The moment he landed at Beacon, he went to his tent to relax after flying for so long. No one bothered him as he slept peacefully, the stress from his time on Menagerie slowly melted away. He woke up from a buzzing noise and it cut off shortly after. The White Fang irritated him just like how Ozpin did, both parties were incredibly stupid in his opinion.
It was at that moment did he realize that Menagerie wasn't the place for him, staying a month at most was all he could handle before he threw himself back into places like the destroyed city. He knew it was unhealthy for him to constantly throw himself into the thick of it, but he couldn't help it at times. The Gears had to shoulder the weight of the war because Vale's military wasn't strong at the moment, not after the city's destruction.
He saw the large walls constructed around Beacon, the countless guns scanned the sky and more people were part of the military. There were little sections, some acted as a little market district for trading, others were meant for medical purposes, and a large section was meant for training newer personnel. Nobody really wanted to become a Huntsman or Huntress anymore after seeing how flawed the system was.
A message on his C-Droid appeared and he clicked the button on the side, seeing it was from Theresa. She was here at Beacon along with the Black Steel leader, Myers. They had agreed to meet with Ozpin and although he held so much disdain for the Headmaster, he agreed reluctantly. With a small groan, he threw his legs over the cot and stood up, stretching a bit and sighing in relief when his back popped.
He collected his Lancer and Longshot before putting them on his back and placing the Snub on the on his thigh holster. He wore his veteran armor, the extra pouches proved to be useful half the time in storing either ammunition or other items. He often kept snacks in one of the pouches when he stayed out for more than a day. The canteen on his hip was usually so full that it barely made a swishing noise when he moved around.
A scroll on the table next to him buzzed and he saw it was from Ozpin, making him ignore it and make his way towards the tower. He checked it and saw that it was only Beacon staff, then broke it open to see a small tracking device imbedded in it. It was chucked into the trashcan shortly after that. The only person he talked to was Goodwitch because she didn't beat around the bush for anything. They simply exchanged information and their relationship was strictly business, something he respected.
"Commander!" Someone's voice rang out.
"Goddammit..." He cursed underneath his breath and turned to the person. He relaxed a bit when he saw that it was only Jessica, he saw she wore heavier armor and there was a gas mask dangling off her belt. There was a small scar on her forehead and he remembered it from when she got hit in the head with a piece of rubble.
"Good to see you, commander." She greeted.
"Hey, kid." He greeted back lightly. She was considered his protege at this point in time, and always seemed to greet him respectfully. Sometimes he felt that she was too innocent for this world, but remembered that she had spirit.
"Are we going to go on the crystal collection mission? I got the sample case ready." She took a large case off her back and opened it, revealing several large tubes for crystals to be stored in.
"No, not yet." He said before taking the case and attaching it to her back.
"So where are the other three? I thought they would have been here by now." She looked around.
"They're still in Menagerie but they'll be here in two days." He answered.
"Why'd you come back so soon?" She asked.
"Trying to get rid of me?" He raised an eyebrow underneath his helmet.
"W-What?! No! I-" She shook her hand.
"Relax, kid. I'm joking." He tapped her shoulder.
"Oh... right... I knew that." She said. To her, he was like a cooler older sibling that was also her mentor. Despite not seeing him recently, she did watch the videos he sent towards the BSS to deal with the Locust better.
"Sure you did. Anyways, I have to talk with the senile, bastard upstairs." He said.
"Alright, see you later, commander." She waved and he nodded in farewell before watching her carefully weave her way through the crowd and back towards her quarters. His expression soured a bit as he made his way towards the tower and entered the building. The secretary had him wait while she contacted Ozpin and he was cleared, ignoring her stare as he entered the elevator and pressed the button to the top floor.
That annoying jingle in the speakers made him mentally block it out as he felt elevator cabin jerked as it ascended. The numbers started to climb with the floors and a yawn escaped his lips, he blinked a few times. He actually wanted to go back to sleep, the only reason he woke up was because of that stupid buzzing of that scroll. It sucked a lot because this was one of the few times he had a great dream, and it was interrupted.
A ding was heard and he looked up to see the doors open and he stepped out. Theresa and Myers were to the right side of the office while Qrow was to the left. His face took on a dark look when he spotted Ironwood standing there next to Ozpin. Glynda just stood off to the side, and just stayed silent. They all seemed to be in a somewhat heated conversation.
Once he walked in the room, everything went silent and he made his way towards a chair. It scraped against the ground and he pulled it to the right side of the room before sitting down in it and crossing his arms. He just gestured for them to continue while he twisted his back and popped it loudly.
"Did you enjoy that little beauty rest?" Qrow asked.
"That's actually really creepy. Is this one of your homeless person activities? Watching people sleep?" Walker retorted.
"Would've been a good comeback if you didn't use the whole homeless person thing." Qrow said.
