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From the Zone with love	By : deepsearuin Category: +S through Z > S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadows of Chernobyl Views: 943 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own S.T.A.L.K.E.R., nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Red Forest was a wild ride from the start. They had just been ambushed by bandits and attacked by a bloodsucker before going there. Then, after coming out of the tunnel and crossing the drawbridge, they got caught in the crossfire between more bandits and the military. Scar and Strelok had no choice but fighting back to back, to cover each other. The bandits were dealt with swiftly, but the military posed a more serious problem. If it wasn't because one of the dead bandits had been carrying a grenade in his backpack, Strelok wasn't so sure they could have killed the military. Unfortunately, after that little blood bath, their reserves of ammo had dwindled dramatically.
Because their luck was simply that amazing, down the main road there was a huge Monolith patrol, of course. Strelok was surprised the drawbridge hadn't crashed down while they crossed, truly it was a miracle. The northern tunnel was inaccessible because, as Scar wasted no time in reminding him, Strelok blew it up the last time he was here. So their choices were either fleeing into the thick of the forest, or tackling down at least the Monolith squad. Thinking of their meagre ammo supplies, they went into the forest. Things hadn't really improved much since then.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Strelok asked for the third time.
"For the last time, yes!" Scar was starting to lose his calm. This place had the magic effect of souring everyone's mood.
He had let Scar lead the way because he claimed to remember this part of the forest well, while Strelok mostly remembered the part closest to the Scorcher. But he was starting to regret letting the mercenary lead, he was sure they were lost. Strelok continued trudging through the radioactive forest, following Scar. They definitely should have saved the vodka to wash away the radiation. True, the anti radiation meds were more effective, but they always left Strelok feeling like he was going to throw up. Mixed with the burning pain coming in waves from his leg, he felt even worse than when he awoke after the Death truck crash.
After who knows how much time going around the forest, Scar suddenly stopped to check the map on his PDA. In Strelok's mind, this confirmed his suspicions Scar had no idea where they were going. Strelok took a look around, trying to find a familiar landmark or something that wasn't just trees and more trees. At first he didn't see anything out of the ordinary, but soon he noticed a subtle wave in the air right in front of them. He threw a bolt and it bounced away mid air, making small distortion waves appear in that spot. Strelok threw some more bolts in different directions and all yielded the same results.
"You're leading us into a cluster of anomalies." Strelok informed him with an irritated huff. He would have added some other comment about Scar's incompetence, but he felt too tired to make the effort.
Scar threw a bolt of his own. The air rippled and the bolt bounced away, smacking him in the forehead. Serves him right for doubting Strelok.
"We'll have to take a detour." The mercenary announced, looking again at his PDA.
"Are you sure –"
"Shut up and try to keep up the pace." Scar didn't let him finish that question.
Later, after leaving behind the cluster of whirligigs, they arrived to a short tunnel full of snorks. Killing them was exhausting work, constantly evading their jumps, kicks and attacks. It was like fighting against an agile break dancer intent on mauling you. One of them kicked Strelok on the wound in his leg and sent him sprawling to the floor. The pain stole his breath away, like he'd been sucker punched, but he recovered in time to kill the mutant before it jumped at him. However, he needed Scar's help to get up. Also, he was out of buckshots, wasn't that awesome? He switched back to his SIG and followed Scar out of the tunnel.
They found a clearing on the other side of the tunnel. It was a small plain surrounded by ill looking tress. In the middle of it there was a strange formation of jagged rocks, like a rocky claw waiting to crush whoever walked beneath it. Charming. Strelok limped towards one of the smaller, flatter rocks and sat on it. He felt winded, like he'd been running for miles. Thank God for the artifacts he carried in his belt, to boost his endurance and health, otherwise he would have dropped down exhausted a long time ago.
"Alright there? You're looking pale as a ghost." Scar's concern annoyed him. What did he care?
