was her first real battle and it was terrifying in her opinion. The Locust were relentless, smart, and retreat was practically an unknown concept to them.
"Where the hell is your armor?" He turned to the students. They just looked away and he shot the Snub once above their heads and into the pillar behind them. The other other four took a noticeable step back.
"We... left it back at the camp. It's okay though we're-" Ruby squeaked in fear when he stared at her.
"..." He just glared down at her in silence. Nobody dared to move and he looked at each one of them heatedly before stepping back and calming himself down. They didn't have time to do this right now, if they didn't want to wear armor then fine... he wasn't taking responsibility for their deaths.
"We were told it wasn't needed." Weiss said.
"Who told you that?" He clenched his fists tightly.
"A veteran Huntsman." She answered.
"And where is this Huntsman?" He asked.
"..." None of them said anything and just looked away quietly.
"That requires an answer." He said.
"He died." Coco said.
"How?" He asked.
"From the Hammerbursts." She answered.
"I'm going to say this once and you better listen... this isn't a game. This isn't some type of action movie or book, or whatever you think. This is war and people are dying, having their lives taken because they don't have protection. I give you all some of our armor so that you could maybe walk away later, you don't wear any of it. I give you all information about the Locust, you don't learn it. So why should I waste time on you?" He asked as calmly as he could.
"Walker... let's just go. They're not going to listen so we shouldn't waste time on them." Blake tugged his shoulder lightly.
"If you're not going to wear the armor, even underneath your clothes... give it back. It can go towards better people." He shook his head at them and turned away. The armor would go towards somebody else who did something against the Locust.
"Um, sir?" Jessica raised her hand.
"We're not in school, rook. Spit it out." He said.
"We're still assisting the other squads, right?" She asked.
"We are. Let's move." He nodded and turned away.
"What about us?" Yang asked.
"Get your armor and take the next Bullhead that arrives at the safe zone. You're handling Grimm." He told them.
"Alright." She nodded. He turned away from them and shook his head in disappointment before walking with the other four behind him.
"Dipshits." He muttered under his breath and walked away. It didn't make any sense that a recruit, green as grass, did better than more than a dozen trained individuals.
The kept guard as the construction workers rebuilt the walls, reinforcing them to better withstand another attack. Blake taught Jessica some tips and the younger cat Faunus took notes and put them neatly inside of her backpack. Red just kept an eye on the distance on top of a roof, constantly scanning and occasionally killing a Drone or two. He just stood guard quietly, his fingers constantly fiddling with the safety on the Lancer.
Several Gears had died and the hole in his heart ripped open a tiny bit more. More were injured defending the hospital and civilians but were quickly tended to by the other company. Jessica was assigned to Cardin's team for now, and greeted them with respect. The boys just blinked in surprise before shaking their heads in amusement, they found her to be polite but didn't find it irritating like some.
The BSS had recommended her to them and claimed she was a good kid, a little too polite for this environment but her head and heart were in the right place. She wasn't out to kiss anybody's ass but to help as much as she could within her limits. While she knew the risks, she still took up a dangerous job to save whatever people could be saved, and had come to terms that people died.
Walker didn't even attempt to deal with the students anymore. While they did bring their body armor and listen to him some more, they had already dug themselves in a deep hole and would probably never get out. He knew that they knew none of them had gotten on his good side. So they avoided talking to him and talked to the other Gears. By the other Gears they meant Blake and Jaune.
Yatsuhashi avoided him like the plague and Walker stopped acknowledging his existence. Within the last two months, he hadn't made an attempt to contact her that sealed the deal with Walker. The two would walk by one another occasionally but wouldn't say a single word to each other. If he wanted the taller boy to do something, he relayed it through Coco... on the other side of the tent or the street.
A Bullhead circled around them and found an open space before before momentarily landing, dropping off an occupant before taking off. It was one of the leaders of the BSS; she was more of a doctor, but she had seen her fair share of combat. He looked at her before telling another Gear to take his position before sliding down the ladder and approaching her.
"You know it's dangerous out here, Doctor Theresa." He said.
"I know, but I wanted to ask you something." She said, shielding her eyes when the Bullhead kicked up some wind. Her pinkish hair was tied into a ponytail and she stood at least a foot shorter than him, but still would kick somebody's ass if they pushed her far enough.
