Vera could not help but sense an indecisive gaze and weapon upon her, scoping every inch of her bundled figure out like a new type of species. Although highly skilled in ignoring such unwanted attention she herself could not help but briskly glance over his athletic frame curiously too. Sticky blood stained his attire most likely from those stray darklings catching a whiff of fresh meat. Alarming how bold these animals were beginning to act. Even tiny usually non-aggressive critters were gradually wavering into hostile carnivores, preying on beings twice their size. 

[i]Pang![/i]

Once again inquisitive orbs took the time from focusing on skinning to gaze up at the stranger after hearing an odd sound, a metallic aluminum on steel noise that should not have been made from a hand catching something. His were indeed different, something she certainly had not seen around before. Surely those came in handy. While in mid thought he tossed the can back and she barely caught it. it brushed past the side of her thumb causing the item to twirl in mid-air for a moment before she lowered her hand to then catch it successfully before it plummeted toward the ground. She placed the can back in her military pack. She returned her gaze to the mutation below and began where she left off. 

[b]“Thanks for the save. Name’s Ryker. Yours?”[/b]

She was afraid he’d want a formality, that’s why she had subtly hinted that he takes off but unfortunately that was not going to be the case. She debated whether to indulge the ruggedly handsome man or not and finally decided that if she were to run into him again, he should know the person he owed. 

[b]“Vera Pavelevna Lavrin.”[/b] Clear constraint was smothered over her quick and unfriendly answer while fingers promptly sliced sections of meat to compress into small bins. 

[b]“Your wounds need attention.”[/b] She commented simply. 

His wounds would need to be stitched regardless of what looked to be a thin layer of ointment halting further bleeding, and it just so happened that Vera came prepared for such occurrences. There was simply no possible way for him to bend over backward in order to use the first aid kit so she would have to aid him. Without wasting another minuet she removed a canteen of slush, the sewing kit, and a soap bar to cleanse her hands before attempting to stitch his lacerations closed. Since the water remained infected one had to make do with what was on hand. Stormy hues stared at him patiently, waiting for the unique wanderer to find a comfy position for her to assume the painful treatment.

The accent in her name was thick enough to cut with a combat knife. She was definitely Russian, something you saw very few of in the Silver Hand. Ryker didn't care much for Russians, let alone any outsiders, but she saved him so he could use her for now. Now she was offering to stitch his wounds up, which surprised him even further. She started taking various things out of her backpack, the usual things for wound stitching. She scrubbed her hands as Ryker tried to think out how to go about the whole operation, With the room being bare of any sort table or counter, he'd have to simply lay on the floor, and hope the morphine dose didn't wear off before the woman started stitched. 

[i]Nah, wait a second, fuck that. Way too exposed.[/i] He said, rethinking it. While it was the most comfortable position, the most comfortable positions were usually the most exposed and vulnerable.

He knew that tribal women were usually good with medicine; he had learned a few of his little tricks from tribal women. Although, the Russians, however, didn't always have the best record when it came to medical successes. If the situation were different, Ryker would've probably refused the stitch-up from some mix-breed outsider, but he didn't have much of a better choice, so he'd take it or now. He lowered himself onto his butt, and shifted onto his right side a bit, rotating his left leg, getting his cut off the floor, and exposed.

[b]"It's really just the left one, the other one isn't too bad. It'll heal."[/b] He said, with a smirk of uncertainty on his face. [b]"I appreciate it."[/b]

A faint aroma of cherry flavored slush permeated musty air from cleansing her crimson stained hands. It was kind of nice, the tart smell, but all too soon it vanished. Heavy metallic scents concealed any lingering sweetness, a mixture of fresh blood from both the mechanized stranger and both darkling kills. When living this life one becomes used to many obscene sights and smells, and eventually grows accustom or numb to all of them. Existence would be odd without an outbreak, could she live a cushy lifestyle if all is said and done…frankly, she was not sure. 

