Slippy walked on for some time, unsure of where Malek and the others planned on going, where they planned on taking him. There were many nights when they stopped in some old, abandoned building, that Slippy thought they would leave him – or kill him. Strangely enough, it rarely crossed Slippy's mind that he might leave them. They did unspeakable things, Vincent and Malek. There were many times when they ran into helpless wanderers, they would pretend to be a friend, only to kill their unsuspecting victims, torture them, or rape them. They were dangerous serpents, and while Slippy pretended he was in control – he feared them both greatly. Still, for all his disgust, Slippy never tried to stop them, never tried to talk them out of their actions. He made whimpers here and there, to which Vincent and Malek would mock him over later. He would wake up to night terrors while they slept soundly, but he justified his ineptitude with the need to live. He always told himself that once he found a familiar face – they would make these two pay. But Slippy could not do it alone. Yes, that was why he wouldn't fight against them, this was his reasoning. It was all Slippy could do to keep himself alive and sane. So he walked with them for now, down a long road leading to a city's major outskirt, until Vincent held up his hand and kneeled down.
"What is it?" Malek asked, kneeling with Vincent.
"Up ahead, a band of survivors." Vincent hissed, he turned his head sideways and closed his eyes, "I hear them now."
"How many?"
"There's a lot of steps. At least around eight pairs of feet." Vincent answered looking to Malek, "It may be the opportunity we've been looking for." Malek laughed and shook his head, looking to Slippy.
"Be serpents in the ranks." He said with a coy smile, "It might do us some good to live in a place of stability for a while. Especially for the toad."
"Especially." Vincent agreed looking to Slippy, "You don't suit the road, do you Toad?"
"I c-can handle my own." Slippy weakly responded, afraid a wrong answer might cause them to turn on him. It had happened in the past, a word slipping, a hint of challenge in his voice – it had sent them over the edge in the past. It could now. So Slippy treaded lightly, and Malek and Vincent mocked him for it.
"I'm sure you can, mercenary." Vincent said, now moving slowly forward to a better position, until the camp of survivors was in view, "There it is." He said, pointing at a group resting near a building. All of them vulpine.
"I see at least twelve, they look battered." Malek said, not coming alongside Vincent, "Do you think they are trained?"
"I doubt it…" Vincent replied, watching intently, "I see no major weapons or armor about them. I do not think they would be able to find us out…"
"I hope so, what do you think toad?" Malek asked, turning to Slippy, who sat a much farther distance behind them, waiting for the two to make a decision.
"What, me?"
"You are the only slimy thing among us." Vincent answered, looking to him, "Please tell me you have some advice as a mercenary for us. Or I might have to find a better use for you." Vincent's words were half joking, only half. Both of them now stared at Slippy with a kind of aggravated grimace, a look which had been growing as it became clearer that he was, in reality, nothing more than dead weight to them. This Slippy was well aware of, and so he already knew what his answer would be. He needed to get into a bigger group – if only to escape these two. He needed a chance to break away from this unspoken prison, but his answer could not reveal that to these two serpents. If they sensed his true intentions, they would no doubt kill him.
"Speak up." Malek hissed annoyingly, turning back to the group.
"I think… us going would be a good thing… and opportunity for supplies." Slippy answered, attempting to act as if he couldn't care one way or another. It made Vincent smile.
"He acts like he is one of us. Like he only cares about supply." He muttered.
"I bet you he wants to get rid of us, he wants to escape." Malek chimed in, causing both to laugh.
"We'll do whatever you want, my best bet is with you two." At least for now, Slippy's reply was true – and this seemed to please the serpents enough. They both looked back to the group and watched for some time – eyeing any movements or supplies that might show the group to be too dangerous to approach. Malek and Vincent always looked for a group they could take advantage of, and they always did. They were a kind of poison born for this new world, Slippy knew this all too well now.
"I don't see anything, I think we should try it." Vincent said, looking to Malek, "What should we do to get their trust?"
"The stranded excuse never works, they ask too many questions about who we were with, what happened to them. Too much possibility to slip up the tongue." Malek replied, "What if we try the wanderer approach."
"It's ambiguous… but it worked better when we didn't have the toad. He's not good at keeping things general." Vincent answered, "No… we need something simple for him. Something which he can act in naturally. He'll never be able to hide how much he is disturbed."
"Yes… and no doubt his guilt might make him try to say something. Especially if they have kits with them."
"The kits always make him squirm."
"Always."
"We'll need to play off that, rather than hide it. He won't say anything. He never does." Vincent said, taking a moment to think. Then, after several minutes, he let out a small laugh while shaking his head, "I've got it."
"You do?" Malek replied with equal excitement.
"What if we let him just simmer in that? We'll pretend that we've been following a group who has done all the things we've done, and we escaped. Our poor toad is still disturbed by it." Vincent couldn't stop smiling as he looked at Slippy, who heard all and made no objections.
"That works for me." Malek said with a nod, "Can you play the part, I wonder?"
