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

[Wannatripbaby]

7 hours ago, vampire4 said:

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.

?

*Grabs popcorn*

This is gonna be amazing! Your story is honestly one of the best on this site even though it's a very niche genre. Few people has 1/8th the skill you have. ♡♡♡

[Wannatripbaby]

Oh hey! We're on page 8 now! Yay! 

[Hades]

Yes, it is I! I've actually been in a writing mood so I've come to gift you all with more of this story that I guess people like for some reason. Enjoy.

 

Another town, another mission. This one incidentally fell into their lap. They had travelled to the town, Ridgeville, to trade. They had a surplus of scrap and needed to get rid of it in favor of more useful things like food, which had lessened considerably from winter. Tali and Gabe were normally loath to sell potentially useful materials. Gabriel used any scrap metal to repair his armor, while Tali would use whatever junk at could in order to make random things that either exploded or at the very least could be chucked at enemies.

 

Ridgeville was located inside one of the many cities that dotted the landscape. Not many built their homes in cities. Between mutants and smaller raider groups, cities tended to be more dangerous. On top of that, there were less opportunities for hunting, and the like, making successful scavenging a must, and trade more vital than ever.

 

Either way, the town itself was rather impressive. Scaffolding connected the various buildings that served as homes, and the whole town was decorated with lights of various colors. At night Ridgeville must of have been exceptionally beautiful. The town encompassed a large amount of the city, probably several blocks. The streets were well populated, and despite their complete lack of any walls or other defensive structures, the people seemed at ease. Clearly this was not a village used to trouble.

 

Looking around, the answer as to why started to become more clear. Almost every building had turrets set up, much like the kind they employed at their bases. In any case, it hadn't taken long for them to get recognized. 

 

Always eager to help, and with the promise of better trading deals and supplies as payment, Miles accepted and the job was explained by the town sheriff, a grim looking man named Murphy. 

 

The man was rather ordinary. To be honest, Rain was to caught up with eyeing the various stalls filled with goods to pay much attention to him. She would let Miles handle the business aspect, she just needed to know where to aim and who to shoot.

 

“So how can we help you, Murphy?”

 

The old sheriff took off his hat and leaned in close to whisper to the group. “There's been a murder. Happened yesterday. I’ve kept it quiet for now, but soon enough people will get suspicious. Then they'll be out for blood. As bad as it sounds, we can't afford for the town to shut down because of this. But if you can solve it before they notice….?”

 

Miles nodded sympathetically. “Tell us as much as you can, and we'll get to it. What happened?”

 

“The victim was a woman named Rebecca Powers. She owned a little store at the edge of town, dealing in old electronics mostly. Not a particularly popular store, but she did alright. She was…..well she was very private woman, kept to herself mostly. She didn't seem to really like it here, nor did she like most of us all too much. Honestly, she probably wouldn't have bothered with the store if she could've avoided it.”

 

“Keep going. Do you have any idea who did it?”

 

“That's where we're lucky. We know exactly who did it, or at the very least have a good suspicion. There's a drifter whose made himself rather unwelcome in most towns. Goes by Zhang. Asian fella, about your height, real shifty though. Not much else I can give you besides that. But we'd like him brought back alive if possible.”

 

Miyuki rolled her eyes. “So we're looking for a shifty Asian, huh? At least he'll stand out.”

 

Murphy blanched. “I didn't mean no offense. We welcome all people here.”

 

“Why are you so sure it was him?”

 

 “His normal method is to sneak into a town and steal whatever he can, then hightail it out before anyone notices. We got warning from a nearby settlement that he was around, so we knew he might come here and we were watching out, but he still slipped in. I was informed that he was in Rebecca’s shop, but by the time I got there it was too late.”

 

“She was dead and he was gone? I’m assuming he stole her things as well?”

 

Murphy sighed. “I don't know if he took anything or not. I didn't frequent the joint and we haven't looked for any type of inventory log. Rebecca didn't suffer fools though, that's for sure. My guess is she caught him and tried to deal with it herself. It…..it wasn't pretty, Miles. He cut her up bad. Now she might not have been the most friendly of people, but she was one of us. We're simple people and whatever our flaws, we look after our own.”

 

Miles nodded. “So it's a small town's justice then? I'm betting it won't be pretty.”

 

“There'll be a trial. We're not animals. But yeah, it probably won't be something you'd want your little one there to see. That a problem?”

 

Rain snapped back to attention at that. She had been focused on a food stall that was frying something that smelled pretty damn good. The others were snickering at her, and she turned back around to hide her red face. 

 

Miles chuckled but didn't bother correcting him. “If you could give us an idea of which way he went, we'll get after him.”

 

“He was last seen heading north.” Murphy pointed. “Closest town is only a few hours walk. Maybe he's still there, selling off his goods or resting at an inn. If not, he might be rushing towards Jericho Thorne’s area.”

 

“We'll catch him. He's days away from Thorne’s territory.”

 

After a quick stop at the food stall, they headed off. For her part, Rain was regretting wearing pants instead of her usual skirt, but she had wanted to wear the Regulator jacket that Miles had given her and it looked better with pants. Still, even in her lighter diaper, she felt like she was waddling. 

 

Miyuki gave her a nudge, nodding her head towards Miles. “It's no wonder he thought you were Miles’ kid, look at you. You match and everything. How adorable.”

 

“Maybe you're jealous he didn’t give you one, huh? I mean, I joined last after all, but I guess the captain likes me better. Must be hard for you.” Rain said smugly.

 

“Pfff. Dream on, little girl. I'd say he’s painting a target on your back with that thing. He's probably hoping you'll act as a decoy.”

 

Rain brought her hand to her mouth in mock surprise. “Wow. To think Miles would trust me to act as his decoy. Hey don't worry, I'm sure you can find something to punch…..or whatever, make yourself useful, y’know?”

 

Miyuki laughed menacingly, wrapping an arm around her neck and putting her in a light headlock. “You better watch it, missy. I will not hesitate to pull down those pants and spank your diapered behind.”

 

“Oh. I thought you only liked spankings when Surra was involved. Were you a bad girl, Miyuki?”

 

“That does it. Can we stop guys? Rain needs to relearn some manners. Maybe we'll work on potty training afterwards.”

 

Tali smiled back at them, shaking her head. “Behave you two or I'll put laxative in one of your meals tonight, only I won't tell you who.”

 

Miyuki let her go at last. “You're more used to it than me, but I don't want to risk it. The jacket does look pretty good on you though, seriously.”

 

Rocco chimed in from behind them, fanning himself with his hat. “Uh….could we hear more about Surra spanking you, Miyuki? Please? I'm a lonely ghoul.”

 

Miyuki gave a disgusted look. “That's an image I didn't need. You should be like Gabriel, at least he's a gentleman.”

 

“Hmmm? What?” Gabe asked. “Sorry I was uh…..lost in…..thought. I very vaguely recall something about spankings?”

 

“Oh my God! You too?!”

 

“What? My rugged good looks only get me so far, and the eyepatch doesn't help as much as you'd think. If I were a younger man then maybe.”

 

Rain ran ahead with her hands over her ears. “Ewww. No, stop, there's a child present! Don't scar me with this grown-up talk.”

 

Miyuki pointed at her. “You started this. Get back here and suffer with me!”

 

“Gee I would, but I need to be closer to Miles. Y’know, as his decoy. Have fun though.” Rain giggled, sticking out her tongue.

 

Rain rushed to the front and took her place beside Miles. He subtly extended a fist for her to bump.

 

“Nice one. A little mean, but she did used to beat you up after all, right?”

 

She shrugged and gave an evil grin. “I'm too busy laughing right now to feel bad. Check back later.”

 

From the back she could hear Rocco fishing for me details. “I mean, was there a whip? You don't have to say it out loud, just blink twice if there were whips involved.”

 

“Rocco!!!”

                           *

They walked through the ruins of the abandoned city, heading for the next town. As she had thought many times before when traversing a city, Rain marveled at the idea that people once inhabited places like this, populating the huge skyscrapers that were now empty and foreboding, almost like sleeping giants. She tried to imagine people walking the streets, busy going one place or another. She tried to imagine those giant buildings perfect and whole, standing tall and proud under blue skies, instead of desolate and crumbling monuments with broken windows and overgrown moss.

 

She looked over at the multitude of rusted and broken down vehicles, wondering how such devices could have ever worked. In a few, there were still crumbling skeletons at the wheels, having taken their last breath inside a steel can. Where had they been going? Maybe they were rushing to safety when the end came, or stuck in traffic that surely existed back then. Rain had to turn away from a few vehicles when she saw multiple bodies in them. One even had some….very small ones in the back. 

 

With a sigh, she tried to envision one more time what this city might have looked like before mankind was crushed by their own weapons of war. A somber musing, and one that was quite sad as well.

 

Her reverie was cut short when what looked like a settlement appeared on the horizon. They had barely walked an hour, it seemed too early to have reached their destination. 

 

Miles and the others had stopped in their tracks, and the sudden tension in the air said that they had indeed stumbled on something unintended. Looking again at the settlement ahead she could vaguely make out a flag flying, a flag that depicted a devil surrounded by flames.

 

“That can't be.” Tali whispered.

 

“Off the road!” Miles ordered.

 

They moved off the road and crouched down beside some cars. They hadn't seemed to have made themselves known yet, though Rain could see armed men patrolling the perimeter.

 

Gabe grunted and nodded toward the camp. “No doubt about it. They belong to Thorne. Probably one of the generals judging by the size.”

 

Miyuki shook her head. “That makes no sense. They're way too far south. You think this is some kind of attempt at expansion?”

 

“Who cares why they're here?” Rocco asked. “Do you see the other flag? Which general is it?”

 

Sure enough, a second flag was flying near the first. The wind was blowing too much to see it though.

 

Rocco nudged her. “Kid, you ever seen a picture of those old time plague doctors?” He continued as she nodded. “If you see one now, get ready to run. That means the Doctor is around. You don't want to get captured by him.”

 

The Doctor was named Thomas Yates, a regular name that hid a more sinister persona. A general of Jericho Thorne, he ruled in the far northwest. Miyuki was terrified of him, in fact, everyone seemed to be afraid of the Doctor due to his penchant for torturing his enemies.

 

“No. Look now that the wind has died down.” Miles said. “It's an axe, right?”

 

Sure enough, the banner was a red axe over a black background. So it was another general, Lucas Hudson, and ruler of the southern border of Thorne’s empire. 

 

“What the hell is Hudson doing down here?” Miles queried. “Last I heard, Thorne had set up pretty clear borders. It makes no sense.”

 

“So what now? We can go around I guess.” Rocco advised.

 

Miles seemed to consider it, but then smiled thinly. “No need. We'll just pass right through. Maybe we can ask about our thief. Either way, I don't like the idea of leaving them there without knowing why.”

 

“That's crazy! We're talking about at least a hundred men in there.” Rocco objected.

 

Miles looked back, his bright blue eyes narrowing in a look that dared another complaint. It didn't seem like he was taking no for an answer.

 

 “Just watch yourself. Hudson is a fairly reasonable guy. So long as we don't give him cause, we'll be fine. Everyone keep your hands away from your weapons. We'll approach slowly with our hands raised. Let's go.”

 

They headed toward the huge encampment, with Rain feeling more apprehensive with each step. Somehow, a man nicknamed the Axe, didn't strike her as a reasonable guy. Not to mention, she remembered her vision of the attack on the Regulators. Miles was stopped from getting to Thorne by a fire axe in the back. With how much Miles hated anything to do with Thorne, she found it odd that he wasn't demanding an immediate attack.

 

The guards saw them quickly, and soon a party of fifteen raiders had come to meet them. At the head was an ugly man with a bushy dark moustache. He gave an order and the men spread out to surround them. The moustached man glared at Miles, recognition burning in his eyes. Miles however, seemed calm as a still pond. Either he didn't recognize the man, or he was being very diplomatic.

 

“I need to speak with Hudson. Send word we're here.”

 

The man shoved a finger the captain's chest. “You don't order me around you bastard! Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right here!”

 

Miles didn't so much as look at him. “You'll die if you try it. We aren't here for a fight. Now run and fetch your commander.”

 

“You don't remember me do you? You attacked my tribe many years ago. I nearly died thanks to you.”

 

“I tend to forget all the stupid assholes I’ve killed or nearly killed. Count yourself lucky.”

 

The man clenched his fists, only barely restraining himself. “You got balls. I should have torn them off at your base five years ago. You have no idea how happy I was when we burned that shithole to the ground. I killed so many of your friends. Come on, draw your weapon, I fucking dare ya.”

 

Miles finally looked at the man, murder in his eyes. It seemed like conflict was inevitable. Gabriel looked as though he was ready to jump in front of Miles if need be. The others all seemed to be reaching for their weapons. 

 

“Wait! Wait!” a small voice cried out. A young man was rushing toward them from the camp. He was thin as a reed and seemed only a year or so older Rain herself.

 

The man with the moustache tensed up, a Rain could feel an intense frustration coming from him. The boy reached them at last, heaving and sucking on large amounts of air. The distance was so little, Rain couldn't help but marvel at how out of shape the boy was.

 

“Mr. Hudson……he……ah….he wants to see them……He sent me…..to escort them.”

 

The man grunted and stroked his facial hair. “You don't look like you can escort anyone, Kyle. Pathetic. Look at you, you're huffing and puffing from a light jog!”

 

“I have asthma…” Kyle whined.

 

“Bah. No such thing. Don't fake an illness because you're a weak little girl. Hell, there's a little girl right here who could probably kick your ass.”

 

Rain felt her eyebrow twitch from annoyance, but the thin young man trembled anyway. 

 

“Why would she want to?!” He asked bewildered.

 

“You piss me off, Kyle!” The man yelled.

 

“It would seem we're done here.” Miles stated. “Lead the way, young man.”

