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Posted by: Lopov Aug 4 2017, 05:13 PM

Inspired by TheChesireKhajiit, who created a separate thread for raider Victoria, I decided to post my latest tale in a separate thread as well. There'll be one story per week and if all goes according to plans, I should post them every Friday. Matching screenshots will be posted after each text, most of them but not all will be taken through the eyes of the main proantagonist.. Some stories will be long, some short, and sometimes you may recognize references of your own characters.

The stories ahead are dark though I'll try to make them humorous at times but most of all I hope you'll like them.

Enjoy.

_______

I

For the past two hours Lina has been spying on the pretty young guy sitting alone by the burning barrel – not because she’d be after him but because she wanted to be sure that he wasn’t some weirdo. She might have been a rookie in the bounty hunting profession, but she was very good at sneaking and thanks to her PipBoy who showed the [HIDDEN] icon on the top of the screen at all times, she knew that the young guy didn’t spot her.

Not seeing anything that’d make her suspicious, Lina joined him, and the stranger who introduced himself as Clive, gladly offered her some cram and a bottle of Nuka-Cola. Nobody could resist Nuka-Cola except undead and since Lina was very much alive, she gladly accepted the drink. It turned out that Clive wasn’t just pretty, he was also funny – so the more the Sun was setting, the better feeling Lina had about the coming night.

After Clive told her a little bit about himself, Lina revealed him that for the past few months she’s been on the track of the so called ‘card killer’. “In the wasteland it’s easy to get away with almost any crime but this guy or girl, I don’t know, but I think he’s a guy, always cuts throats of his victims, who are always women, then leaves behind a card depicting death. Like he wants to be recognized, you know? After one of my friends got killed, I decided to go after him. Or her, but I think he’s a guy. I pursued dangerous raiders before so I have some experience in tracking people down. Anyway, sometimes the trail would go cold for weeks but then rumors about a new murder and a new card would reach me, and the trail eventually led me here. The Capital Wasteland is just a few miles north of here and I’m sure I’ll catch up with him. Make him pay for his crimes. Sooner or later.”

Lina got a feeling that Clive wasn’t particularly interested in her story, either he didn’t take her bounty hunting profession seriously either he was hoping there’ll be some action between them this night. Well, Lina couldn’t blame him, after all she was also hoping for some action and it wasn’t long before Clive held her firmly in his arms.

***

Pleasantly tired, Lina was getting dressed as she saw Clive throwing her shotgun in the burning barrel. As he was pulling a blood-stained knife from behind his leather pants, his face didn’t seem nice anymore. Frightened Lina realized that she just had sex with the man she was after.

One slash at Lina’s neck was enough to end the aspiring career of a bounty hunter. She died not knowing that the stranger, whose name wasn’t Clive, had intentionally placed a camp in this location, waiting for her. Already down south he put a tracking device in her satchel and thanks to his own PipBoy he knew of Lina’s movement. He also knew that she liked men a lot, and hoped that she’ll stop by.

As ‘Clive’ was walking north towards the Capital Wasteland, he thought of Lina’s words, realizing she was right about many things – he was a guy, he cut throats of his victims, he preyed on women and he always left a card depicting death behind. However, she missed one vital information. Before killing his victims, ‘Clive’ had sex with them.

_______

http://imgur.com/2ExWpOV

http://imgur.com/kixFJkh

http://imgur.com/mmyjDNX

http://imgur.com/BuMtlfP

http://imgur.com/sryXPUF

http://imgur.com/Z4stmah

http://imgur.com/xi8lufv

http://imgur.com/AZ0SqMI

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 4 2017, 07:28 PM

Oh ho! "Clive" is a dastardly villain, that's for sure! Khajiit really likes the strict 1st person POV of the pics. It seems quite chilling to be in the head of the serial killer. Any plans on creating a foil for the killer? Like a hard boiled detective with his own personal demons maybe?

Posted by: Renee Aug 4 2017, 08:29 PM

[censored] Lopov.

See, it's like I was saying, I don't like "Clive" but this story is intriguing. Poor Lina.

How did you get the "on top" picture? Is that the same mod I'm using in Janet's game? And also the card? Well, don't tell us how you got the card. I kinda like the mystery there.

But yikes. Once-a-week is good...that's about what I can handle 'cause this story's scary!

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 4 2017, 09:17 PM

I am hoping a crow lands on Lina, pecks at her a few times, and then she rises from the dead to wreak a terrible vengeance!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 5 2017, 07:36 PM

If it was Fallout4, she could even have the face paint!

Posted by: Acadian Aug 5 2017, 09:04 PM

Yikes! Makes me want to hire Rattler to take out 'Clive'!

I like your style of putting any screenshots together at the bottom instead of imbedding them up in the text. Pros and cons to each style but I find keeping them together at the bottom avoids breaking up and distracting from the reading.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 5 2017, 10:18 PM

Yeah the biggest thing this one hates about the way Khajiit does it (and this may be unique to phones) is that when you click on the link for the pic, it brings up the pic on Imgur's site but won't let you return to where you were in the post; you have to go back through the forums and back into the thread.

Posted by: Lopov Aug 11 2017, 12:42 PM

Thanks for your comments!

Most screenshots will be taken through the eyes of the killer though after he commits a crime, some will be taken from other perspectives.

So far I don't have plans of a detective that'd chase him.

I guess it must be the same mod, the one which allows for a few sexual positions to be shown in the game. While I normally don't use this mod, it adds a certain something to this particular story.

Fortunately for the killer, undead don't walk the Capital Wasteland except Persephone.

It'd be interesting to see the duel between Rattler and 'Clive' for sure but (un)fortunately the first one is already dead.

_______

II

Edgar Wellington the Second was such a loser, at least in the eyes of his wife Millicent, who insisted on being called Lady Wellington or Madam Wellington. Nobody in the Tenpenny Tower could tolerate Millicent and her own husband cheated on her as much as possible when she wasn’t around - which was rarely.

That’s why lady Millicent liked Chris so much. He was pretty, nice, held doors for her as she passed, and promptly addressed her as Lady Wellington. Even more, he dealt with pesky ghouls that were threatening to invade the Tenpenny Tower.

It wasn’t difficult for Chris to seduce lady Wellington, lead her to one of bedrooms in the tower, and at least for the following half an hour make her feel great again. But instead of caressing that should follow their love-making, Lady Wellington’s throat was brutally cut. She managed to get out one desperate cry for help but nobody heard her highness and in the next seconds she was lying dead naked.

The young man whose name wasn't Chris, placed the card depicting death next to her body, casually went to the upper floors to pick up his belongings from the room of Susan Lancaster who gladly hosted him for merely one hundred caps, then left the Tenpenny Tower.

As Millicent’s body was discovered a few hours later, Tenpenny residents were shocked but nobody felt particularly sad, especially not her late husband Edgar Wellington the Second, who finally felt free of his bonds again.

_______

http://imgur.com/5SW6nhy

http://imgur.com/dKzh7TO

http://imgur.com/5dYKheI

http://imgur.com/zGkqSpH

http://imgur.com/ZvCd65h

http://imgur.com/ATPYIZI

http://imgur.com/EJKD91s

http://imgur.com/QBph9rG

http://imgur.com/UWL65Uj

Posted by: Renee Aug 11 2017, 03:15 PM

Yes, Edgar Wellington won't have to argue endlessly with his wife ever again because of Chris. I mean Clive. I mean...

That part when Chris's name first gets mentioned give me chills.

Edit; Cripes that picture of Lancaster on the floor! Sheesus. And look at those funny dialog options. My gosh.

NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! No more Rattler!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 11 2017, 04:52 PM

Card Killer strikes again!! Man your pics outside and in Tenpenny Tower really set the right mood for this story! Khajiit really likes the one of Millicent dead (yes morbid, this one knows, but it was artistic!). Ooh! Khajiit just had an idea! You could do a Card Killer tie in with PPB's story!

Posted by: Acadian Aug 11 2017, 08:58 PM

Another chilling murder! How do we get Officer PP to investigate and put a stop to this fiendish Card Killer?

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 11 2017, 09:21 PM

Officer Barlow needs to get over to Tenpenny Tower to investigate the case! But I don't think they would let a ghoul detective in!

Posted by: Renee Aug 12 2017, 12:32 PM

Wow, good point.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 12 2017, 04:06 PM

Khajiit has no doubt that the Card Killer will strike in less... exclusive places that he would be able to investigate in!

Posted by: Lopov Aug 18 2017, 02:42 PM

@Renee - all dialogue options when talking to Millicent, are vanilla and they couldn't be more appropriate for the charming killer.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - the idea sounds great but so far no mixing of my characters is in plan.

@Acadian - hardly because PP lives in a different dimension of the Capital Wasteland.

@SubRosa - wow, another vote for PP to come and make order. And as you say, there's no way they'd let a ghouliified police officer inside. He'd probably have to return with a search warrant.

@TheCheshireKhajiit 2 - one of such places is in the story below...

_______

III

The young man could charm many women but Trisha wasn’t one of them. Nobody could charm her because Trisha wasn’t interested in men at all, actually she was repulsed by them.

Eleven months ago she moved in one of dilapidated houses surrounding the Tenpenny Tower. The area was generally peaceful to live in – occasionally ghouls from the nearby Warrington train yard would venture to her place, and sometimes a lone raider would try and kill her but thanks to her hunting rifle for long range combat and crowbar for close combat, Trisha survived just fine. She made a living by selling clutter found in nearby houses to various wastelanders, and in return she bought food, ammunition and cigarettes.

Cory disturbed her peace and ever since he talked to her for the first time, Trisha knew that the young chap was interested in sex only. She hoped that he’ll move on but obviously he didn’t understand that she won’t sleep with him under any circumstances.

“Look kid, if you want to get laid, get your ass over to the Tenpenny Tower, there are plenty of whores but leave me alone, okay?” Trisha was pissed off because Cory obviously didn’t have any intention to leave and was still regarding her with a smile which Trisha immediately recognized as fake.

But what she didn’t know was that the young man whose name wasn’t Cory, chose her as his next victim regardless of whether she’s going to like him or not. Though he indeed preferred to feel them before cutting their throats, being rejected definitely never stopped him in doing what he decided to do. Some people were addicted to whiskey, some to gambling but this young fellow was addicted to killing. It began eight years ago in one of back alleys of New Reno, the post-war sin city, where the sixteen year old orphan, who was forced to sell his body for caps, cut the throat of one of his customers. Overwhelmed by the ecstatic feelings, back alleys of New Reno soon became dangerous for women who wanted to be pleased by young boys.

As Trisha turned his back on him, she heard a strange noise behind and quickly turned around – just in time to avoid a swing from "Cory’s" bloodstained knife.

