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Past, Present, Future

Damn, who the hell are these kids? Does he really think he and the brat can take all of us on? The boss raider thought to himself. He looked to his crew who still had their guns pointed at the two strangers in front of them. Some of them were starting to sweat.

Shit, they're getting nervous, because of a stupid teen and a little kid? Time to show them who they're messin with.

"Hahaha!" The boss raider laughed and pointed a meaty finger back at Kamina and Simon.

"You've got guts kid, I like that. But face the facts,I've got a company of seven raiders with me with guns that have no real problem with tearing a new asshole in the middle of your head. And…" He smirked, and pointed at his three escortees.

"We've got some merchandise with us. Now, it's not like we want them to die or anything, that means we don't get our payload, but we can live with it. We'll just raid some old fuck's home later, hell maybe he might have some kids and women with him and we'll have our merchandise restocked. But…if a gunfight breaks out, one of your bullets might just hit one of them.

He gestured to the two women and the kid.

"And I have a feeling that's something you don't want to happen."

The boss raider grinned, and feeling especially confident said as an afterthought.

"Tell you what kid, I'll give you a minute to decide what you want to do, make the wrong decision though and it's gonna be over for you."

These stupid brats were trapped now. Whatever they decided to do now, it was sure to end up in the raiders' favor.

"Bro…what do we do? He's right you know." Simon whispered.

The truth was, that big over the top speech was mostly an act, at least for Simon. He looked brave, but in the inside he was scared out of his mind. Simon could feel his body shutting down due to fear. His heart was beating wildly like a machine gun, his palms were wet from the sweat, and he could feel his legs shaking.

"Bro…I…I know that you said you need me to be strong but, I don't know." It was too much for Simon. The menacing glares of the raiders, the guns that they were pointing straight at him and his bro. Simon was on the verge of panicking when he felt Kamina place a hand on his shoulder. And just like that, the fear went away and in came the warmth from Kamina. With Kamina standing next to him, Simon felt like he could face anything and come out on top.

"Of course I've got a plan." Kamina whispered to Simon, his eyes never leaving the raiders. "You remember that canister I bought from the caravan a few days ago right? Well, now's the perfect time to use..."

"T-2, what the hells going on down there!" T-4 muttered into her radio.

"Hell if I know T-4." T-2 responded. He was stationed on an overlooking edge with a mounted machine gun aimed right at the Nav Point.

"Whatever it is those kids think they're doin, I hope they do it quick. My mini-gun is begging for some love right now." He chuckled.

Around 50 seconds later

"Taking your sweet time are we?" The boss raider yawned. "You've got…five seconds." He looked to his fellow raiders. "Cock your weapons boys, looks like we'll see some blood tonight." The raiders grinned and chuckled evily, finally, the boss was giving them the go ahead to do what they did best, shoot to kill.

"Five".

Kamina said, "Simon…you ready to do this? I'm counting on you."

"Four"

Simon looked at Kamina. He was standing straight, unafraid, and defiant even in the face of death.

"Three."

The raiders raised their weapons, eager to do away with the annoying strangers.

"Two"

"The shits about to hit the fan folks." T-1 said over the radio. T-4's heart raced. What were they thinking? Could just the two of them really take them all on? She cocked her sniper rifle, this was it.

"One."

"Well Simon?" Simon could feel Kamina's grip on his shoulder tense up. No one could tell but Simon knew. He knew that at that moment, Kamina needed him as much as he needed Kamina…

"Zero."

"Let's do this bro."

Kamina grinned; those were the words he needed to hear.

The boss raider finished counting. "Well, I must say I'm disappointed in you. At least you didn't beg for your lives. Any last words before this river becomes your grave?"

Kamina remained silent. After a tense silence, he raised his hands to his face, and started to slowly remove his glasses.

The boss raider growled.

"It's too late for that kid. I gave you a chance to leave this with your miserable lives and you missed it. We're going to take your head AND your valuables! But since you're already being so courteous, why don't you hand it to one of my boys here." The boss raider gestured to his men.

Kamina slowly moved his thumb up the edge of his shades until he found a tiny bump. He pushed it, and a small blade popped out.

"Here." Kamina displayed a wolfish grin. "TAKE IT!" He turned around, and before anyone could react, whipped his [throwing glasses?] at the boss raider's foot. The glasses turned throwing knife effectively impaled the boss raider's foot to the ground.