 

Kyle took another deep breath and pivoted on his heel. They passed the snarling group of men and began their way to the camp. The camp itself was hastily constructed, with tents crowding almost every inch of ground. The reception inside was just as bad. Most of the gathered raiders jeered and booed at them. Lewd jokes were directed at Tali and Miyuki. Many yelled curses at Miles. And of course, numerous jokes about the “little girl” in the group persisted as they made their way to the biggest tent near the back of the camp. For the first time in the day, she was happy she hadn't worn a skirt. Her diaper being exposed here would have been too much to bear.

 

Kyle led them inside where two men stood by something amazing. It was a car, but it had been beautifully restored with a cherry red paint job. The metal parts seemed new and the whole vehicle was polished lovingly. 

 

Lucas Hudson, the Axe, was immediately noticeable. He was shorter than Miles by just a bit, but looked very well built. He had dark tan skin and he was wearing what looked like prewar military pants and a white tank top that was discolored with grease. His head was shaved at the side, and the hair he did have was styled into a mohawk. He glanced briefly at their group before signaling that they should wait. Rain glanced over at the corner where his fabled fire axe stood nearby.

 

The other man was much older and was beaming over the vehicle proudly. “We did it sir. Look at how she shines. I honestly wasn't sure we would find the parts we needed, but just look at her.”

 

Hudson was smiling happily. He headed over to Kyle and slapped his back, almost knocking the poor boy over. “Look at that, boy! Have you ever seen anything like it? Check it out, Miles. Look at my baby. It took years but she's almost ready. I bet you're jealous, huh?”

 

“Very impressive, Hudson.”

 

The old man looked suddenly confused. “Uh….sir? What else is there to do? We've restored her as best we can already.”

 

“What the hell are you talking about? We're going to get her running. It's been my dream for years. I'm tired of having to walk all over the damn place.”

 

“Sir, I thought you simply wished to restore the vehicle. I'm afraid there's no way to get her running.”

 

Hudson blankly looked at the man. Beside him, Kyle stiffened in fear. “What do you mean?”

 

“I thought you knew. The technology for those vehicles was lost hundreds of years ago.”

 

“Then what have we been doing all this time? You were recommended as an expert in old cars. Now you say you can't fix it?!”

 

Kyle tugged meekly on Hudson’s arm. “Stay calm, sir. Please?”

 

“I am calm. I’m calm. I'm so fucking calm. Please…..continue old man.”

 

The man seemed to realize his precarious position and began looking at the exit longingly. “I am an expert at fixing them up, yes, but no one knows how to get them running, they used nuclear fusion after all.”

 

Hudson appeared to be getting more and more red and had begun pacing around. “So let's…..just do that then.”

 

“Ludicrous. Such an art was lost long ago. It’s impossible.”

 

Hudson looked over and pointed to Gabriel. “I heard the Brotherhood had a giant fucking robot and vehicles that flew. Flew! In the fucking sky!”

 

“I-I'm sorry, sir. There's simply no way. I didn't mean to mislead you.”

 

Kyle looked more and more worried. “Sir, please. Remember what we talked about. Count to ten remember?”

 

Hudson kept pacing. “Yeah yeah, I know. I’m good. One…..two……three…..four……ah fuck it!”

 

In a split second he had his axe in hand. The poor old man barely had time to scream before the blade had descended down on him.

 

Hudson kept counting with every swing, until he reached ten. He took a final deep breath before tossing the axe on the ground. He looked over at Kyle, who had sunk to his knees despondently, a hand over his face.”

 

“Boy! Clean this up and get our….guest out of here.”

 

“I hate my job.” Kyle complained. “Why do I bother? It's always the same.”

 

“Kyle!” Hudson yelled, gesturing to the bloody body. “We have guests. Don't be rude, get this guy outta here.”

 

The boy got to his task unhappily. He took the body by the arms, whimpering as he struggled to drag to corpse away. Rain couldn't help but feel bad for him.

 

“And bring me a new shirt! Good kid, Kyle. I'm friends with his father. He's always been a sickly kid and I promised to help toughen him up. A task I might add, that has rivaled the restoration of my baby. He has been helping me work on my anger though.”

 

Miles smirked. “Oh, I can tell.”

 

“Miles, I'm afraid you've caught me at a bad time and my good mood has suddenly spoiled. What are you doing here?”

 

“I was going to ask you the same thing. You're far from your territory.”

 

Hudson shrugged. “My former mechanic said the last part I needed for my baby was down here. Besides whose gonna mess with me? I'm Thorne’s man after all.”

 

Miles had tensed up again. The two enemies glared at each other openly. This was the man who had halted Miles in his tracks, who had assisted in the destruction of his home. The situation seemed likely to explode at any second.

 

“I see you got a Kyle of your own. How's it hanging, girlie? I've heard a lot about you. They say you're quite the fighter.”

 

Rain met the bloody general’s gaze. “I'm afraid I don't know much about you.”

 

“Not much to tell. I used to be in a caravan run by my father. We were trading our wares in Jericho’s territory. But my dear old pa was a tad greedy. We reached a road with a toll and instead of paying, my father killed the guards and we had to flee. He thought that Jericho was a nobody and wouldn't deign to pay the rather small toll. That was a bad move. I fuckin told him that too.”

 

“Did he come after you?”

 

“Of course. Jericho himself led a group to get revenge. So there we were, outgunned and outnumbered. I was never one for numbers and trade, so I grabbed the nearest thing to me and started swinging. That very axe there. But my father and everyone else had already fallen. Needless to say, Jericho was impressed and offered me a place with him.”

 

“Now you see who our enemy is, Rain.” Miles said coldly. “The type of people for which nothing is sacred, not even family.”

 

The Axe chuckled. “Let's be civil now, Miles. Here I am being polite. Now I'll ask again. Why are you here?”

 

Tali spoke instead, trying to ease the situation. “We're pursuing a thief who murdered a woman nearby.”

 

Hudson scratched his head. “I don't suppose he was a squirrelly Asian fella by chance? Cause if so, take a look outside.”

 

They pulled open the tent and looked to where the general was pointing. Sure enough, there was an Asian man hung by the neck from a lamp post. 

 

“The little bastard tried to steal food from our cook, Bertha, who happens to be as big as a Super Mutant and about as friendly as one too. Not a great cook either, but that's neither here nor there. Believe me, it was a mercy when I finally ended his misery.”

 

“Well that’s that I guess.” Rocco sighed. “Saves us the legwork.”

 

“See? I did ya a favor. You can even keep all the reward too, that's how nice I am.”

 

Miles turned, ready to leave. “We're done here then. Til next time I suppose.”

 

Hudson has finally torn off his bloody shirt as Kyle returned with a clean black t-shirt. “Leaving so soon? Don't feel like reminiscing? I was just gonna say how much you still surprise me. I mean, I watched you get shot to hell and even stuck my axe in your back. Yet here you stand, like nothing had happened.”

 

Miles turned, his fist clenched. “No. Not like nothing happened. I will never forget, Hudson. One day, I will kill you. You and Jericho both. I came here because you're the least horrible, but the more I stand here, the angrier I get.”

 

It was true. In fact, Rain couldn't think of a time when Miles had ever been this angry. It seemed to roll off of him like an aura of hatred. Normally, he was the picture of calm. Miles never lost his cool. Ever.

 

“You're lucky it's me then, considering the others would have already killed you. Might wanna remember that.”

 

Miles seemed to reign in his fury and calm down. Only barely. “The other generals still around?”

 

“Sure. Indara is just as wild and beautiful as ever. To be fair, we generals don’t see much of each other these days.”

 

“What about the Super Mutant?” Rain asked.

 

“Barnabas? Yeah he's around. My personal favorite actually, he's funny as hell. Then again, the idea of a big Super Mutant who rides on giant brahmin and wields a chainsaw might sound funny at first until you see the ugly fucker coming at you.”

 

“The Doctor?” Miles asked. It looked like he was willing to put aside his anger in order for information.

 

The axe swinging general seemed all too happy to talk as well. “Yeah, Yates is still around. Everyone hates him. But he's feared, that's for sure, and in an outfit like ours, fear equals strength. There's even talk of him taking over in a coup.”

 

That got Miles’ attention. “A coup? Is that really possible? Could Thorne be overthrown?”

 

Hudson wagged a finger at him. “Don't get your hopes up. Yates is a goddamn psychopath. He's hardly interested in leading his own men. People like to talk. But Jericho……well he's been off the last few years. It seems like wiping the Regulators out took something out of him. He's not the same. The other tribes see this, and they've never been content under an upstart like the boss, as you know.”

 

“If so many want him dead, maybe they should help me instead of trying to kill me.”

 

“Nah. They still hate you more. Besides, Indara and I wouldn't allow it, Barnabas neither probably. Then there's Viktor. He's always nearby and ain't nobody looking to take him on. I get you hate him and all, Miles, but Thorne has done a lot of good since taking over.”

 

Rain found herself speaking up. For some reason she couldn't help herself. “He's done a lot of harm too. How much blood is on his hands?”

 

Hudson nodded, looking thoughtful. “Oh yes. He's done a ton of harm for sure. No argument there. What can I say? The man's a damn paradox. Despite acknowledging that you're our enemy, Jericho seems to really like you. I’d even say he admires you.”

 

Miles was practically fuming at that, his hands balled into fists, and his knuckles turning white. Hudson kept talking, unaware.

 

“He hates torture, but he gave that Maxwell guy to-“

 

Finally he seemed to have realized that he had said too much. But Miles had already drawn his weapon, the barrel of his gun directly in the general's face.

 

“What was that? What….did he do to Maxwell?! Tell me now…..or die.”

 

“Miles….” Tali warned, reaching slightly to place a hand on his arm.

 

Gabriel also stepped forward. “Some caution please, captain. Remember where we are.”

 

George Maxwell was the man who had taken Miles in, and was like a father to him. He had been captured by Thorne and had ultimately led the raiders to the Regulators front door.

 

Lucas Hudson was apparently not a man to be threatened. He took a step forward and put his hand over the weapon.

 

“Are you….seriously threatening me right now? Are you honestly going to come into MY camp and threaten me?! Do you have any idea what I could do to you with a single word?”

 

Miles pulled the hammer back on his weapon, and they all realized that at that moment he would have fired without hesitation. Even Hudson seemed to have become grimly aware of his position.

 

“Fine. You didn't hear this from me though. After we grabbed the old man, Jericho asked him to give you up, and then he became really angry when he did. I don't know why, maybe because the old guy hadn't even been smacked around or anything when he gave you up. Jericho was furious. After the battle, he gave Maxwell to…….to the Doctor.”

 

“How long? Is…is he still alive?”

 

“Well……last I heard he was. In a manner of speaking.”

 

Miles had lowered his gun, but his whole body was shaking, whether from anger or something else was unclear.

 

“Where is he? Is he with the Doctor, at that rumored asylum in the far west?”

 

Hudson sighed. “No. Jericho wanted him to be surrounded by the one's he betrayed. At the one place he knew you'd never go back too.”

 

Miles turned and walked out without another word. The answer was clear to them all. They were going to get George Maxwell, and he was at the Regulator headquarters.
 

[Wannatripbaby]

Okay so I've read up to the first break point.

That scene with Rain and Miyuki was hilarious! ?

[Wannatripbaby]

Just finished the rest of it.

well THAT took a turn I wasn’t expecting! I was kinda expecting some sort of murder/mystery involving this thief. But I guess you had bigger plans. 

I shudder to think about the state they'll find George Maxwell in if he's been under the Dictor's "care" for so many years. ? This is gonna be intense! 

[Guilend]

Am I the only one waiting to see if they cross paths with Surra? I did think of a funny joke though. Surra is tucked off at Rain and then Miyuki says something to her to defend Rain so Surra says," Don't make me put you in diapers, but you did seem to enjoy them the last time." Which may or may not be true, but it would be so funny to see Miyuki squirm and try to deny it, which she knows will get her into trouble with Surra for calling her a liar. Just a joke I thought up.

I really enjoyed it, thx.

[Wannatripbaby]

1 hour ago, Guilend said:

Am I the only one waiting to see if they cross paths with Surra? I did think of a funny joke though. Surra is tucked off at Rain and then Miyuki says something to her to defend Rain so Surra says," Don't make me put you in diapers, but you did seem to enjoy them the last time." Which may or may not be true, but it would be so funny to see Miyuki squirm and try to deny it, which she knows will get her into trouble with Surra for calling her a liar. Just a joke I thought up.

I really enjoyed it, thx.

I'm sure if enough of the fans demand it we can get more Surra + Miyuki scenes. Maybe One night Rain and Miyuki are sleeping in the same bed and Rain gets to experience Miyuki having a dream flashback of her time together with Surra. :D

[Hades]

The Regulator compound was different than what Rain had expected. It was situated far from any other settlement, in a secluded forest of dead trees. It felt like they had traversed the whole forest before they finally reached a clearing where the base was. The base wasn’t nearly as large as what she had seen in her vision, but it didn't take long to understand why. What was once a large and expansive barracks was now a destroyed shell. It looked like it had originally been surrounded by a protective wall, mostly made of giant logs whose tips had been sharpened. Most of the wall was destroyed, the logs laying all around the base. 

 

The inside wasn’t much better. Nearly all of the buildings had been burned to ashes or at the very least showed signs of heavy damage. The sturdier steel buildings were stained and blackened. It was interesting to note that despite supposedly being abandoned for many years, the grass had been cut and maintained so it wasn't overgrown. 

 

The center of the complex had been transformed into a large graveyard, each grave had been marked with wooden crosses. Rain glanced over at Miles. His face betrayed nothing of what he felt, but she could feel his inner anguish. After stopping at Ridgeville to collect their pay, he had hardly spoken to anyone aside from Tali in the two weeks they had taken to reach the compound. He had moved forward with a determined gait, as though he were forcing himself to continue.

 

One thing was clear. This place was painful for him, and as they had finally approached the compound, he had paused and closed his eyes, like he was trying to keep his memories at bay. Tali stayed close to him, her hand grasping his tightly in a show of support.

 

Rain, with her heightened empathetic senses, felt as though his feelings were crushing her. She was suffocating. She found herself shoving herself in between Miyuki and Rocco. Miyuki noticed, putting her arm around her and pulling her close. 