"You couldn't have waited until I got back at base?" He asked.
"That's just it. We were thinking about stopping by and offering some of our services, and maybe coming across an exchange." She said.
"What kind of exchange?" He asked, walking a bit further away so that they had more privacy.
"We want to see if we can expand your base a bit and you enhance our ship." She answered.
"Shouldn't you be doing that on the mainland?" He asked.
"We can, but we also heard you have an alternative to Dust. I know you're no stranger to the recent Dust embargo." She said.
"Yeah, Atlas is seizing all assets. From what my contacts have told me, it's going towards something." He whispered.
"They might be." She said.
"It also explains why they aren't answering any calls or sending assistance." He said.
"Yeah, we really could at least use something." She sighed.
"Yeah. I'll have Taylor see if he can find an alternative fuel source for your ship." He pulled out the C-Droid and scrolled through his contacts.
"Wait... Michael Taylor?" She asked.
"Yep." He answered simply.
"Oh..." She murmured.
"What?" He asked, noticing how she seemed to fumble around a bit. She seemed nervous in a sense and all he could do was raise his eyebrow when she shook her head a bit, as if to clear her head of something.
"Nothing. It's just... we haven't seen each other in a while." She said.
"You two know each other?" He asked.
"Yeah. We uh... we've known each other since we were kids. We went to high school together." She said.
"When was the last time you've seen him?" He asked.
"Nineteen years ago." She answered.
"Well, looks like a nice time for a reunion. He's a good guy, his daughter might chew your skull off though." He said.
"Daughter?" She choked a bit.
"Yeah, Blake says she's alright but I beg to differ." He said as the two of them walked alongside each other. She just nodded and let her thoughts wander a bit while he just seemed to tell her about the status of the war. A part of her was grateful he was so open to allowing the combined company to serve alongside his faction.
The Gears he sent were some of the original members, rising through the ranks as his most trusted members. Serving alongside them was an experience on its own, but for them to actively train the newer members of the company was another thing. They were harsh, and she swore a few of them made the recruits cry, but they were there pick them back up; showing their fairness.
It was how Walker trained them and they felt the need to be an extension of his training. He sent ten instructors to the BSS and they noticed that their combat efficiency had increased. Even the veterans combatants at their company enjoyed being around the senior Gears, finding them to be enjoyable company.
She was brought out of her thoughts when he gave her the location of their base and to be careful since they had naval mines underneath the waves. The color drained from her face when he told her that a single mine would probably sink their vessel and that they'd clear a pathway for them to enter and exit.
She did see why the Black Steel leader was slightly intimidated by Walker's tactics; they were dirty and odd. While most would charge head first into battle, he would find a way around them and strike from all sides. Some would wear their own colors in all environments, he would adapt to it to conceal his troops' presence. He brought new tactics to the battlefield. They were cruel, but effective.
His mere presence was commanding and it intimidated people, but he wasn't some heartless monster. He wasn't training a mere company of operators, he was training an entire army that were so loyal to him that they'd throw their lives away for him if he demanded it. Yet, he didn't. She had seen footage of him trying to make sure the people by his side were alright in the end, and even with his helmet on, she could see the pain he went through when he lost even one.
She sometimes wondered how he kept going.
"Well, doctor, as much as I would like to stay here and chat with you... I need to get back to my post." His voice brought her out of her thoughts.
"Ah, well, we'll see you at your base." She nodded.
"Yeah. Stay safe out there, doc. We need more people like you around." He said before walking back to his spot on the gate. The Gear that stood in his place was relieved and he took his spot back, keeping a vigilant eye on the distance.
"We need more people like you, commander." She said quietly.
People didn't realize that he wasn't someone to be toyed with or manipulated. His faction was the best bet they had for survival and the government didn't realize that the people underneath his command served him, not them. If the Gears wanted to, they could pull all of their personnel and assets out and leave them for the Locusts. It's why her company and Black Steel merged to assist him, to relieve some of that pressure off of him so that he wasn't shouldering the weight of the world.
It was the only chance any of them had for survival.
Walker smoked his cigar as he rode in the Bullhead, feeling the time slip by quickly. This was the one time he used it to pass the time and it seemed Jaune did the same. Blake and Red took a few puffs from Walker's cigar as well, and were marveled at how time seemed to pass by. They all had served their time for the last five and a half to six months and were finally glad to be back home.
