A whole day was spent driving before 06660 offered to relieve me. We were running low on gas anyway so I agreed to switch as soon as we found a big gas station. The other car probably needed some gas too. It took some more time before we found one on the highway. It was a pitstop with a small store and public restroom attached. I thought it was cool, but it was the dead of night. I did not need anything, so I was not going to go inside. As we were going around the pumps, 2 AEP units called out to me. They both looked very angry. Wearing military-esque outfits they looked really imposing and intimidating. I walked over to them and asked what was going on. There was no answer. They just walked off towards the bathroom. I just looked at them. It was obviously a trap. They did not even have the decency to change their eye or hair color. They just motioned at me their heads. I shook my head. They looked surprised and then unsure of what to do. It was probably their first mission out with the enemy. They came back and demanded I follow them. "We want to talk. C'mon" one said.
Being that I was actually awake and aware, I knew better than to follow them. I told them I was staying where all of my friends could see me. "That's not fair! You have to come with us!" the other whined. I said "No, I don't. Just tell me what you want to tell me." They looked at each other and the one in the pink shirt said "Let me kill you." I was impressed with the blunt nature of the request. Normally I would say that took balls, but they were just kids and did not have a single clue what they were doing if not in combat or directly handled by other units. The other pushed him out the way and said "No way! I saw him first. I want to kill him!" They were glaring at each other and they started flexing their armored plating at each other. I sighed and they both looked at me. "Let me guess. You guys are after the bounty." I said out loud. They looked shocked. "How do you know about that!?" the one in the red shirt demanded. I rolled my eyes. "You're not the first to try taking me out. Just go. I have a group of very strong AEP units here that will defend me if I get into some combat with you." I said.
Calculating the odds of their survival, they backed off immediately. There was nothing else they could do. While they were overpowered compared to the humans at this point of the game due to the speed running, unless it was a direct combat, they had the real possibility of derping themselves into mistakes and traps or letting crucial information slip. I was able to get out of them that they were from the Impact Clan and that this very gas station was directly above their clan building. They were both from the Conqueror faction and wanted to look imposing. That is why they had the outfit on. I just shook my head. I craned my neck and saw the PEP units at the counter face palming and looking besides themselves with embarrassment. They did not want to make it too obvious, so they sent them out alone. It was the biggest mistake that they could make. They were really lucky I treated all the AEP units with kid gloves. I could easily have killed them both in the bathroom and walked out. Eventually, we were ready to go. The AEP units both slunk off into the background as we drove away.
