Alright, next chapter. This takes place just before the assault on Project Purity, after Al met up with Fawkes...and lost Amata. Songs: Hollywood Undead: The diary/ Circles.
O
Al was trying to render all of what he had been told of by Jericho, and was holding his head in his hands. He looked worried, distressed on what could be done. The Lone Wanderer sighed, and simply gave up on trying to figure it out. He, as of now, needed to figure out how to get Sarah back. Aside from Fawkes, Dogmeat, and the other numberless women that wanted to bang him, she was all he had.
"This is Three Dog, bow-wow, and I have some very interesting news, in this first time ever release of one of Al's many ahievements." Three Dog's voice boomed over the radio. Gob figured it had passed Al's story, and it had gotten uncomfortably silent after the ex-Raider's rant on love-making. "The crazy Vault-kid was appointed the seond highest honor a human can be awarded by Ghouls: Smoothskin of the year! This comes with: A Ghoul mask! Allows you to goo undected through the metro-tunnels. The ghouls won't even bother! Al, is there anything we missed?"
"Yeah, you did. It also means that almost every Ghoulette is trying to get in my pants."
"That's great! Free pussy!"
"Free rotten pussy, DJ. I'm fine with Ghouls, hell I'll give one a hug, but that right there is my line."
Al sighed, and a smile crept onto the edges of his mouth. That was about a week before Amata had shown up and fucked him over. One last time. but no more. If she would dare show her face around these parts, her 'Last Supper' would be a buck-shot. Or twelve. "Oh, he looks so sad! Watch, I'm going to go cheer him up. I think he's needed some consentual sex." Lucy west proclaimed, standign and advnacing towards Al.
"Good luck. His pants are locked tighter than a Deathclaw's teeth on a mole rat." Nova said. She, in the rare occasion that Al got drunk withotu expieriencing emotional truama, tried to hit on him, and he declined. No man can decline anything whilst wasted. Lucy ignored her comment and continued. The blonde leaned down, and tapped the Messiah's shoulder. He, startled, looked up from his ponderings and Lucy whispered something in his ear, obviously dirty.
His eyes widended, and he began to chug his drink. Lucy turned back, smiling at the ex-whore. Al tossed his empty beer upwards, and caught it on the neck, then slammed it onto the counter. Hearing the shatter, Lucy wheeled around, only to find the buisness end of a glass-bottle shank at her neck. He pushed forward threateningly, rejecting her advances. She backed up, hands raised, then sat back down, ashamed. Nova shook her head smiling.
O
The time she saw Al before Project Purity was probably the most horrifying time she had seen him in. He wasn't angry. Only melancholy.
The man had everything taken from him.
O
"Hey, kiddies! You'll never believe what's the latest with Al! The not-so-Lone-Wanderer is back after heading up to the not-so-secret-Raven Rock, but that's unimportant. But Three Dog, Al's the LoneWanderer! Sure, he has friends, but who would willingly go out with the crazy Vault kid?" Three Dog said in his wastelander mock voice. "You'll never believe it. Al has been seen...with...no one other than...a...Super. Fucking. Mutant. No shit! Damn, only he could befriend one. Does this mean a new era for the wasteland? Mutants and Humans working together? Probably not, but pretend I didn't say that. Anyway, our Lone Wanderer was seen going back into the Vault! Is he giving up on us? No, of course not. He was seen leaving shortly after, with his new friend. Crying his little auburn eyes out. What the hell happened? Well, apparently it was enough to make him attempt suicide. Whoever did this, you can go Royally fuck yourself."
Sarah listened to the radio on the table intently, along with a few others, in the Den. The Den was the place where the Lyon's Pride slept, ate, and generally lived. A lot of good memories came from this place. Sarah, of course, had her own quarters, being a Sentinel, and the Elder's duaghter, but she didn't mind it that much. She hated it when her father did that to her, but she really had no say in the matter. She had to keep a stiff upper lip, and tough it through.