He slid the doors open and dragged the seatbelt across his lap, letting his legs dangle over the edge. A few more platforms had been added recently. It was mostly residential platforms for civilians, but the commercial district had expanded a bit as well. The combat platform had added two more platforms, where the BSS had a temporary place to stay when they arrived for their joint training.
It was starting to expand a bit more and with the money and materials they were rolling in, it would be a decent place for people to stay. Mines lied still deep beneath the waves, it usually handled the wandering Grimm. They were easy to produce and deploy which made a decent defense against the annoying pests.
Jessica's eyes sparkled in awe as she stared at the famed base; she often heard rumors that their home was massive, but she didn't think it was like this. Countless guns littered the platforms, scanning the skies and waters for threats. Armed personnel looked at the arriving Bullheads. It had even a residential and commercial district on a couple of platforms. It was as much as a city as it was a fortress. She knew it had to cost hundreds of millions of lien to even make this possible.
He just had them land towards the platform he usually landed at and was greeted by some of his men. They saluted him as he jumped off and wished him a welcome home. He nodded and dismissed them before heading towards the apartments with the other three. They talked a bit as they went up and were greeted by some of the others and the rest of the higher personnel.
The onyx armor was taken off and put inside of a bag, he'd take it back to the brothers and have them repair the dents in the chest portion. He hopped in the shower for the next several minutes before getting out and putting fresh clothes on, breathing in relief then decided to head back outside. He received a notification on the C-Droid and looked at it, seeing it was from the other company. They said they were arriving soon and he brought out some binoculars and looked at the horizon.
Blake, Jaune, and Red walked up next to him and noticed him staring at the horizon before taking the binoculars and looking. Each one widened their eyes when they saw a massive ship. They looked at him while he just looked at the C-Droid and scrolled through the options, sending a few messages to a few people. They saw a boat lower and speed towards certain spots before a few Gears in scuba equipment dove underneath the waves.
"You know... I didn't think the ship would be that big." Jaune said.
"They were talking about expanding it a month ago." Walker mentioned.
"How many people are on it?" Blake asked.
"Last I heard, it was somewhere between two to three thousand. It was originally Black Steel's ship and they modified it over the years, but now that the Saviors merged with them, it's basically a mobile safe haven for those who survive." He answered and started to walk across the bridge to the R&D platform.
"You would think people would try and get aboard the ship." She said.
"From what they've told me, they're actually running out of room. Most of the people there are from the respective companies." He said.
"Why are they here though? I thought this place was supposed to be secret?" Red asked, putting her hoodie up and letting one of her ears pop out.
"To help us expand the base and it's not a secret to them. I know damn well that it's not a secret to Atlas." He said.
"How do they know?" Jaune asked.
"We shot down one of their drones a couple of weeks ago." Blake answered. The other two just went quiet and felt their moods sour a bit. Nobody had been able to reach the snow kingdom every since the first month of the war, but some of his faction's aircrafts shot down a couple of drones meant to spy on him.
"You would think that Atlas would come to their senses and help deal with the Locusts, or at least contact the other kingdoms." He said.
"I don't give a shit about Atlas right now, I'm more or less concerned about Mantle." Walker said as they continued to walk for the next several minutes. When they arrived, each one waved at the staff members inside before walking to the forge. The hallway took on a more metallic appearance and the sound of banging of metal against metal could be heard.
They walked up to the large door and opened it, seeing some improvements to the workshop. Dozens of lockers could be seen on the left side, carrying various weapons and armor sets of war. On the right side was the brothers' forge; countless tools were organized neatly and three tables were seen. One for crafting and modifying armor, one for weapons, and the last for equipment. In the middle of the room was a large table used for creating large projects.
A One-Shot was lying on the table and the 20mm rounds were lined up neatly. He picked one of them up and noticed at the tip there was a little bit of Dust infused with it. Red saw it and her tail wagged slightly in interest. She actually brought her Longshot for the brothers to look at and modify, so she was intrigued by something that looked powerful enough to stop a Reaver dead in its tracks.
Simon was busy muttering before he jumped slightly when he noticed them standing there. He gave a friendly wave like usual and walked up to the large table with the large sniper on it. They waved back and looked at it while Walker picked up the One-Shot and rotated it in his hands. The familiar weight was there, but it felt just a tad bit lighter than before.
