Chapter 1: Davy
Kid looks at the world he had been hidden from his entire life, every second making him his father never left. The world was barren and hot. Plant life was virtually non-existent, the occasional dry weed sticking out of the broken and disfigured roads. But really, the first thing The Kid noticed when he stepped out was the smell. There was something different about the air around him. In the Vault it was nice and cool, albeit still. But here in the wastes, it was something different. Kid couldn't quite put his finger on, but something about it was just… wrong.
Kid turns and looks back at the door he just exited. Thinks back to what had just happened. His old man's gone, the only people he's ever known have either died or exiled him, and he's ended the life of someone he's known his entire life. But he can't let that get to him. He can't think about it. He needed to focus, he needed to figure out his next move. He takes a few steps forward, and just looks at the sky. The sky has a dark greenish look to it. Kid figured it was from all the bombings or something. The few clouds he could spot slowly drifted across the mutated sky. Made The Kid wonder if anyone was nearby. He thought maybe he'd find some people who could give him some direction if he stuck to the road. Maybe even tell him where his old man's gone off to.
He starts walking down the road, staring at the wastes to the right of him. Sees a few things he thinks are animals crawling around the dirt, but they're bigger than anything The Kid he'd ever seen in a book. Didn't want to bother with them. Kid walks for a short time, and walks by a rusted highway sign. Someone had painted over the rust with bright, yellow paint and spelled out the word "MEGATON" with an arrow pointing to the right.
"The hell's a Megaton?" Kid asks himself. Scratches head and thinks about it for a minute. Kid's thought gets derailed from some bang in the distance. Maybe a gunshot. Kid ducks for a minute, tries to figure out where the hell it came from. Looks around several times, but he can't pinpoint it. 'Nother bang. Kid thinks it's coming from the left of him. To the left of him is a small hill. Kid starts crawling to the hill, but stops on accounta a third bang. Peeks over the tip of the hill, sees a man looking through something on the ground right on the bottom of it. Kid grips his pistol, and starts up the rest of the hill. Draws his weapon and aims it at the man.
"Hey!" Kid yells. Man jumps up and lands on his back, yelps. It's an older man. Maybe forty. Covered in rags, he's a pretty hefty one. His hair almost non-existent, the remnants are curly and short.
"What're you doing?" Kid asks with some anger.
'Just… just… looking at this here… uh…" The man stalls. He crawls back a few feet. Kid looks at the body. A younger man, three shots in his chest. But he was dressed far better. Leatherish armor with a revolver laying next to his hand.
"You shot this man." Kid states, without a doubt in his mind.
"Well.. I.. h-he attack-attacked me… I was just defending myself."
"I only heard three shots, and he has three holes in his chest. You don't have a scratch on you."
"Look, man. I do-don't want any trouble. He's yours. Just don't… just don't hurt me, okay?"
Kid keeps aiming at him, but descends down the hill. He reaches the bottom, standing on the other side of the body.
"Where do you live?" Kid asks him.
"M-me and a few other guys live in a camp not too far from here. I was jus-"
"Look, I don't want to hear an excuse. You killed this man to take his things for you and your friends to shoot other people with. Is that what Megaton is? Your camp?"
"What're you…?" The man wonders, "You-You're one of those Vault people. That's why you're wearing that outfit."
"You solved the case, Holmes! Congrats." The Kid jokes, "I ask the questions, asshole."
Man lays up.
"Don't make me laugh. You're from that Vault. You've been out here, what? 10? 15 minutes? You've probably never even held that weapon. I wonder if there's even any bullets in it."
In truth, The Kid didn't even know if there was. The man began eyeing his rifle. Kid was starting to get nervous. Kid leaps over the body, and lands on the man. Forces the bat down on the man's neck. Man grabs the bat, but he can't move it. Kid places the guns barrel on his forehead.
"Don't get smart with me, dicklicker! You so much as think about grabbing that gun, I'll show you what they taught me in the Vault!"
"Okay! Okay! I'll do whatever the fuck you want! Just don't! Just don't, okay!" The man pleaded.
"I'll do whatever the hell I want, you waste-monkey! Do your friends do this too? Kill people and take their things!"
"We're trying to get by, man! Times are hard! It's kill or be killed!"
"Did you kill another man in a vault suit? Older guy!"
"What? No! You're the first one I ever seen. Maybe one a my friends did, we don't talk about who we done."
"Take me to them. Take me to your camp."
"I can't do that. They'll kill me. AND you."
"Great friends you've got."
"Because my enemies are so much more polite?"
Kid gets off of him, keeps the pistol aimed at him.
"Get up." Kid commands. As the man gets up, The Kid grabs the dead man's revolver. He opens the chamber. Six bullets.
"How many men do you stay with?" Kid asks.
"There's five of us, counting me." The man replies, wiping the dirt off his legs.
