I would like to give Mecharic a big thank you for beta reading this chapter
The sky above is deathly bright, with the ground below covered in a thick blanket of snow. On the ground is a small girl with fair skin and deep black hair accented with red at its tips. She wore a scarlet red cloak with hood and primarily black clothes. Her eyes were closed, and her posture was relaxed, almost as if she were asleep. Her eyes, while closed, tightened and edged their way open as she adjusts to the light hitting her face.
Finally awake, she looks at her surroundings. She looked to her side as if to find something that was missing, looking somewhat worried. Her gaze flung around only to be met by dead trees and brown grass tips sticking from the snow. "Yang!" She called out, waiting for a response. "Yang!?" She called again as her voice echoed in the distance. "Weiss!? Blake!? Nora!?" Her voice trembled slightly, with her breathing beginning to quicken. "Jaune! Pyrrha! Ren! It's Ruby!" Her breathing got faster; her entire body began to shake. "Is anybody there!?" No response. Ruby stood still, attempting to gather herself. She refocused her breathing, yet still shook slightly.
"Where am I?" Ruby asked herself. She looked around the area again and found nothing but smoke in the distance. Without hesitating she sped off towards the smoke, leaving rose petals in her path. She reached the smoke and found a fire, but no people. No Yang. At the fire there were two shoddy chairs and a torn ottoman. She took a seat on the ottoman and pulled it closer to the fire. "Am I alone now?" She asked. Wind blew in the distance, bringing a cold breeze her way, leading her to pull her cloak around her body. The heat of the fire was absorbed into the cloak which in turn was felt by Ruby; her body ceased to shake.
A cough echoed in the distance with a voice saying, "Pass me a cig?"
Ruby looked to her side to see a pair of men appear over the hill to her side. They looked her way too and were curious, and a hint worried, to see her there. "Hey!" One shouted, "You lost!?"
"Yeah." Ruby said as they got closer. "Have you seen a girl with long, bright gold hair and purple eyes?"
"Nah, can't say I have." The man said. As the two got closer their outfits became more visible. One wore an ushanka hat. He had a thick beard, but not too thick and wore a padded jacket with heavy jeans. The other wore a battered beanie and a leather jacket with its inside coated with a wool material. He wore cargo pants with two deep pockets, one of them carrying a small revolver.
"You want a cigarette, kid?" The guy with the ushanka asked. "You looked stressed so it might help."
"I'm only 15, so I don't think I should. On top of that it doesn't sound too appealing so no thanks." Ruby chuckled nervously at the gesture.
"Alright then." The man said. "So, how'd you get lost out here?"
"I don't know." Ruby answered "I just did. Oh- my name's Ruby, what's yours?" She greeted them with a smile.
"I'm Warren." The man with the beanie introduced himself first. "He's Jack." He nodded over to his friend with the ushanka.
"So, guys, what're you doing out here." She asked curiously.
"Getting the fuck out of the 'wealth before winter comes in full swing." The man in the beanie answered.
"Why are you leaving?" She inquired further.
"You haven't heard of what going on down there?" Warren asked, "The damn place has been crawling with raiders for just over five months. They got there in early June and made a foothold there in the first two weeks. After successfully integrating and eliminating the competition they made it clear that they aren't leaving. Things are already shit; we're just getting out before they get more shit."
"Have you tried getting rid of the bandits?" Ruby asked.
Warren lit a cigarette and took a small puff "First off, raiders and bandits are two separate things. They're only slightly similar, but still different. Second, we tried to get rid of them the moment they arrived but failed miserably."
"How are raiders and bandits different?" Ruby asked.
"Bandits operate in smaller groups and usually ambush their victims; hit and run mostly." Jack explained "Raiders are in larger groups and hit towns and settlements with massive force. On top of that raiders have a very strict hierarchy and tend to be far more brutal."
"How brutal?"
"Some torture prisoners for fun, some burn their own men alive for defying them, some force prisoners to fight each other to the death." Jack stood up for a second and looked over the hill they came through.
"That sounds horrible." Ruby's body shivered at the thought, knowing that some people would do that.
"Is she still gone?" Warren asked Jack.
"Yeah." Jack said as he looked off into the distance. "Where did she wander off to?"
"Find who?" Ruby asked.
"Our pack brahmin." Warren answered. "She carries our stuff and without her we can't go anywhere."
"I thought you'd be referring to a person." She laughed awkwardly at her own words. "And what's a brahmin?"
"You not have 'em back home?" Warren asked rhetorically. "It's a cow with two heads essentially. We got a female, so she's got an udder."
"Sucks Eddy died." Jack comments "If he was still here then Bell wouldn't have wandered off while we slept."
