Humanity

Sitting up to wipe the sweat from his brow, Zach gave a sigh from the hard work. In front of him sat an old canvas tent that was finally set up and ready for the night to come. City life was never his thing, even being in close proximity to one rubbed him the wrong way, yet, staying at his late uncle's small farm, despite it being a few miles from any metropolis, was still a bit too close for comfort for him. So, with a local farmer agreeing to watch over the estate for a short time, the farm boy took his chance to go on a much needed camping trip.

With the tent finally up, the fire pit made, and the truck and trailer stationed just off to the side, he figured now it was time for the next part. Placing the saddle upon his Clydesdale and hopping into the seat, Zach gave his horse a rub on the neck before trotting off down the trail. Just off to the side, his faithful companion and every loyal dog, Syber was wagging his tail and panting from the enjoyment of the fresh air. Taking in a deep breath before exhaling, the cowboy smiled at the clean, uncorrupted, mountain breeze. Despite it only being the first day, he could already feel the stress melting away like a slice of butter on a griddle.

A short while in to the horse ride, his dog's tail stopped wagging, his face went low and started tracking a scent. Something was off. While Syber would bark at squirrels and chase rabbits for a bit, when it came to tracking, it's usually followed by an encounter with a wolf or a freshly killed carcass. Hopping off Brass Handles, the boy drew his .357 and followed his pet into the bushes. There was a small trail of something red and sticky. While it wasn't wet, it was still fresh. Blood. Half expecting to find a deer torn apart, his jaw dropped, when, in the clearing, a girl appeared. Couldn't be much older than himself, and she was covered in the bodily fluid. Putting the revolver in his holster, Zach ran over to her and checked her for a pulse. There was a beat, but it wasn't strong. She was breathing, that's a good sign. But to keep her like that, he would have to act. Without there being a cellphone signal, and the nearest hospital was almost half a day's drive, his options were limited. Whistling for his horse, a large brown mass broke through the bushes as the horse approached its owner. With a heave, the cowboy placed the body on the back of his animal and rushed back to the campsite.

Placing her in the tent, he grabbed a bucket of water, a rag and a change of his clothes. "Ah apologize for this ma'am, but Ah have to see just how bad it is," he mumbled before removing the blood soaked clothes. Wiping her down, he bandaged up all wounds he could before placing her in his bed. "Syber, stay, speak when she wakes up," he said. And, like clockwork, Syber laid down next to the girl as his master went out to start a campfire.

Talos

When the girl rustled in the sleeping bag and her eyes slowly opened, the canine did just as his master asked, he barked. At first, it was a happy bark, but then, as soon as she started to destroy the bag and created new wounds it turned to a defensive bark. Easily telling the difference, Zach sprang from his seat next to the fire pit and rushed to the shelter. Throwing open the flap, the first thing he noticed was the torn bedding covered in blood. Then his dog hunched slightly, bearing its teeth with his tail down. Finally, he noticed the girl, scared and covered in blood on her hands with protrusions coming out. Those certainly weren't there before as they were obvious to see. Then it clicked. The metal inside her and now the claws in her hands. She wasn't just a normal person that was injured. This girl, she was a neo.

"Hey, hey, woah woah woah, calm down, ma'am. We don't mean you any harm. Syber, here, he was just keepin' an eye out for you. Ah need you to calm down so I can bandage up your injuries. Look, ah mean you no harm, ok?" As if to show his sincerity, he drew his revolver, showed it to her and gently set it off to the side. Kneeling down next to her, the boy gingerly grabbed her hands to assess the damage. The injuries were deep but seeming how they were caused by her own body, he doubted they would pose any significant disabilities. Grabbing a roll of gauze, the country boy cleaned up her hands before bandaging her new wounds.

"Ah apologize for havin' to undress you, ma'am, I just had to see how severe your injuries were. Judgin' by your scars, seems you've been fightin' all your life. Your clothes were nothin' but rags, so ah have a pair of my own that you can wear. They might be a little big for you. Come out for supper once you're ready, alright?" After cleaning up the tent a bit, he stepped out to give the girl some privacy. Syber followed closely behind his owner.