"We modified it a bit." Brock said as he came around the corner, carrying his hammer before tossing it on the table.
"Thought it felt a bit lighter." Walker commented.
"Yeah. This shit kicks harder than anything I've ever used." Brock said. He took it from Walker's hands and set it on the table carefully. Despite him being at least a foot shorter than everyone, he was actually strong for his height.
"When can we use it?" Red asked suddenly, drawing everyone's attention. She rarely ever talked, despite her good relationship with the brothers, it was Walker who mainly did the talking half the time.
"You eager to use this?" Brock asked.
"I want to try it out, yeah." She nodded.
"Well too bad. We haven't finished it yet." Brock said, he smirked at her displeasure when she puffed her cheeks a bit. Walker just poked her cheek then tossed the bag on the table, zipping it open and taking out the onyx armor. He helped Simon set it up on and the two inspected the armor, noting every single scrape and dent in it from the months of him wearing it.
Brock added his own input and the three of them were lost in their own little world for a few minutes. Red put her Longshot on the table and had Brock promised it would be delivered to her quarters within the next day or two. She thanked him while he just waved his hand and commended her for keeping it in good condition.
Despite the two being swamped with work, they didn't feel overburdened with maintaining and creating the equipment for the Gears. They felt relieved that each Gear was required to keep his or her equipment in working conditions, or they would face consequences. It also helped that there were assistants who cleaned the weapons more often than not. This allowed the two to focus on creating more weapons and armor without having to worry about something the soldiers should be doing anyways.
Walker looked at his device and quickly bid his farewell before quickly stating that Velvet's was giving birth. The other three quickly bolted out the door and he followed shortly after.
Richard paced back and forth anxiously as Katrina tried to calm him down. They all had been eating earlier when Velvet's water broke, so they rushed her to the hospital as soon as they could. The staff were quick to tend to her and rush her off, leaving the family of three in the waiting room. His leg bounced nervously and he clenched his hand into a fist and blew into it. So much could go wrong, and several worried thoughts filled his head.
Katrina just rubbed his shoulder while his son, Ian, handed him a toy. He just bounced his leg up and down rapidly while he glanced at the delivery room. Although it was down the hall, he could faintly hear Velvet's cries of pain. He was worried as he was pissed, more so at his granddaughter's father. The sorry piece of garbage hadn't made a single attempt to contact Velvet and Richard was almost glad he stayed away.
His thoughts were brought out when someone sat next to him, making him look to see Walker sitting there. Besides him was Blake, Jaune, and Red.
"How long has she been in labor?" Blake asked.
"About half an hour." Katrina said as she rubbed Richard's shoulder soothingly.
"Is he..." Richard trailed off.
"He's not coming, if that's what you're asking. I gave him three months and he still decided not to show." Walker answered as he leaned back in his chair.
"Piece of shit..." Richard muttered.
"Richard!" Katrina scolded, covering Ian's ears.
"Sorry. It slipped out." He apologized. She just set her head against his shoulder while he let his head hang before turning to Walker. There were a couple of bruises on his arms and a few cuts as well. Almost every time he saw him, there was always a new injury or two.
"I get it. A lot of stress, and a lot to worry about." Walker nodded in understanding.
"I don't want her to go through it alone, especially with this war going on." Richard said.
"Well, she's not going through it alone. She has a good company." Walker said.
"You all?" Richard asked.
"We all agreed we'd babysit if we're not gone. Plus, I do have some experience with kids since I do volunteer work at the school." Blake leaned and looked at them.
"I have some too, dealing with younger siblings and all." Jaune added as he leaned forward a bit.
"I can learn." Red shrugged.
"What about you?" Katrina asked him.
"Me? Nah, that kid shouldn't be around me. I'm not a good influence." Walker shook his head. He was too busy and it wasn't his kid. If he did end up looking after the kid, then he'd just be neglectful due to his line of work. It was bad enough the kid had one bad person as a role model, she didn't need another.
"What are you talking about, you are a good influence." Blake argued.
"No, I'm not." He shook his head.
"You were literally the better influence when we visited the school of kids a few months ago." She said.
"Damn... I was hoping you'd forget about that." He muttered.
