[hider=Dallas meets the crew]
[indent][indent][h3]January 14th, 2057[/h3][/indent][/indent]

[color=darkorange][i]So... damn... thirsty.[/i][/color] Dallas was overwhelmed by exhaustion as he planted himself on the dusty pavement. He reached into the pockets of his fire resistant jacket and pulled out a red crystal. The glassy jewel was molded into the shape of a tear drop. It was a blood bead. His last blood bead. Dallas didn't want to consume it, but his endurance had been pushed to the limits. Another day without a meal and he might lose himself to the frenzy. 

Dallas removed his mask and brought the end of the blood bead to his lips. He drank greedily. It only took seconds for the bead to be emptied of its contents. He tilted his head back and let the final drops pass his lips before tossing the vial away. His heart rate accelerated instantly, sending the life giving liquid to every cell in his body. Strength returned to his limbs as the BOR parasite in Dallas's body left starvation mode. For a couple more weeks, he could be a man, not a monster. 

[color=darkorange][i]I've been following the road for days now. I was lucky to find a big city like this, but I still can't locate the mistle.[/i][/color] Dallas leaned back on his hands and tried to bury the anxiety creeping into the back of his mind, instead focusing on recuperating. The wanderer had been walking nonstop without rest or sleep while stretching his rations to the limit. 

Dallas turned his head right and left, observing his immediate surroundings. It was a two way street with a wall of buildings on either side. Several abandoned cars and unidentifiable wrecks littered the street. There was even a sedan that had somehow managed to land perfectly on its nose, hinting at the chaotic events that took place here long ago. Across from the curb he was sitting on he could see various businesses, long deserted by their former owners. There was a shoe store, a souvenir shop, and even a restaurant. Happy Takeout was the name, or at least that's what Dallas inferred based on what letters hadn't fallen off the storefront. The structures here looked old. The brickwork didn't match up with the architecture closer to the city limits. Dallas assumed this must then be the inner city, where what used to be a small town began to grow into the concrete jungle it was now. 

After a few minutes, Dallas was ready to resume traveling. He picked his battle axe up off the ground and secured his mask in place over his mouth. He had no intention of investigating any of the businesses here. Whatever goods that weren't taken in the chaos of the Collapse would have been looted by survivors or eroded by time. Dallas looked up at the small belt of sky that could be viewed between the towering city structures. It was a crisp blue, with a few cotton balls floating on the wind. The weather was favorable, though a biting wind occasionally raised goosebumps on Dallas's skin. 

Without warning, a dull buzzing noise broke the silence. Dallas, alerted to a potential threat, raised his axe in preparation for an attack. His eyes darted all over the place, attempting to lock onto anything that moved. [color=darkorange][i]Wait, what's that?[/i][/color]

It should have been hard to spot clearly at the height it was flying, but Dallas's revenant senses allowed him to comprehend the shape of the unidentified object. Speeding overhead was a quad copter drone the size of a dish plate. As it passed through the area, pieces of paper were ejected from a box shaped receptacle that had been bolted to it ad hoc. The drone quickly turned a corner further down the street, disappearing from sight as it followed the route designed by its operator. 

Then, there was another sound in the distance. Footsteps. Several of them. Along with the sound came a faint smell carried by the wind. It was a scent that was both nauseating and intoxicating, a contradictory odor that made Dallas's nose tingle. He smelled the blood of the dead. 

[color=darkorange][i]The Lost are coming.[/i][/color] Dallas had no time to think about his next move. With no way of knowing how many enemies were approaching, he instead chose to evade. He dove into an abandoned cafe, stepping over toppled chairs and overturned tables until he reached the back of the shop. Once behind the counter, he crouched down until he could just barely see over the countertop. 

After a few minutes, a pack of Lost rushed down the street, howling and screeching as they passed through. The humanoid creatures all appeared to be armed. If he'd chosen to confront them, Dallas would have put himself in a dangerous position. Prolonged fasting was chipping away at his energy, and he didn't want to waste it here. Dallas deduced that the monsters were following the drone, who were attracted either by its noise or motion. Though the Lost moved at great speed, he still waited a few minutes more before leaving his hiding spot. Now that he was upwind of their pack, he didn't want his smell to bring them back here. 

As Dallas began to move away from the area, he saw a piece of paper floating towards him. He effortlessly plucked it out of the air and examined it. 

[color=darkorange][i]These are... directions to a safehouse.[/i][/color] By pure coincidence, Dallas was standing at one of the main cross streets listed on the leaflet. The author of the missive promised food and shelter to anyone in the city seeking asylum. There were childish drawings all along the unused borders, presumably done in crayon before the message was scanned and copied. There was a telescope, various flowers, and even faces of people drawn in a flat cartoonish style. [color=darkorange][i]They're not asking for humans specifically. This probably isn't a trap set up by revenants. Probably. I bet I can outrun them if it turns out to be trouble.[/i][/color]

[hr]

It took several hours for Dallas to crawl back out of the inner city and make his way towards the outskirts. The urban hub was crawling with Lost, and there was a lot of looping around and backtracking as he struggled to find the correct streets and landmarks written on the drone's message. The sun began its slow descent as the day progressed into the late afternoon. Dallas was now on the final road. He followed the path with his eyes and spotted a sizeable complex sitting atop a hill. The message described it as a place called the "Crow's Nest". It was an observatory now being used as a base by a mixed group of humans, revenants, and even sidhe. Sidhe! Dallas had never seen one face to face before. 

