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*whew!* I think I'm on a role, posting these parts so quickly! Same disclaimer applies, yada yada, yada...enjoy!
Aftermath
Part 4
Ella pretended to be asleep as Trill disentangled her from her arms, and placed her on the couch. Confident that the tribal was gone, and that the Deathclaw had finally fallen asleep, she sat up. The house was old, but it had stood the test of time well, and had a comfortable atmosphere.
Ella knew that she had disrupted things with her coming, but she had very few options left. She had escaped from the angry group of men a mere week ago, and already had the body of a toddler, and an even more advanced mind. Something inside her told her that her rapid aging was bad, but she didn’t know why she might know anything like that in the first place. She had heard their thoughts about her. They knew something was strange about her.
Hugging the blanket Trill had given her, she got up quietly, and although she didn’t know how, she made sure that the Deathclaw’s usually alert senses didn’t detect her. Creeping past Goris, she reached up for the doorknob on Marcus’ door and twisted it open. With some effort, she pushed the door open silently, and closed it behind her, being careful not to catch her tail in the hinges.
She walked up to the side of Marcus’ bed and watched him sleep. He was on his back, splayed out luxuriously. The super mutant was snoring slightly, his mouth open.
He was so different from her daddy. He didn’t have the funny hair her daddy had, and he even acted different. Still, it confused her that they looked similar. A voice in her mind tried to tell her that she knew why, but she didn’t know how to listen to it, and quickly it fled her. Marcus’ eyes moved under his lids.
Ella wondered what he was dreaming about. Was he dreaming about Trill? She knew that he loved her, like her daddy had loved her mommy. Before daddy had sent her away, every night he had dreamt about mommy, and woke up very sad. Marcus stirred a bit in his sleep, and turned onto his side, his back facing Ella. His broad back was criss-crossed with various scars, and she wondered what had caused them.
Maybe he was a warrior, like her daddy. Perhaps, she thought, they had known each other, a long time ago. Suddenly, she felt Marcus’ mind gain consciousness and she stiffened. He flipped onto his back and sighed, although he did not think to look over at her.
He couldn’t sleep, and it was because of her. She made him worry, about a lot of things. Ella felt terrible for being the cause of so much trouble. His worried thoughts overwhelmed her and tears brimmed in her eyes. He was afraid that somehow, Ella would cause more trouble for everyone. He was afraid of Ella’s unknown powers. Most of all, he was afraid that his love for Trill might ultimately hurt her.
It was too much for her to bear, and she burst into tears, snapping him from his depressing train of thought.
“Ella?” he asked, alarmed. Sitting up, he saw the small child collapsed against the side of his bed, sobbing. He instinctively reached out to the child, and she responded quickly, latching herself to his bare chest. He noticed her skin was unusually hot against his own. Unsure as to what he was supposed to do in such a situation, he patted her awkwardly on the back, doing his best to comfort her. He was relieved to find that his efforts were not for naught, and she began to calm down.
“What’s wrong, Ella?” he tried. The girl sniffled, and reluctantly pulled away from him, sitting in his lap.
“I’m making you sad,” she said softly, looking up at him with her luminous red eyes. He looked back at her, disturbed. Hadn’t he been pondering her moments ago? How could this frail little waif know so much?
“Well, no you’re not,” he lied, hoping to make her feel better. He failed. Her eyes brimmed with tears again, her lower lip quivering. Marcus cursed his luck. Children were not his specialty.
“Yes I am! You’re afraid Trill will end up like my mommy some day!” she accused, her little tail lashing about furiously. Her words hit home, and Marcus frowned. Now things were getting bizarre. He had been skeptical before, but now he was certain that she could somehow read minds.
“Ella, is there something you aren’t saying about yourself?” Marcus eventually said, trying to grasp what exactly was going on. She hugged herself, making her look ever smaller than usual, and nodded sadly.
“I was born a week ago,” she said abruptly, looking up at him through messy strands of hair.
“What?” Marcus replied, leaning closer to her. He hadn’t believed what he had just heard. This girl looked like a toddler, not a newborn.
“I’m not normal,” she whispered, looking terribly ashamed. His heart broke for her, knowing exactly how she felt, remembering his first conscious hours after the Vats. She looked up at him sharply.
“You weren’t always this way?” she asked suddenly, as she had heard his thoughts, her eyes intensely curious. Startled, Marcus slowly shook his head no. She digested the new information, and nodded to herself.
“Is there anything else, Ella?” he asked her, silently hoping that there was more. Anything to suggest that her existence was a fluke that was unlikely to be repeated. Sadly, Ella looked up at him and nodded again.
“Yes. Mommy…she took Bad Things. Daddy didn’t like it when she did, and she told him she stopped, but she was lying to make him happy,” Ella rubbed her eyes, but continued, “She took the Bad Things even when I was inside her.”
Marcus, although he felt terrible for the tormented child, was inwardly relieved to receive the information.
“Do you think you can help me?” she asked, her innocent, sad eyes begging him to say yes. Even though he really had no idea what to do about her situation, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.
“We’ll do what we can, Ella. We’ll do our best.”
His answer seemed to be enough for her, and she leaned against him, her feverishly hot body somewhat unnatural against his thick skin. She wasn’t sweating; perhaps it was a result of her rapid aging.
“Can I sleep here?” she wondered, snuggling closer to him. Wondering again how he could refuse the child, he muttered a ‘yes’ and placed her next to him, his back to her. She remained there for a few moments, and then climbed over him and wiggled between his arms, pushing her head under his chin.
Smiling in spite of himself, Marcus finally drifted back to sleep, Ella cradled in his arms.
***
Goris was rudely awakened by a knock on the door, a knock that was far to early in the morning for his tastes. Grumbling to himself, a peculiar human trait he had procured, he answered the door.
“You’re up early,” he observed. Trill nodded back, and although she was indeed up early, he had to wonder if she had even slept.
“Yeah,” she replied, letting herself in. Goris closed the door behind her and settled back on the ground, watching her curiously. Suddenly, looking at the couch, he realized that Ella was gone.
“Goris, where did the little girl go?” she asked, voicing his concern.
“I was just wondering that myself,” he answered.
“Has Marcus been up?” Trill asked, motioning to the Sheriff’s door. Goris shrugged.
“Well let’s find out,” she muttered, opening the door to his room. The sight that greeted her broke her grim visage with a broad grin. Marcus lay on his stomach, his arms under his pillow, supporting his head. On his back was Ella, curled up between his shoulder blades, sleeping peacefully.
She watched the scene for a few minutes, savoring it. It was probably the cutest thing she had seen in years. Trill hissed for Goris to come look, and he did, and responded with a similar reaction when he laid eyes on the room.
After awhile, Ella stirred, as if she could feel their eyes on her, and she looked up. Her ruby eyes were still bleary with sleep as she gazed at them.
“Good morning,” Trill said quietly, approaching the bed. Ella smiled weakly at Trill and waved shyly. Her smile broke into a wide yawn. Easing herself carefully on the bed, Trill sat next to the slumbering Marcus and grinned. The usual lines of concern on his face were gone, and his skin was -for the most part- smooth. Unable to resist, she traced a slender finger along his jaw line until his eyes fluttered open. Focusing on Trill, a decidedly pleasant thing to see upon awaking, he smiled.
“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat and stretching slightly.
“Morning, sunshine,” Trill replied, leaning down so she was nose to nose with him. He smirked and yawned, noting that although it wasn’t dark without the room light on, it was by no means light.
“What time is it?” he asked, poking her on the forehead and pushing her face away with one finger, and then rubbing his eyes.
“Early,” she said, playfully snapping at his finger with her teeth. He groaned and turned his face into the pillow. Ella giggled, the first noise she had made since Trill had entered.
“Too early,” said Marcus, his deep voice further muffled by the pillow, making what he had said all but indistinguishable.
Ella pressed her body against Marcus, savoring the feeling of his voice rumbling in his chest…so much like her own daddy.
“Lazy,” said Trill, tugging on one arm, “I thought you were supposed to be a superior being or something.”
“I am, if I get my beauty rest,” Marcus said, turning his face out of the pillow to glare at her. Her face twisted into a mischievous grin.
“Yeah, I guess you’d need quite a bit of that, wouldn’t you?” she retorted.
Marcus quickly twisted the arm she was holding, grabbing her wrist. Trill squawked in protest, and tried to escape.
“Care to repeat that?” he said menacingly. Through all of this, Ella perched precariously on Marcus’ back, a look of amusement on her face. Goris had given up earlier, daring to catch a few more hours of sleep.
Trill pulled to free her hand with all her might, but to no avail, “Oh, I was just kidding, Marcus!”
Instead of answering, he turned to Ella, “You might want to move, kid. Things may get ugly.”
Although he had a straight face, Ella could see the smile in eyes, and she nodded, giggling, and removed herself into the doorway between his room and the bathroom.
Turning back to face Trill, who had a nervous expression on her face, he grinned maliciously. In one fluid motion, he pulled her towards him with a powerful yank, and upon grabbing her midsection, thrust her upwards with one hand, holding her over his head.
Half laughing, half protesting, Trill struggled lamely, making faces at Marcus, who laughed as well.
“I’m not the only one who needs beauty rest,” he remarked at one of her particularly unpleasant faces.
“Your arm is going to get tired.”
“I’ve held up heavier things than you for longer.”
“And how long ago was that?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Marcus said, although he could already feel his arm muscles screaming in protest. He hadn’t had a good workout for some time. Noticing his grimace, she relaxed all her muscles, so all her weight pressed down on his arm. His arm wavered, and thick chords stood out in his arm and neck as he strained to keep her aloft.
“I don’t think it’s been long enough, yet,” Trill teased, tickling the crook of his arm with one finger. His arm twitched and a smile quirked on his face.
“Hey! That’s not fair,” he protested, sitting up a bit.
Trill sniggered, and teased the sensitive skin of his inner arm mercilessly until he could take it no longer, and his arm collapsed. Not expecting him to give out so soon, Trill yelped and fell hard on Marcus, who exhaled sharply in response to her impact.
“Plenty fair!” she said, recovering, trying her best to tickle him. He just watched her, amused at her attempts. Noticing that she was making no progress, she stopped and frowned at him.
“You’re no fun,” Trill observed, crossing her arms over her chest. He merely shrugged his shoulders and smirked.
“Not my fault I have thick hide.”
Trill had turned her attention elsewhere however, and she did not reply. Finding it odd that her merriment had died so quickly, he tried to see what she saw, but didn’t notice anything.
“Ella,” she said tentatively. Marcus realized that at some point during their horseplay, the little girl had gone missing.
“Where did she-“
“Sh! Listen,” Trill said abruptly, holding up her hand to punctuate her point. Quiet gasping could be heard emanating from the bathroom.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Trill muttered, quickly getting up off the bed and heading for the bathroom. Marcus followed suit, and nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.
Ella lay on the bathroom floor, clutching her sides, writhing in agony. Her mouth was wide open; swallowing air as if it were a rare commodity, and her tail was fixed tight around the piping under the sink.
Her whole body was shaking, as though she was having a fit, and sweat streamed off her in rivulets. Both Trill and Marcus stared in disbelief for a moment, and then Trill reacted, going to the sick girls side. She put a hand on her, and drew it back with a yell. Ella was too hot to touch!
“Shit!” cured the Chosen One, cradling her seared hand.
“What?” asked Marcus.
“She’s burning up.”
“When she was in my room last night, she felt warmer than normal, but she wasn’t sweating.”
Goris peeked in, and gasped audibly, “What’s going on?”
“Wish I knew,” Trill said.
Goris made his way over to Ella’s side, and found out for himself how hot the shivering girl was. Acting quickly, he turned the shower on, and twisted the knob to cold. Carefully disentangling her tail from the drainpipe, he moved her body close to the shower, and splashed some of the cool water on her.
“Good thinking, Goris,” Marcus said, heading for the kitchen to grab some ice. Trill watched the girl, wishing she could help her somehow. As Marcus returned with some ice packs, Ella let out a blood curdling shriek, her back arching, and her eyes flying open, pupils mere pinpricks against her red irises.
As the three companions watched in horror, the girl’s body began to deform and then grow, as if she were aging before their eyes. Her body stretched unnaturally, and her limbs quickly compensated for her new proportions. Ella’s rag of an outfit was quickly torn into scraps as her body grew. Strange, pointed ears poked out from under her scraggly hair. Her tail thickened and lengthened. Childlike features melted into semi-adult ones. And she screamed hideously through it all, her tortured cries piercing their hearts.
Finally, it seemed she had stopped growing, and she panted shallowly, her eyes glazed and staring.
“Jesus,” Marcus whispered. Ella now had the body of a teenager. Only moments ago, she could’ve passed as a 6 year old…and now she could pass for 14. No wonder she had looked so malnourished when they had found her…the strange bursts of growth probably burned every ounce of fat on her body.
Goris touched her again, carefully, and found that the temperature of her skin had dropped dramatically. He checked her pulse, and although it was racing, it was steady.
“He is she?” Trill asked, spreading a little cool water on her forehead.
“Alive,” Goris said, shaking his head, “But that’s about all I could tell you.”
“Good enough,” said Trill, “I’ll go see if I can get her something to wear.”
Removing herself from the cramped space, Trill walked quickly to her own home, trying to get Ella’s tormented screams out of her mind. How could anyone experience that kind of pain and live? She herself had nearly given into pain on several occasions, but now she supposed those moments were mere radscorpion stings compared to Ella’s excruciating ordeal.
Meanwhile, Goris and Marcus transferred the comatose Ella to his bed, and watched over her, neither of them speaking until Trill returned with a very long shirt. Carefully, she pulled the worn shirt over Ella’s head and fit it to her.
“There. That’ll keep her decent, at least,” Trill said, pleased with her handiwork.
“Until she grows again,” Goris morbidly observed.
“Unless we can help her, somehow,” Marcus said.
“What about Vault city?” Trill mused, sitting on the edge of the bed, “I know they’re uptight bastards, but they’re really the only people with enough scientific expertise that might be able to figure this out.”
“Question is, would they want to help her? She’s just another mutant to them,” Marcus growled, remembering his rude ejection from the walls of Vault city.
“Not everyone there is an asshole, Marcus.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Trill sighed, and stood, “It’s her only chance.”
With a resigned nod, Marcus agreed, as did Goris.
“No time like the present,” Trill said, heading for the door, “I’ll pull the highwayman around…should we get Lenny?”
“Let him sleep. There isn’t much he could do, anyway.”
“Alright. Let’s leave in about a half hour,” Trill said, her comment bordering on an order, reminding the men of the tight schedule she kept when they had traveled with her. She stood and breezed quickly from Marcus’ abode.
