Chapter 9: Burning Bridges
Cat stood up and made her way to the kitchen in the back. She grabbed a knife from the holder, twirling it in her hands. "I'm going to cook us my mother's best dish! Prepare your tastebuds, John!"
"You two are very kind to let me stay. But, I will tell you. I am leaving in the morning. No questions. I won't say no to a meal for today, though. What will it be made of? I am a little picky, I admit."
Mike spoke up while Cat prepared the ingredients. "It's just a ground Mole Rat, spiced up and spiked with Punga Fruit. It will soar your tastebuds! You're going to come back for more."
He told him. "We'll see about that! Since we are waiting for food. I am probably going to regret this…" John paused and asked. "Did either of you have questions for me?"
They both lit up. It was an expected reaction. Just not to this extent. Cat stopped preparing the pot and Mike sat himself up. "Maybe change your shirt first, mike? I'm surprised no one asked you about it when we came into town." John joked.
"Err… you are right. I had completely forgotten about it, honestly. It isn't the strangest thing that ever walked through that gate before. No one questions things like this." he looked over at John and his own bloodied robe. "You aren't exactly spotless yourself." He went up the steps, taking off the shirt in the process.
He sighed and looked over at himself. Mike was right. He was a mix of a few raiders and his own blood. "He is right. I am filthy. I will clean this before I leave tomorrow."
Cat only smelled the large spoon, commenting, "The dish is coming along good. But, yes. You can use our sink down here or a pot of water, whatever you want!"
Mike came back down in a much darker shirt. "Yes, clean up too, John. As long as you don't get it everywhere, it should be fine." he sat back down and leaned forward on the table. "Now, how about a few questions?"
Cat shouted over the boiling pot. "Make it quick, the food is almost done!"
He stuttered his speech, while John awaited what he could come up with. "Uh, uh. What are you exactly, John? Are you an overgrown Ghoul, a Super Mutant? Some kind of Brotherhood Soldier?"
He only chucked at those wild assumptions. "I had to disappoint all those theories. But, no. They are all wrong. Plus, there were more questions than I was expecting! Don't overwhelm me."
Cat finished storing the pot and gathered 3 different-sized bowls. "Well, there goes my Super Mutant theory. Get ready, boys! Food is done!"
She balanced all 3 bowls on top of each other simultaneously. Expertly placing them on the table and taking her own spot next to Mike, she asked. "So, John, where do you come from, anyway?"
He was busy gorging himself on the stew. "Hmm, oh, sorry. I haven't eaten in a couple of days. I suppose it won't hurt to tell." he continued, not before taking another slurp of the bowl. "I come from Nevada. I traveled a very long, and lonely time to reach here. I just came across you two."
Mike slowed down his chewing and asked, "Nevada? Isn't there clean water there too?"
John just ignored the question and asked, "There is clean water here?"
"Well, yeah. That's what The Lone Wanderer did. The story really didn't travel that far?" Cat asked, finishing up her portion.
"No, I know nothing about the Capital Wasteland. Other than name." John inhaled the last of the bowel and set it down with a sigh. "Well, you two. I think it's time I sleep. You said earlier; that there is another room for me?"
"Yeah," Mike said, "It's just upstairs, and to the left. It was our daughter's old room. She's been away for a while now."
John nodded, standing up from a sitting position. "Thank you, both of you. I am going to sleep and then be gone when I awake. I will say goodbye now, if I don't catch you in the morning. I appreciate the hospitality. It was… welcoming."
"Goodnight, John." they both said.
He found the room easily. It didn't take any amount of effort or searching. No sense in delaying it any longer. John hadn't had a proper bed in at least a month. The thing. Was a tad small, nothing he would complain about. It took some relaxation, staring into the darkness and calming thoughts. He finally fell asleep.
The night passed without incident. Mike and Cat went to bed shortly after John had fallen asleep. They didn't pry or spy on him at all. They respected that, despite Mike's wishes.
John seemed to awake first. Jolting himself up, sitting on the edge of the bed. He had almost forgotten where he was at. He got himself together and stood off the bed in a cracking stretch. With a sigh of contempt, it was time. For him to head out again. He made sure it concealed him well and opened the door gently. He didn't clean his robe, but that's okay. He can do that when he leaves.
"Good morning, John! Hope you slept well!" Cat said, scrubbing their clothes from yesterday in the sink.
John got slightly jumped as the woman greeted him. "Good morning, Cat. You startled me. I wasn't expecting anyone at all. I am going to le-"
"Yes, I know I wanted to tell you goodbye and encourage you to come visit us again sometime, if you are ever in the area!"
John stopped at the door, turning back to her. "Goodbye, Cat. I won't promise anything. But, I would like to do that. Tell Mike goodbye for me, will you?"
She nodded and smiled and waved at him. She seemed just a little sad at this.
John, however, appreciated their care. But he needed to leave.
It was very early in the morning. No one would be out. It was really perfect for him to get out without being stopped by anyone. He hugged the massive metal wall and made his way back to the entrance, not cutting between any of the buildings. It didn't take long at all to reach the gate.