The stew was at a nice boil in the dutch oven as the smoke and fire helped add to the flavor of it. Giving the pot a stir, Zach wanted to make sure everything was well cooked before placing the pot on the improvised table. "Hope you like it, ma'am, everythin' in here was home grown at my farm." After serving her a bowl without even asking if she was hungry, the boy gave her a smile. "The name's Zach. What's yours?"

Talos

"Jessica, huh? That's a nice name." As if it were simple talk, he left it at that, despite his mind filled with questions. Watching her practically inhale the food, he gave a smirk. It was a good thing he usually planned on making extra food, whether it be for leftovers or, in this case, an extra mouth to feed. The second her bowl was emptied he grabbed it from her and filled it up once more. It wouldn't matter how much she ate or how many times he would refill her bowl. If the pot ran dry, he could always make more food. Not to mention that there was a stream nearby, so water and meat was plentiful. Looking up at the sky, it was turning a soft orange as the sun was beginning to dip behind the mountains. The crickets started chirping and the birds began their farewell songs. Even the wind was giving a gentle wave to welcome the night.

Standing up, the boy walked to his tent and grabbed his jacket. Taking a quick glance back, Syber, despite having been so riled up by her before, was laying down next to Jessica as calm as could be. Even Brass Handles didn't seem to mind the girl as he stayed in his trailer, chewing his hay. The occasional flick from his tail being a sign that the only thing bothering him was the bugs.

Returning to the campfire, Zach draped his coat over the girl. "Ah apologize, Jessica, but ah need to know. Just what were you doin' out here? Ah'd like to help you out, but ah need to know the reason." Then, almost as if his answer was being given by nature, the crickets stopped and the birds went silent. Syber lifted his head a bit and let out a snarl. Something was out there, but due to the lack of noise, he wasn't certain. Regardless, with his animals acting up, it couldn't be good. "Jessica, get to the truck." He stated, keeping his eyes fixated at the source of his dog's distress.

Reaching behind, he went to grab his pistol, only to realize it was still in the tent. Not a smart move on his part, but that meant little right now. Taking a few steps closer to the saddle, his .308 rifle was holsterd in it still. Wasn't the best weapon for close range, but all he needed was a shot. The silence of the mountains crept into him. It seemed as though even the river hushed and the wind waited with baited breath. Time came to a stand still.... then something fast, something hard grazed his cheek before striking the trailer. It rang with a solid thud as it shattered from the impact. Time was up, he had to act. Lunging for his rifle, he quickly cocked it and fired in the direction, only for more shots to be returned in his direction.

Talos

The girl not only jumped in front of him but she deflected the bullets as well? It was true, she was a neo. Then, something caught him off guard. The look she gave him. It wasn't one of a robot, nor was it one of vengeance. He's seen that look before. It was from his dad after the incident. Sorrow and guilt. That only meant one thing to Zach. Loading another round into the chamber, the country boy pulled the trigger. Almost instantaneously, he heard the cry of its victim. While the shot wasn't fatal, it did cause a lot of damage. Running to the tent as the bullets continued to fly, he dove inside to retrieve his revolver. Just as he pulled the hammer back, he watched the girl go down. She was struck? But the woman deflected the shots only a few seconds ago. Was it a fluke? No, something must've happened.

Pulling the trigger on the handgun, the bullet hit its target. Almost like an actor from a western film, Zach held down the trigger as he swept his hand across the top of the gun over and over, each time, another shot rang out. The instant it was empty, he opened the cylinder and allowed the shells to clink against the ground. Before the last one even touched the dirt, he already had six fresh bullets loaded and ready to fire. A shot struck his shoulder, causing it to scream in pain. His limb wasn't going cold, merely just ached a lot. The rubber bullet was definitely going to cause some bruising, but, thanks to his thick shirt and muscles, there was no serious injury. However, if something wasn't done about these gunman and soon, who knows how much longer he'll last. As much as he didn't want to, the boy's hand was basically forced. Twisting his wrist in a quick circle, a small orb formed in his palm before he threw the baseball sized object into the trees. A bright flash burst from the landing spot as its victims cried out in pain. They were blinded, but only temporarily. Enough for the farm boy to sprint in and deliver a few blows.

