A heavy rain was falling over the grassy hills, obscuring most of the view, not many people out in such a foul weather even the occasional zone mutants kept themselves in their dens, leaving only a few lone figures standing under a heavy pine tree, with one figure peering through the threes and darkness wiping his face periodicly free from rain, trying his best to ignore the muttering from the rest of the small group.

"Can't believe this shit, what's the point in standing around in this damned rain when we could be inside in the warmth?" One of the men grumbled, a thin man in his late twenties with thick scarring on his face, almost a head taller than the others, wearing the standard leather jacket commonly worn by rookie bandits, worn and repaired countless times, wiping his face free from water with a grunt.

"Yeah what is the point anyway, there is noone but us around in this weather." The other one spat, a slightly hunched man with a balaclava covering his face, wearing a brown colored stalker suit with a trenchcoat over it, walking on the spot trying to keep himself warm.

"Iffn't tho bad, freff arr an we geff pedd." A third one said with mouth full of sausage, a big grin on his round face, holding the half eaten piece in his right and using a white metal suitcase as an umbrella, wearing an old worn patched trenchcoat with the hood pulled back, revealing his almost bald head to the weather.

"Dammit yuri swallow!" The scarred man grumbled looking at his companion with disgust.

"You're not the boss of me." Yuri grinned, showing off an impressive amount of missing teeth, before taking another bite, still smiling as the thinner man turned away with a grunt.

The group once again entered a cold silence waiting for either the signal or the rain to end, the silence reigned for a few minutes before the man peering into the darkness stood up and waved his group to follow him.

"Is it time?" Yuri asked looking at the man.

"Yes, flashlights off and keep quiet." He said, shutting off his headlamp, looking at the rest of the group making sure they too shut them off and begun walking into the darkness of the woods.

They walked for a few minutes, walking deeper and deeper into the woods, silently following their leader, keeping alert for anything in the darkness, with nothing but the sounds of their footsteps on wet grass and the occasional pseudodog howl in the distance.

"Halt, this is the place" The leader suddenly said, holding up a hand stopping the small squad almost instantly.

"It is? it looks the same as all the other trees we passed." The thin man said looking around at the nearby trees seeing no difference from all the others they passed so far.

"Just keep quiet and let me do the talking." The leader sighed, waving the complainer to stand back by the tree.

"Wait are those?" The balaclava wearing man said as he quickly unholstered his old gun as he saw who were coming.

"Yes direct import from Germany." The leader nodded still facing the incoming group, holding up a hand in greeting.

"Alopeci?" The squad leader asked, a rather short man wearing a regular mercenary jacket and a gasmask, looking quite odd being flanked by four other mercenaries all about a head taller than himself, each one carrying worn TRs 301s and fanning out into a half circle being ready in case the deal went sour, with a 5th guard patrolling the area a few meters away, eyeing the area for any hidden bandits or stalkers.

"Yes, owl sends his regards." The bandit leader nodded, ignoring his groups uneasiness at being so close to mercenaries without it erupting into a firefight or a quick escape.

"You got the stuff I presume." The squad leader asked cocking his head slightly to the side and crossing his arms over his chest, eyeing up the group of bandits.

"Of course." Alopeci said, waving Yuri forward with the suitcase.

"And you?" Alopeci continued as he watched the mercenary open the suitcase taking a quick look and closing it again.

"Yes here." The squad leader said, tossing a worn pda towards him, who caught it midair and quickly placed it in the inner pocket of his trenchcoat.

"Glad to make the transaction." Alopeci chuckled, after doing a quick look through the pda with a content smile on his face.

"Oh almost forgot, Owl told me to give this to Totenkopf." He continued as the mercenaries begun to turn around, quickly plucking out a small worn flash drive to him.

"To Totenkopf?" The leader asked as he took it.

"Yes give it to him for me when you return to Limansk." Alopeci said, giving the squad leader a final nod as they turned around to leave.

"Well boys time to head back." Alopeci said, as he turned around to face his group, wringing his hands together with a big smile on his lips.

"Totenkopf?" The skinny guy asked, giving Alopeci a confused look.

"Yes I know I don't like that bastard either but a deal is a deal." Alopeci said, glancing back at the mercenaries, considering for a moment to take back what they gave in exchange, only to shake his head with a crooked smile as his little squad was too poorly equipped, outnumbered and he wouldn't want to piss off owl.

"Let's rest and wait out the rain." The skinny guy said, seeing no point in continuing the discussion, especially out in the rain.

"Viper my boy you are a genius, there should be a tunnel nearby where we can wait this storm out." Yuri barked, slapping the skinny guy hard on his back and taking the lead of the group walking their way out of the forest in silence until they reached the road, all of them startled as the radio came to life.