"GAHHHHHH!" The boss raider screamed, and for a split second, all of the other raiders' attention was on their boss. That was all Kamina needed, without hesistation he charged, expertly unsheathed his two handed nodachi and stabbed clean through the boss raider's right arm.

"BOSS!" The other raiders cried and raised their weapons to shoot at Kamina.

"IDIOTS!" The boss raider gasped. "If you shoot at him you'll hit me too-ARGH!"

Kamina ripped out his nodachi and with lightning speed brought down his sword blade-first into the boss raider's knee. Losing his ability to stand, the boss raider fell forward into Kamina's shoulder. Heavy blood loss was making him disoriented.

Damn it…how…how…how did it come to all this? W-…why…why am I bleeding? Why do I feel...like I'm dying…?

The whole world turned dark, and during the last few minutes of his life, it was just him, and the mysterious stranger.

"You weren't listening to me and my bro earlier were you?" Kamina murmured

"Wha-…" was all that the boss raider could say.

"You know, you were right. If there was a chance that we could end up killing those two women and the little boy, I probably would've surrendered to you raiders." Kamina spat out the last word with disgust. "You would think using swords in a world of guns would be suicide wouldn't you? But it's protected me and my bro before, and now, it's gonna let me take care of your raiders without risking the lives of those three. Pretty convenient huh?"

Son of a…bitch…he's mocking me while…while I die…

"You bastard…think…you're…really tough huh? I've…met…people just like you…-cough-trying…to change the whole…god –cough- goddamned world with…their stupid sense of justice and morality. Ha…I've got news for you Dorothy…this aint Kansas anymore. This…is the Capital Wasteland…survival…survival of the fittest. If…if you ain't cut out for this…you should've just did…what billions of other people did…just go die in a hole somewhere when the bombs fell…Raiders…we're strong, we adapt…-cough-, we adapt to the present, and..that's why we're feared…and that's how you survive...you want a world...a world where you can just…relax and sip your tea or whatever god damned drink strikes your fancy…-cough- -cough-…you're about a couple hundred years off kid…past ain't gonna help ya now…"

Kamina remained silent while he listened to the man's dying words.

The boss raider chuckled. "What? You're too good to talk to me now?"

"No…you're right ya' know? People who cling to the past will not last in this world. And…those who are fit to adapt survive. That's the hard truth. But, that doesn't mean it's right. Humans as a race have always strived to progress. Progressing through technology, ideas, culture, civilization, and progressing from epidemics, natural disasters, famines…war. And progressing is a one way street, and that's forward. It's human nature to always strive forward. The past is the past, it's something that's already happened. Lives and decisions lived and decided by others and the world that they lived in. I've got my own past you know? It's something that I will not forget, but I refuse to cling blindly to it. Instead I let its memory drive me forward. Humanity could have chosen to die in a ditch, but we've survived haven't we? But when I look at this world, I see people who look to the past, and people who are locked in the present. I see people like you who chain, shackle, and bind them to a state of present, unable to move forward, and eventually all they can do is reminisce and look despairingly at the past. Humanity is losing its fighting spirit, and I'll be damned if I sit back and watch it happen. I said that my sword will carve a path to a tomorrow, and it will always be a tomorrow, never a yesterday, never a today, but always to the future…

The boss raider listened patiently to Kamina's speech, then chuckled.

"Such hopeful words for someone so young, well, you can try to do whatever you want to do. But you'll have to get through the raiders first kid. If you can't even kill some raiders, you have no chance of changing this messed up hell hole of a world."

"You would willingly ask me to kill your own men?" Kamina surprisingly asked.

"Pfft. They're not my men." The boss raider spit. "They act all servant like when we're on a mission, but my occupation as the boss raider is constantly being…challenged. Besides, they've done all sorts of messed up things to men, women, and children that would make your little bro empty his stomach more than once. Have at 'em."

"So you have no ties with them?" asked Kamina.

The boss raider grinned. "Haven't you been listening to what I've said kid? We're raiders, no ties to the past, only the present." -cough- This time a bunch of blood streamed out. "Damn…I…think…this is it…I'm glad too…I was getting…tired…of…of…talking…."

The boss raider fell limp.

"He's dead! He killed the boss! KILL HIM!" The raiders yelled.

"NOW SIMON!" Kamina roared.

Next Update Coming This Week! (8/20/10)

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