 

Miles took a deep breath and pointed to a small shed near the back of the compound. It was guarded by two armed men, lazily stretched out in some lawn chairs. The shed was the only undamaged structure in the place.

 

“That shed wasn't here before. They must have built it.” He left the rest unsaid. The shed must have been built for George Maxwell.

 

“What about the two idiots guarding the thing?” Rocco asked quietly.

 

Instead of answering, Miles began moving to the compound, no longer trying to hide his approach. The rest of the team was forced to follow behind. The two guards were so engrossed in their own conversation that they failed to notice his approach. When they finally did it was too late. Miles had drawn his gun and wordlessly executed them before stopping at the entrance to the shed.

 

It was covered in heavy chains, with many large padlocks keeping them together. At the bottom of the door was a small slot, an empty metal tray barely sticking out from it.

 

Tali tried to interject. “Miles, I know you're upset, but you just killed two of Jericho Thorne’s men. You know that's going to….”

 

“Get them off.” Miles interrupted. “Gabe, get those chains off.”

 

Gabriel took a moment, his eyes going back and forth from his leader to Tali. With a sigh he shot the padlocks off before yanking the chains off and throwing them aside.

 

Before anyone could say anything, Miles kicked the door in. Immediately, the team was repelled by an indescribable stench. Rocco and Tali visibly recoiled and moved away. Miyuki fell to her knees, looking sick. Aside from Miles, who had already entered the building, Gabriel was the only one who seemed unfazed.

 

Despite the smell, Rain felt compelled to follow Miles inside, but Gabriel grabbed her arm roughly and pulled her back. He didn't look at her, but there was a look in his eye she hadn't seen before, and a feeling coming from him. A sense of desperation to keep her from seeing inside.

 

“Whatever's in there, you don't need to see it. This is not for us. Just…..stay back. Let's give the captain some space.”

 

The others obeyed and moved far away from whatever horror awaited in the shed. They sat in a circle, each unable to find anything to say. 

 

So they just sat in silence.

 

                       *

 

Miles looked at the creature that was supposed to be George Maxell. He had curled into a corner of the shed. He was missing most of what made a human an actual human, such as eyes and fingers and teeth. He was horribly thin, and it seemed a miracle that he was even still alive.

 

 Miles guessed that the Doctor had eventually grown bored with Maxwell, and had sent him here to rot away, lightly guarded in the assumption that Miles would never return.

 

The walls were smeared with waste and blood. The smell was horrible, but Miles didn't notice it really. It was as though it couldn't reach him. This was the man who had saved him from the life of an orphan, who had taken him in and made him what he was today. And he had given them up. He had betrayed his own out of fear. 

 

Miles was surprised to notice that he didn't feel as angry as he thought he would. Instead he just felt a sense of sadness and loss. Maxwell had always been a such a strong man, but what remained of him, shaking in the corner, was hardly recognizable. He didn't deserve this. No one deserved this.

 

Miles forced himself to speak, as Maxwell no longer had the ability to see. “Maxwell. I’m here. It's…..it's Miles.”

 

Maxwell shot further back into the corner, shaking his head wildy. He could no longer speak. Miles felt a tear running down his face. He wasn't sure why his adoptive father was so afraid. Maybe to him, Miles was a dream, a nightmare that he couldn't even be sure was real. Did he think it was just another form of punishment? Another ghost come to haunt him?

 

Miles knelt down and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. “It's okay. I've come to stop it all. Everything will be okay.”

 

Everything would be okay.

 

                         *

 

It felt like they had been waiting for hours, although it was probably more like minutes. Then they heard a single, echoing, gunshot. The suddenness made her jump and instinctively reach for her gun.

 

Miles exited a moment later, ignoring them and walking numbly to a far off grave that sat by itself. Rain shifted and noticed how wet her diaper was. It would have to wait. It wasn't the right time.

 

“Is that Aiden’s grave?” Rain asked aloud.

 

“I would imagine.” Tali answered. “We've never been here. From my understanding, Miles never came here again after what happened.”

 

Rain watched as her leader sat by the grave. Surprisingly, she noticed some flowers on the grave. They were dead now, but still, they had clearly been placed there recently. Fresh flowers were a rarity anyway in this wasteland, leading her to think they had been grown by someone. Since it obviously wasn't Miles, who had left the flowers?

 

Rocco yawned and laid back on the grass. “Y’know, it sounds harsh and all, but I'd say the old dude got what was coming to him.”

 

Miyuki shot him a dirty look. Tali looked horrified. “How can you say that? I don't think you could have paid me to walk in there. He's obviously been through some terrible things.”

 

“Well, he is a traitor. He gave up his friends and family without a fight. I just think the punishment should fit the crime is all. You agree don't ya, Miyuki?”

 

Miyuki just shut her eyes tightly. “Just shut up, Rocco. Please.” She was hugging her knees, as though she was trying to shrink herself, and she had a sad expression on her face.

 

Rain kept watching her leader as he sat by his son's grave, speaking softly. “Has he said anything about Aiden’s mother? I got the impression she wasn't in the picture.”

 

Tali pursed her lips in something almost like annoyance, then she seemed to feel bad about it afterwards. “She died in childbirth. I guess they were both pretty young at the time, and Aiden was kinda unplanned. I don't think they were super close, but Miles didn't want to leave his son alone. That's why he brought him here.”

 

Rain could sense a bit of jealousy behind her calm face, but it was overwhelmed by the sense of concern for Miles. Tali was obviously tempted to go and comfort him, and Gabriel looked fairly concerned as well. They seemed to know that there wasn’t anything they could say to help. Miles didn't stay at the grave for long. He stood and walked back to them, a look of chilling determination on his face. 

 

Gabriel stood. “You want us to dig a grave for Maxwell? It won’t take long.”

 

“No. Burn the shed down. A pyre will suffice for him. We're in a hurry.”

 

“Captain?” Gabe asked?

 

“What are you talking about, Miles?” Tali asked.

 

“We're going after Thorne. This…..I can't let this go. I'm going to kill him.”

 

The group looked around at each other with eyebrows raised. Miles wasn't the rash type, but it was hard to blame him for feeling angry.

 

Tali was the only one who tried to speak to him, sensing his mood. “Miles, we talked about this before. We can't go after Thorne. It's impossible.”

 

“Well, we have faced some pretty bad odds before. Maybe we could pull it off.” Rain said. She wasn't trying to argue or take sides, just pointing out the facts.

 

Tali shook her head. “We've tried before. About a year before you showed up.”

 

Rain could have rolled her eyes at yet more history that she was unaware of, but Tali kept going.

 

“There was some kind of rebellion or civil strife. A few tribes were causing trouble. We thought that would be a good time to strike when he was distracted.”

 

“This is different.” Miles said angrily.

 

“Jericho knew we would try and take him out when he was weakened. He planned for it and set a trap. We barely got out alive. Gabriel nearly died.”

 

Gabriel just shrugged. “I've almost died a lot. We risk death all the time.”

 

“We aren't talking about a couple hundred Super Mutants, Rain. We're talking nearly a thousand raiders, all them united by their sole hatred of us.”

 

“A thousand spread out and spread thin.” Miles argued. “And this time we have a secret weapon. Rain and her powers.”

 

“What?! She can't control her abilities, Miles, and you want to drag her into your war?”

 

“I'm not debating this. We're going after Thorne. That's an order.”

 

Rain sat uncomfortably watching the scene play out. It could have been her wet diaper that was bothering her, but really it was just….disconcerting to see Miles and Tali argue. Miles had walked past them, apparently thinking the matter closed.

 

“I think we should vote on it.” Tali said. She had said it so quietly, and she looked almost surprised that she had said it at all. The whole group looked at the ground awkwardly. This wasn't how things were supposed to go.

 
Miles stopped and turned back, a look of shock across his face. He spoke in almost a growl. “What?! A vote? Are you kidding me?!”

 

Tali just looked at him, clearly resolved. “That's how we do things, right? None of us are compelled to follow an order. I'm sorry but I can't condone this.”

 

Miles glared at her coldly but agreed. Gabriel sided with Miles, as did Rocco. Miyuki surprisingly sided with Tali. Then it was Rain’s turn. If she sided with Tali, the vote would be even and the operation would be ended right there. 

 

But Miles was staring at her now. This was important to him, and more importantly, he believed in her, in what she could do. Maybe her powers could turn the tide and put an end to all of this. Plus, if Jericho was dead, Miles would have no reason to keep fighting. Maybe he would settle down with Tali once his past was put to rest.

 

“I'm in. I'm with you, Miles.” She said, looking him in the eyes and nodding. She glanced over to Tali, who had her head down, utterly defeated. She felt bad, but if Tali had won, Miles might have never forgiven her.

 

“It's decided. We'll start with the individual tribes who support him and head north. We'll hit them fast and hard, then keep moving. This ends when Jericho Thorne is dead and not a moment before.”

 

He walked off with Gabriel to set the shed aflame. He didn't say another word to Tali. She looked like she wanted to go after him, but Rain tugged on her sleeve before she could.

 

“Do you think you could change me? If you're not too angry with me?”

 

She sighed. “I'm not angry. I'm just scared. This can't end well, Rain. You can’t understand what you just agreed to. Anyway, it’s done and Miles will probably be mad at me for a bit, but I'm right and he knows it.”

 

“Don't worry, Tali. I'll do my best to help us through this. In case you missed it, I’m pretty badass now. I don't think you need to worry.”

 

“I hope so, cutie. Anyway, let's get you changed, okay?”

 

                         *

 

A few weeks later.

 

“Something must be done.” A voice cried. This is unacceptable. You've gone easy on him all these years, and this is the result.”

 

“Miles and his band must be stopped, Jericho.” Another voice said. “He should have died a long time ago. Now it must be done.”

 

Lucas Hudson sighed from the corner of the room, watching his leader with interest. The leader of all the tribes in the south had gathered in Jericho’s lair, at the top floor of a former hotel that now served as a sort of royal court. Jericho sat at the front of those gathered, like a king on his throne, although he wouldn't call it that. Honestly, despite the luxury the hotel had to offer, Jericho hated the place for some undisclosed reason.

 

In the weeks that followed Miles’ visit, he had gone on a rampage with his small band, terrorizing the tribes and causing many casualties. To his credit, he only attacked groups that were out and about, like the Mad Dog’s chem lab, or the Viper’s weapon supply depot. He hadn't gone after their homes, where women and children were gathered. Not that this mattered to the angry tribes. They had been wronged, and only blood would satisfy them.

 

Hudson was a bit nervous as he had inadvertently set all this in motion. Now he had been summoned to the capital for the first time in years. However, this probably meant that he was going to be tasked with dealing with Miles. To be honest, Hudson kinda liked Miles, but it was his territory that the jerk was destroying. He would relish the opportunity to hunt Miles down.

 

Jericho allowed the chieftains to yell and curse. He himself looked bored and almost depressed. He still had a baby face that made him look young, but the duties of ruling seemed to have weighed heavily on him. His fiery tattoos looked somehow less fearsome than they had.

 

Viktor, his bodyguard, stood beside him. He was a tall man, thin for his size, but still impressively muscular. With his long brown hair that fell to his shoulders, and a long and full beard, Hudson always thought he looked like a Viking from the history books. Viktor however, liked to consider himself more of an old fashioned knight. His weapon reflected this as well. It was a double edged broadsword he had found in a museum somewhere. He had it slung across his back and no doubt it was still wicked sharp.

 

“Why don't you say something, Jericho?” the chief of the Flying Hawks asked. “Your fondness for our enemy is well known. Have you grown so weak that you'll allow this to continue?! If you won't act then maybe it's time for someone else to be in charge.”

 

Viktor took a step forward. Just one. Hudson chuckled to himself. That's all it took to make the leaders of these fearsome tribes back away and shut their mouths. Viktor was a stoic and quiet man, even more than Miles, but his skills were well known, even if no one had actually seen them.

 

Hudson remembered a particularly tough fight, maybe a year before Miles had first shown up. Some tribe whose name he couldn't even remember anymore had started a fight with Thorne. They had lost. Badly. In a final act, they had holed up in their fortress. It was on a hill in an empty field, a view in all directions. They had strong walls and deadly snipers. No one had been able to force them out after some serious losses, Jericho sent Viktor alone to deal with them.

 

Hudson had laughed at the time. It was ridiculous to think that a glorified bodyguard could somehow handle what an army couldn't. He was wrong. It took less than three minutes before the gates were opened from the inside. Hudson would never forget the inside of that fort. It was like a whirlwind of carnage had torn through. All fifty or sixty men had been decimated, many cleaved right in half. No one knew how in the world one man with a sword had killed so many so quickly.

 

Yet it was the same every time Jericho reluctantly sent him out. Viktor left alone, and left no survivors in his wake. Viktor was the final solution, the person sent when Jericho needed a message sent. Even looking at him was terrifying. He had a presence of some kind that just couldn't be challenged. He just had an this air of invincibility. Viktor was without doubt the deadliest man in the state, maybe the world.

 

Hudson glanced over at Sylvia, Viktor’s wife. How a gloomy giant like him had snagged such a beauty was a mystery. Her long dark hair was kept in a neat bun, her olive skin glistened, and her dark eyes stared anxiously at Jericho. Along with her husband, she was one of his oldest friends and closest confidants. She was also an excellent chemist and kept the capital well supplied with stim-packs and other medical necessities. Because of these reasons, she always had a place in Jericho’s council meetings.

 

Finally, Jericho spoke. “The matter will be dealt with, as I've spent the last few days telling you. I'm not sure what else I can promise you all.”

 

“When?! Miles and his group cause more destruction every day while you sit here doing nothing.”

 

There was a sound from the end of the room. The elevator was coming up floor by floor, dinging with each floor. Jericho looked up and smiled faintly. “I had to wait for her to arrive. Now you'll see how this problem will be handled.”