"You look like the type of person that uses cheap cologne to mask your bad body odor. Judging by the fact that you reek of alcohol and you're even wearing cheap cologne that smells awful, you're exactly that type of person. I'm not even kidding, some of the refugees look and smell better than you." Walker responded evenly and adjusted himself in his seat.
Theresa covered her mouth and turned away to hide her laughter while Myers coughed into his hand. Glynda even chewed her cheek a bit to hide her amusement while Qrow just glared and huffed under his breath.
"Now we can get onto business." Ozpin said.
"Commander, would you like to discuss why you established a military base on Menagerie? Without the notifying all the councils?" Ironwood asked.
"Vale already agreed to move some of the refugees to Menagerie and I already talked with Chieftain Belladonna. Also, why do you care? You haven't contacted anybody except Ozpin over the last year." Walker said.
"It was confidential." Ironwood answered.
"As confidential as you launching the Heaven's Spear and screwing over the evacuation I set up?" Walker asked. It went quiet and he saw Ironwood freeze up, clenching his fists tightly. Glynda just turned away while Ozpin and Qrow just stared at him.
"You're-" Ironwood started.
"Not supposed to know? Do you realize how many people died in that attack? Had you told me about it, then I could have worked around it. I could have started evacuating people sooner and gave you the all clear. No... instead you decided to cause not only the city's destruction, but did almost nothing against the Locust. All you did was push them back in their holes." Walker explained.
"Not to mention, we lost a lot of good people. People who died just so others could get the chance to see another day." Myers said bitterly.
"We had no choice. We couldn't risk them spreading to Beacon." Ozpin said.
"A lot of people are bitter at you guys, you know. You didn't even notify the council and now their relationship with you all is strained." Walker said. He was too tired to care about the tone he spoke in.
"We know." Glynda sighed.
"Do you all even know the effects of that strike?" Theresa asked. It went silent and she just sighed and shook her head. An unknown disease had sprung up from it, turning whatever into violent beings. It seemed to effect Grimm the most, and multiple cases have popped up of new Grimm attacking others. They exploded when they died, fumes would release and quickly spread across the population.
"Let them find out. Why did you call us?" Walker asked.
"We want access to Menagerie." Ironwood said.
"Denied." Walker said instantly.
"Excuse me?" Ironwood asked.
"Denied, no access, go away. The list goes on. Legally speaking, we have no right to allow other kingdoms into Menagerie unless given the all clear with Chieftain Belladonna and the other higher members." Walker explained.
"Atlas needs fighters and equipment." Ironwood said.
"Not my problem. You have an entire city floating up in the sky with well over a hundred thousand people living up there. If you can't manage to create equipment and get people to fight for their survival, then you're doing something wrong." Walker responded.
"You're being stubborn and I don't appreciate your tone of voice." Ironwood narrowed his eyes.
"I'm tired and I just got off a thirteen hour flight, only to be called a few hours after I arrived. On top of that, I'm staring at the people who ordered the Heaven's Spear to be launched and caused the death of thousands of people. So forgive me if I sound rude to you all." Walker retorted.
"Alright, stop. We're not going to get anywhere by simply arguing." Glynda cut them off before things could escalate any further.
"Fair enough. As for access to the base, the answer still remains the same. Menagerie already agreed to allow the BSS and the Gears to occupy a small portion, they never said anything about allowing Atlas to set foot there. If you don't believe me then ask them when you get the chance." Walker stated calmly.
"What about occupying Kuo Kuana?" Ozpin asked.
"Not up to me, you'll still have to talk to Mr. Belladonna. You'll be lucky if he even decides to allow you to visit." Walker answered as he stretched in his seat and sighed in relief.
"On a side note, we'd like to know how you gathered so much data on the Locust." Myers said.
"That's classified." Ironwood said.
"Alright then, keep your secrets." Walker said as he stood up and pressed the elevator button. Theresa and Myers stood next to him as well, waiting for the elevator to arrive.
"We're not done." Ozpin said.
"We don't care. If you're not willing to share some information then we have no reason to be here." Walker responded and entered the elevator with the other two. He just stared at the four people in the office before the doors closed, leaving him alone with the other two. The meeting wasn't going well anyways and didn't care if they seemed childish at the moment. It was just a big waste of time at this point.
"You're lucky you got here when you did." Theresa said.
"Why?" He asked.
"You missed the boring parts." Myers answered.
"These meetings are boring anyways. The fool doesn't contact the outside world for over a year, then comes here demanding access to our base despite rejecting us? No, who does he think he is?" Theresa asked.
"An idiot. Same with Ozpin and that drunk, none of them realize the damage they caused because they aren't the ones who are constantly out there." Walker shook his head in annoyance. Every meeting ended up the same, with him leaving when he realized how much of a waste of time it was.
"Anyways, are you still collecting the samples?" She asked.
"Yeah, the kid was prepared." He said.
"Jessica is always ready, that's one thing I'll give her." She nodded.
