The days slipped by slowly and Walker stood at an open space. The hanger behind him was constructed easily due to the tireless efforts of the robotic hands and inside were several Bullheads. The base had come along quite nicely and large sections were dedicated to different uses. Shelters were constructed to accommodate for the vast amount of refugees; containing basic bedding, showers, food, clean water, and air conditioning.
The military side of the base held housing for the Gears and other combatants, as well as a training area. A large field was dedicated for vehicles and hangars for the Bullheads and the new King Ravens were further away from everything else. Next to the hangars were a lot where the Armadillos resided and the new Centaur would be placed. Factories would start to be built soon in order to produce more equipment.
Menagerie sat on large deposits of minerals and ore, something they never took advantage of in the past. Once they got more materials, a Packhorse factory would be placed here, allowing them to produce them for more troops. He'd give some to Vale in order to make up for their lost vehicles during the city's destruction. It would take some time, but he knew that they'd appreciate the effort he put forth regarding the war.
Failing vehicle companies from Atlas had contacted him and provided equipment and resources, claiming it was the least they could do. He offered for them to join him and they took it, deciding to partner themselves with the Gears and BSS rather than Atlas. It further increased his own power and opened new doors. They were handed over to Michael's department and the man had accepted them with open arms, allowing production to further increase.
They were stationed here in Menagerie and were working to the best of their ability to get the factories up and running. Every little bit helped if they wanted to start retaliating against the Locust instead of just running and hiding all the time.
The Gears and BSS still had the best equipment though; each weapon and armor piece crafted with care, ensuring they worked properly. Their intelligence was always up to date along and every new piece of information was catalogued. The people back at Mother Base appreciated him because he was nearly always truthful with them. He didn't lie to them about the status of the war; the last thing he wanted was for them to go in with a false sense of hope and end up dead somewhere.
"So this is the new Centaur you won't stop talking about." Blake said as she walked next to him. She wore a simple pair of cargo pants with a dark grey tank top with a crimson omen symbol on it. A black sports bra was seen underneath her shirt and her hair was tied into a ponytail. There was a pair of sunglasses on her face as she looked up at the large Dropship carry the Centaur and hover above the ground.
The cables holding it released it once it was low enough and the large vehicle fell onto the surface below. Both of them felt the ground shake a bit and just stared at it.
"Yeah... a beauty, huh?" He looked at her.
"No." She shook her head lightly.
"You're just jealous." He said.
"Right, because I'm so jealous of a tank." She rolled her eyes. He just chuckled a bit and turned when he heard Jaune and Red walk up to them and look at the tank.
"This thing looks like it'll punch a hole in a Brumak." Jaune commented.
"That's because it will." Walker responded and went up to the front. The hatch opened up and he climbed inside with the other three, before it closed and sealed them in a dark space. He turned it on and the loud roar of the engine echoed across the area, causing countless people to look in its direction.
It was faster than what the other three expected and they jumped a bit when he suddenly took off, testing it out. They nearly fell out of their seats when he activated the boost and sent them soaring across the pathway. He found the spot it was supposed to be located at and carefully drove to it, backing up into its spot before turning it off. The hatch door opened up and they climbed out before walking across the runway.
"You think Atlas will appreciate us essentially turning Menagerie into a major military base?" Jaune asked.
"Atlas never cared about us before, so they shouldn't care now." Blake scoffed.
"They can't really do anything because it's trespassing on the territory. They know that if they decide to show up unannounced and impose their presence or forcefully acquire any of our arsenal then it's considered an act of war by Remnant's standards. You three really think they're willing to risk going to war with us?" Walker asked.
They knew Atlas wouldn't, Blake knew more than anyone else from her contacts in Atlas. The individuals had told her that Atlas was wary of Walker; they didn't know who he was, what he wanted, or where he came from. It scared them because they couldn't hold anything against him. Any leverage they had was always scrapped because he was always changing. Nobody on Remnant really knew about him, not even her.
It was like he just showed up one day and started building. People with different skillsets from around the globe found their way towards the Gears and swore loyalty to him. The ones who opposed him were either left to their own business or killed if they proved to be a threat to him.
Not to mention Atlas wouldn't risk it considering how dangerous the Locust were.
"So what are we going to do about the White Fang?" Red asked.
