Queen Of The Wasteland

by Jest


A Pair Of Dead Desperados

Twilight plodded along at the back of their small chain gang, her gaze distant as she ruminated on recent events. She didn't have long to consider things however, as she heard the familiar sound of Mr. New Vegas coming over the radio. With her attention piqued, Twilight listened intently to Janey’s pip boy.

“Primm formally swore in a new sheriff today. RNV reporters were on hand to hear the new sheriff address the crowd,” Mr New Vegas announced before there was a moment of static and what sounded like a recording activated.

“Hey folks, I’m Sheriff Beagle, and this is my deputy, Primm Slim,” the familiar voice of Beagle announced.

“Howdy partners,” the robot, Primm Slim, greeted.

“Right. Were the law here in Primm, and I just wanna take a moment to tell the wasteland that were back in business. Oh and it's all thanks to the princess. Godspeed out there,” Beagle exclaimed.

Mr. New Vegas quickly interjected. “Well folks it looks like the world’s only sentient deathclaw is already out making waves in the wasteland. Make sure to stay tuned to hear all about her adventures, but in the meantime here’s Nat King Cole with you’re nobody till somebody loves you. And that somebody is me. I love you.”

Music began to emanate from the pipboy once more, and though the song was intriguing to Twilight, it was difficult to hear over Janey’s cursing.

“Godamnit. I can't believe Beagle didn't even mention me,” Janey cursed.

A couple convicts snickered and the preacher of the group beamed, shooting Twilight a proud sidelong glance.

Twilight wanted to remind her friend that it wasn't all about glory, or recognition but decided against it.

“That was pretty darn fast,” Layla remarked, shouldering her rifle. “We couldn't have been out of town for more than a half hour or so at this point.”

“That damn robot has a better nose for gossip than a retiree with a gambling problem,” Janey muttered.

Twilight ignored her companion’s continued grumbling and looked around at her surroundings. On her left was more scrubland, beyond which lay what looked like an old race track of some kind though it had long since been over with sand and weeds. In front of her laid the double lane highway which went far into the distance before turning to the right and ending at a mountain pass.

On her immediate right was a large parking lot, only it was contained within a fence, and had a large billboard at one end. On the other was the demolished remains of a small structure, though Twilight didn't know what it’s purpose had been.

Twilight padded over to the preacher, and poked his side before pointing at the lot curiously.

“What do you… oh, your wondering what that is,” the man hummed. “If I remember correctly that's called a drive in. Apparently people drove there to watch paint dry on that big wall thingy.”

Janey sighed. “They did not go there to watch paint dry. They watched movies that were projected onto that big flat surface. Also-”

“Contact!” shouted Steve, who leveled his weapon at something humanoid which had risen out of the drive in, attracted by the sound of conversation.

Confused, Twilight put herself between whatever was coming at them and their prisoners. Her confusion only grew when a group of emaciated humans who growled like animals sprinted out through a cloud of dust. The creatures sprinted at their group with arms raised, screaming and baying for blood.

A well placed shot from Janey blew the top half of one’s skull off while concentrated fire from Layla’s squad killed two more. With their numbers already halved, Twilight expected that the pack of desperate people would give up, yet they kept coming. They didn't even glance at their fallen friends as they were cut down in a hail of gunfire, nor did their expressions change.

Twilight barely even had the time to gather her wits before they were all dead, and Janey stood proudly at the head of the group.

“I hate these things. Barely even worth the ammo,” Janey muttered before immediately leaning down and rummaging through the loin cloth one of her victims had been wearing.

Stomping up to her, Twilight glared at the courier and grabbed a loose board from the fence. “Why did you kill those poor people?”

Janey blinked, cocked her head and erupted with laughter. “Those werent people!”

“Yeah they were ghouls,” Steve pointed out.

“Exactly. We fought them before, remember?” Janey replied.

Twilight’s anger dissipated somewhat, and she glanced down at the dead human laying on the ground in front of her. The creature had been male though other than that most other details had been burned away from exposure to the elements. Even the majority of its skin was gone, including its lips, eyelids, and nose, exposing its brown muddy teeth.

“See? It's a feral. Like the others,” Janey offered, kicking the creature in the side. “Poor sucker got dosed with too many rads and lost their damn mind. Don't feel bad about killing them. There’s nothing left in there anyway.”