"Peachy," he snapped, "just needed to catch my breath."
The mercenary walked up to him and put his hand on Strelok's forehead. What the hell was he doing?
"Get away from me!" Strelok shoved him away.
"I think you may have a fever." Scar sounded worried. Strelok scowled at him.
He wished Scar would stop with this being concerned about him business. It made him uncomfortable. When he acted like a decent human being it was so easy to forget what he'd done in the past. They weren't friends and he didn't want the gratitude he sometimes felt towards him.
"I'm fine." Strelok lied. He didn't feel fine, he was tired as hell. But that didn't mean he had a fever. "It's the anti radiation meds, they make me feel sick as a dog."
Scar didn't make any other comments, thank goodness, he simply sat on the grass and took out a diet sausage. Strelok supposed he should eat something as well, he didn't remember the last time he ate. However, he wasn't hungry. He just needed to rest for a bit and then he'd be right as rain.
He observed the jagged rocks ahead. The ground near it was cracked in concentric rings. He'd seen similar formations before and would bet good money on that being an anomaly. If he looked hard enough he could almost distinguish a faint distortion in the middle. Then he saw a snork crawl out from there. Strelok raised his weapon and shot at it. The mutant became translucent and then blinked out of existence. He lowered his weapon, feeling like a moron. It was just an illusion.
"Calm down, it's the anomaly." Scar didn't look remotely concerned about that.
"This anomaly produces a psy field?" It was the only explanation for the hallucinations, but he never before found an anomaly that could do that. Scar just shrugged and continued eating.
Strelok closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to clear his mind. They would soon continue walking and his wounded leg wasn't feeling up to the task; hell, Strelok himself wasn't feeling up to the task. A soft gust of wind filtered through the trees, like a whisper, and he suppressed a shiver. Red Forest never failed to give him the creeps, even the most innocuous things took on a twisted turn in here. The strange anomaly didn't help either, psy energy always felt like a strange buzzing in the back of his skull.
Eager to leave behind this place with the psy field generating anomaly, he announced he was ready to continue. Scar eyed him critically but said nothing. Good, he wasn't in the mood to put up with his concern and the uncomfortable feelings it stirred in him.
They left the clearing behind and advanced into the thick forest once more. The vegetation was dense and it was constantly getting caught in Strelok's torn trouser leg or poking him in the wound. Strelok was sure it was bleeding again. The constant stabs of pain were making him go slower and slower. God, it was torture. He dragged behind Scar, hoping the mercenary wouldn't notice.
A heavy, thumping sound came from somewhere on their left and Strelok stopped. He had a really bad feeling about this. He turned around and saw a pseudo-giant between the trees. Oh shit! He had no idea those things liked to roam in the forest; he'd always seen them on places devoid of thick vegetation, like plains, or even inside buildings. They couldn't kill it, not without wasting all their remaining ammo. And even then, their success was doubtful.
"We need to run." Scar needlessly urged him.
He didn't need to say that twice, Strelok had already started running as best as he could. Even if he was jogging more than running, he reacted faster than the mercenary. The pain was secondary to survival.
They ran for dear life, the pseudo-giant in hot pursuit of them. The ground echoed with the mutant's heavy footsteps, shaking like it was a small earthquake. It was terrifying, Strelok was sure the mutant would flatten them in a moment. To make things worse, soon they discovered they were sort of trapped. Right in front of them there was a thick belt of electros. What was better, getting trampled by the pseudo-giant or being electrocuted in the anomalies?
The anomalies were definitely the lesser evil. Strelok got closer to an electro and threw a bolt at it. The anomaly exploded in an electric discharge, but in the seconds it took to re-form he crossed over it. Now it was a matter of repeating the same with the next layer of anomalies. Scar quickly caught up and started doing the same. The pseudo-giant then stomped hard on the ground, like it was throwing a tantrum because they were getting away. The ground shook hard and they both stumbled. The momentary misstep made Scar get zapped. Painful but not lethal, as Strelok knew from past experiences. Scar was well enough to keep running, the electric shock a good incentive to just run faster and escape the field of anomalies.
