“Mission accomplished, now to get out of here." Six said as she looked around for a moment, making sure she was in the clear.

She was happy that things went so smoothly thus far. She had what she needed and now she could better secure her home. It was just a matter of getting back now. The Viper shouldered her backpack and had the drone stick close to her. Still being cautious she quietly slithered back out the way she came in…

Only to be face to barrels with several masked figures. It was those hunters from her last encounter in this city. And they were all standing there with rifles trained on her.

“Oh…"

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“Uhhh…BYE!" The Viper hissed in fright as she bolted back into the stock room behind her, drone right behind her.

She barely avoided being riddled with holes as the masked hunters opened fire as soon as she bolted. Six was in full panic mode as she weaved through the shelves, knocking over anything and everything she could to keep her pursuers from lining up shots. And making a lot of noise in the process.

“Exit! Exit! Exit!" The Viper yelled in her panic, “YES!"

She spotted the back door and promptly smashed it wide open before slithering down the back alley as fast as she could.

“It went down that alley!" She heard a voice shout from behind her.

She didn't dare to look back, her drone clung onto her backpack to keep up and also watch her back for her. Completely throwing being quiet to the wind, knocking over trashcans and any other junk that got in her way. She was hoping to at least slow them down enough to get some distance. She could still hear their shouts, and even had to duck and weave a few times as she was shot at. Their persistence was on another level!

“Don't let it get away!" Came a shout.

“We're having snake tonight!" Another voice shouted.

“Quiet both of you!" Came another.

Having snake? They were going to eat her! That only fueled her panic! Last thing she wanted was to get killed, but to be served up as a meal!? The very thought disgusted and offended her! At the very least she should be dignified with a burial, not displayed on a dinner table! The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. This wasn't going to stand! Six was glad to be angry. It quickly overrode her panic, let her focus enough to think more clearly.

“You want to have me for dinner? Well, that's not happening!" Six yelled behind her, “This Viper is off the menu!"

To punctuate her statement, she squeezed off a few shots from her pistol, not quite aiming at her pursuers. Just in their general direction to keep them off balance. Six knew she couldn't just run away and hide this time. She had to push back. At least enough to give herself the breathing room she needed to escape. The Viper jumped out of the alley and onto one of the major streets, slithering around a large truck for a moment to think.

“Okay, I need to get these guys off my tail long enough to get out of the city. But how?" She mumbled aloud as she caught her breath, “The map!"

She'd completely forgotten the map she had of the city! Then again, she'd only used it to escape some months prior. It was easy to forget she had it. But knowing she had it made her crack a smile, she had an edge now. One she was going to fully take advantage of! Quickly she pulled out her data pad, glad to have taken it along. And after a quick search, found where she was. With a bit more digging the Viper found the ideal spot for what she had planned. She just had to get there in one piece. But in her current situation a few blocks may as well be miles. She put the pad away and got ready to move before they pin pointed her location again.

Klink! Klink!

A small metal cylinder flew over her cover, bounced and rolled under the car in front of her.

“Wha…OH!" Six hissed in a panic as she dove over the car to get away as fast as possible.

KABOOOOOOOM!

The Viper yelled as the car exploded just as she cleared it. The shockwave sent her flying through a store front, cutting into her with shrapnel and glass. Her skull was ringing from the loud explosion, her body in pain from the heat, shrapnel, and the very rough landing. She was dazed pretty badly from it all. Then she was knocked further into the store from a chain reaction of explosions. The car must've set off the adjacent vehicles, creating a huge fireball and cloud of smoke.

Six hissed in pain as she recovered somewhat. She'd been cut all over, bleeding from several open wounds. Bits of metal and glass sunk into her flesh in a few spots. Luckily nothing vital was hit, but she couldn't deal with the wounds right away either. At least the explosion gave her enough of a distraction to follow through with her plan. She could hear shouting from across the street, likely someone was being scolded for the use of an explosive device. It didn't matter, she wasn't going to stick around and find out.

The Viper picked herself up and forced her way through the back of the store and into another alley. From there she followed the route she had planned.  She knew full well she was leaving a trail of blood behind her. While it wasn't part of her plan, it wouldn't ruin it either. She just had to ignore the pain for now. And hope she had enough of a head start, so she could treat the wounds before the hunters caught up to her. When she got to the street she was greeted by a cluster of those eerie creatures, and they caught sight of her right away.

“I forgot about you…things!" She hissed as they immediately rushed towards her.

Lucky for her that limited combat programming finally kicked in. She pulled out the hatchet and swung at the closest creature. Her aim was true and the sharp blade buried itself in the creature's skull with ease. Six didn't hesitate to rip it free and swing at the next closest, the second creature's head went flying as it was separated from its body.

These things were quite fragile! That made dealing with them a lot easier, Six punched the next creature before it could swipe at her. It went sprawling into a nearby car, but still managed to get back up. Fragile but stubborn it seemed! So, she slammed her tail down on it with a crunch, it didn't get back up a second time. There were still four more to deal with though.

“I don't have time for this! Out of my way!" Six yelled as she swatted the creatures aside with her tail.

They tumbled over each other in a pile, giving her a window to rush past them. The Viper gladly took it, slithering by quickly. Six wasn't going to stick around either, rushing around the corner and down the block. Ahead was her destination, a ruined apartment building. It was exactly what she needed. Big enough to hide in and plan, but also close to the edge of the city.

“Almost th-AAAAAH!" Six screamed as creature jumped out from a store front and grabbed her from the side.

It happened so fast she didn't have a chance to dodge. The creature wasted no time in taking a bite out of her either. Chomping down on the rim of her hood, ripping out a good-sized chunk. The Viper hissed in pain as she managed to wrench the creature off, blasting it with her pistol at point blank range. She didn't stop to see if it was dead. Instead hurrying to the building ahead, thankfully she reached it without further attacks.

“Now to get inside. They can't be too far behind me." Six muttered to herself, struggling to ignore the pain.

She used her tongue to grab onto the fire escape ladder and pull it down. Hastily climbing up to the second floor, slipping through an open window. She gave the long-abandoned apartment a quick glance before finding a dark corner.

“Need to stop all this bleeding fast. Or I'm finished for sure." Six hissed quietly as she painfully removed her backpack.

The Viper quickly dug into one of the side pouches for the medical supplies she brought with her. She was glad to have planned ahead, giving her drone a quick once over as well. It had a few dings but no actual damage. Six then got to work right away, clenching her jaw tightly as she ripped out metal and glass shards from her long form. The pain was indescribable, but she did her best to not scream. Once she got everything out, she disinfected and dressed the wounds along her coils. Now she needed a mirror or reflective surface to look at her hood. After a bit of digging, she found a small mirror. The drone held it for her so she had her hands free.