Twilight wanted to offer some kind of rebuttal but found herself agreeing with Janey for once. The ferals didn't care about the lives of their friends, or seemingly even their own lives for that matter. All they were capable of experiencing was hunger, and a violent desire to tear every living creature limb from bloody limb.

At least that’s what it seemed like anyway.

“Let's go,” Janey barked, turning back to the road.

Twilight reluctantly fell back into line, her gaze never leaving the dead ghouls lying on the side of the road. She remembered the talk she had with the courier, and the warnings Janey had given about the many creatures they would face. Even with the connection that these things were the monsters Janey had mentioned, it still felt a bit unreal to Twilight.

Despite the danger she had apparently just been in, Twilight couldn't bring herself to feel angry. The only emotions rolling around inside of her were sadness, and pity for the poor humans who had been turned into zombies.

Twilight hoped what Janey had said was true, and that they hadn't been made prisoners in their own bodies.

With her mood now soured, Twilight plodded along at the back of the group, glumly staring at the ground. The deathclaw was vaguely aware of the fact that the preacher was once more whispering about her impeccable moral character. The grand declarations the man made would normally irk the former pony, though Twilight was too distracted to care.

Her mind was occupied with wondering what other horrors they would face in their journey. Animals were one thing, but if they were going to face a near constant stream of human enemies then Twilight wasn't sure how far she would get. It had only been a few days yet she already felt… strained, her mind struggling to compartmentalize the awful things she's seen and done.

Twilight sighed. “I sure hope I find my friends soon.”

“Hold up. We’ve got something up ahead,” Steve whispered, walking a bit closer to Twilight.

The deathclaw paused and looked up to find that the rest of the chain gang had crouched low, with Janey at the front. Visibility had decreased as dust filled the air, pulled from the ground by a steadily growing wind coming down from the mountains. Wind whipped about them, and Twilight knew it wouldn't be long before it would become hard to see much of anything.

Twilight followed the courier’s gaze towards a boxy structure sitting on the right of the highway. A pair of humans stood outside of it, busy fighting what looked like a radscorpion with nothing but knives. Despite the insect’s incredible size, the pair of gang members were winning, and somehow managed to dodge every swipe the creature made.

Janey motioned for the deathclaw to join her as she watched the pair, and Twilight reluctantly did just that.

“We got Jackals up ahead. Were going to have to take them out if we want to continue. Probably clear out the station as well,” Janey remarked.

“I thought they were people. Not dogs,” Twilight declared, tapping out her response on one of those strange broken devices implanted in the road.

“That's their gang, the jackals,” Janey explained. “Drugged up psychos who rob people to fill their need for chems.”

Twilight frowned. “Can we not go around them?”

Janey shook her head. “They might hit us from behind if we do that. Furthermore they are causing problems for the NCR so we have to get rid of them.”

“Fine,” Twilight agreed.

“Good. Now we’ll help you clear out these two fools, then you go inside and take out the rest,” Janey exclaimed.

“You’re just doing that so I can't talk anymore of them into giving up,” Twilight accused.

Janey raised an eyebrow. “I’m disappointed you think so low of me. I am trying to keep our prisoners alive Twilight. If you haven't noticed there are a lot of dangerous creatures out here and with the storm picking up we’ll need to close ranks.”

Twilight winced. “I’m sorry. That is acceptable.”

Janey pulled her weapon from her holster and nodded to Layla who leveled her rifle at the pair of gang members. Who had just finished killing the rad scorpion and were busy trying to drag the dead insect towards the police station entrance. They didn't make it far before a trio of shots cut through the whirl of dust and sand that surrounded them.

One went wide while the other two slammed into a gang member’s belly, dropping him to the ground. The other immediately charged directly at the large group, his eyes wild and his rusty cleaver raised high above his head. He didn't make it far though, as Twilight bum rushed him, knocking the human to the ground with a backhand.

The human had seemingly been oblivious to the reptile’s proximity as it didn't react to Twilight’s presence before being knocked to the ground. His knife went flying, and he groaned in pain as he lay sprawled out on the asphalt. Twilight was quick to pin the human under a hand before pointing to another of the handcuffs, cutting off any argument before it could be uttered.