 

Everyone looked back as the elevator door opened, revealing a pale woman with fiery red hair. She was clad in leather armor, and strode forward confidently. Her movement always reminded Hudson of some kind of wild animal, a feral beast. Yet here she was. Indara, ruler of the eastern territories.

 

Now Hudson was intrigued. Was Jericho summoning all his generals? Did he intend this to be another attack like the one on the Regulator compound? He didn't relish the idea of seeing Yates and his dead looking eyes. As for Barnabas, he always caused a fuss when he came to the capital, being a Super Mutant. 

 

“Thanks for coming, Indara. I'm sorry for pulling you away from home.” Jericho said with an almost warm smile.

 

“You asked me to come, and here I am. I'm assuming it has to do with Miles.” She looked over at Hudson with a mocking grin. “What have you been doing, Hudson? Can't handle your own territory?”

 

Hudson bristled. He wasn't a big fan of his fellow general. She always looked as though she knew some private joke that no one else did. It was mildly irritating. “Why do you think I'm here, you ginger bitch?”

 

“Indara alone will handle Miles. I have another task for you, Hudson. How many men did you bring with you, Indara?”

 

“Fifty. More than enough. I do have a favor to ask though, if I may.”

 

Hudson fumed as Jericho nodded for her to continue. Hunting down Miles should have been his task, but he couldn’t protest openly. Why in the world would Jericho summon them both?

 

“The Crimson Hands recently raided another tribe, some small one. There's so many and they all have ridiculous names.”

 

Jericho sighed. “I never prohibited raids. I wish I could, but the tribes have their ancient grudges don't they?” He made a point of ignoring the outraged looks the gathered chiefs gave him.

 

“They took slaves though. They're planning on selling them to some slavers from out of state. I would have dealt with it myself but I was eager to get here.”

 

Jericho sat up a bit, and a familiar flame seemed to light behind his eyes. He looked at the tribes gathered, and now they did seem to fear him. “One thing. Slavery was the one thing I outlawed. Have I not let you all operate as you please? I outlawed one thing, and this is how I'm repaid?”

 

Sylvia took a step forward and cleared her throat. “Send my husband to handle them, Jericho. Viktor would be happy to solve this for you.”

 

Jericho looked over at his bodyguard awkwardly. He looked as though he was about to refuse when his old friend spoke for himself. 

 

“I can do it. I'll leave in the morning if that's okay.”

 

“If you're sure. I hate to bother you with this.”

 

“I'm here to help you in whatever capacity you need. You never need to worry about sending me out.”

 

Indara clapped. “Great! I’m glad that's settled. Now, do you think I can get a room for the night? I'm a bit tired from all the travel.”

 

Jericho nodded, giving his female commander a knowing look. “That's fine. I'll speak to you later about the finer details of my errant friend and his punishment.”

 

Indara smiled and gave a small looking bow, then she left for her room. The chiefs seemed pleased, but would have continued to complain about other things if Jericho hadn't shooed them away.

 

Suddenly Hudson found himself alone with Jericho, Viktor, and Sylvia. He stepped up, ready to argue until he saw the look his leader was giving him. 

 

“Hudson, I find it strange that Miles has decided to attack us so suddenly, don’t you?”

 

Hudson could feel a cold lump forming in the pit of his stomach. Sylvia glanced at him briefly before excusing herself. The tension seemed suffocating.

 

“Miles has held a grudge for a long time, man, you know that.”

 

“Did you also know that old man Maxwell was put out of his misery? After all these years, do you think Miles just decided to drop by his old hangout for no reason? No one outside of myself and those close to me knew where Maxwell was kept.”

 

“I mean, he has a kid buried there.” Hudson said weakly.

 

Jericho stood up, his hands clenching into fists. “Are you going to keep lying to me, Lucas? Did you not think that I had heard about your little journey down below your territory, where Miles operates? You go down there and a week later, he's killing my people. Did you Miles and let your mouth run? Or did you purposefully betray me?”

 

Viktor began walking toward him now, slowly unsheathing his sword. “On your knees.”

 

Hudson backed away a few steps. Part of him wanted to fight, the other half wanted to run. But Viktor was looking down on him, almost daring him to try. He wouldn't be able to get away, and fighting Viktor was pointless. He knelt down at last. Feelings of hopelessness and disbelief raged in his head. It couldn't end here.

 

“Come on, boss. Is this how you're gonna end it? I've been loyal to you, man. I've always had your back and you’re gonna ice me just like that?”

 

“Don't move. It'll be worse if you move.” Viktor ordered, his deep voice echoing the empty room. Jericho looked on impassively as Viktor raised his sword up high.

 

Hudson bared his neck despite his fear. “Jericho, come on already, for fucks sake! I'm sorry! It was a mistake!”

 

The blade descended as he winced and took a deep breath, preparing for the pain to set in. He shut his eyes tight, not wanting to see it coming. It never did. The polished steel blade had stopped just inches from his neck.

 

Hudson let out his breath and sank down to his butt. He felt numb. He wasn't a man easily frightened, but he was shaking now. “Fuck you, Viktor…..fuck you.”

 

Jericho walked over and helped him up. “You are loyal, Lucas. I've never had reason to doubt that. To be fair, Maxwell has haunted my dreams for a long time now. I've been wanting to put the poor bastard out of his misery, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. But this has happened because of you, so I had to fuck with you a bit. You'll follow Viktor to deal with this slaver issue. Once he's done I want you to free the slaves and make sure they get home safely. Leave Viktor to get back on his own.”

 

Hudson got up, annoyed that his legs were still shaking. “I'll get my men ready then.” He headed for the elevator, ready to be gone and away from this place.

 

“Hudson.” Jericho called once more. His eyes had a familiar cold fierceness. “Don't ever betray me again.”

 

                          *

 

Sylvia watched her husband packing his bags. She hated to see him go, and was almost regretting offering him to begin with. He was such a quiet man, it could be hard to tell what he was thinking, but he had always been this way. They had been childhood sweethearts for as long as she could remember. He had always let his actions speak louder than his words.

 

She rubbed his arm. “You aren't angry with me, are you? I know I shouldn't have answered for you.”

 

Viktor shook his head. “It's okay. I understand why you did it. Jericho wouldn’t have asked me himself.”

 

“He's been different, Viktor. These last few years…..”

 

“I know. Imagine how hard it must be….to be him. All the people who hate him, want him dead, and he hates himself more than anyone else.”

 

Sylvia let her hair out of her bun and opened the safe in their room, pulling out a single black box and handing it over. It was a small parcel, but it's contents were of vital importance.

 

 “Tobias…....I mean Jericho used to enjoy this stuff y’know? Now he just seems to go through the motions.”

 

“He enjoyed outsmarting his enemies, Sylvia. He enjoyed stopping those who wanted us all dead or in chains. Everything else weighs on him. That's why we're here. To be strong for when he can't be. We owe him that much.”

 

“I'm worried about him. What happens to all this without Jericho Thorne?”

 

Viktor wrapped her in his big arms. She clung to him, taking comfort from his embrace. “You don't need to worry, Sylvia. I won't allow anything to happen to him. As long as I'm still standing, he'll be fine.”

 

“I know. On another note, I know you don't need me to tell you, but make sure you get some place safe after…..”

 

“Daddy!” A tiny voice cried and a small figure dashed into the room, leaping into Viktor’s waiting arms. “Are you going away?”

 

“Let your father get ready, Aimee.” Sylvia told the five year old little girl. As usual, she was full of energy despite most likely running around terrorizing the fearsome raiders that guarded the place. She was sorta like royalty here, or at least acted like it.

 

Viktor held her up, a small smile appearing on his face, a smile that he seemed to reserve for his daughter. “Just for a week or so. You'll behave for Mommy, right?”

 

Aimee rolled her eyes. “I always do, even when she makes read boring books and do homework and stuff. I'm the best, Daddy, you know that.”

 

“You complain about your lessons every chance you get, young lady.” Sylvia said with a roll of her eyes. “Heaven forbid I try to keep you from becoming like the rest of the brainless morons around here.”

 

“Aww…..I'm telling on you, Mommy.” The girl said, despite not knowing who exactly her mother was talking about. “Daddy, are you leaving cause Uncle Jericho asked you too?”

 

Viktor kissed his daughter on her head before putting her down. “That's right. If you do some things for me, I'll bring you a present.”

 

“Presents!” Amiee cried happily. “What is it? Tell me! I'll do anything!”

 

“First of all, I want you to behave and listen to Mommy. I know you like to give her a hard time when I'm gone.”

 

“Nu-uh! I already told you, I'm the bestest behaved girl ever. What else?”

 

Viktor knelt down. “The next time you see Uncle Jericho, give him a big hug okay? He probably needs it.”

 

“I’ll go right now!” The girl proclaimed, ready to fly off in search of her prey.

 

Sylvia caught her just barely. “Not yet, Wild Thing. Jericho is probably talking to Indara right now. Wait until later okay?”

 

“Indara is here?! Cool! Can I go see her? Please…..it's been literally a billion years since I last saw her. She was teaching me fight last time, so I can be strong like Dad.”

 

Viktor shook his head and sighed. “I'd rather you became smart like Mom. It'll get you farther in life. Anyway, leave Indara be until she isn’t busy, okay? Believe it or not, I think Uncle Jericho missed her too.”

 

“Sylvia snorted. “Oh, I'll bet.”

 

                           *

Jericho stretched and yawned as he watched the red haired beauty leave his bed. She walked over, still naked, to a small chess set he kept on a table by his window. She didn't seem to care that she was nude in front of a window, but then again not many could probably see her, considering they were on the highest floor.

 

From his perch, Jericho could look down at his city, his empire, filled with men and women who openly wanted him dead, as well as many others who only secretly wanted him dead. The few old friends he had left were rapidly shrinking. Some died…..others left, unable to bear the cruelties he inflicted on their behalf.

 

“Do you play?” Jericho asked.

 

“We just finished playing.” Indara answered playfully. “Did you miss me that much? Are you lonely here without me?”

 

“I meant chess….but yeah, I've missed you.”

 

Indara shrugged and stretched like a cat, her eyes watching his reaction. “I'm not much for games. I like hunting real prey, not plastic pieces.”

 

“Miles and I used to play, back in the day.”

 

Indara have a bored look and began to gather her clothes. “Seriously? We're talking about Miles now? Way to kill the mood.”

 

Jericho looked up at the ceiling. “Chess can tell you a lot about a person. Miles was very aggressive in our matches, bold and brash, hoping to force me to make a wrong move. But I always kept him at bay with a strong defense. I always told him to think more defensively.”

 

“And that told you what exactly?” 

 

“He's never needed to think defensively because the Regulators always taught him to attack, to overwhelm his opponents with speed and precision. He’s never been like me, like us. Hunted and constantly under attack, always fearing the next plot. That's the difference between us. That's why…..I'll always beat him.”

 

Indara gave a big grin, tossing her clothes back on the ground and getting back into bed. “Don't worry. I'll teach him a lesson. Are you sure you don't just want me to kill him?”

 

“That has proven very hard to do, hasn't it? But no, I want to send a message. Can you manage this for me?”

 

“Is that Brotherhood of Steel guy still with him?” Indara asked as she twirled her hair. Her eyes narrowed when he answered. “Can I kill him?”

 

“Still bearing a grudge, huh? Hate to disappoint you, but I'd like you to stick to the plan if possible. It'll hit harder, trust me.”

 

She hopped back up and put on her underwear. “I should get ready then. I'll be back soon, don't worry.”

 

Jericho raised his hand to stop her. “You don't have to go….yet. If you don't want to.” He hated how pathetic he sounded, but with what was about to happen, he didn't want to be alone for tonight.

 

Indara only seemed a little surprised. She nodded and slunk back into bed. “You don't want to do this, do you? You really like Miles, don't you?”

 

Jericho closed his eyes, trying very hard to remind himself that he was in the right. “Miles is a good man, one of the best I've had the honor of meeting. I've put him through a lot of pain and suffering…..and before this is over, I'll put him through a whole lot more.”
 

[Wannatripbaby]

11 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Everything would be okay.

Why do I have a feeling that isn't gonna be entirely accurate? ?

 

11 hours ago, vampire4 said:

I'm not debating this. We're going after Thorne. That's an order.”

Oh my! ? I can only see this ending poorly.

still, at least they're going after the generals first instead of just charging at Thorne through an army of Raiders. Even grief-stricken, rage-blinded Miles has some sense it seems.

11 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Hudson had laughed at the time. It was ridiculous to think that a glorified bodyguard could somehow handle what an army couldn't. He was wrong. It took less than three minutes before the gates were opened from the inside. Hudson would never forget the inside of that fort. It was like a whirlwind of carnage had torn through. All fifty or sixty men had been decimated, many cleaved right in half. No one knew how in the world one man with a sword had killed so many so quickly.

Why do I get the feeling Rain isn't the only science experiment gone horribly right running around? That's the only explaination I can think of for 1 guy with a sword killing 60 armed men in 3 minutes.

[Wannatripbaby]

11 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Hudson.” Jericho called once more. His eyes had a familiar cold fierceness. “Don't ever betray me again.

Is it wrong that I actually like Jericho and his not-so-little empire he's built? If this were an actual Fallout game I would probably side with him and hope I at least get a chance to kill The Doctor. The rest of his entourage seem pretty decent by Wasteland standards.

11 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Daddy!” A tiny voice cried and a small figure dashed into the room, leaping into Viktor’s waiting arms. “Are you going away?”

AWWWWWWW! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

That was just precious! Aimee is adorable and Viktor is such a good Daddy despite what he does. I hope Miles and his crew don't have to kill him...

11 hours ago, vampire4 said:

He's never needed to think defensively because the Regulators always taught him to attack, to overwhelm his opponents with speed and precision. He’s never been like me, like us. Hunted and constantly under attack, always fearing the next plot. That's the difference between us. That's why…..I'll always beat him.”

This is so interesting! Jericho has got to be one of the most complex villians I've seen in a while, at least for what little we know of him by now.

I know I say this all the time, but you are one of the best Storytellers I know, V4.

