The Lost and the Broken (Updated 9/15/2020) No really!

[Wannatripbaby]

6 minutes ago, Aries said:

Big meany 

Though i am getting used to it coming from you haha

Yeah, sorry. I have this horrible tendency to rain on people's parades with my logic. I don't mean to, it just happens. 

But hey, maybe you can direct that frustrated sexual energy towards your writing?

[Guilend]

4 minutes ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Yeah, sorry. I have this horrible tendency to rain on people's parades with my logic. I don't mean to, it just happens. 

No worries, i find that we are the sane in that area, i just like to post things that might be funny or entertaining in some way for someone. Though a few years ago i was a lot more logical, but it seemed to block my creativity, though i didn't know that till resontly.

 

8 minutes ago, Wannatripbaby said:

But hey, maybe you can direct that frustrated sexual energy towards your writing? 

Which is why i started writting lol

[Wannatripbaby]

39 minutes ago, Aries said:

Though a few years ago i was a lot more logical, but it seemed to block my creativity, though i didn't know that till resontly.

I'm the exact opposite way: My creativity is at its best when I have something to analyze; To deconstruct an idea down to its core elements and see how they fit together. Although, like you, I didn't realize that until recently either.

[ELLIE52]

Following this motley crew through the Fallout Wasteland is especially fun for players of the Fallout franchise.  I'm having fun reading;  I too am wondering if there will be a time skip.

[Hades]

The dusty sign had originally read “Pride Reality Estates” back before the war. Oz had evidently got rid of the last part when he found the place. Now the sign was decorated with neon lights, and the once lavish estates were surrounded by metal walls and barbed wire. From the outside, the town of Pride seemed more like a fortress or prison than a town. 

 

Inside the walls painted a different picture. Even the least impressive house was light years nicer than anything they had seen in the wasteland. The town itself was bustling and seemed peaceful. Rain looked around at the many smiling and happy faces, at the men and women working together at stalls and in the fields, at the security watching the inside and outside vigilantly. She could see how unique Pride was compared to the ramshackle villages they normally worked for. It was a town worth protecting.

 

The team was lead through town to a large home at the end of town. Surprisingly not the biggest, but nice nonetheless. The house was decorated with old signs from the wastes, memorabilia from past battles, and the heads of mutated beasts. Faintly, they heard the radio playing. 

 

Oz was sitting in living room on a brown leather sofa. He had dark skin, cropped hair, and a short goatee. He was big too, as big as Gabe if not more, and from the looks of things he was more muscular as well. Even sitting he looked like a wall of muscle. Living up to his reputation, he had two scantily clad women on each leg. 

 

He rose as they approached, giving them a gleaming smile. “There they are! The heroes have arrived at last. Miles, you pale bastard, I’ve missed you. Now where is my Gabe? Get out of that armor you ugly bear, come give me a hug!”

 

Gabriel obliged and the two titans embraced as old friends. “I've missed this place. Looks better every time I see it.”

 

“Yeah. We've been working hard. Tore down some of the shitty places, used the parts to patch up the others. Crops are coming in good too. When’s the last time you had corn off the damn cob? We got it and we got a lot.”

 

Miles stepped up. “What's going on? We got up here as quickly as we could. I got to say, we're a bit concerned if you can’t handle it yourself.”

 

Oz gave a sad look. “I could handle it. I just don’t want to. It’s complicated anyway. We'll talk about it after dinner. Besides, I have to greet the lovely ladies!”

 

He pulled Tali and Miyuki close, with the women squirming unsuccessfully to escape. “Look at you two! More beautiful every time you grace me with your presence. You're gonna make my gals jealous.”

 

“Good to see you Oz.” Tali squeaked out.

 

“Watch your hand if you want to keep it, Oz!” Miyuki bristled.

 

“Oh….and who is that, hiding behind Rocco?” Oz asked as he moved closer. “I'll be damned, the rumors were true. Miles and crew got themselves a little princess traveling with them.”

 

Rain was already annoyed at how he treated Tali and Miyuki, and the princess comment literally had her fuming with rage. Oz seemed oblivious to all this as he sauntered up to her and with one arm swept her up, his forearm supporting her diapered bottom. 

 

“You are cute as a button, ain’t ya sweetiepie?” 

 

By this point, Rain was indignant. Giving him her coldest stare, she spoke in a low, dangerous tone. “Put me down before I rip out your eyes.”

 

The look seemed to work and he set her down immediately, looking apologetic. “Not much for teasing are you princess?”

 

“Don’t call me princess!”

 

“Of course Your Majesty. No doubt you want to stay incognito. Aw, damn, I did it again. Sorry.”

 

“The other rumors were true too.” Said one of the women with Oz, a redhead, as she lifted up Rain’s skirt.

 

Rain acted on instinct, grabbing the woman’s arm and twisting. The redhead screamed in pain and Rain raised her fist to teach her a lesson she wouldn’t forget.

 

Miles reached her first, pulling her back as Oz did the same with his girl. Kneeling down, he whispered into her ear. “Not here, not now. Go for a walk, get your head calm, and do it quick.”

 

“No Miles. Not her fault.” Oz said. “My girls should know better not to make my guests uncomfortable.”

 

Rain was still stinging from her rebuke from Miles, otherwise she might've laughed at Oz’s statement. 

 

“Maybe we should go eat, let everyone calm down a bit.” Rocco suggested.

 

“I agree. There's still business to discuss too. Can’t put it off forever.” Oz said gloomily.