“I knew you were up to something! Now you’re dead, kid!” yelled Trisha, stepped back and grabbed her crowbar. “You’ll regret the day you were born. I’m not some hapless wastelander!”

Much to "Cory’s" surprise, Trisha was right – she avoided his swings but managed to hit him with her crowbar many times. If he wanted, he could equip his assault rifle but he never finished his victims off with a gun and Trisha was no exception.

Blood on Cory’s face encouraged Trisha and that was her mistake because she fiercely jumped towards him, pulling her right hand back for another blow but in that moment she exposed her neck a little too much and the agile stranger swung with his knife, this time hitting the spot, ending Trisha’s life.

After throwing a card next to her corpse, the card killer decided to go northwest. It rarely happened that he killed as many in as little time and he knew that sooner or later word about him will get around the Capital Wasteland – perhaps Lina’s and Trisha’s bodies won’t be discovered quickly but by now entire Tenpenny Tower knew of Millicent’s demise. He couldn’t stop what he was doing, however. He had tried many times in the past years but no matter wherever he traveled, the lust returned as soon as he saw some pretty woman. And then there were the magical cards - placing them next to his victims felt like a finishing signature on an exquisite painting, a final addition to the work of art. The addiction was getting worse, though – sometimes he could go without killings for weeks but now he rarely held back for more than a few days.

Smiling and thinking of his own future, the card killer headed for the hills.
_______

http://imgur.com/NCBbuis

http://imgur.com/ooHkj2z

http://imgur.com/TwYnGMs

http://imgur.com/ZiBtgSZ

http://imgur.com/1d3d7Oc

http://imgur.com/4YCeQwC

http://imgur.com/Vv5tmwB

http://imgur.com/nmjSnoB

http://imgur.com/Nu2P1Av

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 18 2017, 05:06 PM

Khajiit is watching Bates Motel on Netflix and these stories go right along with the mood! Good job! Liked the idea of this one; that he's getting a little reckless and choosing victims that aren't ideal to satisfy his lust for murder. Keep up the good work!

Posted by: Acadian Aug 18 2017, 10:47 PM

Trisha got my hopes up for a moment there with her deft crowbar moves. But, alas,

That final 'signature' card shot is chilling.

Posted by: Renee Aug 21 2017, 05:53 PM

Hmm, so the CK must be a young guy, if she's calling him "kid," yet he's gotta be over 18 by now, since he was 16 in Reno. We gotta figure it would take awhile to travel from Reno to the D.C. area, and I doubt the Card Killer travels by motorcycle or vertibird, although who knows?

The thing is, in this postwar nuclear war, none of the facilities which Barlow is familiar with are present anymore. No convenient database of fingerprints, no VICAP, no previous records stored away on computer, etc. All the Wastelanders have to alert them on a mass scale would be radio announcements. And we all know about the Enclave, who doesn't respond to current events at all. That leaves GNR.

Question is: will Three Dog be the one to link any sort of news together?

Posted by: Lopov Aug 25 2017, 11:56 AM

@TheChesireKhajiit - thanks! Not every victim is perfect for the card killer but even something is better than nothing.

@Acadian - Trisha surprised even 'me'. She's a mod-added traveling NPC which are way more tough than default NPCs because they are usually higher-leveled than the PC.

@Renee - you've become quite a detective. It's possible to determine his exact age from the fifth paragraph. To answer your question regarding Three Dog - the DJ will indeed talk about these events but that'll happen in the eleventh story (XI).

_______

IV

He woke up, not having any idea where he is. As he tried to look around to check for surroundings, throbbing pain in the back of his head reminded him of what had happened a day ago. He slowly leaned his head back against the cold steel floor and closed his eyes.

The previous evening he stumbled upon one of numerous drainage chambers which served as some sort of pre-war shelters, there were often radios found down there, linked to nearby broadcast towers. He was careless and didn’t spot a bouquet of falling frag grenades a few steps away from him – probably a trap from even before the war and he was dumb enough to trigger it. He tried to duck (and cover, as the song says) but it was too late – the explosion slammed him against the wall and he lost consciousness.

Now it seemed that the lady luck favored him once again. He couldn’t help but smile at his fortune but even smiling brought him tremendous pain, this time from his ribs.

Probably broke one or two. His vision got blurry at times so he obviously suffered some head damage as well. Not to mention that both legs felt almost totally numb. Only his arms were fine.

If I only had some Med-X. But he didn’t so with great effort and unbearable pain he staggered to his feet. He knew that stimpaks won’t be enough to heal him, not this time, instead he needed a proper doctor. The closest one was Banfield at the Tenpenny Tower and though returning to the scene of crime so soon didn’t sound like a good idea, he had no other choice else his legs would go completely numb and who knows what’d happen inside his head.

The tower wasn’t far but nonetheless it took him four hours to limp there. Yesterday he killed some wasteland creatures on a way through the hills and was glad to discover that new ones didn’t replace them yet.

At the tower it paid off that he dealt with the ghoul situation – once the gate guard saw him limping in the tower’s courtyard, he immediately called for Doctor Banfield and together they accompanied him to the clinic.

“Some stimpaks in an intravenous infusion, a hefty dose of pain killers and you’ll be back on your legs in a few days. No walking allowed, kid, you have to lie as firm as possible. Understood, my young patient?” asked doctor Banfield as the stranger who they known as Chris was placed on the hospital bed.

“Understood, doc. Thanks for your help.”

“Good. Since you took care of those ghouls, I’m sure that mister Tenpenny would allow me to give you a large discount on my services. So that’ll be fifty caps but you can pay me at the end. No complaints, though. Now get some sleep, it’ll do you good,” smiled doctor Banfield and proceeded to prepare necessary medications.

***

Three days later the young man known as Chris was back on his feet again, and was just having a smoke with Susan Lancaster after they had sex in her room on the highest floor of the Tenpenny Tower. They were lying in silence and Susan wondered whether she should tell him that Millicent Wellington was found dead a few days ago…and that by coincidence, Chris disappeared on that same day. But she decided to remain silent. As long as guys paid for ‘her love’, she better not interfere in their affairs.

_______

http://imgur.com/rBZiEw7

http://imgur.com/2HcZaZ9

http://imgur.com/hzmfRpr

http://imgur.com/HoZkXWY

http://imgur.com/kdBINoB

http://imgur.com/vYhACuU

http://imgur.com/ds33m4E

http://imgur.com/afYK59g

http://imgur.com/cn4mW0h

http://imgur.com/U29Vxek

http://imgur.com/Y3XxMkr

Posted by: Renee Aug 25 2017, 04:10 PM

Yes Lopov, I watch a lot of detective / crime shows. FBI Files, Forensic Files, American Justice, etc. I usually watch one of these shows after gaming to 'wind down.'

Hmm. He better not mess with Susan. I like that she seems to realize that "Chris" was in the place when Millicent was offed. Card Killer lives on unfortunately, but at least he's not Rattler.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 25 2017, 04:18 PM

Damn! This guy is like Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees! Blow him up and he still keeps coming! Well st least he's more charming than those two monsters, lol. Sounds like despite her misgivings, Susan is reaping some rewards from "Chris's" company!

Posted by: Acadian Aug 25 2017, 05:34 PM

Given Chris' life as a serial killer, I can't help but wish that the grenade trap had fully done its job.

But no. Some stimpaks, painkillers, a night with Susan and he'll be bad as new.

Posted by: Lopov Aug 25 2017, 05:44 PM

Addendum:

a fellow forumite informed me about a mistake at the beginning, instead of "lost his conscience" should be "lost his consciousness". As much as I'd like to edit my reply and correct this annoying mistake, it happens that as soon as I click on the EDIT button and try to change it, all quotation marks and other simple symbols like apostrophes get messed up and I'd need to edit my entire reply. Not sure why this happens. If anyone of mods / admins can fix this, I'd be grateful, otherwise just imagine that there's written consciousness instead of conscience.

Posted by: Acadian Aug 25 2017, 05:49 PM

I edited that bit you mentioned - looks good now!

Posted by: SubRosa Aug 25 2017, 06:58 PM

Card Killer always makes me think of the chorus to https://youtu.be/LH8gUhDd6WE - "I'm a m****ing Card Killer!"

I am thinking the Card Killer lost his conscience a long time ago...

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Aug 25 2017, 08:15 PM

No worries! Khajiit understood what you meant!

Posted by: Lopov Sep 1 2017, 07:03 PM

@Renee - it was kinda obvious that when he was away from the tower, Millicent got pwned, so at least someone had to notice, I think.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - so far these traps proved to be the most difficult encounter for the card killer in the Capital Wasteland.

@Acadian - thanks for editing my post. "As bad as new" - that's a phrase to remember.

@SubRosa - indeed, so maybe I didn't make a mistake after all. What a song! I'm listening to it as I'm pasting & editing the coming story.

_______

V

Violet was a well-known scavenger in the Capital Wasteland. For two things mostly– the first thing, a minor one was that she owned the yellow army radio headset. There would be nothing special about that piece of pre-war technology if yellow radio headsets weren’t extremely rare, in fact Violet was the only known owner of one such item. She found it together with her friend Sonora Cruz many years ago as they were exploring a ghoul-infested pre-war military base. Each of them wanted it but they agreed that whoever kills more ghouls, gets the headset. Since Violet won the contest, it belonged to her. They remained good friends with Sonora Cruz who was by now the leader of the regulators in the Capital Wasteland.

The second thing for which Violet was known, and a major one, was that she was the only scavenger known to tame a ferocious yao-guai. She saved a life of a baby yao-guai as it was about to drown and since then the two became inseparable. Not only was her pet whom she named Willy, a helpful guardian in dangerous wastes, he was also her best friend.

One morning in October 2277 she stopped by Four-Eyed Patrick, another scavenger who inhabited one of ruined houses west of Fort Independence.

“Hey four eyes, got some missiles for sale? Running out of ‘em,” asked Violet, petting her favorite weapon - the old missile launcher, which she found buried under some rubble pile close to Fort Constantine way up to the north.

“Sure, Violet, sure, just lemme find ‘em,” Four-Eyed Patrick promptly went to rummage for them in the only solid dresser in the ruined house which no longer served its pre-war purpose, instead it was Four Eyed Patrick’s storage of various clutter.

“I see you got some company for the night,” remarked Violet and nodded in the direction of the sleeping young man. Four-Eyed Patrick had some free beds inside (while it was in fact outside because the house no longer had a roof) and gladly allowed wastelanders to sleep on them.

“Ay, some kid from the west,” nodded Four-Eyed Patrick as he was taking missiles from the dresser. “Nice fella. He gave me a ciggie. I’d still prefer if it was a gal, though. A gal that wouldn’t mind that I’m a little bit dirty, he he he.”