“You heard the lady,” Marcus said with a chuckle, heading for his belongings. Goris nodded, and did the same. By the time Trill had pulled the highwayman around, Marcus and Goris were waiting on the porch, Goris cradling the slumbering Ella in one of his arms.
Trill turned the highway off, and exited, opening the doors for her large companions. Neither of them could get their thick fingers under the door handles of the car, so it was up to her to grant them access. The seats of the highwayman were more like benches than individual captains chairs, and Goris set Ella in between where the driver and a passenger would sit. Making sure Ella was secure, he squeezed in next to her.
Marcus was the last to get in, and with a grumble, he eased his bulk into the, to him, small vehicle. The car groaned in protest, sinking a few inches lower on its chassis as he got in, but slowly recovered. It had carried heavier loads. The inside door handles were not as small as the outside ones, and everyone easily closed their doors.
Trill started the ancient vehicle up again, and they were on their way to Vault City.
***
Thanks to Trill’s rushed driving tactics, and the swift demise of a group of mantis who tried to cross her path, they made it to Vault city by late afternoon. As they rolled up to the outer wall, the guards approached.
“Citizen Trill?” one of them asked. Unused to such a greeting, she eyed them suspiciously.
“Yes?”
“First Citizen Lynette wishes to speak with you,” said the guard. He glanced around the interior of the car, frowning, and added, “You’ll have to come alone.”
Trill nodded, parked the highwayman, and gathered Ella in her arms, “I need to speak wit her as well.”
The guard eyes the bundle, and shrugged. Citizen Trill always had something strange with her. Marcus was the first to exit the vehicle, stretching gratefully. He hated traveling in the highwayman…every bump they hit sent his head into the roof, and his legs were almost tucked under his chin the whole time. Bringing up his weapon in alarm, the guard watched Marcus’ every move. Marcus noticed him, but chose to ignore him. He was used to eliciting that type of reaction in people. Goris, swathed in his cloak, made the guard no less nervous. The bend of his spine and his bulk suggested that he was far from human.
“Say hi to Cassidy for me, will you guys? I think we need to help Ella as soon as possible,” Trill asked her two companions. They nodded, smiling at the thought of the ornery bartender.
Trill quickly headed for the inner gates of Vault City, hoping that they could help the poor girl some sort of treatment. Marcus and Goris watched her go for a moment, and then walked calmly past the spooked guards, giving them nary a glance as they headed for Cassidy’s simply named establishment, The Bar.
The two of them were not an odd sight to the residence of the slums outside of Vault City. They were well recognized as companions of Trill, and although they weren’t welcomed with open arms, nobody made them feel unwelcome.
Heading for the bar where they had last seen Cassidy, both Deathclaw and super mutant wondered how the man was doing. They had all become fast friends after joining with Trill many months ago, and were eager to see him again.
Goris reached the door first, and pushed it open. A familiar, musty odor wafted out of the old bar, smelling of beer and sweat. Sitting behind the bar was Cassidy, in a heated argument with someone.
“Get the hell out of my bar, ass wipe!” the enraged Cassidy yelled, his face red. He pointed to the door. The man being subjected to his rage quailed and headed for the door, not wanting to see what the angry bartender was capable of. On his way out, he bumped into Marcus.
“Watch were you’re going,” Marcus said sharply as the man looked up. Paling, the man practically ran away towards some of the hovels that were nearby, howling about terrible monsters being after him.
Shaking his head, the super mutant entered the bar and closed the door behind him. Cassidy laughed heartily and approached his old companions.
“Well I’ll be damned! Look what the wastes threw up,” Cassidy said cordially, slapping Goris on the back and grabbing Marcus’ hand.
“Nice to see you too, Cassidy,” replied Marcus, giving Cassidy’s hand a firm shake. Cassidy folded his arms over his chest and regarded them.
“So where’s the little hellion, eh? I don’t imagine you two would come here on your own.”
Goris and Marcus shared a look, and then turned back to human.
“It’s a long story,” Goris said, a small smile forming on his strange face.
“Well come in back, and you can tell me all about it,” Cassidy said, locking the door behind him. It had, as always, been a slow day, and he had just chased out the last patron. The three of them sat around a table in back, surrounded by barrels of various alcoholic substances. He grabbed three mugs, and approached one of the barrels, filling them up with foamy beer. Cassidy slammed the mugs on the table and took a seat.
“So. What have you been up too?”
***
Trill entered the inner section of Vault city, heading immediately for the back, where Lynette’s office was. She ignored the usual greetings given to her by the other ‘Citizens’, and did her best not to notice the servant/slaves that kept the grounds.
Ella stirred slightly in her arms, and Trill held her tightly, making sure that the blanket she was swathed in didn’t fall away. The less people that knew about her, the better. Breaking into a jog, Trill quickly reached the Council Building and knocked impatiently on the First Citizens door.
Lynette’s face quickly appeared, a slightly irate expression her face. When she saw Trill it melted into an incredibly saccharine smile, and the tribal was instantly on alert. The conniving First Citizen was far from trustworthy in her eyes.
“Ah, Citizen Trill! Do come in,” Lynette said politely, holding the door for Trill. The slight woman eyed the strange bundle Trill held suspiciously, but said nothing.
“Something you wanted, Lynette?” Trill said tersely, wanting to get whatever the snide bitch had in mind out of the way, so she could bring up Ella.
Lynette closed the door and turned to Trill, a slightly more serious look on her face.
“We may have a slight problem, and you may be the only one to handle it,” the First Citizen said grimly. Her eyes darted towards the bundle again, but she still remained silent.
“And what’s that?”
“One of those super monsters may be terrorizing women in courtyard,” she said, disgust dripping from her voice. Trill stiffened slightly as she said the words.
“Oh?” she managed to say, her mind racing. Marcus had filled her in on the other things Ella had said the night before in the car.
“A regular to the courtyard has recently been reported missing after being seen with a super mutant. I had my men track it down, and deal with it, but the woman has yet to be found. Now if these things are trying to invade my city, I want a stop put to it! Will you help me?”
The situation was now settled in Trill’s mind.
“No,” Trill said, inwardly seething at Lynette’s arrogant speech. Lynette gaped at her in surprise.
“There’s no reason to worry, Lynette. Nothing is invading your city.”
“How do you know?” asked the stunned First Citizen. Trill pulled back the blanket that had been concealing Ella, and Lynette gasped. Ella, apparently awake through much of Lynette’s speech, had a strange glint in her eyes. Anger?
“This child is a testament to your ‘situation’…the only survivor.”
“You killed my daddy,” Ella whispered softly, barely audible.
“What is that thing?” Lynette said, pulling away from Ella. Wiggling out of Trill’s grasp, Ella shakily stood on her own.
As Trill heatedly explained Ella’s background, the girl herself felt a strange feeling well up inside her. She was furious. Ella could feel Lynette’s hatred and fear for anything that was unlike her, and it disgusted her. Lynette didn’t care that her daddy and mommy were dead…she only cared about keeping her city ‘pure’. Ella felt Trill’s rising anger towards the woman, and wondered why she didn’t act on it.
“I don’t care how she came to be…she’s obviously an abomination!” Lynette said, backing away from Ella. The girl’s strange red eyes bored into her, and kept her from looking away. Trill’s eyes flashed dangerously, her hands clenching and unclenching.
