Day Two: Afternoon

[Yamu]

Yamu felt like they were going in circles, but truthfully everything had looked the same on the island except for the Hill and the Farm. The hairless human had drawn a little barn on his map where they had found the quaint structures, the food they had packed would only last two or three days and he was determined to not let hunger be a factor in the game.

The three of them would talk in snippets or share a quick joke as they hiked, but none of them wanted to give their position away so talk was short and soft as the sun was up high. The all felt a sense of foreboding, the night had been so calm the day would surely make up for it. The trio was tense on constant alert for the slightest threats. The mental down time let the Arlian Guardian?s imagination wander, as hard as he tried to pay attention to his surroundings day dreams of what the future might hold bubbled up, unwanted, into his brain.

?So, Yamu, ever heard the one about the Namek on Arlia?? Jeice said with a smile as he edged backwards a little so he only had to talk just above a whisper, ?He goes up to the King and asks him-?

?Shss!? Paragus hissed, dropping to a kneeling position with his gun sighted an aimed. Right behind his warning all three of their scouters went off showing two power signatures directly in front of them. Paragus?s one good eye was very good, indeed. The warriors took cover, S-man hissing as he followed Jeice behind a low outcropping of rocks.

The two readings stopped moving forward just as they took cover.

Of course their scouters would have picked us up as well?

Luckily, from their cover Yamu could see the others clearly clearly, like they had lined up behind an incomplete breast works, parallel but just not continuous coverage.

None of them knew any official hand signals but a short pantomime from Yamu was all that was needed and a quick nod back from the other two put them all on the same page. They had strayed off the road and the trees were thick here, you couldn?t see past fifty feet without a wall of wood keeping your vision form going any further. They would use the thick woods to their advantage.

Paragus sprang up from the mass of logs and began spraying a volley ki bullets in a wide arc, erupting trees and creating a hellish drum solo that resonated outward. Jeice and Yamu spun and dashed forward, their melee weapons itching for bloos and their saibaman on the front line, giggling in his eagerness for violence.

The close quarters pair circled around the sides of the swath of destruction the one eyed Saiya-Jin was creating, hoping to flank the mysterious pair that had showed up on their scouters.

Just as Yamu turned the corner of a thick oak to where the bleep was, Celipa dropped from an overhanging limb in a shower of leaves and branches and planted her shotgun into Yamu?s chest. ?Yamu??

?Celipa?? They paused, giving each other a surprised look as the old Saiya-Jin?s bullets continued to ring out. ?HOLD YOUR FIRE!? The veiny titan shouted, his voice barely able to reach over the din the weapon created.

The rhythmic ?thump? of the gun stopped and Jeice yelled from deeper in the woods, ?Have you been captured, Yamu??

?NO! THEY?RE FRIENDS!? He pitched his voice lower, nodding his head towards the barrel pressed against his chest. ?Aren?t we??

The female Saiya-Jin flashed a wicked smile, ?For now, I guess. Bujin-?

Just then the rhythmic thumping sound started again and Celipa and Yamu had to duck as ki bullets smashed into the tree just behind them.

Yamu shouted from the ground, ?PARAGUS!?

?IT?S NOT ME!? He replied, searching frantically for the incoming assault.

Celipa began to shout but she began just then the gun stopped, making her seem way too excited in her loud volume, ?NO! IT IS?Bujin?? The blue fighter walked out from behind a tree, smoke streaming from his gun. ?Bujin! I was about to say you could come on out!?

?I couldn?t hear you over my gun??

?Well?that certainly counts as a good introduction.? Yamu tried to make a friendly smile, ?C?mon?we raided a farm and have some food. You?re welcome to join us, it?d be nice to get to know you?Bujin was it??

?Yeah, whatever?as long as it isn?t bread??

Paragus walked up, his gun shouldered. ?You sure about them, Yams??

?I?m sure about one of ?em at least. I know you feel it?something big is coming and them two have some firepower. I know you have felt it. The air has been heavy all day.? The Saiya-Jin nodded grimly. ?Let?s go fire up some of those cans and make some new friends, eh? Feels like we?ll need ?em.?