6 comments/ 31899 views/ 24 favorites Fallout By: Lynn_Elliot "A month." Dwight broke the silence abruptly, which startled the other three eighteen and nineteen year old seniors in the bunker. His tan had begun to fade, leaving his skin pale and his freckles more noticeable. Red-brown hair and brown eyes gave him a perpetually mischievous appearance, though he hadn’t pulled a prank or even laughed in weeks. "What?" Alden glanced over from his solitaire game, the cards spread out on the concrete in front of him. Far more slender than Dwight, Alden wore a stained flannel over his Parkview High soccer shirt. His bare feet scuffed against the floor as he shifted his long, thin legs. "That's how long it's been since he shut that door." Dwight referred to Mister Resnick, who they'd not seen for a day. The bunker belonged to the tall, raw-boned man who’d given them some supplies, and yet refused to let them join him in the main part of the structure. “We’ve been shut in this stupid entry room for a freaking month.” "I don't care. Everyone's dead. We're dead. We might as well be dead," Alden muttered as he settled back down in front of his game again. He glanced over at his girlfriend, grimacing as he realized how his negativity might affect her. She’d been moody after running out of her medicine, alarmingly so. Vivica stared down at the pages of a magazine, long familiar by now, but still a welcome distraction. She looked at the smiling models and knew they were probably all dead. The authors, the editors, anyone who’d ever bought a copy. Everyone in her country, everyone in this country, all gone. "As long as we're not chewing each other to pieces I think its an improvement," she noted, in the accented English that Alden thought was so sexy. Vivica was from Brazil, and had only recently moved to the United States. Dwight rolled his eyes and glanced over at his twin sister, who was sitting on a storage shelf in the corner, the one she’d designated as her own and drawn Celtic designs all over with the sharpie that’d been in her backpack. A biology book lay open in her lap, and she frowned down at the diagrams. "So do you think Mister Resnick was sick or something? He didn't seem like Mom and Dad, or the other diseased ones. Dead not-dead people, undead, zombies, what-the-hell-ever." Alden glanced at the other boy, surprised at how calmly Dwight could speak of the people they’d lost. The world they’d lost, in a haze of blood and screaming. They’d seen their parents turn into monsters, had run from them for their lives. And Dwight seemed almost bored by the disaster, and interested only in Resnick. “Mister Resnick is the only reason we’re alive. He’s too smart to get turned.” “We don’t know how long they were infected,” Dwight reminded Alden sharply. “We don’t know anything, because he won’t let us listen to the radio.” "I'm going to get something to drink," Vivica tossed her book aside and went to the trunk in the center of the small entry room, where they kept their food and water. And a single bottle of Glenlivet scotch, Mr. Resnick's chosen drink. They all hated it, but still took a swig now and then. He'd told them the bottle was theirs for a price, and had such an odd smile that Viv hadn't been sure she wanted to drink it at all. But now she upended the bottle, screwing up her face in that familiar grimace, and felt the warm alcohol burn as she swallowed. The shelter was composed of several rooms which had heavy metal doors; the only one that was closed was the one that Mr. Resnick was hiding behind. They had no idea what he was doing. Alden said, "I think he's been a dick lately, but he's always been a dick. He doesn't act like the sick people, he’s just an asshole.” He moved the cards in their familiar rhythm, soothed by the unending variability of the game. Vivica sat down against the wall beside Alden, watching his card game. It was more interesting than reading the same magazine. She suggested, “spades?” And smiled when he began to gather the cards up and shuffle them. What was going to happen to them? Everyone, everything, was ruined. Slow tears began to trickle down her cheeks and she turned to Jessi, reached for the bottle, and took a swig of the foul liquid. Borrowed time. "Yeah," agreed Dwight, "That's pretty accurate. Hey," he glanced to Vivica, "Are you crying again? What's wrong?" He seemed genuinely concerned, and approached the girl to gently touch her shoulder. Alden seemed to perk up at once, driven by jealousy. "I'm okay," Vivica wiped her eyes on her sleeve and looked up at Dwight with a sigh and a little shrug. "Just. Everything." It had all been said, in her own language and in theirs. There was no reason to say it again. The room they were trapped in held several boxes of supplies, a pile of blankets and pillows, and a makeshift bathroom. A stairway led down to the rest of the bunker, which they assumed was a large store-room. Alden stared at the door that locked them away from the rest of the food (and presumably, a real bathroom with a shower) and said, "I hate that only he knows the combination. It's not fair. What are we going to do, steal his food? He shares it anyway. And what happens if he does turn into a monster like everyone else?" "Then we'll all die," Jessi said matter of factly. She swung her leg back and forth and folded down the page she'd been at. "Like you said, we're all dead already. Sucks that we still care so much about what the hell happens to us." Unlike Vivica's tears, Jessi seemed overwhelmingly angry at the situation they were in. In complete dichotomy from Vivica's caramel skin and dark brown hair, Jessi was fair skinned and had pale, platinum blonde hair cut to her shoulders. "God, lets do something, Jesus!" The point was moot as for the first time in far too long, Resnick opened the locked door. Dwight leaned forward in surprise, while Alden was rooted in place, eyes wide in surprise. Jessi guiltily hid the bottle of scotch, and Vivica seemed to be trying to hide behind her boyfriend. The man wasn’t wearing the same undershirt and camo-shorts he’d had on last time they’d seen him, now he wore jeans and a gray-blue t-shirt. There was a knife sheathed on his belt, and he had an outdoorsman watch on his wrist. Dwight’s eyes flicked to the knife, and he shared a grimace with Alden. Then