Author's Note: The long awaited Chapter 7 is finally here; introducing an entire posse of new characters submitted by you, the fans! I'd like to thank all who participated in the OC submission contest. For those of you whose character didn't make it, there's always next time. What time that is I do not know, all I know is that it will be sometime later in the story. Enough of my berserk ramblings, on to the story!
Chapter 7: The Heart of Commerce
The caravan trotted across the wastes in their determined pursuit of the town of Hubcap Flats. The group constantly stayed observant and alert along their journey, fearing another ambush from a gang of raiders.
The only thing Eddy could think about was his burning hatred for Joey Black ever since a member of his gang delivered a nasty facial scar to his face. Along the way he was busy thinking up strategies and tactics on how to battle with Joey, should he ever cross his path. Hunger suddenly struck Eddy, realizing he hadn't eaten anything ever since the midnight snack he ate during his stay at the Junktown Common House. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small "Pep-Bar 3000". Eddy knew he had to conserve his food resources so he decided that he would eat only one Pep Bar and then eat a larger meal after the caravan settled in at The Hub.
The caravan walked down the main street of the retail district of Peach Creek. Nearly all of the stores and shops that had operated before the war had been looted and pillaged and the street was now lined with only the barren husks of a once prosperous town. Eddy looked around and recognized many familiar landmarks from his youth beneath the rubble and grime. He spotted the Candy Store where he and the other two Eds would drool over the mouth watering candied spheres known as jawbreakers for hours upon hours. Seeing the store sent his memory back to simpler times when he and his friends would spend their days hatching schemes and constructing scams just to make some lousy pocket change to afford said jawbreakers. Eddy sure missed those days; no cares, no worries, no responsibilities. His memories promptly faded once he walked passed and bore witness to how the cherished store from his youth lied in ruin; the front window shattered, bricks crumbling off the wall, and its interior gutted and ransacked. Eddy steered his head away to look at the other storefronts down the street that he used to frequent before the war. Lih's Supply Co, Danny's Meat Shop, Parsley Haven, and AKA Shoes had all suffered the same fate.
"If only there was still useful loot left inside those places," complained Eddy to himself.
Their caravan soon approached an on-ramp to a colossal and crumbling freeway that lead directly to the heart of downtown Peach Creek. On the horizon before they could spot the tips of downtown Peach Creek's once majestic skyscrapers while all around them lied intersections of several roads that lead in and out from the city like veins to a heart. Though the majority of the freeway was still standing many sections had broken apart and had collapsed into chunks and segments of rubble on the ground. Rosie looked up at the freeway above him. A rusty road sign that hung above read "Downtown" with an arrow pointing straight ahead.
"Not too far now," said Rosie. "We just follow the freeway and we'll be at The Hub in no time."
The group headed off road and walked beneath the freeway structure, following it towards their destination of Hubcap Flats. After an hour an hour, the caravan neared an off ramp of the freeway. Their horizon was cleared and they came face to face with the destroyed skyline of downtown Peach Creek. What was once the majestic pinnacle of West Coast urbanization had now been reduced to a mockery of its former self. The bare, rusting, skeletal structures of former skyscrapers baked under the blazing heat of the sun. Not even the wind entered this dead city. Despite this, there was an abundance of life and prosperity in the shadow of the ruins. While derelict skyscrapers remained dead and silent the commercial buildings surrounding the region of downtown bustled with lights of energy and smoke plumes of industry. The off ramp from the freeway emptied directly into this lively district of and from the sight of the flashy neon lights that dotted the entrance of the street to the sound of chatter and commerce, the group knew they had finally reached the location of Hubcap Flats.
The caravan reached the front gate to the settlement. Eddy observed the perimeter of the town. The citizens of Hubcap Flats had erected large, multi layered walls of brick and sheet metal around many of the buildings along the perimeter of the commercial district of the city. The outer surface of the wall was decorated with bright neon lights and various pieces of signage and advertisements for various businesses and services as a way of enticing travelers to partake in the services the merchants of the city had to offer. Billboards featuring various restaurants, gas stations, and automobiles peered over the ramparts of the wall, each with a set of floodlights attached that illuminated the area. The base of the signage also acted as a perch for several armed guards to keep watch from as they peered out into the waste on the lookout for travelers and intruders.
