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(BUS)Chapter 9: First contact
🕑 Added 2024-08-19 15:15:14 +0000 UTCI lost all of that lifeforce naturally but I wasn't all that bothered by it since the six adult Prowlers had between 456 and 740 units of lifeforce each which netted me a bit under 3000 units and put me back right around where the Colossus left me originally, 12,875 units currently.
'Perhaps it was because it was a cub and thus it's body wasn't developed enough to handle that sort of power?' I questioned and decided to go find an adult to test this theory on.
It took me a while since apparently that whole fucking area belonged to that nest but I did eventually find another Prowler about an hour of travel later. I snuck up on it and jumped onto it's back to wrestle it down.
"SHHHHH! SHHHHH! Just let it happen!" I yelled at the thing that thrashed and snapped at me to get me off but I was putting my new muscles to good work.
I activated my powers and immediately stuffed 500 units of lifeforce into the thing. It stiffened just like the cub and I rolled off it and bolted in case it went to explode.-
From a safe distance away I watched to see what would happen. At first the thing just stood there but quickly I noticed that it's muscles began to swell and it's size increased though it certainly didn't appear to be exploding. After a few moment the change stopped and to my surprise I saw that the name of the creature had changed from just plain [Prowler] to [Dread Prowler]. The now definitely more powerful beast immediately turned to glare at me with slightly glowing yellow eyes.
"I don't suppose you are going to declare undying loyalty since I gave you this power right?" I asked while moving my hand to my holstered gun.
"MEEERRROOOOAW!" A deep rumbling roar came from the feline as it flexed it's now very muscular legs to charge.
"Didn't think so." I muttered and drew my gun before squeezing off four shots right at it.
All the shots landed and I hoped that was going to be the end of that matter but I was mistaken. The bullets hit the bark skin and chipped of a few pieces but were deflected after that.
"Oh shit!" I shouted and didn't hesitate to empty the last three shots before holstering the gun and dodging as the beast pounce at me.
While it was in mid air I threw a punch right at it's side. Pain radiated from my knuckles on impact as it was VERY similar to punching a tree. The roughness of the bark tore the skin on my knuckles slightly but it wasn't even enough to draw blood with my skins current durability. It wouldn't even have hurt if it wasn't for the fact my bodies fists hadn't been tempered by years of impacts unlike my fists when I died.-
In a manner of speaking even with my power granted traits this body was entirely inferior to the one I had honed for nearly two whole decades on earth. My traits were just making it so I could cheat the feats that my previous body could only do after so much training. [Dense bones] kept my bones from breaking and [Armored skin] kept my skin from busting open from so much force and the roughness of the beasts bark skin. While I doubted my punch hit the beast all that much it did serve another purpose, distance. My strength was not small at the moment and I hit a target that was in midair so naturally it got pushed away from me.-
Not much mind you since I wasn't superhumanly strong or anything but I still opened a good three or so feet that I used to distance myself even further while it was readjusting itself after getting off balanced by the blow. I used my left hand to open my satchel and reach in for the ammo I had been collecting as I went when something changed.
"BANG!" A loud gunshot rang out and the beasts head burst like a watermelon.
I went to reach for my gun and another shot rang out but this time the bullet landed in the tree behind me, mere inches right of my head. I froze and tried not to grin when my adrenaline started pumping harder as death breathed down my neck.
"Now it'd be a right shame if I had to put down a kid on account of him not knowing what's good for him. Real burden on the mind child killin." a Male voice spoke from the distance just loud enough for a normal person to hear but for me he may as well have been yelling.
"I don't want any trouble!" I called out sincerely while holding my hands up.
"Coulda had me fooled tangoing with a big ol Prowler like that, even punched the thing if I recall." The voice said with what I could have sworn sounded like... praise?
At the same time however this person had already unintentionally told me that they showed up after the fight started and didn't see me experimenting with my powers. This was good news for me because I wasn't sure how that would be perceived by other people. Some might see it positively while others might try to kill me on sight, I didn't know.-
"Now here's how we're gonna play this kid. I'ma walk over reeaal slow like with my gun trained on that shiny dome of yours. You make any moves I might by chance misconstrue as "hostile" and I won't hesitate to pay those therapy bills, you get me?" The voice said and I nodded.
