It was June now and nearly everyone had grown used to their current situation. He sat on top of the wall and stared out at the sea of green out ahead. The pale, broken moon illuminated the ground below and for once the sky was clear. He looked back at Beacon and saw the numerous lights set up along with the shelters. A good portion was sectioned off for housing, another was similar to a commercial district, a section for training, one for medical purposes and the last one for vehicles.
So many people here, but so little space. They needed to expand a bit if people wanted to live comfortably, but they needed time and this stronghold mission would buy them a good bit of it. Despite the missile killing a large amount of people, it did hit the Locust hard enough to force them back in their holes. That was the only thing it did though, it created an enemy similar to the Lambent and screwed up the weather.
Jessica's results came back clean, much to his relief, but they did warn them all that direct exposure to that stuff would be deadly in high concentrations. Whatever respect he had for Ozpin and Ironwood was gone at this point, and he wasn't afraid to leave them in the dirt. They were comfortable staying in their offices while other people had to fight tooth and nail to push back the Locust even for another day.
Walker barely had time to even stay at Mother Base for more than two weeks before he was off again. He figured he'd follow some advice and relax for a few weeks, maybe find a hobby or two to do. His skull-drone made a deep binary-like noise as it floated next to him. He gripped it and sat down on the catwalk, bringing out his toolkit before calling Hal out as well.
He tinkered with both of them for the next hour, relishing in every little complexity the two of them held. It took him a while to remember that this was one of his hobbies, he had been so busy with administration and battles that he forgot for a while. He also took a liking into crafting his cigar recipes. Brock and Simon had then offered him tips and tricks into crafting and maintaining equipment of war.
Despite what some would think, he was actually a smart person when it all boiled down to it. He wasn't a genius like some, but he wasn't stupid either.
His eyes trailed up to see the memorial a bit further down, the pictures on the wall along with personal belongings of some of the fallen. The candles dimly illuminated the area and the countless names were etched onto it.
A small gathering of people could be seen and music was faintly heard. Children sat on their parents laps or nearby them while food was cooked for everyone. Rope lights hung over the countless shelters and structures to provide people with light. People found out that Beacon had a large power grid and it was enough for things to run smoothly, which irritated some.
He faintly saw some people dancing slowly, deciding to spend whatever time of peace they had. It was nice in his honest opinion, to see people try to live a somewhat normal life despite the circumstances. People did always try to find some way to continue and enjoy what little moments they had. Times like these made them realize that the world would still move forward.
The sound of someone walking on the catwalk made him look to his left to see Jaune lean on it next to him. It was silent as the two simply observed the people and their activities below. Walker finished tinkering with the two robots and Hal disappeared while the skull-drone just floated next to them. Jaune grabbed his cigar and placed it in his mouth before lighting it and taking a long drag.
"I'm surprised you're not down there." Walker commented.
"Oh, I'm going down there shortly. Just saw you up here and thought your lonely ass could use some friendly company." Jaune responded.
"Smartass." Walker shook his head.
"I'd like to think I'm smart." Jaune said.
"Whatever floats your boat." Walker said before he stretched a bit and leaned against the railing again. It was quiet for a few minutes and the two just looked at the crowd below from their spots, not bothering to break the comfortable silence.
"Well, I got somewhere to be and someone to talk to." Jaune tapped his shoulder and started by.
"Is it Nikos? It's Nikos isn't it?" Walker asked.
"Classified." Jaune looked at him and walked backwards.
"I lost a bet because of you." Walker mentioned.
"Well that sucks." Jaune shrugged and walked away. All Walker could do was chuckle and shake his head before he looked down at the space below. Mother Base was a little packed right now and nearing its limit. He had over seven thousand civilians and over a thousand Gears staying there. If he could take more people here, then he would but he couldn't.
At least not right now.
If he were to take people, then they'd be overcrowded and fights would break out. The people at base had come to terms with the fact that supplies would grow scarce in times and would often make meals to last them a few days. The agricultural platforms at base provided a substantial amount of food and extras were usually sent to the mainland or stored for later.
Nothing was wasted because some people, mainly Atlas were keen to throw away leftovers. He had purchased countless seeds from farmers in the snow kingdom and had them planted or stored for future crops. The farmers struggled at first until he proposed the idea of crop rotation, explaining to them the benefits of it. So they started experimenting a bit with it and saw the benefits, carefully keeping the soil as fertile as they could.
The crops and farms were an important part of their home, even the underwater farms were crucial and he always congratulated the Faunus that harvested the food under the waves. He gave them the respect some of them yearned for, and they gave him a good harvest. If people did their jobs and didn't do anything to jeopardize their home, then he ultimately left them to their own devices.
When the war was over and he found a way back, he'd leave Mother Base as a parting gift. He gave the people a place to maintain some place of normality and created a place where they were free to choose their own path, so long as they contributed. Every person he met, he made clear to them that he didn't tolerate slackers and if they were not going to do anything, then they had no place there.
