"It's nothing." I mutter, barely audible above the distant humming of the bikes riding off in the direction of Ziggy's, but clearly I'm lying. I'm shaken. Conflicted. Breathing heavy. "There's things you'd be better off not knowing, Mot. Secrety-secrets and such."
I take a break from securing the tarp around Lala, and without looking up at Motley, I take off my mask to empty the sweat pool and wipe the tears from my eyes. The bright desert sun reflects off a hundred chunks of steel and glass still embedded in my exposed arms and legs, making me look like some kind of rhinestone cowboy under the lights at the Grand Ole Opry, blood oozing and dripping and drying and giving the illusion that I'm wearing dark red slacks and a jacket.
My face... it's not like other grumps, but badly misshapen. Concave in some places, forming unnatural ridges where there shouldn't be. Nose, eyes, and mouth not in places they should be, and the skin doesn't really cover everything the right way, leaving parts exposed that shouldn't be and other areas with an excess.
Still not looking at Motley, "They say my momma tried to kill me when I was just a wee teeter. but I know that was the junk talking, and her cowboy too. Somehow I didn't die, you know, just keep on keeping on. Like always. Down deep it wasn't her that did it, I know. They make it sound like the right thing to do when they're talking, and ya just get lost in the confusion."
I pause for a moment to wipe my eyes with my palms, leaving behind fresh smudges and streaks of blood on my face, before fixing my mask back in place. I go back to retying the last of the open tarp flaps, "I shot her, you know? With that fifty." I motion to the busted M2 laying in swagman's cargo flat. "She was taking peeks under my mask that night at Diamond while I was sleeping, and he told me to put her down right then. But somehow I didn't. I tried to let it go. But when I was up on that turret, gunning down all of Ziggy's cowboys, I saw her. She shoulda knowed better, Mot. I had to do it. I didn't want to, but he wasn't gonna let it go."
Done with the tarp, I stand up in the driver's seat and pick up my wrench, Torso poking through the roll bars of swagman, I finally turn and look at Motley, "I don't why I'm telling you all this. Maybe because you asked what's messin' with my head and this is kinda the shortest story. Maybe because you're the first one to ask." Flexing my grip on the wrench handle, "Maybe you gotta try to end it here, or maybe we go fug Ziggy and just see if what comes around goes around?"
I keep a neutral expression as I listen to Gigg tell his story. I feel for him, he has gone through a rough childhood like many of the crue. He eventually had the opportunity to fight back unlike some of us but it still is a sad tale.
It is when he confesses what happened to Lala that I lose my neutral expression. I look at him for a moment, we need his help in this fight, and he has been honest with me even at the expense pushing me away. I can't punish that...but I can't hide it. "Gigg, you can't hurt those fighting with you, no matter what they have done. On the battle field I need to be able to trust you to watch our backs, just like we will watch yours. Can I do that?
"Also you will have to come clean about this with Last. She deserves to know. We can wait till after this business with Ziggy is taken care of but it needs to be dealt with. Understood?"
Motley wants no fight, but it may have been different had it been one of his crue instead of one of Last's. Last! Coming clean with her will be tough. She's one of the few that have been good to me, the prettiest of all in the junkyard, and this truth will destroy all that. Not sure I can risk that.
I clip the wrench to the carabiner on my belt and nod, "I got no bad tastes with anyone else, so you have no worries. After fugging with Ziggy, Last is following me to the junkyard and we're gonna plant Lala in the shade there. This won't set well with her, I'm guessing."
I sit down behind the wheel gingerly. There's something broken or out of sorts after that tumble off the van, and I can feel when I make movements like this. There's a chance I'm not making it out of Ziggy's as bad off as I am. So we'll cross that scorch with Last if we get there. I release the brake and shove swagman into gear, and wait for Motley.
With the confession done and over, you kick engines back into gear and ride off. Motley, Last was riding slow, and she waits for you. She's riding to your left now. Dokken has your right. You can tell Last is towing the line, but she has angles to be sergeant, to replace Twisted Sis, you just read it in her eyes. She's a leader, she's not a whelp, and you're keeping her at arm's length. Wise, probably. Probably.
Gigg, the confession did something. You feel looser, less harried. Lala's around, you feel her in your mask now, but she's quiet. Pops is, too. He's there, but he's quiet. Probably assessing this new threat, right in his home.
Both, you come riding hard and heavy to Ziggy's front door, to Shadows. The dogs are baying like always, and a few trucks are riding out towards you, men thrown on vehicles with guns in a desperate attempt to keep you at bay, maybe talk to you and show a front.
I drive up next to Motley, Last, and his crue. Soundgarden's Chris Cornell is blaring through Chaz' scrouged audio system on swagman, "I got an idea of something we can do with a gun..." I'm grinning ear-to-ear, head banging to the slow heavy grunge beat, sun sparkling off my arms and legs. "I had me an inkling driving over here..." I motion to the busted-up .50-cal M2 back in swagman's hold, and continue, "One of you cowboys or cowgirls jumps behind the wheel of swagman here while I grab that big momma back there and stand up through the roll cage. Then we ride off kinda flanking their rideout, and I make sure they all get a good look at this big fugging gun. It should draw alot of attention, and that should give the rest of you an advantage. Sure, it's busted and won't actually shoot, but they don't know that. It's just bait to make 'em follow us while ya'll overrun the rest of 'em and chase down the ones that take the worm. Me and whoever's driving will just have to get lucky and out run them or we'll be toast..." I pat the nitrous tank between the seats, "But I'll need your ballsiest and best driver to pull this off. Whadya'll think? Plan?
