Jump to content
LL Medico Diapers and More Bambino Diapers - ABDL Diaper Store

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


Recommended Posts

  • 3 weeks later...

It turned out that winter was not so awesome. Surprisingly enough, it turned out that spending weeks inside a stone compound with the same people, with no ability to go outside, could turn pretty maddening after a while. But it was the boredom really. That was the worst part for sure.

 

Oh sure, some of them found things to keep busy. Miyuki pushed herself to her limits everyday. Training, practicing, beating the punching bag until she nearly tore it from the ceiling. It looked exhausting, but Miyuki seemed to enjoy herself.

 

Tali buried herself in her work, inventing stuff and working on tech. She wanted to work on Mr. Happy, but the robot refused to let her near. Rain didn't blame him. Tali was a genius to be sure, but a lot of her inventions had a habit of blowing up. The first few times anyway. Tali also spent some time making medicinal chems like stim-packs.

 

Gabriel was the only one who went outside, his power armor let him roam the outside, through the feet of snow that would burn a person's skin. He would be gone for weeks, coming back with supplies or scrap. When he wasn't outside, he was in the garage fixing his armor, sometimes upgrading it.

 

For the first week or so, Rain thought Miles would go crazy with all the sitting around. He paced about the place like a caged animal, his thoughts a whirlwind. His anger was always bubbling just under the surface. Then one day he just…..stopped. He stopped and settled down and did……nothing. He just sat back and relaxed day after day after day, and that was the most surprising thing Rain had seen. He seemed totally at peace from the outside anyway.

 

Rain was stuck doing nothing. She didn't have the skills to really help the others. As a result she tended to end up getting in the way. Even Tali had “suggested” she find someone else to help. She had read all of her books twice over. She cleaned all the armor and weapons even. But eventually there was nothing to do but stare at the ceiling. She didn’t want to sleep. Her sleep was plagued by nightmares of her shapeless, formless past. So she did nothing.

 

 Pulling a Miles is what she called it. The only problem was she sucked at it. She felt like she was going crazy. Then there was Rocco. He sat in his room down the hall and added to her madness. He drank constantly. Maybe he was the only one that cabin fever was affecting more, but it didn’t change the fact that he was becoming a huge pain in her diapered ass.

 

His damn whistling had started up again. Every time he did it, Rain felt like her head would split open. There was something…..something about the tune that filled her with such a sense of dread. And he knew it too. Normally he refrained from doing it, although he would occasionally whistle the song as he was about to finish off an enemy.

 

Rain pulled her pillow over her head, trying to block it out. Why did it hurt her head so much?! When finally she could stand it no longer, she rose from her bed and stomped over to the ghoul’s room.

 

He was in an…..unflattering position to say the least. Clad in only a shirt and boxers, his legs resting upwards against his bed, his back on the floor. It looked as though he had fallen from his bed, and simply not bothered to get up. He lay there amongst piles of bottles of every conceivable type of alcohol.

 

Rocco groaned as he saw her, stopping his infernal whistling. “Puddles! Look everyone, Miss Puddles is here to visit! How’s the winter treating you, Puddles?”

 

Rain clenched her fists and sighed, trying her best to remember that this was the man who had saved her, not just once, but many times since. Still, she hated that nickname. Rocco had thought it up one drunken night and he just loved it. Puddles was not only a play on her name, but also a jab at her condition, as she tended to make….puddles, albeit in diapers.

 

She clutched the side of her head, ignoring the pounding in skull. “You have to stop that whistling, Rocco, you have to stop! I can't take it anymore!”

 

“Oh Puddles! This again? I don't…..get it. It’s a lovely tune, don’t you think? You could use some song in your life, really.”

 

“You know it bothers me. I hate that stupid song! It's like you do it on purpose. Why are you like this? All the drinking, all day, every day. Why?!”

 

Rocco closed his eyes. “Not all of us do so well being cooped up. Too much time….to think. I need action, Puddles.”

 

Rain didn’t know what to say. Seeing Rocco in this condition was just…..sad. “You're going stir crazy, I get it. I am too, believe me. But you can't keep this up. Look at yourself! You're a mess.”

 

Rocco didn’t respond at first. He tried to get right side up, but ended up slipping. Rain sighed to herself and helped him back into bed. He looked like he was fading fast.

 

“My mother used to sing that song to us, me and my brother. We didn’t have a pot to piss in, but we had each other I guess. When she died and I left home, that song was the only thing I brought with me. I can't……I don't remember the words anymore though, just the tune. So now I make sure it's the last thing people hear before I kill them, a little taste of home.”

 

“That's a real sweet story, Roc, but you.......you can’t do it around me. Every time I hear it……my head……hurts. No more, okay?”

 

He groaned again, shoving his face into his pillow. “Fine, whatever. Can you get gone now? I feel like I'm gonna pass out at any…..any minute. I don’t need you around….poking in my dreams, yeah? Miyuki told me…..that's some weird talent.”

 

Maybe she shouldn't have felt hurt, but for some reason she did. “Why? I mean…..I don’t know very much about you and it's been almost a year.”

 

“Because, kiddo…..not everyone appreciates having their dreams spied on. You want to know about me, you can just ask me. Privacy, Puddles….it's a thing.”

 

Rain nodded slowly, but the ghoul was already snoring. She covered him up with a blanket and moved for the door. She headed back to her room a bit glum. At least her head had stopped pounding. She took her skirt off and climbed back into her bed. Burying herself in her covers. The bear that Tali had given her was nearby and she grabbed it and hugged it to her chest.

 

“Mr. Fluffyface……why am I so sad?” She sat up a bit as she felt a faint twinge in her bladder. These were rare, as most of the time she never knew she was wet until it had already happened. She almost got out of bed, sure that she could hold it long enough to get to the bathroom. She reached down and felt the pink diaper attached to her waist, a little disheartened that it was already a bit damp. 

 

“What's the point?” She asked herself out loud. She let herself relax and felt a steady stream of urine flow into her diaper. Just like that, she was soaked again.

 

She sighed and got up to go find Tali. She headed down the hall. She could hear sparks flying and glass breaking before she even reached the door. Entering Tali’s workshop when she was working was a bit like walking the wasteland. Any step could be your last. Most of Tali’s experiments were volatile at best, and Tali herself was less than an expert in her field. She tended to cobble things together just to see what happened.

 

Rain walked in slowly, stepping over various metal parts and instruments. Tali was at her workbench, a pair of goggles protecting her face. She was muttering to herself as she worked. Whatever her project was, sparks were flying from it.

 

“No…..damn, which wire goes here? These blueprints are so……no that's not right.”

 

Rain had reached her by now. “Tali? Can I borrow you for a minute? Tali? Tali!”

 

Tali was too engrossed in her project and the workshop was too loud anyway. Rain moved a bit closer and tugged gently on Tali’s jumpsuit.

 

“Tali?”

 

 Unfortunately, the contact seemed to surprise her. She jumped and sparks flew once more. All the hair on her head seemed to stand up a bit. It was tough to see in the gloom, but it looked like her clothes were smoldering a bit too.

 

“Oh shit. I’m so sorry! You okay?” Rain asked, afraid to touch her again.

 

Tali turned back to her, twitching ever so slightly. “I think my wiring is off…..that hurt a bit.”

 

Rain looked down bashfully. “I was just gonna see…..if you could help me with um…..my diaper real quick?”

 

Tali blinked, her eyes unfocused. “My wiring is off…..damn blueprints……ugh…..I gotta lay down for minute. Bye for now. Wait. Should I sleep? Duh, Tali it's not a concussion just a minor shock. Don't be silly. Sleep is good for the body……yes…..very good. Night.”

 

With that she sat in an old rusty chair and her chin slowly rested on her chest. Rain almost ran for help, but her caretaker seemed to be resting well enough, even if her fingers did twitch a bit. 

 

Rain stepped carefully out of the workshop. Miyuki was her next stop. She passed the garage where Gabriel was hard at work with his power armor, attaching something to it’s back. He kept having to lean so he could see with his only eye, as though he forgot at times he was missing his other. I didn’t notice her and she went on her way. 

 

Miyuki wasn't in the training room for a change, and Rain thought bitterly that she had grown too accustomed to having her diaper changed by someone else. She should have just done it herself. Instead, she was walking around in just a shirt and her wet, pink diaper, no doubt looking ridiculous. 

 

When she turned around she nearly ran into Miles. He seemed in good spirits, and most importantly, he looked healthier. His skin was less pale, there was more life in his eyes than she had ever seen before. Even if he hated it, the rest had clearly done him a lot of good.

 

“Hey there, Rain. If you're looking for Miyuki, I think she went to clean up after training.”

 

“Oh. Well…..I guess I'm going back to my room.”

 

“The mad scientist too busy to help you?”

 

Rain smirked. “Tali’s sorta…..taking a nap. You….may want to check on her in a bit.”

 

“Wait.” Miles said. He looked around, as if trying to figure out what to say. “You….uh….want to do some target practice with me? I got the range all set up.”

 

“Uh……yeah okay. Why not?”

 

She followed Miles into the adjacent room where as promised, the range was set up with mannequins. She was surprised to be honest. Miles was normally very detached and withdrawn. Ever since she had arrived, he had watched over her, but always from a distance, and always she could feel this…..wall that he seemed to project around him to keep everyone at bay. Tali was the only person she had seen him open up to and that was rare.

 

The weapons were lined along the walls. Miles chose an AK-47, a weapon she had never seen him use before. For her part, Rain never liked automatic weapons. She wasn't great at sustained fire and the recoil always hurt her shoulder.

 

She selected her preferred handgun, a 9mm Beretta. She took her spot next to Miles and took aim, taking a deep breath and exhaling as she fired. She had gotten considerably better at aiming with most of her shots connecting square in the dummies chest. She tried for a headshot, but ended up hitting the shoulder. 

 

They practiced for some time. It was loud, so talking wasn’t an option. Probably for the best. Rain didn’t think either of them knew what to say to each other.

 

“Sorry. I don't…..well I'm not a big talker as you know. Plus……I don't know, I guess I've always been better talking to boys. I don’t really know what to talk about. I guess I just wanted you to know how glad I am that you joined us. It's been a great pleasure to see you grow and improve. I mean that.”

 

Rain blushed a bit, completely unsure of what to make of this. Miles had never talked like this before, and there was an awkwardness in his speech, as though he was just as uncomfortable as her. Still, he was trying to establish some kind of connection, that was clear. Why was he acting this way?

 

“Uh…..thanks, Miles. Are you okay? I mean…..is everything alright?”

 

Miles thought for a moment before answering. “I joined the Regulators as a child. The man who took me in, George Maxwell, taught me everything I know. He even taught me how to read, which my real father thought was a waste. I remember loved to read about the old Greek myths. Stories of gods and monsters, of great heroes. When we left and came here, I think I felt like a hero, going forth to fight evil. I think we all thought we were heroes.”

 

Rain shrugged. “That is sort of your thing.”

 

He looked at her with an amused smile. “See though, this whole time I thought that I was the hero, I thought everything I did was part of my story. But when I met you……I began to think differently. More and more I began to think that this isn't my story. It's yours, Rain. There’s something about you. I don’t know what, but I'm not the only one whose sensed it. That's why Lady Oro wanted you. You're special. And I know that you're going to be vital for the future of the wasteland.”

 

Rain couldn’t understand what everyone seemed to see in her. There was nothing special about her, she was utterly normal, boring even. The only thing unique about her was the wound that kept her in diapers. Now Miyuki or Gabriel maybe, they were special, they had skills that set them apart. Or hell, Miles was immortal. What could be more unique or special then that?

 

“Why don't you try this gun?” Miles said, pulling one of his distinctive handguns from it's holster. Jet black, trimmed with gold, in anyone else's hands they might have seemed gaudy, but they were, in a way, symbols of what Miles stood for.

 

She took one of the guns he offered, feeling it's heft in her hand. The leather grip formed to her hand quite well, though the barrel was a good bit longer than her gun, which made it a bit heavier.

 

Miles looked on with interest. “It was custom made for me by an old friend out east. It has a bigger kick than you're used too, but it’s a fine weapon. Give it a shot.”

 

Rain took her time and aimed. The gun had a smooth trigger, making it remarkably easy to fire. The recoil was greater, but it almost worked to her advantage.

 

“Well done. You handle the gun better than I thought you would.”

 

She handed the gun back after some more shooting, and as she did, her finger brushed against his. Her muscles tensed suddenly, her vision blurred, and the world began to spin.


                            *


“You sure he'll be here?” A grizzled, old voice asked.

 

Miles smirked and stretched against the wall he was leaning on. “You ask that every time, George. Every time, he shows up.”

 

George Maxwell, leader of the Regulators, shrugged and frowned. He was a serious man, and pessimistic by nature. Despite the dangers of the wasteland, the fact that their informer was late could only mean some horrible disaster.

