A few weeks went by and Walker slowly stopped interacting with the civilians like he used to. He rarely went to the residential and commercial district anymore and people found it hard to reach him. His main concern was caring for Amiya and the war, if it didn't have to do anything with those two then he didn't care. Little events that were meant to raise morale were ignored in favor of work, his daily routine was completely reworked, and he stopped talking to a lot of people.
He barely even react when the Metal Throne was reworked and actually had a throne now. The more fanatical Gears had sought out the strongest Locust and took either their weapons or armor back to have it melted down. To many, it was an extremely sinful thing and they cursed the thing, demanding it be removed at once. Walker couldn't even be bothered as he sat in it and leaned his head on his hand, closing his eyes and letting his thoughts wander.
Nobody expected him to actually sit in it but he severely punished the fanatical Gears for manipulating so many people into crafting it. They did it while the deaths of the Scarlatinas was still fresh in his mind. The dozen took advantage of his emotional and mentally weak state to ask. He remembered approving it because he wasn't thinking clearly at the time, but he didn't have the energy to have it taken down.
So he sat in it.
When Amiya was at daycare for the day, the others were busy doing their duties, and he was done training and office work, he'd come here. The silence was often peaceful and he barely reacted when people entered, offering their prayers to some deities before leaving. Some would try to talk to him but were always met with silence and would leave shortly after.
He would only leave when something immediate came up that required his attention or it was related to Amiya. Other than managing Mother Base, overseeing the war, and caring for Amiya, he didn't have anything else. He had no way home, he was still grieving, and he was starting to get sick of the mainland's shenanigans.
However, he knew he couldn't just keep wallowing in this depressed state. Too many people relied on him and he knew that they'd possibly screw something up unless he was there to catch them as they fell. The sooner the war was dealt with, the sooner he could find a way home and never return to this planet. If he was smart with all of this, then humanity here would at least have something to rebuild from and he'd get to return to Sera.
Once he did, he'd sever whatever ties this place had with Sera. The two worlds would remain separate and he felt that it was for the best. If Remnant ever found out that the Locust came from Sera then then conflicts would arise. His home was still possibly recovering from both the Pendulum and Locust Wars, they didn't need another war to act as the final nail in the coffin.
Right now it was quiet in the room and he blinked slowly before looking to his right when his scroll buzzed. He opened the device and saw it was a message from Blake, asking where he was at and if he was okay. A part of him was half tempted to respond to her but he just set the device down and dipped his head down again, closing his eyes once more.
"Lord Commander, there is an issue in Atlas." An Obsidian Guard said.
"What kind of issue?" Walker asked as he looked up.
"It seems that the people are beginning to question the government and Ironwood requests our assistance." The Guard answered.
"Tell him that whatever political or other civil unrest is none of our concern. Our main objective is to keep the Locust at bay until we deliver this bomb. Are they harming our Gears?" Walker asked.
"No, they mostly leave the Gears alone, though there has been a few cases where a particularly bold citizen tries their luck." The Guard said.
"..." Walker just leaned forward a bit and frowned before leaning back in his seat again.
"What will you have us do?" The Guard asked.
"Make sure another Lucas Reed incident doesn't occur." Walker ordered, his tone turning slightly bitter at the mention of the scumbag. The last time he checked, he was still in the isolation cell with nothing but skin and very small traces of fat on his scrawny body. He was fed just enough to where he didn't starve and was denied any form of contact with the outside world. At this point, death was considered more merciful but Walker forgot he was down there half the time.
"Understood." The Guard nodded before leaving shortly after.
Walker slowly pulled himself up off the seat and rotated his neck. His shoulders bounced as he made his way down the steps and started to walk down the isle, clicking the side of his C-Droid to see that the bomb was nearing completion. It was similar to the Lightmass bomb and he intended to deliver it the same way, straight into the network of the Locust tunnels.
If they pulled this off successfully then it would be a major hit to the Locust. This would allow them to not only kill possibly hundreds of thousands, but give humanity enough breathing room to recuperate. He weaved through a crowd of people and started to walk across the platform, going towards his personal vehicle and got inside.