 

Dinner was simple and delicious. Oz served up brahmin steaks that he had prepared and was particularly proud of. Not much was said and there was a tension in the air as they all waited for Oz to tell them why they were there.

 

Finally, Oz took a deep breath and began. “So  I don’t know if you've noticed, but my thriving community is a bit light nowadays. Last year a bunch of my men decided they wanted to go off on their own, made a big fuss about it. Anyway, I let them go, even gave them some supplies for the journey. I wasn’t going to force anyone to stay here. You remember a guy named Trenton? Used to be a guard here?”

 

“Vaguely.” Miles answered. “You'll need to fill in the blanks.”

 

“Well he's……how should I put this? He's a black guy like me….just not as handsome. Either way, he lead the charge and if I had to guess, he's probably running things there. For a long time, we didn’t hear anything at all. Recently though, they've been robbing my caravans, hurting trade for not just me, but all the neighboring villages. As you know, Pride is kinda the center. Last time they killed four of my guys. It needs to end.”

 

“You're asking us to kill them?” Miles asked.

 

“Bring them back if you can, kill them if they refuse, I don’t care so long as they stop. I’m not a man who takes betrayal lightly and I’m getting sick of this.”

 

Rocco looked up from his plate. “You got a boatload of guys outside. Why not just take care of it yourselves?”

 

“I could if I needed to. But those guys used to be friends and comrades. It puts my guys in an tough spot, and frankly, looks too much like civil war for my liking. They need to be stopped, but how comfortable will my guys be fighting their own? You stop this bickering, and you can name your price, ammo, money, whatever.”

 

Miles thought for moment, glancing around at the others. “We'll go talk to them and see what we can do. Hopefully, we can talk some reason into them.”

 

Oz nodded grimly. “When you get there, look for Dane, he might get you in. You remember him right?”

 

“I remember Dane.” Tali said. “He was a kind person, I can’t believe he got mixed up in this.”

 

“Yeah. He was a good one.” Oz paused and looked at Rain, who wore a confused look, as she didn’t know any of these people. “Dane is a reasonable sort. He’s…..well…..a black guy, but……”

 

“But not as handsome as you?” Miyuki asked sarcastically.

 

Oz smiled deviously. “Your words baby. You sure you don’t have a thing for me? I’m feeling some chemistry here.”

 

“I would rather be with a super mutant.” 

 

“You're into some weird stuff lady…..”

                     

 

                           *

“Miles? What the hell are you doing here?”

 

Miles smiled and shook the man’s hand. Dane had always been a good man, energetic, and full of a desire to make things better. He had seen better days. For someone just barely in his twenties, he had a haunted look in his eyes. Behind him were a bunch of ramshackle houses made from scrap metal and wood. Both Dane and some of the men he could see from outside the gate looked thin and sick.

 

“I heard about this beef you got with Oz. He asked me to mediate, come up with some agreement.”

 

Dane’s eyes looked past him, scanning the woods, perhaps afraid to see armed men at the tree line. Miles had instructed his team to remain hidden until he had a chance to size up the situation.

 

“I don’t think you should be here, Miles. Shit here has been going upside down here for a long time. It’s not safe here for you.”

 

“It’s not that simple. This has to stop and I need to understand. You're attacking your own people? I don’t get it.”

 

Dane shook his head. “What can I say, Miles? Trenton doesn't listen to me anymore. I’m half out the door as it is, he doesn’t want me here. He doesn't like my doubts.”

 

“People always respected you. Are you saying no one here has any issue with what’s been going on?”

 

“Sure they do. But everyone’s too afraid of Trenton to speak up, and terrified of what Oz will do if pushed too far. Seeing as how you're here, I guess they were right. Why are you here, Miles? Are you going to….”

 

“I just want to talk.” Miles said, putting a hand in the air. “Oz told me you can all come back. He's just trying to protect his people. Please let Trenton know I’m here to negotiate. Nobody wants things to get bloody.”

 

Dane looked down sadly. “I'll tell him, but I doubt he's interested in listening.”

                           *

“Do you think it's going well? I just saw Dane go back into the camp.” Tali said.

 

Miyuki was laying in the grass nearby, basking in the shade of a large tree. “Beats me. I hate all this waiting though. I wish we had just marched down there kicked their doors in.”

 

“No. We need to be smart here.” Gabriel said. “We want this to be peaceful. Not to mention there's more of them than us. I know we sorta thrive when outnumbered, but the terrain outside the village is flat. No trees or rocks to use as cover."

 

“I don’t care either way.” Rocco said. “I do feel like we're dressed up with no where to go. Some action would be appreciated.”

 

Rain didn’t find any enjoyment in the situation. Ever since they had arrived, she had been on edge. Normally, this would be a good thing, as danger was around every corner when they traveled. This felt different. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach that wouldn’t go away. Tali seemed nervous too, but she seemed to worry anytime Miles was away, so that was normal. Rain checked her weapons for the fourth time while she waited for Miles to return.

 

Miyuki sat up quickly, causing the others to jump up as well. “Did you hear something?”

 

Rain looked around and did her best to listen to her surroundings. Rocco saw them first, as armed men came from behind them. The forest suddenly came alive as they were fired upon. Sticking close to the trees, they fired back as much as they could, but they were outnumbered, with more men weaving through the forest every second. 

 

Tali had abandoned her rifle for an assault rifle and was making her way toward her, while Gabe marched to the front in his armor. Rain fired when she could, taking down three men who were shooting at Gabe. 

