Perry spent the next two nights at the Oasis. He enjoyed the peace and the sounds of the leaves rustling in the wind. But mostly it was because he wasn't sure when he would be visiting again and decided to make the most of the time he had. Perry spent the majority of his visit talking with Harold, asking questions of his long life. He seemed to have trouble remembering most of it, as if his time as a tree had slowly deteriorated his mind. Or maybe he was simply going mad, who knows. There were a few things Harold could recall that interested Perry though. He could vaguely recall meeting a man on the West Coast who was quite famous over there. The people labelled him "The Vault Dweller". Perry could remember reading something about this figure on a computer at The Brotherhood's Citadel. Apparently this man stopped a mutant invasion of the West Coast, saved his vault but was permanently banished regardless.
Sounds familiar, he thought to himself, remembering how the exact same thing happened to him.
Perry didn't just listen though, Harold and the rest of the Treeminders were curious about life on The Capital Wasteland. So Perry would share some of his adventures and how life was slowly getting better. When he mentioned the Enclave he noticed Harold staring into space, almost as if he knew the name. If he did, he didn't share his knowledge. Tree Father Birch seemed thrilled when Perry told him how raider activity was on a sharp decline; no doubt because he knew raiders were the biggest threat to Harold's existence. As depressing as it is, there are people in this world who would destroy this paradise for the fun of it. Perry had seen enough horrors to know that.
Finally, after two nights Perry decided he had to go.
"You'll visit us again right?" asked Yew, the youngest inhabitant of the Oasis.
"Of course, I have some things I need to take care of though. But when I can, I'll be sure to come back. I already have an idea what Harold's next gift should be."
"And what might THAT be?" Harold asked as he swivelled his only eye onto Perry.
"How does a radio sound? Bit of music should keep you entertained right?"
"HA! A radio he says, you hear that Herbert? Maybe with some music you can finally learn how to dance like you always wanted… oh don't be like that they were going to find out someday, don't be so embarrassed." Perry and Yew turned and smiled at each other, both entertaining the thought of a dancing tree.
"Fine, fine, you don't have to dance Bob, just thought you might want to try it is all. Don't mind him, he's just shy." Harold said addressing Perry again.
"Well if he does want to dance I'll be sure to give him some tips."
"I'm sure he'd like that… So long, and don't take ages to come back this time! These coots are boring me to tears."
Perry chuckled.
"I'll try Harold." Waving his goodbye, Perry walked out of Harold's grove and into the central garden. He shook hands with all the Treeminders and gave Yew one last hug before saying goodbye and leaving paradise behind him, stepping into a world that might one day be called Paradise to, thanks to a very special tree.
Perry's next stop was Paradise Falls, even though he had wiped out the slavers there with Eulogy Jones among them, he periodically visited the stronghold to make sure no one else tried to start the place up again. It would make sense for someone else to move in, at least until Perry could figure out what to do with it. A part of him wanted to torch the place, wipe it off the map. The things he saw there still haunted his memories but his rational side couldn't let such resources go to waste. He'll examine what's left and then think more on it.
As the giant, cheerful mascot of Paradise Falls came into view, marking the place that was once meant to be avoided at all cost, he took Blackhawk from his hip and examined the facility in the scope.
Still looks deserted. No sign of any large scale scavenging or encampments. Better go in for a closer look.
Perry cautiously approached the compound, keeping his ears open for any sounds of activity. He was within fifty metres of the entrance before he heard voices. Extracting a stealthboy from his satchel, he activated the device. Being almost completely invisible, he snuck past the barricades and could see two raiders standing at the door to the main compound arguing over something.
"Listen, I don't believe in any of your superstitious bullshit. Jones had it coming one day and that fucking goody-two-shoes was bound to stumble on this place eventually and wipe these fuckers out. We just need to be subtler, ya hear? Then he won't bother us." This was the male raider who seemed to be wearing protective metal armour. From what Perry could gather about raider culture, the one wearing the most protective gear was the leader. The female raider spoke next.
"You really think you can move into this place and no one will notice, Mike? No matter how subtle you think you are, others will come by and when that happens you-know-who will be back. Do you have any idea what he does to people like us? He wiped out Evergreen Mills AND killed the fucking BEHEMOTH those guys had caged up. You really want to risk getting that fuckers attention?"
"I keep telling you when we get the rest of the boys from the caves here we'll be able to fight him off. What chance would he have against all of us holed up here?"