Atlas and Ozpin wanted a piece of what he worked hard to achieve, all without putting in the work and cooperating. He wouldn't give them a single thing and it was a problem that he essentially needed to steal information to be kept in the loop about the Locust. That was alright though, he'd still continue to do what he was doing and building his own power.
His thoughts drifted to the assault, they had gathered a substantial amount of information about the stronghold and they were striking hard and fast. No mercy would be given to their enemies and if someone showed a single Locust mercy, then he'd execute the Grub then possibly the person. It was a cruel thing to do, but he had seen the outcome of some people who let a Grub or two go, thinking they would bleed out.
It bit them in the ass hard when they returned with a small portion of the horde. Too many lives could be lost if they couldn't recover quick enough and their mission would be a failure in his eyes.
He checked the time before sighing and leaning off of the railing, rubbing his forearms a bit. His back popped when he stretched and he let out a sigh of relief before walking towards the ladder. He slid down it and dropped onto the ground before heading towards the location of his tent.
Chatter from the various groups of people met his ears and he ignored it for the most part, all he did was politely weave through them. He had already eaten earlier and the fatigue from today's patrol had caught up with him. It was honestly good that he was this tired, because he felt that it was one of those nights he could get to sleep faster. He had to play a peacekeeper role between a Gear and a Huntsman.
The latter was letting their jealousy get the better of him, had gotten drunk and was picking on one of his newer Gears. Some words were exchanged, things escalated and Walker had to put the man in the hospital because things weren't ending well. Not a shred of guilt was given, because he gave the man several warnings beforehand and he wasn't one to take shit from anyone.
He entered his tent and set the alarm on his watch before lying face down and closing his eyes. Just as he was about to fall asleep, Red came into his tent and tapped his shoulder. She backed up when she saw the irritation on his tired face and steeled herself a bit.
"Ozpin wants to talk to you-" She started.
"Tell him to piss off." He interrupted and put his face back into his pillow. She disappeared for a few minutes before returning and shaking him.
"He says it's urgent." She said.
"What now?" He scoffed and put on his helmet before storming out of the tent. She simply waited in his tent for half an hour before he came back and nearly threw his helmet onto the ground. His body slammed against the cot and he put his face in his pillow.
"So..." She leaned over him. Judging by the tone of her voice, she was going to ask him something trivial and unnecessary but he wasn't in the mood tonight.
"Catherine..." He looked up at her from the corner of his eye. She froze on the spot and shakily nodded before backing out of the tent and leaving him alone for the rest of the night.
"..." He just shook his head and fell asleep shortly after, no one bothered him for the rest of the night and he was at least thankful for that.
A few days had passed by, Brock and Simon had set up shop and were inspecting weapons and armor. The two inspected the Gears' weapons and armor first, nodding in approval when they saw that it was in good condition. It barely took them any time to make any repairs for any damage that was received. They were busy at the moment looking at Walker's Lancer, making enhancements with him.
A stock was added to it and the crosshairs were replaced with a red dot sight. The teeth on the chainsaw were replaced with a stronger material, and were able to cut through most materials. They crafted him special ammunition that could punch a hole in a Locust without damaging his weapon too much, a little secret project they had been working on. Other than those two enhancements, he didn't really change anything else other than replacing old and damaged parts.
It was a hot day today and he wore a sleeveless shirt; he carried a heavy bag over his left shoulder and another one under his right arm. Brock just wore his vest without a shirt underneath, his utility belt carrying countless tools and items to better help him work. Simon still wore an apron and gloves, keeping himself protected from the heat and other things.
While he wasn't as muscular as his brother and Walker, he did sport a lean build from his years in the workshop.
"Bring the bag over here, beefy bastard." Brock said as he stood at a spot.
"Piss off, you crusty dwarf." Walker retorted and swung the bag over his shoulder towards the Faunus before dropping the other one near him.
"You would think Beacon would have more defenses." Simon commented as he stared at the tallest buildings.
"That's because it was so sure that nothing would happen, they didn't think about that. Now we have to pick up the slack because they didn't think about these things before. It's a bunch of bullshit." Walker answered.
"It really is. I'll admit though, them boys and girls know how to keep their weapons clean. Not often do you see an army maintain their weapons in nearly perfect condition." Brock said as he carefully examined a Gnasher and cleaned a few spots.
"They know I'll kick their asses if they don't keep their equipment in working condition." Walker responded and aimed through the new sight of his Lancer, rotating it and inspecting it carefully. It offered more stability for him and the small amount of weight didn't bother him any.
The three continued to work together, multiple skull-drones helped carry smaller items and even some boxes, allowing them to fall into some sort of groove. People would look at them before quickly walking away when the three looked at them back. No one really bothered them aside from a Gear or two, who usually came to modify their weapon a bit before thanking them and bidding them a farewell.
