"sing? nah. i just impersonate elvis and give it a new coat of paint." erich smirks. he makes no illusions of what he does. erich really doesnt even consider himself a singer,his talent is in guitar playing. he would be perfectly content to just sit back and play guitar.but this incarnation of atomic war bride doesnt have karliena on bass. it has the rarely mentioned,sarah tart. a woman who cant play bass and cant sing,she merely looks pretty. erich looks down at the hysterical billy. he silently takes stock of the situation,but still not missing a beat with tapping his dick on billy's ass. this all seemed like a perfectly normal afternoon for him,aside from the drug used and the gender of the person under him. "seems normal to me. just what the hell do you usually get up to,then?" erich states as if asking why this is weird is an absurd idea. "well dammit" erich says in a rather off handed way when billy presses himself against his raging erection. erich wasnt exactly into men. but the drugs ,the situation,and his general pleasure seeking drove him on. his view on sexuality wasnt so cut and dry as :straight,gay,and bi. for erich it was purely opportunity and if he liked the person in question. billy seemed like an all right cat who liked adventure and drugs,so why not? it wasnt like billy was an unattractive man. was it dangerous fucking a man who erich hardly knew and was more than likely a male prostitute? yeah. but erich had stuck it in far skeevier places. it only seemed right to give billy a kiss on the back of the neck. in this state,the go ahead to go balls deep in billy was seen as a great gift. to erich it felt like he had just put his bits and pieces in a volcano. erich was still rolling hard due to the double dose he had taken. "just dont call me libarace!" erich laughs to billy. it was the point of no return now,may as while enjoy what was going on. "i hope you dont want me to return the favor!" erich calls while sticking his fingers in both of billy's ears. " i am far too delicate for such things. seriously,its hurting me,i can only imagine how it feels on your end." erich winces while going gently. it was a little weird,but not unpleasant.

Picture it. Boston,2274. Atomic war has rendered the world a smoldering husk of it's former self. So it's only suitable atomic war bride be represented in this new world. the Duke of Winchester lays rusting and crumbling far from the sea. The ship was likely tossed there by tidal waves caused by the nuclear explosions. For two centuries the Duke has been picked clean by scavengers and time. Deep within it's depths,a walk in freezer door pops open and Erich Hess falls to the ground.

Not the expected deck,but actual soil meets erich's face. "The hell?!" He exclaims in surprise. His surprise is overwhelming when he looks up and sees the city in ruins. Erich considers doing the final scene of planet of the apes,but there seems to be no one around to appreciate it. He reaches up into the open freezer and pulls out his freezer gun. He never trusted frozen peas,and always kept a gun in the freezer in case the peas went bad. It's a chrome,six inch barrelled ,44 Magnum. He had five bullets. He'd have to make them count. He patted his rear pocket and found his trusty switchblade.itd be a last line of defense,but would be invaluable for day to day tasks.

Erich sighed and began the long walk to the city. His once beautiful Cadillac collection was now spread across beach,half buried and rusty. He ran his hand over the front fender and said solemnly,"sleep well, friend. You won't hurt any longer." . He snapped the hood ornament off and slipped it in his pocket. The likelihood of finding anyone he knew was slim,but he wanted to find someone.

Erich's first thought when seeing the people shambling around was how they all needed a good bath. They smelled absolutely putrid,but slightly less than the usually crowd at a Dave Matthews show. But he didn't think much of them in the way of a threat. He was more in awe of the scene and that these people looked just like zombies. It didn't help when Billy mowed them down like they were zombies. Erich looks at Billy ad squints. He then takes a flask out of his pocket and takes a swig. "Billy murdering people .well,I always had my theories and here they are in front of me." As shocking as murder was,it was still pretty tame in regards to the devastation All around them. So it really didn't hit Erich. "Yeah, here." Erich quips,tossing Billy the keys to the duke. They were on a keychain that reads: ass,cash,or grass. Nobody rides for free. "She's all yours." He grins. "St Elvis must really have fucked up. It looks like a bomb went off around here." Erich exclaims.

