Atlas was cold, colder than what Walker had initially assumed. He was glad that his clothing and armor kept his warm for the most part and he took a drag from his cigar. It was a different batch and it warmed his body after a few puffs. It was nothing but a simple extermination assignment and he watched a small Locust camp move supplies.
From the spot on the cliff, he could take nearly all of them out with several well placed shots. He lied down and took a hold of the Longshot, adjusting the sight and looking through the scope. He looked ahead and spotted a sniper looking around, making him aim and fire.
The suppressed shot canceled a lot of the noise and he watched as the Sniper on the other cliff jerk its head back and fall to the ground. He breathed in relief and aimed back down towards the camp. Another round was loaded into the Longshot and he took aim once again. However, just before he could squeeze the trigger, he looked up when he saw a Bullhead soar overhead.
Roars were heard from above and he saw the Locust begin to fire at the aerial vehicle. He didn't let it deter him and fired at one of the Locust in the back. Their head exploded in and caked the snow below a red color.
"Snipe-" Another Locust was cut off when he fired at it, striking it in the throat and watching as it flew back. The others started to look around for him, but his location was concealed. The stealth suit that was crafted for him kept his presence practically unknown and he was glad how much work they put into it.
Another sniper killed another Locust and he knew who it was, except she was further away than he was. He fired once and killed another Drone before the occupants in the Bullhead quickly exited and started to fire at the Locust. One of them was blown apart when a grenade landed next to their feet, courtesy of a Grenadier.
He stopped firing and signaled for Red to do the same, letting the Atlas soldiers operate. From what he understood, there wasn't any intel in the camp and there was no reason to go down there. The Gears weren't even supposed to be here and if him and Red got captured then it would create more complications between them and the snow kingdom. It was better to avoid problems if they could be prevented.
"Do you think they have this handled?" Red asked over the radio.
"I know they do. There's no reason for us to go down there. It was merely an extermination." He answered.
"What about the supplies the Locust were carrying?" She asked.
"Leave them." He said and she made a noise in acknowledgement. The two of them watched as the Atlas soldiers started to slowly kill the Locust; it seemed that they were using the rounds he gave them. So at least Ironwood took his advice and stopped using Dust so much. That still didn't make him like the General in the end.
They watched the soldiers look through the camp for any information before reporting it back. He closed his eyes when he saw one of the soldiers try to help a prisoner out of the cage, only to realize that they froze to death. Him and Red already knew the prisoner was death, there was too much snow on them and they hadn't moved an inch since they arrived.
More Bullheads started to arrive and and five individuals hopped out. They were different from the regular soldier and he could tell they were more of a threat. While they did carry an aura of arrogance, they had the skill to back it up. He watched as they went around and inspected the Locust bodies, particularly the ones him and Red killed before the arrival of the soldiers.
Ace Ops, the finest Huntsmen and Huntresses on Remnant. A complete joke if someone asked him, but he wasn't one to brush their achievements under the rug.
He watched as they looked around the area, particularly in the distance at the cliffs. They were onto him and he knew it, which is why he didn't move a muscle and let the snow slowly pile over him. After a while, they started to look away and were briefed on the camp. The leader nodded and walked with a few of the soldiers around the camp, presumably to look for information.
Red spotted a Theron stalking the group from the distance and then spotted several more Locust behind it.
"Walker, there's a group of Locust approaching the camp." She informed.
"Where?" He asked.
"To your three o'clock." She answered. He looked to his right and saw the group rapidly approaching the soldiers and the Ace Ops.
"Patch me into their communications." He got on the C-Droid and told them.
"Patching you through." Control said and started to patch him into the communications.
"Locust approaching from the North." Walker told the Ace Ops.
"This is Clover Ebi, leader of the-" Clover started.
"Shut up and get ready." Walker interrupted. He watched as the soldiers and Ace Ops snapped to their left when they heard the roars of the Locust. They took cover behind boxes and flipped over cages as the rounds started to fly past their heads.
He aimed at a Boomer and fired, hitting it in the eye when it started to stomp towards them. It recoiled in agony and he quickly reloaded before firing again. Its head turned into a shower of red mist before its large body collapsed to the ground and kicked up snow.