"Attention stalkers an emission is approaching, I repeat, an emission is approaching seek cover immediately!" The radio blared, causing the group to stop, look at each other and hurrying up their pace towards the tunnel.

"Guess we got lucky." Alopeci laughed as they reached their destination, unholstering a worn double barrel and activating his flashlight as they entered the darkness, ready in case some mutants had made shelter inside.

"We ain't safe yet, let's head further in and wait it out I’m pretty sure I need a break anyway, Viper and Alexander you go on ahead." Yuri said, sneezing and dragging his arm under his nose wiping away the guck, waving Viper and the hunched guy forwards further in the tunnel. taking a deep breath as they moved forwards, turning towards Alopeci as they too begun to walk further in.
"So boy I wonder what could be so important in that lil pda that we traded so much for."

"To be honest I have no clue why this is important." Alopeci shrugged, holding the pda in his hand, handing it over to Yuri, who took it and giving it a quick look before handing it back.
"But if Owl want something, he gets it, that and he pays well."

"Yes, yes I know that boy is always scheming." Yuri shook his head, clapping his hands together in glee as they reached what could only be seen as remnants of an old campsite, some torn out car seats and even an improvised firepit made out of concrete parts with a few unburned pieces of woods in.
"Well, well ain’t this nice, some old wood and some car seats."

"Seems safe, not even a rodent in sight." Viper said, as he and the hunched guy returned from a few meters further in.

"Lighter?" Viper continued, look around at the group, all of them patting their pockets, his eyes stopping at Alopeci.

"Oh right here." Alopeci said, as he reached deep into his side pocket plucking out a worn zippo lighter and in the same motion dropping a half empty pack of cigarettes on the ground, swearing under his breath as he bent down to pick them up and giving his friend the lighter with the other hand.

"You should throw those damn stench pins in, it is a foul habit." Yuri snorted, wagging his finger at the youngling, plucking out a sausage from his inner pocket sniffing it a few times and shrugging as he took a bite of it, as he sat down on an old tire, taking off his little backpack and leaned himself against one of the derelict cars.
"So what now? straight to Skadovsk after the sun shines?"

"Well I have some business in the bar." Alopeci said, as he scooped up the loose cigarettes putting them back in the pack and stuffing it deep in his pocket.

"Snitch?" Viper asked getting a small flame burning.

"Yes, but you can head back to Skadovsk if you want." Alopeci said with a smile, before standing up, taking off his backpack and handing it over to Yuri.
"Now if you excuse me hold my stuff, I have to take a piss."

"Anyone got something to eat?" The hunched man asked, looking at the other three, only getting a shrug from Viper where he sat next to the young fire and fiddling with his old viper which he shared his namesake from.

"Got some delights in my bag, Alexander you can have one!" Alopeci shouted back towards the group as he walked further in the tunnel.

"Yuri throw me a delight." Alexander said, holding up a hand to catch it as he tossed one towards him.
"So viper what will you do when we reach Skadovsk?"

"Have an order from Nimble to get, other than that nothing I guess." He shrugged, not looking up from his worn viper.

"Sure hope it’s a new gun instead of that half rusted crap you got." Alexander continued as he opened the delight.

"It’s not rusted, only well worn." Viper mumbled back, holding a protective hand over the muzzle of his old gun.

"Whatever, what about you then Yuri?" Alexander sighed as he sat down on an old dirty tire on the opposite side of the old man.

"Well sending most to my sis as usual, other than that maybe fix up my coat, heard some guy in freedom has some kind of light weight plating that could be sewn in." Yuri said, licking his lips and plucking at one of the trenchcoats seems.

"Mhm how is your sister anyway?" Alexander continued, digging his fingers into the delight and shoving it in his mouth.

"Well she's doing her best raising those twins of hers." Yuri said with a shrug, making a face and spitting out a piece of sausage with a grunt, giving the offending piece of sausage an angry look before looking up.
"Ah Alopeci you are back take a seat an-?"

"No idea, found her laying behind one of the cars." Alopeci said, carrying a young pink haired woman clad in torn and dirtied clothes.

"She really doesn't look like she belongs in the zone." Alexander said, as he stood up to get a better look at the girl, seeing her in civilian clothes not suited at all for the zone, clad in a terribly torn and dirty white tank top and a green skirt and only one knee length green booth, all stained with mud, blood and chemical burns, giving the group a terrified and tired look as she was held in Alopecis arms.

"She okay?" Viper asked, as he too stood up to get a better look, helping Alopeci to set her shivering form down next to the fire.

"Dunno she hasn’t done anything but whimper and tried to crawl away on all fours." Alopeci whispered back, seeing the girl curl up and looking ready to bolt any second.

