Lelouch awoke from what he felt was a horrid dream. One filled with giant scorpions and a vast desert stretching on for miles.
Then he opened his eyes.
He was greeted by the sight of an unfamiliar ceiling, with unfamiliar lights blaring down at him, and unfamiliar voices muffled by the walls around him. His mask and cape had been removed, and a quick glance down showed he was still dressed in his suit.
With caution, he pulled himself out of bed. His mind was racing as he took in his surroundings, a plan forming as he stood up. Then he paused, taking another glance down at his arms. There were no restraints, he could leave the bed without any issue. 'Did we end up somewhere that hates Britannia?' Lelouch pondered as he stood out of bed and stumbled.
As he got back to his feet, Lelouch took another glance around the room. He saw his cape and mask set neatly on a nearby table, a crack running along the right side of the mask. Without pause, Lelouch reached over and donned his mask. Though the residents may have seen his face, he couldn't take risks with his identity. Lelouch began walking around the room, noting the quieting of the voices in the other room. 'Ok, a strange light engulfs the four of us, Kallen and I end up in a desert with...' Lelouch's line of thought trailed off as he remembered the massive scorpions that had assailed them upon arrival.
"Kallen," Lelouch hissed out as he remembered her injury. Lelouch made for the door, the sound of muffled footsteps echoing outside of the room. His fists clenched as he twisted the knob, he could hear another door closing as he stepped out of the room.
"Finally awake, I see," A calm voice spoke up from the hallway. Lelouch turned, finding an old man in simple clothes. "You gave Sunny quite the scare when you came crawling down from the graveyard," The man continued.
'He shows no recognition of the mask, or even curiosity of it,' Lelouch quickly listed off. 'Let's be friendly for now, don't use your Geass unless necessary,' Lelouch planned out.
"My friend, is she all right?" He asked.
"The girl, she's lucky to be alive. Had the stinger been a bit more to the right, she'd have bled out," The man explained.
"I see. where are we?" Lelouch asked. 'Kallen's alive, but she'll likely be recovering,' Lelouch noted.
"You're in Goodsprings. name's Doc Mitchell," Doc Mitchell greeted with a polite smile.
"I've never heard of GoodSprings," Lelouch said. 'I need an idea. He may speak English, but we can't be on Earth. No Scorpion grows that large,' Lelouch pondered.
"Can't say I'm surprised; we're a quiet little town in the Mojave," Doc Mitchell replied.
'Mojave... that means we're in Nevada, but not Britannia...' Lelouch concluded. 'I have no choice,' Lelouch mused as he looked Doc Mitchell in the eyes. There was a soft click as Lelouch looked to the crack along his mask. 'damn it, the visors damaged,' Lelouch cursed.
"You all right there?" Doc Mitchell asked.
"Fine, just thinking," Lelouch answered quickly.
"Ahh, well, you've been out for a few hours. I had to remove your helmet and the cape to get you into bed," Doc Mithcell said.
"I noticed. thank you," Lelouch said as he ran his hands to his helmet.
"Not that it's my place to ask, but why'd you get those clothes anyway? don't know anyone who would be crazy enough to walk the roads like that?" Doc Mitchell asked.
Lelouch removed his mask and activated his Geass. Doc Mitchell's gaze dulled as the symbol of the Geass appeared in his eyes. "You will answer every question I ask with the truth," Lelouch instructed.
"Yes, my lord," Doc Mitchell replied immediately.
"Where is Goodsprings located in the Mojave?" Lelouch inquired.
"Just a bit to the west, we're south of Sloan and north of Primm," Doc Mitchell replied.
'That's not enough,' Lelouch mentally groaned. "Any more recognizable landmarks or cities?" Lelouch asked.
"We're far south of the city of New Vegas, and we're far north of the Mojave Outpost that connects the region to the New California Republic," Doc Mitchell explained.
'New California Republic...' Lelouch trailed off. "What is the New California Republic?" Lelouch asked.
"It's a nation west of the Mojave, been slowly moving into the region for a decade or so. They came for the Hoover Dam east of here," Doc Mitchell answered.
'Ok, New Vegas... New California Republic, Hoover Dam,' Lelouch noted.
"What year is it?" Lelouch inquired.
"It's the year twenty-two-eighty-one," Doc Mitchell replied.
Lelouch froze; every plan forming in his head halted as the year echoed in his head.
"Do you have any history books?" Lelouch inquired.