He looked at the time to see that it was nearing the end of the school day and he had to pick Amiya up. Seeing her face was usually the highlight of his days recently, seeing her eyes light up at the sight of him was enough to make him feel just a tad bit better. He leaned his head against his left hand as he drove the car across the platforms and bridges. The ocean waves was enough to make anyone relax but it did make some people go stir crazy at seeing nothing but water for miles on end.
Some requested that he add a large park but he found it to be a waste of both money and resources. The people had several sources of entertainment here, ranging from a theater to several other shops. He was well aware that some weren't completely happy, but they didn't seem to understand how good they had it compared to the people stuck in Beacon.
Minutes turned to tens of minutes and he turned on the radio, wincing when white noise blared and he turned down the volume. Eventually he just shut it off and kept driving towards the school district. More people were here now and the defenses increased to keep them safe. However, that meant they couldn't take anymore people without encountering a shortage. More people meant more mouths to feed and more supplies that were needed.
Until this next harvest, people would need to stop wasting food and other supplies. The people who have been here since the beginning knew and didn't waste a single bit, it was the newer citizens that came from Atlas that were being wasteful. If things got to the point where he couldn't let it slide anymore, he'd have them work until they made it all up or he'd kick them out.
He snapped back to reality when he arrived at the daycare and parked in one of the spots. He got out of the vehicle and pushed the code in for the front door before entering the building. The lady at the front desk greeted him and he did the same before walking to the room Amiya was in.
A knock on the door made the toddlers turn towards the sound and Amiya squealed in delight, fumbling out of her chair before waddling over to him as quick as she could. There was the faintest crack of a smile on his face as he bent down and scooped his hands underneath her arms. She made a grabbing motion towards him and he brought her close to him, rubbing her back a few times before walking out of the room.
The receptionist bid him farewell as he walked out the door and began to walk towards the SUV. It was sunny for once and he ignored the slight glare that reflected off of the hood, covering her eyes so that she wasn't affected by it. Putting her in the car seat didn't take long, the only issue was her putting her arm through, and he got in the driver's seat shortly after.
"What do you want to listen to?" He craned his head back at her.
"Bo." She lifted her hand and let it slump down.
"Sounds good." He said quietly and turned his head back ahead and started the SUV. His scroll was connected to the radio and he played one of her more favored songs before backing up. Driving on the street was easy since school wasn't out yet and it was relatively empty, save for a few people roaming around.
He glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Amiya bobbing side to side, doing her best to sing with the song. It was a mixture of babbles and sounds that sounded like words. The next song was played and she made a fussy noise, making him switch it and go back to the song from before.
For the next ten minutes, he just drove back to the apartment while listening to the songs she liked. After several more minutes, he finally arrived at the Command Platform and pulled into the parking spot. She was still bobbing side to side as he unbuckled her seatbelt and took her out of it.
He glanced at her when she grabbed a small fistful of his shirt and tugged at it, drooling on it and smearing it into his shoulder. It wasn't too much of an issue since he was going to change it anyways but he really didn't like the feeling of drool on his skin. He just guided her hands out of his shirt and kept walking towards the building. The inside was slightly cooler than the outside and he silently greeted the receptionist back before making his way to the elevator.
She suddenly leaned back and he had to catch her before sighing in relief when he managed to. If there was something that Amiya was, it was that she was slightly clumsy at certain times.
"What do you want for dinner?" He looked at her and walked out the elevator when the doors opened.
"Chi." She said, kicking her legs a bit while looking ahead.
"Some chicken and broccoli? Yeah... that sounds pretty good..." He said quietly and walked towards his apartment. Last time he checked, he was pretty sure he had some chicken in his fridge.
He wondered what kind of deals the market had right now.
Walker stepped into the factory and stared up at the massive bomb, it had eight large torpedos surrounding the largest one with a small computer in the front. The computer itself was dispensable so they weren't necessarily losing anything all that much. He ran his hand alongside one of the smaller torpedos and could practically feel the massive amount of destructive power this weapon held.
