Problems in the Rear View

"I'm not judging your results Xan, but I believe we might have wanted to stick around and destroy that creature." Xanthiana had fled immediately upon coming out of the mine leaving the mercenaries to deal with the hulking creature of the 99'ers. She was helped by them ignoring her and focusing on the rampaging beast, but Elly just had to be the voice of reason. Xanthiana was driving down the road, having gotten to her car and gotten out of the situation as soon as possible.

"I'm sure the mercenaries can handle it, and if they can't its not like one creature can destroy all of paradise can it?"

"I don't believe this is what we call an optimal situation Xan."

"Elly you have to work with me here."

"I'm just saying Xan, we shouldn't flee a situation we could help with." Xanthiana breathed out heavily. The ego device wasn't wrong in a traditional sense, but in the world that she lived in it was wrong in every sense of the word. In the new world the only person you help most was yourself in Xanthiana's experience. Her even helping the members of Top Notch was a bit of a stretch for her, but she had to pay them off, it was the one thing in the new world that seemed to bite you in the ass more than anything else, owing anyone anything.

"Tell you what Elly, next horrific creature that is killing mercenaries we'll stop and help, deal?"

"I have a feeling you won't honor this deal at all, but deal." Xanthiana had no plans to honor that deal, or hope that the deal would come to be honored at all, but it got the EGO off her back and that was important for the moment. The drive back to Top Notch was pretty uneventful, so much so that Xanthiana let her mind drift for a moment and almost slammed in to a make shift barricade being swarmed by what looked like a horde of people.

"What the shit?" The horde looked to be infected, probably with the disease that she had been sent to get the supplies to help combat.

"Careful Xan, they appear to be infected with an airborne mutagen that has made them rabid." Xanthiana had stopped the car short of the barricade, and so far the infected had not noticed her, but she didn't think that would hold out.

"Options?"

"We ran before."

"As good as that sounds Elly, I think if we don't stand and fight here there won't be a here to come back to."

"Oh sure ignore the giant interesting monster, stay and fight the horrible plague, you make no sense Xan."

"Clearly Elly you don't know Irathients at all." Xanthiana checked the ammunition in her rifle, took a deep breath, and opened the door.