Wanderer in Beach City
Welp, that's a couple of laser burns going through my chest.
"Fu..." I muster out before falling backward. Cracking my head open on the hard metal below our feet as all hell broke loose.
My vision was that of a drunken haze when my eyes open again just a second after falling. Barely I watch as Glade drops next to me with what I think to be smoke coming out of his helmet. Weapons going off and a mumbling mess of screaming was all I could make out beside my dead Brother. Though I knew he wouldn't be the only one today.
What had gone wrong? Sarah was now Elder and with my help, we were close to finding a middle ground with the Outcast. Years of killing Super Mutants, Enclave, and Raiders finally gave the Brotherhood the time to find a solution to them. Maybe it was just to high a wish we'd find common ground after our campaign towards pacifying the Capital Wasteland's threats. The months leading up to this meeting was enough to believe such.
How many warning signs must there have been for me to ignore it all because of that belief? That just once I wouldn't need to put a bullet into someone.
"Leo! Leo can you move!" That was Sarah yelling alright. Oh, how I wanted to yell back 'Parts of my inner chest cavity are now ash so no I can't'. I didn't have the heart to do that now though. That and the lasers fired had in fact gone through my lungs.
If I had power armor on I'd been fine when the first shots were fired. But I had felt it wouldn't be necessary during the talks. Sarah wasn't even in hers and, from what I saw, neither was Casdin. Only the other members of the Pride and selected guards were armored up. All I had was a few weapons and the modified combat armor Reily's Rangers had given me. Perfect for sprinting street to street across downtown D.C. Not so much for an all-out battle like this.
Turning my heads towards Sarah's voice, I spotted her. Crouch down behind the rest of the Pride and right under Fawkes, using him as some improvise cover, shooting back. It was good to know at least that she'll be fine. Fawkes and the Pride can easily fall back towards the rest of our Brothers and Sisters. They'd be leaving me here but that's fine. I can deal with becoming a martyr for this new war and... then a laser went through Sarah's arm. Fired from behind where the rest of the Brotherhood here was standing.
"From behind!" Someone yelled but I couldn't tell who it was. Their tone had some strength to it. A strength I couldn't find anymore.
Sarah realized what I had seconds later. Her face, once always a reliable source of reassurance and strength, now empty. As if she wasn't alive at all. It didn't suit her.
Whispers were all it was in our minds. Backhand comments of discontent over Sarah's continued vigor of her father's mission. A mission that never truly was what the Brotherhood originally founded itself on. Seems they bided their time and took the first chance they had. At the very least, the Outcast will join the Brotherhood again after they finished killing us. That much I figure was certain.
Explosions went off and the fighting died down enough that one could hear steel and concert begin to crumble. The floor had given out under all chaos and everyone standing in the center was now plumbing down. Forcibly I was made to look upwards, watching as the light above faded away as men and woman screamed along with the collapsing rubble. Through it, all I wanted to do was look towards Sarah as our inevitable came.
That's a bright sun.
"Ow! Why?!"
I sit straight up and begin rubbing my eyes. Trying in vain to get rid of the after effects of spots from them. Slowly I open my eyes back up and for a moment wonder just how much damage that second of staring at the sun could've done. Cause, I swear, water has never looked that clean before.
It was like staring out from the beaches on Point Lookout but instead of green slug and depressing skies. Here the sky was a bright blue that seems never ending with an equal ocean of clear water that glistens off of itself. Now that I was thinking, the air's fresh too. Same as Oasis even. Something's very wrong.
Without a second thought, I jump back onto my feet. Looking left and right for Sarah and the others. Instead of rubble and bodies, finding a small town next to this beach I had ended up on.
"How?" Speaking my thoughts out loud, I look closer to see that the building's of this town, were in fact, intact. Not made of what was ever lying about and looked 'pretty'. Like, something someone should be happy to live in compared to the scrap huts most towns had around D.C.
Wait, a thought occurs. Why am I breathing easily right now? Oh, that's because my chest wound was patched up with only a tiny scar remaining. Why was it patched up? Why is my bare chest out?! Why am I on a beach!? Why is none of the Pride HERE!? WHY IS THERE A CHILD NEXT TO ME?!
"Who?!" The kid jumped back when I yelled at him. First impressions ruined by what had to seem like a man gone mad.
Honestly, I didn't want to deal with the tubby kid. Which, a kid with a large stomach? Add that to the list of questions piling up. I'll answer this question later, however. Right now scaring him off by staring him down as a raider on psycho. Would give me a second to breathe. That's what I'm thinking at least. But for some reason, the kid has a death wish. Proven by him inching closer next to me and well into choking range.
"Are you alright?" He was concerned for me. Neat. "There's the Donut Shop nearby if you need something to help cool off."
On that note, I calmed right down. Don't get mad at the kid trying to help you. If anything I could use a chance to cool drink right about now.
"Where?" I ask after a long breath.
His eyes light up and he points off towards a small building right at the end of the beach. Right next to it being some cliff sides around a hill that shadowed the town. Great place for an outpost the more I look at it actually. Wait, the kid's waiting for me to follow him. Keep the place in mind for later.
