Fallout 3 (c) Bethesda

Jackal Jack (c) Me

Chapter 1 - Why Do They Always Have To Scream?

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Wastes are dark. So fucking dark. But it's the Daytime. It's been a long fucking daytime. Why hadn't he taken psycho yet?

"Jackal, we caught someone." A female voice rang out, roughened by her chain smoking ways. Jackal's thoughts were snapped back to the present like a bullet. Like a bullet someone threw at him. Who was talking? Bitch. That's her name. No it isn't.

Jackal turned quickly to look at her from his lookout perch on top of a weather worn rock. Or was it nuclear bomb worn? Whatever. "Who?"

"Some chick. Scavenging around here I think. Anyway, you should see the shit she's carrying with her."

"No. I meant you."

"Excuse me? You're asking who I am?" She barked at him, the look of irritation ruining the mask of dirt that had collected on her ugly, ugly face.

Jackal raised an eyebrow as he studied her. Greasy blond hair, tan skin, brown eyes, that ugly face thing…. She was… "Bitch. You're a bitch and I like that, now bring me to her."

She sneered at him and turned to walk. As soon as her back was turned Jackal had a gun to her head. "I'm sorry, but who's the fucking boss of this establishment?"

"Hey cool it! I was just surprised you forgot me, we fucked just this morning!"

"Then that proves you are a forgettable woman. Next time I ask you something, you'd better fucking answer." Jackal lowered his arm, but kept his hand firmly around his gun. Softly his finger rested on the trigger. He didn't need more shot feet.

The pair walked along dry cracking ground, over rocks and under makeshift wooden bridges. Why hadn't they collapsed yet? And where was the psycho stored again? Bitch walked around the corner of a crumbling building before he got there, but he wasn't bothered by it because he could see her right through the would-be walls. He liked it that way, being able to see through walls, it was a neat power. She glanced back at him, probably wondering why he'd stopped. Crap. She could see through walls too. Whatever, she probably couldn't walk through them. He cut through the building waking lightly in front of her and led his own way. He'd been here since he was a small child, if he didn't know his way around it'd be the psycho's fault. Which he hadn't had enough of yet today obviously.

In the distance he could see a house. Grayed walls and boarded windows were its only outstanding features. Wait, they were its only features. Inside laid his base, bed and home. Also a lot of people who he hated.

Their footsteps crunched the dry plants that twisted their ways up through the dead earth. Once they approached the door, many voices and several of them shouting could be heard faintly under the sounds of screaming. Apparently they hadn't killed her yet. Jackal pulled his goggles down to his eyes, and his fingers twitched over his gun's trigger. One more second passed slowly.

"Open it." Jackal growled.

"Right away sir." Bitch said sarcastically. Jackal raised his arm to her face and shot her point blank.

"I hate sarcasm." Jackal regretted what he'd done immediately. He didn't plan on going in there covered in blood. He looked down at his shirt. Deep red of new blood and dark brown of old blood coated him. Never mind then. He also hated touching this door. But what could he do? He pulled the door open, the suns rays hit the dust he'd stirred and for a drawn out moment he couldn't see anything. The voices quieted immediately as his shadow cast out over the sunny patch he'd created. The screaming didn't. Jackal stepped inside and scanned the room, looking around at each individual face, scrutiny clear in his expression. The door slammed shut and again he was left blind again for a moment as he adjusted to the dark. "What the fuck do we have here?"

"She's in the basement. Do you want me to bring you to her?" Some new guy said. At least he figured the dude was new. He looked awfully old.

"I've had only three hits today, I can make my way there fine." He lifted his arm to the raider's face and squeezed the trigger. Click. No bullets. "You're a lucky guy." Jackal made his way over to the trap door leading to the basement after patting the lucky old new guy on the shoulder. A few sneers and hurtful whispers sounded behind him. Jackal started his way down the rickety old ladder, and just as his head was disappearing he said clearly "enjoy your fucking noodles Sprocket." A choking noise could be heard once the raider realized that Jackal heard him. Jack stifled a laugh.

The basement was much wider than the house above may have implied. When Jackal descended his back was to the captive. Turning around though he was surprised. Her screams weren't those of agony, no, they were of anger. They hadn't done much to her at all; she was on her feet with her hands tied tightly behind her back and legs tied at the ankles, threatening the guy set as a guard. How'd she get up anyway? She whipped her head around to look at Jackal when she noticed him.

"So you're the leader?!" She screeched.

Jackal took a moment to look her over; short dark brown hair, looked like she cut it herself, blue eyes, oh my how they smoldered, she was craving blood. She was only a little shorter than him without shoes on. They'd stripped her of her armor and weapons. Placed them on a table. Jackal strode over to the table where all of her things had been displayed. He knew some things were missing, and he wasn't going to get an answer out of any of the guys up stairs. It'd be such a hassle to have to kill them all.

