She smelled the smoke first. Her tongue was flicking out rapidly from her nervousness, taking in every possible scent in the air. The metallic sting of blood, burning flesh, ozone from plasma fire. The scents alone painted a pretty gruesome picture in her mind. Then she finally saw it, a pretty sizable encampment lay before her. Makeshift huts and cargo containers made up the bulk of what she could see, a scattering of RVs, trucks and vans, and even some tents. There had to have been a decent population here. It made her wonder how life was here, before ADVENT rolled in.

Now however most of the area was on fire or riddled with bullet holes. Six was horrified to see so many bodies. She had mentally prepared herself ahead of time, expecting to see some but it wasn't just adult humans. She could see younger humans too, adolescents and even younger. They had either died fighting or trying to run. There were a few ADVENT Trooper corpses as well, a small consolation. A handful of Troopers were more than enough to compete against poorly or untrained humans in a firefight. She didn't find any survivors, but there was still some fighting going on close by.

Six hoped she wasn't too late. The Viper took cover where she could as she got closer to the sounds of battle. She had to be mindful of burning debris as she moved deeper into the encampment. Using her drone to keep watch behind her, and making a better point to pay attention to it. After a couple minutes of moving deeper she came across the source of the fighting. Staying in cover Six slithered around for a better view. A half dozen humans were pinned down by four Troopers and a Muton. The large frontline brute was firing repeatedly with his plasma rifle, keeping the humans pinned so the Troopers could get into a better position to wipe them out. She had to act fast as she saw the Muton arm a plasma grenade and lob it over the human's position. Six reacted as quickly as she could, lining up a shot at the grenade.

She pulled the trigger.

BANG!

The shot wasn't as precise as she'd hoped, she only clipped the grenade mid-flight. But it was enough to alter the trajectory. Sending it off course, landing away from anyone before it exploded. She saved the humans barely…but it also drew the ire of the Muton. He let out a loud roar and immediately charged at her position.

“Uh-oh!" Six hissed as she slithered back from her position.

She stood no chance against a Muton up close. Mutons were heavy muscle more than anything else. And could easily outweigh a Viper (especially so for Six who was smaller than average). It also didn't help that Mutons carried heavy plasma rifles bearing very sharp bayonets. Trying to coil around him would be a fruitless endeavor. No, her best chance would be to keep her distance and unload as many rounds as she could into him. If she kept him focused on closing the gap she could avoid getting shot. A plasma bolt would do a lot more damage than a standard bullet. And she didn't want to know that for sure first hand.

The Muton roared as he smashed through Six's meager cover. She was at least able to get clear in time, trying to level her rifle for another shot. But the Muton was wise to her intention, grabbing a piece of debris and throwing it at her. The Viper hissed as she ducked and tried to back pedal further. But her foe was having none of it as he charged again, this time with intent to cut into her with his bayonet. Six hissed and in a panic used the only tool in her arsenal that might help her. She spat in the Muton's face hoping to blind him long enough for her to get some distance. It actually did more than that.

KZZZZZZZZT!

“RRAAAAGGGGHHH!" The Muton roared and convulsed as he was jolted with a surge of electricity.

It only lasted a scant few seconds, but the jolt was potent enough to drop the Muton! Much to Six's surprise!

“I didn't think the discharge was that strong!" She said aloud wide eyed.

She checked over the Muton to see if he was dead or not. Still breathing…now she was conflicted on if that was good or bad. On the one hand he was a tool for the Elders as much as she had been. On the other hand, if she let him live, he'd just get back up and try to kill her again. He was out of commission for the moment, could she really bring herself to just kill him? The sound of gunfire close by gave her the answer she needed. This was a matter of survival, there were others that could use her help. She still hesitated and even looked away as she leveled the rifle and pulled the trigger.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

She had to be sure the Muton stayed down. It still made her feel sick, immensely so. But she had to put it aside for now. The humans still needed help, and she was going to make sure they got it.

Without looking at the now hopefully dead Muton she quickly slithered back to the conflict ahead. Things were not looking good; the humans were further pinned down by the Troopers. There seemed to be fewer humans fighting back (at least that she could see). Just how bad did it get in such a short time?! Six didn't have much time to think up a strategy, but without the Muton in play she could be a bit more reckless. As soon as she got close enough to the fighting, she shot out her tongue. Snagging one of the Troopers, yanking them towards her with a startled yell. She quickly let go, letting the Trooper's momentum carry them into range of her axe. The Viper struck hard and fast, bringing the axe blade down on the Trooper's vulnerable neck.

Her sudden strike took the Trooper down quickly, and also divided the attention of the other three Troopers. One turned around to face her and lined up for a shot. Luckily for Six, she knew very well how ADVENT weapons worked. Mag rifles always had a delay on the trigger pull, the weapon needed to power up the coils in order to fire. It took seconds, but seconds were all she needed to slither quickly to the side. Evading the burst of mag rounds with ease. Six got up close and coiled herself around the Trooper before he could fire again. Squeezing down tight with all the strength she could muster. Something deep inside her suddenly boiled over in the heat of the moment, emotions spiraling past uncontrolled to a stark cold fury. Her mind was locked fully into fight mode, adrenaline flooding her system. This wasn't the time to hold back, it was kill or be killed! The remaining duo of Troopers finally took notice of her presence and turned to face her; rifles raised.

Six hissed angrily at them as she took aim with her rifle and fired. She got two shots off before the magazine ran dry. The Viper managed to land two solid hits on one Trooper, dead center of mass. The other Trooper was shouting commands at her as if she were a malfunctioning machine! She ignored the commands; she wasn't going to be ordered around anymore! The Viper snatched away the last Trooper's rifle with her tongue and immediately pulled the trigger once she could aim. She kept pulling the trigger, riddling the unfortunate Trooper with mag rounds until the rifle was empty. The hail of rounds tore the Trooper to shreds, spraying thick yellowish blood everywhere.