erich looks back at whats left of the duke. the ship must sense its being looked and an another panel of steel falls of the skeleton,landing with a crash. he looks at the city and then to billy,finally resting on the mounds of bodies around them."um yeah.. the last thing i saw...wasnt this much of a shithole." erich raises an eyebrow at the mention of radiation.but it really doesnt bother him too much. the duke's reactor had been leakingfor years. whats a little more radiation to him? he sighs as billy speaks about the state of the world. those crazy prepper people were right. the world was going to end and society did collapse. "jesus fucking christ. sounds like insanity." he says while shaking his head and assuming everyone he had known was long dead. there was no time to mourn though,this was happening and he was here...with billy. the universe certainly had a cruel sense of humor,thats for sure.. erich stoops down and pokes a ghoul with a stick. blood trickles out of the paper thin skin. "so we can just kill em? just like that?" erich says,pulling out his pistol. he didnt hear much about the other,larger things that attack people. he was envisioning mowing down a horde of ex people with a lawnmower. a lifetime of b movies prepared him for this.
erich weighs his options...he had none. so he'd follow billy for now. the guy seemed pretty comfortable with the state of things and seemed to know his shit "even atomic war couldnt damage that beautiful skin." erich chirps as he trots behind billy,taking everything in. " so..if you're here,is anyone else? well, here and not like those poor bastards back there?" erich asks ,nodding towards the ghouls. he tucks his gun into his belt as they walk along.

"billy.." erich says leaning his head to the side when asked if he was armed. there were precious few times when erich wasnt armed before all this. "im an american,dammit. you know we love our guns." erich says,blowing a kiss to his revolver. if society was gone,there was no reason to pretend to be normal anymore." can you eat the stuff out in the water and around here? i guess grocery stores are long gone." erich says,eying the water. it looked pretty nasty indeed. "yeah,i wouldnt go in that water either." he smirks. the knowledge they could both be shot by snipers isnt so settling. neither is the bit about billy killing him if he was paid to. "so..pretty much business as usual,then?" he replies with a grin. billy wasnt the most stable person before all this,so erich wouldnt have put it past him way back then. "so youre saying you'd fuck my corpse? because thats what im hearing." erich laughs. at this point it was laughing to keep from crying. when they stop,erich looks out over the ruins and sighs, from billy's tone it certainly would seem like not everyone he knew was still here. " well,like the rest of the hess clan,dusty,riely... not scott. fuck him and his mayo." erich increasingly wanted some of his own people here. also the thought that he could just plug someone and nothing could be done about was quite a thing to ponder. if he didnt have anyone here besides billy...why not?

"god dammit" erich curses at the mention of eating things with rads. "i spent so long watching old civil defense films, im fucking loaded with info about fallout. i wasnt supposed to ever actually use it!" erich says with an odd laugh. he's always had a thing for civil defense films of the 50's and 60's. so he knew a thing or two about roentgens amd how many one could absorb until they died. ...providing the usa government was a telling the truth back then. which they probably werent . during the days of civil defense,two weeks was supposed to be time to remain sheltered. that obviously was false. erich had to admit the idea of a lawless world intrigued him far too much for suicide. how bad was human nature when everyone was pretty much on an even playing field? erich was ready to plumb those depths. he already ran through the scenario of shooting billy to get that machine gun. a .44 is powerful enough to take his head off in one shot. but he did enjoy the company. "i'f im dead,have it me before i go cold...unless thats your kick." erich says with a smirk.his penchant for taking nothing serious could certainly be an asset in this new world. erich has pretty much gotten over his shock and boots a skull like a football as they walk. "shit..im sorry about deneil." erich had no idea what a mirelurk was,but it sounded bad. as did the infection. it didnt make it out erich's mouth,but it may have been merciful to just kill deneil before the infection spread. erich did let out a sigh of relief to hear dustyn was ok. he was most worried about dustyn,erica,and jayne. this world didnt seem to be the sort to be gentle to such people. "kids are here?! god damn." erich says in amazment. the idea any child could live in this place was insane to erich. he had resolved himself to the fact that selene was dead. she lived in new york and that place was surely a crater now. if he only had billy and dustyn left...what could he do? "fenway?" erich whines. " i fucking hate baseball. and red sox fans. if someone asks about baseball,i swear to god i will shoot them in the balls." but the idea of safe sounds good. at least until i get a proper gun,or more bullets. i've got five,billy." erich admits,pulling the revolver out and spinning the cylinder. "its a hand cannon,but 5 shots is 5 shots. i am a good shot though." erich tells billy,trying to show he does have value in this world. he wasnt lying. erich was a fantastic shot with most any gun. he was raised around them and was more than comfortable using them.
erich instantly shuts up whn billy places his hand over his mouth. he takes the pistol out of his waistband and quietly cocks the hammer. he nods to billy to let him know he was ready. " im actually kinda fond of you,always have been. "erich whispers to billy,pressing himself to the wall.