they both noticed the man was looking at the girls, and not at them at all. "Goodmorning everyone, if it is morning," Resnick greeted them. “You wouldn’t know, would you? And maybe it doesn’t matter anymore.” He wore a small, peculiar smile. "Morning," Vivica said softly, and Dwight echoed the greeting. Alden couldn’t seem to say anything, and Jessi only raised her hand and gave a little salute. Resnick regarded the group with a raised brow. "Anyone heard any banging?" He enjoyed reminding them that they were only a door away from undying horrors. It made them so much more malleable. "Not for a couple days." Jessi answered this time. She wondered just what was going on... his expression was different today. The man moved forward a few feet and crossed his arms, standing tall. "I think you know by now that your lives as you knew them are over. Life has changed.” “Boyfriend, girlfriend," he eyed Alden and Vivica in turn, "Or brother and sister," he glanced to Dwight and Jessi, "It's meaningless now. All of it. All that matters is this," he touched the knife at his side, "And this," he said as he tapped his head. "Because both my knife, and my knowledge, offer me one thing no one else here has. Power. And do you know what Power makes?" Alden stared, transfixed and utterly astonished, his mouth actually having fallen open. He had no idea what to say, but Dwight stared with anger. His eyes were narrow and he still leaned forward, but his hands clenched with each violent thought that went through his head. "What does it mean?" It was Vivica who spoke, her soft voice clear in the silence and tension of the room. "It makes rules. It makes laws. Whatever laws were out there... They don't matter anymore. Everything out there, everyone out there, is gone. Dead, dying, and eating each other’s flesh. Now I make the laws. Now I make the rules. Do you understand? This is all that’s going to save you. My rules. My home. My food." The four only looked at each other, bafflement, resentment, anger, and fear all showing on their faces. "I'll give you some time to ponder it," said Resnick as he started toward the door to the food store. But he stopped and glanced at them, "You're hungry, aren't you?" "Our food ran out this morning. We thought you were dead or something and we were going to have to eat Dwight's leg." Jessi frowned, but it was petulant. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and imagined she could feel her pulse in her throat and in her wrists. A smile flickered at the corner of his lips, "From here on out, if you want to eat, you're going to have to obey. You'll have to more than obey, you'll have to serve. Either of the girls who want to can come with me and earn some food for yourself and another person." To emphasize, he repeated, "Earn." Jessi looked at Vivica, both girls stunned. Even Jessi seemed caught without words, and she merely took a few steps until she was next to Dwight. Alden's eyes widened and flicked to his girlfriend. Dwight, still standing over her, moved in front of her protectively but immediately looked to his sister. Abruptly Jessi realized that he'd planned this from the beginning. That's why he'd never given them the combination. They were trapped. Resnick seemed unconcerned by the show of camaraderie and just sort of smiled at them. "I know it's hard for you right now. But it's been this way for centuries, even millennia. The modern world is gone. It's time we get back to basics." Jessi took a deep breath and followed their new... leader. She felt a little frightened and still confused, as if this couldn't really be happening to her. Dwight said, "Jessi! No! Don't, he's just fucking crazy. You don't have to do this, do your really think he'll let us starve?" Alden didn't say anything though. After all, if it wasn't Jessi, it was Vivica, and he didn't want to lose his girlfriend! His sister looked over her shoulder at him. "Its okay Dwight. I'll be okay, just take care of Viv, huh?" Excitement and fear chased one another through her mind. Resnick stood in front of the door and tapped his code. It unlocked with several heavy clunks and he pushed it open. "Come on," he said as he opened his arm for her. Jessi started to step in, rather curious about what on earth was down here. "Wait," he said, "Before we leave them." His hand moved to her ass which he squeezed, and then he pressed a kiss to her lips as he lifted her up onto her tip toes. He tasted of cinnamon and smelled undeniably nice. He pulled her close to him as the other three watched while his tongue played against her lips. When they parted, both were short of breath and his hand still squeezed at her ass possessively. "Good kiss," he told her, "I think you and I are going to get along just fine." And with that, the door closed behind them. Dwight sat down and covered his face with his hands, though he didn't cry, he just sat in awe struck horror. Alden moved to sit beside Vivica, reaching out to take her closer to him. Viv looked at both of them for a little while, then got up and went to the tiny toiletroom, not quite a bathroom, a toilet was all it held. She sat on the lid and leaned against the wall, crying silently. Solitude was rare, and all the more precious for it. Viv hated their impatience and sympathy, the pity that dripped from their words and expressions. Jessi and Resnick walked down the stairs together, though he led the way. She'd never been down here, he'd not allowed anyone in. It was something of a mystery, actually. As they reached the bottom of the stairs, the lights turned on automatically. She expected to see row after row and crate after crate of supplies, and that she did see, but what she wasn't expecting was the additional rooms and supplies. Her voice was quiet, wistful. "A shower." Oh dear god, what she wouldn't give for a shower. They cleaned themselves, of course, but a little bottled water and some soap only went so far. Maybe he'd do her in the shower. That wouldn't make it worth it. A very small kitchen, little more than a microwave, counter, and sink was set against the wall. Off to the side was a closed door with a gentle hum marked Water/Power/Air. Another door, also closed, was marked Bath/Shower. And a third was another bedroom. So, he wasn't going to just lean her over a box? "You're a pretty girl. And