Before Another Fallout Tale

Chapter -1

Venturian didn't seem to notice that Timebomb came back from the dead. In fact, he seemed to want us together. According to him, his fans "ship" us. He says that shipping is like matchmaking based on what you want to see.

I kept my distance. I can't forget that he had tried to kill Vahl and I. He seemed to notice this.

"Cywren, is something bothering you?" Timebomb asked as we rested when Venturian logged off. "You seem to be avoiding me."

I looked away. Pretending I saw something over the horizon. "I... I'm just shaken up from that dream still."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

I did. I really wanted to. But not with Timebomb. He's the last one that needed to hear this. "N-no. I just... I need to get some sleep."

I walked a few feet away before I laid down and used a jacket as a blanket. I rested my head on a rock and closed my eyes.

I heard him lay down where he stood. Vahl did the same.

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"Cywren! Cywren!" I looked around and saw dad, standing in an old vault. "Come on Cywren! Time to go!"

I walked up to him and he burned up until he became Timebomb. I stepped back.

"Why are you afraid," he asked.

"You killed people," I said.

"You did, too."

"No. You killed innocent-"

A blade pierced through his chest and he went limp. Vahl pulled the sword out of his chest and looked at me.

"Restart," she whispered.

"Wh-whats going on?" I drew out a medieval blade. "Why did you kill him?"

"I didn't kill him," Vahl said. "He did."

She pointed behind me. I turned around to see a wolf twice my height made of dark mist stare at me with glowing red eyes.

"Welcome to the way it should have been," his deep voice echoed. "Lets have a feast."

His teeth sunk into my torso and I screamed in pain. A golden liquid streamed from my sides and dripped down an endless pit of darkness.

"Restart," my companions whispered in unison. "Restart."

The jaws released me and I fell. My hair whipped my face and my glasses fell off of my face. The golden blood crawled up my body and tore me apart, making me scream even louder. I flailed wildly at the golden substance with the sword but it ate that like it was cream. It covered my face in moments and laughed. Laughed with a strangely familiar but foreign voice.

"Cywren!"

I opened my eyes and stopped screaming and flailing. Timebomb had sat me up and held my shoulders. When he saw my eyes open, he drew me in and hugged me tightly.

"Wh-wha," I stuttered.

"It was just a dream," he reassured me. "Don't worry."

He stroked my hair and I felt surprisingly relieved. My killer was keeping me calm.

He let me go and wiped the tears from my face. "Are you okay?"

"I-I..." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I think so."

"Do you want to go back to the TARDIS?" I shook my head. He sighed. "Maybe you need a break from the adventures for a while. It seems to be getting to you." He stood up. "Try and get some sleep."

I watched him draw his rifle out and scan the horizon. Then it hit me, he was taking watch. He was protecting me.

I laid back down but sleep would not return. My body was weak but refused to sleep, making the next six hours a long reflection.