I nod to Dokken and Last as we start back up. The ride to Shadows is in silence, I am thankful for that. It gives me time to think. I saw the look in Last eyes, I know its hard for an Alpha to step down and become a second again, being sergeant would go a long way to towards smoothing things over. Then there is Dokken, he could make a decent sergeant, and could definitely grow into it over time, passing him by would be a slap in the face and could drive him away or to a fight. Blazes, why can't anything be easy...just once.
.....................
I listen to Gigg's plan. There is some serious merit to it. I almost suggest Rose as the best driver for this job, My words stop before I begin, "Quiet Riot, is the best rider we have, she will not blink, as she drives into fugging hell." I look over to Last and Dokken as I say this, "Our crue will be good and hitting them from different sides, staying mobile, backing off before they can get a bead on us. Dokken will lead my crue since he knows whose best at what, Last will coordinate her girls. They are humped! Let's fuggin do it."
This is QR, the best rider in the crue: She'll find some scrub and put her dirt bike down in there "for safe keeping", then hustle to jump behind the wheel of Swagman.
Gigg, looks like "you're the bait" here.
When you’re the bait, roll+cool. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7–9, choose 1: • You draw your prey all the way into the trap. Otherwise, they only approach. • Your prey doesn’t suspect you. Otherwise, they’re wary and alert. • You don’t expose yourself to extra risk. Otherwise, any harm your prey inflicts is +1. On a miss, the MC chooses 1 for you
Motley,
While the crue circles and watches Ziggy's trucks approaching, Last moves close enough to be heard without shouting. "I want to be your second, Mot." She doesn't insult any of your crue, she's too smart to get in that mess. She also doesn't plead her case, assuming you both know what she brings to the table.
'Why did you have to pick now Last to make your move?', I think to myself. I look at her serious and yet concerned of the outcome of this chat. "Don't really think its the time just now to chat about that do you?" I pause but know she aint gonna let it go. "Shades Last. You should know I can't do that. Consider you are almost an outsider to the crue. Sure we've worked together and typically bust head pretty well, but you don't know the crue well enough to call shots just yet. Its why I picked Sis the last throw down we had. You fuggin know your stuff, I'll give you that, but after losing two of our own, I gotta keep the circle tight. I gotta pick from those who have some miles with us. Sorry to say that aint you yet. Maybe it can be later, but not now, not today."
Motley, Last's eyes narrow. She doesn't like it, you know that. But she doesn't put up a fight here and now, nods, and revs up her bike to pull away as Swagman heads out.
Quiet Riot, Gigg, was poorly named. She blasts some tunes on the Swagman radio, something about "Let There Be Rock", and wails along, knows mostly every word and adds a few, chattering in between verses and beating the drums out on the steering wheel. She heads right for those trucks, then veers right to give them a show, flipping the bird with her left hand while turning with her right. The first truck driver, a wide-eyed young man in a balaclava almost ducks behind the steering column when you take aim at him. The truck scatter to make themselves harder targets, and a box truck starts chasing after you once you part the wave. Motley and the crue move around them and you've done your job. Now you've gotta survive once they figure out the ruse.
Oh, there's a passenger in the box truck, some rail thin rifleman who's taking careful aim. He's going to try and take you out.
What do you do?
Motley, your gang manages to slip left around the forward advance, and now you're zooming up on Ziggy's little dogtown. You spot some movement, probably a half dozen gangers, small arms. Oh, and somebody's moving to open the cages, hoping the dogs will provide some cover.
I think you're Seizing this hold by Force, right? Let's see a roll here. You've got size advantage, so you're doing some good damage here.
Once the ruse is up and they've figured out I ain't shootin' the .50-cal, there's little sense in making myself an easy target for a sniper hit. But, I gotta figure out how to protect Quiet from getting popped while she's busy driving and trying to out run these fuggers.
"You gotta a gun that shoots?" I hold out one hand hoping she hands me something useful, while pointing at the nitrous tank between the seats with the other.
If Quiet has a gun I can use, the idea is to lay down fire while we try to out distance our pursuers until Mot's crue can wipe the desert floor with 'em. If she doesn't have a gun, then she'll have to get me close enough to that rifleman so that I can make sure he can't get a clean shot on her. Mot's countin' on me having his crue's back...
Quiet Riot yells over the music, "Do I have a gun that shoots? Well OF COURSE I do, what kind of idiot would ride into a big fight with a fakey, fakey gun and try and bluster his way through? That guy, he'd be CRAZY or STUPID to try and pull that off, right! Maybe BOTH!" She glances up at you, grins, "Just kidding!" She pulls a revolver out of her belt and hands it up to you.
With that revolver, you're going to have to get close, man. I need you to Act Under Fire here.
Motley, Your gang rides in on the hold, Last, Dokken and you at the front. A pack of dogs nearly take out Whitesnake, but that's mostly because he tries not to run over them, then his front tire slips. He has to lay it down, but Tesla comes around and pulls him up. A Doberman bites Whitesnake right on his ass, though.
Your gang clears out the hold, except for the folks running and a few kids and women hiding. Ziggy isn't here, though.
"Gorram Yellow-bellied Son-of-a-Chum, where the shades is Ziggy ! " I shout to no one in particular.
If they are not raising weapons, I pass by the the women and children, the crue are NOT child killers. I separate us into 2 large groups and drive around a bit looking for where the fighter may be hiding or where Ziggy might have a home or place to stash weapons or barter.