"Sniper!" A Drone shouted and quickly fell backwards when Red fired at it and killed it. The sound of gunfire echoed across the sky and two Atlas soldiers fell backwards when Hammerburst rounds punctured their bodies.
Red looked up when she saw the Bullhead ascend and it turned towards the group of Locust. Countless bullets tore up chunks of the ground as the guns fired and it swept over the group of Locust. Their bodies were shredded into meaty chunks and the Locust started to get reckless and charge at them.
Clover bent down when a Drone started to fire at it and stood up. He reared his weapon back only to lower it when the Drone's head jerked to the side when a sniper round entered its skull. It crumbled to the ground and he looked off in the distance, not seeing anything but snow and mountains.
When the fighting slowed down and the Locust were dead, they all looked around for the snipers, only to see nothing.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"..." Walker didn't respond and the feed was cut, leaving only static. The engagement was short, but he watched as the Ace Ops looked around for him and Red. They would never find them though; the suits kept their presence concealed and they were already gone from the spot.
It would take her a while, but she would loop around the camp and crawl towards him before being picked up and they'd head to Mantle shortly after. Legally speaking, they weren't supposed to be here, but they needed to prevent the fall of Atlas if they could. As much as the Gears didn't like Atlas, it was considered the strongest military presence and if it fell then Remnant was doomed.
The Locust had taken enough. Plus, if they did manage to play their cards right then Atlas owed them to the point where the debt could never be paid.
Walker sat in a lonely bar and drank some alcohol. The burning sensation graced his lips and slid down his throat before he set the glass down and the bartender took it. Red sat next to him and her cap allowed her to blend in a bit better. Both of them wore white coats and he wore a scarf over his face and goggles over his eyes to hide his identity. Her scarf was just below her nose and she exhaled quietly.
Music was played in the background as a few patrons sat at their tables and enjoyed their drinks. Nobody was listening and the bartender slid him a note under a napkin before tending to another customer. He lifted the drink and slid the note in between him and Red, allowing both of them to read it.
"Family of six, 12 o'clock, east gate. Guard patrol low. Payment already forwarded towards offshore account for safe transport." The note read and he nodded before he bundled the note up and stuffed in his pocket. He slid off the bar stool while Red followed him and he opened the door for her before stepping out himself.
Cold air blew in their faces and caused them to bring the scarves up to keep them warm. Mantle looked run down compared to what he had seen from Atlas, broken windows from various shops, trash littered alleyways and streets, and a few drunk people stumbled around the dimly lit area. It looked more like Beacon with how many people were here and the state of the city.
"This place looks like shit." She muttered as she gazed around the area.
"It probably looked like shit before the Locust popped up." He responded and kept walking down the sidewalk. The snow blew into their faces and he adjusted his hat while she adjusted hers and brought the scarf up further.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"We're meeting with a contact." He answered as he rounded a corner. She followed him as he led them through the streets, occasionally waiting for cars to pass by before crossing. They avoided staying on the streets too long because several soldiers could be seen on the rooftops, staring at the people below.
She knew where he was taking them. A person had reached out to them and had paid a substantial amount for the safe transport of himself and his equipment. He also paid for the transport of several individuals, but the kicker was that he was here in Mantle. Payment was just an added bonus and he was going to evacuate people regardless.
"Do you trust them?" She asked.
"Not necessarily." He answered.
"Mmm." She hummed in response and they continued to walk along the dimly lit sidewalk. Being back here in Mantle was like taking a trip down memory lane and she didn't want to be here.
"You alright?" He asked when he noticed her staring at a particular street. The lights were broken and windows were boarded up.
"Yeah." She nodded after a few seconds of silence and turned away. There was a broken down house and he noticed it before turning away as well.
"Alright... I'm here if you want to get something off your chest." He said.
"I know." She whispered. He was always there whenever her, Blake, or even Jaune wanted to talk and confide in someone. More often than not, he understood what they were going through and if he didn't then he'd try to. It's what made him different from some people and the one thing that made them follow him to the bitter end. People always confided in him.
"The contact should be up ahead." He changed the subject and she nodded quietly before following him. She stuck closer to his side than before and if he noticed, then he didn't say anything or push her away.