"Al's back! With the G.E.C.K.!" A scribe yelled, running back up that stairs to the courtyard. Sarah sprang up from her seat, as did others, but with less nimbleness than she. The Sentinel walked rapidly up the stairs, wanting to see if the rumors of Al's Super Mutant companion was true, and to make sure he was alright after his attempt to take his own life. She could see lgihtning jumping off a modified Enclave Power Armor suit, and was suprised that no one was firing. Then, upon a closer examination, saw Al's signature hat sitting proudly on top of the intimidating armor.
Al, however, looked much more concerned, rather than happy about retrieving the G.E.C.K. He scanned the crowd, trying to find Elder Lyons. He saw me, smiled brightly, then resumed his search. I looked past him, and gasped in shock. A Super Mutant with a Gatling Laser on it's back was standing forebodingly just a few feet behind Al. "Al!" Elder Lyons shouted. "Out of my way! Al, who is this?"
"Fawkes. Elder Lyons, Fawkes, Fawkes, Elder Lyons." Al introduced.
"Hello, um...sir." Said the abomonation uncomfortably.
"You can talk!" Exclaimed the flabbergasted Elder.
"Yes, most of my kind can, but not in the fluency I am able to."
"Ah. Well, Fawkes, friend of the Lone Wanderer, welcome to the Citadel." He announced taking Fawkes massive hand eagerly, shaking it. The Mutant's face held a very shocked look. It reminded Sarah of when the died, thinking themselves invincible. It-he smiled widely and looked around taking it in.
"Elder...t-the G.E.C.K. is in the hands of the Enclave. I'm sorry. They ambushed me. It was too much even for me."
"Then we must attack...Sarah, get the Pride prepped for combat. You're taking the robot." Elder Lyons declared, placing a hand on the pauldron of the Power Armor she was wearing. She nodded in resopnse. The crowd dispersed, going to their stations for an all out war. The young woman walked to Al.
"I heard about what happened. At Vault 101."
"No you...oh, that. Yeah, I'm not suprised those fucking dwellers are paranoid as hell." He said, his voice filled with spite.
"What else happened?"
"Nothing, nothing..." Said the tall man, towering above her at 6'8, given three extra by the power armor. His chocolate eyes turining towards his right hand. "Nothing at all. While I'm here, about that old girlfirend? Fuck her." He said, turning towards the exit doors.
"Where you going?" She questioned.
"If you're pulling out Liberty Prime, then this may be the last battle. I want to tie up some loose ends."
O
Al came back several hours later, beaten, tired, and utterly exhausted. He wore not his Tesla Armor, as he had called it, but a strange combat armor, olive in color, some shades, and the Sheriff's hat he seemed to never take off. The look was...rather sexy to Sarah. The armor's undersuit cut off at the forearm, allowing anyone to see the skin of the user's arms. It suited his rugged, worn-but-unyielding identidy. She found herself staring for a moment too long, an Al, from his reclined position in his chair, met the Sentinel's eyes, then followed their trail.
He groaned softly, then stretched his arms, placing them behind his head, showing his appearance off. If Sarah weren't sitting as well, she may have dropped to the floor. He opened his eye ever so slightly, looking at her reaction. UUpon seeing the harsh blush, a corner of his mouth turned upwards in a soft, hidden smile. She looked downwards, embarrassed, then felt something jmp on her. She looked up to see a large German Shepard with it's front paws on the thigh plate of her armor. She was taken aback to see a dog that wasn't going to attack her.
"Down, boy." Al ordered playfully, and the hound complied. She began to pet it's head, scratching behind it's ears. It panted happily. "That's Dogmeat. Don't ask about the name. Even I'm not sure about it...but anyway, he likes you."
"Better than him attacking me, I suppose." She shrugged. She then looked upon the other things that Al had brought. Nothing too much, just some guns. She looked to Fawkes, and tensed, but forced herself to relax. He seemd to be a bit encumbered, shaking with each step. "So...what did you and Al do?"
"We did many things, Sentinel Lyons. We first answered a distress signal from the top of an old pre-war hotel. That's the origin of Al's new armor. We also obtained a great many weapons, and went to the ironically named Paradise Falls. We razed it, sparing only the slaves. We began to come back here with the armaments, but we encountered our newest partner, Dogmeat." It was an odd silence, then he piped up. "You know, Sentinel Lyons, when I first met my Savior, he-"
"You know," Interjected the blonde woman, "You can call him 'Al'. He's saved us all in some way."