It takes a minute for me to follow the kid off the beach. The kid running up and opening the door for me as I sauntered in. Observing the store that had an abundance of sweets that fit what was shown outside. Big wheel shape sweat rolls name Donuts. Just more and more questions coming up by the second, uh.
"I think he needs more than a soda, Steven."
Great, lost track of this kid for half a second to look around and he's off ahead doing something else. I still thought he was at the door. Instead, he's talking to the shopkeep ordering me a drink.
That... sounded wrong. But I learned his name was Steven so one question answered.
"Water, please. If you don't mind."
The girl behind the counter nodded and went to grab a bottle. I would've looked away but I caught a site of her figure. Chubby, like the kid who was ordering two Donuts for her to grab as well. So, this town had an abundance of food. Best figure that one out well I'm here. Could be some tricks D.C. towns can use.
"So, what's your name?" Steven asked, taking a seat on the counter rocking back and forth. As if the mear act of standing still was asking too much of him even as he had to wait.
"Leo Simthington. Kight of the Brotherhood of Steel," I answer, raising my hand for him to shake. Mind as well be pleasant. Wasn't like I'd be going anywhere soon as I was completely lost and the kid did show me a place to ease my mind.
Stressing out over the coup, Sarah and the Pride missing and ending up in a strangely pleasant town won't accuse me behaving cruel or forceful. Especially since being nice to new people usually ends with them cooperating to my needs than punching them until I get answers. Wasn't ruling that option out yet though. Even if all I could see on my person was a knife I felt my odds in a fight here pretty good.
"Steven Universe. Member of the Crystal Gems." He spoke with childish pride. Must be some kids group he had going on.
We shook hands and the shopkeeper returned. Bottle of water and a plastic bag filled with food in hand waiting by the cash register.
"That'll be four-eighty five please."
Reach into my pockets I mind a quite important discovery. No caps, not a single metal bottle top that back home in Megaton I had over 5000 of. My head drops and I turned towards the kid. The shame of what I was about to ask ever obvious but replaced by shock. Steven had already paid for the items with Pre-war money of all things! Caps or no caps it'd seem they'd be useless here regardless.
"Thanks, Sadie!" Steven then ran to the exit and opened the door. Looking up towards me expectingly with the bottle of water extend outwards.
"Thanks." I had to hold back laughing openly as I walked out of the store with him. Grabbing the bottle of water and being reminded of all those poor souls I've given water to before. Guess I never expected to receive water freely in return before.
We found a bench to sit and the kid handed me one of these Donuts. Not bad, taste like a mirelurk cake. Anyhow, I have no plan of action on how to improve my situation. Clean water to drink is minimal in ways of improvement and not long lasting even for survival. Kid's not gonna pay for all my needs so I'll probably have to resort to less than admirable actions. This place doesn't seem to be in high need of my kind of skills like most D.C. towns do. So stealing the dare necessities it is then! Well also trying to learn where the hell everyone else ended up.
"You new to Beach City?" I'm starting to think the kid's gonna break my chain of thoughts quite often for as long as he's near. Side note though.
"That's a boring name. But yeah, I'm new here." It's not even a city on the beach so already there's a false advertisement!
"Is that why you were screaming on the beach? Where you not shown all the cool stuff here?" His eyes express a mixture of sympathy and excitement. Neither of which I understood the reason as to why. But gut feeling told me to change subjects or I'll find myself disappointed with his praise of the town.
"No, no. I just figured out that I have no ideas were my Brothers and Sisters went."
"Oh, you need help finding them?" Steven asked and what the hell might as well see if he could.
"Yeah, they walk around in big suits of armor like knights and carry weapons that shoot electricity." The dumb down childish explanation of what a Brotherhood Knight looked like should be enough for a kid to know if he saw anyone like that. Really though I didn't hold out much hope he'd...
"I've seen stuff like that! No one carrying it but the Gems and I did find a wired knight's helmet and laser gun thing on our last mission." The fuck? "They were off fighting, even having to form Alexandrite to win and I got to watch the whole thing go down. I found a couple of weird things like that afterward as they bubbled the corrupted gem. I put them all in my dad's van! Come on I'll show you."
Wasn't expecting that but I had a lead. Therefore I followed Steven once again. This time towards the front of the cliffs I saw earlier just out of sight of the town. Finding a van as he said along with a house built into the side of the cliffs. There plain as day I caught the site of a T-45 standard issue power armor helmet dress in the Brotherhood's colors. It was a second later I pushed past the kid and the old man sitting by the van itself. Grabbing the piece of armor and getting a better look. As if it held all my answers.
"Where you find this?"
Izzycity12: I joined the Army! Yea me! Hey, by the way, don't expect constant updates from me. There's now a lot of dumb stuff I now do along with the job the Army's given me.
Anyhow, about this story. Had an idea about two characters that do their best to help as many as they can meeting one another. The catch being they both act accordingly to their environment. Since most of my character in Fallout 3 end up being the Next Best Hope for Humanity I wondered. How would one of them react to a character like Steven. Who in turn is different by their environment, in my opinion, to the Lone Wanderer.
Regardless, until next time. Hoped you enjoyed.