They walked along the street some more and took several more blocks before rounding a corner and coming across a pharmacy on the corner. It looked a bit better than some of the other buildings in the area, but it was clear that it wasn't grand like the city above their heads. Some spots were run down and broken. The most noticeable thing was the green, neon cross and lightings on the building.
As they got closer, a Faunus exited and thanked the person inside before trotting down the street and looking at her new prosthetic. It looked crude, but effective and he wasn't one to downplay the effort that probably went into it. Having something like that was probably considered a blessing down here in Mantle.
"And what do I owe the pleasure to..." A man in a robotic wheelchair trailed off when he saw the two of them.
"Dr. Polendina." Walker greeted.
"Ah... I wasn't expecting your arrival so soon." Pietro said as he backed up and the two walked in, shutting the door and sighing in relief at the warm air of the pharmacy.
"Decided to stop by earlier than what I intended." Walker said as he looked around.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable." Pietro said and moved around the room. Any place was comfortable seeing how he was always sitting and he watched them sit down on the sofa.
"I'm surprised that you're not up there." Walker pointed towards the ceiling and the older man immediately knew where he was referring to.
"They offered me a spot up there, but I declined. Many people here need prosthetics due to those abominations." Pietro shook his head.
"So how much equipment are we talking about moving?" Walker asked as he leaned in his seat. Red shuffled around a bit and crossed her leg over the other one.
"A decent amount of it." Pietro answered.
"What about you? I know you were talking about leaving this place." Walker gestured.
"That's the tricky part. Atlas has been keeping a close eye on me so if I suddenly disappear then they'll come looking." Pietro said.
"We'll work something out. I also noticed that you've been paying for people's transport." Walker said.
"Atlas only accepts certain individuals, so when I started to hint towards an alternative, they started to do some digging." Pietro answered.
"How do you know they won't report it to Atlas?" Red asked.
"The one's I've told about the alternative option are people that loathe Atlas." He said.
"For what reason?" Walker asked.
"Atlas has been taking people and has a secret program that no one wishes to talk about. I can't get into their system without tipping them off. Even with my status, if they find out I know about this then they'll execute me." Pietro whispered.
"..." Walker didn't say anything and just nodded before he looked at his device. He saw that it would turn midnight in an hour and he needed to get to the spot to smuggle the people out of there. He bid Pietro a brief farewell before exiting the pharmacy with Red, the two of them walked down the dark sidewalk and disappeared in the night, just as a few individuals entered the pharmacy.
Pyrrha sat in an interrogation room in silence. She had been here for the last couple of hours and her wrists started to hurt from the aura canceling cuffs that were slapped on them. They did their research on her and had taken every precaution to ensure that she couldn't use her semblance or get out. She knew she should have declined Ozpin's offer to gather more information on the Gears.
The faction was different from what she had seen. It valued the safety of its citizens above all else and if it meant rooting out the bad apples, then so be it. However, not once had she seen them treat one another with cruelty. Everyone was so friendly with one another that she almost mistook it for paradise.
She should have known something was terribly wrong when she was approached by individuals in onyx armor. The only difference was that their helmet lights were red instead of blue and they were deathly silent. She knew something wasn't right when the citizens moved away from her and let her get whisked away.
The individuals that arrested her didn't answer any of her questions and simply dragged her to a cell after cuffing her. Even as they threw her in the interrogation room and cuffed her again. Even in her restrained state, they aimed their weapons at her. Not a single one of them wavered and she knew that one wrong move meant they would kill her without a shred of remorse.
Her eyes trailed to their helmets and noticed they looked more like a skull in design before she looked back down when the Gear's head snapped towards her. The scent of death wiggled its way into her nostrils and it made her feel queasy. It was if she was going to be executed right at this moment and she couldn't help but feel the hidden terror start to rise.
A small noise made them all look towards the door and Blake walked in, making her look at the Faunus as if she were her saving grace. She noticed that the Gears in the room lowered their weapons and stood still as a statue. Blake merely sat down and pulled out a briefcase and opened it, taking out a folder and a notepad. Her Skull-drone floated next to her and stared at her.
"Blake-" Pyrrha started.
