684Walker watched as the Locust queen fell. He watched her mount fell from the tower on Azura and then as Fenix stabbed her through the stomach, effectively ending her life as well as the war. A feeling of joy should have filled his heart, and it did to a certain extent... but for some reason another feeling overshadowed his joy. In his four years of joining the COG, he had grown somewhat jaded. He had lied about his age and managed to join early, at the age of fifteen. They knew that he lied, but he somehow managed to convince them to let him fight.
He supposed a young, aspiring fighter was better than nothing. Humanity could use all the helping hands as they could gather if they wanted to survive longer.
While everyone was celebrating, he felt the need to be alone. His dad's COG tags and mother's pendant swayed in his right hand as he walked along a broken battlefield, seeing countless bodies across the land. Nash managed to get away since he was on guard duty with him, killing the Polyps before they actually managed to jump on him. Tackling him out of the way as one of them tried to jump on him. Sure, he was pissed at him for an hour or two, but in the end he was grateful.
The next couple of days were kind of a blur and everyone was tired. Him more than everyone else for some reason.
Kelly, Fred, and Amelia were with Nash on the beach relaxing, enjoying the sense of peace after several long years of conflict. He managed to find a secluded location and sat down on the cliffside, leaning against a lonely tree and staring out into the sea. He let his thoughts run for a bit and just enjoyed the solitude a bit before he heard the sound of footsteps, quickly swinging around and aiming his Boltok at the person. He quickly put it down when he saw his grandfather freeze in his tracks. A sudden flash of guilt brushed over him when he saw his widened eyes.
"Sorry..." Walker said quickly.
"It's alright. I should know by now not to sneak up on you." He said.
"So what brings you out here?" He asked.
"I'm not allowed to see my grandson?" His grandfather raised an eyebrow.
"You know that's not what I meant." Walker said, scooting to the side and let him sit down next to him.
"I came to see how you're doing. Plus, I needed some time away from Ajay at the moment." His grandfather said.
"You want me to talk to him?" Walker asked.
"No, he knows that he's being punished and won't talk to me." He shook his head.
"What'd he do?" Walker asked.
"He threw a tantrum because I won't let him play on the beach any longer." His grandfather said.
"I mean, it's close to his bed time. Plus, he should listen to Mathias Ronin, considering the man is a force of nature itself." He said.
"That's what I said! The little tike wasn't having it though, and neither was I." Mathias threw his arms up.
"..." Walker chuckled before he went quiet and just stared at the horizon, Mathias doing the same. He saw the bruises on his skin and the countless cuts and scars on his body. A part of him blamed himself for letting him into the Army, but he knew that he'd get in one way or another. His oldest grandson was always a crafty individual, if he didn't get something, he would always find a way to obtain it.
"You left your journal on the Sovereign." Mathias handed it to him.
"Thanks." Walker took it and placed it next to him. There were still a good chunk of pages to write in, but it also had enough to mull through. It was a final parting gift from his dad before he passed a year ago.
"The others are looking for you." Mathias said.
"Can you tell them where I'm at? I don't really feel like talking to anyone right now." He said.
"Not even me?" Mathias huffed.
"C'mon, that's not fair." Walker said.
"I'm just teasing. Come back some time tonight, okay? We're gonna figure out where we're gonna live tomorrow." Mathias groaned as he stood up, patting his shoulder softly.
"Alright." He nodded.
"Love you, kid." Mathias said.
"Love you too, gramps." Walker replied before watching him walk away. His figure slowly started to get smaller and he just leaned his head against the tree and staring back out at the horizon. The sky started to get darker and he pulled off his helmet, letting the wind hit his face for a while. He leaned forward and looked at the weapons on him; seeing his Lancer with a crimson omen insignia on it, a Sawed-off he picked up a few years ago, two grenades, and a Boltok.