He dashed through the moment it opened. Not even paying Deputy Weld any mind. He didn't belong in a place like that. But here, the Wasteland? This was his domain. His first course of action was to just make distance. He went in the opposite direction that the school was in. It leads to a massively broken, crumbling overpass. The tall concrete bridge that cars used to drive on. It looked like it was accessible from the furthest side. It would make for an excellent vantage point.
He claimed the overpass. Noticing what he saw from the bottom wasn't an old stack of cars. No. It was a few shacks! Sandbags and bullet casings were strewn around the place. Something happened here. He investigated each ramshackle home. They were all empty, aside from a broken can and some bottles. Whatever was or wasn't here is now gone. He stuck around the final, and third one for a minute. There was a tripped wire that was broken, not by him. He would never fall for such a thing!
He backed up and was met by the barrel of a shotgun. "Keep calm, do nothing stupid, you don't get shot, understand?" the stranger pushed his gun into John's back even harder. "Nod!" they demanded
He did as he was told, and nodded. Putting his arms up. "It's not polite to put a gun to someone's back like that, you know. You might pick the wrong target…"
The shotgun-wielding addict couldn't even reply. John tripped him from behind?! Who promptly stomped down on his chest and snatched the gun. John demanded, "How many!"
The stranger only squirmed and pleaded. "There are two, two more! Don't kill me, I'm sorry. You just came up here. We got scared…"
John stared the addict in the eyes. He was lying! "Bullshit! You set a trap, thought I was bait. Fuck you!" he looked over, heading a footstep against the concrete. There was another addict in rags, charging him with a knife. He didn't get far before John used the shotgun, right on the chest of the addict, and blasted him one-handed. "Fuck your friend, too!" he scoffed.
John crushed the addict further. He couldn't even get enough air in his lungs to react to seeing his friend get blasted. He let the pressure off his chest and kicked him over. "You sorry excuse for Wasteland life? Maybe I could have helped you? But, no. You wanted to make me prey." he backed up, leaving the ragged man a coughing, angry mess. "I'm taking the shotgun with me," he announced, leaving down the rampway.
He didn't even make it to the bottom before the other lunged at him, screaming something about his friend's name. John just held out a leg and tipped the third addict, continuing his stroll, not paying the potential killer any mind.
John made distance, quickly running his way far enough to where they wouldn't be able to follow him. He put the shotgun into his satchel under his garb. The thing was a well-maintained, Pre-war shotgun. It had a 12-shell drum mag.
He debated for a moment. Sitting back on the rocks where he first spotted Mike and Cat. Should he tell him about the incident? They are close enough to Megaton to cause problems. It wouldn't hurt to inform them.
Did he just want to go back and see them? Maybe the morning was still young. He could probably get back into Megaton without issue.
Standing on this rock, he noticed. The settlement's walls were very visible. That storm really messed with visibility!
He made his way along that same dirt path. As he drew closer to Megaton, he noticed something was wrong! There were shouts and gunshots! What happened while he was gone?
John cautiously approached the outer wall. Whoever was attacking the town had closed the gate. He would be a fool to go through the front gate!
He decided he was going to go over the wall itself! He approached the wall and hoisted himself over one of the many jagged parts of metal. He was mindful to not cut himself on these.
He scratched his way down to the other side, landing within the walls. John then saw raiders! They were attacking Megaton. The sheer number alone overwhelmed the town. What was he going to do about this?
The townsfolk were getting all roundup in the center. On their knees and surrounded. This wasn't good! They were going to get killed. He had to do something!
Then he heard it, that laugh. It was Jeff. He got out of the cage! John grumbled in rage. He should have killed him!
He overheard him making demands as he drew closer. "I'll ask one more time. Where did John go? Someone has to know? You all realize that he tricked you all, right? He isn't what he appears to be!"
I heard a few people deny knowing him, others said different things to sell John out. No one satisfied Jeff.
"Hey, Jeff, you want me, here I am!" John jumped out from the side of the building he was creeping by. "I'm surprised you got out of that cage!" he complimented him, breaking the ice.
Jeff was adorned with the same clothing and armor as before. Just without the stupid signpost helmet. John gave occasional glances around. The entire lower section of Megaton was surrounded by raiders, all aimed at him.
Jeff gave a wicked grin to all his hostages, then an even wider one to John. "Well, well. Look at you! Bet you regret leaving me in the cage, don't you? John, if that even is your real name! I figured out what you are. The way you moved killed my people!" he laughed maniacally, acting like he was going to swing at one of the many residents that he had bound. "You show us all. What. You. Are. Or people die. Tick. Tock."
What choice did he have? "Goddamnit," he murmured. "Okay, Jeff, fine. But you? If you want the truth? Lower the bat. And the damn guns off me. Not like I can do anything from where I am currently standing!"
He considered, but agreed. "Okay, I will agree." He jammed the head of his bat into the dirt. "Stand down, bitches! Now, please. Enlighten us!"
Much to John's surprise, they did lower their weapons, all of them. Now he can make a distraction! With a slow, careful movement, it unstrapped his robe from the inside. Letting his once-tight garb hang loosely and open. He revealed his body to all onlookers. Albino scales. He removed his hood, showing a horned head and features very unlike that of a human.
John is an albino, intelligent Deathclaw, hidden underneath that robe!
End Chapter 9: