"Blood, Sweat and Tears"

[AliasTheory]

Nice writing and fallout-tography you have done. Really nice job.

 

At the momento I am tired, so I don't have lots of insightful stuff. But I do have this one. Wouldn't they all know who 101 doc is? If the lead character can spot Autumn after two or three meets, they would recognize the doc. He treated their owies (how bad a wound could they get in the vault?), the dad of the wanderer and their friend, and in the same vault for 15+ yrs. They would know his voice, poise, figure, and whatever else. At least the voice in the hologram they would recognize. Especially the two girls. Women are better at that sort of thing. Don't ask me why. It just is.

 

Oh and another thing. No mention of the Lone Wanderer? When I did my first couple playthroughs (before I started modifying my game) I was james bond.....well mayby thats a little exagerated. Just in the sense of having lots of collateral damage. This made it probematic when escorting people like Sydney or Cherry. They died a lot from the explosions. Now back to the lone wanderer thing. Wouldn't people say "aren't those the fabled vault dwellers" (these kind of stories don't lose any drama in the telling). Then if you're an evildoer, "ah **** its those ******* vault 101 psychos. I heard the guys up north got slain by ONE of them! What could we do against FOUR of them!". These stories spread faster than the plague on a windy day. Like when they were in Megaton. Lucas Simms would remember at least the Dad mayby junior and might mention it.

 

I am going to read the entire story again sometime tomorrow or the next and put it through severe analysis. My contribution to the F3 Nexus is through testing and analysis. And if this is hard to understand that is probaly my fault. I was tired when I wrote this.

 

Slicer51b

 

As I said...this is a twisted version of the Fallout 3 storyline. I read through your commentary and I do have answers for all of them, but I am obviously not going to tell you. =p

 

Been waiting for someone to ask questions like these. Kudos to you just for writing that.

 

Keep theorizing. Everyone else should too.

 

[EDIT] I reread through your post again and noticed that you seem to have misinterpreted something...haha.

 

Might want to read through the story again.

[AliasTheory]

<----- BACKWARD

 

============================

Chapter 9: Company with a “T”

============================

 

Rivet City: the boat city. It is one of the largest settlements in the Capital Wasteland, and an entire society lives on that boat with its own small government. I heard something about a “Pinkerton” figure regarding this place during past visits, but I can’t quite scratch the surface. Oh well.

 

The heat of the day begins to die as day transcends to night, but our remaining walk to Rivet City is abnormally quiet, even after a quick break at the wharf. There are no Super Mutants to shoot at us and nobody decides to talk the rest of the way. Our footsteps echo between the tall building corridors and I swear that I can even hear the ghouls screaming in the nearby metro. They will not be a problem, I assure myself; they aren’t bugging anyone and we aren’t bugging them. After turning around by the Jefferson Memorial and climbing the hill to the bottom of Rivet City gate, it becomes clearly evident why things were just far too peaceful.

 

“Well, WELL…look what we have here! Five idiots and four goodie little two-shoes from the Vault! It must be my lucky day.”

 

We are confronted at least a dozen figures dressed in heavy black clothing, lead by one Caucasian male. Their leather boots are worn only by the wealthiest and most elite of wanderers; their shining armor reflects the light of the nearby streetlamps straight into our faces, blinding us momentarily. A few of these figures have bright, humanoid masks with eye sockets resonating with an ominous red light. But nothing gives it away like the dark, skull-headed vulture painted on the armor. We’ve seen their ranks before, but not in these numbers.

 

“Talon Company…!”

 

We all instinctively reach down and behind our backs to grab our weapons; to our misfortune, we already find guns readied towards us by those spiteful vultures.

 

The leader only chuckles. “Ahh, so it appears we’re already famous! I would say give a round of applause for the Vault Warriors and that fossil of a man, but it seems like everyone has their hands full.”

 

The Talon leader only shrugs, gun still holstered. I really wish we had another alien rifle...fully loaded of course. Butch steps forward with aggression.

 

“Well you don’t got s*** man! I could blow your f***ing head off right now!” He shoves his shotgun closer to the leader’s face, but the only reply is a sly smile.

 

“Butch!” I crescendo. “Step back! If anyone gets hurt, it’ll be us. Don’t get us killed with your idiocy.”

 

Butch growls at me like some bestial creature, but he reluctantly obeys my command. I get a little close and personal to Mr. Leader.