Six kept squeezing the trigger even though nothing was happening. Devolving into a fit of screaming and hissing as she threw the mag rifle to the side. Not even yelling out anything remotely coherent, just raw emotion exploding out of her. Her coils trembling and tightening up.

CRACK!

SNAP!

The Viper's coiled grip had tightened up to the point of snapping the bones of the Trooper in her coils. It also snapped her out of her incoherent raging, enough to stop screaming into the air and drop the now dead Trooper. Her eyes darting around looking for threats, breathing heavily as she picked up her rifle. Popping the empty magazine out, so she could put a fresh one in.

“Drop it or die snake!" Yelled a voice.

Six turned quickly, spotting one of the humans peeking out from their cover. A rifle trained on her. The Viper hissed and glared back. Still locked in fight mode, and now being faced with a threat only served to agitate her further. The human was far enough away to avoid risk of her using her tongue, or electrified spit. And her rifle was still empty, leaving her in a vulnerable position. Six wasn't in a normal state of mind, and only being antagonized further into that position by a weapon pointed at her. The drone automatically fed her information on her immediate surroundings, there wasn't any cover she could reach quickly enough. She was in the open and exposed, staring down a gun barrel.

The Viper let out a hiss as she stared down the human, there was no room in her mind for surrender. It was do or die. And the human was just as prepared, about to pull the trigger when a foreboding thrumming sound vibrated through the air. ADVENT reinforcements were coming in! An angular shaped brick of an aircraft flew down at high speed and started to hover above the encampment. The human quickly refocused on the dropship, and so did Six. The Viper quickly shoving a fresh magazine into her rifle, this was a bigger threat.

The side door of the dropship opened up, three Troopers and a bipedal robot jumped out, it was a MEC unit. The human didn't hesitate and started shooting before they even touched the ground. Six reacted just as quickly. The human managed to kill one of the Troopers before he hit the ground. Six wasn't as lucky, wounding the other two Troopers. Not enough to take them out of the fight, but enough to force them into cover right away. The MEC took a few moments to orient itself into combat mode once it landed. That gave Six time to get some cover of her own.

“Fuck you! And FUCK your Elders!" The human shouted as she shot at the in-cover Troopers.

The MEC turned its attention to her and leaned forward prepping to fire off its shoulder mounted rockets. The Viper reacted faster, her drone zoomed in and latched onto the base of the MEC's neck. Six cried out in pain as the drone made the connection. She was slammed by feedback, the MEC's security protocols pushed back on the intrusion harder than she expected. The back of her skull practically burning as she mentally brute forced her way through, wresting control of the MEC from itself. She managed to get it to alter trajectory and fire off the rockets right at the two Troopers.

CLUNK! CLUCNK! CLUNCK!

The rockets fired off with near perfect accuracy

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The trio of explosions managed to destroy what cover the Troopers had, and managed to finish off one of them! The other was in bad shape but still alive. Six cried out in pain as the MEC shorted itself out while she was still connected to it. Her drone was jolted pretty badly and barely disconnected before it was fried along with the MEC. It bounced in the air while trying to recover from the surge, the safety system kicked in and it simply dropped to the floor having shut itself off to preserve itself.

Six felt like a chunk of her brain had been ripped out, clutching her head in agony as her vision swam from the sheer pain. Her mind reeling as it struggled to keep up with all of the sudden stimuli. She just barely registered the human rushing into the open to finish off the last Trooper, when something heavy hit her in the back of the head.

Everything went dark and numb in an instant.

Sometime later…

Six groaned in pain, vision blurry as consciousness slowly crept back in. Her head was throbbing, making it difficult to focus. She felt sick as she struggled to piece things together. She remembered getting involved in the shootout with ADVENT to help the humans still alive. It got a bit fuzzy from there, vaguely recalling an ADVENT MEC that she hacked into…it was frustrating! She couldn't remember anything beyond that, just a massive surge of pain then nothing.

Something had happened between then and now, as the Viper quickly realized that her body was coiled up and bound together. Her hands and snout were also bound. Six looked around, noticing she was inside some sort of shack. It was completely empty, devoid of windows, only a bare bulb in the ceiling for light. Her drone was missing as well, she couldn't feel its presence in the back of her mind. Possibly due to the headache? Right now, she needed try and figure out her immediate situation, the drone would have to wait.

The Viper had obviously been captured, it must have been humans. She doubted ADVENT would have locked her up in something so ramshackle, and with rudimentary bindings at that. She was able to feel over her snout with her bound hands, some sort of adhesive binding was wrapped snug around her mouth. Likely to keep her from spitting venom, still her tongue was able to flick out and taste the air. She picked up the scents of smoke and blood, she was still at the human camp.

'If I slip out, I should be able to get back to where I stored my supplies.' Six thought to herself as she started planning her escape, 'I've survived too much to just die here. I don't care if they're grateful or not, I helped the humans by choice.'

KRA-KOOOOOM!

Six jumped at the sound of thunder, another storm was coming. That would pose a problem if she were caught in the rain. It would be all too easy to leave a trail, not to mention how quickly she'd start to freeze from the rain itself.

'It might be better to just bolt instead of plan it out.' The Viper thought, 'I just hope I'm not still alive to be food later.'

