After walking for an hour and some change the group has run out of conversions to talk about. Spending the last 10 minutes in silence, filling the air with sounds of heavy breathing.
"Couldn't that guy have dropped us off atleast a little bit closer damn".
Benji complains.
Kaitlyn grabs Benji by the back of his neck.
"Just shut up and walk we're almost there anyways. Choda check on the map how close we are".
Choda points ahead to the ground about 100 feet ahead. "There's no need, when you see more grass and less sand its a sign you're only 10 minutes out".
As the group walks on they see dry land turn into green fertile land. With flowers even popping up every couple steps.
"About time, I was tired of walking in the damn desert".
Haven says as he sips on a bottle of water.
"Wait so what's this place called again...i kinda forgot".
Benji asks choda.
"Willowbrook heights".
Benji scratches his head.
"And what exactly are we looking for here?".
Choda puts his face in his palm agitated.
"Anything to help, most preferably some horses".
Kaitlyn grabs Benji by his shirt and pulls him back behind choda and Aston. "Since you're don't want to shut up let's have a chat and walk for a bit. You guys can go on ahead we'll just be behind a bit".
"Ohhh are we going somewhere private mommacita". Benji says puckering up his lips towards Kaitlyn making kissing noises.
Choda and Aston walk together further towards their destination, Benji and Kaitlyn following about 30 yards behind now. Choda turns to Haven as they walk. "Yo bro, I never took time to ask about y'alls past. Tell me more about you and where you come from, I mean we never really talk about deep stuff as a group so we don't understand eachother on a deeper level you know?".
Havens eyes stay forward, his face giving off not emotion. "What do you wanna know dude". He says with a stone cold tone.
"Tell me about your family and childhood, where does your personality come from".
"Well its not much different from what the lady at the quad admission said. I was born into a poor family from Al Trince who moved to imbatha when I was around five so they could get in a better position financially, and they did for a little while. About a year after moving here they gambled away all their money and started abusing drugs, and so basically I raised myself".
Choda looks over to him.
"So how did you get your powers?".
"They put me in the program so they could get some extra money, they ended up spending it all on whatever they did back then. That's probably the best thing they've ever done for me though to be honest".
Choda puts his hand on Havens back.
"Damn bro, im sorry to hear that. Are your parents doing any better? Did they end up going to rehab or something eventually".
Haven tightens his grip on his water bottle in his right hand. His teeth pressuring against each other.
"Enough questions brat, this isn't a damn interview".
Choda removes his hand off of Havens back.
"Alright my bad".
In the distance Choda starts to see numerous round huts made of some kind of mud and brick with bamboo used as the rooftops.
"Yo guys, we're here let's go".
Choda yells back to Kaitlyn and benji. Kaitlyn currently holding Benji in between her armpit by his neck lets go.
"About time, I got tired of this freak".
Benji licks his lips.
"But we were just getting started".
The quad walks closer to the village eventually making it to the first hut. They walk past, no sign of human life. There are atleast a hundred huts in the village it seems. They continue to walk along the faint dirt walkway in the earth, suddenly a skinny darkskinned man peeks his head out of the door of one of the huts.
"Is everyone here inside?".
Benji says aloud.
Kaitlyn glances over.
"It seems like everyone here's hiding inside, every house i look at there's someone inside peeking out".
"So you guys already knew...".
Choda says cracking his knuckles.
Haven stops the group from walking.
"Maybe everyone here is scared of us, they might be some type of indigenous tribe or whatever the shit is called, the ones that dont see foreigners. Lets try not to scare them".
Benji takes a deep breath.
"EVERYONE COME OUTSIDE, WE ALREADY KNOW YOU GUYS ARE INSIDE SO COME ON OUT WE JUST WANT TO TAKE SOME THINGS FROM YOU GUYS SO WE CAN GET OUT OF THIS DUMP!".
"What the hell did i just say bitch".
Haven says grabbing Benji by his throat.
A young male voice is heard from behind them. "Sorry, if you guys plan on getting out of here with our stuff you better be ready to fight for it".
The four of them turn to see who spoke to them from behind. They see a rather tall boy, appearing to be around the same age as them. He has dark skin and black shortish curly hair. He wore only shorts revealing a skinny but very defined body, his abs appearing more clear than they've ever seen. His calf muscles small but defined, same with every other muscle on his body. His veins in his arms and upper chest visible. His feet dirty from the ground. He wears a gold chain with a cross pendant.
"It's always the same, you entitled peices of shit come here to take. Well today you ran into the right one".
Benji points at him mockingly with his thumb while turning to Haven.
"Mannn who the fuck is this random".
"My name is Chifuniro Femmi, the proud defender of my home village. If you guys dont give us all of your food and water that I know is in your bags you will die today, and if you do decide to live and give it over you can go back home".
Choda takes a step forward.
"My black brother, we're not here for any trouble... but there's absolutely no fucking way were giving you shit unless you plan on trading something in return".
Chifuniro looks at choda with disgust, his face grimacing while looking him up and down.
"To think a fellow Imbathan native would swoop this low, shame onto you and your entire bloodline. The only being worse than you is Nuridrisa himself".
Choda takes another step forward, this one more intentional than the first.
"Say that shit again pussy".
Chifuniro clenches his fists.
"I'll ask one last time, give us everything and leave or you die".
Choda, Haven, and Benji take off their backpacks. Kaitlyn keeps hers on before hesitantly removing it.
Kaitlyn unzips her bag and reaches into it, pulling out a tri dagger.
"Something doesn't feel right, before this goes any further I just want to say... this might just be a misunderstanding. If you think we're here to harm you or your village in any way we're not".
"The time for talking isn't here, last time this happened was the last time".
Benji smiles menacingly, getting on all fours as his bones dislocated themselves rearranging into a position fit for him to crawl on all fours. He quickly starts crawling towards Chifuniro, eyes gray and empty and his jaw hanging eerily low with an open mouth.
Choda and Haven run towards Chifuniro not far behind Benji.