VB!Foxillians: Terminus

Another Dream?

- Ernst's POV -

I woke up in the room that I was in earlier. The device is gone and so is the bed. I was laying on the cold wooden floor and was woken up by sunlight breaking through a few cracks in the roof.

Carefully getting up, I look around. The room is completely empty. No bed, no device, no Viper, Nothing. I was the only thing in the room.

Checking myself, I find that my backpack was missing, all of my gear was gone and I was left with just a little bit of cash, my picture of Sophie, Bleach and I, and my survival knife. Regaining my composure, I dust myself off before I walk outside the room.

The bar was still there and it was still in disrepair, but the shelves behind it were empty. Heck, the entire room was empty except for the bar. No dusty booths, no tilted tables, no broken chairs, nothing. You could mistake this place for a ballroom with a bar and I wouldn't be able to blame you.

Did I have a nightmare again? Did someone come in while I was asleep and take all the furniture as well as my backpack? Questions that probably didn't matter, I escaped Viper with my life again so I can't exactly complain.

Unfortunately, without the radio in my backpack, I cannot contact the Raskals. I'll just have to head back to Nomadia alone. It was an uneventful walk.

The streets look a little bit battle worn, as if a number of gun fights broke out and nobody decided to repair the roads afterwards.

I followed the road that led to Nomadia and walked along its length. By the time I reached the outskirts of the city, it was already late afternoon. The city does not look the same way it did before I drifted to Arias. There were many war-torn buildings that were undergoing repairs but at least the roads seemed better than the ones at Arias City.

Multiple Mk Vs roam the streets but they're geared up differently than I remember. Their markings are different too. As I walk past them, a few of them give me a casual salute which I reluctantly return. They look at me in confusion for a few seconds before continuing on their rounds.

I aimlessly wandered the streets of Nomadia, wondering about what had happened here and where Viper had gone...

My stomach grumbled as I walked through the streets with the smell of food floating through the air. With all the support I was getting from Randal, I was almost used to having three meals a day again.

As I continued to wander, I walked past a pub. The sign in front said 'Foxtail Tavern'. Wait, wasn't that the sign that was outside the old abandoned building? The building looked similar in a sense however it was certainly more bustling and, just like a modern dance club or bar would, it was complete with bouncers standing watch at the door.

I walk into the tavern and the bouncers let me in without asking for identification. They did however silently scrutinize my look. Reluctantly, I looked around the inside. All the broken tables and chairs back at the building I lost consciousness in were being used here, except none of them were broken. The dust caked booths were clean and proudly lining the walls that were papered to look wooden. Behind the bar was a brown haired Foxillian in an orange hoodie with a green armband that read "EM157" wrapped around his right arm. He looked uncannily familiar.

I walked up to the bar and he looked at me and silently scrutinized my appearance.

"How can I help you, boss?" He asks as he returns to wiping a shot glass dry.

"What would you recommend to me?" I asked him.

"Well, you usually come to have a canteen filled with Mango punch and you usually have an extra shot of it afterwards."

Usually? Have I been here before?

"I... I'll have a shot then."

"Are you paying now or do you want me to put it on your tab?" He asks as he pours a deep yellow opaque liquid into a shot glass.

"I'll pay now." I say as I pull out the few bills I have. "How much do I owe you?"

"Just 10 Credits."

Credits?

"You mean Dollars, right?"
"No, Audrian Credits."

I show him the bills I have

"I'm guessing these are no good?"

He puts the mango punch on the shelf behind the bar before looking at the bills.

"Boss, you're kidding right? These are Audrian Dollars. They've been phased out of use since before the Zukarian Occupation, you'd know that unless..."
"The... what occupation?"
"Are you from another planet or something?"
"I... Don't think so. This is Nomadia City, Audrium, right?"
"Yeah."
"Then in that case, no."
"You're not actually the boss, are you?"

Our conversation was interrupted by a fairly cheerful voice.

"Emist! I'm here to-- Ernst?!"

I turn my head before freezing in shock. It's Viper, she found me again.

"You don't look so hot buddy. What--"

"Stay away from me!" I shouted at her without letting her finish, I pulled out my knife, and pointed it at her. Everyone was now looking at me in absolute horror, Viper being the only one with an absolutely terrified look on her face. I was momentarily confused by her reaction

"I don't know who you are or where you come from but you definitely don't go pointing knives at people here." The bartender says as he pulls a pistol at me.

I look around before dashing around Viper who jumped out of my way as I bolt out the door. I dodge the bouncers that watched the door as they tried to grab onto me. Two shots were fired by the bartender and they both landed near my feet but I kept running regardless.

Running as fast as I could I escaped into the dark streets.

A couple of Mk Vs were running in the direction of the tavern after the gunshots. They didn't stop me for questioning or anything, they just let me run past them, something I gladly obliged. I ran as far away as possible from the tavern; they can deal with Viper themselves.

With whatever I had left on me, I walked towards the eastern outskirts of the city where I could maybe camp out for a bit.

It was starting to get dark, but before I could reach the outskirts, a number of people, one of whom stuck out to me as Foxillian, but all of whom were wearing dark clothes, black bandanas over their noses and mouths, and carrying rifles came up to me.

"That's our target, boys." the Foxillian says.

Through the sunset I could tell that his hair was unnaturally colored, almost cyan.

"Hey, hey, easy now. I ain't looking for trouble." I say as I cautiously back away. The group slowly encircled me, closing off any viable point of escape.

The Foxillian points his rifle at my head. "Neither was that yellow Vixen you threatened earlier but that didn't seem to bother you. Knock him."

Before a peep of protest could leave my mouth, I felt a sharp pain near my neck before my body shut down and I collapsed. My vision soon followed behind.

"Thanks for your help boys. Tell Randal I owe him for the help." the voice said as my consciousness began to fade. I could feel that I was being picked up.

"Randal? as in Randal and his Raskals?" was the last thought to register in my head before I lost consciousness.