[b]“Don’t mention it. I am sure you’d do same for me.”[/b] She plainly said with a skeptical glare clearly stating a false remark. 

After situating herself on steady knees she rolled up his pant leg and then readied the suture. Nimble fingers began sewing his skin closed with ease. This whole ordeal appeared unnervingly normal to the blond woman who refused to show any sort of emotion other than caution--but who could blame her? A thought of robbing him blind honestly did occur but lucky for him that was not in her character anymore. Those days of raiding weak travelers with The Martyrs came to pass since giving birth. Savin would have been so proud of her for this selflessness she was showing and that thought made her shoulders relax a bit in contentment. 

[b]“It’s not my place to say but Darklings will make the rest of your travel nearly impossible tonight, leaving in morning would be best bet…I will be going to Refuge tomorrow as well.”[/b]Not one to outright ask so subtly her words hinted that he could tag along with her if he wanted. Without resistance the curved needle glided through the last bit of flesh as she tied a tiny knot and sliced the access line with her survival knife. 

Even with how effortlessly the needle slid through his skin, the sting still made it through somewhat. Not enough to make him react, but he felt it. Just by the looks of it, it appeared that it would really hurt in a bit. The cherry scent was nice though, and it reminded him that he had a canteen of his own slush on his hip, which he grabbed and sipped from. The sweetness, which unfortunately only tasted faintly like mango, slid past down his tongue and down his gullet, leaving a refreshed feeling behind. He slid the canteen back into his belt holder, realizing she has spoken and he hadn't really responded.

[b]"You seem pretty confident in strangers, something you don't see much of."[/b] He smirked. 

Before he knew it, she was finished stitching up, and made a comment about the Darklimgs and how she was planning to get to the Refuge the next day as well. He slowly got his good leg under him, slowly pushing up, the woman helping him a bit. Once he got steady, he looked down at his rifle and muttered a curse, prompting the woman to kneel down and hand it to him, no particular look on her face. He took it softly in his metal arm, and looked back up at the woman. 

[b]"Yeah, we should probably move to the closest building to the Refuge we can get into to settle into for the night. Barricade it up real nice, wait for the herd to thin out, whenever the fuck that's gonna be..."[/b] He said, his eyes breaking from hers to look out the window. Another explosion vibrated the building, earning a slight twitch from the both of them. There hadn't been one for the last few minutes. The herd was thinner than earlier, but still too solid to run through. Ryker sighed, limping over to the window. 

Looking past the slight reflection of himself in the glass, the Refuge sat in the distance, standing among a backdrop of crumbling and overgrown buildings around it. They had managed to rid most of Central Park of vegetation, but it constantly preyed on the outside edges of the park. Funny how the roles reversed.

Ryker flicked this left index once again, the needle revealing itself on the tip of his finger. He stuck it in his thigh, the same time a very obvious, very particular sensation overtook part of his arm. His ear bud, which he had forgotten about, and the woman seemingly hadn't noticed, began to ring in his ear. He quickly feigned a scratch to the side of his head, subtlety slipping the small thing out of his ear. [i]Really, Mia, right now??[/i]

From her peripheral vision she gauged the unusual man who remained still without wavering an inch. Having preformed this procedure on herself many a time, most anyone would be expected to flinch but he remained impassive like she did. Even as he commented about her assurance of unfamiliar people she did not crack a smile but flicked her eyes toward him as he smirked one of his signature expressions. Once again she took a bit of slush and soap to cleanse her hands free of sticky blood and rose after packing all her necessities away including the compact bin of darkling meat and hide. 

[b]"Yeah, we should probably move to the closest building to the Refuge we can get into to settle into for the night. Barricade it up real nice, wait for the herd to thin out, whenever the fuck that's gonna be..."[/b] She heard Ryker wonder.

A few minuets of silence gave the Russian time to quickly navigate a memorized map in her mind before giving a vague suggestion. [b]"There are many deserted warehouses around, I am sure we will find one suitable to bar up.[/b] Bag straps were hoisted upon her shoulders ready to take leave. [b]"We need to move now, no time to waste."[/b] She added with urgency. 

