NaStySuMo – Part 9 – The Road of Fame.

Hello everybody,

Part 9 of my web story for NaStySuMo. Three days left in August. 😉 It won’t be done by then.

If you want to see what the Lone Wanderer (in my mind here) looks like please feel free to go to this link. It’s not my art naturally, it’s a representation of someone else’s idea of their wanderer but it’s the closest look to mine. 😉

Enjoy!

Part 9 The Road of Fame.

The Wanderer managed to get one punch in before the Tomb Raider pulled her from Fame. The young gamer opened her eyes just in time to see Lara grab the Wanderer by her shirt collar and throw her across the room. The Wanderer reacted quickly as she rolled to her feet and pulled the automatic shotgun from her back. Before she could aim though Lara had both her pistols in her hands and aimed for The Wanderer’s head.

They were going to kill each other.

With her head faint from the pain in her shoulder and the Wanderer’s punch, Fame pushed herself up quickly and stumbled towards them.

“Stop!” She yelled as she stepped in between the two women. “Drop ye weapons! Ah said stop! Ah won’t see you two harm each other! Ye won’t! Not here!”

Lara’s features were unchanging as she kept her gaze on The Wanderer. “Step aside Fame,” she said coldly. “Get out of the way.”

The Wanderer’s eyes were livid as she looked at Lara but there were grubby marks on her face, showing that she had been crying. She was short, with dirty brown hair and dark eyes that were hidden behind old biker goggles. She brought the smell of dirt and dust and human sweat with her and her clothes were worn and dirty. She had a red bandana around her neck and a brown jacket with cargo pants. Along with the shotgun in her hands she still had two more pistols strapped to her legs and a hunting rifle to her back.

“Don’t think I won’t shoot you,” The Wanderer growled at Fame. “Get your guns out of my face bitch. My dog is dead!”

Lara made to comment but Fame gave her a pleading look and put her hand on The Wanderer’s shotgun, pushing down the barrel. The young woman resisted, but her arms started shaking as her emotions threatened to burst to the surface.

Fame saw it and met The Wanderer’s gaze, not caring if she showed the woman how scared she was. “Tell me about Dogmeat,” she said. “Please, ah have t’ know what happened.” She glanced behind her. “Lara, please.”

Looking at her, Lara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, she dropped her arms to her side, but she kept her pistols in her hands, her attention never wavering from The Wanderer. When the guns were out of her face, The Wanderer seemed to sag inside herself and allowed Fame to pull the shotgun from her grip.

“He’s just lying there,” she said. “He’s dead Fame.”

She was struggling to remain on her feet, to keep her calm pose. Fame swallowed and blinked, clinging to The Wanderer’s shotgun. “Are ye sure?” she queried to which the Wanderer gave her a dark look and showed her the old blood on her jacket.

“You can’t stand up from a bullet in the head Fame. What did you do to him?” She looked at the Tomb Raider accusingly but Fame quickly shook her head.

“It wasn’t her,” she said, just to clear things up. “He got shot at m’work. They robbed the bank and the suspects came into the shop. It happened before ah could do anything.” Her throat tightened. “Ah didn’t even see him. I’m sorry.”

The Wanderer looked at her and abruptly took a step back so that she could sink down on Fame’s threadbare couch, her head in her hands. Lara shifted awkwardly and put her pistols away, studying Fame as she looked at the other woman in dismay.

“May I point out something?” she said. “I can’t imagine that he’s completely gone.” When the two women turned to her she continued quickly, turning her back on them so that she could go to the console and pick up the controller.

“I have watched you play your games Fame,” Lara continued as she put the controller in the young woman’s hand and directed her back to the console. “I have seen you,” she pointed at The Wanderer, “die quite a couple of times at her hand and then, all she does is reload her game and continue. And then it’s possible for her to summon both you and your dog afterwards, none the wiser.” She motioned to Fame. “Just reload the game and summon him back.”

The two others turned two very similar looks in her direction. Fame’s mouth thinned as she thought it over, tapping the controller as she thought about it. “That… might work,” she said. “But… Ah think for continuity… Ah don’t know.”

The Wanderer glared at her. “That’s the problem with you little girl,” she snapped. “You don’t know, don’t think. You just pull us out of our lives without a thought to the consequence. It’s not a game there!”

“Quiet,” Lara snapped, seeing the look on Fame’s face. “You’re not making it easier Wanderer. Fame, maybe you should sit down love, you are not well.” She pulled a chair closer.

Fame didn’t sit down immediately, her features puzzled as she tried to work something out she didn’t completely understand. Looking at The Wanderer she took a deep breath and motioned to the screen. “Ye can’t watch,” she said. “When ah load another game ye’ll leave, ah can’t summon two from the same line at the same time.”

The Wanderer stood up sharply, her face cold as she picked up her shotgun. “Then send me back and get this over with,” she snapped. “I’m not willing to wait on false hope.”

Lara gave her a look and all but pushed Fame to the chair. “You don’t know that it’s false.” She pointed out to which the Wanderer snorted. “Just send me back.”

Fame, grateful to be sitting down, nodded. “I’ll fix this,” she said slowly but the Wanderer shook her head.

“Don’t make false promises,” she said. “Now, let’s get this over with.”

To Be Continued…