684The news of Walker and Jaune's sudden disappearance hit everyone like a freight train. All that was left was the crash site and a dead pilot. As soon as the report of his missing status, an investigation was started immediately.
The already tense atmosphere seemed to reach its boiling point because the Gears were completely distrustful of Ozpin and his group. Despite them claiming that there was a rift between them and Walker, they wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the already fragile relationship.
However, they didn't believe him. Not a single Gear or citizen from Mother Base believed him and they sure didn't trust him either. Their anger was cold, violent, and weapons were drawn at several Huntsmen and Huntresses. Creed had to physically place himself between the two parties to keep things from flying off the rails. Had he not shown up sooner, there would've been casualties on both ends.
They only stopped when there was word that some Locust were creeping around. It was clear that they needed to blow off some steam, so what better way than to go slaughter the enemies of humanity? The more fanatical Gears went out with nothing but Gnashers and their knives.
Blake and Red had personally flown to the mainland. Neither one was in the talking mood and Creed had to placate the two of them. He explained to them that he was searching for Walker and had multiple teams looking in every nook and cranny. Yet that did little to reassure them. He could tell that they were both worried and livid.
Worried that both Walker and Jaune could be dead or worse, and livid because they felt that Ozpin had a hand in the sudden disappearance of the two. So when they went up to the tower, nothing but violent threats and accusations were thrown. Red would've killed Qrow had some things not been worked out. Both Creed and Glynda had to keep the two from drawing their weapons and killing Ozpin. To them, he was ultimately at fault and his death wouldn't matter; if anything, it would make things easier.
Tensions were at an all time high. The BSS remained as a neutral party, but had to act as peacekeepers between the Gears and the remaining Huntsmen and Huntresses. It's been almost a week since the two were reported missing. The Tech-Heads openly refused to repair any of the equipment of the Huntsmen and Huntresses, being openly hostile to anyone affiliated with Ozpin.
Yang herself stayed away from the ones she referred to as the "techno psychos" since they threatened to lobotomize her. She knew better than to try and trifle with them because she felt that some of them actually knew how to perform a successful lobotomy surgery. It was best to keep away from the group known to replace their body with cybernetics.
The VDF still had a decent relationship with the Gears. Although, there was a hidden sense of coldness from the latter, a more distrustful air between them.
It showed how much both Walker and Jaune were valued by everyone. How two people could hold such a high standing with the majority of people rubbed a few the wrong way. The Atlas council manly felt this way unsurprisingly.
"Director Belladonna, I assure you we have multiple search parties working around the clock." Creed said.
"..." Blake didn't look convinced in the slightest but eventually nodded and looked at the map.
Creed just sighed and glanced at her then at Red, noticing both had some little trinkets dangling off the side of their belts. He knew that they were a gift from Walker and it just made the situation all the more dire. To them, they had lost a part of them. That didn't include Jaune as well. Telling his family that he was missing was another hassle to deal with on its own. The Arc family nearly tore the place apart after finding out about his missing status.
They turned when a Tech-Head slid inside, his blue, hooded robes concealing his horrifying fusion of technology and flesh. He knelt down and presented a small tablet to them and Blake took it, looking at the contents on the screen. She handed the device to Red and she looked at it before handing it back to the technology obsessed individual. Neither one said anything and just continued to look at the board full of clues.
"All it would take is a single bullet." Red said.
"Killing Ozpin wouldn't help us find Walker and Jaune faster, Red." Blake responded as she looked at one of the possible leads.
"Then what about that nosy drunk? He's been nothing but a hindrance to everything. I think it's suspicious that he was one of the last people to talk to the two before they went missing." Red said.
"We'll look into him in due time." Blake said.
"If he interferes again, I'm killing him." Red said.
"That would make things worse, I'm afraid." Creed shook his head. It made him realize that the Gears were not a forgiving faction. They held betrayers below the Locust and even though Atlas in general tried to patch things up, it proved to be an almost futile effort. Multiple companies tried to purchase the service of the Gears and promised riches beyond their imagination. Yet, they ignored such offers. It was mainly due to the fact that they were self-sufficient and could survive the longest.
Out of all the world's leaders, Walker was the most belligerent. His patience, while vast in its amounts, had its limits and pushing him to the edge was the best way for him to cut ties. Once he did, there was no turning back. His decision was absolute, and it was unfortunate that Beacon was the first to experience it.