"It's a useful skill to have. Anyways, I have to get back to the ship. Commander, we'll probably stopping by sometime in the future." Myers said.
"It's not a problem, you guys are always welcome." Walker responded.
"We appreciate it." Myers nodded and left the two. Theresa just nodded and turned to see Walker staring at her, her eyes narrowed when she knew he was smirking under his helmet at her.
"What?" She asked.
"So... what's the deal with you and Michael?" He asked.
"None of your business, young man." She huffed.
"Come on, doc. Give me the details... don't think I didn't notice you two chat more often when you all were staying. Is this another reason you're coming to Mother Base?" He asked.
"Classified." She answered before walking away. Her heels clicked against the tile and he just laughed a bit before following her. It was always good to have a good laugh every now and then.
A King Raven flew across the sky and landed on one of the pads, it's occupants dropping out of it as the air kicked up. People stared at the strange aerial vehicle and he just waited for the other three to exit from the helicopter. He considered them lucky to get to be the first ones to ride in it. They didn't seem to share his appreciation of the vehicle because Blake and Red looked tired while Jaune just stumbled a bit.
"You three look like shit." Walker commented lightly. They noticed he seemed to be in a better mood compared to when he was in Menagerie.
"hahaha..." Blake sarcastically laughed and brushed past him.
"That thing rides horrible." Jaune said.
"It's probably the pilot." Walker responded.
"The pilot's fine. That thing just sucks." Red said.
"What sucks about it?" He asked.
"What doesn't suck about it? It's loud, it rides horrible, and it's slower than a Bullhead." Blake listed on her hand.
"It hasn't reached top speed then, it's actually pretty fast." He said.
"Sure. I have yet to see it go faster than a golf cart." She retorted.
"Someone's grumpy." He poked her cheek. She slapped his hand away and rolled her eyes before crossing her arms.
"How are you in a good mood?" Jaune asked.
"Not really in a good mood, but I don't feel as tense as I did in Menagerie." Walker admitted. He didn't enjoy being here in the slightest, but it held an air of familiarity that he had grown accustomed to.
"Do we have to deal with Ozpin?" Red asked.
"No, I already dealt with him. Guess who decided to rear his ugly head out after a year of silence?" He asked back. They just blinked at him for a few seconds and processed what he said before widening their eyes in realization.
"No way..." Jaune muttered.
"General Ironwood. Came all the way from his precious floating paradise to grace us with his presence." Walker added and brought out his cigar, bringing it up to his lips and lighting the holographic lighter. The sweet smell of the combination met their noses and he simply puffed a few times before extinguishing it.
"What the hell did he want?" Jaune asked.
"From what Theresa and Myers told me before I got there... equipment and manpower. He later wanted access to the base on Menagerie but I denied him. He's probably going to speak with your dad." Walker told Blake, making her sigh and pinch the bridge of her nose.
"You just sent him to speak with my dad, not even bothering to tell him or I about it?" She turned towards him. The other two just backed up a bit, she had been in a sour mood ever since climbing on the King Raven and they already knew what was bothering her.
"Wasn't thinking at the time." He admitted.
"Clearly." She rolled her eyes.
"Jeez, what the hell crawled up your ass?" He asked.
"I'm not in a good mood, that King Raven ride was awful, and I just found out Ironwood is trying to occupy Menagerie." She answered bitterly. He just stared at her and saw her cat ears flick around irritably, her pupils were borderline slits, and an angry expression adorned her face. She was angry at the recent events and at him, more at the former for the most part.
"Then go cool off and come back when you're in a better mood." He responded. It made him seem like an insensitive asshole, but his words did have some truth to them and it was clear none of them were ready to collect the samples.
She didn't say anything but just stomped off and he shook his head a bit before turning to the other two. They didn't seem happy with how he handled it and shook their heads a bit before walking away. He just looked at their retreating figures and sighed a bit before finding a nearby bench and sitting on it. He could faintly see Jaune talking to Pyrrha while Red found a small spot to take a nap in.
He could've handled the situation a bit better in hindsight, but there wasn't anything that could be done now. The most he could do is pick up the pieces when everything blew over and calmed down. They had a job to do and he decided to make the call to let them rest. He could tell that they were at their limit and although he usually was one to push the limits, he knew that they weren't like him.
They weren't used to these conditions just quite yet and he wasn't going to force them to endure it unnecessarily. So he'd simply go with Jessica and Cardin along with his team; it allowed her to learn some more and gave the other three a break from it all. While he wasn't itching to go out there like some reckless greenhorn, he did find it something to do and take his mind off some things.
The four of them needed some distance away from one another and it was clear as day to him. While he wouldn't say her returning home was a mistake, it was clear that she took some of the burden along with her when she left. He didn't understand why since the political problems Menagerie faced weren't the problem for the Gears or the BSS. He had told everyone he would stay out of their business and he intended to keep his word unless provoked.