“Ow…." She hissed as she surveyed the wound.

An almost fist size chunk of her hood was missing, oozing quite a bit of yellow-orange blood. She wasn't sure if that would heal fully and grow back or scar. But right now, she had to stop the bleeding and get it dressed properly. With a bit of difficulty, she managed to get the wound dressed tightly. Once she got back to her shelter…if she got back, she'd do a more thorough dressing. But this would do for now at least.

“Alright, now to get set up and wait." She mumbled quietly as she set about preparing her retaliation against those hunting her.

Twenty minutes later…

The masked hunters followed the trail of blood right to the building. They would've caught up sooner, but there were some Lost in the way. The horrid creatures were quickly and quietly dealt with before they continued their hunt.

“Trail leads inside. It can't have gone much further." One of the hunters spoke while examining a small pool of blood, “Looks like one of the Lost got the drop on it. More blood than before."

“It's probably hiding somewhere in here to lick its wounds." A second hunter said looking up at the building, “The blood will lead us right to it."

“Then we can finish this before it gets dark." Said the third, “We'd have been done already if the new blood wasn't such an idiot. We were lucky to not get swarmed immediately."

The third shot a glance at the fourth and last member of their group.

“I said I was sorry; I didn't think it would cause such a chain reaction." The fourth apologized yet again.

“We'll let Volk deal with him later. Let's just get this done. Quick and especially quiet." The first said as they started up the ladder.

The other three nodded and followed their leader up and into the second floor. They found another pool of blood in one corner. Bits of bandaging were strewn about.

“It managed to dress the wounds." The second hunter remarked.

“Not well enough, there's still a trail out of this apartment." The first said, following a thinner trail out into the hallway.

The rest followed closely, rifles at the ready. The trail of blood lead to not just one other apartment, but several.

“Clever. We'll split into pairs, watch each other's backs. Search each room." Their leader said quietly.

The other three nodded, and split up. The leader taking the apparent rookie with them, while the other two went down the hall.

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Six stayed silent, she could hear the hunters moving, searching the apartments. She'd hoped they'd split off individually, not pair off. But she'd to make do with the situation. Leaving false trails of blood behind was smart. Thanks to the combat programming (and her own impromptu thinking), she was able to come up with this plan on the fly. Now she just had to wait in the shadows.

Before long a pair of the hunters entered the apartment, she was hiding in. She tensed up, waiting to strike. Her drone was positioned up high in a corner, watching the hunters move. They were carefully checking all corners (but not up), looking for their quarry. After clearing the first room they split off from each other to check the other rooms of the apartment. Perfect. Six waited till one of them came into her field of view, then struck.

She shot out her tongue. Quickly catching the hunter by the throat before yanking them into her waiting arms. She quickly coiled around them; her tail tip firmly wrapped around their throat to keep them quiet. She held them tightly, keeping them from struggling too much as she cut off their oxygen. She wasn't out to kill them, much as she had a right to in her eyes. It just… wasn't in her to kill them. Instead, she held the hunter tightly, keeping them quiet long enough for them to black out. Thankfully it didn't take as long as she feared it would. The Viper carefully set them down once they went still. One dealt with three more to go. Her drone was watching the second of this pair. And she wasted little time moving right for them.

She was lucky to have moved when she did, they were starting to turn around when she wrapped them up in her coils. This one was a bit quicker on the draw, pulling out a knife since she was too close to shoot. But not quick enough, she caught their hand and put them into a sleeper hold. They put up more of a fight, but alone and coiled up in the grasp of a Viper? It still wasn't enough, even with her smaller than average size. Six still had enough muscle to get them to submit, she held on for almost a minute after they stopped moving to be safe. They'd likely be tougher with each one she took out. But at least she was half way there.

“I'll have to be more creative with the other two." She hissed quietly before moving to her next position.

The drone had already moved to locate the other two. They were two apartments away, but heading her way. Likely to check on their companions. Six managed to slip into the apartment between where she started and where the remaining hunters were. And all before they could see her. She left the door ajar and waited. Thanks to the drone she knew they already searched her new spot. So, they would just move past it to the third one. One at a time they crossed past the threshold. The Viper moved quickly snatching the second hunter of the pair with her tongue. She yanked them into the apartment and slammed the door shut, knocking over a heavy bookshelf to bar the door.

This hunter was definitely smart, pulling out a revolver as they were pulled into the space. They even got a few shots off before she knocked the weapon away. Six hissed as the shots grazed her. This one was slippery, hard for her to pin down long enough to knock out.

“Pretty clever for a snake." The hunter remarked once they got some distance in the limited space, knife drawn.

The final hunter was trying to break down the door in the meantime, so time was short. Six stared down the hunter in front of her, hatchet in hand.

“I'm just a survivor same as you." Six said as she searched for her opening.

“I don't care what some damned snake says. You're little better than food!" The hunter yelled as they lunged at Six.

Six didn't bother to respond, instead she swung her tail into the hunter's side. Hard. The hunter grunted at the impact as they crashed through the wall and into the kitchen of the apartment. It was harder than the Viper had intended, but after a quick check she found the hunter still alive. But down for the count at least. And just in time for the final hunter to smash through the door and aim their rifle at her.

“We got you now!" They yelled.

“It's only you. I already took care of the others." Six said with a hint of smugness.

“Damn you!" The hunter yelled while pulling the trigger.

Six managed to evade the shot, grabbing a nearby chair in the same move. And brought it down on the hunter. The chair shattered into splinters on impact, but the hunter wasn't down, only dropping their rifle. The hunter quickly moved in close and hit Six in the chin with an uppercut, followed quickly by a kick to her torso. The Viper hissed in pain, quickly backing off. This one was going to be a problem.

“Not often one of your kind gives us this much trouble. Might have to mount your head on the wall as a memento." The hunter remarked as they stood fists at the ready.

“Sorry but I like my head where it is." Six hissed.

She couldn't drag this out. Not in the shape she was in. She needed to end this quickly. What this hunter lacked in size and power, they more than made up for in experience. Which she sorely lacked herself. They were clearly confident with their fists, so just going in close for a punch or swipe with her hatchet wouldn't work. Trying with her tail might work, but she could see they had a knife as well. This hunter was probably trying to bait her into getting close. Vipers in general were built to get up close and crush the enemy with their strong coils. Six could do so easily, even with her smaller size (as she'd already demonstrated). But it would be more of a struggle against someone that was anticipating such an attack. She got lucky with the other hunters.