Blake just turned and began to walk outside along with Red. Creed tried to follow but stopped when he felt a presence and turned to barely see two silhouettes in the dark corner of a building. The Obsidian Guards had been lurking around recently and Creed knew that if their presence was nearby, then the situation was truly dire. He looked up ahead and saw two more approach the girls before kneeling down.
People looked and some of the veteran VDF soldiers felt a lump in their throats. Seeing an Obsidian Guard was more rare than seeing an Onyx Guard, but to see the former bowing down to someone was like seeing a mystical creature. They bowed to no one, yet here they were, bowing in service to two people.
Their warbled voices were indecipherable, but both Blake and Red managed to understand them clearly due to the special earpieces. The Guards had informed them that they managed to gain a possible lead and gave them all that they knew. Like an individual with a noble bloodline, Blake gestured for them to stand and they did so.
The Guards nodded when the two gave them more orders to keep looking for clues. Another order was given to kill any threats any way they saw fit. They nodded and stood up, hitting their chest with a fist twice before marching away. The ones in the shadows seemed to melt into them and Creed approached the two. He apologized for not finding the two yet, but they just shook their heads and said they understood that his hands were full.
Two Onyx Guards approached and told the two that their transport was ready. One of the protocols that the Onyx Guards had should Walker be incapacitated or dead, is keeping the others safe.
Blake and Red began to walk away after bidding Creed a farewell and made their way to the heavily armored drop ship. Their minds were constantly on both Walker and Jaune as well as other things. Both could only think about how Amiya was taking it. While it wasn't uncommon for Walker to be gone, even she was asking where he was at. In truth, she wasn't taking it well when Blake seemed to be avoiding her questions. It only got worse when she kept asking where Walker was at; when nobody could tell her where he was at, she threw a tantrum until she tired herself out.
She wanted her baba.
The sounds of chains across metal grated the ears of those not accustomed to it. It was dark and the prisoners could barely make out some areas due to the lack of light. A heavy, metallic smell coated the nostrils of everyone who inhaled it and pitiful, agonized moans echoed across the dark halls.
Walker's hands were shackled together and a bitter expression as he glared at the Locust holding the chain that was binding everyone in a line. His eyes were sharp as he thought about multiple ways to escape their current situation. The horrible sounds of blade slicing flesh met everyone's ears, followed by a person's agonized screaming. A sickening crack was heard and a body crumbling to the ground followed shortly after.
He looked to his right and saw dozens of cells on that side and saw the same to his left. Prisoners of all ages were in them and he stopped when the guards did at the end of the hall. In front of them was a large door with two Boomers on both sides. The Drone in the front told them that they were the new candidates for the Death Pits, making the two fat Grubs move to the side and place their hands on the door.
The large doors were opened and the guard yanked at the chain, making the prisoners stumble a bit and follow the guard. The sounds of fighting were heard along with the chorus of roars and cheers from the horde nearby. They all soon came across a large pit; bloody sand was spread across the area, along with several bodies with weapons sticking out of them. The other prisoners felt the color drain from their faces while Walker just stared at the dozen or so mutilated corpses with a neutral expression.
He turned his gaze away from them and simply walked wherever the Grubs had in mind. They all were led down the hall and down a set of stairs to the right, presumably to their new cells. Unfortunately, it wasn't to any cells, put the pit itself. The guard shoved them all in before stepping out and closing the gate behind it.
The prisoners looked around fearfully while Walker just took in his surroundings. He glanced at Jaune and the blonde was busy wrestling with his shackles. He looked up to see the crowd of Locust in the stands, cheering at the sight of fresh meat for the slaughter. They all turned to the sound of the gate across from them opening slowly. It was pitch black in the point beyond the metal barrier, but foul snarling could be heard inside.
"W-What is that no-" One of the prisoners didn't get to finish before a blade was thrown into his face. His skull split open instantly with a shower of gore and Walker yanked the chain to haul Jaune out of the way as another blade was thrown. He had to dive out of the way when an axe was sent his way and slammed at the spit his was previously at.
He stood back up and helped Jaune to his feet before glaring at the entrance. A heavily armored Locust emerged and had multiple blades on its back. Five skulls hung off its belt and each one rattled with every step and it walked up to the body with the blade in it and yanked it out with a wet squelch. It spun the blade several times and flicked blood off the tip.
"New meat." The Drone said as it dragged the large cleaver across the ground. Blood stained the sand below and its gaze slid to Walker, a bubble of excitement filled its body when it saw the lack of fear on his face. Its tongue slid out with a wet squelch and it licked some of the blood off the blade, laughing at the fear some of the others displayed.
