Lost in the Echo (Major Revisions in progress!)

Chapter 5

Autumn POV

We were surrounded by them. Bulky men that made us look puny and weak. 'Sylwia was right...' I thought feeling guilty. Sylwia warned me about this and I didn't listen. This is my fault...

        "So you're gonna stand in a circle and look at the pretty ladies in front of you?" She mocked smiling.

        "Syl, don't." I said frightened. If she mocks them enough they're gonna swarm us and hurt us. Well, hurt me. She's the fighter, I'm the friendly one.

        "What? I'm only asking these sad sacs a question. No offense guys." She smiled even more. She was enjoying this! Enjoying taunting people that could kill us easily. It was unsettling and scary. When she gets threatened she gets passive aggressive and instigates until they throw the first punch then demolishes them. But this time she would have no chance.

        "There's like six of them. You think you can take them all on alone? Syl, don't. You cant." I warned, but she didn't listen. 'God you are stubborn.' I shook my head and just accepted that she wasn't going to back down.

        "Six against one isn't too bad of odds. What? You don't have trust in your friend?" Sylwia laughed and made faces at the guys.

Finally one cracked and charged at her, the others standing still and watching. Sylwia slid between his legs and kicked him in the spine causing a loud, cringe invoking snap. The guy fell to his knees holding his back with both hands and yelling in pain. She kicked him down to the ground and the others grew more angry charging all at once. "That's more like it. Come and get me." She taunted as she shifted her weight to her back leg and pushed off charging them.

        "Bitch!" One yelled as he went to grab at her. Sylwia ducked and punched him in the jaw. Another crack. Then she used his collapsed body as a stepping off point and jumped from his back to the back of the guy coming for me.

        "She's not the one you should worry about." Sylwia growled then wrapped her arm around his neck and held him in a choke hold as he swung his arms behind him to get her off. He was even smart enough to ram his back right into a wall causing her to grunt at the impact. "Come on big guy. Gotta do better than that."

After a few more seconds the guy was out and collapsed to the ground. Sylwia rolled  off of him and crouched in front of me, ready to fend off anyone that tried to get to me. Three out of the six were on the ground and the other three had fear in their eyes. Sylwia grabbed her bow off her back and placed an arrow in position.

        "Wait, how'd you get that back?" Dash yelled as he looked around.

        "While you weren't looking. You're not the only one that steals things. Except I stole what was mine back instead of someone else's belongings. So I think you should give Autumn back her gun. You don't know how to shoot the thing anyways boy." I looked down and realized that Dash had stolen my gun. It wasn't on my hip anymore. Wow, I'm oblivious. Thanks Syl.

Dash handed back the gun and slowly slipped back to a safe distance away. I put it next to Sylwia. She was aiming her bow right at X. Right at their leader. "Tell me why I shouldn't shoot you now."

        "Because if you kill me, you have to kill every single person in this encampment. There's too many of us for one girl. Besides, you passed our test." He smiled and started to clap. This shocked the both of us. She put down her bow to her side and stared at him in confusion. "I'm sorry I wasn't straight forward with you. We were testing your skills. And your morals at the same time. You could've killed them, but you didn't. You injured them. Brutally, but you didn't kill them. I apologize for all the inconvenience. Please, stay. This confrontation and issue will not happen again. We do not keep our women as objects." He walked out from behind the desk. Sylwia instantly drew her bow string back again. "Easy, I'm a friend now." X said as he took another step forward with his hands up and out in front of him.

        "You would've killed us if I didn't attack. How do I know you mean no harm?" She snapped in a quiet voice. He chuckled and walked forward.

        "Guess you're just gonna have to trust me." He said to her standing two feet in front of her. She put the bow to her side and laughed.

        "Trust you? Your people shoot at my friend, took me to a strange place without an explanation, and you almost had me and my friend killed. Tell me again how I'm supposed top trust you."

        "Try," X said quietly to her as he held out his hand. Sylwia looked at him then his hand and hesitated then shook it. "Great choice!" He smiled and shook her hand. "You two will be an excellent addition to our group, haha." X chuckled again then walked back to his desk and sat on it.

        "You try to have us killed again and I wont hesitate to kill a single one of you." She threatened and made him smile more.

        "Deal. Now let's give you two jobs. Hm... The smaller one, Autumn right?" He called to me. I stepped next to Sylwia and nodded. "Great! You will either be cook or medic. Something gentle for the gentle lady. He half bowed as he sat on the desk. Syl laughed a bit and I looked at her. 'Meany.' "And you, Syl. Or that's what Autumn calls you. What is your name?" He asked her and she crossed her arms.

        "Sylwia."

        "Sylwia, beautiful. You will be our scavenger. Our secret soldier." X smiled.