[Hades]

Glad you're liking it. I know I'm throwing a lot of characters out, but I've been excited about introducing Jericho and Viktor. Also, Miles isn't going after the generals per se. They actually want to avoid them and their individual armies.

You won't need to wonder about Viktor for long. I plan on explaining his deal soon, next chapter probably.

 

I'm happy you're liking Jericho and his crew. Jericho is very much an opposite of Miles, and where Miles has built up his own team, so has he. In any case, I've kept the shadow of Jericho Thorne in the background for too long. I'm glad he's finally in play.

[YourFNF]

On 7/17/2019 at 2:41 AM, vampire4 said:

Yes, it is I! I've actually been in a writing mood so I've come to gift you all with more of this story that I guess people like for some reason. Enjoy.

 

 

Hudson sighed. “No. Jericho wanted him to be surrounded by the one's he betrayed. At the one place he knew you'd never go back too.”

 

Miles turned and walked out without another word. The answer was clear to them all. They were going to get George Maxwell, and he was at the Regulator headquarters.
 

Damn somebody needs to do something about these asshole seriously..... Welp guess I got work to do...... *straps on my set of refurbed T45-b armor and hefts the gatling. Whistling "Battle Hymn of the "and bouncing a grenade in one hand....*

[YourFNF]

.....

Love seeing antagonists get some layers and depth. Also holy shit I would not want to Victor that man is fucking terrifying ?.

*air ride sirens and bugle sounds*

Da fuck?

*automatic weapons fire*

"How many? One guy? I hired 125 of you hardasses and gave you gods damned off world kit!!"

*Weapons fire and screaming intensifies to include horses screaming in panic. A couple grenades go off*

"With a sword!!?? Oh jesus fuck!...." *turns to the camera* "I got to go!"

"I'm getting my fucking armor on, five seconds! And for the love of sweet baby Krishna somebody get on that fucking .50 cal!!"

 

*transmission ends as a test card plays*

 

[Hades]

17 minutes ago, YourFNF said:

.....

Love seeing antagonists get some layers and depth. Also holy shit I would not want to Victor that man is fucking terrifying ?.

*air ride sirens and bugle sounds*

Da fuck?

*automatic weapons fire*

"How many? One guy? I hired 125 of you hardasses and gave you gods damned off world kit!!"

*Weapons fire and screaming intensifies to include horses screaming in panic. A couple grenades go off*

"With a sword!!?? Oh jesus fuck!...." *turns to the camera* "I got to go!"

"I'm getting my fucking armor on, five seconds! And for the love of sweet baby Krishna somebody get on that fucking .50 cal!!"

 

*transmission ends as a test card plays*

 

I'm glad to see a comment from you, honestly. It's always nice to hear people's thoughts. I know I shouldn't care about how many people comment, but I can't help it. It's nice to know you're still reading and enjoying the story. As it is, I kinda rely on Trip to give me feedback, which I appreciate, but comments are a nice way of seeing whose still reading. I don't want to lose readers cause my story is long and I take forever in between chapters. Lol.

Still, glad you're still with me. Thanks again.

[Guilend]

You will have me as a reader till the end of time. Your story is awesome. 

[Hades]

1 hour ago, Guilend said:

You will have me as a reader till the end of time. Your story is awesome. 

Yes, you're pretty regular with comments too, so thank you. 

[YourFNF]

On 8/26/2019 at 11:02 PM, vampire4 said:

I'm glad to see a comment from you, honestly. It's always nice to hear people's thoughts. I know I shouldn't care about how many people comment, but I can't help it. It's nice to know you're still reading and enjoying the story. As it is, I kinda rely on Trip to give me feedback, which I appreciate, but comments are a nice way of seeing whose still reading. I don't want to lose readers cause my story is long and I take forever in between chapters. Lol.

Still, glad you're still with me. Thanks again.

I mostly come on to DD to well... You know... ? And that's been kinda hard with the lack of privacy lately

[Hades]

It hadn't taken very long to find the slaver’s camp. Viktor and Hudson had left that very night, along with maybe ten of Hudson’s men. They packed lightly and moved quickly, only resting a few hours each night. Speed was of the upmost importance. If they arrived too late they would never be able to recover the slaves once they were sold.

 

For Viktor, there was another reason to hurry. He didn’t like leaving Jericho alone anyway, but especially now, with Miles on the war path and the tribes more agitated than ever. Indara would have already set out by now, and soon conflict would be inevitable. If Miles somehow got the better of Indara, he would march on the capital and make his attempt on Jericho’s life. The capital was huge, plenty of places for a small group of assassins to hide.

 

He needed to hurry and get back before anything escalated, but at the same time, he understood why his current mission was so important. He had been a slave before, lived that life, hopelessly bonded to another. That was long in the past now. He was a different man now. He had forged himself anew and washed away the failures of his past. He had to be better for his wife, his daughter, and for Jericho most of all. If he had been better, Jericho Thorne wouldn’t have been needed, and his friend wouldn’t be suffering now. Viktor cursed himself everyday because of it. 

 

Focusing on the mission at hand, he watched as Hudson spoke softly to his scout. After a few moments, Hudson came over, slinging his axe over his shoulder. The man hadn't let go of it since his brush with death earlier, nor had he forgiven his near executioner if his constant pouting was any indication.

 

“Well it looks like the buyers are wandering in. If we're gonna make our move, we need to do it soon.”

 

Viktor nodded, steeling himself for what he was about to do. “I'll go. You stay here and out of sight. Once it's all over, you and your men can come in and release the captives.”

 

Hudson grunted, annoyance clear on his face. “How will I know when it's all over?”

 

Viktor didn’t bother to respond, heading in the direction of the camp. They had positioned themselves a good distance away. This suited him as he didn't want Hudson or anyone else snooping on him. Everyone was interested in finding out his secret, how he did the things he did.

 

He walked briskly toward the makeshift camp, and knew at once when he had been seen. The guards ran in panic, no doubt rushing to whoever was leading these foolhardy lawbreakers.

 

Surprisingly, the leader turned out to be a woman. Viktor sized her up as he approached. She had short brown hair, and she was blind in one eye which was totally white. A large ugly scar decorated that same side of her face. She was definitely tough, with a confident gait and a no nonsense look. She was carrying a machine gun and had her finger on the trigger. If she was nervous or worried at Viktor’s arrival she didn’t show it.

 

“Are you in charge here?”

 

The woman eyed him, no doubt taking note that he was alone and without any noticeable armor. Finally she sighed. “I am. My name's Alexandria.”

 

“I see.” He answered. They stood in silence for a moment. More and more men began to notice their exchange and began moving closer, most recognizing Viktor quickly.

 

“Viktor. What brings you out here? Tired of being tucked in Thorne’s backside?” The others behind her lined up nervously, while the buyers from out of state frowned and looked on impatiently.

 

“I believe you know why I'm here. I don't know where your prisoners are, and I don’t know how you thought this would work, but it stops here.”

 

“That supposed to scare me? In case you haven't noticed, you're a bit outnumbered here. Look, are you wanting a cut? Is that it? We can send a bit you're way and you can go back to Thorne and tell him you scolded us.”

 

“Too late for that.” Viktor said, pulling a black case from his bag. “I know slavery used to be common among your people, but Jericho has outlawed it. And since he's my friend, I will enforce it.”

 

“Thorne has no right to dictate anything. We've always done this.”

 

Now realizing that she wouldn’t be able to buy her way to safety, she signalled her men and the buyers. Viktor had been counting and he reckoned there were about twenty-two of them, give or take. Not nearly so many as he had thought. He opened the small black case and removed a small syringe filled with an amber liquid. 

 

The woman eyed him like he was nuts. “What the hell is that?”

 

“Ninety seconds.” Viktor said quietly. 

 

“What?!”

 

“Ninety seconds. Or one minute and thirty seconds if that's easier for you to understand. Make it that long, and you'll survive to tell the tale. No one else has, but….maybe you'll be the first.”

 

There was a rising panic among the men, the leader was feeling it as well. Only the buyers seemed unconcerned, more annoyed at the delay than anything else. One of them stepped forward, a dirty looking man with no top teeth.

 

“What the fuck is going on? What the hell is that?” He asked, gesturing to the syringe.

 

Viktor plunged the needle into his right arm. Almost immediately he could feel it taking effect. The world around him slowed and he marveled as he usually did at how strong he felt, at how light his sword was. Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward and lost himself to feelings coursing through him.

 

                       *

 

Alexandria stumbled as she fled, hitting her knee on the ground roughly. It didn’t matter. She couldn’t feel anything at this point. She glanced down at where her right arm had been severed at the elbow. The wound was gushing blood like a fountain, but somehow she kept going, from shock or adrenaline she didn’t know.

 

She heard screams behind her, too many to tell. She didn't know what was worse, the screams, or how short they were. It was how each scream stopped one by one that terrified her. The growing silence of the battle that would end with her death.

 

She had never seen a human being move so fast. Sure, people on jet moved quickly, but whatever was in that vial was something else entirely, no chem she knew made someone that fast, that strong. Viktor had drawn his sword so quickly it looked like a flash of light. She had instinctively raised her arm and lost it immediately. Despite the pain she had felt, she tried to follow him nonetheless. Everyone was firing at once, the gunfire was deafening, but she couldn't see him anywhere. 

 

Then people started to die. Cut down, cleaved in half, decapitated, it all happened so quickly. One moment a human being was standing, alive and well, and in the next instant it looked like they had simply…..popped open, spilling their insides everywhere. She thought once she had seen a blur of motion, but by then she had decided to flee.

 

How long had it been? Surely at least a minute had passed by now. She looked around, desperately searching for a place to hide. She was having trouble standing now, and the world was blurring before her eyes. She fell and managed to crawl into a tent.

 

She found herself sobbing as she laid there. “I don't want to die here…..please…..someone help me.”

 

Suddenly, the tent was torn away as though it had been ripped by a great gust of wind. The world was too dark and she couldn't see the final blow that sent her head flying from her body. Thankfully, she didn’t feel it either.

 

 

                         *

 

“The screaming and stuff has stopped. I guess he's done in there. Come on guys, let's get in there and do our jobs. Fucking hell that didn’t take long.”

 

They rushed as quickly as they could, and Hudson could tell they all wanted to see the aftermath of Viktor. He didn't want to see it though. Once had been enough. Despite some of his actions to the contrary, Hudson didn't like mass violence and slaughter. And there was something unnatural and…..hellish about the way Viktor did it.

 

Sure enough, the scene made the Axe sick to his stomach. He hid it well, though some of his men didn't fair so well. Many had never seen anything like this before. Sure, they'd seen plenty of combat and death, but this…..blood, body parts, and shit decorated every inch of the ground. And of course, Viktor was no where to be found.

 

They found the captives still in their cages, an assortment of women and children. While he would have preferred to have gone after Miles, this type of thing made him proud to be under Jericho. Without Thorne keeping them in line, these fucking barbarians would murder or enslave whoever they could get their hands on. Hudson was happy he wasn’t around before Thorne that's for damn sure, and while they might hate him for it, Jericho had brought the only semblance of peace these tribes had ever known.

 

He approached one of the freed captives, a disheveled, thin woman whose eyes told tales of her treatment. “Hey, did you see anything? What happened here?”

 

She just shook her head. “I didn't see anything. Just a blur….and then death.”

 

 

                              *

 

 

Viktor was using every last bit of his strength to reach safety. His body was about to give out. He needed a secure place to hide out for a few days while the withdrawal hit. It was always the after part of these missions that were the most dangerous for him. He would be incapacitated and vulnerable for quite some time.

 

Shortly after Tobias had taken the name Jericho Thorne, Viktor had begun searching for a trump card of his own. He knew that his friend would always be a target, and he needed a way to protect him. It was through his wife Sylvia that he discovered combat drugs. Psycho, for instance, while regarded as a common chem, had once been used in warfare as a way to improve a soldier’s strength and endurance. 

 

So Sylvia had set to making her own concoctions at his request. The result was a compound she called Invicta. A mixture of psycho, jet, med-ex, and various other compounds at incredibly high dosages that would kill anyone whose body had not been trained to tolerate it. All designed to increase his strength and speed to untold levels, as well as numb any pain while sharpening his other senses. He had nearly died several times as he built up his body to withstand the drug’s effects and after effects.

 

Slowly, over the course of years, they had increased the drug's efficiency, until they had settled for ninety seconds. So far, he had never needed longer.

 

Finally, he saw a suitable building. It was relatively intact, no wide, gaping holes that anyone could get in through. He forced himself to check the whole outside of the building to make sure. Then he stumbled inside and began blocking off the entrances with whatever he could find until he felt unable to continue.

 

He found a corner and curled up, his body both freezing and burning at the same time. The nausea was coming as well, likely to last for the rest of the day. After that, he would enter a near comatose state for a day or so. As his suffering began, he reminded himself that this was what he had brought in himself. He would do whatever was needed, whatever he had to do, if it helped Jericho. He owed him that and much more after all. He couldn't let him down again.

 

 

                           *

Another camp, another massacre. Rain looked around the carnage they had wrought, doubts plaguing her.  Each attack disheartened her further. It never seemed to end. There was always another target, another group of “evil” men, men that she had to demonize in her mind in order to do what she did. 

 

The latest attack occurred at night. They had silently set themselves up so they surrounded the camp. Tali started things off, sniping from a distance and sending their enemies into a panic. Then the team had converged at once, from all sides, slowly firing into the mob. The fight was short and bloody, and left her feeling sick to her stomach.

 

Each fight she tried to draw on that power she had used before, to no avail. Only once had she managed to wrest a weapon from an attacker, and the pain that followed that display had brought her to get knees. Almost immediately afterward she sensed some kind of murderous intent from behind her, but when she looked it was only Rocco, who simply winked at her. It seemed that she couldn't even trust her instincts once she was weakened from the power.

 

As usual they rested at the camp for the night before moving on. They were in the heart of a giant city now. What was awkward was how quiet the city was. There were neither raiders nor mutants prowling about. There were no sounds at all, the whole area was utterly dead and lifeless.

