~ Welcome To Chapter 3, Nothing Really Much To Say, Except for after the story. Reviews Would Be Much Appreciated, But None The Less Enjoy The Story! As For Disclaimers:

~ I Don't Own Any Part Of The Fallout Universe, Just My OC's ~

'High Tension'

"You have until I reach to five, start talking!" Arc was dumbfounded. He just stood there like a kid finding the '#1 issue of Grognak the Barbarian.' shaking he head, he needed to think carefully "What? A night stalker got your tongue?! Three seconds!" Now able to think clearly, Arc reach for his axe slowly with his other hand up in the air, she only showed a face with anger and distrust, but made no move seeing she had the upper hand still watching his movement closely. He untied the leather strap that held it onto the right sight of his vault suit loop. After unstrapping the leather tie he tossed it in front of him onto the ground and kicked towards her. The weapon skidded across the dirt and sand then onto broken concrete, the few remains of it that hasn't eroded away with time from the gas station, landing near her feet.

Next he started to move for his gun, but she halted him. "Don't you even think about it! Turn around slowly with your back facing me, with both your hands up, then start walking back towards me. . . slowly until I say stop." Arc found it to be uneasy having his back to another wielding a gun, but, rather than take his chances he did as she said. Arc was just a mere few inches away from barrel of the gun before she told him to stop.

"Don't Move," she dropped Ringo down of her good arm and shoulder onto the ground. Ringo landed flat on his face still unconscious.

That's going to feel sore as hell when he wakes up in the morning. . . if he's lives to another

she thought, but came distracted at her wounds, especially in her right arm where she recently received a deep cut onto her forearm, nearly deep enough to punch through the bone, it still was bleeding along with the feeling of it burning and stinging profoundly she winced at the pain that shot in her through her, but the small distraction made her drop her guard which came to be one she now came to regret.

Arc didn't think if hearing her with a sudden pain sound would work in his favor or not, but he went with it any way. Quickly took the opportunity and spun around then darted forward for the gun she tried to pull back up to aim at his chest, but she was a second late as he smacked the barrel of the gun up, keeping her from taking a lethal shot up at close range, while kicking his axe out of way. Arc grabbed at both her wrists with one hand with a good grip and shoved her back into the door of the station pinning both arms over her head.

She clenched her teeth wincing at the pain that shot into her lower back from the force of being shoved directly into the door's handle. After the pain in her back dulled away, she then started yelling out number of words that would make a supermutant think twice before attempting to do anything. She was trying to pry his hands off her wrist from the solid grip around her wrist, but the pain that felt like her wrists were going to break was becoming more painful by the moment as it began to run down her arms, feeling the pain of it more down her deeply wounded arm. She looked up at her arms over her head then stopped her frantic kicking finally realizing that he wasn't letting go even as she thrashed around, she wasn't going anywhere.

She looked directly at him now and saw that he wasn't smiling like a Raider ready to have his "Fun" with her like most of them do or a Legionnaire getting ready to use her a his "Tool" whether it was as a target dummy, a punching bag, or a pack brahmin, it was just a. . . blank stare no emotion showed. Eyes dark and green, nearly matching the color of the leafs on trees that where still alive, just blankly staring back at her as if waiting or studying for her next move. Her eyes began to snake their way down, taking in his dark toned skin, the scar running down over his right eye, the mohawk that donned on his head, that usually female raiders or fiends she had come across would have, but it somehow seemed to fit him, it was even was taller than most terrorsaurs. To her in any other given situation, she would've thought about him being attractive.

What the hell? She quickly crushed the last thought that just came, she returned her focus and but, seeing how she couldn't get out she let out a huffed breath and spoke in a defeated anger.

"Well, either get it over with already or let me go so I can end this!" Arc was puzzled at that remark.

"Get it over with? You think I'm here to kill you?" Now it was her turn to become surprised to his remark as well, but still didn't believe what she just heard.

"Why else would you be here huh? You, that scumbag Joe Cobb, and the rest of your psychotic gang, going around terrorizing people along the roads and taking what isn't yours not giving a shit who you hurt!" she attempted to knee him, but in the state of her condition, it was futile as her knee was stopped by his free hand. He squeezed down with more force on her wrist, while placing his knee between her legs pushing her up. As she was hoisted up with his hand still on her wrist, she let out a pained yelp she felt her arm trickle down with more blood and the adrenaline in her starting to wane down on her. Then he brought her back slightly down to his eye level then leaned in closer to her with a calm, but now agitated face.

