Chapter XXVII:

Brother's Keeper


Veronica


We turned the corner and I half-expecting having to put up a classic damsel-in-distress routine to get us in. Turns out… I kinda wish I could've. The gate was wide open and there was a flood of really panicking people being surrounded by an army of desperate looking white-coats and slick-haired leather jackets.

"Hang on, Boone," I whispered into his ear, "we're almost there. Hey!" I started shouting over the already screaming bloody murder crowd… funny, in hindsight I'm kind of glad Ramos gave us that screaming training: this is really coming in handy!

"Hey! Hey! I need some help over here! Please, I need some help!" I started running towards some of the white-coats, pulling and tugging on them and generally trying to be enough of nuisance to get their attention. Well, I admit it backfired because some of the Kings got a gesture and they started pushing me into the crowd!

"HEY! Get off me! Can't you see I've got a dying man over here! Please, somebody—"

"I'll take him!" I turned around to see a… really handsome blonde with glasses come running through the maddening crowd forming around us in the last couple of minutes. He gestured to the men pushing me back into the line, and then took one of Boone's arms. He took off like that speedy Mexican mouse, and I kept perfect pace… this isn't the first time I've had to carry a Crit-Con.

"Alright, gimme the details."

I considered my answer. I mean really considered it. You're thinking what's to think? Well, you forget that I'm Brotherhood right in the middle of Big Bear Country, and telling him that an NCR soldier, retired or not, was tortured right here in town? That'll bring a whole lot of trouble right down on my head, especially when, not if, Intel gets involved.

Oh and trust me, Intel can get very scary. I don't care about client confidentiality and all that jazz. When they want something, they're like a bull in a china shop. I just—

"Miss, we do not have time for this," he suddenly cut off that trail of thought sharply, his eyes boring into me almost pleadingly, "Gideon has already clued me in what's going on."

"Wait, he has?"

"I'll give you the details later. Right now, Boone's heartrate is low, which means he suffered some sort of cardiac attack, probably fairly recent. I need to know exactly from what."

I've met many sawbones in my life, and I've kind of come to hate a few of them. But when I looked into his eyes… it was like looking at a man on fire. A look I saw in Mac when… when Helios happened. He was cutting through my bullshit at a glance, and I knew I needed to suck it up and stop being such a pussy. It wasn't my life that needed to be saved.

"He suffered a controlled electrocution. I can't tell you the voltage, but it was enough that it made him lose consciousness minutes after we started walking. I can't tell you what the duration was but I can guess it was over ten minutes with 1 to 2-minute intervals."

"Where was the electrocution applied?"

"To his chest."

"Okay. Was his shirt on when he was electrocuted or did you put it on him?"

"I put it on him. I didn't want to risk infection getting him over here."

"Good, but we're going to need to move fast," we then entered a small tent that… ugh, I haven't smelled something that bad since Harden tried cooking that Radscorp, "get him on the table and keep a tab on his pulse. Keep me informed of his readings. Take a count of bpm's and watch his breathing. I assume you know how to do that."

"This isn't my first time dealing with wounded," I practically bit my lip right after I said that, but he had his back turned to me. Stupid. Stop worry about yourself and worry about the guy who got shocked while all that you got was… I shivered when I thought about that. When I… remembered her fingers… touching me. What scared me was that… that I almost liked it.

Focus, girl. Focus. I pressed my fingers to his neck and started feeling for a pulse.

"It's low, but steady."

"Good," I turned to find him gone in the back of the tent, "open his mouth, and keep his spine straight. We need to ensure he has a good, uninterrupted breathing pattern. Keep checking his pulse, but also check his breathing."

I did exactly that. Steady… but low.

"Don't die on me, Boone," I whispered softly to him, "please. You still haven't gotten me that dress yet."

"Move."

I turned to see him coming at me with a rolling tray full of stuff. Before I could do even that, he pushed me away and took hold of his mandible with a firm, practiced grip and dislodged it from the socket with a soft pop that was almost lost to the din filtering through the flaps of the tent. Boone looked absolutely slacked face.

"He won't suffocate this way, or choke on his tongue," he explained quickly, already moving onto cutting up his shirt with a pair of scissors, revealing the two-disc size red sores on either side of his chest.

"Second and third-degree burns," the sawbones commented unsurprised, "alright, we need to clean his wounds and start getting fluids into him."

"What about Stims?"

"Later. We're short on the stuff, and our newest shipment hasn't arrived yet. So, we need to make do. First, we need to cover the basics. Here," he then passed me a bottle of disinfectant, which I quickly rubbed my hands with. He then handed me a bowl of what smelled like saline and a towel. I didn't need instructions for this. I quickly set the bowl on a nearby table, and started slowly applying the salt water to the wounds. I took great care not to touch the unpopped blistered sections of his skin, and carefully cleaning the ones that were.

"I didn't catch your name," I mused as briefly looked up to his side of the table, seeing him running an IV drip off his arm, "can't exactly start calling you Doc now, can I?"