Richard and Katrina just looked at him as he talked with Blake, they could see the exasperation in her eyes but also the genuine care for him. From what he's told them, Blake was there with him since day one, and always took care of him, just like he took care of her. They saw how Red would give a faint smile whenever he said something to her and how her tail would wag a bit whenever he told her something good. They finally saw how Jaune had come to see him as an older brother figure as well as a mentor.
He took care of people because he felt it was his duty to do so. If he messed up then he took responsibility and faced the consequences. There were things he could do and he couldn't, and find peace wasn't one of them. They didn't know that he wasn't content with sitting still or being at peace. Conflict was all he knew, it was like it was etched into his bones. He fought to win, but never thought about what to do after that. It scared him at times. He didn't know what he wanted.
"Anyways... I wouldn't worry too much, you three. Velvet's going to be a mother and she needs all the help she can get." Walker said to them.
"What about the war?" Richard asked.
"Don't you three worry about it, leave that to us. Forget about it this moment. Cherish these small moments while you can, because they're rare. A lot of people don't have the chance to experience this so we should all be considered so lucky." Walker said.
There was some truth to his words. With things getting worse on the mainland, little moments like these usually gave people hope and something to look forward to. It made them fight harder when they had so much at stake. Just recently, three of his Gears had gotten three women pregnant. He scolded them and congratulated them at the same time before making sure they owned up to it. He saw the determination in their eyes and they used that to fight harder.
Another hour and a half went by and it all went quiet. Blake had fallen asleep and leaned against his shoulder while Jaune played with Ian in the play room, the young Faunus laughing when Jaune took off his leg and hobbled around. Red just leaned back and played on her scroll, looking at different attachments and reading its contents before moving on. Walker just issued combat deployments, checked up on his Gears' status, and simply read emails from his device.
He woke Blake up when the doctor approached them and quietly told them to follow him. Jaune quickly caught up to them after putting his leg back on and silently followed the group as they went down the hall, carefully weaving through the hospital staff. In the middle of the hall on the left side was a room with Velvet's name tag on it and little bunny stickers stuck to the door. The doctor quietly whispered to her and pushed open the door, allowing them to enter before leaving.
Walker just stood at the door as everyone else entered and greeted her quietly, crowding around the newborn. He didn't know why he was hesitating. Maybe because he was so used to the loss of life that the sight of a new one coming into the world unnerved him? Locusts and violent people, he could handle. Newborns... he couldn't for some reason. It was like this was some punchline to some sick joke.
Blake noticed him and excused herself when she noticed him start to walk down the hall. She followed him as he went to the main lobby area and then outside, sitting on a nearby bench and staring at the sea. She sat next to him and watched as he just stared at the ocean blankly.
"Why aren't you in there?" She asked.
"I'm nervous." He admitted.
"Why?" She asked.
"I don't know." He answered. The two of them just listened to the crashing of the waves against the platforms, it was calming in some ways.
"Is it because it's Velvet?" She asked.
"No, I think I would react the same if it was any other person." He shook his head.
"Does this whole thing make you nervous?" She asked.
"Some things it does. I'm used to seeing people die, not be born." He admitted. The whole concept of life coming into this world was somewhat strange to him. How many kids had he seen die over the years? It was enough for him to grow somewhat jaded when he saw a body that young lying on the ground.
"Well. I think it's a good change for once, don't you think?" She asked as she looked at him.
"Yeah..." He looked back before looking back at the ocean. It was times like these that she remembered that he wasn't some perfect individual; he had his fears, flaws, both strength and weaknesses. He wasn't the strongest fighter or even the smartest, but she viewed him as one of the most determined. People looked up to him as this flawless messiah sometimes, but don't seem to realize that he's just a man in the end.
"It's okay to be nervous. To be honest, I'm pretty nervous too." She said as she stood up.
"You don't seem like it." He looked up at her.
"It's not everyday you get to see a birth. We shouldn't keep them waiting though." She held out her hand. For the longest time, he had always been the one to pick her up and now it was time to return the favor for once. He just looked at her before accepting her hand and standing up. She just looked up at him a bit, seeing him relax every so slightly before taking the countless twists and turns through the hospital.
The others had stepped out for a minute after Velvet asked them to and Blake went to go find the others. He just walked inside the room and saw Velvet cradling her newborn daughter. Her small hand wrapped around her finger and she kept whispering gentle things to her. He just went around and took up the chair next to her bed. There was a small silence between the two of them for the next few minutes. Neither of them knew what to say to one another.
