Dog Eat Dog

I don't own fallout

"Big BRO!! I FOUND CREEPY!!" I yelled for Big Bro as I sniffed Creepy beneath the bed. "You are in so much trouble…" I growled as he crawled against the wall beneath the bed. Big Bro, Big Lady, Smokey Lady, and Jack all entered. Big Lady lifted the bed up as Creepy yelped.

"Me… Me sorry." He whimpered as Big Bro grabbed him and hauled him out of the room.

"It's gone now Itsame." Big bro said coolly, "Now, please. PLEASE." He said his voice harsh. "PLEASE lead us out."

"Yes! Yes follow!" Creepy said, crawling away as we followed him. I sniffed the floor, following his trail for Big Bro so we didn't lose him again.

"You alright?" Jack asked as Big Bro nodded.

"Fine enough… all things considered." I rubbed my head against Big Bro's leg so he felt better. He laughed and scratched behind my ears. The good spot… my leg thumped the floor.

"Thanks buddy." He smiled. Good! Big Bro is best when he's happy.

"Close now! Close!" Creepy cheered, skittering quickly ahead.

"Hey! Don't you run away!" I shouted after him, chasing quickly.

"Raid!" I heard him, but I had to make sure Creepy didn't escape. I always know where Big Bro is.

I smelled air. Fresh air… I sniffed, slowing down as Big Bro and the rest of the Pack caught up. Jack frowned as Itsame pointed out an open door… it was dark out.

"…You mean to tell me. That nutbar back there was just a few turns away from getting OUT!?" Jack shouted angrily as I whimpered. Angry Jack is bad.

Smokey Girl made me feel better though, she scratched my ears and pet me. "Oh shut up Jack, that… whatever it was, wasn't right in the head anymore. It was wearing a rotton Brahmin face!"

"But out now yes?" Itsame smiled, "Out and happy."

"Right…" Big Bro said sighing, "…Let's… should we spend one more night in-" but before he finished Jack started pushing Big Bro outside… Good! I needed to mark territory and I've already claimed this place.

"Nope! Outside. Now."

"Bye friend Swat and Swat friends!" Creepy cheered waving, "Come see again! Come!" he waved for a little longer, then went back into the cave.

We followed Big Bro and Jack outside, finding a small spot to rest by a circle with burnt sticks… it was a 'ground camp.' "We are NEVER going through there again." Jack said pointing. "It's stuffy, cramped, creepy and filled with crazy fuckers! I'd rather go over the damn mountain and fight a behemoth than do that again!"

"Agreed." Big Bro mumbled, sitting down on a park bench. "…I guess this is the best spot to rest. We can go back in the vault if we need shelter but we'll relax here for the moment." Smokey girl laid down on another bench as Jack sat down near the fire pit… starting it up again as Big Lady looked around.

"I think I should look around! See if there is something to hunt."

"Don't wander too far." Big Bro said as I lay down beside him. He reached down, petting my back… I liked it.

"Raid! Do you want to join me? There might be food…" Big Lady said… my tail wagged. I do like food. I got up and followed her. I guess I should make sure she's safe. I am a good boy after all.

"Who's a good boy… who's a good boy?" she said petting me.

I am. I'm a good boy.

I followed Big Lady for a little while. Sniffing the ground… I smelled other dogs… some bitches. Big Lady stood still, looking around, and then frowned. "…Do you see that boy?"

I saw a flappy thing on a pole. Big Lady walked towards it, putting her hands on the flappy thing. It had a meat creature on it with those weird letters. "…Lost?" Big Lady said humming to herself. "…But this is a legion flag."

"HEY! HEY!!! THIS IS OUR TURF FUCKER!!" Someone was yelling at us, I looked to see the other dogs. They looked angry. And mean.

I need to protect Big Lady. So I stood between them and her as they kept insulting us. Big Lady got her big metal stick… no. Don't get distracted by the big stick. Focus on the bad dogs. "BACK. OFF!!!" I roared as they slinked slightly away at my yell. Big Lady smiled.

"Legion Dogs eh? Well, that answers one question."

"Hey don't back down!" the biggest and meanest said, snapping at his pack. "Get em! Easy meat!" he led the charge, 6 angry dogs trying to eat us. They're not smart.

My teeth sunk deep into one's neck as his snapping jaws bit the air before I took him down, feeling another two jump me before they were quickly sent away by Big Lady.

"Off my husband's dog!" she said. "Bad DOGS!"

"Kill! Eat them! Fresh meat!" I took down more, snapping and clawing at them. I was bigger. I was meaner. I was Alpha. Their alpha challenged me, but he was no match for me. I bit deep into his neck and slammed his head on the rocks…

"I AM BEST!!" I roared stomping on the dead Alpha.