All he did was clean them a bit before putting them back on the magnetic strips, feeling the familiar weight on his body. He stood up and stretched a bit before putting on his golden helmet before exploring Azura for a while. He managed to find some rounds for his Boltok, and carried as much as he could before walking around. From what he's heard from some of the others, it was a city island that held some of the best scientists around. There was bound to be something interesting lying on the island, and he was nosy sometimes.
Which he got from his mother. She wouldn't know about it though, because technically he was back sometime in the night. Just not where she wanted; which was safe in one of the rooms in the hotel. Nearly everyone was asleep, but the ones that remained awake were wandering around like him. He gave a small wave to some of them as they passed by and continued to walk around. There was so much to explore around the island and he wanted to see something before going back.
Sooner rather than later, he found himself near one of the workshops and found his squad's JACK on the table. It was one of the last units and a cherished member of the team. He pulled up a stool and started to work on him, grateful of the resources Azura had at its disposal. It's not like the scientists that were here were using them anymore. A morbid chuckle escaped his lips when he thought about that for a while before he shook his head.
He was always tinkering with their JACK unit, finding parts to outfit him with and keep him running. Useful parts were often rare and the others usually informed him when there was one, knowing the youngest member of their team could do something with it. His grandfather was a former retired Sapper and taught him everything he could, possibly more, seeing how the old man was as stubborn as a mule. Walker swore that he saw him escape death on numerous occasions.
He tightened their unit a bit more and he heard the sound of footsteps, looking over his shoulder to see Nash approaching. The man's slightly pale skin was still held its complexion despite being the countless hours in the sun was visible in the room while he carried his combat helmet in his hand, setting it on the table quietly. His chest armor was off but he still had the armored greaves and boots on. His black hair was a bit shaggy and a scar ran down from his lip to his chin. Although, the dirt he accumulated from the past few days was gone.
"What are you still doing up?" He asked.
"Working on Hal." Walker answered, turning back to the robot and tightening one of his optics some more.
"Yeah, I can see that. Why aren't you in bed?" Nash asked.
"Couldn't sleep and I'm not tired." Walker replied, he shook Hal a bit before placing his shotgun on the bench.
"Kid..." Nash sighed.
"I'll go to bed after this." Walker said.
"You won't, because I know you too well. You're going to be up for the next few hours then be tired in the morning." Nash countered.
"That may be the case, and I'll deal with the repercussions." Walker dismissed.
"I'll get Kelly to drag your ass to bed." Nash said.
"That's not fair, she literally drags me after either kicking me or guilt tripping me." Walker gestured.
"If that's what it takes, then so be it. Go to bed, that's an order." Nash said.
"..." Walker sighed before picking up his sawed-off and putting it on his back. All Nash did was shake his head and follow the younger man out of the workshop. He usually didn't have a problem when it came to controlling Walker, but always did when the kid didn't want to go to sleep. For some odd reason he had nightmares more than the rest of them.
"You still toying with that hunk of scrap?" Nash asked, referring to the shotgun.
"Please. You know you like that hunk of scrap. Especially since I added the blades on the sides of it." Walker said.
"That abomination speaks of how you much you appreciate the originality and versatility of the Gnasher." Nash retorted.
"You want me to find you one? It sounds to me that you're a little jealous because you don't have one." Walker said. He cracked a smile when Nash gave a hearty laugh at the absurdity of his offer. It was a nice sight to see his leader laugh for once, not having a constant flat expression or one of seriousness. The same could be said for the rest of his squad. The many times they spend together in the mess hall were often cherished.
"So what are your plans tomorrow?" Nash asked.
"Well, gramps said we're planning on deciding where to live from now on. He's deciding on just moving where everyone else is moving. Rebuilding from there, I guess." Walker shrugged.
"You still plan on keeping in contact with us?" Nash asked.
"You guys plan on separating after everything we went through?" Walker asked back.
"Not a chance in hell." Nash said.
"Chances are we'll stay in range of you guys." Walker said.
"Good." Nash nodded and the two of them walked in the hall, making jokes along the way. It went on for a while and they eventually came across a split in the hall and stopped at the intersection, ignoring some dried up blood.
