Silly Billy~

Close Encounters

This wasn't good at all. You were just here for some damn resources requested by a commissioner, but now you were playing some sick game of tag with ethereals instead. The simple work matter was no longer simple, and the panic was beginning to set in as the pursuit went on.

"Fuck! How'd I get swamped so fast??" You cursed, gripping the strap that held your sniper rifle to your back for dear life. "I'm a fuckin' sniper, I can't deal with this shit right now!"

Truly, this was the only disadvantage of doing your business long range. If you failed to notice any extra ethereals lurking around your target location, you'd pay in blood, or at least a massive amount of stamina; your current fate. While you were sure you had picked off all the bastards surrounding the small supply drop, apparently you had missed just one, and one was enough. Close encounters weren't really your forte so you did what any sane person would do in a moment like that and ran like hell.

Three or four of the bastards ran after you as you frantically bolted between broken buildings, relying on your weak carrot data for guidance and praying your legs wouldn't give out on you. Thankfully they didn't but the road did instead, and you found yourself face to face with a dead end.

"Shit!"

With nowhere to run, you turned and faced the three ethereals that had begun to slowly approach you; slowly on purpose, the sick little things aware that they had you cornered. You were fresh outta shells and fresh outta luck, pressing your back to a pile of rubble while you frantically thought of what you could do to get yourself out of this mess.

Luckily, you didn't have to think of anything at all. A red blur came out of nowhere, bullets flying all around you in a flurry. You dove behind the rubble for cover, thinking to yourself intensely about how familiar that figure looked. When the bullets stopped flying and the sounds of ethereals screeching as they exploded into atoms subsided, you slowly peeked out over the top of the pile of rubble into the clearing, finding it to be entirely empty aside from a tall, white haired android, wearing a familiar red jacket. You've seen him before... He dealt in matters with hollows too; and they sure as hell weren't done legally, just like your work. He was safe.

"Whew! That was a close one!" He sighed, stretching out his mechanical limbs. Then he did a snap turn towards you, remembering where you had hidden away. "Yo! You alright over there?"

You popped up from where you hid fully, clearing your throat while you came around the little pile. He was much taller up close and in person compared to the glimpses you've caught of him from afar.

"A-ah! I'm about as alright as I can be for getting chased down by three ethereals." You laughed, still a little frazzled from the initial chase. "You saved my ass. Thanks."

"No problem! It's just what I do~" He said rather proudly. "Oh! The name's Billy by the way. Billy Kid!"

"That I do know!. You're with Gentle House, right? Or I guess you guys prefer the name Cunning Hares." You commented, having racked your brain for the name of the organization he worked with.

"How did you-"

"I've seen you on my own missions out here occasionally." You told him, pointing to the sniper rifle on your back. "I do my business long distance. You've passed through my crosshairs once or twice; that jacket of yours is unmistakable."

"Wait- Did you say you snipe your targets?" He asked, then gasped loudly, not even giving you a chance to answer him. "Oh my god! You're that solo raider with a clean kill streak! You've touched on many commissions on the Interknot."

"Oh boy, you've heard of me..." You mumbled, a bit embarrassed to be recognized by him with such excitement in his tone.

"You usually never have a hiccup on a job; at least that's what your ratings say. What happened today that caused you to, well, slip up here?" He pressed you further, approaching you now that he was comfortable enough.