Aster's Story

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27, 28, 29, 30. Still whirling around in search of its attacker, the nameless mutant collapsed to the ground, unconscious. After waiting a few more seconds just to be safe, Aster emerged from the shadows and stopped camouflaging, putting his sponsor’s uniform back on. Unless his target was bulky, the tranquilizer darts always took about 30 seconds to take effect. Judging from the average stature, the sleeping mutant would be out cold for at least a few hours, but he didn’t want to stick around in case this guy had friends.

Quickly searching the saddlebags on the mutant’s hoverbike, he found a pack of medical supplies with the logo of a pharmaceutical company he didn’t recognize, likely one of this mutant’s sponsors. This will come in handy, the last guy I robbed only had some water. Finding nothing else special in the bags, Aster took the kit and what food and water he had room for, and then turned back to the other mutant’s hoverbike. By bike, the first camp should only be an hour or two away, and I don’t want this guy getting there anytime soon. He didn’t see me, but he still might be able to figure out who attacked him if I’m still around by the time he gets there, so I need to do something with his bike.

Seeing no easy way to sabotage the hoverbike, the lizard thought of how to get rid of it. Burying it could work, but by the time he was done, the unconscious mutant might wake up. Despite having an average stature himself, Aster knew he couldn’t fight hand to hand with this guy and win. Suddenly, a small chuckle escaped his mouth as he remembered an old bedtime story his mother used to tell. In the story, there was something called a cowboy, and this cowboy was a human who fought against other humans. The actual details of the story weren’t what Aster was thinking about, however. Instead, he was remembering a part where one character slapped another’s horse (whatever that was) and the horse ran off, forcing the owner to chase it down. It gave him an idea…

Picking up the medical kit again, he rifled through it, hoping that it had what he was looking for. Gauze, no. Antiseptic wipes, no. Moving some bandages, he spotted it. “Medical tape.”

Taking a long strip, he walked over to the other mutant’s hoverbike and taped the throttle all the way down. He walked it out of the ruined building they had taken shelter in and pointed it back in the direction of the start, before turning it on. With a high pitched whine, the machine started up, immediately hitting the scaly mutant in the leg as it bolted off across the sand. “Motherf- that hurt. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes Aster. You shoulda seen that coming.” Scolding himself for not standing back, he went inside and packed up the rest of his supplies, quickly getting on his own hoverbike and riding off to camp. If he got there before sunset, maybe he could grab supplies and move on before anyone noticed he was there.

---

---

He had to give credit where credit was due, the camp was pretty impressive. There were several large tents dedicated to mess halls, showers, and supply storage, with smaller tents scattered about, probably for sleeping in. Spotting a collection of hoverbikes under guard, Aster walked his own over and locked it up. Pretty smart, having locks on the bikes to prevent sabotage, now I won’t have to keep an eye on it. Now, I need to snag some supplies, some food, and keep going. Looking to the west, the sun was getting close to the horizon. Any additional travel today would have to be done before it got dark, and he really didn’t want to sleep out in the open. What first, supplies or food? My manager said the supplies at the first camp wouldn’t be anything special, but it’s still first come first serve, and a lot of mutants have already come through here. His stomach grumbled, reminding him that he hadn’t gotten a chance to eat anything since noon. Food first, then.

Walking over to what looked like a serving line, he saw platters of a weird looking meal. “What is this?” he asked, not sure what to make of it.

“What, have you never had pizza? Where are you from where you don’t have this stuff?” A tall, white feathered mutant commented, looking taken aback.

“I’m from the Forest, and no, we never had this.” Aster picked up a slice, inspecting it for a moment before setting it on his plate. “What’s it made of?”

Seeming to get over her shock, the mutant laughed before replying. “It’s tomatoes, cheese, and meat on some bread. It’s really good, I’ve only ever had it a few times before.” She grabbed several slices and motioned to follow her. “Come on, you’ve caught my eye. Let’s talk over dinner.”

If she heard his protests, she ignored them. Who the hell does this bird brain think she is? Having no other choice, he grabbed another slice and rushed off after her. “Hey! Don’t just ignore me!”

“We can talk in my tent, I have something to ask you.” Reaching a small tent, she ducked inside and held the flap open for Aster.

Rolling his eyes, he stepped in. Inside the tent was a sleeping bag, some bags of what looked like the bird mutant’s supplies, and a crossbow. “I take it that’s your support item?” He said, motioning towards the crossbow as he sat down.

“Yup, that’s her. She’s saved me more times than I can count.” The mutant patted the crossbow lovingly, earning a strange look from Aster. “The name’s Pidge. You’re Aster, right? I watched your interview, that was quite a show you put on. Didn’t know there were lizards that could change color like that.” She said, biting off nearly half a slice of pizza with her beak.

Thinking back on the interview, Aster cringed. He got caught up in the spotlight and ended up showing off more than he planned to, and judging by Pidge’s comment, more than a few of his fellow competitors had noticed. So much for the element of surprise. “Yeah, it’s uncommon even among lizardfolk. Speaking of colors, I can’t imagine that white plumage is doing you any favors out here.”