She wouldn't be so lucky with this one, and trying with her tongue would be pretty stupid. If only she could get them to slip up and give her an opening. The Viper racked her brain for ideas, a few options came to mind after some thought. But the hunter was done waiting and rushed at her. Pushing her partly through a window with a crash.

“Ooof." Six grunted as the hunter wasted little time and started punching her while she was pinned.

The hunter was certainly going for the kill, laying into the Viper as she dangled half out the window. Six hissed as she tried to fight back, they caught her by surprise. It took her almost a minute to snap out of her surprise and grabbed the hunter by their sides.

“Get off me!" She hissed as she flipped them out the window and onto the fire escape.

The hunter's impact with the old structure shook and pulled it away from the building, collapsing down towards the street below. Six reacted quickly when she saw this happening. Shooting out her tongue, grabbing the hunter by the waist and yanked them into her grasp. The fire escape went crashing down to the street, crushing everything underneath it. Six tossed the hunter into the building and slipped fully back inside herself. Her tongue was getting sore from pulling around so much weight in such a short amount of time. The hunter quickly got back up and stared her down behind their mask.

“You saved me? Why? To finish me off personally?" The hunter demanded.

“No, I'm not here to kill anyone. Only scavenge." Six said, she stayed tense to be safe, “And at this point I don't care what you think. I'm leaving this building alive."

The hunter stayed quiet, reaching for their knife. The Viper expected as much, and just before the hunter could strike a blanket dropped over them courtesy of her drone.

“What the!?" The hunter exclaimed as they flailed about under the blanket.

“Sorry but this is it!" Six rushed in, taking her opening and slammed the hunter hard with her tail.

The hunter dropped to the ground and didn't move. Six pulled the blanket from around them and confirmed that they were still alive, but out cold.

“Finally… thanks for the blanket, perfect timing." Six looked at the drone with a tired smile.

The drone just floated there, it did exactly what she asked it to do after all. The Viper just shook her head with a sigh, now she had to deal with these hunters. The Viper didn't waste any more time and got to work. In only a few short minutes she had them all tied up together in the middle of the room. Luckily there was enough material around to improvise some bindings from. Once she was done with that, she grabbed one of the rifles the hunters were using. Semi-automatic, metal frame, wood stock, and a flashlight zip tied on. Simple but effective at decent ranges.

“Having one of these might be useful." Six muttered to herself as she put together a makeshift sling for it.

The Viper took the liberty of putting the other rifles aside on what was left of a couch, and pilfered several magazines from the hunters. She also relieved them of their knives, and sidearms. She didn't need them, but it made it harder for them to escape their bindings before she left. She also left some of her medical supplies for them. In return for the rifle and ammo. Sure, they tried to kill her (and planned to eat her), but she just couldn't quite take it personally. Six wasn't sure why though, it just didn't seem right to hate them. Perhaps she was just too naïve from inexperience? Regardless she was going to at least leave those supplies for them, she had more than enough in her home.

“Ugh…"

Great one of the hunters was waking up. Six sighed as she finished getting herself situated.

“What…? You! Untie us right now!" It was the leader, they struggled against the bindings.

“No, I'm going to leave you tied up." Six said as she picked up a knife, “You can cut yourself free with this after I'm gone."

She stabbed the blade into the floor a few feet from the hunters, “I left you some medical supplies, nothing much. But in case any of you need it. Let's hope to not meet again."

“If we do, I'll kill you with my bare hands." The hunter spat.

The Viper shook her head and slithered out of the apartment, drone following right behind her. Hopefully she wouldn't need to come back to this city ever again. She doubted she'd be able to make it out a third time. With caution she made her way back out into the wilderness, eager to return home.

Sometime later…

“You're in a sorry state, found beaten and tied up in an old building. What got you into such a state, and with so much noise no less? What've you got to say for yourself Morrison, hmmm?" The bearded man asked as he sat behind his desk.

He looked to be in his late forties, light skinned and with a full thick beard, long brown hair. He was dressed in a long dark coat just like the man standing in front of him. While he seemed calm behind his desk, there was a commanding presence about him. A presence that made the man in front of him considerably nervous.

“…We…we were overconfident." The younger man looked away shamefully, “The rookie was the idiot that set off all those explosions. But…I take responsibility for not enforcing restraint on him. As for the other matter… we underestimated our prey. It was a lot smarter than we expected. It got the drop on us and got away. I'm sorry Volk, sir."

“Really?" The older man stood up and walked around his desk, “You of all people, you Morrison. You were 'overconfident'? Against what? A Trooper, Captain, General even? You're one of my best Reapers Morrison. So, tell me what was it that bested you?"

Morrison gulped as he looked into his leader's cold brown eyes.

“It wasn't a trooper, or anything like that. It was a…it was a Viper." Morrison said with some trepidation.

“A Viper you say? HA! Outsmarted by a snake? You let your squad get trounced by a goddamned snake! Not even a squad of them? Just one?" Volk laughed loudly, “And yet you were found tied up and only bruised."

“It only knocked us out. I couldn't begin to understand why. I almost finished it off!" Morrison exclaimed.

“Almost isn't good enough Morrison!" Volk snapped as he started pacing.

“If it hadn't been for that damned snake's drone, I would've beaten it." Morrison grumbled.

“What was that?" Volk stopped mid step.

“It had a drone with it. Dropped a blanket on me when I wasn't looking." Morrison said.

“A Viper with a drone?  There was a similar one that was spotted here a couple months back. It was presumed a lost cause when it entered the tunnels. I wonder…" Volk stared off into space for a moment, “If that snake shows up again, I want it alive."

“What?" Morrison asked confused.

“You heard me. If you come across it again, I want it alive! It might have some value to us." Volk said.

“Y-yessir!" Morrison nodded quickly.

“Good, now get out of my sight. And work on that overconfidence, it'll get you killed one day." Volk said as he sat back down.

“Yessir." Morrison nodded quickly before almost running out of the room.

July 16^th 2033

Six was exhausted, she left the city and didn't stop for two whole days. She'd finally made it back to the safety of her tower. Everything was as she had left it. And she was grateful to have made it back. Drained and starving, she struggled to redress her wounds, then scarfed down a meager meal before collapsing into her bedding. The Viper was asleep before she even laid down.

July 20^th 2033

Six groaned as she slowly woke up. It was nighttime, her whole body was stiff.

“Ow…h-how long was I out?" She mumbled aloud as she slowly stretched out.

Six checked her data pad and almost yelled when she realized she'd been asleep for five whole days! No wonder she felt so stiff! Also, very hungry now that she was more alert.

“I really must've been exhausted…" Six grumbled as she set about getting a proper meal together.