"Most people do anyway," he smirked as he worked on his side of Boone's chest, "Arcade Gannon, conscripted researcher in protest. Yours?"

"Veronica Santangelo, wandering techie down on my luck. Wait, you said researcher?" that immediately perked my interests; remembering why I was out here in the first place, "Of what, exactly?"

"Alternative medical techniques. Fascinating stuff, but later," he then moved back to his tray, and removed a large roll of gauze and bandages, "we need to dress his wound."

I brought the bowl up and started drenching the gauze in the salt solution, applying them a strip at a time until we had most of them covered in double layered rows. When that was finished, Arcade removed some sort of adhesive… and it was beyond stinky. It was like… turpentine if deep fried in oil! Now, now, don't start giving Lorenzo any ideas. As I rolled out bandages, he glued them down until we had both areas covered up.

And at that, I wiped my brow. Sheesh, I think I might need a bucket. I'm practically raining!

"Well…" I exasperated with a weary smile, probably looking like that one grumpy looking cat, "that was fun."

"Fun?" he chuckled with a shake of the head like I was some kind of nincompoop, "Lucky is more like it. I'll need to get him to Usanagi… just hope he won't need a fasciotomy."

"A what?"

"Well, if the electroshock caused an edema in his limbs, we may need to cut him up to relieve the pressure."

"Cut him open!?" I blurted out, "Are you kidding me!?"

"Well, it's either that or he loses a limb," he shrugged indifferently, "chances are, well…" he shook his hand gingerly, "but like I always say, it could be worse. A lot worse."

"Yeah," I sighed as I slumped wearily into the chair… I really like a deflated balloon, "I mean, could this day get any worse!?"

"Careful, never jinx yourself."

"Oh, I'm already jinxed," I smirked at him, "bad luck keeps following me like… um, what's that little fella's name."

"What?" he looked up at me curiously.

"Oh, you know, the little guy. The puppy who keeps following that Great Dane around."

"Great… Dane?"

"Yeah, the one who goes around solving mysteries."

"Oh!" his eyes brightened with understanding, and a childish smile on his boyish looking lips… I do admit, he is kind of cute, "Scooby!"

"Yeah. Scooby! Bad luck follows me around like him."

And he was back to smiling at me like nincompoop.

"I'm pretty sure you mean Scrappy."

"Scrappy, Scooby, whatever!"

"No," he shook his head wearily, "not whatever. There is a very big difference between those two characters. You're basically comparing a tomato to a potato."

"Oh, don't tell me I hurt your feelings poking fun at that dumb show! I mean, bunch of kids go around stopping guys in monster costumes with grand money-making schemes!" I waved my hands all dramatically, "You'd think one of these days they'd just team up and take 'em out! I mean, the cute one in the glasses and the sass is like the only smart one among them."

"Well… you're not wrong. But—" his face suddenly grew grim.

"What?" I asked, my heart getting ready to leap right of my throat. He placed his ear right next to his mouth… then he plucked his fingers onto his wrist and neck. Oh no. OH NO!

"He's not breathing! He's going into cardiac arrest."

No no no no! I immediately jumped in and started doing compressions.

One-one thousand. Two-one thousand. Three-one thousand.

Veronica, you idiot! my mind scolded me, You dumb… stupid, just stupid… Here you are, arguing some dumb cartoon, and now Boone's dying! Yeah, good going, smartypants. Real great. First you got Christine killed, now him. Really great, you goofy moron!

One-one thousand. Two-one thousand. Three-one thousand.

Something made me look up.

"Psycho!? What are you doing with that!?"

"It's adrenaline based," he removed the cap and gave it a flick, "inject it into his bloodstream and—"

"But stuff could kill him!"

"He's already dead. Move."

He then brushed past me and inserted the drug into his IV stream.

One-one thousand. Two-one thousand. Three-one thousand.

"C'mon, Boone," I breathed pleadingly though my clenched teeth, "don't die on me! C'mon! Come on!"


Gideon


I felt a rush within me. A running frenzy, like a caged animal trying to burst out of my chest. And it only grew more and more frantic the closer I got. The more and more the emerald flashes echoed into the stormy night. The smoke trailing higher and higher like the heavens were about to cry.

I was completely unaware of everything around me, save for what was ahead. The screaming crowds just one very big blur getting pushed aside. I was conscious of moving, but I couldn't feel it. All I knew was that I was moving. Then I crashed into someone… a little girl clutching her teddy bear so tightly in her arm the head looked like it was going to pop off.

She was crying, and screaming. Her body was covered in a deep gray, like soot. Her tears searing long running rivers through the thick grim. Her eyes a constant panic as she looked up at me with haunting, black sorrows that shook me to my soul. Her mouth was moving a million a second but the screams, like one long crescendo, just blocked that out and carried out in a single blurring cacophony.

Then a woman plucked her from the ground, running like hell with everybody else… and I was alone. I looked around for Raul… but he was nowhere in sight. It was then I realized it. I was truly alone. Then I felt, and saw further fire and I knew death was in the air, the jade silhouettes burning my shadow before my wake.