 

They had arrived at the meeting spot early. Aside from the two of them, they had brought four others who were patrolling the perimeter. Maxwell insisted on arriving early to scout for traps. Smart probably, yet now he paced and fretted like an old woman. Miles couldn’t help but notice how old he looked. His waist was thicker, his remaining hair was white, and…..his hands tended to shake. The day was coming when he wouldn’t be able to lead from the front as he did now.

 

The day was lovely, the sun shining. Even the roars of wasteland beasts that echoed in the distance couldn’t damper his spirits. The Regulators had cut a bloody swath through the raider gangs of the north. Soon……very soon…..the people would be free to choose their own destinies without the constant fear of being raided and murdered. Miles had been hesitant to leave the main force back east, but with the Brotherhood running things, it had seemed like a good idea. With every victory, it appeared the choice was a good one. There were so many people they could help here, and they had only focused on the north so far.

 

Ten minutes later, their informant finally arrived, stepping over the ruin and debris with the ease of someone used to navigating and exploring the wastes.

 

The man looked small, his thin body betraying hard, compact muscles. He wore a long sleeve dark blue shirt, over which he wore black, leather armor. He had a young looking face, despite his scraggly beard, and short dusty blonde hair. 

 

“Tobias! Glad you made it. Have some trouble?” Miles asked, clasping hands with the new arrival. 

 

Tobias smiled, then nodded grimly. “Got chased by a pack of ghouls, ended up running into a band of Super Mutants as I ran. Almost didn’t make it.”

 

Maxwell stood up, suddenly alert. “You didn’t lead them here did you?”

 

Tobias looked at the old man before cracking a guilty smile. “Yeah…..I made it up. Sorry. I just had to take a shit. What?! It's harder then you'd think to find privacy out here, last thing I wanted was for some mutant to catch me with my pants literally down.”

 

Miles couldn’t help but laugh, but George was less amused. “Miles, find out what he knows and let’s go. I'm gonna check on the others.”

 

“Hey, could you send Aiden over with the cooler?” Miles asked. “Brought some beer with us. Besides, I don’t like him out of my sight.”

 

George grunted disapprovingly at the mention of beer, but didn’t say anything. He gave a disdainful look at Tobias, then walked off.

 

“I don’t think he likes me too much.” Tobias noted.

 

“Ah, he's a grumpy old man. You shouldn’t tease him though.”

 

“Probably. But it is kinda fun. Anyway, it looks like the Crimson Hands didn't give you much trouble. There was a good bit of them too. As always, you fellas are impressive. Cocky ass name, the Crimson Hands. Pah!”

 

“We suffered a few losses, but the element of surprise saved the day. Freed those slaves you told us about too.”

 

Tobias nodded. “Good. I fucking hate slave traders. I…..used to be a slave myself, for about three years. There's nothing worse than having your freedom taken from you. It's better to die in my opinion.”

 

Miles nodded somberly. “No doubt. Ah, there’s Aiden. Over here, bud!”

 

“Mini-Miles! How are you?” Tobias asked cheerfully.

 

Aiden truly looked like a miniature version of Miles. He had the same black hair, the same bright, blue eyes. He smiled back at Tobias like an old friend.

 

“I’m good, sir.” He said shyly.

 

“Sir? You're making him quite the little soldier, ain't ya, Miles? Few years and you'll be taking on raiders beside your dad. What, you're ten….elven?”

 

Aiden grinned. “I'm eleven, sir. I doubt my dad will let me though. He won't even give me a gun.”

 

“You can stick with practice for now, Aiden.” Miles told his son. “There's no need for you to carry a gun otherwise. Besides, I thought you said you didn't want to join the Regulators?”

 

Tobias chuckled. “That's right! You want to be an explorer, right?”

 

“Yeah! Like Raz Ramirez! You know, the guy from the radio?”

 

“Huh. I recognize the name…..I think.”

 

Aiden lit up. “He's so cool! He travels all around, exploring ruins, fighting mutants and stuff. He records everything and plays it over the radio.” He said, with all the excitement of an eleven year old super fan.

 

Tobias nodded warily. “Records everything huh? Interesting.”

 

Miles shook his head secretly. The show was made in a studio, probably written. Either way, it was very much staged. Miles hadn’t had the heart to tell him. Unless this Raz dude had some really fancy technology, there was no way to record and broadcast on the road. Judging by his face, Tobias knew it too.

 

Tobias recovered quickly though. “Yes, well, I have a gift for you, little explorer.” He reached into his bag and pulled out a faded postcard. “Check it! That's what the White House used to look like! Although, I guess you haven’t seen what it looks like now, huh?”

 

Aiden jumped happily. “I have, sir! Dad traded for a picture last year. Look dad, now I'll have my before and after set.”

 

“That's a….kinda grim hobby you got, kid, ain't gonna lie. Whatever makes you happy though.” Tobias said. “Anyway, how about you pass me one of those beers and let me chat up your dad?”

 

Aiden pulled out two bottles and ran off after promising to stay near the other guys. The two sat down on some rubble, ready to talk business.

 

“Is it tough for him? Being the only kid with all of you?”

 

Miles shrugged. “I don’t think so. He wants to grow up too fast I think. He's eager to see the world, explore and all that. Then again, I guess kids can’t be kids these days.”

 

Tobias shrugged and changed the subject. “Well….cheers I guess. By my reckoning you guys only have one more group to take care of, the Nukes. No, I'm not kidding that's their fucking name. Brutal bastards though, real into torture and shit.”

 

Miles nodded. “Where are they and how many?”

 

“Four days west, in an old glass plant, I'll mark it on your map. I don’t have a number, but there's a lot. At least……seventy men.”

 

“Jesus. That’s more than I was hoping for.”

 

“Yeah, I wish I had better news, my friend, I really do. At least they're the last ones. Then the north is free.”

 

Miles frowned. “Tobias….I thought you promised to be honest with me. There’s another group you haven’t told us about. I’m curious as to why. Tell me about Jericho Thorne.”

 

Tobias sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “You didn’t need to know. Look, just….leave him be, okay? He's not a problem.”

 

“That so? The raiders we interrogated said otherwise. They told horror stories about him. Shit, his nickname is Demon of the North. How could you leave that out? We heard he butchered a whole town of people, some stadium.”

 

Tobias scoffed. “A stadium of slavers. They ran a makeshift arena, forced slaves to butcher each other for sport.”

 

Miles nodded. “So he's a good guy? Is that what you're saying? He's not a raider?”

 

The informant blanched. “Call him a necessary evil. He's not an enemy you want.”

 

“We'll decide that. Besides, we aren’t going to leave any evils around, necessary or not. We're fighting to free people from raider gangs.”

 

“Freedom without order is chaos. You can’t just destroy everything and then leave. Thorne is the best chance anyone has here.”

 

“I don't believe that, and neither will George. Trust me, good people will find a way. Are you going to help us or not?”

 

Tobias gave a frustrated look before standing up. “Not against Thorne, I won't. I beg you, Miles. You're making a mistake. Please reconsider. If you go against Thorne, that's it. Trust me when I say you won’t survive it.”

 

“We've handled worse. Like I told you before, the element of surprise can overwhelm even larger groups. I won’t lie though, any info you can give us could save lives.”

 

“You don't get it, Miles! He will see you coming, you won’t be able to surprise him. It’s a fools errand.” Tobias sighed. “I'm getting out of here. You aren't listening anyway.”

 

Miles held out a hand. “Hold up, Tobias, don't leave it like this. Look, I've talked to George…….and all the info you've given us had been legit. Now, the old man may not be your biggest fan, but he knows how much you've helped. You have a place with the Regulators if you want it.”

 

“I…..I'm not sure what to say.” Tobias said.

 

Miles put an arm around him. “Say yes. Aiden would love to have you around. He thinks you're a pretty cool guy, that's a direct quote.”

 

Tobias gave a small laugh. “Nah…..I'm not a cool guy. I appreciate the offer……. But I have……..responsibilities.”

 

Miles nodded and stuck out his hand to the man. “If you change your mind let me know. Be well my friend.”

 

Tobias looked a bit sad as he returned the handshake. “Yeah……you too, Miles. Watch your back, yeah?”


                          *


“What are we going to do, Miles?” asked another Regulator. “Every scout we've sent to check out this Jericho Thorne guy has vanished. Now George is gone too. What now?”

 

Miles looked over the map strewn across the table. “Okay……We need to keep everyone inside until we know what we're dealing with. Hopefully someone will make it back. If not……I guess we'll go out in force, find out what's going on.”

 

Aiden came bounding in, goggles over his eyes, toy gun in hand. He crouched down suddenly, his gun raised like Miles had taught him.

 

“What are you doing, bud?”

 

“I'm exploring…..gotta keep an eye out for mutants.”

 

Miles knelt down and kissed the boys head. “That’s very true, but can you take it outside? I don’t think any mutants are hiding here.”

 

“Okay, dad.”

 


Just then, two men came running inside. “Miles! You gotta come quick. There's a goddamn army outside the gates! There’s hundreds of them and they got George with them.”

 

Miles responded quickly. “Take Aiden to the sturdiest building here, the uh…..the storehouse and watch him. Everyone else, to the walls. Aiden, you stay out of sight no matter what, okay. I'll come for you soon.”

 

How could this be? They had been so careful that no one knew where their base was located. The only explanation was that someone gave them up. One of the scouts maybe? Or George?

 

Miles booked it for the wall. It was worse than he feared. The others hadn’t been exaggerating. Hundreds of men and women stood outside, weapons in hand. They were packing some heavy firepower. But it was the man who stood at the head of the horde that surprised him the most. He wore the same armor as usual, but had no shirt underneath now. His body was a tapestry of tattoos. Miles grabbed a pair binoculars to see closer. Monsters of various types decorated his body, fire raced up his arms. It was as though Hell was painted on his body. 

 

“I told you not to mess with me! I didn’t want it to be this way!”

 

“What is this, Tobias?” Miles yelled down.

 

Tobias gave a grave look, sighing and looking at the army behind him. “Fellas! What's my name?!”

 

Like a crashing wave, the answer came. “JERICHO!! JERICHO!! JERICHO!!”

 

A beaten and bound, George Maxwell yelled up to him. “It's over, Miles! Just give up. We can’t win against this!”

 

Tobias, now revealed to be Jericho Thorne, shook his head. “It's too late for that, I'm afraid. Look around, Miles! There's a lot of people here you've met before. Survivors of your many raids. And they have a score to settle with you lot. Get ready, cause we're coming in!”


                           *


Miles stared defiantly as Thorne approached. His body was broken, blood poured from a dozen wounds. He had tried to force his way to Jericho, but he hadn't gotten far. In the end, someone had buried a fire axe in his back and brought him to his knees. He couldn't even stand anymore. Around him, his fellow Regulators fell one by one. They had put up a valiant defense, but the numbers were simply too overwhelming they were crushed by a storm of bullets.

 

Jericho Thorne, the Demon, looked down on him with something resembling pity. “I meant what I said, Miles. I didn't want this. I had convinced everyone to leave you be, to stay out of your path. I told all the tribes that you Regulators were all done in the north. But……you couldn't listen, could you? You sent those scouts to spy on me, and threw everyone into a murderous rampage. They demanded vengeance…….I couldn't stop them a second time.”

 

Miles could barely laugh. “How many……do you think…..know that you're the one…….the one who……sold them out?”

 

“Doesn't matter now. Once you're gone no one will know of our arrangement, no matter what they suspect. You were meant to clear up the competition, but you got greedy. You wanted to bag the infamous Jericho Thorne and this is the result. What a goddamn waste.”

 

“Aiden……let my…..let….” Miles couldn’t finish.

 

Jericho knelt down. “I'm not going to hurt your son. He shouldn't pay for your mistakes. Tell me where he is, I'll take him some place safe, I swear.”

 

“Storehouse……south side of the compound.”

 

“You got it.”

 

Miles managed to nod. “Just do it then. Just do it already…..or I'll keep coming after you.”

 

Jericho nodded and took a moment to look at the destruction around him. Somehow a fire had started and it had quickly spread to the surrounding buildings. 

 

Jericho let out a big sigh. “Goodbye, Miles.” He said before firing a round directly into his chest.

 

Miles slumped down into the dirt, the smoke from the flames was choking him, but he couldn’t breath anyway. Everything was going dark.


                           *


“Stay with me now, Miles. Stay with me. We're gonna get you patched up. Don't worry. You'll be back on your feet before you know it.”

 

Miles opened his eyes, barely registering the face looking down on him.  He was an old man with large glasses. Miles couldn’t figure out where he was, but he still smelled smoke, so he knew he was still in the compound.

 

“Who are you?”

 

The old man smiled. “I'm the person who's going to save your life. We've been watching you, my associates and I. We're going to help you.”

