They are like children playing with a gun that belongs to their parents. They have no idea of the things they toy with and are most definitely not responsible enough to use them properly. They claim to be the inheritors of the United States military but they only seek to use the power for themselves and not for the people of this land.
He shakes his head and remember his oaths and hoe these inheritors forget them.
How terribly quaint. They actually found me as a child, playing with my dead parent's laser rifle.
He pats the rifle slung over his shoulder.
This thing has brought me many of those bloody Super Mutant heads. It's a frightfully good time.
Fitzgerald clasps his hands behind his back and bounces on his feat a few times, thinking of the happy memories.
|
"Be nice if they had more like you and less like him," Gergg quips, motioning toward the junior paladin's CO. "Half you Brotherhood of Steel types have never done a damn bit of difference and expect everybody to throw a parade every time you show up, no offense..."
"Name's Gergg," the tiny ghoul announces, extending a hand dwarfed even by the young paladin's. "How long do you figure before that prick and his lap dog are making you walk their drunk asses back to base to tuck them in?"
He nods at Gergg's words before shrugging at his last comment. "I'm starting to understand more and more the cold reception we sometimes receive ever since I came topside. Despite some forgetting our mission, we are however still trying to help the local area's but it is slow and without the advancement of technology it makes it all that much slower. Couple it with raving raiders, lack of sufficient numbers and we are nearly at a standstill. It's half the reason why I took the chance for advancement, normally anyone not a Paladin stays in their assigned bunker. As for those two my CO is a as he is, and my other comrade isn't a bad guy but he is a follower at heart."
He remains standing knowing full well that the chairs in this place wouldn't hold up the weight of his PA. "The other half of my reason's for taking this position was so I could use what knowledge I had to help the locals. I'm multi-talented and felt wasted in being assigned to working in Delta Bunker, at least out here I can put my tools to use. Perhaps make a difference or find something that can."
"What these gentiles require", butts in Winter, "Is a bit less lusting after worldly temptations, whatever they may be, and a bit more of the Holy Light of Atom"
He withdraws a grubby pamphlet from the recesses of his costume and waves it in the air, catching Gergg's eye as he does so.
"Oh, have it your own way, you filthy heathen. Brother", he says to the Paladin. "That armour of yours... specially made? Hard to maintain?
Valuable?!
He looks over Kora with a vaguely unsettling glitter in his eye, rather like a stockman appraising a brahmin.
Yes and when I woke they demanded access to things better let alone once they knew what I know. They will not take responsibility for helping those around them they cower in broken tombs of my long dead brothers and sister in arms. His voice keeps getting louder as he says this til he is shouting loud enough to be heard inside. They defile the blood and lives of those who made everything they use by being selfish spoiled children who have no right to the things they possess. Why? Because they refuse to help anyone who doesnt fit their tiny world view anyone out side it must be wrong. No. No. No this country was founded on the ideals that everyone is worth something unless they prove otherwise. That everyone has the right to the best they can get. But instead of holding up those ideals they use the tools of those who lived this ideals to keep themselves on the top of a small worthless heap. Instead of making a better world they tear it down and take anything that anyone else has. They are no better than the dammed enclave. He is breathing heavily and during this rant his shirt hasfallen open and across his chest if anyone can recognize it is a war eagle with two simple latin words Semper Fidelis. His voice calm once again. They have broken the faith and deserve nothing.
As Darius's rant ends, Fitzgerald blinks a few times.
Rather a temperamental chap isn't he?
Well I don't know anything about that, but I think you have good moral standings, and you are a jolly well likable, for a yankee. My hat's off to you good sir.
Fitzgerald takes his pish helmet off and gives a slight bow, before straightening and putting his helmet back on.
If you would excuse me, I need to use the "can" as you American folk call it. Tally ho!
He marches off to find the bathroom.
He turns to regard this Child of Atom, their religion was new to him and he found it unsettling to say the least. He arcs an eyebrow, maintaining a neutral face when the man calls him a heathen and stares at him like a raider would. He didn't like this man... he smelled funny and was far too strange. "That's close enough, Child of Atom. The only thing that I want is to help this world. So I will continue my pursuit of technology to obtain the greater goal..."