This was an interesting turn of events; she had gone to hunt for a spider-mantis but ended up with a full grown man instead. Internally she shrugged as he seemed decent enough for the time being and another set of hands—metal hands at that—would be quite useful. Before leaving Vera scoured the dim area in search for anything of use but nothing particular came into sight, nothing worth weighing her down further anyway. While Ryker stood stoic near a smog covered window her legs already begun strolling fourth through the door she had managed to burst through. 

Keen eyes glanced over the side of a vine entangled railing to stare at a compressed fur-less canine body flattened by the fall. It had remained dead thank goodness and the descent down rotten steps seemed safe currently. She was not sure which building would be best to rest their heads but remembered an old abandoned zoo that may work wonderfully in central park. Fences still surrounded an enclosed area and they could surely find a means to barricade themselves in one of the specialized exhibits. After waiting a few steps below she glanced back to see if Ryker had caught up no to avail and she thought this peculiar. Backtracking a little bit she rested against a wall with crumbled drywall and waited near the previous door to see if she could hear him. Her arms folded patiently wondering what had caused his delay.

Dropping the ear bud into his pocket, Ryker switched his radio on for a split second.

[b]"I can't talk right now."[/b] he whispered quietly into his arm. Mia was able to utter a high-pitched [b]"WHA-"[/b] that he couldn't hear before Ryker shut his radio off, starting to rotate on his heel, matching gazes with Vera, with her arms crossed. He gave a nervous smirk, hoping she hadn't heard him say anything. [b]"Just, uh, enjoying the view."[/b]

He started limping over to the door she stood in, his rifle hanging across his chest. [b]"You're a marksman, I can tell by that sniper rifle, why don't you try to find a bit of vantage point and cover me while I move, considering I'm a bit at a disadvantage here."[/b] He said, referring to his stitches.

His voice was a muted incomprehensible mutter from the other room and she narrowed her eyes suspiciously as he finally emerged. Although she did not speak of the matter that particularly odd moment would not be forgotten. His anxious facial expression gave way to a multitude of questions the Russian had in mind but never pried in anyone’s affairs, lest they begin to do the same. Meanwhile Vera adjusted the carbon colored rifle and nodded at his suggestion, descending steps with an ever watchful gaze for critters roaming by. She would wave for him to follow or give a sign for him to progress no more if something showed the blond interest. 

This went on for a long while as they trekked through overgrown flora tirelessly until happening upon a dangling sign that read “Central Park Zoo”. There were many enclosures to choose from but the reptile habitat was closest. A crowbar was necessary to pry open the stubborn frame but once successful her hands held open the door for him to wobble inside. They could begin barring up that entrance-way just in case something had been following them. While surveying the new area combat boots crunched over pieces of glass somehow destroyed by an incredible force. The reptiles long since passed or evolved into something much more atrocious were nowhere in sight—hopefully. 

Vera lugged over a large piece of timber from inside a snake cage, it dragged along the blood stained floor before resting against the door. She was notably exhausted and had been for some time. Plagued by insomnia and night terrors the quiet woman rarely caught up on any sleep. This night would be no different except she would be sharing a space with a man. She had not been alone with one since Mti’s death but did not seem noticeably uncomfortable by Ryker’s presence. It wasn’t that she was not given the opportunity but simply she was too busy.