brave. Do you really understand what you've volunteered for?" He moved to one of the crates and reached inside. She shied away from the box. "No toys no cuffs!" Jessi felt stupid when his hand emerged with... a muffin. Amused, he tossed her the blueberry muffin, "Eat first. I'm not a monster. If I wanted to hurt you all, I would. It's not about hurting you." Resnick approached her and pressed a hand to her cheek, "It's about owning you, and in that owning, cherishing you as well. Loving you. And don’t forget, darling, the alternative is out there. You’d be out there, if it weren’t for the shelter, the home, the supplies that I built and gathered for myself." "You’re right but you’re still psycho," she told him, turning her head away before chowing into the muffin. "You don't own people, that's bullshit. And you don't make people you love fuck you for food, that's just sick." She ate another bite of muffin and tilted her head, glancing at the bath/shower sign. "Unless its in the shower. Then, maybe its a fair trade." "Or in the bed, or in the tub, or over a box, if you like," he said with amusement. "But I'd love to watch you shower." Resnick took some other food from the crate and put it in the microwave. "You're not just pretty. You're sexy, too. I've noticed the way you walk, the way you flirt or lean over. Even to your own brother. I imagine that's one of the reasons you volunteered. Because you exude sex". She made a face at him. "Its been like, a month with no privacy. Yeah I'm kinda horny. At least you can jack off, the rest of us are just... caged up like animals. Why'd you do that?" Her tone became resentful, "if you didn't want to save us why didn't you just let us die, like everyone else, dammit!" She would not cry. She wouldn't. "You needed time to adjust," he said, "To acclimate to the new world you've found yourselves in." The microwave beeped and he casually took the food out while he said, "You can pretend that you'd prefer death, or the fate worse than death that all the others had. But we both know," Resnick placed the food down and looked to her as he spoke the last words, "that's complete fucking bull shit. If you wanted to be dead, you could have slashed your wrists or wrapped a plastic bag around your head. You want to live. You're brave. Probably the bravest of all of them. Maybe, now, the bravest person in the whole world," he smiled in amusement. "We're all gonna get a hell of a lot of use out of 'last on earth' jokes," she snorted. Still, his words both pricked and soothed her pride. Such flattery and desire was exciting. He put the plastic bowl on the counter, the scent of lasagna now filling the air. Instead of digging into it, he offered her a fork, "We also both know that muffin wasn't enough. Come on. Eat a little more slowly, enjoy it." He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly, trying to soothe any edge of fear she might be feeling. Her mouth watered and she took the fork. "I love lasagna." She took a bite, blowing on it first and trying not to wolf it down. It'd been quite a while since she'd had hot food, and oh, it was blissful. As she ate, he said, "Nothing's keeping you from jacking off either, you know. Or walking around naked. Or fucking that Alden boy, just use a condom." He quirked a grin. "Jesus," she rolled her eyes. "Not in front of my brother, that's just gross. And Alden's into Viv. She's kinda... um. Kinda fucked up, her meds are gone so." She ate another bite of the lasagna and watched him. "It couldn't be much fun to fuck a girl while she's crying, unless you roll that way." Her sarcasm was muted by the mingled desire and fear she felt for him. The knowledge that soon they might be fucking was starting to turn her on, now that her stomach was unclenching. She'd unconsciously relaxed from the hot food, associating it with better days and with home. He frowned, "Medicine. No one told me she took medicine." "What the hell are you gonna do, run to Walgreens?" She made another face at him. What a weirdo. Again she'd made him grin, not in a patronizing way, but he genuinely found her funny. It was as if no matter how hard she tried to seem harsh, or sarcastic, he just found it cute. Not like other adults, who just ignored her. "Cute," he said. "No, I wasn't going to stop by Walgreens. These fall out shelters come stocked with nearly as much medicine, including Antidepressants, as it does food. Find out what she takes, and maybe we can help get her back to normal. Can you be in charge of that?" She blinked. Oh. "Um. Yeah. What? In charge of what?" He had medicine? What a crazy guy. Crazy awesome. "In charge of taking care of them," he said. "They won't trust me, won't tell me if something's wrong. They'll just assume I won't give it to them, but that's not true. I want all of you to be as healthy and happy as you can be after you've adjusted to your new roles. Tell me what the others need, if they're sick or need special care. Can you do that for me?" "Sure." Jessi eyed him speculatively. Maybe he did mean it, even if he was one helluva sick fucko. "She's on Wellbutrin. It was a green pill, she had them in her purse." Even if Viv was going to have to wean herself off eventually, now probably wasn't the best time. "So. Can I take a shower?" Jessi didn't know if he'd watch or grope her or what. She wasn't sure if she wanted it or not... but thought she might. "Let's," he said with a smile. Jessi bit her lip and followed him into the room, her heart pounding. The whole room was a bathing chamber, so to speak. A tub was set in the corner and a pair of shower heads were on the wall. At the center of the room was a drain, and another wall had a pair of stools in front of a mirror and counter. "Go ahead. Don't be shy. I want to see how beautiful you are." His eyes roamed her body with a possessive air. Trying not to think about being watched, Jessi took off her clothes and sighed with relief to have her bra off, finally. Luxuriously she scratched under her breasts and kneaded them with her own hands. She looked at him, watching, and didn't quite know what to say. Speechlessness didn't happen to her often. He gazed at her with open awe. "More than I could have imagined," he said. "The curve of your breasts, the bright pink of your nipples... And your sex. I just want to kiss it. The