A yawn echoed from his helmet and he smacked his lips a bit before bringing out the C-Droid and scrolling through the screens. He leaned back in his seat and craned his head back, seeing the usual cloudy sky up above. From what people have said around, the strike had caused nearly every day to become cloudy. Some days it would rain while others it would hail; very rarely was there ever a sunny day.
He sent a message to the other three and told them that they were off the mission. Just before they could send their opinions, he gave his reasoning and they went silent after that. Either they were mad at him or were simply accepting his choice and decided to say nothing else. It didn't matter in the end because he'd get someone else to help him complete the job. They were his friends and he'd go to the ends of the world for them, but even they needed time away from one another.
"Go away." He told the person standing in front of him, already knowing who it was.
"Is she alright?" Yatsuhashi asked.
"You would know if you talked to her. I'll indulge you if you leave me alone. She's fine... in fact, she's great. She's in a safe place with Amiya and is able to actually enjoy the days given to them. She realized that she didn't need you in the first place and has come to terms with it." Walker answered, looking up at the other man. He honestly had thought that he died recently, as horrible as it sounded.
"That's good." Yatsuhashi nodded.
"For her, not for you. Now get the hell away from me." Walker ordered and watched as Yatsuhashi nodded one last time.
"Thank you." He said and walked away from the bench.
"Fucking dipshit." Walker muttered and shook his head before standing up and walking towards his tent. He didn't care if he was being an asshole, the idiot didn't deserve some of the respect given to him. Now he was in a sour mood just like the rest of them; which was a shame because he was about to enjoy some music.
One of the few things he genuinely enjoyed and now he didn't want to do that now, all because of some deadbeat decided to rear his ugly face out. Velvet had shown him the messages and he had seen that she constantly sent updates, only stopping when she wasn't receiving a response back. The final message was her telling Yatsuhashi that he ruined whatever chance he had and that she didn't need him anymore.
Rain started to fall down and he simply closed his eyes as he lied down on his cot, listening to the soft droplets hit his tent. It was calming in a sense and after ten minutes, he fell asleep.
The King Raven found an open spot to land on and his boots hit the ground audibly. He heard the others follow shortly after and they backed up a bit as the vehicle ascended and took off; the pilot wished them good luck and to stay safe before flying away. They all looked around the crumbled buildings and destroyed cars, an apartment complex down the street crumbled and kicked up dust and debris.
There was a Dust counter on their forearms, allowing them to detect the amount of pollutants in the air. Each one of them wore specialized, heavy armor and their helmets had custom filters embedded in them. Walker wore his veteran armor set with extra pouches and he wore a different helmet that had custom filters on the side. It allowed him to breath fresh air and only needed to be replaced once a day.
"This is just depressing." Cardin commented as he saw the state of the location they were in.
"You can blame Atlas and Ozpin for that." Walker said as he led them through the street. They had to collect four samples from the large blackish blue crystal that were the size of buildings before heading back. Anything they brought back would need to be decontaminated to avoid the risk of whatever it was spreading.
"And that asshole still wants us to work for him?" Russel asked.
"Yep. Offered to pay us big bucks if we did something for him." Walker said, spotting the first spire several blocks down the street.
"What'd he ask?" Dove asked.
"He asked us to guard a girl, but wouldn't go into detail as to why she was so damn important. When I asked him that, he just claimed that it was classified and I left shortly after." Walker answered.
"You would think he'd share some information, especially with the war going on." Jessica said. She had met the Headmaster and in her opinion, he was a little creepy.
"He's hiding something and he's not even trying to make it subtle. If he's not willing to share information then I'm not doing a damn thing for him. My concerns are the Gears, BSS, and Vale's military." He responded.
"Boss, did you see that the students joined Vale's military?" Dove asked.
"No. I'm not doing anything with them either." Walker answered, vaulting over a piece of rubble and continuing to make his way towards the spire. Beacon had shut down and was now used as a training ground for Vale's remaining military. Ozpin wasn't happy in the slightest but the council didn't care and the only reason he stayed in power was because they allowed him to.
Their counters started to tick a bit and they could see countless bodies near it, each one having some sort of growth on them. Some on their faces while others had them on their torsos or backs. Each one glowed a dark blue color.
"Oh man..." Russel whispered.
"Avoid touching them. No need to disturb their remains." Walker ordered and carefully weaved his way through the sea of remains. They nodded and did their best to avoid touching a single body. Some were running towards the direction of the museum while others knelt down on the ground and covered their heads. The five of them even spotted two parents cradling their child, using their bodies as a shield.
It was the Hammer of Dawn strikes all over again, and he hated seeing it for what was essentially the second time. These people didn't deserve what happened to them and he felt guilty for not finding out more or trying to find some preventative measure to it. While he did blame himself for not doing more, he also blamed Ozpin and Ironwood for not telling him about it, which meant more people could have possibly been saved.