 

Tali stuck close to Miles, despite her vocal opposition to this war. For his part, Miles seemed to have forgiven her. Every once in a while he could be seen giving her a comforting touch, or whispering a kind word. 

 

“This place is creepy.” Rain admitted. “There's something off around here, but I can't tell what.”

 

“Keep your eyes peeled, everyone.” Rocco said dryly. “Puddles the Psychic thinks something is off.”

 

Rain glanced back angrily but left it alone. Ever since her powers had shown up, Rocco had acted increasingly strange. His mood around her seemed erratic, and she had caught him casting almost suspicious glances at her. What his problem was, she couldn't say, but it was getting really old.

 

“She’s right.” Miles said, his eyes darting around suspiciously. “Something is wrong here. The city is never this dead. I mean, I'm not even seeing a mole rat running around.”

 

“So what? What's that mean?” Tali asked.

 

“Its like the area was swept or something.” Gabe said from the front. Suddenly, there was an explosion right under his foot that made the big warrior fall backward. The armor had taken the brunt of it, but parts of the metal were dangling off.

 

“Back! Get back and don’t move!” Miles yelled. 

 

Gabe grunted and slowly for back up, his head on a swivel. “Shit. Look at the ground. See how it’s been disturbed recently? Someone planted mines.”

 

Rain looked hard, seeing small mounds of dirt all down the street. There was no way they'd be going any further this way. It also explained why the city had been so thoroughly swept of any creatures. No doubt whoever laid the mines didn't want some random mutant setting them off.

 

“Yeah, look. You can see them. Just barely.” Miyuki pointed out. “I thought the point of mines were to be not seen.”

 

Gabriel clutched at his damaged leg. “Trust me, they're pretty fuckin hidden.”

 

“Everyone back away slowly.” Miles ordered. “We can see them because she wanted us to see them. This was a trap, and we walked right into it. This has Indara written all over it.”

 

“Are you sure?” Tali asked. “How do you know?”

 

“I've collected a lot of intel on Thorne and his generals. From what I gathered, Indara likes to play with her targets, trap and hunt them.  I thought it was gonna Hudson coming for us, maybe Viktor if we were really unlucky. We need to go back before it’s too late.”

 

The rushed back the way they had come, trying to get out of the city, only to find the road they had taken blocked by cars. Spray painted on the rusted vehicles was a message. 

 

RUN. HA HA!

 

“Shit. She knows we're here.” Rocco muttered, raising his shotgun nervously. “They must have been watching us.”

 

As if to confirm his suspicions, gunfire erupted from farther away, aimed at their feet. They were forced to run back once again, this time taking a side street. Almost as soon as they did, more hidden shooters began firing at them. Rain felt Gabriel shield her with his body. She could hear the bullets ricocheting off his armor.

 

“Other way. Keep running!” Miles cried. 

 

They came to another street, with abandoned cars lined up on both sides of the road. As they were running, a figure jumped through a glass window of a nearby building and rammed straight into Miles, sending him rolling. 

 

“It's Indara!” Miles yelled as he tried to regain his footing. Take her out!”

 

Indara was dressed in leather armor, her face obscured by a white hockey mask, and her red hair was flowing in the wind. Gabriel raised his rifle, but the woman was too close and ripped it from his grasp, turning it and firing at them, causing them to scatter for cover.

 

The group began firing back at her as she ran behind a large pile of rubble. She ran so fast that none of them even touched her. As the smoke cleared, Rocco and Gabe rushed forward to where she had sought cover.

 

“She's gone!” Rocco cried. “Where the fuck did she go?!”

 

Rain caught movement in the corner of her eye as Indara made a beeline for Miyuki. Meeting her charge head on, the two women crashed into each other, both losing their weapons. Rain watched from behind a car as the two traded blows. Miyuki was fighting harder than Rain had ever seen before, but Jericho’s general seemed to evade or block any blows.

 

Rain had taken aim, as had the others, but with Miyuki so close, they couldn't fire out of fear of hitting her. Finally, Miyuki scored a hit, her spiked knuckles tearing into Indara’s shoulder. Miyuki kicked her in the stomach, then punched down into the woman's back. Indara acted as though she didn't feel the blows, each time rising back up to attack again.

 

She finally caught Miyuki’s arm and held it fast under her own, despite Miyuki constantly striking her with her other. Tali managed to shoot her leg, but again, Indara didn't seem to react. She calmly twisted Miyuki’s arm into the air, and brought her other hand down hard on the trapped arm.

 

Rain heard a sickening snap, and Miyuki began screaming. Rocco had drawn his sword and rushed toward them, bringing the blade down deep into their attacker's shoulder. Still holding Miyuki’s broken arm in one hand, she grabbed Rocco by the neck, lifting him effortlessly off the ground, the sword still in her shoulder.

 

Everything was happening so fast. Miyuki was still screaming in pain, and Rain was too afraid of hitting her to fire. Rocco was gasping for air, weakly trying to get free, but Indara held him fast.

 

“Rain, your powers! Take her down!” Miles yelled from cover.

 

She tried. She tried to focus, tried to summon again that power she had felt before. But it wouldn't come, no matter how hard she wanted it too.

 

“I can't!” She cried despondently. “I can't do it!”

 

She looked over and saw Gabriel running at full speed, ramming his power armored frame into Indara as they both went crashing into a dilapidated building. Rocco had fallen free at last and was gasping for air, while it looked like Miyuki had passed out.

 

“I know what you are! There's only one explanation.” Gabe rasped, holding the woman down.

 

Indara let out a beautiful laugh. “Oh, I'll bet you do, you Brotherhood piece of shit! Murderer! If it were up to me, I'd kill you right here and now. Instead, I'll have to make do with this.” 

 

She suddenly pushed him off of her with an incredible burst of strength, sending the massive Gabriel flying onto his back. Before he had a chance to recover, she began stomping down on his head over and over, her foot slowly denting the helmet he wore, which should have been impossible. Unable to even fight back, Gabriel quickly fell still.

 

Rain saw her chance, raising the rifle she got from Tali, the newly renamed Arc Rifle. She took careful aim, and then fired. A blue arc of electricity hit Indara square in the chest, sending her flying back further into the rubble. Indara rolled to avoid the next shot and sprinted from the building, hiding behind cover once more. 

 

Rain, Miles, and Tali kept a constant stream of fire, but she was hunkered down too well. 

 

“There's no where to run, Miles!” Indara called out. “My men have this whole city surrounded. I just didn't want them interfering.”

 

“It's me you want, right?” Miles asked from his own hiding spot. “Jericho want revenge, is that it?! Maybe he wants to hand me over to the Doctor like he did with Maxwell!”

 

There was a silence after that statement. No one was firing, it was totally quiet. Then she laughed again, long and hard, as though she had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

 

“Oh, Miles. When will you learn? Who said I was after you, huh?”

 

Rain somehow knew what that meant. She looked around, seeing just how far she had been driven from Miles and the others. Miles seemed to have gleaned Indara’s meaning at the same time Rain did.

 

“Get out of here, Rain! Run and don't look back! Hurry! Run!”

 

Indara stepped out of cover, two grenades in her hands. She threw one at each side of the road, the bombs rolling under the cars. Rocco quickly scooped Miyuki into his arms and ran as the grenades went off. The cars began exploding one by one, flying into the air and creating a wall of fire and debris between her and the others.

 

Rain could see Indara staring at her from behind her hockey mask, and instantly knew she didn’t stand a chance. She sprinted as fast as she could, not realizing she had her rather large diaper bag on her back until she reached the door of an abandoned building. Indara walked calmly after her as she went inside and began running up a staircase.

 

She got to the third floor before she could go no further. The staircase had collapsed and she was forced to head into the building. From the looks of things, she was in some kind of old hotel. She picked the fourth room down and slipped inside, shutting the door behind her. She saw an old heavy dresser, and kicked it over, using it to bar the door, then she rushed into the room and put her back against a wall, raising her rifle and aiming for the door.

 

She steadied her breathing as she heard the staircase door open. Indara’s laugh seemed to echo through the whole floor.

 

“Are you playing hide and seek with me? You naughty little girl. That's okay though. It just so happens hide and seek is my favorite game. My men will have moved in by now to keep your friends busy. No one is coming to help. It’s just you and me.”

 

Rain felt like her heart was going to jump out of her chest. She tried to stay calm, keeping her rifle trained on the door. Miles and the others would be coming soon, she knew it. She just had to hold on.

 

“Let's see…..where could the little girl have hidden, I wonder? I feel sorry for you, kid, I really do. You would have been better off living in whatever gutter Miles found you in. Unfortunately, you picked a side that lost a long time ago.”

 

Rain could hear her getting closer and closer. She wiped some sweat off of her head and prepared to fire everything she had. Then the footsteps stopped.

 

“Found you.” Indara said happily.

 

The voice had come from behind her, in the adjacent room, but before she could react, hands burst from the wall and wrapped around her throat. Rain dropped her rifle and tried to pry the hands off, but Indara’s grip was like iron. Rain felt herself letting a heavy stream of urine into her diaper as the world went black.

 

 

                           *

 

 

“She's gone! She's not here, Miles. She took her, oh god.” Tali cried into his shoulder. They had been pinned down for some time by Indara’s lackeys before it became very clear that they weren’t trying to hit them, merely keep them contained.

 

Suddenly, the gunfire died down and her men rushed off. Tali was the first to run after Rain, carefully managing to avoid the flaming cars. The others had followed, even Miyuki, whose arm dangled uselessly at her side. They searched every floor, every room. Tali could feel her panic rising more and more with every empty room. Finally, on the third floor, they found Rain’s weapon left on the ground. However, Rain herself was gone, along with her bag.

 

Miles held her tightly, trying to console her. Something about his  soothing voice enraged her further and she drew back and slapped him hard across the face.

 

“I told you! I told all of you this would happen! You can’t just fuck with Thorne and expect to get away with it. I…..I want her back, Miles. I want her back!” Tali sobbed, sinking to her knees.

 

Miles embraced her again. “We'll find her, I promise. Indara didn't kill her or the body would have been left here. Whatever her plan is, she needs Rain alive. So I promise you, we will find her.”

 

“How are we gonna pull that off, Cap?” Rocco asked. “Look at us. We're not exactly the picture of health.”

 

“Bullshit.” Miyuki spat, cradling her arm. “It doesn’t matter how hurt we are, I'm not leaving Rain. We'll set off in all directions until we find her. Indara is with a big group right? They can’t have gotten far.”

 

Gabe was sitting against the wall, still looking disoriented after getting his broken helmet off of him. “It won't be easy. Indara……she isn't normal. You saw her chuck me around, didn't you? She's far too strong for a normal person. However, I think I know what she is.”

 

“Well, she sure didn't like you too much, Gabe. I mean seriously, what the fuck?” Rocco asked.

 

“That can wait.” Miles said. “Tell us on the road. If I had to guess, Indara will be heading for Jericho’s capital. That's the only thing that makes sense. So that's where we'll go. Except you, Miyuki. I need you to head the other way.”

 

Miyuki groaned as she rose up. “What the fuck are you talking about? I'm going after Rain. I'm not leaving her with that bitch! She wouldn't leave me!”

 

“Listen to me! With your arm injured, you won’t be able to help us as much, but you can still help Rain. Take something to deaden the pain and run south as fast as you can. I need you to deliver a message.”

 

 

                         *

 

Rain felt Indara push her forward again as they neared an abandoned building at last. They had been walking for some time once she had woken up. Indara had promptly refused to carry her any further, setting her down before binding her hands behind her back. 

 

The building they approached had no one guarding the perimeter, so they weren't noticed, but once inside, Rain was greeted to a cacophony of jeers by the assembled raiders.

 

“We got you now, bitch! Miles can't save you now.” One man yelled.

 

A tough looking woman stepped in front of her and punched her hard in the stomach, sending her to her knees. “Aww….is the baby gonna cry? Let's see those diapers we've all heard about.”

 

Laughter erupted from the crowd and someone else rushed up to kick her before she could rise. Finally, Indara stepped forward, angrily pushing them away.

 

“Alright, enough of that shit. Keep it down too, we don't Miles finding us. We won't stay here long, so I want a constant vigil on the entrance. Anyone who walks in that door gets it, ya feel me? I'm taking the brat to a cell now, and I don’t want any of you getting close to her or you'll answer to me. Is that clear?”

 

Her men cheered again as Rain was hauled up and forced forward. “Oh, and by the way. Great job out there today. Drinks are on me when we get home.”

 

The cheers grew louder as they went on. Indara forced her to a room at the back of the building. She felt her bonds being cut before she was shoved inside. Indara took off her mask, looking down on her with pity. She finally threw Rain’s diaper bag to her.

 

“Might want to get cleaned up, kid. You'll want to look your best when you meet Jericho.” She walked over to the corner of the room and grabbed a bucket that had been placed there with obvious purpose. “No offense, but I'm guessing you won't be needing this.”

 

She shut the door without another word and Rain heard several locks being set. She felt numb as she robotically fumbled in her bag for a clean diaper and her other supplies, then walked over to the small bed and sat down. She couldn't believe she had been captured by the enemy. Part of her knew she should be afraid, and to some extent she was. However, she was also curious as to why Jericho Thorne wanted her to begin with. 

 

She had chosen one of her thicker diapers, somehow feeling like it was a better alternative to her pink ones. After changing herself, she curled up on the bed, covering herself with a dirty, torn blanket. She just wanted to go to sleep wake up safe with her friends. Plus, while she wasn't tied down to a bed, her inability to leave the room she was in made her suddenly claustrophobic. 

 

As she laid on the bed, she glanced down at the dirty diaper she had rolled up on the ground. At least she had one plan. She was gonna chuck it at the next person to walk through the door.
 

[Wannatripbaby]

3 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Viktor plunged the needle into his right arm. Almost immediately he could feel it taking effect. The world around him slowed and he marveled as he usually did at how strong he felt, at how light his sword was. Taking a deep breath, he took a step forward and lost himself to feelings coursing through him.