As the two continued to argue Perry made a note on his PipBoy about more raiders hiding in caves somewhere nearby. He'll need more information if he's going to find them though. No doubt this Mike would know if he's their leader. But he'll need him alive. He reached into his satchel and extracted a bottle of sedative he made for just such an occasion as this; he then used an empty stimpack to drain the sedative and slowly moved behind the armoured raider. One slow step at a time. He would only have one chance if he was going to get this guy alive.
"Peta, you've been a swell girl so far, helping me run the gang and all, but your arguing is really starting to piss me off. If you don't want to be replaced I'd suggest shutting your fucking mouth like a good little girl."
"Fine. But don't come crying to me when you-know-who…" Peta noticed a faint shimmering figure right behind Mike. "What's that thing?"
"What thi-urck!" Mike stopped midsentence, his eyes wide open. He was motionless for a single moment before slowly closing his eyes and falling to the ground. As he landed, the shimmering figure glowed softly before transforming into the one thing Peta had hoped to never see in her life. The figure stood over Mike like a towering metal statue; cold, powerful and utterly terrifying. Frantically she took out her 10mm pistol and shot the figure in the chest five times. The bullets pathetically bounced off the metal and didn't even faze him. He turned to face her almost as if he only just noticed her presence. It was impossible to tell with that helmet on. He didn't even look human.
The figure took two steps towards her and slapped the gun from her shaking hands. The blow broke two of her fingers.
"ARGH! FUCK!" She collapsed onto her knees clutching her fingers. As the pain pulsed through her hand she looked up at the figure standing over her. He didn't move; only stared at her, almost like he was waiting for something.
"Please… please don't kill me. I… I'll do whatever you want. Do you want my caps? Or…or my weapons maybe?" The figure didn't move. There must be someway she can get out of this.
"Wait… wait I know, do you want me to suck you off? That's what you want isn't it?" He still didn't move. "Alright, I'll fuck you if that'll be enough to let me live. Any way you want for as long as you want… please, just let me go."
As the pathetic girl sat trying to bargain for her life Perry couldn't help but feel like maybe he should actually consider her offer. He's no stranger to sex, in their teenage years, Amata and Perry experimented with each other but it has been a long time since his needs have been met. He was still human, he still had desires that he wanted satisfied. Why can't he have his basic drives expressed, he deserved it didn't he? But as the girl started crying at his feet, fumbling with the waist of his power armour trying to figure out how to take it off… he felt disgust. He shoved the girl away without a word. As she landed in the dirt, she turned and looked up at him with desperate confusion on her face.
It wasn't her he was disgusted with; it was himself for considering it. What would his father say if he knew he entertained such thoughts? This was a desperate girl terrified for her life when he had no intention of harming her anyway, and he was thinking of using her to satisfy his primal drives.
He felt sick.
Perry brought his hands up to his helmet and detached the tubing, taking the helmet off he stared at the girl with sympathetic eyes. She stared back, not sure what was going to happen.
"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He said as kindly as he could, hoping the girl would believe him.
"You just broke two of my fingers, bit fucking late to say that don't you think?" She wasn't expecting this. She had heard stories of this guy being the most ruthless raider killer the Capital Wasteland had ever seen… and he said he wasn't going to hurt her?
Perry knelt down beside the raider; she shrunk back not sure what he was going to do. He slowly held out a hand, motioning for her to give him hers. She didn't move. Sighing, Perry retracted his hand.
"Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, but if I was going to kill you don't you think I would have done it already?" He had a point, and he also didn't seem to want anything from her. After all, he just turned down sex and that's pretty much what every man in this hell hole of a world wants. She cautiously offered her injured hand to Perry; he accepted and seemed to be examining her fingers.
"You'll be fine, bit of time and a single stimpack and your hand should be good as new. And look! Just so happens I have some stimpacks and bandages in my bag, as well as some morphine if you need it. Hmmm? Do you need it?"
Desperation overcame Peta, the pain was excruciating and the familiar sensation of Med-X would be a welcome reprieve.
"If you don't want anything I have and you don't want me to fuck you then why the fuck are you teasing painkillers in front of me?"
"Tell you what, I'll fix you up first and then we'll talk." Perry then extracted some Morphine from his satchel and injected it into the raider's wrist. The light feeling she knew so well returned in full force, this guy had some good suppliers! As all feeling left her arm she laid back onto the ground in ecstasy. Perry then worked to realign the bones in the girl's fingers, injected a stimpack to heal them and finally wrapped them in bandages to keep them in place. Once he was done, he lightly tapped the girl's cheeks.
