NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: Her
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Screams echoed across the hill as Six fired at the gunmen who had planned to ambush his group, possibly to abduct Scar. With each shot aimed at vital points, he advanced slowly, alerting all nearby mercenaries.
Escape seemed impossible against the gunfire from numerous assailants. Yet, they were unaware that they faced no ordinary foe. As they attempted to flee, a flurry of bullets rained upon them.
Surprised, the mercenaries stood no chance and were swiftly struck down, their blood forming a mist in the air, screams piercing the silence. Six approached the wounded mercenaries on the ground and, without a hint of emotion, executed them with shots to the head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With the area clear, the super soldier dashed towards the largest group of mercenaries. Despite the distance and fortified defenses, he sprinted past the barriers and opened fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bullets penetrated the mercenary's armor and skull as they took cover. After neutralizing them, he pivoted, dashing to a new position while adeptly inspecting the Desert Eagles in his grasp. Nearing his destination, a quick glance from beneath his cowboy hat surveyed the mercenaries' defenses. Without pause, his legs unleashed a burst of strength.
"What the?"
Said a merc as Six propelled forward with the ferocity of a Cazador, as he closed the gap, his body rotating mid-leap. The group of mercenaries poised for an ambush, were caught off-guard as he extended his arms and discharged his weapons.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gunfire persisted, with bullets striking the mercenaries in critical areas. In under two seconds, the five ambushed mercenaries lay dead. With his ammunition dwindling, he swiftly turned and advanced towards the group of mercenaries, deftly reloading his twin Desert Eagles in stride. By the time he reached them, he was ready.
The onslaught commenced. He moved among them like a reaper, each shot claiming a life, slicing through their ranks as effortlessly as a knife through butter. The mercenaries' only escape was down the hill where Rebecca provided cover fire; the other side offered nothing but the sheer drop of a cliff.
However, those whose morale remained unbroken were unlikely to leap off. Instead, they faced the cold, ruthless bullets. To Six, numbers were irrelevant. His movements were too swift, too rapid for the average person to counter, and his marksmanship was frighteningly precise. Before they could respond, the bullets had found their targets.
The skirmish was over in less than ten minutes. Every mercenary on the hills had been eliminated, including their leader, Daniels, who perished in the fray. It's possible that even Daniels hadn't foreseen that this day would mark their demise. The final image he witnessed was Six methodically shooting and bullets his bouncing off surfaces, making no sense, effortlessly dispatching his remaining mercenaries.
Six quickly looted the bodies of their most important valuables but didn't bother to loot them all; instead, he rejoined his group to let them pick up the leftovers, and swiftly eliminate any mercenaries who had survived his initial assault. He was aware that his slaughter wouldn't attract much attention in the Mohave, where death was all too common. Despite the lack of cover, the sustained gunfire might still have drawn some notice.
He left decisively securing the area and minutes later several from his group looted the dead bodies. Thunder boomed louder in the skies, lightning streaking across the sky, adding a surreal touch to the day.
"By Mannan. Holy hell."
Twig said as he witnessed the field of dead bodies as he was holding his arm from Rebecca accidentally shooting him in the shoulder.
"..."
While Scar just didn't react as she was used to such scenes.
"Woah my eyes just shat themselves. I forgot that Six was more of a dangerous monster than the midget... It's just that the guy hasn't been doing much on the trip."
Said Ben as he whistled at the massacre the super soldier had done.
"Hmm."
The Ranger hummed as he started looking at the corpses shocked at what one man did.
Noticing that the sun's sky was gradually rising and once Six finished fiddling with his Pip-boy map, the wind had died down, and the stillness of the land felt almost unsettling after battling the mercs in the rugged terrain.
Just as they finally descended the last slope of the hills, leaving the harsh, rolling hills behind them revealing a winding dirt road stretching out toward the horizon. The group continued on the I-15 highway they'd travel before, relief washed over them—the hard climb was behind them—but that comfort was short-lived.