Gigg, Quiet Riot bobs and weaves and the rifleman pops off three shots before you get close enough to nail him. He sees the gun barrel, but the gutsy punk fires a last shot that actually tings you (2-Harm, minus your armor and being scary AF, means 0-Harm to you, please roll the Harm move) before you bow his brains out. Box truck driver veers left and just drives away. Like seriously, he's done with this shite.
"Hey now, we rock, eh, Gigg? Any fight you drive away from... I wonder what all I could do with a box truck? Wanna take it from him?" Quiet Riot's more than happy to take off after that box truck driving away, but the rest of the crue is dealing with your actual objective.
What do you do?
Motley,
You scout around for a bit, finding nothing. Motorhead waves you down
"Mot, one of the women says Ziggy and her second Ik took off for Depot. Probably tail tucked and dead meat. Said they've been gone for a bit. Said Ik came riding from The Irons and picked Ziggy up."
You've got a barter off these people. You can take two more, but then they're left with no food and water. What do you do?
Who doesn't want a box truck I think to myself? I flip Quiet's cannon and hand it back to her butt-end first. "You want a box truck? Awright, catch up behind it and I'll jump on and take out the wheelman."
I start tapping out a beat with my wrench and hockey stick against the roll bars, bopping my head, yelling into the air...
"Ali Baba and the 40 thieves! Ali Baba and the 40 thieves! Ali Baba and the 40 thieves!
Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'!"
I look to the people around, and how much barter we could take. Then my eyes lock with a young girl hiding behind her mothers legs. I spit at Motors words, "FUG, Round everyone up, we are done here. Lets go back up Gigg and Riot!" Mad at the way things have turned out today, I mutter to myself as I ride off, "Too many loose ends...too many"
Motley, Dokken rounds everyone up and the crue rides out of Ziggy's place. Any Sand Snakes around might pick the place over, they sure can't defend the place, but you leave them be. Ahead you see the Swagman giving chase on a box truck. The trucks trying to hit a narrow passage down the Shadows to the highway.
30 seconds of nitrous and swagman is on the bumper of the box truck. Ziggy's henchmen must've been in a hurry scramblin' rides to come out and bargain, cuz the roll-up door is still up. This should make it easy-easy hitching a ride. The hard part will be making it to the cab.
While Riot maintains a tight gap, I duck-waddle out to the front of the car, tight-roping the roll bar frame and the make-shift aluminum plate that serves as fenders. The jump will be easy, but.... one ill-timed bump or misstep and I'm falling into the exposed motor. Easy-easy, right?
I look back at Quiet and give a nod that I'm ready for her slam the back of the truck while I jump.
As you pull up, Quiet Riot's beeping her horn, swerving back and forth like she wants to pass on this narrowing strip of road down the hill. She's trying to cover for you hopping on the back.
As swagman pulls out left in a mock pass attempt, I leap from my perch on the front of the swerving jostling buggy with the intention of doing a simple shoulder roll into the back of the box.
To board a moving vehicle, roll+cool, minus its speed. To board one moving vehicle from another, roll+cool, minus the difference between their speeds. On a 10+, you’re on and you made it look easy. Take +1forward. On a 7–9, you’re on, but geez. On a miss, the MC chooses: you’re hanging on for dear life, or you’re down and good luck to you.
Quiet Riot is matching the truck's speed, which is 0.
Gigg, You leap off the back of Swagman and land on the back of the truck, but the hit throws you up an inch, and then you're holding onto the back bumper, your legs scraping the hard packed ground! It's like someone's taking a sander to your pants and boots, and you think you feel it biting through already, you'll feel that in the morning. (Take 1-Harm AP, please roll the Harm move).
Gigg, Your feet drag on the ground for a few moments, the sole of your left boot is torn off by a rock as you're drug over it, you'll have a stone bruise the size of Truk Stop there. But you pull yourself up into the bed, and roll into the mildly safe confines of the back of the box truck.
That's when you hear a hiss. And look up to see a fuggin' rattlesnake in the back of this damn truck, Gigg! Too dark to tell if it was thrown back here or slipped in some time, but there it is, hissing and rattling.
A fugging rattlesnake? I think to myself as climb up into the box. But... this could be my lucky day. I need a driver to vacate a cab ASAP and what better way than Mr. Driver meeting Mr. Rattler. My next thought is what kind of box truck is this? Is the cab completely separate, or does it seem like the box and cab share a common sheet metal barrier? I've got my hockey stick out with the intention to wrangle this rattler, but first I want to take a minute to study the situation here in the back of this box truck.
I'll ask 2 questions and hold on to 1, ok? What's my best way into the cab of the truck (remember I have the move Oh yeah! What should I be on the lookout for?
Gigg, Your best way is through the back, just Oh Yeah! through the passenger side with that fuggin' wrench and snatch he driver. You should be wary of that guy freaking out and flipping the truck. You'd roll off this road and down the hill, which isn't a mountain, but rolling in a box truck is not safe. Oh yes, and snake. You should deal with the snake.
Finally caught up with Gigg and the Swagman, I take a look at the situation. Gigg in the box truck and Riot on the driver side, I get an idea. I give the crue the signal and they rev forward to do their jobs. It is something we have done a few times before when we needed to stop someone without wrecking the cargo. 'Circle the wagons' is what the old books called it. The crue make a perimeter around the box truck. A half dozen bikes in front, bikes on the side have their guns out and aimed at the driver, the threat clear. I raise my fist into the air and pull down, giving the signal to start slowing down. As a unified group we begin trying to force the van to slow, then stop.