She didn't have much in the way of food left, some cans that were still safe, and a bunch of dried foods. Luckily water was never an issue, there was a river only a couple hours away. And it rained fairly often, so she had also set up some rain catchers about a month into her stay in the tower. Getting some water boiling on the camp stove was easy enough, the Viper looked over the handful of cans she had. Three different soups, a can of some kind of processed meat (the label was worn and hard to read), and a can of mixed vegetables. Likely not the healthiest things to be eating, but she couldn't afford to be picky.

Six opted for the meat and vegetables to start with, opening the cans partly checking them with a quick taste of her forked tongue. Both smelled and tasted alright, as far as she could tell, no ominous hiss or explosion either. Satisfied, she set the cans into the water to cook before digging around for a bowl and cutlery.

She couldn't help but smile a little, something about preparing her own food appealed to her. She suspected it was because it was something she had full control over. Unlike everything else in her life till recently. She didn't have some other presence in her head ordering her around, forcing her to do as she was told. She also didn't have to deal with those processed meals she had to eat. She didn't even want to know what went into that 'food'!

It was horribly bland and now that she could think about it, just outright disgusting. Anything else was leagues better in comparison. Six shuddered at the idea of having to go back to eating that…that… she couldn't even describe it as food anymore! She put it out of her mind and let her food cook, deciding to check on her wounds in the meantime.

Six carefully peeled off the many bandages, dried blood had long soaked through them all. Fortunately, the wounds seemed to be healing well enough, a few were still bleeding a bit. But overall, she was recovering, minus some scales around most of the wounds. The bite to her hood was probably in the worst shape, still bleeding pretty badly. The Viper winced as she got that bandaged back up, it was going to be a nasty scar for sure. At least without some more advanced medical aid, which meant going to a City Center.

“Never going back to one of those places if I can avoid it. I don't want to think about what ADVENT might do to me if I'm caught." Six sighed before checking on her food, “Almost done."

The Viper glanced over to the pouches of dried food she had found, hard to spoil and easy to prepare, just add water (hot preferably). Perhaps she could hold onto them a while longer, just eat the canned food for now. Hungry as she was, she still needed to stretch out her food supplies. Then she remembered the fishing book she had found and neglected to read still. Perhaps she ought to give that a try. She did have some fishing gear on hand from the resort after all.

“I'll give it a read later, maybe try in the morning." Six muttered as she carefully removed the cans from the pot.

The Viper picked two of the soup cans at random and after a check that they were safe, got them cooking in the pot next. While those cooked, she carefully poured the contents of the cooked cans into a large bowl.

“Think I let this sit bit too long." Six frowned, “Oh well, live and learn right?"

She wasn't going to let it go to waste though! It wasn't burned after all. Just a bit overdone, and she couldn't really afford to waste it anyway. Once it cooled enough, she dug in, not too bland, just…she wasn't sure how to describe it. Other than thirst provoking. She quickly grew to dislike it, it made her wonder if it was her sense of taste, or just shock from still not being used to actual food. Six shrugged it off, as she wasn't an expert in Viper biology, let alone her own unique biology.

Instead, while she ate, she put her thoughts to the radio. It was late at night, but she was curious. With a bit of hesitation, she turned it on, making sure she also had the scramble software running like always. Carefully tuning the signal before testing the mic.

“Hello?" Six asked quietly.

She was met with silence, not much of a surprise given the hour. But then she heard crackling from the other end.

“Six? Is that you?" Came a familiar voice.

Six almost dropped her bowl as she snatched up the mic, “Yes! Bruce where have you been!? I haven't heard from you in three weeks! I thought you forgot about me! I was getting ready to give up!"

“Whoa, whoa slow down. On behalf of everyone here, I'm sorry we took so long to get in touch again. We were constantly on the move for a couple of weeks, so we didn't have time to set the radio up. Tried getting in touch the last few days but never got a response. Everything okay on your end?" Bruce explained.

“I was keeping busy, had an… incident while out scavenging a week ago. I've been asleep the last few days." Six explained in kind, “I only woke up an hour or so ago."

“What happened? Are you alright?" Bruce asked shocked.

“Yes, yes, I'm alright. Roughed up, but still in one piece…mostly. Fortunately, I have plenty of medical supplies on hand. Basics, but more than enough for my injuries. I had to venture into a ruined city a couple of days from my shelter. I needed some things I'd only find out there. It didn't go as…smoothly as I'd hoped." Six sighed, “But it was worth it at least."

“Yeah, I can imagine it must be tough going into city ruins for the first time." Bruce said, “You should count yourself lucky."

“Wasn't my first trip. I managed to escape that place twice now." Six agreed.

“Twice? Twice! I figured you for brave, surviving on your own. But I didn't expect you to be insane enough to go have gone back for seconds!" Bruce exclaimed, “Between the scattering of ADVENT patrols, the swarms of Lost, and the few humans crazy enough to live in such places. I'm amazed you got out of there with only minor injuries!"

“Sorry…" Six said softly, she hadn't been prepared for such a reaction, “I-I just didn't see any alternatives. I'd also heard that word once before…what exactly are the 'Lost' anyway?"

“I'm surprised you don't know. They're shambling corpse looking…things." Bruce explained, “You should know what they are. Its common knowledge for ADVENT units that always move around."

“Oh… so that's what those were." Six shuddered as she recalled the eerie things.

“Had a run in with them in the city?" Bruce asked.

“Yeah…yeah, I did. Had a chunk bitten out of my hood by one actually. Still hurts." The Viper said with a wince, “But it's healing."

“They got a nasty bite. Not terribly infectious though surprisingly enough. So, you're lucky there. Doing alright otherwise? What was so worth risking the city for?" Bruce asked.

“I needed…security cameras." Six said with a bit of hesitation.

“Cameras? You risked your life for cameras? I'm sorry but are you serious!?" Bruce yelled over the radio taking Six aback.

“I-I felt they were necessary. To keep an eye of my surroundings, an early warning system." Six said as she tried to justify her reasoning.

“Six, you're crazy if you think you can just hold out in one place out here." Bruce said bluntly, “This region gets pretty nasty weather, especially when winter hits. The cold alone could potentially kill you! You need to keep on the move, specifically southward."

“Winter? Doesn't that just mean more rain than normal?" Six asked confused.

There was silence on the other end for a long moment. Six quietly checked on the food she still had cooking and shut off the camp stove.

“I hate to ask this, but how old are you?" The Muton on the other end asked.

“Is that really relevant?" Six asked, still confused.

“Humor me please." Bruce said.

“…Three." Six replied hesitantly.

“…That…that explains a lot. ADVENT and the Elders are horrible, but they let you grow to maturity. Not throw you right into whatever they plan for you. Just… How can you be only three!? And they had you working under their thumb this whole time?" Bruce questioned, “They sent a hatchling into the field!? They're the lowest of scum! Zero and Rita weren't deployed till they were at least ten. You Vipers mature very quickly. I wasn't sent out until twenty. So, why you, why so young?"