 

“Why?” Miles croaked.

 

“Because......we want you to keep helping people. True, this venture didn't end well for you, but that doesn't mean you should stop. There are only a handful of people who can stand up and make a difference, a real difference in this world, and Miles, I believe you are one of them. That's why I have a gift for you, to help you stand up and do what no one else can.”

 

“I don’t understand…..I'm not….”

 

The man injected him with something and the world grew dark again. “Sleep now, Miles. Sleep……and when you wake……keep making a difference.”

 

Miles awoke in a dark room. The old man was gone. He was alone. He tried getting up slowly, expecting a wave of pain to force him back down. It never came. He looked himself over and was surprised to find that he was completely fine. His wounds were gone as though they never existed, he didn’t have a mark on him, not even stitches. 

 

He got up and walked outside. There was an unearthly quiet as he wandered the ruined compound. There were bodies everywhere. Men and women who he had known for years. Some had followed him from out east, others had been recruited. They had given everything they had in order to try and make the world a better, safer place. In the end, they had given their lives for it.

 

He walked over to the storehouse, hoping for some reason that Aiden would be there, that Jericho would have hidden him or maybe left some clue of where he might be. He walked slowly, being careful not to step on any of the bodies. He didn’t want to inflict anymore disrespect on them then they had already suffered.

 

The building was still standing, so that was a good sign. What wasn't a good sign was the man he had assigned to watch over Aiden. He had been shot more times than Miles could count, the torn remains of his body laid facedown in the mud. Swallowing hard, Miles opened the door and stepped inside. 

 

Aiden was laying in the middle of the room. His skin was pale and cold. Miles sank down and gathered him up, holding him like he did shortly after he had been born. He looked him over, finding a small hole in his chest where the bullet had struck. He was too numb to move, too numb to cry or scream. He just sat there, holding his son…..until the sun slowly rose. 


                                *


Rain gasped and sat up, her head still spinning. The vision had been more clear and vivid than any others she had experienced before. She felt a wave of nausea and turned over on her side and began dry heaving. She felt her hand touch something warm and wet and realized with a resigned frustration that her diaper had leaked.

 

“I wasn’t sure you'd wake up.” Miles said. He was sitting with his back against the wall. When he met her eyes she knew they had seen the same thing. But it didn’t faze Miles. He saw it all the time anyway.

 

Miles gave a sad, bitter smile. “You know what I should have learned from all those stories about heroes that I loved as a kid? Heroes die young. Sometimes too young.”

 

Rain could barely formulate her thoughts. Images kept flashing before her eyes. The destruction of the Regulators, Aiden, and Miles clasping hands with Jericho Thorne.

 

“He was your friend. Thorne. You and he……you were friends?”

 

Miles shrugged. “I thought we were. That mistake cost me everything. It cost my son everything.”

 

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours. Miyuki came wandering in at last, standing slack jawed, unsure of what to make of what she was seeing.

 

“What the hell going on here? Rain, you okay?” 

 

Rain couldn’t speak, so she just shook her head. She wasn’t okay. Too much was happening in her head. She just needed things to stop.

 

“Miyuki. Take Rain and help her get cleaned up.”

 

“Is anyone gonna tell me what this is all about?” When no one spoke up, she shook her head and walked over and picked Rain up. “Oh, and you leaked. Well that’s lovely, I just cleaned up. Okay, let’s just get going, okay?”

 

Rain laid her head on her shoulder, her eyes still on Miles. He looked at her and smiled. “I knew you were special, Rain. Now I'm starting to understand why.”

 

He didn’t say anything else, so Miyuki carried her back to her room. Rain didn’t speak, she didn’t respond when Miyuki tried to talk to her. Eventually, Miyuki gave up. She laid her down and got and went to fetch a clean diaper, perhaps wisely choosing one of her thicker diapers.

 

She wordlessly opened the diaper and began cleaning her up. Rain looked at the ceiling, still digesting what she had seen. She didn’t even feel any relief as she felt herself being lowered onto a clean diaper. Once it was on, she just crawled into bed and covered up.

 

“Rain, you got to talk to me. What’s going on between you and Miles? Rain? Hello?”

 

Rain had her face half buried in her pillow. “Could you just……uh…....could you stay with me a while?”

 

Miyuki looked exasperated, but she nodded and climbed under the covers. Finally the dam broke and Rain began sobbing and cuddled into her confused friend.

 

“Rain…..kiddo, I can't help if you don’t tell me what's wrong.” She said, stroking Rain’s hair. Then she gave up and just whispered in her ear. “It'll be okay. You'll be okay. Everything's okay.”
 

  • Like 7
Link to comment
20 hours ago, vampire4 said:

“See though, this whole time I thought that I was the hero, I thought everything I did was part of my story. But when I met you……I began to think differently. More and more I began to think that this isn't my story. It's yours, Rain.

Theory: Miles is self-aware and knows Rain is the Protagonist of the story. ?

 

Link to comment

For Miles it was more about establishing a connection. Old lady Oro kinda irked him with the accusation that he wanted to use her. So he certainly didn't expect anything, but it did confirm suspicions. Until now, only Miyuki and Rocco knew that Rain could see their dreams.

5 minutes ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Theory: Miles is self-aware and knows Rain is the Protagonist of the story. ?

 

Miles is starting to think there's a bigger picture, with a bigger player than himself. Call it some destiny shit, I guess, although he's probably the only one who believes it.

Link to comment
21 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Miles is starting to think there's a bigger picture, with a bigger player than himself. Call it some destiny shit, I guess, although he's probably the only one who believes it.

I know. I was just teasing. ?

Great chapter btw. Of course that pretty much goes without saying by now. ;)

Link to comment
On 2/27/2019 at 11:44 AM, thedman said:

Wow. I just killed a Rearz Inspire getting caught up on the last 4 chapters. I love this story. Makes me wanna but out my PS3 and play Fallout 3

I'm happy you're enjoying the story. With my posting speed, I almost think it's better to read in bulk. I'm really excited for the next chapter. There's going to be a huge battle and at the end, everything will change!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

This was another magnificent chapter. There can’t be much worse than to be betrayed by a friend like Miles was. One thing that is definitely much worse is the loss of your child as a result of that betrayal. You certainly understand why Miles fights as he does. There would be no place for Jericho to hide to avoid the slow death I would deliver to him if I were in Miles place. I was very pleased I could give it a like and I am looking forward to reading more. 

Link to comment
  • 2 months later...

She dreamed again. The same dream she had been having for some time. A woman screaming, someone telling her to run. A little boy trying to speak to her. She knew somehow, she could tell that this was one of her dreams. She didn’t know who the boy was. At first glance, she thought it was Miles’ son, Aiden. However, this boy was different, he had longer hair, less dark, though he looked about the same age. Besides, she could tell that he was connected to her, not Miles. He was trying to tell her something, but she couldn't hear him. She could hear……footsteps? Yes, echoing footsteps. Everything was blurred, like her memories were flashing by too quickly, and she couldn’t make anything out.

 

She awoke, not screaming as she had in the past. Only a light gasp escaped her lips. She sighed, resigned to the fact that she might never be able to piece together the shattered remnants of her mind. It was like a jigsaw puzzle, taunting her brain with pieces of information, but never all the pieces. At this point, and after nearly three years, she had practically given up ever remembering her past.

 

“Another dream?” Tali asked from beside her. Miyuki had told her about the Miles incident, and she had been all over her since, doting on her more than she usually did. She was no doubt hoping to pry out what had happened. Rain had stayed quiet though. She figured Tali knew about Miles and his murdered son, but the vision was still too fresh in her mind to talk about. It was Aiden and his death that would forever fuel Miles and his need for battle, meaning that Tali would never get her wish. She would never settle down with him…..and he would never stop fighting.

 

Rain sighed and turned to her. “Yeah. Another useless dream that told me nothing.”

 

“Don't worry. I'm sure it's just a matter of time. You'll figure it out.”

 

Rain stood up and walked to her dresser, picking a new pink diaper for the day. She handed it over to Tali and laid down for her routine change.

 

“I don't really care at this point. From what I've seen, memories and pasts are full of pain. From what I've gleaned of my past, it's no different. Whatever happened, it ended up with me fleeing and a hole in my gut.”

 

Tali looked at her inquisitively as she opened up the diaper and began cleaning her up. “What do you mean? What you've seen?”

 

Rain sighed again. “Look, I told you, just talk to Miles.”

 

“I’d rather talk to you. If this is about what you can see…..Miyuki told me.”

 

The knowledge hit her like a truck. “She told you?! She told Rocco, now you, Miles knows too, mind as well fill Gabe in while we're at it!”

 

Tali finished diapering her and rubbed her shoulder affectionately. “She was worried about you, I'm worried about you. Why didn't you tell me? Did you not trust me or something?”

 

Rain sat up suddenly. “That’s not it! You don't get it. It's just…..everyone seems to think I'm something special and I'm not. Miyuki was freaked out when she found out, Rocco wants to avoid me, and Miles and the old Oro lady think…..I don't even know what.”

 

“You are special, Rain. We all saw that. Look, I'm just saying I would have understood. You can talk to me about anything, you know that right?”

 

Rain shook her head, annoyed that Tali didn't understand. “I don’t want you to see me…..differently. At least with you I could just….be. I could just be me, without all this other stuff.”

 

Tali took her face in her hands. “Listen to me. What you can do isn't extra stuff as you put it. It's part of who you are. You shouldn't ever feel the need to hide a part of yourself. We're your family now, and I promise you, we will love and accept you no matter what.”

 

Despite her assurances, Rain didn’t feel any better, although she accepted Tali’s embrace happily enough. She was afraid though. She was afraid of the things she could do and the things she could see. It was also incredibly frustrating that she could see the events of others pasts, yet her own constantly eluded her.

 

Tali stayed with her for some time, stroking her hair and trying to console her, before she got up to go back to……whatever she had to do. Rain stayed in bed, unable to shake the sense of melancholy that had fallen over her the last few days.

 

Tali looked at her helplessly. She wanted to help, to say anything that might help, but she just didn’t know what to say.

 

“Look, I'm gonna go check on some things finish my little project I've been working on, you know, the one you interrupted the other day. I'll come by and hang out with you later, okay?” She said, trying to pry out a smile from the girl.

 

“Yeah…..I guess.”

 

Tali grimaced and hesitated to leave. “Did you see something about Miles? Is that why you're so upset?”

 

Rain curled further into her covers. “I know about his son now. Aiden. I guess that was something I was gonna learn about eventually? Nobody tells me anything until I stumble on it on my own.”

 

Tali sighed and leaned against the doorframe. “Aiden is……tough for Miles to talk about. He took about a year before he told the rest of us. I’m sure he didn’t mean for you to see it the way you did.”

 

“Too late, I already did! Rocco told me not to spy on people, like it was my fault, and said I should just have conversations with people. But everyone hides…….everything!” Rain had sat back up, for some reason seething with anger.

 

“Hey, hey….calm down. Everything's……”

 

“Everything's not okay!! How could anything be okay?! I can’t even remember my real name, but I get to be haunted by the terrors and tragedies of everyone else. All of them in my head, so vivid they might as well have happened to me. It's not my fault! I didn't ask to be this way! It's not fair!”

 

Rain could feel something inside her, a force, a whirlwind violently trying to break free. She looked around a bit panicked. She felt like she wouldn't be able to contain it any longer. She felt herself flood her new diaper, she could see fear in her caretaker, but Tali quickly overcame it, rushing forward and enveloping her in a tight hug.

 

“I know…..I know it's not fair, baby. I'm so sorry. All I can do is promise to help you if I can. Please don't be upset, I'm here for you. It's okay.”

 

Whatever she had felt suddenly dissipated as she let out a choking sob. “I'm sorry, I’m so sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I've just been so bummed out lately. I feel out of control and I don't know why.”

 

“It's probably just cabin fever. Trust me, it gets everyone. Look at Rocco, he's going through withdrawal now that he drank all the booze.”

 

Rain felt exhausted, despite so recently having woke up. She could feel her eyelids getting heavy and before she could reply, she fell asleep once more.


                         *


Tali held the sleeping girl in her arms for a little while, wishing with all her heart that she would have pleasant dreams. She felt guilty that she hadn’t sensed the torment that Rain was living with. She had been so buried in her own projects, she had failed to see it.

 

She gave the girl another quick diaper change, this time into a heavier diaper, and then tucked her back into bed. As much as she wanted to stay with her, she had other things to do.

 

She headed for the door and was nearly out when something caught her eye. The wall had cracked ever so slightly, starting from the bed and travelling all the way to the door. Not only was Tali sure that the crack was a new addition, she was nearly positive that it hadn't been there moments ago. It was like……Rain caused it. When Rain had gotten upset, there was something……something that had made the hairs on the back of her neck stand tall. It felt like an air of danger, surrounding her.