I heard the dry leaves and plants get stepped on as the person approached but I remained still even as I caught a whiff of the guy. He smelled of gun powder and sweat which was all I need to know that I had no chance of winning here if we got into a gunfight.-
When he walked out my first thought was 'Young' and I don't mean inexperienced but rather the guy looked maybe twenty. He was a lean built dark skinned man with a light brown leather duster coat and matching leather hat decorated with bullets. In his hand he had a rather beefy looking revolver pointed right at my head.
"Alright kid now I'ma need you to toss over that piece at your hip, nice and easy. It'll keep both of us safe if you don't go getting any funny ideas." He said calmly and smoothly.
I was a bit unwilling but I was literally staring down a barrel here so I thought it best not to give this man a reason to introduce me to one of his bullets. I slowly lowered my right hand and gripped the handle of my gun with my fingertips and slowly drew it out of the holster before tossing it to the ground between us.
"BLING!" I winced at the chime it made as the orange glow exploded out of it.
"Damn kid that's a fine as weapon you had! Don't you worry your shiny head though i'ma give it back if and when I decide you'll not shoot me in the back with it the first chance you get. Till then though I'll keep it safe with me. Now you can go ahead and toss over that bag too, that one I'll give back right away if you don't have anymore guns stashed away in it." the dude said as he stashed away my gun.
"No guns, just bullets and an item I inherited." I said honestly.
"You seem like you're shooting straight with me but just as well toss it over, promise I won't take nothing if there aren't any guns like you say." he said and I sighed but tossed over my satchel as well.
He flipped the latch open and unceremoniously dumped the bags content onto the forest floor. His eyes immediately narrowed in on the sphere that was my house.
"Hooo buddy! Now there a dangerous thing for a kid to be walking around, where'd you get it? Don't go telling me that Grogshit about inheriting it neither, the real story." The guy said much more seriously this time.
"I'm not lying, I did inherit it just not from family. I had to fight a big ass monster to get it, thing was dumb as rocks though." I said honestly.
"You opened a vault." he said with wide eyes.
It wasn't a question either but a statement and one that I clearly couldn't argue with either.
"That sounds about right, is that a problem?" I asked testingly.
The guy stuffed the bullets and my house back in the bag and tossed it back to me before spinning his gun by the trigger guard and holstering it at his waist. To my surprise he then took out my gun and tossed it to me.
"If you really did open a vault and kill the monster to get that thing, whatever it is, I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot. Hopefully giving that back will earn enough trust to convince you to have a talk with my boss. Names Clay by the way." The guy said holding out his hand.
I was confused but not the sort to look a gift horse in the mouth and put my gun and satchel back in their rightful places.
"Alexander Drake, go by Alex though." I said taking the offered hand.
"Strong name, iconic. Probably wondering why I changed my tune right quick when you told me how you got that fancy alien thing right? Smuggler by trade I am, damn good one too if I say so myself. I mostly work for the Jakobs these days, the family not the corporation. Way I see it the six galaxies have been hunting vaults for decades now ever since Atlas got theirs on Promethea. If you've gone and opened one up it's only right I set you up with old man Monty Jakobs and if that means trying to butter you up a bit to get you to sell the vault to him then I figure I best do it." Clay said honestly.
"A few things, First six galaxies? Second I have no idea about any Jakobs, family or otherwise. Third, whats Atlas or Promethea? And Finally theres more than one vault?" I quick fired questions at the guy and he froze.
"You been living under a rock or something? That's all common knowledge even people on a backwater planet like this know." he said confused.
"Amnesia I'm afraid. Judging from the blank look on your face I should explain. I remember some things like my name and how to use a gun and shield but as for pretty much anything else I got nothing. First thing I remember was waking up in the forest with my gun and shield and then stumbling unto the vault which I opened." I said honestly.
Obviously I couldn't remember anything when I traded all those memories for my powers but I couldn't exactly say that now could I? It was still technically amnesia though even if artificially created so I wasn't lying.-
"DAMN! Can't even begin to imagine what that's like. Don't you worry, Ol Monty's not the gentlest of people but he's got a heart of gold. We tell him your story and he'll see you right, might even offer you a job since theres got to be something special about you to conquer a vault in your state. You just follow my lead and I'll take you to him, he'll likely want to meet you in person after all." Clay said and turned to walk off clearly expecting me to follow him and I was going to too.
Comments
Christian Jeffress
Thanks for another entertaining chapter
S3RW0
Thanks for the chapter
Cmols897
Good ol Jakobs, out of all the mega corps of the series they are the one I'd probably trust the most