He crossed his arms and nodded in approval before backing up and watching as the bomb was transported to a secure location. They had stripped down one of the Heaven's Spear from Atlas and converted it into the bomb in front of them. Whatever caused the Glowie plague that was inside the missile was carefully extracted and was currently being examined by the BSS. They didn't need to help the infected creatures gain any more strength.
"So now that the damn thing is made, what's the plan?" Brock asked as he stood next to Walker.
"We're delivering it at Crimson Bridge. The bridge itself is blown to bits and all we need to do is deliver it into the river, the targeting data should do the rest." Walker said as he looked at the drill heads on each torpedo.
"That explains the massive drill heads." Brock grunted.
"So what's this supposed to do to the Locust?" Simon asked as he stood on the other side of Walker.
"It's got enough energy to burn whatever Grub is down there in the tunnels." Walker answered.
"How much time you think it'll buy us?" Brock asked.
"Hopefully a year, the chances are slim though. Locust breed like rats and I want to kill as many as we can to hit them where it hurts. Flooding the tunnels might've killed a couple hundred or a few thousand, but I want this to kill millions." Walker gestured to the bomb.
"Should work. Me and the idiot over there worked on the prototype for the Heaven's Spear and you saw the damage that thing caused." Brock said.
"Yeah, hopefully this won't cause another problem like that though. Still can't believe they dropped that on my head." Walker shook his head.
"That's Atlas and Ozpin for you." Simon commented. The three of them just watched as the bomb was put in a giant, reinforced container and locked up securely. Not once did the brothers think they'd make something of this scale again, but it felt different this time around.
"Say... where's the little turd?" Brock looked around.
"At daycare." Walker answered, most would be offended by Brock's nicknaming but Walker knew the Faunus long enough to know there wasn't any heat behind his words.
"Where's the other three?" Simon asked.
"Somewhere. I don't know." Walker shrugged and the other two noticed the lack of warmth in his voice. They remembered that Walker never really did talk things out with them about what happened in Atlas and the death of the Scarlatinas made him more distant than usual.
"Listen, I know you may not want to hear it from me of all people, but ya got to talk to them. You doing this distancing thing is only going to bite you in the ass in the long run." Brock said as he looked up at Walker.
"I'm fine. Once we deliver this bomb, I can figure out what to do next." Walker responded quickly.
"You're about stubborn as a mule on a ball sweltering Sunday afternoon." Brock said as he punched Walker's forearm.
"I have to pick up Amiya, I'll get those materials you two requested." Walker said as he started to walk away. He could feel their stares but he didn't let it get to him. He'd deliver this payload then figure out what to do next. There's been a surge in the Glowies and the BSS needed some better Hazmat equipment. He'd give them it and they'd provide some assistance in return.
He let his mind wander as he got in the SUV and drove to the daycare, thinking on how to proceed after they detonated the bomb. Maybe he'd start thinking of a way to get back to Sera while planning the next operation. Flooding the tunnels sounded like a good plan but he figured the Locust would come up with a counter to that. He also wondered where they'd go to next.
Beacon had managed to increase its fortifications and more people were joining the military after that attack. Vacuo was practically a walking death trap, between the sandstorms that would strip the flesh off one's bones, to the Locust roaming around; he wasn't too eager to walk to his grave early. Mistral was more manageable in a sense. It was rich with resources that they all needed in the future and he hasn't been there yet.
There was also the fact that he needed help figuring out how to deal with the Glowies themselves. The BSS knew just a tad bit more than him in that field so he decided that he'd consult with them more about it.
After fifteen minutes, he arrived at the daycare and entered the building, seeing the class heading back to their room. Amiya was in the middle and let out a high-pitched squeal of delight when she saw him. She waddled over to him but fell on her hands and knees but ignored it in favor of crawling towards him.
