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Started September 21, 2021 by @CaseyJ group

tune

Z wasn't stupid, she could see all of that. But they also knew that the Government did things similar to sending someone out with very little supplies to make outposts in order to "recuit" unsuspecting people and search for missing assets like herself. They guessed Chet had never come across one of these scouts before, while Z had dealt with a few. She wasn't going to tell what she knew though, "Guess we've just come across different scouts of Govs then. And what about your friend there? He ain't a part of the Gov either?"

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar

Chet nodded. "Never come across a scout smart enough for me to worry about." He glanced at Sean. "He came from the Refuge, but I was just asking the same thing." He held out the meat again, still offering her food. "It's not poison, I promise."

@Davadio @ShadeStar
Sean looked between the two. "Um…I'm not …anymore…but its complicated" he looked off to the side looking at the trees around. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, that he had never been loyal to the Gov, but he didn't choose to leave, even to him it sounded like a load of crap.

3110 stood in a low crouch, one hand placed gently on the side of a tree, the other held out for balance, but always inches away from his rifle, just in case. Being up this high was dizzying, but in the intoxicating way. The ginger almost felt like smiling again. Almost. He'd circled around the sound of crackling, for certain it was fire this time. If it was a campfire, that likely meant people. 3110 wasn't sure he could deal with a group, not with an injured leg and no group or partner to back him up, if it was just one person though? Learning from last time was important, he could shoot the person while staying in the tree's, wait for a designated amount of time and inspect the campsite for evidence. His encounter with Mark had left him slightly wary, and as he continued in the boughs of the tree's he felt increasingly uneasy. 3110 looked up, inspecting the sky as best he could, his sharp nose starting to pick up hints of smoke. Deciding to play it safe, he climbed higher up in the tree's where the leaves would cover him, but he'd be a much safer distance from anyone on the ground.

He continued closer, moving at a snails pace, to make next to no noise. Finally, he was close enough to look into the little clearing. Taking in the scene was an odd sight, three people, one standing defensively with the other two sitting by the fire. 3110 frowned, and sniffed the air again. He couldn't place the smell coming from the fire, maybe vaguely like burnt flesh? But more.. Pleasant. Roasting over the fire was a dead animal and the man's frown deepened. He wasn't close enough to hear any of the conversation, but he could safely watch through his rifle scope from the distance undisturbed. He noted the younger kid looked unsure, maybe uncomfortable? The older man was much more confident, it was likely his fire and camp based on his clothes. 3110 knew he couldn't take the whole group if they worked together, so waiting was the better course of action. The final member of this group was another person, with limbs that glinted in the sunlight, they looked prosthetic, perhaps a base of Government design but highly altered. Assessing the group, he marked the feminine one and the older man as the most immediate threats, and put most of his attention on those two, while keeping the younger one in the corner of his eyes as well.

Settling in to wait, in a pose ready to flee, but comfortable enough to stay still for long periods of time, 3110 flipped the safety off his gun silently. If need be he could get one or two shots off before running, either for defense or a distraction. The red haired man just wanted to watch and wait, engaging was dangerous for himself, especially with his leg. It was annoying not being able to hear, but it was much less likely for him to be detected this way. The smell of meat from the fire kept wafting up, and 3110 struggled to keep his mouth from watering, it smelled far more appetizing than the rations the Government gave out. Bricks of nutrients or slop that was a grey, flavorless slime. His stomach growled quietly and 3110 scowled. He was being weak, food was necessary to work, not for anything else, he reminded himself. He sighed again, holding up the scope once more so his hawk-like eyes could watch the interactions unfolding.

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar @ScotchTapeWorm

Chet nodded at Sean. "Complicated is fine, as long as you're not with the Guvs anymore. Complicated I can do, because I can help you make it uncomplicated." He took a bite of the roasted meat, before talking around the mouthful. "If you decide you wanna be Guv again, I'll put a bolt in your brain and a knife in your chest. That should help you uncomplicate it." The harsh words he said, and the casual way he said it, were jarring together.
Chet saw a glint out of the corner of his eye, like sunlight reflecting off glass. He whipped his head up, and looked directly at where the glint had come from, way up in the trees a long way away. It was similar to how the scope on his crossbow would flash if he turned it into the light.
He couldn't see anyone up there, but he was uneasy now.
He kept his eyes trained upwards, scanning, but said quietly "Z, did you bring anyone with you?"

