Blood from Vault 18

Chapter 4

The Wasteland

The wind since time immemorial was the greatest of messengers, the one that always carried with it whispers and rumors. It made it possible for birds to carry secret letters across miles of war torn fields and it made it possible for civilization to expand across the seas in ages forgotten by the common man.

But now as the cold wind moved around him, carrying the ashes of everything he had held dear, Kieron felt the message that the wind carried was far too cruel for him to try to decipher, because no matter how he tried to twist it the wind carried a message that started with one word.

Death.

The death of his family, the death of life and the death of the Vault, soft ashes fell to the ground like snowflakes from winters he had never seen. Behind him what remained of the vault refused to speak, Kurtz too focused on the road ahead, Jenn still in shock at what had just happened, Jamie and Eric just quietly holding hands as they tried to figure out what to do and finally Johnny struggling to keep up with them. His skin deadly pale and his eyes bloodshot, Kieron would have cursed if he was not so focused to reach the destination on his map.

Doctor Rossman had spent his last moments on earth trying to guide him to somewhere safe and he was not going to let that opportunity go to waste, so he kept walking ignoring the feeling of dread on his stomach as the forest began to change and they reached a small valley.

They were now in the open, the small protection that the woods had provided was gone, Kurt noticed his friend stop for a brief second, as he stared at what was ahead of them, destroyed buildings and wrecked cars that had been overtaken by nature where the main thing that his eyes could see, at the distance he spotted a sign that appeared to be of a hospital or maybe a pharmacy.

Kieron let out a sigh as Kurtz finally broke the silence "Scared?"

Kieron briefly turned to see if the others were still some steps behind so he could speak freely "Yes…"

"Don't it will get you killed, you have shown that you have the ability to shake off the trauma better than them. Do. Not. Stop. Now." Kurtz pointed with his spear as Kieron spotted movement from the corner of his eyes, he reached for his gun when he spotted the two culprits. A giant bloatfly was fighting against a broken down protectron, the machine grabbed the creature and crushed it with its claw as green ooze almost a green as Kieron's eyes spilled all over the ground.

The loud click of the machine changing its weapons reached their ears as it turned to them, because he was the only one with a gun Kieron shot at the machine repeatedly until it fell "All clear, we can continue"

The small group reached the ruins proper as they tried to find anything worth keeping "This is not the place right Kieron?"

"No, we need to cross the small… city I guess and then over by that hill is the place that Doctor Rossman marked on the map I think we just need to…" a loud bang interrupted them as everyone scrambled to a safe place, a plasma blast like the one the enclave used reached their ears and it was close.

Closer than they were comfortable with, Kurt prepared his spear as he moved his head towards the noise.

A joint attack then, Kieron slowly nodded as he moved with the most stealth his body allowed him, he peaked from one of the cracks in the torn down walls, green energy was fired into the air again, a single shot, and the soft footstepts made it clear that it was just one person, Kurtz prepared his spear and Kieron gasped as he recognized that shade of purple.

"Kurtz no!"

Jumping in front of the spear, Kieron gasped as the weapon pierced his hand, but it stopped the weapon just by an inch from hitting Kira Mann in the face. The purple haired girl fell backwards in shock as she stared at her friend with wide eyes.

Kurt for his part simply frowned as he walked out from his cover spot and went over to Kieron "Hold still" biting his lip so that he would not cry Kieron barely managed a nod as the weapon was removed from his hand. Gasping in pain Kieron held his hand as he tried to stop the blood, snapping out of her shock Kira reached into her pockets and pulled out a small stimpack. Using it on the hand of her friend the girl looked at him with small tears and a wide smile "Oh my god, I thought I was never going to see you again! Kieron and… oh"

Her happy smile disappeared as her eyes landed on the rest of the group, she gripped the plasma rifle even tighter when she spotted Jenn "… great, get the fuck away from me! Specially you Jenn, how are you even alive? Did they drag you out of the Vault by your hair?"

The blonde girl glared, genuine anger coloring her cheeks as she glared at the girl "My entire family just died Kira we are all that's left of our home… but it's not like you care right? I don't want to talk to you of all people about home"

Kira gritted her teeth "Yeah you're right, I don't want to talk about it. I like it better out here" she pointed her rifle at the head of the blonde girl "I just don't like that you are here"

"Kira what are you doing!" Kieron said as he stared with wide eyes as his friend threatened to kill his OTHER friend.

The purple girl shrugged "I don't see why she should live, she's of no use to me in fact she annoys the hell out of me and now there is nothing stopping me from having revenge, the wasteland doesn't care!"