Pidge shrugged and gestured with pizza in hand to the crossbow. “Nah, but I can hold my own when things get dicey. It’s the non-combat that I’m worried about.” She devoured the last of the slice she was holding before continuing. “You see, I’m a snowy owl. My excellent sight and hearing make hunting a cinch, but that’s about all I’m good at. This round, I don’t have to worry about hunting for food, since they’re providing us with the miracle of ‘Za.” She paused, taking another huge bite out of a slice. “Howeber, da nex round will pwobably be diffewent.”

Aster saw where this was going, and he wasn’t sure he liked it. “So you figured you’d find someone who would ally with you and increase your chances of surviving, by promising them plenty of fresh meat in the next round.” She had a point, food would likely be in short supply next round if it wasn’t provided at camps like this one. Not only that, but with no idea where or what the round would be, having someone who could fight could mean the difference between living to the next round and dying a painful death. Still, the fact that she would stick out like a sore thumb would be a big disadvantage. “I don’t doubt your skills, but I’m trying to go unnoticed. You don’t exactly blend in.”

“True, but I’d argue my benefits outweigh my disadvantages, wouldn’t you agree? I don’t mean to offend, but you don’t look like the fighting type.” She smirked, sizing Aster up. “Besides, it doesn’t have to be a permanent thing. Come the third and fourth games, I imagine one of us will be dead anyways.”

She was better at combat, and she could see and hear much better than he could. He had to admit, an alliance early on could save his life. Plus, if I need to betray her, all I need to do is use a dart or poison her food. Still, something didn’t seem right. “I don’t trust a deal only one side benefits from. What do you get out of this?”

“Well, I know the Forest is a super dangerous place, but you don’t look overly worse for wear. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re pretty good at surviving. You’d have to be in order to stay alive there. I can use your survival skills, and you can use my hunting skills, that’s what’s in it for me. So, wanna team up?” Finishing the last of her pizza, Pidge stared at Aster, waiting for an answer.

Aster was hesitant, but he knew that he’d likely need her help next round. “I’m planning on grabbing some supplies and leaving right away. You okay with that?”

“Works for me. I got here this morning, so I already have my stuff ready.”

“Alright. Allies it is.” With that, the two mutants walked out of Pidge’s tent and over to the supplies, restocking their rations and water. That can’t be all she wants, can it? There’s got to be something she isn’t letting on about. They made small talk as they unlocked their hoverbikes and grabbed the next marker. This is too convenient to be the full story.

Why couldn’t he shake the feeling that this would be a terrible mistake?

---

The high pitched whine of Aster’s hoverbike engine had never been a pleasant sound, but with two bikes it was even worse. Pidge didn’t seem to notice for some reason, was part of her abilities as a snowy owl? There were a lot of things he didn’t understand about her species. Unbothered as she may have been, he could tell she was getting tired, the same as him. They had been at it all night, going full throttle towards the second camp in the hopes of lessening the gap between them and the other competitors.

Just then, Pidge motioned at Aster, then pointed in the direction of some hills. He didn’t see anything, but she must have spotted shelter of some kind. Turning towards the direction she pointed, the two of them rode for another minute or so before Aster saw it. A small cave opening from the looks of it, and fairly hidden unless you were looking for it. How the hell did she spot this from that far away?

As the two of them neared the entrance, they slowed to a stop and dismounted their hoverbikes, turning them off. “We can stay here after we make sure nobody else is too. I’ve got the better eyesight so stay behind me.” Pidge whispered, raising her crossbow in front of her. The two entered the cave and quickly searched it, finding that while it was small and unoccupied, there were signs that somebody had been there, and left in a hurry. It was dark, but they could see there were a few supplies scattered around a darker spot, which Aster assumed was where the last resident had lit a fire.

“Looks like you weren’t the only one to find this place.” Aster bent down and touched the ground, his hand coming away covered in ash. “They’re cold, but we should keep watch in case whoever was here last comes back for their stuff.”

“If they come back at all. Most of this stuff looks like it’s empty or used.” Pidge tossed aside an empty MRE packet, picking up a heavy looking pan. “Can’t blame them for leaving this pan behind, it weighs almost as much as my crossbow. This would have been a pain to lug around, why would they grab this in the first place?”

Aster shrugged as he moved back towards the entrance to bring their hoverbikes inside. “If it’s that heavy, it’s probably cast iron. I don’t know about where you’re from but cast iron stuff is pretty expensive back in the forest. Maybe a sponsor gave it to them?” Leading the bikes back inside, he dug through his pack to find a basic fire starter he grabbed at the first camp. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t do so well when it’s cold, and if someone ambushes us and I’m sluggish, you’d be on your own to defend us. We’re gonna have to risk a small fire. Could you go grab something to burn? I think I saw some decent bushes on our way in.”

Pidge seemed to consider what he said for a moment, as if filing away that information for later use. “Sure. I could probably nail them by myself, but two fighters is better than one.” Aster waited until she was out of the cave to pull out his dart kit. Taking inventory, he had supplies to make around 18 more darts. He needed to be more selective with who he used them on, or else he’d run out before even reaching the second game. Hopefully one of the camps would have something he could use. A loud clattering sound came from behind Aster, causing him to panic and shift colors to match the darkness of the cave walls. Turning around, he saw Pidge laughing her ass off.