@Davadio @ShadeStar @ScotchTapeWorm

Sean ran his thumb over the numbers on his arm. "I never agreed with them, but I didn't have a reason to leave..I mean the tracker was one big problem, but I could have cut it out of my arm if it came to it…I only left a few months ago…"he shrugged, "I didn't leave by choice, but I was never loyal to anyone but myself" He said, looking up where Chet was looking, "No one would come here, only the high ups in the Gov know about this, and they wouldn't want anyone deciding to try to live on their own given the chance…and the Refugees don't know about it either."

"Loyal to yourself, that's good, Sean. As long as you are loyal to you, I won't have to kill you."
Chet slowly stood up, picking up his bow, eyes still scanning the woods. "That's why I asked Z if she brought a friend. Cuz I've had bad luck with saying where the Guvs will or won't be before…" Danny's face flashed in his mind, and he swallowed thickly. "Sometimes they just come out of nowhere."

@Davadio @CaseyJ 3110 watched, his breathing slow and shallow to avoid making noise. His clothes were specialized to blend in with any environment, even these odd tree's, he was high up, covered by leaves, he should be near invisible. Clearly he was wrong. Cursing under his breath, 3110 watched as the group of people got uneasy, spooked like a heard of cattle spotting a snake. The older man was on the high defensive now, holding a clear weapon in his hand, looking in his direction. The younger man looked less concerned, but still looking in the same direction, and 3110 couldn't get a clear read on the third member of this strange troupe. He considered bailing now, leaving when they were still a good distance away.. But again, his curiosity got the better of him, perhaps this would be the cat's ninth life, but he felt a need to watch. Besides, 3110 swore he felt a tug of familiarity, though he couldn't tell if it was from the older man or the younger one. It was a curious itch, the vague recollection of a face from a past memory? The ginger didn't have time to dwell on the feeling, instead he hunkered down, attuning his clothes more to the color of the tree's to blend in. Perhaps the people would be spooked enough to leave and he could silently tail them. If not, they would at least be keeping an eye out for him now, annoying but 3110 could work with it. It wasn't the first time his prey knew they were being watched after all.
Holding the rifle closer to his body, triple checking a bullet was snuggly fitted in the chamber. A thrill of adrenaline and excitement making his eye shine a bit brighter than they did back at the Compound, with all the dead eyes and faces.

Chet lifted his crossbow, looking through the scope, but he couldnt see anything and he didn't see the glint again. Still, he couldn't shake the unease. He turned and started kicking dirt into the fire, putting it out and throwing the small clearing into shadow from the huge trees.

3110 allowed himself a small snort, his lip curling up into a slight grin. The clearing went dark as the older man extinguished the fire, giving only patchy light from what could shine through the tree's canopy. So we're playing this game are we? The thrill of excitement increased at the challenge, the ginger held the scope closer to his eye, scanning as best he could for darker patches of shadows that might indicate the presence of a person, or movement, which was a dead giveaway. With his left hand, he reached into his bag, gently touching his box of matches, he'd keep them in reserve, as a just in case. If necessary he'd burn this whole forest down, but it wasn't an outcome that 3110 would be pleased with. Slowly, straining his leg muscles, he raised himself into a low crouch, ready to leap from the tree's. Ice-blue eyes scanned the ground, his lips pulled into a full smile now, amused.

@Davadio @ScotchTapeWorm @ShadeStar

Sean rolled his eyes when Chet put out the fire, staying where he was sitting, "If you get me shot, I will be pissed" He shook his head, taking out his pistols, "But if it comes down to it, I am not fighting someone unless I have to" he shrugged. He avoided fighting both Gov and Refugees, he didn't side with either and killing off the people he worked with for years, or the people who were just trying to survive the best they could, wasn't something he was willing to do. He hoped it wasn't someone who recognized him, even though he was sure that he was still seen as a deserter, despite the fact that he didn't leave by choice.

@Davadio @ScotchTapeWorm @CaseyJ

"What do you mean it's complicated?" Z hissed at the stranger as Chet put the fire out. She had spotted the glint of a gun as well and was now dealing with the phantom aches of all the places she had been shot before. Their eyes scanned the area trying to see if they could spot anything else in the glow of the trees. Her body had naturally fallen into a ready position, either ready to run away or fight for her life. They had their hand resting on a hidden compartment on their leg prosthetic ready to pull out the gun hidden they had stored away. She glared at the stranger before hissing at Chet, "I didn't bring anyone with me. You should be asking mister 'it's complicated' over there."