The pseudo-giant followed them right to the anomaly belt. The mutant was too big and stomped over multiple electros, getting shocked over and over. It emitted a shrill cry of distress. Its fate was now to slowly die electrocuted, unless it succeeded in escaping from where it came; either way, it would top pursuing them. Thank God for small mercies.
They kept running for a little while just to be on the safe side. The more distance between them and the pseudo-giant, the better. Its anguished cries could still be heard, accompanied by the crackling sound of electric discharges.
Strelok felt short of breath and dizzy, the pain on his wounded leg pulsing madly along with his heartbeat. His bones weighed like they were made of lead and he felt like he'd been ran over by a car, yet he forced himself to carry on. He couldn't wait to be out of this forest.
#
The Red Forest was never-ending, or so it appeared to be. Scar knew he was on the right path, most probably. It was so easy to get lost in here, under the canopy of sickly leaves that kept the forest in half shadows. They had to take another detour to avoid a lethally irradiated area. The only warning they had before their dosimeters started a frenzied beeping was a lone stalker's body decaying beneath the undergrowth. There were more bodies further ahead, the flies buzzing over them like a beacon. They gave the area a wide berth and popped down some more anti radiation meds.
It felt like they had been walking forever. In fact they had been walking all day long since the sun was barely out. Scar was tired and his right foot still tingled from getting shocked by the electro. He could only imagine how Strelok was holding up. The stalker worried him, he looked sickly. A quick peek to the PDA informed him they were close to the Mining Complex, and from there they could take the road that would lead them out of Red Forest and into Army Warehouses.
The loud beeping noises coming from both their PDAs broke through the thick silence of the forest. It was a warning of an oncoming blowout. Fuck, couldn't they just a catch a break? Thankfully, they were more or less close to a safe place. Scar quickened his pace and Strelok followed him, dragging his feet like a zombie. He could already see the buildings through the trees' branches.
The old Mining Complex was down a slope, which turned out to be steeper than he anticipated. Scar slid down and gracelessly landed on his ass. On his part, Strelok's unsteady steps made him fall and tumble all the way down. Scar yanked him up, and had half a mind to carry Strelok this last stretch until they reached a safe haven, but the stalker refused his help and stubbornly carried on.
They took refuge in the same building where Forester used to live. There was no trace of the old man, not even his old hunting rifle hanging on the wall. Scar wondered what happened to him. Had the Zone finally claimed him or was he still alive somewhere else? Wherever the old man was, he most certainly wouldn't mind them taking shelter here. Strelok plopped down on a rickety chair, taking shuddering breaths like he'd ran a marathon. Never mind how much the stalker insisted he was fine, he wasn't.
"Let me take a look at that." Scar knelt before him and slowly unwrapped the bloodied bandages on his leg.
Strelok hissed in pain and looked like he wanted to complain, but in the end he said nothing. He was grateful Strelok didn't put up a fight, but Scar wasn't sure if his silence was a good sign or a bad one. Definitely a bad sign. The wound was a swollen, bleeding mess and he was sure it was infected. Shit. They had only a pair of basic medkits left and, for some reason, the only medkits that came with antibiotics (and anti rads) were the scientific ones. He scoured the cupboards in the vain hope of finding something, anything, but of course there were no medical supplies just lying around waiting to be used.
The emission raged on the outside, flashes of red lightning accompanied by loud, rumbling noise. It went on and on. Rationally, Scar knew all blowouts lasted approximately the same amount of time, but this one seemed endless to him. The sooner they arrived to Army Warehouses, the sooner they'll arrive to the Freedom base. He'd been friends with a couple of guys stationed there. Good men, not like those uptight Duty assholes that looked down at mercs like they were no better than the dirt on their boots. He knew he would be well received at Freedom's base. And they would be decently stocked with medical supplies. Strelok needed those before his wound got even worse.
