[Snowpocalypse] Trek Back (R 4.4)

Rich

Rossi:

You, Invert, Wandering, Jester and a couple others head out of Lemma's shop. It's bitter cold, no moon outside, really. Dark. Wandering turns on a flashlight, holds it up to light the way. He asks in that low bass, "Where to, boss? Back to Underlake?" That's a few hours' walk from here, in this weather.

Invert says, "I got half a token, we could bed down there." She moves closer to you, saying, "I can explain earlier."

Jester's walking near you, his face a mix of relief and pride. He's letting you handle gang stuff before he talks.

What do you do?

Adam

I'm breathing deep, my neck in burning agony, and I follow the gang out into the wilderness again. This weather is getting worse from when I last got out there... I silently listen to everyone give their piece, before answering, "We probably won't make it all the way out to underlake, so let's just get to Backside Misty's and shack up for the night."

I look over to Invert and shake my head, "I really don't give a fuck what he did... If he wouldn't back off, it's good enough for me." I reach up, and adjust my goggles for a second as they fog up from crossing the threshold of Lemma's shop. "Everyone OK? No major bumps or bruises need attending to?"

Rich

Jester stops you, "Hey, that's your blood!" He says it like its a surprise. "Can you... fix it?" He says the last bit in a whisper. The gang slows down, but they know to give you space around Jester.

Adam

I don't even follow his gaze... I know what he's looking at. I shake my head, "I hadn't thought to try, but I'd think that if I could have healed myself, I would have by now..." I lower my voice for him, "I had a run in with the people who held Silica captive up in the scrapes... They agreed to leave town, and never come back."

Rich

Jester asks back, "Did you... let them go?" He sounds surprised at this, worried for you.

Adam

I nod again, feeling annoyed... Tired... It's been a long day, and the mask is making me impatient. I reach up and start pulling off my gear, goggles first, then scarves. "I said they have until sunrise to get out of town before I tell the gang they've got a price over their heads... I'm probably just going to tell them we're not letting them into our new home... No need to go hunt them down or anything."

Rich

Jester gently hugs your arm, then hangs back when you wince. "Let's go crash at Misty's. I want to look at your neck."

Invert is moving near you both, sort of nosing in without asking anything.

Adam

I smile, in spite of the pain, and give Jester a kiss on the cheek, then I look over to Invert when she starts moving in towards us. With most of my face probably showing by now, and my voice no longer muffled, I ask, "something you'd like to talk about?"

Rich

Invert looks like she was a little startled, but she plays it up, pushing some hair behind her right ear, "I can stitch you up. That's all."

Wandering is headed for a sewer cover, "Let's head underground for the rest of the way, yeah? Not as cold."

Adam

I nod a few times, "Thanks Invert. I'll take you up on that... It's not that bad though..."

I'm not really used to running through the sewers, but it seems like a good idea to get out of this storm. "So long as we don't run into anyone unsavory-like, I'm down for a little sewer-walk."

Rich

The gang chuckles at the unsavory comment. Wandering says as he starts to move down the ladder, "Tonight. We're the unsavory ones. heh heh heh."

Invert watches for you and Jester to go down the ladder, then follows, moving in the dark, since the flashlight is ahead. Once you're all down in the tunnels, Invert gets a little chatty. "So, boss, check this out. Lemma comes up to me, tells me she can fuck with Shifty's gun. You know, break it. She just needs him away from it. So I got some beers from her, chatted him up, then we went down to her basement and drank and shit for a bit. I kissed him, and he put his greasy hands on me, but then he wants to get some. So I..." she pulls out a little shiv from down inside her pants and stabs it at the air, "Cut his face up! hahahaha. Because badass. I would've gutted him, but then it would've been a fight for sure."

Wandering says, "You should've cut his damn throat. We could've handle the others. Ragamuffins." The gang chuckles.

Adam

I let a lone chuckle escape my lips as the gang jokes about their would-be victory, but instead I shake my head, "fucking Lemma put you up to that? She's harder than I thought... Huh..." Something tells me she didn't ask Invert to stab him though... "The world could do with fewer of those entitled assholes running around — but we don't have enough bullets to put them all down, you know?"

Rich

Wandering comments dryly, "Kemper's making more bullets. Maybe some day, it'll even out."

Invert agrees, "Yeah. Bad shit when he throws his weight around. Big cheese. Only big cheese left with the Soulja Boys fucked."

Adam

Chi-town's a big fucking pissing match these days — and if Kemper's making bullets, then Chi-town may not be anything more than a fucking playground to him. I never understood how it was people just let some fucker have everything he wants because he had first claim on some big pile of drugs, or guns, or something...

Fuck...

"Well I plan to be well fucking removed from these assholes by the time they go nova... Bad enough we've got idiots like Merrell taking a dump all over our new home."

Rich

You're heading along, nearing some of the flats Misty holds. You can hear the hum of electricity, not many folk up this late. In a low voice, Wandering rumbles, "I don't think that tin can is far removed, really. I bet once they see we have power and shit, that we'll be the star attraction." Invert and Jester agree to that one.