"Just shut up." Warren retorts irritably to Jack. "I mean, your right, but is now really the time?"
"I'm sorry. I should'a kept my mouth shut." Jack apologized.
Ruby just looked confused and directed her attention to Warren who seemed to have dropped in mood. "Is Eddy the guy who this ottoman belonged to?"
"Yeah." Warren said. A short and silent pause ensued. The wind blew through again and made Ruby shiver. "You should've wore something thicker when coming over here." Warren said to Ruby with a laugh.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to get lost!" Ruby yelled, turning her face into that of embarrassment.
The two men just laughed. "I think we have a set of clothes on Bell that'd make this weather more bearable for you." Warren informs Ruby.
"I'll be fine." Ruby said. "It's not like the cold will get to me that easily."
"You're clearly freezing." Jack states as he and his friend notice Ruby shivering. "Even if you can withstand the cold better than normal people that doesn't mean the temperature is any less irritating."
"It's okay. Really, I'll be fine." Ruby turned down. "But all the same, why not go look for her?"
"That's what we just got back from doing just ten minutes ago." Jack explained. "I wouldn't be surprised if the weather got to her. Scavengers probably picked up the scraps."
"You never know until you find out." Ruby replied.
"I hope we find her, because she has my gun." Warren comments on the conversation. "I've had her since my Talon days."
"Talon?" Ruby said curiously. "And what kind of gun did you have?"
Warren lit another cigarette. He took a small puff and handed the pack back to Jack. "Talon Company is a mercenary outfit back in DC. I took off about... three or so years ago. When I joined, I got my hands on a Saiga-12 with a drum magazine."
"I've never heard of a Saiga-12." Ruby said with interest. Her face was filled with inquisitiveness and her eyes were glimmering with interest.
"Ah shit, looks like I got another gun-nut." Jack silently comments as he looks at the two about to engage in conversation.
Warren leaned pulled his chair closer to Ruby. After sitting down again, he leaned towards Ruby, "The Saiga-12 is a Russian 12 gauge made before the war. Mine had a 580mm barrel and a drum mag. I didn't do much to change it other than give it a paint job. That gun saved my life more than 60 times, and I swear if some sweaty scavver gets their hands on it I will cave their skull in with the stock when I get it back."
"That seems a bit harsh." Ruby responded with a shocked face.
"Yeah man." Jack adds to Ruby's statement with a similar expression, "Calm down a bit."
"To be honest though, if someone stole my Crescent Rose I'd be pretty upset too." Ruby said to the two.
"Crescent Rose?" Jack asked.
Ruby looked at Jack for a second and refocused on the fire, "Crescent Rose is a heavily modified sniper rifle that can be used as a regular rifle at times."
"So, what? It can just transform into a regular rifle?" Warren asked.
Ruby nodded in confirmation, "It also has a melee option where it can turn into a scythe and extends the barrel. I usually just stick the blade in the ground and fire with extra range." The two men looked at her with confused faces. "What about your gun?" Ruby pointed out the pistol in Warren's pocket.
"This?" Warren lifted the pistol from his pocket. "I got it from a gun store in Goodneighbor. I upgraded the grip for comfort but that's it." Jack put the gun back in his pocket and picked the cigarette packet in his other one. "Pack's empty." He announced to Warren. Jack threw the empty cigarette pack into the fire to add to the fuel.
A new silence fell over the campsite. The wind had not blown in a while and everyone just appeared to be huddled around the fire. Ruby stayed extra close with her cloak fully covering her body. Jack left his seat to watch over the hill. Radstags ran by not far from the camp. Soon Warren went off elsewhere, without telling anyone where he was going.
The day was nearing its end. An orange and red hue overtook the sky above. Stars began to appear in the sky, many of them just fading into view. The fire was beginning to die out. Jack went over to a group of trees and pulled off a few sticks. Ruby got up as well and headed towards the small tree cluster Jack was and also began to grab sticks from the dead trees. Jack finished before she did.
Jack walked to the fire, dumping at least a quarter of his bundle in at once. While Jack began to sit down Ruby had just finished. After arriving at the stick pile, she poured what she had onto it. She took a seat at the Ottoman and pulled her cloak around her body again. Ruby looked up and saw the sky beginning to blacken. The moon began to show its face.
Jack looked over to the girl and saw her beginning to shake again. It wasn't the cold. "You okay?" Jack asked.
"No." She answered, her voice trembling slightly.
"Is it about the girl you mentioned earlier?" Jack pushed slightly.
"A little... well, actually it's a lot." Ruby answered, "She's my sister, and I don't know where she is."
