Ch.1: Dread, And A Little Bit Of Nowhere
“Oof.” The man quietly stated, hunching forward as the landing on the ground made him lose a little balance. He stopped for a bit, before relaxing his body and looking to see the environment in front of him. A thick and giant swamp, and at the end of it, was a small town. He could also make up a silhouette of a lighthouse.
He sighed, realizing where he was. “Maryland, Point Lookout.” He blurted. He relaxed his seating position, and settled the minigun he clutched. He placed his arm atop of his left knee, while his right leg was placed on the dirt. He used his right arm to act as a stand for his body.
Boy, even though the sky was green as shit, fog is covering the area, and it smells like old people’s ass, sometimes.. you’d enjoy the evil view of the wasteland.
“AAAHHH!!”
The shriek resounded the nearby area. Immediately, the man flinched and turned where the noise came from. He sighed in annoyance, he started to get up and grabbed his things. He clutched his minigun by the side and sprinted to where the call of fear was.
“AAH!” The woman shrieked once more, as she was crawling on the ground, trying to escape her attacker. She leaned herself on the door she was trying to lockpick, judging from the bobby pin beside her. The kid beside her grabbed the nearby pipe on the ground and swung it towards the attacker. The mother watched the entire thing and shrieked a, “NO!” before the attacker swung it’s right arm towards the kid. The kid, sprawled on the ground, cried in pain while it looked towards it’s monster.
A Synth. The so-called ‘Boogeyman of The Commonwealth’. It wore a destroyed field helmet, exposing half of his face. He had a right arm armor and left leg armor. It’s left arm was nowhere to found, detached or chopped away by something else. It gripped it’s Institute pistol on the right, when it aimed it’s arm towards the child. The mother lurched forward and tried to stand but it was no use, she was tired and hurt. She was raped and was abused, she was barely lucky when a mysterious man saved her and the other slaves from the raiders.
But now, her luck was up. As her child was about to be killed in front of her, and she can’t do anything about it.
“TOMMY! NO!!”
BANG!
A heavy gunshot came from behind. When the kid opened his eyes, he wasn’t dead, yet. The Synth couldn’t say the same. A hole appeared behind his head, sparks spitting out. The Synth started waddling and spazzing, turning around to find it’s attacker.
A man, wearing a black duster with a grey riot vest visible behind said duster. Armor connected around some parts of the duster, armored fingerless gloves came part with his hands, and grey combat trousers, being supported by small patches of armor with thick brown boots. It was an Advanced Riot Gear that was coated in the color of black. It’s helmet looked very menacing, an Advanced Riot Helmet complimenting his attire. It’s visors were enabled, crimson red emanating out from it’s eyes.
He was aiming a Ranger Sequoia towards the android while his right hand was gripping his minigun. He could make out a Ka-Bar on his hip, and a pocket holding out something, probably a grenade or something. It also had a duffel bag strapped on his back, filled with stuff probably important for him.
His pistol smoked, the man continued to advance towards the Synth while aiming the pistol at him. “Attacker incoming.” The Synth voiced. The android quickly raised his pistol towards it’s attacker, then pulled the trigger. Shooting out scattered blue beams of laser that managed to hit a portion of him. After unloading a cell on him, the man hadn’t flinched nor showed any signs of pain. His armor was slightly scorched from the heated beam.
“No excuses.” The Synth stated. The two were closing in on each other as the android tried attacking first, by swinging it’s arm towards the man. Who easily caught the metal arm with ease using his left. He holstered his pistol while grappling the arm still, the Synth tried to force in it’s arm harder, but it was basically stuck. The man quickly headbutted the android, staggering it. It seemed to be in a daze, his HUD going wacko. “Enemy movement; rapid.” The man grappled his head, covering the Synth’s sights. He shook it a bit, before gripping it deeper, as a small sound of crunching had resounded, before the sound escalated. “Must, need, calibration..” The Synth’s head was visibly getting crushed. Some parts spewing out of it’s head while sparks escalated. After moments, the Synth silenced, the man releases his iron grip on the android as the thing fell to the ground, dead.
