August 13th 2080 6:30

Fern O'Callahan squinted at the sun just rising over the hills on the horizon, causing her to swealter beneath her green bowler hat and squint her eyes. Raising her left hand to her brow revealed the scene that lay before her. In the lower tier of the town the NCR party had not yet moved on. However there had been much commotion between The Ranger who had talked to her the previous day and the troopers. It had climaxed a few hours earlier with the ones wearing Trench coats storming out of the camp they'd set up, disappearing out of sight behind a hill that the sun was now rising over. Moping the sweat from her forehead she pondered what had happened between them that had caused such a desertion of the group who had appeared to be the leaders and the ones who were grunts. She supposed it had been over their friend who they had captured. She sighed at the weakness of men; always thinking with their cocks and egos never able to make the rational choices which would have been to leave their friend behind. That was why they had weeded them out. Their group had originated from vault 69, of the thousand people who had entered their vault there had only been one man. She supposed the vault was meant to fail, yet it had prospered using cloning techniques and sedatives to keep that man alive the women had formed a utopian society. Her current group was of course just an off set of the original, they'd set out to see whether their group could be replicated on the surface world and so far it had worked. Stealing the occasional traveler here, raping and pillaging the occasional traveling party there had allowed their society to live outside the vault for a total three generations so far. Any male babies were cast out of course, left on a cliff top to be picked up by nightstalkers or to nosedive to their eventual death.

The few men that lived in their society lived as what they were. Vermin. Scum. The best that they could hope for was to live as servants shackled at all times, beaten at the slightest mistake. Thinking of the justice of it all brought a relishing smile to her face.

She turned her head at the sound of footsteps behind her. It was Juliet. Smiling as she topped the ladder Juliet moseyed over, her insatiable hips swaying as she did looking disgustingly sultry in her body movements.

"Heeeey you". Her tone warm and inviting.

She trailed a long finger over Ferns' shoulder as she came and stood next to her, resting her cheek on her shoulder drawing in a small audible breath through those cute pink little lips.

"Anyt'ing int'resting happened?" She asked, removing her head from Ferns' shoulder, drawing her repeater rifle from her back, resting it on the edge of the rooftop and looking down the scope at the group below. Fern also looked at the activity below, running her hands through Juliets' hair as she did so.

"Na, nu'in mooch, tha other group ain't come back yet".

Juliet moved her rifle slightly to look at the trail leading from the town to the wasteland and the surrounding hills. "Weird isn't it? I mean where'd the - Jeez that sun is bright -" she said as she had brought the scope over where the sun was cresting the hill.

After a moment of silence Fern said "Yu wus saying".

"Oh yah, sorry. Anyway, where'd they be goin withoot their truck? I mean they can't be from nearby".

Fern paused at that. It made sense, even with the truck they must have come from quite a way away. So why had some stayed where they were? and the others left without gathering most of their equipment. Interrupting her train of thought Juliet spoke.

"Hey, what's that?"

Puzzled Fern drew out her own rifle to have a look.

"Where?" She said unable to find the object of Juliets' confusion.

"There" Juliet said, tilting Ferns' rifle slightly in the right direction. "On the hill, look just ther-". Before she could finish there was a whirring sound and a mixture of a wet ripping sound and a crack. Juliet was blown back, screaming with her hands clutching her face with some red liquid squirting between her fingers. Fern rushed over trying desperately to pry her fingers from her face. Finally managing it she saw the gory mess that was Juliets' face.

Half of her face was gone, what was left of her right eye was a gooey pulp that was dribbling down the torn remnants of her cheek and into her mouth. Her mouth itself was no better off than the rest of her face, her lips torn and ragged had shreds of skin hanging at the edges. Her teeth were shattered, splinters had ledged themselves deep into her gums and tounge, the base of the teeth remained as sharp as the piles of splinters. She kept trying to close her mouth yet the pain of the teeth closing together caused her to keep jerking her mouth open like a gaping fish, a gurgled scream constantly emitting from her lips. The muscles that had been beneath her skin were clearly visible now, weeping blood into a pool around her face, soaking into her clothes and into her now empty eye socket.

