SMG4: Fallout AU (Official Edition / SMG4 AU)

Chapter 10: Hunter Hunted

Prologue:

Four days after The Explosion:

"I don't want to set the world on fire, I just want to start... A flame in your heart..."

A rundown radio continued to play in the abandoned shed, untouched ever since the explosion, as birds flew overhead in the orange coloured sky. However each one was picked off, one by one out of the sky as the flock dispersed but was caught, snatched or impaled by the blades of the three fingered creature in flight, sometimes colliding straight into the helpless animals.

Screeches and muffled cries came from the chest of this hunter as its prey struggled to leave the small flaming space within the belly of this beast, the heated metal grate door to the belly rattled was pounded against desperately until the screams stopped. Deer, rabbits, cows, whatever was found was robbed of its life by this swift and terrible being. It hovered above the empty streets, scanning the abandoned roads and buildings as it left a trail of thick black smoke before returning to a nearby church.

*Gasp*

Its head snapped around to face the direction of the sound coming from the unfortunate soul who dared to make a sound within its presence. A person ran down an alleyway as it heard the whoosh of the robot finally touch the ground with it's heavy feet. Each step rippled across the abandoned streets as it primed it's blood-stained and red glowing bladed fingers, snapping left and right to find the prey. Eventually, the robot left and flew off and as the sound of jets disappeared, the same person slowly lifted the lid of a dumpster and gently pulled it down.

Making a run for it, he dashed across the street in hopes of going somewhere. Somewhere away from this mess. A place that wasn't caged in the territory of this man-made monster.

Too late.

He never noticed it.

He just turned around and then was tackled down onto the ground, both arms held down by the class that gripped and squeezed onto them, digging deeper into his flesh as the furnace door swung open, his fate was sealed with a fiery blast that scorched the prey until unresponsive.

"Prepare the Feast! The consumer deserves such a meal!"

Those words were spoken by a leader of a group of masked men, fueled by the promise of protection from a divine being when in reality, controlled by fear. Hooded figures rushed from place to place, preparing the freshly grilled meat on silver and bronze blood-stained plates onto tables arranged into a line.

A few moments later, a large bulgy creature crashed through the doors and stared at the banquet prepared for him. With one swipe of his bloody tendril, he scooped up the freshly cooked flesh into his lamprey mouth before falling onto a whole cow, sinking his teeth into the steaming meat. As the beast greedily finished its meal, the hooded figures emerged from their hiding spots and looked at the plates, then at the robot standing in the corner.

"Well done Followers, we have fed The Consumer a bountiful meal that shall lead to our salvation from this wasteland!"

The congregation stood up from kneeling to their shrine and dispersed as two members of the group were approached by the Leader.

"Take him to the basement."

He pointed at the lifeless robot standing in the corner, awaiting another command with blood still dripping from his bladed fingers and his furnace door sealed shut but still glowing. Without hesitation, the two carried the robot away as he stared ahead at the congregation now dispersing. Down some stairs, they threw him into a small, dark, stone cold room.

"Tomorrow is another day, get ready for it, Serial Designation F".

14 Days since the Explosion:
(SMG4's Perspective:)
7:00AM:
It's been two, or three days since Mario disappeared and we still had work to do on the RV. His disappearance has affected us and slowed progress. We've taken a break for now. I'm actually starting to miss him, he seemed to have lightened the mood in times like this, that's all he's ever done really, I mean, we never considered how he feels at all.