Six shuddered at that thought, and prepared to get her coils free with her claws. The shack door burst open suddenly, making her freeze in a panic, 'Too late…'

A human female with light skin and dark hair was staring her down, Six lowered her self submissively. The human was armed with a rifle, finger on the trigger. It made the point clear; she was ready to shoot her dead at a moment's notice. She saw that she was wearing some sort of uniform, mottled browns, greens, and grays; a military uniform she realized.

'I thought the human militaries were wiped out years ago? More ADVENT lies?' Six thought as she studied the human.

She seemed middle age roughly. If she was indeed a soldier then she likely served during the initial invasion. Meaning she was very experienced if she was still alive. Six looked down at the floor, she could feel her eyes boring into her already aching skull, practically feel the hate and disgust coming off her.

“Is it awake?" A male voice said from outside the shack.

“Yeah, it's awake now. I still don't see the point in keeping it alive. Just let me shoot it already so we can get out of here." The human in front of her said.

Six panicked and started trembling with fear, she couldn't die like this. Not potentially a second time, utterly helpless and gunned down without a thought.

“Step aside Corporal, I want to speak with it." That voice spoke again.

“Still think it's a waste of time Lieutenant." The addressed Cpl. sighed as she side-stepped.

A human male stepped into the shack, he had darker tanned skin and was wearing a similar uniform. He was older than the other human, by how much Six wasn't sure. Half his head and face were covered in fresh bandages, he must have been wounded during the fighting. His right arm was in a sling, possibly broken? He stared down at the Viper with a hard intense gaze. Six couldn't meet his gaze, she felt that doing so would end her right then and there.

“I know you can understand me, and I know you can speak." The human said as he knelt in front of her, roughly grabbing her chin so she was forced to look him in the eye.

“I have some questions for you. And you better answer truthfully, or you die right here." He said in an icy tone, “Nod if you understand."

He let go of her chin, and Six immediately nodded that she understood. She knew she wasn't in a position to be deceptive, and smart enough to go along with what these humans wanted.

“Good, that also applies if you try to spit any of that venom." He said as he pulled out a knife.

Six tensed up at the sight of the blade, and nodded again.

“You're taking a big risk here Lieutenant." The other human commented.

“That's why you're here with a gun." The Lt. said as he cut the adhesive and ripped it from Six's snout.

It stung a bit, but her scales weren't harmed.

“Please don't eat me!" Six pleaded immediately, it was the first thing out of her mouth on reflex, “If I'm going to die…just…I don't want…I don't want it to be that way."

“…That's not what I expected to hear." The Lt. said with a degree of confusion.

Her immediate statement completely shifted the tone in this conversation. Deep down she hoped that worked in her favor.

“I-I don't know what you want to ask b-but…I'm not a frontline soldier. I-I'm just a technician." Six said stuttered out, “I just work…worked on computers."

“Could have fooled me with how well you shoot." The Cpl. remarked, “It's chattier than I expected, and not spouting hateful remarks and insults. Not like those Troopers we dealt with months back."

“Keep quiet Corporal. Now then, are you a scout?" The Lt. asked, “A fake deserter to bait us into a trap? Lure humans into an ADVENT ambush down the line? How'd you know where to find us? Why did you shoot at your own?"

The Viper stared at the human utterly confused, her mind ground to a halt. He asked these questions as if this sort of thing had happened before. Was ADVENT that conniving? Manipulating their own into fake deserters just to root out human resistance. Was she programmed to do that herself? A cold sensation rand down her spine, could she still be under their control and not realize it? But if that were true wouldn't that have kicked in when she encountered those Skirmishers a few weeks ago? There were too many variables for her to try and figure it out right now. The pain throbbing in her skull was not helping matters either.

“N-no, no I am…was a technician. That's what they programmed me for…what I was made for. With some basic combat skills shoved in as an afterthought." Six said as she did her best to calm herself down and speak clearly.

She needed to focus on the present, not what ifs.

“I-I hope they didn't put something in my head that would compel me to expose you." Six added, “I don't even know what's truth or lies anymore."

“Programmed?" The Lt. raised a brow, “Like a computer?"

The Viper nodded her head in confirmation, “I was made in a lab, I didn't hatch from an egg like Vipers would…should."

Saying it out loud like that broke something else inside her, and the words just poured out of her.

“ADVENT used the Psionic Network to shove technological information directly into my brain through the control chip. I don't even know if my personality or memories are even real! What even am I? I was made to be used, just a tool. A tool of flesh and blood! Until I was cut from the Network all I ever did was what ADVENT told me to do! When to eat, when to sleep, where to go, what to fix, to just ignore everything else. I could barely think for myself, and I don't even dream!" Six rambled on, her voice getting louder as she went on.

“I don't have a childhood; I don't have friends I could talk to. I don't even have parents! I have nothing! Without the Psionic Network in my head, I HAVE NOTHING!" The Viper broke down completely, tears in her eyes as she simply started crying at this point, “I don't even have a name! Just a serial number…what's even the point of trying to stay alive?"

The two humans stared at the crying mess of coils, then glanced at each other without a word. This whole interrogation took a turn neither was prepared for.

“That's…a lot to unpack." The Lt. said after an uncomfortably long pause.

Six didn't even respond, she just lay awkwardly on her bound coils sobbing quietly. It'd been one thing to think about how little she had, but to say it out loud? To dredge up those thoughts up again, it only reinforced just how brutal…how painful her existence really was, not even physically at that. Just sheer psychological anguish. She didn't have Bruce for reassurance this time, to provide comfort and support when she needed it most.

“Just…shoot me and be done with it." Six finally said.

“Whoa that's a turn!" The Cpl. stepped back unprepared for such a statement.

“We're not going to just shoot you for the sake of it. Not after all of…that." The Lt. said, “Are you really that suicidal?"

