The Long Way

So they set east trying to avoid danger. They passed a large cross, the Yangtze Memorial (according to the ruins) for soldiers who fought in China before the bombs fell. Hastily written and pretty recent marks indicate "Danger, Deathclaws Ahead!"

"Good thing we aren't going that way" Ringo smiled as Sunny huffed in annoyance.

"I could have gotten us through." Sunny smirked.

"I am sure you could have." Ringo laughed as he lead the way on eastward.

A number of days of camping and walking follow as they move further south to "avoid Black Mountain" Ringo says.

"Don't want to get into a tangle with Super Mutants--the bastards are real tough."

"They sound scary." Madeline remarks.

"They are but there are worse things in the wasteland." Ringo replies his eyes seemingly distant.

"I'd vote Deathclaws as the number one thing to give me the--" Sunny was cut short by Cheyenne's barking. Suddenly a stirring appears only 50 yards from the group. A scorpion the size of a motorbike appeared from behind a large rock. Ringo instinctively begins firing at the creature. Sunny follows suit but also moves to some higher ground.

Madeline fires at the over sized creature, her rounds seemingly bouncing off its outer shell seemingly doing little damage. However, due to Sunny's shooting and Ringo's withering fire the creature only manages to make it within 10 yards before dropping like a box of rocks.

"Jesus--" Madeline exclaims shocked from the experience "That...that was a scorpion?"

"Yeah" says Ringo "And thats not the biggest out there. Gotta be careful."

"The radition changed all kinds of things." Sunny interjected as she moved cautiously around the dead monster "Thats what Doc Mitchel says."

"Come on" Ringo moved past the beast and picks up his pace "who knows where there might be more."

So the companions continued on for some time until they reached a rocky outcrop with good protection for a long night of fitful rest.