Jester points out, "If we're smart, we can use that for a kind of protection. Share as much power as we can to everyone."

Invert scoffs, "Fuck that. Show your neck, and they'll bite it. Bein stupid, man."

"No, thinking ahead." Jester says, unperturbed. This isn't the first time he's argued this one. "We aren't animals. We leverage our strengths, we don't give things away, we trade for them. But we make it sustainable. Something folks don't have to fight for." He looks over at you, like maybe you might throw in here.

Adam

I'm kind of surprised that Jester's all up and forward thinking ... It's not really like him to get all serious and managerial and stuff.

It's hot.

I smirk, and nod, "I'm just here to keep people safe... I know damn sure playing hard to get with people only makes us a target — best we don't go starting wars just because we've got electricity."

Rich

The gang banters quietly with Jester, nobody really giving in, but he scores some points. You finally come upon Invert's flat, which is a storage unit, square and boring, with one light bulb on one socket. There are coats and blankets, a couple stained mattresses. The guys grab mattresses, and Jester sits up while Invert stitches you. Wandering walks around outside, keeping an eye peeled in case Dumpies, or whatever.

Invert pulls out a bit of thread from her pack and starts stitching. She's got nimble little fingers and she does decent enough work. For an untrained gang member. Despite his best efforts, Jester sacks out, sitting up. Just you and Invert awake in here.

She says, real low for you and her, "Hey, Rossi. Need to tell you somethin now, so it don't shock you later. Promise you won't shoot me?"

Adam

Fuck... What now?

I'm staring at a wall while she sews me up, and I nod slowly so as to not fuck up her work. "I will try my damnedest not to shoot you," I say low, "what is it?"

Rich

Invert keeps stitching, like she planned to have you in this position when she started this. "Okay, here goes. About a year ago, I was at one of Jester's shows. This was Carnation days, right? Anyhow, we all got hopped up on a bunch o shit, then I hooked up with him. A, uhm, a couple times." She looks over at him, then back at you. "He prolly doesn't remember it. He kept calling me Tindy, which would've pissed me off, but... well, you know." She gives this double brow raise thing, then smirks.

"I'm not after your man." Invert says solid. "But the Keys were there, and some of them are pissed that I jumped ship, so they might stir up some shit."

She leans forward and bites off the string when the sewing is done, it's almost intimate, but she doesn't take her time, just does it. Then she ties off the end in a little knot. "All done. Are we cool?"

Adam

I'll just pretend I didn't hear that part about Jester and Tindy... So long as he's not calling her name with me.

Don't fucking freak out...

It's not like you threatened to take another bullet for him or anything.

Fuck... As if there weren't enough people threatening to fuck up our shit... "You got any love for the sparekeys? If they come looking for you, I'm going to tell them to fuck off... I don't want to piss off Molotov fucking Kalashnikov if you're going to turncoat when they come calling."

Rich

Invert shrugs, "There are some good guys in there. But I traded up. Especially the digs. I'm not flipping back." She chews on the inside of her cheek for a moment, then says, "What you did for me back there at Lemma's. Backing my play, no question. It's badass. I know me saying I'm loyal don't mean shit when I just turned on the Keys. But I'll prove it."

"So... are we cool?"

Adam

"I haven't seen a hell of a lot of loyalty in my day, Invert," I look over to her and nod silently, "but we're good. You do your part, and I'll keep doing mine."

Rich

Invert puts away her stuff, then crawls in beside one of the guys, for warmth. I assume you snuggle in with Jester, at least for warmth? Anything else?

Adam

Yeah, that's the gist of it. I hope this storm doesn't last too long.

Rich

Jester wakes up when you get close. The light's off, but he knows it's you. He kisses your forehead, "Big bonus points for badass Rossi today," he whispers. "Saved the dude in distress and didn't kill anybody. Twice. You're gonna be the next Preserver, cept way hotter."

Adam

I shudder at the thought of becoming a preserver, and nuzzle into him. "I'm not going to take a vow of chastity any time soon... I need a few days down to recover. You got a feel for how long this storm might last?"

Rich

Jester kisses the side of your forehead and answers quietly, "Long enough for you to get to know your gang, not long enough for you to heal up enough for me to give you a special reward for being so amazing."

He reaches over to entwine his fingers with yours as they lay on his chest, "You like being a gang boss?"

Adam

I take his fingers in mine, and look over my shoulder at him, "I guess so, yeah. It feels weird to be telling people what to do... But it isn't so bad. If things don't work out with Lemma, maybe we can move south... Find a quiet place, and call it our own, you know? Maybe bring a few people with us..." I grab my big blanket from my pack, and wrap us in it, then take his hand and guide it down low... "Shame you can't give me that special reward... Maybe I'll just have to reward myself."

Hey... A girl's got needs.

Rich

Jester lets you guide his hand, and he nimbly gets to work giving you a consolation prize. "You know," he whispers in your ear with hot breaths, "I would rock your world," another kiss on your forehead, "If somebody hadn't just shot you. In the neck." But yes, he does his best to help fulfill your needs.

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