"Yes, I keep a few around for long-term patients or kids passing through the town," Doc Mitchell answered.
'Ok, Kallen is still recovering, and I can't keep the doctor under my Geass long term. I need time to plan,' Lelouch surmised. "When I snap my finger, you will forget everything that happened after I took off my helmet," Lelouch instructed. He put his helmet back on and snapped his finger.
Doc Mitchell seemed to close his eyes and shake his head.
"Showmanship," Lelouch spoke quickly, remembering what Doc Mitchell had asked before Lelouch used his Geass on him.
"Whut?" Doc Mitchell asked.
"You wanted to know why I wore such a suit; it's for the sake of presentation," Lelouch explained.
"Well, not the weirdest thing I've seen," Doc Mitchell replied. Lelouch frowned under the mask.
"Though, you are correct on its impracticality," Lelouch said before his mind drifted back to Kallen. "Can I see her? I want to make sure she's alright," Lelouch asked.
"Sure, follow me," Doc Mitchell said as he turned to another section of the house.
'This will take some time,' Lelouch mused as he followed Doc Mitchell.
With a short groan, Kallen pulled herself up. She blinked the exhaustion out of her eyes, running a hand over them. Her throat and stomach ached dry, but she bit down her discomfort. She looked around, slowly letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. She was in a plain bed in a large room with various medical equipment. She pulled herself further up, pausing as pain shot through her left leg.
Kallen grit her teeth, lifting the blanket off her body to look at her injury. She found her modesty covered and bandages wrapped around her left calf. She gingerly ran a hand over her injury, letting out a hiss as she felt a hole on the back of her calf.
She looked at the injury in confusion before the events before her unconsciousness flashed through her mind. "Zero!?" she realized, her gaze rapidly shooting around the room. Slowing down, Kallen watched as sunlight slowly flooded in behind the blinds before pausing as she saw some sort of fat computer resting on a desk in the room. She also took note of a second bed in the corner of the room and some kind of grip testing machine resting against a far away wall.
Her body tensed as she heard approaching footsteps, her eyes looking for anything within reach she could use as a weapon.
That tension faded as an old man in simple clothes walked into the room. His gaze turned to her as he raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Woah, Miss, I'd slow down. You've been out cold for the past three days," he said politely.
Kallen felt herself go still. 'Three days. I've been asleep for three days.' Her eyes widened at the realization.
"Sunny found your friend dragging you into town with a Radscorpion sting in your leg, had to cut your jumpsuit to treat your leg and make sure there waan't any long term damage." The man explained as he pulled a chair from the desk and slid it close to her bed.
"Where is he?" Kallen asked, her eyes narrowing at him.
"Your friend's in the other room. he's been waiting for you to wake up," The old man replied.
"I see," Kallen said with a nervous glance.
"Well, just sit tight. I made sure there wasn't any long-term damage, but you'll want to take it easy with your leg," The old man said.
"Thank you," Kallen said, eyeing her leg with a cautious gaze.
"Now then, I'm sure you're hungry after three days of rest, so I'll head to the kitchen and get you some food," The man offered, prompting her to nod.
She watched him stand back up and begin walking out of the room. "Wait?" she called out. The man turned back, confusion on her face. "Where are we?" She asked.
"You probably haven't heard of a small town like this, but you're in Goodsprings," The man replied.
Kallen felt her mind race, remembering the desert around them when she and Zero first arrived, yet Goodsprings didn't ring a single bell. She just gave the man a simple nod as he walked out of the room, presumably to the kitchen. The room fell silent as Kallen looked at her leg once again.
'Ok, Kallen, you and Zero are stuck in a desert town called Goodsprings... Said desert is infested by giant scorpions called Radscorpions.' Kallen blanked as she lied back down. 'The locals speak English, so that's a plus,' Kallen noted. "We're not in Japan, nor Britannia," She muttered. 'Are we even on Earth?' She mused with a defeated sigh.
Her musing was cut off as she heard another set of footsteps approach the room. She stopped as she saw Zero; his signature mask had a short crack running along the right side, and he wore a set of plain nightware rather than his cape and suit. "The Doctor told me you woke up. how are you feeling, Q-1?" he asked.
"Just a bit sore," Kalen replied as she rose back up to talk with Zero, hissing as her leg ached once again.
"He advised to take it easy on your leg; had that stinger been a bit to the right, you would have bled out," Zero advised. Kallen went still as Zero turned to her; she could hear some form of faint muttering but couldn't make out what he was saying. "I've spent the past three days reading through the books Doc Mitchel keeps around the house..." Zero trailed off.
