aaaaaaaagh_sky | Grayditch

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The scene that presents itself to the people arriving from Milliways is one of devastation old and new. The shattered, weathered remains of what had once been a city street spill out to either side, and half-standing, half-slumping outer walls are all that remain of most of the buildings. There are no people here, no animals, no life to be seen...

Well, no. That's not necessarily true. Here and there, fires burn merrily, and the occasional scratching scuttling sound can be heard on the sullen August winds that wind through the empty streets.

"This is it," Ellen says. "Welcome to Grayditch."

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From:

aaaaaaaagh_sky

Ellen nods and murmurs a few other things into the headset, then turns back to Hellboy. "Bryan's right this way," she says, and turns back towards the other end of the alley. "He, um, might think you're some kind of a mutant. We don't have a lot of large red people here."

From:

bprd_agent_red

Taking the first few steps backwards Red keeps an eye on the ants before turning around to walk with Ellen.

"Eh, that's all right. Not many like me back home, either."

As long as Bryan gets over the staring reaction real quick and doesn't do anything stupid they'll be fine.

Of course, Red could always wait outside or something but that idea isn't going to come from him and if Ellen is suggesting it she'll have to be very clear. Hellboy doesn't really do subtle.

From:

aaaaaaaagh_sky

"You're better off than the ghouls, at least," Ellen notes as they make their way out of the alley. "Gob says they mostly look like raw Brahmin meat, even though they're walking around on two legs like every other human."

It hasn't really occurred to Ellen to make the suggestion, if it comes right down to it. Between Hellboy, and Lorne, and some of the other people she's met at Milliways, she's half-forgotten that other people haven't had the chance to meet strange-looking people in a controlled environment and take the edge off the encounter. And anyway, the Pulowski Preservation Shelter she mentioned? Basically looks like a tall round phone booth designed to hold, tops, two people for about three hours. Everywhere is waiting outside, really.

She raps on the steel outer wall and calls out, "Bryan? You can open the door now..."

The door slides open to reveal a small child with dirty blond hair and woefully oversized overalls. As he rubs his nose on the back of his forearm he says, "Did you find my Dad?"... and then his eyes get really, really wide.

From:

bprd_agent_red

"Sounds kinda like this thing I ran into in a slaughter house once," He comments.

The structure gets a curious look over and when it opens he looks down at the child.

"Hey, kid. Name's Red."

He offers a small smile and glances at Ellen, figuring it's better for her to deliver the news.

From:

aaaaaaaagh_sky

"Well, I mean they're people- it's just that they didn't die of advanced radiation poisoning and they're still walking around anyway," Ellen says. "They look kind of like old zombie movies, only for real. Gob is one of them. He's a bartender in Megaton."

Bryan gulps at Red's words and looks to Ellen silently. "It's okay," Ellen says. "He's a person, not a monster. He's not going to eat you."

"Okay," Bryan says in a small voice. Then, a little louder, he says, "Did you find my dad?"

Ellen winces, and nods slowly. "I'm sorry," she says. "The ants got him."

Bryan wraps his arms around himself and looks down at the ground the way small boys often do when they're trying not to look as if they're about to cry.

From:

bprd_agent_red

Red's thoughts to all of that is to wonder if the guy makes a good drink.

Looking at the kid trying not to cry Hellboy's features soften.

"I'm sorry, Bryan."

From:

aaaaaaaagh_sky

"It's okay," Bryan says, and rubs at his nose with the back of his hand again. "I guess I thought he'd be hiding somewhere."

"Do you have any other family, Bryan?" Ellen says, glancing at Hellboy. It's not as if she wants to leave the kid here alone, after all. "Anyone else who can take care of you?"

"I have a cousin, sort of," Bryan says. "Her name's Vera Weatherly. Dad said she lived on this big, old ship, somewhere down the river."

Ellen blinks at that. "I didn't think there were any ships any more."

"Dad said it didn't go anywhere," says Bryan. "He said it was called Rivet City."

From:

bprd_agent_red

He doesn't want to leave the boy here alone, either.

"Can we get him there?" Or at least to somewhere better than this.

They still have the ants to deal with, of course, side missions happen and they can deal.

From:

aaaaaaaagh_sky

"I don't even know where it is," Ellen says helplessly. "The traders go there, but nobody ever told me how to find it... I think we need to call everyone together."

So she touches her headset, and does so.