“…I didn't hatch from an egg." Six said quietly, “I came into the world ready to go. Everything I needed to know was… how do I put this? Pre-installed? I was sent out just hours after I first woke up."

There was another long silence on the other end, before Bruce spoke again.

“I'm at a loss, the Elders robbed us all of so much. Free will, culture, individuality. But you? You're a literal blank slate that they molded to their own ends. You deserve so much better than that." Bruce said, “I'm just amazed that you've been able to function at all without the network!"

“I…don't really understand." Six said confused.

“You will…eventually. For now, I strongly suggest you gather up anything absolutely essential. And I mean essential. And start moving south. Before the summer ends, odds won't be good for you when it gets too cold." Bruce said, “Trust me on that. …Look I have to shut off the radio now. But I'll reach out tomorrow, stay safe out wherever you are."

“I…thanks. You too." Six said softly as she shut the radio off and went back to eating.

She ate in silence, thinking on Bruce's words. He'd been rather harsh with her, but at the same time he likely had a point. She was very young still. And likely had a lot more to learn about the world than she realized. Harsh winter? That confused her, were the seasons different depending on where you were? The way Bruce talked, that seemed to be the case.

“Maybe I should do as he suggests? I'd rather stay put; it's been pretty hot if rainy." Six muttered as she ate, “But if that were to change…"

Would she be able to handle the cold? It might not be worth that risk to stay put. She'd have to take full stock of what she had, what she'd be willing to leave behind and so on. The biggest issue would be food. How much would she need to carry? For how long? Those were some big questions, she needed help answering. Hopefully Bruce would be willing to help when they next spoke. In the meantime, she had a meal to finish, and cameras to set up. She'd still rather have them, than not.

July 21^st 2033

“Are you sure it's not safe to stay put? I've gotten pretty comfortable where I am." Six said.

“I'm quite sure. I spoke with Jacobs at length about your situation." Bruce replied, “And he agrees with me on this, insists in fact. You need to get moving, and soon. We don't stay in one place for too long either. Partly to keep in reach of supplies, but also to avoid ADVENT patrols. You stay put they'll find you for sure. If the weather doesn't get you first."

Six mulled that over, they'd been speaking over the radio for almost two hours discussing this already. She still wasn't quite sure if she should leave or stay. Bruce seemed dead set on getting her tail moving. While it was true that staying put would put her at risk of ADVENT finding her (they'd already flown past once). But being on the move would be just as, if not riskier than staying put. Granted on her own the odds were still in her favor, but would it be worth the risk?

“How long would I have then?" The Viper asked, if he was looking out for her this aggressively, she may as well comply, “Before the weather really shifts."

“Three, maybe four weeks. Winter hits a bit early in this region from what Jacobs told me." Bruce explained, “He also asked me to extend an invitation to join up with us."

“He did?" Six asked a bit surprised.

“Yeah, if you're indeed good with technology you'd be a great help to us." Bruce said, “Of course, that's not the only reason why. All us survivors should stick together. Nor should you be alone at your age."

“My age really bothers you, doesn't it?" Six asked.

“Partially." Bruce confirmed, “Anyway, we keep on the move. So, joining up with us will be tricky. We'll figure that out on our end though."

“Alright, I suppose that would be better that talking over a radio." Six agreed, “How much food should I gather up and carry? I'm going to attempt fishing soon."

“Hmm… it would depend on where you're at currently. A safe bet would be at least two weeks' worth. Break that up by how many meals you'd have in a day. Should be more than enough, I think. And of course, anything you can find on your way." Bruce said, “Good luck with the fishing, you might have a better knack for it than I do."

“Thanks, I'll let you know how it goes. I found a book on the subject, been studying it all morning. And it even details how to clean and store fish for travel. Should be helpful." Six said.

“Wonderful! I have to hurry off now, almost patrol time for me. Again, good luck. I'll try to reach out tomorrow or the day after if possible. Looks like we might be hit by another storm." Bruce said, “The radio always craps out in foul weather."

“Yeah, it doesn't look too great here either." Six peeked out from one of the windows, the sky was cloudy and gray today, “'Craps out'?"

“It's a human saying, spend enough time around them, and you start picking up on these things." Bruce explained quickly, “Its preferable to the ADVENT propaganda they shove into our heads. You'll get used to it after a while."

“Uhh…right. Well, I'll report back my success or failure when we next speak. Bye." Six said.

“Bye." Bruce said before the radio disconnected.

Six sighed as she again looked outside, perhaps today wasn't a good time to try fishing. She didn't want to get caught in the rain and track mud inside. She went around shutting all the windows, making sure everything was secured.

Last night she'd set up the security cameras, and in a short time they were all in working order and carefully set up. Now she had clear views all around. She'd spent most of the morning jerry rigging one of the desktops into working order, tying it into the cameras so she could control them. Even though she was going to commit to moving, she felt better knowing she could monitor her surroundings until then. She even managed to connect it all to her data pad! So long as she was in range of the antenna, she could receive the camera feeds.

“All cameras are running properly, let's hope they can handle the weather." Six said to her drone.

The simple machine just hovered in place like always.

“I really should tinker with your software, you need more…character." Six said with a bit of amusement.

That would be a task for another time. Right now, she settled on packing everything she could carry. Of course, she needed to account for several weeks of food. First thing she did was pack up the spare alcohol stove, along with what she hoped was enough fuel without running out before leaving. She gathered up some spare computer parts, just in case. So, she could bring one of the laptops along. Never know when it could come in handy, her data pad could only do so much with older technology. She was planning on modifying the broken HAM radio she salvaged. Hopefully she'd be able to use it on the go. Keep in touch with Bruce until they could meet in person.

The issue there was range, on the go she would have a much weaker signal. She'd have to figure out a work around with what she had available. For now, that would be on hold. Her tools were split into two sets; she had spares of almost everything. The extras were packed away for travel, as were a few books on camping. Again, just in case they were needed.

Those were all important items for her to carry. She would also need clothing as a single shirt wouldn't cut it. She had plenty of choices at least. It would be stupid to carry everything that could fit her. She'd have to narrow it down, stick to the warmer clothing for cooler nights. That reminded her that she lacked portable shelter. She'd have to explore the resort soon to try and find a tent.

“Hopefully there's something a seven-meter Viper can fit into." Six muttered to herself.

KRACOOOOOM!

She jumped as thunder roared across the sky, quickly followed by pounding rain, “Staying in it is."

The Viper sighed, at least she had plenty to keep her busy till the storm was over.

