chapter 6

A group of people, two females, and four males were currently dashing through the ruined street of a ghost town, while behind them, a horde of skinless monster with exposed brain and long whip-like tongue where chasing their tails.

"I did not sign up for this shit?!" Ryuji complained as he sprinted faster and faster ahead of everyone else

"Whose fault is it that triggered this mess?!" Leonard shouted at the trap ancestor.

"Shut it ladies! Just keep on running!" a bearded man name Roger shouted at the two.

Flashback before the current mess that Leonard and Ryuji- along with another group of "NPC's" gotten themselves into such a mess.

****Roughly four hours prior****

"Where is that settlement A?" Leonard asked the woman named Jeanne for more information about what causing the little commotion that just passed them.

"Why do you want to know that?" her eyes narrowed as she looked at him.

"I want to relief boredom of course? You expecting us to hole up in here for the next month or so? No- I don't think so."

"Hey hey! What do you mean by US?! I like staying here- where it safe?!" Ryuji caught onto the conversation and quickly corrected Leonard.

"I meant exactly what I've said, you are coming with me." he grinned at the trap ancestor.

"Are you people planning ongoing to settlement A?" it was then that a bearded man walked up to their group and asked that question.

"Yes, we are planning to do that." Leonard nodded in reply.

"Why don't you join us? We could use a few helpers- you do know how to use a rifle right? Pretty boy and little miss? Seeing that you're with miss Jeanne." the bearded man then turned toward their chaperone, Jeanne.

"You know this uncle here, Jeanne?" Leonard asked out of curiosity.

"Of course she knows me, I'm her rival- her competition!" Jeanne did not bother to reply back before the man took liberty and replied back in her stead.

"Bad for business I see." Ryuji nodded as he comprehended the situation, only then a light bulb popped within his head.

"Hey! Get it right! I'm a man! A MAN!!! And since when did I agree to follow this idiot and expose myself to the shit that's outside?!" Ryuji complained.

"You don't, it's me who decide." Leonard chopped the trap ancestor on the head.

"I'm older than you, at least show me some respect." he pouted.

"You have to earn that respect from me- to do that, one, you have to follow my words, second- act a bit more mature for your age please, it's just a little bit hazardous, it won't kill you." Leonard shrugged.

"Also back to your question, I do know how to use a rifle, just not too proficient at it though, I prefer doing it with style." he answered.

"Yeah, style- blowing up shits, that's style for you." Ryuji commented while drawing circle with his finger on the pavement, still mucking over the lack of respect he received.

The bearded man now looked interest at Leonard.

"You're an expert in demolition? Aren't you a bit too young for that?" he asked out curiosity.

"In the field of fine arts, age is just a number." Leonard declared proudly, much to the dismay of Jeanne and Ryuji who listened into the conversation.

"In that case, good to have you on the same boat as us, brother." the bearded man wrap his thick arm around Leonard neck and said in a cheerful tone.

That's how they kicked off together…

Later on, the bearded man introduced himself to be Roger Gibson, leader of a freelance mercenary group of ragtag who usually goes outside of the settlement doing odd jobs, such as Cerberus cleanup operation, occasionally a licker or two or just out looking for some stuff that people would need and sell it at a high price once they get back in.

He introduced his team to Leonard and Ryuji- whom Leonard could guess that they're trying hard to recruit the two new blood into their group, of course Leonard being Leonard, he happily accepted their advancement into recruiting the two but then again, Ryuji ended up complaining a lot the moment Leonard accepted it.

*****

"Alright, this is how we're going to do it, report from the surviving member of the team who was supposed to clean up this area claimed that there are two Lickers lurking around the area, these guys has become a major hazardous for the settlement people and now it's our job to clean them up and get pay." Roger declared to the group before quickly loaded up his makeshift rifle.

"Right...you know the drill, spread out and look for them bastards, the newbies will be with me just in case shit happened- remember to send out the signal flare if you can't handle the shit if it were to come down on your head." he added.

The group quickly split up, Roger lead Leonard, Ryuji and- unexpectedly Jeanne toward the western part of the town while the other group of two took the eastern side.

"Be Careful, stick close to me and Jeanne, people LOVE to rig this area with all kind of traps, the last thing you want is to activate one of them." Roger sternly warned them- the moment he said that, everyone included Leonard suddenly had a feeling of dread creeping up their spine.

"Wait...where the hell is Ryuji?" he suddenly asked the moment he notices Ryuji wasn't with them anymore.

"I'm over here! Hey looks at what I found!" Ryuji called out for them from inside one of the street alleyway, which got everyone attention.

"...holy...shit…" Roger cigarette dropped from his mouth as he stared at the pink braided hair trap with mouth wide open large enough to fit an egg.

"I can see it now… I honestly wonder how this idiot managed to survive so long to become my ancestor…" Leonard commented as he looked at Ryuji, Jeanne did not say anything as she was speechless.

"What's with that face guys? Want some twinkies? There's still some more inside this box." the trap replied innocently as he opened another serving of the puffy cream filled cake snack.

"Whatever you do, Ryuji- DO NOT casually move around, okay?" Roger was shaking as he looked at the trap emperor- who was currently sitting with the baits on the red X marking in the middle of a minefield.

"Why is that?" Ryuji asked curiously as he casually stood up, ignoring the previous warning and just walked toward them without a single care in the world.

"No no no stop!" Jeanne finally decided to speak up and called out for him, but it was too late.

Ryuji suddenly felt that something snapped as he moved his foot, like a string being disturbed and break.

"...oh shit RUN!" Roger quickly bolted away, leaving Leonard and Jeanne behind by a couple of steps, of course, Leonard didn't just leave Ryuji in the middle of the soon firework show, he quickly used the shadow tendrils' skill and pulled the trap emperor away from the minefield with him

*BOoooOOOOMMM!!!!

The explosion shook the entire block of town.

"What the hell were you thinking you damn idiot!" Jeanne punched Ryuji hard on the head while reprimanding him harshly.

"I'm sowwy! I'm just a bit hungry." Ryuji eyes were watery as he looked at Jeanne.

*clicking sound *clicking sound

"Hey guys...I think we have something other than Ryuji stomach to worry about… Roger...did the information you have on hand said anything about more than "two" Lickers? Because even though I'm horrible at math- that right there ain't two…" Leonard turned to the clicking sound that he heard and behold...a small horde of exposed brain and red muscle creatures with long whip-like tongue are currently "watching" them intensively.

"...no, you sure that we're not high on anything this morning?" Roger replied back.

"I'm sure other than taking a nice long breath in a radioactive city ruin...no...you?" Leonard asked the bearded individual.

"I say we can start running now…" Ryuji suggested and quickly took off to the opposite direction- back to the place where the group had previously split off.

"Shit RUN! I'll shoot the flare to warn the other!" Roger quickly pulled out his flare gun and shot out a round and took off right behind Ryuji- the moment Roger shot that flare, the entire horde of lickers were riled up and began their pursuit.

"...well shit, hold on tight." Leonard turned to Jeanne and picked her up in a bridal style and quickly dashed after the other two who had "abandoned" them/

"Wahhh!!!! What the hell! Let me go!" that was all Jeanne could scream from the top of her lung.

Leonard quickly caught up with the two and soon, they met up with the other two people that were from Roger group with a confused look on their face- which soon turned into that of sheer terror as they spotted the reason for the signal flare.

"what the hell?!" the female screamed as she pointed at the horde of mutated freaks.