"I'll see you later, Nash." Walker said.
"Get to bed, kid." He said.
"Alright, alright. I'm going." Walker waved. As he went down the hall and rounded the corner, he waited until he heard the door close before walking back to the workshop. All that was left was to finish repairing Hal then he would actually go to bed. Quietly creeping down the hall, he made sure to avoid people that were still up and about. It took several minutes, but he eventually made it back to the workshop and saw the bot lying there motionlessly.
He checked the time to see it was midnight and turned back to his work, making sure everything was tightened and the robot was cleaned afterword. Backing up a bit, he watched Hal hover in the air and give a pleasant beep when each optic was set on him. Walker cracked a small smile before noticing Hal suddenly freezing in place before flying out of the door. He let a small curse escape his lips as he chased Hal out of the workshop and through the halls.
"Hal!" He yelled quietly, careful not to wake any of the occupants before sprinting faster when the robot sped up. Hal crashed out of a window and Walker cursed once more before following him out, watching as he ascended in the air and took off in a direction. He managed to loosely follow him and did so for the next ten minutes. He caught his breath and looked around, noticing how far they were from the tower and hotel. A small part of him was actually pissed, both at himself and at Hal for dragging him out here.
There was a bunker door covered in vines and Hal easily burned through them and began to cut through the door. He looked back at the hotel and tower before tuning back when the door was opened and Hal flew inside of it. His boots impacted the ground below and echoed the deeper he went inside the bunker and reached on his belt, bringing out a flashlight and aiming it forward.
The tunnel was nearly pitch black as he traveled down it, flicking off his flashlight when Hal illuminated the area with his. The bunker looked somewhat abandoned, which he considered odd since Azura seemed so nice before the Locust invaded it. The two of them went down the hall and it went on for a while.
It must have been half an hour of traveling down the tunnel did they finally reach a body. It looked forgotten to be honest, like the person died alone and scared, but he brushed it off. He was so used to death at this point that it didn't bother him as much anymore. Bending down on a knee, he sifted through them to see if he could find anything, but came up empty. Not a single piece of identification to tell who they were.
All he did was stand up and shrug before following Hal further down the tunnel and eventually disappeared from sight. The bunker door at the entrance shut due to the wind, forever sealing the two occupants to their fates.
Walker didn't hear the sound of a slam in the distance, all he could do was focus on the large room. He saw the many deceased individuals and the room reeked of decay. It was ignored and he went closer to the end of the room, seeing two large curved objects separated. From the looks of it, they would conjoin together and form a circular frame that led to something, judging by the metal catwalk in front of it. He didn't feel like dealing with it alone though.
The most he could do was report this to the higher ups, if there were any left, and let them deal with it. He called Hal over to him and began walking towards the exit of the room, stopping when his foot stepped on something. It was a camcorder and he bent down to pick it up, brushing off the dust and flicking it on. He watched and listened closely to the man on the video say something about a project. The project was something only the brightest of minds could comprehend and appreciate, and that not everyone was on board with him.
He explained how it took him countless years and resources to invest in order for it to work, but he managed to do it. The mad man managed to open a gateway to another location, but it didn't specify where to. As he watched the video more, the man's rambles became more erratic and Walker could tell he wasn't quite right in the head anymore at this point in time. He blinked when the camcorder suddenly shut off and figured that the battery was dead. A sigh escaped his lips and he guessed that watching it later would have to do, when he figured out how to get some more juice in it.
"Hal, come on." He said, walking towards the door, only to stop when he saw the bot hovering over a control panel. He cautiously stepped closer and backed up when the robot suddenly went still and dormant before impacting the panel. His eyes widened when a crackle of electricity was heard and he turned towards the metal frame, seeing it slowly whir to life. His head went on the swivel when papers started to fly around wildly and the room slowly started to illuminate a blue color.