“What the hell, man? Next time you do that, you’re getting a knife in your face.” Aster scolded, putting on a friendly air. In reality, he was concerned, thinking back on her words at the first camp. NOBODY sneaks up on me, but she managed to do exactly that with her hands full. Come the third or fourth games, if she catches me by surprise, I’m fucked.

“Sorry, I just-” She wheezed, catching her breath from laughing so hard. “I couldn’t resist! You were so focused on that thing, and I’m pretty quiet when I want to be. What is that, anyway?” She peered over Aster’s shoulder, trying to get a better look at it.

“It’s my item, an herb bag.” If he just said it was nothing, she’d see right through him. If he gave her half the truth though… “With the right plants mixed in the right portions, I can make certain antidotes and tranquilizers. I was taking inventory, I’ve used some tranquilizers to rob people on the road.”

“Huh, sounds complicated, which is boring. I prefer to just kill people. Dead people don’t want their stuff back.” She took her crossbow off and sat against the wall, looking expectantly at Aster. “Well? You’re the survival expert, so expertly survive us a fire.”

---

---

“What’ll they have at the second camp?” Pidge crowed, clearly bored as she lay on the cave floor. “I hope they have pizza again, I love pizza.”

“That sounds like a very good question for the people who run this show, of which I am not a part.” Aster tiredly responded, staring at the cast iron pan sitting in the middle of the fire they had built. Scratch that, the fire that he had built.

“Yeah no shit sherlock, and what’s the pan for anyway?” She sat up and looked at him, exasperated.

He gave her a weird look. “What’s a sherlock?” She moved to answer when he held up his hand. “You know what, I don’t want to know. To answer your question, the pan is filled with the charcoal from the fire the last guy left behind.”

Pidge returned the weird look tenfold. “Okayyy, why would you heat up some charcoal? Are you high? Did you take some uh, special herbs from your little kit? Can I have some?”

“No! I don’t-” Aster sighed, rubbing his brow with his scaly hand. Mother give me strength, this bird brain is gonna be the death of me. He wrapped some spare cloth around his hand before grabbing the pan, taking it out of the fire and setting it aside before responding. “I’m activating the charcoal, that’s why I’m heating it up. Activated charcoal can bond with certain toxic substances, neutralizing them in the body.”

“Okay but like in english?”

Aster put on a mocking baby voice. “Poison bad. Charcoal hug poison so poison can’t be meanie to organs. Organs live. You live. That simple enough for you?”

“Yup! See, was that so hard?” Pidge snickered and laid back down. “Anyways, while you play with your ashes, I’m gonna get some sleep. I’m assuming once we get to the second camp you want to move out right away again. Never wanna stay in one place for too long, huh?”

“At least the pretty bird is smart.” Aster muttered to himself. Before he could process what was happening, his throat was pinned down to the cave floor, Pidge’s talons threatening to draw blood.

A visceral growl escaped her, her face contorted in anger and…fear? “Don’t. Fucking. Call. Me. Pretty. Bird.” She looked as if she were about to rip him apart, but after a moment she let him go and laid back down. “Not if you want to keep your blood inside you.”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it.” Aster rubbed his throat, going back to the ashes. Note to self, no more pretty bird. Why does that phrase get such a reaction out of her? Pidge was turned away from him, clearly pretending to have gone to sleep. He’ll have to tip toe around her tomorrow. Until then, all he could do was finish up and get some rest himself.

Tomorrow would be interesting.

A Surprise Encounter

---

The hairs on the back of her neck raised. Scout glanced over at the sleeping form in the bed next to her, knowing that Ljilja could not sense it. She sniffed the air, her instincts superseding her exhaustion. Slowly, so as not to wake Ljilja, Scout rose, grabbing only her swords, leaving behind her boots and coat, able to smell something creeping just outside of their wooden cabin. It was not Boqin, that much Scout could smell. Not unless he had disguised himself with someone else's scent. In the dark, Scout could roughly make out a silhouette, vaguely outlined by the moon. There was no fighting allowed in the safety of the camps, but even so. She swung one of her swords, cutting off whatever creature was creeping around. "What do you think you're doing?" Scout snarled, her ears raised upright at alert.

Momentarily turning a bright orange, Aster jumped. The sword was two inches from his face, stopped only by the fact that fighting in the camps had severe consequences. Re-coloring to blend in again, he turned towards the wielder. “I'm just uh. Out for a walk. Yeah. So, can I go?”

"Just out for a walk?" Scout asked, not buying it. "And it just happened to be right outside our cabin?" A convenient excuse. Violence may not have been allowed, but theft certainly was and no peacekeepers would interfere with the sabotage. Scout was on edge, which wasn't unusual, and with Ljilja asleep inside and Boqin who knows where, she was the only one here that could defend the team.