Eddy eyed the guards watching from atop the towering billboards. This town appeared to take security very seriously, more than the likes of Junktown, as it had about four times as many armed guards. Many, if not all, of the guards were wearing military grade combat armor. Their uniform consisted of matching green bullet proof vests with the words "Hub Police" painted on the back in white letters, with the addition of matching green ballistic helmets. The guards also had access to more advanced weaponry than what Junktown could ever dream of. All guards were armed with either the military grade M16A1 assault rifle or the Winchester City-Killer Model 97 combat shotgun.
A guard carrying a clipboard stepped out from a small tollbooth near the front gate of the town and walked up to Rosie.
"State your name," the guard spoke.
"Oh come on, ya'll know my name," replied Rosie.
The guard had little patience and spoke more sternly this time, "State your name."
"Robert Conagher," he replied.
The guard wrote down his name on the clipboard and proceeded to the next question. "Purpose of visit?" he asked.
"Business trip," replied Rosie.
"Type of cargo and party number?"
"Scrap metal and… uh…," Rosie turned around and looked at Eddy and Sydney. "Two."
The guard once again wrote on his clipboard.
"Transportation method?"
"Two headed cow… thing," replied Rosie.
The guard wrote down "Brahmin" and then a few more bits of info onto his clipboard before looking back up at Rosie.
"Welcome to Hubcap Flats. Enjoy your stay," he said in a routine tone of voice.
"Preeshiyaytit," replied Rosie.
The large sheet metal gate to The Hub was fixed to a set of wheels which rolled along a set of rails on the ground. Guards on the opposite side of the gate rolled the oxidizing slab of sheet metal to the right, granting admission to the settlement of Hubcap Flats. The caravan walked through the front entrance and stepped into a world completely oblivious of perils and hazards of the wasteland beyond them.
Eddy stopped dead in his tracks and gaped at the settlement that encompassed him. This place was no Junktown. Rather than dingy little shacks most of the structures in the town were actual brick, stone, and concrete buildings leftover from before the war. Many settlers reoccupied the buildings and were granted lease by the government of the town. Directly in front of Eddy lied the main hub of commerce for the town. A whole street filled with makeshift market stalls and fully operational storefronts where merchants from all across the settlement displayed their goods and possessions out for all to peruse. The street of merchandise seemed to stretch on without end. Vendors, customers, buyers, and sellers all banded together into this one place to make various offers, sales, and purchases for the spoils and loot excavated from the remains of this new world.
Rosie inhaled a large whiff of the air. "Smell that? That's the scent of money!"
Eddy suddenly snapped out of his trance and perked up at the very mention of the word. "Money? Where!?" he yelled.
"Oh, there'll be plenty of money rollin in once I set up my shop. But before that, we gotta set up a few ground rules," spoke Rosie.
"First, I got to sell a good chunk of my merchandise before we head off to this vault of yer's. After all, that's one of the main reasons why we're here. This will probably take about a day so we'll all be spending the night at that old motel over there," said Rosie.
He pointed to an old, pre-war, motel to the left of the front entrance of town. A towering sign, about as tall as the freeway, sprouted upward from the parking lot. The top of the sign took a beating from the war, with most of its color faded away and the outside rim brimming with rust, however, the words "Super 6 Motel" were still clearly visible beneath the grime. At the very bottom of the sign a fairly recent slab of sheet metal had been added, cheekily displaying the message "We'll keep a fire on for ya".
"Me and Sydney are gonna set up shop in a vacant lot down the main street of town. You're free to explore the place but in the event that you get lost just head in the direction of where the sign is jutting up from," spoke Rosie.
"I got it, I got it," replied Eddy.
"And whatever you do, if you ever venture across 'the wrong side of the tracks' keep your wallet in your front pocket and don't make eye contact with anyone... ANYone," Said Rosie.
"I don't have a wallet," replied Eddy.
"Then I guess you won't have to deal with that problem," replied Sydney.
"Well, that's about it. We'll be gone for the rest of the day but you can regroup with us back at the motel around nightfall," said Rosie.