Tying the men up, Zach ensured they weren't going to go anywhere anytime soon. Giving them a quick once over, he did his best to remove anything that looked like a communications device. However, most of this tech was beyond things he's ever seen before. Walking over to the girl, he gave a small sigh. "Ah apologize, Jessica, but I need to take a look, see how bad the damage is."  Without allowing her a chance to reply, Zach unbuttoned her shirt and took a look at the wound. It was definitely bleeding, but appeared that the bullet was near the surface. "This might hurt a lil." Pulling out his pocket knife and flicking the blade open, the rancher pushed the tip into her chest before using it to wedge the object out of her. Pulling out a small spray can, it let out a small hiss as the disinfectant cleaned the injury before he placed gauze over it. "Now, Jessica, why did he refer to you as 'Agent Talos'? Look, ah don't care about someone's past, it's what they do in the present that defines them. But, if you want me to help you, ah need to know what's goin' on."

Talos

This girl, despite how young she looked, she claimed to be that old? Zach has heard all kinds of stories, heck, he was an ordinary teen until a few years ago.... regardless of whether it was completely true or not didn't matter at this point. She was covered in blood when he first met her, but the agents were the first ones to attack him without regard to others around. Just like he told her, the boy didn't care about her past. It was the present that defined them. As she started to walk towards the agents, the boy grabbed her by the back of her shirt and yanked her back with a bit of force. Storming up to them, he raised the buttstock of his rifle before bringing it down on the men. The sounds of a crush were all that were audible before their bodies went limp.

Walking back to the girl, Zach grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the truck, "Ah apologize, Jessica, but ah can't let you kill or harm anyone. They're just unconscious for now, but it'll give us enough time to get out of here." Opening up the door to the old vehicle, before putting the rifle back in its rack, he allowed the girl to get in. Rounding up his horse into the trailer and calling his dog to climb into the vehicle, the rancher started the engine. Giving a quick glance at the campsite, most of his gear was still out there, but a lot of it was destroyed in the scuffle. "Jessica.... when we get somewhere safe, ah want you to tell me everythin', got it?" His voice was firm, almost like a father is to their child. Syber, however, gave the girl several sniffs before licking her face with his tail wagging.

Talos

Driving down the road, he didn't speak a word as his eyes watched the roads and sides. The radio was turned off to help him focus. Apart from the rumble of the trailer hitting a few bumps, the only noise was the gravel under the tires. It was quiet, almost to the point it was making the boy paranoid. But he had to remain strong. Not only for his sake, but for the one next to him. She followed him with little resistance, if he were to freak out now, it could cause problems. Taking in a deep breath before slowly pushing it back through his nose, the sigh helped Zach calm down a bit. Syber, as far as it seemed, was content on sitting next to his new best friend. The occasional whimper escaped the dog's mouth, primarily out of nervousness rather than fear or pain.

Finally out of the woods and off the mountain, the rancher began to relax ever so slightly. Still, he didn't speak, trying to process everything that went down. Coming to a small town, the boy pulled onto main street and cruised down, as if knowing exactly where he was going. Approaching a small diner, it almost looked like it was built back in the early 1970's. The aged brick and mortar had a few chips and cracks. The glass, while shiny and clear, still had a slightly rustic look to it. Inside, the floor was a checkerboard of black and white while the seats were a flashy red and had bright chrome poles and sidebars. The tables were a pale sea-foam green. Sizzling crackled as fresh burgers were put on the grill and a middle aged woman was washing down part of the bar-top.

"Howdy, Grenda," the cowboy said, tipping his hat slightly at the woman. In return, she gave a smile and a small wave at the man. "Heya Zach. Gotcha a girlfriend I see?" With a chuckle, he responded, "Nah, just my.... uh... cousin.... she came down to visit for a bit. Figured Ah show her the sights."

Taking a seat in the booth near the back, he pulled out a menu before opening it up. Despite pets usually not being allowed in the diner, Syber was an exception, and a local favorite of the owner. Laying down next to Zach, the canine crossed his paws and rested his head upon them.

"We'll be safe here for now," He said in a low voice. "Let's talk and eat, help you get some of your strength back. Now, mind telling me just what's goin' on?"

Talos