"Hey, kid. You have a good day?" He asked quietly as he bent down and picked her up. He didn't know why he always felt sad whenever he saw her. Maybe it was guilt for not being there for Velvet and them, or maybe it was because of the promise he made to them all? He didn't know anymore.
"Yah." She said and he wondered if she understood him or was just imitating what she heard around the classroom.
He went over to the front desk before signing into his account and signing something. She just looked at him and then at the little tablet before looking around the lobby area as they made their way out. There were a few clouds in the sky and she looked at them before shielding her eyes when the sun peeked through one of them and glared in her eyes.
He looked at his scroll when he saw a message from the group chat he was in. The device buzzed a few times and he tossed it on the passenger seat before continuing to drive. A small yawn escaped him and he smacked his lips a few times before pulling up to the Command Platform. He saw a few construction bots doing repairs and cleaning and he simply drove around them. They were modeled somewhat after the Atlesian knights but were a bit more bulky and painted yellow with orange stripes running vertically down their bodies.
They were programmed to simply build, repair, and maintain the different platforms and do the heavy lifting. People had often came to him with requests that they use them for combat, but he wasn't going to run the risk of them being hacked. There's also no telling what the Locust would do if they got their filthy hands on them.
Everything became a blur, from entering the building, to taking the elevator up, and finally entering his apartment again. Amiya was set down in the living room while he went to the bathroom for a few minutes before coming back out.
"Hal, get out here." Walker called out and the bot appeared next to him, hovering in the air before lowering himself close to the ground. With several beeps, Hal was shut down and Walker grabbed his tool kit to tinker with him for a bit.
"Botoo!" Amiya pointed and slapped the side of Hal's chassis.
"It's Hal. Can you say Hal?" Walker asked as he put her on his right leg.
"Ha." She tried.
"Hal." Walker repeated a bit slower as he continued to tinker with the bot. He listened to her continuously repeat after him for a few minutes. Eventually, she managed to say Hal's name successfully and Walker lifted her above his head, jostling her gently while praising her a bit. She closed her eyes and smiled at him before being set back down on his leg and watching curiously as he tinkered with Hal.
"Waka?" She looked up at him and he froze, quickly looking down at her and seeing her looking at him.
"Yeah?" He asked quietly. She just looked at his hand and gripped his forearm, shakily standing and walking over to his hand with the screwdriver. He realized that she wanted to learn a bit and decided to let her tinker with Hal. Nothing serious, just lightly scrapping the surface of the chassis. Not once did he allow her to freely hold the tool in fear of her hurting herself.
He took one of Hal's arms off and removed the claw, putting it far away from them and sat her down in front of him. The two of them were quiet and the only sound was the twisting of screws to the light scraping of metal. They fell into an easy rhythm of taking the arm apart and putting it back together. She seemed to be enjoying it oddly enough and he saw Velvet's camera on the counter.
It sat there motionless and he stared at it sadly before standing up and walking over to it. His fingers brushed over it as he held it in his hands and rotated it carefully. There were a few times when he tinkered with it when she was still alive so he knew how to fix it if it ever broke. There wasn't anything in it and he sat down behind Amiya, scooting forward a bit and setting it down in front of them.
She looked at it curiously before glancing up at him then back at the camera. While she was looking at it, he took his helmet off and set it down to the side. That familiar silence that constantly stuck with them now was back again.
His soul ached a bit when he heard the sound of tears falling and small sniffles. The camera was set to the side and he felt his heart tug when Amiya looked at him with tears in her eyes. She didn't know why she was crying but all that she knew was that she felt upset; so she did the only thing she knew how to do. Her sobs were heard throughout the entire apartment and possibly reaching into the hallway.
"I miss them too..." He whispered sadly as he brought her close to him. She sobbed into his shoulder while he just put his hand on the back of her head and embraced her.
This would normally be a good moment to let loose but he had to be strong for her. She needed him and the last thing he wanted was for her to have a weak guardian.