Slowly lowering down the stairs into the enclosure, the barrel of Isabella pointed slightly into the dimly illuminated pathway they had come from. Ryker's eyes scanned aggressively into the dark, trying to pinpoint any sort of movement and put it down before it got too close. Vera made it into the enclosure, and pointed her rifle past Ryker, the barrels barely visible in his peripheral vision. Ryker grabbed the door, and shut it quietly but firmly. Vera dragged a piece of wood past him to barricade the door as he walked in and examined the place. Vera's fingers slid off her over-sized jacket to get more comfortable laying it across the cold ground. She then slipped off the band holding her long hair into a tight ponytail and ran fingers through, combing out pieces of earth. Skin lightly gleamed, sticky to the touch, and layered with a multitude of unappealing grime from this series of events. Even a tough wilderness woman like herself would have killed for a nice warm shower right about then but as to be expected, this would not be happening so soon.The thick plate glass at the front of the exhibit had somehow been smashed and shattered open, probably do to rabid looters or monsters. It was a huge open flank in their room, but if they hid in the back and stayed behind some of the large debris in the room, they could stay hidden. His eyes drifted upwards, and something caught his eye. It was hardly visible, but something was there. Ryker took a step forward, His rifle was slouched a bit downwards, his right hand being the only one carrying it's familiar weight. 

Ryker took one slow paced step after the other, raising his hand, with the orb of light arising out of the back of his hand, brightly illuminating the wall. Revealed in place of the shady silhouette was a rolled up tarp, bundled up above the broken window, running it's total length. At it's end was a small rope, which appeared to release the tarp, and also whatever could be hidden in it.

[b]"Vera."[/b] He said flatly, his stern voice echoing slightly in the empty room. [b]"Be ready for whatever's in the tarp."[/b] He said. He turned to see that Vera had taken her jacket off and was combing through her hair. She stopped, and grabbed her rifle, readying it, aimed at the tarp. She simply nodded without saying anything. Ryker returned the nod, and turned back around, slowly pulling the rope off the ground. He readjusted his right arm, orienting Isabella's barrel towards the tarp.

A deep breath entered and exited Ryker's lungs as he stared at the tarp, then his hand with the rope in it. He stiffened his arm, and finally yanked the rope. All across the wall, the tarp fell over the hole in the wall, revealing a tarp made up of mainly large patches of different colors and qualities of tarp, crudely sewn together with various different threads. Over most of the tarp was nothing but smack dab in the center was a spider, the size of cat with spikes covering most of its abdomen. Its legs were covered in poisonous spines which glowed dimly of different bio luminescent colors. Ryker felt a knot rise up in his throat, followed by a burning in his stomach. He took a step back.

[b]"F-f-fuck."[/b] He said, terrified of the poison crawler that sat in front of him. He swallowed, memories of a family of them tearing one of his old Silver Hand squads, dissolving them with their digestive juices from the inside out. His stomach churned, but his eyes remained glued on the arachnid, which stared back at him, slowly moving one leg towards the floor. The Isabella's barrel started to shake slightly, until finally Ryker swallowed and stiffened his body.

[b]"Vera, when I say, shoot the SHIT out of that little thing."[/b] He said, a bit of fear in his voice.

Vera replied with a silent nod, the poison crawler very slowly lowering its fifth leg on the ground, readying itself to pounce.

Ryker chomped down on his teeth, before finally shouting [b]"SHOOOOOT!!"[/b]

Luckily Vera was able to slowly ready herself in a crouching position, sitting on one foot with her other knee pointed to the ceiling. Her elbow rested on that knee while a focused gaze was set through the scope, a prominent cheekbone resting against the stock and ready to fire on Ryker’s command. A deep steady breath was inhaled, only audible by herself as she prepared to kill this son of a bitch. [i]"SHOOOOOT!!"[/i] When the words belted from Ryker’s lungs her finger immediately pulled back the trigger, she could now exhale as the round pierced into the center of one of this eight legged critters eyes. A harrowing screech echoed off each crumbling wall as the luminescent creature aggressively leaped forth leaving a trail of shiny poison upon the concrete. 

Experience, which would be many people’s assumption of her fearless attitude but that, was only part of it. With nothing really left to lose she placed everything deep within her into each dangerous encounter. Savin could be on any part of the equator by now or worse yet…she dare not think about that. Her decisions were gutsy for said reason yet verging on reckless. Not exactly wanting to die but every time death stared her in the face she had no reason to wince. This mysterious stranger on the other hand appeared to have something to live for. An obvious give-a-way could be found in his stuttering speech and cautious body language. [i]Must be nice, the need to live[/i] she had thought.