roll of your hips." He smiled, "Truly beautiful. Start your shower." He slipped his shirt off. Jessi blushed, but she was smiling too. "Dayum," was all she said. In the shower she turned on the water, which was very quickly hot, and stepped beneath the spray. "Ohmigod," she closed her eyes and tilted her face up to the water. Heaven. She was in heaven. Jessi moved her head from side to side, getting her hair wet, and turned to let the water get the rest of her. "Mmmmm." As she opened her eyes and looked to him again, he was sitting on one of the stools, naked now. Both their clothes lay in a bundle, and he stroked his hard cock as he watched her. "I'd join you, but I was enjoying this view." Fallout Dear Readers, this book contains very graphic fighting. This is the first chapter in which I want to lay down the plot and conflict and characters. SO, please bare with me. Also all characters that are involved sexually are of age 18 or older. The sound of boots walking across rubble echoed through the empty town. One man walks with his head lowered, but fully aware of the savages hiding behind a blown up car. Michael sniffed loudly. 'Cannibals' he thought. Most of the savages he ran into were cannibals. You could smell the mixture of blood and rotten flesh from miles out. He reached under his overcoat and touched the butt of his revolver. Michael had nightmares of being eaten by other humans. Sure, he could have taken all five out with a knife but he would like to stay far away as possible. Even if it ment wasting a few bullets. He continued to walk until the car was a couple yards in front of him. "Step away from the car." Michael commanded. Three men dressed in scraps stood up and slowly walked around the car. Each was holding some makeshift weapon made of wood or plastic. Michael could have sworn he heard five men before he stepped out of his little shack that was composed of cylinder blocks and sticks. 'I hope they sharpened those things' he thought. He started imagining the three of them trying to stab him and not being able to kill him. 'Whenever I die, I pray that it will be quick'. "I am impressed!" The first one said. He walked with his chin up and showed his molding, blackened teeth. "How did you know we where back there?" Michael was silent for a few seconds. He was trying to hear if one was trying to sneak up behind him. He knew there was two of them still out there. As if realizing what Michael was doing, the second man said,"What's your name, soldier?". Michael stiffened and replied, " Do you always ask a man for his name before you eat him?" The three of them chuckled. "Well, it would be rude not to!" Michael tightened his grip around the revolver. The second man looked at Michael's coat and said,"What yah got under that?" 'He must be the leader' Mike thought, 'He is older than me'. Anyone who lived to an old age was greatly respected. It either showed they were very dangerous or very smart. "I doubt you would believe me if I told you." Mike said. "Ahh, a gun perhaps? Bet it isn't loaded" the third man said jokingly. In one motion Mike pulled the revolver from his vest and shot the leader in the head. Red mist sprayed over the shocked faces of the other two men. Michael said with a grin,"You'd be surprised!" He must have looked pretty scary grinning insanely and having some of the blood from his first victim running down the side of his face. Michael, pulling his knife from it's leather sheath, stabbed the man in the throat who had first addressed him. Using the knife to help hold up his new human shield, he fired his second bullet into the third man who was just watching him with awe. He let out a prolonged groan and collapsed on the ground on top of the leader. Mike spun around just in time to see the two hidden attackers hop out of their cover. One threw his wooden stake at him but embedded itself into Mike's human shield with a THUD! Mike dropped the fourth man with a headshot. The last man ran with his metal pipe and yelled defiantly, "Rrrraaa!" His voice was stopped suddenly by the bullet that went through his wind pipe. Michael released the man he stabbed and started to control his breathe. He scavenged the four bodies while the last man's neck was spraying blood and making a hissing sound. The helpless soul was rolling around trying to stop his bloodstream but started to quiet down from blood loss. Michael felt pity while he walked away. How could he take their lives so easily. They were just trying to survive. 'Stop it, Mike! It isn't your fault. You killed them so you would survive' He often tried to reason out all the bad things he did. Which usually resulted in more pity and sorrow. Mike walked for hours down the streets of what had been once called New York. He heard that there were twice as many of the skyscrapers before the Fall. There were very few still intact and Michael would have to walk over mountains of bricks and steel that were once one of the colossal beasts. As Mike descended from one of the mountains his foot hit a metal bar and scent him sprawling. He fell hard onto the ground with a great CLASH! He cursed his tired legs under his breathe. He unsteadily picked himself up with shaky legs. He looked down at what he landed on. It was this great, big mirror. His fall shatter the glass and he was pretty sure his knees were bleeding. He picked up on of the shards and examined it. He was almost startled at his appearance. His eyes were the scariest part of him. They looked wild and blood thursty, the irises of his eyes were two different colors, the right, was solid gold that darkened the closer it got to the pupil. His left eye resembled shining silver. His face was a little scarred from one two many fights. His hair was a dark brown which glistened a little in the sun. He angled the mirror down and saw a full grown beard of the same shade as his hair. Then, he held the mirror at an arm's length and saw how big he was. 'I must be somewhere around 6'2!' He thought. He examined how his chest was wide and how his biceps bulged a little out of his shirt. He was wearing a blue long sleeved shirt with a bright yellow outline. He was wearing matching pants and shoes. 'That's a little weird!' He thought, it looked a little like a jumpsuit. 