Walker stretched his neck while staring at the screen in his office. On his left leg was Amiya and she nibbled at some fruit while he just clicked the mouse on a document. The daycare was closed for its routine maintenance and all the parents had to either find an alternative or stay at home for the day. He grumbled under his breath at the amount of people that weren't working but decided that they could have this day off for once.
It wasn't good to overwork the people and treat them like shit; that was how morale dropped and problems surfaced.
"All done?" He glanced at the empty fruit cup and she reared her hand back, throwing it forward and watching as the fruit cup clattered against the edge of the bin and fell inside.
"Ya." She lifted her hand and let it drop shortly after.
"Look at that. A natural born thrower." He whistled and grabbed some nearby wet wipes to clean her hands and face. She turned away a couple times but he managed to get her all clean and throw the wipes in the trash.
"Pfft." She blew a small raspberry and he tapped her forehead lightly. It was better to nip that attitude in the bud now rather than later.
"You know, I wonder how you'd do on Sera? A big open field to run around in, a quiet house in the middle of the forest, and noisy neighbors. Those neighbors would be my old team and my gramps though." He said as he twisted her around to face him. Her blue eyes looked at him quizzically as she chewed on her fist and covered it in saliva.
"..." She kicked her legs in the air a bit and he slowly lowered her down onto his left leg again.
"Hal will be there being the little annoyance that he is, Ajay will be your troublesome uncle, Dead-Echo will be your trusting neighbors, and my gramps will be there to be your great grandpa. We'll throw a little party. The weather will break and we'll sing and dance around in the muddy ground. It'll be a little cold but that's alright. Some flowers will be blooming in the process and it'll be perfect in the end, doesn't that sound like a great idea?" He asked as he tucked a strand of brown hair behind her ear.
"Mmm!" She hummed pleasantly and he smiled just a tad bit.
"You might have to get used to not having as much as you do here. It'll be hard but luckily I'm used to starting from the dirt so it won't be all that bad. I'll learn how to build a house with my own hands for us to live comfortably. A home away from the troubles of the world but still in it." He said as he held his finger out and she grabbed it.
"Bake?" She asked.
"No, Blake, Red, and Jaune can't come with us. Their home is here while mine is there." He shook his head and she just looked at him. Barely anything was understood but he didn't mind in the slightest. When she got older, she would be confused as to why it would be only him and her going to Sera, but he'd explain it to her. As much as it pained him, Remnant and Sera couldn't interact with one another.
Once he finally made it to the other side, he'd destroy the portal and forever sever the ties both worlds had on one another. If Remnant ever waged war on Sera, he'd choose the latter in the end. It would always be his home while Remnant was just a place he was stuck on. He knew it would destroy everyone's souls to see him on the opposing side if that ever happened, but it was his choice.
It was the reason he decided to cut ties when the time came. The only person who would be from a different planet on Sera would be Amiya. She was the other reason why he wished to live away from everyone. As hard as he fought for both the COG and humanity, he knew that they'd be curious about her traits and do something. This was the only way to protect her.
For the next few minutes, he just kept pondering on his next course of action. He perked up when she tugged at his shirt and wiped her saliva coated fist into the fabric. She looked at his finger when he tapped her nose lightly and carried her in his left arm.
The two exited the office and he talked to her while his right arm was outstretched a bit. While she didn't necessarily understand everything he was saying, just the sound of his voice was enough to put her in a happy mood. Whenever she fumbled over a word or two, he would work with her until she eventually got it right and could say it the correct way.
He hummed as she bobbed from side to side to the sound of his voice. They were trapped in their own little world and for once, he didn't feel depressed like he had been for the last couple of weeks. A large part of him still was, but her being next to him and enjoying his presence was enough.
Six Obsidian Guards stopped in front of him and he looked at them, feeling the smile on his face slowly drop. After a couple of seconds, it was gone as he stared at them apathetically.
Nobody in the lobby area said anything when they spotted the individuals. Despite being somewhat known amongst the Gears, the Obsidian Guards' were rarely seen around the base. The only places they were located at was the Combat Platform or on the field, nowhere else. They were practically legends in their own right and answered only to Walker. He had a feeling that when he left for Sera, they'd still be loyal to him only. Saving them from their deaths had earned him their undying loyalty.
