Go it Alone

The party sat in silence as they continuously drank from their alcoholic beverages. All while contemplating the options in front of them. Theoretically, they could take out Vincent on their own, under the right conditions, of course. However, that was easier said than done, and it would be hazardous.

The other option was to give up most of their purse to the other slayers who were interested in joining. Yet, there was no guarantee that they would stand and fight when the time came. Instead, it was highly likely at least one of the squads would sit back and wait for the outcome of the battle, choosing to either flee or rush in to reap the spoils at the last second.

Cassie had tried to set up a meritocratic agreement, where the team that contributed the most received the most plunder, and each team would get their own share based upon their commitment. However, it was clear that meritocracy was something that did not exist in this new world. At least when collaborating with others, they were more interested in guaranteed benefits and working as little as possible.

Alex, ever the reckless fool, opened his mouth and suggested the more dangerous of the two options.

"Why don't we kill the bastard ourselves? Surely, we have the ability to set up a trap for him? After all, aren't we on Captain Hunter's shitlist?"

Despite the reckless nature of his comment, he did have a point. Due to the thirst for vengeance that Captain Hunter had for their party, he had placed quite the bounty on their heads that had previously caused them trouble. With their newfound reputation, if Captain Hunter truly desired their heads, he would have to send his very best to bring them in.

With such a card to play, the team quickly began to formulate a plan over drinks. The plan was simple; they would leak their location to some of the more questionable parties who dwelled within the refuge of the airport and would lie in wait for Vincent and his men to arrive.

While waiting for his arrival, they would rig explosives among the rubble that would detonate at the opportune moment, instantly taking out the least powerful among Vincent's men while wounding the others. Afterward, their party would rush into the fray, using Alex as the tank and Cassie as the assassin. Finally, Derek and Brandon would pin down the survivors of Vincent's unit, giving Alex and Cassie enough time to claim the criminal's head.

If all went according to plan, they would be able to clear the bounty without any trouble. First, they had to covertly procure the explosives, which would be left to Brandon. Alex would do the leaking of the information; after all, he was a loudmouth fool who liked to boast about his prowess.

Cassie would publicly return the bounty poster, making it appear that the party had given up the objective after failed negotiations. Unfortunately, Slayers' common sight, abandoning missions and bounties due to lack of manpower, was something one could see every day.

Cassie would also procure a mission nearby Captain Hunter's stronghold, far enough away to not attract the garrison but close enough that Captain Hunter would be enticed by their presence and send his most capable slayers.

Derek, on the other hand, would obtain the supplies necessary for the cover mission. Of course, they had to make it appear as legitimate as possible; as such, he was forced to search the markets for food, medical supplies, and other necessities.

The entire party quickly went to work on their individual tasks after deciding to go it alone. Alex's job, of course, was simple enough; after Cassie reported to him the whereabouts of their false mission, he quickly hit up the tavern once again and interacted with the other slayer parties.

Despite being entirely sober, he acted intoxicated as he embraced a man next to him as if they were best buddies. Though the two often interacted within the tavern, it would be a stretch to call them friends.

"Hic. John old buddy, I'm going to strike a fortune in this next mission!" Alex proclaimed loudly and boisterously to the grizzled slayer.

The man named John, with a fatigued appearance, chuckled at Alex's bold claim. He knew this youth well enough, get enough liquor in the boy, and all he would do was boast about his past achievements and future fortune. Still, he entertained Alex by inquiring about it.

"Oh yeah? How so?"

Alex took a swig from his beer and wiped his mouth before exclaiming with an exciting light in his azure eyes.

"Steel-Scaled lizards!"

John looked at the youth as if he were looking at an ignorant oaf. Steel Scale lizards were not only extremely difficult to kill but were also capable of breathing poisonous gas, one for which there was no antidote.

That was not the worst part; they lay within the vicinity of Hunter's Stronghold, which many people had nicknamed the "Bastion." Hunter who now went by the title "General," a title which only those in his domain recognized, was notorious for being ruthless to those who engaged with monsters and beasts in the proximity of his territory.

No matter how high the reward was, it was not worth invoking the ire of the warlord, well at least in Alex's case, it was not worth invoking his ire any further. The man named John did not bother talking Alex out of it and lost interest. He figured the boy might survive the attempt but quickly give up after realizing the difficulty.

Though John had lost interest in the conversation, the shadow of a familiar figure sitting in the corner of the tavern inconspicuously could barely be noticed. The figure belonged to the information broker Lucas, who, after selling the whereabouts of Alex and his party's location to their rivals, decided to lay low, especially since disaster fell upon the rivals who sought to collect the bounty on Alex and his party's heads.

A wicked smirk appeared across Lucas's face as he listened carefully to the details in which the foolish youth so boldly declared for the entire tavern to hear. His master would undoubtedly reward him heavily for this information once he relayed it back to the bastion. He had little doubt of this outcome.

It was only after Alex had left that the shadowy information broker disappeared from the tavern; he would have to contact the bastion quickly, or else they would miss the opportunity to get their hands on those traitors.

...

After Alex and his party settled everything, they regrouped at Emily's shop, which had been closed for the night, and confirmed for the fifth time that their plans had successfully been set in motion.

Brandon had gathered the necessary supplies to create explosives and had spent much of the day secretly crafting them in the back of Emily's shop. In addition, Brandon had procured many medical supplies, rations, and with great effort, has retrieved a CBRN suit and a gas mask. Though only one could be procured, it was enough to show any prying eyes that they were determined to hunt the steel-scale lizards.

Cassie had successfully publically "abandoned" the bounty for Vincent Graves and retrieved the steel-scale lizard mission. Though they publically "abandoned" the mission, if they could retrieve Vincent's head and hand it to the man behind the bounty, they would still receive the reward.

Alex had successfully leaked the information to the entire tavern; he was certain someone with ill intentions would relay the information to the Bastion, especially since he was fairly certain he caught a glimpse of Lucas's shadow listening into his conversation with John.

For now, everything was in motion; all they needed to do was wait a day or two for the information to reach bastion and then set their trap for Vincent. They were fairly positive in this plan working out, though there was still a large degree of danger involved. One would keep several of the party members restless that night as they anxiously awaited the day to put their plan into motion.