"Is that how you got lost? Trying to find your sister?" Jack asked once more.
"I don't know what happened. I woke up today and she was just gone." Ruby said, almost succumbing to tears. "She wouldn't just leave like that. And to top it all off I don't know where I even am."
"The only thing I can tell you is that you're right outside the Commonwealth's borders. The rest I can't answer." Jack stood up again and looked out to where Warren left.
It was night now and the stars were shining brightly. Ruby was left staring into the fire, pondering as to where she got herself. She threw a few sticks into the pit and saw the fire crack a bit. The various hues of red and orange glimmer in her eyes. All that can be heard is the cracking of fire.
Jack looked towards Ruby, "Hey kid, if you lift off the cushion to your seat, you'll find three sleeping bags." Ruby lifted the cushion and found just that, three sleeping bags rolled up and packed together. She investigated the cushion to see it was hollowed slightly. "If I were you, I'd crawl into one of those. It gets colder at night."
"I'll be fine." Ruby reassured.
"Doesn't matter if you'll be fine or not, it matters that you clearly weren't expecting to encounter a winter and came dressed for summer." Jack had a stern yet joking tone. "I've seen Super mutants die of frostbite, and they are resilient motherfuckers."
"Okay, fine." Ruby admitted defeat only after 20 seconds. She unrolled the bag and begun to climb into it before a question came to her mind. "Jack, what's a super mutant?"
"What kind of paradise are you from to not know what a Super mutant is?" Jack paused for a while, "The best way I can describe them is big, green, ugly, and muscles on top of muscles. You see one, just run. Don't bother fighting them unless your well armored and have a strong gun. Close range is unadvised; they will literally rip you to pieces."
"I'll remember to avoid them." Ruby says as she enters the sleeping bag, leaving her cloak on her stomach.
Over the hill someone can be heard shouting "Hey!" Jack looked back over to find Warren approaching the camp. At his side was a large two headed bovine with multiple things of scrap and materials strapped to its back. "I found Bell!"
Ruby climbed out of her bag and walked to where Jack was standing. She looked on in shock at the passive beast that walks towards her "Is that a brahmin?"
"Yep." Jack answered with a smile. "Where'd you find her?" He asked his friend.
"I found her near the outskirts of Nuka World." Warren answered. "She was far enough from the main park for me to grab her without being bothered or shot at."
Ruby approached the creature as it got closer to the campsite. She walked to its side to find what looked like a rifle hanging from the ropes holding everything in places. "What's this?"
"Remember the shotgun I was talking about earlier?" Warren reminded her.
"It doesn't look like a shotgun." Ruby responded.
"Well that's it." Warren answered.
Ruby held it gently, caressing the side with a long stroke. "It looks so cool!" Her eyes were fixed on the drum magazine for a second.
"Be careful, it's loaded." Warned Warren.
"I will." Ruby assured him. After pulling away from her face she admired the overall look of the weapon. "Can I shoot it?" She asked with glee.
"I'd rather not waste ammo." Warren replied politely. Ruby filled with disappointment yet understood why he declined. "Just one shot." Warren said firmly. The girl's face lit up with elation.
Ruby unlatched the gun from where it was and aimed directly opposite of the brahmin. She fired once and a loud blast was let off. She staggered herself slightly but stayed on her feet. She was jumping up and down with excitement. An almost abnormal form of excitement. She put the gun back where it was and was still shaking with anticipation that should be gone. "Why are you so bouncy all of a sudden?" Warren asked.
"When it comes to weapons, I'm kind of a dork."
"Congrats, Warren." Jack joked around slightly "You managed to find someone more obsessed with guns than you."
"I can hardly believe it myself." Warren laughed. "Wait a minute." He said to himself "clothes. Ruby, was it? I'm not sure if they'll fit you, but it's better than having a cold wind blowing into your body during winter." Warren tossed her a thick jacket that had been stitched up slightly. She was also given a cap knitted from cloth and adequately sewed jeans.
"I told you I'll be fine." Ruby declined.
"It's a gift." Warren pressed. "Even if you don't need it yourself you could give it to someone who does."
Ruby placed a hand on her chin, "I never thought about it like that. I guess I'll keep it for someone else." She took the clothes given to her and placed them to her side. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it." Warren replied.
The night went on and the moon eventually reached its peak. By then everyone had started to snuggle into their sleeping bags. Jack laid his pistol next to his head and Ruby had her set of wasteland clothes next to the campfire on Jack's foldable chair.
Ruby, sleepless, begun to look up at the sky. She saw the bright stars and the off-putting moon sitting in front of her face. After pondering of all possibilities, Ruby had chosen to play connect the dots with the stars. She started with one and moved left to the next star. After only 5 minutes she came up with 4 constellations: square, quiver, big ladle and tree. She laughed at her childish imagination with names and begun to listen to the environment around her.
