Darkwind - Viewing Topic: Heart of Darkness

Dreamthief
Fast and Deadly
Autodueller
Civs Faction

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Joined: Dec 18, 2009

/ooc Part1

Johnny grimaced when a jolt of pain shot up his leg as he limped over to Mezcal's. He shifted his weight to lean more heavily on his stick as he looked down in frustration at the lump of metal he now had for a lower leg.

"Damn thing looks like a bloody pickup suspension spring", he grumbled. "Still, it coulda been worse, much worse."

He stared out towards the desert, remembering the pair of friends who'd been with him when they'd been ambushed. Peachy and Lucky had been in with him right from the start, when Elva had forged their gang from whatever gems she could find amidst the dregs and dross of humanity that scratched a living out here.
Good people, and hell, you sure couldn't say that about many these days. Sure couldn't afford to lose people like that.

Johnny took a deep breath and blinked the moisture from his eyes, just the sand and sun..... sure just the sand and sun.

He banged through the doors and was met with a raucus cheer from the corner of the bar which Fast and Deadly had claimed for their own.

As he walked over, he noticed the nudges and grins that were only half hidden.

"What the hell are they up to?", he wondered. "Ahhh crap, they wouldn't!"

When Vicki got up with a box in her hands he knew right then, they damn well would! Bastards! They hadn't given her the tag of "Vicious" for no reason.

Vicki smiled sweetly at him and handed him the box, somehow they'd even managed to find some brightly coloured paper to wrap it in.

"Here ya go hun, a get well pressie from the whole gang. We hope you like it!"

He was pretty sure what was going to be in the box, especially when he saw that "Daring" Daniel was raising a glass to toast him, with his only arm.

"Gee thanks guys and gals but you really shouldn't have gone to any trouble." Well he'd play along with the niceties.

As he sat down and started to unwrap the box, the chuckles and snorts grew louder and he noticed that a lot of the other tables nearby were all watching too...and grinning.
Opening the box he reached in and pulled out the present with a flourish.

"A pair of boots! Just what I needed!"

It took about five minutes for the laughter to die down and people to stop sticking their heads in through the doors to see what was happening.

Vicki leaned over when things had settled a bit and smiled at him,
"No hard feelings eh? I mean, it's not like you didn't start the tradition yourself after all, is it?"
She tipped her head towards "Daring" Daniel. He looked over in time to see Daniel, wearing one of the gloves that Johnny had bought him when he lost his arm, flip him the bird.

"Naw, I guess not....and they are really pretty nice boots." he shrugged with a wry grin.

Vicki dipped her hand into the box and pulled out a bit of string and wiggled it at him, giggling at his confused expression.
"It's to tie the boot onto your...uhh spring....so it won't slip round backwards and make you look like a freak. Obviously!"

"How very considerate of you ma'am. You think of everything. Perhaps you'd like to drop round later tonight and show me how it should be properly attached?" he waggled his eyebrows suggestively and gave Vicki his best leer.

The smile dropped off her face as she suddenly became serious,
"Yeah, we need...to talk. Not about us you muppet," she forced a grin as Johnny looked worried "It's about Elva, we've been hearing some...things."

"The Boss? What sort of things? Is everyting ok back in Somerset?"

Vicki held her hand out flat and waggled it,
"While you were laid up healin', Theodore came down with the mail and wanted to talk to you."

Johnny nodded at her,
"Come on, spit it out Vicki, it'll not sound any better sayin' it slow like."

She took a deep breath,
"It just rumours and talk Johnny. Leastwise, so far it is. Elva doesn't come out any more, she never goes scouting or racing. She used to love racing! They're saying she just trawls round looking for new recruits or yells and screams at the trainees to get them working harder."

Johnn nodded,
"Ok, ok. That doesn't sound so bad, sure she's a bit under pressure having to run this bunch of weirdos but who wouldn't be? Sounds like she's just doing the job the Boss should, you know, all the crappy logistics and paper pushin' that keeps us moving. Next time I'm up there I'll make sure the two of us get into one of those little league deathraces and she can blow off some steam."

"No johnny, there's....more." Vicki looked up at him desparingly "Theodore said that.....she's been collecting bounties on Butane and Firelight Manhunters." she held her hand up to stop Johnn interrupting,
"The poster for each bounty that she cashes is nailed up inside her office....and.....she nails an ear from the dead guy to it." she finished in a rush.

Johnny looked back in shock,
"Ahh ####, it does sound like she's losing it...and if she's getting the new recruits hacking up bodies then they're not going to be much further behind. What's going through her mind, to be sitting there surrounded by rotting bits of flesh? Someone's got to help her."

"Can you help her Johnny? I mean, let's face it, we're the sort of folks who are good at shooting people and blowing stuff up, at making warped jokes about friends losing limbs. We're not really brain surgeons hun."

Johnny smiled grimly,
"No, though I've done my fair share of that too..with a car rifle but that's not going to help now. At least I hope it doesn't come to that. I'm gunna go fuel up the Taxi.....nothing else we have is faster than a five litre Buccy....and I'm heading north."

He pushed himself up out his chair, knocked back the rest of his beer and headed for the door.

......................... vet wv
Posted Aug 31, 2010, 2:23 pm