'I wonder why those savages didn't fall over laughing at my appearance!' He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his reflection. He would always get a mind splitting head ache when he tried to remember anything earlier than when he turned sixteen years old. After what must have been an hour heading west he saw smoke rising behind a ruined factory building with those big, towering smoke stacks. He could hear laughter and shouting. Afraid, he crept inside the factory, which smelled very musty. He could see a great assembly line that ran down to the very back of the store. On the conveyor belt, laid weirdly shaped metal pieces. While looking around he gathered scraps of metal and added them to his small book bag. Metal was always a great find. Even though he couldn't heat it up and smelt it, it was still valuable. Going over to a broken window inside the factory he looked out. Further down the road, which was filled with impact craters, a giant gate blocked his view from further down the road. The gate looked like one of those tin roofs that are wavy. Mike could tell that someone wielded a fence with several metal pools across it to help reinforce it. Mike walked out the only exit/entryway. He slowly rounded the corner to get closer to the gate. "On the ground, now!". Mike jumped and just realized that on the smoke stack there was a ladder and a metal walk way that connectes all the towers. The walk way was reinforced with sheets of metal. 'Probably so it would be bullet proof' Michael thought. "Ok, I don't mean any harm!" Mike shouted."I am a traveler and I'm looking for a safe place to stay." The man in the watch tower was dressed in camo and had a rather dangerous looking sniper rifle. "Take off the coat and lay down any weapons that you possess!" Immediately after the watchman said this, two armed guards opened the gate and searched Michael. They placed his knife and a revolver in a burlap sack. Michael walked through the gate after he had been thoroughly searched. One of the nicer looking guards came over and said,"These will be cleaned by the blacksmith and with be returned to you after you speak to the king." With that a woman came over and led him through the streets. Mike had never seen so many people before. He must have looked pretty goofy gawking at everyone. He remembered how scary he looked in the mirror and lowered his gaze. Most of the people stared at him with a confused and almost repulsed look. The woman led him up a hill and Michael couldn't help but look at her ass moving up and down. 'Its kind of hypnotizing' he thought then chuckling to himself. The woman looked over her shoulder with curiosity at what he was laughing at and realized that Mike was checking out her ass. Michael saw the corner of her mouth turn up with a smile. She was a beautiful lady. And the fact that she was wearing a tight fitting dress that emphasized her curves didn't help Mike from staring at her toned ass. 'He looks kind of cute' the woman thought,'I could get off at the thought of waking up and seeing those eyes!' She stopped eruptly in front of a large hotel and Michael almost ran into her. He looked at the nicely kept building, it had a shiny exterior that was black as night. "Go inside and talk to the man at the desk. Tell him you are here to see the King." The woman said interrupting his thoughts. After a couple seconds Mike responded, "He must not be a very busy man." She smiled which caused her to look even more graceful and pretty. He could tell she was several years older. The way she walked displayed confidence and she acted in a reserved, mature manor. Mike walked through the door and saw great, marble pillars holding up the ceiling. In the middle of the room there was a large wrap around desk that was also made of marble. To the sides of the desk were large, wooden stair cases covered with a red carpet. Hanging from the ceiling was a great crystal chandelier. He walked nervously to the desk where a man and a woman sat. The man looked up and was surprised, probably by the image of a teen that was covered in blood. "M-may I uh... help you?" He managed to say. "Um yes, I was sent here for an audience with 'the king'." Mike looked over at the woman who was staring at his eyes. Which made him more self conscious. He lowered his gaze to the desk. "Uh up the stairs and its the room with the double doors." Mike looked up and saw what the man was talking about. "Thanks" Michael said as he began his ascent. Michael knocked at the doors and hesitantly opened them. He saw a man with gray hair and moustache that was wearing a suit with the same shade of grey. His cheeks were a little red and there was some tension in the air. Mike looked around and saw a young woman that was probably his age and a much older woman with graying hair. He guessed the older lady to be the old man's wife. But the young lady didn't look like either of them so he doubted that she was their daughter. Michael stuttered,"H-hello? I'm a traveler from outside. I was wonder-" he was cut off by the old man. "Wondering if you could stay? Well we have already have quite a few under our roof. I have been giving free hand outs to everyone who comes knocking at my gates. The real question is can I use you?" Michael wasn't really sure what he ment but he said, "I only want to stay a couple days... I uh, am traveling west." The man stared at him for what seemed like hours. The Ruler's eyes narrowed and he said,"There isn't anything West but a pile of glass." Michael knew that. That's why he wanted to go there. A new start, where no one could bother him. He could build a new empire to restore peace and hope. "When I look at you, I see an opportunity. You have the blood of your foes plastered to your clothes. I know a good fighter when I see one." The old man said. Michael was a good fighter but he didn't want to be just some soldier, a useless pawn for a guy he didn't know. "Yes, I suppose that could work. But just so you know I'm not interested in staying her forever." The Ruler nodded as if he didn't really care about what Mike just said. The Kind rang a bell and someone, who must have been waiting at the door, came in and stood behind Michael. "Find this boy a room to stay in" A familiar voice answered, "Yes, my lord" The same woman led Michael downstairs back to the desk and went through a hallway that he didn't see the first time he was there. He looked at the woman leading him. She had these big, brown, innocent eyes. Her hair was a light brown and was about shoulder length. She was wearing an earring in each ear. They were small gold loops and attached to the loops by a chain, were real feathers. They looked like hawk feathers but much smaller. He could remember her face from the first time they met. She was tanned a light brown and had light pink lips. Her lips were perfect shape and size. He nose was perfect length and was soft and slightly upturned. 