"So if you're lucky, I'll only need to use four of these."
"You mean to tell me you plan to outgun four men?" The man laughs, "I met some dumbass people in my time, but you take the cake, my friend."
"How much ammo do you have?"
"14 rounds, last I counted there was a full mag in the rifle. I guess you're taking it?"
"Well, I could give you the treatment you gave your friend here and just get it that way…"
"No-no-no, that's fine. It's yours."
"You're not as dumb as you look." Kid says as he picks up the rifle.
"You vault boys have read too many comics. You go against four guys guns blazing-"
"I'm not asking for guidance. I'm asking you to take me to your camp. If you do this, I'll let you live. Fair trade?" Kid barters.
"Heh. I guess they weren't very good friends anyways. Just follow me. I wanna get this outta the way." The man gestures for The Kid to follow him, and turns and walks. The Kid aims the rifle at him, and begins to follow.
The two walk a short way in silence. The Kid stares at the back of the man's head. The man turns his head slightly.
"You gotta name?" The man asks.
"Not anymore." Kid says, "You?"
"Davy. Names Davy." The man replies.
"Nice to meet you, Davy."
"Yeah… maybe in different circumstances it'd be nicer."
"Don't be so negative, Davy. I'm trying to be your friend here."
"I thought I had enough friends who liked to threaten me."
"How much farther?" Kid asks, changing the subject.
"Can't see it in the distance?" Davy asks.
Kid looks ahead. Sees a few tents and a few figures walking around them.
"Don't expect a warm welcome." Davy warns him.
"I didn't really expect diplomacy coming in with a gun aimed at when of their fellow grave-robbers."
Davy laughs, "They don't care about me. No honor among thieves. They just see you've got stuff. And you've pretty much brought it to them."
"Well I only plan to fight if I have to."
"Then you might wanna start aiming at them." Davy yells.
"DAVY!" One of the figures yells, "THE HELL'S GOING ON!"
"NOTHING, MEL! JUST KINDA GOT TIED UP!"
Two men come outta one of the tents. Kid counts five.
"Davy. The fuck? You said there were only five of you guys!" The Kid says, a bita panic in him.
"Sorry, sorry! I can't fuckin' count."
"You can't fucking count! How old are you?"
"Hey! I'd appreciate not being insulted for my inability to do something!""If we survive this, I'm going to shoot you in the brain. Might just make you smarter."
"Fuck you." Davy whispers as one of the figures starts yelling again.
"DAVY. HE GOT ANYTHING GOOD ON HIM?"
"HEY HEY HEY!" The Kid yells. "I DON'T WANT ANY TROUBLE, I'M JUST LOOKING FOR SOMEONE."
"BOY, DON'T YOU TALK WITHOUT BEING SPEAKIN' TO." The voice Davy called Mel yelled.
"Christ…" Kid sighs.
"MEL, LET'S JUST TALK." Davy yelled.
"OH I GET IT. DAVY'S RUNNING WITH THIS NEW GUY NOW."
"THAT'S LOW, DAVY." Another one of them yells.
"I AIN'T WITH HIM." Davy yelled to keep his ass, "HE'S JUST GOT A GUN-" Kid stops him by smacking him with an open palm.
"HE'S GOTTA GUN, BOYS. OUR GUN." Mel yelled, and immediately drew his pistol and fired at the two.
"Shit!" Davy yelled and slammed against the floor. Kid aims down his sight and takes a few shots before he leaps down.
"Fuck!" One of them yelled, "He got me in the leg!"
"Good shot!" Davy said to The Kid.
"Not good enough," Kid says, "I missed his face."
Kid draws his revolver and hands it to Davy.
"What're you doing?" Davy asks as one of the bullets flies over his head.
"I can't take down five people alone! Now if you don't wanna die, shut up and shoot!"
Davy nods and grabs it. He rolls to the left and starts aiming at the figures. He pulls the trigger.
"Fuck!" One of gunmen yell, "My fuckin' shoulder!" He stopped firing.
"Take cover!" Another yells. The figures disburse, two running into the tent, the one with the fucked shoulder hitting the dirt.
"We need to move up!" Kid yells. He starts moving ahead. Davy peers ahead for a minute, and slowly starts crawling ahead.
"They're moving up!" The injured gunmen yelled. One of the men in the tent jumps out and fires at the two with something automatic. Bullets start hitting the ground in front of The Kid.
"Fuck! That was my rifle, John!" Davy yelled, firing his second round.
"Fuck you, Davy!" John yelled as he fired.
Kid treads back, fires two shots at John.
"They're too far away!" Kid yells.
"I know!" Davy yells back.
Kid aims down the sight, takes aim at John, and for a moment, the world just seems to stop. Kid don't hear nothing' but his own breathing, and John seems closer than ever.
