//------------------------------// // Bethesda // Story: A Pony In The Wasteland // by Ribe_FireRain //------------------------------// The now small remainders of the scavenge team have been walking for what seemed like hours, but even if it was less or more, they wouldn't be able to tell. Their legs were hurting and their ankles even worse. What made this whole thing even more worse than it already was was the fact that they had a lot to carry with them, and those things in particular were from the other scavenging team they were sent to Greyditch to find, but in the end, it turned out they had been killed by the fire-ants. The only things salvageable from their burnt bodies and dead brahmin were their weapons, that consisted of a flamer, laser rifle, and a combat shotgun. On the brahmin, the only things that they could take that weren't too battered up or in a useless condition were their spare clothing and ammunition, along with a few bits and bobs that they found while they were scavenging around the area - and luckily, the clothing was all armored and proved to be useful and ideal to the ones the team currently wore. They had been headed blindly in a direction from their previous position at camp, and knew nothing of what lies ahead of them. The sun had just arose over the horizon, and night hadn't been that far behind (a couple hours at most) and from the events of that night, it was really evadable that they were all depressed, mostly Billy. Even Rainbow and Gustavo noticed it. That day he barely said a thing or even tried to interact with them. He just walked on, staring at the ground as he walked, limping a little bit. Watching his every move, both Rainbow and Gustavo became more concerned about him with every passing moment. They couldn't tell what it was. The fact that he was depressed about last night when he told them his story? Maggie? Well, whatever it was, they were hoping it wasn't anything too bad. His expression was what worried them most. He was pale in color, his eyes were dimmer than usual, and his facial expression was that of a sad, lonesome-looking one. Walking on further, still keeping their eyes on Billy for most of the way, they found themselves in a medium sized settlement. The buildings - supposedly ruins of business buildings and homes - were all mostly reduced to heaps of rubble, with only few left standing in the midst of the ghost-town. Cautiously going deeper into the town, their pacing got slower, in an attempt to stay quiet if there are any threats lurking around the area, possibly watching them. Moving along, nearly back to back, along a destroyed business building that was still standing, a sign in rusted, black letters read, ''Bethesda Softworks''. That wasn't all that was noticed on the building, though. Through the corner of his eye, Gustavo could see something peeking around the corner of the third-level window, watching them. To say the least, he was creeped out by it, but wanted to know what or who it was. Motioning quietly with his hand instead of speaking out loud, he pointed at the window and then to the door of the remains of the tall, rickety building. Going through the door of the building (that was of course shattered and all over the floor), Gustavo almost immediately found the flight of stairs and quietly and cautiously began to step up them, not wanting to give away his position. All the way, Rainbow and Billy stayed close behind him, watching his back. Getting up the last flight of stairs to where he wanted to go, Gustavo slowly pulled back the cocking mechanism on his assault rifle, ready to shoot. Quickly going around the corner after signaling to Rainbow and Billy, he snapped his rifle so the sights met his eye, scanning the room for any signs of movement, but all that he saw was overturned desks and chairs, bookshelves and various piles of rubble that fell through the ceiling, that no longer held were it once was. Confused but still aware of a presence in the room that he knew he saw, he lowered his gun. Looking all around, he saw nothing. Not satisfied, he continued his way through the room to were he saw the figure standing. Upon getting there, he saw nothing but a small pile of blood splattered on the tiles. Sighing through his nostrils, he turned around to look at his two companions, but his mouth fell slightly agape as he saw the figure once again, standing directly behind them. ''Look out!'' He yelled at them, snapping their heads around to see where Gustavo was looking, they saw nothing. Looking confused as they stared at him, they came away from the door entry, coming to join Gustavo. ''There's....nobody there, Gustavo...'' Rainbow said quietly. ''What did you see?'' Billy asked, curious what his companion saw, yet confused when he saw it but they didn't notice it. ''I swear I saw something!'' Gustavo uttered out, still not taking his eyes off where he saw the figure standing. ''It was right there, behind you both! How didn't you see that?!'' ''See what?'' Billy waved a hand in his face, trying to get his attention broken from the door. ''I dunno! Looked a bit like a women.'' ''Look, I'll go over and see about that, alright? I didn't see anyone there.'' Billy said as he pulled out his 44.Magnum and walked over to where Gustavo was looking. Going over to the staircase, the first thing that got his eye was small, thin trials of blood going up the stairs. Wanting to know the source of it, Billy went up the flight, and upon getting to the top, saw more blood than before. Coming closer to it, the smell of iron immediately invaded his nostrils, but Billy being Billy, didn't be affected by it. Smells like that seemed like nothing to him, as in his travels, he had smelled things of a more higher and foul stench. Calling down the stairs to tell his companions that nothing was there, something grabbed him from behind as he turned around, clamping a strong hand across his mouth, him letting out muffled yelling noises. Accidentally, he fired a round from his gun, the powerful blast making the gun be jerked from his grasp, dropping it on the floor. Hearing the loud bullet being shot, Gustavo and Rainbow wasted no time in charging up the stairs to see what had happened, but as they got there, all they saw was Billy's gun laying in a patch of blood, and seeing that, horror came seeping into their minds, thinking it may be blood from Billy. Gustavo knelt down, picking the gun by the handle, looking at it. The scope had shattered in a diagonal line across the lens at the rear sight of the revolver. Sighing through his nostrils, he placed the gun into his holster by his side. ''We need to find him.'' He said in a low voice as he looked at Rainbow whom just nodded her head. Without hesitation, they made pace with their task of finding their now missing friend. They had been searching for a while now, outside now getting darker by the minute. They found a few more small trails of blood on the floor of the corridor, wondering if it was Billy's. ''Gustavo? You said you saw someone earlier?'' ''Mmm.'' He grunted back in a short breath. ''What did they look like?'' Walking without looking down at her, he said, ''I dunno, it was too dark. I couldn't see. About my height maybe? I didn't see them holding a weapon. Why?'' ''I'm just wondering if it might of helped.'' Rainbow replied as she puffed a piece of her hair from her face. ''We may not be alone here, you know? Suppose they're Raiders here? Maybe mercenaries? I doubt a passer-by would of taken him.'' ''I suppose you're right there, Rainbow. I just hope he ain't dead.''