“Is that what I'm feeling right now?" Six mumbled out, “I don't even know what half the things I feel are at times. I-I'm sorry…I'm just so overwhelmed right now…I wish Bruce was here. He'd know what to say."

“Who's Bruce?" The Lt. asked, trying to break the awkwardness in the air.

The Viper took several deep breaths trying to calm and compose herself again. This really wasn't the time to let her emotions run rampant.

“He's someone I talk to on the radio." Six said, wisely omitting that he was a Muton, “He's with a group of survivors further south. I was invited to join his group. So, I've been heading that way to meet with them when I came across your camp under attack."

“So, you just stumbled upon us?" The Lt. asked.

“Not exactly, I was camped out close enough to hear the fighting. It woke me up." Six said, “I couldn't just let it happen without trying to help."

“Just like that?" The Cpl. asked, “Why? I was ready to shoot you dead then and there when you showed up. Why take the risk?"

“Because you needed it." Six answered honestly, “I helped humans once before, in a similar situation. They were escorting a scientist that fled ADVENT. I happened upon them when they were pinned down. I…took a chance, I was going to be shot at either way. They let me live as thanks for the help. That was months ago, not long after I was disconnected from the Network…and fleeing from other humans. Ones that planned to kill and eat me."

“Who would eat aliens? Is that even safe?" The Cpl. asked with some disgust, “That's just nasty."

“Desperation?" The Lt. suggested, “Now if and it's a big if what you're saying is true, then how'd you get disconnected from this 'network'?"

“I died…I think? I-I'm not all that sure anymore actually. I just remember being forced by the Network to work on a computer terminal…before being shot by a human." The Viper explained with an involuntary shudder, “Then waking up sometime later without the Network controlling me."

“I'm still skeptical about this sir. But at the same time, I've never seen or heard of a Viper acting like this. Let alone seen one cry before." The Cpl. said as she adjusted her grip on her rifle, “I didn't even think they could even cry."

“I agree with you Corporal." The Lt. nodded, “But at the same time, my instincts are telling me she's being honest. I saw a lot more frontline combat during the initial invasion than you did. I've seen more than my share of what the aliens threw at us. She looks like a child almost, not a hardened soldier with years of experience."

“A-admittedly…I'm only three years old." Six put forth, confirming the human's assumption.

“Fuckin' hell she's barely a toddler!" The Cpl. exclaimed, “I almost shot a toddler! What sick monster in ADVENT thought this was a good idea? Sending babies to fight?"

“I was tailor made to be a technician. There's no other Viper like me…that I know of anyway. I came out of a tube, put to work in a matter of hours since 'birth'." Six explained, “I'm fully grown otherwise. Physically and mentally."

“That's beside the point." The Cpl. growled out.

“Enough of that Corporal, now you said you spoke to this Bruce over radio? I want to speak with him." The Lt. said.

Six wasn't sure how to respond to that, would it be a security risk? She'd have to speak to him privately first, but maybe it would be worth it.

“Nnnghh…" The Viper hissed in pain as she tried clutching at her head, a spike of pain striking her suddenly.

The two humans backed away from the Viper.

“Nnnggh…S-sorry, my head is…ow…" Six hissed as she clenched her eyes shut, “I'd need to speak to Bruce first. I don't think he'd want me to risk compromising his group."

“I can understand that, but we'll be listening in." The Lt. acknowledged.

“Okay… but we shouldn't stay here for much longer. ADVENT will be back to wipe this place clean. I don't know when exactly because of that coming storm. But they will, and when they do, they'll make this place seem like it never existed." Six said as more thunder in the distance rumbled by, “They've done it to their own facilities before. Then I was brought in to get their computers set up for new facilities."

The Lt. nodded, “They'll probably spin in as a failed attempt at humanitarian aid."

“And then broadcast it all through the City Centers." The Cpl. added, “Where would we even go then?"

The Viper winced as she was hit with another spike of pain before it quickly faded away.

“…My camp isn't far. But I need my drone. It works as an antenna for the radio. It would be a good idea to pack what we can salvage from your camp and take it with us." Six suggested, “You could talk to Bruce once we're safe."

“Think it's worth the risk Lt.?" The Cpl. asked.

“It's either trust a lone Viper, or take our chances with more ADVENT." The Lt. said, “Don't make me regret this."

“I will do my best not to." Six said before a thought struck her, “It just occurred to me…were…you two the only survivors?"

The humans glanced at each other, silently communicating how to respond. Six stared at them both wide eyed. Was it just the two of them? The only survivors out of dozens of people! That sick feeling was creeping up again.

“There's two others, civilians." The Lt. said finally, “They were lucky to avoid injury."

“I-I'm sorry I hadn't helped sooner." Six looked down at the floor, “I wish I could have helped save more people. I should have reacted sooner."

“And likely been killed for trying." The Cpl. said, “Our attention would have been more divided to take you out since you're on your own."

“Oh…" Six said quietly.

“But I must admit, you saved our asses." The Cpl. said, “That was an impressive shot on that plasma grenade. We would've been finished otherwise. So, thanks for that."

“Yes, thank you." The Lt. nodded.

“You're welcome…" Six nodded back, she still felt bad for not helping to save more people.

The three remained quiet for a long awkward moment.

“Can…umm. Can you untie me now?" Six asked.

“Oh right. This is rather new for us." The Lt. said as he used his knife to cut her loose.

Six rubbed her wrists as she stretched out her coils, “Thank you. We should hurry before the storm hits. It's difficult for me to move through mud."

“Well at this point if we're going to be trusting each other, might as well do proper introductions. I'm Lieutenant Joaquin Cortéz. And this is-" The Lt. introduced himself.