"Got it. See ya later," replied Eddy.
As Rosie and his caravan set off in search of a suitable location to set up shop, Eddy was free to explore the town on his own.
He decided to avoid the hectic flow of Main Street and instead chose to stroll down one of the many adjacent streets in town. Eddy walked down a smaller street and observed his surroundings. Already the buildings were better anything he had seen at Junktown. Rather than feeble little shacks made from sheet metal most of the town's structures comprised of buildings leftover from before the war. Some of the taller buildings had partially collapsed and had to be condemned by the town but most of the single story ones remained intact with the exception of some minor exterior damage. The majority of the buildings were one to two stories tall while a few pre-war apartment buildings exceeded three stories. The street Eddy walked down wasn't as chaotic as Main Street, though there were a few salesmen and vendor stalls scattered about. As Eddy continued down the street his stomach muscles contracted; hunger had set in.
"Man, I gotta find a place to stop and eat," he thought to himself.
Eddy looked around a bit and spotted an old sign hanging from the wall of a pre-war restaurant. Eddy walked closer to the building and read the sign.
"The… See-clee-an Eagle?" he said to himself.
Eddy mispronounced the name of the sign, which really read "The Sicilian Eagle". The building was indeed a restaurant. A banner from before the war ran across the top of the building advertising "FOOD, DRINK, & POKER!" A small sign near the front of the door read "This Week's Special: Cow Fries – 12 Caps a Platter". Eddy decided to enter the restaurant, hoping to find an empty table where he could eat from one of the many food packages he brought from the vault. As Eddy stepped inside he noticed that the place was actually kind of lively. Settlers sat in booths, located on either side of the front door, chowing down on delicacies of he wastes, while others sat up at the bar, drowning their sorrows in seemingly endless pits of alcohol. An old, 50s style jukebox, sat in a corner blasting out tunes from your grandpa's time. There was even a poker table off in another corner of the restaurant where a group of shady looking men were engaged in an intense game of fortune and blind luck.
A waiter spotted Eddy and walked up to him.
"Welcome to the Sicilian Eagle. I'm Giovanni. How may I serve you?" said the waiter.
Giovanni had slicked black hair and wore a dirty apron over a faded old dress shirt and a pair of slacks. His accent had only a superficial hint of Italian to it.
"Sup," replied Eddy. "Where's there a spot where I can sit at?"
"Our indoor dinning booths are full at the moment but we still have plenty of room out in the veranda," replied Giovanni.
"Alright then," replied Eddy.
"Care to place an order?" asked Giovanni.
"Nah, I'm just here to chill out," replied Eddy.
Giovanni's eyelids lowered, "Very well."
Eddy walked out the door to the veranda and took a seat at a rickety circular dinning table. He opened up his backpack and pulled out a few of the food packages he packed. Eddy set out a package of Meat Jerky, two Pep-Bars, a "Can-o-Spam", a "Happy Pie", a small box of "Chocolate Frosted Sugar Bombs" cereal, and a Military Grade "Meal- Ready to Eat" bag with the contents listed as "Liver and Yogurt Burrito", onto the table. Bon Appetite.
After contemplating whether to eat from the fine delicacy of "Liver & Yogurt" or the "Can-o-Spam", Eddy ultimately decided to feast upon the "Happy Pie" for dinner. He popped off the plastic cover from the pie dish and began scooping chunks of the crusted confection into his mouth using a spork from his backpack.
"Hm. This stuff ain't half bad," he said to himself.
A few minutes later, Eddy had devoured the entire pie. He decided to wash down the meal with a swig from his water flask but when he brought the flask to his lips to sip a small pint he quickly spat the liquid out.
"GAAH! WHY DOES IT BURN!?" he yelled.
Eddy brought the flask to his nostrils and sniffed. He quickly moved the flask away from his nose after he inhaled a foul odor. It seems Rosie had replaced the contents of the flask with a little homebrewed moonshine. Eddy turned the flask upside down and poured out the rest of the hooch. With his hunger vanquished, Eddy carelessly tossed the empty pie dish behind him into a patch of dirt and packed away the rest of his food supplies. He then exited the veranda through a small gate and proceeded to explore the rest of the town.