When the emission finally ended Scar wanted to get going, but Strelok proposed to investigate the complex and stay the night here. He was convinced the stalker didn't give a damn about exploring, he only wanted to stop walking for the day and was too stubborn to admit he wasn't fine as he insisted. However, they still had a good two hours before it was too dark to see anything, time enough to get to the Freedom base. In the end, Strelok relented and agreed to continue.
Scar kept a slow pace, unconsciously accommodating to Strelok's rhythm. At least walking on a road was much easier than going across the forest. It was a welcome respite. The shadows were not so oppressive here, despite the late hour, since there wasn't a thick cover of leaves blocking the light. Scar had been walking slowly, taking in on their surroundings and not paying much attention to what lied ahead on the road. None of them noticed the odd glimmer of light in the middle of their path, not until it was too late.
The small bubble appeared out of nowhere right in front of them, preceded only by a small flicker of light. Everyone in the Zone knew that most anomalies appeared and disappeared randomly after blowouts, but not many witnessed firsthand how a new anomaly was formed. No doubt it was a unique experience, but Scar was more worried about the fact it was expanding quickly and they were so close to it.
The bright bubble engulfed them. There was blinding flash of light and then an odd sensation, like being pushed into cold water. However, nothing sinister happened. They were still whole and unharmed. That was good. Also, they weren't on the same place as before.
"A teleporter," Strelok's voice was full of awe. "I've seen some before, in the CNPP. Those aren't common anomalies."
"Very interesting, but where are we now?" Scar grumbled, not sharing Strelok's fascination.
He disliked those things since the first time someone referred to them as black holes. Not a very reassuring comparison, even if it wasn't accurate. Nevertheless, such anomalies really were harmless. He just didn't like going through them. Scar checked his map and, according to his PDA, they were still in Red Forest, right at the other side of it. At least this time there was no Monolith patrols on the road.
"We're back at the beginning," Scar said aloud.
"I'm not going to cross all Red Forest again," Strelok warned him.
"No," Scar agreed. There was no way they were going to cross all the forest again. "I guess we're going to Yantar now."
Yes, Yantar would do nicely. If Scar remembered correctly, there was a permanent scientific outpost there. The only problem was that first they had to go through Dead City.
Despite what its name might suggest Dead City was, in fact, not dead. No, it was surprisingly full of people, mostly bandits and mercenaries tangled in a war to control the place. It also received the occasional mutant coming in from the Yantar border. Still, it was better than crossing Red Forest once more, or so he hoped.
It started raining the very moment they arrived to Dead City. Strelok needed his help to walk, he couldn't support much weight on his wounded leg, and Scar felt him shivering through the layers of damp clothing. The stalker radiated heat like a piece of burning coal even when soaked with cold rain. And yet Strelok didn't complain, in fact he hadn't spoken a word since they went through the teleporting anomaly.
Since it was getting dark, and Scar didn't know how long it would take them to reach Yantar's mobile lab, he proposed to spend the night in one of the empty buildings. Strelok agreed with a sigh of relief, and Scar felt bad for having forced him to go on in his current state. They took shelter in a small apartment block that looked identical to the others around. Scar sat on the floor and ate a can of tourist's breakfast while Strelok, at Scar's insistence, nibbled half-heartedly a loaf of bread. After they ate, the stalker took out his sleeping bag and fell asleep almost instantly.
Scar drifted between sleep and wakefulness, mindful of every noise he heard. He'd only been once in Dead City, a long time ago, but it was still the same shithole he remembered. Empty ruins of buildings lined the streets and the ever present smell of gunpowder and decay clung in the air. The sound of gunshots and screams were also a permanent fixture of this place, as mercenaries and bandits fought a never-ending war for this poor excuse of a city.