Radstags once again galloped close by, running from the wild hounds chasing them. The fire crackled loud enough to send calm waves stretching from the back of her neck down to her pelvis. Ruby's eyes grew heavier and heavier as the night extended. Eventually she fell victim to her urge to sleep.
She saw her friends all leaving to enter the wilds outside of the city. In the middle of the group was her, carrying her scythe on her back in its compact form. They all spoke to one another, but their voices were muffled, muffled in a way where it sounds like she's behind thick glass.
Next was a battle with Grim; at this point a leisure activity. All of them effortlessly cutting down creature after creature as they made their way into the forest. When the moon peaked over the horizon most of them felt bored. Ruby went off with her sister elsewhere and the found a clear patch where the sky was visible. Ruby flopped on the ground and watched her sister mime her actions. They laughed together and then Ruby's eyes closed again.
The cold overwhelmed her completely. Ruby looked around to see the fire put out and Warren and Jack asleep. She slowly crawled out of her sleeping bag. The wind blew harder and far colder than yesterday. Those clothes she was gifted yesterday looked more comfortable than ever. She looked around her and she still saw her two acquaintances fast asleep. She took off her cloak and began to put the thick jacket around her torso and arms. After that, Ruby pulled the ragged, thick jeans up to where they could reach before her skirt hit her wrists. She looked around her before quickly pulling up her skirt with one hand and soon after the jeans with the other. She buckled the belt and sat there in an odd mix'n'mash outfit. The only thing bothering her was the way her skirt was pressing against the jeans, which in turn was tightly hugging her waistline.
Slowly, Warren sat up in his half-open sleeping bag. He looked towards Ruby with a tired gaze, his face baggy and lethargic. "Hey kid." He groaned. "How long have you been up?"
"Only a few minutes." Ruby answered.
"You're finally wearing something other than skin, tight clothes." Warren noticed. "How's it feel?"
"The jeans are kinda loose, so I had to get the belt extremely tight and it's uncomfortable. The coat is really the only thing that feels nice, although it is a bit thick."
"The coat is supposed to be thick." Warren replied sluggishly. "It was designed for winter."
"I know."
Warren got out of his sleeping bag fully clothed. Every inch was a pain as his clothing pulled on the insides of the bag. He finally got out after a grueling 2 minutes. "That was a pain." Warren commented. He looked to Ruby for a moment, then over towards Bell. "So, where you headed now?"
Ruby looked at him confused. "Hmm?" She hummed in a lost tone, almost like asking a question.
"You said you were lost right? You clearly don't have much elsewhere to go. There's the wealth, which is a complete shithole, you can become a drifter and just roam around from town-to-town, or you can pack up with me and Jack to New Detroit. I don't think he'd mind as long as you made yourself useful. On top of that he likes kids so I might be able to convince him to do it."
Ruby looked at Warren, and then to Jack. "I don't know. Yes, I don't really know where home is currently, but also I really want to find my sister and friends." Ruby fixed her sight to the obscure buildings that faded over the morning horizon. "I have a feeling that they're likely over there in the city. Maybe if I'm lucky I'll bump into one of them."
Warren looked over to where Ruby was and noticed the large Nuka Cola bottle that is just barely visible in the distance. "If you find your friends over there, they're either dead or have a collar slapped around their necks. That right there, is Nuka World. They ain't nothing but raiders, butchers and slavers. So, if you decide to go over there, that's your own life."
Ruby's face went from happy to somber. 'Why was this world such a cruel place' she wondered. "I at least have to try to find them. Even if I don't, I might find them somewhere else."
"I guess I know your answer then." Warren said with a chuckle. "I really don't have much else to give you other than what you're wearing, and that wouldn't bode well for you when headed that way."
"Any advice at least?" Ruby asked.
"Sorry, kid. None."
Ruby's face grew more sorrowful as her hopes were further buried. She looked back up to the statues of Bottle and Cappy. "I'll still try." She said with determination. Even then you could still see a few tears run down her face and hit the snow. "I won't stop looking, because I know they're out there somewhere."
Warren chuckled slightly. Ruby looked back at him with a confused face. "That shit you said reminds me of old-world comic books." Warren stood up and looked over to the statue. "Not a lot of people would still look after what you just heard. Normally they'd turn tail and go home. If you hold true to those words then you truly have guts, just make sure you don't lose 'em."
"Are you saying I should do it?" Ruby asked.
"I'm not saying you should do anything. It's up to you to make that decision."