"fuck." erich says softly when billy replies that he is sorry too. erich knew enough about modern medicine and its absence to know that deniel very well had a death sentence. erich was an only child and couldnt imagine losing a sibling. but he would know that feeling if he couldnt find jayne. "security? so i guess some semblance of society does soldier on." erich says with a hint of distaste in his voice. while in reality,diamond city probably was good for all who resided in it. erich was a nihilist at heart. it was all gone,so why pretend going back to civilization was an option? erich briefly thinks of his own daughters. though billy didnt mention karoliena and eris and lord knows where ada and marlena was was. though,given this world? erich probably would kill ada without a second thought. he certainly carried a grudge and would act on it. in spite of his pre war actions,erich was not a good person to people he thought wronged him. "thank goodness for dustyn right? hes got the heart we all should have." erich tells billy,still thinking about he would probably kill his ex wife if he ran into her out here.

erich stifles a laugh as billy describes what a raider is. there does seem to be a little bit of a hierarchy here,with raiders being the lowest. erich assumed it was because nobody would hire them. "junkies,huh? you got any leads on drugs?" erich says near hungrily. if there was a time that needed drugs,it was now. the duke was loaded with them at one time,but it had long ago been looted of any valuables. erich is shocked at first by billy's kiss,but does return it eventually. he was new,but he got it. life was short and cheap now. there was no use to be coy in ones actions. honesty was a commodity. " you arent my type,but youre a god damned beautiful man,billy." erich says to billy,drawing his gun. if that was going to be his last kiss,erich was going to make it worth it.

"I dont think culture uncut will be blasting this as the newest tryst." erich smiles sadly. he would miss the old world if it was even remotely close. the last erich knew,it was 2 hundred years ago. through his adventures with st elvis,he actually grasped the reality of time travel and alternate time lines fairly easy. "im farily certain i am single now. any port in a storm,right?" erich shrugs to billy. human contact was human contact. who knew when erich would experience such a thing again? erich took the drug and put it in his pocket. it didnt sound like his thing. he was much more for hallucinogens and things that made one creative. this drug sounded too much like work.plus,erich was slightly afraid of just what he'd be with the effects of some drug like this and the knowledge that there were no consequences for ones actions.

erich was greatly relived to know erica was still out there. jayne may be the closest thing he had to a sister,but erica was truly the flip side of his coin. suddenly this all felt like it was doable with erica in the mix. "we gotta find erica." erich stated simply. it was like the sun rising,it was inevitable. she was his other half. their relationship was closer than mere lovers or even siblings. it really was like they were alternate universe versions of each other. ( yeah,i'll bring bioshock infinite lore into this.thats how i roll. think the lutece twins) "sayyid and andrea made it?! things are looking pretty good for the hess clan.right?" erich tells billy hopefully. he had to hold out hope. there was no way he could be stuck in this hell on earth with just billy as the sole person he knew. the idea that billy was implying was absurd. some people just wouldnt be the hard bastards this world required. sure,billy was a hired gun who would murder you for the caps in your pocket,but andrea,erica? no way. they were sweet as pie. as they walk,erich picks up an empty bottle and throws it over the hill beside them. "ill give you some tongue billy. i seriously doubt anyone is going to judge in this world."

on their way to diamond city,a terrible sound is heard. its the sound of about 20 feral ghouls. the horde crests a hill on the outskirts of boston. also,the sound of the song with the lyrics, "bingo bango boingo" blares loudly. but unlike most groups of ghouls,this one is is chained to a cart....and in front of them,a petrified wastelander is also chained. he is chained a mere 4 feet in front of the nearest ghoul. the man runs,constantly trying to escape the radioactive zombies behind them. in the cart are two women. one short,one tall. the cart is flanked by ten women. five on each side. all are dressed in armor scavenged from the wasteland. a hodge podge of combat armor and power armor seems to be the soup of the day. the cart is decorated with at least 50 pip boys tuned to diamond city radio. the dried blood on them says these pip boys werent bought. the women surround billy and erich ,while the short woman in the cart barks commands," give us your shit and we wont kill you...much." the familiar voice of erica hess calls out.
the taller woman in the cart levels a mini gun at erich and billy and spools it up.

"wait,love...isnt that billy?"
the cockney accent of nina sangria quips,and lowers the gun.

"yeah ,fuck him. he still owes me caps for that fucking i gave him." erica hess sneers. erica is ready to have the gang murder the pair,but stops when she sees erich. " erich? is that you?!" she cries in surprise.

"why are we talking,lets go.we murder all men." the woman nearest to erica says,before pulling her pistol. erica quickly takes a katana from her waist and beheads the woman. the head bounces twice on the ground.

