The Wastelands (VenturianTale fanfic)

Chapter 4

Seconds, minutes, hours slowly ticked by as Cywren laid there on her bed, pondering the words of her intelligent friend. Timebomb was sound asleep and his body rose and fell according to his breathing. What was she missing? Cywren opened her Pipboy's menu and took some stimpacks. Her health meter hit max but that didn't help her at all.

Cywren took out her Jayhawk and practiced reloading the pistol. Midnight fell and Cywren laid there recalling everything in the past.

"Why is he still helping me," she wondered aloud.

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"Heads up," Timebomb warned, "there are raiders up ahead."

Cywren drew her Jayhawk pistol and took a confident step toward the raider town. Timebomb pulled out his laser pistol and took aim. They walked in slowly and kept an eye out for raiders. Silence hung in the air but Cywren's Pipboy picked up dozens of enemy markers.

A couple low beeps echoed in the city and the road beneath her exploded. Fire and smoke filled the air as more explosions crossed the city. Buildings collapsed, cars detonated, screams cut the air, and seemingly endless gunfire filled the space. Stray bullets cut Cywren's face and entered her chest. She gasped as the adrenaline in her body shot through her veins. She activated VATS and shot a raider in the skull. Another lock-on helped her save Timebomb from a knife to the back. Cywren's VATS system malfunctioned and she coughed from the smoke. An aggressive scream sounded behind her followed by footsteps coming from two separate directions. When Cywren turned toward the scream, a raider wearing a strange mask appeared through the smoke, wielding a lead pipe. Cywren pointed her weapon at him only to find the weapon empty of bullets. She braced for the blow but it never came. She looked up to see Timebomb standing above her, the lead pipe in his shoulder. He grunted and shot his pistol through the raider's face.

"Are you okay!?" Timebomb shouted as a grenade exploded nearby.

"A few wounds but what about you!?"

"I'll be fine! Lets get out of here!"

He helped Cywren up and continued firing in the direction of gunfire. Cywren reloaded her pistol and pulled up her Pipboy's map. She locked on to Megaton and clicked confirm. A green light wrapped itself around Cywren and Timebomb and a warm sensation traveled through them. Then they vanished, only to reappear in Megaton.

As soon as they realized they were safe, they collapsed on the ground and gasped for air.

"Cywren, (huff) we need to watch (huff) for landmines."

"I know. We (huff) should be more careful around (huff) them."

"Should we (huff) head to your house to (huff) rest?"

"Yeah. (huff) Good idea."

They helped each other up and limped to Cywren's house. They walked inside and sat down.

"How are your wounds, Timebomb?"

"I think you and I have been shot too much."

"Yeah." Cywren tried to stand but fell forward and hit the floor.

"Cywren!" Timebomb slid off the chair and flipped Cywren on her back, blood dripping from his head. "Cywren!"

"My... my chest..."

Timebomb unzipped the front of Cywren's suit and saw the bullet holes in her chest. "Cywren, give me some Stimpacks!"

"I... I don't have any... left..."

He looked at his hands. Timebomb pulled out a knife and a bobby pin. He held both in his hands and began trying to pull the bullets out. He got two out but the other three were too far deep. He threw his tools aside and placed his hands on the center of Cywren's chest. He put his weight into a single push and a bullet popped out. He pushed again, and again, and again.

"Timebomb... it hurts..."

"I know. I'm trying to get the bullets out though!"

The robot butler hovered nearby. "Might I recommend seeing a doctor?"

Timebomb shot the robot and it exploded. "I don't need a distraction."

He turned back to Cywren and counted up her wounds. One bullet was still lodged into her chest and pushing her chest wasn't cutting it. He grabbed two bobby pins from Cywren and opened the wound. Blood squirted onto his face and Cywren moaned. Timebomb pulled the last bullet out with a third bobby pin and sighed. He found bandages in the kitchen and patched her up.

"Thank goodness you're alive," he whispered.

"Timebomb."

"Yes?" Cywren tried to stand up but Timebomb quickly laid her back down. "Don't move too much. Your wounds might reopen."

"Timebomb, why are you still here?"

Timebomb flinched. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Why are you still here? The wastelands are harsh and its every man for himself. No law on murder, theft, or torture, yet, you still follow me and talk to me like we've been friends since I was in the Vault. Why haven't you killed me?"

The moment she finished, she closed her eyes, expecting murder. Instead, a gentle hand touched hers.

"When I first met you, I was dying on a medical table with no doctor to save me. I only had the rags passed down from my father to clothe myself in and I was waiting to die. Then you came in and saved my life. I thought you were crazy for going into the police station alone with only a dog as an ally but then you came back with Red with only minor wounds. After a week, you came back to Big Town and asked me if I wanted to become your companion in the journey across the wastelands. I said yes because you saved my life and this was a way for me to repay you.

"Not long after, we found your dad working on a water purifier. At that point, I was thinking about going back to Big Town and resting the rest of my life. But then your dad died in that radiation chamber. I watched you, the seemingly invincible warrior, break down and cry as your father spoke his final words. Thats when I realized that you would need my help still. So I continued following you to make sure you don't die because of your father's death. I stayed too long. Soon, our friendship bloomed and life became more fun, adventurous, and even deadly.

"My care for you is more than a friend would give. You saved my life, showed me your true colors, and proved to me that life in the wastelands is worth living to protect those you care for. Cywren, you're my friend. I could never bring myself to hurt you in anyway. I..."

He took off his red goggles and looked at them.

"Timebomb..."

"Cywren... I... I love you..."

Cywren opened her eyes as tears filled them. "I... I..."

"I didn't want to tell you..." Tears rolled off his face and hit his goggles. "I didn't want to tell you because... I'm afraid you don't feel the same."

"Timebomb..."

Timebomb looked Cywren in the eyes and smiled.

"But... I'm not afraid anymore... Even if you don't feel the same... we can still be friends."

Cywren reached up and touched his cheek. She smiled. "Timebomb... I love you, too."

Timebomb leaned closer and touched the hand against his cheek. Cywren pulled him closer and the two kissed, their warmth traveling through each other's bodies, waking their souls as their love was shared. They were finally complete.