She had never seen Zero so hesitant before, the silence creating a nagging tension in her spine.
"We're in the Mojave Desert, Southern Nevada," Zero stated.
'Nevada, the Mojave, those are in Britannia, but this isn't Britannia,' Kallen narrowed her eyes in thought.
"As you can assume, we are not in Britannia, or even our Earth," Zero explained. Zero then placed a small stack of books near her bedside. "I'd advise you read up on this world's history while recovering," Zero said before he returned to silence. Kallen's eyes scanned the books, noting things such as the U.S.A. on the worn and old books alongside the New California Republic on more recent and better-looking books.
"I will," Kallen croaked out, her mind racing, as Zero took the seat the Doctor had slid to the bed. The two of them remained silent before Zero straightened his stance.
"Q-1, I will be honest. I am still unsure of how we will return to our world," Zero replied in an almost defeated tone. Kallen widened her eyes as Zero held onto his mask. "With us being trapped here, I've decided to show you my face," Zero said before he pulled the mask off.
Kallen was stunned into silence as she saw the helmet slide off and a pair of familiar purple eyes staring at her.
"You," Kallen spouted out as her eyes remained wide.
"Yes, Q-1... Kallen, it's me. I'm Zero," Lelouch said in a tired tone while resting his helmet in his lap.
"This whole time," Kallen lamented, remembering all the close calls, every time others had seen his face...
The shower encounter.
"I'll accept any hatred you have for me now; our situation demands cooperation," Lelouch stated calmly.
Kallen said nothing, her mind now a cinema of every win, every victory that Zero led them towards. Blankly, she put a hand on his shoulder and gripped it as tightly as possible. Lelouch winced as Kallen leaned in and looked him in the eyes.
"I have one question... Why?" she asked.
"Why fight against Britannia... Do you wish for me to list the reasons?" Lelouch replied with a calm tone. Kallen just nodded as her grip loosened. "It is because of Britannia that Nunnally is crippled, why my mother is dead," Lelouch began as Kallen's hand slid off his shoulder. "Britannia as a society is nothing more than barbarism, discarding all it deems useless and tormenting all it steals from," Lelouch said with narrowed eyes.
"But why Zero? Why the mask?" Kallen asked, interrupting her earlier request, her anger slowly fading away as curiosity took hold.
"To create a symbol, one that transcends the person behind it," Lelouch replied. Kallen said nothing, her gaze shifting between the mask in Lelouch's lap and his face. She leaned back into her bed, easing the tension that had begun to eat away at her.
"Do you have a plan?" she asked.
"North of here lies a city called New Vegas. Supposedly, it's run by a technological mastermind. If that doesn't work, we head west for NCR territory and make a living in one of their larger cities," Lelouch explained. Kallen blushed at the idea of making a living with Lelouch before she quickly buried it.
"Is that it?" Kallen inquired. 'I'd never heard such a barebones plan from him. This feels like a nightmare,' Kallen lamented.
"Kallen... Two hundred years ago, this world went through a nuclear apocalypse. The world is still rebuilding," Lelouch stated, shocking Kallen. "From my readings, New Vegas and the NCR may be the only places that still possess modern amenities comparable to our world," Lelouch explained.
"I... I see," Kallen replied. 'We're stuck in some post-apocalyptic world... this is a nightmare,' Kallen's thoughts trailed off as this line lingered in her head.
Their conversation was cut short as the old man walked in. 'Lelouch called him Doc Mitchel,' Kallen remembered as the old man set a tray of food on the nearby desk.
"Sorry to cut the chatting short, but she needs some food in her, and I need to check her leg," Doc Mitchel said as he held a bottle of water in his hand. Lelouch just nodded before standing up, making sure to keep the mask at his side. Kallen watched as Lelouch walked out of the room, and Doc Mitchel handed her the bottle of water. "Just drink it slowly," he advised.
Kallen nodded before taking a short sip. The dryness of her throat was eased by the cool water. Doc Mitchel rolled a short table to her bedside and placed the tray of food onto it. "Now, once you're done, I'll check your leg. It should only take a few more days to heal," Doc Mitchel said. Kallen gave him another nod as she reached for the tray and took the bowl of what she assumed was some kind of porridge.
'Once I'm back on my feet, we're out of here,' she thought before taking the first bite.