He pats his ripper non-threateningly as he says. "I have no time for games and my equipment is none of your concern." He cocks his head at the sound of yelling, it was hard to make out but someone was having a fit outside. His CO barked at his back and he knew that it was his job to check it out, lest someone stir up the locals into another frenzy. That was the last thing they needed...
He snaps his helmet back into place, securing it firmly and hoping he wasn't going to get shot today. Speaking through his halmet mic his voice was slightly more distorted and low pitched. "If you have nothing else, I need to check out whats going on outside..."
"Worldly temptations, eh?" Gergg scoffs at Winter. "Like that worldly temptation of yours to pilfer anything not nailed down, Brother?"
"I have a duty to retrieve Atom's gifts from those who might use them for wicked ends, you wizened little reprobate", replies Winter, with a prim, self-righteous expression on his face. He grimaces at the paladin's retreating form as he leaves the building.
Let the gentiles sort out their own squabbles!
"Flenn! Let's have another whisky here, and one for the ghoul as well"
He gestures at Gergg, glancing at the door and wondering what's going on outside at the same time.
|
|
"Whatever you need to call it to help yourself sleep at night," Gergg laughs, stretching to pat Winter on the shoulder.
"I've got some sticky fingers myself, but you take it to a whole different level. I could practically see you scheming a way to 'retrieve' yourself some power armor when those three walked in," he chuckles, careful not to let the two paladins at the bar overhear. "They keep drinking at this pace and your 'retrieval' might be pretty easy," he whispers, a gleam in his eye at the thought of the self-centered officer and his lackey awaking without their precious armor and weapons.
Kora stepped out, unarmed at first, a mere shouting match between the inhabitants of the city didn't warrant a need to show more force then necessary. No screams, a good sign that there wasn't any on going or heightening levels of violence. As he stepped out into the dusty streets he panned around and quickly found the same man who had left the bar moments before Fitz had. "Whats going on out here?"
Winter's eyes shine softly. "50/50 split, if you give us a hand", he mutters to Gergg. "Time to help things along."
He beckons Flenn over, ordering up doubles for the two BoS troopers at the bar. "Shame we haven't got anything we could add to speed things up", he says under his breath, wondering at the same time whether Necro Billy has any of his 'famous' knockout drops about him.
"Billy!"
Growls at Kora somewhat like an animal and looks at him. Him quickly pulling his shirt back up to cover his tatoos None of your concern. Spits in the ground to clear the taste from his mouth.
He was glad that his face was unreadable behind his helmet, because he didn't like this man's demeanor at all. He held his ground though, watching as the man covered something up on his person but not allowing their foul attitude to distract him from his duties. "Perhaps your new in these parts, the Brotherhood does its best to protect these area's, if you are in need of assistance let me know."
Like your friends in there? The only thing the brotherhood does is betray the memories of those long gone.
[OOC] like I said if you want Kora can see the tats he would know the symbols probably given he was a scribe. ... [/b]
Kora sighed, eliciting a short crackle through his Helmet's mic. This was just another one of those days. His voice came across as hard as it could for sounding distorted. "Don't compare me to those buffoons, there are a lot of people in the Brotherhood who take their duties very seriously. Many have fought and died with honor and I said if you had an issue tell Me, so that I can see something done if I can. Submit any formal requests to the Delta Bunker for Junior Paladin Kirion and I promise to see them through to the higher ups if I can." He wouldn't argue who betrayed who from the past as this man seemed a little unhinged or very angry but he wouldn't stand to see his parents insulted by a man who didn't know anything about them.
Yeah sure go to a bunker. I would have to bust my eay out of it like I did the last one. Heh though turning on the self-destruct warning was fun. Watching the fools rush out onky to be locked out when the bunker went into lock down. I should go back their one day I have friends in there I need to bury still..... He trails off at that last bit as if trapped in a memory .
He remained where he was, starting to doubt this man's sanity as he hadn't heard of anyone setting off the bunker alarm's or any wanted individual's either. Wasn't his department, not his concern but if there was an unknown bunker in need of assistance then something had to be done and fast before the wastes turned out all manner of ilk to prey upon the weak and injured. The man's ink had caught his eye and made him wish he had studied under some of the members of the Quill but for now he focused on the bunker. "Did this happen recently? Are you in need of assistance?" Sounding concerned never crossed over the com very well.