Pacer


I know what I must be. What I need to do. And soon… it becomes easy. Like swattin' flies away. For I knew now… I was in Hell.

Fire an' smoke fillin' everything, dancing lights choking; figures black shadows in the haze. This heat prickling on my skin… even through my clothes, like some kinda scaredy cat. Just… hot. I heard some coughing on my left. I swung round, an' there they were.

I pulled the trigger, and the heat got hotter. The green bolts struck… and a bright piercin' light like a thousand bulbs all going off in a snap. They reached for the sky, and then came tumbling down. Lookin' at the glowin' pile of something I don't know, I didn't feel anything. Part of me wanted to… but I knew what needed doing.

I waved my arm, and the boys started movin' into the shantytown. Skirmish line, jagged. Just like we practiced. Provide cover for every other boy, and put out right 'mount of heat. And we started killing.

Easiest were the ones screaming. Beggin' for mama. Too dumb to notice us coming. Just blubberin' like a bum on the ground.

"Ya like the sight of yer own blood!?" one of the boys sneered loud an' long for the saps to hear it. Look it their eyes was all that dilly-dally one needed. They knew all that was gonna happen, an' that was enough. Put them out of their misery right quick. Some began living glowlights, reaching high from the pain bitin' 'em 'fore they fell into goo.

Some others, though… just got a hole through 'em. Don't know why, don't know enough to tell. Just did. And as they fell, one by one, part of me kept saying Feel somethin', you black-hearted bastard. But I didn't feel anything.

Another group, maybe ten, maybe less, came runnin' at us. Reachin' their hands out pleadin', thinking we were soldier boys. Uniforms did their trick, so I held my hand and stayed ours… until they got closer.

"Waste 'em!"

Eight blobs stuck. Some lighting up, some falling. Dead all the same.

"Fuckin' pussies!" in all that Fiend sounding. But that got me lookin'. The fire and smoke was getting higher, shanty's ablazin'. Everything just smelled like smoke and oil. But now it was startin' to get thick.

"Masks on!" and the boys just became faceless. I looked left, and there were more movers. I signaled, and two of the boys followed. Another groups was runnin'. Buncha hapless vagies looking like ragmen. They saw us, and I saw their eyes. They knew who we were and they started runnin' like a hound dog.

"Shoot!"

Started gunning 'em down, left and right. Fallin' to goo or blobs. Now more of 'em were running to some cover: big shantybuild made of I don't know what.

"Betta hope we don't find you, ya fuckin' bleeders!"

Felt a tug on my shoulder.

"What is it?"

"My rifle… it ain't lightin' 'em up like yours. Just puttin' a big hole in 'em!"

"Don't worry your head, Johnny. Still gettin' the job, ain't it? 'sides, couple other boys doing it. Probably just some science we don't know."

I then patted his shoulder an' we kept on going. Pointed left and right, and boys went one or the other. Came up on the shantyhouse…

"Shittin' yer pants now!?" I hollered right like a drug-fuelin' maniac, "Just like a little bitch!"

And we ripped it apart. Kept shooting till the thing caved in and caught fire. Someone came runnin' out, screaming.

"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!"

"Mama don't like tattletales!"

Put one in 'em for good measure, and his skeleton lit up like pop-light for a long couple of seconds 'fore fallin' apart at his knees. That… that made me feel something. Cold. Then I heard more screamers aways. Grabbed the boys and we started moving that away.


Gideon


I smelled the place long before I saw it… and my nightmares just hours earlier came to life in front of me. There was fire everywhere, buildings, thick black smoke choking and clouding everything, fires reaching the heights of the sky, and people… oh God. I felt like I was back in Nipton, back in that place of the dead and dying. But in that place, there had been malevolent deliberance to it… but here? It was just senseless, chaotic violence tearing the world apart at the seams and leaving it to bleed in agony.

It was Dante's Inferno. I was in Hell. A Hell I hadn't been able to stop. Part of me wanted to be sick. To just bend over and puke again.

But I couldn't. I had a job to do. I knew what I had to do, what I must do. And I knew sitting here in terror of this burning inferno was not going to help. So, I started moving towards the smoke.

"HELP ME!"

Out of a burning shack was a man on fire, screaming like I'd never heard before and waving in arms as the fire ate away at him. I spotted a tarp and I ran towards, tackling him and hitting him with the tarp.

"DON'T MOVE! DON'T MOVE!" I screamed as I started rolling him over and over again. But I knew it. Somehow, I knew. He was stiff, and I knew the truth. But I opened the tarp anyway, and his face… oh God.

I closed my eye in sorrow, and I started moving. Now I could hear them all. The screaming for help, for unsaid mercy… cut short in the silence. I tried to look for the green flashes again, but the smoke got so thick I had to run the other way. I was right back where I started. Then I heard it clear over everything else: automatic fire.


Pacer


We'd just rounded the corner when all Hell came ungolly loose. Takin' fire all over. Could even see the damn shooters, just hearin' the noises coming right at us.

"Cover! Cover!"