"He saved your lives. I would simply exist forever in that metal room, watching as my brethren turned more and more humans, grimacing as they ate, suffering from my closed world. If it weren't for Al, that is. He freed me, allowing me to make a difference in this world, no matter how ugly. He told me that. He feels that he can change this desolate, dark place into a desolate, peaceful place. In his own words."
"That sounds like something his crazed mind would say."
"Yes, I have noticed his sadistical humor during our short time together...as I was saying, when I first met him, he looked battered, bruised, but in his eyes I coudl see an undaunted fire. It was inspiring, like if you were stuck in a collapsed mine, and a rock crumbles, and you see a small sliver of light through the crack. It filled me with a new vigor...but I digress. I said that I would shake his hand if I could, then he replied: 'Give me one reason why I shoudln't paint the walls with your brains?' I said back: 'I know where the G.E.C.K. is.'. He looked startled, and said back: 'How do you know abotu that?' 'I have lived here my entire life. Or, the time I can remember...' 'The time you can recall?' 'Yes, we are not born, but created. I can help you reach it.' 'My guns and I will do fine.' 'Can your guns fight radiation?' 'Maybe they can! Maybe they've been holding out on me!' 'Well, let me know if they were. I'll be...right here, in my prison. Long after you're dead, I'll be here, still alive. In this cell.' He began to walk away, then cringed in pain, in a fight with himself. He returned, and passed my cell, going to activate the fire alarm."
"So...he feels pity for everything. Damn."
"Yes, he does. It's truly amazing on how he can still hold an optimism. Or did. After what happened in the vault..."
"He tried killing himself."
"Yes. Anyway, when we were a few rooms away from the device, he stopped to tell me: 'Listen...I'm sorry for what I said earlier. About me painting the walls and all that...let's start over. I'm Al, Al Sorenson. Good to meet you' He said, extending a hand. Another time, he called me to lie down. He gave me his sniper, told me to look at a Deathclaw. It was a mother, feeding her kin. Al's lip quivered and spoke softly: 'You know...I was given this F.E.V. vial, and I was honestly thinking of using it...but after seeing this...I know that this land is worthy of sparing." This reminded Sarah of her own apology from the Lone Wanderer at GNR studios. Sarah raised herself, and went to see her soon-to-be love. She found him loading up weapons, a deadly looking Gatling Laser, a Missle Launcher in empeccable condition, a gold-plated lever action rifle, a few tin cans with tape saying: 'Nuka-grenades', and a very odd-looking energy pistol. Nothing like the sister of Steel had ever seen.
"What's this?" She asked. Al looked up, a bit supirsed but still glad to hear her soothing voice.
"An Alien Blaster. I found it somewhere out there, can't remember precisely."
"Looks fierce."
"Damn right. I've used it only a few times, but it turns almost anything into ashes."
"Wow. And these?" She said picking up one of the tin cans gingerly. He looked concerned, and quickly grabbed her arm, which she liked, and took the grenade carefully from her grasp.
"Please, don't touch those. These are like a Plasma Grenade on P.M.S."
"What was that?" I snapped.
"Sorry, but that's the only thing I can relate them to." He said, turning back to his work. After he skimmed it all, he fell back into the couch. "Fuck..."
"What's wrong, kid?" I said, sitting with him. He began to pick at the skin on his right hand. Much to her suprise, it began to come off. She only sat back and watch as he peeled it off.
"What the hell..."
