-Another unique plot I thought up while playing New Vegas, watching Spartacus and an episode of Law and Order SVU. I have it following a few characters from Fallout 2. Forgive me, I never played the game but I thought the characters would fit in perfectly and it later leads to some rather interesting developments that involve New Vegas. My ultimate goal is to have one solid story following a bloodline throughout the Fallout history. With "Annex to Ashes" being the first this will come in significantly later but I hope to link all the stories together somehow. Anyways, I hope you like it. I try to create my own plots cause I hate following a developed story too close. - PLEASE READ AND REVIEW
CHAPTER 1 - Pilot
Year 2221
The camp smelt of putrid waste and rotting flesh. It was more like a farm for human beings than a 'camp' per se. Those who resided here lived in below standard conditions. The small walled in settlement had only three standing structures. There was a small house like shack, a long canvas tent where the mess hall was and finally another long tarp tent for a walls that surrounded the grounds were high and made of scrap material one could salvage in the wastes. Massive double iron doors secured the safety of those inside while keeping them confined to its boundary.
A large sign hung from the archway above the iron doors. It read CAMP ROUGH which was unoriginal yet spoke true about what went on beyond the walls.
What was unique about this camp was what it all was. It was a training ground for young boys to learn how to fight. Boys no one would miss or come looking for on account of their orphan status. They were slaves to their keeper.
A man by the name of Mr. Dell. A wealthy trader whose business now turned to raising boys to fight for the entertainment of the wealthy. In the center of the camp was a ring marked by rocks where the boys would spar and train with all kind of tools, weapons and dummies.
Mr. Dell was not the only man who ran a business like this. Gladiatorial combat was an up and coming sport in the New Reno Underground and Mr. Dell was simply providing a service for those who required. There were other camps sprouting up and yet Mr. Dell held the majority 'stockpile.' He often boasted of his boys in public areas like bars and clubs. By word of mouth his crop became the hot commodity.
It was well after midnight but Mr. Dell was use to accommodating the shady business of selling the goods in the dark. Two men came to seek out a youth for their own.
"This one looks a bit too skinny," groaned the aging man as he eyed the young boy with antagonizing eyes.
He noted the boys age, perhaps no older than three. His dark brown eyes absent of life or the happiness and innocence of most children his age. His hair was perhaps a 2 on the shaver. He was dirty and his slave outfit was stained with a foulness he chose not to dissect. He was average size for a boy his age and looked utterly defeated by the world he found himself in.
Despite his middle aged appearance the man was sturdy with broad shoulders and a strong square jaw. He wasn't an attractive fellow as his hairline was receding and his eyes were somewhat glazed from perhaps a previous chem addiction. He was dressed in a medium weight armour that masked all kinds of destructive objects beneath the plates of steel.
He was a complete contrast to the elderly man who stood beside him.
A sharply dressed gentleman of class and poise and yet behind this aging gray eyes there was a coldness about him and experience beyond which anyone could fathom. He carried himself tall and proud with an air of superiority despite having to rely on an oxygen tank he trailed by his side. The dark liver spots around his face painted him somewhat comically and yet from first impression he was no doubt a man you did not want to cross.
"I don't know Mason. I think the boy has some fight in him. Look at his face. Strong chin. Dark eyes. Stands straight. I think he will do alright," the sharply dressed elderly man rebutted.
"I assure you," began a third man whose voice carried lower than the other men's voices. "This one here won't disappoint. He's got a good appetite and has handled the training so far. With a bit of meat on his bones he will no doubt be a formidable opponent. Of course that is only possible with a weekly contribution to his upkeep." He described.
The elderly man's mouth traced up in each corner as the sinister sneer played on his face.
"You have a deal Mr. Dell. The boy will bare my mark when he fights," the elderly man spoke out.
The elderly man's guard known to them as Mason sneered as he looked upon the frail boy.
"I just hope you're not wasting your money Mr. Salvatore. Last thing we want is for the Mordino's to have another bragging right over us," Mason pointed out.
The elderly man just smiled to his younger guard and turned his sights back on the small child.
"You belong to me now. Eat, grow, fight and maybe you'll be a reckoning force here in the New Reno Underground.
The young child looked to his master with vacant eyes.
"Does he not speak?" asked Mr. Salvatore.
Mr. Dell fidgeted slightly, wondering if this would break the deal.
"Well, uh you see sir the boy's vocal chords were severely damaged by the fire. I assure you nothing else is wrong with him. The Doctor had a good look and he appears just fine. If anything, it makes him a little more submissive," Mr. Dell informed.
Salvatore didn't look to pleased at first with this new information and yet he forced a smile across his wrinkled lips.
"Not a problem," he muttered as he caught the sigh of Mason. "Does he have a name?"
"No, Sir," Dell told him.
"Very well. Have him responding to Verus. I came across some interesting pieces of history that spoke of a fighter by this name. I think it's suiting don't you all?"
The two men nodded.
"I'll be back in a few months to see how he is doing. Thank you Mr. Dell. Oh, and if any of my other 'friends' come to see you. Tell them you're business is with me and me only. I will see to it you are compensated fairly," Salvatore told him.
Mr. Dell nodded and the two men departed leaving the frail child with his keeper.
"Get back with the others you piece of shit!" snapped Dell as he kicked the boy in the back of the bare heel. The boy made a snuffed yelp due to his damaged vocal chords and raced back into the derelict tent where the rest of the children slept.
A cold grin played across the Keepers mouth as he walked across the camp to his wooden shack. It was his own private quarters complete with a small viewing platform on the roof where he could watch the days training.