The air felt thin as the frame conjoined with a loud, metallic snap and a small swirl formed in the middle of it, growing bigger as time started to pass. It spun faster and faster until the wind picked up, making him inch towards it. He dug his boots in the ground and held onto a nearby console, keeping his grip on it the best he could. The pressure started to increase with time and he tried to make his way towards the door, slipping a bit and sliding towards the black and blue swirl.
His hand caught onto something and he held on for dear life as the whirlpool of the unknown tried to swallow him whole. The portal got so large and the pressure so great that it actually lifted him off the ground. He grunted and tried to get away from it slowly, but his grip started to falter. Each finger lost its grip on the object he was holding onto and it wasn't long before he let go. As he was flying towards it, he managed to catch onto the railing near the portal and hang on for dear life once more. Just as he managed to get a good grip and attempt to get away from it, he heard the sound of scraping of metal and looked forward.
Hal's dormant body started to slide across the ground, creating a trail of sparks before it flew towards him quickly. He felt like his soul was knocked out when Hal slammed against his chest and the two of them were flying towards the portal. His hand reached out one last time in desperation and both of them were sucked into the unknown, along with several useless items.
The portal remained open for several more seconds before it slowly started to close, eventually dimming to a calm level then becoming still once more. The room went dark as it had been for several years. Nobody would know what had transpired in the quiet, secret halls of the bunker.
The only thing that was different was a certain Gear and a JACK unit were missing without a trace, their loved ones wondering where they disappeared to.
Walker's world was spinning quickly, all too quickly for his taste. It was like someone had placed him inside of a hamster wheel and spun it at the speed of a train. His stomach flipped several times, making him cringe harshly. Everything felt wrong and he couldn't describe the feeling of vertigo. It was like someone or something had taken him apart and put him back together like a twisted jigsaw puzzle. He didn't know how long he was in the dark and spinning, but it all stopped abruptly and it made the feeling worse somehow.
His knees crashed onto the ground and his hands soon after. The helmet made his harsh breathing echo several times, while he just kneeled there taking in oxygen. It was ripped off and thrown to the side as his cheeks filled with bile and he vomited it onto the ground. A greenish-yellow substance splattered with a wet noise as the sour taste was all that was left in his mouth. His chest and lungs burned harshly and he felt like screaming. All he could do was wheeze in pain though, falling to the side and letting the pain dissipate from his system.
Several agonizing minutes went by and he closed his eyes, letting a small sense of relief wash over him before collecting his bearings. He breathed steadily then went to pick up his helmet; brushing his fingers over it to rid the dirt before flipping it around. He closed his eyes and put it on his head before rotating his neck several times. Looking around, he saw that he was in a forest. A cough escaped his lips and he lightly hit his chest a bit before finally getting a hold of his body.
His first objective was to get his bearings and find Hal.
It didn't take long considering the bot was sticking out like a sore thumb in the wilderness. A sigh escaped his lips as he went up to him and started to observe him, taking in the small amount of damage from the fall before turning him on. He backed up as he saw Hal rise up into the air, setting his optics on him and giving a pleasant beep. Walker just crossed his arms and stared at him flatly.
"I just had to follow you..." He muttered quietly. A defeated sigh escaped his lips as he looked around and started to head off in a random direction. His stomach rumbled loudly as he held it for a second before continuing. For the most part, he ignored Hal and let his thoughts wander for several minutes. He didn't know where he was at right now, could he be on Sera or somewhere else? He didn't know at the moment, all he did know was that he was stuck in the middle of nowhere with nothing but his weapons. The most he had for food and water was two granola bars and his canteen.
Nearly everyone on the Sovereign had the same set of armor. Some parts were stripped and others added for later use, not to mention it was always hot so people did whatever they could to keep cool in the climate.
The time seemed to slip by and he had noticed the sky start to get darker and the temperature started to dip down a bit. He managed to find a trail and followed it for a few hours, listening to the crickets chirp in the flora. To be honest, he didn't know when the last time he heard something this peaceful before and it bothered him a bit. For good measure, he brought out his Lancer and kept it low.
