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Started September 21, 2021 by @CaseyJ group

tune

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar @Davadio

3110's mind was racing, he didn't often hear of the Refuge kidnapping people. This kid was probably lying, a runaway trying to avoid punishment.
"I'm good? Then you'll let me go? Won't follow me?" 3110 ventured softly, curious at the pacifism of this man. Why would you leave someone alive so they could shoot you in the back later? But given the chance, he'd leave, circle around to shake off tails and go back to the Compound.
The Government would raze the place to the ground or ignore it. 3110 didn't care either way.

@CaseyJ @ScotchTapeWorm @Davadio

The chatter helped Z better pinpoint where the attacker was. She was able to more accurately aim her small firearm at the attacker and then, based upon the fact that the attacker was actually talking to the idiot, she aimed a little bit lower than where she would normally be aiming at. They didn't see a reason to try and kill whoever was there, yet. Yeah the guy shot at the hovel, but at least it wasn't any her.

Chet swapped his bolts while Sean was talking. This one was just very sharp, with a forge tempered tip that would pierce most coverings, up to high grade body armor.
Sean kept saying he wouldn't kill unless he had to, but Chet didn't know what qualified as having to more than being shot at with a big sniper rifle by a shadowy figure in the trees.
He moved up to the next tree, now about 5 feet behind Sean, and had a better view. There was definitely a dark shadowy something there, and from the sound of the voice, it was a male, early 20's, with a Guv accent.
Chet adjusted his grip on the bow, waiting for any signal of attack.

@ShadeStar @ScotchTapeWorm @Davadio

Sean shook his head, "I didn't say that, I was simply stating I will not be the cause of you to die, and that I am a neutral party, And…if you do leave, if you could take me with you, I bet I can get on the leaders good side again. I can be quite charming." He smirked, half expecting them to laugh at him, he was far from being 'charming' and was just annoying. He noted that Chet was behind him, sure that the guy was getting ready to attack the person.

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar @Davadio

3110 looked annoyed for a moment, head tipped to the side. He didn't know why the kid was taking the situation so lightly. The leader of his branch was a ruthless woman, and even as a joke it was disrespectful to claim that they could 'get on her good side'. He had a gun trained on his head for gods sake! The situation was almost amusing if 3110 wasn't also certain he had two guns trained on his general position. Perhaps he should double down on being a runaway?

"Look- I'm, I'm not going back okay? I've run away." 3110 said quickly, softly, like he noticed many did when speaking about confidential things. They tended to whisper when they were talking about things even to people who should know. Like fear had slipped into the volume of their voice. "I couldn't take it anymore-" He cut himself off like he couldn't bear to keep speaking out loud. 3110 hoped he was convincing enough, he wasn't a bad actor, and most of his face was hidden to conceal any emotions on his face.

Once, he'd caught up with a runaway who hadn't been shot on sight. She had managed to sneak out, knocking out one of the guards on the way. The red head had been sent to track them down at any costs, and he'd gotten to leave the Compound for a whole three days. Finding the woman wasn't hard, and she was already weak with hunger, not knowing how to fend for herself in the wasteland. When he'd taken her back to the compound he could still recall her begging. She tried attacking him at first, then tried to convince him, then just broke down into begging. 3110 shuddered, still remembering her words, he'd only been 15 at the time, but she'd taught him a lot about humans and fear. The terror in her voice had always stuck with him. After turning her back in to Compound he was finally rewarded access to a weapon of his choice, his rifle he held in his hands. 3110 never knew what had happened to the woman officially, but he knew. No person came alive out of the Block.

"Please- Just let me go?" He phrased it as a question to garner sympathy, like a person used to being told and never asked. For good measure, 3110 adjusted his grip on the gun so it was unbalanced, still trained on the kids head, but it wobbled like the ginger was shaking in fear.

Chet spoke up from his tree.
"Why should we let you go? You took an unprovoked shot at us, you're dangerous."
He couldn't just let Sean give this guy a free pass to 'leave' and then just shoot them all later.
And if he was Government, there was no way Chet was going to let him go back and tell them that the Forest had more than just loyal villages in it. They would destroy it, and probably wipe out the people in it was well, loyal or not.

3110 frowned again, oddly confused this time. Were these people not used to being shot at? How novel. Besides, the man speaking at least gave the red head a vague idea of where he stood, the metal one was still hidden somewhere in the distance.