Seeing Mot's crue show up and start to surround the box truck is honestly a welcomed sight. First things first, though. Gotta deal with this snake.
Using my hockey stick, I intend to use the blade of the stick to pin the snake to the box floor just a couple inches behind the snake's head in a thicker part of his body. This will limit his striking distance without snapping his head off and killing him. Once I have him pinned, I'm gonna grab his tail with the other end, and that will give me control over him. Holding by the tail and using the blade of the stick to keep his head away is my plan for dealing with this snake.
Gigg, Inside the back of the truck, you grab that snake, with hockey stick and hands. You're faster than you look and you catch him but good. You hear the roar of the crue bikes as they zoom around and ahead of you. As you beat on the inside of the truck a couple times to let the driver know you're there, he gives up.
Motley, Dokken zips ahead with the others, and once they're in front of the truck, they start pinning it in. The driver realizes he's humped, and with guns aimed at his head, he slows the truck down. Quiet Riot gives you a gleeful thumbs up as you ride beside her while she's driving Swagman.
Both, In a few minutes, it's all over. Gigg, beat up, bloody, but still kicking, you now have a box truck and a rattler. Motley, your crue took care of this operation without a hitch. Once the truck driver's stopped, Dokken hops off his bike, runs up, throws open the door and drags the guy out, throwing him to the dirt. He starts kicking the guy, screaming at him for being stupid to run from the crue. Whitesnake comes up, too, kicks him a couple times. Guy's got his hands over his head, rolling around, trying to get them to stop.
I briefly watch Dokken and Whitesnake beat on the driver. I wish things could be done differently but this is not the life we have here. Although I wouldn't do it myself I allow them to have their release, especially considering what has happened today. But then the rage takes over and it looks like Dokken is not going to stop, I approach him and place a hand on his shoulder.
"Dokken! That's enough. You have to leave him alive or he won't pass on the message to not mess with The Crue." I smile at Dokken and wink.
Turning back to Gigg, "Hey buddy, you gonna stop playing with that rattler and join us? Ziggy ran for Depot to hide. We have anything else to do here or do we head back home?"
Dokken kicks the guy in his bloody teeth just one more time, then does a cocky little walk around him. Quiet riot's hopped out of Swagman and she's checking out the box truck, popping the hood and looking inside. Tesla goes through the glove compartment and finds a pistol and some paint. He starts spray painting crue symbols on the truck.
The rest of the crue's keeping an eye out, antsy, their blood is up. But the day is won. Where do you go next?
I gingerly climb out of the box truck. The adrenaline is gone. The headrush from balls-out putting everything on the line is fading. And the reality of just how tired I am and how much my body is hurting is really starting to scream.
I limp to the back of swagman, and hook a thick canvas bag from the cargo hold with the end of my hockey stick, and flip it to Motley. "Hold this open for me if you don't mind." As Motley holds the bag open, I wrangle the snake into the bag, and tie it off, and throw the bagged snake into swagman's hold. "Never know when you might need an angry rattlesnake."
I limp over to Last and give her a slight nod back at Lala's tarp-wrapped body still in swagman's passenger seat. "Shall we head to the junkyard and give her last shade?" Looking back at Motley, "The Depot ain't far from the 'yard; we could go on from there and end it with Ziggy once and for all?"
"I'm gonna grab that rifle scrounge outta the truck cab, and then I'll be ready to scoot. Let me know what the plan is." After getting the rifle, I walk around to the front of the truck and see Quiet Riot standing on the bumper, head disappeared under the hood. "I'd rhyme and steal with you anytime. We killed it today. Unreal. Amazin'." I offer a hand to shake, fist-pump, or high-five, whatever she brings.
When you come up to QR, she turns nimbly on the bumper to face you, then jumps down into your arms, throwing hers around your neck. She ignores the grunt of pain and surprise and squeezes, then pulls back to headbutt your mask affectionately, "You were a monster, Gigg! Swagman's a great ride, you two suit each other. I'd give Swagman a ride any day. Good times, compadre! " She pushes off you to stand back on the bumper, holding onto the hood. "Box truck!!!!!""
All the pain and weariness fades instantly, feeling her body pressed tight against me. No girl has ever embraced me like this before. Not even that one time, and last time, I paid for time with one of Esco's girls. I stand there dumbfounded for what seems like eternity, still feeling her arms around my neck and every part of her against me long after she jumped back on the bumper.
I'm suddenly aware of the crusted dried blood covering my arms and legs, the fresh road burns on my legs and feet from being drug by the truck, and the glinting chunks of metal and glass embedded all over any exposed skin. I do look like a monster. "Yes, box truck!" Now highly self-conscious I kinda give a half-wave goodbye, and limp back around to Motley, Last, and swagman.
"Hey Gigg!" Last says as she comes up to look at the box truck, then you. "You don't look so good. Motley, we need to get him to Fleece, or in Depot, maybe."
I limp over to swagman and put the rifle in the hold, joining the bagged rattlesnake and the busted up 50-cal machine gun. Walking back to the driver side of swagman, I lift a hand and shake my head, saying, "No, really I'm OK. Really. That's about the time I slump against the roll cage and then collapse in a heap on the hot asphalt road.