The former students approached the three and while they were working on a Silverback Rocket Launcher. It was heavily modified to be handheld and to compensate for the kickback it was known for back during the war on Sera. They all just looked around to see the countless armor sets and weapons littering the room, kept in storage containers and locked up securely.
"Yo!" Sun waved at them and caught their attention. The sound of machinery in the background was heard and they didn't catch his sigh of annoyance.
"What can we help you with?" Simon asked politely as he stepped up to the counter up front and looked at all of them.
"Nothing, just wanted to check out all this." Yang gestured and looked around.
"There has to be a reason, so spit it out." Brock said crudely and stepped up next to his brother. They flinched a bit at his harsher tone and noticed that he seemed more brash and rude than his brother.
"We need some weapons and heard that-" Ruby started.
"No." The three of them said simultaneously, making her stop.
"What? Why not?" She asked.
"These aren't just for show or for fun. They're for killing Locust, people, and Grimm." Walker said. Ammunition, especially the ones the Gears used, weren't just for playing around or randomly shooting things. They were used for killing, nothing more and nothing less.
"What about target practice?" Yang asked.
"Use the weapons that were issued to you." He responded, sitting on a nearby chair and pulling out the C-Droid.
"Those things suck. You guys get all the cool stuff, while we're stuck with scraps." She gestured around the room.
"You're not a Gear, not part of the BSS, and it was a fucking hassle to get you idiots to join Vale's Army from what I've heard. Why would we let you just waltz in here and take our weapons?" He asked and leaned forward a bit.
"Well... we're part of the military now, so..." Neptune trailed off sheepishly, only to stop when Walker looked at him.
"You all are given a standard issue bullpup rifle, another weapon based on your class, a sidearm, a combat knife with the archaea, interceptor armor, and other pieces of equipment. That is what you're given when you graduate from basic. The ammunition that is in those rifles and sidearms are enough to kill a Locust if you put enough into them. So what more do you want?" Walker asked as he stood up and made his way towards the table.
"Mag dump." One of them blurted out.
"..." He clicked his tongue a few times and stared at them. If he was being greedy, then so what. The ammunition and weapons weren't meant for show and each round, rocket, or grenade was meant to destroy the enemy. He wasn't going to waste supplies if he didn't have to.
"I mean-" They started.
"We are in horrible times, supplies are in decent quantity, not good like you all think. Ammunition is one of the most important things aside from food, water, and medical supplies... and you all want to just do a mag dump?" He asked, his tone growing more and more bitter with every word that came out. No one on Sera just randomly shot their weapon for fun, there was always an intent when they squeezed the trigger.
"Well... not necessarily a mag dump." Coco shrugged.
"I'm not letting you all touch these weapons unless you're authorized to. You still think this is a game. You think just because you joined the military, that you can do whatever you want? It doesn't work like that, and never will. Your job isn't to just boss people around, because don't think I don't notice some of you dipshits doing that. Your job is to defend the people you swore to protect and destroy the enemy." He said.
They didn't know he was watching their actions, how they acted and how they usually treated others. While most didn't abuse their power, some did, and he wouldn't do anything unless it was necessary. Vale's Army wasn't run by him and he wasn't going to even attempt to run it, that was the job of several higher ranking individuals. Dishing out punishment was their responsibility, and they were beginning to crack down on people.
"We don't care if you come to us asking us to look at your weapons and armor, but you're not taking our shit." Brock added.
"Get out." Walker ordered.
"Wait-" Ruby started.
"Get out. The only person I want to see is Nikos." Walker said and slammed his hands on the counter, the contents rattled and they quickly left with the exception of those her.
"You wanted to see me?" Pyrrha asked.
"What's this about you wanting to stay at the base?" He asked.
"I was going to see if I could visit Jaune." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"How long?" He asked.
"Maybe a few weeks." She answered.
"Define a few weeks." He said.
"Just two." She clarified. He stared at her and she shook a bit the longer he did. The way Jaune described him matched, and she knew that she was staring at someone who wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty. While she only met him a few times and only one was pleasant, she wasn't willing to try and do anything even though she knew she could beat him. He was a man that commanded hundreds, if thousands against literal monsters that put the Grimm to shame.
Gears constantly were in the thick of battle and she was sure half of them were insane. She was sure Walker was just a Locust wearing the skin of a human by the way he fought. It was eerily similar to the monsters below; aggressive, without a shred of mercy, and downright sadistic in her honest opinion.
"You compare me to a Locust one more fucking time..." He snapped at her and made her jump. She must have blurted it out unintentionally but it was clear she made a grave mistake.
"I-I didn't mean anything." She waved her hands, trying to defuse the situation.
"Get out." He ordered and she nodded quickly before quickly leaving the room. Brock and Simon just looked at the door before shaking their heads in disappointment and slight annoyance.
