Two weeks before the fateful encounter…
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Virginia scowled to herself as the Hobgobs tossed the last crates of food, money and other valuables onto the last cart. The Hobgobs had come out of nowhere, and taken over the settlement without warning. Virginia glanced around as Uncle Tesla confronted the head Hobgob, and spotted another Hobgob heading straight for Armengard. Virginia quickly moved over, and blocked the Hobgob from reaching Armengard.
"There, you've taken everything we have," Virginia glanced back over as Uncle Tesla continued to argue with the Hobgob Boss. "I ask that you leave here at once and leave us in peace!"
"Uncle Tesla!" Virginia called out, angry at his apparent cowardly behavior despite herself. After all, he was only trying to ensure everyone survived. Tesla carefully waved a hand at her, to tell her to calm down.
"Gob-gob!" The Hobgob Boss said, arrogantly. "Tough words for loser! Me teach you lesson. 'Might is right'! So you are wrong and me am right! Me am right, so me am cool! Gob-gob! Gob-gob! Me am strong, so always hungry. So that is rule, and me am cool! Gob-gob!" A Hobgob walked up to the boss. The Hobgob Boss casually waved at one of the carts, causing the other Hobgob to head in that direction. "Gob-gob! You are uncool. So you feed me and buddies. Dat is new rule dat me decide! Gob-gob!" Virginia gaped in shock as Tesla started in surprise.
"Feed you?" Tesla exclaimed. "We can't afford to do that! We'd all…" He was interrupted as the Hobgob Boss head-butted him to ground. Virginia winced in sympathy.
"Gob-gob? Taste good? Weak get full quickly. You have no food den eat some of dat! Gob-gob!" The Hobgob Boss got onto one of the carts. As all three carts were pulled away from the village by the other Hobgobs, Virginia carefully slipped out of Boot Hill, and followed them.
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Virginia carefully climbed the shallow ridge the carts had just gone over, and glanced around in surprise as she realized that the Hobgobs' hideout was the old merchant's mansion by the sand sea. She spotted the Hobgobs entering the building by a side door. She quickly followed them. As the door closed behind her, she winced at the screech from the rusty hinges. She quickly clutched her hands over her ears.
"Yikes…" Virginia mused as the noise died down. "Rusty hinges. Great… Now they probably know I'm here. But…" she quickly glanced around, before pulling out one of her ARMs from the holster. "There's no turning back now. I've got to push ahead and prove myself. It's time to fly." She quickly headed through the door to the corridor…only to confront two Hobgobs coming to investigate the noise. They lunged to the attack, one of the axes nicking her left arm as she dodged. Virginia spun, yanking the ARMs from their holsters, and quickly put a bullet through each monsters brain. They both collapsed, twitching. Virginia quickly grabbed and examined her left arm.
"So this is what it's like to actually fight…" she mused as she confirmed that it was only a minor scratch. "Only the strong survive--the law of the wasteland." She glanced up the stairs ahead. "All that shooting must've alerted the others. I can't just stand around like this. I have to stop shaking… Control yourself… Stay strong…. I'm going to have to fly on my own!"
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Virginia carefully pulled the valve handle round once more. The large door slide open with a creak. As she looked around, Virginia realized that she must be in the Hobgob's storeroom.
"Hey… It's all the valuables they stole from us. So this is where they stashed everything…" Virginia proclaimed happily. She glanced around, and pulled open a chest. Inside was a key and… "Hm? What's this?" Virginia pulled out the torn sheet of paper. To her surprise, it was half of a photograph. It was a picture of…
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Virginia carefully aimed and pulled the trigger. The shoot missed bottle, and the recoil knocks her into her Dad's arms. Carefully, her steadied her, and led the way inside, where they sat down at the table.
"Virginia…" her Dad asked. "You like shooting ARMs?"
"Ummm…" she hesitated, "I like shooting with you Daddy! You think I can shoot two ARMs at once like you?"
"Two at once…" Dad said curiously. "That's going to take some practice."
"Okay, I'll practice real hard!" Virginia nodded and grinned. "So, teach me… Okay Daddy? Promise?"
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Virginia opened her eyes and mentally aged about ten years. She glanced back down at the photo. It showed a group of scientists gathered around the front of some kind of lab. The figure in the center was her father, smiling into the camera.
