Scrapyard Revisited

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The cool indoor air of Milliways abruptly gives way to the blazing dry heat of an August afternoon. The only thing between the sun and the ground here is a couple of circling scavenger birds; it's been a long while since rain fell on the scrapyard that sprawls in all directions. Mostly the sun beats down on the gutted, rusted wrecks of what used to be cars, but there are former cargo trailers and the remains of trains and trucks scattered about the place as well.

"The people we're going to cover up are off to the right," Ellen warns quietly. "Just so you know."

Comments

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Dogm-" Ellen stops, looking around. "Tyler? Tyler, are you okay? The mole rat didn't get you, did it?"

[basic_powers]

"...that thing looked uglier than..than..."

Tyler's fine, no scratches no bites, just good ol-fashioned adrenaline-powered panic.

">...what was that thing?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Mole rat," says Ellen. "They've got a nasty bite and they'll tunnel through anything. I didn't think they were that fast, though..." She looks off after the rapidly receding Dogmeat, biting her lip.

[basic_powers]

"...you think there are more of them in there?"

Or else something else that'd frighten the mole-rat worse?

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"They usually live in groups," Ellen says. "At least it seems like they do. We'd be better off with Dogmeat..."

[basic_powers]

"We'd better go after him then..." Tyler starts running in the direction the dog went. "Dogmeat, come back here!"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Can't! It was going to attack my people!" the dog answers. He's running like a mad thing. So is the mole rat, somewhat surprisingly.

(It's worth noting that mole rats are faster and more enduring than you'd think. Ellen just hasn't encountered the mole rat races yet. No, really.)

[basic_powers]

So is Tyler, but he's only 9 years, and even after several mornings of doing training runs with the Marine, he's not gonna keep up that pace for real long.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Fortunately, the rat's still only got a brain about the size of a peach pit. At some point it decides that turning and standing its ground would be a good idea. Hint: it's not. By the time Ellen and Tyler catch up with the dog and the rat, the rat is... um. Well, it's not like they could get much uglier, right?

"Dogmeat," says Ellen firmly, crouching down to get closer to eye level with the dog, "thank you, really, but don't go running off like that on me again. I can't keep up."

[basic_powers]

"We can't....*pant* run...*pantpantpant* as fast as you."

...Also? Eww.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Sorry," says Dogmeat, cringing a little and letting out a whine. "Do you want the meat? You can have the meat, I don't mind."

[basic_powers]

...

...

"I'm good thanks."

"He says you can have the meat off of it, he doesn't mind."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen almost considers this. Almost.

"No, that's okay," she says a half-second later. "You enjoy yourself, Dogmeat."

The dog barks happily and falls to. Ellen turns her back on the scene resolutely. "Sorry about that, Tyler..."

[basic_powers]

"S'okay, I can't always stop Winston from chasing down some of those demon bunnies when we take walks in Milliways." Pause. "...and at least Dogmeat doesn't bring you back presents from his kills."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"This is the first thing I've seen him kill that-" Ellen stops; she's pretty sure that saying 'that wasn't a person' isn't going to go over well. "-since I got him," she finishes, a bit lamely. "I don't know about the presents part..."

[basic_powers]

"If he does that you should just pat on the head real nice and-"

Tyler's explanation about pack behavior is interrupted by something huge and mostly hairless leaping out at the group. That's the point where nothing less than sheer will to survive takes over and the boy is running, and grabbing for something in his backpack.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

As they bolt, Dogmeat starts barking furiously, turning to face the snarling monster, fangs bared. "Dogmeat!" Ellen yells. "No! No, don't try to-"

This dog is going to get her killed, she just knows it.

[basic_powers]

He's going to get the both of them killed! Which Tyler is really, really against, because someone's going to have to explain WHY he disappeared to his parents.

Meantime, the bear has it's attention focused on dumb ol' Dogmeat, who happens to be LOUD ANNOYING MEAT. But the dog isn't the only distraction it's going to be getting, in fact two more are headed it's way.

THUNT! ZzzZzrt!

One, a charged tazer probe in the ear.

Beeee beeee bee bee bee be beepbeepbeepbeep

Two, a rapidly beeping metal egg.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The egg was set on tanglefoot, and yao guai are normally so fast they don't even pay attention to their own feet. This is not a good day to be a giant bear.

It is, however, an excellent day to run like hell. Even if it means Ellen has to grab Dogmeat by the ear to start him running in the right direction, which is to say, away from the bear.

[basic_powers]

Were he thinking of things in such a context, he would agree the poor bear didn't know what hit it. However, Tyler is more concerned with running away and checking to make certain the bear isn't following them.

What he glimpses behind them is the giant mutant bear eating at the stuff sticking it's feet to the ground.

His adrenal glands won't be thanking him later, but at least he's going to be in one piece.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen's killed a few yao guai before. It's not easy. She doesn't like doing it. The fact that the giant mutant bear isn't chasing them? That's the important thing right now. She's going to run until - well, okay, Dogmeat is in better distance-running condition than she is, so she's going to run until Tyler looks like he needs to stop. And then she'll remember that she could probably have shot the bear at least once, maybe twice.

Not until she's done panting with her head down and her hands on her knees, though.

[basic_powers]

Tyler's just going to lay on the dry ground for a bit, if that's alright with Ellen. At least until he gets his wind back, unless something else decides it's a good time to attack the bipeds.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Nah, they'll be fine.

*ZAP*

"Stupid radroach. You go squish now."

... okay, now they'll be fine.

"Tyler? You okay?"

[basic_powers]

"I'm a lil winded." And thirsty, so out comes the non-radioactive water bottle. He's not even bothering to look at whatever it is Ellen just shot. "Too tired to run, but walking is good."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Probably for the best, since what she shot was a cockroach the size of a human baby.

"Okay. We can start walking once... you've..."

If Tyler looks up from his bottle, he'll see Ellen frowning at the display on her Pip-Boy.

"Oh, blast..."