"Leave them. As long as they don't start shit here or steal any of our equipment, then they're not worth our time." He answered.
"And if they do?" She asked.
"You already know the answer." He glanced at her, making her nod. So long as the White Fang stayed out of his way then he wouldn't bother them and if they proved to be a problem then he had no issue destroying out what remained of them. There was no reason for them to exist other than to cling to whatever idiotic ideology they held onto in hopes of it would thrive.
Had the Locust not emerged and the Gears grew to what they were today, then he would've snuffed out their miserable existence long ago. They were a troublesome group that had no purpose other than spreading fear wherever they went and couldn't come to terms with the fact that racism would never leave. In a few days, he was going to meet up with the higher ups within the group and he wasn't looking forward to.
This would be one of the few times he had someone take his place. He was going to put the finishing touches on the base along with some other things before heading back to the mainland. They all needed crystal samples from the city and naturally, he was the first to volunteer to do it. It got them more money and built more of an already strong and stable relationship with the BSS.
"I'm guessing I'm one of the people talking to the White Fang?" Blake asked.
"Yeah." He nodded.
"Do I get a say in this?" She asked.
"No." He answered before walking towards the gate. All she did was grumble underneath her breath before following the other three out of the area, back to their own quarters so that they could relax for the rest of the day.
If anything, he couldn't wait to get back to the mainland; either it was he naturally liked large landmasses or he was sick and tired of seeing such vibrant colors here, he didn't know. All he did know was that he wanted to get back out there and gather more information. They still needed to find out who was running the show here and start planning on how to take them out of the picture.
The last thing they all needed was some unnecessary conflicts to arise and screw everything up.
A few days had passed and he sat at a table near the beach. Richard sat on the other side and the two of them simply enjoyed the atmosphere. The crashing of the small waves to the people talking in the background, it was nice but Walker knew it wasn't where he should be. He was leaving soon after the factory was complete and Richard and his family were staying in Menagerie for a while.
The BSS that were stationed in Vale would come to the base over in Menagerie. The ones who had stayed in Kuo Kuana would go to Beacon, relieving the others of their duty for now. It was too peaceful here and it felt wrong to sit around and do nothing for so long, even though he was constantly working. He fought so hard to finally be at peace and when he was given a sliver of it... he didn't know what to do.
"So, kid..." Richard sipped his drink then set it down, not breaking his gaze off of the horizon.
"What's up?" Walker glanced at him and leaned in his seat.
"Heard you were headed back." Richard said.
"Yeah. Have to get some more information on the Locust and it doesn't feel right here." Walker said.
"What do you mean?" Richard asked.
"Too peaceful and bright. People around here probably haven't seen a Locust in their lives and are content with thinking it'll stay that way. They're soft, and it's better for me to leave before I lose my patience." Walker answered as he stirred his drink a bit.
"You have to relax and have fun sometimes, you know?" Richard asked.
"I do relax, it's brief but it's enough to get me through the days." Walker admitted. He was a workaholic just like his mom, and the days he spent in his office until the early hours of the morning were worth it. Fun was a luxury that he couldn't afford despite owning one of the largest factions on Remnant.
"You didn't mention fun though." Richard pointed out.
"Having fun isn't really something I can be able to do. Especially during times like these." Walker responded before sipping his drink through the straw.
"You seemed to have fun with Ian and Amiya." Richard countered.
"It was more enjoyable than anything." Walker shrugged.
"Same thing. Point is, you shouldn't always work yourself down to the very bone... you'll end up as a grouch." Richard jabbed.
"I'm already a damn grouch. Even then, I can't help but work myself to the bone. The Locust don't care if I'm tired, the company can't afford to be caught off guard if its leader isn't doing his job, and I get enough sleep." Walker listed.
All Richard could do was sigh and nod before looking back at the horizon. Although a lot couldn't tell, he could tell that Walker wasn't doing so good as time passed. He often thought back to when he first met him; how he was a somewhat defensive, but genuine joy to be around. Back before the war, he often joked around and would always try to lighten the mood, only turning serious when the situation called for it.
Now... he never really joked around anymore. He always seemed to be brooding whenever nobody was looking and there were times when Richard had caught him spacing out during conversations. It was as if the war had taken a toll on him and it was slowly wearing him down, little by little. Gears always died and despite not showing it, he could tell that each death affected Walker.