She opened her eyes and noticed the bandages on her hand, realising he was done she slowly lifted herself up. Her head was still a bit light and fuzzy but she was so used to the feeling she could even fight like this.
"How does it feel?"
"You've got some good shit, where do you get this stuff?" Perry chuckled.
"I meant your hand, but if you must know I made it myself." Peta dizzily patted Perry on the shoulder not realizing that mere moments ago she was terrified he was going to kill her.
"Well good on you mate; I haven't had a high like this in years."
"Right… anyway give your hand a couple of days and it'll be fine." Her hand… oh shit her hand! He wanted something for this!
"OH right right, well you didn't just do this out of the kindness of your heart. What is this thing you want?" Perry leaned in closer, a dark sudden seriousness in his face.
"Where are the rest of you hiding?" The question hung in the air like a menacing cloud, overshadowing the sympathetic tone he had when he first took off his helmet. Peta was quiet for a minute as the question sunk in.
"…Why do you want to know?" Perry didn't move or make any sign of answering her question. He only stared with those eyes that seemed to suddenly darken with a seriousness that made Peta nervous, even in her drugged state. "You're going to kill them aren't you?"
"You know who I am?"
"Yes."
"Then that should answer your question."
Peta would be the first to admit she didn't make many friends among the raiders but she at least felt safe being on their side rather than their targets. Now she was being asked to betray them all for her own life. She was trying to decide but the drug was making it hard to think. Basterd.
"What about Mike and me? What will you do to us?"
"If you tell me, I'll let you go. I wouldn't suggest going home though. If you don't tell me, well…" Perry reached into his satchel and pulled out the ripper he kept to cut up mole-rats he hunted in the wastes. The cutting mechanism whirled in a loud, horrifying grind. Peta's eyes widened in terror and sweat grew on her forehead. In truth, Perry had no intention of hurting her or this Mike guy… but she didn't have to know that.
"Okay, okay I'll tell you just… put that fucking thing away." Smiling inside, Perry stashed the ripper in his satchel. Peta gave him some general directions but also handed him a map that was in Mike's pockets.
"Is he going to be okay?"
"He'll wake up in a couple of hours, but how do you think he'll react when he finds out his gang has suddenly been wiped off the face of the Earth because of what you told me?" Even in her dizzy state, Peta knew all to well what he'd do.
"Oh crap… what am I going to do… what have I done?" Peta began pacing around, stumbling every now and again. Perry grasped her shoulders holding her in place.
"Just calm down, here's what you'll do. You'll go into the compound and find some travellers clothes from one of the dead slaves inside. Then, you'll travel south to Megaton. Show Lucas Simms this trinket," Perry then placed a bear shaped necklace in her hand, "Say I'm letting you stay in my home, he'll let you in. Stay put until I show up. Understand?" Peta nodded nervously and as soon as Perry let go she rushed into the compound and out of sight, leaving Perry alone with the unconscious Mike. He knelt down and pillaged Mike's pockets looking for any keys or notes. Finding nothing, he set off to the cave mentally preparing himself for the inevitable slaughter he was about to commit.
Also nagging at his mind was this raider, would she even make it to Megaton? Will she still be there when he returns home? What will he do with her afterwards? The worries made Perry exhausted; he pushed the thoughts out of his mind only focusing on how he was going to handle the raider base.
Another evil that will be removed from the world to be replaced by death and emptiness. Another pathetic attempt to make the world a better place not by adding anything to it but by destroying something in it. That's all he was; a destroyer. He didn't care what the citizens of the wasteland called him. Messiah, Paladin, last, best hope for humanity. He knew what he was; an exterminator. He was no saviour, no divine being come to guide humanity. He was a man, pure and simple. A man who almost succumbed to the evils of the Wastes for his own selfish desires. He shouldn't have these temptations, but all humans do…. Don't they?
You made the right choice Perry.
The words of his father echoed in his mind. Perry needed the memories of him now more than ever. It's easy to find your place in the world when you have a goal but afterwards? That's the true test; one Perry will not… cannot fail.
A/N: Apologies everyone for the amount of time this took. Things have been hectic here, I've had to move houses coupled with university exams so I haven't had much time. Hopefully this will be worth the wait.
Reviews and criticisms appreciated.