"..." He just glared at it before stepping out of the way to avoid a downward swing. The air swished as the large blade cut through it and slammed into the ground. Before he could strike back, he had to jump back from a horizontal swing.
Jaune yanked the chain to drag Walker out of the way as the Locust threw an axe. The weapon lodged itself in the wall and Walker nodded in appreciation before he had to duck underneath a swing. The Grub in front of him was fast, but he knew that all it would take was one hit in order to put him in the ground. The other prisoners were cowering away and Jaune was trying to find a way to free them.
With each violent swing, Walker just barely managed to maneuver out of the way. He ducked underneath a swing and grabbed a handful of sand before stepping out of the way from a diagonal swing. Sand was thrown into the Drone's face and it bellowed in irritation, making him spin around to its back and wrap the chain around its neck. His face twisted into an angry scowl as he tried to strangle the Locust to death but it managed to throw him off over its shoulder and onto the ground.
Sand kicked up as he slammed against the ground and he coughed painfully before rolling out of the way from a vicious stomp. One of the prisoners ran away from the two and tugged at the chain, causing him to briefly lose balance for a quick second. That was all the Locust needed to swing the large blade down. He managed to lift his hands up and the blade easily cut through the chains between his shackles, but it slashed his chest as well.
It was a shallow cut, but that didn't mean it wasn't bleeding or didn't hurt, because it did. A white, hot pain erupted across his chest and he stumbled back. His hand touched the wound and he winced at the fiery sensation.
Jaune noticed this immediately and glared at the prisoner for a second before rushing to help Walker. He tackled the Locust just before it could swing down. He was knocked off of it and kicked in the ribs, causing him to fly a few feet through the air. Had he not had any aura, his ribs definitely would have been broken.
"Pathetic meat." The Drone sneered. It turned its gaze to one of the other prisoners before grabbing a spear off its back and launching it forward. The tip of the blade easily pierced the chest of the prisoner and pinned him to the wall. It gave a vile laugh at the grisly sight before reaching on its back and grabbing another spear. Another one was launched at them and managed to kill another unfortunate prisoner, coaxing another chorus of excited roars from the crowd.
By now, the other prisoners were scared out of their minds and began to fall into a fit of hysteria. They desperately yanked at the chains, clawing at the walls, or tried to run towards the exit. Jaune had to remember that these people were just scared civilians, not trained soldiers. They didn't know how to efficiently fight these genocidal monsters like him or Walker. These people had possibly been given the worst fate known to man and they were terrified out of their minds.
Walker's vision turned red and began to warp a bit. His ears blocked out the sounds of the screaming prisoners and laughing of the Grubs. His sole focus was on the one in front of him, who was currently butchering the weaker links. That deep, scalding anger wriggled in his veins again and the pain he felt from the slash didn't hurt as much anymore. His body ran on autopilot as he quickly stood up and sped towards the Drone.
He shouted to catch its attention as he tackled it into the wall. It slammed against the bloody surface and he sent a violent punch to its throat. An agonized gurgle escaped its mouth and he reached towards the nearby axe embedded in the wall. Chunks of rock flew out from the hole and he raised the weapon, swinging it down with the hatred of a thousand souls.
Blood splattered his face as he viciously hacked away at the Drone's head. With each strike, he turned its head into a mutilated stump of flesh, bone, and blood. Violent grunts slipped past his lips as he continued to be drunk on rage. He didn't notice the horde in the stands grew silent, but he didn't care. All he cared about was butchering the Grub in front of him. What felt like several minutes was actually just one.
He breathed harshly as he yanked the axe out and looked around. The crowd roared violently with excited bloodlust, flinging slurs at his existence and promises of a violent death.
All he did was point the axe coated in viscous gore at them and claimed that he'd slaughter every single one of them. Instead of fear and begging for mercy like the others, Walker just matched their violent nature. He even challenged them to come down and take him on, that they'd suffer the same fate as their fellow abomination.
Jaune, and the remaining prisoners could only stare at Walker in silence. Although he wasn't as confident as Walker, he still had some courage. However, he did take a subtle step back when Walker looked at the crowd and kept challenging them. These words of dying violent deaths by his hands weren't just mere threats.
They were promises.
Promises of enacting a genocide so violent against the Locust that it would make this war seem like a children's game. His words were as inspiring as they were terrifying.
Needless to say, Jaune was as scared of Walker at this moment as he was of Scorn. It made him realize that both of them were monsters in their own right. Cut from the same cloth but on different ends. Both had an unwavering obsession with eradicating the other's species. Scorn's obsession was more gleeful, while Walker's was more wrathful.