“Yeah, my cabin is over here too. For all you know I'm just walking back to my cabin.” This wasn't good. He didn't have any clothes on to protect him, nor did he have his blowgun. If he had just had one tranquilizer dart, he could just jab the stranger and run, but he was ill equipped for a fight. Not that he'd get away with it anyways. “I'm not looking for trouble with you, I don't even know who you are, so don't stick your nose where it doesn't belong.”

Scout eyed him up and down. Her ears twitched, able to hear his heart race. He did not look prepared to square off and was… hardly wearing anything, actually. Scout sniffed and stepped back, lowering her sword. “Alright,” at the very least, he could have been on his way to the showers, judging by his state. “Put some clothes on, people are gonna get the wrong idea.”

“Thanks. Cheers, I guess.” Aster quickly walked off, sticking to dark areas of the camp. He had to make her think he was actually going back to his cabin, but he didn't want her knowing where his cabin actually was. Opening the door to an empty cabin, he walked inside and waited a few minutes. Hopefully that girl was gone. While Pidge was looking at supplies, he was supposed to be scouting out the competition, finding information and weaknesses. Whoever that girl was clearly could detect him even when camouflaged, she'd be someone the two of them would have to watch out for. Opening a window at the back, he jumped out and continued onto the next cabin.

Scout watched him walk away, her eyes narrowing as he grew further. Quietly, she began to follow, wanting to make sure he wasn't going to attempt to pull anything funny. Her gaze followed him, her ears able to pick up where he went when her eyes could not, in the thick, murky darkness. There were a few lights to aid them, but they were mainly in the main area and even from here, you could see bugs clinging to the lanterns. What was he doing in an empty cabin? Scout paused, waiting for him to come out.

Peeking in at the last cabin on the row, Aster saw one person sleeping on a bed. They looked to be a feline mutant, although what type he couldn't see. They likely had claws, and he could make out a sheathed weapon by the bedside. Ranged combat would be the only way to deal with this one. The other cabins would have to wait, first he had to get back and record what he...what was she doing there? That girl who caught him earlier was waiting outside the cabin he went in, probably waiting to see if he would leave. If she was here...he could see what was in her cabin while she was away. Making his way to the girl's cabin, he looked inside and was taken aback by the sight of what looked to be a little girl. The second thing he noticed shocked him even more, a huge set of robotic arms. Did those belong to the sleeping girl? He had no idea what they were for, but they'd be a problem. A big problem.

Unsurprisingly, he ended up back at her cabin. Scout had been right to follow him, this lizard was creeping closer into an area he wasn't welcome. Scout waited until he was close to the cabin, her ears standing upright once more when she realized he was peeking into the window. Her jaw set, her teeth clenching. What sort of pervert was he? Half-dressed and glancing inside of cabins? Scout stopped right behind him, growling. "That must have been some walk."

Aster jumped, but managed to stay camouflaged this time. Turning around, he saw the girl who caught him before. Looking back into the window and then down at himself, he realized what she was thinking. “This isn't what it looks like, I promise! It's purely strategical, there's nothing like what you're thinking going on!” Even if she knew he was spying for weaknesses, it was better than her thinking he was...something else.

Scout's tail flicked. She hadn't gotten to kill something all day, not around Ljilja at least. She might not be able to kill this punk, but Scout could surely inflict pain on him.... right? "Really? Because to me it looks like a peeping Tom sticking his nose where it doesn't belong." She pushed her sheathed sword into his chest, forcing him back against the cabin. "If we weren't on neutral ground, I would tear you limb from limb."

“A-and I don't doubt that, however you've got the wrong idea. I'm not wearing clothes because I can't blend in with them, only my skin changes color. I'm peeking into the cabins to see what strengths and weaknesses everyone has, nothing more. I can prove it to you, I can tell you everything I saw about everyone I saw. I'm not that kind of person.” He paused, waiting for her to process his words. “So what do you say? Follow me back to my real cabin, I'll get dressed, and we can talk about this over some food.”

She couldn't tear him apart, not here. His cabin would be a better opportunity. Scout had zero doubt that this meek lizard man had the ability to go toe-to-toe with her. She dropped her sword, for the time being. If she was walking into a trap, then so be it, she would take them all on. Ljilja, on the other hand, would rest peacefully, none the wiser, Scout would make sure of it. "Alright, lead the way." she would be taking both of her weapons with her, of course.

Nodding, he turned and led her to his cabin. He had stashed his clothes in a bush behind it, and the bush was easy to find. He grabbed his clothes and turned to the girl, who was apparently watching him so he wouldn't try anything funny. “Could you...” He motioned his finger for her to turn around. Not bothering to make sure she looked away, he got dressed and then turned his skin back to its normal pale gray. “If I remember, food is this way.”

Scout turned around momentarily so that he could change, not having the desire to see anyone naked. "Yeah, it's in the main area, where the lights are." Scout nodded, walking a few steps behind him. Her nose led her towards it and her nose was almost never wrong.

---

“Like I said, I'm a chameleon. I can change skin color to blend into my surroundings, but my clothes can't change color with me, so when I want to go unnoticed I have to take them off. Not that it kept you from noticing me. I take it your other senses are really good?” Aster asked, taking a bite of the food the dining hall had prepared. He had grabbed a bowl of some fancy looking noodles and this twisty bread, and it actually tasted pretty good.