 

“What the h*** do you want with us.”

 

“You know what we’re here for,” the Talon leader snarls. “Jabsco’s orders. We’ve been tracking you a**h***s for years and we finally found you scurrying rats just where we wanted you. We know the bomb in Megaton is finally dead, and we know why too…don’t you, Ms. Ikeda?” He says that last part nice and slow.

 

I notice Saori’s arms begin to become tenser; she’s ready to squeeze the trigger at any second.

 

“I’m sorry,” she says to us through her teeth. “This is my doing; you all know I was the only one with the knowhow to disarm that bomb back then.”

 

Saori is the wrench and screwdriver; the mechanic of the team.

 

“Why are you trying to kill us?” Saya pipes up. “We did a good thing.”

 

The Talon mercenary just ignores her innocent words, now lost in the heated conflict.

 

“We tried to get you pests early on,” the leader continues. “We tried to poison the Ikeda girl, but it should be obvious now that we failed.”

 

Everyone gasps, even Jericho. He knows the story now; she didn’t become ill by coincidence back in Megaton. Saori begins to quiver in rage.

 

“So it was YOU!” she roars.

 

“Yes…us. Talon Company. Such a strong-willed spirit…but such determination makes you so stubborn.” He shakes his head in disappointment. “A foolish girl. You and your friends will be met with a swift death.”

 

I look over at Jericho and I can see the eyes of Saya, Butch and Saori all wavering back and forth between the opposition and him. Jericho has his hand on a small, green can by his waist. A smoke bomb. In the next moment, I’m ready with my hand on one too. How fortunate we had run into Lucky Harith before our imprisonment by the Enclave.

 

On the slightest nod of agreement, I try to whisper only loud enough for us five to hear.

 

“Three…two…”

 

“Any last wor-"

 

“NOW!”

 

In a blinding flash of light, we all dive in separate directions into cover as smoke sprays wildly throughout the area. Everyone immediately scrambles to the closest piece of cover; the girls head for the slab of rubble on the far side and we remaining three slide behind the metal beams supporting the Rivet City entrance. I can hear Talon gunfire spraying in every which way; bullets whiz past us as they bounce off various pieces of material, both artificial and natural.

 

“Kill them! KILL THEM ALL!”

 

“You f***ing sons of b****es are DEAD MEAT!”

 

“Well you can get the F*** out of my face!” Jericho retorts.

 

We’re taking cover for dear life as the dozen or so mercenaries cough up a storm, spraying away aimlessly through the smoke with their heavy guns. Only their dark silhouettes are visible. In the darkness of the evening, muzzle flashes easily give away their positions in midst of the clouds.

 

“S***!” I yell across the battlefield. “Someone get a frag in there!”

 

We can’t outrun them here in the open…we need to retaliate. Quickly advancing to a closer support beam, I extend my hands outward with my assault rifle in firm grasp, blindly firing into the chaos. I don’t let up for a whole clip. Jericho mimics my movements as I spot Saya pulling the pin of a grenade.

 

Moments later, I hear an explosion as shrapnel scatters about the area, clearing away some smoke. There is yelling and sounds of pain from the opposition. Death. But there is not enough for a whole dozen mercenaries.

 

“Butch, you need to hit them from behind! That shotgun won’t do us any good from this distance!”

 

“Gotcha!”

 

“And be careful!”

 

I reach for a new magazine. I briefly turn to see Saya sniping on the other side, aiming with an eagle’s precision as she rapidly pops in and out of cover. But as I turn back, I am just in time to see a giant humanoid figure charging me with a large knife.

 

“Got you…!”

 

It is one of the mercenaries; he’s of dark skin color, and larger and bulkier than the rest. I’m fast enough to avoid a fatal stab from the blade, but it he succeeds in making contact with the upper half of my left arm. I curse in pain as I jerk backward, flinging the assault rifle clip far into the beyond. But I’m determined; this isn’t the end. I drop my rifle and reach for my handgun: a large semi-automatic etched with a mysterious design, chambered to fire mighty .44 caliber rounds.

 

“Watch out!” shrieks Saori, her focus now redirected to me. She cringes with her submachine gun as a shower of bullets rain on her position.