"Look here, I don't want to hurt you and I'm not really the person who goes straight fighting people without reason, but I don't go around fitting in anyone with a low-life degenerate like that to a person who just happen to save their life while taking care of pest like that."

Stunned and unable to speak again she was at a loss for words. They didn't move at all from the way they were currently in, until coughing caught their attention.

Dam it! He's starting to wake up and now if he tries run again were screwed, this WHOLE town is screwed! She wanted to finish what she started, but he had her pinned and it was all she could do at the moment, think about how they'd be in deep trouble if he managed to somehow escape.

Arc merely turned his head to the side to find Ringo barely managing to set himself upright spitting out dirt and blood while his eyes where barley open. "W-where the hell am I?" Ringo attempted to stand up using his arms, but fell back down grabbing at his left shoulder remembering why it was bleeding.

"Karma. . . Karma where in . . . the hell am I. . . you crazy bitch huh?!" Ringo was out like a light again, this time from his own accord.

How has this guy survived out here this long? Arc thought, but he'd ponder onto it later as he heard Karma, which he found out her name from the now again unconscious Ringo, let out a breath of relief. He turned back to her and he could feel her slightly tense her body up, she still was staring at him with a determined face. He stared at her for a few more moments then slowly began to loosen his hold on her and move his knee from up under her, when she was finally let go he went and picked up his axe, tying the strap back on, then spoke calmly while walking over to Ringo and hiking him over his shoulder.

"Now that I've go Ringo, I need to hide him." Turning fully to her, "So, while I'm doing that I need you to go get patched up at Doc's place, something quick that will able you to help fight off the Powder Gangers, then get down to the bar and help Trudy with the defenses she's setting up, I'll be there shortly." With that Arc turned back around and started to jog off down the hill and vanished behind a few old buildings past the school.

Karma just stood there hit mentally with a brick wall baffled at what she was told to do and the fact the the Powder Gangers are headed here! *What the hell happened while I out!* She shook her head and was forced to listen to his advice, now feeling fatigued from the ordeal from both Ringo and the stranger she didn't know.

Defend the town?! What in Abraham's name happened?! Why was there never anyone like him in DC?. . . Wait what the hell am I thinking! Clear head Karma, new task - defend town then have a 'Chat' with that. . . asshole!

With that she cradled her right arm and began walking off towards Doc Mitchell's place to see about her wounds.

The town was ready as they could ever be ready for the scrimmage. The townsfolk were mainly armed with 10mm pistols and few even with hunting rifles. Karma had her wounds bandaged up to the best they could be, also given a few stimpak shots to help heal the wounds while having her own arsenal ready at hand, A hunting shotgun, 3 spears, and a 10mm submachine gun.

Everyone ready as they can be waited for any sign of the Powder Gangers, but after a long while they were only meet with the silence of the desert wind blowing and they occasional tumble weed moving about.

Some folk became rather impatient, wanting to return to their homes seeing that this might be a fluke to them, but Trudy, Karma and a few others weren't about going to back down now since the town had been informed of the ordeal that took place in the bar earlier. As the time went by, the sun still slowly, but surely, rising up into the sky. A few people had started to begin arguing with the each other that the whole thing a nothing but a mere fluke becoming more eager to leave back to their homes, that is until an explosion went off past the rusted water tower legs behind a small building not far from in front of them. The building then again exploded with a huge gaping hole that could be seen through both ends of it with also the roof nearly blown entirely off.

As the debris, of sizes large and small, flew everywhere from the second explosion, one person was down holding onto life by a thread from a warped piece of wood, that was now sizzling from the heat, pierced right through his chest. Another person near Trudy, lay dead with his skull crushed skull by an old concrete chunk that soared high through the air land right on him.

People ducked undercover as there were panicking and shouting at each other, Trudy trying to keep everyone in order and calm, all except Karma. She kept her cool and zoned out the commotion, keeping a steady finger of the trigger of her submachine gun, eyes waiting for movement behind the cloud of dirt and debris.

"START SHOOTING! NOW!" Arc came running through the blown through building, followed closely behind by a dog and two other women one of them he had been told to find was Sunny Smiles and another in an old prewar dress with an apron draped over it and boots. She had bruises and cuts on her head. They were running out of the cloud of debris. Arc had his axe and gun in both hand, blood dripping from his right hand and axe, Everyone was speechless, even Karma was lost was lost for words, but as Arc's small group reached up to the make-shift defenses, Arc became puzzled and annoyed by everyone wasn't shooting.