 

As usual, time seemed to slow in the heat of battle. What was probably only a few minutes, felt like hours. Slowly, they began to lose ground, being pushed closer to the village, and farther from the cover of the trees. 

 

“It’s a fucking no-man's land out there!” Rocco yelled. “We gotta stay in the forest!”

 

Gabe and his heavy firepower were the only thing keeping the wolves at bay, and Miles was nowhere to be found. Tali took a hit, but her armor seemed to absorb it. Miyuki and Rocco were nearly out of the forest, and Rocco’s arm was bleeding as he used his sword to combat the closest enemies. 

 

Rain was getting desperate, then she saw men rushing their way from the village. They were trapped. She saw something small and round sailing through the air coming right for them. Quickly realizing that it was a grenade, she aimed her pistol and fired. She missed twice, before her third shot hit, detonating it. Despite being in the air, the blast still knocked her heavily to the ground”

 

“Rain!” Tali screamed hysterically. “I'm coming, just hold on!” 

 

She got up slowly as Tali gave up fighting, and tried to run to her side. She got hit with a spray of bullets, but didn’t seem too hurt, although she was bleeding from her leg and both her arms. Rain ran to her and reached her, but by then it was too late. They were completely surrounded and someone had a gun to the back of her head. With no other choice, they slowly laid down their weapons. Gabriel was forced out of his suit and their hands were bound in front of them. The fight was over.

                        *

Inside the village, the team was reunited. Miles was similarly bound, and they were lead to a small house. The man called Dane was inside, looking mournful. They were forced to their knees, and Rain’s swollen diaper was more noticeable than she would have liked.

 

Dane looked down at them, his frustration evident. “I’m sorry, Miles. As soon as he heard you were here, he sent the men out the back to flank your team. He knew they had to be close. I didn't know.”

 

Miles was completely calm. “What happens now?”

 

“Now? Now, I try and get Trenton to let you go back to Oz. Now, I try to convince him to not kill you.”

 

Tali was still bleeding heavily, but had at least been given a stim-pack. She looked up from the floor, her face looking just slightly afraid. Not for herself, but for the others, and for Rain especially.

 

“Why did you leave Pride? You had a good life there. Was it something he did?”

 

Dane looked at his feet. “No. I hate to say it, but it was jealously plain and simple. When we followed Oz all those years ago, most of us were just kids, lured by his idea making a truly safe community. He picked people to join us who had skills. Farmers, doctors, people like that. We were the muscle, and when everything was said and done I was proud, I was proud of what we helped to create.”

 

“What went wrong? Why leave?” Rain asked.

 

“Oz is a great guy, he is. He's a leader, and anyone whose met him can tell. He's got that charm, and he really cares about his people. But…..after a while, when everyone started just looking to Oz…I guess it felt like we were forgotten. We just wanted to make something that was ours, something out of the shadow of the great Oz.”

 

“Hate to tell ya, but this place is a dump.” Rocco said.

 

“Everything went wrong once we got here. We had trouble finding supplies to make homes. Our crops failed and we burned through the rations that Oz gave us. We traded for what we needed at first, but after a while, we just didn’t have enough to trade.”

 

A man came in the room, along with two guards. “You're wasting your time Dane. We don’t have to explain ourselves to these killers.”

 

“Trent, man, just let them go back to Oz. This has gotten out of control. They came to make peace.”

 

Trenton laughed grimly, one hand pulling out a large caliber pistol. Rain noticed right away that it belonged to Miles. The black handgun had been decorated with a gold trim, and there was some small, gold writing near the trigger. It was unique and clearly custom made. Of course, like all things with Miles, he wouldn’t say where he got it.

 

Trenton had it now, and he slowly walked along his line of prisoners, looking like a wolf surveying his next meal. “You think Oz sent them here to make peace? That’s pretty naïve even for you, Dane. You don’t send someone like Miles and his squad of….of assassins….if you want to make peace. They came to kill us, because Oz is too much of a coward to do it himself.”

 

Miyuki snorted. “You fuckin serious? He has five times the numbers. He could squash you like bugs, and you know it.”

 

Trenton walked over and kicked her in the ribs, hard enough that she screamed out. Rain struggled to free her hands. She was furious over such treatment. Trenton stopped in front of her next, and pointed the gun directly in her face. She tried to be brave, but staring down the weapon was too much, and she averted her eyes.

 

“Looks like your new member isn’t all that tough, Miles. Maybe you shouldn’t recruit so young, eh?”

 

Tali stood up and would have rushed him if the guards hadn’t stopped her. “I'll show you tough, you son of a bitch! Don’t you fucking touch her!”

 

Rain was shocked at the anger in her voice. Tali was always so sweet and soft-spoken. Trenton turned on her next, kicking her over and over. He wouldn’t stop, even when she had fallen to the ground and stopped moving. Rain felt something boiling in her, a force she couldn’t explain. She felt at any minute, it would burst forth from her. But Dane stepped in finally.

 

“Fuck man, leave her already. These guys used to help us! You’ve lost it.”

 

Trenton pushed him aside. “I'm the one thinking clearly! I lead this group, not you! Everything here is my accomplishment!”

 

“Your accomplishment….your responsibility, Trenton.” Miles said carefully, his eyes slowly leaving Tali’s beaten body. “Think carefully about your next move. Very carefully.”

 

Trenton stood there, nearly shaking with rage. “I have thought, Miles. I think…..I finally realize what I should do.”

 

He raised the pistol and fired three bullets into Miles’ chest. One bullet passed through him and blood poured from his back and pooled around him. As Rain looked on in horror, Miles fell backward, his eyes empty and lifeless.
 

