So, Love

Part 4

You curled up in your sleeping bag, trying to ignore the movement outside your tent. The voices were low, hushed. But you could hear them anyway.

"And where is this one that-"

"Here."

You shot up. Todd? Scrambling, heart racing, you opened the zipper, popping your head out.

"There they are." He motioned to you. "They can get you where you need to go."

You crawled out, slowly. It felt… off. The scenario, the situation. You crawled out, dusting off your knees as you joined them.

"Are you okay?" You focused on Todd.

Something cold crossed his features before he smiled, hands spread wide. "As you can see, I'm fine." He jerked a thumb to the Foot soldier behind him. "When we got jumped I thought I was done for, but some of these guys pulled me out of the fray." He rubbed his gloved hands together, drawing your attention.

It struck you as odd that he was still wearing them. Days after the theft. You looked back up, eyes narrowed.

"Yeah. Good." You scratched your head. "I didn't realize we'd get busted like that."

"As sweet as this is," voice distorted with help from the mask, "we've got a task for you."

Produced was a folder. You frowned, taking it from them. "What?" You scoffed. "This isn't how I do business." You opened it anyway. A few pages, some pictures.

"What choice do you have?" The soldier motioned to your tent, your surroundings. 

You felt your hackles raise. "I've always got a choice, shit for brains." You snapped, closing the folder, extending it back to the soldier.

"Wait!" Todd came between the two of you, "wait. You don't understand." He pulled you aside, motioning for the Clan member to wait. "They're offering a lot of money for this." Todd took you under his arm, glancing over his shoulder. "I don't think you understand. This could get us out of here."

You narrowed your eyes, holding up the folder. "This isn't what I do." You argued. "It's too much."

"Look," He sighed, face scrunched in frustration. "It's not like you'll be doing it alone." He smiled, a weary thing. "I'll be there. We'll have a group of people with us."

You started giving in. Feeling yourself swayed. "So if I say no, will they find someone else?"

Todd shook his head. "You or no one."

"You'd all lose out then?" You looked over your shoulder, glaring at the soldier. Sighed. "Fine." You opened the folder, ignoring Todd shaking you in joy.

"What's the task?" You turned back to the Clan.

"We need you to get intel on them." Their gloved hand pushed the papers aside to show the figures from the alley, each in grainy Polaroid type pictures.

"Could you have gotten any better quality pictures?" You held one up, shook it. "These are shit to go on."

"They're mutants." They pushed on, ignoring you. "And skilled in combat."

"Mutants, huh?" You squinted, trying to gather more information from the images. "We've had a few stray through camp before." You shrugged.

"That cat woman." Todd butted in, smacking his lips.

You shuddered. "Okay." You recognized them slowly. Holding up the picture of the one who spoke, sitting it on top of the image of the one with the staff. "This one was crazy fast." You wiggled the picture, pointing to the other with your free fingers. "And he was strong. Like, lifted a car strong."