"I told you! I thought you were with the Government, I couldn't see what you guys looked like from my distance!" 3110's voice took on a bit of petulance, raising his voice a little bit like he was genuinely getting upset, which wasn't too hard to fake with the situation he was in.
"Besides, I wasn't actually aiming for you.." The ginger couldn't help but mutter, his pride as a sniper wouldn't let him not clarify that he could have shot them if he had wanted to. Ice-blue eyes flashed in he darkness, the only truly visible part of him, 3110 wasn't quite sure if he could weasel his way out of this situation at all, his priorities shifted to at least living for another 24 hours. The kid claimed he wouldn't kill him, didn't want.. blood on his conscious.
"I promise I won't ever see any of you again! Just let me go?" It grated on 3110's nerves to act this sniveling and weak. His voice wasn't his own and his actions affected by the people around him.. Maybe it wasn't so different from being back at the Compound.. But the difference was clear in 3110's mind, and his pride still took a blow from asking again and again to leave. It irked him to no end.

Chet snorted. "Couldn't see us? Buddy, that's a high caliber sniper, I'm not stupid. You've got a scope on it, you could see us just fine."
He nodded. "I'm glad you took a warning shot, for whatever reason, but that leaves me in an awkward position. I can't just let you go."
His voice lowered, going more still, more intense. "You never know who you'll see again out here."

A thought struck Chet, and he tightened his grip on the bow, his knuckles going white.

"What's your name?"

@Davadio @ScotchTapeWorm
Sean thought for a moment, about to correct Chet about the name before he realized what the thought was. He was curious to hear the snipers response. "I bet im a better shot anyway" He muttered, rolling his eyes.

@Davadio @CaseyJ

3110 grimaced, he knew his lie was flimsy, and his tech a tad bit too high, but it was the only excuse he could quickly come up with. The rest felt ominous, and that flash of familiarity came over him again, sending a shiver down his spine. The death knoll was the final statement, falling into the open air uncomfortably. 3110 froze, unsure of what to do. He didn't feel like he could breath or blink, and he felt a tingling in the back of skull, he reached for it, then withdrew as the pain returned, was that important? What was.. 3110 realized he hadn't spoken for about a minute, frozen in place, all of his muscles tensed. Panicking further, 3110 looked around, searching for something.

"My, uh- Name?" He cleared his throat, his skin itching, he felt highly uncomfortable. He stared at the tree's, the leaves, the ground, his eyes eventually settled on a small patch of bark. "It's… Moss?" 3110 said it lamely, then shrugged slowly. "I met someone else who gave me the name, even if its odd." He felt like he had to provide some sort of excuse for a name like that. The pain subsided in his skull once more, it seems that he hadn't struck upon the right answer, so whatever was causing the pain decided mercifully to not punish him. Already knowing he was on thin ice, 3110 wondered if this was the straw that broke the camel's back, he should have used his usual code-name for situations like this, which was Hawk. Perhaps that was too on the nose though? 3110 sighed, his muscles still tensed, he began to wonder if he could run faster than they would shoot him, and if it was a risk he was willing to take. As the seconds ticked by, he became more and more antsy, doing his best not to bolt like a startled deer.

@ScotchTapeWorm @Davadio @ShadeStar
Sean stared at 'Moss' for a moment before he bursted out laughing, like the kid he was. "Seriously?! At least come up with a better lie." he chuckled, "Like Gary or Bob or an actual name man" he shook his head, smiling. "And I thought I was a bad lier."

@CaseyJ @Davadio @ShadeStar

'Moss' blinked once or twice, and then for some reason he couldn't even begin to fathom, doubled down, feeling oddly protective of his horrible lie.
"It's not a lie! That's my name! Not my fault it's not what you consider a 'normal name'!" 3110 wasn't even sure why he was doing this, and the ridiculousness of the situation began to set in, he chuckled quietly, some of his muscles relaxing. He felt almost.. Normal. Though he still felt a prick of guilt for giving himself a name, even a fake one, his number was enough for him.

"Fine! What's yours then?" 3110 tried instead, he knew the kids number, but not his "name", and it seemed the thing to ask with Refugee's or wild people. It was the first question they were taught to ask if pretending to assimilate into their culture, as the Government had taught. Though the rule right above that is to 'shoot on sight', but that would be slightly tricky in this situation. 'Moss' grimaced, still shaking his head at the odd situations he'd been getting himself into. Perhaps he needed a psych eval.