The stars were out and he barely looked up at the sky, only doing so once before turning back to the road ahead. A series of lights caught his attention and he approached them cautiously, making sure to look around every so often. As he got closer, he saw the guards at the gate notice him, freezing up momentarily when they saw his ominous figure.
To them, he seemed like an enigma. His darker shade of skin with a few scars on his arms, his odd golden helmet, large chest armor with a skull in a cog, large utility belt, and armored greaves. They noticed the weapons on his back and the one in his hand. A terrifying mixture of a chainsaw and a rifle, and it put them on edge. When he was close enough, he stopped and stared at them calmly.
"Do you know where I can get some food?" He asked.
"What?" One of them asked.
"Do you know where I can get some food. I'm kind of hungry." Walker repeated, his stomach emphasizing his point.
"Oh... uh... yeah. There's an inn that usually serves a pretty decent food. It just down the street and the third building on the left." The other guard pointed out.
"Thanks." Walker nodded gratefully, walking past them and into the settlement. Both of them just stared at him and let go a breath they didn't know they were holding in. The two of them felt so uncomfortable next to him and watched as he navigated through the settlement, peering at everything in wonder.
All Walker did was observe the settlement in front of him cautiously. This wasn't Sera, that much he knew. Every single place on Sera was either destroyed, abandoned, or infested with whatever danger lurked around the corner. This place was too clean... too peaceful and it rubbed him the wrong way. Some people looked at him oddly while he looked back before turning away and towards his destination.
He entered the inn and saw that it looked more like a tavern as well. It was quiet and the patrons inside kept to themselves or their little groups. He walked towards the counter and saw a waitress tending to it, looking towards him and watching as he sat down on a stool. Both of them stared at one another and she coughed in her hand before sliding him a menu, to which he nodded in thanks.
The food looked good, really good in his opinion, but he didn't have money to actually buy anything. His eyes scanned the menu before setting on a free meal that didn't look too appetizing, but it was better than nothing. He tapped the picture of it and she nodded before taking the menu and heading to the back for several minutes. His thoughts ran for several minutes and a bowl of soup was slid in front of him. He went to the corner and ate quietly, relishing in how good it tasted. It wasn't anything special, but vegetable beef soup.
"How was it?" The waitress asked after seeing him finish up and slide the bowl away.
"It was good." He nodded in appreciation, putting on his helmet. When it came to food, he wasn't too picky during certain times.
"Really?" She asked, somewhat surprised.
"Why wouldn't it be?" He asked back.
"Well, nobody really asks for that. They mainly choose the more expensive dishes." She answered.
"Are those even better?" He asked.
"Well, people mainly throw it away." She laughed sheepishly. Her laughing stopped when she saw him just blankly staring at her, and a cold shiver suddenly went down her spine.
"That seems like a waste to be honest." He said truthfully.
"Well, it is in my personal opinion. It's hard being the only person here for the most part." She rubbed the back of her neck.
"Your boss doesn't come here?" He asked.
"I'm sure he's busy with whatever. He comes by and helps me sometimes." She said.
"..." He just nodded at her then let his thoughts run for a bit. She talked to him and he listened to her for the next several minutes. Her blonde pony-tail swayed every so often when someone called her name and she turned to look at them, and she held a smile of warmth whenever someone complimented her on her looks. Whenever she turned away though, he noticed that the warmth dropped and it turned somber for a second. He chose to ignore it for the time being. She looked at him oddly whenever he asked a strange question, but he didn't bother worrying about it.
"You're a strange person, you know that right?" She asked.
"So I've been told before." He nodded.
"That's alright, we get strange people here all the time." She beamed.
"That so?" He asked.
"Yep! All around Remnant, people come here and tell their stories." She said.
"Do they really?" He raised an eyebrow.