'So we pretty much look nothing alike' Mike thought. Mike's features were mostly sharp. His nose and chin followed that pattern. His eyes were intense unlike Julia's. As they passed through the hall, Mike saw a pool with a couple families splashing around and laughing. "Your room is right next to the pool. Hopefully laughter and water constantly splashing around doesn't bother you." The woman said with a smile. She opened the door and showed him where everything was. On the table laid his coat with his two weapons. "Well I bet you've had a long day so I will leave you..." Mike noticed some hesitation in her voice. He looked at her for awhile. She seemed a little sad but he couldn't think of what he could do to help her. 'Please tell me to stay' she thought. She didn't know why she was so entranced by this young guy. He seemed like a nice and well mannered. He also seemed a little mysterious. 'I need to be with him' She turned and started for the door but was interrupted by Michael. She was relieved when she heard his gravely voice say "I didn't catch your name, Miss." Her face lightened and she turned around very fast, obviously glad that he said something. "Julia" she said, "But my parents used to call me Jules when I was a little girl. The few friends I have call me that too! What's your name, anyways? You have beautiful eyes. And I like your beard, it adds character." Michael tried not to laugh. He hadn't been around girls a lot but he could guess that Julia liked him. "My name is Michael Damik. I didn't really know until I opened that book bag." "But anyways, thank you for the complements. That was very nice of you." Michael said. Julia quickly said,"Your welcome." And just stared at him for a couple seconds. Michael didn't really know what to do but he finally said, "I haven't seen very many women but you definitely seem to be the most beautiful thing I've ever saw. Your smile lights up the room." Mike said. Julia's eyes widened and she had a big smile on her face, she was very excited now. She brushed her light brown hair out of her face. She then looked at the ground and bit her lip. Michael was pretty sure his heart was doing parkour on his ribs. "Hey Jules? Do you wanna visit for awhile or something?" She quickly stepped back into the room and said, "I'd love too!" Julia was about to say something when the man from the desk passed by and yelled, "Miss Julia, you still have to do your chores!" Julia's face went back to it's sad state. She slowly walked out the door, she looked around and gave half a smile and left. 'Damn it' Mike thought, 'I want to be with her'. He then took off his vest and shirt and revealed his muscular chest. He looked down at the mysterious pattern tattooed to his arm. It looked like a skeleton of... Well he didn't really know what it was. It had wings and a tail. At the skull of the weird creature were four horns protruded. He was always a little frightened by it and tried not to look at it. He then proceeded to take off his pants and lay on the bed with his cold revolver resting on his stomach. He raised his arm to look at the device that was attached to his wrist and forearm. He touched the screen a couple times and set an alarm. He stared at the device and his finger traced the symbols that were etched into it. He kind of remembered getting this when he was 16 years old. Someone gave it to him for his birthday. He then fell asleep. And began to dream about Jules. **Thank you for reading this, I really hope you enjoyed this. This is in fact my first story. I want to thank spearmanernest for editing and working with me. Please leave a comment! I need feedback. Try not to bash me completely! ** Fallout 2 - Navarro "You did what, maggot?!" Sergeant Dornan Mackay, looked to Raul, as if he were going to blow a gasket. That was a somewhat normal look for Dornan though. "Sir, I-" "I am not a sir! I work for a living, you moron. You will call me Sergeant or Sergeant Dornan. Do you understand me?" "Sure Sarge, it's just th-" "If I like you, you can call me Sarge. But I don't like you! Do I make myself clear?" "Yes, Sergeant!" "Now where the hell is my armor, maggot!?" "Your Nav system had a glitch in it that I just couldn't figure out, so I ran it down to Doctor Taylor," Raul said quickly. "You gave my armor to one of the eggheads," Dornan asked quietly. Raul automatically took a step back. Dornan yelling was a common thing. But when he got quiet like that, a person better take care to say and do the right thing. "I couldn't fix the glitch. It-" Dornan grabbed the front of Raul's uniform and effortlessly hoisted him up in the air. Even without his power armor Sergeant Dornan Mackay was a force to be reckoned with. He was six foot six and had the build of a professional body builder. "If anything's been fucked with on my armor, I'm going to come back and put you down like a rabid Bramin!" He let go of Raul's uniform and the scrawny man dropped like a sack of potatoes. "Asshole," Raul said under his breath as he picked himself up. Of course Dornan heard this but decided not to pursue the matter; he didn't want to damage the bases only decent vertibird mechanic. Damn man was a prick, but if it flew, he could keep it purring. He still wanted to wipe the floor with him though. Raul should have known better than to give anything, let alone a set of power armor, to any of the techs. They didn't hesitate to "improve" anything they could get their hands on. Dornan made his way into the base and headed for the base commander's quarters. "Tell the old man that I need to see him," he told the soldier, Ian Ruff, standing guard in front of the base commander's door. "What can I do for you today Sergeant Dornan," asked Jason Smyth, the base commander, as Dornan walked into his office. Dornan