[ELLIE52]

dang, I don't even know what to say  Good chapter, but what will happen next?

Hey, there's a new Fallout 76 multiplayer game coming out.  The graphics on the trailer are absolutely amazing.

[YourFNF]

34 minutes ago, vampire4 said:

 

 

“Your accomplishment….your responsibility, Trenton.” Miles said carefully, his eyes slowly leaving Tali’s beaten body. “Think carefully about your next move. Very carefully.”

 

Trenton stood there, nearly shaking with rage. “I have thought, Miles. I think…..I finally realize what I should do.”

 

He raised the pistol and fired three bullets into Miles’ chest. One bullet passed through him and blood poured from his back and pooled around him. As Rain looked on in horror, Miles fell backward, his eyes empty and lifeless.

 

Damnnnnnn I was not expecting that.

 

My only complaint is that I feel like there wasn't a proper location transition one minute they're at the guys house the next they're at the village. Altough I think that could be fixed by making a clearer paragraph break.

[Hades]

Yeah, I see that now. It looked different in my document, and I somehow missed it in editing. As for the rapid shift, it's really just because I don't have filler for the road. I'll admit I was wanting to get to the action too. 

 

I also feel like I should have maybe stopped the chapter after meeting Oz. I feel the finale sorta stole his thunder, and that's a shame,m because I personally like Oz.

[Wannatripbaby]

Miiiiiiiiillllesssssssssss!!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guilend]

3 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Miiiiiiiiillllesssssssssss!!!!!!!!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just wait, we will find out soon how Miles survived, when the rest of his team died, whatever they were called back the. I bet he's some sort of mutant.

I like it, there might have been room for the road scene, but i don't believe it was necessary 

[Wannatripbaby]

12 minutes ago, Aries said:

Just wait, we will find out soon how Miles survived, when the rest of his team died, whatever they were called back the. I bet he's some sort of mutant.

True, I have my doubts V4 would kill him off like. I'm not saying he wouldn't, but I have my doubts.

[CDfm]

Wow those were some fantastic new chapters! I am not yet going to accept that Miles is gone. He may have been hit hard but he can’t be gone yet. I believe that Rain is going to tap into her as yet undiscovered powers and not only save Miles but defeat Trenton as well.  This was well worth a like and I need to keep watching to ensure I don’t fall behind with this story again. 

[Hades]

“Fuck……Shit, Trent. What the fuck have you done?” Dane asked. He had crouched against the wall, his hands held over his mouth.

 

Trenton didn’t answer right away. His eyes were locked on Miles, as though he was trying to confirm what he had done. “I…..just sent a message. We're gonna send his body….back to Oz….in twelve fucking different pieces, and then he'll see that were not to be fucked with.”

 

Rain sat numb as the two argued. She couldn’t look at the body, she didn’t want to see his dead eyes looking at nothing. Miles was more than just her leader. He was her savior. He had brought her in when she had nowhere to go. More than that, he had been a symbol of strength. Miles the Deathless, a man most believed unable to die. That epitaph had been proven wrong.

 

She herself had bore witness to his seemingly impossible luck. Every fight they had entered, he had never been hurt. But, he was gone now, his bullet ridden body was proof of that. She unconsciously moved away as the pool of blood spread toward her.

 

Tali woke up and opened her eyes and saw Miles. She couldn’t look at his body long either. “Oh, Miles.” She moaned as she began quietly sobbing.

 

Dane charged Trenton, but his guards moved forward and kept him at bay. “Miles was our friend! How many times did he help us out back at Pride?!”

 

“That's why he had to die. Oz needs to know we're serious.” Trenton said. “The only question now is what to do with the others. I think we should put a bullet in each one, send them all back. Or maybe we should just cut them up a bit, what do you prefer, Dane?”

 

“Careful brothers.” Rocco said to the guards. “You go any further and you’re signing your death warrants.”

 

Trenton pointed to him. “Looks like we got a volunteer. Pick him up.”

 

“I warned you. Do your worst. I’m ugly enough as it is. Anything you do to me will be a fuckin makeover.”

 

“No!” Dane cried. “Stop while you can. When Oz hears about this, he won’t have any mercy. He'll crush us. For once, would you just listen to me?!”

 

“I'm done listening to you!” Trenton exploded. “You're weak, Dane. You don’t have what it takes to be a leader, to make the tough choices.”

 

Trenton stopped for a moment. “The ghoul’s right. He's too ugly to send a message. Maybe we'll send Gabe here back blind? Or maybe we should make one of these pretty ladies a bit less pretty? Yeah, I like that. Grab the Asian.”

 

The guards hauled Miyuki up and forced her against the wall. Trenton put his gun up against the palm of her right hand. Miyuki was taking deep breaths, preparing herself for what was to come.

 

“Rocco…” She said, the slight quake in her voice betraying her anxiety.

 

“I'm right here, babe. Keep looking at me.” Rocco was angry, Rain could feel it. 

 

Rain closed her eyes, but she still heard the shot, and Miyuki’s  following screams. Gabriel was fuming, looking from Miyuki, back to Miles. He wanted to do something to stop it, but he couldn't. None of them could.

 

Then they heard it. A low timbered moan. Everyone turned and looked at Miles. His body had arched up and was convulsing like a puppet dancing on strings. Trenton, Dane, and the two guards stood motionless, too surprised or terrified to react.

 

Rain was afraid too, watching as Miles finally rose up to his feet. His still convulsing body began spitting out blood, and Rain saw both bullets forced out of his body, saw the flesh repair itself until there was no evidence he had ever been hurt. His head flipped back and he let out an almost inhuman scream.