Lelouch watched as Kallen took cautious steps as they walked out of Doc Mitchel's house. He made sure she got up to date with their new world while she recovered. They'd even spent the prior nights talking about the factions of the wasteland.
The New California Republic, a democratic nation formed from several city states dotting the ruins of the California state with growing imperialist ambitions.
The Brotherhood of Steel, a faction of isolationist militants obsessed with gatekeeping technology from the rest of the wasteland, even going to war with the NCR over the latter's technological development.
Groups such as the Van Graffs and Gun Runners who peddle weapons and ammunition for whoever is willing to pay.
The Crimson Caravan Company, alongside other lesser Caravan companies, cutthroat bussiness based around the transportation of goods and wares throughout the wasteland.
There had been a remnant of the old government calling themselves the Enclave, whipped out before they could attempt a genocide against the people of the wasteland. Both of them were rather thankful for that piece of news.
Yet, one group, one not in the books but only talked about by word of mouth, had garnered their attention.
The Legion.
An army of Slaves led by a despot, currently warring with the NCR for control of the Mojave. His blood boiled when he discovered the Legion, and Kallen hadn't fared much better when he informed her of them. An army of raiders dedicated to slaving and pillaging as they moved along, thinking of themselves as a new Rome...
The largest wrench in any potential plans he could create. They'd march on New Vegas should they take Hoover Dam, and then they'd continue onwards to the NCR proper should they be given enough time.
He will need a way to deal with them.
Lelouch was pulled out of his musing as Kallen bumped his shoulder. Lelouch gave her a closer look, noting the gifts Doc Mitchel had lent them. Kallen's jumpsuit had been swapped out for a set of Lightweight Leather Armor while a 9mm Grease Gun now rested against her side. She also had a shotgun strapped to her back alongside a mostly empty satchel resting opposite the Grease Gun. He had gone for a different approach, selling the suit and cape of Zero to Doc Mitchel and donning an armored jumpsuit with the number thirteen on the back alongside a simple 9mm pistol and...
A laser pistol.
He was shocked that this world, with vacuum tube terminals and absurdist tech straight out of an old 50s era magazine, had proper laser weapons.
Still, such weaponry was far from the strangest things he'd encountered in the few days he'd spent in the town. Lelouch ran a hand to a bag he had tied to his belt, the light jingling acting as a staunch reminder of the absurd nature of the world they found themselves in.
Bottle Caps: They used bottle caps as currency.
He could understand why they used bottle caps; the collapse of proper civilization would have profound effects on the world's economic system. Using a somewhat common item that could easily be carried in large numbers can make a decent substitute for proper currency.
They walked down the small hill that Doc Mitchel's house rested on, passing many houses with small farms growing in the yard and a pen with a small herd of Bighorners, some kind of goat that grew larger than a bull with a prominent set of horns on their heads. Kallen's gaze seemed to linger on the livestock for a moment before she turned back to their destination.
The general store.
They walked down the road. Lelouch noted how Kallen's gaze now lingered on the road ahead, the pavement scarred by a pair of craters and a few bullet holes. "Two days before you woke up, the town got into a firefight with some group of escaped convicts calling themselves Powder Gangers," Lelouch explained.
"Since you didn't tell me a thing about them, the convicts lost," Kallen surmised.
"Yes, apparently they were tailing a man who survived their attack on his caravan," Lelouch noted as they stepped onto the porch of the general store. The two of them opened the door and stepped in.
Lelouch noted the tall man talking with Chet. He was tall, with a cowboy hat on his head and a duster coat with the star on the back and faded words at the top and bottom. Yet what drew Lelouch's attention was the bulky computer on the man's left wrist. Kallen noticed it too, though she raised a brow and turned her attention to the food items on the shelves.
"Alright: between the rope, food, water, and the whetstone, you can afford five boxes of three-fifty-seven and half a box of ten-milimeter," Chet began bartering with the man at the counter.
Lelouch tuned out the rest of the conversation, his gaze lingering on various boxes of preserved foods. Kallen nudged his arm, pointing to some sort of weapon with the label "Recharger Rfile... 57 Caps" resting below it. The two of them looked it over before they heard a heavy slam from the front counter. The two of them turned to see that the man had placed a large fuel tank on the counter. Lelouch could see Chet feeling the tank, weighing the item before nodding and taking the tank into the back.
Lelouch turned back, looking over the brands of canned food next to bottles of water and some soft drink called Nuka Cola.