"You'll address me as Director Belladonna. We're not close as you think we are." Blake interrupted, making Pyrrha clamp her mouth shut. Her tone was cold, much more than what Pyrrha had initially thought. This wasn't the same girl she met during Beacon's initiation.
"Yes, ma'am." Pyrrha said.
"I'm glad we've come to an understanding in that part. I had to cut my time with my parents short due to this, so I prefer you cooperate." Blake said evenly. She was ticked at both having her personal time cut short and the fact that her assumption of Pyrrha being a spy was correct.
"..." Pyrrha just nodded quietly.
"Good... let's begin." Blake nodded back.
"..." Pyrrha just adjusted herself in her seat and mentally prepared herself.
"State your name and affiliation." Blake said.
"Pyrrha Nikos. Private in the Vale's Defense Force." Pyrrha said.
"What was your mission?" Blake asked.
"I was picked to acquire information regarding your home." Pyrrha answered.
"You mentioned you were picked? Where are the other agents?" Blake asked.
"Dead." Pyrrha said quietly.
"Their cause of death?" Blake asked. When Pyrrha didn't say anything, one of the Gears pointed a Boltok at her head and pressed it against her skull.
"T-The Locust. Half of them died in the slaughterhouse raid and the other ones died before then." Pyrrha answered quickly. The Boltok was taken off of her head and she breathed in relief.
"What kind of information were you tasked with gathering?" Blake asked, she didn't even give the other girl a chance to recuperate before the interrogation continued.
"Defensive and offensive capabilities, manpower, and other things." Pyrrha answered.
"Go on." Blake gestured.
"Ozpin wanted to know how strong the Gears were as a whole. He knew that you all were powerful allies and wanted to establish a partnership with you all." Pyrrha said.
"We're not allies with Beacon and our alliance with Vale is strictly business. What we do is for the survival of our species." Blake said.
"Ozpin wants the same thing." Pyrrha responded.
"No he doesn't. He wants people who will do his dirty work and take all the credit. The Headmaster's goal, while noble, is extremely flawed. His system was broken from the start and the only difference is that now people are starting to see it." Blake countered.
"You think your system isn't?" Pyrrha asked.
"Our system has flaws, but every system does. Never once have we claimed that it was perfect and we never will." Blake merely responded.
"But-" Pyrrha started.
"How long have you been under Ozpin's payroll?" Blake continued with the interrogation.
"For the last several months." Pyrrha answered.
"What can you tell me about this woman named Amber?" Blake asked.
"..." For once, Pyrrha didn't say anything and Blake merely raised an eyebrow.
"This has been a successful interrogation so far, there is no reason to stop now." Blake said.
"..." Pyrrha still didn't say anything and merely kept her mouth shut tightly.
"Fine, I suppose there are some things that you won't say easily. It's not a problem. We have alternate ways of making you talk." Blake shook her head. She'd get the information, one way or another, but she wasn't in the mood to get her hands dirty at the moment.
"Where's Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
"Him? He's currently dealing with the crushing guilt that he brought a spy here." Blake answered as she collected her things and the recording stopped.
"Can I talk to him?" Pyrrha asked.
"What makes you think he wants to talk to you? You know he honestly liked you? He thought that you were the one for him and it nearly destroyed him when he found out you were here to gather information on us." Blake revealed and sent the other girl a dirty look.
When Jaune found out about Pyrrha, he shut down. The guilt of bringing a spy to their home and possibly causing its downfall ate away at him. He wanted to go with Walker and Red to Atlas, but the former denied him and told him to get his head on straight. There was no use in him being there if his mind was clouded by shame.
"Just let me talk to him." Pyrrha said.
"No, you've done enough. Do you realize how many people you put at risk? What do you think would have happened if our location reached the Locust?" Blake shook her head and snapped her fingers. The Gears in the room roughly grabbed Pyrrha and cuffed her barely being deterred as she started to struggle in their grasps.
"Vale's going to get suspicious if I'm gone too long." Pyrrha struggled and looked at Blake.
"They already know. Your mission was a failure before it even began... Ozpin set you up and Vale handed you over to us when we informed them you were a spy." Blake said. Her tone was without a shred of mercy and she watched Pyrrha stopped struggling.