"Is he here?" Velvet asked, looking at the door.
"No... he didn't want to come." He told her, watching as her ears flattened a bit.
"Oh..." She whispered.
"You'll be alright though." He said.
"I know." She nodded before going quiet. He just looked at her daughter, one of her rabbit ears folded to the side as she leaned against her mother while her other one stood up limply. Her face squished against Velvet's chest and body wrapped in a soft, light blue and black blanket.
"How do you feel?" He asked.
"Tired... and really sore." She answered truthfully.
"I bet." He said before leaning forward a bit. It felt odd to see such a tiny thing wrapped up in those blankets, born into a time of war but hadn't even come to terms that she was out of the womb.
"Do you think I'm a bad person?" She looked at him.
"No, you're not." He shook his head.
"I mean, I wasn't careful and-" She stopped when he just leaned forward a bit more.
"You're not a bad person, you just happened to get pregnant by one. Neither of you were thinking that night and just let it happen. The only difference is that you're owning up to it and taking responsibility. The father isn't." He explained.
"Did he ask about me?" She asked.
"He did three months ago, but he should have tried to talk to you in between that time." He said.
"..." She just let a few tears fall then wiped them away.
"I'm sorry." He apologized. In hindsight, he should have made Yatsuhashi come, either willingly or by force.
"No, it's alright. I just... I just have to learn to move on." She sniffled a bit.
"It's the most we can do." He nodded. That comfortable silence returned and he looked at her daughter, how she cradled her gently. When she offered to let him hold her, he just politely declined and stated that he was afraid he'd drop her or something.
"Her name's Amiya." She said quietly.
"You come up with that name?" He asked.
"Not just me. Mom and Blake helped me." She answered.
"Blake's always good when it comes to names." He said.
"She really is." She said and talked with him some more. She often talked with Blake when she wasn't busy and the two had more in common than what they thought; she loved her team, but there was always some type of barrier. With Blake though, she found that she was actually a friendly person and Velvet would often come to her for some type of advice despite being older. If anything, she considered her more of a friend than the rest of her team ever was.
She listened to him talk about Blake and it was clear to her that he viewed her in high regards. Despite them bickering sometimes, there was never any bad blood between the two. She just smiled a bit as they fell into an easy conversation. Their voices were quiet to avoid waking Amiya, but she saw him relax a bit.
Despite not bringing it up, she did keep herself updated on the status of the war. Blake had also kept her updated on things and how Walker did a lot more than a majority of the people did on the mainland. He set up groups to retrieve supplies and gave them civilian vehicles to make transportation easier, he established connections with different parties to make sure people at least had a chance, and even came up with several contingency plans just in case something went awry.
Some would call him paranoid, but him doing all these things is what gave people a chance to survive.
The others came back in and filled the room, talking with her in a hushed tone and bringing her gifts. It was a relaxed atmosphere and they shared some laughs before they noticed Walker get up after reading a message. He explained to them that he had to go start making plans and the others could only look at him as he apologized and said congratulations to Velvet.
It was the norm with him at this point. Whenever they had downtime or have a breather, he was busy working and planning. They knew it was because he was one of the only people who did something regarding the Locusts. The Gears and the BSS were the only ones who did something regarding this new threat while the world tried to continue like before, not realizing that they weren't like the Grimm.
Right now though... right now they were just enjoying the small moment. No war, no Locusts, and no Grimm. All they did was simply celebrate the life that came into this world just recently.
I give you all another chapter, hurray. Not really sure why I'm writing this so much to be honest, it just feels right at the moment.
IX404: Thank you, I don't know about improvements. I don't really know what I'd improve about it.
Ferno16: Pretty much.
Laplase: Thanks for reading it.
Austin: I don't know to be honest. In all honesty, I keep forgetting about the Grimm half the time.
Janny092: Thank you.
Hunkzombie: It depends really.
bmanbeast57: He might in the future.
whatsupman: I do know, that was actually one of my favorite ones. Don't know about the superweapons.
DOOMRAIDER: Pretty much.
Jack Huynh: No.
JHcola: No, she's not.
Zakuzilla: Thank you.
See you guys later. Bye.