Ahead, they saw another group approaching from the distance, moving in the opposite direction. The sun was rising, casting a blinding light across their direction, making it hard to see clearly. Their clothes were worn, and their faces were marked by the same fatigue that had settled into the bones of anyone who had spent too long in the waste.
At first, it was unclear if they were hostile. As they drew closer, the group realized these travelers were armed. A moment of silence fell over both sides as they took each other in. Were they friend or foe?
One of the strangers raised a hand in greeting. Another kept a hand hovering near a weapon—a knife strapped to their belt or the handle of a well-used rifle slung over their back, but none had made a move. The tension hung in the air, thick and uncertain. Their leader—a tall figure with a dark cloak—raised a hand in a gesture that could be a greeting or a warning.
The two groups paused, neither making the first move to close the distance. Twig felt his heart pounding as he glanced at Six. Was this just a chance encounter, or would it turn into something far more dangerous?
"What did you do to Eastwood?!"
The tall figure with a dark cloak uttered, confusing the group, especially Twig.
"What? Hey... What?"
"What did you do to Eastwood?!"
Their leader repeated.
"It wasn't... It wasn't us. It was Leon. It was Leon."
Twig's voice cracked, his frantic words spilling out in a desperate rush. He took a step back, his eyes flicking nervously between the strangers, trying to gauge their reaction. His heart pounded in his chest as though it might burst out any moment, the weight of the accusation heavy in the air.
The group of travelers, now standing still in the road, glanced at each other, their expressions darkening with suspicion. The man at the front, a tall figure with a scar tracing the line of his jaw, shifted his stance slightly. His hand twitched near his weapon but didn't quite move to draw it. There was a brief exchange of looks among the strangers—uncertainty clouding their expressions as they silently debated whether or not to believe him.
"You're saying Leon did it?"
The man with the scar growled, his voice a low rumble that barely masked his anger. He took a step forward, narrowing the space between them.
"Blew up the entire town and then what, just left you all behind?"
Twig swallowed hard, his mouth dry. He nodded quickly, almost too quickly, trying to convince them.
"No, we... Six killed his men, and we didn't know what he had planned, I swear! We're just trying to survive like everyone else. You have to believe me."
The travelers didn't lower their guard, but they exchanged glances, silently weighing Twig's frantic words. The woman with a white coat beside the scarred man, her hand still resting lightly on the hilt of a knife, squinted at Twig.
"People died in that explosion."
She said flatly, her voice ice-cold.
"A lot of people."
"We know."
Twig whispered, his voice breaking slightly.
"We know."
The silence that followed was thick and suffocating. The strangers' skepticism hadn't fully faded, but something in Twig's desperation had begun to crack through their suspicion. Still, trust was a fragile thing in these lands, and whatever had happened in that town had left scars deeper than the ones on the man's face.
"You'd better hope you're telling the truth."
The man finally said, his eyes narrowing.
"Because if we find out you're lying..."
He didn't need to finish the threat. The weight of his words settled over Twig and the rest of the group like a lead blanket. For now, the travelers didn't move to attack, but the danger still loomed, heavy and unspoken.
The tension seemed to hold everyone in place, but then the scarred man's gaze shifted, locking onto her—the girl standing just behind Twig. His eyes darkened, and a slow, knowing smirk crept across his face, as if he finally understood something. He turned to his companions, giving them a look that spoke volumes without saying a word. They knew, too.
It wasn't just about the town. It was about Scar.
Level: 7
NAME: Six XI
GENDER: MALE
STRENGTH: 10
PERCEPTION: 10
ENDURANCE: 10
CHARISMA: 10
INTELLIGENCE: 10
AGILITY: 10
LUCK: 10
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BARTER: 42
ENERGY WEAPONS: 27
EXPLOSIVES: 30
GUNS: 100
LOCKPICK: 27
MEDICINE: 27
MELEE WEAPONS: 27
REPAIR: 98
SCIENCE: 42
SNEAK: 30
SPEECH: 27
SURVIVAL: 27
UNARMED: 30