"Blazes! Whitesnake help me put him in the swagman. Riot, you keep driving his car since you already got the rhythm of that thing. Dokken, round everyone up and lead the way to Depot. Keep an eye out for Ziggy, this fight aint entirely settled yet."
Motley, Whitesnake helps you move Gigg into the backseat since Lala's body is in the passenger side. Quiet Riot hops in and eagerly drives Swagman off, only slightly worried about leaving her bike back near Ziggy's.
Last has Krin stow her bike in the back of Box Truck and drive that off. You all head out to Depot.
Gigg, does anything happen on the way to Depot with you?
Blood loss, dehydration, burns, broken ribs and collarbone, punctured lung, it's all caught up with me. And now Pops and Lala vying for control in the mask, wearing me down mentally, confusing me, spending energy just to focus and think clearly. The phantom weight of arms still around my neck and breasts pressed against my chest. The haunting faces of the green-haired girl tumbling onto the hard desert asphault, the older woman gunned down amid broken bricks of borax, Lala's blade fight through an onslaught of Ziggy's cowboys cut short by machine gun fire. The looming dread of coming clean with Last, and Lala's veiled accusation that Pops is actually The Fat Man...
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry Mama's gonna make all of your nightmares come true Mama's gonna put all of her fears into you Mama's gonna keep you right here under her wing She won't let you fly but she might let you sing Mama's gonna keep baby cozy and warm
The unconscious collapse was just the beginning. The start of the body and mind shutting off to keep from dying... or worse yet... crossing over to the point of no return...
... I need to go to my safe place ...
The last time I got to this point, I took Pops' advice and bought some time with one of Esco's gals. It would be the first and the last time for that. I asked Esco for one of them gals whose got the milk, and I just layed in the dark unmasked and nursed until I fell asleep. It freaked the gal out so bad, Esco threw me out of Diamond and told me never again... so what now?
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you Mama won't let anyone dirty get through Mama's gonna wait up till you get in Mama will always find out where you've been Mamma's gonna keep baby healthy and clean
In the back seat of swagman, I feel the rhythmic jostling of the buggy, and in that free state where the body and mind has shut off, I withdraw into the world's psychic maelstrom... my safe place at last...
Ooh, babe, ooh, babe, ooh, babe Of course Mama's gonna help build the wall
OOC: the mother’s heartbeat: when you withdraw into the world’s psychic maelstrom, roll+weird. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7–9, choose 1. You emerge again, about an hour later, and... • ...Meanwhile, you can still watch and hear what’s happening where you were. • ...You can re-emerge in a different place altogether. • ...You are healed of all harm. • ...You can bring someone in and out with you. On a miss, you are in the dark and warm, listening to the mother’s heartbeat, and many hours pass.
Comments
I take a break from securing the tarp around Lala, and without looking up at Motley, I take off my mask to empty the sweat pool and wipe the tears from my eyes. The bright desert sun reflects off a hundred chunks of steel and glass still embedded in my exposed arms and legs, making me look like some kind of rhinestone cowboy under the lights at the Grand Ole Opry, blood oozing and dripping and drying and giving the illusion that I'm wearing dark red slacks and a jacket.
My face... it's not like other grumps, but badly misshapen. Concave in some places, forming unnatural ridges where there shouldn't be. Nose, eyes, and mouth not in places they should be, and the skin doesn't really cover everything the right way, leaving parts exposed that shouldn't be and other areas with an excess.
Still not looking at Motley, "They say my momma tried to kill me when I was just a wee teeter. but I know that was the junk talking, and her cowboy too. Somehow I didn't die, you know, just keep on keeping on. Like always. Down deep it wasn't her that did it, I know. They make it sound like the right thing to do when they're talking, and ya just get lost in the confusion."
I pause for a moment to wipe my eyes with my palms, leaving behind fresh smudges and streaks of blood on my face, before fixing my mask back in place. I go back to retying the last of the open tarp flaps, "I shot her, you know? With that fifty." I motion to the busted M2 laying in swagman's cargo flat. "She was taking peeks under my mask that night at Diamond while I was sleeping, and he told me to put her down right then. But somehow I didn't. I tried to let it go. But when I was up on that turret, gunning down all of Ziggy's cowboys, I saw her. She shoulda knowed better, Mot. I had to do it. I didn't want to, but he wasn't gonna let it go."
Done with the tarp, I stand up in the driver's seat and pick up my wrench, Torso poking through the roll bars of swagman, I finally turn and look at Motley, "I don't why I'm telling you all this. Maybe because you asked what's messin' with my head and this is kinda the shortest story. Maybe because you're the first one to ask." Flexing my grip on the wrench handle, "Maybe you gotta try to end it here, or maybe we go fug Ziggy and just see if what comes around goes around?"
I keep a neutral expression as I listen to Gigg tell his story. I feel for him, he has gone through a rough childhood like many of the crue. He eventually had the opportunity to fight back unlike some of us but it still is a sad tale.
It is when he confesses what happened to Lala that I lose my neutral expression. I look at him for a moment, we need his help in this fight, and he has been honest with me even at the expense pushing me away. I can't punish that...but I can't hide it. "Gigg, you can't hurt those fighting with you, no matter what they have done. On the battle field I need to be able to trust you to watch our backs, just like we will watch yours. Can I do that?
"Also you will have to come clean about this with Last. She deserves to know. We can wait till after this business with Ziggy is taken care of but it needs to be dealt with. Understood?"