Green was gettin' shot out right back, but high-roller lucky if we hit any-damn-thing-or-thingie! Fuckin' ambush! I dove right for a couple cars, and started shootin' overhead. Gotta do something, right?

Bullets pinged off the cars like golden trinkets. Pinging everywhere, so many damn bullets! I dove in under the engine, an' started pourin' green fire on 'em back! Probably only ace-in-the-line was that the Cali's didn't really know what they were shooting! Well, neither did we.

"You fucking junkie freaks!"

That made me smile.

"Time!" I shouted at one of the boys. Took out a watch and signed eight minutes. I nodded. Eight minutes 'fore we hit it, an' run right past the Calvary.

"We gotta get rid of these soldier boys," Philly shouted at me, "or we won't be able to get out here!"

"Right!" I shouted back, gesturin' 'round to the boys ahead behinds the Convertibles, "You boys stay here and keep 'em down! We'll come 'round and backhands these punks! Philly, Johnny, you with me!"

"Bastards tear you apart 'fore you take sliddin' steps!"

"Yeah," wait a sec, "cars at the end of the street! Think you light 'em up?"

"Their engines are facin' our way! Gotcha!"

So, cars got a nice-ol' redecorating in green 'fore they gotta be down skyward. When that, I took off running with 'em on my tail. Looped round on the building, an' there they were: five of 'em. Couple of 'em were bandaged up and burned, lookin' all shanty and down, but still fighting.

Won't do 'em much good now.

"On me," I gestured through the stuff in the air, and we got closer, "light 'em up!"

One went up in a sweet Christmas, his rifle burning under his puddle with a loud hiss. The rest dove to cover and started shooting back. Boys were pumping fire into the mortar, burning black.

"Kickass!"

Johnny moved off right, tryin' to get the angle.

HISS!

"What the—?"

I heard 'fore I saw it. Johnny's Plasma Rifle was… glowing!? Steam and heat was coming off it! It was turnin' orange!

"I—?"

"Get rid of it!"

Suddenly I was on the floor, my ears ringing. World was silent 'round, and when I saw where Johnny was… all that was… was smoke and a crater.

"Johnny… what—?"

Then in the fog and haze. Then I saw more boys comin' my way. Charlie was swinging wild, goin' lone-wolf like he always does.

"YEAH! I fuckin' love this shit! Gonna have you bastard for breakf—"

HISS!

"Toss it!"

He threw it high, but it weren't 'nough. It got couple feet an' there was another bright green explosion that sent tremors and like through the ground. Charlie was… gone.

"Gloria," I gritted my teeth, "you bitch!"

Then there was more fire coming my way. More bastards moving… ah Christ-in-plaid, fuckers are comin' at us from back where we came, an' where we were goin'! Good thing though we had cover an' the dumbshits were movin' out in the open! Got runnin' 'fore we started shootin' and started puttin' 'em down. Then, the got the angle and started puttin' away from our left!

I dove and ducked, runnin'. Boys started scatterin', poppin' whatever dang-god patch o' rubble they could find! Then I spotted Philly, taking shots back.

"Watch your gun, Philly!"

"Why!?"

"Damn things are jinxed! They explode when they get hot!"

I saw his head move like he was saying motherfucker!

"We got six minutes!" he called back, "I'll keep 'em here! You go 'round and flank 'em!"

Right now, buncha things were runnin' through. If she set us up… why? How? What she… should we run? No, we need to stick to the plan.

If we don't, we'll all die.

"Right!"

So, I started moving. Ran right through a broken and burnin' apartment and started coming up on the side field. There they were, more soldier boys running through cover, and my boys puttin' green over their heads. I started movin', getting ready to start puttin' holes in 'em… when I saw something on my left, out of the corner of my eye! I ducked to the ground as something was shot over my head and I went to the wall.

"You fucking bastard!"

I knew that voice. I smirked. Always wanted some alone time with that ice queen Major... Liz Kiernan, was her name? Mebbe stuck up, but she's a looker. Knew Presley had a thing for her, met through Julie. Too bad now.

"You goddamn junkie bastards!"

I started movin' an' I started runnin' like a good whole houndie, her bullets chasing me right into cover. I got to the ground, and chunks of the wall were hittin' my noggin. She just kept on shooting… till she wasn't. I got up an' started shooting. I could see what I was shooting at, the red and black and gray was so think in the air.

So I just kept shooting, and shooting. Then I waited. I couldn't see her. So, I got up and started lookin'.

"Come out come out, wherever you are!"

"FUCK YOU!"

I turned left, and she was all up in my business. A tangle of hair and wet and something. I got my rifle up, but then a boot came up and knocked it way. Then she knocked me back aways, I could see her getting' something out of her coat.

"Uh uh, doll!"

Soon I got up her business. Got her good by the arm, had a vise on her soft neck, and I started forcin' her back a prayer. 'Course, I didn't see that fist, and I got to seeing white, and I was puking a bit in the mask. But I had her, and I couldn't let her get a breath!