Were all inhabitants from Sera like this?
His thoughts were interrupted when three shots rang out. Heads exploded in a shower of gore around him and Walker, staining the ground below them in a crimson color. His heart slammed in his chest as he looked up into the crowd. Scorn sat on a throne of the skin and bones from his previous victims and Jaune felt bile creep up into his throat. The stretched out flesh and skin that covered the seat made him realize how much of a Monster the Locust leader actually was.
"You two have proven yourselves valuable enough to be kept alive. Although... one of you still needs to be punished." Scorn said.
Before Walker could say or do anything, something hit him in the side of the face and knocked him out. His body crumbled to the ground and Jaune was left alone.
He looked at Walker then back at Scorn, only to notice that he was already in front of him. Scorn slammed his knee into Jaune's stomach and kneeled down in front of him when he collapsed to his knees. He gripped the blonde's hair tightly and forced his head up, looking into his eyes and staring at him with a mixture of hidden disgust and slight sadism.
"The only reason you draw another breath is simply due to the fact that I let you. You didn't cower like those pathetic worms. However, you still stood by and did nothing while Ronin killed a member of the Horde. I will show mercy this time, Arc. Next time, I will not be so kind." Scorn whispered as he began to violently beat Jaune.
Jaune felt the impact of the hits. Each strike felt like a truck slammed into him and no matter how much he tried to resist, Scorn was physically stronger than him. His pupils constricted in fear when that smile never left the Locust leader's face, even as his vision began to grow dark. Jaune's blood splattered against Scorn's face and his vile tongue slid out to taste it. While it wasn't as sweet as Seran blood, it did have a unique taste to it.
His aura was working overtime to heal any injuries and keep him alive. Whenever he managed to heal from one of the strikes, another vicious one came right after and he had to pump aura to heal it. A fiery pain overloaded his senses and he eventually passed out.
For once, he was actually glad he lost consciousness almost immediately, lest his body give up from the sheer pain alone. He lied limp on the ground with Scorn standing above him. The Locust leader just held him by his collar and let out a small laugh before snapping his fingers and stepping away from Jaune, watching as his personal guards grabbed his arms and began to drag him away.
Four Drones dragged the two back to their cells and Scorn looked at the carnage around him. He made an announcement that they were going to be their new source of entertainment. A chorus of excited roars echoed across the underground and to anybody less than a Gear, it was the sound of nightmarish creatures making their presence known.
Walker woke up suddenly when frigid water was splashed on his face. He immediately sat up and looked around before spotting a guard laughing and walking away after setting the bucket down.
"Fucking prick." He muttered hatefully and noticed his chest was bandaged. A sharp pain flared across his chest and he winced when his hand touched it.
Screaming was heard and Walker almost immediately, Walker recognized it as Jaune. He stood up quickly, ignoring the pain in his chest and gripped the bars tightly, shaking them and calling out Jaune's name. The pained screaming was heard once more and it felt like forever before it stopped.
There was the sound of dragging and Walker's pupils constricted in rage when he saw Jaune's bloody body being dragged. He threw threats at the guard and flew back when the guard shocked the bars and hit the ground painfully. It wasn't enough to kill him, but enough to cause him pain and set his nerves on fire. He panted in pain and forced himself to roll onto his side to look at Jaune. The blonde twitched every once in a while and Walker didn't get a chance to make sure he was okay before his cell was opened and he was dragged out.
His feet slid across the ground as two Drones carelessly dragged him to another location. He took mental notes of the environment and was brought to a room where several Locust stood nearby. Each one had that demented, excited look on their face as they crowded around a table. The two escorting him forced him into the seat and left the room to possibly go get another person. All he did was keep his head down and had a scowl on his face as the Locust around him jeered at him. Nearly every member of the Horde knew about Walker; his strength and ferocity matched on the Locust and they respected him as much as they wanted to kill him.
The Locust on Remnant craved violence and bloodshed, and the Gears here were ruthless that it made victories all the much sweeter.
Another person was brought inside and Walker's eyes momentarily widened when he saw a teenager. A scared kid that flinched at every movement the Grubs made and he yelped when was harshly sat down. A revolver was brought out and nearly all the rounds were taken out except one. A Grenadier spun it several times before slamming it shut and setting it down on the table with a loud bang.
"Play." The Grenadier gestured.
The impact caused the wooden table to rattle and the weapon was spun. It spun a few times before slowing down and the barrel landed on Walker.