"A photo of Daddy…" Virginia said sadly, "I thought I destroyed all his pictures after Mom died, since they only bought back painful memories…" She carefully put the photo away into a pocket and wiped her eyes furiously. "This is no time to dwell on the past… I have to do what I can for the people who need me today! You're on your own in the wasteland…" She quickly headed back out into the hall. The key fitted the door on the other side of the room. Through it, she could see the main entrance hall to the house. As she headed towards the exit, she heard a sound from above and behind her. She turned…and barely managed to dodge as the Hobgob Boss lunged from the 2nd floor and tried to attacks her.
"You…" Virginia said startled, and reflexively grabbed her ARMs "You're the one who stole all our valuables… You're the one who bought so much grief to everyone!" The creature grinned, and attacked. Virginia dodged, and quickly spun around. Before the Hobgob Boss could respond, she fired two bullets into it's back. It collapsed, but climbed back up again after a second.
"He's still on his feet?" Virginia gasped. "What now? I can't back down now…" Come on, focus. Stop shaking. Your wings are strong… You gotta fly! "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Virginia raised her ARMs…and emptied ever bullet into the creature in front of her. It collapsed…and exploded into messy pieces.
"Huff…huff…huff…huff…" Virginia panted, and looked up as she heard footsteps. Several Hobgobs had surrounded her, and she was out of bullets. "They're still coming? So many… I don't think I can do this on my own… Uncle Tesla… Aunt Shalte… Everyone… Daddy…"
"Everyone! In here! Hurry!" Virginia looked back in surprise as the doors were thrown open. The other villagers, led by Armengard, ran into the room. The Hobgobs glance around, and then run off quickly. She climbed to her feet as Uncle Tesla walked over to her. Suddenly, her head snapped around as Uncle Tesla slapped her face.
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Virginia was lying on her bed, gazing at the ceiling when she heard a knock at the door. She quickly sat up.
"Come in…" she said. Both Aunt Shalte and Uncle Tesla walked into the room.
"Did you rest well?" Aunt Shalte asked. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better," Virginia reassured her, "thank you. I'm sorry to worry you. I must have caused you so much trouble…"
"Oh, don't worry about it," Aunt Shalte said, waving a hand dismissively. She paused for a second. "You know… Everyone's waiting downstairs. They all want to thank you for bringing back our things."
"Uncle Tesla, Aunt Shalte…" Virginia hesitated, knowing that if she said what was on her mind, there'd be no going back. "There's something I need to talk to you about. I… I want to become a Drifter" Aunt Shalte gasped, and leaned against the support Uncle Tesla gave her. "My father disappeared into the wasteland, but one thing he taught me was the ability to handle ARMs. If there's anyone out there--out there in the vast wasteland needing my help, I want to have wings so that I can fly right to them. I know it sounds arrogant, and it might be a mistake on my part… Even during this last incident, I wanted to help everyone, but in the end, I was the one who needed help. But even so… I can't turn away from this desire of wanting to help people. When something sad happens, its memory is engraved into the heart. Nobody wants to have sad memories… Even I know that. So… if my ARM is able to help even one person out of trouble…"
"Dear…" Aunt Shalte sniffed, and then stood up straight.
"You've given this a lot of thought, haven't you?" Uncle Tesla asked quietly. Virginia nodded in silence. "Hmm…Unlike land, the open sky has no roads for you to follow. There's no one there to guide you. You must find your own destination, and fly there with your own strength alone. That's what it means to be a Drifter in the wasteland. If you desire to help people, always make that your destination, and fly as far as your wings will take you. If you're ever too tired to fly against the wind, you'll always be welcome here. Besides, you are family and we are proud of you. I'm sure everyone feels the same way as well." Virginia could feel her shoulders start to shake as she tried to hold back her tears.
"Uncle Tesla, Aunt Shalte…" she said quietly. "Thank you… And… I'm sorry…" Aunt Shalte waked over and hugged her tightly.
"I've always believed that anyone who can say they're sorry from the bottom of their heart is both strong and brave," she said firmly. "I guess with such a strong heart, you deserve my blessing as well. But I think you should tell someone else, too. Go tell your mother in heaven about your decision." Virginia nodded again, and carefully climbed to her feet.
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Virginia walked up to her mother's grave, and frowned in surprise. On the grave lay a single, simple white flower. Virginia crouched down and picked it up.
"Mom used to love these flowers," she murmured. "I see them placed here sometimes, but who could be doing it…?" Virginia stood, and turned into the wind, still holding the flower.
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Legal Notes: Wild ARMs 3 and the associated charactersand storybelongs to Media Vision/Contrail. I have no intention of gaining any money from this document.