“I heard you, Pat” said the young man and raised his head, making Pat blush and Violet laugh.

Cute kid, thought Violet as he was smiling at her, then she started counting Pat’s missiles.

A few minutes later Violet and Willy left Four-Eyed Patrick’s house and headed west.

“Is she a friend of yours?” asked the kid and handed Pat a cigarette who gladly accepted.

“Sure, that’s Violet. And her teddy bear Willy, the only tamed yao-guai in the entire Capital Wasteland, kid! Imagine that? She’s a legend among scavengers. You’ll often meet her on your travels if you intend to stay here in the Capital Wasteland for a while, kid.”

“I doubt it.”

“Eh? You plannin’ to leave soon?”

“No.”

“Well then I was right – you’ll meet Violet and Willy often on your travels, they are drifters, never staying in one place for long.”

“I doubt it.”

“Eh? I don’t get it.” Four-Eyed Patrick was confused.

“Don’t bother,” smiled the kid and stood up. “Here, take one more cig. Thanks for the free bed. See you, Pat.”

“See you, kid.” Four-Eyed Patrick gladly took another ciggie and questions about why the kid wouldn’t often meet Violet and Willy, were already forgotten.

***

But what the kid said, was true. Not he, not anyone else would ever meet Violet and Willy again, at least not alive. Instead of Willy, Violet slept with the card depicting death at her side. But not before the kid whom she found cute earlier this morning, would torture her in an abandoned trailer just a distance west of Four-Eyed Patrick’s house. And why? Because he found it exciting.
_______

http://imgur.com/v9U5liG

http://imgur.com/PiqIcGa

http://imgur.com/fFyYBo0

http://imgur.com/8re5Eol (the yao-guai was actually hit by one of Violet's missiles, directed at the card killer)

http://imgur.com/vZsv7HJ

http://imgur.com/ktX8ElE

http://imgur.com/ArqauDG

http://imgur.com/wHn6jaX

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 1 2017, 08:48 PM

Poor Violet.

Posted by: Acadian Sep 1 2017, 09:12 PM

What she said ^

If the card killer is outside the jurisdiction of Officer PP, can we get Persephone to track the vile fiend and eat him?

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 1 2017, 10:02 PM

Loviatar does the eating. Persephone would just https://i.imgur.com/99S4HZ8.jpg him.

Posted by: Acadian Sep 2 2017, 12:36 AM

*slaps forehead* Of course you're right! Either would doubtless do a great job. A bonus for inflicting extra pain. Hee!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 2 2017, 03:10 AM

How awful! Not only did she suffer the horror of realizing she blew up her best friend and guardian, but then the terrible end she met! Khajiit is sure Violet's spirit screams for retribution! Will anyone answer the call? Until then, The Card Killer roams the wastes, looking for the next unfortunate soul.

Posted by: Renee Sep 2 2017, 07:11 PM

The part when it says "I see you got some company for the night," again I got chills.

Whoa, look at that bear fly.

Cripes. Yeah, the Card Killer must be stopped.

Posted by: Lopov Sep 5 2017, 01:29 PM

@SubRosa - indeed.

@Acadian - the card killer probably wouldn't stand a chance in a close combat against Persephone or Loviatar, but fortunately for him they are in other versions of the same wasteland.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - many more unfortunate will fall...

@Renee - the yao-guai was partly wounded from the card killer because he shot it with his assault rifle but in the end it was Violet who hit it fatally instead of the card killer.

_______

The Interlude I

While many water beggars preferred to squat outside major towns where a probability of getting some dirty or purified water was the highest, Ben Canning preferred to beg for water in the middle of the wastes. He assumed that a chance for travelers to have some water was higher in the middle of nowhere - and why?

Because when travelers saw towns ahead, they could drink all their water, knowing they’ll be able to buy fresh water in towns, while those in the middle of the wastes had to be more careful and if they were kind-hearted, they could part with a bottle or two and give it to him.

Unfortunately for Ben Canning, the guy in black leather jacket, who just passed him, had no water or at least he didn’t want to give him any. The guy just dismissed him with his hand and walked on.

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” Ben Canning yelled at him. “Can you at least shoot me in the head before you leave? I’m out of ammo or I’d do it myself.” While the saying was meant as a joke which Ben often told wasteland cheapskates, the guy in leather jacket obviously took it for real as he readied his assault rifle.

“Hey, hey, kid, I was just jok…”

But it was too late. The deafening sound of rapidly fired bullets fulfilled Ben’s joking wish.

The guy in leather jacket walked on. No card was left behind this time.
_______

https://imgur.com/bjUYpc4

https://imgur.com/o0hhstc

https://imgur.com/PFK46rn

https://imgur.com/SQwxJ5K

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 5 2017, 04:07 PM

Wow, not even worth a card, lol

Posted by: Acadian Sep 5 2017, 04:40 PM

The lesson here is choose your words carefully and mean what you say.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 5 2017, 10:17 PM

You know you are old when you no longer get carded at the door...

Poor Ben, met the wrong man at the wrong time. Still, it could have been worse. He could have been eaten by a radscrorpion or super mutant.

Posted by: Renee Sep 6 2017, 01:11 PM

Right. Exactly my sentiments as well.

If we think about it though, this sort of makes some sense in a way. Because the Card Killer is leaving a trail wherever he goes. Each card is a clue to figure out where he's been. He can't leave cards everywhere, lest some clever chap or gal anticipate where the guy's next possible place of rest could be.

Yeah, I watch too many crime shows, ha ha.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 7 2017, 05:28 PM

This is true. Though Khajiit got the distinct impression it was more about exterminating a pest than getting his jollies, lol

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 7 2017, 09:52 PM

The Card Killer did not leave a card because Ben Canning is not a woman, and he did not have sex with Ben first. The CK is a serial killer, and seducing and killing women is his M.O. Any killing outside of that is incidental, not part of who and what he is. Hence no card.

Posted by: Lopov Sep 8 2017, 11:28 AM

Exactly. This is the only reason why the card wasn't left at Ben's corpse.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - indeed, Ben didn't deserve a card.

@Acadian - the card killer didn't intend to kill Ben Canning at first and because I encountered this NPC for the first time, I didn't know what he was going to say. But in the end our antihero couldn't refuse such an offer.

@SubRosa - I agree, Ben Canning could also be driver over by floozy Janet on her motorcycle.

@Renee - the card killer doesn't care too much where to leave cards because he figures that in the broad wastes it's next to impossible to follow him.

_______

VI

What was the best thing about raider women? They were wild lovers because they were on drugs most of the time.

What was the worst thing about raider women? It was hard getting close to them because they usually shoot on sight unless you were one of them.

But the card killer had a plan how to get to one of their camps, located on the overpass west of Springvale. He observed as some man, clad in reinforced combat armor, killed many raiders from that camp and scared others good enough that they went hiding in their trailers and makeshift camps.

The man in combat armor obviously didn’t have any interest in pursuing the rest, so he left the overpass behind, and that was when the card killer attacked him from behind with the assault rifle. He killed the man in combat armor, then carried his lifeless body to the raider-infested overpass. He had assumed that raiders saw their shootout and he was correct – as he approached the raiders, none of them shot at him.

He threw the corpse of the man in combat armor in front of all surviving raiders to see, then crossed his arms, waiting for their reaction.

“What do you want, asshole?” asked one of the raiders.

“One of your girls,” curtly said the stranger. “For some fun.”

“With pleasure,” seductively said Crazy Anna and stepped up front. “With pleasure, kid. That guy…” she spat on the corpse of the man in combat armor,”…killed my boyfriend. Perhaps you can become my new one, ha ha ha! I’m all yours.”

“Do what you gotta do, then leave,” said the raider who called the card killer “asshole”. “Understood?”

“Understood,” nodded Crazy Anna’s “new boyfriend” and led her behind some piled up cars. As Anna already wetted her lips, ready to show the stranger what she was the best at, he handed her the shotgun and some shells.

“What’s that for?” she asked, confused.

“Five hundred caps for you if you help me take down the rest of your gang,” proposed the stranger.

“What? Well…wow…the offer is very, very tempting. But why?”

“No questions asked and you get six hundred caps. And we still have sex once we bring your friends down. What do you say?”

“I say, let’s rumble, kiddo!” yelled Crazy Anna and through to her name, she went on a killing spree against her former friends.

That was another good thing about raiders – offer them some fake caps or some other fine reward and they’ll turn their back on their friends without a second thought.

The stranger didn’t even need to fire a single shot, Crazy Anna dealt with all of them. When it was done, he kept half of his promise – they had wild sex on the overpass but instead of six hundred caps Anna got a deep cut over her throat and a card next to her body.
_______

https://imgur.com/D3UXZh6

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https://imgur.com/BwsFuQ4

https://imgur.com/SNUCOQx

P.S. The following Friday there won't be a new story because I'll be on holidays abroad.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 8 2017, 04:34 PM

Yay!!!! Khajiit was wondering when you'd get to the Raiders! Boy, CK sure did take a risk approaching that camp like that! Raiders are so unpredictable! One of the best things for CK on this kill is that no one will miss the Raider chick!
Some questions:
How did you get the Raiders to be non hostile?

Where did the "man in combat armor" come from? Was he a random encounter or part of a mod?

How did you get Anna to turn against her clan? Console commands?

Posted by: Acadian Sep 8 2017, 07:52 PM

Quite creative, the way in which CK got the 'trust' of the camp, then co-opted his victim to do his dirty work before killing her.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 8 2017, 07:54 PM

The CK sure has nerve, taking on not only Raider chicks, but even talking them into wiping out their 'friends'!

Posted by: Renee Sep 11 2017, 03:35 PM

He is a clever one, for sure.

On one of my crime shows, the death of a baddie is still a murder, and they would investigate this murder with as much fervor as they would for a more decent citizen. So who is on the CK's trail, I wonder? I think he WANTS somebody to be on his trail, otherwise, why even bother leaving cards? He wants to be known.

And that is what I shall say to reaction. I know Lopov has already written all the Card Killer tales, though I don't know what happens, because I specifically told him NO spoilers! But I bet there's eventually going to be a story in which we get the perspective of someone following the kid's trail. That is my prediction, folks.

Posted by: Lopov Sep 22 2017, 07:53 AM

@TheCheshireKhajiit - to make raiders non-hostile, I temporarily added the card killer to the raider faction. The command is "player.addtofaction [faction id] 1". As soon as he "recruited" Crazy Anna thanks to the mod Companion Share and Recruit Mod, she was added to his (player) faction and as such raiders became hostile. The man in combat armor is from the mod Traveling NPCs, his name was Wasteland Avenger and he had a dog Teddy who was killed by the raiders. From what I understand, these names are a reference to some TV show.