July 25^th 2033

Six was bored, fishing was boring! She quickly learned that she didn't like fishing. At all! She didn't even like the fish she caught either for that matter! But it was just so easy for her. She'd caught so many over the last couple of days. At least she'd have more than enough to keep herself fed for quite a while. Cooking and preparing the fish for later consumption wasn't that hard either. Though quite flavorless. That probably made it more unpleasant to eat, but she didn't have things like salt or pepper available. She didn't even really know what those were to begin with, just that the book kept mentioning both! For now, she'd just have to deal with it, better to have tasteless food than none at all. Besides, it was still better than ADVENT rations.

The Viper sighed as she put away the fishing gear and gathered up her catch for the day. Bruce was supposed to reach out to her soon with details on how to meet up. She didn't want to be late for that. Still, she opted to take her time slithering back to her shelter, at the rate things were going she'd have more than enough food stored up in a couple more days! She could set out by the end of the week. Though she still wanted to hold off a bit longer, she still had some tech related issues to figure out. Making a portable HAM radio was giving her no end of troubles. Not to mention she'd initially overlooked the power issue. How was she going to keep it powered? Not only that, but the laptop, the data pad, and especially her drone.

Six had rigged up a solar charger for her drone to keep it topped off, it's built in batteries could last for over a week easily. But it would need charging eventually. So would the laptop and radio. A portable solar set up was her first thought, but it'd been getting increasingly cloudy. So that idea was off the table, a portable set up would be too weak with this sort of weather. Hopefully she could figure that one out before long.

A bit later…

“So, how's the fishing been?" Bruce asked.

“Easy, and incredibly dull. I can say for certain I'm not a fan, nor a fan of fish for that matter." Six replied with a sigh, “But I won't starve at least."

“Ha, you probably aren't cooking it right." Bruce laughed, “Still that's some good news. After a lot of discussion, we got some coordinates for you. Since we're not sure exactly where you are. Though given the range on these things we have a rough idea. Do you have any maps for the region?"

“A few city blueprints from the area…long story. But nothing for the wilderness in between. But I know where I can get some." Six said, “It should be a simple matter, there's a collection of cabins a few hours from me. I can find some there on my way out for good. Right now, I'm trying to solve a couple of issues before I do leave. But hopefully within the next week or so I'll be ready."

“Alright, glad to hear it. Hope you solve those issues quick. Don't want you leaving too late. The coordinates I'm giving you won't be good forever." Bruce cautioned her.

“Noted. I'm mostly packed up already. Just trying to work out a means of communication. So, we can at least keep in touch periodically." Six said, “I…don't know if I can go back to not having someone to talk to for long periods."

“Believe me, I can relate. It would be good to know how you're progressing also." Bruce agreed, “Hopefully there's a simple solution to it."

“I mostly have a portable unit cobbled together. The problems I have are range and power." The Viper explained, “I might be able to rig up my drone as an antenna. But still leaves me stuck on the power issue. Solar power isn't going to do me many favors on the go."

“That is a tricky issue. I'll see if we can figure out a suggestion on our end." Bruce said, “Would have to get back to you in a couple days though. In the meantime, keep up what you're doing."

“Thanks, I'll try. The rain has been coming more and more often." Six sighed, “It's a struggle not to get stuck in the mud, or track it everywhere."

“Rita and Zero have similar issues, you'll get used to it though." Bruce said.

“I'm getting 'used to' a lot of things lately." The Viper hissed softly, “Sometimes I wonder if I have it worse now than I did with ADVENT."

“Trust me when I tell you this Six, nothing is worse than being under the Elders' thumb. It's rough now sure, but its leagues better. A lot of us here have hope for a better future when they're gone. It may not be anytime soon. But we have hope that it will happen one day." Bruce said sternly.

“I…hope you're right about that. I really do." Six said with a frown, “It might just be the loneliness talking."

“It'll be alright once you're with us. You won't be alone anymore." Bruce reassured her.

“Thank you. Now before I get in a sour mood give me those coordinates. Then I'll get back to work on my tech issues." Six quickly shook her head of unpleasant thoughts.

“Right, go get some paper then." Bruce said.

August 3^rd 2033

Six triple, then quadruple checked her packs. Everything looked secure and in order. She had plenty of food, clothing, and tools. It took longer than planned but she managed to get the portable radio working. The signal was still a bit weak, even with the drone serving as an antenna. But as she traveled it should get stronger as she got closer to Bruce's group. She had coordinates, now all she needed was some maps. And a tent, she figured it would be better to get both at once.

Thanks to help from Bruce and his fellows she'd solved the power issue. The Eleirum power cell in her plasma pistol would do the job. She was reluctant to do it, her pistol was her best ranged weapon. Sure, she had that rifle she…acquired, but she still hadn't actually tried to use it. The limited ammunition she had available made her rather hesitant to waste rounds on practice. Hopefully her combat programming would help rather than hinder her if she has to use it.

“Alright, I think we're ready. Bags are packed and everything." Six said as she again checked on everything, before finally strapping the packs to her back.

She made sure they were secure without restricting her too much. The Viper took one last look around. This had been her home for the last few months. It was off putting to suddenly uproot herself. She'd started to like where she had holed up, she really didn't want to leave. But the prospect of having others around to talk to was also very appealing. And now that she'd had time to really think about what she would gain from leaving, it seemed worth it.

“Let's get those maps." Six sighed as she left the tower, “And a tent too."

The drone silently followed closely. The Viper was now on her way. Six looked back at the tower for a short moment before continuing on towards the resort. She didn't get very far when she stopped in her tracks. There was smoke coming from the direction of the resort! Panicking a bit Six hid behind some trees and pulled out her data pad. She pulled up the security feeds since she was still in range. And also mentally slapped herself for not shutting everything down before leaving, a rookie mistake given her work under ADVENT.

Nothing stuck out as unusual, the smoke simply started rising from the tree line roughly an hour ago. There was too much rain recently for it to be a natural fire. It had to be deliberate. Someone was there, but she couldn't tell who it was. Six quickly returned to the tower, and checked her gear once again before shutting everything down. The Viper sighed, leaving her home for the final time. Also dreading what might be waiting for her at the resort. But she had no choice, she needed maps and portable shelter. She unshouldered her rifle, making sure it was loaded as she kept a low profile and moved on.

She grew more anxious the closer she got to the resort. Her drone kept hidden in the trees as she moved forward. She could taste the smoke in the air now, burning wood, possibly meat of some kind…fish it was fish. Six wrinkled her snout a bit at that, she was not a fan of the smell. But it did suggest a non-ADVENT presence. They didn't camp and cook fish over a fire. She carefully inched her way closer until finally she could see into the resort area.