He continued down the street. It went on for a while before a large section of the wall blocked Eddy's path. Even though the street continued onwards, the citizens of Hubcap Flats built up a wall to prevent anyone from going towards downtown. Eddy read a large warning sign nailed to the wall.
"Warning: Restricted Area. Downtown Threat Level: HIGH"
Eddy shrugged and wandered off down another street to his right.
He then walked back into the center of the town. There, in front of him, stood the town hall. What was once a used-car dealership was now the chamber of commerce for a major settlement in the wasteland. Eddy read the large sign on top of the building. It originally read "Hubcap Flats Auto Dealership" though the latter had been painted over with the words "Town Hall". Numerous rubber tires were stacked around the perimeter of the building, acing as a fence. Two guards stood by at the front entrance of the building, each wielding a M16A1 assault rifle.
"I guess that's where the head honcho lives," said Eddy to himself.
He faced the opposite direction and was starring down main street. He decided to try his luck and see if he could find Rosie and Sydney. After budging his way through crowds of buyers and sellers, Eddy came across the vacant lot where Rosie had set up his stall.
"Hey Rosie!" Eddy called. "How's it goin'?"
"I've seen better days," he replied. "I've only made twenty caps! These folks just ain't bitin'."
"I can help. I'll just use my cha-riz-matic charm to persuade these pigeons into buying," replied Eddy.
"Good luck, kid. Here, see if you can hock this piece of junk off." Rosie handed Eddy a rusty old vacuum cleaner.
It was no ordinary vacuum cleaner. It was an old fashioned pneumatic vacuum cleaner. The device weighed 17 pounds and was shaped like a canister.
"What the heck is this? Asked Eddy.
"It's an old vacuum cleaner," replied Rosie. "I've had it in my inventory fer a long time; never been able to sell it. If you actually manage to sell it to a customer then I'll give you a small cut of the money."
When it came to money, Eddy was determined to gain as much as he could. "Just how much are we talking here?"
"Ten percent," snapped Rosie.
"Make it forty," rebutted Eddy.
"Eight," replied Rosie.
Eddy grumbled for a moment. "…Deal."
Eddy took the vacuum cleaner and held it above his head. He then yelled out into the crowd.
"Ladies and non-ladies! Step right up for a chance to purchase a one-of-a-kind historical cleaning device."
Rosie silently chuckled to himself. "You gotta be kidding me."
Eddy observed the crowd and pointed at a random man. "You, sir! Come on down!"
A man wearing rather filthy looking clothes walked up to Eddy.
"You look like the kind of guy who could use a deep clean once and a while. How'd you like to own a rare piece of early Americana? Behold, the canister shaped vacuum; specifically designed to hold any amount of household dirt you can find!" yelled Eddy at the man.
"That piece of junk doesn't even work!" replied the man.
"Well that's what so amazing about the vacuum. It can be used for a multitude of purposes. Thanks to its keen-o-nifty canister shape, designed by American vacuum technicians – cuz you know, we Americans always make good stuff – it can be used as a capsule to hold your most precious valuables!" Eddy popped open the lid to the vacuum. "You followin' me? Think about it; what thief would ever suspect you hiding your valuables in a vacuum?"
The man showed a sign of interest. "Hm… You got a point. How much?"
"It's all for the low-low price of only… Seventy-five caps!" replied Eddy.
"Seventy-five caps!?" yelled the man. "Forget about it!"
At this point Eddy degraded himself into some sort of vexatious pitchman. "But wait, for a limited time only, cuz we can't do this all day, I'll include a filthy magazine, absolutely free!"
"Magazine you say? Sure, what the heck. It's been a while." The man pulled out 75 caps from his pocket and handed it to Eddy.
Eddy grabbed the magazine from his backpack and stuffed it into the vacuum cleaner. The man eagerly ran off with his purchase.
"Sucker," Eddy whispered under his breath.
Rosie then walked up to Eddy. "Sheeuuwee! You actually sold it!"
"I told you I could do it." said Eddy as he handed Rosie the caps. "Now about my pay..."
"Of course." Rosie handed Eddy 6 caps.