Few months ago down near a little place called Roswell. In New Mexico but I suppose no one knows what that is anymore heh..... Shakes his head to clear the memories. The stories I could tell you abiut that place.... and yeah they didnt have clearance to use the bunk so I as an admin locked the system after trigfering the alarms to make sure they werent trapped. Just cause you guys are a@~+%++s doesnt mean you deserve to strave. Especially not the kids..... No onse should hurt kids.... or puppies.... He seems kinda out of it like hes just a bit out of touch and cant remember things clearly. Dam serum and the crap you people gave me.
He stumbles and when he does he knocks his rucksack over and you see clearly marked U.S. power armor spill from it.
The strange tech that spilled out of the man's bag changed his attitude entirely, the man spoke of places that reminded him of his schooling in his early years but he didn't pay as much attention to geography class. He didn't waste his time with places that were gone, he had focused on the hear and now. Which now he was sorely regretting as he looked at the contents of the man's rucksack.
"$h&*..."
He looked over his shoulder to make sure his comrades weren't behind him. He then looked left and right before stepping forward slowly. He waved off any passerby's that were staring at what appeared to be a deeply confused man stumbling around, trying to avoid someone getting an itchy trigger finger at the sight of something valuable. Especially if it was in the hands of someone who appeared disorientated, anyone who appeared ready to make a move would warrant him kicking on the energy cell on his laser rifle. The alien noise of the rifle cycling up would cause many to reassess their easy score, attacking a disorientated man while a BoS Paladin was armed and ready wouldn't end well for them.
"This is Brotherhood Business so please be on your way." He was approaching slowly, not placing his hand on his weapon and hoping its low hum was enough to make people move along quickly. He turns his side to the man, eyeing the man over his shoulder and the people on the street as his hand hovered over his laser rifle grip. He spoke quietly his helmets comm barely carrying what he was saying. "I told you already some of us are trying our best, now I don't know where the hell you found that but you need to pack it up. Now dam*&^ before someone else see its." He emphasized his words more afraid of his squad members coming out and requisitioning that old piece of technology.
Ah, hello again old chaps!
Fitzgerald walks around the corner and sees Darius and Kora and waves to them. He looks down and notices his fly is unzipped. He pauses to zip it up, then continues walking towards the pair of them, seemingly oblivious to what's going on.
The bathrooms here are the dog's bullocks! I say everyone should try them out what.
He smiles broadly as he approaches.
Looks down and slips it back into the bag. Its mine. Its a prototype I was working on. It still needs a powercell. But your friends stole them all..... He looks around making sure no one else saw.
So the latrines around her are nice huh? He appears grateful for the distraction.
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Sounds good to me," Gergg whispers to Winter before they reach the bar. "You get those pills and I'll create a diversion," he says, slipping Winter a few caps to cover the necessary supplies.
After seeing Winter secure the transaction with Billy and give him a nod, Gergg sets to work.
"You fellas here for my Ghoulday shelebration, too?" Gergg asks the paladins, intentionally acting as though he'd had a bit too much to drink.
"Well why didn't you shay sho?" he shouts, barely waiting for the first syllable to escape their stunned lips. "Flenn, my man! A couple Nuka-Bombs for my guests and I. And make them doubles... No, triples! It's my Ghoulday, after all, no sense being shtingy!"
"Hey, Pope Winter!" he laughs. "Help Flenn out with those drinks, wouldya? Chop chop! And make one for yourshelf... I'm buyin!"
"I always tell everybody around here how lucky they are to have you Brotherhood of Shteel guys around, I do. You guys," he pauses mid-sentence to belch. "'Scuse me. What was I saying? Oh, yeah, my Ghoulday!"
Winter, in a dark corner, has forced a couple of pills out of an unwilling Necro Billy, who had them earmarked for his own revolting purposes later on, and slipped them into the triple Nuka Bombs promised by Gergg, well out of Flenn's beady-eyed gaze.
He sidles up to the Paladins, smiling unctuously. "Bombinus Glow-viscatom", he seems to say, handing them over and knocking his own glass of spirits back to encourage the two to drink up. His eyes start to sparkle, and he loosens up slightly, enough to sing Gergg the Happy Ghoulday Song, at least...