Every Gear that was trained, he had known their strengths and weaknesses, molding them to overcome the latter. Countless amounts of time, sweat, blood, and tears were poured into the training and to see people he had come to know and guide slowly leave the world was a difficult thing to overcome. Yet he continued, he forced himself to accept the fact that they were gone and the only thing left to do was continue.
"You know, Ian's going to miss you." Richard said.
"I'll miss the little man too." Walker said.
"He adores you, Walker." Richard said before adjusting himself and fishing in his pocket to bring out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Walker before returning to his original position. It was a crudely drawn picture of Walker with Amiya in his right hand and Ian on top of a wagon. There was the bucket on the side full of sea shells, it was a nice picture to be honest.
"Nice picture. I got something for him too." Walker said as he fished in his right pocket and brought out a little COG tag. It had Ian's name scribbled onto it and he handed it to Richard.
"We don't get one?" Richard raised an eyebrow and pretended to be offended.
"Not yet. Plus, it's kind of a birthday present for him since I'll be gone before the day comes." Walker responded.
"He'll enjoy it, thanks for getting him something. Can't really get him a toy or a game with the war going on." Richard said.
"It's the least I could do." Walker responded and finished his drink. It was silent for the next several minutes and the two of them simply enjoyed the peace. He had finished his meeting with the Belladonnas and the higher ranking members of the White Fang. It didn't go as good as he thought and they weren't too happy with being denied access to the base.
He didn't care in the slightest because he wasn't going to risk them spreading their flawed beliefs throughout the population. The last thing he needed was for the people to be divided, especially during times like these. The Locust were already pushing humanity to the brink of extinction as it is. Had the Locust not emerged, then he would have snuffed out the terrorist group long ago.
They were a problem that nobody had the stones to deal with and they reminded him of the radical Stranded groups. He understood people on Sera didn't see eye to eye with the government and he didn't blame them sometimes, but it didn't make sense for some to act as hostile as the Locust. He was taken out of his thoughts when Richard began to move around and turned towards him.
"I got a request for you." He said.
"Alright." Walker glanced at him. It was quiet for a while and he looked at the older man before turning his full attention towards him.
"If... if anything happens to me and Katrina... can you take care of Velvet, Ian, and Amiya?" Richard said after some time.
"That's..." Walker trailed off.
"I know, it's a big request." Richard nodded.
"I don't know." Walker said.
"Please." Richard pleaded.
"What brought this up?" Walker asked.
"Just want a plan in case something happens." Richard said.
"Nothing's going to happen to you five." Walker said.
"Kid..." Richard sighed.
"I'm serious... nothing is going to happen to you five." Walker said finally and stared at Richard. The conviction in his voice was evident and he would do his damnedest to make sure they were alright in the end. He had lost enough people in the past and he was tired of losing anymore people whether it be from the Locust, government, or even from other people themselves.
The last thing he wanted was to lose one of the first few people he had met when he first arrived on Remnant. Although Jaune's sister was actually the first who he had a decent conversation with, Richard and his family were the ones he had come to grow close to.
"Kid... it's just a contingency plan in case something goes wrong." Richard said.
"Nothing will go wrong. I promise. As long as you're back at HQ then you'll be fine." Walker said.
"While we do love the base, staying here feels a bit more relaxing. Ian and Amiya get to feel the ground beneath them that isn't metal, the people are nice, and the job I have is in perfect walking distance from our apartment. We'll be staying here for a while." Richard nodded.
Walker just stared at him for a minute or two, contemplating whether or not to force him to head back to a place where it was safer. Away from the potential dangers that could arise in the future, but he didn't. He wouldn't force the man nor his family to follow his orders because he was feeling uncomfortable. If he did that, then he was no better than Prescott and all his bullshit.
A lot of people were bitter about him essentially abandoning the COG at their worst, and Walker was one of them. He wondered if there were similarities between him and the deceased Chairman. It was a scary thought and it made him shudder, but he didn't know the man like his father did. Even he didn't seem to hold the man in high regards like some people did.
So with one final nod, he allowed Richard and his family to stay here for now. They seemed a bit more happy finally able to spread their legs more and enjoy the scenery.
