So, this is my first Fallout one-shot that I'm putting out there. I've been wanting to write a Fallout story since I've made a profile here two years ago, and I had the idea for doing a humor story focusing on two idiots in Caesar's Legion, but I never got around to it. Recently, I've been playing Fallout 3 which I haven't touched since I got New Vegas on release night, and I've been really loving it. Despite what you're about to read, I've been playing a good character run through this time.
Disclaimer: Out of tradition, don't own Fallout.
There was a part of Eulogy that just wanted to put a bullet in the Wanderer's head and be done with it since he hated having to give away such a large amount of caps, but as he watched one of his men drop a large sack at 1-0-1's feet, he was smart enough to not try to kill the Wanderer. Even though the Lone Wanderer, as the Capital Wasteland had taken to calling him, was just some teenaged kid, Eulogy knew that messing with said kid was a death sentence. The Wanderer had garnered a reputation for needless slaughter and cutthroat business, and Eulogy didn't exactly want to be on the wrong end of the knife. Truthfully, he somewhat admired the ruthless urban superstitions that 1-0-1 had come to inspire, but he would have felt a lot safer had that admiration been given from afar.
They were in Paradise Falls, as was the usual arrangement when someone brought him new slaves to put out on the market. However, the reason for the Wanderer's rather large payment was the same reason why all the children of Little Lamplight were standing at attention right in front of him, all wearing slave collars. For a handsome fee, and an extra perk that 1-0-1 had asked for, Eulogy now had a fortune on his hands in the form of a large group of children. Kids were always a tricky lot to handle, they always seemed to be a bit more sneaky and a lot more daring than when it came to their adult counterparts who had already experienced the horrors of the Wasteland, but in the end Eulogy knew that the hassle was well worth the reward. The girls would garner him the most profit and would be easiest of all to sell since there was never a shortage of people out there looking for a sweet little girl to play wife for them, but it was the boys who Eulogy thought might give him a bit more trouble than was comfortable. There were one or two of the boys that Eulogy felt might make some good soldiers for him after a bit of indoctrination, he always did have a good eye when it came to picking slaves or Wasteland warriors, but when it came the rest of the boys, Eulogy still thought that he could get a good price for them. Sure, there weren't as many potential customers for a little boy as there was for a girl, but there were a still plenty of people out in the Wastes willing to drop big caps for some young meat.
"And there's all the caps as promised. Paradise falls gives you it's gratitude," Eulogy stated slowly, unsure how the Wanderer would react. According to the stories he had heard, it didn't take much to convince 1-0-1 that the best thing to do would be to set you on fire and decapitate everyone that you know and love. He couldn't help but feel a little tense when he watched 1-0-1 frown, and nudge the sack of caps with his foot.
"Are you forgetting something, Jones? The other little perk in my contract?"
"The kid, eh?"
"Yeah, the kid."
Turning his head and meeting eyes with his second-in-command, a loyal soldier named Forty, Eulogy shook his head, knowing that Forty was just looking for an excuse to have the honor of killing the Wanderer. Even though he wanted 1-0-1 dead, Eulogy figured that it was better to not tempt fate at all. Despite the fact that the Wanderer was still just a kid in his eyes, a kid who could barely grow any facial hair at that, he knew that looks were something that were deceiving. If the Wanderer had actually killed super mutant behemoths like all the stories said he had, Eulogy highly doubted that the loyal Forty would stand a better chance.
Instead, he turned his attention to the Little Lamplighters that were now officially his new property. They were worth a lot of caps, and even though he would still garner a massive profit giving one of the kids away for free, Eulogy preferred it if he could somehow convince 1-0-1 to rescind the bonus he had been promised.
"I've been thinking about that perk of yours that you asked for, and I hope you know that what you're asking for is a lot. Kids are worth a fortune in this business."
He watched as the Wanderer was silent for a moment, he too taking time to look over the children. Eulogy wasn't sure what exactly was going on in 1-0-1's head, but if 1-0-1 was hellbent on getting that child he had been promised, he had prepared for that contingency accordingly.
As always, Clover and Crimson were with him to provide some last-ditch protection if he needed it, the good thing about the two of them being that as his slaves they would fight for him to the death. Forty and Grouse were there as well, more heavily armed than usual due to the rather unusual threat that they possibly faced. Eulogy had also brought dozens of his more nameless slavers in to oversee the deal with the Wanderer, and just for an extra safe bet, he had hired a few gangs of raiders to join in with them as well. It might have been overkill, but if Eulogy was one thing, he was intelligent. There was a reason that the Wanderer had found himself being bestowed with the nickname of Soultaker.
"I'm taking one of the girls."
"What for?" Eulogy found himself asking, already knowing the reason why little girls were one of his most valuable products on the market.
"What do you think for?" the Wanderer responded as he laughed, at the same time walking over to one of the little girls who were gathered with the rest of the clustered children. Running his hand through the girl's auburn hair, he smiled at her tenderly, already looking forward to what he had planned for her back at Tenpenny Tower. "I'm taking the one named Princess, and I'm gonna teach this little bitch what respect is all about."
"Maybe respect is something that you need to learn something about as well," Eulogy announced, keeping his voice strong and firm. He lead Paradise Falls by the everlasting virtues of caps and fear, and despite any hesitance he felt when it came to engaging the Wanderer in combat, his leadership would be threatened if he appeared weak and afraid in front of his men.