"Six caps!? I thought you were gonna give me eight percent," yelled Eddy
"That is eight percent!" replied Rosie.
Eddy started to do a calculation in his head. After a few seconds of confusion he gave up.
"I hate math," he grumbled to himself. "Fine, whatever you say."
Eddy stuffed the caps into his backpack.
"Quick question. Just what was the magazine you sold to the guy?" asked Rosie.
"I honestly have no idea," replied Eddy.
All of a sudden Eddy could hear the man scream "WHAT IS THIS!?" from across the street.
Fearing the man would come back for a refund, Eddy decided to leave the scene. "Well, I better get goin'. I'll meet back with you at the motel later, Rosie."
Eddy quickly fled from the street. He scurried back to the town hall, hoping that if the man ever tracked him down to beat him to a pulp the guards would quickly put an end to any conflict.
Eddy spotted a police station to the right of the town hall. He walked up to it seeking shelter. The building was made of brick and was slowly deteriorating. Eddy stepped inside out of curiosity. The interior was of moderate size. There was a front desk where a guard stood by as well as a lockup, where small time lawbreakers did hard time.
Eddy noticed a bulletin board hanging on the wall. The board was completely plastered with wanted posters. Eddy viewed each of them. Some of the wanted criminals were Montgomery Adams, S. Underwood, "Kril", and "Big Jim". One poster stuck out from all the others. There, printed in the darkest of ink on the poster, was a name that was forever burned into the psyche of Eddy's mind; Joey Black.
Eddy snatched the poster off the board and closely examined it, scrutinizing every word printed on the poster.
JOEY BLACK
WANTED: Dead or Alive for Pillagery, Arson, and Manslaughter
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Age: Early 30s
Appearance: Last seen wearing a dark colored suit, signature black bowler hat with red band.
Last Known Whereabouts: Sullen Souls Funeral Home
Reward: 1500 caps Alive, 1000 Dead
Eddy examined the eyewitness sketch on the poster. Joey had straight black hair that covered his head like a shroud. His mug was a face that not even his mother could love; he looked like a cross between an emo kid and Thomas Edison.
Eddy folded the poster and stuffed it into one of his pockets. He walked up to the front desk and confronted the guard standing there.
"Hey, you," said Eddy.
The guard looked up. "What do you want, kid?" he said.
"I'm gonna hunt down Joey Black and I could use some backup."
The guard choked and laughed at the same time at foolish Eddy's request.
"I'm serious. I'm going to hunt down and kill Joey Black," boasted Eddy.
"Yeah right," replied the guard. "What makes you think a little punk like yourself can capture a psychotic criminal like Joey Black?"
"Because I have a personal vendetta against him and I am determined to take him down!" replied Eddy.
The guard was getting tired of Eddy's antics. "Take a hike, kid."
"Listen here, Wiggum! You see this scar?" Eddy pointed to the scar on his left cheek. "This is what he did to me, and I will stop at nothing to make that man beg for death. I don't care if I have to crawl over to his hideout with my legs tied up if that's what it takes to kill him! Nobody messes with Eddy!"
The guard paused for a second, questioning Eddy's sanity.
"You're serious about this?" he finally asked.
"Dead serious," replied Eddy.
"Alright then. Heck, if you want to go and get yourself killed, be my guest. Head into the backroom to meet up with the rest of the posse," replied the guard.
"Posse?" questioned Eddy.
"Yeah, it just so happens that we're planning a raid on Joey's hideout tomorrow. It must be your lucky day," replied the guard.
"Uh, okay." Said Eddy.
He walked through the door into a centrally lit room and stumbled upon a group of men sitting around a table with maps and weapons scattered across it. The men all looked up from their business and stared at Eddy.
"Who are you?" said a Caucasian man wearing a duster coat.
Eddy replied, "I'm Eddy and I'm here about the raid on Joey Black's hideout."
"Did the sheriff send you?" asked a man with a Hispanic accent.
"If the arrogant guy behind the desk back there is the sheriff then yeah," replied Eddy.
"Is this some sort of April fools joke?" asked a man wearing a leather jacket and camo pants.
"Nope," replied Eddy.
The men all whispered to each other, trying to decide whether Eddy was legit or not. After a short discussion they agreed to let Eddy in on the conversation.