 

Tali gave the girl a final glance before turning off the lights and heading to the medical bay at the far end of compound. Rocco was already there, looking as pale as his ghoul skin would allow. He was paying for his drinking habits terribly, the withdrawal of his unfulfilled addiction forcing him to stay hunched over a bucket.

 

“Ughh…..it's about time, woman! I’ve been here for ages, you know.” The ghoul groaned.

 

“I was busy with more important things.”

 

Tali was more than a little miffed with him at the moment. His careless words had hurt Rain, and Tali was not the forgiving sort. 

 

“Oh, well I sure hope my agony hasn’t inconvenienced you in any way. I'm dying here.” Rocco complained, heaving into the bucket once more.

 

She searched her medicine cabinet until she found the Addictol, a chem that would flush a person's system clean and relieve the nasty side effects of withdrawal. She strode over to the ghoul, needle in hand.

 

“Listen here, ghoul. You hurt Rain’s feelings the other day. She's going through some stuff right now, so I expect you to make it right and apologize, got it?”

 

Rocco looked up with bloodshot eyes. “Rain? When did I talk to her again? Things are all bit muddled together.”

 

“With how you've been carrying on the past months, it's hardly a surprise you can't remember anything! Really, it's embarrassing. Get ahold of yourself for pities sake.”

 

“Ugh…..I just keep dreaming of that chick back with those creepy cultists, you know? I think she was really into me, but stupid Arax……chopped her head off.” Rocco shook his head a bit, still groggy. “Anyway, I don't remember talking to little Puddles.”

 

Tali smacked him over the head and leaned in close. “You'll apologize or I'll put something in your food that will make a hand grow out of your stomach!”

 

Rocco looked at her with wide eyes. “Okay okay……I'll apologize. Although, I could think of a few things I could use an extra hand for, you know what I’m sayin?”

 

With a satisfied smile of her own, she jammed the needle into the ghoul’s arm. He yelped and jumped away from her, rubbing his arm. Luckily for him, the chem was already working it's way through his veins. After a few moments he was looking like a new ghoul.

 

Whoo boy! I feel fuckin fantastic. Thank you for that. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go for a run. I'll stop by and see Puddles later, yeah?”

 

Tali fixed him with a glare that said he had better and then ushered him out of her office. Miles walked in after, he must have been waiting. The way he smiled at her still made her heart pound as it did the first time she had seen him.

 

Back then she had been the village idiot, or mad scientist depending on who you asked. She was someone that was whispered about by children and dismissed by her elders. She was considered crazy for her endless work on a certain robot, one that she was convinced would save her village from the ever frequent bandit raids.

 

Then two men came to the village. Miles and Gabriel. They offered to take care of the bandits themselves, and to her surprise, the elders agreed. They probably had more confidence in Gabe and his power armor than the dark haired man beside him, but they agreed. Tali had been hidden amongst the crowd, but as they were leaving, Miles had looked at her, his beautiful blue eyes locking onto her, and she knew somehow that he was who she was meant to follow.

 

She had rushed the completion of robot, her frantic pace incidentally causing the disaster that made Mr. Happy homicidal, and rushed after the two. She arrived right on time to help. Once the bandits were dealt with, Miles had looked at her and smiled, extended his hand, and asked her to join them.

 

Nearly five years had passed since then. Their little group had grown and Tali had slowly grown even closer to Miles. She was proud of the work she did, she loved helping people. But she was getting tired too. Before she left with Miles, she hated the slow and boring life she had at her village. Now, after years of throwing herself in harms way, she was beginning to understand what she had lost. What she wouldn’t give for that kind of peace now.

 

She shook herself out of her own thoughts as Miles sat down on the cot. He knew the drill and quickly removed his shirt. As she always did, she measured the length of the corruption on his arm, seeing if it had spread further. As a result of his body rejecting the implant that made him effectively immortal, every time he healed, the sickly corruption spread.

 

“You look better, Miles. The rest has been doing you good. You look less pale, anyway. How are you feeling?”

 

Miles shrugged. “I feel fine. I do feel more rested, but I tend to sleep a lot. I’m not coughing as much either, so that's good.”

 

Tali grimaced at his arm, at the purplish veins ran through it. Since the fight against the Disciples, the corruption had spread to the top of his back, mostly around the neck. On his front, the yellowish sickness had only moved a few centimeters. The important thing though, was that it wasn’t spreading during times of rest.

 

She put on her stethoscope and moved to his back, listening to his breathing. “When you do cough, is there any blood?”

 

“A little, yes. Less and less everyday. How’s my arm looking?”

 

Tali sighed. “It's not looking good. It hasn’t gone away even a little.”

 

“But it hasn't gotten any worse.” Miles pointed out. “That’s good right? That means it's not getting worse.”

 

Tali sighed and put her stethoscope away. Things were worse than she had thought. “It’s not getting worse……not getting better. You know what that tells me? It means the effects of this implant are permanent, Miles. There's no healing from this and it will only get worse with every fight and every wound.”

 

Miles raised a hand. “Tali, I know what you're gonna say.”

 

“Well you should know! There's no coming back from this, you understand? When is it going to be enough? How much longer are you going to put yourself on the frontlines for?”

 

“As far as I'm concerned, I should have died when Thorne attacked. So every time I don’t die, I consider it a damn privilege. I have a gift, and I think it should be used to the benefit of humanity.”

 

Tali shook her head bitterly. She used to love hearing him talk like that, but lately the words seemed to ring hollow. “So that's it? We'll just keep fighting until one or all of us die?”

 

At that moment, the radio crackled to life and make voice began frantically begging for help. “Is anyone there? To anyone who is listening, please, we need help. Super Mutants have been attacking us all winter. We've tried to hold them off, but the attacks keep coming. If anyone can hear this, we're desperate and need help immediately.”

 

Tali closed her eyes in frustration as she heard the plea for help. Of all the times for that damn radio to go off. Never mind that it was still winter, or her lecture about taking it easy, Miles was already set on going, she could see it in his eyes.

 

Miles clasped her hand tightly. “I want you by my side, Tali. I know you're worried about me, not yourself, but please….understand I cannot stop yet.”

 

Tali nodded sadly and squeezed his hand back. She couldn't leave him, couldn't abandon him no matter what. If he insisted on continuing down this path, then destructive or not, she would follow him every step of the way. She wanted to say something else, but the radio already had Miles on the move, he was ready to fight again.

 

“Lets get everyone ready. Especially Rain. She may end up being our trump card.”

 

Tali nodded, keeping her own suspicions about the girl to herself, and headed to wake up Rain. Once again, she was dragging that young girl into danger. This fight promised to be just as bad as the others, maybe worse. At the very least maybe the action would help knock Rain out of her own thoughts, if she lived through it.


                      *


It had been nearly dawn when she had been awoken. Dr. Veronica Sellers, the woman who had found her bleeding and wounded in the rain, looked for the first time since she had known her, afraid.

 

“Get up, Rain. Hurry now. We don't have much time.”

 

Rain shook her head groggily. “What's wrong? Did a brahmin get loose or something?”

 

But Dr. Sellers had already yanked her out of bed, throwing her clothes and packing her belongings. By the time Rain was lucid enough to understand that something was seriously wrong, she was being pushed to the back door of their shared hut.

 

“I don't understand, what's happening?” Rain cried.

 

“There's no time, child. Super Mutants are heading this way, far too many for me to fight off on my own. What on earth is keeping such a large pack together is beyond me, but you must escape before they get here.”

 

Her bags were forced into her hands as she was forced outside. “Give me a gun, I'll help you!”

 

“No, no! I never taught you to shoot, you can’t help. That's on me. For now, you just run. I'll slow them down, give them a show for as long as I can. You get gone, girl, and do so right quick, ya hear?”

 

“No! Please, come with me! I can't just leave, I can’t be alone, please!” Rain clutched at Dr. Sellers clothes desperately. For nearly two years, this woman had given her shelter and food. She had given her a life, it seemed inconceivable to leave her now.

 

Victoria Sellers just spat contemptuously. “I ain't got time for this now, Rain. I didn't patch you up to let you die here. Get running, don't stop, you just keep running. Go on now! Please.”

 

Rain glanced over the woman's shoulder, seeing the large mutants rushing toward the hut. They were screaming and bellowing. A group stopped to slaughter the brahmin. Dr. Sellers pushed her further before turning back, her knees shaking as she took up her shotgun. She didn't look back. 

 

Instead of running, Rain hid behind a tall tree, crouching in the overgrown bushes. She felt compelled to witness the last stand of Veronica Sellers. The old woman threw herself in the fray, blasting one mutant after another. For their part, the Super Mutants were too shocked by the sudden assault to do much aside from stare slack jawed as the woman tore into their ranks. By the time they snapped out of it, Dr. Sellers had taken cover. 

 

Still, the fight didn't last long. A group of four rushed her, unconcerned about the danger or the certainty of death. All it took was the last mutant swinging a wooden plank. The board knocked her weapon away, and as she stood defenseless, the next blow hit her in the side. Dr. Sellers skidded across the ground and lay still. From her hiding spot, Rain watched on through tears, her hands clutching her mouth as she forced herself not to cry out.

 

That’s when the leader stepped forward. At first glance, many Super Mutants tended to look the same, large green skinned abominations. To those who paid attention, this was untrue. Each one had their differences. Rain knew right away that this mutant was different. He was just a bit taller than the others, who deferred to him and stepped quickly out of his path. This mutant had a curious intelligence behind his eyes, which were fixed hatefully on the beaten woman laying in the mud before him. Finally, the leader had deliberately made himself distinctive by wrapping the American flag around his right arm like a tourniquet.

 

It was fitting in a grim way. It was the mutant’s way of saying that the old world was dead. The flag, which once held such meaning, was now fit only to decorate the new masters of the world.

 

The creature looked down at Dr. Sellers with such disgust, as though she were a bug that he detested to look at. In his right hand he held a large hammer, too huge for any ordinary person to bear. He raised it high above his head, clasping it with both of his enormous hands and brought it down with such force that the woman at his feet seemed to explode from the impact.

 

That was the last sight Rain saw before turning and running. As she fled, she could hear the mob of marauders roaring in victory.


                             *


Rain opened her eyes and stretched from her sleep. She was seated quite comfortably on Gabriel's shoulder, his massive power armor the perfect perch. She had only dozed for a few minutes, and she wondered at the dream she awoken from. But really, it made sense.

 

 They were on their way to save a village from a particularly large group of Super Mutants. Now, since large groups were mostly abnormal, it only made sense the think that this group was the same as the one that had attacked the farm. If that were true, she would have ample opportunity for revenge.

 

Rain was no stranger to winter, and it was always an interesting time. They had all bundled up in their warmest clothes. They had also done their best to cover as much of their bare skin as possible, but every once in a while, some snow would make contact, giving a strange burning sensation. It wasn't painful exactly, but it wasn't pleasant either. The winter was dangerous in more insidious ways. The freezing temperatures would sap a persons strength if they weren't careful.

 

They had travelled far quickly, and soon their destination would come into view. The village was known as Hope’s Folly, a decidedly grim and fitting name. As they made their way to the town, they encountered two things that stopped them in their tracks. The first was a massive pit containing the burned and charred remains of untold numbers of Super Mutants. Clearly, the town had been fiercely defending itself.

 

Yet just a few yards away stood a large graveyard that stretched on into the distance. The team stood in its presence for a good few minutes, as though they were obligated to take in as much of the destruction and loss of life as possible. They had to see, so they knew what they were fighting for.

 

“You still good up there?” Gabriel asked, his voice distorted from his helmet.

 

“Hell yeah. I'm ready to go! We've been cooped up too long. I can’t wait for some action.”

 

“Hmmm. Maybe. Just be careful, yeah? Remember your training and don't let the battle go to your head. This is beginning to look like it's going to be a hard job.”

 

Rain smirked to herself, still excited at the prospect of annihilating some Super Mutants. “You don’t have to worry. Now that we're all here, the battle is as good as won. Don't tell me you aren't a little excited?”

 

“I'm a soldier. Have been my entire life. I don't relish fighting or killing, but I've accepted that it's something I'm good at. As long as I can help make things better, that's all I care about. That's enough for me.”

 

Gabriel didn’t give much away about himself. Ever. But occasionally Rain sensed a reservoir of regret from the old man. At first, she thought it was simply due to his departure from the Brotherhood of Steel, his family of over twenty years. However, she was beginning to sense in him a feeling of…….self-loathing almost. He was a soldier, he defined himself as a soldier, it was integral to his very being. But it seemed that this soldier was not at peace with some of the things he had done. Maybe that's why he left the Brotherhood and joined Miles, for a chance to atone for whatever wrongs he felt he had done.