She had a Browning on me. I went low and felt something… something up there on my scalp. Place was so loud couldn't hear the ringing. Didn't matter though, I was still kicking! I grabbed at the Browning, an' we started playing a tug o' war with her arms.

I got to lookin' in her face… and I was amazed at how she could still be doing like a damn frenzied Night Stalker! Her face was covered in blood, like she was somekinda red woman. Burns, cuts, scraps, and all manner of nasty covered her an' her clothes were cut and ripped, and a manner of exposing. The damn lady must've crawled out from under the rubble. Damn.

Her eyes glared at me all hateful, all desperate. No recognition though. Hmm… maybe I could— I hit the ground all a sudden, my knee feelin' like popping and me on my back. She was on me, getting up and tryin' get lead in my face. I grabbed out at the gun, and at her hair, and started rolling.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" she screamed

Damn lady fought like a damn Cazador! Biting, scratching, punching, kicking, trying to rip my mask off… every damn thing she did… ain't enough. She was on me, she had her hands on my throat…but I had her gun! I felt her nails dig in and I struck her over the head with a thunk.

"Lights out," I panted as I pushed her off of me, "damn, you really made me work for it!"

I rose to my feet, an' I saw Philly coming my way.

"Boss, y'kay?"

"Not really. What's going down?"

"The boy's got the Cali's pinned. B-but Jackie's gun exploded!"

"I know! So did Johnny's!"

"What's it mean?"

"Dunno. We got a job to do. Where are the soldier-boys?"

"Up ahead. Still puttin' up one hellova tussle!"

"Well, we got leverage!"

"Help me get her up!"

Quickly, got her by the arms and had her over yonder. The soldier-boys had hunkered down behind the remains of the ol' car lot building. Here, coulda used grenades, thought got something better!

"Heya fuckers! We got your Major here!" I shouted at 'em, digging her nine right into her noggin, "throw out your guns, an' come nice and quiet, or we'll be seeing the inside of her head! Ya got five seconds!"


Gideon


Noise is deceptive. The gunfire and explosions only gave me a general direction to go off of, and the thickening smoke was making the rest of the trek difficult. I had to back track through several ruined apartment buildings, the haze and fire making me half blind. Then I heard someone moving ahead of me. I could hear the footfalls of heavy boots and the crunching of tiles.

I crept behind the corner. Through the smoke I could see the uniform of an NCR soldier, but… he was carrying a plasma rifle, and he had a gasmask on. I quickly ducked back behind the corner. The gunfire had stopped, but I didn't know what that meant. If Pacer and his goons were still alive and armed, then shooting him would only obliviate my one advantage.

I needed that gasmask. Alright, I'll do this quietly—Raul!?

Shhh, he signed as he strolled right past me, smirking. I turned around to see him strolling at the King with his arms spread wide, something hanging from his back:

"Hola, amigo! What's cooking, eh?"

"What the—!?"

He raised his plasma rifle on him, but in a reaction time that should not have been possible he just hit the wall with a crash! When I came around, he was the floor. The wall was splattered with his blood… and he was missing a head. It was then I noticed the Pulaski Axe in his hands; black matte shaft and the steel head with a wicked fluke rinsed in shining crimson.

"Hey, jefe," he smirked at me, "running ahead like that will get into lugares muy malo very quickly. Good thing your Tío Raul was here! This man could've hurt you!"

"I had him," I replied deadpanned. He smirked and shrugged.

"You make things far too complicated, boss. Now, I suppose you'd like his mask?"

"What about you?"

He held up one of his own, and smiled when he saw my look:

"Stopped by this rundown Fire Station on the way here!"

"How come I didn't notice it?"

"It was tucked away! I knew where to look. Figured it would be más útil considering this place looks una renovación barata del infierno!"


Pacer


I looked at them, grinnin' all looney and toons behind my mask. Had the time, was gonna fuckin' get me a show.

"Who the fuck are you!?" one of the Cali's snarled at me, "You guy's ain't Fiends!"

"Yeah," I smirked as I knelt before him, "well, y'see, we're something of a bit of Karma, y'know? Y'see, push and push, an' somewhere, someone gonna push back. We're pushing back."

"What!?"

I shot him in the face. Look on 'em all? Just fuckin' great! All these years of playin' Goodie Sammy an' let 'em push us round, an' kickin' us about? Fuckin' great to get it all off my chest.

What was it Julie called this good shit? Therapeutic.

"You fucker's shoulda stayed home in Cali," I rose and looked at the five of them, with Five minutes to go.

"Kill 'em all."

First one screamed and reached out as he was turned to jello, forming hold for a couple sec's 'fore he got a nice splatter, right down in the dirt. Second got up and tried to run at 'em. Got a hole through his chest.

"Check that blaster," I warned, knowing the sign now. The third one cried and blubbered as another of the boy's muzzled his face. Lifted it up by the chin looking down at him as he wailed for his mama.

"P-please! I jj-just wanna go hh-home! Pp-please!"

Fuckin' pathetic.

"Philly, gut this fuckin' yellow-belly!"

