[SCP-6968] Act-Three: Among The Spruce Trees [ARKNIGHTS X SCP FOUNDATION]
Day Two
Spruce Forest, between border of Kaimeriz and Ursus
12:00 AM
"Alright guys, I think it's time to rest. Remember, don't drink all of your water instantly! It can be fatal!" ordered Lu. The trio then sat under the shade of a large spruce tree and leant on a rotten old log.
They were making good time through the forests. Even though the going was tough due to the steep mountainous terrain; the weather was cool, the air smelled great with spruce, they didn't have to haul 50 pounds like in the Marines and spirits were high. Lu noted how similar everything was to back home. Bar the inhabitants and the magic rocks, he swore that this forest was exactly the same one that his family used to camp in New York State...God, he missed them. And the worst thing was Gwen. She still looked up to her big brother then. Not so much now. Where did it all go wrong?
He looked around absentmindedly. The trees were quite dense and the afternoon sun filtered through the canopy, diffusing light all over the place. The ground was soft with dead plant matter and whenever they stepped, crunching would follow. Steve was slowly drinking some water from his canteen while Iris was nibbling on an energy bar. Lu had already eaten some while they were trudging through the forest, alert and rifle at the ready. Just because people had animalistic features here; doesn't mean that there are no bears or wolves running around.
Better paranoid than dead.
Lu was quite on edge. Thrust into an unfamiliar environment, not quite experienced in the anomalous, and having to "guard" two SCPs that are their only way back home...damn it.
Then he heard a loud crunch.
The trio were all seated.
Oh crap.
Oh no.
Quickly getting up and raising his rifle, he scanned the surrounding foliage. That sound cannot be an animal; only a 'human' is dumb enough to make noise in the forest. He didn't want to have to use the rifle in his hands but oh well...
"Crap! We aren't alone!" said Steve as he pulled out his revolver while Iris also became tense.
"Keep your heads down and stay frosty!" Lu directed when a loud "whoosh" was heard and a crossbow bolt hit the tree behind him; narrowly missing his balls.
"FUCK!" he cursed as he immediately hit the deck and crawled up to the log, where Steve and Iris were hunkered down.
The problem with crossbows were that they are extremely slient. That bolt could have come from anywhere and Lu will have no idea where the shooter is if he fires again. Then an idea struck him; he took his phone out, opened the camera app and slowly but surely raised his phone so that only the lenses were exposed. After taking bursts of photos and gently swinging the phone around, he had instant lay of the unseen surroundings. And he didn't like what he saw.
There were about ten or fifteen "Kuranta" and they look like bad business with their black robes and chain-mail. They were armed to the teeth with swords, spears and worst of all; crossbows that could hurt them. A lot. They were surrounded and outnumbered. Then Lu found a familiar face...of course, that fucking knight would have brought friends, why wouldn't he?!
Lu had thirty rounds of 5.56 in his gun currently. Now that he knew where the bad guys were coming from; he took a deep breath and waited. And waited. And waited.
Another loud crunch.
He quickly popped out, zeroed in on a guy with a crossbow, squeezed off a burst of three rounds then popped back down into cover. This happened in mere seconds and they had no time to react as their comrade fell down with a scream and landed with a thud. There was now loud shouting and crunching as they scattered and crossbow bolts began flying all over the place; hitting and embedding themselves haphazardly into a lot of foliage.
"Shit, shit, shit," muttered Lu as he took yet another angle (this time from the right, besides the log) and downed three more ranged enemies in quick succession, maintaining total control over his gun. The loud reports echoed through the forest. If someone else was here, they would know things are going to be pretty bad.
The forest was once slient again. Lu recorded how many bursts were left (18 rounds left) and then scanned the surroundings for movement. Three of them lay still while the last was groaning and whimpering in pain. The rest of the bandits were presumably hiding behind rocks and trees because he didn't see them. He then switched mode to semi-auto and decided to play a game of Nail-A-Baddie. Four down. Eleven to go.