and Jason were close friends even though they were twelve years apart in age. Dornan loved to needle Jason about being an old man even though he was only forty-two. "Raul gave one of your damn eggheads my armor," he told Jason, not pussy footing around. "A doctor Taylor, I believe." "So go to the labs and get it back." "You need to come with me." "Jesus, Dornan you're a big boy and you don't need me to hold your hand." "Last time I was in the lab I tried to strangle one of your eggheads and you got pissed." "Oh, yeah," he dropped his chin to his chest, trying to hide his smile. "Yeah, and if one of them has fucked my armor up, I'm gonna go ballistic." "Can't have you killing my techno geeks," Jason said standing up and heading for the door. "Let's go get your armor." Navarro was not only a military base but it served as a laboratory for quite a few scientists. The two men walked down the hall, speaking amicably to each other about base life and duties. They found Doctor Kalianna Taylor in Lab D. She was sitting on the floor surrounded by tools and parts of a power armor helmet. The first thing that Dornan noticed about the good doctor was that she was very tiny. When you towered over almost everyone, you noticed things like that, but she couldn't have been more than five-one at the most. She had short brown hair that spiked every which way but right and she was rail thin, like she ate every couple of days instead of three squares a day. "Kali," Jason said trying to get her attention. "Base commander," she said, not looking up from her work. "On your feet soldier!" Dornan barked. "Show some respect for your commander!" Kali was on her feet faster than Jason could fathom. She saluted smartly and stood waiting patiently, like a grunt waiting for orders. "Hmm, hmm," Jason cleared his throat and then introduced them to each other. "Sergeant, this is Doctor Kalianna Taylor. Kali, Sergeant Dornan Mackay." "Sergeant Dornan," Kali said and nodded respectfully. "Doctor Taylor." "I believe you may have the Sergeant's armor," Jason said nodding ruefully at the pieces of the helmet on the floor. "Oh yes." She bent down and picked up one of the pieces to show them. "Fuck me," Dornan said running a hand over his face. "Oh, you don't have to worry Sergeant Dornan. I just finished replacing the navigation system. I was putting it back together now." "What else did you do," Dornan gritted out. "Nothing, I swear," she said smiling. "I know that you boys don't like to have your gear messed around with." "How long before you have it done," he asked trying not to picture himself strangling the egghead doctor. "Probably an hour all together. You can come back then." She sat down and went back to work as if she were oblivious to everything around her. "Kali, when was the last time you ate or slept," Jason asked taking in her thinness and dark circles under her large brown eyes. "I'll have lunch when I'm done with this," she said distractedly. Jason motioned Dornan towards the door and both men left. Jason plopped down in his desk chair and let out a sigh that told Dornan that he was mulling over a problem and he wasn't quite sure how to go about fixing it. "She look sickly to you?" Jason finally asked Dornan. "Yeah." He shrugged. "You know eggheads though. They get caught up in whatever their doing and forget things like eating and sleeping." "I can't believe she moved that fast. And that salute!" Jason laughed a bit. "That was pretty funny," Dornan chuckled. "She's had some military training." "She was a soldier." Jason told him seriously. "Really?" "Yeah. She showed the brass she could make it. Passed every test they threw at her with flying colors. Including the physical ones." "Wouldn't know it to look at her," Dornan said sarcastically." "Not now, no." "So she started out as a grunt and ended up an egghead?" "Yep. Thing is they didn't know about her brains because she wasn't really letting on. Guess she got made fun of a lot in the town she came from. Anyway, they didn't have power armor small enough to fit her." "Damn. We know what that's like," Dornan said remembering how he'd had to have special armor made because of his large size. Jason had gone through the same thing previously because he was the same size as Dornan. "Yeah. Well, I guess she made her own armor." "Really?" "Yeah. Not only that, but it was more advanced than any that had been made before." "She's the one that created the Nav systems for the armor last year?" "Yep." "Damn." Dornan whistled in appreciation. He loved having the Nav system installed in his armor. "She's one smart cookie then. She can't be more than twenty though." "She's nineteen. She'll be twenty next week, I believe." "Let me guess," Dornan said. "You're worried that with the way that's she's going, she isn't going to make it to her twenty first." "That's it exactly. And if we lose her, the enclave loses one of its best scientific minds." He pulled at his shirt collar. "And I could lose my rank." "So what are you going to do about it?" "She jumped when you told her to jump." "So. Most soldiers will jump when a sergeant yells at them. It's conditioning." "True. And I'm thinking that she needs to be treated like a soldier more often." He smiled wickedly at Dornan. "God, I don't like that smile! I know what you're thinking and the answer is no." "Come on Sarge. The good doctor obviously needs a keeper and you're perfect for the job." "No." He shook his head emphatically. "I already have enough on my plate." "Don't make me pull rank on you soldier." "You're an ass," Dornan said throwing himself down on a chair. "So that's a yes?" "Yes." He sighed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. "Great," Jason said rubbing his hands together gleefully. "I do things my way though." "Sure." "I mean it Jase, the minute she comes whining and crying to you, you send her right back to me." "Word of honor," Jason said. "And she only gets three days a week in the lab." "What!?" Jason sat bolt right up in his chair. "And only eight hours at a time." "What part of best scientific mind didn't you understand?" "My way or the highway," Dornan said not backing down. Jason sat back and stared straight at Dornan who stared right back at him, not cracking one bit. This was the Dornan Mackay, he knew best. The one who never