The Badlands: Kinship

 "Fine." Mia says with her arms crossed.

To me it seems as if she doesn't have any desire to find me as a insurance while in the Badlands. She must be so used to being alone by now, I couldn't begin to try to imagine. Her demeanor changes in a moments 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 is something sounding strong, but I meant for the sake of the badlands." She interjects quickly.

"I see..." My voice drifts off.

Between us the air feels dense. I wonder what keeps these groups going. I know its 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 with her hand relaxing on the 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 loved and wanted. 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. 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.

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 on the trim of the plates. Their armor is chipped and scratched from whatever encounters they had before, however the middle one is wearing armor with a huge gash through both sides of it. It is almost as if they are wearing some one else's armor whom either was their victim or close to them. I shake the thought from my head.

They continue along their path. I look to Mia, she is leaned back with an expression of relief. I take her hand and she looks to 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, lets get into this place." She pulls me along.

My body gets dragged off the roads and into the shop. I get up to my feet as soon as she stops. Mia cant seem to help but laugh lightly with a red filled face. The shop keep is staring at us as if we were going insane.

"Uhm, may I be of assistance?" The shop keep speaks with an awkwardness that I can't put to 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 shop keep.

"Right." I add.

I feel a little uneasy trying to keep myself from unveiling too much. The shop keep walks to one of the many rusted steel doors, towards 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 shop keep begins to open the door on the right side of the mummy.

"Well, you wouldn't believe it." Mia's hand touches the glass gingerly.

"Try me." Mia says, a serious look worn on her face, only seen to me by the reflection of the glass display.

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

"How are you sure?" Mia asks.

I walk around the two of them to look at the body where the eyes once were. Seeming like pits of sheer evil, I couldn't imagine it being of a legend. My heart sinks.

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

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

"Mia, I don't-" I go to speak and she places her hand over my mouth.

"I am not with the capacity to fight the beings of the badlands." The keep says. "Nor was my father." They finish their statement as they swing the rusted door open, unveiling a weapons cache. "Let's get back to what really matters though, helping out those of you who can." The keep seems to be very interested in the business of our visit.

"Etha, pick three, one for a main, grab a rifle or shotgun, a side arm and not to mention a melee weapon. I suppose I meant pick four. We have a couple of rooms to visit in here yet." Mia gestures to the room.

"And who is covering all of this?" The keep asks.

"I am." Mia says. "Put it onto my account." She tosses a weird little key like device to the keep.

I look at the room. It seems she really wants me to be equipped if I am going to keep travelling with her. I know automatically I am going to go with a rifle over a shotgun. I walk into the weapons cache. I feel so small, some weapons in here are almost as big as I am.

"Pretty good collection, am I correct?" The keep snickers.

"I'm impressed." Mia says.

"That in itself is impressive." I joke with Mia. "Might I get your name, Shopkeep?" I ask.

As I finish my sentence I see a bronze colored rifle. Its look is sleek and has a lengthy scope on it. I continue to analyze the rifle. I pick it up from the shelf it is resting on. I look into the scope and the sights are all based on augmented reality.

"My name is Ruko." He says, admitting his identity. "Ah, I also see your interested in the old world tech, huh?" Ruko adds.

"Well, we prefer to liberate old world technology to utilize it for a better purpose." Mia says.

"Yeah, but this sight, its automatic adjusting. That's what is interesting. What's it shoot?" I ask.

"Zero point Nine Five's." Ruko says. "Will go through most things, even vehicles." He smiles.

I see a small black metal cylinder with two different blue stripes on it. I get a small smirk to cross my face. I aim the larger striped side to my leg and prepare to hit my led. I swing it down.

"Don't!" Ruko says as he stops my hand dead in its track with his own. "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 want it for my melee weapon." I say.

"Done." Mia says.

I walk around the shop and see the pistols. I don't see there being much use to them for what we are doing. I still continue to entertain the idea. In the pile I see a pistol with the engraved letter D. I pick it up to see it better.

"Ark Tech: DayBreaker." I say.

"Daybreaker?!" Mia darts over to me immediately.

"Yeah..." I drift off.

"It was a limited, military exclusive weapon." She says.

"Alright."

"If you don't take it, I will." Mia says.

"Sounds like its good, so done." I smirk.

I don't have the best idea to handle all of this fancy equipment, but I know it is going to be handy. I still need my main weapon of choice. I keep thinking of how to make my electric whip have more uses. I think as I pace about the shelves. I see Mia looking at some rectangular thing, I cant imagine it being anything significant.

"How much?" She asks Ruko and lifts the rectangle thing, its metallic red shine is eye captivating.

"Four Thousand." Ruko says.

"How about Thirty five hundos?" She haggles with him.

"Agreed." Ruko nods.

I keep walking about the room and I know I have something in here that would be perfect for me. I keep a gaze on all the shelves for something to leap out to me. I feel as if I need something to compliment my whip. I can't wait to see what Ruko has in here. I see a silver sheen from a few rows over. I scurry over.

I watch the spot I seen the sheen coming from. I stare down and Mia peers over my shoulder and watches what I'm up to. I stare down at the silver discs that caused the sheen. They appear sharp and I smile, I have an idea.

"I want these." I say.

"Well, thats fine." Mia says.

"I think thats it for in here." I say.

"Then lets get into the Gadgets area." Mia says.

"Right." Ruko agrees.