Took out his silver, an' chuckled.

"C'mere little piggy!

Suddenly something red and hot came outta nowhere! Philly… Philly was ashes! What the hell!?

"You have killed."

We all turned around. The voice… I've heard before! It… sounded raspy and angry-kinda crazy!

"You have terrorized the fair citizen of this city."

We turned again, comin' down an alley! I… fuckin' know this voice! I'd heard it on the radio from some station comin' outta state1

"You have eaten their wealth and corrupted their souls."

It was all around us!

"And you will pay with your lives. For I know the evil that lies in your heart."

Sonova—

"The Shroud knows!"

"Where are you!?"

"Here."

Suddenly Clark was screamin', an' gettin' dragged off! We started shootin', lightin' up the alleyway! But we didn't hit nothin'… then we saw it in the fire. Something in the light, coming on him; tearin' him apart!

He screamed an' screamed as a… monster howled and gnarled. Until there was nothing.

"What the fuck are you!?"

Then there was this voice… this deep, oily, dready-dead, give you nightmares kinda voice out of the fiery gloom behind us as one the buildings burned:

"I am… vengeance. I am the night. I am—"

"Roff Roff!" a dog suddenly barked out. Wait… is that… Rex!? What… what the hell was he doing here!? Wait… Presley gave him to Cass. And… she an' that One-Eyed prick are… unless…

Then, the smoke cleared, and on the buildin' lookin' all down on us was… Rex. I knew those robotic legs anywhere! But why was he wearing a… Batman costume!?

"Well..." another voice; strong, powerful, but… cheerful? Damn thing looked like a Disco-ball with arms perched on his… hips. Had a red cape flowing from the back with a big whole red S on his front, "this looks like a job for Super—"

"Roff Roff!"

The Disco-ball turned, an' smacked Rex over the head!

"Yowl!"

"And there is a fresh one if you mouth off again!"

"Shoot 'em!"

And so we did. But when the smoke cleared… they weren't there! I then whirled around— goddamnit! The Cali's bolted!

"We gotta move!"

Then there was another crack, and red was flying at us! Damn bastard was flyin' at us, shootin' and playin' some kinda fuckin' fancy piano music that kept thundering! We ran into the building.

"Keep runnin'! Keep—!"

GROWL!

Rex was in the doorway, growlin' and gnarlin' with fuckin' fangs gleamin' in the fuckin' dark like some kinda monster!

"Rr-rex!" I stammered, "Ii-it's me!"

He kept comin' at us, his mouth droolin' blood. Then we heard the robot comin' the other way!

"Dead, or alive,"the robot boomed out with this cheesy-robot soundin' voice, "you're coming with us!"

They kept advancin' and advancin'. Christ, why didn't I bring grenades—

"Bobby," I whispered, "Gimme your gun."

"Why?"

"Just do it. When I start shootin', everybody go out the window," now I hada put on a show, "hey, hey, listen. There's been a big misunderstanding—"

"Drop your weapon, now!" the bot got more robotic now, "You have 15 seconds to comply!"

"Whoa, whoa," I held my hands, "just wait a second!"

"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six—!"

"Alright, alright! I'm putting it down!" just a little closer… just a little more, "I'm putting it down nice an' slow—"

Suddenly I turned the Plasma up an' popped one right in the bots face! It screamed and whirled back in fire and smoke! I then turned round an' everybody was out and Rex was coming right at me! I started shootin' and he nose-dived through another room. Then I felt it. It was gettin' hot.

"Hey, superhero! Save this!"

I tossed the rifle right at 'em, an' went super out the window. Started rolling when the world went green an' the like, an' next thing I knew: buildin' collapsed!

"Sorry Rex," I shook my head all-Cash-an'-blues, "shouldn't 've gotten in my way, pooch."

Got to my feet, an' started walkin' towards my boys.

"What the hell was—"

"The Bitch set us up. She gave us guns rigged to blow."

"But… why?"

I shook my head all-hound-doggy:

"No loose ends. How much time we got?"

"Three minutes."

"And the plants?"

"Laid, just like ya said."

"Right. Well, we better get movin' and outta these clothes 'fore—"

Suddenly, I had brains over my face!


Gideon


"YOU BASTARDS!"

Raul had urged caution. Raul had said we need to take it nice and slow. Catch these guys by surprise. Well, fuck caution! These bastards blew up ED-E!

"Oh, por el amor de mierda, jefe, wait!"

I didn't care. I didn't care anymore. I just wanted these bastard's dead. My .45's were out and I was unleashing both of them! I didn't care my rounds were missing… my knife would do the rest.

Then they turned around and started shooting at me. I could feel the green bolts singing my hair, my jacket. I kept running. I kept shooting, rounds going everywhere, started seeing red. Just need to get closer!

Bring your fucking faces to my knife, you motherfuckers! Come on—

"Idiota!"

I suddenly felt hands on my jacket and I was sent flying through a wall of fire. I hit the ground through an open door, and I rolled with it. Got up and started running out the door—Raul!? The air was knocked out of me as he tackled me to floor, kicking the door shut! I tried to push him off of me, tried to deck him over the head, but I missed!