In the large longhouse of mattresses splayed on the ground the young child found his own and curled up on its soiled fabric. The sharp broken springs dug into his soft flesh making each sleep a painful reminder as to where he was. Not a night went by when he didn't think about his family and how they had come to pass.
What had become of his older brother and sister who had been sold before him? Everything was still so fresh in his mind. The fire had been the worst. Hearing his parents burn alive in their home as they tried to save his baby sister who perished with them in the flames. His older brother had been the one who rescued he and his older sister before the flames could claim them.
With the thoughts of their faces etched in his mind he closed his eyes and tucked himself into a tiny ball and soon found sleep.
-XXX-
It was shy of a year by only a month before Mason returned to Camp Rough to see how things were progressing. He came on behalf of Mr. Salvatore who had requested the update while he attended business in his bar with the rest of the 'family.' Mason was still undecided about all this. He loved Mr. Salvatore like a father and therefore, like a son he was entitled to question where the old man's head was at.
It was a warm summer day and yet the birds knew better than to fly anywhere near this place. The only sounds that echoed through the walls were the yells and shouts of at least twenty young boys. The guard opened the door permitting access for Mason. He decided to come unannounced so to catch Mr. Dell off guard in case anything shady was going down.
Surprisingly nothing of the sort seemed out of place. The boys had since finished breakfast and were well underway with their training in the center courtyard. The ring of stones acted as an invisible wall none were allowed to cross until training had completed.
Mr. Dell noticed the man enter the camp as he watched from his rooftop ledge. He came down the flight of stairs and greeted his guest.
"Mason! Good to see you! This is a welcome surprise. How are you and the family doing? What can I do for you today?" Mr. Dell asked cheerfully not at all put off by the unannounced guest.
"Everything is fine. Mr. Salvatore sends his regards and apologies that he could not come with me. Business," Mason responded. "I came to check how far his money has gone. I'll be honest I have expected to see the place burning but I find myself surprised,"
This was good to hear from someone such as he.
"Glad to surprise. The boys have been training for an hour now. Would you like to see?" Mr. Dell asked.
Mason just nodded his head and followed the man to the viewing platform.
"Which one is..."
"Verus?" Mr. Dell asked.
Again, Mason nodded.
Mr. Dell pointed to a very small child who was sparring against a boy much larger than he. The larger boy was holding a sack filled with grains by the looks of it while the small child lashed out violently.
It was somewhat comical to see such a small boy wailing away with such intensity and yet Mason could clearly see the focus and determination in the boys face.
"He's been doing very well. Putting on weight and as healthy as ever," Dell assured.
"Does he win?" Mason asked.
Dell arched a brow and looked to the man.
"He is only four years old. To have him fight so young could damage him rendering him useless and quite the loss of your investment," Dell told Mason.
"Mr. Salvatore had requested I witness a fight between the boy and another. We won't let it get out of hand."
Dell could only nod.
"BOYS!" his voice boomed. The children froze in place and looked to their Keeper. "Verus! Lionel!"
The boys looked to one another somewhat stunned but parted to their spots around the circle creating a barrier with their bodies as two young boys remained in the center.
Little Verus stood facing his opponent who carried much advantage over the small boy. Lionel was bigger, older and stronger. He had been training for two years longer than Verus and yet he was the only one closest in age to the boy who wouldn't kill him with one blow. Both boys were clad in Brahmin skin tunics. A piece of rope held up their shorts. Their feet were covered with shin high boots with metal cuffs to protect the bone.
"Begin!" Dell's voice directed. Mason watched in silence with arms folded indifferent to the situation and clearly bored.
The two boys clashed openly grabbing at one another and trying to throw their opponent to the ground. Lionel got the upper hand quickly. He had Verus eating sand as he held the boys head down in the graining surface.
Verus was able to roll away but Lionel brought his foot down hard on the boys chest. Verus winced but he could not screech in pain. He clambered away and got to his feet while Lionel laughed at the young boy. He charged the smaller child who seemed almost quicker for he dodged out of the way causing Lionel to stumbled over his own feet and fall to the sand. He glared back at the boy who was now smiling.
Once again he charged but Verus dropped to the ground and out tripped the older boy who fell on his stomach. Verus acted suddenly. He pulled the rope off his waist and jumped on the older boy. He quickly got it around Lionel's neck and pulled hard. Lionel's hands tried to pull the rope off his neck but the young child had more strength than expected.
"Verus that's enough!" Dell ordered but the boy didn't stop. "VERUS!" Dell tried but the boy was dead set on strangling the older boy. A guard suddenly rushed in and pulled the small boy off the other. Dell looked absolutely furious and ready to beat the boy down when he heard Mason laughing beside him. His eyes flashed to the other man who displayed a huge grin on his face.
"Fantastic!" Mason commented. "Mr. Salvatore will be most pleased to hear how well the boy is doing. Thank you Mr. Dell. That was very fun to watch."
Mr. Dell replaced his sour look with a smile and nodded to Mason.
That had certainly been entertaining. Perhaps he was wrong to question this new sport. When these boys got older certainly they would be a real cash grab in the Underground. Mason was now convinced. Once again left Camp Rough without so much as another word or request.
Mr. Dell watched the man leave before he looked back to Verus. The boy's teeth were clenched as he remained in the hands of the guard. Mr. Dell only smiled at the boy before looking to the guard.
"See that Lionel goes to the infirmary. Verus gets a second helping at lunch."
-A/N : For those following Annex to Ashes fear not! I am still writing for it as well. I am just doing this one on the side. I will continue but how fast I work on this plot is up to the reviewers. -