Swiftly her hand pulled back the bolt that refiled the cartridge to shoot once again and hopefully find its killing point, unaware of how her current partner in this dystopian world was faring. Supposedly well since there were other bullets firing with great speed into this bleeding arachnid. Before this wounded monster could land on or near one of them its body was propelled back by great force from one of the shots. Eight legs squirmed toward the cracked ceiling until they curled up in a signature dead spider pose, and stopped moving all together. Vera was satisfied, another one down and to be added to her collection of treacherous goods for sale or trade. 

This creature would be excellent to dissect and take back to Refuge but the process would need absolute precision but still be quite risky. Never had she seen one up close before let alone sliced through one’s abdomen or cephalothorax. An anatomy lesson would follow as she took out all necessary tools, gloves, bins, and goggles to start carefully pulling this thing apart. Without shame she stood after placing her rifle away to start work before catching a couple of hours shut eye. There was nothing to say during this time even though many would have surely commented on what had just happened. [b]“When the sun comes up we’ll take off again.”[/b] Was all she mustered. 
---
No matter how much he struggled, Ryker, couldn't raise himself any sort of distance off the ground. It was morning now and a cough brought out another throat full of blood, which shot out of his mouth and flowed over the edges of the mouth. He winced in pain hopelessly, finally looking back up at the horror that sat above him. A poison crawler sat there, continuing to stare him in the eyes as it's barbed legs impaled Ryker's abdomen to the ground, an indescribable pain emanating from his stomach. Ryker couldn't help but sputter as his short breaths shot out of his lungs as small sobs. A drop of crimson was trailing down his cheek when he began to speak.

"P-please." He said, raising a quaking arm towards the crawler. It seemed to be offended by his begging, screeching and rearing back, Ryker matching with a pitiful scream of horror. The crawler brought it's mandibles down hard on Ryker, burrowing into his chest.

Ryker let out a roar of pain, his extremities beginning to wriggle around in the dirt, struggling to get the monster out of him. He desperately tried deploy something from his arms, but all that greeted him was the beeping of his low battery alert. Ryker began sobbing more openly, in a miserable mix of pain and fear. The cries seemed to reach the ears of the crawler, who pulled it's blood and gut covered head out of Ryker renewing a wave of pain, worsening Ryker's guttural sobs and gags, blood flowing freely from mouth. The Ryker could barely raise his head up in time to see the monsters mouth open. That only meant one thing. Digestive acids.

Ryker started to yell curses and the monster within the second the monster's head lowered down again, digging deeper into Ryker's chest. Ryker could only grunt, before his body began to tingle and then burn. It was an ineffable burning, with Ryker letting out a final scream, before a mixture of acids, blood, and dissolving organs flew from his mouth. The acids fell all over his face, burning away his skin, the pain unimaginable. Ryker tried to move his arms, but they sat motionless, the batteries finally dead. A last few tears came from his eyes, before the acids began to burn away his tear ducts. Soon after, his brain liquefied, and his dissolving body sat still, being devoured by the crawler.

Ryker began to scream again, this one finally shaking out of his nightmare. He sat straight up, the light in the room blinding him. Once he gained his vision back, he quickly scanned the room, seeing only Vera, looking at him no different than usual. She had a nearly understanding look on her face, until she finally opened her mouth. 

"Your weapon." She said calmly, in her accented voice. She raised one arm to point towards him.

He hadn't noticed, but when he looked down, he saw his rifle in his hands, pointed at Vera. His arm was slightly trembling, but his trigger finger was nearly pulled all the way. After staring at his hand for a moment, he finally loosened up and lowered his rifle, the barrel hitting the floor. 

"S-sorry. Can we get going now?" He inquired in shaky murmurs as they began to pack up and head back to Refuge.