War, War never changes. But people do. Through the roads, they walk and the blah blah blah
that's something I'd heard on my trip through the wastes one day I forget when and where, but it creeped me out and sent a child through my spine whenever I thought of it. It was random and completely out of the blue and apparently I was the only one who heard because Dogmeat didn't seem fazed by the voice. I shrugged it off and kept walking, I couldn't remember the full thing for some reason so who cared kept doing whatever it was that people needed.
"Help us please!" voices yelled to me from all over, I blinked and realized I was standing inside a raider camp; all of them lay dead at my feet and in my hand I held a gun, the first REAL gun I'd ever held in my life. This was back during my first day out of the vault mind you. Anyway the gun, that gun, that ONE moment in my life that I held something so powerful, the cold steel weighed down my hand like I was holding onto a freshly frozen Nukacola. I looked it over, checking out all the grooves and notches. All that power in one tiny thing like this? I freed the slaves and didn't turn hesitate to turn my back to them, they would live I told myself, was I fooling myself back then? Hell yes, I was, because back then the urge to kill them instead was too much for me. I continued walking; making roads and changes everywhere I went. All the way to I found myself crying on a glass window as my father's lifeless body lay still.
"Wake up you fucking bastard!" I yelled smashing my fist against the door. I was choosing not to notice the crumbling building hitting down all around
"Fuck you, Kid" a voice yelled as I turned to see a leather boot smash my nose in and leave me dazed on the cold steel floor, staring unwavering at the falling ceiling. Who was this? Ah, Clover the haircut gives you away; somewhere I probably have a shit-eating grin.
"I'm NOT staying here to die" she's rummaging through my bag? What do you want in there? Do you want caps? What about drugs? No, can't be I don't keep those. Ah yes, there goes all my caps, all 7400 that I had saved up, have fun I killed innocent people for those. Another shit eating grin. Wish Dogmeat was here, I'd have him kill her. Me? I was too tired of that. I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep
Don't know how long I slept for, but I do remember waking up stripped completely naked and sitting in a pool of water waist high. I shock the shaggy hair out of my eyes and looked around, I was in a makeshift camp, and it looked dirty like someone had taken a shit on most of the furniture and then rubbed it in for added effect. A cough sounded towards my left and I looked to it sharply. A man stood there at around 6'5 and he had on a brown duster with a cowboy hat on, on his feet he wore black cowboy boots and on his brown belt lay two six-shooters.
"Who the fuck are you supposed to be? Calamity Jane?" I asked not even bothering to cover myself as I rose out of the tub. He looked at me, at least I think. The shadows that his hat casted over his eyes made it hard to tell, but it unnerved me, it was like more than one pair of eyes were peering at my through those shadows, like some demon was going to crawl out and swallow me into its dark abyss
"Well? Answer me dickweed!" I said throwing yet another insult him
"Dickweed? That's new, never heard that one before" He laughed at the joke, his laughed filled the air like a sweet aroma and against better judgment I felt a smile tugging at my lips.
"Nathan, Nathan Hearlfield" He said reaching out a gloved hand. I just raised an eyebrow at him and put my hands on my hips
"I'm not shaken' anything of yours cowboy, till you find me some clothes," I said probably glaring, I was good at that I'd heard.
So here I am sitting down with some strange man who gave me clothes and food and told me stories of his past. It had kings and a group called the "NCR" and something about a bull and a Keyser? I don't remember the full versions, but I was sure he was on some deadly drugs. I went to tell him about my adventures with Dogmeat, Clover, And Fawkes. He laughed some of our earlier adventures and grew somber at me mentioning their deaths. That was what stopped our conversation I was staring at my hands, my callouses were growing by the day. When he said something I was not expecting to hear from his mouth.
"I'm dead you know?" He said looking at me from under the brim of his hat. His blue eyes contrasted from his tanned skin and dirty blonde hair, this blue that his eyes held were like pure water. I think I might have gasped a little. Shaking my thoughts away I finally reregistered what he said I looked at him with a glare
"Do you think that shits fun-" Before I could continue he threw a hand up all but commanding silence. He stood up and reached his hand up towards the skewed cowboy hat, once he took it off I probably gasped and said something along the lines of "Holy shit" more likely I said "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU" One of the two, you pick. I digress though. Where his head should have gone around skin and hair, was nothing but a skull, melted and battered in a spot. Clean through to his brain.
"W..what?" was all I could say then. I was confused on how his was even still in front of me talking to me with a gaping hole in his skull
"Everyone looked to me for something, you know? It starts to get to you, I was a wild card, cheating death at his own game and making a name for myself" He sighed and plopped his hat back on and began moving towards the door, I realized that his steps didn't leave footprints.
"I want you to do something when you wake up and put my gun to your head" He turned around to face me, his body had turned pitch black, sucking out any and all of the air around me and the world. Shadows pulled from the walls and gravitated towards him, a feeling wrapped around me, pulling me towards him. I couldn't scream and I couldn't move at all. I could only stare in fear as I was face to face with the living embodiment of death himself
"People change, through the roads they walk and through the card games they play, What's in your hand and on your feet? Figure it out, because no matter what people are going to need you, don't become THIS!" He threw me back and I landed on the ground with an "oomph" and I blacked out.
I awoke to Dogmeat licking at my face and barking. I pushed his muzzle away from me
"Stupid mutt," I said dusting myself off from the bed I was on. He just barked and wagged his tail which made me smile a little. I pulled a card from out of my hair
"What the fuck?" It was strange and really out of place for it to be there.
"Do you know what this is Dogmeat? It's a Joker from a deck of cards. You know in poker this is considered a wild card" I explained to him as he stared and barked. I chuckled as I threw it up and pulled the gun from my holster and shot a bullet clean through the jokers head
"Ha, Ring-a-Ding-Ding Cowboy"
War, War never changes. But people do. Through the roads, they walk and the blah blah blah
that's something I'd heard on my trip through the wastes one day I couldn't remember the full thing and for some reason that was ok with me. I had people to save.