The found a smaller crystal and went up to it, looking at their counters to see it still in a reasonable range. Jessica brought out her toolkit and the case before collecting a sample or two. The sound of her scraping some of the unknown crystal off was faintly heard for the next few minutes. She ripped a chunk off and observed it before putting it in the container and then inside of the case.
He grabbed the case and put it on her back before patting it firmly and looking at his C-Droid. The next location was marked and he looked around before pointing in the direction of the next crystal. He stopped when he spotted the body of a Gear slumped against a car. They watched as he took the tags and crossed their arms over their lap. He read their information before remembering who they were and putting the tags in his pocket.
They walked down the street for the next several blocks and turned the corner, only to find it blocked off by a fallen building. It blocked a large portion of the area and they had to backtrack a block or two before cutting through an alley and were back on path to the next location. None of them said anything, but looked up when the rain started to fall on their heads.
There was enough dust and dirt on the ground that each step they took left a faint footprint that they would occasionally cover when given the chance. None of them knew if the Locust were roaming around, but they weren't willing to take the chance just in case a few of them were tailing them. There wasn't a sign of any life around this area and it was too quiet for their taste.
While they did keep an open mind, they weren't willing to let it slow them down from completing their objective. They spotted the second spire and found a smaller one next to it as well. Bodies were closer to this one and they stayed sharp as they got closer and looked at the bodies. The crystals had grown on the faces of the victims' remains and they were all facing the colossal crystal.
"Rook, get the sample and let's bug out of this area." Walker ordered.
"On it." She nodded and set her weapon down when they arrived at the smaller crystal. She brought out her toolkit and the case before carefully cutting out a chunk of it for the next few minutes. They had to be careful extracting it because the crystals were highly volatile and too much force could set them off. There was the sound of something breaking and they looked to see her carry the sample and place it inside the container.
Cardin put the case on her back and and gave it a pat before walking alongside the others. He felt like something wasn't right and the others could feel it too. It was like an infection wriggling in their veins and they checked their Dust counters to see that it wasn't ticking past the yellow. They'd need to collect two more before they could leave, but the sky was getting dark and the rain started to fall down more violently.
The next location was marked and they made their way towards it, deciding to jog this time around. It would be easier if they had a vehicle to drive, but with the amount of streets and locations blocked, they wouldn't get very far.
The third crystal was located after several minutes but when they rounded the corner, they saw Locust standing up. They were facing the crystal but were slumped hunched over and the five of them could see large growths on their backs and shoulders. A few of them twitched and jerked around every so often, their weapons hanging limply in their hands.
A Butcher dragged its feet around the area and they saw that its cleaver was fused into its arm. It slumped forward and went immobile for a few minutes, allowing Walker to quietly bring out his Longshot and aim it at the group. He saw a few people mixed in with the group and saw that they had the same glowing, crystalline growths on their bodies as well, stumbling around aimlessly. There were Grimm in the mix too, not bothering to attack the people or the Locust and seemed to bump into them occasionally.
As he bent down behind the car they all took cover at, an explosion in the distance made the group ahead snap up. Their bodies glowed and they breathed harshly before roaring violently and rushing off towards the origin of the noise. Walker and the other four just ducked behind the car and watched as the group took off towards the opposite direction and left the area, making them look around.
"What the fuck was that?" Russel asked.
"Don't know, get the crystal sample and let's get out of here." Walker shook his head and jogged towards the crystal. He didn't even need to say anything before Jessica went up to one of the crystals and started to get to work. While they were supposed to get four crystals, three would be enough after seeing what they just observed.
They looked up when something jumped up on a car down the street. It was a Beowolf with glowing growths on its back, an unknown substance dribbled out of its eyes and it clawed at itself in agony. A loud roar rippled across the sky and it charged at them recklessly, shoving cars out of its way. They fired several rounds into its body and ripped it apart before watching it explode.
"Boss! We got a problem!" Dove informed and pointed to a group of infected Locust run towards them. They fired their Hammerbursts recklessly and rushed towards them without any regard for their own lives. They were more mindless, violent beings that didn't care how much damage they received.
Walker's back slammed against the side of a car as he took cover and winced when the Hammerburst rounds sped past them. Russel and Cardin stood up from the car next to him and fired at the group, killing a few of them before ducking down then the infected Locust turned their attention towards them. He stood up and fired, killing a few of the infected and watching them fly back before exploding, showering the area in shards and body parts.
"Hurry up, rook!" He shouted at her and winced when a round skimmed off the top of his helmet. She nodded and quickened her pace, wincing when a few rounds whistled past her and finished cutting off a chunk of the crystal. The piece glowed brightly and she carefully put it in the container then inside of the case before putting it on her back.
She took cover next to him and peeked over the hood of the car, ducking down when they fired at her. She stood up once the others started taking fire and killed three glowing Wretches, watching their bodies fly back before exploding. Her breathing turned a bit labored and she looked at the meter on her wrist to see that it was time for her to change her filter.
