scave

Now don't move, unless you wanna get cut in half.

Tch...

Let's be clear. Whether or not I kill you right now is entirely up to my mood.

You... This goddamn Oripathy's making me so weak. How the hell are you still just fine?

How did you pull this off? You're like a completely different person.

Hmph. Of course you wish I was still that rookie merc. Pure. Gullible.

I did the dirty work no one else was willing to, and the client never gave a damn thing in return.

I blacked out from an Oripathy attack, woke up in a ditch, and you know what I found? The few remaining things I had from home, gone, taken just like that.

You were gonna die sooner or later, so I figured waste not, want not...

Heh. 'Waste not, want not.'

Everyone living on the edge exploits each other like that. Isn't that the understanding?

And what was I supposed to do? Wait for some Infected to die and cause a spreader event right in front of me?

Who knew you'd live? And still be alive today!

Right... That's probably because I have someone who hopes I live.

When I woke up, I still had that silver coin sewn into my clothes. It was still there. That's why I decided to live on.

You really know how to hang onto life, rat. What could one silver buy you?

I never spent it. Never will.

Then how did you...?

The same way you got tricked into this factory, thinking there'd be a stable enough life for an Infected here. But what you got instead were vile living conditions and inhumane treatment.

What I went through didn't stop there. Might've been even worse. But that's life for you.

The hell are you saying to me...? Acting like we're in the same boat.

We're all in the same goddamn boat.

*Sigh*... Fine, I get it. Bet I look like the punchline of a joke to you now, huh? Must be nice, getting your revenge. No wonder you're in such a good mood.

Pssh... You think way too much.

Yeah, and it's all your fault I'm in this mess anyway!

Because I hired your Infected mercenary ass, it didn't take long for me to get symptoms too. I should've just stayed away from you and your kind!

Alright, get this through your skull. Touching the Infected isn't gonna give you Oripathy just like that.

You think I'd believe that?

No skin off my nose if you don't, but that's my current employer's view. I've gotta tell you on their behalf.

Oh... Now I get why you wanted me to work with you, even though you were scared of me getting payback.

You were gonna have me bust you out, then dispose of me to complete this imaginary 'revenge' of yours. Your whole 'waste not, want not.'

Ha, like you weren't thinking the same thing? Weren't you biding your time with me, just so you could make your move now?

So why're we still blabbering? Need me to teach you how they handle the Infected they kill here?

No. I only cooperated with you so I could finish my mission a little faster.

I can cope with shitawful work environments, and that includes shitawful coworkers. I don't think the way you do.

Besides, my mission was to aid and rescue the Infected, and you're one of them.

Rescue the Infected? You're shitting me.

Whatever. Ask my employer.

Reporting in.

Factory security system paralyzed, but foreman not on site.

Um, I don't care how you guys extract the Infected. Maybe you're taking them somewhere or whatever. I just wanna confirm if my mission's complete or not.

Factory guards are also Infected. You rescuing them too?

...So, I can handle problems my own way here.

Understood. I'll withdraw to the designated site ASAP.

End of report.

Hmph. Sounds like they're actually making good on what they said.

Never imagined I'd find such a trustworthy client. Let alone anyone who takes the Infected seriously.

...Just like how her wish could never come true.

—Anyway, you heard that. They gave me some leeway.

Damn, you really don't care about anything except what your employer wants.

Think what you like. I'll toss a coin to decide your fate, then.

If it's tails, I clean up the trash here and now; if it's heads, I let you off, and give you one more chance to start over, like the other Infected.

Scavenger slides out a tiny silver coin, and flings it into the air.

Many a time, alone with no one to turn to, she's shut her eyes and entrusted it all to the result of a coin toss.

'Maybe one day, when you're not using every ounce of your strength just to survive, you'll get to decide where it is you want to go.'

She doesn't know whether a day like that comes for people like her.

But this time, she knows what the coin will answer.