ICC- SUA, I hope you don't mind but I am going to trade Dwemer's knife for your brass knuckles.
Also a word of advice. Most of us like to do some fighting, so don't end a fight too fast. Let the rest of us have a little chance to kick ass.
OCC-
Melvin had watched as Dwemer reached reluctantly for one of the 10 mms though still uncertain about whether to trust Caribe. Dwemer was alright, but a bit foolish as white folks tended to get. Melvin knew that Dwemer believed that Caribe was honest, and he liked what he saw in the man. But Melvin had played enough poker to realize that you couldn't trust a man by his words or his look. It was only when you learned his moves and his actions that you learned who a man was. Perhaps Dwemer had played a bit of poker as well, and perhaps it was Melvin that was seeing color and Dwemer who was really color blind.
Caribe had seen the hesitation, and had held a hand up. "Give me the gun when you feel you can trust me, alright."
And then Rob had started firing. Before Inne could finishing saying, "What the fuck...." Rob had been plucking off shots from behind a dune.
"There's people down there and they look like they're in trouble." Rob had responded.
Inne had take a position nearby and had sighted down. "Two people. Look pretty bad."
Then they had rushed down. Melvin had felt for his .357 and wished he had a bigger gun. Them bugs were big motherfuckers.
The man wasn't much to look up. Seemed he'd gotten his ass kicked. But the woman, shee-it. He'd seen Pock-a-huntress with some of the other brothers down in the vault. The Overseered didn't know the brothers kept porno flicks and probably wouldn't have approved, but fuck that old white fool. Just looking at Sam made Melvin think about that flick. At the first stirrings of sexual interest Melvin, turned away, least the anaconda of love give away his interest. Better take care of that elsewhere.
"Melvis? Where are you going." Asked Sam.
He was about to say, my name is Melvin, but shit, Melvis or Melvin? He didn't care if she called him, "you- low-life-piece-of-shit-nigga" if he got a litte uncivilized Punanni. SO instead he said, his back turned, "Call me Melvin baby. All the girls do. I'm going to check out and see if any of them motherfuckin bugs want to mess with some black power, baby. If they do, you be sure, Melvin going to treat them to the pain."
So Melvin walked away, down the hill. The fact that the bugs had been coming from another direction, had moved in panic, was a dim thought. Melvin was thinking about easing the pain in his crotch. He mumbled to himself, "fucking blue vault suits made for a woman, shit."
He looked over his back. Inne seemed already tired with pleasantries and was on the lookout, which made it all the more difficult for him. So he continued to walk away.
---------------
Back with the others, Dwemer was looking at Rob. The woman Sam seemed to know Caribe and they were talking, and Dwemer was feeling like his earlier discussion had already been forgotten.
To Rich, Dwemer said. "Hey I got some antiseptic in my kit. Let me have a look. I got some first aid training, so don't worry."
Opening one of the small bags of powder, he spread it on the wound. Knowing it was better to talk about other things, he said, "Hey, like your brass knuckles."
"Thanks, but honestly, I'm not that good with them." Said Richard.
"Want to trade? I got a fighting knife, but I prefer fighting with my fists." Said Dwemer.
"Sure." Said Rich, passing over the brass knuckles for Dwemer's shiny new blade. Even to an inexperienced eye, the blade was virtually new and the edge razor sharp and undamaged. A sucka born every minute.
"So what happened to the leg?" Asked Dwemer.
But before Rich could answer, Inne called out. "Hey Brute, what the fuck is your friend doing?"
"What happened?"
"That dumbass just went down a dry creek bed, and damn if I can see him down there." Said Inne.
"I'll check." Said Dwemer. Then to Rich, "I'll be right back."
________
If Melvin had been looking for a private place to ease the stress in his loins, his discovery of a secluded spot gave him little in the way of comfort.
The dry creek bed was a shady spot and deep, and he had slid down into the bottom, not thinking of the possibility of rad scorpions. Still eager to assure himself of privacy, he had followed the creek further until he saw a boot.
A big damn boot.
Like for Kareem Abdul Jabar's foot, except bigger.