 

“Now!” Gabe yelled before launching himself at one of the guards. Rocco followed and tackled the second guard. 

 

With everything falling apart around him, Trenton finally rose his gun, but by then it was too late. Dane, seeing his chance, grabbed the gun from him, as Miles finally opened his eyes and latched his bound hands around his throat. Rain was sitting totally still as the chaos happened. The guards had been disarmed and Trenton was feebly trying to fight back. Miles held him tightly, until Rain heard a cracking noise and he stopped moving at last.

 

When it was all over, Trenton and the guards were dead, and Dane was alone, surrounded by bodies. Miles sat down heavily against the wall, still weak and struggling for breath. Rocco was wrapping Miyuki’s injured hand, and Tali had managed to get up to check on Miles.

 

Gabriel came and untied her bonds. He could see the questions swirling in her mind, and he stopped her with a look. “I don’t know. I don’t how he does it, and he's not likely to tell anyone. Now's not the time, kid, so let’s focus on the task at hand.”

 

Rain stood up and was a bit disheartened by how far her diaper sagged. Between the fight in the woods and the show inside, it had been hours since she had been changed. That she hadn’t leaked was astounding, but it was definitely at that point. With Tali and Miyuki hurt, she needed to find some time to clean up before it was too late.

 

They had all known this was going to happen. That's why none of them had seemed all that upset when he had “died”. There was a mystery here that she wasn’t seeing, and Miles was far from what he had seemed.

 

Dane had slumped into a corner. “What happens now, Miles? After all of this, what the hell happens now?”

 

Miles had his eyes closed, Tali was checking his chest where he had taken the bullets. He spoke slowly and with difficulty. “Get the rest of our weapons. Then we leave….everyone. We kill anyone who resists and wants to stay. I'm tired of all this, no more playing around.”

 

“What the fuck are you, Miles? You were dead, I saw it. I've never seen someone just get up after being pumped with lead like that. That shit don't happen.”

 

Miles didn’t answer. He opened his eyes with a look of exhaustion. Whatever he had done, it had drained him. He merely shook his head wearily. 

 

“That's some freaky shit, man. It's like one of those old slasher vids I saw a kid.”

 

Gabe hauled Dane to his feet. “It’s time to go. Get our weapons and let’s round up the others. For their sakes, I hope they listen to reason.”

 

Dane hesitated at the door. “Oz will kill us, Miles. If you make us go back…..He'll kill all of us.”

 

Miles shook his head. “I give you my word, you'll be perfectly safe. As long as his people are safe, he won't seek revenge. I promise.”

 

Dane didn’t seem convinced, but headed out either way. Tali was whispering something to Miles, and Rain was surprised to see how frazzled she looked. Gabe helped Miles up and they headed out the door where Dane was waiting. 

 

With their weapons in hand and Dane leading the way, they headed out to a gathering of confused and scared men, nervously fingering the triggers of their weapons. Dane put up a hand to calm them.

 

“It’s over. Trent is dead…..I’m done guys. I’m done with this place, this mess. Oz will let all of us come back, so I’m going….and I urge all of you too as well.”

 

Maybe it was Dane’s words, or maybe they were all just as tired of fighting their friends, of being hungry and growing sick and weak. Rain figured the decision was made when they saw their former prisoners armed and ready for blood.

 

Gabriel stepped forward, once again in his armor, with his weapon raised. “We need you to drop your weapons if you're gonna come with us.”

 

Rain and Miyuki spread out a bit to cover Gabriel, while Rocco lifted his shotgun with one hand and held up Miles with the other. Tali watched the exchange nervously.

 

Slowly, they began to lower their guns. One by one until a group of maybe twenty men stood helpless before them. It was a unique feeling that had Rain giddy. Normally when Miles got involved there was mercy and no prisoners. These men however, would live and hopefully repent for their misdeeds. It was a nice feeling to not leave death and destruction behind wherever they went.

 

Dane wore a sad expression as he moved forward to his people. “Let's go home.”

                             

                             *

It didn’t take long for them to leave the broken village. Their prisoners worked in silence and packed what meager possessions they had and then they headed out. Rain had finally gotten a clean diaper first, although she had to do it herself, which was a weird change.

 

Rocco and Miyuki were close to each other as usual, and she seemed to be recovering fairly well, though her hand had been wrapped heavily. Miles walked with Gabe and Dane at the head of the caravan. He looked horrible, like he was liable to pass out at any moment, and he had developed a terrible cough that stopped him in his tracks whenever they happened. 

 

Rain held Tali close, the beaten woman practically leaning on her. Despite her injuries, her gaze was constantly on Miles. She worried about him so much it was almost scary, but in a sweet way. 

 

“Are you okay?” Rain asked.

 

Tali looked at her as though she had forgotten she was there. Her face was bruised and there was still dried blood on her chin. “I'm okay. It’s just Miles….I worry y’know? I shouldn't though. He always comes back. But I worry about anyway, in case…..he doesn’t come back next time.”

 

Her voice was thick with emotion, and Rain hugged her close as they kept moving.  Tali’s eyes never left Miles. Not for a second. “It’s weird to be bringing them all back like this. It’s not what we normally do.”

 

Tali smiled at that. “I know that Miles thinks he needs to kill in order to serve justice, but in all honesty I like this approach better. We don’t have to stoop to their level every time. I'd like to believe that justice can be tempered with mercy.”

