Voodoo - Serendipity

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Philly is, as post-apocalyptic metropoli go, a well-maintained and well-patrolled city. This is not a difficult standard to reach, however, and it tends to fall art in the face of overwhelming wildlife.

Hippos are pretty damn overwhelming. And they've apparently been sighted all over the southern roads out of the city heading towards DC.

One of the older market folks, a gray-haired woman with a face like badly preserved leather, has indicated that the easiest way to avoid the hippos is to head north into the city a ways and make for the northeast part of town. There's apparently a southbound road that swings around the worst of the hippo area and doesn't cost too much travel time by comparison.

Comments

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The two armored figures have the look of people accustomed to search missions; they're sweeping their end of the street and the nearby buildings with equal measures of efficiency and caution. About halfway down what used to be their current block one of them stops and holds up a fist, then points towards the building where Voodoo and company are waiting. The other looks, shifts its grip on its gun, and calls out, "Hail. Who goes there?"

[boston_bruiser]

And Voodoo, in turn, grips his carbine by the foregrip and raises it one-handed above his head. No need to make these guys nervous.

"Just some people heading for D.C. Got pointed down this road."

He lets his arm down, the weapon hanging loosely at his side.

"Where's the rest of your unit?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The armored soldiers glance at each other before turning back to Voodoo. "You're a long way from the Capital, friend," says the one who spoke before. "Our unit's camped not far away. We were patrolling and heard the plasma fire. This part of town's heavy with robots."

[boston_bruiser]

There's a couple of ways to make Voodoo look at you like you're an asshole. Playing Captain Obvious is one of them.

As flat as can be:

"Y'don't say."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"More than just the one," notes the other soldier, equally flatly. "We're within a hair's breadth of the old General Atomics plant. The locals consider the place a reliable method of suicide. Unfortunately, we were sent from the Citadel to scout the grounds."

[boston_bruiser]

A half-shrug. "Bummer, pal."

He shifts his hand to the pistol grip, letting the carbine hang as his other hand rests on his hip.

"Lookin' for Paladin 101. She still stationed out of the Citadel?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Not just at the moment," says the one on the left, with a trace more humor to his staticky voice than before. "But we may be able to get a message through regardless. Can I ask what it is you want with her?"

[boston_bruiser]

"I'm one of her mole-people. Got locked outta the mole-people locker. Hoping she can set things right."

As a pre-emptive measure against Looks from Josepha, Hector, Al, and Kate:

"Long story. Half'a it's a joke. Don't mind it."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

The armored figures glance at each other a moment, even as the Looks are cut off at the knees. Eventually the one on the left says, "If you'll come with us back to camp, I believe we can get your message straight to her without trouble. And you'll run less risk of another robot attack."

[boston_bruiser]

"Lead the-"

It's the phrasing that makes him double-take.

"-the fuck? She's here?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"This is a scouting mission sent to sound out the General Atomics International ruins and determine their fitness or lack thereof for a full reclamation operation," says the one on the right. "At Elder Lyons' request, Senior Paladin Tristan put his most successful advance scout in command."

"So, yes. She's here."

[boston_bruiser]

"-well fuck a duck."

It's an unexpected surprise, but certainly not an unpleasant one - once they've got this Philly business wrapped up (because he's already here, so why not help kill stuff?), they don't have to make their way all the way down to the Citadel to get his situation unfucked.

He waves them on. "H'kay. Make like Earthlings and take me to your leader."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"This way," says the one on the left, and gestures. "It's not far."

As the group starts moving, Josepha makes her way up to just behind Voodoo. "You know these guys?" she murmurs.

[boston_bruiser]

"These guys? No. The Brotherhood? I do favors for 'em from time to time. Nothin' too fancy."

He glances over his shoulder.

"That a problem?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"No, no problem," says Josepha. "It's just- they're a little intimidating. I've never seen power armor in action before."

[boston_bruiser]

"First time for everything. Can't say I'd ever use a suit myself, but there you go."

A beat, then to the knights:

"Those things have load-bearing servos in 'em, right? So you ain't throwing your back out with every step."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I would have a harder time carrying a forty-pound sack of mutfruit," says one of the Knights. "And this isn't even the good armor. The servos in T-51b suits leave you as agile as if you were wearing your everyday fatigues."

"Not to mention some of the things the Order of the Shield has in development," says the other one. "But that's... not for outside concern."

"And we're almost at camp, anyway," adds the first. "Ahead, there. In the old Red Rocket station."

Red Rocket used to be an East Coast chain of refueling stations; one couldn't call them gas stations, as they were aimed squarely at the surging number of atomic car drivers. Their buildings tended to be rather more solid and sturdy than Poseidon Energy's gas stations, and often included a separate garage for getting damaged vehicles well out of the way. This one is no exception; unlike most of the other former businesses in this area, there's a light winking from the windows of the second floor of said garage.

[boston_bruiser]

-well. If it's a sniper, they're probably friendly.

In the "won't shoot you on sight" sense, anyway.

Nevertheless, he raises a hand in greeting as they approach.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

You could say that. There's a long moment in which no one so much as moves.

And then from the second floor window, there's a disbelieving call of, "Voodoo?"

[boston_bruiser]

"Yuuuup."

He shrugs - what else is there to say?

"Long story, and I think you can guess 'bout half of it."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

There's a muttering noise from above. Then Ellen says, "Bring him up here. I'm not coming down."

"There's more than just-"

"Bring them all up here, I'm fine with that."

[boston_bruiser]

It's about as easily said as done. The Red Rocket isn't terribly spacious, what with all the usual postwar debris and detritus, but it isn't terribly cramped, either. As Voodoo reaches the top of the stairs behind the knights, whatever greeting he was about to give dies in his throat as he catches sight of Painless's necklace.

It and Painless both get long, long looks.

Voodoo looks to Ellen and points at Parker.

"Local?"

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"Our guide," says Ellen.

"Dentist," says Painless, just a touch aggrieved. "This is advertising."

"What he said," says Ellen, and smiles. "Hi, Voodoo. Should I even ask how you wound up here?"

[boston_bruiser]

Painless's tone rubs Voodoo just a touch the wrong way, and he turns to look him dead in the eye. "When I'm talkin' to you, pal? You'll know it."

Then, turning back to Ellen:

"Door malfunction. Started north of Niagara Falls. Was hoping you could help me out after this factory thing gets squared away."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

"I was going to go look for help with the recon anyway," admits Ellen, as Painless slinks off to go fume in a side office somewhere. "The General Atomics grounds have fairly intact walls and a really disturbing number of active robots still running security. It's going to be rough to get in far enough to determine whether the building's worth trying to reclaim or whether it's just robots defending a useless corpse."