I was being hoisted into the air by a bright white barrier that was surrounding me; it felt like I was just floating through the air.
I was slipping in and out of consciousness. The pain was intense but manageable. My faithful old duster was hanging in rags from my back dripping with blood.
“The fillies.” I gurgled. Trying to look up at whatever was lifting me; it made my neck feel like it was on fire, without the heat.
“The fillies are going to be okay, thanks to you.” Spoke the same warm voice.
"Who... are you?"
"Shh, sleep now Ranger."
The warmth started filling my body, washing away the cold and the pain. I could feel my mind slipping, I closed my eyes and relished in the sensation. I felt limp, and so very tired.
oooOOOooo
I jammed the shovel deep into the dirt. Digging trenches was slow work so the Drill Instructors usually had the fresh recruits dig them. Me, Jesse and a handful of other recruits that had been a part of the raid on the officers’ liquor cabinet (Staff Sergeant Mason had spent almost a full hour shouting at us.) We were now digging trenches outside of camp. So not only were we forced to do grunt work, we were forced to do grunt work with a wicked hangover. Jesse groaned loudly.
“Hey, shut up Jesse this was all your idea.” I groaned back. He glared daggers at me.
“I suggested it, you went through with it!” He shouted. I cringed as the sound waves slammed against my skull, so did the rest of the recruits.
“Would you guys shut the fuck up? Please.” Someone moaned, several others muttering their support of the suggestion. I stabbed the shovel deep into the dirt again, all of us groaned loudly as the alarm in camp went off and sent waves of pure agony through our heads. I jammed my index fingers deep into my ears. I looked towards camp and saw a soldier coming our way. When she got close enough she started shouting, her words broke my heart.
“Anvil’s been hit!”
I dropped my shovel, Jesse stood there with an empty look in his face. Next thing I knew we were running towards the command tents. A large amount of soldiers had gathered outside, Staff Sergeant Mason stood in front of a group of heavily armed troopers. I looked to Jesse, he nodded. We reluctantly walked up to the gathering and stood amongst the other recruits who weren’t going. Frank faced his men.
“Men, Anvil’s been hit. According to the transmission a large raider party was pummeling its walls with everything they had. We got the message twenty minutes ago, Anvil’s fucked if we don’t get there within the hour. You have been trained well and
I have full confidence that you can kick some raider ass! Oorah?”
“OORAH!” The response came from the troopers.
I broke out of formation and was going to join the soldiers but an MP stopped me. “Hold it!” He shouted as he grabbed my arm from behind. “You’re not going.” I spun around and planted my fist in his face; I felt teeth crunching against my knuckles, he went down screaming expletives at me. I shrugged and jogged over to the soldiers, Jesse close behind.
“What in the hell was that about, son?” Frank asked as I walked up to him.
“We’re coming with you.” I said simply, Jesse nodded.
“You’re the idiot who stole my scotch aren’t you? Get back in the trenches.” He said and turned around to get the platoon moving.
“Sarge, we’re from Anvil!” Jesse shouted.
Frank stopped and turned his head to look at us. He then walked over to the medic and pulled his backpack off, he threw it to me. He also went and picked up two rifles and a bag of spare ammo from a table and handed them to us. We looked at him.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Fall in line!” He said. We snapped a salute and took place at the front of the platoon. We set of towards Anvil; I was having trouble focusing on anything. Jesse put his hand on my shoulder. I looked at him; he gave me a sad smile.
“Anvil’s walls are strong Mike; Amy is going to be alright.” I nodded, but I heard the doubt in his voice.
I stopped suddenly, I felt like my life was over. Black smoke, I could see black smoke on the horizon. The platoon picked up its pace, it was now jogging. I took one look towards the smoke and ran; I sprinted past the other troopers. Even with Franks shouting at my back I kept running. I now saw the town. Fire, smoke and blood. The town was covered in Fire, smoke and blood. The only building not on fire was the town hall. The makeshift walls made from car wreckages and alike were smashed, the gate was broken down. I could hear the others moving up behind me. A few gasps, some insults directed towards the raiders. I flicked the safety on my service rifle off.
Anvil had been reduced to a burning ruin ruins; severely beaten and mutilated bodies were spread all around. I heard some of the troops losing their lunches, I couldn’t blame them I would have too if I hadn’t lost it when I saw the smoke. The heat singed and burned my skin as I walked through the burning remains of my town, smoke made it hard to breathe. Frank rushed past me and kicked in the door to the one building that was worth checking out, town hall. As Frank took a step back covering his nose I pushed my way past him. I could feel my insides turning. The first thing that hit me was the smell. Then the sight of gutted and mutilated bodies, spread around, nailed to walls or chained to the roof. A raider charged out of a room to our left laughing and swinging an axe. I turned my rifle on him and fired, a full clip slammed into his chest as he was sent stumbling backwards.