At some point past six in the morning he couldn't sleep anymore. A pale glow started to spread in the horizon and the sky lost its inky black colour, but the sunrise would yet take its time to arrive. The sounds of the firefight had slowly died down during the night, and Scar thought it would be a good moment to get out of here. He woke Strelok and the stalker got up reluctantly. A full night's sleep hadn't done him much good, he was all drenched in sweat and haggard. Scar helped him change his bloody bandages again, and the wound was even worse than yesterday. The faint red lines radiating from it were most worrying.
"It's infected, isn't it?" Strelok asked him. He didn't look worried, just deadly tired. He cracked a weak smile, "you may have been right yesterday, about me having a fever."
"Can you walk properly?"
"I think so." Strelok didn't sound very sure of that, but they set off all the same. Waiting wouldn't really help.
The roads on the outskirts were blessedly empty, luck appeared to be on their side for once. They only encountered a pair of distracted bandits on the road. Despite his sluggish reaction, Strelok managed to killed one of them, and Scar put the other down before he realised what happened to his companion. They looted the bodies in search of ammo, found nothing useful, and then continued walking.
The gunshots came back once more, muffled, coming from the nearby school. For fuck's sake, how many people were fighting for this worthless place? They stuck to roads on the city fringes, hoping to avoid this new firefight. Nevertheless, the school was unavoidable, it sat right in the edge of their path. Screams and gunshots echoed inside it, and a mercenary group was taking positions on the entrance. No one paid them any mind, too wrapped up in their assault to notice two figures scurrying down the road.
Dead City was connected to Yantar through the old factory. The last time Scar was in Yantar it was impossible to go very far into the factory without risking brain damage, due to the intense psy field that used to shroud the area. But according to the news he read some time ago, it was safe to go into the factory now. Well, as safe as a mutant den can be.
Their luck ended the moment they reached the gate that connected Dead City with the Yantar factory. The exit was open and overflowing with zombified stalkers. Shit. The zombies didn't seem to have a destination in their empty minds, they just shambled around, mumbling and dragging their weapons, and occasionally stopping dead on their tracks like a toy that ran out of batteries. Still, it was better to not underestimate them.
"What's the matter?" Strelok asked him when Scar stopped in the middle of the road.
"Zombies," was the laconic answer.
"Then we take them out." Scar had to admit, Strelok was a determined bastard, even if he looked like he was one step away from collapsing.
"How many bullets do you have? Because I'm almost out of ammo."
"Same here," Strelok admitted with a sigh. "Let's hope it's enough."
The good news was that after putting several bullets in a zombie, they would fall down and convulse on the ground. Even though they weren't dead, if they were on the ground at least they weren't shooting at Scar and Strelok. Also, the zombies' bad coordination meant their aim was crap. Even so, Scar had one bullet graze his upper arm. It burnt and it bled, but it was just a superficial injury.
The bad news was that Scar quickly went through his remaining ammo and now he was down to the loaded Makarov he'd found back in Limansk. Strelok had also run out of bullets, judging by the sad clicking sound coming from his SIG. At least they were done here, more or less.
With the zombified stalkers either dead or temporarily down, they crossed the gate and ventured into the maze that was the factory. Strelok tried to walk as fast as possible, but he limped too much and could barely support any weight with his bad leg. Scar helped him walk like he did last night. He put the feverish stalker's arm on his shoulders and held Strelok by the waist, his hand landing on a patch damp with warm blood. It seemed one of the zombies' bullets had grazed him as well. Scar dragged the wounded stalker as fast as he could, evading the occasional shot from the zombies that had already gotten up from the ground.
"I'm sick of everyone trying to kill me," Strelok panted. Scar had no doubt that was a not so subtle dig against him.
"Yeah, surely I have no idea how that feels." Being a mercenary normally didn't garner much sympathy among stalkers from other factions, it was not uncommon to be received with a hail of bullets.