"No..." She sighed. He chuckled a bit before noticing everyone leaving. Their plates were messily left on the table and she sighed when everyone left except him. He watched as she began to collect the plates and take them back. The stool scraped against the ground as he stood up and began to collect some dishes as well. She quickly came out and saw him collecting the dishes before stacking them on her cart neatly.
"Um... why... why are you helping me?" She asked.
"You gave me a free meal, I decided to help you a bit. It's the least I can do." He shrugged.
"You don't have to, I'm used to this kind of work." She waved her arms quickly.
"All the more reason, plus I can tell you're tired." He said.
"W-well..." She rubbed her hands together nervously. He could tell nobody's ever offered to help her before and she was clearly flustered by a complete stranger offering his assistance. It didn't bother him though, he needed something to do before finding a place to sleep for the night.
The two of them washed the dishes and put them away for the next several minutes. She gave him information on whatever he asked, no matter how strange the question was while he just offered her company. The only thing that bothered him was how open she was about her family; how she had one brother and several other sisters, all of them blonde. She noticed how he was more reserved and didn't talk much about himself.
When everything was done, the two bid one another farewell and went in the opposite direction. She managed to get done early for the night and he got some food in his stomach and some information.
He dusted off an old history book and sat down in the library. His eyes scanned the contents of the book and took in as much information as he could. At this point he knew he wasn't on Sera. The planet was called Remnant, and judging by the amount information in the book in front of him, nearly everything was different. He began to slowly learn the history of the place he was at, straight from the beginning. It would serve him well in the future, and he knew it would take him a while to learn everything he could since even history here seemed a bit scattered.
He closed the book and politely returned it to the librarian after finishing with it. The door to the library was closed softly and he started to explore the settlement a little bit. People all around talked with one another and were friendly overall. Some looked at him strangely, but he ignored it and eventually found a store. He walked up the wooden steps and listened to them creak a bit, then opened the door. The little bell jingled above and he cautiously stepped inside, smelling the food and his stomach rumbled a bit.
The shopkeeper gave him a friendly wave and he sent a hesitant one back before browsing a bit. All the food was fresh and it looked appetizing, but he didn't have any form of currency. The useless money in his pocket probably wouldn't do anything and he doubted the shopkeeper would accept it.
"Can I help you with something?" The shopkeeper asked.
"Just browsing, nothing special." He waved.
"Alright, let me know if you need something." The portly man said.
"Will do." Walker nodded. A sigh escaped his lips as he went back to the inn, only to stop when he saw a large board in the middle of town. He slowly stepped up to it and observed it, tilting his head when he saw several animalistic creatures. Their fur was pitch black and they had a white bony armor. He plucked a bounty off the board and read the contents as he walked towards the inn and tavern.
The patrons stared at him as he entered and took his seat in the lonely corner of the counter. Some whispered behind his back and he heard them, frowning a bit before deciding to ignore them. It was all the more reason to leave this place, but he couldn't do anything right now. He didn't have money, clothing, food, or ammo; so he was essentially stuck. Not to mention he didn't know where he was currently at.
The waitress, bless her heart, seemed overwhelmed a bit. She quickly rushed to take his order, but he merely waved and told her not to stress herself out anymore. She seemed a bit grateful and he took the time to read about the bounty some more. He'd have to get a map or something in order to navigate better. He didn't know if Remnant had any satellites. There was so much to think about now, but the main thing was how he was going to get home.
He didn't know where to start and it was frankly stressing him out.
All was slowly calming down and the tavern was quiet at this point. There was a bowl of vegetable beef soup set in front of him and he looked up at the waitress. He managed to figure out her name and made sure to remember it. Jeannette Arc, a woman in her early thirties and a hard worker.
"You thinking about taking up a bounty?" She asked.
"Yeah. I need some money and I'm pretty sure the thing is close to the settlement." He said, flipping the paper over.
"Well, it's a bit of a walk to be honest." She said.
"I'm sure I'll manage." He answered.
"What do you plan on doing after this?" She asked curiously.
"Getting some more money then leaving." He answered.