12:03 AM
100 yards from the trio's position
The girl slowly surveyed the former rebels now turned bandits. And the stranger waiting to kill them with his gun.
He was not her target.
The bandits' leader was.
She had hidden herself well in some thick bushes; her antlers well camouflaged and so is her weapon. The custom crossbow (specifically made for her needs) with a 150-pounds of draw weight with a scope attached was now sighting down those who had destroyed her world, those who had taken her family away from her, those who had made her who she was today.
After months of tracking and ambushing, finally she was on his tail. To exact vengeance for her clan; whom only the forest grieve and weep.
The stranger was no stranger to fighting. She could see it in his movements, his stance, even his alert eyes. As soon as one of the bandits rushed out to run away; he instantly turned and fire belched out of his gun three times. The bandit jerked then fell off a cliff down towards his death. He must have died instantly for there was no scream.
Then the avenger spotted another Kuranta slowly sneaking up towards the soldier in white, dagger in hand. He must be quite accustomed to the woods for no one had noticed him. Even though she didn't know the soldier, he should not die to these filth. No one should have.
The crosshairs are now on the chest of the assissan.
She took a deep yet slient breath.
Then loosed.
12:03 AM
Lu's position
Lu swung his gun around; regrettably towards Steve and Iris in violation of gun safety, when he heard the sick thump and a sigh behind him.
"Son of a bitch!"
The black-clad horseman lay with his eyes open, a crossbow bolt in his chest. He was barefoot so he could have snuck up and finished them off with the knife that was in his hand. That was no way that these hostiles are incompetent enough for friendly-fire. That meant an outside element. To add fire to the mixture, he heard a yell of "Atak!" then the baddies roared up towards them; swords and spears in hand.
Lu stopped thinking.
Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Twenty yards.
Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Ten yards.
Squeeze. Squeeze. Squeeze.
Bam. Bam. Bam.
Squeeze.
Click.
Out.
There were still three swordsmen, including the knight.
The rifle butt swung around and smacked into the head of the first guy; sending him flying. Second guy was going for a thurst and skimmed Lu's vest, tearing it slightly. Lu retorted with a solid blow to his face; blood spewing all over the place as the Kuranta screamed and fell down; clutching his broken nose.
The first guy recovered and was now sizing Lu up. Old buddy over there had his claymore out and tried to approach his flank. Lu countered by pointing the now empty rifle at him. The knight froze. Then he fell with a loud "Aaah!" as yet another more quieter gunshot rang out. A large purple bruise appeared on his forehead.
Steve stood in a shooter's stance; the revolver outstretched in his arms.
That left a one-on-one.
The bandit was bleeding profusely from his head from a large gash as he made yet another attempt to stab Lu. Like a bullfighter dodging a raging bull; Lu simply stepped to the side at the last moment and stuck his leg out. The charging horseman tripped and tumbled down. Lu calmly walked towards him as he was about to stand up and brought his boot hard on the horseman's neck with a loud "crack". The downed man slumped down again.
"ARRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHH!" an old raspy voice shouted.
The trio turned towards the source of the scream as they saw an elderly Kuranta that was quite bald clutching his knee which had a large bolt pointing out of it. His face was scrunched up and tears were streaming out of his eyes. Suddenly, a figure emerged out from some bushes.
They kept staring as the figure clad in a ghillie suit (which had antlers and a feminine body) slowly approach the presumed leader of the bandit group (who was now scrambling frantically away from her, eyes wide wirh fear), kneeled down beside him, whispered into the man's ear then nearly decapitated him as she swung out her hunting knife, blood spewing all over the place. She then stood up and faced the approaching trio; Lu with his Glock and Steve with his rubber gun pointed at her. Iris however was unarmed.
A tense moment.
"I am not your enemy," the deer girl spoke softly; like she just didn't kill a man brutally.
"Yeah, we know that by the fact that we're still alive," Lu responded. "So...uh, what is your name? And thanks for helping us."
"...it's Firewatch."