Adventures With The SMG4 Crew

The Wastelands (Part 2/5)

Kapi: We've... been walking for hours. Dudes we need to stop, my leg's killing me. I've bent it sometime running to the Megamart. Fuck, it hurts.

Shy: We're not even a mile away. Come on, can't you at least keep up a bit?

Me: Shy, we're walking through a desert at night. It's freezing, it's sandy, and I don't think we can keep walking. We've BEEN walking the past seven hours, the least we can do is stop and rest a bit.

Shy: I'm not one to sit around and get ambushed. Now let's go. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I'm not one to wait until I die. Tabi, you understand right? RIGHT??

Tabi: What's gotten into you the past two weeks? You were never like this when we first met.

Shy: Angst and memories, that's all. It's just... fuck, I don't know. I just don't know what's been going on. Maybe it's because even when I'm with Kapi, I STILL feel alone. It's like... let's not worry about it.

Me: You HAVE gotten fairly more aggressive with me and the guys when life was normal, but-

Shy: When life was NORMAL? You DO realize that life was NEVER normal, right Jake?

Me: Don't call me that, Shy. But I see where you think life isn't normal. In this world, NOTHING is normal. We see crazy shit all the time, the least crazy being Tabi and Kapi.

Kapi: Dude don't remind me. Ow, fuck, stepped the wrong way. Okay, so can we just stop up here for only a few minutes? I SAW you grab the vodka, Jacob.

Me: Alright, you caught me. Shy we SHOULD stop soon, I think we're all hurting at least a bit.

Shy: Fine, right at this sign. It's only... hmmm, half a mile away from where we need to be. And we can cover that distance in less than an hour.

Tabi: Shy, I think we should really worry on the three things of headlights to our lefts. Wait, HEADLIGHTS?? SHIT, BANDITS!!

Me: I got this, just find somewhere to hide. I'm gonna be a bit of a hero today. Tuck behind that sandbank and I'll protect you guys.

As the three ran off behind the bank not even ten feet away, I stood alone, staring at the approaching sets of headlights. I steadied my balance and held my hand open at my side, and I felt my usual tail formed itself into a sturdy one-handed broadsword. Stabbing the blade into the sandy earth, I controlled my balance as the rumbling ground grew stronger and the dust-kicking sand-rollers drew near. I braced myself for a tough fight, as the three dune buggies rolled to a stop near me. Well, two, and one was a fortified pickup truck.

Pulling my sword from the earth and holding it high, I took a sword-masters battle stance as the big boss, and I mean BIG BOSS, of the desert bandits hopped off the roof of the dune truck and landed in front of me. I couldn't see anything remarkable about him besides his shotgun-shell necklace and Liberty Purge mask, as well as the all black outfit. Did I mention he held a double barrel over his shoulder, because he did. Ten-Gauge, most likely.

Boss: WELL WELL WELL, BOYS WHO DO WE HAVE HERE??

Me: How many of your boys do you got? Who are you? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME??

Boss: From YOU? No, it's from... where is he? WHERE IS THAT BASTARD?? BOYS LOOK FOR HIM!! I got skinny here.

Me: You're pretty hefty, not lying.

Okay, I realized I made a mistake as SOON as those words left my mouth. The big man swung his shotgun off his shoulder and aimed the barrels right at my forehead, and I felt like I would piss myself. Gripping my blade tighter, I swiftly dropped to my knees and swung it right across his ankles, and he fell harder than a boulder in a small stream. He dropped his shotgun on the fall, and I snagged it quick and aimed down at him as the sword disintegrated and reformed back into my tail.