The maze-like complex usually was full of snorks and zombies, but right now it was deceptively empty. The weak light of early morning made the burnt fuzz hanging from the buildings look like sinister draperies that cast distorted shadows everywhere. The oppressive silence and the general aura of wrongness in this place always made Scar's hair stand on end.
"At least they give up easily," Strelok commented with a sigh, looking back at their scatter brained pursuers. "I gotta admit, of all people who tried to kill me, you were the most persistent one."
Scar didn't deign to reply to that beyond a small grunt. If Strelok started needling him, he would drop him like a sack of potatoes. His good will only went so far.
"You were also the most attractive one." Scar nearly chocked. Alright, that had been completely unexpected. Strelok was oblivious to his puzzlement and continued his drowsy ramblings. "It's mostly the... your eyes... it sends shivers down my spine every time you look at me."
"I think you might be delirious." That was the only explanation of why the stalker was saying this.
He would think about Strelok's ramblings later, when they weren't in immediate danger. Right now, Scar preferred to focus on the group of snorks he spotted in the distance. Everything would be fine as long as they didn't come closer. The eight rounds of his Makarov wouldn't do much against them all.
The landscape became more familiar after he turned around a corner. The rusted crates, decayed buildings and piles of corpses were something difficult to forget. They were closer to the entrance of the complex. Strelok stumbled and slipped on a half eaten and rotted corpse. Scar gripped him tighter and, after a second's hesitation, hoisted him up and carried him over his shoulders.
"We're lucky I'm the one that can't walk... I don't think I could carry you around." Strelok mumbled as he let himself sag against Scar's shoulder.
He said nothing. The stalker's body was too hot, almost unbearably so, especially in contrast to the cold morning air. Thank God they would soon be out of here, he could already see the exit. There were more zombies shuffling around the main yard, slowly coming towards them. If it was necessary, Scar would run the last stretch of the way to get out of this damned factory.
#
Strelok woke up to an uncommon situation: he was lying on a bed, in a room with no holes on the walls, and a roof over his head. The place looked familiar, but it could be because it was a prefab and they all looked the same. When he tried to move, he noticed he was connected to an IV drip. That was odd, not even Doc used an IV drip. Carefully, very carefully, he took out the needle from his arm.
He didn't remember how he arrived here, wherever here was. Had he fainted again? Strelok hoped that wasn't the case, it would be embarrassing. Although fainting seemed to be becoming his specialty: he fainted on labs X-18 and X-16, and he also passed out when Scar had sewn the wound on his leg. Scar... Oh God, he remembered some of the things he told the mercenary, before allegedly fainting, and he felt shame consume him. He should have never said such nonsense. Thank goodness he didn't have to face Scar now, the mercenary probably dumped him here and then left. It was more than he ever expected from him.
The peaceful silence was interrupted by the sound of unhurried footsteps coming closer and closer. An old man dressed with a green lab coat entered the room, carrying another bag for the IV drip, bandages and medkits.
"It's good to see you're awake young man." Professor Sakharov greeted him and dropped what he was carrying on top of the other bed. "How are you feeling?"
"Slightly confused?" Truly that was quite a normal state of being for Strelok, especially during his time as Marked One.
"I'd say that's quite normal after sleeping for nearly three days." Sakharov eyed the discarded needle of the IV drip with a frown, clearly not happy that Strelok had taken it off on his own. "The bullet wound on your waist should be fine, but I need to make sure the bite isn't infected again."
Strelok let the professor change the bandages and inspect his leg. He was sure it was heaps better than what he remembered, since this time there was no constant pain radiating from it. Sakharov didn't find anything to complain about and re-bandaged his leg.
"You said I'd been here for three days?" Strelok asked with curiosity. Three days was a long time.
"Hmm, looks alright, but you should still take antibiotics," Professor Sakharov handed him a sealed blister of pills. "Yes, your friend brought you here three days ago. Don't worry, he's still around. He was kind enough to accept to run a few errands for me."
