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Description
Sometimes I wonder what I did with my life.

The sun was beating down on us from above and our feet were sinking into the sand below. My name is Night. I'm a bounty hunter. I used to be a pit fighter but being a bounty hunter pays more, if you survive long enough. It's probably the most dangerous profession on this god forsaken rock of a planet. Ninety percent of the rookies don't even survive their first bounty. So the bounty hunters that survive their first bounty well they have staying power. This also leads to a lot of competition because everyone is so good at their job. Which does explain why companies of bounty hunters are set up, like the one I'm in now. Right now there are four of us. I say four because the fifth person is a rookie called Maggot. He doesn't count as a member of the team until he survives this bounty. Which isn't likely. The other three are Nova, Ghoul and Manticore. Nova is the owner and operator of our little band. It's also with her money that this is being funded. When she has this idea it was me she recruited first. I can solve problems nicely. Ghoul is our tracker. Nova recruited him after she saw him "Appearing out of the darkness." Manticore is a guy who can make a pretty damn good shot and make guns from any separate parts he is given. But it's weird 'cause he doesn't even seem to be trying. Then again neither am I.

We're all wearing goggles to keep the sun and sand out of our eyes. Ghoul has a shawl up over his whole face while Manticore is just using the shawl he bought second hand as a bandanna. It was too wrecked to even be used to cover his face. My shawl is just covering my mouth. Nova is using hers as a scarf and Maggot doesn't have one. He didn't have enough money to afford one. That's another thing you buy all your equipment or you don't get any.

We were on our way to an isolated town to capture a rapist. Sadly everyone we go after insists on running. That and this desert is supposed to be inhabited by giant maggot like things. It would be funny if-
"Scatter!"
I can't make out who yelled but I know why. A giant maggot creature had burst up from under the sand. Ghoul who was closest dives to the side as the creature swings what I guess was its head towards him. It spat something and its velocity surprised me. I managed to get out of the way and I heard a cry of pain from behind me. Bullets whizzed past and hit the creature right in its open mouth. I raise my gun and fire. The bullets fly towards the maggot thing causing pale yellow blood to burst out of it. My gun is a good gun for the price I got it, a Raven Mk 4 the sight is a little off but I've adapted to it. Then a shot rings out as Manticore opens up with the Chimera. The gun is hand made from multiple parts of the Legendary and Mythic series. When the best parts all come together and when Manticore is using it, it makes one hell of a weapon. The creature writhes as its life blood empties out. It stops and drops down dead. None of us put any more bullets in it to make sure it's dead, the bullets are too expensive.

I hear a moan from behind me and turn round. Someone is lying flat on their back in the sand. My first thought is too look for Nova 'cause if she's down I don't get paid. Luckily she's crouched next the injured person. Well its Maggot then. The irony here is incredible. I walk over and crouch down next to him opposite Nova. It's not good. It appears that that whatever the maggot thing spat makes accelerates decay. Maggot's chest is slowly being eaten away by the rot. I can see some ribs poking through. I look into his face and he must read it. He moves surprisingly quickly for a dying man and grabs Novas pistol from its holster. Before any of us can stop him he puts a bullet through his skull.
"Ironic, isn't it." Says Manticore from behind me. "Maggot killed by a maggot."
"Yeah well grab his gear and let's go." Says Nova taking command. We can sell it and hopefully make back the money we wasted fighting this thing. Manticore picks up all the gear that will make a decent amount of money from being sold and puts them in his kit bag. "The gun is crap."
"It'll make money though won't it?" Says Ghoul his voice muffled by his shawl.
"Yeah but it would suck to be the guy who buys it. Maggot was lucky it never blew up when he fired it."
"He never fired it." I say.
"That would be why it never blew up then." Grins Manticore packing it into his bag. He seems happy that Maggot's dead. Well we all should be, it means we get his cut. It's a tough world.

We eventually get to the town in the desert. It's called Oasis. Yeah very smart. I bet the settlers thought that was a great joke. It's a hellhole. The financial centre of the city is easy to spot. It's the buildings built out of stone. The rest of it is some slums that are built out of scrap metal. At the middle is an oasis. Which is probably the only clean water the town even has. There are some dirty run down looking guys drinking from an open air bar. I can smell them through my shawl. Jesus Christ. I hope we find this guy and leave. Everyone is watching us, I mean when four strangers all carrying guns enter your quiet little hellhole, yeah you would turn around. As we start to move forward Nova tenses up. At first I don't why but then I spot it. There is another bounty hunter in the town, and it's not just any bounty hunter either. It's a "Birdie". "Birdies" are a group of bounty hunters who all have the bird armour. Its main feature is a helmet that has a gas mask and rebreather contained in what looks like a bird's beak. It also has multiple vision modes in its eye lenses. So these guys are good. But this one, is on its own. They normally travel in a group. It seems to be moving with a purpose through the slums.
"Want me to tail him?" Ghoul asks the question me and Manticore were thinking. Nova takes a while to respond. "No." Now she turns to me. Shit. "Night go and get me the rapist. I need to see why this birdie is here." Of course I do the heavy lifting. "Manticore go with him." Well at least I don't have to do all the work.

"God damn it's hot." Manticore is complaining and I'll be fair it's with good reason. We've been exploring these slums for about three or four hours. Time blurred when we entered the market. Luckily Manticore sold the gun for a good price so we can have a good drink once we're done. What I'm wondering about is why Nova decided that the hunt was less important than the birdie. We met up with Ghoul about a half hour ago. He said that Nova had found the birdie and was in a discussion with it. He then turned down an alley and told us he would be entering the market from a different way to flush the bounty out. Well he's taking his time. Then as if to answer my thoughts a clerk is sent flying by the man we're after. He's putting some good distance between him and Ghoul, and Manticore has no chance with the Chimera on his back. It's up to me I guess. So I better get moving. The guy may be ahead of me but hell I was a pit fighter. I push some people out of my way. No point trying to fire my gun. Ghoul is alongside me now but he's behind a row of stalls. Manticore is probably behind me somewhere. I hear some commotion behind me and take a quick glance behind me. Manticore is trying to get the Chimera out but people are getting in his way. Some women are screaming at the sight of a weapon. I turn back to see the bounty turning into a side alley. Ghoul climbs onto a roof and starts running. Probably not a good idea considering it's held up by some metal poles. As I turn into the alley I see a saving grace on the floor. A damn big rock. I grab it and pick up the pace. I mean I could use my gun but the fact that the sights are off and me running will make it useless. I throw that rock as hard as I could and lucky for me it flew straight and true and cracked that guy right in the kidneys. Ghoul jumps off the roof as I get close to the bounty. As he tries to get up he gets my boot in his face. "Ghoul, bind his hands." Now where is Nova?