Her hand reached inside a pouch and she twisted the current filter off before quickly screwing the fresh one on. Fresh air flooded her system and she breathed in relief before peeking over cover once more. Countless scattered body parts and shards of dim crystals littered the area and they noticed that the wave of enemies started to thin out.
An infected Faunus gave a shrill shriek before rushing at them. It vaulted over the car and kicked her onto the ground; her mask cracked a bit and she looked up to see it raise its pipe. She raised her hands above her head and shielded herself before the sound of a chainsaw revving up was heard. The sound of flesh being ripped and bone splintering was heard as Walker dragged the Lancer up the Faunus' crotch area and through their torso.
His foot slammed against their back and kicked them away, watching as they exploded after stumbling forward.
"On your feet! We're leaving!" He extended his hand and hauled her up when she took it. They all noticed her mask was cracked a bit and started to rush away from the location. Their feet stepped in copious amounts of blood and body parts as they got further and further away from their previous position.
He brought out the C-Droid and called for the King Raven, selecting the nearest extraction point and putting it away. He led them through the streets, vaulting over destroyed cars and large pieces of rubble. Another group of infected spotted them and rushed towards them, stumbling over one another as they tried to swarm the group. A grenade was tossed at the wave of them and it exploded shortly after, killing a couple of them.
They dove out of the way when an infected Boomer lumbered towards them and roared loudly, an awful combination of blood, mucus, and saliva flying from its mouth. It let out a gurgle and fired at them. The grenade soared over them and hit the horde behind them; it didn't bat a single eye and started to reload. None of them gave it the chance to do so before they all fired at it, killing it within a few seconds.
It must not have been infected for long due to the lack of growths on its body and it didn't explode. Walker just planted a grenade on its corpse and quickly caught up with the others. They faintly heard a beeping noise and an explosion followed shortly after.
The sound of the King Raven approaching made them momentarily look up to see it speed ahead of them. Adrenaline pumped through their bodies as they ran faster when they saw it lower towards the ground. Once it was close enough, they jumped inside of it and turned around to fire into the horde. Dozens of them fell onto the ground and started to explode.
As they ascended an infected Wretch used one of the glowing Boomers as a springboard and jumped up. It managed to get up to their height and it tried to maul Jessica, but she ducked at the last second and it knocked the case off her back. They watched as the case and Wretch fell onto the pavement, with the latter splattering against the ground and smearing its internal organs across it.
Walker cursed loudly and looked around before spotting the rope. He attached it to the hook and slid down, ignoring the others shouts and he held onto it tightly. A nearby building was spotted and he slid down the rope before skidding across the rooftop. He rolled several times before shooting to his feet and slamming against the edge.
"Boss, what the fuck are you doing?!" Cardin shouted.
"We dropped the samples. I'm going back for them." Walker answered.
"Screw the samples! We're coming back-" Cardin started.
"The mission was retrieving the samples. It's not complete until I get them back." Walker interrupted. He was aware of how stupid it was, but the mission always came first with him. They needed to learn what they could from the samples and he needed them to report what they witnessed.
"Then we go back and collect some more later." Cardin said.
"Not an option, you four know that. Report back to the higher ups and inform them what happened. I'll be fine." Walker responded. It went silent and he saw that the sky was dark at this point, making him sigh. He was such an idiot, but this could possibly the only chance they had learning about the new threat. It was his fault anyways because he went in thinking that it'd be an easy retrieval mission.
If they were mad at him later then he'd accept it and try to make amends. Their lives were his responsibility and he refused to let them die because he made a miscalculation and ignored his gut feeling. It was a mistake and he'd learn from it when he made it out.
The night seemed to slip by and it was three in the morning when he woke up from his spot in the abandoned building. He checked his Dust counter and saw that it was all the way to the left, no traces of it in the air. His back popped as he stretched and sighed in relief. He quietly went to the window and saw that it was empty, there wasn't a soul in sight but he was more alert than ever.
His footsteps were quiet as he made his way towards stairs and down towards the street. The entrance door was quietly opened and he looked both ways before sliding out and stepping in the street. It was devoid of any life and he avoided any body with crystals on them, he brought out the C-Droid and looked at the map, seeing that he was close to the area the case was at.
He slowly slid into an alley when an infected stumbled in the street. It's chest glowed and it looked like a mutated Faunus. They twitched every so often and let out a hoarse groan, almost as if they were in pain. There weren't any growths on them and he waited until they stumbled past him before he crouched down and started to quietly make his way towards them.
When he was right behind them, he gripped their forehead and slid his knife across their throat. Naturally, they struggled and clawed at him but eventually slumped down in the end. He gently set them down and saw the glowing start to dim before it eventually disappeared. He guessed the newer ones didn't explode and it was almost like Lambency on Sera.