I clip the wrench to the carabiner on my belt and nod, "I got no bad tastes with anyone else, so you have no worries. After fugging with Ziggy, Last is following me to the junkyard and we're gonna plant Lala in the shade there. This won't set well with her, I'm guessing."
I sit down behind the wheel gingerly. There's something broken or out of sorts after that tumble off the van, and I can feel when I make movements like this. There's a chance I'm not making it out of Ziggy's as bad off as I am. So we'll cross that scorch with Last if we get there. I release the brake and shove swagman into gear, and wait for Motley.
With the confession done and over, you kick engines back into gear and ride off. Motley, Last was riding slow, and she waits for you. She's riding to your left now. Dokken has your right. You can tell Last is towing the line, but she has angles to be sergeant, to replace Twisted Sis, you just read it in her eyes. She's a leader, she's not a whelp, and you're keeping her at arm's length. Wise, probably. Probably.
Gigg, the confession did something. You feel looser, less harried. Lala's around, you feel her in your mask now, but she's quiet. Pops is, too. He's there, but he's quiet. Probably assessing this new threat, right in his home.
Both, you come riding hard and heavy to Ziggy's front door, to Shadows. The dogs are baying like always, and a few trucks are riding out towards you, men thrown on vehicles with guns in a desperate attempt to keep you at bay, maybe talk to you and show a front.
How are you handling these fools?
I nod to Dokken and Last as we start back up. The ride to Shadows is in silence, I am thankful for that. It gives me time to think. I saw the look in Last eyes, I know its hard for an Alpha to step down and become a second again, being sergeant would go a long way to towards smoothing things over. Then there is Dokken, he could make a decent sergeant, and could definitely grow into it over time, passing him by would be a slap in the face and could drive him away or to a fight. Blazes, why can't anything be easy...just once.
.....................
I listen to Gigg's plan. There is some serious merit to it. I almost suggest Rose as the best driver for this job, My words stop before I begin, "Quiet Riot, is the best rider we have, she will not blink, as she drives into fugging hell." I look over to Last and Dokken as I say this, "Our crue will be good and hitting them from different sides, staying mobile, backing off before they can get a bead on us. Dokken will lead my crue since he knows whose best at what, Last will coordinate her girls. They are humped! Let's fuggin do it."
This is QR, the best rider in the crue:
She'll find some scrub and put her dirt bike down in there "for safe keeping", then hustle to jump behind the wheel of Swagman.
Gigg, looks like "you're the bait" here.
When you’re the bait, roll+cool. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7–9, choose 1:
• You draw your prey all the way into the trap. Otherwise, they only approach.
• Your prey doesn’t suspect you. Otherwise, they’re wary and alert.
• You don’t expose yourself to extra risk. Otherwise, any harm your prey inflicts is +1.
On a miss, the MC chooses 1 for you
Motley,
What do you do?
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 6, 3. Total: 10)
You don't expose yourself to extra risk.
'Why did you have to pick now Last to make your move?', I think to myself. I look at her serious and yet concerned of the outcome of this chat. "Don't really think its the time just now to chat about that do you?" I pause but know she aint gonna let it go. "Shades Last. You should know I can't do that. Consider you are almost an outsider to the crue. Sure we've worked together and typically bust head pretty well, but you don't know the crue well enough to call shots just yet. Its why I picked Sis the last throw down we had. You fuggin know your stuff, I'll give you that, but after losing two of our own, I gotta keep the circle tight. I gotta pick from those who have some miles with us. Sorry to say that aint you yet. Maybe it can be later, but not now, not today."
Motley, Last's eyes narrow. She doesn't like it, you know that. But she doesn't put up a fight here and now, nods, and revs up her bike to pull away as Swagman heads out.
Quiet Riot, Gigg, was poorly named. She blasts some tunes on the Swagman radio, something about "Let There Be Rock", and wails along, knows mostly every word and adds a few, chattering in between verses and beating the drums out on the steering wheel. She heads right for those trucks, then veers right to give them a show, flipping the bird with her left hand while turning with her right. The first truck driver, a wide-eyed young man in a balaclava almost ducks behind the steering column when you take aim at him. The truck scatter to make themselves harder targets, and a box truck starts chasing after you once you part the wave. Motley and the crue move around them and you've done your job. Now you've gotta survive once they figure out the ruse.
Oh, there's a passenger in the box truck, some rail thin rifleman who's taking careful aim. He's going to try and take you out.
What do you do?
Motley, your gang manages to slip left around the forward advance, and now you're zooming up on Ziggy's little dogtown. You spot some movement, probably a half dozen gangers, small arms. Oh, and somebody's moving to open the cages, hoping the dogs will provide some cover.
I think you're Seizing this hold by Force, right? Let's see a roll here. You've got size advantage, so you're doing some good damage here.
"You gotta a gun that shoots?" I hold out one hand hoping she hands me something useful, while pointing at the nitrous tank between the seats with the other.
If Quiet has a gun I can use, the idea is to lay down fire while we try to out distance our pursuers until Mot's crue can wipe the desert floor with 'em. If she doesn't have a gun, then she'll have to get me close enough to that rifleman so that I can make sure he can't get a clean shot on her. Mot's countin' on me having his crue's back...
Sieze by force (+hard) (Rolled: 2d6+2. Rolls: 6, 1. Total: 9)
Take definite control of it
With that revolver, you're going to have to get close, man. I need you to Act Under Fire here.
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 5, 5. Total: 11)
Your gang rides in on the hold, Last, Dokken and you at the front. A pack of dogs nearly take out Whitesnake, but that's mostly because he tries not to run over them, then his front tire slips. He has to lay it down, but Tesla comes around and pulls him up. A Doberman bites Whitesnake right on his ass, though.