"Do you really need all this ammo?" he heard Chet ask in an annoyed tone.
"Yes, I'll be heading north, and I'd rather have enough ammo to defend myself," The man replied, fully drawing Lelouch's attention.
"Well, fine then, I won't ask," Chet said before shrugging his shoulders and pulling another box of ammo out from under the counter.
Lelouch set a glance back to Kallen. She had also noticed the conversation and gave him an inquisitive look. "Do you think he'd guide us?" She whispered with a raised brow.
"Perhaps, but I do have ways to make him follow," Lelouch whispered back. He could Geass the man; the only real difficulty would be doing so without the other townsfolk noticing. Kallen was already giving him a suspicious look, so he had to be careful should he need to use his Geass.
The two of them glance back as the man set a bag full of caps on the counter and began counting them. Chet just set his elbows on the counter and slid the counted ones to his side of it. "We'll wait until they're done, then I'll ask," Lelouch said to Kallen, getting a nod from the redhead.
They went back to browsing, the steady jingle of Bottle Caps blending into the background as the two of them began grabbing supplies. They would have to ration their supplies; they could only carry so much, and the Caps Doc Mitchel gave him in exchange for the cape and suit were limited.
Then they heard another rumble, turning to see the man was now leaving with his supplies in bags and pouches...
Lelouch could also see a set of tinted goggles resting over his eyes, which would make it far more difficult for him to use his Geass.
Wordlessly, he and Kallen shuffled to the counter and set their supplies down in front of Chet. "Well, if it isn't Doc Mitchell's latest patients," Chet commented as he began checking the items. Lelouch could see Kallen frown as Chet checked over the cans. "Where are you two headed anyway?" Chet asked.
"North," Kallen replied.
"Really, don't you know how dangerous the road north of here is?" Chet asked as he vaguely gestured to Kallen's leg. Kallen glared at the store owner in response.
"We'll make due," Lelouch interrupted. Chet just shrugged before he began bringing up their total.
"Alright, with your food and water, that'll be two-hundred-seventy caps. Will you be getting anything else?" Chet asked.
"Nine-millimeter, two boxes," Kallen answered before Lelouch could answer.
"That will bring it up to three-hundred-forty caps," Chet replied. Lelouch pulled out the bag and began counting the caps. Chet reached down and set two boxes of nine-millimeter down with their supplies. Chet said nothing else as the last cap was placed on the counter, only flashing them a salesman smile.
Kallen got their supplies bagged as Lelouch tied the now lighter bag to his belt. 'If we want to keep our funds stable, we'll need to find some form of occupation quickly,' Lelouch noted as the two of them turned and left the general store.
"Come again," Chet called as they stepped through the door. Kallen sighed as Lelouch shook his head.
"Ok, now we have to..." Kallen trailed off as her gaze shifted to her left. Lelouch followed her gaze, finding the man from before leaning against the wall of the general store, looking right at them.
"You two need a guide?" he asked.
"How?" Kallen muttered as Lelouch narrowed his gaze.
'This man is more perceptive than he appears,' Lelouch noted.
"It's a small store," The man replied while looking over the computer on his left arm.
"We were heading for New Vegas before getting lost, if you'd be willing to guide us?" Lelouch started.
"How much are you paying?" The man asked. Lelouch ran a hand back to the cap bag, frowning under his mask at its weight. Kallen grit her teeth as she glanced at the cap bag before turning her gaze back to the man.
"Look, we're both headed north. Wouldn't it be safer to travel together?" Kallen asked.
"Fair point, but I'm only going as far as the Correctional facility," The man countered.
"Why the facility? Isn't that place full of those Powder Gangers?" Lelouch chimed in.
"Yes, but I have a good reason for going there," The man replied.
"If we act as backup for you while you head for the facility, would you stick by us while we head farther north?" Lelouch inquired.
The man said nothing, only pursing his lip while running a hand through his short beard. "Can you fight?" The man inquired.
"Yes," Kallen answered immediately.
"Alright, I'll guide you two north for a bit. We'll discuss the price later," The man said.
"Good, we have a deal," Lelouch said as the man held out a hand. Lelouch shook it as the man smiled.
"Then come on, if we hustle we can reach Sloan before nightfall," the man said.
Kallen turned to Lelouch, and Lelouch gave her a nod in response. 'One step closer. I can spend the night planning our next move,' Lelouch surmised as Kallen began to follow the man. Lelouch broke into a brisk walk to follow after them.