 

The hulking man swings at me again, but I’m prepared. I sidestep two slashes – one horizontal, one vertical – and then smoothly glide under his bulky arms. He’s too slow. I’m quick to spin around to put three rounds in his back, with another to the back of his neck. He twitches violently as he falls forward silently onto his face in a pool of blood.

 

I bite my lip over my flesh wound. My hands are now shaking so uncontrollably that I can hardly aim straight.

 

“Kid!” I can barely hear Jericho over the gunfire. “Yer friend Butch is on the other side! We needa get over dere!”

 

I can faintly hear Butch howling cusswords as he continually fires away shotgun shells.

 

“You got it!”

 

“What!?”

 

“It’s a go!”

 

I cue my female companions to close in and hit ‘em hard. The smoke has now cleared and I only see around four mercenaries, now having drawn back all the way to the far parking lot. Mr. Leader is still alive and firing away with a handgun, but it looks oddly familiar. It’s the looks like the same one I have; there’s no mistaking its unique design.

 

I look back at Jericho. “I’ll lead, you follow!”

 

I make the move and dash across to the parking lot with Jericho right behind me. I look up ahead to see one mercenary take a sniper round to the forehead, undoubtedly from Saya. Saori cover fires us during our advance, forcing the remaining three to retreat behind those shells of former cars. Jericho decides it is his turn to throw a grenade…a very well-placed one at that.

 

http://www.fallout3nexus.com/imageshare/images/2144141-1286438529.png

 

“AAAAGGGGGGGGGH!” The two hiding farthest back are caught directly in the blast; I think I saw a leg and an arm or two fly off.

 

“That’s good!”

 

There’s only the leader left, but he won’t go down without a fight. Jericho charges him head on. I try to flank him, shooting my pistol at him on the run with a single hand. Bullets bounce off the car door in all directions. But as I close in, I find myself stumbling into yet another explosion. I don’t know who threw that…or launched that.

 

… I blank out.

 

…

 

…

 

“..f…ck…f***…F**K! Get up! Get away! You’re too close to him!” I fight through the fuzziness and darkness. I recognize the voice of Butch.

 

Wait…we’re still fighting! My gun…where’s my gun?

 

I look around. I spot Butch, ready to fire what are probably the last shells of his shotgun, but holding back. Saori and Saya are running across the field of corpses…but they stop half way in the middle of the road. Someone is still alive...!

 

“JERICHO!”

 

He looks like he took a bad blow; he’s face down on the ground and needs a medic right away. Was that from the blast? Blood drips down from his forehead and a part of his armor is blown off. I can see his scarred torso as he looks up towards me with my pistol in his hand.

 

“Here…take it…!” he croaks.

 

Jericho flings my pistol across the road to me, still on the ground. I stretch out to reunite with my trusty sidearm, but a black-gloved hand stops it short. I only find myself standing up with a cold, metal barrel on the side of my head with a slimy red hand across my chest.

 

“NO!”

 

Saori starts running towards me with no gun; she’s presumably out of ammo. However, she stops in hesitation.

 

“I wouldn’t do that…if I were you…!” The Talon leader is exhausted. He has a firm grip around me and is ready to kill me off at gunpoint. Why hasn’t he shot me already? I bet he just needs a little time out…so he can plan how to kill the rest of us.

 

I’m breathing heavily. Butch just snarls in our direction; his shotgun could settle this once and for all if it were not for my situation.

 

“Now…any…FINAL WORDS?” pants Mr. Leader.

 

I can see the shiny, fancily designed pistol in my peripheral vision. But something isn’t right about it. I weakly look down into his pistol holster.

 

With a little effort, a small smile comes across my face.

 

“You’ve got...the…wrong gun.”

 

“Wha…!?”

 

I reach backwards into his holster with my right arm, angle the gun upward and pull the trigger until it clicks empty. Five shots. The rock-hard grip loosens and disappears.

 

“Jabsco…will kill you…f***ing scum…someday…”

 

My gun was empty.

 

He falls to the ground onto his back, motionless and eyes wide open, drooling. I hesitate at first do so, but I bend down and close his eyes. It never escapes my mind: everyone has a story out here, even us. We’re all desperate; nobody could prepare humanity for what happened that day so long ago. Everyone has a story…

 

Oh crap! Jericho! I rush over, still in pain from being stabbed. Butch is already there.

 

“Heh…kid, that was good…” he winks.