Scout sat across from him, the lights flickering overhead. Instead of a dining tent, which is what they had grown used to from the last two camps, this dining hall was a solid cabin. Constructed of wood, it would probably be overtaken by mutants the minute the humans vacated this place. Scout had chosen cookies, to try and put something in her stomach. "Scoping me out?" Her ears twitched. He had already confessed that he was looking for weaknesses.

“Survival is the name of the game. Or games, plural. Knowing what you’re up against means the difference between picking a fight you'll lose and choosing one you'll win. You look like the kind of person who can understand that.” He looked at her, examining her features. Her ears were what probably gave him away. That and her nose. Even if he was completely invisible, he would still be detectable by her unless he was silent and downwind, making it hard to land a dart. The only way to win against her was for Pidge to kill her or to avoid a fight altogether. Considering Pidge's close quarters combat wasn't something he was sure of, diplomacy it was. “I didn't catch your name by the way. I'm Aster."

Scout snapped a cookie in half, pieces of it crumbling between her fingers. Even the small difference in food between the camps was obvious. The cookies were noticeably buttery. Scout looked him up and down before taking a bite. "You're not wrong," Scout grumbled. A little lizard like him looked as if he could be snapped up at any second. "Scout," she replied, taking another bite.

“Clearly you could snap me like a twig in close quarters combat. You don't know what I can do outside that. So tell me Scout, what's it gonna take for you to forget I exist? I could really use one less target on my colorful back." He took a bite of the bread, staring Scout in the eyes. “Not proposing an alliance or anything, but who knows? In a pinch, I could even help your little aquatic friend stay alive. Call it a cease fire for now."

Scout remained calm, her eyes narrowing slightly. This would not be the first time she was in a hostile situation. However, this is the first time she had something to protect. "Ceasefire, for now." Scout agreed. "And a little advice? Don't give away your weaknesses so easily." If he stated he was weak, he was only painting a target on his back. Who knows how many were listening to this conversation. "In a game like this, the only person who can watch your back, is you."

Getting up and leaning over the table, he whispered so only she would hear. “When you have certain strengths, revealing your weaknesses can be strategic. Don't you worry, my back is covered, and now, so is your blue little friend's." Aster picked up his bowl and went over to the food table for seconds. He'd have a lot to tell Pidge when he got back.

---

“Took you long enough.” Pidge lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling and obviously bored. “Did somebody mug you?”

“Not exactly.” Aster collapsed onto his bed, exhausted from the night’s espionage. That canine had scared the crap out of him, but he had gained some valuable information. “You could say I made a new friend.”

“Oh?” Pidge perked up, suddenly interested. “Do tell.”

Aster took a deep breath, wondering how best to describe the situation. “Have you seen a gray canine around? Generally violent attitude, doesn’t trust strangers?”

“Rings a bell, although a lot of people in these games could be classified as ‘generally violent’.” Pidge made air quotes to emphasize her point. “Is that your new friend?”

“Kind of.” Aster told her about him peeking into cabins to see what weapons and weaknesses everyone had, and how Scout had caught him with his pants down, literally.

Upon hearing about him getting caught naked, she burst into a thunderous cackle. “Ah, klaptorsk! So you’re t-” She doubled over, out of breath. It took her a moment to calm down long enough to form a sentence. “You’re telling me that you got caught peeking into a kid’s cabin while completely naked, and the canine who caught you didn’t kill you on sight? If I was her, I would have gutted you, camp rules be damned.”

Aster did his best not to turn bright pink from the embarrassment. “She almost did gut me, but lucky for both of us I can talk my way out of misunderstandings like that. My escape wasn’t entirely free of charge, though. ” Pidge raised her eyebrows. “I had to tell her some of the information I gathered to convince her that that’s what I was actually doing.”

The shit-eating grin on Pidge’s face quickly turned serious. “You gave her an advantage?”

“Half an advantage. It was either that or as you said, get gutted. I didn’t tell her everything, just enough to prove my innocence.” Aster smirked. “In fact, I would argue that the information I gained from her is more valuable than the information I gave away.”

“What information could possibly be worth giving her a leg up?”

“When Scout caught me looking into her cabin, she could have gutted me, but she didn’t. Obviously she’s no stranger to violence, so why do you think she spared me?” Aster posed the question, already sure of the answer.

“You said someone else was in the cabin, right? Some fish girl? She could have wanted to not wake the fish girl up.” Pidge said, not following his train of thought.

“I got a good look at her muscles, she could have snapped me in half before I could cry out for help. She’s clearly willing and able to kill me, but something about me seeing her friend makes her hold back. Why?”

Pidge furrowed her brow, dots starting to connect. “Scout doesn’t want to take the risk of her fish friend finding out that she killed someone. What, will it hurt her feelings or something? This is a survival game, people are gonna die whether the fish likes it or not.”

“True, but I think there’s more to it than that.” It was Aster’s turn to furrow his brow, as this was the part he was less certain of. “I think that whoever Scout’s fish friend is, she’s the weak link in their little team. Those robot arms of hers looked crazy strong, but without them I’m willing to bet that she can’t fight to save her life, let alone Scout’s.”