Fern turned away and screamed as loud as she could for help. Although upon turning her head she could hear other sounds, of multiple cracks and wood splintering, of people screaming in pain, of war cries charging up the hill towards them, of glass shattering and men shouting.

She had Juliets' head in her hands, her life seeping out the right side of her face and eyes full of the desperate fear of someone who wanted the familiar face of their mother. People didn't die with bangs, they died with embarrassing, faeces sodden whimpers that few people ever heard.

With all this laid out before her, Fern realised, with a sinking sensation in her chest of the terrible mistake that they had made.

August 13th 2080 6:30 half a mile away atop the hill opposite the town

The Ranger cursed under his breath. He'd missed. He had meant to shoot the girl between the eyes, end her life quickly, but from half a mile away the slight breeze that had picked up after he pulled the trigger had moved the bullet slightly to the left. Hitting her in her cheek, tearing her face in half. He Grimaced, he didn't truly care about the suffering she would endure, yet he had missed. Something that could be counted on one hand in his life time. Bring his thoughts from his petty self vying in an imaginary competition he turned the barrel of his rifle to the other snipers that littered the rooftops of the higher tier. On each side of him the other 1st Rangers (excluding Ray and Frankie) and the two Veteran Rangers who had accompanied them lay on their bellies rifles out unloading their magazines into the buildings in the higher tier, if it hadn't been for their helmets they'd be deaf from the repeated boom of the high powered rifles. Each Rangers face was a cool mirror of calm showing no emotion or remorse. All except for Vexs' who had his anger displayed clearly on his face; it was screwed up in a splay of Ire and rage that was only increased with every shot that he took. On the buildings where Ray wasn't they rained all hell fire open them, using explosive and incendiary rounds to tear the buildings apart piece by piece, concrete and burning wood flying in all directions.

The troopers and other Rangers charged up the hill firing automatic rifles and throwing grenades. The plan they'd set up had worked like a charm, set up a false argument between the Veteran Rangers and Troopers, sneak away, wait just beneath the crest of the hill until sunrise, then climb to the zenith and upon the Troopers hearing shots come from the hilltop they'd storm the higher tier and rush the buildings.

A couple of fools tried to run out the front to meet the Troopers in open combat but either fell from sniper fire or the constant barrage from the Troopers. Women dropped like flies left, right and centre. Their cries lost instantly to the cries of others or the wind, for their dying screams to be carried out upon the wasteland forever.

It continued like that for an hour until the buildings themselves appeared to be weeping the red colours of those women. Their anguish and inevitable angst had come out in great sprays, covering the soldiers - who dispatched them with such efficacy that it was perturbing to witness - from heel to toe in fresh, runny blood. The only building left physically undisturbed was the one where Ray was being kept. It was stark grey against the vermillion of the other buildings. Being left mostly untouched most of the inhabitants had gotten through the last hour unscathed with only a few having fallen from the quick reactions of The Rangers on the ridge.

With all other of the women dead the Troopers had secured the buildings surrounding the centre one where Ray was. The Ranger left the rest of the 1st Rangers on the ridge and told them to cover him before proceeding down towards the town with the Veteran Rangers flanking him on each shoulder.

Upon reaching the town he met with the troopers captain.

"What is the situation". He asked, observing the buildings around his which seemed to almost be going under liquefaction under the running crimson.

"They've hold up in the first and lower floors of the building, sir. They've made a couple of verbal addresses but nothing further sir". Said the captain, standing to attention as he did so.

"Such as Captain?".

"Well sir...they were shouting obscenities that I'm not sure are appr-".

"That's quite alright Captain, I can imagine it was a colourful variety". Interrupted The Ranger, having grown quite irritated under the time that had taken so far.

He turned and addressed The Veteran Rangers who flanked him and told them to take up positions at vantage points on the buildings surrounding the central establishment. Brushing past the Captain he strode towards a derelict car opposite the building, hopped on the top, took his helmet from his brow and drew in a deep breath.

"Okay ladies, First one of you that comes out with my friends gets to keep their fingers" Once he said this he turned his head sideways expectantly as if to hear some instantaneous answer. He waited, in reality feeling quite ready to chop off every extremity that they had as it would bring him a great deal of pleasure.

