"Fine." Mia says with her arms crossed.


To me, it seems as if she doesn't have any desire to find me as an insurance while in the Badlands. She must be so used to being alone by now, I couldn't begin to try to imagine. Her demeanour changes in a moment's time before my eyes.


"I wouldn't have been able to save either of us if it wasn't for your idea." Mia admits.


"Yeah, you're right." I admit.


"So, I suppose this means we're partners." She sighs.


"Wha-" I go to ask what she means, but her hand covers my mouth before I can get the one word finished.


"I know this sounds strong, but I meant for the sake of the Badlands." She interjects quickly.


"I see..." My voice drifts off. I watch her, trying to read past the words she just said. There's hesitation in her voice, a reluctance I don’t quite understand. It’s not excitement or relief—it’s something else. Uncertainty? Fear?


Between us, the air feels dense. I wonder what keeps these groups going. I know it's been Mia's entire life. I just hope I am able to learn the ropes.


"So, where to?" I ask.


"First, we need to get you geared up." She replies, her hand relaxing on her right hip.


"I agree. I need some stuff so I can be more useful." I agree.


"Useful, you say?" She stifles a laugh.


"Yeah, in case of trouble like in that structure we wound up in due to the sand wyrm." I reply.


I start to see myself becoming more analytical as my time with Mia continues. I find myself standing next to a woman that actually makes me feel valued. That feeling is almost beyond my words. The absolute joyous feeling is beyond anything I have experienced in my life.

"So this way then." She says as she grabs my hand and half-drags me up a road.

My face feels hotter than the desert normally would have, as the Badlands have always been merciless as far back as our known history goes. I only hope that I can prove myself to survive in this crazy journey to save the Badlands.

We continue on the road. She seems determined to get out of here as quickly as possible. Almost as if she is anxious about something. Her shoulders tense ever so slightly, and her pace quickens. I can't seem to place my finger on it. Before I know it, she has us lowered beside a storefront. I watch quietly, as she does. We sit and wait.

"Keep calm and quiet." Mia instructs me, her voice barely above a whisper.

I reply with a simple nod. Whatever her reason, it must be a good one. I always find Mia has a purpose for everything in her possession. I figure her mind must work in similar ways.

I see three figures of various heights wearing the same plate-metal armor suits colored with red and green trim. Their armour is chipped and scratched from whatever encounters they had before. The middle one wears armour with a huge gash through both sides. It looks too damaged to be his. My mind jumps to the worst possibilities. Was it looted from a corpse? A fallen ally or a victim?

I shake the thought from my head.

The tallest one turns his head slightly as he passes. Just for a second. Just long enough that I feel his eyes pass over me. But then, just as quickly, he looks forward again, saying nothing.


I glance at Mia. She is leaned back with an expression of relief. I take her hand and she looks at me. I smile and nod with silence, bearing the weight of my understanding. I look back to see the three who passed us.

"Clear." I say, as I take a panoramic view of the area.

"Well, let's get into this place." She pulls me along.

My body gets dragged off the road and into the shop. I get up to my feet as soon as she stops. Mia can't seem to help but laugh lightly with a red-filled face. The shopkeeper is staring at us as if we were going insane.

"Uhm, may I be of assistance?" The shopkeeper speaks with an awkwardness that I can't put into words.

"I would like to get something that can be used by someone with no combat experience, but still lethal." Mia says.

"Ah, the mercenary. Aren't you working with the A.R.P.?"

"Yes, on my way out with a partner to the St. Lawrence Canyon." Mia answers the shopkeeper.

"Right." I add.

The shopkeeper walks to one of the many rusted steel doors, passing a glass display case showing a body that must be a thousand years old. I try not to think about how that thing must smell.

"Who is the mummy?" Mia asks as the shopkeeper begins to open the door.

"Well, you wouldn't believe it."

Mia's hand touches the glass gingerly. "Try me."

"The last Stormrider." The keep says with a confident grin.

"How are you sure?" Mia asks.

"I'm his third great-grandson." The keep sighs.

"Then why didn't you continue the legacy?" Mia asks.

A beat of silence. Ruko glances toward the corpse as if the answer is buried with it. "I am not with the capacity to fight the beings of the Badlands," he finally says. "Nor was my father."

He swings the rusted door open, unveiling a weapons cache. "Let's get back to what really matters, though—helping out those of you who can."

I examine the weapons, running my fingers over the sleek, bronze-colored rifle that catches my eye. The scope hums faintly, its display flickering as I lift it. Augmented reality sights.

"Zero point nine fives." Ruko says. "Will go through most things, even vehicles."

Nearby, I see a black metal cylinder with two blue stripes. I grab it, but as I move to test it—

"Don't!" Ruko's hand stops mine. "You'll have us all killed!"

"How?" I ask.

"The building is metal. That's an electric whip." He replies. "You'd electrocute us all."

I smirk. "I want it."

"Done." Mia says.

As I look over the pistols, my eyes land on one engraved with a "D." I lift it. "Ark Tech: DayBreaker."

"DayBreaker?!" Mia darts over immediately. "That was military exclusive!"

"Sounds good, so done." I smirk.

As Mia haggles over a metallic red object, I pick up a set of silver discs. Razor-thin. Deadly.

"I want these."

"Fine by me."

"Then let's get into the gadgets area." Mia says.

"Right." Ruko agrees.