Honestly I'm done apologizing for constantly disappearing into the void for random stretches of time. It's college, it's life, y'all know the drill.
Have one long chapter broken into chapters 7 and 8. Next chapter is a lot of fighting between Crosshair and I.
Fun fact, I do fish snakes out of my pool if I see them and the serpentarium is my favorite place in zoos right behind the aquarium section.
Do not attempt to pick up a snake in the wild regardless of species.

Warnings:
Mention of snakes

After walking for roughly an hour, my legs decided it was time for a break. Quarantine had not been kind, damn. My karate physique was still there, but the conditioning was… not. "Break time," I announced.

"Tired already, sweetheart? Thought you were the best guide there was," Crosshair sneered.

"Shut yo bootleg Benadroo ass up, I'm hungry," I shot back.

"The hell is a Bendaroo?"

"Don't worry about it, y'all can continue on but I'mma eat."

"I'm down for food!" Wrecker laughed.

"You are always down for food," Tech said, rolling his eyes.

"You're just jealous you can't eat as much as me!"

"You do realize it would be physically impossible for me to achieve that? Your stomach is literally bigger than mine. Have you not heard of stomach to size ratio? You are half again as big as me. For me to eat as much as you…"

Their conversation faded away as I moved to find a good spot off the trail. Moss. Needed moss. Moss was good. A resting spot was useless without moss. A nice climbing tree would be a bonus.

Are you finding a place to eat or a place to set up camp? Damn, chill with your moss obsession.

Blasphemy, get out my head. Shoo.

"Moss moss moss moss," I muttered, picking my way through the woods.

"You really do like moss, huh?"

My right ear twisted backwards at Hunter's distorted helmet voice. "Got a problem with that, find a new guide," I chirped. Up ahead I saw the perfect place and walked faster.

"Moss is useful, I have zero problems with that," Hunter assured me, jogging to catch up.

"Good," I said as he drew alongside me.

"Nice spot," Hunter commented as we reached the small open area.

"Why thank you," I snorted, selecting a mossy log for myself. Unfortunately, I noticed someone else liked the sunny spot. Happily coiled on the log was a multicolored snake about as long as my arm. Peering closer, I noticed with relief that the head was an ovular shape and the pupils round. "Hey, snakey, you gotta go."

The snake raised its head and looked at me but refused to move.

I tried to nudge its tail, but no luck.

Hunter came forward. "Here, I'll get it."

"No, you'll hurt it!"

"No I won't," Hunter assured me, reaching for the snake.

I held my breath, but when he picked it up the snake did not seem particularly perturbed. Huh. Must have been like king snakes.

"Pretty docile," Hunter commented as the snake calmly coiled around his hand. "What kind is it?"

Short bursts of information flashed through my brain. "Checkered forest boa."

"Guess it isn't poisonous."

"Venomous," I immediately corrected.

Hunter chuckled. "Just checking. Figured you'd say that. You know your stuff."

Begone, blush . "I should hope so. Give me the snake, Shaggy."

Hunter shrugged and handed over the serpent. The snake, a Checkered Boa, thankfully did not try to bite me. A wild snake was a wild snake no matter the species. But as long as one was careful they could avoid getting bit. Like when I pulled the little milk snake out of the fountain or saved the scarlet snake from my pool. I loved the critters.

"What have you found now?"

Oh lovely, Crosshair had returned.

I turned to face him with the snake in my hands and the sniper immediately leapt backwards.

"Crazy woman, get that away from me!"

I blinked in surprise. "You're scared of snakes ?"

"Snakey!" Wrecker gasped, starting forward.

"Hold it fella, I'd rather you not startle the snakey while I'm holdin' them with no gloves!" I warned. "And ya know, Cross, thought'd you love snakes, considerin' you are one."

"May I hold it?" Tech asked, coming close.

"Not if you're gonna poke it with anythin'," I said, holding the snake closer to my chest. The critter seemed to agree, coiling tighter around my hand and glaring at Tech.

"I won't," Tech promised. "What species?"

"Checkered Forest Boa. Pretty docile and usually make good pets," I said, rattling off some information as it came to me.

"Pets?"

"Yes, but I'm not keepin' this fella. Wild sneks aren't good pets regardless of species," I said, watching as the boa slithered around my hand and through my fingers.