"This your shit?" He directed at her without looking.

"Who the fuck do you think it all belongs too?!" Her voice cracked. She was beginning to loose it. Then his eyes happened upon something beautiful. Psycho. Now he was distracted from what he was originally planning. He didn't care to remember.

He picked it up gently as if it were a precious bomb about to go off. "Do you mind if I…?" Jackal looked her sincerely in the eyes while asking.

She responded with a look of near shock before speaking. "Well I assume you're going to use it anyway." Her words lowered in volume and she stared back at him, her gaze steady and harsh. Jackal hardly waited for her to finish her sentence before he jabbed his arm with it. He felt the liquid pump through his veins, hot and powerful. He couldn't help gasping in relief. The side affects of addiction had already begun to kick in for him.

"Oh, you beautiful woman. " He sighed, "I haven't seen one of those in a while." Jackal spoke still adjusting to the drug in his body.

"Psycho? Or a beautiful woman?" She asked with an obstinate look on her face.

"Speaking Psycho, it's been an hour. Speaking women, well frankly I've only seen them dead. Beautiful ones." He stepped closer to her and went to stroke her face. She promptly tried to bite him. Jackal laughed. "You should be happy I haven't loaded my gun."

"Should I be? Maybe a bullet would be a courtesy from you." The girl knew what to expect apparently.

"This hasn't happened to you before has it?" Jackal didn't let her answer, "That everything off of her?" He addressed the raider guard.

"Fuck, no. I couldn't get that shit off of her." He pointed behind her.

Jackal walked by her right side to see what the guard meant. She turned so her back couldn't be seen by him. Jackal didn't hesitate to push her to the ground. Her bound legs stopped her from being able to catch herself and she toppled face first into the packed dirt ground. Her left arm was bleeding badly all around a metal contraption that appeared to be fixed to her skin.

"What the fuck is that thing?" Jackal growled.

"P-pip-boy 3000" The girl spluttered through blood. She wiggled her body sideways until she was on her back. She tried feebly to sit up. Jackal strode forward and put a foot on her stomach.

"I want you on the ground." She'd bitten her lip when she fell. How clumsy of her. Blood spilled across her face and coloured her teeth. She coughed once from the weight of his boot. "Why didn't you remove her arm?" He addressed the guard while still examining her perfect body.

"I…" The guard stopped, apparently ashamed with his own incompetence. "My apologies, next time I'll-"

"Next time you'll what? Splatter your brains on the wall?" Jackal whipped around to face him, taking his foot off of the girl and instead placing it in the guard's balls. He dropped like a heavy stone onto a heavier stone. Loud and sudden. Jackal's gun fired a bullet straight into the guard's chest. "Turns out I did load it. And I didn't feel like seeing more brains today." The guard gurgled and thrashed frailly as blood welled up in his mouth and eyes.

Jackal turned to the girl now, "He had no children, don't worry."

"The thought hadn't crossed my mind." The girl spit blood on the floor next to her.

"You're making a fucking mess. Get up."

"Whatever happened to me needing to be on the ground?" She inquired with no hint of sarcasm decorating her voice in the least.

"How'd you do that?" Jackal looked at her bewildered.

She looked at him just as surprised, "Do what…?"

Jackal looked away from her without answering, seeing no need to, and began looking through her equipment again. He saw her struggle to sit up out of the corner of his eye. She squirmed until she was on her side and tried to sit up that way. She actually tried a lot. After a while she ended up on her back again and closed her eyes. "I can't do it." Her voice was strained and tired. "Take me now if you must, just make it quick."

"Oddly enough I'd never imagined a girl to speak those words to me. Especially not in that tone. Or with that last part." Jackal would have laughed until he saw her unresponsive face. So relaxed. So pure. He nudged her with his foot once. Twice. Nothing. Fuck.

He got onto his knees and placed his hand on her neck feeling for a pulse. Still alive. He placed his head on her chest to listen to her breathing. It was raspy and slow. She'd worn herself down to the point of passing out. Normally he'd take advantage of her in this state, but the psycho being so fresh just had him wanting to kill things. He placed her body in the corner away from the still gurgling guard and began to climb the ladder again. "Just fucking die already." He said feeling annoyed. But now wasn't the time. He pushed the door open and climbed into the room above.

"Do we get a turn with her yet?" Retch asked, over eagerly. He might as well have been hard already.

"No one fucking touches her." He pulled himself out completely and pushed the door letting it slam loudly. They looked at him like he'd overdosed. "I haven't fucked her yet." He clarified. They all relaxed back in their chairs, and resumed cleaning their guns, playing cards, eating, or whatever it was assholes did. Jackal walked to the back room and dragged a mattress out from its usual place intending to bring it down to the basement.