"Wha-" Pyrrha stopped when one of the Gears slammed his fist into the side of her head and knocked her out. Her body went limp and they made sure she was still breathing before looking at Blake.
"Take her to the cells. Her trial will begin within the next few days." Blake ordered and they nodded silently before dragging Pyrrha out of the room.
It was quiet and she looked towards the glass, knowing that Jaune was listening to the whole thing. She stepped out of the room and out into the hallway, seeing him exit out of the other room and stand next to her. Nothing was said in between them and she glanced at him, seeing the look of absolute guilt on his face.
"I screwed up." He said as he went to the other side of the hall and sat on a bench.
"It's not your fault." She pat his shoulder a few times.
"Yes it is... I should've known something was up. I should have-" He stopped himself and clenched his fists tightly. He was stupid to think that Pyrrha was a saint like she initially seemed.
"What matters is that this information didn't get out." She said.
"It should've never been collected in the first place." He shook his head.
"It was a mistake, Jaune. Like I said, what matters is that we caught this and nipped it in the bud before anything happened." She said.
"..." He just let his head sink down and put it in his hands.
"No one blames you." She said.
"Walker wouldn't let this happen. He knows everything." He chuckled hopelessly. There were times he felt inferior to Walker; the man had it all. At least in Jaune's eyes.
"Jaune, he had us keep an eye on her. We had a feeling that she was suspicious." She said.
"Why didn't you guys tell me then?" He looked at her.
"We wanted you to be happy. If we told you earlier then we knew that it would be the only thing on your mind." She said.
"Do you think it would've saved me from this hurt?" He asked.
"I don't know." She shook her head.
"Heh, looks like I'm the fool once again, huh?" He asked. She just shook her head and leaned back in her seat before he stood up and walked away. As much as she wanted to talk to him, she knew that him talking to Walker or having some time to himself was his best bet.
In exchange for having at least a stable relationship with Beacon, Vale had relinquished Pyrrha to the Gears. They had realized that she was a spy on Ozpin's payroll and confronted the Headmaster himself. His machinations had caused a slight rift between the Gears and Vale's military, the former growing suspicious of the latter.
The BSS had also grown suspicious of Vale's military, believing that there could be informants wanting to sabotage them in some way shape or form. An unfortunate side effect that caused the people to notice the Gears growing ever more distant towards them. The council were both appalled and shocked that someone would try and cause their greatest chance at survival to distrust them.
Coco noticed that the Gears began to become more distant and mistrustful of anyone affiliated with Beacon. She knew they different from Atlas and she had the displeasure of working with them multiple times. People often held them in high regards but she saw them as maniacs.
She looked up when she saw one of their aerial vehicles land and four individuals covered in pitch black armor strolled out then stood by the King Raven. Their helmets had a skull design and were red instead of blue, giving them a more ominous appearance. She knew who they were, nearly all the Gears and even the VDF have as well.
The Obsidian Guard were Walker's personal death squad, they were the secondary squad he used for black operations, aside from the Onyx Guard. People who had the chance to encounter them felt a combination of awe and fear. She understood why though, never had she seen people fight with such cruelty until that slaughterhouse raid. While others were panicking about the carnage around them, they were methodically moving through it all.
It was almost as if they were dead men walking already. The lack of fear in them made others fight harder.
Some noticed that they were more aloof and distant than the typical Gear. The only people they were friendly with was their own, Walker, and his team. People noticed that they always carried a Locust skull on their belt, it was a deranged thing that scared a lot of people away. Which was what their goal was.
They didn't talk and operated in eerie silence. She could tell they were coordinated to the point where words were barely needed. Rumors circulated around them and people avoided them like the plague, believing that they were something else.
People noticed Blake walk out of the King Raven and the Obsidian Guards followed her, as if they were her personal escort. A lot of them knew that she could handle herself but the four individuals felt that escorting her was part of their duty. She didn't mind all that much, they were quiet individuals but they were loyal to their faction and on friendly terms with the BSS.
Blake entered the tower and took the elevator up with the four. While some would feel uncomfortable with such dangerous individuals, she felt relaxed. After however many dangerous situations she's been in, being around people like them was like water rolling off a duck's back. It must have been a side effect of being with Walker for so long. She's lost count of how many times she's come close to death just being around him.