“Alright, add him to the line,” Janey replied without missing a beat, tossing Layla a pair of cuffs.

“What about this poor bastard?” Matt asked, the man gesturing to the gang member lying on the ground, arms crossed over his stomach and groaning in pain as blood began to pool around him.

Twilight grunted, and pointed to the pocket that contained Janey’s stimpacks.

“He’ll need proper medical care if he's going to survive that. A stimpack will only prolong his suffering,” Janey retorted.

The deathclaw grunted even louder.

“Fine, but that's coming out of your cut,” janey replied, fishing out a stimpack and jamming it into the gang member’s side.

The poorly armed man barely even seemed to realize what was going on, his leather clad arms remaining latched over his bloody midsection.

“Wha… what’s going on,” he muttered, the pain having lifted just enough for him to look around.

“Get him up and put him in the line,” Janey barked, tossing another pair of cuffs at Layla who swiftly worked to do as the courier asked.

Twilight didn't pay attention to him however, as she heard what sounded like footsteps approaching from within the station. The deathclaw immediately began to sprint towards the entrance, trusting that her companions could handle the injured gang member. Her assumption was proven true a second later when a curious human armed with a varmint rifle and outfitted with metal armor stood in the doorway.

The scarred, and emaciated woman barely managed to fire a shot before Twilight shoulder checked her back into the station. The deathclaw’s enormous weight carried them through the door and inside, knocking the wind out of the girl and laying her low.

A pistol wielding male looked down at his fallen comrade. “What the fuck how did-”

“Just shoot it!” shouted a voice.

Twilight was faster still, lashing out with her fist at the closest gang member standing to her right. The male’s patchwork metal armor did nothing to soften the blow, sending him flying into the wall where he hung limply, embedded into the rotten drywall. The next foe was a little quicker and fired off several shots at Twilight before she managed to strike him.

The attack was a weak one however, as Twilight was too busy worrying about the low calibre rounds that had hit her. They had bruised her, but little else, as her scales had taken the majority of the blow and left only small scratches. Still, it had been enough of a distraction that she merely brushed him with enough force to make him stumble back.

He raised his pistol arm again, but Twilight batted it aside with enough force to make several of his fingers bend in a way they shouldn't. Twilight didn't have time to feel bad about that however, as someone had just tried to jab her in the back with a sharpened kitchen knife. The blade had predictably been unable to pierce her natural armor and now the gang member was trying to remedy this by stabbing Twilight repeatedly.

Twilight used her tail to grab the woman’s leg and pull it to the side with all the strength she dared use. Sure enough the woman fell hard, though her leg didn't snap in the process, allowing Twilight to turn back towards her other opponent. Who had left his weapon on the ground and sprinted towards the back of the station, screaming for backup all the while.

Looking around, Twilight quickly took stock of her situation, starting with the other gang members.

One was still stuck in the drywall, and was groaning in pain, no longer a threat to anyone. In fact the only one who was a threat was the gang member who had tried to stab her, though calling her a threat may be pushing it a little. She had crawled around one of the many desks which littered the entrance to the building and was trying to be quiet.

Twilight tromped over to her and placed a great hand over the human’s head. The deathclaw then turned the woman so their eyes met, revealing that tears were pouring down her face. The sight nearly made Twilight’s resolve melt, though the stinging in her back helped to keep her focused.

Placing a finger over her lips, Twilight shushed the human and then pointed down before standing back up. Whether the jackal had been scared into submission or was currently so frozen in fear that she couldn't move Twilight wasn't sure. Either way the gang member wasn't stabbing anyone anymore, so Twilight took that as a win.

With a snort, Twilight turned towards the hallway where her other foe had disappeared down, inspecting it a little closer. On the left side there were three doors, two that went to bathrooms and the last which likely went to a storage room of some kind. Either way Twilight didn't care, and she only looked at it long enough to read the line of text written on it.

I wish I was at the Sierra Madre. Had been inscribed on the metal panel along with a cartoon frowny face.

Twilight put that out of her mind, finishing her inspection with the large holding area at the end of the hall. Which had been split in half between a waiting area that had been converted into a makeshift barracks, and a single large cell. A cell which now contained the final three gang members, one of whom was cradling his hand as he glared at the deathclaw.

“Ha, you can't get us in here you big stupid animal,” declared the jackal leader.