 

Rain smiled. “Yeah. I like that too.”

 

They travelled until the sun began to set before they set up camp. The night was a grim time. Trenton’s men sat with a numb anticipation. Despite all the promises, they couldn’t yet believe that Oz would let them come back. They huddled together as Gabe stood watch over them nearby. The old warrior had kept a strict vigil over them since they left. His finger was always near the trigger of his weapon, and he made sure they knew it.

 

Rain had been quickly changed by Tali before she went to find Miles, who had built his tent far from the others before going into seclusion. It was clear he wanted space, but the Scottish woman marched toward him with confidence. 

 

Rain laid down on a cool patch of grass, looking up at the stars. It was peaceful moment and she reveled in the quiet. She opened her eyes and looked over at the camp where Miyuki had fallen asleep with her head in Rocco’s lap. The ghoul met her eyes and gave a wink. Those two had a strange connection and she wondered how they had come together, and what made Miyuki so fiercely loyal to him. 

 

Her thoughts were broken as Dane sat down beside her, his gaze looking to the stars as well. Rain couldn't say why for sure, but she liked the man. The fact that he had raged against their ill treatment was certainly a plus.

 

“It's beautiful isn’t it?” He asked softly. “I love looking at the stars.”

 

Rain nodded. “I never really paid much attention before. Now I wonder how I could have missed them.”

 

For a few minutes, they sat in silence, enjoying the view. There wasn’t much around the camp either. There were a few buildings, but they were all in shambles. Aside from that, there was only empty roads and fields.

 

Dane looked over and laid down as well, propped up on his elbow. “Want to hear something funny?”

 

“Sure. Is it embarrassing cause I think you’re blushing a bit.”

 

“A little I guess. When I was a kid, I used to look up every night at the stars, and wish I could go there. It was this weird dream that could never shake. I guess I hoped that maybe things would be better up there, away from all this shit.”

 

“We can’t get up there. It’s impossible.”

 

“Not at all. I went to this old building once called a library, filled with books. One of them had pictures of humans up there, on the moon. It can be done.”

 

Rain suppressed a giggle. “That’s crazy! How could people even get up there?”

 

“They went up in these big ships called rockets, just blasted off right into the sky. If things go well with Oz, I’m gonna build one.”

 

Rain doubted that would ever happen, but she liked that he had a dream, so she only smiled at him. “If you ever do make a rocket, take me with you, yeah? I’d like to visit the moon.”

 

Dane laughed. “You bet! I heard from the boys you can handle yourself, I’ll need you to protect me. What if there are moon-monsters up there?”

 

He left a bit later and Rain stretched as she made her way to her own tent. She was tired and excited at the reunion at Pride. As she laid down, her hand wandered to her diaper, feeling the plastic idly as she wondered if she would ever make it to the moon.
 

[ELLIE52]

Interesting chapter.  The part where he comes back but he may not next time reminded me of Game of Thrones.  Fallout meets GoT.  Looking forward to the next chapter for more explanation.

[Guilend]

I do love it, i figured he had something going on. I remembered that you mentioned after just about every fight scene that he never had a mark on him. Great chapter.

[Wannatripbaby]

I know why Miles can't be killed:

He's important to the main quest.

*Shoots Miles with 87 mini-nukes*

Miles is unconscious.

[YourFNF]

12 hours ago, vampire4 said:

“Fuck……Shit, Trent. What the fuck have you done?” Dane asked. He had crouched against the wall, his hands held over his mouth.

 

Rain nodded. “I never really paid much attention before. Now I wonder how I could have missed them.”

He left a bit later and Rain stretched as she made her way to her own tent. She was tired and excited at the reunion at Pride. As she laid down, her hand wandered to her diaper, feeling the plastic idly as she wondered if she would ever make it to the moon.
 

Damn that was cool, saw it coming, but still cool. I'm guessing Miles was some kind of prewar super soldier experiment.

[Guilend]

41 minutes ago, YourFNF said:

Damn that was cool, saw it coming, but still cool. I'm guessing Miles was some kind of prewar super soldier experiment.

Either that or during the last battle of his first group where he was the lone survivor something happened that caused it. Maybe after that battle he was experimented on by that other guy and he finally escaped, leaving him unkillable

[Hades]

The guards of Pride were less welcoming upon their return. Their glances were mixed between recognition and barely concealed hostility. Their former friends kept their eyes down, moving sluggishly through town. The villagers were even more hostile to the group, with many shouting curses, and others sending more tangible objects their way, like rotten vegetables or other garbage. The twenty or so prisoners endured the shame, knowing they deserved it, but Rain still found it hard to watch. She kept her face impassive like the others, her weapon on their backs, but it felt wrong.

 

Miles stopped suddenly as a coughing fit nearly brought him to his knees. Tali rushed to his side. Rain paused as well while the procession moved forward. Miles held his hand to his mouth, and when he drew it away, Rain was sure she saw blood in his palm. He met her eyes with his own cold blue ones, and she moved on rather than keep his gaze. 

 

They reached Oz’s house finally. Oz was waiting, sitting in a leather chair. His friendly demeanor was gone as he looked over the group. His gaze lingered on the prisoners, searching their faces. None would meet his eyes aside from Dane. Oz grimaced as he looked at Miles and the team. He saw Miyuki’s hand and the bruises on Tali’s face. His hand clenched his chair and even sitting, he seemed to grow even bigger than his already enormous size. Dane swallowed nervously, sensing his anger.

 

Rain reached over and grabbed his hand, giving him a wink. “It's gonna be okay. Just be honest, he'll understand. You didn’t want any of this.”