"He's not my friend," Strelok quickly replied. And of course the mercenary was kind enough to accept whatever job the professor offered him, the scientists had a reputation of paying well.
"Really? I would say that anyone who comes check on your progress every day is definitely a friend. Never mind, I have work to do and surely you'll have something to do as well."
The professor left, leaving behind all the supplies he dumped on the other cot. Strelok sat on the bed and eyed them, tempted to take them all. One never knew when such supplies could come in handy when you were out there exploring. However, out of respect for Professor Sakharov, he didn't take anything.
The bunker was as poorly lit as he remembered. After taking his weapons from the locker where they were stashed, Strelok decided that he'd like to take a walk outside and bask in the sunlight. He went out of the small room and into the corridor, where he crashed against a pile of crates occupying a dark corner. Angry, high pitched squeals came from inside the crate he'd kicked and Strelok jumped startled. He realised the crates must contain mutants for studying, probably rats, and felt quite foolish for his reaction. The surprised jump had jarred his bad leg, but thankfully it barely hurt. It was such a stark difference from the agonizing pain he remembered from before.
The enclosed area around the bunker was a lot livelier than the last time he visited this place. A small group of scientists, all clad in brightly coloured protective suits, took some measurements and argued about the results, while a group of stalkers patrolled around. A couple of guys in Duty uniform stood guard in the entrance. That was always a good signal.
There wasn't much sun outside, but he still appreciated the fresh air. It was reinvigorating. For the first time in weeks, he felt fine. Not stressed, or in pain. Maybe he should take some time off, go visit Doc and let him know he was still alive. Yes, that sounded like a plan.
There was a small commotion in the yard as the Duty guards aimed their guns at someone. However, they quickly relaxed once more. A tall figure entered the enclosure, throwing a dismissive glance to the Dutyers, and went direct to Strelok.
"Took you long enough to wake up." The mercenary slung the Vintar over his shoulder. He stood close to him, perhaps too close. Strelok took one step backwards.
"I thought you would be drinking on the 100 Rads by now."
"The scientists had some jobs for me. Besides, after all the effort I put into keeping you alive I was sort of interested in how you were doing." Scar answered like it was no big deal, but it was. At least to Strelok it was.
"And why did you put so much effort in it? If I had been in your place, I would have been tempted to leave me behind." Yes, if they switched positions, he would have been so tempted to leave an injured enemy behind. Except they weren't enemies anymore, were they?
"Who says I wasn't tempted?" Scar chuckled and shook his head. "Maybe I'm a better person than you thought, or maybe I'm easily fooled by a cute face."
Oh, so Scar remembered that part of his delirious ramblings. Strelok scowled at him. "If you're mocking me–"
"And if I'm not?"
Strelok was rendered speechless. What was Scar playing at? The mercenary was looking at him in that damnable way that made him feel strangely anxious. Strelok nervously licked his lips and looked back at him, unable to move or even think properly.
"Marked One, I'm glad to see you're alright!"
Kruglov's cheerful greeting brought everything to a grinding halt. Strelok felt a curious mix of relief and disappointment that they were interrupted, and decided to focus on the relief. He seized the opportunity to put as much distance as possible between him and Scar, so he followed Professor Kruglov around the yard, idly listening to the man's rambling.
#
Scar mentally cursed Kruglov to hell and back as he watched Strelok walk away with the scientist. Fuck, just when things were getting interesting...
Seeing as Strelok had run away with the scientist, Scar went into the mobile lab. He had the specimens Professor Sakharov asked for, even if he had no idea what was so fascinating about bloodsucker skin and tentacles. Scar also informed Sakharov he accepted to carry out that one mission they had talked about. The good professor basically wanted him to scavenge the Clear Sky base and gather all the scientific information they left behind. Of course, he used words like 'recover invaluable information that should not stay lost' instead of scavenge, but the idea was the same.