Another thing they had to worry about, and he knew that the other Heaven's Spear missile needed be destroyed somehow. This thing did more than good now and he wasn't going to risk. He'd issue a announcement when he got back that no one was to go into the city. Not even the Locust seemed to roam around the surface and claim the spoils of war. They were too smart to risk getting infected and even he knew that.
He stepped away from the body and slowly crept through the alleys, finding them somewhat easier to navigate. Another body of a Gear was spotted and he collected their tags before placing their hands over their chest and paying his respects. Their body was at the advanced stage of decay and nothing could really be done for them.
A quiet ping was heard and it got closer as he spotted the case and slowly made his way towards it. An infected stood dormant in front of it and he saw it twitch a bit before leaning back and letting out a shrill noise. Its torso pulsed brightly and it sped up when he got closer, making him stop in his tracks. The pulsing glow created an audible beating noise that was similar to a heartbeat before it slumped forward.
He silently got closer and when he was right behind it, the glowing spot on its body pulsated loudly. When it went dormant once more, he gripped its head and leaned it back before sliding his knife across this one's throat. It gurgled loudly and convulsed on the ground before going still the glow started to dim. A melting noise was heard and he backed up when the sludge spread across its body and it turned into a sticky puddle.
The case was grabbed and he lit his lighter before putting it against the puddle. It quickly ignited and he got a certain distance away before picking up a rock and chucking it at the window next to the group. The glass shattered and they shrieked before rushing to the origin of the noise, looking around erratically. When they didn't spot anything, they simply went back to their positions and slouched forward again.
When he left the area, he started making his way towards the museum. He constantly checked his Dust counter and noticed that it wasn't even ticking. His thoughts drifted back to when the missile first hit and the fire in the sky. As if the heavens were split open to bring down the wrath of the gods onto man. It was ironic, considering it was like hell now, with all of its monstrous inhabitants spilling into this world.
The museum was still in the same broken state as it was months ago. The windows shattered and glass littered across the marble flooring inside. He slammed his shoulder against the door a few times and managed to squeeze his way inside and block it back off. The countless empty cots that littered the main area collected dust from the lack of use and there was still some equipment that could still work.
As much as he wanted to sleep here, he knew that there could be something lurking around and decided to take the roof. It made extraction easier and it was safer since there was one entrance. Deciding to look around, he found a duffle bag and started stuffing it with supplies before zipping it up when it was full. A small whistle was heard from him and Hal appeared, the bot carried the duffle bag with ease and followed him as they looked for the way to the roof.
It took fifteen minutes for them to find the ladder to the roof but they eventually found it. He climbed the ladder and threw open the hatch before climbing out of it and looked down to see Hal float up. When the bot was finally through, he slammed it shut and sat near the edge of the roof. He placed the case next to him and brought out his cigar, bringing out the C-Droid and flicking the lighter on.
Time seemed to slip by and he watched the sun rise before he extinguished the cigar and simply waited. The familiar sound of the King Raven approaching was heard and a rope plopped down next to him. He attached the case to it and watched it ascend before the rope came back down. It was attached to his belt and he started to raise higher and higher before he eventually saw the other Blake, Red, and Jaune.
They helped him inside and he took the duffle bag from Hal when he entered. He noticed the doors still open and slid them shut, making them blink at him and notice that it was quieter. It wasn't long after that they were headed back to Beacon.
"We got a problem." He told them.
"What is it?" Blake asked, while was a little pissed at him for basically spending the night in a dangerous city, the urgency in his voice seemed to melt away her anger.
"This crap mutates things." He gestured to the case.
"Like what?" Jaune asked.
"People, Grimm, Locust... I don't know what else." Walker leaned forward.
"Those are the crystals, from the strikes?" Red asked.
"Yeah. We need to get these to the BSS." He said and adjusted himself in the seat.
It was silent and he sighed before brushing himself off a bit to get rid of some dirt. None of them wanted to say anything to him and had come to terms that they were being nosey in his personal life. His defensive stance towards everything in his life stemmed from countless people trying to learn more about him and it took them a few days to realize it. Never once did he try to force them to open up about themselves, they did that on their own, but they felt entitled to try and get him to talk.
He went on this mission because he knew they weren't in the right mindset, but he was. When they heard how he stayed behind, it took several people to hold them back and a single message claiming that he was alright. He sent them updates almost every hour and only stopped within the last three so that he could get the case and find a safe spot to extract.
The very first flight that was available, they took to go get him and saw him there. From what Jessica, Cardin, and his team had told them, what they went through was something similar to a nightmare. Yet, Walker just called it a problem. Just as he called the monsters below mere threats. Nothing really phased him at this point and even when they watched scary movies together, he barely bat an eye.
Someone who had been dealing with living nightmares practically his whole life was bound to grow some thick skin.