"Alright, you're now a part of this meeting. Close the door behind you," said the leather jacket wearing man.
Eddy complied.
The duster coat wearing man spoke. "Well, now that we have a new member in the posse we should all reintroduce ourselves. I'm Kyle Cornwell. I've served the law enforcement in this town for five years and I'm also the mastermind behind this raid."
Kyle was Caucasian and appeared I his late thirties. He wore a light brown duster coat over a dark gray button-up shirt along with a pair of dark brown pants. He had shaggy drown hair that reached down to his shoulders with an accompanying mustache. He also had a hunting rifle, similar to Eddy's, holstered on his back.
The man with the Hispanic accent spoke next. "My name is Daniel Santiago. I was born in the village of Oaxaca Nueva, along the Mexican-American border. My father taught me the ways of repair and metal smithing. When I was seventeen my village was overrun by these… green abominations. I was one of the only survivors. I eventually settled down in this town and I have sworn to protect it against any threat. I do not wish for it to fall just as my previous home had."
Daniel had Hispanic tanned skin and appeared in his early twenties. His light brown hair reached to his shoulders. He was about six feet tall, had lean muscles, and a "soul patch" on his chin. He wore a salmon-colored hooded jacket along with a pair of tan pants and tall brown boots. A pair of scoped .44 magnum revolvers were holstered on both sides of his waist. He also had a homemade battle axe forged from scrap metal attached to a clamp on his back. The axe was nicknamed "Gabriel Santiago del Oaxaca Nueva" in memory of his father and destroyed village.
The man wearing the leather jacket stood up from his chair and spoke. "I'm Lucas Smith. I managed to get a spot inside Vault 18 but the rest of my family couldn't get it. They perished when the bombs fell. When the vault finally opened I left in search of a new home, I never really liked vault life anyways"
"Same here!" interrupted Eddy.
"As I was saying, I eventually settled here in Hubcap Flats. I've always wanted a little adventure in my life. I'm also a pretty good shot with ranged weapons so I decided to join the police force here. By the way this upcoming raid sounds, I'm sure it will be a lifetime's worth of adrenaline. I can't wait to kick things off."
Lucas was Caucasian with dark blue eyes. He had flat brown hair with a fringe to the right. He wore a well worn leather jacket with several tears on both of the sleeves over a tattered blue, button up shirt, along with a pair of baggy camo pants and a small pair of worn out black sneakers. Lucas had a slight limp as he stood up due to the pain caused by his shoes. He had a pair of N99 10mm pistols holstered on each side of his waist while a minigun rested against the back of the chair he sat in.
A man leaning against the back wall of the room came forward and spoke. "I'm Cody Sanderson. I came from a weird vault with no number. I was the only inhabitant. I wandered out into the wastes scavenging for food. I eventually found my way here and got job in the law enforcement. It's the only job that pays enough to keep food on my table. I'm good with machine guns and lock picks."
Cody was Caucasian with straight blonde hair, almost like straw. He wore a dirty vault jumpsuit with no number on the back. An R91 assault rifle was holstered on his back while a large razor sharp Bowie knife was holstered around his waist.
A man wearing a mask sat up from a chair in a corner of the room. "I'm Jean Quake. I'm good with CQB combat as well as disarming traps. That's all you need to know."
Jean was Caucasian wit short, black, hair. He wore a gray long sleeve shirt along with black pants and black shoes. An interesting piece of apparel he wore was a black ballistic mask that covered his entire face except for his eyes; concealing his identity to all. He wielded an N99 10mm pistol as well as a combat knife.
Suddenly, another teenage boy in the room stepped forward and addressed himself. "Hey, wassup? I'm Jay. Please to meet ya."
Jay twitched and flinched as he extended his arm out to Eddy for a handshake. Eddy was reluctant to shake it.
"Don't worry, man. It's only hereditary," he said.
Despite not knowing what "hereditary" meant Eddy shook his hand out of politeness anyway.
"My Dad lost his left hand to this psychopath. I'm in this posse to put an end to the raider menace around here."