Pidge started to smile, realizing the implications. “So if she’s not a reliable fighter, then Scout has to fight hard enough for both of them.”

“And the biggest weakness in a battle is having something to protect.”

Familiar Faces

The last 12 hours had been a blur for Aster. After having his chat with Pidge about their new canine acquaintance, they had gone to bed and left camp early in the morning. After grabbing supplies, they had been driving their bikes all day, and the blazing sun was getting to him. He wondered how Pidge was able to deal with it, since her normal climate was much colder.

“Hey Pidge, let’s take a break, the heat is getting to me. We should rest and rehydrate.” They found a cliff overlooking the desert and stopped there, pulling out their bottles.

Pidge plopped herself down on the cliff face, watching as the heat rose in waves from the ground beneath them. The Wastes were a different climate than she was used to and she found that the heat would quickly overwhelm her. If Pidge wasn’t too careful, her snowy down could be the end of her. Still, the view from up here and the slight, hot breeze, felt good compared to the sticky sheen of sweat that glistened along her arms.

Even with the sun protectant from a sponsor, her skin was still sensitive to the bright rays that shone down on them. Careful not to guzzle her entire supply, she took a few, meager sips from the aluminum bottle, the cold water quick to cool her insides.

“We shouldn’t linger for too long,” Pidge warned with a slight frown. “We’re already running late. Wouldn’t want to miss the last shuttle back up and get stuck here.”

“Definitely. Even though I’m more tolerant of heat, I’m used to high humidity. This stupid desert is drying me out so much, I think I might shed ahead of schedule.”

Thinking about the last shuttle had him feeling a mix of emotions. He was excited that the first game was almost over, but he also was nervous thinking about the games that came next. Even though he tried not to keep up with watching the games in past years, he knew that they got more dangerous the further they went.

Rather than let his imagination loose on the possibilities of the next games, he took out his dart kit, deciding to focus on taking stock of his supplies. Nothing had changed really, but it was something to keep his hands and mind occupied.

Pidge wiped the sweat off her brow with her arm, her feathers ruffling. If they weren’t in a rush, she would have liked to sit here a bit longer, the view wasn’t bad. “Wait, you shed?” She asked, as though the realization had just occurred to her. A small smirk lifted her lips up on both sides. “What does it feel like? Is it weird?” Rather than be grossed out by the subject, Pidge was intrigued. She rose, standing over Aster and reached out to pinch behind his elbow.

It was more solid than she thought. “Your skin feels normal,” well, as normal as any mutant skin could feel.

“Ow.” He recoiled from her pinch, her nails sharper than other mutants he had met. “Yes, I shed. I’m a reptile after all, it’s something we all do.”

He sat back, taking a sip of water before answering her other question. “It felt a little weird when I was young, but I guess I’m used to it now. I’m not sure how to explain it, I’ve never had to describe it before.” He picked at a bit of skin that had already begun to flake, confirming that his shed was happening soon. “I guess, try to imagine pruning old feathers out to make room for new ones, but all the feathers are attached to each other, and come off in big pieces. It sounds weird, but it’s just something that happens. Other than disposing of the old skin, I don’t think about it much.”

Pidge tried to picture it, but molting wasn’t exactly something you could feel. The feathers came out on their own, whether it was through movement, or fighting with others. “I guess,” she conceded. Pidge stretched her arms above her head, exposing the pale skin on her belly. At that moment, the owl froze, tilting her head. Her hair fell to one side over her shoulder as she listened.
“Get up,” she said suddenly. Pidge sprinted back towards the bike, it was clear that whatever it was had irked her. “”There’s something coming this way.” She could hear the low-whistle of a hoverbike zooming over the earth. “If we go now, we can probably get away from them.”

Startled by her sudden change in tone, Aster got up and looked across the horizon. He couldn’t see any sign of people coming, but then again, Pidge’s hearing was better than his was. Whatever she heard, it was at least cause for caution.

“How far away is it? If they’re close enough to see us run off, then they’d be able to catch us.” He didn’t want to be caught in a fight he was unprepared for. As ashamed as he was to admit it, he wouldn’t be much use in a fight without being able to prepare darts first. Somehow, he doubted that they’d let him sit on the sidelines unharmed as he ground herbs up in a vial.

“Our best bet is to hide and let them go past us. The chances they’ll stick around here are basically zero, the third camp is close enough for them to just go straight there.”

Pidge tilted her head again, listening. The whining of the wind, coupled with the sound of the bike made it difficult to discern which was which. She closed her eyes, focusing for a moment. “They’re coming in hot, we won’t have time to run.” She confirmed, her brow furrowing, a concerned frown gracing her lips. She turned to survey their current situation. They were at the top of a cliff, at the most visible point possible.

They needed to get down from here, at least. Her eyes scanned their current landscape, but they were nowhere near as strong during the day as they were at night. “There,” Pidge spotted what she believed was a rocky outcropping. It was not only shaded, but would provide just enough coverage for them and the bikes. “Let’s go that way,” at least, that’s what she thought she saw.