Her thoughts drifted to him, as well as Red. While she did know that they could handle themselves, it didn't stop her from worrying about them. As much as she wanted to keep relaxing, she knew as much as them that the Locust were planning their next attack. It's why she wanted to get this task over with and head straight to Atlas to help them.
When the doors opened, she frowned a bit when she saw Ozpin discussing some things with the council. The Gears exited before her and two went on her left side while the other two went on her right. Once everyone in the office saw them, it all went quiet with the exception of the ticking above.
"Ms. Belladonna." Ozpin nodded politely.
"..." She didn't even grace him with a response and simply took the briefcase and opened it, carefully checking its contents before closing it and walking back towards the elevator. When Ozpin tried to stop her, he suddenly stopped when the Gears aimed their weapons at him.
Everything was deathly silent as the Gears kept their weapons on him before backing into the elevator once Blake was in. One by one, they entered the elevator and pressed the button while still keeping an eye on him. There was no doubt that he was a dangerous individual, but that didn't deter them in the slightest.
The doors closed and she merely got on her device and sent Walker a message before putting it in her pocket. She perked up when the elevator doors opened and they all walked out into the lobby area.
"Hey, Blake!" A voice called out and her ears flattened in slight annoyance. She turned and saw Sun waving at her, approaching her quickly with Neptune in tow.
The Obsidian Guard aimed their weapons at the two of them, making them freeze in their tracks and hold their hands up. She set the briefcase down and put her hands on two of their Lancers, making them lower their weapons slightly and stare at Sun and Neptune. The boys shuddered at the soulless stares they were receiving and Blake snapped her fingers, causing the Gears to completely lower their weapons.
"What can I help you with?" She asked.
"Are they going to just stand there?" Neptune pointed at the other four.
"They're fine." She waved her hand.
"They're not going to shoot us... right?" Sun asked as he kept glancing at them.
"No." She answered. Unless she was in danger or they received orders to, they wouldn't do anything to them.
"Are you sure?" Neptune asked.
"I'm positive. Now what can I help you with?" She asked.
"Is Walker around here somewhere? We wanted to ask him something." Sun asked.
"He's currently busy. What do you need?" She asked.
"Well... it was more or less about us wanting to become Gears." He rubbed the back of his neck.
"Why?" She tilted her head. Her tone wasn't rude in the slightest and they could tell she was more curious than anything.
"We don't feel like we're doing anything here. I mean, don't get us wrong... being with the VDF is fine and all, but we feel like we can be accomplishing more." He said.
"The VDF does plenty for the people." She said.
"We understand that but... we felt useless when we did that raid. All those people that died and we couldn't do anything. We want to do more." He said.
"..." She just stared at the two and noticed the lack of their teammates. It dawned on her that they didn't make it and she pinched the bridge of her nose when she knew what they wanted.
"Listen, Scarlet and Sage died in that battle." Neptune said.
"I know. I was the one who helped write the report." She responded and the two looked at her.
"So can we become Gears?" Sun asked.
"That depends. If you're serious about becoming Gears then speak with the recruiter and the higher ups at the VDF. It's not just the snap of your finger that it'll happen. You need to go through a long process." She explained.
"We get it." Sun nodded.
"Good. I'd love to stay and chat but I need to get going." She said.
"Right." Both of them nodded and backed up when she started to walk by them. As she walked out the door, the Gears following her stopped at the entrance and looked at the two. It felt like an eternity that they were being stared at before the four left, following her and scaring off anybody that tried to approach.
Blake just sighed and entered the King Raven, sitting in her seat and getting comfortable. The Obsidian Guards entered shortly after before sliding the door shut right after. They were silent and checked their equipment carefully.
"You all are heading to your next assignment after I reach Mantle. A Locust camp is your destination and Walker wants it gone before they can start putting more troops in. Whatever supplies we can use needs to be acquired. Do you four understand?" She asked, looking at each one of them.
"..." They nodded curtly and she crossed her leg over the other one.
"Good." She said and put her headphones on, listening to the music to pass the time faster.
Thanks for reading, see you later.