"You're a good man, Walker. Don't you ever forget that." Richard said.
"I'm not a good person... not usually." He responded and shook his head.
"We beg to differ. We won't see you for a while so let's enjoy this time." Richard said and Walker just agreed before turning his gaze back to the horizon.
It was good to enjoy the little things such as these.
The negotiations with the White Fang didn't go good in the slightest. They were constantly upset over the fact that they weren't allowed access to the base, despite claiming they were refugees as well. He knew what they wanted and simply denied them access; he wasn't going to risk them spreading their flawed beliefs among the populace. It was so they could bolster their numbers to its original status.
His decision wouldn't change, even after he left because there was no reason for them to be there. Any of them that were caught inside were to be detained, questioned, and executed if needed. Ghira and Kali weren't on board with with the last part, and Blake had her objections about it as well, but he didn't care. If they proved to be that much of a nuisance then he'd do it without a hint of hesitation.
Blake wasn't so much upset at him for the execution part, but how fast he was willing to resort to it and how he didn't even try to hide the fact in front of her parents. So the two of them got into an argument and weren't on speaking terms at the moment, which was fine because this wasn't the first time they fought. They always made up later so he wasn't too worried about it.
Then there was the fact that it was getting harder to hide the fact that he wasn't from Remnant. He could tell that Blake and the other three weren't being satisfied with him telling them to worry about it later. They continued to press him about how he knew about the Locust and where he came from. From his lack of despair over Vacuo falling to knowing what the home of the Locust were called.
Their trust in him wavered a little bit every time he either changed the subject or simply told them to go somewhere else. It wasn't any of their business of his past, and all they needed to was worry about how to get rid of the Locust and call it a day. He knew that one day he'd have to tell them, but now wasn't the time and he'd probably do it when he found a way home.
He was in a sour mood at the moment and decided to spend some time alone to calm himself down. So he found a spot on a small cliff, overlooking Kuo Kuana and leaned against a tree. The countless people were seen in the streets and at the different vendors. While they could barely see him, he saw nearly every single one of them. Their happy faces, relaxed attitudes, and all the bright colors of the area meshing together into a colorful blur.
Sometimes he felt a bit jealous of them, it must feel nice to feel so carefree. To have the luxury of not having to worry about if something was lurking in the shadows or what it was like to see a street or two littered with bodies. Half of them had only seen pictures of the Locust online, but still felt they were entitled to say that they were dealing with a lot. It sickened him somewhat... the audacity some of these people had.
His right hand picked up a stick and he started to slowly bend it subconsciously, it started to let out a little crack before he broke it and the snap shook him out of his thoughts and made him toss the pieces away. That was one of his bad habits; he always let the negative thoughts accumulate like a toxic disease and cloud his judgement. It was when he had peaceful moments like these did they really rear their ugly heads out.
He turned to look over his shoulder when he saw Velvet carry Amiya and blink in surprise when she spotted him. Nothing was said for a few seconds before he scooted to the side and let her sit down. She wore a simple white dress with a sun hat on her head and her camera was in her right hand while a hand bag was slung over her left shoulder. Neither one of them said anything for a few seconds before he simply scooted over and let her sit next to him.
Amiya was in her arms and she leaned towards him, making him scoop her into his arms and bring her close.
"What brings you up here?" He asked.
"I like taking pictures and Amiya likes coming up here." She gestured towards the camera and quickly snapped one of the two of them when he glanced at the horizon. It was quiet and the sound of the leaves swaying above offered nice background noise. The sun beat down on their skin and he simply sat Amiya in between the two of them.
"You always were a decent photographer." He commented.
"Only decent?" She raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"You know what I meant." He responded lightly. She just gave a small smile and turned back towards the horizon. The sun was high in the air and he saw her take a few pictures of the city and the surrounding area. She showed him and he had to admit that they were nice.
She showed him a few pictures she took of the Scarlatina family. With her in the middle carrying Amiya, Richard and Katrina were on the sides while Ian was near her leg, waving at the camera. They were in this exact spot and she sent it to him, asking him if he could print it off when the all got back. He promised he would and she convinced him to take a few more pictures.
One was of him and Amiya with their backs facing the horizon, the second was of her and Amiya in the same position, and the final one was the three of them after she set the timer on the camera. They sat back down against the tree and simply enjoyed the moment they had.