The pair quickly moved their bikes over to the outcropping and took cover behind it, watching for the approaching contestants. After a minute or two, Aster could also hear the whine of hoverbikes, and not long after that the riders came into view. To his dismay, the riders stopped at the bottom of the cliff and dismounted, only a few dozen meters from where they were hiding. Pidge gave him a look that said No chance they’ll stop, huh?

Aster’s mind turned as he pulled out his dart gun and assessed the situation. If they ran, the group would see them as they left, assuming the sound of the bikes turning on didn’t give them away sooner. He could make tranquilizer darts if he was quiet, but he was a bit too far away to guarantee a shot. Plus, once the first dart was out, he’d have a harder time hitting the rest when they would look for the dart’s origin.

Taking a closer look at the riders, he noticed that there were four of them, each a hulking beast that seemed taller and more muscular than the one before. None of them were wearing anything more than simple clothes and sponsor suits, leaving their necks exposed. If he could just…

At that moment, Aster froze. One of the riders had nearly a dozen tattoos visible, and one in particular caught his eye. On his neck, peering out from behind the collar of his shirt was an image of a hideous creature. Pointed ears, spiky protrusions along its back, mouth agape to reveal a dangerous looking set of sharp teeth.

“Los Chupacabras.” He whispered, his fists clenching and muscles tensing. It had been more than a year since he had seen such a tattoo, but there was no mistaking it.

Pidge glanced between Aster and the dart gun. “Don’t.” She warned in a harsh whisper, wondering if he was crazy. Using that dart now, when he could only land one hit, would be suicide. One on one, maybe, but two against four? Pidge shook her head. She huddled down in the dirt, attempting to hide in the shadow. Luckily, her sponsor jacket was dark enough that she managed to blend in. Her white feathers, however, would stand out if they looked this way.

Their best option was to wait it out. Hopefully these guys didn’t intend to stay the night here and would quickly move on.

Regretting not listening to Pidge and running, Aster sank down and put his dart gun away. The group of riders didn’t seem to have noticed them or their bikes, so as long as they stayed hidden then they could make it out of there once the riders fell asleep.

---

Night trickled down the horizon like condensation melting slowly on cold glass. The duo stayed hidden, listening to the group of rival mutants joke loudly while talking about their murderous escapades. Apparently, the reason the group hadn’t just moved on to the third camp yet, was because they wanted to catch unsuspecting contestants and kill them, taking their stuff for themselves. Not that Aster was opposed to robbing on the road, but this was brutal. Inside the camps, fighting or killing someone was prohibited; unless you could get away with it. Outside the camps, however, anybody was fair game, and these muscleheads wanted to take advantage of that.

Not having gotten much sleep the night before, Aster had begun to drift off when a particularly roaring laugh from one of the riders jolted him awake. He scolded himself for falling asleep in such a dangerous situation. Pidge was still awake, watching the stars with wide eyes, and glancing at the group every now and then. The lizard turned to side-eye the group that was keeping them from making progress. His eyes flit to the man with the familiar tattoo on his neck, who had tossed his head back and laughed at something another mutant said. One of the slightly less huge riders spoke up, asking the gang member a question.

“So, what marks do you like to go after? You like a challenge, like Gambit?”

“Eh, on occasion. Sometimes I get bored of my usual marks and look for a real fight.”

“So, then who do you go after?”

“Children.” The gang member paused, as if to add dramatic effect to his horrifying statement. “Adults are fun and all, but there’s nothing like the rush you get from completely overpowering someone. Children are weak and easy to break, and their screams make it all the more fun. Please, no! Don’t hurt me mister! I want my mommy!” he squeaked, mocking the high pitch of a young child.

Hearing the brute laugh about killing children made Aster’s blood boil. Was a man like this the one who kidnapped his brother? Did he make quips and jokes while choking the life out of him, as he did now? How long did Mel suffer at the hands of vermin like him, before finally being spitted above a fire? Seething with rage, Aster pulled out his dart kit and began working. He wouldn’t leave for the finish line until this man was dead.

Pidge was quick to take notice, her eyes widening even more. She reached over to place a hand on top of Aster’s own to stop him. Slowly, Pidge shook her head. “If you do this,” she hissed “you’re on your own.” Messing with these guys was akin to suicide. Even Pidge was not afraid to admit that these men were sizable and could probably take them both out easily.

“I don’t care about those other contestants, but that filth from Los Chupacabras needs to die.” Aster whispered back, continuing to make what he needed. Three fast acting tranquilizers and one lethal ought to do it. “If you want to leave, then fine. I’m waiting until they sleep anyways, so you can run off if you like. I’m staying here and killing him.”

In the end, Pidge rolled her eyes, but remained put. She couldn’t leave him here, not when he was about to do what was possibly the stupidest thing he had ever done. Starting a fight? Now? In the middle of a blood bath? Pidge huffed, but leaned deeper into the crevice they were hiding in, her feathers ruffling. “It’s your funeral,” she muttered, arms crossed.

---

After what seemed like hours, three of the mutants went to sleep, leaving one to keep watch. Aster’s seething rage kept him awake, barely able to keep himself from just rushing them. He wanted the gang member dead, but he also didn’t particularly want to die today. Not to the likes of those murderous bastards. When the man on watch walked away to go pee, Aster made his move.