 

And he wasn’t the only one either. Miyuki seemed to be both extremely proud of her skills, and also bitter at how she had gotten them to begin with. Miles was full of regret for his failure against Jericho Thorne. Rocco…..well…..he was hiding things, but what they were, Rain couldn’t guess. 

 

The ghoul caught her eye and gave her a thumbs up. He had come to her earlier and apologized for an interaction he didn't seem to remember. Either way, the thought was appreciated. He clearly wanted to make sure they were good with each other, and hey, it was a nice thought.

 

It took another hour before Hope's Folly came into view. The name truly didn't do it justice. It was a mess of destroyed buildings and charred rubble. The people were in even worse condition. They huddled together in the squalid remains of their homes, beaten and broken by both the cold and the violence.

 

Rain stayed perched atop Gabriel as they made their way inside. Guards with bloodshot eyes watched their every step. The exhausted inhabitants looked at them with mixed feelings. No doubt the merc team looked odd to them, in their black combat armor, with their weapons, and their robot. They made an impression to say the least.

 

But the man who came to greet them was not impressed. He was, oddly enough, a ghoul and he introduced himself as Samuel Agrippa. He had become the leader of the community by virtue of being the last man standing. He had evidently been part of a council when it existed, and was not well liked by a portion of the city due to his appearance. Yet now they needed him, and he had answered their call without hesitation.

 

Rain saw Rocco nudge Miyuki and whisper to her. “Damn, he's ugly. I mean, I thought I was ugly, but this dude is like, the king of ugly dudes.”

 

“Idiot.” Miyuki muttered. 

 

“What? I’m just saying.”

 

Agrippa practically walked by them, motioning them to follow. “Yeah, I know who you are. Don't think I'm not grateful for you coming here, but I doubt it will help.”

 

“Why do you say that?” Miles asked. “We've fought Super Mutants before.”

 

Agrippa scoffed. “Of course you have. Everyone and their grandma has fought them. Their numbers are the issue. No offense, but I need bodies for the defense of the city and you're not enough. I need weapons and people to use them and you're not enough.”

 

“Hold up a minute and talk to me.” Miles asked. “How many men do you have now?”

 

The ghoul sighed impatiently. “About sixty, but a good number of them are farmers or boys barely old enough to hold a rifle. We have a few wanderers who got stuck here when the snow came. We also got about twenty guys who are wounded in the medics tent, and another thirty or so in women and children.”

 

“We're fucked.” Rocco whispered with a shrug.

 

Agrippa nodded. “Even with all the damage we've done, they still outnumber us three to one. We won't be able to stop them again. I'm not even sure how you all got past them, but then again we don't know where they are based. Can you believe that? How can they hide a force that massive?”

 

“There’s a way to win, Samuel.” Miles said. “We just have to find it. We can use what resources you have to mount a defense, a defense that will utterly break this army. If you trust me, we can win this.”

 

Agrippa thought for a couple minutes, looking at his destroyed city. “Do you know that we had prepared for the winter better than usual this year? We had ample food reserves, medicine, clothes. We were set. It’s all gone now, we have caps for payment sure, somehow our money has survived for all the good it will do us. Even if we somehow win, I don’t know that we can rebuild.”

 

“Winter is nearly over. The snows are melting, it's not as cold, that's why these creatures are roaming about. We travelled here, so that means you can travel as well. You can hunt, buy food, buy clothes, whatever you need. But not if we don’t triumph here, right now.”

 

“You think we can win? Nobody has spoke of victory in some time. Alright, it's not like we have a choice. They'll be back either way. We're up for the fight. What's your plan?”

 

Miles looked around the town for a while, trying to come up with a plan. Oddly enough, he had the faintest of smiles as he did so. 

 

“Someone told me once that I needed to think more defensively. Well, here's what I got. I'm assuming the Super Mutants always charge the front gate? They never attack the sides?”

 

Agrippa nodded. “Yeah. They aren't one for strategy. They like charging straight at us and crushing us to bits. If they were smart enough to come at us from all sides, I doubt we'd be having this conversation.”

 

“Sixty men…..okay. We need to set them up where they can do the most damage. We will set up three lines of defense. We'll move the children and wounded to the furthest part of the camp. The first line, closest to the gate will consist of Myself and Gabriel, along with twenty men.”

 

Gabriel nodded as Agrippa considered the idea. The ghoul nodded with a sigh. “Fine. I'll be in the frontlines as well. I'm not one to lead from behind.”

 

“The second line will also have twenty men, lead by Miyuki and Rocco. The third and last line will have the final twenty, lead by Rain.”

 

Rain hopped down from Gabriel at this point. “I don't want to be in the back! I can fight just as well as the others.”

 

The others shot her a disapproving glance. She could practically feel Gabriel staring her down. One didn't question the captain in the open like this, but Miles didn't seem to mind.

 

“It's not an insult, Rain. Mutants will get past us, that's a fact. If even one crosses the last line, it will butcher defenseless people. You are going to make sure that doesn't happen. Am I clear?”

 

“Yes, captain!” Rain shouted. She was still frustrated, but she would do her job to the best of her ability.

 

Miles looked over to a bridge that ran across the village. “Tali will take position up on the bridge with five of your best shots, I don’t care from which lines.”

 

Mr. Happy moaned unhappily. “What about me? Am I to be kept out of the action when I'm so good at annihilation?”

 

Miles looked at Gabriel and shrugged. The power armored knight thought for a moment. “Happy should patrol the perimeter in case they do attack from the sides, but assuming they don't he can attack them from behind and cause a bit of chaos.”

 

Agrippa nodded grimly. “Well, we have a plan then. I guess all that's left is to wait and see whose left standing at the end of it.”

 

In record time, sandbags and debris were piled up into three lines, ready for the storm that would soon come. Rain was about to walk to her post with her twenty fighters following behind her, when Tali found her.

 

Tali looked extremely proud of herself as she handed over a long object in a canvas bag. Rain had wondered what it was as they were travelling, but she hadn't bothered to ask. Now she took the object warily, figuring it must be something great for Tali to have her grinning her “mad scientist” smile. The object was a curious device. It looked like a rifle, but there was a large glass dome in the middle of it which housed what appeared to be a concentrated ball of electricity.

 

“What is this thing? It looks like a gun.”

 

Tali smiled wider. “It is a gun. This is what I was making that day that you interrupted me and got me shocked.”

 

Rain winced and raised an eyebrow. “To be fair, you didn't really look like you knew what you were doing.”

 

“Bah. I never do. I tinker, that's my thing. This baby is my masterpiece. Gabriel brought a lot of cool blueprints from the Brotherhood, including something called a Tesla Cannon. However, those things were massive, way too unwieldy. I needed to make it smaller without sacrificing too much of its power, no easy feet I might add. Hit something with this baby and it'll be blown to bits in glorious fashion!”

 

Rain held up her hands with a laugh. “Whoa, okay. I can see your very proud of your new toy.”

 

Tali held up a finger. “Your new toy! I made it just for you. I call it……the Electro Blaster!”

 

Rain winced a bit, but hugged her friend anyway. “Thank you so much. We'll work on the name, okay?”

 

“One important tidbit. I haven't been able to figure out how to reload the thing on the go. It has to charge on a specially designed charging station back at the base. I'd say you have twenty shots at most, so make them count. And hey, kick ass today.”


                       *


“Here's another crate of ammo.” Agrippa grunted as he set the box by the others. “You think we can win this?”

 

“Nope. We'll be dead by sundown.” Rocco said with a grimace. “Maybe you should focus on yourself, Agrippa.”

 

Miyuki watched the pair of ghouls closely. There was something different about how Rocco was acting. He had an attitude and it only seemed to be around Samuel Agrippa. He pointedly refused to even look at Agrippa, and the other ghoul had noticed, although he refused to dignify it.

 

Miyuki interjected, shooting Rocco a look and leading Agrippa away. “Don't listen to him. I don't know what his problem is.”

 

Agrippa laughed. “I know what his problem is. I'm used to it. He hates ghouls. Most of the people here hated me. Now I'm their only hope. If that isn't ironic.”

 

“That's ridiculous. Rocco is a ghoul too. How could he hate ghouls?”

 

“I'm guessing he's pretty new at being a ghoul. Probably only became one a few years ago? I'm old, pre-war in fact. Does your buddy own any mirrors by chance? No? New ghouls often hate any reminders of what they've become, I know I did. Seeing me is an unpleasant reminder of what he looks like now.”

 

Miyuki nodded, a little surprised. She had known Rocco for a long time, since before they had hooked up with Miles. He had never struck her as a particularly deep person. He liked to fight and drink mostly. 

 

When Agrippa left to head for the front, Rocco decided to elaborate. “I was serious by the way. We're screwed here. Agrippa was right before. In a situation like this, he needs bodies, not us. We don't do defense, we sneak up and hit the enemy before they know anything.”

 

“Don't worry so much, Rocco. If anyone can turn the tide, it's us. I think we'll give these mutants a surprise they won't forget.”

 

Rocco sighed. “Right. Well I'm out of smokes anyway. This is as good a day to kick the bucket as any.”


                        *


They heard them before they saw them. There must have been at least forty of them. The mutants came running at full speed, green skinned, roaring as loud as possible. The first wave was armed with blunt objects like bats or wooden planks. They rushed in expecting an easy win. They soon learned differently. 

 

Miles waited for them to get close before ordering the first line to fire. They fired and short burts, the bullets stopping the monsters as though they had run into a wall. Many of the creatures were torn down in a barrage of gunfire, but many kept running, wounded and despite all odds.

 

“Keep firing! Don't let them get close!” Miles yelled.

 

The line kept firing, felling more and more of the creatures. More fell once Tali and her snipers joined in. By the time the mutants reached them only fifteen or so were left. 

 

“Get ready. They're gonna be on us any second!” Agrippa yelled.

 

The Super Mutants tore into their ranks. Men were thrown into the air like toys as the green monsters wreaked havoc through their line. Miles and the rest found themselves trying to fend off the monsters in their midst as another wave, this time with firearms, came screaming at them.

 

Miles ducked as a mutant swung a metal crowbar at him, falling to his knee before aiming his rifle upwards and tearing the green abomination down with a hail of gunfire. He heard a yell from behind him, turning as another Super Mutant bore down on him, knocking him over with a swipe of it's hand. He aimed once again but the mutant grabbed the weapon by it's barrel and flung it aside. The monster's foot stomped down on his ribs, shattering his body, but he was already healing fast as he rose up and pulled one of his pistols free. One shot later, the monster had fallen, dead at last.

 

In the split second he had fallen however, the rest of the mutants had arrived at the line, some rushing past and heading for the second line. Miles could only hope the other lines would hold. He brought his second pistol out and began firing at any creature who was near. He looked for Agrippa, but didn’t see him in all the chaos. He fired rapidly, taking down three, then four of the enemy in mere seconds. But they just kept coming.

 

Gabriel was fighting a losing battle, surrounded on all sides, as he tried in vain to rally the fleeing villagers to him. His laser rifle took down creature after creature, but soon the monsters had their hands on him. Miles tried to rush to him as the mutants closed in, but was suddenly knocked off his feet from behind, feeling an intense agony through his whole body.

 

He looked up, vaguely realizing he couldn't move. His fingers twitched uselessly. The blow had broken his spine. Standing above him was one of the biggest Super Mutants he had ever seen, wielding a massive hammer. There was an aura of intelligence about it, an air of superiority that seemed to radiate from it. He moved over bodies of humans living and dead with no care whatsoever, as though they were ants beneath his notice. The beast didn’t even look down at him, already moving on, pausing to adjust an American flag it had tied around it's arm. He watched helplessly as the horde of monsters made their way further into the village.


                        *

The second line held longer. The fight had moved into a stalemate as the defenders had hunkered down behind their barricades. Survivors from the first line had joined them and now a firefight of attrition slowly ebbed on.

 

Rocco and Miyuki directed their fighters as best they could over the noise and chaos, but with every four or five mutants they brought down, they lost one of their own. Tali and the snipers were pinned down above them, and even worse there was no sign of Miles or Gabriel.

 

Rocco almost poked his head out of cover when the man beside him was suddenly gunned down, making him hunker down more. Two more fell shortly after, their blood staining the grayish snow.

 

Miyuki let off a salvo before rushing over to him. “We're getting slaughtered here! We need to move back to the final line before we're overrun.”

 

Rocco barked out a laugh. “We'll die back there just the same. Why bother?”

 

“Rain and a bunch of wounded are back there and too many enemies have gotten by us as it is. We need to move now!”

 

Rocco leapt up, killing a mutant that had a dismembered human arm in it's hand. “Fine, fine! Fuck it! Everyone fall back! Move back to the final line!”

 

The others didn’t need much prompting and they began a slow retreat, firing back at the advancing horde. They saw a bigger mutant walk to the front and give an order. The creatures smiled wildly as they began tossing small objects into the air.