'What…?' Six was utterly confused as she spotted the cause of the fire.

They looked like ADVENT Troopers, decked out in white armor. But they didn't look like the Priests she occasionally saw in the city centers. More like the standard armor painted over, some had fur lining the collar. They were relaxed, sitting around the fire. Four of them, but she caught sight of maybe a dozen more going in and out of one of the cabins. This was entirely new for her. She'd never seen Troopers like this before. Were they a new variant? Or one she'd never crossed paths with before? Could she sneak around them and scavenge what she needed? Would they shoot her on sight or have her carted off to an ADVENT facility?

She had a lot of ideas and questions running through her head. Instead of paying attention to her surroundings like she should have. It wasn't until she felt the cold metal of a gun barrel pressed to the back of her head. Six tensed up as she was suddenly aware that she was outflanked.

“Drop it." Came the distorted voice behind her.

They were speaking in ADVENT. Six immediately complied and dropped her rifle.

“Move."

Six complied with the order, she was in no position to argue. Even if she was bigger and stronger, she was at point blank range, and very much not bullet proof. She was forced out into the open, and the other Troopers quickly got to their feet weapons in hand. They weren't using the standard magnetic rifles for Troopers, instead smaller sub-machinegun looking weapons.

'Strange…' Six thought, 'What variant are these guys then?'

“What's this you found?" One of the Troopers asked, in English this time.

“Elder spy?" Another asked with a hint of aggression, “We'll need to move already. Hurry and put her down before it's too late!"

“Can I have a say?" Six asked.

“Silence puppet!" The Trooper behind her snapped and seemed to be preparing to strike her.

“Wait! Let her speak." Another Trooper came rushing over, “This one is no puppet. You are no longer a slave to the Elders."

Six stared at this Trooper a bit confused, their phrasing made it out as a statement rather than a question. Were these Troopers not actually ADVENT? Bruce had mentioned Hybrids that had managed to break free from the Network (he didn't go into detail on the matter though). But how could this Trooper know for certain that she wasn't a cleverly devised spy? Was ADVENT smart enough to even attempt something like that? The Trooper looked at her closely, she couldn't read their expression through the helmet.

“Ummm…" Six was nervous as she tried to come up with something to say, now that she was put on the spot.

“She's not wearing their armor. Look at her, she's been out here for an extended period of time. She'd have been recycled in this condition." The Trooper said.

“Re-what?" Six asked confused.

“You're better off not knowing." Another Trooper commented.

“How long have you been free of the Elders grasp?" The first Trooper asked.

“I…umm a couple months or so?" Six said, “Who are you guys? I've never seen Troopers like you before."

“Nor we a Viper like you. We are the Skirmishers, former ADVNET puppets now free. Fighting to free our brothers and sisters from the Elders monstrous tyranny." The first Trooper said, “In life, or through death if necessary."

“Oh… I've heard of you." Six said, “Thank you for not… you know shooting me. I've had plenty of that already."

“What are you doing here?" Another one of these 'Skirmishers' asked.

“Surviving." Six said, she wasn't sure if she should explain where she came from or where she was heading.

“And here specifically?" The Skirmisher asked.

“I came looking for maps…and a tent." Six explained, “I wasn't expecting to encounter anyone else. Once I have what I need I'll be leaving. Winter is coming soon, it'll be too cold for me here, so I intend to head south. And need the maps to not get turned around, find potential shelter spots and such."

“You could stay with us. Join in the fight against our oppressive creators." The lead Skirmisher said.

“…I appreciate the offer, but I'm not a fighter. It's not what I…not what I was made to for." Six said after some thought, “I'm better off taking my chances alone. At least right now."

“I see." The lead Skirmisher said, “Then collect what you came for."

“Is it wise to just let her go?" Another Skirmisher asked.

“We aren't staying here for very long. The odds of crossing paths again are low." The lead Skirmisher said, “Make it quick regardless."

“Right. I'll be sure to do that." Six nodded as she quickly went back for her rifle and then slithered into the main building of the resort.

These Skirmishers had made themselves right at home. There were crates of equipment neatly stacked together. But the Viper ignored it all and moved behind the front desk, she remembered there being stacks of maps there. And as luck would have it, there were still a few in usable condition. Six didn't hesitate to take them.

“Perfect, now I need a tent. I'll have to check the cabins." She sighed to herself and moved on to searching the cabins.

Her drone had remained hidden in the foliage, and thankfully was still in range of her. She made sure to pay better attention to its position and observations. Watching the Skirmishers mill about on the grounds as she searched the cabins, just in case. After some fruitless searching she lucked out and finally found a tent still neatly packed away. Her best guess on the size suggested it would be a tight fit for her. But she'd just have to deal with it, she didn't want to linger any more than she had to. Or wear out her welcome.

Tent in hand she quickly vacated the resort, her drone coming down and following her as she moved south. Once she was certain she was far enough away she powered on her portable radio. The drone flew up above the tree line to offer a better signal.

“Hello? Bruce? You there?" She spoke into the mic, she received only static, but kept on moving, “Hmm…might not be getting through."

There were a few possibilities, Bruce and company may not have their radio set up at the moment. She might have overestimated her signal strength, or perhaps they had to change frequency at the last minute? Regardless of the reason she wasn't in a position to do anything about it. Her drone came back down to keep close to her once again.

It was strange moving through the forest like this again. It made her feel…anxious? She couldn't quite place the feeling. Perhaps because she was leaving behind the only place, she could reasonably call home? The forest was rather quiet, leaving her alone with her thoughts as she slithered southward. Her mind swirled, deeply over analyzing her whole life up to this point. Even more so than before. Three years of life, perfectly memorized. Three years of the same routine. A cold voice in the back of her mind, whispering, telling her what to do, when to do it, what to think…to feel.

While it had already dawned on her how little control she had in her short life, it wasn't till now that the full weight of that revelation really hit her. And what Bruce had said to her when she told him how old she was. It all clicked together, all the ADVENT forces were just meat puppets! Shells piloted by the network, shells with a person's mind locked inside and along for the ride. They had a degree of freedom to mature and grow, fed a steady diet of propaganda but still. They had foundations for being individuals. What did she have? Nothing. She was popped out of a tube, plugged into the network and put to work in a matter of hours. She wasn't even given a chance, a chance for anything. A childhood? Denied. Memories of social interaction? Likely all fabricated. Any semblance of a personality…? Almost certainly a construct of the Elders to make her appear to be more than an empty puppet.

