A Day In A Diner
Before I begin this story, I'd like to give a massive thank you to the amazing owlaholic68, whose Fallout 2 stories have inspired me to write my own. So thank you so much, owlaholic8, and please keep writing your amazing stories! I also greatly apologize if I get anything wrong here, as I have never played Fallout 2, and all of my knowledge is from websites, YouTube videos and Fanfictions. Anyway, I hope you guys and gals enjoy this story!
I do not own Fallout, it belongs to Bethesda.
The sun was blazing high above the New Californian Wasteland, bathing the irradiated desert-like land in a warm glow. Roaming caravans and packs of Raiders journeyed throughout the lands, as monstrous beasts hunted for their next meal. In the town of the Den, a haven for drug and slave trafficking, the streets were bustling with addicts and thieves. Towards the eastern side, in a small run-down diner called Mom's Diner, a group of seven sat at a table, eating a large plate of centaur chops.
To the far right, a hulking Super Mutant sat on a ruined couch, a YK428 Pulse Rifle resting against his leg. The Mutant was covered in makeshift metal armour and scarred green flesh, with a pair of old goggles resting on his head. This was Marcus, the sheriff of Broken Hills.
Next to Marcus, an old Ghoul sat, a nervous aura to him. The Ghoul's skin was peeling and worn, with his muscles and bones being exposed in certain areas. He wore a set of metal armour, with a .223 pistol resting on his lap. This was Lenny, the Ghoul doctor of Gecko.
Sitting next to Lenny, laughing loudly and with a bottle of beer in hand, was a normal looking guy. This guy's balding hair was starting to go grey and he had a prominent gut, but a wide grin was evident on his weathered face and a bright spark to his eyes. The guy was wearing a dented set of combat armour, with a Gauss Rifle strapped to his back. This was Vic the trader, and he was currently chatting with another man.
This other guy was most distinctive, given the numerous scars and wounds that covered his body. It seemed as if every inch of his skin was covered in some form of scar tissue, burn mark or some other type of wound. But the most striking feature was this man's face; his right eye was a milky white and the right side of his bald head was covered in some kind of metallic plating. A pulse pistol was holstered to this guy's belt, as he enjoyed some centaur chops. This was John Cassidy, a former resident of Vault City.
The final person sitting at the table was a tribal man, his body heavily decorated with tattoos and various forms of primitive piercings, the most notable one being the bone piercing through the tribal man's nose. A Mega Power Fist laid on the table near the tribal man, flecks of old blood still evident on it. This was Sulik, from Klamath.
The final two of this eclectic group were sitting on the ground near the table, obviously busy doing their one thing. The one on the left was a cyberdog of sorts, munching on a centaur chop that had fallen to the ground. The cyberdog was called K9. The one on the right was a young woman, who was busy patting the cyberdog. The woman had dirty blonde hair that was tied up in a messy bun, tanned skin and blue eyes that sparkled with humour. Her nose was slightly crooked, suggesting that it had been broken sometime in the past. The woman wore a set of scratched power armour, with a Ripper and the Solar Scorcher holstered to her waist, and a sniper rifle strapped to her back. This woman went by many names, but two names were the most common; The Chosen One to most of the people of New California, or Catori to her family and friends.
"So guys, enjoying lunch?" Catori asked, as she looked up at her friends. "Better be good, since I paid for it."
"We be enjoying the food, Cat." Sulik answered, nodding his tattooed head. "Very good, very yummy."
"It's pretty good, but wish it wasn't centaur." Vic responded, taking a sip of his beer. "No offence meant boss, but ain't exactly a fan of them centaurs."
"I have to agree with Vic here." Marcus added. "I don't exactly feel all that comfortable eating centaurs. Mutants like me usually have them as pets; it would be like asking you to eat a dog."
"Well don't have 'em then, buddy." Cassidy stated, eyebrow raised. "Mom ain't just a cooker of centaur. She'd cook ya up anythin' else ya want, long as it's edible."
"I do not see the problem." K9 muttered, gnawing on a centaur chop. "These centaurs are absolutely delicious, master."
"At least you love them, little buddy." Catori cooed, scratching at the back of K9's head. "You're just a good boy, ain't ya?"
"Master, please don't talk to me like I am incapable of understanding you." K9 retorted, sounding annoyed. "I have a higher mental capacity than most canines, and I have a sound grasp of the English language."
"Aww, you're just a little cutie." Catori answered, letting out a small giggle. "Definitely better than any other dog I've met."
K9 turned around, staring down the Chosen One, an unamused look evident in the cyberdog's eyes. Instead of backing down from the tense glare, the grin on Catori's face grew even wider, as she patted K9 on the head. The cyberdog let out an annoyed mutter in response, as he went back to his centaur chop.