“Corporal Hayden Myers." The Cpl. gave a quick salute, “If you don't have a name what do we call you?"

“Umm for now I'm going by Six, it was Bruce's suggestion to use the last digit in my serial number as a placeholder." Six said stopping herself from using the ADVENT salute on reflex, “I've been so focused on surviving and moving to join with him I haven't put any thought to a proper name yet. I want to give it some serious thought, rather than the first thing that sounds good."

“Well Six, we best introduce you to the others. They've been taking stock of whatever we can salvage." Lt. Cortéz said, “But let me explain to them first before you come out. Wait here."

“That seems like a good idea." Six nodded as he left, leaving her alone with the other human.

“Not going to attack me now that I'm alone, are you?" Cpl. Myers asked.

“No, I don't have a reason to." Six shook her head, “You'd probably get a lethal shot off before I could anyway."

“Yeah, that's what I figured." The human nodded, “…This is incredibly awkward."

“It is?" The Viper asked.

“I'm accustomed to shooting ADVENT on sight, not holding a conversation with them." Cpl. Myers said, “It's always insults and hate with your kind, has been with every single encounter. Until you anyway."

“Thank you?" Six tilted her head, she wasn't sure if that was a compliment or an insult.

She settled for both.

Lt. Cortéz came back in and gave them both a quick nod, “You can come out now. They've mostly finished up already."

“Anything useful?" Cpl. Myers asked.

“We got enough food for the four of us for about a week. Plenty of medical supplies, and one of the big pickups is still drivable. More ammo than we can carry, for unfortunate reasons." Lt. Cortéz added, “Spare parts to keep our weapons working are plentiful. The RVs are all toast, and the tents are all torn to shreds from all the crossfire."

“Maybe we can rig something up on the truck?" Cpl. Myers said, “Better than nothing."

“No time for that. At least not for tonight." Lt. Cortéz shook his head.

“I camped out at a gas station. Nothing to salvage but it is dry. We would be safe from the storm at least." Six said.

“Even better, we can use the time to rig up something for the future." Lt. Cortéz nodded, “Let's get a move on."

With that said Six followed behind the two humans, from a reasonable distance. She noticed that Myers kept glancing back at her, and would whisper into the other human's ear now and then. She was certain they were talking about her, likely still unsure about fully trusting her. She could understand that, she still had some reservations about them herself. But this was the best possible outcome, at least in her mind. She just had to hope she'd earned enough trust to avoid harm. She didn't want to get into a fight with them if it could be avoided. The Viper jumped a little when she heard a gasp.

Two more humans were standing next to a vehicle, they must've been loading it when the spotted her. Six froze as they stared at her warily. A young adult female and what seemed to be an adolescent male, the Viper had no real bearing on how humans aged. They both had dark hair and lighter skin, Six wondered if they were possibly related. Unlike Myers and Cortéz, they weren't dressed in military uniforms, just simple shirts and pants than had seen better days.

“Relax you two, she's okay. Just like I explained." The Lt. said, “Everything loaded up?"

“Almost." The young woman said, “We just need to load up on extra fuel."

“At least we won't run out for a while." Cpl. Myers nodded, “To introduce you, this is…Six."

The Viper noticed the awkwardness of the introduction, she really needed a proper name. Still to avoid further awkwardness she gave a little wave.

“Hello." Six nodded as she avoided direct eye contact.

“These are Gywnn Edwards and Bobby Palmer." Cpl. Myers explained.

“Hello…Six." The woman Edwards said, her tone filled with disdain for some reason.

“Hey…" The adolescent Palmer muttered quietly.

The Viper barely heard him, “It's nice to…meet you?"

“She's pointed us to a spot we can shelter from the storm, and put us in contact with another group of people. She'll be with us for the time being." Lt. Cortéz explained, “And yes, it is going to be very awkward for all of us. But we would all be dead if it wasn't for her intervention, so we at least owe her that much."

“I still need to find my drone; I'll try to stay out of your way." Six said, “Would it be a problem if I had my weapons back?"

The Viper had noticed a few minutes ago that she was missing her axe and rifle. But still had the unused magazines on her.

“We're going to hold onto them for now if you don't mind." Lt. Cortéz said, “You're plenty lethal without them as it is."

“Oh…I suppose that isn't…inaccurate." The Viper decided not to push the issue, but she would like to have them back eventually.

For now, she slithered off to search for her missing drone, with it disabled it wasn't going to be easy. She couldn't just leave it behind, it was a part of her. And her only means of contacting Bruce at the moment. Six roamed around for a good few minutes, thunder rumbling in the sky. The storm was getting closer. She did her best to avoid looking at the bodies all around as well. Seeing all this destruction and death was upsetting, and the smell was making her nauseous.

Eventually she managed to find the wreck of the MEC with her drone next to it. It was just lying on the ground completely inert. Six frowned as she picked it up, her headache returning somewhat as she recalled the surge of pain from the feedback. The drone's casing was intact, but that didn't give away anything about the inside. She'd have to open it up and see what damage there might be. But it would have to wait until she got back to camp, where her tools were. Drone found she made her way back to the humans; they seemed to be done loading the truck.

“I see you found it." Lt. Cortéz nodded to the drone in her hands, “Still works?"

“I don't know, I have to get it open to see. But my tools are back at my camp, and some hopefully compatible parts." Six said, “Its east of here, next to the highway."

“Highway? Sounds a bit risky." Cpl. Myers remarked.

“It's been abandoned; there's vehicles blocking most of the road. Either ADVENT hasn't gotten to it for reuse, or they decided not to bother." Six said, “I was always taken where needed by airship. So, I'm not too familiar with their road plans."