Unexpectedly, 1-0-1 simply laughed, seemingly amused by Eulogy's posturing. He hadn't thought that the Wanderer would be so blase about what he said, and he prepared himself to bring his hand to his pistol when he saw the Wanderer take a few steps away from Princess in his direction.
"Is that so?"
"You can have one of the boys, but the girls are off limits. Pussy sells, and I'm not about to let you just walk off my territory with a fortune that is rightfully mine," Eulogy forcefully stated, once again in that same strong voice that had gained him power in slave trade out in the Capital Wasteland. It was voice that had culled many who had stood against him throughout his life in what was left of the wreckage of the world, but as he watched the Wanderer walk even closer towards him, he knew his voice was nothing compared to what 1-0-1 had already seen or heard. In the more fantastic tales floating about in the Wastes about the Wanderer, one of them had stated that 1-0-1 had been visited by angels in his dreams, and that those angels were added to the foundation of bodies on which the Lone Wanderer had built his legend.
As the Wanderer stopped only a few feet in front of him, Eulogy felt himself back away a bit, before forcing himself to stand his ground. He said nothing, simply staying silent as he watched 1-0-1 look all around at the impressive force surrounding them. Rather than the hesitance he expected from 1-0-1, he only saw eagerness in the Soultaker's eyes.
"You've gathered an army to face me, haven't you? Have them come and take what belongs to the Lone Wanderer. Or you can try to do something yourself, if you have the balls for it."
Eulogy stayed quiet, not quite knowing how to respond. As different scenarios and different outcomes were playing out in his mind, most of them involving the Wanderer cutting off his head, Clover beside him raised her gun to 1-0-1's face. Just like Forty had, she looked to him for permission to put the Wanderer in the ground once and for all, but once again he shook his head.
"So, are you willing to do something, Jones?" the Wanderer reiterated, becoming annoyed with the lack of response from Eulogy Jones. "Because if you expect me to cower at the sight of your army, I think you should take another look and see that they are the ones who are afraid."
Looking away from 1-0-1 for a moment, and all around at the force he had gathered, he knew that the Wanderer was correct. His army consisted of some of the most sadistic people out in the Capital Wasteland, but they too had heard the savage legends of the kid from Vault 1-0-1. Even the usually gun-ho raiders who had a penchant for being primitively brutal seemed reluctant to actually stand against the Wanderer, and despite the fact that it was over one hundred of them against a single kid, Eulogy still saw fear in the eyes of the people all around him. He thought for a moment, and then put his attention back on the Lone Wanderer, all the while wondering if Vault 1-0-1 was truly a gate to Hell like so many others out in the Wastes were now fond of saying.
Right hand shaking, Eulogy raised it up above his head, giving the signal to prepare for war. The sounds of guns cocking and being aimed all at 1-0-1 was heard all around them, but even then 1-0-1 could only laugh at the situation as if his upcoming death was the funniest thing in the world. Interrupting 1-0-1's laughter, Eulogy braced himself to give the final signal to attack.
"There are easier ways to get yourself killed, Wanderer."
Laughter finally stopping, the Wanderer turned away and walked back over to Princess, feeling the iron sights of all the guns surrounding him still focused on him. Running his hands through the frightened girl's hair once more, 1-0-1 turned back to look at Eulogy. He reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, Eulogy and his army staring on in genuine fear, and their fear was well-placed the moment when the Wanderer brandished a detonator of some sort that he had been hiding on his person.
"Yeah, like arguing with the guy willing enough to turn Paradise falls into a fucking crater."
"You're a crazier fuck than that Three Dog says you are, 1-0-1."
"I like to think that all of us are just a little bit insane. All we need is a little push in the right direction."
Not knowing if the Wanderer was bluffing or not, and definitely not willing to take that chance, Eulogy lowered his shaky hand, not giving the signal to attack. Just as the psychopathic Wanderer had laughed again and again in their meeting, Eulogy watched as 1-0-1 continued to do so, apparently finding the whole confrontation to be hilarious.
"Take the girl, but the rest of the kids stay here."
He didn't know how the Wanderer would react to him just giving the kid what he wanted. He wasn't sure whether the kid would just blow them all up on a sheer whim, or if he would take the time to try and slaughter them one by one. Not saying another word, Eulogy found himself sighing a breathe of relief when he saw the Lone Wanderer take Princess by the hand and grab a hold of his sack of caps.
"It's been a pleasure, Eulogy."
"Just get the fuck out."
Receiving what was the best friendly wave goodbye that 1-0-1 could muster since his hands were full, Eulogy ignored the farewell, and looked over at the Lamplighters that had been his prize for the day. They would make him a richer man than he already was, but something inside of Eulogy was telling him that all those caps weren't worth coming face to face with the Lone Wanderer.
Later that night, Eulogy awoke in sweat, not being able to forget the look in the eyes of the Wanderer. It was a quiet realization that he had in the dark that night, that the monsters of what was left of the world weren't the super mutants or ghouls, or even the raiders or slavers like himself. The Wasteland only had one monster, because nothing else, no matter how horrific, could compare to the kid from Vault 1-0-1.
Hopefully this is the first of many Fallout stories to come, one-shot or otherwise. Don't know right now, but I do want to do more. If you liked what you read you can favorite if you want to read again, or you can review if you feel like it. If you don't, that's okay too. Either way, friends, I hope this story was at least an okay read-through.