"I can tell they haven't been knocked off their high horses yet." Brock said.
"They're a bunch of idiots. Aside from Ozpin and a few others, they're the only people to get me to lose my damn temper." Walker sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"No kidding. Half of them will probably end up dead sooner or later." Brock said.
"I don't doubt it. Anyways, I have some things to take care of. If any of them try to steal our equipment, do what you need to do." Walker nodded at the two and they nodded back in understanding.
It wouldn't be the first time the brothers had to kill people in order to keep their property safe.
A week passed by and Walker got out of the King Raven at the landing zone. He saw countless Gears, BSS, and Vale's Army personnel nearby. The cool late evening air tickled their skin and they could feel the moisture from the water stick to them a bit. He walked to the docks and saw a boat with some of the others. The main people he saw were Blake, Red, Jaune, and the former students.
He frowned at the last group, but decided to ignore his disliking of them. They had a job to do and it wasn't the first time he's worked with people he didn't like. So long as they at least did their part then he'd focus on his task.
"That's our ride." He said as he stepped up to the boat and hopped inside of it.
"Gears, right? Right?" A Vale soldier asked. Walker could tell he was young, possibly eighteen, and nervous about his first major assignment.
"Yeah. Man the gun, keep your head down, and don't get killed." He instructed.
"Sir." The kid nodded.
"Alright, get up there." Walker nodded back and watched as he climbed up on the gun at the front. They all noticed his tone was a bit more relaxed as he gave the order and he turned to them.
"You ready?" Blake asked, seeing him nod.
"Silverback Rocket Launchers. Blake, starboard side, arm it up. Red, you're on the One-Shot up above. Jaune, you're driving." He ordered. Blake nodded and climbed into her spot, picking up the rocket launcher and hefting it over her shoulder. Red climbed up on the top and grasped the One-Shot readily while Jaune went to the wheel and turned on the boat.
"What about us?" Ruby asked from the docks.
"You seven are on this boat, hurry up. We're running on a tight schedule." He answered. As much as he didn't want them partaking in this mission, they needed all the help they could get and he figured this would either make them or break them. A whistle was heard and the boat took off followed by several others. He looked up to see several Packhorses, Armadillos, and Centaurs driving alongside the left side of the river while King Ravens and Bullheads soared above.
The waves crashed against the boat as sped through the water and they moved around a bit. Jaune spun the wheel to the right when the river started to curve in that direction. The Bullheads and King Ravens started firing at an unseen enemy that was blocked by the trees. Two more boats sped next to them and stayed a bit behind before they all came across an open area.
A Locust watchtower was seen along the shore of the right side and Blake aimed the rocket launcher at it, firing once and watching it explode. Bits of pieces of the tower flew through the air and body parts mixed in with them. Distant explosions could be heard in the distance and Jaune sped up, causing the wind to blow in their faces and some of them squint.
They ducked down a bit when Locust on the shore started firing at them, making several of them fire back. The gunner at the front of the boat swiveled around every so often and would kill a group of Locust, ripping their bodies apart and causing their entrails to spill out. He ducked down when Locust on the left shore fired at him and Walker aimed the rocket launcher at them, firing three rockets at the group and watching their bodies scatter in several directions.
He reloaded the weapon and aimed forward again. As they drove through the river, a bridge could be seen above, prompting him and Blake to aim at it, each one firing once and blowing it up. Bits and pieces of it landed in the water along with bodies and they all zoomed past it, the other two boats following them closely.
Blake gave a signal for the boat on the right to advance ahead and it did, picking up speed before leading them. They all saw more Locust camps up ahead and the gunner aimed at the cabin, firing at it and eventually destroying it along with whatever was inside. Three rockets were launched at a watchtower and an explosion briefly illuminated the area.
They all had a small breather for a moment before looking up ahead to see a Brumak roaring at the convoy on the left side of them all. Red aimed at it and fired the One-Shot at it, drawing its attention and making it roar at them. When it turned towards them, the former students just looked at her in disbelief.
"What the hell-" May started to say, only to jump when the loud cannon of the Centaur fired. They turned to see the large tank's barrel smoking and the Brumak turned back towards it and roared, causing it to fire another shell. A massive explosion made it recoil violently and it barely had time to recuperate before another shell was fired at it. Its head exploded in a mist of red and the colossal body collapsed onto the shore.
"Stop staring and help us!" Blake shouted at them, causing them to turn their attention back to the river. The boats stopped when a large blockade was seen in the river. It was made completely of metal and it held a sort of gothic look to it.
"Jaune, head to that blockade. Our boys will handle it." Walker ordered.
They looked above to see a Bullhead hover above them before firing several rockets at it. The first couple dented it while the rest blew it open and allowed them to enter. Someone on the other boat cheered at the explosion and he ignored it before feeling himself jerk a bit when the boat took off again.
The boat to their left suddenly exploded and made them all look up ahead to see several Boomers roar at them before firing volleys of explosives. Jaune quickly turned the wheel and managed to maneuver out of the way when the explosives hit the water. Water flew through the air and landed on them before Red aimed the One-Shot at them and killed one of them.
Another one was killed when she quickly reloaded and fired at it. Half of its body turned into a shower of red and it spun around before falling down the cliff. Walker and Blake aimed at the group and fired their launchers, watching as the missiles soared through the air and the group of Boomers disappeared in an inferno of orange.
They jerked to the side and the others fell down when the boat on their right slammed into them.
"What the hell?!" Yang shouted and her eyes nearly bulged out of her skull when she saw Locust driving the boat. They roared at them and the driver slammed into their boat again before hooks were thrown onto their boat. The others felt a wave of terror engulf them when they realized how smart their new enemies actually were.
The bodies of the previous occupants lied strewn across the boat and the new ones fired at them.
"Get those goddamn hooks off!" He ordered and ducked down when the Locust fired at them. They nodded shakily and quickly went to the hooks before hitting them several times and knocked them off. Jaune took the opportunity to create some distance and quickly stopped, allowing the Locust occupied boat to zoom ahead.
When it was far enough ahead, Walker and Blake fired their rockets at it and hit the side of it. The side exploded and caused the boat to crash into the shore, flipping over and crushing the Locust underneath.
Their boat took off again and eventually came across a large, circular open area. It was quiet for several seconds before a large Locust Gunboat exploded from its confines. It was heavily armored and two Manglers carried the boat through the water. The cacophony of roars made them all look at it and saw a heavily armored Drone driving it.
They fired at it, but the Manglers were quick to move the boat out of the way and Jaune took off, doing his best to avoid the Troika turrets. The water kicked up as the countless rounds hit the surface and they ducked when the heavy rounds hit the side of the boat. A few rockets managed to hit the Locust boat, and it killed one of the them, which caused the others to roar violently at them.
Like a serpent, the boat weaved through the water and the Troikas' barrels spun and fired at them, hitting the side of the boat. Bits and pieces were torn from their own boat and if they took too much damage then they'd sink.
"Jaune! Pick it up, that thing is tearing us to shreds!" Walker ordered as he fired a rocket. It hit the boat and killed another one of the Locust gunners. Both boats spun around one another, firing at each other with the goal of sinking the other one faster.
Jaune jerked a bit when an explosion hit their boat in the front, causing the others to fall down. He sped up and towards the other boat, quickly turning and splashing copious amounts of water it the Locust driver's face. It wiped away the water and roared before stopping when a grenade clattered next to it.
It barely had time to comprehend anything before the grenade exploded and ripped it apart. The Locust Gunboat stopped and the remaining ones looked to see their driver dead, allowing the others to quickly kill them. Their bodies slumped on the surface and some in the water.
All went quiet and their boat was smoking, causing some of them to cheer. Jaune just sighed in relief as the adrenaline slowly faded a bit and his knees felt weak. He looked up to see Blake shout something before Walker put the rocket launcher down and climbed up from his spot.
"Oh shit..." Walker quickly whispered when he saw the gunner at the front slumped forward. He quickly hauled him out of his spot and lied him on the spot next to him. The others stopped cheering when they saw him tap his face several times before dropping his head.
Blake just turned away a bit and took a few calming breaths before helping him carry his body to the center of the boat. His dog tags were taken and she read his personal information before handing it to him
"He's alright... right?" Ruby asked. The last time she saw him, he was shooting Locust and the next he was slumped over.
"No, Rose. He isn't alright." Walker clenched his fists before stuffing the tags in his pocket.
"Jaune, take us forward." Blake looked at him.
"Right." He nodded and started the boat back up.
"We're just going to keep forward, like nothing happened?" Nolan asked.
"We don't have a choice." Walker said.
"This guy's gone. Why can't we just take him back?" Nolan asked.
"We'll take him back when we finish this mission." Walker answered and climbed back in his spot. They just looked at him and he shook his head before muttering something and the boat continued forward.
Their little victory was extremely short-lived and the mood dropped once again.
The stopped at a small shore and climbed off the boat. It was quiet and the stronghold was up ahead; the Locust were preoccupied with the forces at the front, which allowed them to sneak through the back. Two squads of BSS were already on the shore, waiting for their arrival and Walker made his way up to them.
"We're all yours, where do you want us?" One of them asked.
"You're with us. The rest of you, guard this boat. Any Locust come this way, I want them dead." Walker looked at the former students and ordered. While they did grumble about not being able to come, they decided to listen. The BSS just nodded at him and followed him and the other three up the trail.
They all jogged up it and when they reached the top of the hill, they saw the back of the stronghold. It was almost impossible to miss and one had to be blind to let it slip past their attention. An opening to their left allowed water to flow into it and for the Locust boats to enter and exit. There was a large door in the middle meant to carry supplies and troops in and out of the complex.
"What's the plan, commander?" One of them asked.
"Take the water entrance and infiltrate the stronghold. We're not getting through that door anytime soon." He answered.
"What about those kids at the boat?" Another one asked.
"They're guarding it." He answered.
"You think they'll leave?" Red asked.
"They better not and the boat better not be destroyed when we get back." He responded and looked ahead. They nodded and slid down the hill after him before going towards the water entrance and looked in it. He put his weapons on his back and slid inside the water, the other three followed him and the BSS operatives put on some goggles and rebreathers before sliding in as well.
They all dove underneath the waves and swam towards the entrance, keeping their presence concealed as the entered. He stopped swimming when they came to the edge of a platform and saw two Drones. Blake blew a large bubble to catch their attention and the two looked down at the water, bending down when they saw Walker's helmet lights pierce the murky water.
Walker gripped the Drone's wrist and dragged it underneath while Blake did the same. He brought out his knife and stuck it in its throat, jerking it around before ripping it forward. Its trachea was exposed and he let the body go before turning to see Blake stab her weapon through its mouth, a muffled piercing noise was heard and it went limp. The two bodies started to float towards the surface before they were dragged and pushed down towards the bottom.
He emerged from the depths and looked around before grabbing the edge and hauling himself up. Copious amounts of water dripped from his body and he bent down over the edge and held his hand out. He helped each one of them up and they made sure whatever water was in their weapons was out before looking around. A small bridge was spotted and a lever was connected to the wall for the door.
They walked across it and he went up to the lever, grunting as he tugged it down and the door started to open up. A squad of the BSS would remain at their current location and guard the entrances while the others trekked inside, eliminating Locust and finding whatever they could.
"Locust patrol up ahead." Jaune called out as they made their way through the halls, climbing a flight of stairs. The cathedral-like appearance of the area made them wonder how long this place had been up. Walker didn't care because once they got everything they needed, it would be destroyed to avoid the Locust from returning here.
Ahead of them was a Locust patrol rushing towards the front entrance. Drones and Grenadiers quickly rushed down the hallway and disappeared around the corner while Boomers and Maulers stomped after them. Walker held his hand up and caused them to stop as a lonely Drone started to make its way with the rest of the group.
He whistled briefly and caught its attention before quietly pulling out his bowie knife and flipping it in a reverse grip. The large blade gleamed briefly in the light and the wisps of archaea floated into the sky with a orange hue. Once it was close enough around the corner, he slammed his fist in the side of its face with enough force to make its jaw click.
When it spun around, he gripped its forehead and jerked its head back before sliding the blade across its throat deeply. It gurgled loudly and he stuck the tip of the blade against the back of its neck stabbed it all the way through. After a few seconds of struggling, it went limp and he threw the body behind him without a care in the world.
The lanterns illuminated the gothic halls as they made their way through them, noticing the lack of Locust in the area. Judging by the distant gunfire and explosions, they guessed nearly all the forces were occupied at the front entrance. When they came across the corner the other Locust disappeared around, he looked back at them and saw further down were holding cells.
He nodded towards the direction and they looked at the cells for several seconds before nodding back. They followed him through the halls, keeping their weapons ready as they made their way towards the main atrium. Up ahead was a Drone on a Troika firing at the people below, laughing as it pinned them down. Several Locust were to their right and left firing at the group that managed to make their way inside.
A chainsaw was revved up and the Drone's eyes widened when it heard the sound, quickly hopping off the gun but it was too late. The teeth ripped through its torso and he kicked it off the edge while the others dealt with the Locust on the sides. He quickly grabbed the handles of the Troika and aimed it below at a group of Locust.
The barrels spun furiously as he fired and killed several of them before turning it to his left and firing down at another group, ripping their bodies apart. The gunfire died down and he looked below to see that they were on the third story while the group was on ground level.
"Thanks for that, boss. Thought we were goners." Cardin breathed in relief.
"No problem. Secure the ground level. Keep an eye out, Locust may use POW's as meat shields so check your shots." Walker ordered.
"Got it." Cardin nodded before giving a brief whistle and leading the group ahead and out of their sight.
"What about us?" Coco asked.
"Secure second floor along with a couple of squads. Menendez, you're leading." Walker ordered at a Gear.
"On it. Let's move, people!" Menendez addressed several of the others while walking backwards then turned forward towards their destination.
"About time we got to do-" Coco started.
"You fuck this up for us and I will kill you myself, Adel." Walker interrupted. That mere statement made her stop for a second because she knew he would go with it, she's heard about him enough to know that he didn't make threats often and when he did, he carried them out.
"Adel, what the fuck are you doing?! Let's move!" Menendez barked suddenly and she jogged after them.
Walker just narrowed his eyes behind his helmet and stared at the spot she was previously in. It wasn't a secret that he didn't like her, nor the rest of her team, but now wasn't the time to hold petty feelings. They had a job to do and he wouldn't have some fashionista screwing it all up because she wanted some glory. He wasn't lying when he said he'd kill her if she screwed this up for them.
Nearly everyone knew the stakes of ridding this place and it would give them some much needed breathing room. He just shook his head and turned to the others, who stood ready for his next order.
"Finish securing this level and we move onto the basement if there is one." He said.
"Right." They nodded and followed him as he started to lead them back towards the halls. Wherever the Locust presence was the thickest was where people would always find him, leading his troops like an unstoppable force. They always fought harder in his presence because he expected nothing but the best from them.
A Grinder spun the crank on its Mulcher and laughed menacingly as it stomped forward. The sound of the gun overheating was heard and once it did, Blake and Walker peeked around the corner and fired at it. Their rounds pierced its flesh and detonated shortly after, ripping it apart in several places. It spun around and landed against the ground with a heavy thump.
Jaune spun a grenade from the pillar he was taking cover behind and threw it forward, watching as it clattered against the ground and exploded shortly after. Two Drones flew into the wall and were killed upon impact. He reloaded his Gnasher and fired around the corner when he heard a Grenadier run at him. The bark of the shotgun rang out throughout the hall and the Locust flew back.
Red was a bit behind them and aimed her Longshot at a Drone hidden behind cover. She aimed at the wall near it and fired, the round ricocheted off the pillar and hit it in its throat. The sound of a distant heavy body hitting the ground was heard and all went quiet after that.
"Start freeing those prisoners." He ordered to the group behind him. They nodded and went to each cell before bringing out a powerful blowtorch and started burning through the locks.
"Hal, rip that door." Walker whistled and the bot appeared. Hal beeped before going towards a large holding cell and bringing out his blowtorch, burning through the door. The sound of torches going and cell doors opening was a nice change of pace compared to what they've been dealing with for the last few hours.
He turned when he heard someone gag and they just shook their head at him, making him sigh and gesture for them to close the door. Knowing the Locust, it wasn't pretty in the slightest.
Hal gave a beep and moved to the side as he grabbed the door and dragged it open with a grunt. The scent of blood was heavy in the room and a few of the others covered their noses at the pungent stench. He steeled himself and walked inside, seeing several people chained up by their hands and off to the side was a cart full of dismembered bodies.
Someone vomited in the background and he ignored it before moving to the first person. He gently lifted their head and noticed the empty expression in their eyes before carefully letting it slump down. The chains around the man's wrists were unlocked and he fell forward but was caught and helped out by two others.
"Blake, give me a hand." He said and she nodded before going towards the other five in the cell. All bear Faunus, female, and looked to be young. If one had to guess, either middle school or a freshman in high school. Both of them had to look away from the empty gazes of the dismembered heads on the side of the room.
"What did they do to them?" She asked as she unlocked the cuffs on the first one. He caught her as she fell down and carried her out of the room, carefully handing her to someone else.
"There's no telling with these abominations." He said as he walked back into the room and stood in front of the next one. She dropped and he caught her, seeing some of the light return in her eyes and she was helped out by the both of them.
"What are we going to do about... them?" Blake gestured towards the corpses and quickly looked away. It was hard to look at them and she felt a wave of disgust fill her body every time she looked at them. She knew there were cruel beings in this world... but this? This was the very epitome of evil.
"We see if we can find out who they were and put their belongings in the memorial." He answered, catching the next girl and holding onto her when she started sobbing. She was so terrified and he just slowly guided her out of the small hellhole of a room.
"At least it's better than nothing." Blake said quietly and released the last two. He caught one of them while she caught the other and the two just carried the prisoners out of the cell. Blankets were wrapped around them to cover the scraps of clothing they wore and they were carried out.
"Find personal belongings, collect them." He ordered the skull-drones and they gave an ominous beep before going around each room to find personal belongings.
"These people need to be taken back to the base." She said.
"Blake..." He started.
"I'm serious, Walker. You really think these people won't be taken advantage of at Beacon?" She asked, making him stop and think for a second. Countless people had been evacuated to Beacon and not all of them were good people. Who's to say that a group or two wouldn't take advantage of these poor souls?
"Either at Mother Base or Menagerie." He said, adjusting his grip on the person in his arms.
"I half expected you to argue." She admitted.
"I'm not leaving these people with Ozpin nor Ironwood if he decides to rear his ugly face out. Both of them would use these people's trauma against them." He said. They had decided to let silence bask over them as they carried the two up the stairs. The third floor was better and a lot of the prisoners were rescued, showing upmost gratitude towards the ones who saved them.
The basement was a different story and nearly everyone down here was found dead or had to be put out of their misery, with the exception of a few fortunate souls. Although fortunate would be a lie because some of these people might not ever recover. This place would be picked clean of information and supplies before being burned to the fucking ground.