@ScotchTapeWorm @Davadio @ShadeStar
Sean shook his head, "5349 is my number, which I turned to S-E-A-N, said like seen. Because I am special." He shrugged, "Most use their number to give themselves a name, I could give you a better name if you want" He shrugged, he figured this sniper was a lier, who didn't want to be shot by Chet or the other.

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar @ScotchTapeWorm
" My name is Tree, Moss, nice to meet you." Chet's voice was still quiet, intense, not indicating any actual humor. "What was your number before you ran?"

@CaseyJ @ShadeStar @Davadio

3110 blinked first at Sean and then at 'Tree'. He stared back and forth at them for a long moment, if he lied about his number it could be easily disproved by them forcing him to show his arm. Yet.. The older mans intensity was off-putting and immediately put the sniper on the defensive. He could give a fake number and then make a run for it if they forced him to reveal his actual number, or he could try deflecting the question. He doubted it would work with how.. Extreme the other man seemed to be staring him down. Even only hearing his voice, 3110 could feel the emotions directed at him, increasing the tension in the air.

"My number is none of your business, I don't ever want to be referred by it again. Call me Moss." 3110's voice dropped any of it's pretense, letting a raw anger slip into its sound. He straightened his back and shoulders, no more fake shaking or bumbling runaway. 3110 let the mask fall, and he barred his teeth defensively. Even in an arguably more aggressive stance, he felt better. He wasn't meant for deception and grovelling. He didn't even belong in the light, he liked to be unknown and pulling strings, not.. This.

A look of disgust slowly crossed the red-heads face, and he spoke again "Aren't you people supposed to be free? Why would you ask me for a reminder of the thing you hate?" 3110 knew why, he really did. But he was curious to hear their answers, for as much as their way of life was opposite to his ideals, his Government and what his parents had worked so hard to create.. The entire idea was tempting, whispering promises of freedom and living how you wished, away from rules and punishments and empty faces. 3110 wanted to know what had pushed these people to rebel, why they could do what he never could- He glared at each of them individually, hoping in the rational part of his mind that this helped sell the anger in his voice. The irrational part just wanted them to stop, admit he was right, and leave him alone. It would never happen. Everyone knew it. 3110 most of all.

Chet ground his teeth, feeling anger surge up where caution had been. 'Moss' was trying to act like he had a right to be angry, and Chet knew, he knew it, deep in his guts somewhere, that there was more to this.

There were only so many Guv snipers out there.

What were the odds? He'd been waiting for years, with no luck. Their paths had just never crossed again, or maybe Chet hadn't paid enough attention, but what were the odds that suddenly, here in this place, with these people, he would find 3110?
That number was burned into his memory, as was the young face attached to it. If he could get a clear look at this sniper's face or arm, he could be sure.

If it wasn't 3110, then he could calm down and handle this like any other Guv grunt.

If it was, though… Chet felt the anger turn to rage at the thought, red hot and alive like a living flame in his chest.

He calmed the inferno enough to speak carefully. "We ask about your number, because all of us have a story, and that's a defining factor. I want to hear about the moment you started thinking of yourself as 'Moss' instead of your number, but we have to start at the beginning. So, I'll ask again."
He stepped a little closer, the bow raised and aimed. "What was your number?"

Z decided it was time to stop waiting to see if the Gov would actually show himself. He was a horrible lier (he was also far too prideful) and Z had started to pick up on the fact that he most likely wasn't a runaway. He was far too argumentative and while Z understood some caution (given she was currently with the first non-gov people she had met. Ever) there was no reason for him to shoot at the group unprovoked. Even if he wasn't aiming for any of them, only those with the Government did that. Z had no plans on going back to the Gov, which they knew would most likely happen if this sniper got away, so they used his blue eyes as a marker. Aimed a little down and to the right to where his right leg should be (and she could see the faint outline of the limb). Then they took the shot quickly moving to the other side of Sean after firing so the Gov couldn't immediately retaliate.

@Davadio @ScotchTapeWorm
Sean sighed loudly, "You know, and I will say this for like the 5th time, I was kidnapped, I didn't want to leave the gov. So any chance I might not be wanted dead and can go back to my normal life, I would gladly take." He said bitterly, crossing his arms. He was started to get upset, and was half tempted to just let Chet 'Moss'.