“She needs medical care, Lynette,” Trill managed, trying to suppress her growing rage. Dealing with Lynette was one of her least favorite things to do, and now she was beginning to remember why.
“You killed my daddy,” Ella said again, louder. Lynette tried to reach for the door, or call for the guards, but found that she was now fixed to the spot. Trill looked at Ella in alarm, her anger fading slightly.
“Ella, what are you doing?” she asked. The girl’s anger was almost tangible, and radiated from her with unholy heat. Trill tried to go to her, but found that she was also unable to move.
Ella did not answer, and instead narrowed her eyes at the object of her hatred. Another strange feeling welled up inside her, this one terribly uncomfortable, like black oil on her soul. Eager to be rid of it, she pushed the feeling onto Lynette, who gasped and clutched at her chest. Ella could suddenly sense Lynette’s live functions. Her heartbeat. Her breathing. The horrible black oil, a representation of her dark desires, milled around inside the woman, waiting for Ella to command it.
“Ella, stop!” Trill called, trying to get through to the girl. Watching the girl’s unbridled hatred slowly unleash, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her own similar behavior in Navarro…and how much she regretted it.
Giving in to her aggression, Ella commanded the black substance to attack Lynette’s heart. Eagerly, it obeyed, and Lynette clutched her chest as pain stabbed her heart.
First, Lynette felt as though she had gotten the wind knocked out of her, and she tried to inhale. She couldn’t. Pain lanced through her chest, as though someone was squeezing her heart in a spiked vice. Panicking, the First Citizen tried to move for the door, and though this time she could move, she merely fell to her knees, gasping for air with her unresponsive lungs.
“No!” Trill shouted desperately. How could she stop this girl? She had no special powers to speak of, and even if she had, she doubted they would match Ella’s. Then she had an idea. Reluctantly, she dredged up her memories of Navarro, willing Ella to pick up on them.
Ella’s gleeful attack on Lynette’s life hesitated as strong emotion emanated from Trill. Pain…she felt so much pain! Thinking her friend might be in trouble, Ella whirled, but saw that Trill was physically fine. Making eye contact with the tribal, Ella inhaled sharply as awful memories assaulted her.
Seemingly transported back in time by Trill’s vivid memory, Ella felt as though she would be sick. She was surrounded by death. Blood seemed to drip from everything. Everyone was dead…except one person. Standing in the midst of the carnage was a figure in power armor, clutching a wicked looking gun. Stim-paks lay scattered at the person’s feet, and they too were drenched in blood. They slowly took of their helmet, and looked at Ella with sad eyes. The figure was Trill.
Terrified by the awful vision, Ella forced it away from her mind, making Trill stagger backwards a step with the force.
“Don’t kill her,” Trill said softly, holding her head, looking at Ella, a haunted expression in her eyes. Ella seemed torn for a few moments, and she made a small, helpless noise. Suddenly, Lynette inhaled sharply, and then began to breath heavily, her lungs once again obeying her.
Ella flinched as the oily feelings came back to her, but she was ready for it this time, and quickly quelled it. She felt very tired, and sat down on the floor. Trill approached Lynette, and helped the fearful woman to her feet.
“Now do you understand?” Trill said in Lynette’s ear, “If we don’t find a way to help her, she could lose control completely.”
Lynette looked at the girl for a few minutes, catching her breath. Could such a frail being be responsible for so much anguish? Finally, the First Citizen nodded.
“Take her to the Vault. I’ll call ahead and let the know you’re coming.”
Trill merely nodded, and went to collect Ella. Waving her away, Ella stood on her own, leaning on a chair, “I can walk.”
“Alright, Ella, let’s go get you some help, OK?”
Ella nodded, holding Trill’s hand tightly as they approached the Vault.
**
Goris regarded the scene before him with amusement. Alcohol had no effect on him, and since he wasn’t terribly fond of it anyway, his mug had been left untouched. However, Marcus and Cassidy were a different story altogether. Between the two of them, they had drained at least 3 barrels of beer, and were, as Cassidy had aptly put it earlier, ‘Blind, stinkin’ drunk!’.
“I don’ think you unnerssssand wha I’m sayin’” Cassidy slurred, pointing accusingly at Marcus, who was drinking yet another mug. The super mutant knocked the rest of the boose back and slammed the mug on the table.
“YessI do!” retorted the super mutant, licking his lips, “An yer crazzzy! Brahmin don’t talk!”
“You stupid ass,” growled Cassidy, “I heard em jussee other day!”
Marcus snickered and filled up another mug for himself, even though he could no longer actually taste the amber liquid. Offended by Marcus’ disbelief, Cassidy made a face at him and stuck out his tongue.
“Haw haw!” Marcus guffawed, nearly falling from his chair in merriment, “Only lil’ girlsh make faces.”
Instantly, Cassidy’s face reverted to a scowl, and he sullenly took a swig of his drink, “Do not.”
Marcus laughed boisterously, and slapped Cassidy hard on the back, not remembering to rein his natural strength. Nearly choking on his drink, Cassidy swore loudly and thwapped the Sheriff’s hand away.
“What’re you trying t’do? Kill me?” accused Cassidy. Marcus grinned some more, and dumped his drink over Cassidy’s head.
“Settle down old timer!” chuckled the inebriated mutant, filling up his mug yet again. Goris could hardly contain his merriment, and put a hand over his mouth.
“Old? You’re th’old one, Big Ugly!” snickered Cassidy, hardly noticing that he was covered in beer. It was Marcus’ turn to scowl, and he downed his current mug in one gulp, belching loudly afterwards.
“Shaddup, Casss’dy! Least I c’n still get chicks.”
“Ha!” Cassidy sneered contemptuously, “Since when?”
“Since now!”
“Prove it!”
“Can’t now,” grinned Marcus, “Got t’wait ‘til Trill gesss back.”
Cassidy blinked and tried to focus on Marcus, but failed.
“Wha?”
“S’true,” Marcus said, much bravado in his voice, “Jus’ ask Goris.”
Cassidy turned to the Deathclaw, and gave him an overly serious look, “Is’he shittin me?”
Unable to speak without laughing, Goris merely shook his head. He couldn’t wait to relate this particular gathering to Trill.
“Well, Goddamn!” Cassidy said, looking utterly flabbergasted. He was so amazed, that he didn’t take a drink for at least another 5 minutes, watching Marcus gloat.
The two ranted drunkenly into the night, until Cassidy collapsed, far to disoriented to remain conscious. The effects of the alcohol eventually shorted out Marcus’ metabolism as well, and he snored loudly, drooling on the table he had passed out on. Goris closed the door to the back room behind him, laughing to himself. They would regret their behavior in the morning, that was for sure.
He took a seat at one of the tables, and wondered how Trill and Ella were doing. The girl had entranced Goris the moment he had found her. She was living proof that super mutants could propagate, adding credibility to the Master’s theory. Had the Vault Dweller not destroyed him, the insane creatures plan might’ve actually work, although Goris had to wonder whether or not it would be for the better. The only thing that troubled him was her strange abilities. Were they the result of genetic evolution, or the drugs her mother had ingested?
Goris pondered the enigma that was Ella well into the night, hoping the new day would bring answers.
To Be Continued!
Wahoo! Maybe I'll take a break for awhile, so my keyboard doesn't explode from all this typing, hehe!