During his conversation with the professor, he saw Kruglov enter the bunker and go into the proper lab area. Strelok was with him, although the stalker went into the room to take his backpack and then exited the bunker again.
Talking with Professor Sakharov was never a lengthy process, the man was always polite but eager to go back to his experiments. That suited Scar just fine. He updated this new task in his PDA and then went in search of Strelok. He found him in the back end of the enclosure, asking another stalker about the new paths they recently opened to the southern areas. Interesting.
"Going somewhere?" Strelok froze in place and slowly turned around. The other stalker beat a silent retreat when he saw Scar arrive.
"Well, yes. I think it's time we part ways. You've found some work here, and if you still want to go to the bar, Rostok isn't that far. My leg's better now, and I'm going to the swamps... So I guess this is goodbye." Strelok walked out of the scientist's camp and into the marsh.
He followed the stalker and didn't even bother to hide his smirk. "The swamps? What a coincidence, I'm going to the swamps as well."
"What do you mean you're also going to the swamps?! Is this a joke? What business could you have there?" Scar just shrugged, loving how it riled up Strelok. He sounded outraged, like Scar was doing all this just to spite him.
"Not a joke. Professor Sakharov asked me to raid the old Clear Sky base," Scar answered. At the mention of the disappeared faction Strelok narrowed his eyes. Apparently that was still a touchy subject for him.
"And you intend to follow me," Strelok realised. "Did you forget the path to the fucking swamps or do you just enjoy aggravating me?"
"Seeing as we're going to the same place, I thought you wouldn't mind some company. Especially after you admitted you find me attractive." Yes, he definitely enjoyed aggravating Strelok.
"Don't bring that up ever again!" Strelok stopped walking and poked him in the chest for emphasis. He could see a flush was starting to spread on the stalker's face.
Following an impulse, Scar grabbed Strelok by the shoulders and kissed him. He was pleasantly surprised when Strelok kissed him back, grabbing the front of his suit and yanking Scar even closer, his fists bunching the fabric tightly. When they broke apart they stood rooted on the spot, looking at each other wide eyed and taken aback at what just happened.
Whatever they were going to say next was forestalled by the crazed beeping of their PDAs. Strelok seemed grateful for this distraction and quickly grabbed his PDA. Then his expression changed into one of disbelief mixed with horror. Scar quickly understood why when he started reading the messages.
15:49 – Yuri Milkman, Ecologist.
I'm seeing a merc and a loner kissing, near the Yantar marsh.
15:50 – Vasile Whiner, Loner.
That's disgusting and unnatural!
15:50 – Anton Unlucky, Duty.
Shut up dude, no one cares about your opinion.
15:51 – Danko Banana, Loner.
Yeah, you're just bitter no one wants to kiss you.
15:51 – Semyon Explorer, Ecologist.
The loner is Marked One, I've seen him talking with Prof. Kruglov a while ago.
15:52 – Seryoga Thunder, Duty.
He could do better than that, mercs aren't trustworthy.
15:53 – Valera Hipster, Ecologist.
I think it's great, good for them!
And it went on and on. Fuck, stalkers sure loved gossiping like bored babushkas. Scar was tempted to go back and yell at them to mind their own business, but that would only add fuel to the rumour mill. Strelok turned off and pocketed his PDA, covered his face with both hands for a second and took a deep breath.
"Just letting you know I totally blame you for this." Strelok announced in a biting tone. He then turned around and continued walking.
"I'm not the one spreading gossip like a fishwife," Scar grumbled, following him.
They ignored the continued beeping of the incoming messages on the PDAs and marched onwards, arguing about whose fault it was that they were the talk of the Zone now. It was a long and harsh journey going to the swamps. However, travelling with company for once would certainly make the experience interesting. Strelok's lack of further complaints to his presence made Scar think he thought the same.
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From the Zone with love