"Fuck..." He muttered as he grabbed the revolver and held it to the side of his head. He braced himself and squeezed the trigger, letting out a breath of relief when it clicked. The weapon was tossed onto the table and the Locust cheered in delight before one of them handed the pistol into the teenager's hands. He shakily brought it up to his head and squeezed his eyes shut.
It shook in his grip and he began to pant rapidly. Fear overtook his heart and tears openly flowed from his eyes. Walker knew that he was terrified and desperately wished that it was him just playing this game. People like the kid in front of him didn't do anything wrong and were simply swept up in the crossfire of this war. When he tried to stand up to take the gun away, a Drone forced him down and made him watch as the teen squeezed the trigger.
Another click was heard and the revolver was flung onto the table. There was a series of mocking laughs as the Locust relished in the fear the boy was displaying. His chest heaved up and down rapidly and he clutched the collar of his tattered shirt. He shook his head quickly and begged for them to let him go, promising that he'd work harder than before, as long as they didn't make him play this demented game. Either the Locust didn't care or they were having too much fun to notice, but his pleas were ignored as the gun was handed to Walker.
He picked up the weapon and held it to his head but his forearm was gripped tightly. Two more Drones held him in place while a Drone held the boy in place, squeezing his chin to the point of crushing it. A cry of pain bounced off the walls of the room and Walker could only breath harshly as the Locust holding his arm forced the gun in the direction of the boy. He struggled and just barely managed to drag it away and towards another Grub in the corner of the room. Unfortunately, the Grenadier holding his forearm kept him from firing at a random direction and hitting one of them.
Instead, it enjoyed his struggle as it slowly inched the barrel of the revolver to the teen. When it was just above the teen's head, Walker tried to quickly jerk the weapon to the side and fire, but to no avail. All it took was a flick of the wrist and quick squeeze for the weapon to go off suddenly. A shower of gore erupted from the poor teen's head as it exploded and splattered against the wall. Walker just went still as his hearing became muffled and stared at the dead body in front of him.
He could only watch as the blood slowly slid down the wall and the muffled laughter of the Locust reached his ears. The sudden urge to vomit hit him like a truck but he forced it down. A Drone grabbed the body and started to play with it like a ventriloquist, grabbing the corpse's arm and waving it around. The sheer delight on their faces made that inferno of rage in Walker's heart grow more and more by the second. His knuckled popped painfully as he kept staring at the body, mentally apologizing for not being able to save the poor kid. The Locust left the room and another prisoner was brought in, this time it was an old man who had no fight left in him. All he could do was mumble out for them to just end it.
Another round was slid into the revolver and the cylinder was spun. It was snapped shut and the Grenadier spun the weapon on the table. When it stopped, it landed on the old man and he numbly took the weapon, placing it against his head and squeezing the trigger. Walker grabbed the weapon and held the barrel against his head, clenching his eyes shut and squeezing the trigger. A click was heard and he placed the gun on the table.
However, the old man couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't take anymore of the twisted games that the Locust had in store and just shook his head. He was scared and felt that there was nothing left in the world. He looked up at Walker and begged him to put him out of his misery, even refusing the play when the Grenadier demanded that he played the game. Walker grabbed the gun but two Drones held his arm down and forced him to watch as the Grenadier went to the corner of the room and grabbed a nearby pipe.
Without warning, the Grenadier swung the metal object into the back of the old man's head. A sickening crack followed by wet squelching and the splatter of blood created a grisly scene. With each swing, more of the older man's head caved in and his brain turned to mush, splattering chunks onto the table and the pipe. The Grenadier laughed as it continued to bash the man's head in viciously, licking its teeth when his brain flew onto its face. Each thwack sound made Walker internally flinch and he could only watch helplessly as another innocent's life was cruelly taken away.
The Locust around the room laughed some more at the display of violence before grabbing Walker and dragging him outside. As strong as he was, even he was helpless against the combined strength of the Locust. He struggled as he was dragged back to his cell and the Locust around kept throwing jeers at him, claiming he was pathetic meat before tossing him into his cell roughly.
He groaned as he climbed up to his feet and dusted himself off. Turning around, he saw Jaune in the back of his cell with his head slumped. His chest rose and fell painfully and Walker stumbled towards the bars before resting on them. Neither one said anything and Walker could only sigh as he slid down and rested his back against the cell door, staring up at the dark ceiling.
"..." He just closed his eyes and let himself go a bit. Getting as much rest as he could was all he could do at the moment until he figured out a way out of this hellish place.