-Slinky Avenger
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Aftermath
Part 4
Ella pretended to be asleep as Trill disentangled her from her arms, and placed her on the couch. Confident that the tribal was gone, and that the Deathclaw had finally fallen asleep, she sat up. The house was old, but it had stood the test of time well, and had a comfortable atmosphere.
Ella knew that she had disrupted things with her coming, but she had very few options left. She had escaped from the angry group of men a mere week ago, and already had the body of a toddler, and an even more advanced mind. Something inside her told her that her rapid aging was bad, but she didn’t know why she might know anything like that in the first place. She had heard their thoughts about her. They knew something was strange about her.
Hugging the blanket Trill had given her, she got up quietly, and although she didn’t know how, she made sure that the Deathclaw’s usually alert senses didn’t detect her. Creeping past Goris, she reached up for the doorknob on Marcus’ door and twisted it open. With some effort, she pushed the door open silently, and closed it behind her, being careful not to catch her tail in the hinges.
She walked up to the side of Marcus’ bed and watched him sleep. He was on his back, splayed out luxuriously. The super mutant was snoring slightly, his mouth open.
He was so different from her daddy. He didn’t have the funny hair her daddy had, and he even acted different. Still, it confused her that they looked similar. A voice in her mind tried to tell her that she knew why, but she didn’t know how to listen to it, and quickly it fled her. Marcus’ eyes moved under his lids.
Ella wondered what he was dreaming about. Was he dreaming about Trill? She knew that he loved her, like her daddy had loved her mommy. Before daddy had sent her away, every night he had dreamt about mommy, and woke up very sad. Marcus stirred a bit in his sleep, and turned onto his side, his back facing Ella. His broad back was criss-crossed with various scars, and she wondered what had caused them.
Maybe he was a warrior, like her daddy. Perhaps, she thought, they had known each other, a long time ago. Suddenly, she felt Marcus’ mind gain consciousness and she stiffened. He flipped onto his back and sighed, although he did not think to look over at her.
He couldn’t sleep, and it was because of her. She made him worry, about a lot of things. Ella felt terrible for being the cause of so much trouble. His worried thoughts overwhelmed her and tears brimmed in her eyes. He was afraid that somehow, Ella would cause more trouble for everyone. He was afraid of Ella’s unknown powers. Most of all, he was afraid that his love for Trill might ultimately hurt her.
It was too much for her to bear, and she burst into tears, snapping him from his depressing train of thought.
“Ella?” he asked, alarmed. Sitting up, he saw the small child collapsed against the side of his bed, sobbing. He instinctively reached out to the child, and she responded quickly, latching herself to his bare chest. He noticed her skin was unusually hot against his own. Unsure as to what he was supposed to do in such a situation, he patted her awkwardly on the back, doing his best to comfort her. He was relieved to find that his efforts were not for naught, and she began to calm down.
“What’s wrong, Ella?” he tried. The girl sniffled, and reluctantly pulled away from him, sitting in his lap.
“I’m making you sad,” she said softly, looking up at him with her luminous red eyes. He looked back at her, disturbed. Hadn’t he been pondering her moments ago? How could this frail little waif know so much?
“Well, no you’re not,” he lied, hoping to make her feel better. He failed. Her eyes brimmed with tears again, her lower lip quivering. Marcus cursed his luck. Children were not his specialty.
“Yes I am! You’re afraid Trill will end up like my mommy some day!” she accused, her little tail lashing about furiously. Her words hit home, and Marcus frowned. Now things were getting bizarre. He had been skeptical before, but now he was certain that she could somehow read minds.
“Ella, is there something you aren’t saying about yourself?” Marcus eventually said, trying to grasp what exactly was going on. She hugged herself, making her look ever smaller than usual, and nodded sadly.
“I was born a week ago,” she said abruptly, looking up at him through messy strands of hair.
“What?” Marcus replied, leaning closer to her. He hadn’t believed what he had just heard. This girl looked like a toddler, not a newborn.
“I’m not normal,” she whispered, looking terribly ashamed. His heart broke for her, knowing exactly how she felt, remembering his first conscious hours after the Vats. She looked up at him sharply.
“You weren’t always this way?” she asked suddenly, as she had heard his thoughts, her eyes intensely curious. Startled, Marcus slowly shook his head no. She digested the new information, and nodded to herself.
“Is there anything else, Ella?” he asked her, silently hoping that there was more. Anything to suggest that her existence was a fluke that was unlikely to be repeated. Sadly, Ella looked up at him and nodded again.
“Yes. Mommy…she took Bad Things. Daddy didn’t like it when she did, and she told him she stopped, but she was lying to make him happy,” Ella rubbed her eyes, but continued, “She took the Bad Things even when I was inside her.”
Marcus, although he felt terrible for the tormented child, was inwardly relieved to receive the information.
“Do you think you can help me?” she asked, her innocent, sad eyes begging him to say yes. Even though he really had no idea what to do about her situation, he couldn’t bring himself to say no.
“We’ll do what we can, Ella. We’ll do our best.”
His answer seemed to be enough for her, and she leaned against him, her feverishly hot body somewhat unnatural against his thick skin. She wasn’t sweating; perhaps it was a result of her rapid aging.
“Can I sleep here?” she wondered, snuggling closer to him. Wondering again how he could refuse the child, he muttered a ‘yes’ and placed her next to him, his back to her. She remained there for a few moments, and then climbed over him and wiggled between his arms, pushing her head under his chin.
Smiling in spite of himself, Marcus finally drifted back to sleep, Ella cradled in his arms.
***
Goris was rudely awakened by a knock on the door, a knock that was far to early in the morning for his tastes. Grumbling to himself, a peculiar human trait he had procured, he answered the door.
“You’re up early,” he observed. Trill nodded back, and although she was indeed up early, he had to wonder if she had even slept.
“Yeah,” she replied, letting herself in. Goris closed the door behind her and settled back on the ground, watching her curiously. Suddenly, looking at the couch, he realized that Ella was gone.
“Goris, where did the little girl go?” she asked, voicing his concern.
“I was just wondering that myself,” he answered.
“Has Marcus been up?” Trill asked, motioning to the Sheriff’s door. Goris shrugged.
“Well let’s find out,” she muttered, opening the door to his room. The sight that greeted her broke her grim visage with a broad grin. Marcus lay on his stomach, his arms under his pillow, supporting his head. On his back was Ella, curled up between his shoulder blades, sleeping peacefully.
She watched the scene for a few minutes, savoring it. It was probably the cutest thing she had seen in years. Trill hissed for Goris to come look, and he did, and responded with a similar reaction when he laid eyes on the room.
After awhile, Ella stirred, as if she could feel their eyes on her, and she looked up. Her ruby eyes were still bleary with sleep as she gazed at them.
“Good morning,” Trill said quietly, approaching the bed. Ella smiled weakly at Trill and waved shyly. Her smile broke into a wide yawn. Easing herself carefully on the bed, Trill sat next to the slumbering Marcus and grinned. The usual lines of concern on his face were gone, and his skin was -for the most part- smooth. Unable to resist, she traced a slender finger along his jaw line until his eyes fluttered open. Focusing on Trill, a decidedly pleasant thing to see upon awaking, he smiled.
“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat and stretching slightly.
“Morning, sunshine,” Trill replied, leaning down so she was nose to nose with him. He smirked and yawned, noting that although it wasn’t dark without the room light on, it was by no means light.
“What time is it?” he asked, poking her on the forehead and pushing her face away with one finger, and then rubbing his eyes.