 

“Grenades!” Miyuki shouted as the explosives began raining down on them, showering her in gore and debris, as people were blown to bits and body parts were thrown into the air.

 

 In panic, everyone gave up a tactical retreat and started fleeing as fast as they could. The mutants rushed forward to gun down them down unopposed. Miyuki ran, stumbling and blind, trying to get the blood out of her eyes. She felt a gnarled hand grab her arm and pull her along.

 

“Come on, come on. I got ya.” Rocco muttered, sounding out of breath. “I don't know about you, but I'm not having fun anymore.”


                         *

If Rain had been upset at being put in the back, her disappointment didn't last long. Super Mutants began trickling in at a steady pace, and suddenly the lives of the wounded behind her felt heavier. The men and women she was in charge of, to their credit, didn't seem to mind following the orders of a small, diapered girl. Also, for farmers and others who had rarely held weapons before, they were decent shots, proving how adaptable the village had been forced to become.

 

Rain had taken aim at the first mutant who stumbled in, her weapon belching an arc of electricity that literally tore it's arm off, killing it instantly. She soon learned that even if they survived the initial shot, the current of electricity coursing through their bodies normally finished them off. 

 

But as more and more kept charging at her line, she couldn't help but feel frustrated. She had no idea what was going on up front. Were the others alive or dead? She could hear distant gunfire, and suddenly heard explosions and screaming.

 

She kept her focus as her group continued to gun down the charging behemoths. Despite the situation, Rain was having a literal blast with her new weapon, imagining every creature as the one that killed Dr. Sellers.

 

Then there was a lull, and the screaming free louder, came closer, and Rain ordered a cease-fire. The snow was growing fiercer, obscuring their vision. Each snowflake that touched her skin left a faint tingling sensation, and left an ashy smudge when she rubbed it away.

 

For what seemed like an eternity nothing happened. The screaming had stopped, the gunshots had ceased. The world had descended into an eerie silence. Finally, she saw them, a staggering group of survivors, maybe ten or twelve in all. Among them she saw Rocco and Miyuki, and she took some comfort in knowing that they were still alive.

 

Her relief was shattered when she saw large figures emerging from the snowdrift behind them, stalking them and waiting for their chance. 

 

Rain waved her hand forward and yelled to her men. “Let's go, they need back up. Move up!”

 

As one they surged forward, firing at the monsters as they went. The unexpected assault seem to stagger the beasts back, and they reached the survivors without a problem. As they moved back to cover the bullets started flying on earnest l as the mutants renewed their assault. Three people died before making it back to the sandbags and Rocco took a hit to his right leg.

 

Rain kept firing, sending arcs of electricity whenever she saw a monster get close. The snowfall gave the creatures camouflage however, and yet they didn't seem to have a problem aiming at all. Finally back to the sandbags, they waited in tense anticipation as the towering abominations slowly closed in. They had nowhere else to go. Behind them lay the village’s wounded and weak, it’s young children, cowering in the large brick building just a few feet behind them. There was nowhere else to go.


                          *


Miles kept playing dead as his body fixed itself. The mutants had mostly moved on, though he could see a few of them trying and failing to reach Tali and her snipers. He looked over to where Gabriel had stood but all he saw was a mountain of Super Mutant dead. He was about to make his move when the mountain seemed to move. The bodies were shifting upward and falling away. At once a metal arm burst through and Gabriel emerged, shrugging the large corpses off of him. His armor was blackened and scarred, riddled with bullet holes, but Gabriel didn't seem worse for the wear. 

 

Miles stood up and moved to his second in command, staying crouched and hoping to avoid notice. As he moved over the bodies of the fallen, he found the body of Samuel Agrippa. A quick check showed that the ghoul still clung to life. He was covered in blood, making it tough to ascertain his injuries. His leg was twisted to an unnatural degree and Miles was forced to move on.

 

Gabriel gave a wave when he saw him coming wiping his helmet to get the grim and gore from his sight. 

 

“Captain. Glad to see you in one piece. Damn muties fell on me, thought I was gonna get crushed in my own armor. Things are looking bad.”

 

Miles went to speak but began coughing roughly. He fell to one knee clutching his chest and unable to breath. Gabe knelt down beside him, showing as much concern as he could under his helmet. Finally, the attack subsided. Miles ignored the blood in his palm, wiping on his leg before Gabe could see. 

 

“Tali is pinned down and who knows what's happening with the others. It’s time to hit them from behind. You with me?”

 

Gabe smiled and helped him to his feet. “Captain, you don't even have to ask. Let's get back in there. I don’t know where my rifle is, but this suit of mine can still pack a punch.”

 

As they prepared to move, Mr. Happy flew by them his saw blade whirling. “I got tired of waiting! Let me at the beasts!” 

 

They followed behind the crazed robot, the three of them smashing into the mutants trying to reach the snipers. Not expecting an attack from men they thought were dead, the mutants quickly fell to their furious assault. With Tali and the others safe, they called the snipers down and together they sprinted to help the others.


                             * 


They were losing. Badly. The Super Mutants moved inexorably forward, giving no care to losses or wounds. They drew closer and closer, their fire cutting down the ragged and desperate defenders. Rain had switched to a fallen soldier’s hunting rifle, hoping to save the last three shots of her electric weapon. They were running low on ammo and fighters alike, but still they fought on. That's when she saw him. The mutant with the American flag tied to his arm. The same one that killed her guardian almost a year ago.

 

A primal rage filled her, a heat, a tightness in her chest. Without thinking about what she was doing, she scooped up her electric gun and slung it over her shoulder. She gripped the hunting rifle and leapt over the barricade. 

 

Miyuki called after her. “Rain, what the fuck are you doing?! Get back here!”

 

Rain kept moving forward,, ignoring her heavy and saturated diaper. She kept moving, firing as she went, her eyes focused on the monster who had haunted her dreams. When she ran out of ammunition with the rifle, she tossed it aside and knelt down, pulling a sawed-off shotgun from her boot. She was getting ridiculously close to the mutant’s line. They noticed too late the danger the small girl posed. Her first shot destroyed a mutant’s head and as it fell she reloaded and fired at another. 

 

She could feel bullets hitting her armor, which thankfully stopped most from getting through, but the impact took her breath away nonetheless. A shot hit her in the arm, another grazed her thigh, and another still her shoulder, almost spinning her around. But she kept moving, kept firing.

 

The leader had finally taken notice of her, moving toward her with a determined gait. Unable to reload, she dropped the shotgun and sent an arc of electricity at her foe. He staggered for a moment then began to sprint to her. Before she could get another shot off, the creature knocked her into the air with one arm. She landed heavily and found herself in between the two forces. Her weapon was too far away and the mutant leader had fixed his forces on her. She saw guns pointed squarely at her and knew that this was the end.

 

What happened next couldn’t be explained. Just when she thought it was over, the mutant leader…….smirked. Something about that smile enraged her further. She wouldn’t back down, not to this monster. There were too many people who would die if she failed. She screamed helplessly and raised her hand in a weak attempt to defend herself as gunfire erupted for a final time.

 

A silence descended once more, so silent in fact, that Rain thought she was already dead. Yet when she opened her eyes, a different sight awaited her. The bullets had halted in mid-air, yet they still spun in place as though they retained their velocity. Rain stood in the open field, her hand still raised, dumbfounded. The mutant leader moved forward, as unable to understand what it was seeing as she was. 

 

The defenders behind her looked on in awe and disbelief. Rain could barely comprehend what was happening, but she noticed that when she lowered her arm a bit, the suspended lead seemed to lower as well, as though responding to her movement. Her head began to pound and throb worse than ever before, and in a moment of pure instinct, she pushed her arm forward, and the projectiles responded in kind.

 

A hailstorm of lead death went hurtling back at the ones who fired them, killing scores in a single wave. Their leader rose slowly, bleeding from a dozen wounds and now……missing an eye. It stormed to her in a rage, yet the others were too shocked to follow. Similarly, the defenders behind her were rooted in the spot. She was alone. With her head pounding and her vision fading, she tried to repel the creature with the same force she had used before, but it wouldn’t come. A meaty hand reached forward, grabbing her by the face and lifting her off her feet and into the air.

 

She felt the monster’s hand begin squeezing, but at this point she was almost beyond the pain anyway. She couldn’t see what was happening, but the grip on her skull seemed to lessen a bit. She heard renewed gunfire and suddenly she fell to the ground again.

 

Miles stood in front of her and the mutant leader was roaring in pain. Miles kept firing with both pistols, his fire tearing the mutant’s arm to shreds as it sought to defend itself. With a final shot, Miles shot off its arm at the elbow. 

 

Still struggling with consciousness, she looked around weakly. From what she could gather, Miles and some survivors had attacked the creatures from behind. She saw Gabriel literally punching his way through the surprised mutants, his steel fists red with blood. Their arrival emboldened the remaining defenders and they too rushed into the fray. 

 

She heard the leader give one final roar of rage, it’s deep scream reverberating in her chest. Then they fled, what was left of them anyway. Miles and the rest followed and harassed them until they were out of the village.

 

She felt Tali by her side, gathering her up into her arms. “We did it, Rain. We won. It's over.”

 

Rain squinted at her surroundings. For every person cheering for victory, another was staring at her with questioning eyes and terrified thoughts. Her head was pounding, all at once she was assailed with voices coming from everywhere and nowhere at once, from people whose mouths weren't even moving, but she could hear them anyway. 

 

That's when a final revelation hit her. A panicked thought from somewhere among the survivors. A male voice filled with panic and fear.

 

This can't be happening! How is this possible?! She should be dead! How can it be her?!”
 

  • Like 3
Link to comment

Alright, so I'm about halfway through the chapter (stopped right after the call for help. Gonna finish it later.)

Rain's new powers! O_O she's not just an Empath, she's a full Psionic! Although I honestly hope she doesn't gain "control" if her powers for quite a while now. Maybe not till the very end of the series? I feel like it would take a lot of narrative tension away if they essentially had Jean Grey on their team. Also it would be yet another distraction from the core values and emotions of this story because everyone would just start seeing her as a weapon (which could be interesting in and of itself, but let's put a pin in that for now.)

Link to comment
10 hours ago, Wannatripbaby said:

Alright, so I'm about halfway through the chapter (stopped right after the call for help. Gonna finish it later.)

Rain's new powers! O_O she's not just an Empath, she's a full Psionic! Although I honestly hope she doesn't gain "control" if her powers for quite a while now. Maybe not till the very end of the series? I feel like it would take a lot of narrative tension away if they essentially had Jean Grey on their team. Also it would be yet another distraction from the core values and emotions of this story because everyone would just start seeing her as a weapon (which could be interesting in and of itself, but let's put a pin in that for now.)

All i will say is that her powers will progress over time and will have limits, severe ones. Also, I think the emergence of her powers will add to the levels of emotion. Lol. I think they will. I know they will. Anyway, I'm glad you're liking the journey.

Link to comment
20 hours ago, vampire4 said:

All i will say is that her powers will progress over time and will have limits, severe ones. Also, I think the emergence of her powers will add to the levels of emotion. Lol. I think they will. I know they will. Anyway, I'm glad you're liking the journey.

Oh definitely. It all depends on what you do with them. And I trust in your abilities. :D

Link to comment
  • 1 month later...

Rain dreamt of needles. She was in a dark, cold room, unable to move. The air had a sterile smell to it, almost sickly in it's cleanliness. When she felt the first needle jam into her arm, she screamed, but couldn't get away as more stabbed into her arms. The pain was extraordinary, only made worse by the feeling of multiple syringes being forced into her skull. 

 

She screamed helplessly into the darkness as the pain went on and on. Just when she thought she might go insane from it all, she heard a feminine voice. 

 

“You're doing so good, baby. Stay strong. We're right here with you.”

 

There was something about the voice that soothed her and pulled her away from the pain. She didn't recognize who was speaking, yet there was something familiar and safe about it.

 

“I can’t do this anymore.” She heard herself cry out. “It hurts too much, Mommy.”

 

A cold voice spoke from the shadows. “It's only pain. It's only temporary. This will all be worth it in the end. You're going to change the world.”


                           *

Rain opened her eyes, staring up at the decayed and ruined ceiling. She wondered for a moment where she was. She could hear chatter, voices, the sound of movement. Her hand brushed against something on her stomach that caused her to look down. She was wearing a clean shirt, but it was raised up exposing her midriff. Her whole stomach was wrapped in bandages. Looking further down, she saw a familiar pink diaper around her waist. It felt heavy and cold, but that didn’t surprise her.

 

What did surprise her was Rocco looking down on her. If it had been Tali or Miyuki she wouldn't been all that surprised, but Rocco……well that was surprising.

 

“Ugh….where am I? What are you doing here?”