“Shut up dude. Don't antagonize it,” whispered his short friend.

“That thing broke my fucking fingers and killed the others. Why shouldn't we fuck with it?” retorted the leader.

“We should kill it,” whispered the third jackal.

Twilight snorted as she slowly walked into the room, searching for a flat surface which she could tap out her response on. She doubted that they understood morse code, but the deathclaw had to at least try. While this was happening the other three were still arguing amongst themselves, though a consensus was quickly being reached.

“-I already used all the dynamite we got from that dipshit convict,” muttered one of them.

“I got a couple bullets left but I don't think it will do much,” offered the other.

“It's fine. I still got a molotov,” declared the leader.

“Don't throw it in here, you'll hit the bars!” hissed the shortest of the trio.

Twilight found what she was looking for and picked up a small ammo box before dumping out its contents. She then tapped out a greeting, followed by a request for the three of them to give up and submit themselves to her.

“Is it trying to talk to us?” whispered the tallest jackal.

“Of course not. Its just a dumb animal,” retorted one of his fellows.

“Back up, here goes,” declared the leader.

Twilight was about to reply, only for her gaze to settle on the burning end of the molotov cocktail held in the leader’s hand. In an instant the deathclaw’s thinking self was utterly gone, submerged amidst a growing tide of rage. One so powerful that when it spilled from the deathclaw’s lipless maw that it shook the very foundation of the small building.

The leader flinched, nearly dropping his projectile in the process and giving the beast the chance it was hoping for. With its shoulder lowered, the beast sprinted directly at the jail cell, not slowing until it had torn the entrance clear from its moorings.

“What the fuck-

“How did it-

“I fucking told you!’

The beast didn't pay any attention to the words coming out of the prey’s mouth, as it was already attacking the closest foe. This unfortunate human had gotten in the way of her mad dash and had his leg snapped beneath one of the beast’s mighty feet. The deathclaw finished him off with a powerful stomp to his midsection, shattering every single one of his ribs as well as his spine.

Organs shot out of him like the human had been replaced with a balloon filled with offal. The beast didn't care to watch the human die, as she was already turning towards the second foe in her way.

This one didn't fare much better, though he managed to fire off several shots from his revolver before he died. Those shots mostly went wide, though one hit the beast with enough force to leave another bruise. This only infuriated it even more, and with a single powerful swipe of its claws it cut the human to ribbons.

The beast then turned towards the final foe and snapped out a hand, catching the molotov before it could hit it’s target. The deathclaw then proceeded to pluck the burning rag from the top and drop it on the ground. It then ground a foot against the fabric until it was completely out.

“Noone hurts her,” rumbled the beast.

“What the fuck,” was all the human could mutter before a clawed hand shot straight through his torso.

A second quickly joined the first, and with a mighty tug the beast pulled the jackal apart, sending blood and guts flying everywhere. Bones were made visible, and organs spilled out onto the ground, the human living just long enough to look down at its ruined form before perishing.

In the silence that followed the deathclaw looked around, and after finding that there were no more threats, reached down and grabbed an arm. With a crunch, it snapped several bones, and began to consume the hunk of meat as it walked down the hall. By the time it reached the end it had eaten everything including the already broken fingers, and belched loudly.

With its hunger sated and threats dealt with, the beast willingly fell away, allowing Twilight to return once more.

“What did… Why do I taste blood?” Twilight muttered to herself.

The deathclaw quickly spat the awful taste from her mouth before realizing that her claws were now red.

“How did that happen?” Twilight asked the empty room.

Something told her she didn't want to know, so Twilight left that stone unturned and merely cleaned her claws off on a discarded set of pants. Confident that her appearance was slightly less intimidating, Twilight walked back over to where the human female had been hiding. There she found the gang member still sitting, staring wide eyed up at the deathclaw, her tears now dry.

Twilight grunted, and pointed towards the door.

When she didn't get a response Twilight picked the human up and gently shoved her towards the exit. This seemed to shock the jackal from her stupor and she hesitantly walked over to the exit. Twilight then gathered up the other unconscious or otherwise injured jackals, tucking them under an arm.

With all that done she was tempted to look down the hallway, only for that urge to vanish a moment later.

The deathclaw shrugged to herself and proceeded back out into the wasteland.