The buggy slowed to a stop and Eltessa slammed the horn five times before anyone came to greet us. A young man with a scar crawling down his lip pushed the door to the hut open and snared at Eltessa the moment he realised it was her.

The youngster had an assault rifle slung across his shoulder and the mannerisms of a cow. He sucked his teeth as then spat on the patch of grass in front of him, and then wiped it away with his bare foot, which made me want to hurl. “What?” He growled.

“open the gate, I'm heading out.”

“Bullshit, you just got back. Gean said to keep this door shut until the Doasians arrived.”

“Open the fucking Gate kid, Who the fuck do you think sent me here? Altrus? No.” Eltessa roared.

He tapped his assault rifle and anger flashed across his face. The other young men began to circle us, but he raised his hand, calming them down. “Suit yourself, bitch.”

"Arthith, open the gate.”

“But Foreman, Gean said to ke--”

“Open the fucking gate Arthith.”

Murmurs permeated the air as the young men began to eye the young man nervously. I wasn’t sure of the relationship between Gean and this fellow, but it was clear there was some form of hierarchy, apart from Gean and his people.

A loud clanking sound rumbled beneath the buggy. The crankshaft began to shriek and so did the huts that the young men were using. The young men weren’t phased by the rumble but were positioned as if they were used to it.

The rattling sound of the huts continued for twelve seconds, then the gate groaned out like a long-deceased whale’s cry straight from the museum's audio archive. The left gate slowly opened and stopped showing a little light creeping into Sceleratus.

“Be on your way woman! but don’t use this gate to return. The favour I have for you is complete, understood?”

Eltessa didn’t answer, she simply stared at the young man with a wry smile flashing across her face. The jeep jerked forward as she released the clutch. Eltessa took us through the barricades as we headed through the gate.

The moon beamed brightly providing luminescence across the desert plains. In front of us, the looked tattered compared to when I first laid on it. The two mesas that lay in the middle tried to pierce the skies, obstructing our views of the Doasians camp in the distance.

“The air smells beautiful here.” Arson said coyly. I turned to the bastard and he stared at me haphazardly as if he hadn’t said anything wrong. “What? I haven’t left that bunker since I came here. I’m enjoying the excursion.”

“This isn’t a fucking ex--“ I growled, but stopped myself. He’s baiting me.

Arson shrugged and turned his face. I did the same but in the corner of my eye. I saw the bastard’s lips curled into a knowing smile. He knows SOMETHING! I thought sourly, but what!?

“Hold tight, it’s going to be a bumpy ride,” Eltessa grunted.

“Right.”

The buggy hopped and swerved as Eltessa took the smoothest path to the Doasian camp. When she parked on an encampment, she pulled the hand break up and flicked her lights at the camp.

She’s signalling them, I mused.“Are you sure they’ll hail you?” I asked.

“No, but I’m sure curiosity will get the better of them.”

“Curiosity got the cat killed,”

“A cat has nine lives Cypher, and thus far I’ve used up three of those lives,” Eltessa said snidely.

“Three? Good for you. I’m not a cat. I’ve used up whatever luck I had when I lost half my body.”

“It could be worst Cypher.” She said softly.

“You do know I have a submachine and pistol with me…right?”

“I do, but that doesn’t matter now does it?”

“I could make it matter.”

Eltessa laughed and kept silent. A cold gust of wind washed over us, cooling the tempered air, but not the boiling fury I had within me. That’s the second time she threatened my family, I need to keep them safe…and it looks like I have no choice but to trust Nova…at least she wants to help. I think.

“Are the two of y’all fucking? Fuck! The sexual tension between the two of you is killing me! Geez.” Arson croaked. I ignored the bastard, but it earned him a snare from Eltessa. The look she give him was enough to kill a wolf at first sight.

A light flickered in the distance emanating from the Doasian camp. Eltessa sat up and additional lights pulsed. A long pause followed then eight quick pulses. Eltessa nodded, then turned to me. “Put a muzzle on that piece of shit. We don’t need him talking. We head into the Doasian Camp.”

“Drive, I’m not an amateur,” I grunted, then picked up a rag I found on the floor and began tying Arson’s hands and mouth under much protest. A protest that ended when I punched him in the gut five times.

Eltessa pursed her slips and swung the key to the buggy. It growled alive and the jeep jerked forward and went down the dune encampment she’d commandeered.