"Stay down, maldito loco!"

"Get the fuck off of me, Raul!" I spat in his face, trying to push the Ghoul off of me, but he just kept holding me down, "I'm gonna killthesebastards, you hear me!? I'm gonna tear their goddamn heads off! I'm gonna—!"

SLAP!

Suddenly my world went white and sparkles in the air as Raul hissed in my face, grabbing my hair and fixing me with eyes that would rend me to piece!

"You… will do no such thing, you understand me, gringo!?" he growled, slapping me across the face again, "You… stupid boy! You want to die, is that it!?" another slap, another wave of moths dancing around my head, "You stupid, stupid boy! You want her to be alone, huh!? I'll kill you myself before I let you do that, you stupid—"

He raised his hand to slap me again, but I stopped him mid-stride:

"I get the point. Now, get off me."

"OH, ONE-EYE!"

I dived to the ground again as Plasma bolts started impacting the wall. I'm just glad it was made of concrete or otherwise we would be dead.

"YOU THINK YOU CAN FUCK WITH ME, HUH!? YOU THINK YOU CAN JUST TAKE WHAT I HAVE AN' BUILT, AN' JUST ROLL ON OUT, HUH!?"

I considered retorting, but Raul held a finger to his lips. He then pointed out the door and sighed crawling out. I nodded slowly, and we started moving as the King's kept hammering our position.

"WELL, FUCK YOU, YA FUCKIN' CYCLOPS! YOU FUCKIN' RADROACH!"

We got outside, and there was nobody waiting for us. I drew That-Gun from its holster and—

"Boss," Raul whispered as he pulled on my shoulder, "don't be an idiot, recuerda?"

"Yeah," I sighed wearily, "I remember."

"Don't worry, boss," he winked at me, "I have a plan!"


Pacer


"COME ON! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!"

"HERE'S WHAT I GOT, PRETTY BOY!"

Suddenly, we started taking fire again! From our left! Son of a bitch! Must've went out the back! Stupid!

Went low an' I saw where them 'heroes' were shootin' at! Dumbasses! Hidin' behind a car?

"YOU THINK YOU CAN TAKE ME!?"

We started shootin', and after a bit the car exploded!

"Game over, one-eye!"

We all got back on our feet and—oh, Christ! Billy's head blew apart!

"GONNA HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT, TACHONADO!"

And they were shootin' from another car! We lit it up, and it exploded. Then Connor went down!

"NOT EVEN CLOSE, YOU JELL-HAIRED PUNK!"

"You wanna play games!? Okay, I'll play with you!"

I started shootin' rounds till it was gettin' nigh hot! I chucked the Plasma at him!

"SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE—!"

Explosion did all the talkin' I needed.


Gideon


Ugh… oh God… my head. Tried to feel… can't even... can't feel. Ears ringing… can't… think straight. Why… why everything feels like… like… like water? Tried to open… open my eye… can't see.

"Well…over…ere! Wha…came…got…ey…by one!"

What? What the… who's… who's coming? See something… see fire… see men… shadows… can't… hear properly… can't

"Wha…go…ca…huh!?"

Figures… figures coming… can't… No!

"Huh!? Thought you could take me, huh!?"

Gotta… gotta grab… gotta…

"Uh uh uh!"

Kicked it away… no! Not like this! Not… not… not like…

"You fuckin' with me? You fuckin' pay the price! Starting with your friend!"

"N-no! NO!"

"Bye-bye, zombie!"


Presley King


The Automag barked; bucking in my hand like a Longhorn. And as he fell, they looked an' stared at me. And I looked at them. They were stock still frightened; eyes goin' wide without a prayer. Then the next man fell past my smoking barrel… and I was left with him.

I didn't see him there. I didn't see my brother there, in the fire an' brimstone an' bodycount. I saw the man who'd killed him. I saw the man I'd created an' drafted. I saw my monster.

"Presley!" he stammered as I moved on him, "Wha—wait!"

I struck him across the face with the Automag, grabbin' hold of him as he fell into the blood he spilled. I pulled him to my eyes, and I bared my teeth! I wanted him to see! See!

"NO MORE!" I spat in face, my body shakin'… shaking with such anger!

"YOU HEAR ME!? NO MORE!"

I struck him again, an' he fell into the drainage ditch. He fell an' he fell, an' he kept falling till he was in the dirt! I went after him. I pulled him up… and I started hitting him!

"You… stupidstupid fucking idiot!"

I kept punching… and punching… and punching… until my hands begged me to stop. Pacer… spat out blood, a tooth… and he just shook his head like it didn't… fucking matter!

"I… did… what you couldn't… what you wouldn't!"

I hit him again! I felt… I felt a fire within me. I felt like I was burning!

"You think I wanted this!?" I pulled him up, screamin' so much I was throwing spittle in his face, "You think I wanted these people dead! You think I wanted that!?"