With only his feet to carry him, it took some time for Dallas to make his way up the hill. His slow pace had nothing to do with fatigue however. He just wanted to be careful. Out here, the dull colors of the city gave way to a sea of green. Wildflowers swayed in the breeze while basking in the sun. Weeds sprung up in the cracks of the black asphalt underneath Dallas's feet. The lack of cover made him feel exposed as he got closer to the safehouse. 

In order to crest the hill, Dallas had to first cross a river down below by walking across a small stone bridge. The moment his feet left that bridge, he felt something bump his shoulder. Dallas spun around to find a revenant standing before him. Somehow, he had been snuck up on. Whoever this man was, he had managed to get behind Dallas while making no sound and without being spotted on an open hillside. This was somebody dangerous, and Dallas felt a bit intimidated.

To describe him in a single sentence: tall, dark and handsome. His hair stuck up wildly like the fur of an angry predator. The revenant didn't move for several seconds. He just stared at Dallas's face. In the brief moment before either of them spoke, Dallas noted the stranger's flashy overcoat and the handles of blades hidden within. 

[color=indianred]"You're welcome here, but don't try anything."[/color] The unnamed revenant finally said. He seemed satisfied with something, but Dallas didn't know what. He gestured for Dallas to keep walking. As he did so, Dallas heard the man following close behind. Whoever these people were, they must have sent the strong one to keep an eye on him. 

They proceeded into the observatory without incident.

[hr]

[color=7FFFD4]"...told you the fliers would work! I saw him coming a mile away on the motion sensors!"[/color] Inside the "Great Room" were two individuals having an animated discussion, a man and a woman. The man had the complexion of a bronze statue and stood a bit taller than either Dallas or "Ajax", as his escort called himself. The woman was fairer skinned and had hair down to her shoulders. Surprisingly, she was bound to a wheelchair. Revenants didn't have disabilities, so this one was human. 

As he and Ajax got closer to these two, Dallas glanced around the room. It definitely looked like a converted observatory. There was plenty of furniture and appliances around the space, and it was all arranged as tastefully as possible, but the shape of the room itself clearly wasn't intended for habitation. There were couches, tables, and even a kitchen and dining area.

[color=gold]"Haha, alright Lys. You won the bet. By the by, it looks like our guest is here. Show him in Ajax!"[/color] Dallas and Ajax approached the two, but before Dallas could get too close his bodyguard put a hand on his shoulder to prevent him from getting too close. The snowy haired man raised an eyebrow like he was trying to communicate something to Ajax. The two must have been on the same wavelength; Ajax wordlessly released his hold. Was this one the leader then?

[color=gold]"Thanks for the concern there partner. Anyways, nice to meet you new guy! My name is Erik. Don't bother calling me Mister."[/color] Erik closed the gap and offered a hand to Dallas, who firmly grasped it in a strong handshake. [color=darkorange]"Good to meet you. People call me Dallas."[/color]

The chairbound woman behind Erik cleared her throat. [color=gold]"Whoops! Let me introduce Lysandra. She's the one dropping fliers on people's heads."[/color] [color=7FFFD4]"Don't talk about me like I'm a serial litterer!"[/color] Lysandra rolled up and shook Dallas's hand as well. 

[color=7FFFD4]"You can call me Lys there, big guy; the Commune's resident tech specialist. You helped me win a bet, so consider yourself good in my books."[/color] For a moment, her face softened with a smile. [color=7FFFD4]"Freaking nice to see the drones brought a new face here too. I wasn't sure it was gonna work."[/color] Dallas released her hand and tapped his head with his knuckles. [color=darkorange]"Yeah, they also brought a gang of Lost down on me. Can't you make 'em quieter?"[/color] At that, Lysandra made a look that fell between "Oh shit!" and "You dare question my intellect?". She rested her hands on her lap and furrowed her brow before releasing a sigh. [color=7FFFD4]"They did huh?"[/color] Lysandra chewed her bottom lip. [color=7FFFD4]"Shit, sorry about that. I'll... make some improvements."[/color] After speaking her part, Lysandra rolled off to another part of the base that needed her attention. [color=7FFFD4]"Glad you're alive though![/color]

[color=gold]"Alright, this isn't a job interview so let's cut to the chase Dallas. We are a group of what you might call vigilantes. We are the Commune. What we want is to bring peace back to this region and end the threat posed by the Lost. Our goals aren't very complicated, but we need manpower. The number of enemies keeps growing and we could use a fighter like you. We're ready to take care of you if you're willing to lend us your strength. Interested?"[/color] [color=darkorange]"If you'll have me."[/color] Erik nodded. He turned his gaze to Ajax, who was leaned against a wall to listen to the conversation.

[color=indianred]"I have no objections." [/color]Ajax closed his eyes, signalling the end of his input. Erik grinned at that. Turning back to Dallas, he continued speaking. [color=gold]"This isn't the army, nor is it the provisional government. We're not just trading food for labor, we're trying to build relationships with people. If you stay here, we're gonna treat you like family, and we'd like you to do the same."[/color] Erik clapped a hand on Dallas's shoulder. [color=gold]"We watch your back, you watch ours. How's that sound?"[/color]

Dallas thought about what he was committing to here, but deep down he felt like his decision had already been made. It was fascinating to see humans working as equals with revenants here, rather than being protected like cattle. There was also something beyond that. In his wanderings he had joined hands with many groups like Erik's, but those were just temporary arrangements made in exchange for food and shelter. There was a compelling quality about this Crow's Nest, an element that made it feel like a home that Dallas had forgotten. He'd made up his mind.

[color=darkorange]"I'll protect you with my life."[/color]
[/hider]