 

Rocco smirked at her, though he seemed uneasy for some reason. “You're in the sick bay, still in the village. You had three, I repeat, three bullets in your gut. Luckily your armor slowed them down and they were easy to reach, but one of them was lodged against your rib. If not, you probably would be dead. Not to mention all the lacerations and four broken ribs. You were in a bad way is the point.”

 

Rain tried to sit up, but the pain quickly forced her down again. “I feel like shit. My whole body hurts.”

 

“That’s what you get for charging into a hail of gunfire. Bullets tend to hurt, kiddo. Don't get me wrong, you looked like a badass, but on the smart scale I'd give that move a negative three. You've been out for two days.”

 

“The mutants?”

 

Rocco paused, staring at her intently before answering. “Gone. They ran off after you….uh…..did whatever you did. What’s up with that by the way? I mean, could you always do that….magic whatever thing?”

 

Rain sat up a bit, suddenly more aware. Now she understood why he had come to visit her. He was afraid, and trying very hard to hide it. She couldn't help but feel hurt by his fear, but to be fair, her powers scared her as well. 

 

“I've never done that before, Rocco. At least, not that I know of. Believe me I’m as surprised as you are.”

 

Rocco kept staring at her, his hands wrung together. “So…..did you remember anything?”

 

“Not really.” Rain said before smiling a bit. “I did hear my mother's voice. It was……really pretty, like she sounded really nice…..and pretty y’know? I'm trying really hard to keep it in my head just in case I don't hear it again.”

 

“Hey….I’m sure everything will, y’know…..come back eventually. Anything else?”

 

Rain nodded. “Yeah. It was just before I lost consciousness I caught a thought from someone, real quick. But…..someone recognized me. Someone here knows who I am.”

 

“Whoa let’s slow it down a bit, kiddo. How can you be sure it was legit, this thought? I mean, you were pretty out of it after your little display. It could have been a trick of the mind or something.

 

“I know what I heard, Roc. It was real.”

 

She left out that her dream had shown her another interesting aspect about herself. These abilities didn't seem to come from no where. While she was still unsure exactly how it had happened, it seemed clear that she was the result of some type of experiment. But what kind of screwed up science could give her such powers?

 

Their conversation was cut short when the curtain by her bed was drawn aside and a woman entered. She looked about Tali’s age, with dark hair and crumpled scrubs indicating that she was a nurse. She looked like she had been running herself ragged.

 

“Hope I’m not interrupting, but I figured you probably needed a change by now. You mind if I check?” 

 

Feeling her cheeks redden, she pulled the blanket tightly to herself. “Change? What about Tali?”

 

The nurse didn't seem to slow down any, reaching for a new diaper and hunting for the wipes. “She's been busy since the attack. She's a better doctor than she gives herself credit for, better than anyone left anyway. Don't worry, I’ve been taking care of you the last two days so you're in good hands.”

 

Rocco stood, ready to beat a hasty retreat. “I'll give you some privacy. Uh…I’ll tell the others you're awake.”

 

Rain took a deep breath. She had to ask, despite fearing the answer. “Rocco? How many others out there are like you? How many people are afraid of me now?”

 

Rocco looked down at his feet, his face the picture of remorse. The nurse had stopped what she was doing and was doing her best to keep her face neutral. Their silence said enough and she waved him off.

 

Once he had left, the nurse closed the curtain and removed the blanket. She opened the wet diaper and began gently cleaning her up, being careful not to move the injured girl too quickly. She fanned out the new diaper while giving Rain a happy looking smile.

 

“I'm glad you’re awake. Let me know if you're in any pain and I'll try to help as much as I can. The stim-packs should have taken care of most of the damage. I'm Erin by the way.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Erin. You mind answering my question? How many people are freaking out about me?”

 

“Well…..about…..half? Everyone is really grateful for what you did. I'm really grateful. I'd be dead if it weren’t for you. I was in with the wounded just waiting for those mutants to come charging in. You saved all of us.”

 

Rain gave a small nod. “But they're scared of me, right? I saved them…..and they're scared of me, right?” She knew the answer, but she needed to hear it.

 

Erin had lifted her legs up by this time and slipped a new diaper under her. She poured some powder and then taped it up, not quite as snug as Tali normally did, but well enough. She seemed hesitant to say more.

 

“There have been a few people who are worried that you might be……dangerous. They want you gone. I'm sorry, I know it's not right, they're just, I don’t know, scared I guess. Samuel is trying to talk them down.”

 

“So I guess we'll be leaving soon, before I get run out of town.”

 

“It's not that bad. Just some stupid people making noise. Miles wanted to stay for the rest of the winter, help rebuild and make sure the mutants don't come back. Honestly though, we might end up leaving and setting up elsewhere, the damage is so extensive.”

 

Rain nodded and listened as Erin filled her in on what was going on. It was nice to hear that Samuel Agrippa had managed to survive, she hadn’t seen him during the battle and had briefly heard that he had been killed. As it turned out, more people had survived than initially thought, but there were many wounded and supplies were running low. As for Agrippa, he had lived but his leg had been horribly twisted. Despite the best efforts of the medical team, it would probably never heal completely.

 

Eventually, the nurse left after a final pillow fluff and Rain was left to her own thoughts. But her mind was swirling with everything that had occurred. It now seemed like her powers, more diverse than she could have imagined, were the result of some experiment. It was all tied to her past, but the answers to that mystery still seemed far off.

 

After a day or two of rest, she was finally able to get back to her feet. The time off had been nice, if not a bit lonely. Miles and Gabe had visited when they could, with Gabriel telling old Brotherhood stories to help pass the time. Miyuki and Rocco had gone scouting for any more threats. Tali only visited once, looking more in need of a bed than anyone.

 

At Miles insistence and with nothing to do, she began practicing with her new powers, or rather, failing spectacularly. She spent the better part of two more days staring intently at a water bottle, trying to make it move, or fly across the room, or do anything. Each attempt was a failure, and she grew more frustrated with each try. 

 

Finally though, she was able to leave the dark and dreary sick bay, stepping out into a gloomy, yet still bright world. The cold was bracing, but the air was cool and fresh, compared to the stuffy interior she had lived in the last few days. For all the reported damage, the villagers had done an amazing job of repairing the place. Homes had been rebuilt, the dead had been buried, and there was a general sense of relief among the town. 

 

Then she reached the middle of the village, where a small congregation, no more than fifteen people had gathered to apparently discuss her. In the front of the pack, standing on the still destroyed remains of a house, was an older woman in ragged clothes, her hair streaked with gray. Her voice rang out as she gestured wildly with her hands.

 

“We all know what needs to happen! That girl has to go, she'll only endanger us further. We have to stand up for ourselves now, whether it's against Agrippa or his hired killers. She needs to go!”

 

“She saved us! She nearly died for us, we can’t kick her out.” a dissenting voice cried out. Rain recognized the man as one her men from the final barrier. 

 

The woman rounded on the man, pointing a bony finger at him. “She saved us? How? With what unnatural powers did she save us and what do they mean? What is she? A mutant, some kind of witch? How do we know she won’t become more of a threat than the mutants?”

 

Even though it was a small group, Rain still sunk into herself as they cried out for her to be kicked out, removed, burned at the stake, and anything else they could envision in their minds. After a job like this, she should have felt like a hero. She liked that feeling, but it was becoming more and more scarce. Whenever she fought people, regardless of how horrible, the fact that they were human beings plagued her mind. Killing people always made her feel wrong.

 

But fighting monsters and mutants, that should have made her feel good, righteous even. She saved a whole town, with help of course. People would have died if not for her, so how could a few dissenting voices make her feel so crummy?

 

As she was standing there awkwardly, the woman making the speech noticed her, and things got predictably worse. Insults were hurled at her from every angle and when she tried to back away she found herself boxed in.

“Witch!”

 

“Monster! Freak!”

 

“We won't let you destroy what little we have left!”

 

She tried to speak to but her voice couldn't seem to reach them, and she became more meek as they closed in.

 

“No…..no…..please. I'm not going to hurt anyone, I only wanted to help. Please I swear!”

 

Someone grabbed her arm, she felt another grab her hair, pulling so hard it took her breath away. As the group closed in, their hands reaching for her, grabbing her, she felt herself panicking more and more. She thrashed in the townspeople’s grip, finally getting an arm free.

 

“Stop it! Get off of me!” She swung her arm at the crowd and watched in horror as four or five of them went flying backwards, landing heavily on the frozen earth. The rest backed away, their paranoia edging into complete terror. For her part, Rain began to feel far less scared than angry. The fury seemed to rise up inside her, and a glance at the woman who had led the charge against her was all it took for her to unleash it.

 

She raised her hand to the woman, and it was as if a giant invisible hand took her into it's grip. Slowly raising her hand further, she lifted the screaming woman into the air. Her fear now replaced by a sense of righteous fury, she began squeezing her hand shut slowly, feeling a resistance that she imagined to be her tormentors body.

 

“Argh…..please stop…..can't…..I can't breathe…..oh god, my ribs….please.”

 

Rain held her there in the air, trying to reign in her emotions. The headache she had gotten the first time she had used her power had returned with a vengeance, but still she couldn't bring herself to let the woman go. The villagers had regained some of their bravery, and she saw guns being pointed at her from every angle. They didn't fire though, maybe afraid she would send them back at them. Instead they begged and pleaded with her to relent.

 

She heard a gunshot from further away, and the crowd backed further away. “That's enough! Get back, get away from her you idiots!”

 

 Samuel Agrippa limped forward, his leg in a crude looking metal brace. He was leaning heavily on one of his men, and Rain saw many others with him, all armed. She recognized some of them from the battle. They quickly got between her and her tormentors, and they actually seemed more interested in protecting her than the townsfolk.

 

“Hey now, kiddo. Everything's okay now. Nobody is gonna hurt you, okay? But I need you to let Wanda down now.”

 

Hearing the woman's name didn't stir any kind of forgiveness from Rain. She wanted to crush the woman like an insect, and in a few more moments she might have. Miles and the others were rushing her way. Miles looked fascinated at what was happening, the others simply looked worried. Rocco stared at her with open horror and lagged behind the others.

 

“Rain that's enough. It’s over…..put her down.” When she didn't comply Miles raised his voice and called to her again. “Rain, that's an order! Put the woman down now.”

 

His voice finally seemed to get through to her, and as though she were waking from a dream, she let poor Wanda go. The woman fell to the ground gasping for air. She was pretty sure she saw Miles breath a sigh of relief. Suddenly feeling nauseous, Rain sank to her knees, sighing with relief as Gabe and Miyuki flanked her, almost daring anyone to get close to her. With her stomach turning and her head splitting, she felt her diaper swelling rapidly, and with a final indignity, she felt her bowels give out. Kneeling on the ground, she felt the back of her diaper expand as her body forced a slimy mess into the waiting garment. Thankfully, it was quiet so no one would be the wiser, provided they didn't smell her anyway.

 

“She tried to kill me!” Wanda whined once she had recovered. “That….thing needs to go!”

 

“You went after her first, you dumb bitch! You're lucky I didn’t let her kill you. All of you, disperse immediately and get back to your homes.” The crowd grumbled,  but obeyed. None of them would even meet Agrippa’s gaze. He looked down at her and almost tried to kneel before he remembered his leg.

 

 “I'm sorry about those idiots. They've basically lost everything they had. Their homes, their friends and family. I guess for whatever reason they were just…..afraid they would lose more. Doesn’t make it right though, damn them.”

 

Rain couldn’t make herself answer. She couldn't even focus with her head pounding like it was. She saw Miyuki wrinkle her nose a bit, no doubt knowing who was the cause. Tali had knelt down beside her at some point, wrapping her arms around her shoulder.

 

Agrippa sighed unhappily. “Miles, I'm sorry about all this. I know it seems ungrateful, but it may be best if you leave us once your able. I don't trust these idiots not to do something stupid. Fear is all they've known for a while, and scared people can do some dumb things.”

 

“That's probably best. We were going to stay and help out, but that’s not going to be possible it seems. We'll leave as soon as Rain recovers.”

 

Tali helped her stand up, but she could feel her knees knocking and the world was spinning. “I just wanted to help. I didn't want this. I tried to be a hero.” Rain sobbed. She tried to take a step and suddenly she felt her leg give out. 

 

Agrippa caught her by her waist, inadvertently causing her to groan as his fingers dug into her wounded stomach. “Easy there. I got ya. Listen to me, yeah? You are a hero, to me and a whole lot of others. And believe it or not, you're a hero to those others as well. If you hadn’t saved their bacon, they wouldn't be alive to hate ya, now would they?”

 

For some reason the old ghoul’s words made her chuckle. In fact, she was halfway to laughing as Tali hauled her battered body up and began to carry her away.

 

“I’m so glad you're okay, baby. Let’s get you cleaned up and then let’s get out of this place. I'm ready to get back to my own bed, believe me.”