Stripping off his shirt, he left the rocks where Pidge was still hiding and followed the man. The noise of a steady stream hitting the ground covered up the small noise of the dart leaving Aster’s gun, but the mutant definitely noticed the prick in his neck.

“What the-” The mutant slapped the back of his neck, thinking a bug had bit him. Instead, his hand came away with the dart Aster had fired at him. The tranquilizer worked fast, knocking him unconscious before he had a chance to run back to his group. One down, three to go.

Back at the camp Aster shot the two goons with tranquilizers, each waking up for a brief panicked moment before falling back asleep. With them no longer a problem, he carefully walked up to the camp and kneeled over the remaining mutant. Looking down on his face, seeing the almost peaceful way the mutant was sleeping, Aster wanted to wring his neck. How could this gang member sleep peacefully? Aster still had nightmares from what he did to the Chupacabras back home. What right did this murderer have to a peaceful night’s sleep? No matter. Soon this scum would sleep forever.

“Mel sends his regards.” Aster muttered under his breath, shoving the lethal dart in the mutant’s neck. The mutant roared with rage, jerking awake at the violent pinprick and shoving Aster off. Looking around, the mutant yelled at his slumbering friends to get up, to no avail.

Taking a step back, Aster spoke. “Something wrong with your buddies?”

“Who the fuck are you?” The mutant jumped to his feet, his monstrous height dwarfing Aster. “Did you kill them?”

“What, like their lives matter to you? I’ve never known Los Chupacabras to be the caring type.” Aster didn’t bother confirming or denying the gang member’s accusation. The lethal blend of herbs was working its way into the mutant’s blood, killing him any second now. “Especially the ones that go after kids like my brother.”

It seemed to take a second for the mutant to connect the dots to his earlier conversation. It was odd, the mutant seemed pretty lucid for the amount of lethal herbs pumping through him. I double checked the dosage, right?

“The fuck is-” The mutant pulled out the dart and threw an enraged look at Aster. “You said you had a brother, huh? How would you like to meet him?”

In a flash, the mutant lunged at Aster, grabbing him by the throat and pinning him to the ground. The hands around his neck tightened, air no longer able to make it through. Although he tried to pry the mutant’s hands away, Aster knew he couldn’t overpower this beast. As he struggled to breathe and his vision faded, he only thought one thing. Sorry Mel, I guess I didn’t check.

”That idiot,” Pidge breathed, watching as Aster charged head-first into the worst situation possible. They were so close. Why did he have to ruin this for her? Pidge seethed. She grabbed Aster’s fallen weapon and leaped out into the middle of it all, cursing under her breath at every given opportunity and calling Aster every shade of swear word she could think of. When the dust settled, there was only one standing.

Return to Safety

As Aster’s mind slowly clawed back to consciousness, he found himself in a hospital room, the beeping of a heart monitor breaking up the otherwise silent room. Harsh white light shone down on him, and it took a second for him to adjust. In the corner, his manager Ashera sat enveloped in something she was drawing on her notepad.

“Hey Ash—” Aster’s voice squeaked, barely a hoarse whisper. “Asher—”

Ashera snapped out of her creative trance, giving him a surprised look. “Oh, Astey! I didn’t realize you were awake.” She got up from her seat and walked over, beginning to inspect his neck. “Hmm, some nasty colors, even for you. The doc said she was able to prevent any permanent damage, but you’re gonna be sore for a while so it’s best not to talk. I have to agree, squawking like that on camera would be TOTALLY bad for sponsors.” She giggled at the thought.

Aster gingerly touched his throat, wincing as he felt the extent of the bruising. He mouthed, “What happened,” trying not to move his head much.

“Oh. Em. Gee. It was amazing!” The cheerful manager squealed with delight, as if gossiping about a particularly good episode in her favorite show. Aster supposed that in a way, that’s exactly what it was. “You actually got some good coverage! The cameras caught your whole fight. You up against that behemoth was a real David and Goliath moment! And that line about your brother? Ugh, way to pull at the heartstrings!”

Aster flashed with momentary rage. It wasn’t a fucking line, it was the truth, not like this airhead would understand the difference. Rolling his eyes, he mouthed “After?”

“Oh yeah, the feathered chick saved you. What was her name again? Piney? Pidgey? Whatever. She shot him with her crossbow and got you to the finish line. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she likes you!” Ashera winked at Aster, before showing him her notepad. “Waiting for you to wake up was boring, so I drew you two. You look cute together, I kinda ship you!”

Aster rolled his eyes as he took a look at her notepad. Despite her ditsy demeanor, she was a talented artist. In the drawing, Pidge was pointing her crossbow at the mutant while holding him protectively in her arms. It was clearly dramatized, the artwork depicted Pidge with tears framing a ridiculous look of ardent devotion on her face. He’d have to ask her how it actually went down later, but regardless of her answer, the puzzling fact remained that she had dragged his useless ass to the finish line. She could have left him for dead and probably been just fine in the second round, so why did she help him?

What game was she playing?