Jun lead Juto through a narrow path full of plants all around. Some parts were obscured by heavy leaves, vines or fallen trees, so they had to duck or jump over to get through. It didn't seem like the way was used frequently. A shame, since the beach was neat, but understandable if there was a risk of the wildlife attacking people. Pretty bold of that little man to venture here all by himself.

"How come you were already there when I reached the beach?"

Juto asked walking close behind. He didn't bother holding him on gunpoint, the weapon worked better as a tool to move the flora away. Jun responded without looking back.

"I saw you fighting. With that other mech. Commotion in the air hardly goes unnoticed, really. Especially in a zone far away from the war. I was on top of the cliff when that other guy shot you down. That fight seemed one-sided if you ask me. Do you suck at combat that much?"

"I see. Well I didn't mean to venture here, not on purpose. I tried to shake him off but my systems were malfunctioning, so I pretty much went blindly in a random direction. I was an easy target from the start. Sorry we disturbed the peace of your people."

"If you say so."

They went in silence for a bit.

"Say... what is it like to pilot a mech?"

Jun asked with a hint of fascination in his voice.

"Hm...?"

"I've never been in one before, but I'm curious on how they work. Is it true that your whole body gets paralyzed while you're hooked and all the neural input from brain goes directly to the robot instead? Does it feel like you'd switch bodies? Does it hurt? Can you feel it when the mech suffers damage?"

The short man stopped and looked up at Juto, for once his face actually beaming with innocent curiosity. It was kind of cute and took Juto by surprise.

"Uhh... well no, you can't feel the damage, or else it would be unbearable to sit in that thing... And you do have control over your body once you're hooked, it's just that the mech works like an extension... sort of? It takes a while to get used to... there's lags in movement."

Juto scratched his head trying to reply as best as he could.

"Sorry that it's not as exciting as you imagined. Personally I'm not really fond of them..."

"Why not?"

"They're war machines, they're designed to destroy. And sometimes the confined space feels like a coffin. And I almost ended in one today..."

He shivered at the thought. He could still feel the salty taste of water in his mouth.

"Why do you fight then?"

"To protect. Not exactly the side I'm on, but all the people involved on the battlefield. That goes for the enemy as well. We're all just people, there's no need for pointless deaths. If piloting a mech gives me an opportunity to reduce casualties, then I will go for it."

"Hmm..."

Jun hummed in a pondering manner while looking at the soldier. He didn't expect an answer like that. It could be a pretty well forged lie, but judging by the serious expression staring back at him, it didn't seem like Juto was bluffing. Naturally what he said made him sound like a pretty decent guy, but Jun couldn't- or more like, refused to believe it. He knew better than this, and was always taught by the elders to never trust a war dog. Good soldiers simply didn't exist.

"You don't believe me, huh?"

Juto asked as if reading his mind.

"Nope."

Jun shook his head to which the tall man just sighed.

They resumed the walk in silence. Soon after the jungle grew thinner, revealing some buildings in the distance.

"We're almost there. Now if you could take this off..."

Jun turned his wrists to Juto who untied the knot and handed him the bandana.

"John, was it?"

"Jun."

He corrected him as he put the bandana around his neck.

"Jun. As said, just pretend we're buddies, and let's get it over with as fast as possible. Got it?"

"Yeah, yeah... give me that back."

He reached out to retrieve the machine gun but the soldier moved it away from his reach.

"That stays with me. Let's move on."

He pushed his temporary guerrilla friend forward.

They arrived at a high, massive gate. It showed some signs of age but it was still sturdy and did its job well by keeping outsiders away. A man with greying hair peeked his head out through the window in the nearby watchtower. The two waved at him with big (fake) smiles on their face. Jun spoke in a friendly tone.

"Hey Al! Mind opening the gate for us?"

"What the hell did you do this time, boy? Who's this guy?"

The old man leaned on the windowsill and squinted at them, examining Juto from head to toes.

"A... survivor, I found him at the beach."

"Is that a soldier outfit...?"

"No, no! It's... a diver suit. I was doing some underwater research when I had an accident..."

Juto lied, trying to be as vague as possible. He didn't really have a solid idea what else to say anyway. He leaned on Jun's shoulder with a relieved expression. The small man just went along, as much as he wanted to punch that guy in the face.

"This little fella was a godsend."

The guard's face brightened a bit.

"Oooh diving, it's been a while since I went diving. Back in me days we boys challenged each other to punch a shark-"

"Yeah yeah, you can tell us all about it later, just let us in so that he can get a check up or something."

Jun cut the conversation short as he knew once the man starts his old stories, there's no way of stopping him.

"Gotcha mates."

Al saluted at them and slid back in the room. A moment later the clank of gears turning and machinery moving was to hear from behind the solid metal plate. The gate opened revealing a town bustling with life inside. The entrance was right in front of what looked like a main road lined up with buildings, street vendors, shops and people going on about their business as usual. Once they passed the gate, Al closed it shut and Jun swept Juto's hand off his shoulder. Nobody from the people around gave them any more attention than a side glance.

Still, Juto preferred not to stand out. He leaned to his "buddy" with an offer.

"So, how about we avoid the crowd and just-"

"Follow me!"

Jun moved forward with a jolly step, heading right in the middle of the busy marketplace. Juto's firm grip on the arm pulled him back.

"Ho-hold on!"

"What? You wanted to get it over with as soon as possible, right? The fastest way would be through the main street."

The little guerrilla gave him a look like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

"Where are we heading anyway?"

"There. See those antennas sticking out? That's where the radio station is."

He pointed at the building that stood above all else in the town, with said antennas and satellite dishes attached to a tower next to it. It seemed legit. A bit far, and not up to Juto's liking to waltz through the main street, more so since his companion seemed a bit too excited about it too. He sighed.

"Alright. But don't you dare to try anything suspicious on the way. Or you know what happens..."

He said in a low tone and squeezed Jun's arm to make a point.

"Owow, yeah yeah, chill man."

"Ye boys are still here? Need some help?"

Al peeked out again, this time from the other side of the tower. Startled, they shook their heads eagerly and went on their way smiling and waving at the gatekeeper until they disappeared in the crowd.