 

“Don’t you die on me.”

 

“I’m not gonna die…just get me inside the damn boat…agh!”

 

He doubles over in pain.

 

“Alright…we need to get inside. Butch, grab his legs since you seem fine…one of you two girls help me with his head…would one of you kindly give me-”

 

“Saori and I will do it,” Saya says. “You’re hurt.”

 

I notice a large area of my Vault suit is soaked with red.

 

I close my eyes, feeling a bit more relaxed that my pain will be eased. “Okay. Thank you guys.”

 

"Also," Butch questions me, "How did you-"

 

"...don't ask."

 

We struggle to make our way across the rusting bridge and to Rivet City. Many regular residents had come outside the boat, but not to greet us. They had seen the whole thing from a distance, but there is no applause, only silence. The security guard Harkness is kind enough to help us out.

 

I think it’ll be a while before we start questioning anyone about Project Purity.

 

FORWARD ----->

Edited December 29, 2010 by AliasTheory

[BlueDanube]

nice,long and intense battle.i love it !.i think this is the best part of all yet.

[AliasTheory]

I just realized...when I was spacing out this thing for the post, I accidentally deleted probably THE most important sentence involving the end of the battle.

 

Hope everyone understood anyway what was going on...but added it back. Sorry. =/

[Spaceritual]

Ah so this is where you are the Druids Garden , had to read through the whole story again as I had forgotten bits , and those pictures are new aren't they? do not recall seeing those first time around , anyway excellent story as always :)

 

Will go and mark this as watched so I should now get updates :)

 

Edit. Okay got it down as watched so should be able to keep more up to date :)<br><br> Edit Got it marked for tracking now so should be fine :)<br>

[AliasTheory]

No HTML needed here. :)

 

And yes, this topic has ALWAYS been in the Garden.

 

I haven't gotten started on the next part at all yet (though I know what I am going to write,) because I am really busy. But I assure you all I'll try to update this at least once a week.

[frobac]

Lots of fast paced action - great stuff!

[Keanumoreira]

Fantastic writing, far more advanced in time than my own, and I rarely admit that. I guess my time here has taken a swift conclusion hasn't it; but at least it's reassuring to know that someone is taking up the lead. You have a very rare talent that many people don't have the luck to possess, and I believe it is only the truth when I say that it would be a shame if you didn't continue. Although I retire, I am glad to see the Garden is blessed with another artist who, in time, will make her stronger and more interesting to visit.

 

Keep on writing. :happy: :thumbsup:

[AliasTheory]

Thanks for the comment Keanu. I don't know why you are choosing to "retire" from writing here, but that's certainly your decision and not mine. ;)

 

Thanks a bunch visitors and readers for helping me hit the 1K mark! You're all awesome. I never expected much out of this on these forums, and I never expected to evolve this story on such a magnitude. As someone who thinks he is far stronger in the math and sciences, it is good to see my writing goes appreciated by many of you. And I guess that goes for pictures as well. :D

 

In the future I ask for writing critique and less purely general positive talk. I like to improve. Also point out grammatical errors, spelling errors and spacing errors. Some of those evil scum escape my perfectionism.

 

Will keep writing on though. Still no progress on the next part yet...maybe by next week Monday I'll have something. Too much crap to do.

[Keanumoreira]

Thanks for the comment Keanu. I don't know why you are choosing to "retire" from writing here, but that's certainly your decision and not mine. ;)

 

Thanks a bunch visitors and readers for helping me hit the 1K mark! You're all awesome. I never expected much out of this on these forums, and I never expected to evolve this story on such a magnitude. As someone who thinks he is far stronger in the math and sciences, it is good to see my writing goes appreciated by many of you. And I guess that goes for pictures as well. :D

 

In the future I ask for writing critique and less purely general positive talk. I like to improve. Also point out grammatical errors, spelling errors and spacing errors. Some of those evil scum escape my perfectionism.

 

Will keep writing on though. Still no progress on the next part yet...maybe by next week Monday I'll have something. Too much crap to do.

 

I'm retiring because I'm old and weary. :laugh:

 

Why worry about it anyway? You have the most popular story as of date in the Garden, and you're passing everyone by. My time to shine and present all I know about writing is over, and I think it's time for someone more talented than me to take their turn. I imagine I will return again oneday, but for the time being, I watch as others prosper. :happy: