By Terrarian Pony
Story:
Fallout: Terraria (Lucky Star)
By Terrarian Pony
Chapter 1
Mischief
...
Luck. I had always figured that whatever happened in the Far North wasteland was decided by just pure luck. If you are really lucky, you keep on kickin'. If you aren't as lucky as some... well... you die. That's me. I am luck. But you can call me Erin.
I didn't like waiting, and the tavernkeep was taking too darned long with my whiskey. I was ready to just flip my little cap, and put a bullet right between the eyes. But then I wouldn't get my drink. No, I've learned patience over the years. But everything I do is decided by one little bottlecap. Top side up, was green creeper face. That meant bad luck. Bottom side up was a small purple star. That was obviously good luck. That was who I decided to be. It didn't matter if you were good or bad. Everything I do is all based on the luck of the victim. Someone offers me a contract, I may or may not appeal to it. Hold a gun to your head, I may or may not shoot. A fork in the road, I may go left... I may go right. Attack me, you don't get a choice. Either you're dead, you're dead, or you're dead. Now say their were three choices. We'll spin a bottle. Don't ask why I chose this path, because I will shoot you dead anyways. Drink some whiskey or ale with me, I might even become your best friend. Mess with my friends, I'll cut your throat, nice and slow.
Finally the bar tender came with my whiskey. I enjoyed. After a few sips, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps, and a cane behind me. I turned around to see a man in a white formal outfit, and white fedora. Before you ask, yes, I've had shady dealings, with shady people. And yes, I've had gotten into trouble with the same shady people. "Erin. I believe you owe me." he stated. "Your life." I chuckled. "Oh Jerry. I don't owe you nothing." I said, swirling the bottle. "I did your job, and you didn't pay up. So I shot your little buddy in the leg. The way I see it, you still owe me."
"Jasper died of a leg wound because of you." Jerry told me. "Aw... condolences." I said, sarcastically. "Guess we're even." Jerry was furious. "You demand me payment, you beat down on men, and now you expect us to just be even like that?" he yelled. "I'm not gonna let it slide." He pulled out his 32. pistol. I pulled a sawed-off shotgun. We stood like that for a moment, and suddenly I smirked.
"See this little thing?" I said, pointing at the tiny pistol at my forehead. "Sure, you got... five rounds in there? Well can you load all five rounds into me before I pull the trigger on this sawed-off? Cause that's gonna be real bloody, and real explosive to your head." "Hmph. If only you were drunk enough, it'd make this much simpler." He said. "Oh no, you don't want ME drunk." I said. "That pistol of your would be stuck where the sun doesn't shine, and recently fired by now."
Jerry holstered his pistol. "Don't ever think about coming near me again, Erin." he stated. "If you do, I'll have my boys tear you apart, from the inside out. C'mon boys! Let's get out of this hole."
Jerry and his men head out of the tavern. The tavernkeep passed me another whiskey. "On the house, for keeping the blood off my floor." he said. "Heh... I think I have a new friend." I said. "Turn on Mister New Lepus, eh?" The tavernkeep turned on the radio, and the charismatic, but ghoulish voice of Mister New Lepus came on.
"And that's when the president of the Green Flyers pitched in and made a statement that resolved the conflict of the Rogue Tigers, and the Bright Rangers." The voice of the Green Flyer's political leader, Ellie Halfton, came on the radio. "To steal one man's land is a greedy act. To take it by force, is a crime. What are we, if we are to commit such atrocities."Mister New Lepus' voice was being aired again.
"There's a lesson for ya folks. Now for some music."
After a few songs, I went outside for a breather. The Green Flyers were an "Okay" faction, but they worked close with the NTR. And I'm not the "law and order" kinda gal.
"May I have a word with you?" I didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded honest enough. "Ya got the caps?" I asked. "It's an extensive job." he said. "Complicated, but I hear it's right up your ally."
I turned around. A man... no, a Lunatic... a Vortex Lunatic, the ones that are trained in ranged weapons, was speaking to me. "How much you paying, and more importantly, what are the details? I don't work with slavers." I said, making my agenda pretty clear. "You will be payed a total of 80 platinum bottle caps." he claimed. "No." I said. "Perhaps I... didn't hear that correctly." he said. "It sounded like you were refusing my offer." I crossed my arms. "No one has 80 platinum caps." I stated. "I am a lady who knows what she is doing, and I am not accepting your offer until I see the money for myself."
He hesitated, then snapped his fingers. Two human Brotherhood of Redstone soldiers walked up, each with a suitcase. They opened the suit cases, and surely enough, there was a whapping 40 platinum bottlecaps in each suitcase.
"How about... now?"
...
The Lunatic's name was Ganlor Baron, which was apparently Lunatic for "Bravery and humility". Not that I cared, nor even asked. He and his soldiers were lead the way to a bluff overlooking an old waterworks plant. It was filled with radio active material, and raiders seemed to be controlling it. I was confused.
"Exactly what is the objective?" I asked. "All you've given me so far is that we're clearing out a group of raiders. You didn't say anything about going into an industry location, filled with radioactive water." Ganlor was being patient with me at first, but now he had this snarky look on his face. "For a mercenary you ask too many questions." he stated. "And for an alien, you seem to like hanging around earthlings." I countered. "I am a brother to these men, as they are to me." Ganlor said. "See that liquid facility over there? Inside is a man of dangerous heights." I raised a brow. "And what problem is he to me?" The alien turned towards me. "I hear you are anti-slavery. This facility is being operated by slaves, and the raider we are after, Tony Benjamin... is the master behind the scheme." I pulled out my sawed-off shotgun. "Yup." I said, now motivated. "He dead for sure."
...
We camped for an hour, than the soldiers and I started advancing. Before we left, the Brotherhood gave me hazmat suit to dull the radiation effect. Doesn't protect much against bullets though. Still, the raiders wouldn't know what hit 'em. Once we moved in, the raiders started shooting with an unexpected barrage of military-grade weaponry. They were using armor peircing rounds, and we were totally outnumbered. Ten knights fell in an instant, and suddenly we were outmatched. I couldn't get close enough with my shotgun to splash the one raider that was yelling rape threats at me.
I never thought I'd see raiders this well armed to the teeth. "Call it off!" I yelled to Ganlor. "One man is not worth risking your entire platoon!" Ganlor didn't acknowledge my request. Instead he gave me a dirty look, and continued firing. "Tell your men to back down!" Finally, he turned to me. "This man is going to DIE, you hear me!?" he screamed, and suddenly I felt small compared to him. "We have our orders, and we will fullfil them with, or without the help of some mercen-" SPLASH!
In an instant, I had Paladin Ganlor's brain all over me. Humility indeed. These soldiers were willing to die for what they believe, let them die. Except... that's not how I decide. I took out my special bottle cap, and flicked it in the air. A Creeper Face. Looks like I might be dying here after all. I lept over a peace of debris I was taking cover behind, and ran up to the first raider I saw, and snapped his neck for an assault rifle. I began to shoot as many of these raiders as possible. One raider began sniping from the rooftop at me. Another two butchering through knights using shotguns. A beam shot right passed my face, incinerating a raider right behind me. The beam came from one of the knights. For every member of his crew that was shot down, he shot three more raiders.
Even I knew this was stupid, but I was earning bottlecaps, so what did I care?