Darkwind - Viewing Topic: Horror of the Night!

Joram
Talon
Sunday Driver
Renegade

Member Level

Group: Members
Posts: 94
Joined: Aug 20, 2007

The crack scout for Steel Talon, 'Blind' Frank Lopez, opens the door of Dexter's bathing the otherwise dark establisment in temporary light. A few shouted curses of surprise echo through the bar as eyes unaccustomed to the sun quickly turn away.

"Close the f'n door!" shouted one particularly burly voice.

Lopez smirked, used to dealing with characters far more savory than any of these yokels. Quickly he scanned the bar easily picking out the distinguishing characteristics of Donna 'Boobs' Wesley. She was in a corner booth, shadowed even with the door wide open. A tattered privacy curtain was partly drawn but even so she had her back to the wall and a clear view of the entire establishment. Her head was down, apparently staring into her watered down though undoubtably toxic beer. But Lopez had no doubt she knew exactly where everyone was at all times.

With the assuredness of someone who had stared death in the face many times with a smile, Lopez walked over to Wesley's booth, smoothly swiping some poor drunk's half-touched drink on the way.

"Hi Boobs" Lopez casually said as he plopped down in the seat as if he had been wearing the weight of the world on his back till this moment.

"Shut it, Frank" Wesley automatically responded.

Weary of the nickname that she had been stuck with when she first joined the Talon, she usually would transfix any member who dared utter it in her presence with a withering gaze. Most would back down and mumble an apology aware that her meteoric rise to the leadership of Steel Talon was due to her unquestionable drive and courage. She had once taken her underpowered and battered Voyager and drew the fire of no less than six bandits as a young and overzealous gang had tried to haul a large but heavily damaged bounty home to Somerset. Her heroics had allowed over half the gang to make it home safely while she repeatedly weaving and firing and literally throwing pieces of broken armor from her own car to do what she could to save the crew.

Eventually, her car could take no more punishment and succumbed to the combined firepower of an entire gang of bandits. Left for dead, car smoking and engine and weapons destroyed, she woke up half bloodied, bruised and with a few more holes in her body than she had started with. She crawled out of the wreckage, walked over to another wreck that the bandits had left, and carried/dragged one unconcsious Talon back towards the gates of Somerset. On arrival, out of a mix of guilt and amazement, she was elected as the new leader of Steel Talon as the old one was disgraced with leaving them behind. Not many called her nickname to her face after that.

"Sorry Donna, just trying to lighten the mood". Lopez, one of the few who couldn't be intimidated by Wesley, still had the grace to look slightly embarrassed.

"I just don't understand what Elwood was thinking" Donna whispered. "He never should have gone out in that Vamp. Not last night in any car for that reason." Slowly building her fury "I ought to shoot Dexter for enticing us with his stupid cars!"

Lopez quickly rose and settled Wesley who had half risen out of her seat drawing her sidearm with the intent to follow through on her newfound anger. Dexter, behind the bar, an old hand himself was no doubt aware of her intentions but never batted an eye or let on he knew of their byplay.

"Calm down Donna, it's not Dexter's fault. Elwood was as competent a driver as anyone. In fact, he was better than competent. He was our best. No one could jig like him and he even held some records on the racetrack. Who else in our gang besides you can say that? Elwood knew what he was getting into. But I can't explain what happened either...."

"You're right Frank." A rare admission. It doesn't pay to show weakness but Donna could trust Frank.

"I just don't understand why not only would he take on three to one in a Vamp but he would play chicken with a Marauder at 60-plus miles per hour! I mean, c'mon Frank, there's guts, and there's stupidity. And against zombies no less!" Donna exclaimed.

Pausing before he spoke, Frank thoughtfully took a drag of his beer. "I don't know Donna. You know Elwood wasn't stupid. It was sunset and they were zombies. Any other opponent would have swerved, you know that. But these were zombies, they are already dead! They don't know anything but kill, kill, kill. Perhaps Elwood didn't realize the zombies were out so early. Perhaps the sun was in his eyes. We'll never know. All we do know is we lost one our founding members, our best driver, and a damn fine human being."

"And after all, he didn't get his nickname "Crash" for nothing" Donna snorted.

Frank, relieved that Donna could make even a small joke, raised his beer and announced "To Elwood 'Crash' McBride, family, friend, and damn crazy. May he rest in peace!"

"Amen" Donna whispered as she raised her mug.

......................... vet
Posted Nov 1, 2007, 6:48 pm