"What in the hell, are you people deaf!? Why isn't anybody shooting!?"As soon as he said that screams, howls, murderous laughs, and a high rugged voice came from the same torn building.

"Well boys looks like we're having some fun tonight!" then out came a large group of men came pouring out and from around the building.

Arc just remained in facing the townsfolk and his back towards the group of men that continued their antics of insults, howling, yelling, laughs, some even whistling and grabbing at their junk while eying towards some of the women they could visibly spot. The some of the townsfolk were still as statues, few were shaking nervously and sweat beating off of them clear as day.

The rest who weren't unmoved by their antics stood behind their defenses and kept their guns ready, pointed at the rowdy group of men. Among the group of people who were ready were Karma, Trudy, and Sunny and they were more than ready to fight, but Karma became distracted again, not by her wounds, but by Arc and the blank state she noticed he went into again. Karma found it strange and somehow. . . alien to her some odd reason but then he turned around towards the Powder Gangers and gave them a warning, "Now that you've chased us here and see that we weren't playing any games, It be best for you to just turn around don't come back messing with good people that don't want any trouble." He shouted to them.

They just merely laughed at Arc's warning and one of them shouted back at him "You think we give two brahmin shits about these people? You think we'll just walk on out here and let you get away with killing 3 of our guys?! Well you buddy, have another thing coming to you as soon as Cobb comes out here."

Arc shook his head turned back to the bar only saying, "Well, that's were your wrong." silence eroded over the people of Goodsprings while the Powder Ganges only had confused looks on their faces with audible scoffs, laughs and grunts. Neither of the two groups made a move against each other, only waiting to see what who was going to jump the gun first, and it seemed Arc was doing just that. The sound of wood being scrapped upon could be heard by both parties. As Arc's body came into view Trudy went wide-eyed and let out a small gasp catching the attention of Karma and Sunny. The shocked faces they both had as they turned towards the saloon entrance while their eyes looked as if they were ready to pop out when they saw exactly what Arc was doing, and who he was dragging out leaving a blood trail to the outside.

Please, I beg those who are watching us now. . . please don't tell me that is Cobb!? As he came out of the saloon, her hope was shot down as she could see that it was indeed Cobb, dead. Is he an idiot!? He's going to get this town slaughtered! Karma thought.

Arc lifted Cobb's lifeless body onto his shoulder, some of his blood that didn't dry up over his neck dripped down onto Arc's vault suit as he walked past the shocked townsfolk. He then hurled his bleeding body into the dirt path across from the Powder Gangers. The person with gruff voice speaking for them moved forward, he wasn't a very pretty sight to look at as he had a full faced beard, but no hair on his head and scars to go along with it. Soon after a few others up to the body, as they finally approached, they looked down, and to their dismay, it was Cobb. They became silent seeing that it was now Cobb, dead, with a huge deep gash on his neck.

Their now new leader, seeing that the former lies dead in front of them, began huffing and grunting his breath in a savage manner, each rapidly becoming shorter than the next until turned into a full blown rage of howling anger, the rest of his group following suit some even started to laugh viciously knowing what it to happen next.

He brandished his weapon, a sharp rusted machete, pointed at Arc and the people behind him. "KILL THEM, AND BRING ME HIS DAMN SKULL!" He bellowed with anger at the top of his lungs the Powder Gangers yelled in unison, brandishing their various weapons and charged at the townsfolk.

Arc slightly turned his head nodding, as he remove his own weapon, his axe only, and charged himself. Karma and Trudy both in unison gave the townsfolk the order "FIRE!" Now the fight for Goodsprings began.

~ Sorry for the slow updates had writers block and this chapter might be shorter then the others, but wanted to give something to read and hey I'm kinda getting the hang of the lower case words and the next chapter will include the EPIC BATTLE OF GOODSPRINGS! Also There Will Be Longer Chapters After This One And With Good Details, Also If Anyone Has Any Extra Ideas Or Things They Don't See In Some Fallout Stories, I'm Open To Suggestions. Chapter 4 Will Be Out Soon! Hope you enjoyed! ~

~Revised: (3/3/15) Enjoy and leave a review! :)~