@Acadian - sometimes plain killin' gets boring for the killer and he has to be more creative.

@SubRosa - it just shows how easy are raiders turned against their friends.

@Renee - you are right about some clues, wrong about some others.

_______

VII

“You haven’t even told me your name yet,” Lucy West said to the young man she had just made love to. They were lying in her bed in the upper floor of her Megaton shack, her head resting on the stranger’s chest.

He was silent for a few seconds, then said one word only: ”Cory:”

“Cory what?” asked Lucy and looked into the stranger’s blue eyes with a smile.

“Cory Costner.” He returned the smile.

They met a few hours ago in Moriarty’s Saloon. Cory was sitting at the bar while Lucy was at her table and they kept glancing at each other, smiling as their eyes would meet. Eventually Cory approached her but as Lucy introduced herself, he told her that she can call him however she likes. Though Lucy considered his answer odd at first, the young man turned out to be a good company and he promised to deliver a letter to her family in Arefu, because it’s been months since she heard of them for the last time.

When asked if he’ll be paid, Lucy said that she doesn’t have any caps but that her father would definitely reward him. He told her that should be enough but in return asked her for a place to sleep. As it turned out, Lucy had a spare bed in her shack which belonged to her brother Ian if he came to visit, but in the end it turned out that another bed wasn’t necessary – Lucy and the stranger shared the same one.

“Where do you come from, Cory Costner" she asked and once again looked in his eyes. She loved his eyes and his smile, there was no way she could get bored of either.

“From one place far to the west.”

“You’re one mysterious fellow, you know that?” smiled Lucy.

“Perhaps.” This time he didn’t smile and for a second Lucy found his blue eyes very cold and calculating.

“What about…?” But before Lucy could finish her question, Cory interrupted her: “What about you tell me more about your family? About Arefu? I want to know more about people I’m supposed to find and the place I’m supposed to visit? Should I be on the lookout for something?”

Lucy West gladly told him about his parents and her little brother Ian, then told him more about her birthplace. Afterwards they made love again and once it was over, Cory wanted to lit a cigarette.

“Sorry, Cory! My house – my rules, which means no smoking inside the house.”

“Sure.” Cory put on his leather jacket, camo pants and as he was tying his black boots, he said: “I’ll be back soon, don’t get dressed yet.” He winked at Lucy, then went out.

Lucy West was in seventh heaven and hoped that Cory would stay with her not just for this night. He was so special and until this day she didn’t believe in love at first sight but now it seemed she was proved wrong.

Outside of her shack the stranger whose name wasn’t Cory, nor was his surname Costner, in fact he never had a known surname, because he was an orphan, lit a cigarette. He had some plans with Lucy West and surprisingly, killing her was not one of them.
_______

https://imgur.com/bGAu5Jg

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https://imgur.com/ObUgTrQ

https://imgur.com/pT1ixE7

Posted by: Renee Sep 22 2017, 02:21 PM

Oh good, Lucy is not on his list. That's good. I like her a lot.

That's weird though. I wonder why she's not on his list. Probably because he plans to spend more time in Megaton.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 22 2017, 04:45 PM

Oohhoohoo! The CK is making plans! This should be interesting! Khajiit is guessing that while Lucy may not be murdered, her life will be ruined.

Posted by: Acadian Sep 22 2017, 07:41 PM

Wow, this really raises some questions! Whatever CK has planned regarding Lucy, I can't believe it will be for the good.

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 22 2017, 07:57 PM

Methinks that the CK has plans for either Aerfu or Megaton, or both, and he is keeping Lucy alive until those plans reach fruition.

Posted by: Lopov Sep 29 2017, 01:32 PM

@Renee - some of your thoughts might be right...

@TheCheshireKhajiit - more will become clear in the future...

@Acadian - only time will tell...

@SubRosa - could be...


_______

VIII

When Lucy West woke up the following morning, Cory Costner was already gone. Gone to Arefu she found written on a paper on the night stand next to her bed. “Watch yourself out there, Cory.” Lucy kissed the paper.

As she went to the Brass Lantern for her breakfast, Jenny Stahl, the cook, told her that the pretty stranger who arrived yesterday, saved Lucas Simms’ life in the morning.

“Oh, you mean Cory?” asked Lucy. “Why? What happened?”

“Just look at yourself,” winked Jenny. “You already know his name. And don’t think I haven’t seen you two going to your shack yesterday…”

“Quit it, Jenny,” smiled Lucy. “What happened with sheriff Simms?”

“Fortunately nothing happened because your Cory intervened.” Jenny made sure to accentuate “your”. “It turned out that Mr. Burke, you know that man in fine suit who came to town not long ago, wanted to bribe Cory to rig our bomb!”

“It can’t be!”

“Well, it sure can. But your Cory informed sheriff Simms about it. However, when the sheriff wanted to arrest Burke, the snake tried to shoot him in the back! He’d succeed if Cory wouldn’t intervene and shoot Burke first. Nova told me all of it, she was there.”

“Oh my God, he saved us all, Jenny, do you get it? If Burke asked someone else, he might rig the bomb and we’d all be gone.”

“Sure, I get it. Sheriff Simms rewarded him heftily, from what I’ve heard. Okay, baby, these were my news,” Jenny put some fresh mutfruits in front of Lucy. “Now what happened the previous evening between you and that sweet stranger, eh?"

Jenny definitely wouldn’t call him sweet if she knew that the man, who saved Megaton and was now walking towards Arefu, would kill two women on this very day.

The first would be Silver, a whore who escaped from Moriarty’s saloon a while ago. The hero of Megaton wanted to have some fun with her first but she would fight back like a wild yao-guai so he would cut her throat quickly and efficiently.

The second one would be a lone hunter named Maggie who would try to fight back as well but the hero of Megaton would overpower her and after some fun, cut her throat too.

Two cards were dropped on this day, a rare event.

The hero of Megaton was surely the sweetest man around.

_______

https://imgur.com/6cxhBur

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Posted by: Renee Sep 29 2017, 02:13 PM

Well I was right about Silver, I knew she would be next, because she lives kind of on her own and stuff.

Card Killer must be stopped! I wonder if there are any chapters coming in which somebody begins to piece together all those cards. Somebody's gotta be following the kid by now.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Sep 29 2017, 04:47 PM

A twofer! Boy, Khajiit can hardly wait to see what his plans for Lucy West are!

Posted by: SubRosa Sep 29 2017, 08:38 PM

The Hero of Megaton must be stopped!

Posted by: Acadian Sep 29 2017, 09:50 PM

Wow, I don't believe CK has a good side in addition to his bad side so I'm just wondering what his game is right now. Does he want to have a safehaven base or does he plan to leave some calling cards there as well? Hmmm....

Posted by: Lopov Oct 6 2017, 07:15 PM

@Renee - in today's story some of your questions will be partly answered.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - Lucy doesn't yet appear in this story but in the next one she does.

@SubRosa - but who will stop him?

@Acadian - I don't think he has a good side either.

_______

IX

“Thanks, kid. You’re alright.” Evan King, the self-proclaimed lawman of Arefu, patted young Cory on the back.

“Wish there were more people like you in the wastes, helping people and such.”

“Glad to help,” smiled Cory and lit a cigarette.

“Are you taking Ian to Lucy in Megaton?” asked King.

“I wanted to but he insists on staying here. I’ll tell Lucy that he’s safe, though. They’ll both have to bear with the death of their parents.”

“They’ll get over it with time. In the wastes you have to learn to get over things quickly because you never know how long you’re going to live. Right, kid?”

“I guess so.”

“Will you be staying with us for a while?” asked Evan and lit a cigarette himself.

“Just tonight. Tomorrow I’m heading back to Megaton.”

---tomorrow night---

"Gentlemen and ladies, boys and girls, prepare to be astounded, bedazzled, and otherwise stupefied! I am Three Dog, your master of ceremonies!” the most popular DJ of the Capital Wasteland greeted his audience. Dorothy, the lone scavenger, turned the volume up. The young man next to her stirred in sleep. Dorothy often listened to Three Dog’s reports, not to mention the great music he played on the radio.
"I've been getting more and more reports of murdered women in the Capital Wasteland,” Three Dog continued with a dramatic voice. “But there’s more – there were tarot cards found next to their bodies. Especially in the south of the Capital Wasteland. Regulators tell stories of the man known as the card killer who kills women, then leaves cards behind. If the stories are true, it now seems that the serial killer came to our parts. All the ladies out there – don’t trust anyone you don’t know, stock up on ammo and be very, very careful.”

Music followed, the Ink spots and their song Maybe, so Dorothy turned the volume slightly down and huddled up to the kid she had just had sex with. Don’t trust anyone you don’t know, the Three Dog was warning her too, but Dorothy just ignored his warning and had sex with a complete stranger. But if he was the guy in question, I’d already be dead by now, wouldn’t I, thought Dorothy.

But she was wrong. The kid next to her was merely waiting for her backpack to be more away from her – if he attacked her now, she might grab for her gun and surprise him. He needed to lure her away from her backpack and her weapons.

“I like this song,” said the kid.

“Oh, you’re awake. Sorry if the radio woke you up.”

“It’s okay. Do you like this song?”

“Yeah. All songs from the Ink Spots are great. Wish they played them more often.”

“How about a toast to us? I’d fetch some wine from that fridge but my leg still hurts from that mole rat’s bite…”

“Oh you poor baby,” smiled Dorothy. “I’ll get it, don’t worry.”

No you won’t, thought the kid and put on his kindest smile.

As Dorothy stood up, still naked, and moved over to the pre-war fridge, leaving her backpack with weapons behind her, the kid silently stood up behind her. He put on his jacket and slowly pulled out the knife from one of its pockets. He went after Dorothy and as she turned around to see what was happening behind her, the knife was already too close to her neck to survive.

The following day Cory Costner returned to Megaton.
_______

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Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Oct 6 2017, 07:43 PM

Well that was a nasty bit of business (par for the course where CK is concerned)! Khajiit loves how Dorothy left on the goggles, lol (gotta protect those eyes from flying fluids!). This one would hate to be the one who stumbles in and discovers the grisly scene with Dorothy's severed head!

Posted by: Renee Oct 6 2017, 08:05 PM

Yeah, she shoulda listened to the Three Dog.

I was wrong this time. I thought he'd go after that one lady who lives up on the bridge where the West family is.... or was. I forget her name, but there's a lady who's kind of b!tchy. Not her.

I am predicting that the Card Killer is rather nondescript. He looks ordinary. No distinguishing features. No facial hair, especially. No scars or moles, freckles, etc. But he's got a rather kind face, and also boyish and cute. He's too innocent-looking. Even Three Dog can't warn people enough about this guy.

Posted by: SubRosa Oct 6 2017, 10:32 PM

Kevin Cory Costner continues his reign of terror. Will no heroes rise to smite down this evil-doer? Or at least a radscorpion?

Posted by: Acadian Oct 7 2017, 01:06 AM

So having protected sex means wearing goggles! Who knew?

Aww, even her goggles didn't protect poor Dorothy.

I'm still wondering if CK is using Megaton as a safe base of operations or if he has sinister plans for there as well.

Three Dog needs to play 'I Need a Hero!'

Posted by: Lopov Oct 13 2017, 03:23 PM

@TheCheshireKhajiit - flying fluids!

@Renee - his face is kind, I think, and cute too. He has some facial hair but not much.

@SubRosa - Deeno, one of my more evil characters in Fallout, was killed by mirelurks because he was careless. Cory is more clever and often avoids combat if possible.

@Acadian - yes, "I need a hero" sounds like an appropriate song for the Capital Wasteland right now.

_______

X

Sheriff Simms recognized a potential when he saw it. Young Cory Costner who saved his life about a week ago, now contributed to the safety of Megaton again – he successfully disarmed the undetonated atomic bomb that was lying dormant in Megaton for many years. Sheriff Simms also noticed that Cory and Lucy West have become closely acquainted as of late, so an offer to the kid was made…

“Say, Cory, our town could use someone like you. To be honest, I need a reliable deputy, someone that’d protect the town and its surroundings. Any chances that you’d stay with us? There’s a free house for you right above us.” The Sheriff pointed in the direction of the small house placed above the Brass Lantern.

“Besides, I think that Lucy West would be very happy to have you stay here with us. With her. What do you say?”

Sheriff Simms expected a negative answer because according to his experience good people always came and left, but surprisingly Cory said: ”Gladly.”

Sheriff Simms firmly patted him on the back. “That’s awesome, kid. Say, you ever heard of the Regulators?”

“I met some of them, mostly in the west,” said Cory and lit a cigarette. “You’re one of them, aren’t you? I recognized your coat.”

“Indeed I am. And it’s good to hear that you’re familiar with us – not many people are left to maintain peace in the wastes so people like us, the Regulators, are very much needed. Besides, we’re always looking for new recruits that’d contribute to the greater good. I’d like to invite you to our ranks, to make you an official lawman of the Capital Wasteland. What do you say?”

The same answer as before: “Gladly.”

“Great, kid. You aren’t tough to persuade, are you?” smiled Simms.

“Depends on the offer.”

“Well, I’ll sure be happy to have you around. Now to make things official, you’ll need to travel to our HQ in the Capital Wasteland and enlist there. I’ll mark the location on your PipBoy. Once there, talk to Sonora Cruz, she’s our leader in these parts. You’ll show her the note which I’ll write for you and then you’ll officially join us.”

“Can’t wait.”

“Good to hear. There are all sorts of psychos out there to deal with, but while I can’t truly blame mutants and feral ghouls, raiders I sure can, so that’s what Regulators are mostly about – dealing with the worst of human race has to offer. There are also some sly killers at work from time to time like that card killer, ever heard of him?”

“Nope.”

“Well, right now he’s somewhere here in the Capital Wasteland but what scares me is that I found one of our former citizens dead in Springvale a while ago and there was the [censored] card next to her body.”

“What card?”

“Oh sorry, you said you don’t know him. Well there’s some sick [censored] roaming the wastes, preying on lone women. He [censored] them, then cuts their throats and leaves cards next to their bodies. Sick, isn’t it? Such corpses were lately found in the Capital Wasteland, mostly in the south and who knows how many more haven’t been found yet. Some of our fellow Regulators that came from other places, told me of similar killings, so looks like the killer isn’t staying in one place for too long. What I’m saying is that while raiders are easy to track down and kill, guys like the card killer can be a tough nut to break, know what I mean?”

“Sure.”

“But enough of that now, I’m sure you’ll meet your own share of killers in the career that’s ahead of you. I’m going to write a message for Sonora now and you can leave to our HQ whenever you feel ready, alright kid?”

“Sounds good.”

Sheriff Simms patted the soon-to-be-deputy on the back again, then left for his house. As the kid lit another cigarette, he looked at his own reflection in the drinking glass in front of him. Becoming a deputy wasn’t in his plan, but the offer was too good to refuse.

_______

https://imgur.com/I4fwS8M

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Posted by: Renee Oct 13 2017, 04:34 PM

F5... F5 ... F... Ah there we go.

The devil's right in front of them all now. Not only that, but even though Lucas hopes he sticks around, the CK's also got a legit reason to travel again. So here we go again.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Oct 13 2017, 08:10 PM

If power corrupts, what does it do to someone who is already corrupt? Khajiit is afraid the CK is about to unleash a nightmare on Megaton!

Posted by: SubRosa Oct 13 2017, 09:59 PM

The wolf is now guarding the sheep pen!

Posted by: Acadian Oct 19 2017, 06:19 PM

Wow! Cory may find himself on the trail of that dastardly Card Killer! Oh the irony!

Darn, I'm starting to kind of like Lucy. That means she's probably gonna be found with a card, eh?

Posted by: Renee Oct 19 2017, 10:30 PM

I'm guessing she won't be. She lives too close around other people, and stays within Megaton at all times. Maybe I'm wrong, but I can't just see her getting offed while "Cory" is around, and then he expects people not to suspect him. He's too smart for that.

Maybe I'm wrong though.

Posted by: Lopov Oct 20 2017, 06:47 PM

Thanks to all of you that are still faithfully following the card killer's tale. Today's story features a twist of sort and the card killer's plans get disrupted.

Also, in the following story late scavenger Violet and her tamed yao-guai are mentioned again so in case you need to refresh your memory, I recommend reading http://chorrol.com/forums/index.php?s=&showtopic=7346&view=findpost&p=288635 again, at least the beginning.

_______

XI

Sonora Cruz welcomed the newest member among their ranks, briefly explained him the rules of “regulating” and handed him the duster that’d identify him as a lawman of the Capital Wasteland.

The legend among the regulators, Sonora Cruz was considered one of the toughest women of the wasteland – numerous good-for-nothings tried to take her life but every single one of them met his death at the hand of Sonora. She wasn’t a woman to mess with and in her long career of a peacemaker she acquired what she called a sixth sense for people.

And she sure as hell didn’t like Cory Costner. “He’s trying too hard to be cute. I don’t like his pleasing smile at all,” thought Sonora. But when Cory was putting his jacket down, Sonora got another, even better reason not to trust him – in the inner pocket of his jacket she noticed a yellow radio head set. Such sets were extremely rare, and so far Sonora Cruz saw only one in her entire life, and it belonged to her friend Violet, who roamed the wastes with her tamed yao-guai Willy. And by now it was well-known that Violet was found dead with the card next to her.

“Hey, Cory! Where’d you get that yellow headset?”

She noticed that he “froze” for a second, like her question unsettled him.

“I bought it from a scavenger,” he answered and the kind smile was gone from his face. “Why?”

“Did you? And was that scavenger a woman?”

“No, a man. But he told me that this headset belonged to some dead woman. Some well-known scavenger. He wanted three hundred caps for it.”

“Did he now?” The disbelief in her voice was hard to miss.

Well he got me now, she thought. Maybe he’s talking the truth, maybe some scav found Violet’s corpse and took her radio set, then sold it to this guy. But if he’s lying…then we’ll have to keep an eye on him.

“The late scavenger was a good friend of mine,” continued Sonora, her eyes firmly fixed on Cory’s. “She also had a lovely pet – a tamed yao-guai called Willy. Did you ever see a tamed yao-guai, Cory?”

“No,” he curtly replied and Sonora sensed that she’s making him slightly nervous.

“Well this friend of mine had this particular radio set. Probably the only one around that’s yellow.”

“So I reckon you want it?” he asked.

“No, no, just keep it. I wanted to be sure, you know. She was killed by the card killer. You familiar with the guy?”

“Lucas Simms told me about him.”

“Good. Then you wouldn’t mind if my guys search you thoroughly, would you? We have to be careful these days with the killer on the run. This guy's really sick, you know? I bet he has a small d!ck so he has to please himself by having sex with his victims before killing them. I bet he has all kinds of complexes, maybe he was even molested as a child.” Sonora's eyes never left Cory's and the same could be said for his. "Anyway, back on topic...you don't mind if Ernesto and Johnny search you, right?"

“No problem,” shrugged the newest regulator though Sonora sensed that she unsettled him.

Sonora’s two henchmen searched Cory but didn’t find any cards.

“Satisfied?” asked Cory.

“I’ll have to be. Alright, kid, good hunting out there. I’m looking forward to hearing about your deeds. I bet there will be plenty.”

“Hope you’re not mad about the headset. I believe it brings me good luck so I always carry it with me since I bought it.” The kind smile was back.

“It’s alright, kid. Now let’s see you at work!”

Cory put his new hat on, nodded in goodbye and left the shack. A distance east of it he approached the raider which he killed on his way to the shack, and took a set of tarot cards from his pocket.

“You’re as good as dead, Sonora Cruz.”

He clenched the cards. It always made him nervous when people were asking too many questions. Even more nervous as they talked about his complexes! His!They were the one with complexes! All of his victims deserved it! Deserved it right through their necks! Wh0res! All of them were wh0res! Stupid headset! Why didn’t he get rid of it?

“F**k you, Sonora.”

He clenched cards even more, tearing some of them.

This wasn’t what he was planning.

“Why did I even accept this stupid role of a deputy?”

He was careless and now it were better if he left the Capital Wasteland. Too bad, he could see himself living with Lucy. He wouldn't harm her, she was better than others, she cared about him. He felt good with her. He really intended to try and stop his killing habit and live an ordinary life with Lucy but this bleeding b!tch Sonora Cruz ruined everything. She's going to pay! Many, many of them are going to pay! Nobody f***s with the card killer.

Disturbed more than ever, the newest regulator headed northeast. He should return to Megaton but he wanted to enact his vengeance on the first woman he'll come across. If he hurries, he should be in Megaton by tomorrow. By then he would think of another plan.

_______

https://imgur.com/kQFS2sE

https://imgur.com/A665A2P

Posted by: Renee Oct 20 2017, 07:45 PM

Ha ha he got nervous, the little punk. Good episode, scoundrel. Sonora's not going to get hurt, I bet. He can't go there. If he does, he really is losing his cool.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Oct 20 2017, 08:51 PM

Bahahaha looks the CK met a worthy opponent!

Posted by: SubRosa Oct 20 2017, 09:33 PM

Uh oh, Deputy Kevin Costner may have gotten in over his head with Sonora! I wonder which one will end up with their throat slit?

Posted by: Acadian Oct 20 2017, 10:21 PM

Woot! It is great to see the CK rattled - and Sonora is awesome. Once alone, he reveals that Sonora likely has him pretty well pegged. Maybe he's rattled enough to screw up. We can only hope.

Posted by: Lopov Oct 27 2017, 05:32 PM

@Renee - don't bet too much on Sonora's not getting hurt.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - he did indeed.

@SubRosa - maybe neither.

@Acadian - Sonora's words definitely changed a lot of what the card killer had in plan. For better or for worse, that yet remains to be seen.

_______

XII

As Crow, one of the four wandering merchants in the Capital Wasteland, and his loyal bodyguard Natasha were approaching the Temple of the Union, a safe haven for runaway slaves, they immediately noticed that something was terribly wrong. Outside there was a dead brahmin and next to it lay the corpse of their friend Crazy Wolfgang, another wandering merchant.

“Ready your weapons,” Crow ordered his bodyguard as he checked his late friend’s corpse. “He’s still warm so whoever did this left recently…or is still here.”

They slowly approached the ruined three-story building called the Temple of the Union and found the main door surprisingly unlocked. At all times escaped slaves kept the door tightly locked and only when trading, the merchants were let in, so Crow was positive that escaped slaves faced the same fate as his poor friend Crazy Wolfgang.

“I bet slavers sniffed the place out,” he told Natasha.

Crow first found Caleb Smith’s corpse in his bed, his throat cut. The next one found was Simone Cameron, her throat cut as she was sitting at a table. In a common room were corpses of Hannibal Hamlin and Bill Seward. And when he was more and more convinced that it was slavers who slaughtered their former “property”, he found the corpse of the youngest escaped slave – Alejandra Torres. Next to her corpse was a card depicting death.

“[censored]! It wasn’t the slavers, Natasha. It was the card killer!”

Not far from the Temple of the Union the killer was hiding behind some tree, inspecting Crow’s actions from a safe distance thanks to his scoped .44 Magnum. It wasn’t in his habit to kill as massively, he only wanted Alejandra but after Sonora Cruz pissed him off with her questioning, he needed to unleash his wrath on someone. Besides, if he had killed only Alejandra, it wouldn’t be difficult for other escaped slaves to put two and two together about the card killer’s identity – the seemingly friendly Regulator called Cory Costner who came to their temple this very day, pretending to be on a lookout for slaves. So unfortunately for Alejandra’s friends, they had to be removed too. And when he was done with them, Crazy Wolfgang and his stupid bodyguard came to the Temple to trade, in other words they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. A shame, he didn’t have anything against them, but he couldn’t afford to leave witnesses behind.

Despite mass murdering the card killer didn’t feel much better. Sonora Cruz ruined some of his plans and he had no doubt that regulators will spy on him as he’ll be performing his duty in or around Megaton. So maybe it was time to “die”. He “died” a few times before to elude those that found him suspicious. And then when he “dies”, Sonora would get what she deserves.

_______

https://imgur.com/ds5qtag

https://imgur.com/q1tukyF

https://imgur.com/MeFaSmZ

https://imgur.com/WcbW3ii

https://imgur.com/ecz6PqJ

https://imgur.com/jQNbh2b and his https://imgur.com/lZ03Gqg

https://imgur.com/nzB2h5e

Posted by: Renee Oct 27 2017, 06:15 PM

That's right. Card Killer is as good as caught, pretty much, because Sonora's gonna start asking questions, right? She'd better.

I like how the Crow Crew all knew who was responsible right away, or at least suspected as much.

I will say goodbye early to Cory. His day is coming.

Posted by: SubRosa Oct 27 2017, 10:13 PM

I wonder if Sonora will sniff out the murder of the Unionists and connect it to The CK. The proximity and timing make things look bad for him.

Posted by: Acadian Oct 27 2017, 10:23 PM

Wow, he is getting braver, bolder and bloodier. Seems Sonora really pushed his buttons. If he was thinking clearly, he would have disappeared into the desert shortly after meeting Sonora. Seems he may be stumbling into his own undoing by keeping his profile high.

Posted by: Renee Oct 27 2017, 11:23 PM

Sloppier though, for sure. He's losing his cool.

Posted by: Acadian Oct 28 2017, 01:13 AM

I thing you are spot on right!

Posted by: Lopov Nov 3 2017, 02:02 PM

What a nice discussion you all had.

Today's story was supposed to be much longer but I have a busy week and I didn't find time to edit and extend it. But I still think it's better to post it in its original form than wait another week to write more.

_______

XIII

The new deputy was well-liked among Megatoners. Though he was tasked with patrolling the vicinity of Megaton which meant that he usually left in mornings and returned in evenings, he made sure that the annoying preacher who kept rambling next to the now disarmed pre-war atomic bomb, preached no longer. The deputy kindly escorted him back to his church and advised him to preach there instead of in the middle of the town.

Walter, the local repairman, was glad to find out that the deputy wasn’t just handy with a gun but helped him fix some rusty pipes when he wasn’t on duty.

Jenny Stahl was glad to have him around in her bar, the Brass Lantern, because Jericho would leave her alone when Cory was around.

But the happiest was Lucy West who shared the bed with the new deputy. Though sheriff Simms gave him his own shack, Cory spent most nights at Lucy’s place.

Sonora Cruz, on the other hand, wasn’t as excited about the new deputy as Megatoners. Only a few days after he left the Regulators HQ, news of dead slaves at the Temple of the Union reached her. To her it made perfect sense that Cory Costner was behind it. Still, it was too damn obvious and surely Cory, if he was the card killer, would know that she would get even more suspicious. Unless this was his way of mocking her – her henchmen found no cards on him and as such she couldn’t accuse him of any crime but maybe the murders of escaped slaves were meant as revenge or as a warning to her.

In the following days she sent some of her regulators, disguised as simple travelers to travel in and around Megaton. When all but one, a young Regulator named Belle, returned, Sonora sent more guys to search the area around Megaton. It wasn’t long when her decapitated body was found by an abandoned barn west of the town, the card of death in the pool of blood next to her body.

Sonora knew it was time to act.

_______

https://imgur.com/PxZIpT4

https://imgur.com/gfSTB2B

https://imgur.com/bYJ1MUC

https://imgur.com/Ly3PnwS

https://imgur.com/f9zTpRP

https://imgur.com/j59LhXj

https://imgur.com/vRU7wpD

Posted by: Renee Nov 3 2017, 02:18 PM

Yeah, see, he just made some huge blunders. His ego's getting all hurt and stuff, and he's out of control, the [censored].

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Nov 3 2017, 05:14 PM

Oooh! Someone's in trouble! Khajiit suspects the CK will find a way out it though.

Posted by: Acadian Nov 3 2017, 09:03 PM

I know what CK should do to survive but I'm glad he's not doing it.

Yeah, I'm cheering for Sonora!

Posted by: SubRosa Nov 3 2017, 09:10 PM

Hopefully Belle will be the last of the CKs victims.

Posted by: Lopov Nov 10 2017, 07:02 AM

@Renee - he may be losing control but today's story shows that he's still quite intelligent.

@TheCheshireKhajiit - when in trouble, you gotta remove the trouble.

@Acadian - cheer some more and maybe your wish will be granted.

@SubRosa - unfortunately she won't be the last.


Today's story is slightly more 'complicated' than others, particularly to those haven't played Fallout before. I tried to write it as clearly as possible but if there are some questions, I'll answer them.
_______

XIV

Lucy West’s happiness was short-lived.

Before Sonora's regulators would come to Megaton to question the new deputy, Cory Costner died.

Killed by the same unknown man who killed Leo Stahl, another Megatoner, earlier that night.

When sheriff Simms passed her the sad news, Lucy wanted to kill herself and probably would if her friend Jenny Stahl, late Leo’s sister, wouldn’t be there to comfort her. Jenny lost a brother and Lucy lost a boyfriend – how could life be so cruel? It was sheriff Simms who found the mutilated corpse of his young deputy close to Vault 101.

“I’m sorry, kid,” Simms was on the verge of tears, standing next to what remained of young Cory. “I’m sorry that I ever invited you into our ranks. You’d be alive now if it weren’t for me.”

On rocks above the sheriff the young man who was presumed to be dead, was watching the sheriff through the scope of his magnum revolver. His plan had worked as intended and deputy Cory Costner died that day.

Earlier that day he noticed a young man eating in the Brass Lantern. He was about the same size as him and had a similar skin tone. The young man’s name was Slim and he was a wastelander who just briefly stopped in Megaton to buy some supplies. Deputy Costner offered him five hundred caps if he’ll run out of Megaton at exactly 11 PM, then meet him outside Vault 101. An odd request, especially from a lawman, thought Slim, but first of all the pay was too good to refuse because the deputy gave him half of the promised sum in advance and second, it was supposed to be a test of sort for some other lawman, or so the deputy said. “All will be explained later,” said deputy Costner and handed Slim two hundred and fifty caps.

At exactly 10:55 PM deputy Costner sneaked into the water processing plant of Megaton. There Leo Stahl, the town’s drug dealer, was waiting for potential customers as he did every night. Instead of some junkie, deputy Costner waltzed in and without saying a word, shot Stahl in the head, killing him on the spot and then took all his drugs. As he came out of the water plant, he yelled that Leo Stahl’s been murdered and that he’s going after the killer. He also ordered the closest citizen who happened to be Old Walter, to wake up sheriff Simms.
Deputy Costner ran out of the town, through Springvale and met with Slim right outside Vault 101, as agreed.

“I did my part, deputy. Not sure I get it but as long as I…”

Deputy Costner didn’t bother to reply, instead he shot Slim in the head, from much closer distance as he shot Leo, turning Slim’s head into a bloody pasta. He quickly undressed and put his duster on Slim’s corpse, then cut off his limbs. He carried his corpse to the road below Vault 101, tossed it on the ground next to his distinctive regulator hat and rifle.

Then he ran back up and hid behind the rocks, waiting for the sheriff to come. Simms fell for the trick and why wouldn’t he? The plan was foolproof.

Wastelander Slim who came to Megaton that day, was probably a junkie and was supposed to buy drugs from Leo Stahl. Something happened between the two of them, they argued and Slim killed Leo, then stole his drugs. Deputy Costner was close enough to hear the shot and promptly ran after Slim who was spotted running out of Megaton, confirmed by three witnesses – guard Stockholm, beggar Carlos and robotic deputy Weld. A few minutes later deputy Costner ran out of the town as well, going after the killer. Unfortunately the deputy was careless and Slim obviously ambushed him by the vault. But it wasn’t enough just to kill him, he cut off his limbs too, probably as a message not to follow him.

