Authors Notes: Hello to all my patient readers and fans out there(if any). I would like to thank you all for your patients and hope you enjoy the latest instalment of Settlement Of Ants.
Now before we get into the story I would like to explain some things.
1. Why this is so damned late?
I have had a pretty hectic couple of weeks and sadly this has left me rather busy. I have had other projects I am committed to, as well as some issues I am committed. Some personal, Some professional, but all in all I have been pretty busy. So I wont get into a huge amount of detail, because:
- We all know the world,(if I may qoute a line from below) "Aint all BlowJabs and Puppi Dawgs"
- I dont think many read Authors Notes.
2. The spelling errors.
Okay I get a lot of grief for this in the form of PM's and would like to address it. Even when writing Homeward bound I got this. I am well aware that some words are mispelled in characters speech, and this is done intentionally to make the characters feel more real. If a character is saying "Blow it out your ass" I would write it as I think the character would say it. That would vary in form when considering accents and character's themselves. For instance:
Moriarty has a thick Irish accent so that comment would turn into "Blew it out yur arse". (or something like that)
The spelling mistakes in speech pattern are to reflect the characters intellect as well, but overall its to make that characters actually sound like their saying the dialogue. If you cant understanding it by reading it, try saying it out loud. (I would advise privacy for that)
So I AM sorry for the delay in this chapter, and hope you all enjoy it. Remember to R&R.
The gates swung open, as the ancient raider rushed into the dark tunnels of the old world metro station. His stomach twisted, and his body felt like cement as he moved through the metro. Jericho hated this, being in dark cold tunnels. The reason behind this, was that he was the victim of a cave in years ago. A few of his raider friends found some kickass armoury in a metro, and he tagged along to play fuck with any survivors down there. They get some weapons, but as soon as they get to the tunnel entrance, all shit hits the fan. Some fuckhead pulls the pin on a grenade, and not only blows himself up, but half of the fucking structure on one side of the tunnel. Jericho waited days before some stupid ass wastelander with a heart of gold came, and helped him out of the rubble. Turns out, the guy was a slaver, and wanted to sell Jericho off to the freaks up in Paradise falls. The idiot should have slept with one eye open and took better care of his collars, because the one he snapped around Jericho's neck was a dud. To teach the asshole a lesson, Jericho slit the moron's throat in his sleep and took his supplies. After that experience, being days caught under debris and having to fight off ghouls using a gun as both a firearm and blunt object, Jericho could never step foot into caves or metro station without having some Dutch courage on hand. Jericho stepped slowly through the tunnel, as his breathing quickened. He heard scuttling echo through the hallways, and his head kept coming back to the worst case scenario of being caught in another cave in. Jericho stopped in his tracks, and lowered his gun as he looked around for any sign of the kid.
"Where the fuck did that kid go?" Jericho asked himself, scratching his head.
Jericho continued down the tunnel, and into the station itself. This area was more Jericho's style, large and spacious. This calmed Jericho down a bit, but he still felt a little trapped in the area. There was no sign of any ants yet, but there was the echoed sound of scuttling to remind him that they were here. There was nothing more un-nerving then hearing your enemy, and not seeing them. Jericho cursed himself, as his foot sank into a cold puddle of something. He felt like he was walking on his own grave site, and that thought didn't help his nerves in the slightest.
"Jericho!"
Jericho jumped in fear, swung around and knocked the kid on his ass. James held his broken nose, and groaned at the startled Jericho.
"Damn it, my nose!" James said as he held his nose in place, he then looked up at the startled Jericho.
James began laughing, having realised that he had just scared the shit out of Jericho. Jericho didn't appreciate the humour of the situation. Jericho gritted his teeth as he felt like shooting the shit for laughing at him.
"Big tough guy scared of the dark?" James mocked Jericho, seeing the embarrassment in Jericho's face.
"I SHOULD FUCKING KILL YOU!" Jericho barked, as James got up slowly from the ground.
"Grow a fucking sense of Humour, Jericho. I got a broken nose, and I'm not complaining." James said, as he cracked his nose into place.
"Shit man that hurts." James said, looking at Jericho.
Bryan Wilkes was laughing at the two mismatched wastelanders, causing Jericho and James to blush in embarrassment. The kid's laughter seemed to calm down the situation a little, but Jericho was still unimpressed by the Lone wanderer's amusement.
"You tell the kid about his old man yet?" Jericho asked, forgetting James's threat and wanting to change the subject.
"What?" Bryan asked, now distracted from the duo's argument.
"Nothing Bryan…" James grunted, as he glared at Jericho.
"No fuck this! Kid, the kid should fucken know about his dad!" Jericho barked, feeling the walls closing in on him.
"Know what?" Bryan asked, sorrow encasing his voice.
"NOTHING!" James barked, ready to bite out the raider's throat.
"Your dads dead, kid!" Jericho announced, as a fist rammed against his face.
James stood over the raider his fist clinched, as Bryan began to tear up. James asked Jericho to do one fucking thing and he couldn't even do that right. Bryan began to cry, which pulled James away from that of his new punching bag. Bryan backed away, as he saw James approach him.
