2287, Dec. 9

I might be losing my mind...

The PLAN was to hit The Combat Zone and leave nothing but bodies... Well, that didn't happen. Instead I came home with an extra body that is strung out on chems who can fight like a demon. Oh, and it is another female...

It is a real paradigm shift for me to have the fiercest warriors that I have met to date be exclusively women. Heather, Glory, and now Cait... That fucker Xao just sits and giggles about it. I bet ever Piper is a badass if I were to give her a real weapon.

Cait is going to fit right in. She was the one whop woke me up today. I have no goddamn clue what Heather told her, or for that matter Glory, but she came over, bounced her ass down on my bed in nothing but a bathrobe and announced "Get up you fooker, it's time for breakfast and it'll taste like shite if it gets cold!"

I blinked and could only respond with "...the fuck?" as she sauntered back to the kitchen in Home Plate. As my vision cleared, I counted 6 where there should have been 5. Then I heard the other voice...

"Heeey! I found something I think your going to love!" Fucking Arturo?!

"Man, I am in my skivvies..."

"No problem! I will let you get dressed first!"

'Yeah.." Waving my hand at him.. "Thanks, your all fucking heart.."

I threw on the equivalent of sweats and shambled over to the sink, Eggs? Steak? Toast? After a few questions it was divulged that it was mirelurk egg, specially prepared brahmin meat, and bread from a settlement nearby that was growing 3 different types of razorgrain to make "Artisan bread"... Artisan bread? I sarcastically asked if they had baguettes and was shocked to hear that they should start making them within a few weeks. Apparently a new arrival to the area was a pre-war ghoul that used to be a baker before the bombs dropped. He moved into a settlement called The Slog and, surrounded by a group that he didn't feel threatened by, got them organized to build him a stone oven and opened up shop.

Fuck me running.

Arturo, as usual, came through with some goodies. He pulled out an oil soaked blanket that was wrapped around something about the size of a rifle and put it on the table after breakfast. I flipped the first fold of the blanket back and saw what was clearly the buttstock of an M-16.

"Yeah... Nice try Arturo... I already have an assault rifle."

"Keep going, my friend... Keep going.." His insistence intrigued me. With two more flops of oily blanket, I understood the reason for his confidence and enthusiasm.

"It's a fucking M203... Where? How?" My eyes were probably a little glazed as I traced the lines of the weapon from buttstock to the grenade launcher attached under the barrel. "Do you have..."

"Ammunition!" He interrupted. "I have 30 High Explosive, 6 flares, and 6 of something called "White Phosphorous." Not sure what that does, but it was part of the package!"

"It has 'willie pete' with it?!" In my twisted mind, these were better than the HE. "Do what you can to find more, ammo... Yes."

"Willie pete? Yes?! Don't you know what I am asking for it?"

"Nope..."

"What is this "willie pete"?" He followed up.

"Imagine hiding in a building and having that building suddenly start to fill with what looks like smoke. Then imagine that the smoke burns like lava on your skin... and you start to breathe it in... and then, you literally start coughing your lungs up. That, my friend, is willy pete."

"Damn..."

"Yeah... It makes killing them when they run out of the building an act of mercy.."

"It sounds horrifying." Arturo said quietly.

"Oh, it is... Now.. Where did you say the "Gunners" were holed up again?"

More later... Cait has convinced Glory to go a few rounds and I am not going to miss THAT for anything.