"Did the donor ever contact you?" He asked.
"I told him he had his chance and he tried to say he would do better, but I know that won't ever happen. If he wasn't going to be there when I was pregnant and for Amiya's birth then there's no point in hoping he would grow up." She shook her head in disappointment.
"You'll be alright." He said.
"I know I will. By the way, why'd you come up here?" She asked.
"Just needed some time away from everyone." He answered. It was better for her to not have to worry about him or the White Fang. There wasn't any need for him to trouble her with his problems, but to merely make her aware of them. He was used to these types of things and the only time he really confided in someone was if they could relate to him. His family and team were the only ones who helped him through his troubles.
The longer he spent on Remnant, the more he realized how much of a fool he was for snooping around that lab. Had he not decided to be nosey and stumble across that machine, then he would have been helping rebuild civilization on Sera. He could have found a place to live, settled down, and possibly started a family with a woman. That wouldn't happen though... because he was stuck on this godforsaken rock.
Stuck with a planet full of people who were more concerned about an extra appendage rather than more pressing matters such as the Grimm. A flawed system of mercenaries that worked independently and didn't even do their job half the time. It only took the Locust to arrive for the people to get their shit together and even then it came at a cost; losing an entire kingdom and over a quarter of the population.
Maybe it was him being homesick and a little bit cynical, it was starting to become the norm nowadays with him. They had to kill every single Locust that plagued this planet because if they didn't, then his chances of ever finding a way home were close to none. He didn't fight so hard on Sera only to be denied what he was owed back there. Once he found a way home and every Locust was gone... he'd disappear.
He'd disappear back to Sera and destroy the machine that brought him to Remnant. The people here would blame Sera for the Locust and he figured it was better to destroy their only way here to prevent a war between the two worlds. Sera was still recovering and its inhabitants were almost driven to extinction, the last thing they needed was for Remnant to wage a war on them as well.
Not to mention, he was a bit tired and wanted to just find a quiet place to stay and live the rest of his days in peace. At least to the best of his ability. Maybe he'd see if Baird would help him find a job in engineering. He figured he's tinkered with Hal enough to know his way around a machine or two. After all, he was the one who constantly kept the bot in working order for Dead-Echo.
He was taken out of his thoughts when Velvet gently took Amiya from his arms and told him she was leaving for the night. She gave him a wave before walking down the trail and leaving him all alone. The sun was setting at this point and he could see it slowly descend over the water, making him close his eyes and lean his head against the tree.
They were leaving in a few days and he was eager to leave this place, to the shock of some. While he did agree that it was a beautiful place to stay for a bit, he felt that he didn't really belong here. He didn't know why; maybe it was that he felt like he was taking over, or simply because nice places like these didn't last long, he didn't really know in the end.
He reached in his pocket and grabbed his wallet, opening it and sliding a picture out. It was of his family, as well as the last and only thing he managed to salvage of them. Back before his dad passed away from Rust Lung when he was eighteen, and his mom turned to ash when he was nineteen. How there was still a little bit of light in his grandfather's eyes when he still had his son and daughter-in-law.
Now it was only just his grandfather and little brother in the picture. Wondering where he went the night the war officially ended. He felt so ashamed of himself for deciding to be a curious fool, leaving them alone.
A sigh echoed from his helmet and he stood up, turning around and started making his way towards the trail. It looped around the cliffside and he walked down it and then came into Kuo Kuana. People were still around at this time, but they were slowly closing their stands for the night and heading home. The only thing he could do was glance at a few of them in envy before he forced it down.
"Ah, Lord Commander." Ghira's voice rang out from his side as he walked by the Belladonna manor. He looked up and saw the massive chieftain walk down the steps and approach him.
"You can just call me by my last name. It gets a little tiring hearing that title all the time." Walker dismissed. The civilians at Mother Base always referred to him as that and it was another reason he stopped going to the commercial district so often. They said it in nearly every sentence when they spotted him, and they only needed to say it once to grab his attention.
"I apologize." Ghira said.
"No need to be so polite. What are you doing out here?" Walker asked.
"I usually take evening strolls when I get done with work." Ghira answered.
"A late worker as well?" Walker asked.
"Some nights, but most days I get it done on time." Ghira nodded.
