Recruiting: The Return of Carlos & Burt

"This sucks balls," Burt grumbled poking at their small campfire.

"C'mon, man," Carlos said sharpening his cutlass. "Cheer up. It could be worse."

"How, 'Los?" Burt asked. "We lost Yu so we're down a guy! We almost got fucking ate and that was just on day one! Its been a shitshow ever since. More fucking lizards and reptiles then barely getting out of that quicksand-"

"Ugh! Don't remind me," Carlos said making a face. "I still got sand in places I don't want to think about!"

"And worst of all... We ain't got nothing to show for any of it!"

"All true, Burt boy," Carlos said with a sigh. "We've had a run of bad luck."

Burt glumly poked the fire. "That monster T-Rex even crushed that damn pod. You think if there was a Character inside they might have survived that? Maybe we should go back and look?"

Carlos shook his head. "Would you have survived in there after getting stomped by a Dino the size of a bus? And do you really want to go back? You were the one closest to getting their butt chomped."

"That's what I thought," Burt said shaking his head. "And no... I was going to try to convince you to go check it out without me. I ain't going anywhere near that thing again!" He shivered.

Carlos nodded. He wasn't as scared as Burt was but going near that cave was- "Yeah, pass. I'm putting that in my top ten list of things not to do again," he winked.

He'd been trying to cheer Burt up from his funk and that at last had finally made him laugh. "There that's better, man! Look sure things have been rough but it's only just begun. It's early days yet so buck the fuck up, my man!" He said punching his friends shoulder lightly. "And as for Yu? Fuck Yu! We just met him!"

"Yeah, you're right," Burt agreed. "Fuck Yu! Trying to be "the Boss" and shit. Just because he was sorta smart. He was kind of an asshole and look where his smart-ass got him? I never liked him anyway! Good... riddance?" He gulped freezing in place as he felt a knife at the back of his neck. He saw Carlos slowly raising his hands and did the same as-

"Yeah," Roman said stepping out of the darkness to sit across the fire from them as Knives held her daggers against them. "Fuck that Yu guy and good riddance! A smart guy as a leader only makes sense if they have a smart plan after all!"

"You, uh... knew Yu?" Carlos asked cautiously hands up.

"Sure," Roman said with a smirk. "I'm the one who sent him home. Got his spear back at my camp."

"Balls," Burt sighed resigned. "I knew it. This just ain't our day... well go on and do it, already. Game over, man so we can go home already because I'm done with this shit."

Roman rubbed his hands in front of the fire. "You sure about that?"

Carlos shrugged. "Yeah. Fuck it. You got us. Do whatever you gonna do so we can get it over with already, man."

Roman shrugged and opened up the Token exchange. The judges would likely see this as a "defeat" and he could claim their tokens and gear and send them home "losers"... or...

Both the guys eyes widened as Roman sent them both a quarter of his caps split between them instead.

"What the-?" Carlos asked as Burt went. "Why?"

Roman smiled and nodded at Knives and she put her weapons away walking around to stand by him but also watching for trouble. She did wave to the guys though and they gave a confused wave back. "Excellent questions. What and why, indeed!" Roman said also smiling and enthusiasticly. "Well as for "What" I'd say that it looks to be a bunch of Tokens! Several days worth at the very least! And "why"?" He toned the act down to a normal quiet level. "Well why not? I get it... You boys have had a bad fucking couple of days. Mine have been going pretty good. Honestly we could rob you and collect your tokens and gear to add to our own growing pile... but what would be the point?"

"Huh?" Burt asked. "You're asking us?"

"Look, I don't want to tell you your business," Carlos said. "But that's generally how the robbing thing works. Taking other people's shit? That is kinda the point."

Roman smiled. "Fellas you ain't wrong! Also please put your hands down." He said seeing they still had their hands up. "Let's just have ourselves a civil chat here alright? Because I gave you something I think it's safe to say I'm not robbing you. And you know why? Because you barely have anything worth taking! Sure, I'd love to add your tools to our collection but how far ahead would that get us?" He held up his hand pinching his fingers, barely holding the forefinger and thumb apart. "This far. Now any progress is good progress but that still ain't much at all. That's why I'm not robbing you. Robbing those who are worse off then you are isn't very profitable at all." He grinned. "Now helping some of those people? Making an investment in them and robbing others who are well off can be a very, very lucrative prospect indeed!"

"Wait," Burt said starting to smile. "Are you..."

"Recruiting us?" Carlos finished also smiling and exchanging a nod with Burt. "Cause if so? We're in!"

Roman grinned. "Welcome aboard boys! Now who can tell me what the best targets are?"

"Oh!" Burt said raising his hand. "People who have stuff! Lot's of stuff!"

Carlos rolled his eyes but smiled. "Obviously. He just explained that was why he wasn't robbing us, Burt. I think he's asking who we think are the good targets that have lot's of stuff already?"

"Oh yeah," Burt said. "That makes sense... Banks? Nah, there ain't none of those on the island right?"

Carlos smiled. His buddy wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but he'd known Burt a long while and liked him. "Right. Probably people or groups that have had some luck getting supplies or Characters. But... Wouldn't we have to scout out different competitors and find out who has what first to figure that out? And taking on a large group or ones with powerful characters already could also be hard for the three, no, four of us."

Roman smiled and nodded. "True... but what if I told you there's a type of target that while potentially dangerous was pretty much guaranteed to have good stuff nearly every time? A certain type of specific target we should be looking for."

Burt grinned as he got excited. "Sounds like you already have a plan, Er... What's your name? We never did catch it."

Roman nodded. "I do indeed, Burt... and it's Stark. Roman Stark. And this is Knives."

"Hiya Burt and Carlos!" Knives said waving warmly. She didn't mind fighting for what she wanted but stealing didn't exactly thrill her... until Roman told her what his plan actually was. "I think you guys are gonna like this!"

"Nice to meet you," Carlos said. "Sounds like you already got something in mind! Fill us in!"

Roman grinned and did just that!

[Roman Stark and Knives Chau

Will Return In

Enacting A Plan

Coming Soon]