The mother witnessed the entire thing, she was gasping and gesturing to his son to run towards her. But the child merely saw her, as he was busy watching the fight. After seeing the last move done on the Synth, the kid ran to his mom. Who clutched him tightly as she watched the man, who saved them, walk towards her. Still feeling fear around the area.
The man came closer, and closer. Where the two then embraced each other tightly as the other spoke out, “Please! Don’t hurt us!”
But no harm came, as the man picked up the bobby pin and easily unlocked the door behind them. He pushed the door open and gestured to the two, that were watching him, to get inside fast. The two quickly complied, as they both got up to their feet and opened the lights to the dark room they were in. The mother was about to close the door, when the man reached out an Institute pistol and a few fusion cells. “Th-thank you, sir.” She reluctantly grabbed the weapon and ammo, before closing the door and asking the man one last thing. “T-t-te-tell me sir,” She stammered. “Wh-what’s your name?”
Silence filled the two, which after 10 seconds, the man responded. “Michael. Call me Michael.”
The woman nodded, then gently closed the door in front of Michael. Who the started to walk away and continue to get to his destination.
“My God..” Michael groaned, as he took upon sight of the shack in front of him. “If this is my destination, I am so pissed.” He mumbled, before walking up the small hill and up the porch, where he dropped the minigun gently on the side of the door frame.
The entire interior lays in shambles. Splinters crowding the floor, a bunch of broken bed frames—that’s right. BED FRAMES. Not at least a matress. Then the vines and snall mushrooms filling the empty corners. Man, this was truly a shithole.
“Well hey, at least they provided me a trunk.” He walked towards the container, where as he started to open it.
When a fucking clock of a gun was heard behind him.
He stopped dead in his tracks, and slowly turned towards the source. Four synths, three blocking the doorway, and one just behind him pointing the laser pistol at his head. All of them looking ruined and slightly armored. He chuckled slightly, taking in a breath then stood up to his feet. This looked easy.
The Synth behind him was still in guard, never letting go of the laser pistol on his head. He wondered a bit, was this a trap?
He studied their forms. All aiming towards him. They better have a reason to put a barrel on his head. If not, his Sequoia would really have a good time right now. He started to talk, “Okay okay, I won’t shoot.”
“Target identified.” The one blocking his minigun spoke in a low pitch. “Frost, Michael. Authorization to shoot..?”
What? Who’s it talking to?
The last time he heard of the Institute was back at Virginia. A news article stating that the Institute was blown to hell, both Synths and scientists managed to get evacuated. So why is their objective to get rid of Michael?
“Who’s your commanding leader?” He asked. No android responded, just glared at them with their lifeless eyes. He mentally sighed. “I’m tired of this bullshit.”
He subdued the Synth behind him and immediately grabbed his Sequoia. The other androids reacted by shooting at him almost after they saw their counterpart get smacked. Michael felt the heat behind his armor, slightly grunting. He grabbed the Synths that forced a gun on him, using it for a shield. The Synths stupidly shot at their attacker only to keep hitting the Synth used as a shield. Michael raised his right hand, where he gripped his firearm. He shot one bullet at the Synth without a helmet. Collapsing to the floor destroyed.
They continued to shoot.
He shot another bullet to the robot beside the one he shot. Falling to the wooden floor too. Then he loaded the last one on the chest with his remaining rounds, falling out of the shack and to the ground outside. He placed the barrel on the one he used for a shield, pulling the trigger as the bullet met the robot’s cranium. Destroying it’s systems and ulitmately itself.
He dropped his grip on the one he held, the body falling to the floor. He felt burns on his back, but right now it didn’t matter too much. He cursed under his breath, then walked up to his minigun. “How the hell did they find me..?” He asked, only to realize he talked to nobody. He grabbed his minigun, before checking something inside the trunk he was supposed to check.
He settled his bag and heavy weapon, he lifted up the trunk’s lid, just to see junk and a distress pulser. Seemingly online. And beeping in a low volume. “Shit. That crackhead must’ve lead me to a trap.” He told himself, before shutting the container closed and grabbing his stuff.
He turned to the door, only to see a pair of Synths jog near the vicinity. Oddly, the android on the right was gripping a Gatling Laser, to which he reacted by immediately cursing and throwing himself on the ground beside him. Using the shack’s wall for cover. The Synth reacted a bit late, as Michael dove to cover, the robot unloaded a barrage of lasers towards where he is. Michael sat up on the wall and grabbed his Sequoia, unloading the remaining rounds and reloaded a new set of special ammunition. He flicked his firearm closed, as he slowly crept to peek if the Synth was done.
He saw a bit and unloaded hollow point bullets to the Synth reloading his—it’s Gatling Laser. The robot died once the lead hit major parts of it’s systems. Michael aimed to the one beside it, and got a chance to study it’s gear. After shooting the last round onto his enemy, he saw the thing wearing special black Synth gear. Probably the leading force of the unit. But the weird thing about it is that it wielded a large weapon on his back.
It looked to resemble a Tesla Cannon, but much more mechanical and complex. Instead of seeing a blue glow, it emanated a pink hue.
And the Synth hunked it from his back with no struggle.
Then aimed it towards Michael.
“Oh shit!” He slurred, before ducking to cover and reloading his Sequoia. He expected the cannon to just blast the shock beam and hit the shack, doing nothing but collateral damage.
Turns out he was very wrong.
The Synth loaded not an electron pack into the cannon, rather a fusion core coated in a color red instead of yellow. The robot raised the weapon on ready. And without hesitation, it idiotically fired onto the shack. “No witnesses.” It beeped.
The beam shot purple onto the ceiling, and started to form a small purple orb. It didn't seem to disappear in seconds, but instead it hummed weird sounds and started to enlarge. Michael noticed this and reacted in a state of panic. “OH FUCK!”
He immediately ran for the next window and prepared to jump out of it. But as he’s about to leap out the building, the orb grew in a COLOSSAL size. Engulfing him and the Synth who fired the weapon. In Michael’s eyes, he reacted a bit rather late when he saw a sphere appear out of nowhere. But the next second, he saw everything flick away.
The orb expanded it’s large sphere, before completely exploding into nothingness. Leaving a large crater, buzzing with Gamma electricity.
As Michael saw the world flick away for a small frame, it’s vibrance suddenly changed. It was really blue and he could’ve sworn he was above the clouds and a mountain.
“Wait, WHAT?!”
Immediately as soon as he reacted, gravity started doing it’s job by pulling down the shack that floated in the sky and to the surface down. The laws of gravity towards Michael’s perspective, everything started to float. “OH FUCK!!” He felt the shock and fear well up in him. He heard the wind gather up in his ear. He started to flip onto the air, seeing everything inside the shack float as well. The Synth’s dead bodies moved along the floating situation. The ruined furniture and pieces of the ruined shack went about around Michael. He started to flail around, desperately trying to find something to grab onto.
“Shit, SHIT!” He yelled in a very terrified voice. “God, why are you being an ass right now?!”
He tried to orient himself, with little luck, he saw how high he was falling. He just got a glimpse that he was just about to collide with a cloud.
“Oh fuck.” His heart deadbeats, realizing his death would come sooner than he had hoped.
Yeah.. luck wasn’t present in the slightest.
He saw the building pass through a cloud, before heavily hitting something across it’s side. As soon as the shack collided with the unknown force, everything suddenly slammed onto the floor. Michael’s body hit the wooden surface like whiplash. “GAHHH!” He heavily grunted in pain, not always used to heavy and quick collision.
He started to float again for a small bit, before falling in a slanted direction, as he saw from his visors.
He feels the strongest of fears, when he saw how close he was to plummet into the ground.
And the next second was nothing but blackness.
Cough!
Gag, cough!
Michael suddenly inhaled a large portion of air, feeling pain in his lungs all of a sudden. He started hyperventilating, struggling to catch oxygen. His large pain on his chest was like gonna kill him. His senses and reasoning were gone, and logic in his mind seemed to have short-circuit. He started gripping and slamming his right fist onto the surface. Trying desperately to stop the everlasting agony. He still saw blurs, realizing his vision was gonna take a while to recalibrate. He tried lifting his left arm, only to resist against his will. “GAH! HUUUP!”
He inhaled another large amount of unneeded oxygen. He felt numb and heavy pain on his left arm, realizing it’s a bit useless to use right now. His vision cleared a bit, his senses were slowly regaining and so was his intellect. He didn’t have control over his legs, and saw his left leg having uncontrollable spasms. He felt the agonizing pain on his chest go a bit further, not allowing him to breath for a few seconds.
