[b]South-East Block: Roman Cassidy[/b]

[i][b]"Run. RUN!"[/b][/i] The voice of the Black Viper pushed Roman down the alley, past his ally and towards uncertainty. Eira's mech had one less arm than normal and the pilot was surely going to die; all Roman could do now was survive the Goleyeith's attack and retreat to safety. His survival was always all that mattered, and nothing had changed. Nothing but the setting.

[i]Silently creeping up on the camp, Roman held the shotgun tightly, his finger on the trigger despite the Viper's insistence that it wasn't safe gun practice. It made him feel better about the situation they found themselves in, so he would shamelessly use whatever crutch he could find. The Viper's leg was still hurt a month after a mistake of Roman's during a raid got his mentor shot, but the Black Viper insisted on them getting back to work sooner rather than later. The old man's pride would be hurt if he was forced to admit that he wasn't ready to continue traveling, something Roman would just have to live with.[/i]

There were three exits in the alley: back to the street and into the fight against the Goleyeith, one path away from the fog and one entering it. Before disregarding the foggy path completely, Roman saw the movement inside it. People, or mutants, close enough to see him but shrouded by enough fog that their appearance was unclear. And they [i]must[/i] have seen him at this distance (or at least heard him approach), but weren't paying Roman any attention. Were they not hostile, or was something more interesting than fresh meat nearby? Walking into the fog was a tempting prospect, but safety was very much less than guaranteed in the fog. It could be a trap for all he knew.

[i]Most of the raiders were asleep, one awake and sitting before the bonfire, stoking it with a stick. He yawned, setting the stick down and resting his head in his hands. There were no signs that he intended to watch over his companions, more like he was having trouble sleeping, and the noise of the bonfire would more than cover up the sounds of Roman's approach. A more aware, jumpy raider would hear him coming, but this one didn't have a chance. A hand over the mouth and a knife in the back would be all it took.

As Roman and the Viper started creeping towards the camp, another raider arrived, carrying a bit of cloth and laughing. [b]"Took longer than expected. Too bad we didn't have any paper, it's a real [/i]shame[i] I had to use Barry's favorite shirt to wipe."[/b] As the two raiders laughed, a third stirred, then a fourth. Suddenly the entire camp was waking up.

[b]"It is time for us to leave."[/b] The Viper started to step back, making the decision that it was too dangerous. Suddenly a twig snapped, and the raiders saw them. The predators of one moment had become the prey in the next.[/i]

[b]"YEEEEHAW!"[/b] The Goleyeith was being attacked from behind by the Achilles Heel. Suddenly the hopefully quick death of Eira became the hopeful survival of Roman's somehow-still-living ally. [b]"Git'on outta there! This is a tango for two now y'hear?"[/b] And from here Roman would gladly 'git'on. But with the pilot behind him, his options were no longer so limited.

[i]Roman ran, the Viper hobbling behind, the raiders waking their companions and grabbing gear before going on the offensive. The Viper breathed heavily, his face drenched in sweat that shined in the dull moonlight. [b]"You can go faster, boy. Run. RUN!"[/b] As the Viper looked back in worry, he slipped and fell. Screaming in pain and clutching his leg, he looked up at Roman. [b]"GO! YOU SURVIVE! RUN!"[/b]

Roman pulled the Viper up by his jacket with one hand, his shotgun still on the other. [b]"Vipers don't run."[/b] Taking a grenade out of one of the Viper's jacket pockets, he pulls the pin and throws it towards the still-preparing raiders. [b]"They coil."[/b] Pushing the Viper against a tree, the old man's back to the now chaotic raider camp, Roman added a final [b]"Then they strike."[/b].[/i]

Taking a step back, Roman whistled to the mech pilot to get their attention. [b]"Eira! Somethin's up in the fog. Get your mask on an' let's go!"[/b] There could be people there, more in need of saving. A little fog wouldn't stop him from helping them. And if there was something going on that could help in the fight against the mutants, putting himself in danger would be more than worth it. Twice now his life was saved by teammates, and who would he be to not return the favor? Taking a moment to put his mask on and make sure it worked properly, Roman walked down the path into the fog, his shotgun at the ready.

[i][b]"You are an idiot."[/b] The Viper hobbled into camp, standing before the crater where several of the raiders were reduced to pieces of flesh thanks to Roman's grenade. Seeing that only three bodies had shotgun wounds on them and the rest were dead because of the grenade, he added [b]"You are a [/i]lucky[i] idiot."[/b]

As Roman chuckled and nodded in agreement, a raider stood up, clutching his chest with one hand and holding a gun in another. His back to Roman, the raider had no chance to do more than bleed when a shotgun blast caused his once-intact head to rain down upon the Viper. Angrily wiping blood from his face, the Viper sat by the bonfire. [b]"Thank you for this great gift."[/b] Roman smiled, the knowledge that this was the closest that he would get to a true show of appreciation from the Viper being more than enough thanks. The feeling of helping others, whether they found themselves in danger of put themselves there, was satisfying enough already.[/i]