That was how Simms explained the sad events of the bloody night the following morning and that’s what Megatoners believed. As the sun was rising over the sad town, a distance south of it the man presumed to be dead, already decided for a new name – Chester. It would be his last fake name in the Capital Wasteland because he was planning to head west soon. It was fun while it lasted but he was getting bored of the Capital Wasteland already. Only a little more time needed to pass for the story of his sad death to get around and the it will be time for the final act of the card killer.

***

In the following days news of Cory’s death reached Sonora Cruz, the leader of the regulators. Lucas Simms himself went to report the sad news.

“Whoever did it, hacked my deputy to pieces,” said Simms, saddened.

“Did he? And what did you find on his corpse?”

“Was I supposed to find something special?” Simms was confused.

“Just tell me what did you find, Lucas,” patiently said Sonora Cruz.

“His rifle and his hat were next to the body but there were also cigarettes, stimpaks, some snacks, a few keys…”

“Was there a yellow radio headset?” Sonora interrupted him.

“What? No, no headset. Why are you asking me this?”

Sonora said nothing but leaned back in her chair. The unknown murderer killed the deputy yet he didn’t take his stimpaks but the yellow radio headset.

I believe it brings me good luck so I always carry it with me since I bought it, said Cory as he came to enlist, she remembered his words very clearly.

“I’d ask you a favor, Lucas,” continued Sonora. “Search his house in Megaton and send me a message if you find a yellow radio headset. No questions, just do it, alright?”

The following day a courier delivered a message to Sonora – there wasn’t any trace of a yellow radio headset found in the late deputy’s house.

Sonora Cruz was concerned – it could be that the late deputy gave the yellow headset to someone else as a gift, it could be that he lost it but it could be that he staged his own death. With the blown-up head and chopped body who can say for sure?

Sonora Cruz had a good reason to be concerned.

_______

https://imgur.com/WN3T7Bd, the unsuspecting victim of the deputy's plot

https://imgur.com/9bR7fyW (to avoid confusion, Leo and Slim are similar to each other but Slim has a beard)

https://imgur.com/d6ixYMa

https://imgur.com/3tZKE2Z

https://imgur.com/NPAcRbb

https://imgur.com/3Gr1xUS

https://imgur.com/A2zTyzH

https://imgur.com/U89vFYL

https://imgur.com/bBu1iYj

https://imgur.com/ivjhI0k

https://imgur.com/ilLwRia

https://imgur.com/sM4Xyl7

Posted by: Acadian Nov 10 2017, 06:21 PM

The CK conceived and executed a good plan - smart. Happily, however, it looks like Sonora is also smart. Clever of her to remember the yellow headset and connect what its absence on the corpse could mean. You're doing some cool plot weaving here!

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Nov 10 2017, 09:10 PM

Khajiit agrees; very smart! He almost got away with it too!

Posted by: SubRosa Nov 10 2017, 10:11 PM

The CK is a clever rascal. But I think he's met his match in Sonora.

Posted by: Renee Nov 11 2017, 11:40 PM

Yea see, I was gonna say -- If it's just him running out of the water processing building and saying 'Leo's been shot!" it's too obvious how this happened. Then all they'd have to do is link the caliber size of any guns in Cory's possession to whatever killed Leo (circumstantial evidence). Then, IF they have the capability to check rifling marks from bullet to gun, and IF the bullet in Leo's head is still intact, now Cory's in jail (forensic evidence).

Circumstantial evidence builds suspicion, but cannot often be used in court in its own. It's just not enough. But forensic evidence like rifling marks on bullets is indisputable.

So that's why Cory got that Slim kid to run out of there. Well, Cory is smart, but not that smart! He should maybe have set Slim on fire. There is no DNA testing in the Wasteland, they're just too backwards for that, I'm assuming, so that won't be a prob. But all Lucas would have to do is have Lucy identify the body. She's seen Cory naked (I'm assuming) and they all know it by now (I'm assuming). So she'd know any particular marks on Cory's body like freckles, birthmarks, tan-lines, whatever.

Of course, Lucas Simms might not be as bright a sheriff as we'd like. This sort of idea might not even occur to him. They just assume it's Cory who's been found. Wow, no body identification? Don't they watch CSI? Kidding.

Well at least Sonora Cruz is on top of things. Heh, maybe she should be named Sheriff!

Posted by: Lopov Nov 15 2017, 08:57 PM

@Acadian - thanks! The card killer thinks that Sonora might not be fooled so easily so it's better to take some precautions...

@TheCheshireKhajiit - maybe he'll get away with it totally.

@SubRosa - we'll see about that soon...

@Renee - one of your suggestions made me chuckle the other day as I read your reply because it's included in today's short story.
_______

The Interlude II

“That…that’s not him.”

Lucy’s words shocked Sheriff Simms.

Sonora Cruz was right when she didn’t trust the scheme and asked Simms to show remains of his body to Lucy West, the only person in Megaton who saw Cory Costner naked, to recognize him.

“What does this mean, Sheriff?” asked Lucy, crying. “What is this…?”

“I…I don’t know, dear.” Lucas Simms was embarrassed as well. “Go home and rest now, I’ll…I’ll send the word to Sonora.”

“Is Cory still alive?” cried Lucy. “But why would he do this to me?”

To this Sheriff Simms knew no answer until today but when Sonora told him of his suspicions about the card killer’s true identity, Simms began to have his own doubts.

“Sonora must know of this immediately.”

But by the time the messenger departed from Megaton and headed for the Regulators HQ, the card killer was already there. He intended to leave the Capital Wasteland but not before throwing the final card, this one next to Sonora’s corpse.

Posted by: Acadian Nov 15 2017, 09:12 PM

I'm hoping this means he hasn't yet killed Sonora and there may still be time for her to kick his butt!

But now I'm hanging... wondering what that messenger will find...

Heh, getting Lucy to ID the headless body was a good idea, as Renee mentioned earlier. Isn't it fun when a reader is thinking along the same lines as you?

Posted by: SubRosa Nov 16 2017, 12:44 AM

Looks like we will see the CK draws an inside straight, or if Sonora cashes him out...

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Nov 16 2017, 05:15 AM

Oooh, khajiit is imagining that the CK is skulking around the HQ, hiding in the shadows, and waiting for his opportunity to strike! Will Sonora be ready for him? We shall see!

Posted by: Renee Nov 16 2017, 03:00 PM

Bingo. This one just said it. I think she will be, in some manner.

We have to consider there are three CK chapters left. The next one is going to be longer. That's going to be the 'showdown' one, between Sonora and 'Cory.' I think Sonora already knows what's going on, but does she know what's going to happen?

That's weird that they'd use a messenger when they've got ham radios. Yeah, none of these work in the base game (or nobody uses them) but still.

Posted by: Lopov Nov 17 2017, 02:10 PM

@Acadian - Sonora hasn't been killed (yet).

@SubRosa - the regulator vs the card killer!

@TheCheshireKhajiit - Sonora shouldn't be underestimated but neither should be the card killer.

@Renee - there were supposed to be three chapters left indeed but I cut one (I became like Bethesda, cutting things out before the final release) and I merged the today's story into one chapter so...

...what's ahead is the final story of the card killer. And for a change, this entire story and pics are taken from the perspective of Sonora Cruz.

_______

XV

Rusty was young, quick and agile and as such served as an ideal messenger. In the Mojave he’d probably be called a courier but in the Capital Wasteland the word “messenger” was more popular. He exceled at sneaking and managed to slip by even the most dangerous creatures without being seen. Lucas Simms stressed out the importance of his mission – carry the news about deputy Costner to Sonora Cruz – as fast as possible. That wasn’t a problem for Rusty, he was a quick runner. He ran all the way from Megaton to the Regulators HQ, occasionally sneaking past some raiders and vicious dogs, but only when he made it close to the HQ, his running gradually slowed down until it became cautious walking. Something wasn’t right there. He spotted dead brahmin from the distance but that didn’t alert him, perhaps they were old and just died, but as he got closer, he saw a bunch of bodies outside the HQ. None of them seemed to be moving…at least that’s what he thought at first. Yet as Rusty got closer, carefully walking towards the shack to see if he’d recognize any bodies, someone’s hand firmly grabbed him by his ankle…

***earlier that night***

Sonora Cruz was awakened by silence. An odd thing to wake someone up, but until tonight there was never silence in the regulators headquarters. Except now it was.

Ernesto should be walking downstairs, he was on duty inside the shack tonight.

But she didn’t hear any footsteps.

Even a faint smell of cigarettes that was always present in the shack when Ernesto was on duty, was gone. Earlier this day Sonora gave him some of her own cigarettes because as usual, Ernesto was out of them.

But she didn’t smell any cigarettes.

The radio was silent as well – the radio which wasn’t supposed to be silent because Ernesto liked listening to the GNR when on duty. But the only thing Sonora heard was silence – dead silence.

Did Ernesto step outside to talk to Johnny and Silvia? Unlikely.

Sonora got up from her bed and immediately noticed something at the entrance to her room. A small black figure – what was it? Before thinking she grabbed for the 9 mm gun next to her bed and pointed it in the direction of the…

https://imgur.com/yzkkivm

https://imgur.com/3L5eFf2

...…garden gnome? Yes, that’s what it was – the garden gnome. Sonora quickly checked her gun – it was loaded alright. Even if this one wasn’t loaded, Penelope was, but still, it was better to be sure.

Who put the gnome there? Definitely not her henchmen, they never joked in such a way.

Something was wrong this night. Something was very wrong.

Carefully she stepped over the garden gnome and out of her room on the first floor, then slowly leaned over the wooden fence from where she had a good view of the ground floor. Her eyes immediately shifted to the left to the radio and as she had correctly assumed – it was turned off.

https://imgur.com/xdLipTX

Except that - silence. Sonora felt like she could almost touch it.

“Ernesto?” she asked the empty shack.

No answer, not that she expected any.

For the first time a startling thought crossed Sonora’s mind – the card killer. Did he come for her?

Sonora dealt with many dangerous lowlifes and until tonight she wasn’t afraid of the card killer because he usually preyed on hapless victims but what made her scared, was that there was no sign of her henchmen – they were tough guys, all of them, they’ve been regulating the wastes for years, and if whoever was after her, killed them, then she better be careful. Her sixth sense was telling her that her henchmen were dead and that their killer intentionally placed the gnome to her room to be the first thing she would see as she would wake up. Obviously someone wanted to play some game with her.

‘Alright, bastard, let’s play’ Sonora was encouraging herself, as she was slowly stepping down the stairs, careful not to step on some concealed trap.