Jay was Caucasian with red hair that reached his shoulders. He was about Eddy's age and wore a black trench coat along with a black shirt and pants underneath. He had a pair of tranquilizer guns holstered on each side of his waist.
Finally, a figure emerged from a dark corner of the room. The man wore a hooded robe, which covered his face. "I'm Spearhead." Spoke the man in a strange throaty sounding accent. "I'm just in it for the caps."
Spearhead wore the aforementioned robes as well as a small shoulder bag around his arm. A Mauser C96 pistol was holstered on his side.
Lucas tuned to Eddy and said, "And, you are?"
Eddy replied, "I'm Eddy. I came out into the wasteland to find a part for my vault."
"Really?" interrupted Cody. "Which vault?"
"Twenty-three,"
Cody nodded. "I had a feeling that there was another vault around here."
Eddy continued. "Anyways, a group of Joey's raiders attacked me and my friends this morning. One of them gave me this scar. I'm here to bring that scumbag to justice."
Daniel spoke. "You're seeking revenge against those who tormented you. I know that feeling."
After a brief moment, Lucas spoke. "Well, now that the introductions are over, let's get down to business."
The group all sat back down in their seats. Eddy grabbed an empty chair and pulled it over to the table.
"Our mission is clear, boys," spoke Kyle. "Mount up, head over to Joey's hideout, kill that S-O-B, and bring his maggot ridden corpse back to base."
"And just how do you plan to do that?" questioned Eddy.
Lucas spoke this time. "Our scouts managed to confirm Joey's hideout in the vicinity of an isolated strip mall near the Southern tip of the city. They said that a group of raiders particularly occupied the area around the 'Sullen Souls Funeral Home'."
Jay snickered. "What a fitting name."
"Indeed," added Jean.
Daniel leaned over the table with a map spread across it and pointed to a location. "His hideout is about half a day's journey from his settlement. It'll take a full day to travel to-and-from his hideout."
"We're gonna have to leave first thing tomorrow morning if we want to make it to the hideout before darkness sets in." added Cody.
"Fine by me," said Eddy. "So what about the reward?"
"Yeah, I could sure use a few caps." Added Jay.
Lucas spoke. "We are expecting heavy resistance so there is no chance of taking Joey in alive. The reward for bringing him in dead is 1000 caps and there are eight of us, which means that we all get an even share of 125 caps."
"Sounds fair," said Daniel.
"Good enough for me," agreed Jay.
"…Whatever," replied Eddy. 125 caps didn't cut it. He believed that the reward for bringing down a dangerous psychopath demanded a greater pay.
Kyle spoke. "Then it's settled. We set out for Joey's hideout at sunrise tomorrow morning. Get a good night's sleep, boys; it may be your last. Meet back in this room tomorrow for final preparations. After that, the lowlife degenerate will have only but a few hours to live. Dismissed."
All the men in the room stood up, grabbed any supplies they brought with them, and walked out the door.
As the group left for their respective residences, Eddy walked towards the "Super 6 Motel" Rosie and Sydney were staying at. The sun had started to set on Day Two of his journey; an orange glow filled the sky and shifted to a somber dusk along the horizon. As Eddy walked down Main Street the road was not as crowded as it was during the midday as many of the vendors and merchants were closing up shop. Eddy followed the towering motel sign to the parking lot he saw Rosie and Sydney while a city guard pulled Bess and Tess away.
"I'm back," said Eddy to Rosie. "Where's the guard taking the cow?"
"He's taking it to heavily guarded pen where all the merchant owned cows stay the night. It's like a parking garage, for bovines!" replied Rosie. "So, whatcha do for the rest of the day?"
"I stopped by the police station," replied Eddy.
Rosie wondered what made Eddy decide to visit a police station, of all the places. "I see… So did you… Find anything interesting in there?"
"Yep. I found a wanted poster for Joey Black," replied Eddy.
"I'd be surprised if Joey didn't have his face posted everywhere. Did you get a good look at his mug shot? Ugly little bastard, ain't he," replied Rosie.
"Well you won't have to look at it anymore real soon. Me and a posse are gonna go out and kill Joey tomorrow morning," stated Eddy.
Rosie stood for a moment in disbelief. "Boy, are you insane!?'