 

“You have something to say to me, Dane?” Oz asked stonily. Four of his own guards had entered the room quietly, and he nodded for them to take positions around the room, which was growing uncomfortably full.

 

Dane stepped forward at last. “I didn't want any bad blood between us Oz. The shit that went down…..we just got desperate…..Trenton lost it. We were just along for the ride.” 

 

Oz leaned forward, his voice low and strained. “You wanted to leave, and I let you. Then you started robbing me…..and still, I let it go.” His voice was raising steadily, as Dane shrunk beneath his gaze. “You wanna tell me what the fuck lead you ingrates to murder four of my people?!”

 

“We didn’t want that! The situation got out of control.” Dane protested weakly.

 

“It got out of control?! Is that what I should tell the families of the men you killed?”

 

“It was Trent. I keep telling you, we didn’t want any of that.”

 

The room was silent for a while. Rain focused on not shuffling in her nervousness, as her diaper’s crinkle was outrageously loud. She knew for a fact that Tali could hear, because she came and put an arm around her protectively, which also helped keep her still.

 

Oz took a deep breath. “So everything was Trent’s fault, yeah? In all the time you were over there, with all the shit that was going on, you didn’t once think to come to me?”

 

“I should have. I should have taken anyone who would've followed and came back. I just….I didn’t want to give up on what we were building, and by the time I knew how bad things were, everyone was too afraid of what Trent would do if we tried to leave. I’m sorry, brother. I can’t tell you how much.”

 

Oz sat in silence as he considered what had been said. “And all of this?” he asked, gesturing to Miyuki and Tali. “What happened there? Why were the people I sent to make peace treated so roughly?”

 

Miles stepped up. “The one’s responsible have been dealt with. They're dead, along with Trent. He was too far gone. Dane tried to stop it.”

 

Oz sighed and stood up, walking to Dane with his arms open. The two embraced for a long moment before they separated. “ I love you, brother.”

 

Dane let out a breath of relief. “I love you too. Thanks…..for giving us another chance. I promise, we'll find a way to make up for everything.”

 

Oz returned to his seat silently. Dane and Rain exchanged smiles as he headed to the door.

 

“One more thing, Dane.” Oz said from his seat. 

 

They all turned back and saw the gun in his hand. Before anyone could speak, a shot rang out and Dane fell in a red mist, a hole in his head. Miles and the others pulled their weapons out, as did the guards in the room. 

 

None of that mattered to Rain as she looked at Dane’s body. She ran to Oz, who had stood after firing, hitting him over and over in the chest ineffectually. Her blows weren’t meant to harm, but she was mad with grief and it was all she could do.

 

“You asshole! You murdering piece of shit! How could you do that?! He came to apologize, he said he was sorry!” She bawled through tears.

 

Oz allowed her to hit him for a bit before gently catching her wrists. He didn’t look at her, keeping his eyes on Miles, who had his gun pointed at him. Rain was still crying as she slid to the floor.

 

Miles kept the weapon him, unconcerned about the gun at the back of his head. “Dammit Oz, I told them they would be safe!”

 

“A stupid promise then, considering it wasn’t yours to make. I never made any offers of immunity.” He gestured to his guards to lower their weapons. “Take the others out of town and put them down. Bury them deep."

 

Gabriel looked back and forth between Miles and Oz, looking conflicted. “What the hell is this, Oz?”

 

"Justice. You know what that looks like."

 

The guards left with the prisoners in tow. They looked at Dane mournfully as they left, resigned to their fate. Miles and the others slowly lowered the weapons as well. There was nothing left to do.

 

“There’s a guest house about a street over.” Oz said quietly, glancing down at the crying girl at his feet. “You can stay the night there while I get a suitable reward together for you. I'm sorry it had to go down this way, Miles, but I won't let murderers back on my streets.”

 

Tali and Rocco came and collected Rain from the floor. She looked at Oz angrily, with tears in her eyes. He kept her gaze as they left the building. A guard was outside waiting for them. He lead them to the guest house without a word. As soon as they arrived, Rain pulled herself from Tali and ran to the first empty room she could find, locking the door behind her. She laid on the bed as she continued to cry. No one tried to follow her.

 

She grabbed her stuffed bear from her bag, deciding against changing her diaper for the moment. She hugged the bear to her, wanting more than anything to get Dane’s face from her mind. After a lot of crying, she fell into a troubled sleep.

                             *

She woke sometime late in the night. Her diaper was full and cold, but that wasn't what woke her. She could hear a muffled coughing coming from another room. She got off the bed and left her room. She was still curious about Miles and the blood she had seen him cough up earlier. She moved down the hallway quietly, not completely sure why she was sneaking. The other rooms were empty, and she didn’t know where the others were. As she got closer to the room, she could hear Tali’s voice, and she sounded scared. 

 

“This is bad, Miles. This thing is destroying your body from the inside. The side effects are getting worse every time.”

 

“I'm fine. It'll calm down, it always does. Have you thought about what would happen if we removed it?”

 

“Shit, Miles, I don’t know about any of this. I'm an amateur doctor and decent mechanic. I’ve never seen anything like this before, nobody has. That tech is something totally different from anything in the wasteland. I doubt Gabe even knows what it is, but you won’t tell him anyway.”

 

“We know what it’s based off of.” Miles said.

 

“I know that you're too reckless. You can’t keep thinking this thing will save you no matter what.”