"Yeah it doesn't, but I do and the rest of them do too" Kieron said as he pointed at the rest who all had prepared themselves to fight, Kurtz twirled his makeshift spear as he pointed at the throat of the small girl "Exactly, you want to play by wasteland rules Kira? Then know that numbers always win and I hope you're not blind enough to think that you have that advantage"

Kira huffed but lowered the weapon to her side "Fine, I'll let the trollop live that way all the boys can use her as their…"-SLAP- Jenn retracted her hand as she walked away from the scene towards the place doctor Rossman told them, Kira held her cheek in shock, not expecting the blonde to pack quite the punch. Eric and Jamie shook their heads and followed Jenn while Johnny with great difficulty managed to limp behind the group.

Kurt remained by Kieron's side for a small moment but he moved away as he did not want to deal with the difficult woman "You decide what happens" was all he said as he left leaving the two alone, Kieron frowned as he watched everyone walk towards the place. They might not like Kira but she was still one of them, walking towards her he Kieron noticed how a small red and purple stain marked her cheek.

Concerned he held her chin as he studied the wound "Holy crap, I never believed that she would…"-"Yeah, you don't just like everyone else. She's not who she says she is and she is just a little… look just stop I am fine" Kira slapped his hand away but did it without strength.

"Still, even if she did what you say she did, there's no reason to fight now"

Kira frowned at him "You believe her?"

"No, I don't. I trust her sure, but you're my friend too and I hate to think that what your parents did was true and I didn't have your back then I am sorry, I don't want to repeat that mistake... so please let me help you now" this made the girl's eyes widen as she stared at Kieron, he looked tired. His green eyes were red because of his unshed tears, he said that they were what was left.

His family had died. Kira swallowed and nodded as leaves being shaken by the wind were the only sound for some time before she broke the silence "Thank you, I… I wanted someone to say that to me for so long. It hurts so much to think that I even have the scars to prove that… that they really did… but they believed Jenn and I" Kira let out along sigh "No, this doesn't matter anymore. They were not my parents, my real family is out there Kieron. The raiders have them and I will be the one to save them so if you really want to help… then lets find out family together"

Kieron hummed "The raiders, I saw them when we were leaving the Vault. They have technology and guns Kira it won't be easy"-"I know that, they outnumber us by the hundreds" a small smile made its way to her lips "but you didn't say no"

"You're right, I am curious too you know and it might be the only thing I have left now. But still it's not the time we can't just walk in with no direction, Doctor Rossman told me of a place that we can use as a shelter for the moment before he died"

Kira looked towards the hill "Up there with everyone; I don't know Kieron is not like they like me and the feeling is mutual. I think they would be happier if I died, so why would I go there and wait for you to find anything?"

"Because we need each other to survive"

Kira laughed "And who said I need you? I got a weapon and determination, what can stop me?" Kieron simply looked down at his muscle and with speed he disarmed Kira with one move. "Strength Kira, what happens when something ambushes you and overpowers you? Alone you are dead… or worse, but together we can save each other"

He threw the weapon back to her as Kira blushed at being disarmed so easily, but nodded "I get I get it, fine I'll go with you for now but you better not leave me alone with any of them. We might kill each other" Kieron nodded as he felt a weight being lifted off his shoulders he placed an arm around Kira's shoulders and smiled "I promise you won't regret this!"

Kira grumbled but his happiness was infectious "Someone is a good mood"-"Of course, I thought everyone died and now you are alive and… I won't worry about you for now at least I don't think I could stand loosing anyone else" those words stung as they left his lips, he wanted to curl up and just cry but he could not break. Not just yet, not with Kira already trying to pull away from the group and the others not sure of what to do.

A small argument reached their ears as they reached their destination, Kieron frowned as he watched Eric angrily shove Johnny forward "Jesus Johnny, get your shit together" he muttered as he turned to the approaching duo. He did not say anything to Kira but he did walk towards Kieron "We were just waiting for you, Kurtz secured the perimeter. This Black Bear Lodge is the place that Doctor Rossman marked… Johnny is not doing good Kieron. I don't think he will survive unless we do something"

Kieron nodded slowly as he approached the building, it was surprisingly clean around the main structure with even a small garden to the side, it was overrun with what seemed to be a few weeds here and there but nothing too major. The rest of the tribe eyed Kira with suspicion as she stood behind Kieron, Jenn specially did not look pleased to see the girl.

Kieron quickly distradted everyone as he kicked the door open, and shot inside just in case "all clear"

"Jesus! Say something Kieron! This is not like a Silver Shroud show" Jaimie complained as Kieron managed a weak chuckle "I thought it would look cool" some of the tension evaporated but it quickly returned when Johnny threw up near the entrance.