You're such a tease! Building up all that anticipation only to jump ahead to after the action! ?

 

4 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Suddenly, the tent was torn away as though it had been ripped by a great gust of wind. The world was too dark and she couldn't see the final blow that sent her head flying from her body. Thankfully, she didn’t feel it either.

Oh wow! Disregard what I said about the teasing. That was an awesome way to show off Viktor's terrifying prowess!

[Wannatripbaby]

4 hours ago, vampire4 said:

He found a corner and curled up, his body both freezing and burning at the same time. The nausea was coming as well, likely to last for the rest of the day. After that, he would enter a near comatose state for a day or so. As his suffering began, he reminded himself that this was what he had brought in himself. He would do whatever was needed, whatever he had to do, if it helped Jericho. He owed him that and much more after all. He couldn't let him down again.

Very interesting. So Viktor's weakness is that after a fight he's virtually incapacitated for several days. A high price to pay, especially in the Wasteland where any number of mutant beastie or bandit could walk in on him and end him right there if he failed to pick a decent hiding spot or just got unlucky.

[Wannatripbaby]

4 hours ago, vampire4 said:

Listen to me! With your arm injured, you won’t be able to help us as much, but you can still help Rain. Take something to deaden the pain and run south as fast as you can. I need you to deliver a message.”

Wow! Indara is a badass!

And given the evidence, and her hatred towards the Brotherhood, I'd guess she's maybe a Synth? Some sort of Courser-grade super soldier?

4 hours ago, vampire4 said:

As she laid on the bed, she glanced down at the dirty diaper she had rolled up on the ground. At least she had one plan. She was gonna chuck it at the next person to walk through the door

Can't say it's the greatest plan I've ever heard, but hey, it's worth a shot!

that was a fantastic chapter. I'm definitely looking forward to Rain's meeting with Jericho. Will she listen to reason when he inevitably tries to get her to join him? Probably not. But whatever happens I'd lay money down it will be fun.

[Hades]

Rain dreamt once again of the crying little boy. He seemed so familiar, but she couldn't place him. It was strange too, since he was the only face that was clear to her, rather than blurry. As always, she wondered who he was and why he seemed so important.

 

She awoke to the sounds of locks being undone. She opened her eyes hoping that she was in her own room, back at the base. However, the molded wallpaper and cold surroundings brought her back to reality. She was a prisoner, again. For the second time since she had left the farm, she was at the mercy of an enemy.

 

She had fallen asleep assuring herself that at any moment Miles would burst through the door and rescue her. However, when the door opened, it was the cold glare of Indara that greeted her. 

 

“Get up. It's time to move on. We have a lot of ground to cover today, plus we'll need time to find a suitable place for the night, one that has a room that can act as a holding cell for you.”

 

“What does Jericho want with me? Why me?”

 

“Beats me. I didn’t ask. Doesn't matter anyway. He gives the orders, I follow, just like you and Miles.”

 

Rain shot a cold glare toward her captor. “I have a choice. I can say no if I want too.”

 

Indara smiled. “Do you though? When Miles came up with this little plan to take on Jericho, did you say no?”

 

“I…..I wanted to help. We….we voted and I said yes.”

 

“Yeah, and Jericho asked me and I said yes. Look, we both do what we gotta do and that's that. There's no point in hashing out the details. Change your diaper and let's get moving.”

 

Left with little other choice, she did as she was told. Against her better judgment, she chose one of her pink diapers. She waddled far less in them, and to be fair, her thicker diapers were only a bit less embarrassing. 

 

The rest of the day was spent in walking. Indara kept her close, which also meant the other raiders mostly left her alone. Once again her hands were bound in front of her as she walked. She spent most of her time pondering how freaked out they would all be if she tossed them like ragdolls with her mind. Her bound hands wouldn't be an issue if only she had her powers.

 

It was near sundown when Indara sent out scouts to find a suitable prison for her. It didn’t take long before a runner returned with a destination. Still there was no sign of Miles and the others. Where were they? Indara had promised they hadn't been killed, so why weren't they coming to save her?

 

                              *

 

They had found them at last. Unfortunately, the scouts had seen them and began running, five of them. So they followed, with only Gabriel lagging behind on account of his heavy armor. It didn’t matter though, he would catch up. 

 

For their part, the runners were pretty smart. They split up at the first opportunity, each going in different directions. So they simply chased after one instead. Once they got him, it was a simple matter of extracting their hideout. 

 

The runner they had followed tried to pick up the pace, but unfortunately, Miles had already sent Rocco to cut him off. Between the three of them, they cornered the man before too long. The raider had his hands on his knees, sucking in air.

 

Not wasting time, Miles walked up and hit the man over the head with the butt of his gun. “Where is she?”

 

The man looked up defiantly, giving an odd chuckle. “Where's who? I don't know what you're talking about.”

 

Tali brought the butt of her rifle down on the man's hand next, causing him to cry out. Then she hit him across the face, breaking his nose. Tali was as angry and desperate as any of them had every seen her. While Miles looked on, a little concerned, Rocco gave an approving nod.

 

Tali kept hitting the man until Miles had to practically drag her away. Spitting blood, the runner forced himself back up, still laughing lightly. “Ugh…..you crazy bitch. That really hurt.”

 

“I wouldn't test her, buddy.” Rocco laughed. “She's not exactly in a good mood. Indara took someone very important to us, and you don't want to know the lengths we'll go to in order to get her back. Talk, and it'll be a quick ending for you…..or you can keep playing dumb and see what she breaks next.”

 

“But I really don't know. What, did you think Indara is dumb enough to just head straight north? She'll go east or west first. She didn't tell us either. You dumb fucks, we were only meant to keep you busy. You've been chasing us in the wrong damn direction.”

 

The bloodied man began howling with laughter, maniacally and without restraint. Miles watched, growing increasingly angry, while Tali collapsed into sobbing in Rocco’s arms. Unable to take it another moment, Miles aimed his pistol and shot the man in the head, cursing himself for his stupidity. 

 

“Well shit. Fuck.” Rocco cursed, still trying to calm the hysterical woman in his arms. “What the hell are we gonna do now? We got no idea which way bitchzilla went.”

 

“What do you think Jericho is going to do to her?” Tali asked nervously. “I've heard stories…..that he burns his enemies alive. Do you think….?”

 

Taking a breath to calm himself, Miles shook his head. “Those aren't stories, but it doesn’t matter. We're fine. Contrary to what our recently departed friend said, he didn't take us the wrong way, just a bit off course. We're still heading north after all.”

 

“With not a clue as to which way to go. West or east?”

 

“Well, Indara is the general of the east, right? My guess is that's the way they're going. So lets say northeast. So that's where we'll head. Gabriel will go west and try to catch up a trail. If worst comes to worst, we can meet in the middle and cut them off before they reach the capital. I'll tell him once he reaches us.”

 

Rocco looked doubtful. “Splitting up again? Miyuki is already away, now Gabe? We're getting spread pretty thin here.”

 

“No other option. We're running out of time here, but travelling with a prisoner will be slowing them down.”

 

“Plus her diapers.” Tali piped up, drying her tears. “They have to stop……for her diaper changes, y’know? That buys us more time. Plus, all it would take is a single traveller or trader to see them and put us on the right track. A group that large, it's easy to spot.”

 

Miles nodded. “Good. We have a plan. Let's get moving. We got a lot of ground to cover and we'll need to move fast.

 

                         *

 

Indara lead her to her new room which, while bigger, lacked a bed. Rain wasn’t looking forward to sleeping on the ground, although at least they had provided her a sleeping bag. 

 

Indara hadn't spoken to her much, except to occasionally check her diaper. In a literal sense. The woman seemed to have no qualms about reaching down and checking the state of Rain’s diaper. It was humiliating to say the least, as the goons got a good laugh every time Rain had to scuttle off to change herself. It didn't bother her though, since she was using the soiled diapers as a kind of bread crumb trail, something Indara clearly hadn’t thought of.

 

Once she had tried to escape after a change since she was given a modicum of privacy. It ended with Indara catching her and promising to let one of her goons change her next time if she ever tried it again.

 

Now, as they prepared to settle in for the night, Rain found herself wondering just who or what her mysterious captor was.

 

“Can I ask you a question that's been bothering me?” Rain asked, grabbing a fresh diaper. “What exactly are you? I saw you get shot, cut….I saw you bleed……but…”

 

Indara sighed and leaned against the door. “Your Brotherhood buddy not tell you about his exploits, huh? Never told you about synths or the Institute?”

 

“He did. A bit. He doesn't like to talk too much about the Brotherhood. All he said was that he fought them before. So what, are you a synth then? Like a really lifelike robot?”

 

Indara actually laughed at that. “It's a bit more complicated than that, but I won’t bore you with the science. I'm what's called a courser, designed to hunt down my prey relentlessly and without mercy. I was designed to be a killing machine. As you've seen yourself, I'm very good at my job.”

 

Rain almost sneered. “How impressive. Why'd you leave then?”

 

Indara hesitated, a somber look coming off her usual indifferent stare. “Because I was tired of being just an object. I was just a piece of tech to the Institute, something to be used and discarded at a whim. I wasn’t a person to them. So I left and decided to be who I wanted to be, to be free of the Institute and their machinations.”

 

Without meaning too, Rain found herself laughing. Once she had started, she couldn't make herself stop. She laughed so hard, she could feel herself drenching her already struggling diaper. 

 

Indara had simply raised an eyebrow at first, but as the laughter continued, she grew more and more annoyed. 

 

“What is your deal?! What's so goddamn funny?!”

 

Rain took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. “You. How serious you sounded just now. It's hilarious cause it's total bullshit. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's a lovely story, but it’s bullshit, all of it.”

 

“Watch it, kid. You're starting to piss me off.”

 

“Oh, you poor woman. You were forced to flee right? So you didn't have to be a killing machine, right? You don't see the irony? I mean, look at how far you've come. Now you kill for Jericho Thorne. Is it better since you chose it yourself?”

 

Indara’s scowl deepened. “You don't know a goddamn thing about me, diaper girl, so I strongly suggest you shut the fuck up. Patience isn't really my thing.”

 

Now Rain turned deadly serious. “You turned out perfectly, Indara. I bet your creators would be proud of you. They made the perfect killing machine, a regular Frankenstein’s monster. Bravo.”

 

Indara’s face transformed into a mask of rage. In a single movement, Rain felt herself lifted under her arms and slammed against the wall.

 

 “How dare you stand there and call me a monster. Especially when you travel with scum from the Brotherhood, who hunted and butchered my kind for sport. Or that ghoul of yours…..maybe you don't see it, but that's a man used to cruelty, it's in his eyes. And you, who willingly offered to help kill men and women that you don’t know, who've never harmed you, because Miles has a grudge. You have a lot of nerve.”

 

Indara tossed her into the corner with enough force to knock the wind out of her. Then she marched to the door and slammed it shut. Rain vaguely heard the locks being applied to the door.

 

Slowly, she managed to get back up, holding her now aching back. Despite the sorry state her diaper was in, she couldn't bring herself to change. Indara had rattled her as much, if not more, than she had rattled her. Was she right? Were Rocco and Gabriel really the monsters she claimed?

 

She climbed into her sleeping bag at last, wishing she had her stuffed bear with her. Instead, she used the jacket Miles had given her as another blanket. It took a long time for her to banish all the bad thoughts running rampant through her head so she could fall asleep. 

                         *

Her rest was interrupted by the sound of the door locks yet again being undone. The room was too dark to tell what time it is, but it felt late to her. As much as she hoped so, she somehow doubted that it was Miles, there was no shooting to be heard after all. Maybe Indara was still pissed and wanted some payback. 

 

The door finally opened, the glow from the hall lights shining in to the room. Three people entered the room, two males and one female. The first of the men was bald with some distinctive tribal tattoos across his head and face. The second man was smaller, of Hispanic descent, and a scarred ugly woman came in last.

 

“Nice work with the locks, Mike.” The second man said.

 

The tattoed man smirked. “Always good with a lock pick, nice to finally use my skills for a good reason.”

 

The ugly woman stepped forward. She was as big as the men and twice as wide. “You killed a bunch of our friends when you started this war. Did you know that?”

 

“The first tribe you hit.” The Hispanic man muttered. “You killed six of our buddies. So now we've come to repay you.”

 

“Not the face, got it fellas?” The woman added. “If Indara finds out we're dead, so no leaving any noticeable marks.”

 

“That's fine. I'll start off.” Said the man with the tattoos before slamming his fist into her stomach.

 

The force of the blow knocked her back into the wall, but it shocked her more than hurt. Miyuki hit a hell of a lot harder. When he swung again, she dodged the blow and stomped on his ankle, hearing a satisfied snap, and finally brought her elbow down hard on his face. 

 

Then the other two came at her from both sides. The woman managed to strike her in the head, and Rain saw stars. The second man hit her in the back, then pushed her to the ground. That's when Rain knew that the fight was over. The two began striking her over and over in the stomach and ribs. She couldn't get up. The first man however, did get up. He crawled over and began hitting her as well. 

 

She felt like she was going to pass out, but as the blows continued to rain down, she began to feel something else, something familiar. Suddenly she felt totally in control of her power, like it had never left her.

 

With a sweep of her hand she blew the three of them away. She grabbed the two men with her power, one in each hand. The woman could only watch helplessly as Rain began tossing them against the walls with great force, leaving bloody splatters all over the room. The power felt so amazing, intoxicating. She could feel her mouth twitching upwards into a smile.

 

She let the lifeless men drop to the floor as the big, ugly woman ran for the door. It was at that moment that Indara reached them, unintentionally blocking the woman's escape as she tried to understand what was happening. 

 

That moment was all Rain needed. She reached out with the power and grabbed the big woman by the neck. It was so natural……she twisted her wrist…..and the woman's neck followed after, turning completely around. She turned on Indara next, sending a wave of power knocking her against the hallway wall. Indara, however, was not an ordinary person. She forced her way forward one step at a time. Rain hit her again and again with her power, but Indara refused to give an inch.