"Tech, just scan the snake and let Shadow release it into the shrubs," Hunter ordered, settling down by a rock and bracing his back against it. Slipping his helmet off, he sat it beside him before grabbing a random stick and taking out his vibroblade.

As he began to whittle away, Tech sighed. "Alright."

"Can I pet it?" Wrecker asked, slowly edging closer once Tech had done whatever it was he did with his little gadgets.

"One finger along its back gently ," I stressed, nervously eyeing his hand. Luckily he had enough control and the snake did not panic. Once I had sent the snake on their way, I sanitized my hands and dug out the food from earlier.

Walking to the bottom of the tree Crosshair had decided to perch in like a pigeon again, I tossed up a tupperware container to him. "Here ya go, Twiggs."

He caught it but tossed it back down. "Not eatin' what ya touched with your snake hands."

"I just cleaned my hands, pay attention. Ain't you supposed to be mister details?" I sent the food back up to him.

Crosshair kept a hold of it this time, opening it and munching on a piece of bread.

Ignoring the lack of thanks, since I hadn't really expected any anyways, I tossed some other containers to Hunter and Wrecker. Pulling out a container I marked for Tech, I tossed it to him. "Here ya go, make sure to keep it vegetarian."

Tech had removed his helmet so I was able to see surprise spread across his face as he caught it. "You remembered?"

"Yeah man, I ain't a vegetarian but I'll respect you bein' one," I shrugged.

"Thank you, Shadow. Crosshair would have gotten me meat on purpose." The nerd sent a glare towards the sniper who just shrugged.

"Welcome, Tech," I said, moving to perch atop the log with a tupperware container full of bacon.

"Mind if I sit here too?" Wrecker asked sheepishly, holding a container of some other meat.

"Be my guest," I said, shrugging.

Wrecker's weight tipped the log to the side, sending me sliding down into him. I put my back against his side, using him as a backrest as I downed some bacon.

He nudged me. "You are cuddly after all, Squeaky!"

"Call me Squeaky one more time and I'm callin' you Scruffy," I snorted, glancing at him from the corner of my eye.

"Scruffy?" he echoed, shifting to look at me in confusion.

Readjusting so I didn't topple off the log or spill my food, I gestured to his face where stubble darkened his cheeks and chin. "You look like you haven't shaved in a few, mate."

He felt along his face with the back of his hand. "That a problem?"

"Nah," I said with a shrug. "Kinda attractive to be honest."

That seemed to shock the demolition expert. "You find me attractive?"

"Yeah? I find all you Bad Batchers attractive. I'm grey not blind."

"I'm touched, sweetheart," Crosshair muttered with his eyes closed from his tree perch, having already finished off his food.

I rolled my eyes. "You and those cheekbones on thin ice, Twiggs."

He snorted.

"Who do you think is the most attractive?" Wrecker pressed, a cheeky grin on his face now.

I laughed. "And give y'all another thing to bicker about or give y'all another ego boost? I don't think so, buster."

"Awww c'mon, Squeaky!" Wrecker urged, prodding me. "You can tell me!"

"You do realize your brothers are like, right here?" I angled my ears towards Tech sketching a plant, oblivious to our conversation, Crosshair in the tree, and Hunter whittling away at his large stick.

The sergeant looked over at us. "Oh no, do tell." A smirk crept across his face. "We're curious now, Ice."

I raised an eyebrow as I tried to not focus too hard on his smirk. "Oh, you are, huh Sarge?" To humor them or not to humor them. That's the question.

Wrecker prodded me again. "We ain't gonna stop askin' till you tell us whose face you like best!"

I batted away his hand. "You're variations of the same face."

"C'mon, I'm better lookin' than most!"

"In a galaxy of aliens I'll have to agree."

"Just spill it, Squeaky!" Wrecker teased, poking my side.

"Nah. Eat your food."

"Aw fine. Whatcha eatin' anyway?" Wrecker asked, reaching for my container.

I slapped his hand. "This is my plate, not a socialist state! Hands off my vittles."

Shaking his hand, Wrecker pouted. "One piece?"

Those big brown puppy eyes immediately broke me. "Fine, here," I grumbled, handing him a piece.

"Thanks, Squeaky!"

I rolled my eyes. "Sure thing, Scruffy."