"dont fucking question me." erica hisses,before stabbing the decapitated head with the sword and placing it on the cart's bumper. "do we have any other bitches who want to be leader? no? " erica gestures for billy and erich to speak. erica no longer hides her full body tattoo that marks her as yakuza. she wears it proudly in the skimpy armour she wears. its basically a skirt with two mini nuke nose cones covering her breasts. she doesnt wear it to be sexy,she wears it to display she has others to do the dirty work for her. the harlots are no longer a band. they are the sole gang that controls the prostitution industry in good neighbor. female,male. it doesnt matter. the harlots are usually the last moments of freedom anyone sees. but only females go on the raiding parties erica and nina organize.

erica and nina hop off the cart to greet billy and erich. nina nods her head and the rest of the group continues on their way. raiding was fun,but this day just got a lot more interesting. "bring us back something good." nina orders in a tone like a child talking to their parent before a business trip. "see if you cant find a normal ghoul. you know there are some sick fucks who like that sort of thing." she continues while erica gives billy a look. the harlots were discreet with their clientele's tastes. but everyone here knew billy would fuck a ghoul. even in the before times. while erica did hate billy with a white hot passion,he was someone she knew before the war and out of respect for that he was ok with her. her list of pre war people she would kill was surprisingly small. "dont over estimate how fun you are." erica jokes back to billy with a wink.
"it happens to lots of guys,love." nina chimes in. they had immense respect for billy,but still would joke with him. some levity was needed in this world. aside from bad jokes...

"it looks like a bomb went off around here,right?" erica grins to erich,giving him a a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. she does the same to billy. erich looks at the head and back to erica. he could see billy being as he was,but erica? she didnt just do what she did,she seemed to revel in it. this new world certainly did change people. erica casually murdering and torturing people? nina being her second in command? fuck. erica can see the gears turning in erichs head,and his cleanliness. he had to be new to all this. " you're always going to be on one side of the sword. make it the right one." she says sadly.

"where is every-" erich starts,but is quickly cut off by erica.

"its just nina and i. karoliena and cassie left. jayne,chloe,gretchen...mariko?" erica starts before trailing off.she doesnt finish,but her hand rests on the sword's handle. she had a reason for being as she was,at least in her mind. everyone had to pay for what happened to her loved ones.



"its god damned terrible,love. i think the fucking things are breeding.but we know they dont have genitals,right billy?" nina says to answer billy's question. nina had left the mini gun in the cart. the thing didnt have any bullets anyway. they were planning on selling it to some sap. but she and erica did have tommy guns with them.
"where you guys headed?" erica asks,shouldering her rifle. they had pretty much invited themselves along. but as mad as he was,erich was going to be of no help yet.

erich looks down at the dirt and thinks about jayne. that was the closest person to him other than erica. she was gone. he is very aware of the weight of the pistol in his waistband,and a new feeling welling up in him: blood lust. she was possibly the one completely innocent person that erich knew. karma had no place in this world it would seem. so why worry about it anymore? erich made up his mind that he would be a force to fear in this new world.

"bitch,we only hire the freshest ghouls! the harlots arent like those two bit operations that use half feral ghouls." erica tells billy. she takes pride in the beings they force to work for them. for a time goodneighbor was the only place in the commonwealth that had a sentient deathclaw* that would give handjobs. erica was exceptionally proud of that. erica wasnt one to judge billy on ghoul fucking. the harlots didnt get the gig in goodneighbor by chance. hancock took some...convincing. he as their kind of people anyway. but it never hurt to sweeten a deal.

erica and nina exchange glances when billy mentions diamond city. due to their profession and reputation,they werent exactly welcome there,but they also had dirt on many prime players there. most everyone eventually comes to goodneighbor and patronizes their brothel. so they wouldnt be attacked,but would certainly be shown the gates when night falls. "we'll come along. but security is going to give us shit." erica replies to billy.
"not enough shit that some caps wont smooth over though,love." nina grins.
vice was a trade that always paid,so erica and nina had the caps to smooth most any situation over. even some unpleasantness of trying to kidnap pipers sister. they did cater to most every taste at the harlots garden.*2

"is dustyn...ok? he is really the only reason i want to go there. the fucking baseball thing." erich asks billy. he could see that erica,nina and billy had drastically changed. jayne was dead, so erich hoped at least one person retained their humanity. he could feel his own slipping away.he suddenly wished blake had made it. without the rule of law,erich could make him pay for being an asshole. it would be so easy. a simple pull of the trigger and he'd be silenced forever. this was america to the nth degree. true freedom. in a way that should be thought of as awful,erich relished it. an armed society would be a polite society. nobody is going to mouth off when death is seconds away.




*fallout 2 had deathclaws that were highly intelligent and could speak.
*2 yeah, that was pretty damned dark. if takara couldnt grow up,nobody could in erica and nina's mind.