“Good enough for me." Cpl. Myers nodded, “You'll have to sit in the bed with our supplies. You won't fit in the backseat."

“I understand…cars and I don't seem to mix well." The Viper said recalling her initial escape from ADVENT.

“Is this really a good idea?" Edwards asked, “I still don't trust it."

“We don't either, but we're giving her the benefit of the doubt. For now." The Lt. said, putting emphasis on the last part.

The woman seemed very skeptical still but climbed into the truck all the same. The adolescent followed her in, he kept glancing at Six for some reason. She wasn't sure why, but it was starting to unnerve her. For the moment she put it out of her mind and slithered into the bed of the truck. It was far from comfortable with all the supplies that had been crammed into it. Once she was secure inside Lt. Cortéz climbed into the front passenger side, while Cpl. Myers took the driver seat. Six jumped as the truck's engine roared to life, it was far louder than she was accustomed to.

“Hang on back there." Cpl. Myers said as the truck lurched into motion.

The Viper let out a started hissed as she held on tight as the truck got moving, this was a very different experience from her first drive. Then again, she hopefully wouldn't be shot at this time. Six just held on as best she could for the rough ride.

Fortunately, the gas station she had camped out wasn't very far by truck. It was tricky getting the truck to navigate around all the abandoned vehicles though. But Cpl. Myers was very skilled behind the wheel, as she expertly navigated across the highway to the station.

“That's perfect, it has a garage, we can hide the truck inside." Cpl. Myers said as she pulled the truck up in front of the shut garage portion of the station, “Hey Six, is the bay empty?"

“Yes, I didn't see a vehicle inside last night." Six said as slithered out of the truck bed, “I can get it open for you."

“Make it quick, don't want the supplies getting soaked. That storm looks like it'll drop on us any minute now." Cpl. Myers said.

“Of course, Corporal Myers." Six nodded as she slithered into the station and got the garage shutter open.

Once the truck was secure inside the Viper shut it once again, “There's not much around, but there's plenty of space. And I have a portable stove if you need it."

They'd gotten inside just as the rain started to come down hard, thunder rumbling loudly overhead.

“Thank you Six." Lt. Cortéz said as he got out of the truck rubbing his arm, “Traveling by truck is not going to be fun in these conditions."

Six wanted to say something but thought better of it, picking up her drone she slithered over to where she had stashed her supplies. She ignored the humans for the time being. Getting her drone repaired was more important. Very carefully she got the drone open and got a good look inside. Miraculously the components inside seemed to be undamaged, the safety system did its job. The Viper sighed with relief as she carefully checked the components anyway, better to be certain after all. The drone just needed a jump start it seemed. So, she dug out the cable tied to her Elerium power cell once the drone was reassembled.

“Is that an Elerium core?" A voice asked from behind Six.

“AAAH!" Six let out a startled scream and hissed as she jumped back in fright.

It was the adolescent boy, Palmer. How long had he been standing there behind her? Cpl. Myers came running over with Edwards behind her, rifle at the ready.

“What's going on?" She demanded.

“He startled me." Six said, keeping her hands up, “Sorry."

“I didn't mean to." The boy mumbled, “I just wanted to see what she was working on."

“Bobby you shouldn't be anywhere near that thing! It's not safe." Edwards said as she put a hand on the boy's shoulder and started to guide him away, “Please keep away from it okay?"

Six watched them move to the other side of the space, behind some empty shelves. Cpl. Myers glanced between the Viper and the two civilians.

“Try not to take it personal." She said to the Viper, “We've had far too many encounters with ADVENT, not so much with Vipers. But enough to make a pretty strong impression."

“I won't. I can understand her feelings. But the boy, he won't stop staring at me." Six said, “I've been stared at before, but something about the way he looks at me bothers me. I didn't even notice him walk up behind me until he spoke up."

“Bobby was always a quiet kid far as I've seen. He'd only been with us for a couple months." Cpl. Myers explained as she glanced back in the direction of the boy again, “One of those City Center kids, don't know if that was a blessing or a curse. Probably both."

“What do you mean?" The Viper asked a bit confused.

“Well from what I was told ADVENT took his folks one day for no explainable reason. Just left him behind. So, he fled and eventually ended up with us." Cpl. Myers clarified, “Left the easy life to tough it out here like the rest of us. So, I heard anyway, aside from the ridiculous extremes of security life in the City Centers is pretty good. No need to scavenge and pray for your next meal or shelter. But life was a breeze for you there huh?"

“Not really." Six said as she fiddled with the cable still in her hands, “I slept in one of the barracks outside the City Centers, I was only every inside to work. And only work. Once I finished a job it was to the next assignment, I don't even know how many City Centers I've visited. They all look the same. It was just work, eat, sleep. Every day like…"

“Clockwork?" Cpl. Myers offered.

“Yes?" Six tilted her head as she thought it over for a moment, “Yes! Exactly, same routine every day, almost down to the minute. That was my life, my entire life. I used to think I wasn't as constrained by the Network as most others. But now that I'm actually free? I realized I had no control at all."

“We'd heard rumors about this sort of thing. The Lt. and I just thought it was ADVENT sympathizers trying to justify themselves. So did most everyone else in our group." Cpl. Myers sighed, “On the other hand it also explains how coordinated ADVENT is, the uniformity in their forces and such. If they're all wired together so to speak, they can do things large scale without delays in communication, or confusion."

“We're not given a choice in the matter either. I couldn't even think about anything other than work, not without the Network essentially squeezing my brain to focus." Six looked down at her drone as she plugged it in to jump start it.