Michael seemed to have gotten his noggin’ in check, as he thought of the Stimpaks stocked into his duster. His right hand fumbled inside his coat, struggling to find the syringe. He felt the leather belt, and immediately grabbed it as soon as it made contact. He didn’t have enough time to undress or latch the belt, so he tried to find the weak spot of his armor, but his lack of breathing never helped.
He positioned the syringe on the borders where the plates of his armor meet, and forcefully stabbed the Super Stimpak on his chest. His sight blurred again, but felt the painful part in his chest numb. He managed to breathe again, slowly catching his breath and exhaled the unnecessary ones. After giving himself a moment, his lung was back to minimum functionality. But his ribs were in a bit of a snag, nevertheless his torso was good for now.
He grabbed another Super Stimpak, and injected it into his left arm. His sight blurred again, but let out a moan of pleasure as his left arm starts to work. After taking off the Stimpak, he lifted his left arm. To which he failed to do so. He bit his lip at the pain, now realizing his left would take a while to work itself.
He reviewed what he had, Sequoia on his holster. A plasma grenade and a Nuka-grenade. His attire seemed to be almost fucked. Judging from cracks and the integrity of his armor. His helmet was lucky that it was intact. He looked around to find some of his stuff, but not his bag nor minigun were to be seen. He cursed again, to God or something else.
He sat up. Then let out a tiny gasp. “Wh.. what the fuck..” He mumbled. Taking in his environment, he just remembered that he fell from the sky. He shuddered a bit, remembering that scary moment. Now he’s looking at the shack, completely demolished and merged into the ground. He tried standing, but had difficulty doing so. He used his right arm to get up, his legs weren’t very cooperative, especially his left. Now he stood, gripping his left arm to avoid damaging it further. He staggered while walking, trying to find the way out.
“Boy oh boy, now I regret not taking that Power Armor from Delivery Man.” He joked to himself, trying to enlighten his mood for a bit. He went through a hole on the wall, and saw that he was surrounded by trees. Thick trees. “Holy God.. this doesn’t look like Maryland.”
He continued to waddle, reviewing his situation again. He saw bits and pieces of the building, the trunk became one with the ground. And—
“My bag..!” Michael walked to his duffel bag, he knelt beside it. There was a hole torn into the bag. “Crap.” He opened the zipper, most of his stuff was intact. Well his radio wasn’t looking good. He grabbed his canteen, a bit of a dent slapped on it’s side but nothing too dramatic. “Ah shit!”
He grabbed ruined a can of.. Cram and what appears to be another ruined can of.. Cram? “What the hell happened?!” He raised each can. Both containers exploded open for some reason, but not being able to distinguish if they’re both Cram or Pork ‘N Beans. He cursed again to God.
“MOTHERFUCKER!!” He barked really angrily. Seeing the most precious thing he ever saw once stashed in a box..
And saw said box crumpled into nothing. Michael stammered unintelligible words, as he opened the lid of the box and checked if said.. “GOD.. FUCKING..”
He would rather shoot his left arm again and eat a grenade.
The box originally was supposed to contain the most precious thing one would think of. Michael never really thought of anything precious, as those thoughts were tucked away back in the academy. But when he was hanging out with a Vault Dweller from 111, he gave him the box as a token of appreciation. Michael first reacted to it as a bluff, just trying to convince him that this junk matters.
But that cuck insisted, and Michael just agreed to take it, but never check it. One boring evening, and the Ranger decided to check it out. He thought it was a small crack of thermite, likely to prank his ass. But what he saw was.. quote unquote, “A magical feeling if you ever had sex with a chicken”.
End quote.
And ever since, the object inside the box made him.. happy. Well, his words.
Now he wasn’t happy. He was the very opposite.
And his anger boiled.
“I..Identifying..” Something bleeped. Michael’s guard lit up, and turned to the source.
The goddamn Synth.
Michael just hissed. He stormed towards the android, ignoring the fact that his legs were at the verge of giving up. His right hand formed a fist, and a very tight one. The android just watched with it’s broken armor. It’s field helmet shattered, it’s legs decoupled and the right arm cut off. It used it’s left to pull itself towards Michael.