Not even Blake, Red, or Jaune knew them like Walker did. To the very few that encountered them, it seemed like they were fanatically loyal to him, but that wasn't the case. If needed, they'd voice their opinions on the matter but did their job in the end. There was an unspoken bond between them and him.
A single snap of his fingers was all they needed as a signal to follow him. Their skull helmets struck a healthy combination of fear and awe while their aversion to crowds and civilians in general made people want to learn about them.
"I wonder what the world would be like when we exterminate the Locust?" Walker questioned to nobody in particular. The synchronized sounds of boots hitting the ground echoed across the lobby. His were practically silent while theirs barely made any noise as well.
"..." Amiya just grabbed a fistful of his shirt and gnawed on it.
"If the Grubs somehow survive this bomb, we'll have start moving towards more... inhumane measures. That shouldn't be a problem though, it's not like the Locust have exactly any redeeming qualities." He glanced at her and brought her fist out of his wet shirt.
"..." The Obsidian Guards stopped when Walker did and the doors opened up.
"You all have an assignment coming up. There's been reports of an infected Grimm and Locust nest towards the train station in Vale. I don't want anything living after you're done with it. That location is possibly one of the ones in which the bomb is going to be riding on. Do not fail me." He ordered and they nodded before departing silently.
If anybody was able to get the job done, it was them. Outside of combat, they were skilled artisans and often made talismans. The items themselves weren't anything special and didn't do anything but it wasn't the form that mattered.
"Commander." A voice called out and he looked to see a Gear approach him.
"What do you need?" He asked calmly.
"I came to deliver this." The Gear said and handed him a document before leaving. He read it slowly and rolled his eyes before crumbling it up and telling the receptionist to shred it. Another request from the SDC asking about shares and he ignored it. They weren't providing anything to the war and he wasn't about to risk the lives of his Gears or his time to protect the failing company.
"Can you believe that? The old fool still wants to cling onto what power he had in the old world. He doesn't seem to realize that nothing he has to offer is what I want or need. What do you think?" He asked Amiya.
"Pfft." She blew a raspberry and stuck out her tongue shortly after.
"I have to agree." He nodded and continued towards the door, only to stop when he saw that it was raining outside. It was a shame since he considered getting something sweet to eat for the two of them.
That wasn't a problem though, he could always whip something up in his apartment and he didn't feel like going out today anyways. One of the perks of having so many people as instructors was that he could take it easy for once.
The Gears was practically a self-sufficient power, and it made leaving with Amiya all the much easier once he found a way back. However, that was put on hold and he had to deliver this bomb and deal with the Locust. All hands needed to be on deck for this and he wasn't going to let anyone stand in his way of delivering the bomb and killing the Locust.
Especially Scorn...
Deep inside a dark tunnel were piles of bodies that lied still on the cold ground. Several squads of VDF soldiers were tasked with investigating a disturbance. They were given the necessary information and equipment; everything was going smoothly and they had managed to kill a good number of Locust.
The only problem was that they waited too late. It got too dark, too fast and the transport ship had to pull out after a swarm of Shredder Bats chased it away. Their UV lights were damaged in the fight and they were surrounded in a cyclone of razor sharp teeth and claws. The bats would dart in and then fly away before they could react, stripping away bits of their armor and separating them one by one.
Try as they might, they desperately tried to stay calm, only for their resolve to shatter when they saw a massive Locust that was clad in heavy armor and wielded a wicked mace.
Scorn relished in their struggles as he bludgeoned them to death or ripped them apart with his bare hands. Their bodies were similar to wet paper but the more he killed, the more they stopped fighting and it soured his mood. If they weren't willing to fight for their lives then they would die like the pathetic worms they were.
He watched as two Locust dragged an Ace Op towards him. He's fought several of the "elite" operators but none truly stood out to him. For being the best of the best, they fell pathetically fast after managing to kill a small group of the Horde. Scorn wondered why they were here in Vale, but he was about to find out sooner rather than later.