After thirty seconds of waiting there was no sounds."Okay Captain please get ready to drop a mini nuke into the building." As he said this he stepped down from the roof of the car and gestured to the sides of each building as soldiers ran forward with Fat Mans balanced on their shoulders."Ray was a good friend and I'm sure he'll get me back in another life, so swings and roundabouts"

He held his hand above his shoulder, with it splayed flat. He slowly began to curl it, once it bunched into a fist they would fire and send his good friend into a fiery abyss.

Literally as his fist curled into an appropriate position for bleeding the weasel he finally heard a call of "hold it uh minute Ranger" and saw a crooked green bowler hat poke its way around the corner.

"Well, ahem, now that we have your attention we need to have a talk" he pointed towards the car bonnet as a place to sit and gestured to the troopers to take the fat men away.

The woman ducked back inside the doorway, hiding her face behind the wall.

" An' why wud I do tha' Ranger? So I can come oot thar and be killed by ur snipers before I even 'ave a chance ta shit me pants"

Chuckling to himself as he sat on the car he replied to the woman "What's your name, pretty lady?". He asked pressing friendliness into his voice to reduce her apprehension.

After a few seconds a nervous reply came from around the corner. "Fern...O'Callahan"

"Well Miss O'Callahan, you have a very simple choice; you can save your remaining people and never, ever see us again -which believe me won't be trail on my part to carry out-. Or you can not talk to me now and have this be the last sunrise that you will ever see".

The point of a pistol poked around the doorway and aimed straight between The Rangers eyes. At this he heard a shout of alarm from behind him and the sound of rifles being cocked. Before the situation could escalate he held his hand up at his shoulder in the flat gesture to signal them to hold fire, keeping eye contact with Fern the whole time, an easy smile on his face. Now that he could see her face properly he could see that see was a fairly plain woman. Even if there wasn't a smear of blood across her face and the startled fear in her eyes of a cornered animal that will do anything to survive. Beneath her green bowler hat she had very pale white skin (probably due to fear), mud brown eyes and greasy butterscotch coloured hair that was tied in a rough ponytail at the back.

She slowly walked towards him, one foot after the other with her eyes constantly darting from every infinite corner of her eyes. By the time she reached him her hands were shaking and cold sweat in little beads was obvious on her pale skin. When she came to a stop she had the shaking gun within inches of his palpebral fissure.

"Are you really going to shoot me Miss O'Callahan?" As he said this he fully pressed his eye onto the shaking barrel and held it there a grim smile played across his features. Her nervous expression changed to one of shock and for a few moments silence ensued. Dropping her eyes from his as she she did she brought her arm loosely to her side and dropped the gun. She was now thoroughly and truly defeated.

"Very good Miss O'Callahan, very good" he took her by the shoulders and sat her down on the car bonnet. Her head was downcast as she gazed at the floor unable to draw her eyes up. "Now Miss O'Callahan, how many of you fine gals are down there buggering my friend Ray into his dizziest, most sodom infested day dreams down there in that fetching home you have".

She mumbled something that came out slurred.

"What was that Miss O'Callahan, so speak up. I'm no longer eighteen you know".

"F...five, thar is five o' us". The words seemed such an effort to get out her lips. She seemed almost heartbroken at their vastly reduced number.

"Good, good. Now tell your friends to bring up my friends and I shall be gone before the sun has finished rising".

She appeared to be having some mental dilemma at those words and eventually the words he wanted to hear tumbled out of her mouth in an almighty sob. "Okay". Tears were pouring down her face and whimpering emitting from her trembling lips.

"Sarah, bring 'im up". At this there was the sound of a commotion coming from inside the building and of shuffling feet. With the anticipation building he waited to see what state his friend was in.

At him and the rest of the women turning the doorway it was obvious that he had been severely beaten with his right eye and lips swollen and a cut in his right eyebrow having leaked blood into his eye and brow and crusted over.

"Good, very good." He said in a soothing voice. Behind his back he raised his hand and bunched it into a fist. All holy hellfire was unleashed upon the women with them all dead within seconds except for Fern, who was screaming and pleading for it all to end. As she sat there crying, screaming and pleading he placed his Sequoia in her nostril and pulled the trigger blowing her nose messily off of her face.

This wouldn't be over slowly for her he had decided.