"Good boy." Big Lady said as the others ran off. Leaving their Alpha dead on the ground. She pet me on the butt…

I AM a good boy.

"…We need to tell Swat." She said frowning, ripping the flappy thing from the pole. "Come on boy." She said, well… I am supposed to protect her. So I followed.

"Husband! Swat!"

"Oh come on I want to sleep…"

"Big bro we found a blanket!" I said. Big Bro sat up scratching my head.

"Okay okay, Raid I'm up, quit barking…" Big bro looked at Big Lady. "…What's that?"

The pack grouped around us, I smiled at them all. I'm glad we found such a big blanket. Jack frowned at it. "…Lost? On a legion banner?"

"Bastards." Smokey girl hissed. Spitting on the ground… I sniffed it… it strangely smelled like big bro… Neat!

"I heard the legion came back east." Big bro said getting up, "…I didn't know they were this close to the Rocks.

"Well, we knew they were nearby. They sent a crew into the vault." Jack replied, pointing back towards the dark place. "Didn't we read something about them fragmenting? Maybe he's some new commander or something?"

"Kinda wished I kept that weird journel now." Big bro sighed. "…Well if this is legion territory we shouldn't stay out in the open. Let's see if we can find better shelter."

"Yeah because bombed-out buildings are fantastic." Jack said sarcastically.

"They're better than nothing. Some might even have a few beds." Smokey girl said as Jack put out the hot stuff.

"Indeed! we can share!" Big Lady said, then looking down at me she swept me up. I liked being up high! So I kissed her face. "I shall stay with Raid! He is an excellent cuddler!"

"Let's find someplace first." Big bro said smiling. "Put him down."

Jack pulled out some jerky from his pocket. I loved pocket jerky! I got down from Big Lady, following Jack. "Bug off dog this is mine…"

Okay. So where's mine? I kept poking him with my sniffer until I found it and he'll give me some.

Big Bro turned away and walked on with Smokey girl. "Where are we going after we rest up?"

"North. There are a few settlements on the way… but once we get further north it's going to get a little weirder. Got to go through the corn lands."

"…The what?" Smokey Girl asked flatly

Jack pulled out more pocket jerky, and when nobody was looking. He gave me some. "Not a word dog." He said, like always. It was our secret codeword. I don't tell big bro and he gives me jerky. It's fun!

We found a place. I claimed the trees outside so it's ours now. "This is good enough." Big bro said, trying the door. "Okay." He knelt down and used his magic poking sticks to open the door. "There we go."

"Glad your mother taught you something." Jack said pulling out his noisemakers. "If there's anything inside let's clear em out."

Smokey girl made a silly noise with her mouth. "I'm sure it's fi-Holy crap!" a lot of big angry bugs flew out, there was a lot of noise and one loud.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Big lady screamed and started swinging her big stick, smashing bugs left and right as the rest of the pack got out of the way. "I hate roaches! I hate the-he-hem!!!!"

"Shit! get out of the way!" Big bro shouted, grabbing Smokey girl and darting away as Jack kept firing.

"They're just roach-Fuck!" Jack dropped down as big lady's first noise made way to an angry, scary-

"ROOOOAAAAAARRRR!!!!" she smashed, crashed, bashed and trashed every bug that came at us, charging through the door into the house as the insides of the new place started to make a LOT of crunching noises.

"Oh great, she's gone berserk." Big Bro said sadly as we all gathered outside, a part of the front wall fell away as Big Lady's big stick smashed a big new hole in it.

…Big Lady gets angry sometimes… then she's SCARY Lady… I hid behind Big Bro. But wasn't scared. I was just making sure Big Bro had a clear path to run away.

"…Are we going to need to find another house?" Jack asked, smacking dust off his coat.

The house shook as Scary Lady made another loud scary noise…and then some of it fell apart. "For the record… THIS is one of the reasons why I'm not happy to be 'married' to her." Big Bro said, as more of the house shook. "Not that I am."

"Yeah. No. I'm done making fun of you for that…" Jack said as a whole WALL of the house fell away from the rest of it and Scary Lady came out… covered in bug stuff.

"…I think… I got… them all…" she said, grinning at us… at least she was Big Lady again. brushing some of her yellow fur from her eyes. "There were a lot…"

The house fell apart and Jack sighed, "…Let's find another one."

"Yeah okay… but explain to me the thing about 'Corn Land?'" Smokey girl asked as I sniffed Big Lady… she was sticky and smelled like bug.

"Back in my day we called it 'Nebraska'… Corn Land is actually accurate." Jack noted as we all went to find a new house. It had a lot less bugs in it, and a lot more Bad Jacks… but then we sent them all away with our noisemakers and my teeth.

"Alright…" Big Bro said locking the door as we all got settled. "Let's get some rest."

And we all went to sleep… Big Lady used me as a pillow… I'm sticky now.

End of Chapter.