I slid the magazine out of the rifle and slid a new one in; as I pulled the bolt back I heard a loud scream and something hit me in the side. Someone tackled me, sending the both of us crashing through an old door into a bathroom. My attacker climbed on top of me. It was girl, not much older than me. She brought her hands down on my throat and began to choke me. I tried pulling her hands off, but she was strong. I drew my combat knife and jabbed it into her stomach. She stopped choking me, she was in shock. I drew the knife back out, rending flesh on the jagged backside of the blade. I kicked her in her chest sending her crashing onto her back. I got on my knees and turned the knife in my hand, blade point downwards. I drove it deep into her chest, now she began to scream in pain. I kept stabbing until she stopped. When she stopped I got off her and scrambled into a corner.
I just sat in the corner for a while. I had just killed two people, why did it feel so satisfying? I heard shouts and gunfire from the room I had been in a few moments ago. I got up and ran out. Knife in hand I threw myself over a raider in the process of pummeling a trooper with a sledgehammer. I brought the blade across his throat, the blood flowing freely over my hands. I threw his soon to be corpse to the ground and fell to my knees next to the wounded soldier. I pulled out a Stimpak from my backpack and injected him with it. I knew it would be enough to keep him alive until the fight was over.
I picked up his rifle and looked up the stairs, several raiders were coming down the stairs. I aimed my rifle and kept pulling the trigger until. *click* I didn’t see how many went down, but three were still running towards me. I once again drew my knife and charged them. Pushing the blade into the first one’s throat, pulling it out in a sweeping motion spraying blood over his friends as I sliced a big wound over the second one’s chest. I slammed the pummel of the knife against his nose, smashing it deep into his face. As he screams I turned and jammed the blade into the skull of the third one sending him crashing to the floor.
The second one had crawled back to the wall and was half lying on the floor half sitting. I picked up my old rifle by the bathroom door and walked up to him. I pointed the rifle at him and fired, I kept pulling the trigger even as the rifle stopped firing and giving out a clicking noise.
Someone grabbed me from behind and started dragging me towards the door; I looked back and saw Jesse. He was crying, and I saw why. He had an old silver locket around his neck, the engraving “Michael” displayed across it. My heart turned to ice. I snatched it from him, breaking the chain. I opened it. The picture. My little sister riding on my back.
“Where?” I asked him, my voice dark with hate.
He pointed towards one of the back rooms. I pushed a soldier out of the way heading for the room. I ran through the open door and looked around. There, in a corner. A small girl, barely fourteen years old. Her long blond hair, dirty and bloody. She was lying with her back turned towards me. I shakily walked over and dropped to my knees. I put my hand on her shoulder, she was warm. I turned her over and fell backwards. Her face was covered in cuts, she had been stabbed, beaten and violated. She had a marking on her chest. A single letter, Q.
I pulled out a small switchblade; I pulled up a sleeve and pushed the blade deep enough so that it’d leave a scar. I carved a Q into my lower left arm. I heard a whimper from the other corner. I turned slowly. There in the corner was a wounded raider. He stared at me with terrified eyes. I got up and slowly made my way over to him. I grabbed his leather vest and pulled him to his feet. I then smashed his head through a window on his left. He screamed but was silenced as I grabbed his throat. Pushing my finger in deep, he begged for his life. But my hand against his throat made it sound more like a gurgle. He was shaking, I was shaking. I started pulling and he tried to scream. A loud meaty ripping noise, I was covered by a shower of blood. He toppled and slammed into the floor, blood spreading from his neck. I stood there, his Adam’s apple, skin, veins, artereis and part of his air pipe in my hand. I turned as I heard someone enter the room behind me; Frank was standing in the door opening.
“You fought like a man possessed today, what’s your name kid?” He said as he walked over to me and glanced at the bloody mess at my feet.
“Michael.” I growled, clenching my fist around the meat.
“Michael I’m sorry abo-“
“Don’t, I don’t need comforting. Just more raiders to kill.” I interrupted.
“Well then Michael, Listen I think you are Ranger material. I’m recommending you for training when we get back to camp.” He patted me on the shoulder and walked out.
I looked out the window. Smoke and fire. I should be sad that my sister and my home was gone, but I felt nothing. I looked at my sisters body, nothing. I felt nothing. I just wanted to find Q. I just wanted to kill. I just wanted to die.
“Ranger training… Yeah that’ll do. Watch out Q, I’m coming for you.” I dropped the lump of meat and walked out the door.
[Authors notes] Yeah I'm back, I've been busy with Skyrim the last few days. I hope you liked it. And Thank you for reading. Oh and I might have kindoff forgotten to mention that this is my first fanfic ever and maybe even the only thing that ever passed 1k words so critique is welcome^^
And for the the pmv of the chapter PMV - Luna's Facade
Its Heavy Metal, enjoy.