The buggy went through a series of turns which took us to the campsite. Three floodlights pointed at us blinded us completely, forcing tears from my eyes. “Fuck, I already lost one eye are they trying to take the other one?” I howled.

The floodlights pulsed off and half second everything around me turned black. Then, light returned to my eyesight. Six cranking snaps permeated the air, drawing my attention.

I sat up and then looked left, whilst my eyes scanned the area. Two Doasians appeared to my left and right, submachine and assault rifles pressed against his shoulder.

My hand slid to my left, but the Doasian to my left shook his head, forcing me to comply. Six men surrounded the buggy with assault rifles and submachine guns aimed at us.

They all hid their face with scarves and veils whilst showing their eyes which held a white glint that made them seem even more menacing than I’d expected. “Speak your business now or we’ll end all three of you right now.”

“I have something you desire,” Eltessa said firmly, turning to her right, facing who seemed to be the leader.

“Hooo…something we desire? Didn’t you already surrender the base to us?”

“Yes, but surrendering the base doesn’t matter unless you know how to get back the children that have been kidnapped.” Eltessa wryly.

The Doasian who was standing next to Eltessa sauntered down to me raising his Assault Rifle raised. He pressed its nozzle against my temple then laughed grimly.

A subtle snap clicked into my air, indicating he’d taken the safety off. He didn’t shake, nor did he move. He just stood there, keeping the nozzle nestled into my temple.

Eltessa stared at me, unfazed but her eyes spoke to me. ‘Don’t fuck this up.’ Goosebumps rippled across my skin as I felt the tension of the situation smother me whole.

The urge to yank my pistol free and leave a bullet in each of these bastard’s skulls was gnashing at my mind whilst I tried my hardest to keep my right hand in check.

“Are you done scratching my itch?” I said calmly, then turned to Doasian, grabbing the nozzle of the assault rifle, and pointing it directly at the middle of my forehead. “If you wanna kill me, should aim right here.”

The Doasian squeezed the trigger a loud snap echoed into the air with my head rocking back from the force of the Doasians thrust. “I guess you do have some balls.” He finally said, backing off. I guess the safety was off, I thought, feeling my chest thump within chest like a piston.

“Get out of the jeep and follow me.” Someone said to the right. I turned to him, looking at Arson who was suspiciously quiet for once. I nodded and he hopped out whilst Eltessa did the same.

I ground my teeth in annoyance because instead of me hunting for the Hedgehog. I was trying here, trying to negotiate with a Doasian, something many men haven’t been able to do, especially with us not knowing which Doasian tribe this is.

After being stripped of my pistol and submachine gun. The Doasians escorted us through the camp. As my eyes scanned it, I realised that only a third of the tents had been pulled down whilst the rest have been left to rot, based on what my X-Ray vision revealed to me.

The stifling atmosphere of the Doasian camp, made me feel as though I was about to drown. The gazes and snares the Doasians gave us felt as though they wanted to gut us immediately. I understood the Doasians frustration. Hell, I’d even think they were too timid. I would’ve razed this fucking place for Hannah and Shin-Lee, I thought

The six Doasians took us to the centre of the camp and pushed us into one of the smaller tents. As I walked in, a strong pissant scent struck me in the nose first, then my head. I gawked at the scent covering my nose hoping it would help, but it did fuck all.

A drilling sensation rippled through my back as someone stuck something in my lower back. “Inside…till we need you.”

“Really?” I grunted, “a dog hut?”

“Would you prefer if I brought the dogs to stay with you?” The Doasian grunted.

“You don’t like dogs much do you?”

A throbbing sensation exploded at the back of my head as I went to one knee. I snapped back gnashing my teeth at the bastard who just struck me. “I guess the cybernetics aren’t for show. That blow should’ve cracked your skull!”

I bit my tongue, stopping myself from saying something foolish. I knew the bastard was baiting me, especially with the way his eyes gleamed under the moonlight. I could even hear the voice in his mind speaking to me. ‘Do it.’

“Are you done with your pissing show? Hurry up and get Warchief Black Rock. You’re wasting precious time!” Eltessa snapped.

A loud smack echoed through the tent and Eltessa dropped to the ground. “Speak…when spoken to woman,” The doasian said.

Arson chuckled underneath his muzzled mouth and shook his head. My neck snapped towards him and he shrugged, then shook his head in return. “Don’t Try Anything!” The doasian growled, then left us to our machinations.