"Wish I could say the same." Walker chuckled, thinking back to all those nights where he stayed up late, only to have to wake up a few hours later and repeat the process. Sera had ten days in a week and he usually worked for eight days in a row before taking two days off. What was considered overworking to them was a standard week for him usually.
The silence was awkward for them, more so for Ghira than Walker, but it lasted for a few minutes as the moon illuminated the area. It was clear some of the unresolved tension from the meeting still lingered between them.
"You all are leaving soon?" Ghira asked.
"I'm leaving tomorrow. The others are in a few days." Walker said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Why so soon?" Ghira asked.
"I don't like it here." Walker answered without missing a beat. His answer made Ghira stumble a bit before looking down at the younger man.
"Why?" He asked.
"It's too bright and colorful, people want to live in a bubble of comfort instead of coming to terms that the world is in a terrible state, and the White Fang." Walker answered, he didn't even bother looking at Ghira and simply kept his eyes forward.
"I can understand the last option, and while I do disagree with your choice in executing them, I do understand. The other two I don't understand so much." Ghira said.
"Compared to the rest of the world, this place is considered a paradise. The desert will flood their tunnels with sand, the city would flood them with water, and you all sit on a large deposit of minerals and precious gems." Walker explained.
"This place wouldn't be considered a paradise." Ghira shook his head.
"Have you seen the state of the world? That shithole known as Vacuo is practically a breeding ground for the Locust, Vale is filled with god knows what after that missile struck, and Atlas practically abandoned the rest of the world. You might as well call this place paradise." Walker stated.
"Aren't you a little upset over Vacuo falling?" Ghira asked.
"No. That shithole was going to fall regardless of how hard people fought. They were too fragmented and the lack of a stable government was what sealed their fate." Walker said crudely.
"Oh." Ghira whispered. It didn't fly over his head listening to him speak so poorly of Vacuo, even the most patriotic people from that kingdom felt a little distraught over its destruction, but Walker just sounded somewhat glad it was gone. He noticed that the polite person from before was gone, replaced by a bitter individual who sounded more tired than anything.
"When I'm gone... make sure the White Fang don't do anything stupid." Walker said as he stopped a little bit ahead of Ghira and looked back at him.
"They know the risks and won't do anything." He shook his head.
"I'll snuff out their existence and nobody will stop me from doing it." Walker said one final time before he walked away, leaving the chieftain standing in the middle of the road alone. There was so much conviction in his voice and it was this moment that Ghira realized that Walker would do it if the situation escalated to that point. All it would take was for him to give the order and ever White Fang, regardless if they were dangerous or not, to be executed without a shred of mercy.
Sienna was essentially trying to force a man who basically ran an entire war into a corner. She didn't realize that it would possibly be her last mistake if she continued down this path. It was better for him to try and push her off that path before she walked down it one final time.
Let's get onto the reviews.
Akin2018: Dunno.
OmegaDelta: It'll go more into detail in the future.
Janny092: You're welcome. Thanks for the review.
MAURO-251: Nah, it's fine. As for the breaks, I've actually been enjoying writing this more than WTWA for some reason. Maybe it's because the expectation of this story being grand isn't so high? I don't know.
kelgar04: I'll do some different viewpoints of the others in more chapters.
The Disquieting One: I actually chuckled at that review.
Ferno16: You're welcome.
saitama1155: Thank you, here's the next one.
David4796: Unfortunately, the old version was a cringe fest and I stopped enjoying writing it. I realized how much I screwed up the story from the earlier chapters and tried to salvage what I could from the later ones. It had to go.
IX404: I actually read the document you sent me and I thought it was pretty good. Mass Effect isn't really my cup of tea, so I can't really say too much about the series other than I enjoyed what you sent me.
DOOMRAIDER: You meant Walker not Marcus, right?
whatsupman: Pretty much. I wouldn't say bombardment, but something else might suffice.
Austin: Ah, I was wondering where your review was last chapter. Never really thought of using Pyrrha's polarity for construction. As for other fanfictions, I did used to want to create a Warhammer 40k fic back then, but I know that the die hard lore fans would probably eat me alive for mixing something up.
Alastor Grimm-Rose: Thank you.
LiquidusSnake: Perhaps.
Well... that's all.