"Happy ghoulday to you
You were once smoothskinned too
But Atom's white rain has made you
All scabby and new!
Then waits for the two Paladins to collapse, hopefully before the third member of their party returns.
He shrugs at the accusation, thankful the man's prototype was out of sight. "Accuse all you want but as I can see three of us bare energy weapons, which requires cells and the wastes have more insidious elements then just the Brotherhood that steal anything not nailed down. The Reavers probably have a storage area full of the cells you need, attack them. They deserve it as they will kill you for your tech." He snaps his laser rifle back off, not wanting to waste power when there was no fighting to do. As it cycles down he nods to Fitz.
"I need to return to my CO, obviously there's nothing of note out here. Good day to you both."
|
|
The ghoul scarcely waits for the paladins to slump forward on the bar before gleefully helping himself to their more easily-accessible belongings.
"Holotags... Laser Rifle... Buncha Energy Cells..." he mumbles, slipping the small items into his coat pockets and leaving the laser rifle leaning against the bar. "Anything good over there?" he quizzes his unlikely partner in crime.
"Ooh, almost forgot about this!" he exclaims, deftly using his foot to flip the nearest paladin's power helmet up and snatching it out of the air.
"Hey! How do I look?" he asks, his voice garbled by the microphone in the oversized headgear.
The ugly ghoul stares flaberghasted by the sight in front of him.
this must just be a figment of my imagination. Now the zombie midget is wearing a helmet. Why does it look familiar. Oh goodness another migrane.
He clutches his head in apparent pain. Just at that momemt the radio changes tunes and butcher pete starts playing again. The ghouls eye twitches at the sound and he lets out a feral howl tossing his drink at the jukebox. He thrashes over to it and starts punching buttons furiously. When nothing comes of his tantum he leaps out the front door running wildly into the wastes.
Winter, surrounded by piles of loot, cackles evilly at the sight of Gergg in the power armour helmet.
"Hail, Sir Knight!"
Then carries on divvying up the spoils.
"One plasma grenade for you, one plasma grenade for me... Oh look - ablative underpants. I think I'll leave them - I bet they've been on for days"
He wrinkles his nose in distaste, then pushes a pile of caps over to Gergg, beginning to look slightly nervous
"I'm not sure how long those pills last, brother, especially with heathens that big, so we might want to..."
He breaks off, watching in puzzlement as Skeck starts to assault the jukebox before running off screaming into the night
???
"You are as wise as Saint Kissinger, and twice as handsome"
Winter nods sagely, then glances around the bar, but everybody seems to be minding their own business.
"It seems to have gone quiet outside, brother. Where's the big legionary gone?"
Camper sits where he always sist, in the dark back part of the bar, one old yellow light over head giving out just a tiny amount of light. Beside him its and evil looking mut of a dog, fast asleep, beside him is Campers last client. Now dead to the world in a haze of 'Herble' dreams. The mutated weed will do that to a man, send them off to Zion and away.
camper knows his weed, he never uses that Plastic vat cr*p others sell, his Ganja is pour as Muda-natur made, its a pride ding ya know.
Camper Chukels to himself as he sees to the town Tin-Men topple and start to be stripped by the Skinny's and the God-Bod. seeing them just about done, he gets up and looks over at Flenn.
"Dat always da way of tings Flenn, dem don come in an rull da place, now they lose da face, ya keep my place safe yam."
Camper picks up he 'Spirit air-ral' staff and walks to the day, the dog instantly getting up and following. He says to Flinn and the others wile not looking at them.
"You best make dem tins disappear cus me going make some caps selling your criminal a$$'s out if ya don't, dat boy outside going to com back lookin for ma and pa rit soon."
To all Camper looks like what he is, and old rasta who likes the smoke and has seen to much, hes voice is deeper then keep, da endless weed making so, and hes the same, deep. Cuz camper, he sees things, he will tell ya, the 'spirits' he says. But hes no fool-boy, no Camper is respected in town for all his talk of the TV lands and the Spirits of Cars. Hes respected cus he sells week at flenns place and most of all cus he can makes ya whole when stems don't work. Dats right, he will tell ya, Hes magic, real magic is old camper.