"You like to travel a lot?" She asked.
"Yeah." He lied. It came naturally, all too naturally in his opinion but he didn't care.
"Well, I think I have a map in the back if it helps." She offered.
"I'd like that." He nodded. She went to the back and he heard shifting for a few minutes before she pulled out a bag and gave him a map. There were a few stains on it but he brushed it aside and stared at it.
"Is this good enough?" She asked.
"Yeah, it is. Thanks for it." He said. She waved her hand and started helping other customers while he just ate in peace. When he got this bounty done, he'd purchase a bag and supplies before leaving for the next place. He didn't want to wander the world for years; and he didn't feel like trying to play a hero to these people. If he was in the area and people were in danger, then he'd react, but otherwise he wouldn't go searching for glory.
"I uh... know you're going to leave soon, but if it's not too much to ask..." She trailed off.
"What is it?" He slid the empty bowl to her.
"Can you look out for my little brother?" She asked.
"What am I looking for if I see him?" He asked.
"He's blonde and has blue eyes like me. Don't tell him I said this, but he's kind of a dork. His heart's in the good place though." She said.
"Why're you worried?" He asked.
"He's not the best at fighting and has a habit of biting off more than he can chew. I just want to make sure he isn't doing anything reckless." She said.
"You want me to bring him back to you?" He asked.
"No!" She started, drawing several eyes and making her shrink a bit in on herself with a red face.
"Then what?" He asked.
"I don't want him getting himself killed. He does stupid things for other people and more often than not, gets himself hurt in the process." She said.
"You know I can't promise anything." He said.
"I know, but... just keep an eye out, please?" She pleaded. It was quiet for a minute before he nodded and sighed quietly, receiving a picture and observing it. He'd keep an eye out like he promised, but he wasn't going searching for the guy. The two of them talked for a little bit more before he gave a polite farewell then left for his objective, thinking about his next move to getting home.
He didn't fight in a war just to get pulled away.
As you all can see, I'm rewriting Remnants of a Gold Gear. The first version was bad and I don't like it too much anymore. Despite that being what set my foundation as an author, there's no way I can ignore the flaws in it. Walker was cringe-worthy and countless people pointed out my flaws. I had to go back and reread it, which made me instantly stop reading it after a couple of chapters.
It's not the fact that I hated it, it's more along the lines of it didn't feel right. Words can't really describe it unfortunately. A couple of things are different in this one. I actually plan to have development of the characters in this and not add so many side characters. I don't know, I'll see how well this does. To be honest, nobody really pressured me into rewriting this; it's been thought about for the past year, some people just solidified my resolve to actually go through with it.
I feel like I made this too rushed but we all have to start somewhere...
So, before I depart... I'm going to set some things straight if I decide to continue this.
1. Do not, for the absolute love of god, review every on every single chapter should this take off. That annoys me more than anything and is one of my biggest pet peeves.
2. I'm not the best author, I'll say it right now. I will make mistakes like everyone else, because at the end of the day, I'm just another person. We all make mistakes and if you say you're perfect then you're a liar.
3. I will not take shit from people. As time starts to pass by, I start to care less about filtering my words. You act like a dick for no reason, and I'll be one right back. That's not to say I'll go out of my way to start anything, because I detest unnecessary conflict.
4. Please just be respectful... that's literally all I'm asking out of you guys. This story isn't meant to be perfect, hell mistakes are almost welcome sometimes and it just pushes me to improve. It's a growing process and I'm aware that the earlier chapters aren't going to be the best.
5. Don't try to pressure or threaten me into updating faster. I'm getting tired of people threatening me into updating faster; like some of you do realize I have a life outside of this, right? I'm literally working two jobs, going to school, and handling life... time isn't on my side as much anymore. So just be patient, pleas?
That's all I have to say for now. In the end, I hope you guys will allow me to give you guys something decent to read. If not, oh well... I tried in the end. So anyways, I've taken up enough of your time. Bye everyone.