As she relayed the story of how she got disconnected from the Network, in detail. The drone buzzed and jerked as it suddenly started to float again, that cool sensation of the drone's presence in her mind returned. And the headache that lingered suddenly vanished, the Viper letting out a sigh of relief. At least now she didn't have to worry about the drone, a quick software diagnostic should do the trick. Six got her tablet out and got the software check going, then hopefully reach Bruce despite the storm outside.

“I can't imagine how that must've been like. But at least you're free now." Cpl. Myers said after taking a few minutes to process the Viper's story, “That should count for something right?"

“I suppose so." Six nodded, “It has not been easy trying to stay alive. Aside from basics I really don't know what I'm doing half the time. I found books on camping and hunting, that was a big help. Learned how to fish, but I really don't like it, or fish."

“Fishing isn't that bad. It's all about patience and relaxing." Cpl. Myers said.

“But it's boring, and too easy for me!" Six groaned, “I managed to catch two weeks' worth of fish in a couple of days! And spent almost three weeks eating nothing but dried fish."

“Then you shouldn't have trouble catching some for us." Cpl. Myers chuckled, “Would stretch out our supplies. And you'd be pulling your own weight as we travel."

“Pulling my weight?" The Viper was visibly confused by the statement.

“You know helping out? Instead of just being along for the ride?" The human explained.

“Oh… Why would I not help?" Six asked genuinely.

Cpl. Myers looked like she was going to say something but paused and shook her head, “Never mind. So, drone good to go?"

“I think so." Six said, still a bit confused by this human.

She checked the tablet and everything checked out. The drone was in perfect working order, “Yes, it's working properly. I'll see if I can contact Bruce now."

“You do that, I need to check on the others." Cpl. Myers said as she moved to the other side of the space.

Six watched her go before focusing on her task. The drone floated up high to the ceiling, hopefully that would be enough. She didn't want to risk damage from the storm. The Viper set up her scramble software and turned on the radio.

“Hello? Bruce? Can you hear me?" She spoke into the mic, only receiving static, “Bruce? I need to talk to you it's important."

Still more static.

“I see you got things working?" Lt. Cortéz asked as he approached with Cpl. Myers beside him.

“Yes, but I may not be getting through due to the storm." Six nodded, “And sorry if I startled you earlier."

“Myers already gave me the rundown. I'm in no shape to get into a fight right now. But I knew she could handle things if needed." Lt. Cortéz said.

“Gee, thanks." Cpl. Myers rolled her eyes.

There was more static before the radio crackled and a familiar voice came through, if grainy from interference.

“Six? Surprised to hear from you this early. Everything okay?" Bruce's voice broke through, “Signal isn't especially clear right now."

“I'm indoors, sheltering from a storm." Six explained, “It might be heading your way if it hasn't hit you yet."

“Thanks for the heads up." Came the reply, “You doing alright?"

“Yes…no? Maybe?" Six said, “It's complicated. I came across a human camp."

“Did you get shot at again?" Bruce asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone, “I warned you about being reckless after that stunt you pulled in the city."

“Technically…yes." Six said, “They were being attacked by ADVENT."

“So, you decided to go in and help. For a Viper desperate to stay alive you sure love to take risks with your life." Bruce said with exasperation.

Six noticed that the humans listening in wanted to comment but stayed quiet for the moment.

“Well, I didn't get hurt this time." Six offered, “Point is I did help. And while we did manage to repel ADVENT, there were only four survivors."

“That's unfortunate. We've come across the aftermath of ADVENT attacks before." Bruce said, “And since you're talking to me, they elected not to kill you?"

“Yes, it was tense but I managed to convince them to not kill me." The Viper confirmed.

“And they're right next to you and want to talk to the man in charge?" Bruce asked.

“How…?" Six started confused.

“Not the first time this has happened, just wait a minute. I'll go get him." Bruce said as the connection went back to static.

“Well, that was easy." Lt. Cortéz said.

“That was Bruce? Deep voice." Cpl. Myers remarked.

“Yeah." Six nodded, she still hadn't said anything about him being a Muton.

There were a few minutes of silence, when the signal mostly cleared up again.

“Hello, to whom as I speaking with?" A male voice came through.

His voice wasn't as deep or gravely as Bruce's, but it carried authority. Six found it rather intimidating.

“H-Hello…This is Six, the Viper Bruce told you about." Six said a bit nervously, “It's nice to finally speak to you."

“Ah yes, I'm sorry I hadn't tried to speak to you sooner. Very busy keeping these people safe." The man said, “And I hear that you found human survivors."

Six was about to answer when Lt. Cortéz took the mic from her.

“Yes, she has. And who might you be?" He asked.

“That voice is familiar… Joaquin Cortéz is that you?" The man over the radio asked after a short pause.

“How do you know my name?" Lt. Cortéz asked taken aback.

“Don't recognize me? Its Cameron Jacobs, frankly I'm amazing you're still alive and kicking. Thought you died years ago!"

“Wait Cameron? Captain Cameron Jacobs? How in hells are you still alive!" Lt. Cortéz exclaimed with recognition, “I don't believe it!"

The two then started a full-blown conversation, talking like old friends over the radio. Reminiscing about the days before the invasion, how they'd survived to this point. Their respective situations, and numerous other topics. To the point Six felt awkward and utterly left out of the conversation. Most of what was discussed went completely over her head. Cpl. Myers gave the Viper a sympathetic glance, she was just as lost it seemed. Thankfully the conversation eventually wound down after what felt like hours, though probably was maybe forty minutes or so.

“Now then for the Viper in the room." Capt. Jacobs said, “Thank you for not harming her, and thank you Six for stepping in when you did. I can't imagine how scared you were."