As soon as they landed, he grabbed the case and went to the decontamination unit. The mist covered him and he stayed in a tad bit longer than what he was supposed to before taking the case to the BSS. They blinked in surprise when he delivered it to them and the other three just listened as he told Theresa and Myers about the new threat. Blake, Red, and Jaune just listened as he started informing them about the weak points and how to keep the infected from exploding.
Glowies was their new classification and Walker was already telling them about them. He told them certain points kept them from exploding, mainly the neck area, and then told them that more data was needed to learn about their patterns. What he gathered was that at certain times, they seemed to be alerted by one individual or by stimulus, otherwise they were in a dormant state.
Myers nodded and started thinking about the new threat while Theresa contacted the medical staff. The three leaders started discussing how to deal with them and decided to inform the leader of Vale's military in a bit. Nobody was to go out there unless they had been taught and been trained to.
He watched them bid him farewell for now before he turned to the other three. Jaune sighed before patting his shoulder and deciding to let whatever anger and irritation he felt go; he left and the remaining three watched him leave.
"That was stupid." Blake turned towards him.
"I know." Walker nodded. He wasn't even going to even try to deny what she said because it was true.
"You could have died. Why didn't you call us?" Red asked.
"You three weren't in the right state of mind, were pissed, and none of us were seeing eye to eye." He responded.
"We could have pushed that aside. It was wrong of us to take our anger out on you, especially mine, but you should have called us. You knew we would have come." Blake said.
"I know, but it's all said and done. We needed some time away from one another. No point in changing that." He said. They just stared at him and he set his hands on their shoulders. As much as they didn't want to admit it, he was right that they needed some time to themselves. Nothing could be changed and they just had to move on and learn from this.
"Just... don't be afraid to call us, alright?" Red asked.
"I won't be. Listen though, we got a new problem on our hands though." He said.
"Aside from the Locust?" Blake asked.
"Might be worse. Whatever's infecting the Locust, Grimm, and people; we need to make sure we know how to combat it." He said.
"What about the Locust?" Red asked.
"There's a stronghold out in the frontier near a Red Rock river. Supposedly the Locust have supplies they've stolen from the countless settlements. They've been using it as lures to deceive people." He answered.
"So they can follow them back to when they take them." Blake finished his thought, making him nod. She's read that they were doing that, setting up a cookie crumb trail of supplies for unfortunate victims to take, then follow them back to their camp. Once the Locust had the location, they alerted the rest of the violent horde to overwhelm the poor souls.
The attacks were quick, brutal, and efficient for the most part. It was actually terrifying when she thought about it. They weren't just violent, sadistic monsters but smart enough to fool people a majority of the time. People often underestimated them and it would be their last mistake.
"Why don't we just bomb them?" Red asked.
"Rumor has it that there's survivors in that stronghold. Wouldn't be very smart of us to kill off some potential fighters." He shook his head.
"Probably. When are we going?" She asked.
"Couple of weeks." He answered. They nodded and followed him, enjoying each other's company like they did in the past. While they wanted to know more about him, it was wrong of them to try and force him to try and speak about his past. If he came to them, then they'd listen and allow him to go at his own pace, if he didn't then they wouldn't hold it against him.
"You owe us six hundred lien." Red mentioned.
"For what?" He asked.
"That." She pointed and he followed her hand before slumping his shoulders when he saw Jaune with Pyrrha, the two of them gave an awkward hug and looked away.
"What a load of bullshit." He muttered and brought out his wallet. Inside was large amounts of lien and he started to count it before handing six hundred each to the two of them.: He was actually a little irritated that he lost the bet, but he was a man of his word.
"Did you hear that the students joined Vale's army?" Blake asked.
"Yeah. Still doesn't change my opinion about them though." He answered.
"Fair enough." She said. After their last encounter at the hospital, they understood why he would probably never like them. Despite them coming to terms with the fact that they were at war, none of them had been in a situation where their actions had consequences. Their Huntsmen and Huntress training had practically been beaten into their skulls and it would take something else to beat it out of them.
He wasn't going to either since they weren't his concern.
Let's get into the reviews.
Laplase: Nah, not really going down that route.
IX404: Thank you, I hope your stories flourish as well.
saitama1155: I appreciate it.
Guest: Perhaps. As for it being better than the last version, yeah, it really is.
Janny092: Never really looked into Command and Conquer, but I suppose giving it a glance wouldn't be too bad.
David4796: An accidental fault on my part, I apologize.
Austin: Honestly, I make take a break from RWBY if I do decide to do a Warhammer 40k fic. I think it's time I sort of started expanding my horizons a bit; granted, it'll still be a crossover but just with another one I haven't decided yet.
DOOMRAIDER: Interesting observation.
Warmachine324: If he does, then it won't be some sob story like the last version.
Onxio: Pretty much.
The Disquieting One: I'm glad he didn't tick any of those boxes. I fear that if I do tick any of those boxes though, it'll be entirely unintentional.
Don't have much to say other than I hope you enjoyed the chapter at least a little bit. I tried.