This Isn't A Game Anymore (VenturianTale fan fiction)

Chapter 11- Welcome to the Wasteland

        The sun was high in the barren landscape, positioned right in the center of the sky. The air was hot and thick with the summer heat, but as was to be expected in the Wasteland. There was an odd ringing noise as the light beat down on the scattered pieces of metal and rusted cars that had been overturned and riddled with bulletholes, burn marks, or other things of that manner. There was little noise in this part of the Wasteland besides the normal white noise that you were usually presented with upon going outside. The nearest town was Megaton, which was quite a ways away. This was the closest thing to silence that you could achieve here, really, in the far corners of this place.

        Unfortunately for the small group of people crossing through this area, that was about to change extremely quickly.

        In a flash, the sky erupted with an orange blast, sending lightning of the same color lashing out of a huge, almost black hole-looking vortex. A tornado of what looked like orange flame extended form the vortex, creating a swirling central of chaos that sent the once-quiet area into jumbling chaos. Just as before, the vortex pulsed, flashed white, and eventually faded, leaving nothing but a smoking crater in its wake.

        It was a good fifteen minutes before someone came over the gorge to see. A ginger girl and her darker-haired companion appeared on the top of a cliffside, the girl dragging to boy along.

        "Timebomb, I know I saw something!" She was saying. "Just shut up and c'mon."

        The boy, Timebomb, sighed but reluctantly followed. "We have to get back before Eliza yells at us, though."

        "Since when do you care about getting into trouble?" The girl called, already halfway down the cliff. "And look, there's a crater over there. Something did happen!"

        Timebomb rolled his eyes and followed, keeping one had on the gun he had strapped to his belt. He was always the more "sensible" one when it came to adventure, shooting whatever moved. He kept a stoic expression, though it was mostly for Cywren's sake. Cywren was more of the "evaluate all possible situations" problem solver.

        Speaking of Cywren, she had found her way to the giant crater already.

        Timebomb quickened his pace and caught up with her, breathing heavily. "What is it?" He asked, trying to sound not interested.

        "There's someone there," Cywren replied, adjusting her glasses and stepping into the crater.

        "What?!" Timebomb exclaimed, losing his cool and leaning over the crater. Indeed, there was a limp figure lying in the dust. "Who's that?!"

        Cywren shrugged, shaking his shoulder. "Wake up," She said. "Hey-"

        Timebomb frowned. "Stop. We don't know if he's a hostile."

        She rolled her eyes but agreed, stepping back. "Fine. But- Oh, don't do that."

        Timebomb had taken his gun out of the holster and was aiming it at the figure. "What?" He asked, in general confusion as to what he'd done wrong. "It's a safety precaution."

        "Don't come off assuming that every single person wants to kill you," Cywren scolded. "They could be nice."

        "Oh come on, that doesn't work in the Wasteland." Timebomb said, reluctantly lowering his gun. "You've spent too much time in the vault."

        Cywren playfully punched his shoulder.

        The blue-clad figure in the crater shifted, mumbling to himself. Timebomb tensed and raised his gun yet again, much to Cywren's protest. The figure shakily sat up, facing away from him.

        Timebomb stepped into the crater, aiming the gun at his head. The figure turned around, his brown hair falling into his eyes. He let out a small yelp at the sight of the gun.

        "Who the heck are you?"