“Early,” she said, playfully snapping at his finger with her teeth. He groaned and turned his face into the pillow. Ella giggled, the first noise she had made since Trill had entered.
“Too early,” said Marcus, his deep voice further muffled by the pillow, making what he had said all but indistinguishable.
Ella pressed her body against Marcus, savoring the feeling of his voice rumbling in his chest…so much like her own daddy.
“Lazy,” said Trill, tugging on one arm, “I thought you were supposed to be a superior being or something.”
“I am, if I get my beauty rest,” Marcus said, turning his face out of the pillow to glare at her. Her face twisted into a mischievous grin.
“Yeah, I guess you’d need quite a bit of that, wouldn’t you?” she retorted.
Marcus quickly twisted the arm she was holding, grabbing her wrist. Trill squawked in protest, and tried to escape.
“Care to repeat that?” he said menacingly. Through all of this, Ella perched precariously on Marcus’ back, a look of amusement on her face. Goris had given up earlier, daring to catch a few more hours of sleep.
Trill pulled to free her hand with all her might, but to no avail, “Oh, I was just kidding, Marcus!”
Instead of answering, he turned to Ella, “You might want to move, kid. Things may get ugly.”
Although he had a straight face, Ella could see the smile in eyes, and she nodded, giggling, and removed herself into the doorway between his room and the bathroom.
Turning back to face Trill, who had a nervous expression on her face, he grinned maliciously. In one fluid motion, he pulled her towards him with a powerful yank, and upon grabbing her midsection, thrust her upwards with one hand, holding her over his head.
Half laughing, half protesting, Trill struggled lamely, making faces at Marcus, who laughed as well.
“I’m not the only one who needs beauty rest,” he remarked at one of her particularly unpleasant faces.
“Your arm is going to get tired.”
“I’ve held up heavier things than you for longer.”
“And how long ago was that?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Marcus said, although he could already feel his arm muscles screaming in protest. He hadn’t had a good workout for some time. Noticing his grimace, she relaxed all her muscles, so all her weight pressed down on his arm. His arm wavered, and thick chords stood out in his arm and neck as he strained to keep her aloft.
“I don’t think it’s been long enough, yet,” Trill teased, tickling the crook of his arm with one finger. His arm twitched and a smile quirked on his face.
“Hey! That’s not fair,” he protested, sitting up a bit.
Trill sniggered, and teased the sensitive skin of his inner arm mercilessly until he could take it no longer, and his arm collapsed. Not expecting him to give out so soon, Trill yelped and fell hard on Marcus, who exhaled sharply in response to her impact.
“Plenty fair!” she said, recovering, trying her best to tickle him. He just watched her, amused at her attempts. Noticing that she was making no progress, she stopped and frowned at him.
“You’re no fun,” Trill observed, crossing her arms over her chest. He merely shrugged his shoulders and smirked.
“Not my fault I have thick hide.”
Trill had turned her attention elsewhere however, and she did not reply. Finding it odd that her merriment had died so quickly, he tried to see what she saw, but didn’t notice anything.
“Ella,” she said tentatively. Marcus realized that at some point during their horseplay, the little girl had gone missing.
“Where did she-“
“Sh! Listen,” Trill said abruptly, holding up her hand to punctuate her point. Quiet gasping could be heard emanating from the bathroom.
“That doesn’t sound good,” Trill muttered, quickly getting up off the bed and heading for the bathroom. Marcus followed suit, and nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.
Ella lay on the bathroom floor, clutching her sides, writhing in agony. Her mouth was wide open; swallowing air as if it were a rare commodity, and her tail was fixed tight around the piping under the sink.
Her whole body was shaking, as though she was having a fit, and sweat streamed off her in rivulets. Both Trill and Marcus stared in disbelief for a moment, and then Trill reacted, going to the sick girls side. She put a hand on her, and drew it back with a yell. Ella was too hot to touch!
“Shit!” cured the Chosen One, cradling her seared hand.
“What?” asked Marcus.
“She’s burning up.”
“When she was in my room last night, she felt warmer than normal, but she wasn’t sweating.”
Goris peeked in, and gasped audibly, “What’s going on?”
“Wish I knew,” Trill said.
Goris made his way over to Ella’s side, and found out for himself how hot the shivering girl was. Acting quickly, he turned the shower on, and twisted the knob to cold. Carefully disentangling her tail from the drainpipe, he moved her body close to the shower, and splashed some of the cool water on her.
“Good thinking, Goris,” Marcus said, heading for the kitchen to grab some ice. Trill watched the girl, wishing she could help her somehow. As Marcus returned with some ice packs, Ella let out a blood curdling shriek, her back arching, and her eyes flying open, pupils mere pinpricks against her red irises.
As the three companions watched in horror, the girl’s body began to deform and then grow, as if she were aging before their eyes. Her body stretched unnaturally, and her limbs quickly compensated for her new proportions. Ella’s rag of an outfit was quickly torn into scraps as her body grew. Strange, pointed ears poked out from under her scraggly hair. Her tail thickened and lengthened. Childlike features melted into semi-adult ones. And she screamed hideously through it all, her tortured cries piercing their hearts.
Finally, it seemed she had stopped growing, and she panted shallowly, her eyes glazed and staring.
“Jesus,” Marcus whispered. Ella now had the body of a teenager. Only moments ago, she could’ve passed as a 6 year old…and now she could pass for 14. No wonder she had looked so malnourished when they had found her…the strange bursts of growth probably burned every ounce of fat on her body.
Goris touched her again, carefully, and found that the temperature of her skin had dropped dramatically. He checked her pulse, and although it was racing, it was steady.
“He is she?” Trill asked, spreading a little cool water on her forehead.
“Alive,” Goris said, shaking his head, “But that’s about all I could tell you.”
“Good enough,” said Trill, “I’ll go see if I can get her something to wear.”
Removing herself from the cramped space, Trill walked quickly to her own home, trying to get Ella’s tormented screams out of her mind. How could anyone experience that kind of pain and live? She herself had nearly given into pain on several occasions, but now she supposed those moments were mere radscorpion stings compared to Ella’s excruciating ordeal.
Meanwhile, Goris and Marcus transferred the comatose Ella to his bed, and watched over her, neither of them speaking until Trill returned with a very long shirt. Carefully, she pulled the worn shirt over Ella’s head and fit it to her.
“There. That’ll keep her decent, at least,” Trill said, pleased with her handiwork.
“Until she grows again,” Goris morbidly observed.
“Unless we can help her, somehow,” Marcus said.
“What about Vault city?” Trill mused, sitting on the edge of the bed, “I know they’re uptight bastards, but they’re really the only people with enough scientific expertise that might be able to figure this out.”
“Question is, would they want to help her? She’s just another mutant to them,” Marcus growled, remembering his rude ejection from the walls of Vault city.
“Not everyone there is an asshole, Marcus.”
“Could’ve fooled me.”
Trill sighed, and stood, “It’s her only chance.”
With a resigned nod, Marcus agreed, as did Goris.
“No time like the present,” Trill said, heading for the door, “I’ll pull the highwayman around…should we get Lenny?”
“Let him sleep. There isn’t much he could do, anyway.”
“Alright. Let’s leave in about a half hour,” Trill said, her comment bordering on an order, reminding the men of the tight schedule she kept when they had traveled with her. She stood and breezed quickly from Marcus’ abode.