"Oh for once, stop pretendin' you didn't! Stop pretendin' that these people wouldn't do the same to us!"

"That doesn't matter! We were supposed to be better than them! We were supposed to show 'em all a better way!"

"Oh fuck you, an' you fuckin' dream! 'Cause that's all it is! A dream! You think you playin' Jesus was gonna get 'em to stop!? That you playin' some dead prettyboy with a heart of gold was gonna be enough to keep 'em from takin' everything we built from us!?"

I struck him so hard his nose cracked as I screamed in his face:

"We survived House! We survived the Fiends! We survived everything the world could throw at us without turnin' into them! We stayed the better men!"

"We survived because I had the balls to do what needed to be done! I did all the things to keep your hands from gettin' dirty! This ain't no different! I went an' did what you wouldn't! I did it to save us!"

"Save us!? How!? By goin' and shakin' hands with those fuckin' Cajuns!? By killin' women and children!? By betraying me!?"

"A means to an end, Presley. A means to an end."

I shook my head. I couldn't… I couldn't. I rose to my feet, an' I could only… then I felt it: sudden coldness I ain't felt in… years. Thunder crackled long ways back, an' it started to rain. Heavy… heavy, and cold and fallin' and turning everything to mud; soakin' me to the bone.

And I as I looked up to the melancholy black sheets loomin' long and sad over… over what I've failed to do. I… I remembered what my Nana once said to me about this. That all the bad, and blood we spill… an' all the wicked evil things we do… are enough to make God cry. It hasn't rained like this. Not since House… not since Hoover.

And then… then I hear 'em. Don't have to turn around, I know they're there… but I have to. I have to see. And I do. I see the terrified, the broken, the downtrottened… I see the people I turned away, an' spat on. I see the hundred people, maybe more… just… staring.

Lookin' at me with those guilty eyes. Those pain filled eyes. Those… those accusin' eyes. And all I can do is… is hang my head, an' let my tears tell my failures. Where 'em plain on my sleeves.

Because Pacer didn't do this. I did. I killed all these people. I took their families from them. I let this happen.

I let this go too far… and I turned my best friend—my brother—into a monster. A monster of my makin'. And I have to make right with what I done.

"Look at 'em, Pace. Look at 'em. Do they seem like people who needed to die? Who deserved all this?" I waved my hand to the fire… to the victims… to the sheer destruction of it all. And all Pacer could do was… look at me blankly.

"I did what I had to, Pres."

I shook my head. I know… what I must do.

"Is this what you wanted? Is this what you were lookin' for? Was everything you done… everything you betrayedworth it?" I fell to my knees in front of him, my eyes lookin' to the ground… and the blood stainin' it, "Was it? Because all you did… all you done… is give them an excuse to kill us."

I shook my head slowly; lookin' up at my creation… and knowing what had to come next.

"You told me… that I didn't have the balls to do what needed to be done… and you were right. I didn't. I didn't accept my role in things… and what I have to do… but I do now."

His eyes widened, shaking his head softly as I took him and I hugged him close.

"Pres—"

I pressed the barrel into his chest.

"I know now. I know… now."

I didn't hear it happen. Didn't hear any of it happen. All I knew was Pacer falling to the floor; the last expression on his face… and the blood on my hands when I looked upon them. The Automag fell from my hands… and I hung my head. Then I felt someone's shadow over me.

I looked up to the see the Major… Liz. She looked at me with something I didn't understand… lookin' at Pacer… and at my hands. She closed her eyes, and just shook her head. And all I could do was just nod. I rose to my feet; looking down at her bruised, broken face.

"Presley King," she choked on her words a little, "by the authority of the New California Republic Army, I have to place you under arrest."

"And I surrender myself to your custody, Major Kiernan."

I gave her my hands, and she placed irons on them.

"NO!"

I turned about and there was Jeffie… and the rest of the boys with their guns raised on us.

"YOU ARE NOT TAKING HIM!" he shouted down at us. Jeffie… the man I should've listen to… the man I know is gonna set things right. I raised my cuffed hands and I just shook my head:

"Jeffie, put down your guns. There'll be no more killin' tonight!"

"Pres… we can't let 'em take you! You didn't do this! This isn't right!"

"No," I shook my head softly, sadly, "I did do this. I let this go too far. I didn't stop it when it needed to be… and somebodies gotta pay the price. Somebodies gotta make up what's been done. And I rather it be me, facin' justice."

"Pres," he was only a guitar string from breakin', a vocal from crying, "but… you're the King."

"Not anymore, Jeffie. Not anymore. I never was."

I then nodded to the soldiers:

"Take me away. I will face your justice."


Translations - Spanish


Hola, amigo - Hello, my friend

lugares muy malo - Very bad places

Tio - Uncle

más útil - very useful

una renovación barata del infierno - Cheap renovation of Hell

por el amor de mierda - For fuck's sake

maldito loco - you fucking lunatic

recuerda - remember

TACHONADO - Studded-Cool (an insult from the fifties meant for people who stud their jackets to compensate for their lack of coolness)