Your gang clears out the hold, except for the folks running and a few kids and women hiding. Ziggy isn't here, though.
What do you do?
"Gorram Yellow-bellied Son-of-a-Chum, where the shades is Ziggy ! " I shout to no one in particular.
If they are not raising weapons, I pass by the the women and children, the crue are NOT child killers. I separate us into 2 large groups and drive around a bit looking for where the fighter may be hiding or where Ziggy might have a home or place to stash weapons or barter.
Quiet Riot bobs and weaves and the rifleman pops off three shots before you get close enough to nail him. He sees the gun barrel, but the gutsy punk fires a last shot that actually tings you (2-Harm, minus your armor and being scary AF, means 0-Harm to you, please roll the Harm move) before you bow his brains out. Box truck driver veers left and just drives away. Like seriously, he's done with this shite.
What do you do?
Motley,
You scout around for a bit, finding nothing. Motorhead waves you down
You've got a barter off these people. You can take two more, but then they're left with no food and water. What do you do?
(Rolled: 2d6. Rolls: 3, 2. Total: 5)
I start tapping out a beat with my wrench and hockey stick against the roll bars, bopping my head, yelling into the air...
"Ali Baba and the 40 thieves! Ali Baba and the 40 thieves! Ali Baba and the 40 thieves!
Cause I am most ill and I'm rhymin' and stealin'!"
I think you're going to Seize this truck by Force, right? Let's see you head that way and find out what happens.
I look to the people around, and how much barter we could take. Then my eyes lock with a young girl hiding behind her mothers legs. I spit at Motors words, "FUG, Round everyone up, we are done here. Lets go back up Gigg and Riot!" Mad at the way things have turned out today, I mutter to myself as I ride off, "Too many loose ends...too many"
Dokken rounds everyone up and the crue rides out of Ziggy's place. Any Sand Snakes around might pick the place over, they sure can't defend the place, but you leave them be. Ahead you see the Swagman giving chase on a box truck. The trucks trying to hit a narrow passage down the Shadows to the highway.
While Riot maintains a tight gap, I duck-waddle out to the front of the car, tight-roping the roll bar frame and the make-shift aluminum plate that serves as fenders. The jump will be easy, but.... one ill-timed bump or misstep and I'm falling into the exposed motor. Easy-easy, right?
I look back at Quiet and give a nod that I'm ready for her slam the back of the truck while I jump.
What do you do?
That's definitely a move!
To board a moving vehicle, roll+cool, minus its speed. To board one moving vehicle from another, roll+cool, minus the difference between their speeds. On a 10+, you’re on and you made it look easy. Take +1forward. On a 7–9, you’re on, but geez.
On a miss, the MC chooses: you’re hanging on for dear life, or you’re down and good luck to you.
Quiet Riot is matching the truck's speed, which is 0.
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 1, 5. Total: 7)
You leap off the back of Swagman and land on the back of the truck, but the hit throws you up an inch, and then you're holding onto the back bumper, your legs scraping the hard packed ground! It's like someone's taking a sander to your pants and boots, and you think you feel it biting through already, you'll feel that in the morning. (Take 1-Harm AP, please roll the Harm move).
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 3, 3. Total: 7)
Your feet drag on the ground for a few moments, the sole of your left boot is torn off by a rock as you're drug over it, you'll have a stone bruise the size of Truk Stop there. But you pull yourself up into the bed, and roll into the mildly safe confines of the back of the box truck.
That's when you hear a hiss. And look up to see a fuggin' rattlesnake in the back of this damn truck, Gigg! Too dark to tell if it was thrown back here or slipped in some time, but there it is, hissing and rattling.
What do you do?
OOC: Read a Sitch?
Sure. I mean, you can't really Read a Person, right?
(Rolled: 2d6. Rolls: 6, 6. Total: 12)
What's my best way into the cab of the truck (remember I have the move Oh yeah!
What should I be on the lookout for?
Taking The Mother's Heartbeat move from the Child-Thing playbook
Your best way is through the back, just Oh Yeah! through the passenger side with that fuggin' wrench and snatch he driver. You should be wary of that guy freaking out and flipping the truck. You'd roll off this road and down the hill, which isn't a mountain, but rolling in a box truck is not safe. Oh yes, and snake. You should deal with the snake.
Finally caught up with Gigg and the Swagman, I take a look at the situation. Gigg in the box truck and Riot on the driver side, I get an idea. I give the crue the signal and they rev forward to do their jobs. It is something we have done a few times before when we needed to stop someone without wrecking the cargo. 'Circle the wagons' is what the old books called it. The crue make a perimeter around the box truck. A half dozen bikes in front, bikes on the side have their guns out and aimed at the driver, the threat clear.
I raise my fist into the air and pull down, giving the signal to start slowing down. As a unified group we begin trying to force the van to slow, then stop.
Let's see you Seize this truck by Force.
-take definite control
Using my hockey stick, I intend to use the blade of the stick to pin the snake to the box floor just a couple inches behind the snake's head in a thicker part of his body. This will limit his striking distance without snapping his head off and killing him. Once I have him pinned, I'm gonna grab his tail with the other end, and that will give me control over him. Holding by the tail and using the blade of the stick to keep his head away is my plan for dealing with this snake.
