Chapter 2. Into the Wasteland
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fallout universe
AN: Well, this Chapter 2. Took long enough. Feel free to leave a review. Some feedback is better than no feedback
Pain. That was the first thing Conrad felt when he woke up. It felt worse than anything he had before, worse than that time with the nightkin. Conrad rubbed his eye's, seeing the familiar scenery of the Canyon. What happened? His memory returned to him with a rush. The deathclaw, the truce, and him finally getting hit. Dread filled the ranger. Was the deathclaw still alive? Where were the other two? Getting up, the ranger felt his chest ache in disagreement, but Conrad ignored it anyway. He looked down. His armor and coat were gone, replaced with several bandages, covering his chest. His guns were gone, and that worried him most.
"Looking for something?"
Conrad turned around, with much pain on his part, to see Chaser spinning Conrad's revolver.
"I'd like my guns and armor back, NOW" The ranger spat out.
"Wow, and that's the thanks I get for saving your sorry ass. Man you NCR guys are pricks, no wonder you got Caesar's Legion after your heads." commented the outlaw.
" Wait, what?" Conrad said. Saved his ass? Did they take care of the deathclaw, but more importantly, they healed him? Sure enough, Conrad felt the familiar shudder of a stimpak working its wonders on his ribs.
Getting up completely, his chest being less of a pain, Conrad found his armor in a metal box. The chest plate was in bad condition, taking the bulk of the attack. Fortunately he had the means to fix it with some of the spare ones he had at his on the riot armor and coat, Conrad snachted his revolver out of the outlaw's hands.
"I'll be taking the rest of my guns and heading out now."
"I see. You want to go back to us mindlessly fighting one another, back to violence." Said Mutz as he walked in. "Can't blame you. War never changes"
Conrad stood still. Had that been an honest truce? After that deathclaw, Conrad knew he could not go on fighting the two without a deep regret in his heart, but the other two had the same?
"Are you meaning a truce?" Conrad questioned.
Both the outlaw and the Paladin gave a nod. Fighting the past few months had worn them one more than any of them cared to let on.
"So, what now?" Conrad said. "This canyon holds no point of interest other than the fact it had an outlaw, a ranger, and a paladin fighting in it. And now it's stopped"
"Wait...You're telling me the only reason you're here was because I was here! I was only here because I thought you guys were guarding something of actual value!" Chaser let out a groan, slamming his head against the makeshift wall.
"Well, I see an option." Commented Mutz. "I did recently hear a report on ruins of a Pre war town that was a base of area for the space program. Unfortunately, the compound is full of trigger happy raiders who don't even know what they've have in their possession."
"Alright, so we head out to this town, deal with the raiders then what?" said Chaser
"We cross that bridge when we reach it. Right now, that sounds like the only good idea, and anything beats staying in this hellish canyon" spoke Conrad. He put on his hat, and headed towards the door. "I know we all see the world differently. No two people have the exact same views on the world. But if we wanna live long in this hell, we need to put aside our differences. We all have our own motives. I'm not forcing my on you, just saying that we need to join if we want to live."
Chaser stood for a moment, then finally nodded. "I want to live life like I want to, a drink in one hand, and a tit in the other. I don't give a damn about anyone else. But if being with you two is the only thing that can get out of this canyon and towards the nearest civilization, then I'm in."
"Alright. Gather anything you wish to bring, and we leave this damn canyon by sundown."
-STAND BY FOR FALLOUT-
Hours later, the group met in the path to exit the canyon, each with backpacks containing food, water, ammo, and a sleeping roll. Climbing up the switchbacks, the group marched forward, till finally reaching the top.
The wasteland was how each remembered. A place that was the bones of an old world, long since dead. Cars lay in ruin, roads in centuries of disrepair, and a city ruins in the distance. Mutz checked his map from his power armor.
"The city ruins are the remains of the city of Houston. We're gonna have to pass through the city if we want to get to the the faculty I spoke of earlier." said Mutz
"I've also jobs here. The city doesn't have many radiation hotspots, but the ones that are have a lot of rads." added Chaser. "On a side note, if anyone says I owe them money, say I never promised them that anyway"
"So, we have to travel through the ruins of one of the largest cities, avoid people Chaser might have pissed off, deal with the usual dangers of raiders and beasts, and then fight a large horde of raiders for stuff we don't even know what it is" Listed Conrad as he looked towards the city. "Come on, we got a lot of ground to cover before dark."
With that, the group departed into the Lone Star wasteland, and little did they know, soon to change the whole nation forever