Ch1 - Yellow Badge - A Second Name

  • Jack awoke to the sound of a pack of Ferals shambling around outside his cabin. Swearing softly under his breath, he grabbed his rifle and checked his ammunition. Only five rounds remained. He made a mental note to check up with the trader from Maine as he reloaded his weapon. Cautiously, Jack made his way to the window and peeked outside. There were seven. Seven Ghouls and five bullets. This could only go one way.

     

    He jerked open the window and took his first shot before the Ferals could respond. One landed, twitching, on the ground, her brain matter splattered across the tree behind her. Another shot rang out. This time, the bullet embedded itself in a fence post just off to the right. By now, the Ferals had noticed his presence and turned in his general direction. Jack slammed the window shut as one of the Ghouls managed to stick his arm through the gap. He held the window shut as he sawed at the flailing arm with his knife.

     

    With a sickening squelch, the arm finally fell to the ground, and Jack retreated from the window before another could take its place. He could hear the thuds of the Ghouls slamming against the door, and he knew it was only a matter of time before they broke through the decaying wood. Jack grit his teeth as the door began to splinter and crack under the weight of the ghoulish battering ram.

     

    When the door finally collapsed, he fired once again, blowing the lead Feral’s leg clean off. Another Feral collapsed behind the first as yet another shot rang out. Jack had only one round remaining, and there were still four of Ghouls lurking outside. “Well, if I’m gonna kick it now,” he muttered, chambering the final bullet. The thought was interrupted by another guttural growl. This time, rather than hunger, it sounded like… fear?

     

    Someone wearing a suit of Power Armor charged into the fray, his sword cutting burning swathes through the Ghouls with each swing. The flames were oddly reminiscent of an angelic halo in the night, and Jack felt compelled to say his prayers. “The Hell are you waiting for, Cobb? Let’s get outta here!” He heard a familiar voice cry out. He wracked his brain, trying to recall where and when  he’d heard the voice. “Look, if you don’t start movin’, we’re carrying you out. You have five seconds.”

     

    Jack scrambled to his feet and ran in the direction of the voice. Oddly enough, it seemed to come from behind him. And then he saw why. Standing behind what used to be a solid brick wall was an angel he had not thought he’d see:  Alexis White. Behind her lay a pile of corpses, which Jack assumed must have been the rest of the Ferals. “Miss White? How did you know…?”

     

    Alexis brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Questions later.” She turned her attention to a device on her left arm. “Mamluk! Flamer! I have the package. We’re pulling out. Meet up at Doc’s rendezvous point.”

     

    “Who -”

     

    “Questions. Later,” she repeated, her voice little more than a growl. “Don’t make me repeat myself twice.” The weight of her command came not from her tone, but from her piercing brown eyes. “Now, let’s move.”

     

    Jack swallowed hard and nodded. “Yes, ma’am.”

     

    Alexis led him through a series of narrow paths in the woods until they came across a small clearing. Three people were already waiting for them:  the knight in Power Armor, a dark-skinned man with a curved sword, and a woman dressed in a lab coat.

     

    “So can I ask questions now?” Jack asked.

     

    “You just did,” was the curt response.

     

    “So how did -”

     

    “How did we know you were there?” It was not Alexis who interrupted him this time, but the woman. Jack nodded his affirmation. “We were following you.”

     

    “You were what!?” Jack yelped.

     

    “Easy there, skipper,” she said with a laugh. “We were just making sure you didn’t tell anyone you’d met Boss.”

     

    “Boss?” Jack didn’t quite understand the label.

     

    “That would be me,” Alexis said, stepping forward. “You’ll learn that caution is the best course of action with this group.”

     

    “Says the one who divulged her real name,” snorted the man.

     

    “Careful, Mamluk,” chastised the woman with a grin. “Wouldn’t want that sword shoved up your-”

     

    “Oh, stuff it, both of ya,” the one in Power Armor butt in. The voice was not masculine, as Jack had expected, though it couldn’t really be described as feminine, either. It was… what was the word again? The speaker removed her helmet and turned to Jack. “Call me Flamer. I’m the muscle around here.”

     

    “Only when Mamluk isn’t getting drunk. By the way, isn’t alcohol banned by your people, Mam?”

     

    “Shut up, Doc. No God’s watching over this Wasteland,” Mamluk growled in response. “Thanks for reminding me, though.” He pulled a large bottle of liquor from a pouch and took a swig.

     

    Alexis sighed and shook her head as the others laughed. “Well, I was going to introduce the team, but they’ve gone and done it for me. The brunette wearing the lab coat is Doc, our second in command. She acts as the brains around here.” Doc waved as she was introduced. “Mamluk’s the one with the sword.”

     

    “Uh, Boss, we all have swords around here,” Doc corrected her.

     

    “Right. Mamluk’s the man with the sword,” Alexis conceded. “And Flamer’s in her T-60 suit as usual.”

     

    Flamer nodded in his direction. “‘Sup?”

     

    “And I’m Boss. I lead this rather-incompetent group,” Alexis finished.

     

    “I thought your name was-”

     

    “Alexis White isn’t my real name, but an alias. Like Doc said, you can’t be too careful around these parts. Not with the Institute around, anyhow.”

     

    “What’s your name, kid?” asked Flamer.

     

    “Jack Co-”

     

    “She’s not asking for your real name,” Alexis - Boss, rather - said, shaking her head.

     

    “Then what is she-”

     

    “Your fake one,” Flamer answered before Jack had even managed to finish his sentence.

     

    “It’s too dangerous to use our real names in our organization,” Doc explained.

     

    Mamluk rolled his eyes. “Looks like you got yourself a smart one, Boss.”

     

    “He tried to rob her. How smart could he be?” Doc countered. “Anyway, what’s your name? You’ll want to think long and hard about this one. It’s with you for life.”

     

    Jack did not hesitate a second before giving his answer:  “Deadeye, then. Call me Deadeye.”

     

    Boss cleared her throat before addressing him. “Well, then, Deadeye. Welcome to the team. Welcome, that is, to the Railroad.”

Comments

4 Comments   |   Sotek likes this.
  • Sotek
    Sotek   ·  September 17, 2016
    Nice to see this here Wu. 
    • WuYiXiang
      WuYiXiang
      Sotek
      Sotek
      Sotek
      Nice to see this here Wu. 
        ·  September 17, 2016
      Thanks. I've been really sick this week, so this gave me something to do while hanging out in bed. :P
      • Sotek
        Sotek
        WuYiXiang
        WuYiXiang
        WuYiXiang
        Thanks. I've been really sick this week, so this gave me something to do while hanging out in bed. :P
          ·  September 17, 2016
        Sorry to hear that. Hope you're back to yourself soon.
        • WuYiXiang
          WuYiXiang
          Sotek
          Sotek
          Sotek
          Sorry to hear that. Hope you're back to yourself soon.
            ·  September 17, 2016
          Thanks. ^_^