 

“Stop this! Please, just stop!” Indara cried in a voice she had never used before.

 

Rain had been ready to kill Indara, ready to tear her limb from limb and dash her remains into the air. Until she had begged her to stop. Something in her voice had reminded her of Tali and of her mother maybe as well. She felt the power dissipate like it had never been there. She looked then looked at the carnage she had wrought and it made her sick. Blood on the walls, broken bodies surrounding her.

 

And in the next moment the pain came crashing down like a hurricane. The world began to spin and it felt like every nerve in her body was in fire. Her head felt like it was splitting down the middle. 

 

She fell to the floor in a heap, unable to even scream because of the pain. Her diaper had begun to leak at last, as she felt a growing puddle form beneath her.

 

Indara watched her writhing on the ground, and after a final look at her fallen men, rushed to her side. Rain felt her body begin spasm. She looked up trying to choke out words.

 

“I'm sorry…..couldn't stop. It….hurts…..bad.” Rain sobbed. “Please make it stop hurting.”

 

Indara looked her over, maintaining a stoic composure. “Your body. What happened here, why are you all beat up?”

 

Rain could only scream and sob. “Hurts…..stop…..p-please….please help me….”

 

“Shit. Hey, someone get in here! Bring some jet, now!”  Indara cradled her gently, brushing her hair in an odd calming gesture. Finally, a woman came rushing in, handing over the drug before staring numbly at the carnage of the room.

 

“Hey, kid, hey! Listen up. I need you to take a deep breath of this got it? You understand me?”

 

Rain shook her head. “No….drugs are….bad.”

 

Indara‘s cheeks puffed out as she failed to stifle a laugh. “Look sweetheart, jet is used by doctors as an anesthetic. I promise this will help, okay? I need you to trust me.”

 

Rain gave a small laugh now. “You called me sweetheart…..I don’t know why…….it's funny.”

 

“Hush now. Silly girl. Just breath in.”

 

Not knowing what else to do, she let Indara put the inhaler in her mouth. She took a deep breath in and felt the world slow down. Suddenly she felt like she was floating. Her pain seemed far away. Her body relaxed at last. She cried tears of relief now. 

 

Indara gave her a sweet smile and laid her back down gently and then sent her helper away. “Okay, out with you, and shut the door behind you. Okay, little girl, let's get you cleaned up.”

 

Little girl? Sweetheart? Indara was suddenly like a totally different person. She was so caring now, nothing at all like before. The Indara she had seen up until now was cold and indifferent, making the fact that she was a machine easily believed. Now she really did seem human, and her smile had this warmth to it, and her eyes had a light to them, a life to them.

 

In a second she had gotten a fresh diaper, powder, and wipes. Rain couldn't feel her body anyway, so she let her captor do her thing. Indara changed her like she was a pro at it, holding her legs up with one hand, cleaning with the other, and finally setting her down on the clean diaper. A little powder, and it was done. She had chosen one of the thicker diapers, and there was a familiar sense of security in being wrapped up in one of them.

 

“How's that feel, huh? Everything good, you feeling better?”

 

She was, actually. More than anything she was tired, her body felt like the puddle she had left on the floor. Her legs were like jelly. Her head was swimming as hues of bright colors crossed her eyes. She felt herself being lifted into the air and carried away.

 

“While I'm not completely clear on how all this happened, I'm guessing those three idiots broke in to get you, which means you're not safe locked up alone. So, it looks like you'll be staying with me for now. But hey, I'm the only one with a bed, and I don’t even sleep, so consider it an upgrade.”

 

“Indara…..What's going to happen to me? What does Thorne want with me?” Rain asked, struggling to keep conscious.

 

Indara hesitated. “I don't know.”

 

“Is he gonna kill me?”

 

“I…..I don't know.”

                    *

 

“A girl? You sent Indara to capture a little girl?” Sylvia asked.

 

“ Not really a little girl. I mean, she's a teenager from what I heard, sixteen or so. A girl, yes, but not like….Aimee…..or whatever. Does that answer your question?”

 

“Well, we've established that she's a teenager and not five, but no, that doesn't answer my question.”

 

Jericho sighed. Normally, talking to Sylvia was a rare pleasure. She was one of the last friends he had left. He had thought that she had come to just hang out, have a beer, since Viktor was gone. Alas, it seemed like she wanted to pick his brain. At heart, she was a scientist, and her mind was always on, trying to work out all the angles.

 

“She'll be very useful, trust me. Can you just let me have my secret plans, please? I hate talking about work. How's Aimee?”

 

“Aimee is fine. You can talk to her whenever you want. Right now though, there's this little war with Miles going on, and I'm wondering how kidnapping his new child soldier helps in any way whatsoever.”

 

“The idea is pretty simple. It’s precisely because she's a child that I chose her. Consider Miles’ track record with kids. The last time he tangled with me, he lost his son.” 

 

He paused at that statement and decided that even if Sylvia didn't want a drink, nothing was stopping him. He poured himself a glass a scotch and downed it in one gulp before feeling brave enough to continue.

 

“So anyway, if I take this kid, another kid under his protection, he'll be desperate to get her back.  I'll ransom her back for a large sum of cash and other goodies, and it goes without saying he'll have to agree to stop attacking my territories. No bloodshed and nobody has to get hurt.”

 

“The tribes won't be happy, Jericho. They want him and his whole team dead.”

 

He poured another drink and sucked it down, slamming the glass down on the table. “They're never happy. But I might point out that Miles has proven……difficult to kill in the past, and the next best thing is to stop his attacks, which this plan will do.”

 

“And the girl? She won't be harmed will she?” Sylvia asked. She couldn’t help but think of her own daughter.

 

Jericho sighed and stared out his window, glancing at the assortment of lights below, illuminating his city. “No one will die if I can help it. Besides….I already have one child's blood on my hands.”

 

She put a hand on his shoulder. “I wasn’t there that day, but Viktor told me what happened. It wasn’t your fault.”

 

“I ordered the attack. If it weren't for me, Miles’ kid would be alive. That's simply the facts. It's not like I can change anything.”

 

                         *

Five years earlier

 

“Goodbye, Miles.” With that he delivered the final blow to a man he respected more than most. It felt crummy. He had used the Regulators to weaken or destroy his enemies. He hadn't forseen the tribes turning to him though, who they despised and wanted dead. His plan had inadvertently left them with no other choice. Then Miles and the Regulators had refused to back down in their misguided attempts to free the north.

 

He had considered Miles a friend, and his death was simply another sacrifice to be made. Freedom wouldn't bring peace, but more chaos. In the end, he had seen an opportunity to end the conflicts that had plagued his people for so long. He just hoped it would be worth it.

 

Viktor had caught up at last. He hadn't taken an active part in the battle, but had led some men in the almost futile attempt to maintain order in their large horde. The other generals had split up, each focusing on one wing of the fortress. Not that such direction was needed. This was a massacre, not a fight.

 

“What's next?” Viktor asked.

 

Jericho sighed and stood up, trying not to look at Miles. “I made a promise. Let's go get Aiden and keep him safe. I already sent someone to find him, so he should be in custody by now.”

 

 Miles hadn't needed to ask. Jericho had already given strict instructions that the boy wasn't to be harmed. It would be an unpleasant conversation for sure, but it had to be done.

 

Everything was pretty much over. There were still a few isolated pockets of resistance, but the numbers just weren't on their side. Soon the last of the Regulators would be dead. What a sad end to goodhearted people.

 

They approached the sturdiest looking building. According to that traitor Maxwell, that’s where Aiden would hide, which made sense. Viktor followed close behind, fretting like a nervous mother that some stray bullet might take out his leader. Jericho was more concerned with how to explain to an eleven year old boy that his father was dead.

 

What awaited him inside however, was not anything he could have expected. Aiden was in the center of the room, clearly dead. The sight of his body was like a shock of electricity that ran the course of his body. He felt his legs give out as he fell to the ground. Viktor was stoic as always, but he had a look of disgust across his face.

 

The man Jericho had sent to secure the kid was sitting on the ground with his back against the wall, holding his left arm tightly as blood seeped through his fingers.

 

Finally, Jericho found his voice. He supposed it was a good thing that no one other than Viktor was there to witness his breakdown.

 

“What have you done?! I told you he wasn't to be harmed!”

 

The man had the decency to look ashamed. “I got past the defenders fine, but the kid had a gun too. Boss, he shot me in the fucking arm! I had to shoot back.” He complained as he struggled to his feet. 

 

“You had to shoot back? He was a little kid, for fucks sake! I gave you the simplest task imaginable and……god, look what you did…..”

 

“It wasn't my fault…..”

 

“I made Miles a promise! You killed his son, you fucking idiot!” He cried, feeling a few tears going down his face. He glanced over at Viktor, who had quietly positioned himself behind the man. Their eyes met and a silent order was given. Viktor wrapped his forearm across the killer's neck and slowly lifted him in the air. The man kicked and bucked as his face began turning purple, but he couldn't escape. Viktor held him tight until he stopped moving.

 

Jericho sat by Aiden’s body for some time, until Viktor gently prodded him to leave. “I'm sorry kid. I didn't want this. If you see your dad…..tell him I'm sorry.

                         *

Sylvia took a seat on his couch, looking unimpressed. “Are you listening? You know what I think this is about?”

 

“If I say yes, are you gonna tell me anyway?”

 

Not surprisingly, Sylvia acted as though he hadn't said anything at all. “ I think this is your way of forcing Miles to sit down with you. You're forcing a dialogue. But it's not gonna work. It's been five years since you last saw him. That’s a long time for someone's hatred to fester.”

 

Jericho shook his head. “If…..if I could just explain what happened….”

 

“He wants to kill you, Jericho! He doesn't want to talk, and I doubt he'll want to negotiate. Look, I know you’ve had to make a lot of horrible decisions, but you made them because you had too. There's no turning back.”

 

“I know.” He said. He rested his forehead against the cool glass window, looking down indifferently at all that he had accomplished. He had established peace in the north, that was true. But it had cost him his friends and no small amount his humanity. He had people tortured and killed. He had burned his enemies and left their charred remains to spread terror.

 

Sylvia didn't know, she couldn't truly understand his pain, because he and Viktor had taken pains to keep her isolated from those things. They wanted her hands to be clean, even if theirs could never be.

 

“I know I shouldn't worry, but I am. He's going to be gunning for Indara with everything he has.”

 

Jericho had to concede that she was right. It still didn’t change anything. Indara had never failed to complete a mission. After Viktor, she was probably his greatest asset. No, not just an asset. He cared for her, he had ever since he had found her years ago, back when she was alone and wounded, and the surface world was alien and terrifying to her.

 

“Indara will be fine. She can handle it.”

 

Sylvia looked even more doubtful. “Can she though? I know she's capable, I know that. But I also know how she is around Aimee. She always looks so scary and focused, but she has a soft spot for kids. She adores Aimee, you know that. She's a totally different around her.”

 

“Everyone adores Aimee.”

 

Jericho waved away her concerns, but the cogs were turning inside him, and he worried that maybe he had made a mistake.

 

“Does she know you don't intend to harm the girl?”

 

“No. But I told her to bring her alive and unharmed. I have no doubt she will succeed.”

 

Sylvia didn’t say anything else, but her warnings had taken root and no matter how much he drank they wouldn't leave his head. It didn't help that she kept staring at him. She was worried, and that was making him nervous too. Finally, he made up his mind.

 

“Goddammit! Alright, you convinced me. I'll go help her.”

 

She shot up off the couch like she was on fire. “Whoa, hey that's not what I meant. I just thought you'd send someone to back her up.”

 

Jericho was already getting ready, packing his bags. “Who could I send? Viktor and Hudson are gone. Barnabas and Yates are too far away. I'd say I'm the best option, if not the only option.”

 

She grabbed him by the arm. “Are you crazy?! Miles is out there hunting for you, and you want to go to him? He'll kill you on sight.”

 

He knocked her hand away. “You've forgotten who I am if you think I'm fine with hiding in this damn tower for the rest of my life.” His eyes softened. “Look, I'll take some men with me and just meet up with Indara. Between our forces we can handle anything. Don't worry.”

 

“Please don't do this. If we lose you……I don't want to lose you. Please stay. At least until Viktor comes back.”

 

“If I wait for your hubby, he'd probably forcibly keep me here. No thanks. It'll be fine, trust me. Indara will keep me safe. All this means is that I'll be able to random the girl sooner instead of dragging her all the way here. But…..uh, speaking of Viktor. I know he'll probably be a bit pissed that I left, so smooth things over for me okay?”

 

Sylvia continued to pester him as he got outfitted and packed. Then he headed down and picked twenty soldiers to accompany him. They would have to move quickly in order to help Indara. He knew it was risky, stupid even, but to be honest, he hadn't felt this alive in years.
 

[Wannatripbaby]

On 9/22/2019 at 9:09 PM, vampire4 said:

Indara actually laughed at that. “It's a bit more complicated than that, but I won’t bore you with the science. I'm what's called a courser, designed to hunt down my prey relentlessly and without mercy. I was designed to be a killing machine. As you've seen yourself, I'm very good at my job.”

Ha! Called it!!!

[Wannatripbaby]

On 9/22/2019 at 9:09 PM, vampire4 said:

Little girl? Sweetheart? Indara was suddenly like a totally different person. She was so caring now, nothing at all like before. The Indara she had seen up until now was cold and indifferent, making the fact that she was a machine easily believed. Now she really did seem human, and her smile had this warmth to it, and her eyes had a light to them, a life to them.

Huh. That was... unexpected. Either the impact jarred something important and forced Indara to switch personality modes (like you can do with the Protectrons) or she chose to switch modes voluntarily when it appeared force would not get the job done... or maybe Indara is just complicated?

[Wannatripbaby]

Okay, I'm officially rooting for Jericho in this fight. How did you do that? How did you make the villian more sympathetic than the hero? You brilliant madman! Just... god, can HBO just give you a series already? ?