By: Jason Varian

A TYPICAL DAY IN THE WASTELANDS
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        *CRASH*
        Another one of Barl's beer mugs, shattered into oblivion. Scratchy and
Hawk stood face to face, no more than inches from one another.  Scratchy's
hulking frame obscurred VITAS and F*I*D*O'S view of the smaller, more agile
Hawk.
        "You think you're so tough, don't you?" yelled Hawk, rubbing the soon-
to-be-bruise on his jaw.  "I have more knowledge of and
experience in the wastelands than you could ever dream of having!"
        "Is that so?" sneered Scratchy.  "I may not be as experienced as you
think you are, but I know that at least my skills are earned... oracle junkie!"
        Suddenly, Scratchy let out a cry.  While he had been busy arguing with
Hawk, he had been discreetly moving his left hand toward the small of his back.
 Now VITAS held that arm twisted at an odd angle out to the side of Scratchy.
Scratchy's salanger clattered to the floor.  It may not have looked like much,
but at close quarters with no armor, it could be quite lethal.
        "Now is not the time or the place," growled VITAS.  "We have better
things to do than fight amongst ourselves."
        With that, he released his hold on Scratchy's arm.  Scratchy
immediately picked up his blade, and slid it back into its sheath as he stormed
out of the bar.  With Hawk looking as smug as ever, VITAS and F*I*D*O followed
suit and left as well.
        "I think cooling him down might take the family touch," whispered VITAS
to F*I*D*O with a wink.  "Let me handle this alone."
        As F*I*D*O wandered off to the rec room, VITAS began to remember his
past.
        Scratchy and VITAS, were twin brothers, born shortly after the Hydrite
invasion.  While Scratchy was indeed much bigger, it usually took VITAS to bail
him out in social situations (such as what just happened in the bar).  Both
were fairly young, compared to the other recruits.  However, at nineteen years
old, both had established a name for themselves, in the Dallas squadron at
least. Some were even comparing the two to such Dallas legends as The
Terminator, The Punisher, Weezal Dub, and Ryu!?.  But many, such as Hawk and
Suprax who were leaders of the rival San Antonio squad, thought otherwise.
        Little was known of the two, not even where they had picked up their
handles.  Scratchy was involved in many a knife fight in his youth, and had the
scars to prove it.  VITAS though, named himself in a completely different, and
more morbid, fashion. Virally Induced Toxic Allergy Syndrome (pronounced Vai-
tass) was a mutated virus that wiped out one third of the earth's population
immediatly after the holocaust.  VITAS' goal was to wipe out the same amount of
the hydrite population...personally.
        "Hey Scratchy," VITAS called as he opened the door to the barracks,
"Whaddya say we hit the wastelands and relieve some of our tensions on some
unfortunate beasties."
        "Sounds good to me," muttered Scratchy as he slipped into his combat
suit.  "I just wish Hawk were a hydrite, so I wouldn't feel an ounce of guilt
when I kill him."
        As the twins made their way out, they bumped into F*I*D*O as he exited
the rec room.  His shirt and pants were covered with green, hydrite blood.

(to be continued)

From: Catacombs of the Bear Cult - (214) 669-9052 - OOII (1:124/6304)

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