The Viper had to stop moving, stop thinking…stop everything. Everything about her was artificial, physically, mentally. Was there anything about her that could truly be deemed original? Sure, she was supposedly made to be unique. But how much truth did that even hold? What was truth and what were lies? She had no way of knowing, and it filled her with absolute dread. Something she hadn't truly felt in months. Not since the network actively ripped control of her own body from her. What was the point in trying to survive then? Was she even an individual? Or merely a construct pretending to be?

“…ix…sssshhhhss…Six? Hello?" The radio crackled to live, jolting her out of her mental spiral.

“Bruce?" Six quickly grabbed the mic, her drone going up high for a better signal.

“Six? You alright? We got worried over here when you didn't check in." Bruce's voice came through more clearly.

“I…yeah…yeah, I'm still here. Had a hard time getting a signal." Six said, “I'm moving south, I got maps and a tent."

“Good to hear it." Bruce said, “Are you okay? You sound…off."

“I…" Six paused, “I finally pieced together what you meant before. About what the Elders took from me. Is it even worth it to try and survive? Do I even exist as something real?"

There was silence on the other end for a good minute or two, it felt like forever to the young Viper.

“I'm so sorry Six, it's a brutal feeling, isn't it?" Bruce asked after his silence, “We've all felt it, those of us that were slaves of the Elders. So, I want you to listen to me, you are real. You exist, you feel, you think, you are alive. Regardless of what you might think at this moment. Give it time. You'll see that there is more to you than whatever the Elders programmed into you. Remember, you are not alone. Keep moving, and we'll be able to meet face to face."

“…Thank you. I-I really needed to hear that. I'll keep moving." Six said after a few long few minutes, “I just…question how much of me is…me. What's truth, what's lies."

“Those answers will come with time. And now that you're free, more of the real you can come forth. You aren't suppressed anymore." Bruce said.

“Yeah…I hope I like the real me." Six said, “Whenever she shows up."

“I'm sure we all will." Bruce said, “We can keep talking for a while still before I have to disconnect."

“I'd appreciate that. It's too quiet out here." Six said as she rubbed her face, refocusing her mind before she got moving again.

“I can imagine." Bruce agreed, “You'll get accustomed to it. I prefer the quiet to having a voice in the back of my head."

“That's a good point, but I think either situation is too much for me." Six said as they continued to chat idly.

Having someone to talk to was a big help for her, it made time go by much faster for the Viper. Before she knew it night was falling. After a quick goodbye Six went to work clearing a space for the tent. Then fiddling with the thing to get it set up, it seemed so easy from the instructions. Still, it took her a lot longer to set up than she wanted to admit. But it was finally done. She was right about it being snug, but she didn't expect the bright red color thanks to the black carry bag it came in.

“The color might be a problem, don't you agree?" Six asked her drone.

It only stared at her in response.

“...Right." Six sighed and started gathering up branches and leaves.

The Viper carefully covered the tent with branches and leaves. Hiding the bright color to improve camouflage. Satisfied she squeezed herself into the tent. She had to really coil up tight to fit, it wasn't the most comfortable but it'll have to do for now. Six dug out some of the dried fish she had and swallowed them whole. At least she didn't have to chew on them and let the taste linger on her tongue.

“This is gonna be a long journey." Six sighed as she settled in to get some sleep, and hopefully get an early head start in the morning.

Two weeks later…

August 17^th 2033

Two weeks of traveling and she was exhausted. The cramped tent was not the most comfortable to sleep in. Nor was the increasing frequency of rain, forcing her to hunker down several times already. Getting soaked did not do her any favors either, sapping away her body heat. Bruce hadn't been exaggerating about the sensitivity to cold, it was far less pleasant than she expected it to be. She suspected that the Psionic Network played a part in suppressing her reaction to cold, which was why experiencing it felt so strange. Leaving that tower was definitely the right call, she was grateful for the push to leave.

The maps had also been a massive help, she was able to accurately track her location and progress. Also helped her avoid passing through another city. She really didn't want to chance another encounter with those Lost, or humans with an appetite for Viper. She did stop in a smaller town to scavenge supplies from though. She ended up stuck there for several days due to severe rain. But no humans or Lost to be seen, so she was reasonably safe and hunkered down in one of the houses. Contact with Bruce had been spotty due the weather, so she had to deal with being stuck with only the rain for company.

The Viper still managed to make the most of it. She found more canned foods, which she happily took. And made a point to devour as much fish as she could stomach, she didn't want to waste it. But also wanted it all gone in favor of food that had some degree of flavor. It sucked but she put up with it, bad food now, better food later. She also took the time to check her hood, that bite still hurt. She couldn't tell if it was healing well or not, even now it still bled somewhat and looked a bit inflamed. Her other wounds had already mostly healed, just missing some scales here and there. At least she was recovering, and wasn't hampered by the wounds. Something she greatly appreciated once she'd gotten moving again.

Even better for her she hadn't been shot at for a good while, or threatened with a gun to the face or back. She wished to keep that up for as long as she could. Hopefully a day will come where she won't have to be so paranoid as well. It was too much stress for her, constantly looking over her shoulder, worrying about being attacked at any moment. Meeting up with Bruce and the group he travels with should be a step in that direction. With that in mind she pushed on.

August 20^th 2033

Six jolted awake with a startled hiss, axe in hand as she looked around in a moment of panic. It was early morning, the sun just barely starting to rise. She'd found an old gas station along the highway to hunker down for the night. The place had been picked clean of anything useful by the time she got there. But a roof over her head was better than the tent. That was all an afterthought as she quickly gathered up her gear and picked up her rifle. She could hear sounds of combat in the distance, the bark of ballistic weapons, the thumping of magnetic weapons, even the occasional tsewing of plasma weaponry. The sounds of screams echoing her way. ADVENT was near, and they were fighting humans by the sound of it.

“Is there a group of humans nearby?" The Viper asked aloud, she hadn't seen any signs of humans nearby.

She easily could have missed the clues, although it sounded like the fighting was coming from the direction she needed to go.

“Wonderful…" She sighed.

Six considered what to do. She could try to circle around the fighting, but that presented a lot of risks. She could end up running into fleeing humans and get shot. Or ADVENT could spot her and she'd get shot. Frankly, no matter what she thought of, it always ended with her getting shot. The most optimistic scenario, she decided, would be to help the humans, and hope they would at least let her leave once the fighting was over. She was terrified, but the more she thought about it, the more she felt she had to at least try.

So, Six checked her rifle, making sure it was loaded and ready. She then hastily stashed her gear at the station, planning to retrieve it later…hopefully. The Viper took a deep breath...then exhaled, before slithering way towards the sound of the screams and weapons fire. Whatever horror was waiting for her, she hadn't come this far just to turn back again.

Her life was waiting out there. This would not stop her from finding it.