"Oh, I can. It was you I was worried about." Vincent spoke casually about his plot, and Malek followed in suit. The two simply rehearsing a method they have played out many times before. It wasn't long before they were moving towards the group, Slippy following behind, as Vincent and Malek went back and forth practicing their voices, persona's, and catchphrases. They reviewed their back-stories, where they originated from, and how they would respond to certain memories and questions. Once they were upon the group, Vincent and Malek had transformed into completely different people. Even going as far as to change the way they walked and their minor mannerisms. When they approached the group, the group acted like Slippy was used to. Those who first saw them jumped a little, and began shouting to the others, then there was a rushing about – and Vincent and Malek laughed beneath their breath. Eventually, when they were in ear shot – the typical warning was given.
"Stop where you are, don't take another step!" A reynard yelled at them, a pistol in his hand. Like clockwork, Vincent and Malek stopped, both raising their hands nervously – Slippy following their lead. "Good!" They Reynard yelled, "Now, lay face down on the ground, and we'll come to you." This part, however, was not in the regular cards. Most groups were nervous; most didn't know what to do next. This made Slippy nervous, but not for Vincent and Malek. When they began to meet adversity, their claws began to show quicker. They enjoyed the game, their cool would not be broken easily. They complied, lying on the ground, each still laughing and trying to hush the other – each still playing their game.
"Alright!" Another voice, a more commanding voice, said – getting closer with every single step, "Now, I don't know who you three are. I don't know what you three are capable of. But y'all will be getting a chance right here, right now." He voice's steps were in ear shot, and before he said anything else – the Reynard stood above them, waiting for a moment, inspecting them.
"M-may we look up?" Vincent said in his best, and most fearful voice. It seemed genuine, but it was apparently not convincing enough for the voice, who only laughed.
"Don't give me that bullshit. You three, stand up." The Reynard commanded, and the three responded – seeing before them a grey furred Reynard.
"We mean you no harm." Malek said, in an equally convincing voice, to which the Reynard replied again.
"I said cut the bullshit. You think I believe three timid stragglers made it through that feral wave? Cut the crap, act what you are. Playing the pity card won't get you anywhere here." The grey furred reynard's eyes were calm, but they searched the three quickly; for weapons, for hidden bombs or blunt objects. His eyes were ones of experience, and Slippy for the first time saw Vincent and Malek grow unnerved, "I'm Benton, and this here is what is left of my survivor camp. Now, you three are welcome to join us. I don't care who you are, I don't care where you came from or what you've done. Only one thing is important to me." He took a step forward, "You tow my line. You don't kill any of our kind, and you'll do alright."
"And if we don't?" Vincent asked, his little mask disappearing under the great pressure of Benton, who recognized when Vincent's acting had subsided.
"You die. I kill you." Benton said shortly, "Not my lackeys, not my people. Me. I kill you, because I run this show, and trust me when I say it." Benton's eyes never faltered, they stayed on the trio, "I will kill you if I have to." This was the first for the group. Clearly, Vincent and Malek had made a calculating error. If they had seen the group before the feral wave, they no doubt would have passed over them. Groups larger than thirty, according to Vincent and Malek, were always groups with strong leaders – and strong leaders were dangerous to play with, "If you want to walk away… now would be the time." Benton said shortly, waiting to see how the group would respond. Vincent and Malek looked to one another, and Slippy was certain they would turn the other way. He was so certain, in fact, that he himself began to turn around – but before he could commit to the motion, Vincent spoke up.
"We understand." He said plainly, and Malek responded with a simple nod. Slippy was unnerved, he couldn't see the angle. But he would dare not counter what his leaders had started, he simply watched Benton's reaction – which seemed calm. He let out a slow nod, then pointed to both Malek and Vincent's weapons.
"You want to take those in my camp?" He asked calmly.
"What would you want?" Vincent replied with a smile, a dangerous game. Slippy still could not see what Vincent was after. His façade had all but dropped. There wasn't an act any longer, and it left them exposed. Would Benedict have them killed, were they trying to instigate a fight?
"I want you to act as a functioning member of a wounded camp. You think you could manage that? I never did get your names, though… I doubt they would be real…" Benedict said, looking over to Slippy – catching the Starfox logo resting on his jacket. He gave a little nod of intrigue, "You all mercenaries?"
"We are, and to your first question. My name is Vincent, and this is Malek. The toad is Slippy, you must forgive us for being cautious and attempting to act, one can never be too safe these days." Vincent said with a slight bow, motioning Slippy to come forward, "What gave us away, I wonder." Benedict raised his pistol to the crest on Slippy's jacket.
"The Fox with wings, I've seen it before. On a bird, and a cat. Both of them were part of the same crew – apparently." Benedict let out a sigh, watching for Slippy's reaction. All he did was stare at the ground, "Not the reaction I anticipated. But I suppose things are hard these days… I know it doesn't mean much that I saw them alive."
"They still might be." Malek interjected with a smile. Benedict let out a scoff, which acted as both a kind of agreement and a kind of laugh at optimism.
"Come with me, I'll show you around. Just don't forget what I said." Benedict said, turning his back on the three. In that moment, Slippy waited for the serpents to react. He expected their pistols to rise up, for the leader to be shot. But nothing of the sort happened, they simply followed Benedict to his camp – resting at a well-made fire, eating what rations were offered, listening to Benedict's story. But Slippy knew the game was still afoot, especially when eyeing the restrained smiles of both Malek and Vincent.