"Maybe I am. One thing for sure is that nobody messes with Eddy and expects to walk away unharmed!" replied Eddy.
"Well, it's your funeral. As much as I'd like to help, I'm afraid I can't go with you to hunt him down. It's just too much of a risk," replied Rosie.
Eddy sighed. "Fine. So you'll still be here when I return?"
"More like if you return, but yeah. I will. At least it'll give me some more time to sell my merchandise. I wish you luck and if you ever get into a one-on-one fight with Joey, give him a good kick in the ol' gonads for me," replied Rosie.
"Not a problem," replied Eddy. "So, we're staying here for the night?"
"Yep. I already rented a room. They ain't too big so we're all gonna have to sleep in bunk beds," said Rosie.
"It'll dos" replied Eddy.
Sydney and Eddy followed Rosie up a flight of stairs the second floor of the Motel. Rosie inserted a small key into a rusty tumbler on the door of room number 13. The door opened and the group stepped inside. Rosie wasn't lying when he said the rooms weren't that big. A pair of bunk beds, similar to the ones from Junktown, rested parallel to the sides of the room. A small nightstand with a makeshift lamp, which was really just a light bulb attached to a small power generator, sat between the two beds. A set of drawers was nestled in the front right corner of the room.
Eddy observed the small proportions of the room. "How much did this room cost?" he asked.
"It don't matter. This room ain't no different from the "master suite", only our room doesn't come with indoor plumbing," replied Rosie.
"So, how do we decide who sleeps in which bunk?" asked Eddy.
"It's doesn't matter. I always get a whole bunk to myself," replied Sydney.
"Well, I guess that just leaves me and Rosie… I call top bunk!" yelled Eddy.
"Dagnabit!" shouted Rosie.
The two adults settled into their respective bunks. Eddy placed his backpack into the desk drawers and proper his rifle up against his bunk. He clambered up the ladder into his coveted top spot and reflected on his day and the events to come. He made friends with a traveling junk merchant and was reintroduced to his former Cul-de-Sac. He survived an attack from raiders swore revenge against the man responsible. He made it to the heart of commerce in the wasteland and joined up with a group of law bringers dedicated to his cause. Tomorrow awaited his quest for retribution.
Night fell; a mysterious figure conversed with the front gate guard. The gate rolled open and the mysterious figure walked out. The figure traversed across the arid wasteland in the dead of night for several hours, embracing the freezing temperatures, before arriving at a settlement. Many torches made from banded together sticks surrounded the small settlement of buildings and businesses. Several men stood guard around one building in particular. Torches lit the path to the business establishment; a decroded sign in front of the building identified it as the "Sullen Souls Funeral Home". The figure walked up the steps to the building, the torches illuminated its appearance. The hooded robe it wore concealed its identity. A shoulder bag wrapped itself around the figure's neck, while a Mauser pistol hung from a holster around its waist. A man wearing a uniform resembling that of a Nazi SS officer awaited the figure at the door to the establishment.
"It's about time," spoke the uniformed man. A thick German accent plagued his voice.
"They're planning a raid," spoke the figure. "They'll be here by midday."
"Excellent. Just enough time," said the uniformed man.
He held his left hand out towards the hooded figure. Three of his fingers were missing. His remaining ring finger and picky finger clutched a small glass inhaler that contained a crimson red gas. The uniformed man released his grasp on the inhaler and the hooded figure quickly snatched it from him.
The uniformed man insidiously chuckled to himself. "You have done well, Spearhead. I'm sure Mr. Black has special plans for you…"
Author's Note: There you have it folks. I'm not gonna reveal anything but the rest of the OC's will appear in the next chapter. And for those of you wondering, the Sullen Souls Funeral Home was unintentionally named after the Shady Shoals resting home from SpongeBob. My brain just liked the sound of it and it was too late before I realized the connection. Out. –Jspy.
Original Character Submission Credits:
Daniel Santiago by Akuma no Musuko
Lucas Gerald Smith by LucasBravvus97
Cody Sanderson by gamechanl4
Jean Quake by Key and Lock
Jay by Eddlikeshotsauce
Kyle Cornwell by Atlas59
Spearhead by Dr. Angryslacks