In the here and now, Camper walks out the door, evil looking dog in toe and over to where the young Tin-man it staking to the GI Jo and the mut=hunter.
"Here Boy! me thinks your fellors, dem dun drink to much, dem may-be in need of assissstaaance, yo-kno, before dem get all loved up by de localsss."
Camper takes a long puff on a fat riff and blows out the smoke as he stands by the 3, he smiles a toothy grin and his dog flops down and yarns.
"God Da%^&*." He turned and gave Camper a critical eye before flicking on his laser rifle again and shuddering in barely restrained rage at the incompetence of his comrades. "Thanks for the information, i'll make sure your compensated..."
He steps carefully back into the bar, unsure what he was to meet when he pushed through the front doors but he drew out his Ripper just in case.
=================================================
His Laser rifle was on the last cycle as he pushed through the doors of the bar, his ripper's chain blade rolled with a loud brum-ummmmmmm as he tested the trigger function. It also brought every person in the bar looking his way as he looked for his two missing comrades. He mean't business as this was the worst possible place for a fight and if the bunker found out about this there would be hell to pay. Not just for him but the town as well... "Return what you've taken and we all go home in one piece..."
Camper looks back as the young Paladin heads back to the bar. he then turns and looks at the two left outside.
" Tins takes it real bad you messin wid em. Da get all Gangstar and all on de, See dat the ting with Skinnys, dem tink day can robs them Tin-men and not have the whole town shoots up for da crime. Me I knows better, me likes me home in Flenn's no no want to see it broken bad."
he takes a long toot on his smoke, head back he breaths it up into the air.
"Besides, now dat boy gone back inside, now he got only two ways to go, fight and win, den da criminals pay and not da town or he fight and disappears and so no running off back to Tin-man home to bring back da Brotherhood wrath on us all."
He smiles his toothy grin at the others outside but there is no mistaking the cold hard look in his eyes.
Sees the idealistic young paladin standing in the door and goes to see whats going on.
Ja give it back. I have enough trouble with these a%#+@+%s without stiring up the nest. If they draw on you cut them down but dont go kicking the nest needlessly. They will be missed soon and to the brotherhood they would rather have the gear than the squadies. And by the way boy the cells they stole were prototype nuke cells. Been tracking them for a bit now. I could make more if I could find a stable reactor and parts. But I need thise cells. Help me and maybe I will show you a few tech tricks to make those dogs you run with sit up and beg.
He looks around the bar his hand on the gauss pistol at his hip.
Camper Looks at Fitzgerald Hawtrey
"gwaan nuh! koof time mon."
Pointing at the door.
Winter, seeing the door burst open and the young paladin and the soldier re-enter the bar, has the loot swept up and concealed somewhere about his person in a flash. A split second later, he's kneeling on the floor beside the unconscious sergeant, patting his face and shouting in his ear.
He looks up when Kyron starts to rev up his ripper, as if he hadn't noticed him before.
"Oh, good - you've come back! That other ghoul went crazy - handing out drugged drinks to everybody, then throwing a fit when brother Gergg and I didn't drink ours. He started smashing up the jukebox, then stripped your two comrades of everything he could carry and ran off into the night. He must have been infected with Atom knows what, so we didn't dare stop him - we're not soldiers, after all. Isn't that right, Gergg?
He looks over to the small ghoul for confirmation, then turns his soulful, innocent gaze back to Kyron.
Saint McCarthy preserve me, I hope he swallows it. Yikes...
|
|
"Heck no we're not soldiers!" Gergg exclaims, glad he had removed the power helmet after getting a few laughs and well before the junior paladin returned. "I'm barely big enough to see over the bar, how the hell would I have stopped that lunatic?"
"No use running that contraption in here," he says, gesturing toward the ripper. "Crazy sonofab$&#@ took off out the door and into the Wastes while you were out there having your little tea party. Shame none of you big, burly men were in here to stop him."
"I did manage to grab one of their holotags from him when that half-feral freak bowled me over heading out the door," he says, dutifully producing the worthless trinket. "I would have tried to grab more from him, but I thought for sure I was a goner. He had the craziest look in his eye. Anyway, I can't imagine he got too far. You might be able to catch him before he manages to sell off all his ill-gotten gains."