Ruby looked at the statue then over to Bell. She stood up and walked over to the hill Warren stood on. She stood by Warren's side for a moment, looked at him and walked off. Her every step was planted in the snow in front of her. Then she stopped. She turned to Warren and waved goodbye to him. "Thank you for your kindness!" She shouted.
"Don't mention it!" Warren shouted back. "Try not to get killed out there!"
Ruby then speed off into the distance leaving a trail of roses behind her as she went along. Warren stared wide-eyed at the site before dropping his jaw slightly. "What the fuck was that?" He asked himself as he saw Ruby speed off into the distance.
She had just arrived at the location. The statue stood tall and was still quite far from the walls of the stronghold. Ruby took a few steps forward past the statue while reconsidering her decision to enter. Reluctantly she took another step forward as the spikes sticking out from the walls became more visible. She took one more step forward, and that was the only thing needed to make her keep walking.
The further she got the more visible everything was. The decaying structures, the derelict vehicles, and the vast amount of rusted metals. After making more and more progress forward she noticed the sign. "GALACTIC ZONE" was made out in large metal letters, half rusted from the lack of care put into it. Under the sign it said, "back entry" and next to it was a ramshackle defensive tower that was left empty, attached to a small chain link gate. From the outside she could hear blowtorches and screwdrivers not far from the tower. Ruby walked further towards the gate, hoping that what she heard was not truly as bad as it was told.
Ruby creaked open the gate slightly to peek inside. People were working on machines and robots, wearing metallic armor that seemed to be scrapped from the robots they're working on. She slipped past the gate and slowly made her way through, sneaking past the mechanics who didn't seem to notice her.
After turning the corner, Ruby was brought to an amazing site of scrap metal and supply crates. There was food in some of the crates, but most of it was parts. She picked up what looked to be a mini gun with no trigger. Ruby held it in her arms, focusing on the smooth metal plating around it.
"It should be back here." A distant voice said from behind the corner. Ruby panicked and dropped the arm, soon rushing for something to hide behind. The man swung around the corner quickly, with another at his side. Both men with their guns out and ready to fire. "Who's there!?" One of the men shouted.
"It could've just been the rats." The other said.
"Wouldn't be surprised. They've been a pain in the ass since August."
Ruby watched as the two men walked forward to the pile. They picked up the sentrybot arm she had dropped and put it somewhere else in the pile. Both men dug through the pile of scraps until he pulled out a bulky plate like object. "Got it!" One of them exclaimed. "Aight lets go."
"That was close." Ruby whispered to herself. She crept around the corner to find the men attaching the object to a sort of turret. She ran quietly forward and out of the front gate that lead to the exit of the zone. There were more unassigned towers. Turrets were out in place of guards and, upon picking up Ruby's presence, fired a hail of bullets. A few grazed her Aura and were deflected with ease. She made it out of the turrets line of site, taking the chance to flop down on the ground and give a sigh of relief.
The main stronghold itself is not far, maybe only a half mile away. Ruby stood back up and made her way down the dead, snowy road. As she made her way down, she took notice of a large map on a board that was at a fork in the road. "You are here." Ruby read aloud. The map pointed out that it and Ruby were in between Nukatown USA and some place called Dry Rock Gulch.
"Attention." A loudspeaker system came over the entire park. She was close enough to Nukatown to hear the speaker come over. "Ladies and Gentlemen! We have an intruder!" His voice sounded happy, so happy. "After watching the security footage for long enough, I have come to a decision: Whoever catches her first gets to keep her as your own little pet but wait until you hunt for I have more to say. I will also be participating in this hunt. She is currently in between the main park and the Galactic Zone."
"Oh no." Ruby came to the realization of who this man was talking about. Her. It was her!
"Considering the shocked look on your face, I'd assume you can hear me." He said through the speaker system. "You have a five-minute head start, but no leaving the park. If you can last a full two days without being captured, I can guarantee you safe passage out of the park."
Ruby looked around her area and found a camera pointed directly at her. "Can you hear me?" Ruby asked the camera.
"I can't hear you if that's what you're asking. A quick warning however, if you attempt to leave the park before the time has run out, I will have you hunted down and killed."
Ruby let out an audible gulp in response to the threat. "Now that we have that out of the way, may the hunt begin!"
Immediately after the speakers cut out, Ruby could hear celebratory gun fire from both the Galactic Zone and Nukatown USA. She looked quickly at where she had just come from and then at the front entrance of the park. She ran towards Dry Rock Gulch at speeds unheard of for a human, leaving a path of dissipating rose petals while hoping they will not find her. Maybe if she played it smart, she could find her friends and leave with them.