"I'm r-really enjoying the food too, Catori." Lenny stated, a small smile on his irradiated face. "Thank you so much, f-for paying for lunch."
"Lenny, you are an absolute sweetheart." Catori responded, flashing the Ghoul a warm grin. "No need to thank me; I just thought you guys needed a bit of a lunch break, is all."
"You d-didn't have to do that, Catori." Lenny answered. "We could've g-gone a bit more without food. After all, we've still got to p-plan for this Oil Rig attack."
"What planning do we need to do, slim?" Vic inquired, turning around to look at Lenny. "We've got the boss in our corner, plus all of this kickass gear and weapons. The Enclave may be tough, but I think we're plenty tough as well."
"That may be so, but it would do good to plan a bit." Marcus retorted. "It would just be foolish to rush into the Enclave's main base, with no plan whatsoever."
"Big guy, don't stress kay?" Vic stated, a cocky grin on his face. "I've been following the boss for a while now, and I ain't ever seen a gal handle herself like our Chosen One. Plus, we've got a goddamn Deathclaw and a super-smart computer as allies! Heck, how can we lose?"
"Famous last words, right there." Marcus responded dryly.
"We say to trust Cat." Sulik added in, leaning forward. "Cat has the spirits on her side, good spirits too. Grampy Bone said we should walk with Cat, and Grampy Bone was right."
"I'm ready to charge the Oil Rig whenever, Catty." Cassidy stated, taking a bite of a centaur chop. "Just hope you bring that little weed, Myron. Wouldn't mind pushin' that boy in front of some machine gun fire, if ya get my drift."
"You really hate Myron, don't you?" The Chosen One asked, her head tilted slightly.
"Nah, I don't hate the guy." Cassidy answered. "I just am really lookin' forward to when he gets turned into Deathclaw food, is all."
"T-that is dark, John." Lenny muttered, a frown on his irradiated face.
"And I told ya to keep your distance, Lenny." Cassidy retorted. "No offence mate, but you are stinkin' up this place something pretty fierce."
The Ghoul doctor's eyes went wide for a few moments, before he lowered his head in embarrassment. The Chosen One saw this, and felt a flicker of annoyance build up within her chest. Removing her hand from K9's head, the tribal woman stood up and turned to face John Cassidy straight on.
"John, I told you to leave Lenny alone about his smell." Catori stated, shooting daggers at Cassidy. "Now stop it."
"Alright Catty, no need ta bite my head off." Cassidy retorted, raising his hands in an act of surrender. "I'll leave little Len alone now, promise."
"I'm n-not that little." Lenny muttered, taking a sip from his glass of water.
"Frens, we should not snarl and fight." Sulik interrupted, looking at everyone. "We should be as one, fighting the Enclave."
"Well I'll be damned, Bone Nose said something smart for once." Vic stated, a grin on his face. "I agree with ya buddy, we should be knocking on the Enclave's door right now."
"Guys, we can do that later." Catori sighed. "Can we just enjoy lunch first, please? I mean, I don't want all this food to go to waste."
"You're just saying that cause you paid for it, boss." Vic retorted, letting out a chuckle.
"Alright, that's part of the reason." The Chosen One admitted, cracking a small grin. "But mostly cause I see you guys as friends and I want us to have fun, not bullying and judging one another."
"I'm just bustin' Lenny's balls a bit, Catty." Cassidy retorted. "But alright, I'll stop just for ya."
"Thanks, Cass." Catori stated, giving him a curt nod.
"Well, now that this dispute has been settled, we can settle the matter of food." Marcus added, turning to look at Catori. "I've heard some pretty good things about the fricasseed floater."
"Hey hey, if we're ordering food, we should get some Brahmin fries." Vic interrupted. "Been craving some of Mom's fries for a while now, I tell ya."
"The Brahmin fries?" Cassidy inquired, a disbelieving tone to his voice. "Have ya gone off the deep end there, Vic? Those Brahmin fries are goddamn trash."
The Chosen One couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, as a new argument broke out between her friends. Sitting back down on the ground, Catori leant next to K9, scratching at the cyberdog's head. The two watched, as Vic and Cassidy got into a heated argument over the quality of Brahmin fries, while Marcus was busy looking at the menu and Sulik scoffing down the centaur chops. Lenny was just sitting there at his seat, looking incredibly uncomfortable.
"Why do you let these people accompany you, master?" K9 inquired. "All they seem to do is fight and argue amongst themselves."
"That's true, K9." The Chosen One agreed. "But they're my friends, and I wouldn't have them any other way."
And my first ever Fallout 2 story is done and dusted! I'd like to once again thank owlaholic68 for inspiring me to write a Fallout 2 story, and for just being an amazing writer in general! But anyway, I hope to see you guys and gals soon!
Love,
The Desert Dancer