The Phoenix Colony

Smith just wished Reva would run already, if everyone was in the cave they could decide the best way to deal with these men. He stayed in between Reva and the man, what did Fox think she had acomplished? She had just put more people in trouble she was right between two men, she might be good, but not that good, she was over confident and dangerus. "Give me a chance to go back into the cave and talk this out with the rest of my tribe." He said and glanced quickly at the two by the door.

 

"...go back to the cave..."

Good idea.

Reva tried to gauge the distance to the door of the cave. Yeah, she could make it. She was pretty sure she could make it. Maybe she could wake Ben. The shotgun could be useful right now.

She was stock-still for a moment, allowing herself to relax, then she sprinted for the doorway.

 

"Well why shouldn't you? All we are is a bunch of cold, tired men in a strange place, please excuse me if I'm a bit wary." He looked at the women and smiled warmly and then turned to the new women. "You versus all of us? Why? We want no trouble. Go, talk with your 'tribe', we aren't going anyplace."

 

Fox looked at the man, actually it was more like she was looking through him. "Make one wrong move, and you will regret it." says Fox as she turns and re-enters the cave. Raylene was standing infront of everyone. Britney had pulled out her stungun. "Good, they're ready of need be." thinks Fox.

 

Chrys had her stood in the back of the group ready in case she needed to pull the stun gun but wanting it to be a suprise for who ever she had to pull it on.

Smith walked backwards towards the cave, and entered it slowly, eyes locked with the new mans. He would not back down, he would find a way to bring his tribe togeather, maybe find a way to incorperate this new group if he could control this man, he had controled Ben, and Derek long enough.

 

Reva found Ben snoring by the fire. Getting zapped with the stun gun must really take it out of a guy, she reflected.

She shook him hard by the shoulder.

"Ben! Wake up...we may need you and your shotgun."

 

Britney whispers to Fox, "Should you go ahead and use your handgun now."

"No" responds Fox, "We outnumber them, and in close quarters like this a knife is better than a gun."

"Ok, that makes sense. My and my stungun is ready any time." whispers Britney.

 

Ben had been enjoying merciful, dreamless sleep when all of a sudden the harsh, inconsiderate reality shoved itself down his throat. "Wha- . . . what what what?" he mumbled as he opened his eyes and tried to adjust to what was around him. "Shotgun? What? Chad stole it from me, why what's going on?"

 

Cody knew the type, smart asses. The annoying sort of criminal that got under your skin and just begged for a cop to assault them.

She followed Cull over to the group that had formed.

“What‘s going on?” Cull demanded.

Cody couldn’t agree more she knew the group wasn’t anything to do with her, but the woman seemed scared. She took her knife from her pocket. Cull had one of his syringes filled with a strange liquid Cody thought she’d seen him extract from some sort of berries a day before.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” Cody added.

 

(I have Ben's shotgun! And i think ben's awake already)

Smith finally turned around and the tension hit him. His body was surging on adrinaline. "We can't kick them out into the cold." He said with a weak smile. "but we can't let them have free riegn of the place eaither. I suggest gaurd duties." He said and noted that Fox had a gun! He would have to try and cure that problem later, now he had other problems to deal with, a combative Derek, getting rid of Fox with out starting a fight, and these new guys.

 

Shotgun? What? Chad stole it from me, why what's going on?"

Reva blew out a little huff of annoyance. Oh yeah, right.

"Well, just wake up, will you? Strangers are trying to get access to the cave. There are quite a few of them and...well...they're scary."

 

Raylene finally decided to share her idea. "Why don't we suggest they go use the ruined cave for the night. It's only about 20 minutes away. I don't want them here and I know this isn't my cave, but I just get a bad feeling about them."

 

Fox walks over to Chad and whispers "We should listen to Raylene. I'm sure you've noticed that weird stuff has been happening to us since we landed on this planet. She has been able to read minds, and if she is getting a bad vibe from those guys, then we shouldn't trust them."

 

Smith looked at fox like she was crazy, Reading minds? He smiled, nothing really odd except a skin problem for him so oh well maybe he was special. "I think sending them to the other cave is a great idea, any complaints?" He asked and got ready to go out and let them know where it was, then realized he didn't know. "Um, Fox could you come with me to let them know were it is? I'm not sure." He said and laughed weakly.

 

"Sure thing." says Fox "Oh, and I'm sure that you think I'm crazy, but she really can read minds. She test her latter on and she'll prove it."

As her and Chad exit the cave, she says "Sorry guys, but we don't have any room here for you. There is another cave along the side of the mountain, about twenty minutes that away." as she points to the right, "It used to have a spring, until someone ruined it."

 

Smith followed Fox, rifle at the ready as she let the men know the verdict.