"DO YOU SEE THIS?" He yelled, standing. He moved the robotical fingers in the exact same way a real hand could, the servos mimicking muscles. "THIS ITS WHAT THOSE ENCLAVE FUCKS DID TO ME! They took my hand...and they covered my bones in...I don't even fucking know! Adamantium or some shit! They said that they were showing me that they only meant best, and that my 'Improvements' were a gift. Liars. They simply wanted someone to test on..Bastards..." He said, then sat back into the chair. "They...I don't even know what else they did. Maybe they have a mind control device where I'll turn on you all at any second. God-damn it! Just...I can't take it anymore. I just can;t take it. All of this pressure. Its killing me. I never thought I'd feel this guilty and I'm broken down inside...I always thought I'd make it, but never knew I'd let it get so bad. I just have the wieght of the world bearing down on my shoulders. It's horrible, cause I don't wanna be like this. I've been running these streets, these desolate ruins, for too long now. I've got nothing left of home. I just want to get away from it. But the further I go I wanna go home even more."
" Al...I'm sorry thi-"
"I can't think of a reason to get the fuck out of bed anymore. it's harder and harder I sit in my room and I'll cry in my bed thinking about all the shit that made me wrong in my head. It was like that after I tried to kill myself. I wanted to get up, do something. But I just grabbed myself a fucking whiskey and go back to sleep I don't have anything to look forward to. And I wanna go back to the start, back where I started from and I know it's been so long...I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong all along when I wanted to stay out here! Oh, my desolate soul in my desolate home. It's my desolate role, yeah I'm here all alone. No girlfriend, no parents, some friends...but no loves..." Al said, crying, slumping downwards. I put an arm over his back, which was covered by his new sage colored comabt armor. He came in wearing it. I eyed him for a moment too long, and he notcied. "You know this is damn sexy!" He exclaimed, flexing his muscles, which were well defined under his skin. I blushed harshly, knowing that he was right.
"Al...I'm sor-"
"I've just been running away from all my problems. Per se: My dad dying. I told myself that I would mourn him later, but tomorrow's a good time. Yes, over the charred corpses of the Enclave. And if they are the good guys, and I'm becoming worse and worse with each kill...then I'm gonna have to look up just to see Hell." He seemed to be going into a hell of his own mind. "I am running in circles, I hurting myself, just to find my purpose. Everything is so worthless, I don't deserve this, but to me...Amata was perfect. Do you know what they think of when I'll do that one big bold action, taking out everything bad? I'll either live and fade away, or die and be remembered forever. It'll be huge. The raiders, slavers, and all the rest of the scum will unite in an attempt to kill everything. The one thing stopping them is me, standing on a hill, guns on my back, two SMGs in my hands. I'll literally jump in, guns blazing. When they run out, I'll use a shotgun, blasting the to oblivion. That's done, I'll use a super sledge to bash their skulls in. It'd go on ofr hours, it would be a tough job, but I would press on like a man possesed. At the end. I would be looking up into the sky, dead. I would have a small smile on my face. If it were one of those old movies, the camera would pan out, showing me in a Christ-like position, arms wide. Then, around me, the forms of my dead enemies. First few, then hundreds more. People would start to crowd around me, and cry at the loss. Then...rain. It would begin to rain, pure, fresh water. The Wasteland's problems: Gone. And with my death, a new age for it. I remember when it was easy. When I didn't have to justify my every action. When people simply accepted me. When I was just some guy who wanted to be a hero and would be killed in a day or so. Now I'm some big-shot saint who's unstoppable, with an undaunted benevolence. I make one mistake, then they'll hate me. They don't believe in me, they expect things from me. No one beleives in me."
"I believe in you, Al." Sarah said. He looked up emotionally. He was so alone. His sorrow filled eyes hurt her so. She wanted to help him. She chose her words carefully. "I feel the same way. People look up to me as the roughest most battle hardened woman in D.C. I'm scattered through this life. I want to be what people see me as, but I also want to be able to feel like a woman, not a soldier. How do you know if somethings worth dying for, if it's not worth fighting for? I've gone away at times, and I've seen better days. But, no matter how hard it is to say. Everything will be okay in the end. Good things will happen to the people in their deepest pits of despair, just to find one good heart. Remember, I beleive in you. I always will. I want to extend an invitation into the Lyon's Pride."
"Really?" His voice kindly asking. He was almost back to normal. Kind-hearted, warm, jolly. She would finally be able to hear that almost evil-sounding laugh of his.
"If I didn't beleive you couldn't do it, I wouldn't even ask."