His eyes seemed to be almost completely white as he stumbled inside "Oh…. I think the pain train is… fuck…" Johnny barely managed to get inside and promptly fell forward with a loud thud, Kieron and Kurtz moved to help as they dragged him near the fire place, Kurtz checked his vitals and frowned "Weak"

"His heart?"-"Yes, do you know medicine? How to cure him?" Kieron shook his head "N-no… Mandy was the one that was studying medicine I never had the mind to do it"

Kurtz stood up as he shook his head "Then I think he's dead. No one else seems to know anything of the sort, let him rest here so that he can pass away peacefully" the tribal kid say as he rested his back against one of the walls as he watched the small drama begin to unravel. Jamie seemed to be arguing with Kira and Eric was simply frowning as he let the argument play out, Jenn seemed to have expression on her face as she tried to drown out the sound, hugging her knees in her corner of the house.

"The only thing you are going to do is get yourself Kira!"-"No, I won't die. There might be a lot of them but I know that my family is somewhere out there with them" Jamie stared at her like she was the biggest idiot on that side of the wasteland "It has been so long Kira how do you know that they are not dead"

Kira glared "I won't give up, I am not a coward like you, you bitch"-"Enough Kira, you have no reason to talk to Jamie like that" Eric said as he glared at the purple haired girl but the comment seemed to make Kira more amused than threatened "Don't want me to hurt the feelings of you sister-girlfriend or what?"

"Listen here" Eric stood up as Jamie held him back, Kurtz did not seem like he would intervene so Kieron let out a sigh and reached for his gun. He remembered a scene like this from one of his comics so he decided he would try, it was not like he had anything to loose.

Every single person here mattered to him in a way and if he could than he would not let anyone do something that they might regret later. He shot at the ceiling as everyone turned to look at him with a surprised look on their faces "Enough"

Kieron swallowed the nervousness as he let out a small sigh to hide the fact that he was shaking "We cannot fight in moments like this, we need each other to survive because if we go out on our own we will die. I don't want any of you to die, you are all I have left"

His speech seemed to have gotten through as that last part made everyone more open to listen to him, turning to look at Jenn he smiled "For example, what will we do without Jenn who from what I remember can crack any lock, sounds like something useful to me" Jenn smiled back as she nodded. Not letting Kira comment on anything he turned to her "And Kira was an expert on computers and plasma weapons, that is also important. Kurtz is the one with the most knowledge about the wasteland, Eric is an expert botanist and was in training to be a wasteland scout, Jamie can fix almost anything and me… well I can beat almost anyone up"

Kieron watched everyone slowly nod as their returned to their seats "We will survive this and I don't know if you noticed this but Johnny is going to die if we don't do something, so… we all in this or what?"

Jenn clapped "I'm in!" the blonde girl said forcing her enthusiasm to surface, Kira rolled her eyes but nodded, as Eric and Jamie looked at each other and then back to the teen "For now… yes, not bad Kieron. I feel more comfortable that there is someone with us than can actually lead"

Kieron turned to Kurtz who was the last one "I was always on your side friend, where you go I will follow" this made Kieron chuckle "Thanks Kurtz, glad to know that. But now priority number one, how the fuck do we save Johnny? Anyone here know a bit about medicine?"

Everyone shook their head as Kieron groaned "Fuck… then back to zero with that. There has to be something here…" Jen snapped her fingers and stood up. Grabbing gently Kieron's arm she began to access the memory banks on his PipBoy "Do you remember how you used to live in a room that was a storage room before? I think that your PipBoy might have something about… THERE! See it gives a list of drugs that can be used"

"That still doesn't help you know" Kira commented, but Kieron simply smiled "Then we have hope. It says here that you can use fixer to fix addictions, that and maybe some stimpack to help flush out his system"

Kieron grinned "See… already doing a helluvalot for the team" Jean smiled softly as the youngest among them (even if with her it was just a matter of days) tried to figure out where to go now that he had that information, snapping his fingers he realized that he had spotted "Ok I think I know where I need to go" Kieron looked at the rest and hummed, some looked to be just fine but their tired expressions told another story.

Maybe they were tired mentally or the scrapes and bruises would slow them down, he looked down at himself and flexed his muscles. He felt good, he was mentally not stable sure, but a walk and helping Johnny might be distract him of… well everything "Then ill be going, I know where to go. Kurtz if you can could you check out the house for weapons or clothes, better to be prepared"

Kira stopped him "And what you're going alone"?

He shrugged "If anyone wants to tag along they can come sure" to the surprise of most Jenn was the one that walked towards the door "Come on, the sun is going to get worse the longer we stay out there" Nodding at her the duo began to walk back towards Pinehaven.

A/N: Thanks for reading! FYI I'm going to change a bit the pacing because I feel that the best thing about New California (other than the solid plot) is the companions and the places they visit so I want to expand a bit on that, but don't worry the story wont change. See you soon!