"Well that explains the bloodied hands." Alexander said, pointing at her bleeding hands, looking like she had been walking on them through the zone.

"Oi boys back up a bit c'mere lil one let uncle Yuri get a look." Yuri grunted as he pushed himself up to walk over and grab the girls hand to get a better look, sighing and frowning as he also noticed the same wounds on her naked foot and some other burns and cuts.
"Aw hell, Alopeci gimme a medkit the yellow one."

"You're wasting a medkit on her?" Alexander said, with a frown as he took a step backwards letting Yuri get some free room to handle her.

"This will sting a bit." Yuri said, giving her a small smile as he unscrewed the tiny bottle of disinfectant, causing her to wince in pain as it got into her wounds, stroking her on her cheek.
"There, there now why would a young girl like you be doing in the zone?"

"Come on girl speak up! we aren't gonna hurt you, what's your name!?" Alexander spat, getting impatient as she just sat curled into a ball and shivered.

"Uhm F-Fluttershy." She mumbled curling even tighter into a ball.

"Well that's a eh well it's a name I guess." Alopeci shrugged, meeting the furrowed brows of the others.

"W-what are you?" She stuttered eyeing the group and her newly cared for hands.

"Well bandits mostly, sometimes mercenaries." Viper said, as he sat down again to continue with his gun, letting the other three take care of the girl.

"B-bandits?!" She squeaked glancing sideways looking for a way to escape.

"Calm down girl I'm not wasting a damn medkit on you just to steal your...shoe?" Yuri grumbled, giving Viper an angry look, squatting down and grabbing her shoulder gently, motioning a hand towards her bruised body, bringing out another bandage to fix her hands up.

"See i ain't that bad just ignore the smell and you will be alright:" He laughed as he finished bandaging her hands, getting a small unsure half smile from the girl.
"Now lemme see that foot of yours."

"Hmm this does not look good at all, this will probably hurt more than the hands." Yuri continued taking out a pair of tweezers and grabbing her unclad foot with a strong hand.

"Oowwwiee!" She cried flailing a bit with her leg, getting nowhere in the old man’s grip.

"Don't worry it’s just some old glass lodged in there see." He smiled, holding the piece up to her with the tweezers, a piece almost as big as a finger nail, chuckling to himself as he flung it away.

"Uhm m-might I ask why ehm bandits are doing all this for me? I-I have not a single bit on me."

"Well you are lucky our little group got old uncle Yuri, also what the hell is a bit?" Alopeci said, pointing a finger at yuri and then himself before shrugging and shaking his head.

"Oh uhm your kind of …currency?" She continued searching for the right word to use for these hairless creatures.

"Ah you mean rubles? also this is gonna sting." Alexander said, pointing at her foot with a smile.

"Wha eep!" She squeaked, as Yuri poured the alcohol on her foot.

"Heh there, there lemme just wrap it, see good as new." Yuri shuckled, as he unwrapped a bit of bandage and begun to wrap her foot up.
"Now lets see if we got any food for you."

"Yuri is this with any rookies in the zone, which actually makes him a bad bandit but he has little enemies, but I still think he should've stayed with freedom." Alopeci said, as the old man wobbled over and sat down to rummage around the bag.

"Oh please you makin’ me blush, now you prefer sausage, delight or bread?" Yuri smiled, standing up again holding all three things in his hands for her to see.

"uhm I don't eat meat and uhm what exactly is a delight?" She said, giving a small smile at the thought of something to eat licking her lips as she saw the old creature hold up all three for her.

“Great we saved the only vegetarian in the zone.” Alexander groaned, taking out a sausage of his own and chewing it loudly out of spite.

“…Uh are delights vegetarian or not?” Yuri asked, stuffing away the sausage and doing his best to read the faded letters on the can.

“Well it tastes like meat.” Alopeci said, taking out a delight of his own to see if there was any text left on it.

“Bah to hell with it here take some bread and a water bottle.” Yuri sighed, plucking out the water bottle and giving the young girl both, who took them awkwardly between her hands.

“No use your fingers no dammit!” Yuri groaned as she managed to fumble around with them for a bit before dropping them on the ground, picking the up again and taking her hands forcing them around the bread.
“Okay girl listen I know it hurts but use your fingers cuz I ain’t holding it for you.”

“S-sorry I will hold it better.” She mumbled, shrinking back a bit from his anger and grasping the bread as best as she could.

“Well then move over a bit Viper this old bastard has walked long and is in need of a rest.” Yuri said, patting her on the head before walking over to where viper sat, sitting down heavily on his own filthy car seat and sighing happily.
“This is the life.”

Author's Note

So like i wrote in the description fluttershy turned human in the zone hope you like it
just glad to actually finish a chapter and see how well my idea goes

feels great to finally get it out of my head