 

“Yeah……me too. I'm stinky, Tali.” Rain said in a haze of delirium. Her head was easing up at last and her stomach felt better after her accident.

 

Tali chuckled. “It's not so bad. I'm pretty sure we've all smelled worse. Dead bodies for example, or that time Gabriel tried to cook.”

 

“Yeah. That was pretty bad…..”

 

“Anyway, it’s no big deal. You've had a crazy few days, that's for sure. At least it looks like you're able to control those powers of yours, that's neat.”

 

Rain sighed, leaning her face onto Tali’s shoulder. “I can’t get them to work when I want them too. It’s more like I can use them when I'm panicked or in danger. Plus, my head hurts so bad when I do use them.”

 

“Well……practice makes perfect I suppose. It's a good back up weapon and hopefully will help keep you safe out here. That's all I want.”

 

They reached her tent at last, and Rain was happy for the privacy. It was nice to feel away from everyone else. Tali laid her down on the bed gingerly, but she still had to do her best not to squirm when the mess in her diaper smashed against her bottom. The feeling was horrible and she was really regretting being conscious for this diaper change. The last time she had messed herself she was asleep for the aftermath, and had then done her best to not think about how bad it must have been for Tali to clean up. No such luck this time.

 

“Okay….how should we do this? I'm gonna need you to keep your legs up for me. Can you manage that?”

 

“I…..I don't know. As injured as I am, that might be tough, but I'll try.”

 

“Do you need a hand?” A voice from outside the tent asked. Tali opened the tent enough to peek out. Rain could see Erin’s face looking in with concern.

 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to pry. I was coming to check on her after the commotion, and I’m assuming she needs changed. I can help if you need an extra hand.”

 

Rain shook her head vigorously. This was bad enough without another person to witness her humiliation. Tali looked back between them, looking regretful.

 

“Baby, I'm not sure what else to do here. I can ask Miyuki for help if you want, but something tells me she wouldn't be the best person for this job. We gotta get you clean though.”

 

An image of Miyuki gagging during the whole change was enough for Rain to count her out. Erin was a nurse and she had changed her before, so she was the best bet, but it didn't make it any less humiliating. 

 

After her reluctant nod, Tali waved the young nurse inside. It wasn’t until Erin was inside the tent that the smell hit her, and Rain couldn’t help but snicker at what the poor girl had gotten herself into.

 

Tali put on a brave face and got ready to begin. “Okay. I’m gonna get started here. Erin, I'm gonna lift her legs up, could you just hold them up so she doesn’t have to?”

 

“Got it.”

 

“Let's open this up then. Okay. You know, it's not so bad.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re smelling then, cause its pretty bad from my end.” Rain had nearly gagged as soon the diaper had been opened. “I swear if this happens every time I use my powers, I will never be using them.”

 

Erin laughed. “That would suck. Your powers are pretty cool to be honest.”

 

“Maybe, but pooping my self is not so cool. Not to mention they hurt to use anyway.”

 

As Tali began methodically cleaning her, she did her best to hold still with her abdomen still in pain. The change seemed to take forever, but after a lot of wipes, she began to feel clean again. It was a relief for both her body and her dignity when she was finally put back down onto a clean diaper. 

 

“That wasn't so bad, was it?” Erin asked cheerfully as she was being taped up. “I guess you’ll be heading out then?”

 

Rain stood up and pulled her skirt back up. “Yeah. I’m ready to go home anyway.” That was an understatement. The town was already becoming almost suffocating, between all the people who liked her and the people who hated her. Too many people in general, really. She was excited to get back to the steel and concrete base she was used too.

 

“Well, I hope you stay safe out there. Maybe we'll see each other again one day.”

 

“I hope so. Take care Erin, and thanks for the help.”

 

They gathered their things and took down the tent, with Erin sticking around to help, then they headed out together and made their way to the village entrance where Miles and the others were already waiting. A crowd had gathered to see them off and most of them actually cheered and clapped at the departing team. Agrippa was speaking to Miles and handing over a bag full of caps for a job more or less finished. 

 

“I can't thank you guys enough.” Agrippa said with a smile, leaning on a homemade crutch. “To be honest, I didn't think you guys would make much of a difference. It's nice to know that the rumors were right for a change.”

 

Miles extended a hand. “Take care of your people, Samuel. If you ever run into anymore trouble, we'll be back as fast as we can.”

 

Despite some trouble with the townsfolk near the end, Rain still hoped they would be alright. She worried, as they probably did, that the mutants would return after they left. She sincerely hoped they didn't, and these people could rebuild in peace.

 

Gabriel was in his armor, minus his helmet, and knelt down to offer her a place on his shoulder. For once she didn’t feel so guilty for hitching a ride and she sat comfortably before they prepared to set off.

 

“You ready to get out of here, superwoman?” Gabe joked.

 

“Please. I feel like more of a freak than before. Now I'm not just a girl in a diaper, but the weird diaper wearing girl who can do shit with her mind.”

 

“Hey, at least you're in good company. Look at the team around you. An immortal, a former Brotherhood of Steel soldier, a mad scientist, a ghoul, and well……Miyuki. Add you and we sound like a superhero team from those old comic books.”

 

“I am not a mad scientist!” Tali objected.

 

“Hmph. It’s a bad sign when I'm the most normal person in this group.” Miyuki snorted.

 

Before they could leave, Tali rushed back to Erin, sorting through her bag the whole time. After a bit of whispering, Tali pulled out a camera she had found while scavenging before winter hit. Upon realizing her plan, the team unleashed a collective groan, although Miles seemed amused, smiling softly at his lover. Gabriel pretended to smooth his short cropped hair, Rocco tipped his fedora, and Miyuki presented her best scowl Tali rushed back and wrapped an arm around him, her hand reaching up and taking hold of Rain’s.

 

Even if it was ridiculous, it felt nice in a way. Rain would have done anything to have a picture of her real family. Still, she was here with her new family after saving a town from annihilation. It felt right. For a moment her doubts and fears about herself faded into the back of her mind and she allowed herself to smile. After the grumbling died down thanks to Tali’s relentless glares, the photo was taken and the picture shot out from the camera. 

 

It was perfect.


                       *

A few months later:

 

Rain was enjoying a rare night of dreamless sleep when she was jolted awake by someone entering her room. Maybe so much time spent avoiding death had sharpened her senses. Then again, Tali’s giggling was by no means subtle.

 

“Oh, are you awake?” Tali asked. “Good. Hurry up and get dressed. It’s party time!”

 

“Party time? It is very much sleeping time. And a party for what?!”

 

“It's been one whole year since you joined us, and since we don't know when your birthday is, we all decided that this was a good of a time as any. It's your sweet sixteen, so hurry up!”

 

Sixteen. Well she was probably right. No doubt she had probably turned sixteen at some point during this last year. Given that her age was one of the few things she had remembered, it was worth keeping track of.

 

After an impromptu diaper change, she followed Tali to the main area of compound. The others had already gathered and cheered at her arrival. The common area had been decorated with everything you would find at a prewar birthday party. Streamers, balloons, and lame party hats. They had really gone all out.

 

“You guys! This is amazing. I can’t believe you did all this for me. Where did you even get all this stuff?”

 

Gabe perked up, fiddling with the party hat that looked tiny on his massive form. “Tali had me keeping an eye out during the winter. I found an old party store during one of my scavenging missions.”

 

“I've been planning this for a long time.” Tali said proudly.”

 

“You're only sixteen once, Rain. Enjoy yourself.” Miles said with a small grin. 

 

Miyuki slung an arm around her. “When I was sixteen, I was eating out of gutters and barely surviving. You're lucky.”

 

“Buzkill.” Rocco muttered from an old recliner. Things had gotten better between them, but there was still some kind of uncertainty, some gulf, that lingered ever since she had first displayed her power. Rain was concerned it would never go away.

 

Tali clapped her hands together, practically jumping with excitement. “You have gifts to open, little missy. There would have been a cake, but I sorta blew it up.”

 

Rain wanted to ask how she had managed to blow up a pastry, she didn't think she’d get an answer. She took a seat on the ground in the middle of the group as gifts from each member were laid at her feet.

 

Gabe gave her a fancy looking laser pistol which was cool considering their rarity. A new knife was Miyuki’s gift since she had lost hers in a raider on their last mission.

 

Miles presented his gift next. “I can't take full credit for this since Tali helped make it, but here you go.” The gift was a coat, long and brown, much like his own. “The Regulators are gone, but it’s my hope that one day they will rise again, maybe led by you. Wear it with pride.”

 

Rocco gifted her with two bottles of Nuka-Cola Quantum. It's unfortunate side effect of causing her pee to glow was worth it, given how wonderful or tasted.

 

Then came Tali. Her gift was small, fitting in her hand. She revealed a golden locket on a small gold chain. Inside was the same picture that had been taken at Hope’s Folly just a few months ago. Tali had managed to copy it and make it small enough for a locket. It was such a thoughtful gift. This whole party was. 

 

They had never celebrated birthdays before, but Rain realized that if Tali hadn't given her a birthday, she would never have had one. Dr. Sellers had never cared about such things. 

 

“Thank you. All of you. I can't tell you how much this means to me. I…..I don't even know what to say.”

 

Tali wrapped her in a hug. “You don't have to say anything. We love you, Rain. Anyway, it's a party! Someone start the jukebox.”

 

“And drinks!” Rocco cheered. “Drinks for all! Except for the birthday girl that is, cause I'm already getting a dirty look.”

 

They spent the rest of that night dancing and having a good time. They talked and relieved old glories from past battles. Rocco lost an arm wrestling match to Gabe, but the old man lost the subsequent drinking contest and passed out on the couch. Miyuki taught her how to effectively throw a knife into a target. For this night at least, the only thing that mattered was having a good time.

 

Before she headed back to bed, Miles stopped her and just by looking at his face, she knew what it was about.

 

“Rain, I know you've been practicing like I asked. I just wanted to tell you to keep it up.”

 

“Nothing’s helped though. I just sit there and stare at different things, but nothing works. I think I've gotten maybe on glass to move an inch across a table and I threw up after.”

 

“Remember when Gabriel was teaching you to shoot? I do. I watched you closely. You used to get so frustrated, swearing up and down that you would never get better. How about when Miyuki was teaching you how to fight? Remember how long it took you to get to a point where you held your own? Practice, Rain. That's all it takes. You have a gift that could change the world. Now you have to learn to use it.”

 

“I know. It's just…..I don't know how to get better. I don't have anyone teaching me this time.”

 

Miles chuckled. “Well if you figure it out, I'd love for you to teach me someday.”

 

Rain laughed a bit, but she could see he wasn't going to take no for an answer. He had been pushing hard for her to learn how to command her abilities. Taking a surprising amount of personal interest. He was the opposite of Rocco, who blanched every time she even hinted at using her power. No, Miles watched her and encouraged her, delighting at any perceived improvement.

 

Rain sighed. Miles had gone and put a damper on her good vibe. “I know, Miles. I'll keep trying.”

 

He smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder. “Good. That's all I ask. I know you'll do great.”

 

Back in the confines of her room, she hung up her new jacket and placed her locket on her nightstand beside her bed. She covered up and stared at the ceiling. Then she looked at the locket one more time. She focused as hard as she could, trying to summon that feeling of power once more. It was there, she could feel it, but it was nothing like before. She watched as the jewelry shook and jumped slightly, but then the power dissipated and it lay still once more. Well, it was worth a shot anyway.
 

  • Like 3
Link to comment

So I'm up to this point:

8 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Even if it was ridiculous, it felt nice in a way. Rain would have done anything to have a picture of her real family. Still, she was here with her new family after saving a town from annihilation. It felt right. For a moment her doubts and fears about herself faded into the back of her mind and she allowed herself to smile. After the grumbling died down thanks to Tali’s relentless glares, the photo was taken and the picture shot out from the camera. 

Gonna come back and read the rest later, but just thought I'd comment and say that this chapter has been great so far. From the paranoid cries of "Witch!" To Rain almost murdering that woman with her mind, to a very messy diaper change which I'm sure is even less pleasant in a post apocalypse... or maybe it's not as bad because things tend to smell worse on average than they do to us? Hmm...

Link to comment
46 minutes ago, vampire4 said:

I'm up for it. We're gonna be getting into the meat of the story. I'm pretty excited.

We... we're getting into the meat of the story? Are you insinuating that everything up until this point has just been the appetizer!?!?!?!?

Dear god... O_O

Link to comment

Well......yeah. I'd say we just passed part one of like....three. The main conflict is coming soon, I'm working hard on it. Part three is when things will start to crawl to conclusion. And then.....well yeah, you'll see. It's gonna be a doozy.

Link to comment
  • Hades changed the title to The Lost and the Broken (Updated 9/15/2020) No really!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...