 

Rain slipped closer to the door, gently turning the knob. Through the crack, she saw Tali pacing back and forth. Miles was without his shirt, and Rain could see right away what had Tali so scared. His right arm was an almost transparent and sickly yellow. She could see his veins from his shoulder to nearly his elbow, like purple snakes running down his arm. She watched as another fit of coughing doubled him over. She could see bits of blood as Tali rushed to his side. With great effort, he got back on his feet, wiping angrily at the blood on his chin.

 

“I’m scared, Miles. I….I don’t know what to do here. I don’t want to lose you……I couldn’t take it.” 

 

Rain watched as Tali laid her head on his chest, and she knew her caretaker was crying. Miles held her close for a while, then he gently took her head in his hands and kissed her deeply on the lips.

 

“I'm not going to lie to you. I don’t…..I’m not sure how much longer I have, how many more times I have. I'm not going anywhere, if I can help it. That’s why I have you to help keep me together.” Miles said softly. “I love you, Tali. Don’t give up on me yet. I can’t do this without you.”

 

She shouldn’t have been surprised, it answered a lot of questions. Rain was glad Tali had someone to make her feel beautiful, especially with everything the woman did for the team and for her. She wondered if the others knew. 

 

 Their conversation had given a lot more questions than it answered, but they would need to wait. She turned to leave, but suddenly the tapes on her diaper gave out, the diaper falling to the ground with a loud plop. 

 

She heard their whispering cease as she scooped up the wet garment and hustled back to her room. She shut the door quietly before she got in bed, slipping the cold diaper back under herself with a wince. She pulled it back over herself and closed her eyes, hoping nobody came after her. 

 

But if course Tali came in a minute later. Rain pretended to be asleep, hoping she would leave. It was quiet as Tali walked slowly around the room. Rain felt the bed shift as Tali sat down. 

 

Tali sighed. “I'm pretty sure your door was locked before, yet somehow here I am.”

 

Rain cursed herself for the error, but still kept up the charade, more out of stubbornness than anything else. 

 

“I know a little girl whose faking sleep when I see one. The gig is up, cutie.”

 

Rain gave up at last, opening her eyes and sitting up. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It's okay. How are you doing? You took Dane’s death pretty hard.”

 

“I'm alright. I keep seeing it….over and over.”

 

Tali nodded. “Can I ask you….how much you heard down the hall there? Your diaper left a wet mark on the floor, so I know you were there.”

 

“Just…..a bit.” Rain said quietly. “I heard Miles coughing. I wanted to make sure he was okay.”

 

Tali stood and got a new diaper. “Let’s get you changed, alright? Then Miles needs to talk to you.”

 

Rain laid back as she was cleaned thoroughly and a new diaper was put under her. She was glad to be dry, but she was worried about what happened next. Would Miles be angry that she eavesdropped? She sighed as Tali rubbed the sweet smelling powder into her skin before taping the diaper up. 

 

She was led out of the room, in just a shirt and her diaper, not really thinking of protesting. Miles was waiting for her. He had put a shirt on, but she could still the sickness in his arm.

 

He sat in a chair and pointed for her to sit on the bed. She sat down with Tali and looked nervously at Miles. He didn’t say anything for a while, he just stared at his feet. He looked up and looked her in the eyes.

 

“I know you heard some of our conversation. I also know you have questions, specifically about me. What you are about to hear will make you the only person besides Tali who will know the truth.”
 

[YourFNF]

11 minutes ago, vampire4 said:

 

“I know you heard some of our conversation. I also know you have questions, specifically about me. What you are about to hear will make you the only person besides Tali who will know the truth.”
 

This should be good (grabs popcorn)

[Wannatripbaby]

DM: Rain, I need you to make a Stealth Check.

Rain: ... Crit fail. 

DM: *Snickers* You're decision not to change earlier finally comes back to bite you as the tapes of your heavily-soaked diaper finally give out and it lands on the floor with a loud *PLOP!*

Rain: Shit! I uhh... I grab the diaper and attempt to quietly rush back to my room and pretend I'm asleep.

DM: Roll Stealth and Preformence

Rain: ... 19 and... 20!

DM: (Cursing internally as she needs to get caught to set up the plot for the next chapter) Ugh, Roll... Intelligence.

Rain: Umm... 8?

DM: While your acting skills WOULD'VE been enough to fool her, you forgot to lock your door which was definitely locked before you went to bed, exposing your charade.

Rain: I hate you.

[Hades]

Lol. Nobody is mourning poor Dane's passing I see. Everyone is too interested in Miles. 

[Wannatripbaby]

Well, we didn't really KNOW Dane very well. We know he was a fairly nice guy, and that he didn't want anone to get hurt. But 2 chapters isn't really long enough to get so attached to a minor character that you mourn them. At least not for me. 

[Hades]

Fair enough. I actually have most of the next chapter written, but I didn't want the overload to take too much away from the happenings in Pride. Maybe I'll put up the next chapter sooner. Who knows?

[Wannatripbaby]

20 minutes ago, vampire4 said:

Fair enough. I actually have most of the next chapter written, but I didn't want the overload to take too much away from the happenings in Pride. Maybe I'll put up the next chapter sooner. Who knows?

You already have a "reputation" (at least with your followers) for being an infrequent poster. I don't mean that in accusatory way. Not everyone can be a Sophie & Pudding or a bbykimmy. I say that to say, maybe limit yourself to 1 chapter a week? That way it will give you time to work on making a backlog and your fans might not have to go MONTHS without an update if something happens in your real life to prevent you from writing (As does tend to happen.)

Just my 2 cents.