Chrys sighed, glad the fighting was done and walked over to the fire hungry. No meat left. She walked over to the pile and picked out some nuts and began chewing them hungrily. "We need to get some more food." She commented and ate some more.

 

Frank looked sharply at Issac, then back at the women. "Sounds good, better than laying in the snow at least." They moved on, all of them, heading to the cave they had been to before.

After five minutes of walking, once they were out of earshot, Floyd spoke up. "How's that for irony sir?" The lot of them laughed lightly, except for Frank, he was silent.

"You all think that's funny huh? Funny that we're staying in that dump while they get a nice toasty cave?"

Floyd began to say, "Well sir, we had a chance when the cave was good and livable, but-"

Frank grabbed him by his throat and said, "I stand by my DECISION! Now there all together, we know where they are, and we know what to do." He released Floyd and kept walking.

"Sir?" he asked, groping his now sore throat.

"We get some rest." replied Frank, not even turning around.

 

Reva sat near the fire empty-eyed, not really caring about the bruise on her wrist showing at this point. It seemed as though everyone she met had been in the 'Dangerous Criminal' pen and she didn't exactly stand out because of it. Except Chad. She marveled a little bit that Chad, a guard had survived this long.

Then again, what had been the odds on a masseuse making it this far?

"We need to get some more food." Chrys said, munching some nuts.

"I can help with that," Reva forced herself to say. She'd much rather hide from the snow and cold in the nice warm cave.

She checked Allen and he seemed to be comfortable and out of danger for the moment. His cuts were scabbed over for the most part except for the two deeper ones. She wished she had suture materials...and the knowledge of how to use them. Fox was across the cave from Allen at least and Chad knew their history now.

Reva rose to her feet and got Pasha's spear and her sweatshirt bag which she slung around her.

She felt like just walking away. Not stopping and coming back but just going. But now there was a gang of men out there in addition to the gorillas and the...whatever-it-was...and she thought she'd stick with Chrys for now.

 

After hearing Chris, Britney says "I'll help also. Hey Fox will you come with me?" "Please say yes, there is something I need to tell you." thinks Britney.

Fox looks up and says "Yeah, sure. I guess its better than staying here doing nothing." Her and Britney grab some nuts and fruit to eat before they leave. After having their fill they exit the cave.

After a few minutes of walking, in the opposite direction of their old cave, Fox begins to shiver. "Stand close to me." says Britney. Her body heat increases. "Wow, you're pretty warm. Um...why?" says Fox. "For some reason I can create and control fire. And as a extension of that, I can create heat. Pretty neat, huh?" says Britney. Fox responds, "That ability should come in handy."

 

Upon seeing Reva volunteer to go find some food, Derek jumped up and grabbed his javelin and stake. "Wait up, Reva."

Donning his cloak, he trotted up next to her at the entrance of the cave and gave a little smile. "It's not such a good idea to be out alone," he said. "What with the dangerous men that wanna kill us and the dangerous predators that want to kill us and them right? Better to travel in pairs." He gave a small smile and a wink, then walked out the door with a slow pace, giving her a chance to catch up.

 

Smith walked back into the cave worn out from the stress. "We'll argue about what to do with the cave later." He said loudly and decided to take the moment to finish his talk with Reva, but she left to quickly, oh well he could handle it later.

 

Ben had woken up to a fair extent, and now he decided it was his time to get back to it. He got to his feet, stretched out, groaning massively, and walked over to Chad. He put a hand on his shoulder and said, "I think it's time you and I had a talk. Come when your ready, I'll be just outside." He turned and began to climb out over the fence when he remembered something. Turning around he finished, "Oh! Bring my shotgun."

 

"Sure." Smith said but was not going to return the gun. Smith got up and followed Ben out side. "So, what is it?" He asked leaning against the side of the cave, shiverinng. Why'd everyone want to go outside to talk, it's freezing.

 

"Wait up, Reva." It was Derek following her from the cave.

"It's not such a good idea to be out alone," he said. "What with the dangerous men that wanna kill us and the dangerous predators that want to kill us and them right? Better to travel in pairs."

She followed and then walked alongside him when they were outside. He was right, she realized, and he had been good company so far besides.

"So how do you hunt anything with the arm being broken?" She asked him, noting again the broken nose, "That must have been a terrible time, when those two guys got killed." Then she realized something Derek had just said, "You think those guys want to kill us?"

 

"Don't **** around with me Chad, I see it in you. Your falling apart, things are getting flaky and so are you. I've seen it a hundred times before, crooks cracking under pressure, gangbangers seeing the logic in selling out their homies." Ben put a hand on Chad's shoulder. "You need to get somethings straight, your not a leader Chad, your a nice guy, you want everyone to be happy, but a leader needs to be something less, a man who isn't afraid to make tough decisions. You don't deserve the pressure, you deserve peace of mind."