Who already stomped the robot’s head. “YOU!”
A punch. “GOD!”
Another hit. “PIECE!
A kick. “OF!”
A hard jab. “TRASH!”
And a kick. “MOTHERFUCKER!” Michael ignored the stiffness of his leg, and continued to pound the robot with his foot. Then after getting used to it, he used his right hand to grip the robot’s neck. The Synth replied by smashing it’s left fist onto the Veteran, but didn’t seem to even notice the hit.
And he said unspeakable words to the sentient A.I.
After letting out his anger, he proceeded to crush the metal and the systems by the neck. Slowly, he could’ve heard it warp the metal and the wires giving out. And as he couldn’t press the neck any further, he dropped the thing. Reviewing the damage he did.
Satisfied.
Rustle!
“What?” He heard another rustle. Thwipping his neck to the sound, finding a bush that was moving on it’s own. Without hesitation, he went back to his bag and sorted back his stuff into the duffel. He stood back up, only to grunt inward as the pain in his leg surged.
He sucked in a breath, before slowly recovering and bringing his attention back to the bush. He formulated a plan, whomever or whatever it was hiding behind it, it would likely expect him going through the obvious. He faced towards the left, a tree beside said bush.
With that said, he stealthily walked towards the tree. His boots not even making a slight sound. When he neared said tree, he slowly unholstered his Sequoia. He unloaded the chamber, making sure it was loaded. Knowing it was, he flicked it back on, and moved out of his cover. Aiming towards..
"What.. the fuck?"
He looked at two small horses. Both having different, or opposite colors. Yet, both had sticks atop their heads. One small horse on his right, was an amber skinned one. Or coated? He didn't know, as the fur looked thin. Going back, the amber coated one had a pair of cyan eyes. And the hair, yellow and red. Looking kinda like meat.
The small horse on his left was light pink. Having pale lavender eyes, while maintaining a purple curled hair with turquoise streaks. Michael mentally wondered, when the fuck did he learn those colors? He shook it off for now, as he postured his aim towards them again.
But the pair of small horses— ponies..? Ponies shrieked in fear, but Michael never wavered, his posture nor his aim.
"All right, can you understand me?"
He waited, but silence was already there.
"I'm guessing you do, coming from those expressions of yours. Now, can you please cooperate? For fuck sake, please just listen to m— AAOW!!"
Michael yelled in pain, feeling his face sore. Even though his helmet would've protected him from the impact of his pistol, which was surrounded in a red aura.
Wait, what?
As he thought that, his pistol tried to hit him again, grunting while the firearm got his side of the face. It lifted towards his cheek again, this time he caught the barrel, but made a mistake of letting it slip through. "Shit.." He muttered.
The Sequoia was now floating in front of him, surrounded in a glowing red aura. He then noticed the amber skinned pony's.. horn..? Was glowing the exact same color. But the click of his gun snapped him out of his trance.
"Nice one Sunset. How'd you know to use.. that?" The purple one spoke in a feminine voice, surprising Michael.
Then the amber skinned one replied, also in a feminine voice. Which also surprised him further. "Oh, I used to practice in a gun range. Y'know, in case of some.. emergency situation..?"
As they both were unaware, Michael suddenly swiped his gun from the magical hold. Which ellicited a feminine gasp from the two ponies. He aimed at them again, not letting his sight on them let go. Neither on their.. horns.
"Alright you two, you got 10 seconds to ask each of my questions." Then, Michael threw his aim to the right, where the tree was. Then pulled the trigger, as the bullet hit said wood. And when the two ponies saw, all they could do scream in fear.
"Starting now."
Author's Note
Hey! This is gonna replace that shitshow of a fic, A War Inside You. 
I didn’t really like how I made that thing, as I had little expertise in Modern Warfare. So as much as I like that topic, it’s difficult to delve into.
I have this to make things better! 
Well I hope. It’s premise would’ve been usual if you had seen the early tags and marks. So I tried to switch things up a bit. I hope this has good potential, once you read the next chapter, really hope that adds to your consideration.
Thanks for reading! 
