The Negotiation.

The old man looks around at his companions with a sour face.

"Well, I don't think you're in any position to negotiate." The brown haired beauty cuts in, pointing towards the man aiming a revolver at my head.

"Tell us what we want to know, and Hank won't have to splatter your brains out across our nice wooden floors."

Her smile was honestly quite disturbing. I stare at her for a moment, trying to gauge the situation I find myself in. Honestly, Im a bit surprised. I didn't expect them to be this hostile.

"No need for that," I say, forcing a smile. "We can be friendly neighbors, can't we?" I chuckle.

"Tell us what you know!" Hank screams, ignoring my words and flailing his revolver in my face.

I step back, only to hit a wall. It seemed like they had me trapped.

"Look," I say desperately. "if you kill me, my team will leak your location to every other person on this island." I say confidently. "It's better for us all to work together and get off this island in one piece."

It's a bluff. I don't have a team, not yet at least. I still need to find the gang, along with Whiskey and his crew.

"It's better to just trade for my info. Who knows, we can even make this a regular thing!" I say, smiling as I think about the opportunity. "Every once in a while, I can bring you info and items, allowing us to trade with one another!" I tell them, thinking quickly on my feet.

The brown haired woman doesn't seem to buy my bluff. She narrows her eyes, suspicion evident in her expression. 

"Do you think we're idiots?" she asks, her voice dripping with disdain. "If you had a team, they'd be here with you. No one's dumb enough to wander around here alone. Not with the infected out there."

I raise an eyebrow, staring back into her captivating eyes. She's smart, annoyingly so.

"Your right, but I can help you. If you kill me, you'd just be inviting others to take my place. If we help each other, we can mutually benefit. Im quite useful, and will do almost anything to survive" I say, pleading for my life.

I hate how I sound so desperate and pathetic. Im a son of a powerful household, yet i'm practically on my knees, begging!

Hank's grip on the gun twitches, his scowl faltering as he looks to the old man who still stands in the corner, his back leaning against the wall.

"He has a good point. It's better having him as our neighbor compared to a whole group of strangers. Not to mention, he does seem quite resourceful." He says, a sinister grin plastering onto his face.

"He even figured out how to avoid becoming food for the infected!"

The brown haired beauty's face scrunches into a look of frustration and disgust.

"He lied to us the second he opened his mouth! What's to stop him from stabbing us in the back the moment we release him! I mean, look at him! He's covered in mud, gunk, and whatever that black goo is! He looks practically useless!" 

I scoff at her words. Can this lady please shut up!? She thinks just like me, it's honestly quite charming.

Their group looks toward the old man, seemingly awaiting his decision. 

At the edge of the room, the orange-haired girl shifts uncomfortably, her arms wrapped around herself. She doesn't seem to have much power in the group. She hasn't spoken a word, but the ways her eyes flicker between us nervously says enough. She doesn't like where this is going. Her actions make e wonder how she had survived the first round.

I shift my attention back towards the old man, awaiting his response. He seems like the one who matters most in the group. The decision maker.

"What do you want?" He asks, his voice steady, and brimming with caution. "You said that you wanted to make a deal, so what are your terms." 

I look at the man, a devious smile curling at my lips.

"Not much. I just need some food, water, and if you have any more guns, I'd like to get my hands on some." I say, probably pushing my luck.

"Those are unfair terms!" the girl screams, attempting to interject.

"Im willing to negotiate." I say blatantly, trying to push the girl out of the conversation. She's becoming quite a nuisance.

The old man seems to take his time, thinking my offer through.

"This place has plenty of food, and even some left over bottles of water lying around, so that's not a problem. The guns on the other hand are a no. We can't have others getting ahold of our most precious commodity." he says seriously, stroking his beard. "But... I notice you have a bow and no arrows." He says, pointing to the old hunting bow strapped to my back. "Luckily, this place has a full quiver of arrows in the storage room that I may be willing to part with."

I stare at him for a moment, trying to decipher his intentions. 

"And in return?"

"A few things." he says, his voice taking a sharper turn as he begins to state his demands.

"I want you to tell us why those monsters won't attack you, and where your base is."

I stare at him for a moment, a bit dumbfounded. Was that it? Was that all he wanted to know?

"Oh and one more thing" He continues, examining my reaction.

"We need some information about this island. I want you to tell me of any people or groups you might happen to come across on your travels, along with making me a map. As long as you do that, I'm willing to continuously supply you with food and water.

I cant help but smile at his demands. They were so easy.

"Isn't that too much!?" the brown haired woman snaps. "We don't even need to trade with him, we can just beat the answers out of him, leaving him for dead!" 

Wow this girl is heartless.

The old man raises his hand, cutting the girl off. "That's messy. We need allies and information—two things this man can provide."

I hesitate a little, not because I'm unsure, but because it seems so easy. He just wants me to travel the island, giving him info, and mapping out the place. As long as I become his little scout, he's willing to continuously supply me with food, water, and even a quiver of arrows. What more could I possibly ask for?

It's a great bargain.

"Deal!"