There was no reason to let this place stand and he knew if the Locust found out then they'd come back here eventually. This place wasn't a stronghold because it was all too easy to eliminate and he actually stopped and looked back towards the stairs to the basement. It was a sickening realization that made even him stop and learn something new about the abominations he's fought so many times.
"What?" Blake asked.
"This wasn't a stronghold." He said, still staring at the basement.
"What?" She asked again.
"It was a meat factory." He answered. It was quiet and tense for a few seconds as she processed what he said and a look of horror spread across her face.
"Oh Gods." She gagged. It made too much sense now that she thought about it. The countless Butchers in the lower levels, the lack of victims, dismembered bodies quartered off into sections, and the bloody metal plates of food.
This place was just a slaughterhouse for the Locust. Food was probably scarce down in their home so they had to substitute with something. That tactic of luring people made all too much sense now. Leading them into the meat grinder to feed the Horde and there was no telling how many lives they claimed over time.
"Let's get the hell out of here." He said. She just nodded quietly and followed him up the stairs, letting the drones collect the belongings and follow them up, leaving this hell in the wind.
The prisoners were placed gently on the boat and he barely spared a passing glance at the dead team near it. All that was left was Ruby and her team, who looked completely traumatized. He had to snap at them to grab their attention and he looked at Nolan and his team's bodies just lying still on the ground. Countless dead Locust were strewn across the area.
He collected the tags before loading the bodies on the boat. Everybody had found out that it wasn't a stronghold but more of a slaughterhouse and they didn't feel as good as they did before. Granted, it was still a major blow to the Locust and it would give them a break from the attacks. So after spending the next several hours collecting supplies and personal belongings to place in the memorial, special charges were placed.
After everyone was safe, the charges were detonated and he watched the slaughterhouse go up in flames. Nothing was left but a smoldering ruin of what supplied the Locust their food.
He decided to drive the boat back and the others just quietly sat in their spots. None of them wanted to talk and he didn't blame them, Ruby and her team were the only ones left surprisingly, but they didn't come out unscathed. As calloused as it sounds, they weren't necessarily his responsibility by the end of the day and he felt a certain sense of detachment towards them.
They passed by the previous areas where they fought on the river and the rest of the ride was just... quiet. No form of wildlife, no gunfire and explosions, not even the sound of the Bullheads. It was just their boat speeding through the waves. It was peaceful in its own demented way, the absolute stillness the world was able to conjure up at certain times.
The rest of the ride held the same tone and they eventually made it back to the docks. He parked the boat and helped the prisoners off, carrying them to the King Raven and loaded them inside. They were told they'd be going to a safer place and he saw some of the light return in their eyes as they ascended into the sky along with Ruby and her team.
After everyone left, it was just him and the other three. He just looked around before finding a nearby log and sitting on it, sliding his helmet off and setting it on the spot next to him. His hands rubbed his head and then slid down to his face, rubbing them several times to wipe away some of the stress. While it wasn't the mission they had hoped for, it was still a success and they'd take it. Every small victory needed to be cherished and this one was probably their first somewhat major one.
"How much time do you think this all gave us?" Jaune asked.
"Maybe two or three months. If we're lucky, four or five." Walker shook his head.
"That's not a lot." Red said.
"It's better than what we've been getting." He responded before putting his helmet back on.
"So what now?" Blake asked.
"Get those people to either base or to Menagerie, one of the two." He answered.
"Why not Beacon?" Jaune asked.
"I don't trust Ozpin." Walker answered simply.
"Fair enough. A lot of people died in that assault." Jaune said.
"How many?" Walker asked.
"There's no telling with Vale's military, several Gears and BSS, and nearly all the former students." Jaune answered.
"I take it your girlfriend is fine?" Walker asked.
"She's not my girlfriend yet, but she's fine. Half of SSSN are gone and the rest of the former students are gone too." Jaune said.
"Goddammit..." Walker sighed and his head slumped down.
"The bodies were collected, if that makes you feel better." Jaune said.
"Not really, but thanks for trying." Walker said before looking up when a King Raven started to descend. The other three shielded their eyes as it landed and climbed on, while he just sat on the edge and clamped the belt over his lap. His feet dangled as they took off and he saw the smoke in the distance from the explosion, making him stare at it blankly for several seconds.
He unbuckled himself and slid the door shut before climbing in one of the seats and closing his eyes. Once everyone was situated, they'd return to base and recuperate. They saw that he needed it the most; he's been essentially carrying their survival on his shoulders and it was beginning to weigh him down.
Jaune hopped on his scroll and started talking to a few people before leaning back and closing his eyes. Blake and Red just leaned against Walker and closed their eyes as well before falling asleep shortly after. The rest of the ride was quiet with the exception of the rotar from the King Raven. It was nice background noise in their honest opinion.