Melvin's heart began to beat faster. He patted his .357 in the holster, then took a tighter grip on the spear. He pushed the boot over with the tip of the spear.
Sure enough, there was a foot in the boot. And it smelled, like spoiled raw meat. Who ever had owned it had died a while ago.
Still, that must have been one big motherfucka. By the look of the foot, it looked like it might have gotten bitten off, or clawed off. Maybe them big fucking bugs......
Then he heard a rattling, not like a rattle snake but something else. Down in the dry creek, Melvin suddently felt very vulnerable.
______________
Dwemer came over the bank of the dry creek expecting to find Melvin doing something silly, and had the words, "What the fuck are you doing?" in his mouth.
But he only got out the words "What the fuck..." when the words dissolved in his mouth.
Melvin was shuffling back up the creek bed, his spear extended, warding off three large rad scorpions. One, then the other would lunge with their tails, so Melvin was constantly ducking and dodging the stingers. If there was an advantage, it was that the rad scorpions seemed to be concentrating more on the point of the spear than the man holding it.
Melvin lunged, his spear hitting the head of one of the rad scorpions, near the eye. But the armor of the rad scorpion's shell was strong enough to deflect the spear thrust.
"Don't just stand there. I already half blinded one of these bastards." Said Melvin.
Brute saw that one of the Rad scorpions was half blinded, a bloody hole where the eye unit should be.
Brute went for this one. The brass knuckles came down like hammer, powered by Brute's awesome strength. The power of hit cracked through the head of the rad scorpion, into the body, and out the other end. The beast began thrashing wildly, the stinger flying back and forth, whiping down to sting at the arm that had crushed the creatures head. But Brute was faster. The other arm grabbed at the stinger and stopped it. Then using his foot against the creatures body he heaved back on the stinger, breaking it off at the joint. Then again, using his foot for leverage against the body, he withdrew his bloody hand.
Damn good brass knuckles, thought Brute.
Melvin was still holding of the two other rad scorpions. "'Bout time you showed up."
"What the fuck were you doing here." Said Brute, getting behind one of the other Radscorpions.
"Shit man, I came to jerk off. That Indian momma gives me a hard on."
Dwemer grabbed the stinger of the second rad scorpion and twisted it around. This one was stronger, but Dwemer was faster. Again using his strength, he twisted the tail around, flipping the body of the beast on his back. Placing one foot on the upturned body, he twisted the tail back, breaking it off.
But the scorpion squirmed away, and though mortally wounded it was able to turn around and face Brute with it's claws. Two quick hits to the head by Brute and the creature fell stunned. A third cracked it's shell and the creature was dead.
The last of the rad scorpions had gotten it's claw around Melvin's spear, held it then pulled back, almost jerking Melvin to the ground. The creature pulled the spear to it's mouth and began chewing the steal tip.
"Still my spear. Fuck you ho." Said Melvin, who removed his .357 and shot the creature through it's head.
The rad scorpions dead, the men took a moment to relax and let the adrenaline rush subside. Melvin reclaimed his spear, and then smiled at Dwemer.
"You shouldn't have left like that." Said Dwemer.
"Hey man, it ain't easy living with this package and the skill I've patiently acquired to learn how to use it. They don't call it the weapon of mass destruction for nothin." Said Melvin.
"You ok?" Asked Dwemer.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Look man, I'm sorry for coming down on you like I was some member of the Panthas and you were just some dumbass honky motherfucka. AIn't like that."
"Yeah, I know. Still.."
"Look man, I know what's the score. And just for nothin, that boy Caribe is N-W-A, Nigga With Attitude. But I think them fucking bugs got a dead body. I saw this boot, shit, like I ain't seen before and I've seen some niggas with some big fucking feet."
"A boot?"
"Ain't never seen a boot like that, and the foot. Shit, that's a boy who could dominate a court. That is if them fucking bugs hadn't ate him." Said Melvin. "It's over...."
But before he could finish, the rattling began again. More rad scorpions.
Both men quickly retreated out of the creek bed as the sound got louder. "You think we found the nest?" Asked Dwemer.