“She's certainly earning my trust." Lt. Cortéz said, “Especially knowing that it's you of all people she's trying so hard to meet up with."

“It was the right thing to do, and absolutely terrifying." Six added.

“ADVENT alien defectors aren't so bad once they're not puppeteered by their elder masters. They're not all that different from us. And before you bring it up, I know this from experience. Got a few alien defectors here, they've been a huge help keeping us off ADVENT's radar. Worked with them for a few years now. Bruce is a great example; I think you'll get along great with him Joaquin." Capt. Jacobs said, “And believe me it took some getting used to, but out here you need every advantage you can get right?"

“Right… Coming across her has certainly been a perspective shift to say the least." Lt. Cortéz agreed hesitantly, “Makes me rethink my shoot first policy."

“I wouldn't be too quick to change that. Unless they're trying to actually surrender. That's a strong indicator that they're not being controlled anymore. Trust me, it's better to be vigilant. Also, I trust that you'll be following Six to the meeting point? You're more than welcome to join up with us. Resources are a bit tight, but we manage. Five more won't make a huge difference." Capt. Jacobs said, “We can properly catch-up face to face. Got a guy here that makes moonshine strong enough to give you a beard!"

“Ha, I'll believe it when I see it. And thank you. We certainly appreciate it. And we'll make sure Six makes it in one piece. We owe her that." Lt. Cortéz said.

“Thank you for trusting me." Six added with a grateful nod.

“Glad to hear it." Capt. Jacobs said, “Now then those coordinates I provided are still good. I'll have a small team head out to meet you there."

“How far are we from the coordinates anyway?" Cpl. Myers asked.

“I haven't had a chance to check yet." Six said as she dug out some maps from her pack, “If you give me a moment, I can figure it out."

“We got a truck that runs. That should get us there faster." Lt. Cortéz said, “Of course that depends on how good the roads are and any obstacles we might have to get around."

“I think without a vehicle it would take another nine days or so." Six said as she studied her maps, “There's an abandoned city about three days from us, we probably should avoid that."

“Good idea, don't want to deal with Lost or who knows what else." Cpl. Myers agreed.

“I certainly don't." Six shuddered as she touched the bandaged bite in her hood, it still hurt even now.

“Stick to that timetable just in case. Once you're within a day of the coordinates we'll send out a team." Capt. Jacobs said, “Weather should be stable for the next week. That should help mitigate muddy roads."

“Yeah, let's hope so. We're kinda stuck right now. And without mobile shelter." Cpl. Myers remarked.

“I have a tent, but it barely fits me." Six offered, “Perhaps Edwards and the boy can make use of it?"

“That's kind of you." Cpl. Myers nodded, “I'll see if they'll take it. We'll have to figure out something for the rest of us."

“We can sleep in the truck if needed." Lt. Cortéz said, “Leaves you out though. Given your size."

“I have sleeping bags, it's enough to keep me warm during the night at least." Six said.

“I'll let you get things sorted out. I need to make sure everyone is set for when that storm reaches us." Capt. Jacobs said, “Keep us in the loop on your progress, will you?"

“We'll be sure to. Or Six will, it's her radio after all." Lt. Cortéz clarified, “Stay safe out there. Hopefully we'll meet soon."

“You as well, I'm looking forward to it." Capt. Jacobs said.

With that the radio went back to static so Six shut it off.

“So, what was that all about? You guys serve together or what?" Cpl. Myers asked the other human.

“Yeah, we were in boot camp together. About fourish years before the invasion. When shit hit the fan, we were deployed to different units. Never thought I'd run into him again after all these years." Lt. Cortéz shook his head with a smirk, “Suppose that's one of the few positives that came out of today."

“Can't argue there." Cpl. Myers nodded before turning to face Six, “Now about this Bruce being an alien…"

Six winced, she'd hoped they'd forgotten about that.

Meanwhile…

Morrison studied the fire watch tower, hidden up in a nearby tree. He knew that damned snake had been here. He'd observed the tower for a few hours now, before finally making his way inside. The Reaper had his revolver and knife out and ready, he wasn't gonna allow her…it to get the drop on him again.

He was met with disappointment when he realized the tower had been vacant for quite some time. He carefully examined the interior. He knew for certain that the Viper had been here. It was the closest standing structure outside the city, and the elevated position was too good to not make use of. The snake hadn't been here for weeks it seemed.

“Where have you gone now?" Morrison grumbled to himself behind his mask as he put away his weapons.

He was going to have the damn thing's head when he found it. He was still furious over his humiliation at the Viper's claws. Not only had he been bested, he got chewed out by Volk, THEN put through 'remedial training'. Lumped in with the rookies for two weeks straight, and for added insult Volk supervised it personally! Morrison wasn't going to take that humiliation lying down!

Volk wanted the snake; at this point Morrison didn't care what for. He was going to track it down and skin it alive! And mount its head on his wall. Volk wanted it alive? Too bad, he'd just tell the man it fought back and left him no choice. That snake was as good as dead when he found it.

Were it so easy.

Morrison knew it'd been at least three weeks since the last sighting, and all the rain would have wiped away the obvious signs of a trail. Most people would have just given up trying to seek out their intended prey due to that alone. Morrison was not most people; he was a Reaper. And that came with a skill set that would make a game hunter jealous. It wasn't that hard for him to pick out the less obvious signs of a trail, things that even heavy rain wouldn't wash away easily. Broken twigs, bits of old bandages, the deep groove of a long form slithering through dirt. Morrison smiled to himself; he had everything he needed. And so, he started moving southward.

It was only a matter of time before he had his knife in that Viper's throat.