“You heard the lady,” Marcus said with a chuckle, heading for his belongings. Goris nodded, and did the same. By the time Trill had pulled the highwayman around, Marcus and Goris were waiting on the porch, Goris cradling the slumbering Ella in one of his arms.
Trill turned the highway off, and exited, opening the doors for her large companions. Neither of them could get their thick fingers under the door handles of the car, so it was up to her to grant them access. The seats of the highwayman were more like benches than individual captains chairs, and Goris set Ella in between where the driver and a passenger would sit. Making sure Ella was secure, he squeezed in next to her.
Marcus was the last to get in, and with a grumble, he eased his bulk into the, to him, small vehicle. The car groaned in protest, sinking a few inches lower on its chassis as he got in, but slowly recovered. It had carried heavier loads. The inside door handles were not as small as the outside ones, and everyone easily closed their doors.
Trill started the ancient vehicle up again, and they were on their way to Vault City.
***
Thanks to Trill’s rushed driving tactics, and the swift demise of a group of mantis who tried to cross her path, they made it to Vault city by late afternoon. As they rolled up to the outer wall, the guards approached.
“Citizen Trill?” one of them asked. Unused to such a greeting, she eyed them suspiciously.
“Yes?”
“First Citizen Lynette wishes to speak with you,” said the guard. He glanced around the interior of the car, frowning, and added, “You’ll have to come alone.”
Trill nodded, parked the highwayman, and gathered Ella in her arms, “I need to speak wit her as well.”
The guard eyes the bundle, and shrugged. Citizen Trill always had something strange with her. Marcus was the first to exit the vehicle, stretching gratefully. He hated traveling in the highwayman…every bump they hit sent his head into the roof, and his legs were almost tucked under his chin the whole time. Bringing up his weapon in alarm, the guard watched Marcus’ every move. Marcus noticed him, but chose to ignore him. He was used to eliciting that type of reaction in people. Goris, swathed in his cloak, made the guard no less nervous. The bend of his spine and his bulk suggested that he was far from human.
“Say hi to Cassidy for me, will you guys? I think we need to help Ella as soon as possible,” Trill asked her two companions. They nodded, smiling at the thought of the ornery bartender.
Trill quickly headed for the inner gates of Vault City, hoping that they could help the poor girl some sort of treatment. Marcus and Goris watched her go for a moment, and then walked calmly past the spooked guards, giving them nary a glance as they headed for Cassidy’s simply named establishment, The Bar.
The two of them were not an odd sight to the residence of the slums outside of Vault City. They were well recognized as companions of Trill, and although they weren’t welcomed with open arms, nobody made them feel unwelcome.
Heading for the bar where they had last seen Cassidy, both Deathclaw and super mutant wondered how the man was doing. They had all become fast friends after joining with Trill many months ago, and were eager to see him again.
Goris reached the door first, and pushed it open. A familiar, musty odor wafted out of the old bar, smelling of beer and sweat. Sitting behind the bar was Cassidy, in a heated argument with someone.
“Get the hell out of my bar, ass wipe!” the enraged Cassidy yelled, his face red. He pointed to the door. The man being subjected to his rage quailed and headed for the door, not wanting to see what the angry bartender was capable of. On his way out, he bumped into Marcus.
“Watch were you’re going,” Marcus said sharply as the man looked up. Paling, the man practically ran away towards some of the hovels that were nearby, howling about terrible monsters being after him.
Shaking his head, the super mutant entered the bar and closed the door behind him. Cassidy laughed heartily and approached his old companions.
“Well I’ll be damned! Look what the wastes threw up,” Cassidy said cordially, slapping Goris on the back and grabbing Marcus’ hand.
“Nice to see you too, Cassidy,” replied Marcus, giving Cassidy’s hand a firm shake. Cassidy folded his arms over his chest and regarded them.
“So where’s the little hellion, eh? I don’t imagine you two would come here on your own.”
Goris and Marcus shared a look, and then turned back to human.
“It’s a long story,” Goris said, a small smile forming on his strange face.
“Well come in back, and you can tell me all about it,” Cassidy said, locking the door behind him. It had, as always, been a slow day, and he had just chased out the last patron. The three of them sat around a table in back, surrounded by barrels of various alcoholic substances. He grabbed three mugs, and approached one of the barrels, filling them up with foamy beer. Cassidy slammed the mugs on the table and took a seat.
“So. What have you been up too?”
***
Trill entered the inner section of Vault city, heading immediately for the back, where Lynette’s office was. She ignored the usual greetings given to her by the other ‘Citizens’, and did her best not to notice the servant/slaves that kept the grounds.
Ella stirred slightly in her arms, and Trill held her tightly, making sure that the blanket she was swathed in didn’t fall away. The less people that knew about her, the better. Breaking into a jog, Trill quickly reached the Council Building and knocked impatiently on the First Citizens door.
Lynette’s face quickly appeared, a slightly irate expression her face. When she saw Trill it melted into an incredibly saccharine smile, and the tribal was instantly on alert. The conniving First Citizen was far from trustworthy in her eyes.
“Ah, Citizen Trill! Do come in,” Lynette said politely, holding the door for Trill. The slight woman eyed the strange bundle Trill held suspiciously, but said nothing.
“Something you wanted, Lynette?” Trill said tersely, wanting to get whatever the snide bitch had in mind out of the way, so she could bring up Ella.
Lynette closed the door and turned to Trill, a slightly more serious look on her face.
“We may have a slight problem, and you may be the only one to handle it,” the First Citizen said grimly. Her eyes darted towards the bundle again, but she still remained silent.
“And what’s that?”
“One of those super monsters may be terrorizing women in courtyard,” she said, disgust dripping from her voice. Trill stiffened slightly as she said the words.
“Oh?” she managed to say, her mind racing. Marcus had filled her in on the other things Ella had said the night before in the car.
“A regular to the courtyard has recently been reported missing after being seen with a super mutant. I had my men track it down, and deal with it, but the woman has yet to be found. Now if these things are trying to invade my city, I want a stop put to it! Will you help me?”
The situation was now settled in Trill’s mind.
“No,” Trill said, inwardly seething at Lynette’s arrogant speech. Lynette gaped at her in surprise.
“There’s no reason to worry, Lynette. Nothing is invading your city.”
“How do you know?” asked the stunned First Citizen. Trill pulled back the blanket that had been concealing Ella, and Lynette gasped. Ella, apparently awake through much of Lynette’s speech, had a strange glint in her eyes. Anger?
“This child is a testament to your ‘situation’…the only survivor.”
“You killed my daddy,” Ella whispered softly, barely audible.
“What is that thing?” Lynette said, pulling away from Ella. Wiggling out of Trill’s grasp, Ella shakily stood on her own.
As Trill heatedly explained Ella’s background, the girl herself felt a strange feeling well up inside her. She was furious. Ella could feel Lynette’s hatred and fear for anything that was unlike her, and it disgusted her. Lynette didn’t care that her daddy and mommy were dead…she only cared about keeping her city ‘pure’. Ella felt Trill’s rising anger towards the woman, and wondered why she didn’t act on it.
“I don’t care how she came to be…she’s obviously an abomination!” Lynette said, backing away from Ella. The girl’s strange red eyes bored into her, and kept her from looking away. Trill’s eyes flashed dangerously, her hands clenching and unclenching.