Beside the main room on the ground floor there was only one small room, which served as a storage. Just like the main room, that one was empty too. Ernesto’s ashtray next to the radio wasn’t as full as usual which meant that he was probably…gone for quite a while.

https://imgur.com/dIIbkig

Only one thing remained for her now – she had to step outside. And she better does it quick because the killer is probably expecting her to cautiously crawl out.

Head-on Sonora kicked the door so they opened wide with a loud sound, then jumped outside, clutching the gun. As she landed, she almost tripped over a pile of…

https://imgur.com/PD5JGLw

Ernesto, Johnny and Silvia, her dead henchmen. Shivers ran down her back– they were lying on each other, dragged together to ensure that they’ll be the first thing to see when coming outside.

Sonora stepped back, quickly looked right, then left…left, that’s where he was. Crouched behind the freshly slain brahmin. Waiting for her.

https://imgur.com/9o2JQSt

https://imgur.com/sCLzr1h

Though he was wearing the raider-like leather helmet which covered the upper half of his face, the familiar kind smile was playing on his lips. The smile which she disliked as soon as she saw it but it was thanks to this smile that many innocent women were killed. The card killer was here and he definitely didn’t come to talk.

https://imgur.com/KvRp80R

“’Hola senora Sonora,” he stood up, and Sonora saw a bloody knife in his right hand – one of the last things which his victims saw and her late henchmen as well.

“Die, bastard!” yelled Sonora without a second though, aimed and pressed the trigger but all she heard was a dull click and no bullet left her gun.

“Too bad,” smiled the card killer and boastfully stepped over the dead brahmin. “I could have slit your throat as you were sleeping. But it was so much fun to switch ammos with blanks. To see your reaction. To see that you’re lost. Guess what happens now, Sonora Cruz? Guess what happens now?”

Yet now a sly smile appeared on Sonora’s face, causing the killer to momentarily stop. “I bet you will never guess,” she said and threw the 9mm gun on the ground, while at the same time quickly pulling another gun from the inner pocket of her jacket.

This was no ordinary 9 mm gun, this was her own modified version of a 10 mm gun, Sonora’s favorite weapon called Penelope, the last thing which many lowlifes heard and saw. She always slept with Penelope next to her heart and once again this habit proved to yield a good result. Now the kind smile was completely gone from the card killer’s face.

“Guess what happens now, punk?” Sonora repeated the question, aimed, fired and…

…missed!

The bastard was fast, she didn’t expect him to react so swiftly, as he leaned right when she fired. As a result, there he was now, already at her.

https://imgur.com/OB1zkL7

He fiercely swung his bloody knife, cutting a deep wound in Sonora’s right cheek. The pain was immense but Sonora fired again, the aim was bad but she hit him in the left shoulder. The killer staggered, obviously surprised by the powerful blow from Penelope but before she could fire again, he again jumped at her, slitting her forehead, nose and part of the left cheek.

https://imgur.com/7Y6Anhb

Sonora was used to pain but the killer’s knife was obviously coated with something that stung like hell and was making her legs weak.

‘Poison! His knife is poisoned.’

https://imgur.com/lvAXwFZ

https://imgur.com/lFDvP6O

https://imgur.com/FNhUZs4

https://imgur.com/I4EwmYK

She tried to run away but because of blood running in her eyes and her weakened legs, she fell over some rock. Without faltering, the card killer was behind her and stabbed her in the back. Only thanks to her thick vest which she was wearing beneath her duster, her life was saved this time.

‘Get hold of yourself!’ she encouraged herself yet words won't be enough and Sonora Cruz knew that very well.

https://imgur.com/PwkR6RN

https://imgur.com/TAZIU2a

Because there won’t be the next time if she won’t react fast enough. She tried to stand up but the card killer kicked her in the head, turning her over. This time her nose ached, and blood came pouring out. It was broken, no doubt but that was the least of her worries.

‘He’s playing again. He thinks he already got me.’

If she deceived him for a few more seconds that she’s already defeated, her last plan might work.

“Already on your knees, Sonora?” mockingly asked the card killer. “I am disappoint. I expected more. I hope you won’t be disappointed if we don’t have sex? I’m just not in the mood tonight and your bloody face isn’t of much help either.”

Still on her knees, arms clutched around her belly, Sonora Cruz did what she saw as her last chance. Her powerful gun obviously wasn’t enough to penetrate the killer’s armor, just like her, he was probably also equipped with some thick vest beneath it. Yet in her pocket there were two special bullets – capable of piercing even the thickest armor. Such ammos couldn’t be found in the Capital Wasteland but she hailed from the west and in the Mojave such ammunition was a fairly common sight. She already spent most of such bullets on some powerful enemies, so only two remained. She obviously stood no chance against the killer in melee combat, he was too damn quick and agile yet Sonora knew that her next bullet must hit the target – or she will be gone for good, in the same place with the card killer’s other victims, wherever that was. No mistakes allowed this time, Sonora Cruz. In a matter of seconds all regular bullets were out and Sonora put two armor-piercing ones inside.

“Alright, Sonora…” the card killer mocked her again. “Time to finish…”

That was when Sonora quickly turned around and fired. Straight to his chest. But…

…the card killer merely staggered.

‘How can this be?’

Yet a second later blood came pouring from beneath his armor like a small yet torrential waterfall.

https://imgur.com/l1O5HEZ

“You b!tch,” he yelled and coughed up some blood. This was a good sign for Sonora Cruz. The bastard bled after all.

She expected him to fall but unbelievably the card killer gathered his strength to make another run-and-jump at her. And she had just one more armor-piercing bullet.

It was nor or never.

As he got close to her, once again faster than she expected, and his knife cut another fresh wound on her left cheek, Sonora fired her last bullet.

The killer staggered again, looked at Sonora and smiled.

But as he smiled, more blood came pouring from his mouth.

“Die, damn you, die!” yelled Sonora and tried to stand up yet her legs wouldn’t allow her.

https://imgur.com/SpnCX63

https://imgur.com/HKUoKD5

https://imgur.com/PkAOAWu

“That’s not…” the killer faltered back. “…possible. I…am…invulnerab…”

"No, you ain't!" victoriously yelled Sonora and as the card killer was falling back, a deck of cards flew from his jacket, and as he landed on the ground, cards strew all around him like signatures which he left behind one too many times.

https://imgur.com/NMO6Bf6

https://imgur.com/QNciQl5

https://imgur.com/xaEyu7r

https://imgur.com/XmcLBda

“Dead among cards,” sighed Sonora and crawled to his body. Her face probably looked worse than a used pre-war cutting board and her back ached horribly but there he was – lying in front of her, encircled by the very cards he loved so much.

Even before Sonora removed his leather mask, she knew who was behind it - the same man who enlisted as a regulator a few weeks ago. If she only listened to her sixth sense more closely, some people might still be alive.

https://imgur.com/mzm7Dyv

https://imgur.com/7KfOUta

https://imgur.com/RhYAdwb

Getting more dizzy with every passing second, Sonora managed to put an ordinary bullet in Penelope, aimed at the killer’s face and fired – turning his head into a bloody mess. He was dead before, she knew it, but it was better to be sure.

***back to the present***

“Help…me. Please,” Sonora barely had any strength to talk yet when she sensed someone walking close to her, she knew this might be her last chance for survival. She was bleeding, she was poisoned and she definitely didn’t want to end like the last of card killer’s victim. She grabbed the stranger’s ankle whoever he was, it could be a raider for all she knew, but fortunately it was Rusty of Megaton.

A few minutes later as Rusty’s stimpaks were already having an effect as was his antivenom, Sonora Cruz made sure that the killer’s corpse was still there, next to her. And it was, still encircled with its damned cards. The price was high but the wasteland was safe at last.

_______

The epilogue

In the following days news of the card killer’s demise spread over the Capital Wasteland. The young man, who went under many different names and whose real name would now never be revealed, neither would be his motives, if there were any at all, was dead for good. Some like Lucas Simms couldn't believe how easily they fell for his life. Some others like Lucy West, still refused to believe the truth. Susan Lancaster from the Tenpenny Tower, however, wasn’t surprised at all – she linked the young stranger to Millicent’s death immediately but why would she care as long as he paid for her sex services.

The remaining ten killer’s cards were taken by Rusty to Megaton yet it wasn’t long and they caused a huge interest among various wasteland collectors of rare items. Immediately recognizing an opportunity to earn some proper caps instead of small fees which he got paid as a messenger, Rusty left Megaton and traveled across the Capital Wasteland, selling the cards of death at ridiculously high prices yet some devoted collectors were prepared to pay for them no matter the price.

Sonora Cruz was recuperating from her injuries and though deep wounds on her face would leave her scarred for the rest of her life, she considered it as a punishment for not reacting quicker because she knew that she could at least save some girls if she only acted against the deputy of Megaton earlier.

When Lucy West found out that she was pregnant, it was just another reason to leave Megaton for good. Many people avoided her since the card killer’s identity was revealed and Lucy still stubbornly refused to believe the truth. Pregnant and sad, she left Megaton, and traveled to Arefu where she moved in together with her brother Ian.

For most wastelanders, though, life soon returned to their old habits, and the card killer became just another fading memory in the dangerous wasteland.

Posted by: TheCheshireKhajiit Nov 17 2017, 06:26 PM

Nice epic battle to end the story! For a minute there, Khajiit wasn’t sure Sonora would survive. Glad she did! Nice work Lopov, Khajiit really enjoyed this story!

Posted by: SubRosa Nov 17 2017, 06:33 PM

You had me on the edge of my seat as well! So good to see the CK get his deck shuffled!

It was also good to see that unlike the goons that Eulogy sent after Rattler, Sonora made sure the job was finished.

Posted by: Acadian Nov 17 2017, 07:53 PM

What a nailbiter of a battle! So glad to see CK lying in a pile of bloody cards and that the magnificent Sonora survived!

Well done, Lopov!

Posted by: Renee Nov 19 2017, 11:05 PM

Okay, so THAT'S him??? Okay yeah I can see this! He looks like an evil Brad Pitt or something.

You know what? Those shots are all creepy, but the creepiest are definitely the ones taken in VATS.

Ha ha DIE you Brad Pitt-looking mother trucker DIE! And time for some Jaeger shots for all of us.

Well good job for moving this story to completion, scoundrel. Looks as though it took a lot of organizing to get all those shots and match them up with the words. How on Earth did you get the story from Sonora's perspective though? ... Never mind, I don't want to know. That part really has me mystified, but it's also good to keep some mystery going,

.

Posted by: Lopov Nov 20 2017, 11:00 AM

Thanks all!

Evil Brad Pitt, lol.

There isn't any big mystery behind the final scene but I'll include it in spoilers just in case...