The Gears on the planet provided more of a fight and Scorn always enjoyed battling the ones he encountered. They were as brutal as the Locust on occasions and it made the fight more exhilarating. However, none had caused him to bleed yet, as much as they tried to, none had succeeded yet.
Only one Gear had done such a thing. A Gear who's blood held a richer, more violent scent that made Scorn's own blood pump. The only person who didn't cower away in the face of death and even tried to get up despite his body telling him otherwise.
The Locust leader was taken out of his thoughts when the Ace Op struggled and he bent down to the man's level. He looked at him before looking towards the radio on his shoulder, grabbing it and bringing it up to his face. The device chattered a bit and Scorn listened closely as valuable information was revealed.
"How pitiful this race is." Scorn said as he continued to listen, ignoring the shocked look on the Ace Op's face. There was the sound of another voice scolding the person on the other end before the feed was suddenly cut off. It seemed they knew something was up and decided to keep any more information from being revealed.
Although, it didn't matter because Scorn knew what to do next. As much as he craved destruction, he wasn't going to risk the survival of the Horde because he wished to indulge himself in the conflict. Never once did he sit on the throne and do nothing, he was in the thick of it most of the time.
Preventing the delivery of this bomb was top priority and if thousands needed to die in order to stop it, then so be it. More Locust could always be made from the prisoners and Berserkers.
Scorn snorted once before he looked at the struggling man that was being held. He bent down to his level before gripping the sides of his face. The Ace Op spit in his face and struggled some more, causing Scorn to glare malevolently at him. After wiping the spit off his face, he took his gauntlets off and gripped the sides of the man's head harshly.
A bloodcurdling scream tore from the man's throat as Scorn slowly pushed his claws into his eyes. Tendrils of blood seeped from the corners of the man's eye sockets and down his cheeks as a disgusting squelching noise was drowned out by the screaming. He was slowly lifted into the air and thrashed around wildly as clawed thumbs continued to dig deeper and deeper.
Blood dribbled onto the cold ground and Scorn started to squeeze viciously before he suddenly pulled apart, splitting the man's head in two. Blood, skull fragments, and brain matter slowly dripped onto the floor and the body dangled in the Locust leader's grasp for several quiet seconds.
It crumbled onto the ground and Scorn sighed in slight exhilaration before collecting himself. He turned to the two Therons that stood quietly and awaited their next set of orders to follow. Both of them were adorned in black armor and modified Torque Bows and Boltoks. One of them was responsible for leading the attack on Beacon and reported its defensive capabilities to its leader.
"Find out which train that bomb is being transported on. I want forces on every station in that wretched city." Scorn ordered and the two Therons bowed slightly before walking off.
He started to walk further in the tunnel and eventually came across a large open area. A line of malnourished prisoners was seen doing forced labor while the Locust kept a close eye on them. A prisoner fell onto the ground from weak legs and a Drone grabbed several hooks, sinking them into the flesh of the prisoner and began to violently drag them away.
Agonized screams were heard in the distance and that was enough to force the other workers to continuously work. Their bodies cried out for sustenance and rest but neither would come. Each plea and scream they called out into the night was never answered, only silence and the horrible calls of the Horde.
"There will be a bomb delivered. Disable it and bring it back to the Hollow, we will use it against the Humans, especially Beacon. The spoils of war is within out grasp... all we must do is take it in the name of our queen." He said and a chorus of roars were heard.
The amount of bloodlust rolling off each Locust was enough to snuff away any defiance from the prisoners. Nobody was coming to save them and they hoped that the afterlife was so much better.
It was a race against time now, and whoever succeeded with their goal would forever change the course of the war.
I don't have much to say other than thanks for reading so far. One thing I'd like to say is that next month there won't be any new chapters during that time. I'm heading out of the country for a while and won't have access to my computer in that time.
Next chapter will probably release this month or in June, it all depends on how things work out.
See ya.