“She needs medical care, Lynette,” Trill managed, trying to suppress her growing rage. Dealing with Lynette was one of her least favorite things to do, and now she was beginning to remember why.
“You killed my daddy,” Ella said again, louder. Lynette tried to reach for the door, or call for the guards, but found that she was now fixed to the spot. Trill looked at Ella in alarm, her anger fading slightly.
“Ella, what are you doing?” she asked. The girl’s anger was almost tangible, and radiated from her with unholy heat. Trill tried to go to her, but found that she was also unable to move.
Ella did not answer, and instead narrowed her eyes at the object of her hatred. Another strange feeling welled up inside her, this one terribly uncomfortable, like black oil on her soul. Eager to be rid of it, she pushed the feeling onto Lynette, who gasped and clutched at her chest. Ella could suddenly sense Lynette’s live functions. Her heartbeat. Her breathing. The horrible black oil, a representation of her dark desires, milled around inside the woman, waiting for Ella to command it.
“Ella, stop!” Trill called, trying to get through to the girl. Watching the girl’s unbridled hatred slowly unleash, she couldn’t help but be reminded of her own similar behavior in Navarro…and how much she regretted it.
Giving in to her aggression, Ella commanded the black substance to attack Lynette’s heart. Eagerly, it obeyed, and Lynette clutched her chest as pain stabbed her heart.
First, Lynette felt as though she had gotten the wind knocked out of her, and she tried to inhale. She couldn’t. Pain lanced through her chest, as though someone was squeezing her heart in a spiked vice. Panicking, the First Citizen tried to move for the door, and though this time she could move, she merely fell to her knees, gasping for air with her unresponsive lungs.
“No!” Trill shouted desperately. How could she stop this girl? She had no special powers to speak of, and even if she had, she doubted they would match Ella’s. Then she had an idea. Reluctantly, she dredged up her memories of Navarro, willing Ella to pick up on them.
Ella’s gleeful attack on Lynette’s life hesitated as strong emotion emanated from Trill. Pain…she felt so much pain! Thinking her friend might be in trouble, Ella whirled, but saw that Trill was physically fine. Making eye contact with the tribal, Ella inhaled sharply as awful memories assaulted her.
Seemingly transported back in time by Trill’s vivid memory, Ella felt as though she would be sick. She was surrounded by death. Blood seemed to drip from everything. Everyone was dead…except one person. Standing in the midst of the carnage was a figure in power armor, clutching a wicked looking gun. Stim-paks lay scattered at the person’s feet, and they too were drenched in blood. They slowly took of their helmet, and looked at Ella with sad eyes. The figure was Trill.
Terrified by the awful vision, Ella forced it away from her mind, making Trill stagger backwards a step with the force.
“Don’t kill her,” Trill said softly, holding her head, looking at Ella, a haunted expression in her eyes. Ella seemed torn for a few moments, and she made a small, helpless noise. Suddenly, Lynette inhaled sharply, and then began to breath heavily, her lungs once again obeying her.
Ella flinched as the oily feelings came back to her, but she was ready for it this time, and quickly quelled it. She felt very tired, and sat down on the floor. Trill approached Lynette, and helped the fearful woman to her feet.
“Now do you understand?” Trill said in Lynette’s ear, “If we don’t find a way to help her, she could lose control completely.”
Lynette looked at the girl for a few minutes, catching her breath. Could such a frail being be responsible for so much anguish? Finally, the First Citizen nodded.
“Take her to the Vault. I’ll call ahead and let the know you’re coming.”
Trill merely nodded, and went to collect Ella. Waving her away, Ella stood on her own, leaning on a chair, “I can walk.”
“Alright, Ella, let’s go get you some help, OK?”
Ella nodded, holding Trill’s hand tightly as they approached the Vault.
**
Goris regarded the scene before him with amusement. Alcohol had no effect on him, and since he wasn’t terribly fond of it anyway, his mug had been left untouched. However, Marcus and Cassidy were a different story altogether. Between the two of them, they had drained at least 3 barrels of beer, and were, as Cassidy had aptly put it earlier, ‘Blind, stinkin’ drunk!’.
“I don’ think you unnerssssand wha I’m sayin’” Cassidy slurred, pointing accusingly at Marcus, who was drinking yet another mug. The super mutant knocked the rest of the boose back and slammed the mug on the table.
“YessI do!” retorted the super mutant, licking his lips, “An yer crazzzy! Brahmin don’t talk!”
“You stupid ass,” growled Cassidy, “I heard em jussee other day!”
Marcus snickered and filled up another mug for himself, even though he could no longer actually taste the amber liquid. Offended by Marcus’ disbelief, Cassidy made a face at him and stuck out his tongue.
“Haw haw!” Marcus guffawed, nearly falling from his chair in merriment, “Only lil’ girlsh make faces.”
Instantly, Cassidy’s face reverted to a scowl, and he sullenly took a swig of his drink, “Do not.”
Marcus laughed boisterously, and slapped Cassidy hard on the back, not remembering to rein his natural strength. Nearly choking on his drink, Cassidy swore loudly and thwapped the Sheriff’s hand away.
“What’re you trying t’do? Kill me?” accused Cassidy. Marcus grinned some more, and dumped his drink over Cassidy’s head.
“Settle down old timer!” chuckled the inebriated mutant, filling up his mug yet again. Goris could hardly contain his merriment, and put a hand over his mouth.
“Old? You’re th’old one, Big Ugly!” snickered Cassidy, hardly noticing that he was covered in beer. It was Marcus’ turn to scowl, and he downed his current mug in one gulp, belching loudly afterwards.
“Shaddup, Casss’dy! Least I c’n still get chicks.”
“Ha!” Cassidy sneered contemptuously, “Since when?”
“Since now!”
“Prove it!”
“Can’t now,” grinned Marcus, “Got t’wait ‘til Trill gesss back.”
Cassidy blinked and tried to focus on Marcus, but failed.
“Wha?”
“S’true,” Marcus said, much bravado in his voice, “Jus’ ask Goris.”
Cassidy turned to the Deathclaw, and gave him an overly serious look, “Is’he shittin me?”
Unable to speak without laughing, Goris merely shook his head. He couldn’t wait to relate this particular gathering to Trill.
“Well, Goddamn!” Cassidy said, looking utterly flabbergasted. He was so amazed, that he didn’t take a drink for at least another 5 minutes, watching Marcus gloat.
The two ranted drunkenly into the night, until Cassidy collapsed, far to disoriented to remain conscious. The effects of the alcohol eventually shorted out Marcus’ metabolism as well, and he snored loudly, drooling on the table he had passed out on. Goris closed the door to the back room behind him, laughing to himself. They would regret their behavior in the morning, that was for sure.
He took a seat at one of the tables, and wondered how Trill and Ella were doing. The girl had entranced Goris the moment he had found her. She was living proof that super mutants could propagate, adding credibility to the Master’s theory. Had the Vault Dweller not destroyed him, the insane creatures plan might’ve actually work, although Goris had to wonder whether or not it would be for the better. The only thing that troubled him was her strange abilities. Were they the result of genetic evolution, or the drugs her mother had ingested?
Goris pondered the enigma that was Ella well into the night, hoping the new day would bring answers.
To Be Continued!
Wahoo! Maybe I'll take a break for awhile, so my keyboard doesn't explode from all this typing, hehe!
-Slinky Avenger
SlinkyAvenger@yahoo.com
ICQ#: 42929444
AOL IM: SlinkyAvgr