"Bryan…I'm not gonna hurt you." James calmly stated, approaching Bryan slowly as a hunter would a startled animal.
"You lied to me!" Bryan barked, as tears flowed from his eyes.
"Yes I did…but it's not…" James started, before Bryan interrupted him.
"Shut the fuck up!" Bryan shouted, shocking James in the process.
Jericho got up from the ground, rage consumed his mind. Not only did the kid knock him on his ass, but the walls were closing in on him. His breathing increased exponentially, as he spotted the lone wanderer trying to reason with Bryan. The kid ran into a ticket booth and locked the door, so James couldn't get in. Jericho got up, and began making his way over to them.
"You shit head!" James barked, as he looked at the approaching Jericho.
"I told you to do one thing!" James exclaimed, as a knife rammed into his leg.
Grunting in pain, James pushed Jericho away, and pulled the knife from his leg. Dropping it to his side, James glared at Jericho.
"That was for the sucker punch…you little prick." Jericho barked, as he returned the lone wanderer's glare.
"You just ruined a little boy's life!" James barked, holding his wounded leg.
"No you did that! The kid should know that it aint all blowjabs and puppi dawgs out here." Jericho crudely explained, his blood boiling.
"Now what are we gonna do!" James asked, peeling his teeth at the Raider.
"I'M…. fucken leavin!" Jericho barked, as he made his way away from the Lone Wanderer.
"Fine! Who the HELL needs you?!" James responded as aggressively as Jericho, as the old raider walked away from them.
James could hear the crying of the young man behind the locked door. He didn't feel good about lying to the kid, but he couldn't just tell the kid 'sorry you're an orphan', could he? Jericho did, and look how that turned out. James had to get the kid out of there, so they could find this scientist and maybe save what's left of the town.
"You lied to me!" Bryan sobbed from behind the locked door, making James feel all the more horrible.
"I'm sorry Bryan." James apologised, he leaned against the door as he struggled to stand up straight.
"My dad's dead isn't he!" Bryan cried out, as James bit his lip.
"Yes…" James admitted, as he recalled the father's corpse.
"Look Bryan I know how you feel!" James exclaimed, trying to get the young man out of the booth.
"How? How the hell do you know how I feel? You're nothing but a lying stranger!" Bryan accused, his cry's making his words incomprehensible.
James took a deep breath, and said the words he never wanted to have to say. The horrible possibility he never wanted to be true.
"My dad's missing Bryan. For all I know he's probably dead too." James admitted, as he felt his own tears begin to form.
The door unlocked, and a sobbing Bryan stood before James. A smile crossed James's face, as he had gotten through to Bryan. Bryans Eyes shot open, and he slammed the door in front of James. Before James could react, a steel wrench connected with the side of his head.
"You think you can get my treasure!" Lug-Nut shouted, as James hit the ground and blood poured from his head.
Bryan in a panic screamed for help from inside the old ticket booth. He was unsure of how long the lone wanderer could take the beating this man was giving him.
"Help!" Bryan screamed, as James was beaten down by the crazed raider.
Jericho had heard the kid's screams from the entrance of the Metro, and found himself in a rare moment of pause. Jericho had a choice to make, was he going to go back and save the dumb fucks life? Or was he going to let the wasteland do its job, and wipe out the weak from the strong. Jericho's head was telling him to leave the Lone Wanderer and the kid to their faiths, but his gut told him that doing so would be a huge mistake. Jericho clinched his fist in anger and turned towards the screams.
"Fucken KID!" Jericho barked, as he ran towards the agonising screams.
He never wanted to punch himself in the gut more in his life, then he did right now. Coming to the large room, he saw the raider gripping the lone wanderer's throat and raised his rifle toward the kid's attacker. Firing off some warning shots, Jericho quickly gained the attention of the dickhead.
"Get the hell off the kid." Jericho warned, as he gripped his rifle tightly.
Lug-Nut raised his hands slowly, and got off of the Lone Wanderer to his feet. Jericho slowly approached the raider, as the walls began to close in again. Jericho could feel the sweat peel off of his forehead, as he approached Lug-Nut, the cold musky air of the metro choked him like a Super-mutants hand around his neck. Lug-Nut knew this guy was not someone he wanted to mess with, as his eyes told the young raider that this guy would have no issue with slaughtering him then and there.
"Look man…don't shoot. I just was making sure this kid wasn't after my treas-"
With that Jericho unloaded his clip into the raider's chest, filling the bastard with lead. Blood spat from the raiders chest, as bullets ripped through his body. Smoke rose from Jericho's rifle as he pulled a stimpack from his pocket, and stabbed the kid with it quickly. He had not noticed Bryan had left his sanctuary, and ventured out into the battlefield. Walking past Jericho, he knelt down in front of the Lone Wanderers body.
"James…wake up." Bryan pleaded, as he shook the lone wanderer's body.
"Kid, he needz a doctor." Jericho explained, a sense of worry passing over him.
"Perhaps I could help?" A nasally voice announced from behind them.
Whoever could this be?...As if I had not made it clear already.