backed down, no matter what the situation was. The one who had watched his back for the last twelve years. "Okay," Jason finally said. "But if the situation hasn't improved in one month's time, then we re-evaluate." "Done," Dornan said nodding his head. Jason grabbed a couple of bottles of water out a small fridge, neither of them had ever been one for booze, and they sat in companionable silence for a while. "Well," Jason said checking the time. "Should we go see if the good doctor is done with your armor?" "Let's," said Dornan and they both headed back to lab D. "Armor's on the table," Kali pointed with a screwdriver, not looking up from whatever she was fiddling with. "I replaced the right panel on the chest, too." "Lunch time, Kali," Jason said. "I'll get something a bit later," She told him still not looking up at them. Jason nodded to Dornan. Dornan reached down and plucked the project and screwdriver out of Kali's hand, sat them on a nearby table, and hauled her to her feet. "What do you think you're doing," she screeched at him. "Lunch time, Doc." "You can't tell me what to do, Sergeant Dornan." "Actually he can," said Jason getting her attention. "I don't understand." "You see, I feel like you can't be trusted to look after yourself, so I'm going to have someone do it for you." "And that someone happens to be Sergeant Dornan?" she asked him sarcastically. "Yes." "You can't do that." "Sure I can," he said with a shrug. "I'm your commanding officer, and this is my base. I'm God here, and my word is law." "But-" "No buts. You will do everything the Sergeant tells you too." "Commander-" "That's an order soldier," Jason barked out in his best I'm in charge voice. "Yes, sir," Kali said sullenly. "Let's go, Doc." "I can just nuke something, than get back to work." "Nope." Dornan grabbed her arm and started walking. "Let's head for the mess." "What about your armor?" "I'll send someone for it." Dornan started walking, keeping hold of Kali's arm and she had to run just to keep up with him. After about a minute and a half of running, she knew he wouldn't listen to her protest so she grabbed the nearest door jam and pulled Dornan to a halt. She nearly pulled her arm out of socket, but she got his attention. "Problem, Doc?" "I'm willing to join you in the mess, but you need to walk a bit slower because my legs are quite a bit shorter than yours are." Dornan slowed his pace but still made it to where she had to walk fast. She was breathing hard by the time that they got to the mess. Too hard to put up a fuss when he piled her plate way too high for her to possibly eat everything on it. "I'm kind of out of shape," She said picking at the food with her fork. "We'll remedy that soon enough," Dornan said when he'd finished what he was chewing. "Maybe." "No maybe about it," he said glaring at her. "Don't pick at it! Eat!" He barked at her. "I think it's moving," she said poking at the food again. "Close your eyes." "What if it wiggles in my mouth?" "Chew fast. Think of other things." He shoveled more food into his mouth. "Eat!" When they were finished, Dornan ran roughshod over her protest about needing to get back to work. "We're headed out for target practice." He pushed her out the door of the mess and practically hauled her to the practice range. She was breathing hard again by the time that they got there, but Dornan was right about remedying the being out of shape situation soon. If he kept hauling her around at his pace she would have the legs of a champion runner in no time. Most of the soldiers who were on the range practicing gave respectful nods to Dornan and sent curious glances Kali's way. Of course the Sergeant had them all well trained and they refrained from making any comments about the Sergeant draging an egghead around with him. Dornan walked the range and critiqued the soldiers and then turned his attention to Kali. "Okay Doc, it's probably been some time since you've used a weapon of any kind." "Hold my coat," Kali said to Dornan, unbuttoning her white lab coat and handing it to him. To the astonishment of Dornan and every other soldier on the range, Kali had a YK32 Pulse Pistol strapped to each leg. Anyone who knew anything about pulse pistols knew that these ones had definitely been modified. She took a quick aim at the farthest target and blew it away. Not put a hole in it, but blew the entire target away, with one shot. "If you think that's impressive, then you should see my plasma rifle," she said to Dornan suggestively. "Well, Doc," Dornan said when the other soldiers stopped snickering, "I bet mine is bigger than yours." It should have been funny. It should have gotten a laugh out of the soldiers. But it didn't. There were ten men and women standing on the range with their mouths hanging open, flabber gasted at the thought of the Sergeant Dornan, having a sense of humor, let alone cracking a joke. "Guess you don't joke much." Kali said. "Back to practice!" He barked at the soldiers. "Is it a power trip to have everyone leap to obey you?" Kali asked as she watched all the soldiers jump back into their tasks. "Yep." He smiled an evil smile. "And you'd better learn to jump too." "And if I don't?" "Oh, little girl," he said leaning down to whisper in her ear. "You really don't want to go rounds with me. You can't even begin to imagine the misery I could put you through." "I'm shaking in my size five boots," she said rolling her eyes so far back in her head, Dornan was sure she saw hair growing. "I'm a brilliant scientific mind." "That's not going to work with me," he said hauling her close to him by the front of her shirt. "The Nav system in the armor is great, but I can live without it." "You know, this might be uncomfortable if I was a little more busty." "More than a handful is a waste," he said letting her go, trying very hard not to stare down at her chest. Of course he couldn't help it and he realized that she wasn't wearing a bra and that her nipples were rock hard. "But Sergeant Dornan, you have really big hands." "I can't believe that we're having this conversation." "You should hear what's said in the lab," she said nodding sagely. "It's getting late," he said checking the time. "It's time for you to get some sleep, Doc." He escorted her back to her quarters and pushed her in telling her to get eight hours.