Chapter 1 -
"Damn I just realized I left my rifle back there." Said Ish as he walked beside his friend and their brahmin, Tiny.
Django turned around and looked off at the distance behind them. The building was long out of site so he turned back around saying, "Well its gone now."
Ish put his hands on his head as he walked, "Damn I really loved that piece. You remember how I got it?"
Django laughed, "Yeah you 'beat' a super mutant in an arm wrestle, or, at least that's what you tell people. In reality I distracted him while you swiped it from behind him. Ended up having to fist fight him."
Ish laughed at the story, "I don't even know where that mutie got that kind of firepower. .50 caliber rifles don't come common on top of that the trigger guard was too small for him."
"He probably didn't understand that. After all he wasn't wearing any cloths and he could barely speak let alone fist fight."
The two continued their walk with some jokes here and there until they made it back home. Canyon city used to be run by the Calculator and all his robots. A few decades ago the Brotherhood of Steel whipped the floor with them and decided to set up camp there. Now its a major town in BOS territory. The two of them hitched Tiny to a post and went into the bar. Once they made it the counter they ordered a few beers and told the bartender, Micky, that they needed to claim the bounty.
"You guys have never brought me proof that you actually kill your marks. Why should I keep paying you?"
Ish pipped up as Django downed his first beer, "Look Micky every time we come back the raiding stops. Ain't that proof enough?"
Micky laughs a little, "Your lucky I like you boys and you pay your tabs. Your right though, no proof and yet the raiders stop their raiding."
Micky put down a large sack of caps, "Here's the payment. I'm not gonna ask how you guys did it because I know tonight when Ish is wasted he will tell it and tomorrow when Django is sober he will actually tell it how it really happened."
Ish took the purse and divided it in half between the two of them. He then downed his second beer, "You know us all too well Micky boy. Jokes on you though we are staying mostly sober tonight."
Micky looked a bit confused, "First you take my money then you don't give it back huh? What are you boys up to?"
Django finally joined in on the conversation, "We are hopping out of here. Heading east."
"What for?" asked Micky.
Ish replied, "We are young and don't wanna settle. We wanna see the world a bit before we die and bloody death."
Django added, "Plus there are only so many raiders that will raid this town. Especially knowing that their being hunted. There are places out there that are desperate and will pay bounty hunters like us a whole lot of money."
Micky asked, "What about your families and friends? You've lived here your whole life. When are you leaving?"
Ish replied, "They will be fine and we are leaving tomorrow morning bright and early. Looks like your gonna have to ring in more customers since you won't have us here to buy all your beer."
The three men laugh and Micky asks, "Hey Ish what happened to your gun?"
Ish answered, "Long story short I lost her. We got an almost functional suit of T-45a out with Tiny though and with my share of this last job we will be able to buy me another gun."
Micky looked over to Django, "At least you still got your guns."
Django had two double-barrel sawed-off shotguns strapped to each side of his waste like pistols. He hadn't lost his guns since he was in the power armor.
Micky asked another question as the two of them finished their third beers, "How bad is the power armor?"
Django answered, "Just out of juice. Its rusted but it works like a charm when its got a fusion core inside of it."
Micky walked out from behind the bar and nodded to his waiter to take his place while he was away saying to the duo, "Come with me real quick fellas."
The two of them looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders and followed Micky. He led them to the back of the bar and moved a few crates around. Under the crates was a hidden hatch that nobody but Micky new about. Once opened it revealed a ladder that descended about twenty feet down. The three men climbed down it. Once at the bottom Micky flipped a switch to turn on the lights revealing to the duo a single room bunker that was about the size of the entire bar itself. It had shelves lined with enough food and water to last Micky several lifetimes.
Ish pipped up, "You preparing for a second apocalypse?"
Micky chuckled, "Nope but I wouldn't be surprised if one happened. I just like to be prepared."
At the far side of the room stood a beat up suit of T-60 power armor and it quickly drew the two boys attention. As they walked closer to inspect it Micky said to them,
"I've never told anybody this though I feel I can trust you boys. You both know I was apart of the Brotherhood in my past though what you didn't know is that I'm not from this chapter."
The two boys turned in shock to face Micky. This news to them was quite the shocker seeing as they had known micky their whole lives.
Micky continued, "I am Paladin Mick of the East Coast Brotherhood of Steel Chapter and that is my armor."
The two boys stood in silent shock for a moment before Django pipped up, "Damn Micky and here I thought you were just some bartender."
Micky laughed and walked up behind his armor saying in response to them, "I am just a bartender to everyone but you two now. Here. Its five fusion cores. Enough to last you at least halfway to the D.C. ruins. That right there is about half of my personal stash and its all I can give you at the moment." He said as he handed Django a box.
Micky then walked over to the right side of the room and unlocked a large locker revealing several weapons most of which the boys had never seen before, "And for you Ish take this. Its my old laser rifle. It should give you just as much power as that old .50 cal you had but with none of the kickback." He said as he handed Ish the rifle. It had a long and fat barrel with a long scope on it and at the end of the barrel it had a beam focus modification. Basically just what Ish wanted.
Micky continued, "You boys have done this town good by clearing out these raider for these past few years. You've done me good by giving an old man some hope that the youth of our world hasn't gone to shit just yet."
He gave the two boys a hug, "I've known you boys your whole lives and while I am sad your leaving I'm glad your pursuing your dreams."
Ish said, "Thanks Micky. We never asked for this much stuff from you."
Django said, "Thanks Micky. Couldn't have survived this long without your old wisdom."
Micky said to them as they climbed out of his bunker, "Now remember Ish you can find microfusion cells inside most if not all robots and machines. Djano you need to check basements of pre-war buildings for fusion cores, that's usually where you'll find 'em."
The three helped cover the hatch back up, the two boys payed their tab and went home for the night. Ish didn't have a mom so that night his father talked with him about leaving. At first when Ish proposed the idea a few weeks ago he was entirely against it though recently he has come around. The two of them shared a few beers and talked for most of the night about really anything that came to mind.
On the flip side Django didn't have a dad so that night his mother cried and cried about him leaving too. When Django first talked to her about him leaving she was against it and now she still was against it though she knew Django had set his mind to it and there was no shaking his will. Django promised to leave all his savings with her which would keep her well fed for years to come though that didn't seem to help too much. It was hard on Django seeing his mother cry like that though he knew it couldn't be helped.
The next morning the two awoke bright and early for their journey. The previous night left them both with little sleep due to anxiety and excitement though their tiredness wouldn't last too long. The slammed a new fusion core into the frame and strapped the armor back on too. Django was the one that wanted to use it seeing as Ish didn't like the feeling of all that weight on him. Ish holstered his new rifle, unhitched Tiny, and the three of them set off east to the ruins of D.C.
Before they could leave town though there was a large crowd at the gates to send them off. There was a lot of cheering, crying, hugs and all around emotions flying through the air. Micky was there and he walked up to the two of them saying,
"Remember what I told you boys."
He gave them a wink and shook their hands. He then ordered his waiters and waitresses to load up Tiny with as much food and water as she could carry without slowing her down too much.
With that the sniper, power armored man, and two headed cow set off on their journey...
How'd you guys like that one? I don't have much of an editing process and I honestly don't plan this out too much so sorry if there are any errors here.