Chet kneeled behind the large rock he'd been sitting on, resting his arms on the top and steadying the bow. "I watched Mr Complicated come in, it's not anybody tailing him." He kept up a slow sideways scan of the treetops. "Unless you have to? Sean, you're gonna have to out here." He noticed the way Z tensed up and got ready, and muttered. "She knows what's up, bud, better follow suit."

@Davadio @ShadeStar
Sean rolled his eyes, not that it could be seen well in the dark. "Look, how about I go see who's out there, because it seems to me you are both a 'shoot first ask questions later' which would end badly" he shrugged, walking towards where Chet had been looking. "Besides, both the Gov and Refugees would recognize me, neither of you though, so you'd both get shot by the gov."

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar @ScotchTapeWorm

Chet looked over at Sean incredulously.
"To the Guvs, you're a deserter; to the Refuge, you've been banished. Why on Earth would you think you're the best option to go see what's up??"
He laughed brusquely. "If you really wanna go get yourself shot, you go right ahead, kid. There's a reason those of us with actual life experience are the shoot first types. All of life isn't as cushy as the Government or the Refuge."

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar @Davadio

3110's small smile curled into a grin. He'd gotten a decent-ish view of at least most of the gathered peoples bodies. Currently his aim was trained on the metal one, if he shot he could aim for the prosthetic limbs for a less lethal shot, while still scattering the troupe. The thrill of excitement washed over him again, reminding him of when he'd tracked down and hunted a group of mutated rabbit-hawks, he'd stalked them for half a day and then spooked them, separating the group to pick them off one by one. That strategy wouldn't work here, as he didn't want to kill the gathered people, but the way they immediately gathered on the defensive was reminiscent. The thrill of the hunt was intoxicating, but 3110 knew very well he wasn't safe. At any moment his spot could be easily discovered and it'd be him on the defensive.

Breathing out slowly, his finger sliding over the trigger of the rifle, 3110 lined up his shot, instead of aiming at the metal one he aimed from the hut. Specifically, the walls of the hut colliding with a bullet making a noise loud enough to completely unnerve anyone in the dark environment even if they knew what had made the sound. As well as making a sizable hole in the shelter. 3110 almost wished he'd put a silencer on the rifle, though at such close ranges it made less of a difference, it would have given him more performance points. With a grace grained from hundreds of hours of practice, 3110 lined up his shot and fired at the hut, not bothered if the bullet ricocheted into one of the people, it was unlikely to be lethal if it did, and if it got a leg they'd be slowed enough to perhaps capture for questioning.

The sound of a gunshot in the forest rang out with enough force to briefly deafen anyone unused to the sound. However rare a person who had never heard a gunshot was in this world they inhabited. A small flash of light came from the muzzle of the gun and 3110 immediately moved after shooting, as he'd been trained to do. Shoot and run, shoot and run. Clothes making only a slight ripple in his shadow, he dropped down to a branch on a neighboring tree, eyes scanning the clearing. The bullet collided, making a horrible 'thunk' sound, amplifying the sound of the gun and 3110 pressed himself against the trunk, going for full stealth in his new position, rather than observation. At a lower level he could atleast hear what was going on, though trading hearing for sight was annoying.

@ShadeStar @ScotchTapeWorm @Davadio

"Actual life experience-?" Sean started, only to be interrupted by a gunshot, he sighed loudly, quickly making his way to where the shot had came from, muttering to himself. "I have life experience- and I am not a kid…I was one of the best shots in this sector. I just don't like having other peoples blood on my hands" he shook his head.

@ShadeStar @CaseyJ @Davadio

3110 looked mildly baffled for a few moments, hearing the younger one sigh loudly and walk over to where he had previously hidden himself in the tree's. Did the kid have a death wish? Walking towards a sniper with a gun? He shook his head, almost amused. He shuffled a little bit further away, hiding himself more securely, still listening. He moved some hair out of his face then froze, had the kid mentioned.. Sector? And the accent was clearly trying not to be Government, 3110 frowned, the others were obviously not Government, so the kid was a runaway, perhaps a fresh one. It didn't complicate things too much, but it bothered 3110 a little. He could have worked with this person, was that the sense of familiarity he'd felt earlier? Something about that though still didn't feel quite right.. His cloak attuned further to the dark wood, 3110 looked like a smudge, but if you looked directly at him you'd eventually spot it. Your eyes wanted to slide off, but no technology was perfect.