(Rolled: 2d6+1. Rolls: 4, 6. Total: 11)
Inside the back of the truck, you grab that snake, with hockey stick and hands. You're faster than you look and you catch him but good. You hear the roar of the crue bikes as they zoom around and ahead of you. As you beat on the inside of the truck a couple times to let the driver know you're there, he gives up.
Motley,
Dokken zips ahead with the others, and once they're in front of the truck, they start pinning it in. The driver realizes he's humped, and with guns aimed at his head, he slows the truck down. Quiet Riot gives you a gleeful thumbs up as you ride beside her while she's driving Swagman.
Both,
In a few minutes, it's all over. Gigg, beat up, bloody, but still kicking, you now have a box truck and a rattler. Motley, your crue took care of this operation without a hitch. Once the truck driver's stopped, Dokken hops off his bike, runs up, throws open the door and drags the guy out, throwing him to the dirt. He starts kicking the guy, screaming at him for being stupid to run from the crue. Whitesnake comes up, too, kicks him a couple times. Guy's got his hands over his head, rolling around, trying to get them to stop.
What do you do?
I briefly watch Dokken and Whitesnake beat on the driver. I wish things could be done differently but this is not the life we have here. Although I wouldn't do it myself I allow them to have their release, especially considering what has happened today. But then the rage takes over and it looks like Dokken is not going to stop, I approach him and place a hand on his shoulder.
"Dokken! That's enough. You have to leave him alive or he won't pass on the message to not mess with The Crue." I smile at Dokken and wink.
Turning back to Gigg, "Hey buddy, you gonna stop playing with that rattler and join us? Ziggy ran for Depot to hide. We have anything else to do here or do we head back home?"
The rest of the crue's keeping an eye out, antsy, their blood is up. But the day is won. Where do you go next?
I limp to the back of swagman, and hook a thick canvas bag from the cargo hold with the end of my hockey stick, and flip it to Motley. "Hold this open for me if you don't mind." As Motley holds the bag open, I wrangle the snake into the bag, and tie it off, and throw the bagged snake into swagman's hold. "Never know when you might need an angry rattlesnake."
I limp over to Last and give her a slight nod back at Lala's tarp-wrapped body still in swagman's passenger seat. "Shall we head to the junkyard and give her last shade?" Looking back at Motley, "The Depot ain't far from the 'yard; we could go on from there and end it with Ziggy once and for all?"
"I'm gonna grab that rifle scrounge outta the truck cab, and then I'll be ready to scoot. Let me know what the plan is." After getting the rifle, I walk around to the front of the truck and see Quiet Riot standing on the bumper, head disappeared under the hood. "I'd rhyme and steal with you anytime. We killed it today. Unreal. Amazin'." I offer a hand to shake, fist-pump, or high-five, whatever she brings.
I'm suddenly aware of the crusted dried blood covering my arms and legs, the fresh road burns on my legs and feet from being drug by the truck, and the glinting chunks of metal and glass embedded all over any exposed skin. I do look like a monster. "Yes, box truck!" Now highly self-conscious I kinda give a half-wave goodbye, and limp back around to Motley, Last, and swagman.
You see Gigg go down. Last heads over to check on him, followed by Motorhead. Looks like he's not dying, but he's in rough shape.
What do you do?
"Blazes! Whitesnake help me put him in the swagman. Riot, you keep driving his car since you already got the rhythm of that thing. Dokken, round everyone up and lead the way to Depot. Keep an eye out for Ziggy, this fight aint entirely settled yet."
Motley, Whitesnake helps you move Gigg into the backseat since Lala's body is in the passenger side. Quiet Riot hops in and eagerly drives Swagman off, only slightly worried about leaving her bike back near Ziggy's.
Last has Krin stow her bike in the back of Box Truck and drive that off. You all head out to Depot.
Gigg, does anything happen on the way to Depot with you?
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry
Mama's gonna make all of your nightmares come true
Mama's gonna put all of her fears into you
Mama's gonna keep you right here under her wing
She won't let you fly but she might let you sing
Mama's gonna keep baby cozy and warm
The unconscious collapse was just the beginning. The start of the body and mind shutting off to keep from dying... or worse yet... crossing over to the point of no return...
... I need to go to my safe place ...
The last time I got to this point, I took Pops' advice and bought some time with one of Esco's gals. It would be the first and the last time for that. I asked Esco for one of them gals whose got the milk, and I just layed in the dark unmasked and nursed until I fell asleep. It freaked the gal out so bad, Esco threw me out of Diamond and told me never again... so what now?
Hush now, baby, baby, don't you cry
Mama's gonna check out all your girlfriends for you
Mama won't let anyone dirty get through
Mama's gonna wait up till you get in
Mama will always find out where you've been
Mamma's gonna keep baby healthy and clean
In the back seat of swagman, I feel the rhythmic jostling of the buggy, and in that free state where the body and mind has shut off, I withdraw into the world's psychic maelstrom... my safe place at last...
Ooh, babe, ooh, babe, ooh, babe
Of course Mama's gonna help build the wall
OOC: the mother’s heartbeat: when you withdraw into the world’s psychic maelstrom, roll+weird. On a 10+, choose 2. On a 7–9, choose 1. You emerge again, about an hour later, and...
• ...Meanwhile, you can still watch and hear what’s happening where you were.
• ...You can re-emerge in a different place altogether.
• ...You are healed of all harm.
• ...You can bring someone in and out with you.
On a miss, you are in the dark and warm, listening to the mother’s heartbeat, and many hours pass.
End Scene