The forest was silent, except the occassional flock of strange birds, circling the mountains high above. Their screeches, not unlike the eagles of Earth, echoed through the gray caverns.
"This is bullshit, Hearn...." Ozzy remarked.
Danny and Priest headed up the party, with Zarch and Ozzy in the rear. Adem strode between the pairs, silent for the moment. They had been walking for nearly ten minutes before anyone could properly convince Ozzy to cover himself. Priest had torn a loincloth from his own vest, the tan material barely covering the needed areas of Baxter's theoretically unimpressive lower half.
"Well, stop losing your clothes, then." Hearn replied in an irritated tone, his eyes fixed straight ahead.
The light glinted across the metallic texture of Baxter's body. After so many days, and so many battles, nearly seventy-five-percent of his physical exterior now gleamed with the dirty-gray bronze. And, as he had noticed, he was becoming heavier....
"I'm not talking about the clothes, and you know it!" Baxter insisted, his voice terse with frustration.
"Drop it, Baxter." Danny said.
"Fuck you! You can't just fire Epi!"
"Uhh....Zarch, now, please...." the archer mumbled, staring at the ground.
"I just did." the Aussie snapped, his voice tight and clipped.
"He saved my life! He pulled me out of that hellhole!" Baxter jabbed a finger up at him. "Where the hell were you, huh?"
"We were on our way to save your ass--"
"He DID save my ass!"
Danny slammed his heel into the ground, coming to a halt, and spinning around at the same time. Baxter immediately halted, he and Danny now face-to-face.
"You got a problem, Baxter?" Danny asked, his voice getting louder.
"Yeah, I do!" he nodded. "You're acting like a pompous bitch, throwing a damn tantrum!"
"This organiz--"
"I don't want to hear--"
"THIS organization depends on TRUST!" Danny's voice elevated to a full-blown yell. "There is NO room for anyone that cannot be upfront and honest about who and what they are!"
"Goddamn Smith walks around TOUTING his own mystery!" Baxter yelled in kind.
"Smith wasn't a card-carrying member of FUCKING STRIKEFORCE!!" Hearn yelled. "Remember them?!"
"Oh my god, that is SUCH a lame-ass excuse! I cannot believe you are going to try and play the 'Strikeforce' -card with me! Epi is NOT Strikeforce!"
"He used to be...." Danny stated, his voice suddenly falling to a lower tone. "....and I will not tolerate that kind of person....someone who's LIED to us from the beginning....to be part of this team...."
Ozzy's eyes narrowed with a tilted anger.
"....and, unlike you...." Danny continued. "....I won't make friends...with the same guys that killed Chance...."
Ozzy's face exploded with rage, as he instantly threw a punch at Hearn. The arm never left it's cocked-position, though, as a tight hand gripped Ozzy's wrist.
Baxter jerked his eyes to the left, Zarch holding his arm steady.
"No." Zarch shook his head solemnly. "No. Not like this."
Danny and Priest had already turned away, walking on, Adem beginning to follow them.
"...watch yourself Baxter...." Hearn replied, staring ahead.
Ozzy sneered.
"Oh, please....fire me Hearn....I dare you...."