"The head.." Kid mumbles. Pulls the trigger. The bullet flies far, flying past John's and the other's. Some people would say that bullet was kissed by God himself. Flew right inbetween John's eyes, and right on through to the other side. The suppressing stops, and John falls over deader than the dirt.
"Fuck! John's dead!" Mel yells.
"No shit!" Another one of them yells.
Kid signals Davy to move up. Davy crawls over.
"I need ammo." Kid says to him, "Give it to me quick."
Davy turns to his pockets and pulls out to magazines.
"Make 'em count." Davy says.
"Well I don't intend to miss." Kid chuckles while he's changing the mags.
"Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"
"My father."
"Jeez. Sounds like I might like your old man."
"He wouldn't like you." Kid says as he finishes with the magazine and aims his weapon again.
Kid starts firing at the already injured gunmen. Gunner puts his hands on his head.
"Help me, you assholes!" He yells.
"You got shot in the shoulder, you can move!" Mel yells back.
"Only when I'm not getting shot at!"
Davy fires his third bullet low, hit's the man in the top of the head.
"Fuck, man!" Mel yells.
The scavengers cease fire. For a moment, everything is silent. Kid and Davy get up and slowly move towards the camp. Kid stays in front, Davy keeps his eye on the two tents the last three are hiding in.
"We already got two of you, and one of you is wounded!" Kid yells, "Let's just talk this out, and we can live to tell the tale!"
No one says a thing.
"C'mon guys. This isn't worth dying for." Kid almost pleads.
Still nothing.
"Fuck…"
Mel leaps out of his tent, shotgun in hand.
"Motherfucker!" He yells, Kid leaps forward as he pulls the trigger, pellets flying. Davy leaps back, takes one in the foot. He cries out as he hit's the ground, then aims the revolver at him. Mashes the trigger, hits Mel in the stomach. Mel drops his weapon and falls to his knees.
"God dammit!" Davy yells.
"Shit, you okay?" Kid yells back.
"No! I got shot.!"
Two left. One peeks out, but the Kid locks onto him. Kid fires at the tent based on where the fella is and tears right through it. They hear a thud, and the last guy screams.
"Did I kill the wounded guy?" Kid asks.
"No I'm still here, you roach-fucker!" The man yells.
"Matt! Just shut the fuck up and die!" Davy screams.
Matt comes out of the tent. He's bigger up close. Kid stands and pulls his old friend out of his buckle. Charges at him, and whacks him in the wounded leg. Matt cries out and goes to his knees as well. Kid winds back.
"No don't!" Matt screams, but The Kid pops him in the side of the head. Knocks him out cold.
"Fuck, man…" Davy sighs, laying in the dirt, exhausted.
"Motherfuckers…" Mel pants.
"Oh, fuck you." Davy says, and shoots Mel in the chest. Mel falls on his back, dead.
Kid turns to Davy.
"How's your foot?"
"Could be worse. I could look like John." Davy chuckles.
Kid offers his hand to Davy and helps him up. Davy grabs him, and the two get up.
"How much ammo do you have left?" Kid asks.
"Just one bullet. Can you believe it?" Davy smiles.
"Yeah, lets see if we can find some more." Kid says and pulls away from him. Heads for one of the tents.
In the tent are a couple of mattresses and a few boxes. Kid opens them. A few rags, some ammunition. Then The Kid remembers the rifle John fired at him and comes out to grab it. Leaves the tent and meets the barrel of the revolver. Davy stood in front of The Kid, aiming the gun dead at him.
"What the hell, man?" Kid asked.
"It's a pretty good score, man. Nothing personal. You seem like a pretty good guy. Sorry you didn't get to find what you were looking for." Davy says.
Kid knees him in the chest, knocks the wind right outta him. Smacks him with his only friend. Davy falls on the ground, drops the revolver. Kicks The Kid in The Kiddies while he's down. Drops his bat. Davy recovers and leaps on The Kid. Punches him with his left. Then his right. Then his left. Then his right. Kid reaches for anything, but it's no good. Desperate he reaches into his pocket, pulls out the Overseer's pistol. Closes his eyes.
BLAM!
Davy stops. Topples off The Kid. Grips his chest. Breathes fast. Kid looks at the dying Davy. Davy looks right back. Fear in his eyes.
"I… I… I… I…" Davy stutters. He's breathing slows.
Kid aims for the head.
"I'm sorry." Kid says.
Click.
Kid looks at the gun for a second. He guess the Overseer only planned on using it when there was no way out for Amata and himself. Kid looks at Davy again. Tears rolling down Davy's face, he grips the hole The Kid just dug into him. Neither speaks. Kid walks past him, decides to just let him bleed for a spell.
Davy stares at The Kid as he walks away, then looks at the havoc they made.
"I-I'm sorry!" Davy forces himself to say. Only thing he can say.
Kid stares at the dirt as he walks. Can't remember the last time he cried this hard. Today just wasn't his day.